Chapter 318: Thanks
I’m glad that he’s happy, but I’m a bit uneasy now since it seemed that no one would stop Haniwa.
「Orlando-kun, good luck… 」
「Why are you looking at me with pity!? 」
Well, okay?
「Please don’t look away! What is this about!? 」
Orlando-kun pressed me for an answer, but I couldn’t meet his eyes at all costs!
「Ahh, finally, we have a person who pushes for an answer… 」
Soleil dabbed her eyes.
「MiLord, Heinz-sama and the others are waiting for us at the wharf. 」
「Alright, time to get moving. 」
With Auro’s reminder, I put on my shoes and hastily strode away.
「Tsk, true, we mustn’t keep Heinz-sama waiting for us. 」
Orlando reluctantly trudged after me.
Gramps, Arina and Kiel were waiting for us at the wharf. Grandpa Ferryman had the boat on standby already.
「Ah! 」
Arina waved as soon as she saw us.
「Ny-sama, it was decided that I will officially start on the seventh day of this month. Please take care of me. 」
Gramps bowed slightly as we approached. Zabuton seemed unwilling to part with him.
「Likewise, I’ll be in your care. 」
I patted Arina on the head and shook hands with Gramps before seeing them off. Orlando-kun wanted to say something, but I cut him off with a smile.
I was about to pay Grandpa Ferryman but it turned out it was already done. I pay a lump sum annually, but I still hand him some tip every time I use it. Either Soleil or Auro paid for me already, apparently.
I wonder what happened to Arina’s weasel? Was it still asleep? Oh well, if it’s a spirit that possesses Arina then it’s her business.
「Alrighty, let’s resume crab-hunting! 」
「Stop! 」
Soleil blocked me.
「What will you do if you scratch the King’s Bough… 」
She seemed flustered to the point that she’s on the verge of tears.
「It’s fine, it’s sturdy. 」
「Wahahaha! You’re too overprotective! 」
「Overprotective… 」
Soleil received quite a blow, making her step back.
「I can’t accept that it’s the King’s Bough so suddenly, but the spirit in me is acting up.」
Kiel said something that a teenager going through puberty would say.
Bye! — I said as I headed back to where we were before. Auro followed after me. And so, two adults and a bough continued playing by the seashore.
Well, Auro mainly retrieved the crab that X-Stick fished out, or else followed after us while carrying my shoes. Hey, what about your work?
The sun was about to set, so I tied all the crabs we caught and chucked it into 【Storage】. X-Stick loved poking hidden places, so he seemed satisfied today, too. Zabuton didn’t get wet too so I’m glad.
I parted with Auro in front of the castle, then I went to the tower, climbed up the stairs to the entrance hall.
The first floor of the tower served as a warehouse for storing goods with the cart parked inside. The entrance was on the second floor.
I continued climbing until I reached the top floor. Once there, I removed my clothes and washed up before relaxing in the warm bath while gazing at the sea that had been dyed orange by the setting sun. The plants I had planted around the bath were growing quite well.
The blue climbing roses I received from Charles the gardener had already started creeping over the stone wall.
I was just mulling over how fast they were growing when a spirit started splashing around in the bucket placed in front of the bath. The bucket had the water that I used to regulate the temperature.
There seemed to be a lot of different spirits here. Fire spirits normally don’t stay in places where water is used, but Van’s power must’ve turned it into boiling water, since fire spirits gathered over there for some reason. Oh, are they treating this place as a 『Fae’s Bough』courtyard?
I spent the afternoon lounging in the bath until dusk. The night spirits — starlight spirit, moonlight spirit, night breeze spirit and the like dropped by when the sun set.
「Whooaaa! 」
I saw a ginormous pitch black shadow from afar.
It’s the first time that I saw a dragon! It’s pretty far, so that gigantic size was unbelievable. It was flying straight without flapping its wings under moonlight, much like an airplane.
How does it fly like that? It’s hovering, but not because of the wind. Fantasy, huh.
I wanna see it upclose, but it’s really huge. Would I be able to handle the dragon at my current level if it were to attack me? I really should become stronger if I want to explore far more distant places.
I continued watching the dragon until it disappeared from view before getting up from the bath. Yep, my body became so pruney.
I had my dinner in the kitchen and it’s beef tendon curry — I already ate chunks of meat aplenty back in the fortress city, so I tried going for something different this time. The vegetable dish is simple; it’s just lettuce dressed with grated cheese.
The beef tendon had been alternatingly simmered and cooled for several times to remove the solidified fat. I have a lot of prepared tendons, and I’m planning to stew some with radish and burdock later, maybe with some konyaku too.
After dinner, I made a huge batch of fried eggs. My normal-looking chickens kept on laying eggs nonstop, probably because of the spirits’ colossal influence.
When I went to the room furnished with a table, there was a lovely intricate lace in the wooden frame that I previously put on the easel that I placed there. I asked the spider spirit if it could make something when it’s in the mood, and it seemed to have worked hard.
As thanks, I placed some water, flowers and sugar favored by spider spirits beside a new wooden frame, then left the room carrying the frame with the lace in it and made my way to Soleil.
I wanted to thank everyone for working so hard in making the town a wonderful place that is astounding even from a foreigner’s perspective, so I’ll give a bonus to the stonemasons and other craftsmen and construction workers.
***
Soleil stood rooted at the spot, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the lace!
A war for eggs broke out, but it happens every single time so I just ignore it. They would still distribute it properly and everyone will get one each in the end after all. Afterimages of a harsh battle flashed behind me, but I don’t mind as long as they don’t break the furniture.
Notes
T/N: I just realized, Jean wanted the folks of the island to call him Nii-san (Big Brother) instead of lord, and his surname (Ny) also sounds like that XD
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
Thanks for the treat.