Volume 3 Chapter 25 This Wasn't a Hallucination
"Phew... Is this all there is?"
After finishing the magic stones I was preparing to take to the logging site yesterday, I had wrapped up the final checks for today's delivery this morning.
Now, I was stretching out my limbs to ease my stiff body.
With the apprentices off today, it was just me and Lene in the workshop.
Since the delivery of the Healing Potions was complete, all that was left was to take these freshly made magic stones to the logging site.
Just one big task down.
"Lene, once we finish with the delivery to the logging site, we should have some free time. How about we take Ai and Lana's sibling somewhere fun?"
Ai isn't the only cute girl──we think of the sisters from the neighboring house as adorable too.
I figured it would be a nice distraction to suggest it, but...
"........."
"...Lene?"
When I called out again, Lene finally snapped out of whatever trance she was in during her potion-making, turning to face me with a look of surprise.
Not again...
"Sorry! I wasn't listening!"
"...Don't zone out with a flask in your hand. It's dangerous."
"I'm really sorry..."
Ever since the possibility of her real sister, Emerada, the Dark Mage, being nearby came up, Lene's been a little distracted like this.
I can't blame her too much, but when she's mixing potions, I need her to focus──otherwise, it could be a matter of life and death.
"I said we'd have some free time after today's delivery, and we could take the kids somewhere fun. It'll be a nice break for you too, right?"
"Y-Yeah... Thanks..."
With that, Lene looked down, her spirit dulled.
I wonder if she feels guilty thinking that my sister might be pulling the strings behind all this.
"And Lene, just take the day off, okay? I'll handle the delivery, so go have some fun with Ai and the others for once."
"B-but──"
"No buts."
"......Okay."
Without giving her a chance to argue, I pressed on, and Lene began to tidy up the equipment, resigned to her fate.
It was a bit forceful, but she seemed to be in rough shape lately, so I couldn't let her push herself to the point of collapsing.
* * *
Even though I had quite a bit to carry, I pushed through and managed to transport everything to the logging site by myself, finally finishing the delivery.
I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders.
I couldn't thank Mr. Heim, the site supervisor, enough.
It seemed the efficiency boost from using magic stones had really paid off in terms of our work.
Getting praised like this after a job well done felt amazing.
"So, that wraps up the work at the logging site."
"Already? That was fast! Great job!"
On my way back from the logging site, I stopped by the merchant guild to report to Mr. Thor.
Even though I had received my payment on-site, I needed to report it to get a proper evaluation within the guild.
"This is fantastic! From what I can see in the report, Mr. Ryuuji's magic stone and Ms. Lene's medicines have had dramatic effects──everything looks positive!"
"That's what I like to hear."
As Mr. Thor excitedly praised me, I couldn't help but smile.
Thanks to the kiln we installed last year, while we're not at mass production levels, we've significantly improved the efficiency of magic stone generation, and that's a big win.
"Speaking of which, how's the large ship project coming along?"
I leaned in and whispered to Mr. Thor, "If production efficiency at the logging yard increased, wouldn't that mean the shipyard, which orders the lumber, is doing well too?"
I thought so anyway.
But contrary to my expectations, Mr. Thor chuckled and replied, "There's still a reason why we can't proceed with that."
Huh?
What do you mean?
"Doesn't building a ship require just lumber?"
Of course, I knew lumber had to be dried before use, but I figured water magic could handle that.
"The lumber is ready to use, but we don't have a dock large enough to build a big ship... We're expanding right now."
"Ah, that makes sense. So the big construction I noticed at the edge of the harbor is for that?"
I had noticed something was going on, but I didn't realize it was a new shipyard.
Come to think of it, you can't build a big ship without a dock for it.
"Once the dock is finished, we'll start building ships at a breakneck pace. I think we'll need to request another〈Magic Stone of Featherweight〉 when that happens."
"Understood. I'll look forward to it."
A big ship... that's just so romantic for a man.
I'll definitely take my whole family for a ride when it's finished.
* * *
I left the merchant guild and headed onto the main street.
The increased flow of people compared to before gave me a clear sense that this town was growing.
Although Mr. Thor didn't give me any new requests, he said, "I think I'll need your help with something related to the port soon."
It seems like I'll have some downtime for now.
"Well then, time to go home. I wonder if Lene and Minori are being good?"
Muttering to myself, I begins walking down the road toward home.
Lene just told me she was fine, but Minori might start training without me noticing.
Belle is supposed to be watching, but she won't be able to stop Ai, now will she....
"Ryuuji"
"Huh?"
I stop walking and turn around at the sound of someone calling my name.
That voice felt familiar, like something from a distant past.
"......Eh?"
I froze, staring at the person who had stopped me.
It was her.
Her youthful appearance was as unchanging as an elf's, and she still kept her moegi-colored, semi-long hair.
She carried a long, metal staff in her right hand and chuckled softly, her left hand pressed to her lips.
"Just like I thought, Ryuuji. It's been a while."
"...'Teacher'.....?"
All I could do was stare dumbstruck at the person in front of me, smiling so kindly.
Yes, it was her.
The person I had lost sight of a while back, the one who had taught my sister and me the way to live──'Teacher'.
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