The Uses of Fire

Generally speaking, when protagonists first gained power in another world, they were supposed to have the potential to destroy heaven and earth, right? That was how light novels always wrote it.

But the second power Subaru had gained in this world, aside from Return by Death, was just a fire-attribute lesser spirit, the kind found everywhere.

If he had to name anything special about Antares, it was probably that he had somewhat varied tastes. The most ordinary kind of spirit paired with a human whose talent for magic was utterly average made a pretty good match.

But Subaru didn't look down on him one bit!

Antares looked like nothing more than a little red ball of light, but Subaru just thought he was adorable. Maybe it was because he could sense Antares's affectionate feelings, like a kitten nuzzling against his palm.

Rem came to deliver his meal as usual, but something was off today. As she handed him the bowl, she gave Subaru an incredibly complicated look-or, more precisely, she looked at the red ball of light on his shoulder.

Before Subaru could ask, she hurriedly turned and left. He wondered if a single lesser spirit could really make Rem jealous.

That afternoon, Subaru headed to the new workplace the village chief had assigned him to.

"Keep it up, kid! A little more heat! The viburnum flowers are going into the pot!"

"Got it! Anta-Goa!"

They called it an infirmary, but it looked completely different from what Subaru had imagined.

A huge pot stood in the backyard, filled with a thick, strangely colored liquid that churned and bubbled, giving off steam and a peculiar smell of herbs mixed with caramel.

Subaru's job was to control the heat. Under the direction of a married Oni physician, he kept his eyes on the flames, stoking them the moment the temperature dropped. The pot couldn't be allowed to boil too hard or cool down.

By the time the pot of herbal healing medicine was finally ready, Subaru was drenched in sweat from the heat and could barely breathe.

"You were a huge help, kid! The herbal healing medicine is finally ready. Leave the bottling to me, and you and little Anta take a break."

"Ma'am, do you really need to make so much at once?"

"Of course. You can never have too much healing medicine. The more, the better."

After resting for a while, Subaru followed the physician to help care for the patients. His task this time was relatively easy: heating water.

Hot water could be used to clean wounds, steep medicine, and wipe down bodies. His other task once again put Antares's ice abilities to use, cooling things down to make ice packs for patients with fevers.

Once all the work was finally done, the physician smiled and handed him three silver coins.

"You were a huge help, Subaru. It's who knows how many times easier than starting fires with flint. Here's your pay."

Subaru took the silver coins. He earned only one silver coin for a week's worth of chopping firewood. Having a rare skill really did make a difference.

"The fire attribute is so convenient. I wish I had it too. Then I wouldn't have to check every morning to see if the coals from the night before were still burning," the physician said with a heartfelt sigh.

"Ma'am, is using fire in the village such a hassle?"

"Of course it is. Never mind anything else, just starting a cooking fire is enough trouble. Sometimes, even if you only want to boil a pot of water or heat up last night's leftovers, you have to spend ages getting a fire going first. If the coals go out on a cloudy day, the whole family, young and old, has to eat cold food."

The physician wiped her hands and, once she got started, continued complaining. In cold weather, they depended entirely on bonfires for warmth, and if one went out at night, they just had to tough it out. Worse still, if a child fell ill in the middle of the night, they couldn't even find a handy source of light. Then there was the hot water needed for laundry, and the steady heat needed to smoke bacon-with fire-attribute mana, every one of those problems could be easily solved.

"So, kid, make sure you cherish this little one."

Thanks to the advanced technology in his original world, Subaru had never once thought about these trivial everyday difficulties. All the things he had taken for granted were luxuries in a different setting.

"Rem, Rem, why don't the villagers use alcohol to start fires?"

"...Subaru's asking silly questions again. Alcohol is only good for lighting lamps. Nobody would do that unless they wanted to start a fire, would they?"

That evening, although Rem had clearly been in a strange mood when she left at noon, she still brought dinner on time. A steaming stew and perfectly baked bread were laid out on the floor of Subaru's dilapidated little hut, and he continued asking questions, his words muffled as he stuffed food into his mouth.

"I see, it's unstable... Then, Rem, do you know where I can buy light naphtha?"

"Rem has never heard of such a thing."

"Whoa, Rem-chan, you suddenly got so cold today. I'm a little worried."

"Why do you care how Rem feels? Rem doesn't matter to you, does she?"

"You matter a lot!"

Subaru put down his chopsticks and looked Rem straight in the eyes.

"You saved my life, Rem. And just knowing there's a cute little kid like you in this world makes me really look forward to the future of this other world."

"Do you have to exaggerate so much? Rem owes this face entirely to her sister. Even if it's cute, that's thanks to her sister. It has nothing to do with Rem herself."

"Huh? I wouldn't be so sure. I don't mean to offend you, but I really do think you're cuter than Ram."

"Don't tease Rem. We have the exact same face."

"I like blue more than pink."

"...Blue?"

"Yeah, blue is a color I really like. It's the color of the sky and the sea. And blue-themed characters are all really likable, like Ayanami from EVA-and the blue-haired goddess from that light novel that just got an anime adaptation this year..."

Counting on his fingers, Subaru spoke faster and faster. "Anyway! It's a matter of personal preference!"

"...That's not fair."

"I'm just telling the truth."

The tension finally eased. Silence flowed between them for a moment, no longer awkward this time, and then Rem spoke of her own accord.

"That question you asked earlier. The oil. Are you looking for something?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for an oil that evaporates at the right rate, has few impurities, doesn't corrode metal, and flows well."

"Is there any need to give it such a complicated name if that's all you're looking for?"

"...If that's all?"

"Doesn't animal fat have all those properties?"

Rem stood up. "Rem can go render some. It's not difficult anyway... Don't get the wrong idea. It's not like Rem wants to help you or anything."