Volume 1 Chapter 23 Having a Strong Sense of Responsibility is Good, but I Would Like You to Consider Our Side as Well
Lady Cecil and Mr. Dietrich stayed at our place for the night, and the next day—
We made our way through the animal trails of the forest behind our house, gathering materials as we went.
"...But are you truly sure about this, Lady Cecil?"
As I pulled the cart, I asked the princess—Her Highness—without bothering to hide my exasperation.
For some reason, Lady Cecil had decided to accompany us on this material-gathering trip, staff in hand.
"Of course. Since I am the one making the request, I refuse to leave it entirely to others. Please allow me to work as well."
"Haa..."
Letting out a vague response to the determined Lady Cecil, I glanced at Mr. Dietrich beside me.
He simply shook his head as if he'd already given up.
It seemed that Her Highness was both responsible and quite stubborn.
I led the way, pulling the cart, while Mr. Dietrich, clad in armor and carrying his shield, walked beside me. Lady Cecil and Lene followed behind, with Minori bringing up the rear.
We continued deeper into the forest, loading the gathered materials onto the cart as we went.
"By the way, are you all related to Little Lana and the others?"
Perhaps finding it odd that we were looking after Lana and the others, Lady Cecil posed the question.
Well, I suppose it wouldn't be strange for her to assume that.
"No, Lene and I just happened to choose that house as our workshop, and Lana and the others were already living next door."
As I recounted the situation I had heard from Mr. Thor about Lana and the others, the 3 of them besides Lene frowned.
"So, that's how it is... They lost their mother, and their father vanished..."
"It's a common story, but the good fortune in their misfortune is that Mr. Thor has been there to take care of those kids. Many children end up perishing in situations like this."
Yes, it's because 'the teacher' picked me and my sisters up that we are alive today.
That's why we must repay the kindness we received to children in the same situation.
"Mr. Thor, you say? Diet, let's send him a thank-you later. We must express our gratitude for helping out those young children."
"...Lady Cecil. With all due respect, I don't think Mr. Thor desires that."
I also agreed with what Minori said.
People like Mr. Thor don't expect anything in return.
He simply wishes for fewer children like Lana to exist.
Lady Cecil seemed to realize this as well, responding, "My mistake, please forget that."
Sometimes, what is intended as goodwill can unintentionally hurt someone due to their position.
I think Lady Cecil, who quickly understood this, is truly someone capable of caring for the people.
"Everyone, please stop."
Just as a subtle tension filled the air, Lene spoke up, and everyone halted.
Turning around, she seemed to be crouching down, inspecting the ground.
"Lene, did you find something?"
"Yes. There's boar droppings here. This is from a 'Slender Boar.'"
Indeed, a large dropping lay where Lene pointed.
Even though we hadn't noticed it, perhaps she did because of her keen sense as an Alchemist, rather than being an Elf?
"To think you can tell the type of boar just by its dung, that's typical of an elf."
"...Well, it's not a rare type of boar in the forest, after all."
As Minori expressed admiration, Lene wore a complicated expression.
Does she have some unpleasant memories about boars?
"What kind of boar is the 'Slender Boar'?"
Whether she noticed the atmosphere or not, Lady Cecil asked, and Lene's behavior returned to normal.
Was it just my imagination?
"It's large, but as the name suggests, it's slimmer than the typical boar you might think of. It's timid, nocturnal, and avoids areas with human presence during the day. However, since a boar is a boar, it has tusks, and if it charges, it can be life-threatening, so caution is necessary."
"A large boar, huh..."
That could be dangerous if it charges.
I'm letting Mr. Dietrich and Lady Cecil carry a 'Magic Stone of Diamond,' but I'm not sure if the 'Absolute' barrier can withstand a boar's charge.
"Mr. Dietrich. Just in case, here."
I took out a magic stone from my magic bag and offered it to Mr. Dietrich.
"What's this?"
"It's the 'Magic Stone of Powerful Arms.' It's a magic stone that boosts physical ability, and I've given one to Minori too."
Even if we take a charge that's too powerful for the 'Absolute' to defend against, with this 'Magic Stone of Powerful Arms' effect and Mr. Dietrich's great shield, we should be able to withstand it.
"Thank you, I'll borrow it. ...Wow, it's amazing. I feel lighter."
I smirked. Hooked already, huh?
"What do you think? Should we introduce it to the royal guard?"
"Hahaha, quite the enterprising spirit. But if I use it regularly, I might end up getting hooked, so I'll pass."
Oh, too bad—looks like the sales pitch failed.
Well, Minori avoids using it for the same reason, only relying on this magic stone in emergencies.
It seems that the more disciplined a warrior is, the less they depend on such powers.
After preparing a few more usable magic stones, we resumed our gathering.
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