Tilea's Worries

A fiery ball floated menacingly in Miless-chan's right hand, the flames flickering with intensity. If that thing hit me head-on, it wouldn’t just be a burn—I'd be reduced to a pile of ash. It was more terrifying than someone throwing a Molotov cocktail at me.

“Miless-chan, calm down,” I said, trying to soothe her.

“Hic… hic…”

My words didn’t seem to reach her. She just kept glaring at me, like a hissing cat, ready to pounce at any moment.

And her clothes were soaking wet. First things first, I needed to get her a change of clothes. If she caught a cold on top of this, things would only get worse.

Just as I was about to find something for her to wear, Oru’s obnoxious laugh echoed through the room once again.

“Hahahaha! How foolish! Daring to oppose Tilea-sama is nothing short of treason! I’ll make you regret it, right down to your bones, puppet!”

Oh, for crying out loud… While I was racking my brain trying to calm Miless-chan down, this idiot just kept stirring the pot.

Does he realize that without me holding Miless-chan back, he’d be a crispy pancake by now?

I shot a glance at Oru.

Oru met my gaze and, with a smug smile, nodded as if to say, *I’ve got this.*

Then he pulled out a rope. He tugged on it, testing its strength, as if preparing for some sinister ritual.

Miless-chan’s expression twisted with disgust.

…So, Shibari-ssio hasn’t learned a thing, huh?

I always knew he was bad at reading people, but this was beyond belief. He was doing exactly the opposite of what I was trying to achieve.

*sigh* Oru and his men were making things worse. They were shouting things like, “Kill her!” and “String her up!” No wonder Miless-chan was becoming more stubborn by the second.

There was no other choice.

I turned to face Oru’s troops.

“Alright, everyone, listen up!” I clapped my hands loudly.

The soldiers, who had been rowdy and boisterous just moments ago, instantly fell silent.

Not a single word. They all focused on me with rapt attention, like a well-disciplined military unit.

To them, I must’ve been their drill sergeant from hell.

“Ahem, this is an official decree. Everyone, about-face. Leave the room.”

At my command, they scattered like leaves in the wind.

Yeah, I like how obedient they are. A bit too obedient, actually. These guys, who would act like spoiled brats most of the time, followed my *decrees* to the letter, as if their lives depended on it.

I’d bet if I ordered them to kill someone or even take their own lives, they’d probably do it without question.

Decrees… as convenient as they are, I should be careful about using them. For these middle-school mindset types, a decree is like a drug—it’s intoxicating.

The soldiers all filed out of the room, leaving only me and Miless-chan behind.

Miless-chan remained expressionless as she watched them go, not making any move to interfere.

“Ah, Gil-kun, wait a moment,” I called out.

“Yes, ma'am.”

Gil-kun, who was just about to leave, stopped in his tracks and knelt on one knee.

“Gil-kun, could you fetch some clothes for Miless-chan to change into? Oh, and bring a dryer for her hair too.”

“At once.”

He responded promptly and returned shortly with a set of women’s clothes and a dryer.

Unlike Oru, Gil-kun didn’t throw in any weird jokes. He efficiently brought exactly what was needed. That’s why I liked Gil-kun. He was competent.

I took the clothes from him and dismissed him, leaving just me and Miless-chan alone in the room.

“I’ve sent those uncouth men away,” I said softly.

“Ah… um…”

“Now, go ahead and change out of those wet clothes. You’ll catch a cold if you don’t.”

I handed her the dry clothes.

“I-I’m so sorry. After you’ve been so kind to me, Tilea-san… why… why did I…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t cry.”

I gently pulled Miless-chan into a hug.

She cried into my chest, her sobs shaking her small body.

Even though she was a student at the Magic Academy, Miless-chan was still just a 14-year-old girl. It was only natural that her emotions would be all over the place. I held her until she calmed down.

Once she’d stopped crying, she changed into the dry clothes I’d given her.

It was a dress that resembled a simple one-piece. It looked great on her. The clean-cut design really brought out her natural elegance.

By the way, I wonder whose clothes these were?

There weren’t many women in the Evil God Army, so I could narrow it down. If it were Cas, the clothes would be more body-hugging, so they were probably Selesa’s. She’s about the same size as Miless-chan, after all.

“Thank you so much for the clothes, Tilea-san,” Miless-chan said, bowing slightly.

“No problem at all. I’m just glad they fit you. You look lovely, by the way.”

“I’m really sorry for all the trouble. I’ll wash these and return them as soon as I can.”

“You don’t have to. If you like them, keep them.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly accept something so nice!”

“Seriously, it’s fine. Consider it an apology from my side.”

Selesa could afford it. I’d have to explain things to her later, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. She’s from a well-off family, after all.

I then guided Miless-chan to a chair.

“Let me dry your hair,” I said, plugging in the dryer.

Her long hair, tied back in a ponytail, would take some time to dry properly. I set the dryer to blow ionized air and carefully began drying her hair.

“This is amazing! Is this a magic tool that blows warm air?”

Miless-chan stared at the dryer in amazement.

She was feeling the warm breeze, brushing her fingers through her drying hair as if fascinated.

“Hehe, pretty useful, right?”

“Definitely! I’ve never seen a magic tool like this before.”

Of course she hadn’t. Dryers didn’t exist in this world.

That’s why I’d asked Timu and Dryas-kun to help me create one. I felt a little bad relying on Oru to cover the costs and materials, but he’s always so generous. I couldn’t help but ask for his help again.

He’s so free with his money that I’ve grown a bit dependent on him. Of course, when we start selling this, I’ll pay him back.

…Hopefully.

Yeah, it’s definitely going to sell.

Women with long hair have always struggled with drying it. A dryer is a must-have for anyone who wants to care for their beautiful locks.

There’s no way this product won’t take off… right?

“Miless-chan, if this were sold in stores, would you buy one?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Eh? Why not?”

“Because it’s a luxury item. There’s no way I could afford something so expensive.”

“Expensive? Is a dryer really that costly?”

“No doubt about it. It uses a perfect blend of wind and fire magic stones to produce just the right temperature. That level of refinement must be incredibly expensive.”

“Hmm, I hadn’t really thought about it like that.”

“Tilea-san, are you telling me you’ve been using this without understanding how it works?”

“Well, I know how to use it! Isn’t that enough? The technical stuff is for engineers to worry about.”

That’s how it was in my previous life too. No one knew how their TV worked; they just knew how to turn it on. That’s all that mattered for home appliances.

“Tilea-san, I think you should reconsider. Using magic tools without understanding how they work can lead to serious accidents.”

“Y-You’re overthinking it.”

“No, I’m not. Magic still has many unknown aspects. Wouldn’t you feel uneasy using something if you didn’t know how it worked?”

“Nah, Miless-chan, you’re being too cautious. If everyone thought that way, no one would ever use these things. What, do you want to turn every housewife into a tech expert? Back where I’m from, even little kids used dryers.”

“Really? That’s… unbelievable.”

Well, science and magic are different, but let’s not dwell on the details. It’s basically the same thing.

“Miless-chan, I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth.”

“Wow, a country where even children use such high-quality magic tools… that’s amazing.”

Heh, if I told her about 21st-century Earth, her head might explode. I better not mention it.

“I know it seems fancy to you, but this is actually a pretty common product for the general public.”

“I-I can’t believe it… You’re telling me this isn’t some top-quality luxury item? It even has a feature that releases *minus ions*, which is a completely unknown energy source!”

“Haha, the minus ions thing was more of a joke, honestly.”

I don’t think even Timu or Dryas-kun really understood what I meant by minus ions. Even I wasn’t sure what they were. It was just something I

’d heard in passing.

Honestly, what do minus ions even do?

“Well, no matter what you say, Tilea-san, that dryer is undoubtedly high quality. The warm air it generates… I can think of a few magical theories that might explain it, but they’re all incredibly complex. It would take immense skill and precision to actually create something like this.”

“Listening to you talk, I’m starting to feel like it cost a fortune to make.”

“Exactly! You’d need expert magicians and advanced facilities, and the magic stones themselves are precious. The production costs must’ve been astronomical.”

“Huh, is that so…”

Yikes. I didn’t realize how much went into it.

Oru must’ve spent a ridiculous amount of money on this.

He probably had to pull a lot of strings with his connections. I wouldn’t be surprised if it cost him millions.

I should be nicer to him from now on.

After I finished drying Miless-chan’s hair, I poured her a warm cup of tea.

She sat quietly, sipping it with a soft “fuu, fuu” as she cooled the drink.

And then…

“Why?” she asked suddenly.

“Hmm?”

“Why did you say what you did?” 

Miless-chan’s serious expression bore into me. 

Oh, she’s talking about when I defended Oru.

*sigh* This is where the real conversation begins.

I need to explain to her the importance of modern medical knowledge.

I took a deep breath and began explaining:

The importance of CPR, the steps of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and chest compressions. I even explained the proper way to handle someone experiencing a panic attack.

Miless-chan listened, but as I went on, I noticed her gaze shifting. She was starting to look at me like I was a pitiful, delusional person.

“Tilea-san, where did you hear all this from?”

“Uh, well… from books, and… uh, online… I mean, from a wise sage called ‘Google-sensei,’ I guess…”

“To be blunt, Tilea-san, you’ve been misled. I’ve never heard of any such rescue methods.”

Her response… well, I expected this.

Of course, she wouldn’t believe me. This era is still five centuries behind in terms of scientific knowledge. Trying to explain modern medical procedures to someone from this time was bound to sound like nonsense.

But mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is crucial. Knowing it can save lives. I need to convince her of that.

“You might not believe me, Miless-chan, but this is all based on scientific facts.”

“Tilea-san, let’s think about this logically. For example, the bag-over-the-head thing—covering someone’s face when they’re panicking will just make it worse.”

“T-That’s because they’re getting too much oxygen! The bag helps control their breathing.”

“Oxygen? What’s oxygen?”

“We’re starting there!?”

“Yes, please explain this ‘oxygen’ first.”

Ah… of course, she wouldn’t know what oxygen is.

How do I even begin to explain?

“Uh… well, it’s… air, basically.”

“That doesn’t make sense. I was suffocating when that bag was over my head. I couldn’t breathe because there wasn’t enough air. You’re telling me I was getting too much?”

“It may sound that way, but scientifically speaking, that’s how it works.”

“Tilea-san, I may be a student, but I attend the Magic Academy. We study at the most advanced institution in Arcdas. And I’ve never heard anything like what you’re describing.”

This wasn’t going well. She was clearly not buying it.

I guess that makes sense. The knowledge gap between this world and my old one is just too vast. Trying to explain modern science here is like trying to explain a smartphone to someone in the Middle Ages.

“Look, I know it sounds strange, but trust me, this is based on solid knowledge.”

“Tilea-san, I appreciate your intentions, but I’m telling you that your methods could be dangerous. If you’re not careful, you could hurt someone. Please let me teach you the correct way.”

Miless-chan was stubborn.

The soldiers of the Evil God Army had never doubted me. They believed everything I said without question. I could’ve told them I had two hearts, and they would’ve just nodded along.

Maybe that blind faith is a problem too…

What should I do now?

There’s no point in trying to explain panic attacks if she’s not going to believe me. Maybe she’s right about the bag thing anyway. It does sound kind of crazy when I think about it. Putting a bag over someone’s head during a panic attack probably would just make things worse.

But I can’t give up on teaching her the importance of CPR. It’s one of the most essential life-saving techniques.

How can I make someone from this era understand the value of modern knowledge?

Maybe a demonstration would work better than words.

“Miless-chan, wait here for a moment,” I said, stepping out of the room to fetch something important.