322 - - 320 units complete.

Making furniture with Gina and her friends. It was surprisingly hard work, but perhaps due to the level up, even the smallest Kikka was able to use the saw and cut out the parts smoothly. The sanding was also done without any trouble, although the magic sandpaper ...... was of great help. The varnish was applied and dried beautifully with the help of Belle, Fuchu, and Mame's wind spirits. All that was left was to assemble it with the help of Nomos and Dolly.

"That's why I summoned Nomos and Dolly. Everyone, thank them for their help.

At my words, Gina and the others thanked Nomos and Dolly politely, and Belle and Fukuchan and the others gathered around to say "thank you.

Dolly is very familiar with the situation, gently patting the heads of the little ones and Gina as she accepts their thanks, but Nomos is quite puzzled.

When I thought Nomos was not good with children, I was worried that he might get angry, but now that I know that he actually likes children, I can watch him with peace of mind. The moody and slightly grumpy face is no doubt due to the fact that he does not want to expose his dejected face.

I'd like to see Nomos' dejected face, though it would be scary to see it. But I feel that Nomos is going to escape if I don't give him a helping hand soon, so I'll intervene.

"Well, Gina, you talk to Nomos about the plating and the glass part of the lantern. Dory, you take care of joining the parts."

Mm-hmm. Come on, girl, let's get to it."

"Uh-huh, thank you very much."

Nomos beckons Gina to step away from the little army.

"Okay, okay. In what order would you like to start?"

Dolly looks away from Nomos with a smile on her face and turns to me. Dolly also smiled at Nomos.

"Let's see, let's see. I'll make it first, and you and Sarah can watch while I figure out what to ask Dolly to do when it's my time.

"Yes, sir."

"Okay."

"Yes."

"Okay, Dolly, I'll make the bell chair first, please."

"Yes, I understand. Can you tell me which parts need to be joined?

"Yes, sir."

The very expectant eyes of Belle are putting a little pressure on me, but it is a simple chair like those used in kindergartens, so it will be finished soon as long as I join it without any distortion.

The procedure is to join the four legs to the seat, followed by the backrest. When the rough shape is completed, we can finish by joining the reinforcement parts. I check the procedure in my mind and ask Dolly to follow it.

The belles squeal with delight each time a part is joined. In particular, Tamamo, a forest spirit like Dolly, watches intently. She is probably studying this skill because it is something she will be able to do in the future.

"Okay, now I've made a chair for Belle!"

"Belle's chair. "Yuta, beru suaru. Sit."

When I join the last part and declare it completed, an excited Belle appeals to me, wriggling her arms and legs. We have chairs and sofas at home, and Belle sits on them, but her own chair is something else.

When I entered elementary school, I was excited to get a desk for myself. I guess they feel the same way. Since I don't want to put it directly on the ground, I take out a rock and put the completed chair on it.

"Belle, you can sit down.

When I give my permission, Belle moves to the front of the chair with great joy, looks at me, and then slowly sits down in the chair. No, I don't think she sits down because she is flying, right?

"Whoa, Belle's chair!"

Bell, snugly ensconced in his chair, is flapping his arms and legs in delight. It is an ordinary wooden chair, so she must be happy that it is her own chair.

"Belle, do you feel any different?"

"No!"

...... You don't seem to know better because you're so excited. I'll ask you again after you've had a chance to get used to it.

"Cue cue."

"Hmm?"

Rain tugs at my sleeve.

"Next time, you make Rein's..."

I see. I was going to make a desk after the chair, but the other kids are waiting, so we'd better make them in order.

"Okay. Then we'll make Rain's water trough."

"Cue cue."

Rain is happy. A water trough should be easy enough for Dory to join. If I'd built it with my own skills, it would have leaked or something. Thanks to Dolly.

****

"So, my daughter. What do you want?

"Well, my master said that since we're going to use fire, it would be better if we plated it with metal. So I want you to wrap the wood with metal and make a glass cylinder for the part that is lit by fire.

"Hmm, what kind of metal do you use?"

"My master gave me this, saying I can use any metal I like: ......"

Gold, silver, copper, iron, mithril, adamantite...... master thinks he is a little crazy. Why would he give me rare metals for a lantern that I, a beginner, am going to make?　I told him it was too expensive, but he laughed and said it was okay because he got it for free. Maybe he's crazy because it's so easy to get expensive things. I'm worried he'll get cheated.

"Hmmm... ...... should we go with mithril anyway?　It glows beautifully when it reflects fire."

"No, I think it is safe to use ...... iron."

It is too horrible to use mithril for a wooden lantern I made in less than half a day. I'm getting more expensive equipment than that, but I shouldn't be able to put them together.

"But iron rusts and is a pain to care for. If you don't like expensive metals, at least mix copper with a little mithril. The oxidation of copper is also a tasteful thing, but a small amount of mithril will keep the shine of copper. I understand that you are reserved as an apprentice, but Yuta will not be pleased if you are too reserved. What do you think?"

Hmmm, a small amount of mithril...... I wonder how many days that would be in my parents' diner. But I can see how being too reserved would make the master sad.

"Sheba, sheba is more happy with glitter?"

"Wahoo!"

He looks very happy, flapping his tail. She is probably the cutest thing in the world.

"Copper and a little mithril, please. ......

"You don't have to use honorifics."

"Sorry."

I'll never get used to honorifics. It's hard to meet anyone who uses ...... honorifics in a poor diner on the slum side. I'm taking Dolly and Sara as my role models for honorifics, but it's going to take me a while to get used to it.

Let's get started.

"Yeah."

Copper and mithril mingle like little tornadoes. The earth spirits are amazing. I thought that being able to handle fire well would be useful for cooking, but if I can make dishes, I can make a contract with an earth spirit,...... but if I can make a contract with an ice spirit,...... am I going to go back to the diner in the first place?

I feel like I've got some weird life issues to deal with, but for now I'll just focus on the lantern in front of me.

The liquid mixture of copper and mithril covers the base of the lantern I've made and hardens. The base of the lantern glistens in the sunlight. Sheba, who understands that it was made for her, gazes at it happily.

All that's left is the glass tube that goes with it. Can it be a round tube like the one in the picture?　I'll make it any shape you want."

"Well, the base is simple, and I think the glass part should be simple as well, so I'll ask you to do it as shown in the picture.

"Yes, that would be fine. Well, that's it then. Don't be in such a hurry. Give it to my daughter first.

A glass tube was quickly formed from the sand, and the lantern was complete. Sheba jumped at the lantern as if she couldn't wait to see it, but Mr. Nomos stopped her and handed it to me.

"Wow!"

"Ha, ha, look, here's Sheba's lantern. Do you like it?"

Sheba is flapping her tail at high speed as she plays with the lantern. It makes me happy to see her so happy. Let's thank Mr. Nomos and show the lantern to Master.

I'll thank Mr. Nomos and show the lantern to my master.

"Sister Dolly, please put them together here and here."

"Here it is. Is that right?"

"Yes, it fits perfectly."

That's nice. A young lady with a deep-veiled window and a cute little girl playing together while making things. Next to this beautiful scene, Marco and Kikka are tentatively assembling their own next creation while discussing it with Uri and Mame, and Belle and her friends are happily playing with the finished furniture. Just looking at them seems to purify my soiled heart.

When the rest of Marco's and Kikka's furniture is completed, I'll set them up in their rooms and that's it.

I'll do it again when I get a chance.

"Is this how it's supposed to look?"

Set up a desk and chair, a water trough, and a planter in the children's room and check with Belle and the others.

"Koo koo koo."

Tamamo is trying her best to make some kind of appeal with my question.

"Yuta, Tamamo wants to get you a bed!"

"I see. Dolly, talk to Tamamo and give him some seeds of plants that can be grown indoors."

Yes, I understand. Tamamo, what kind of seeds do you need?

Dolly asks, and Tamamo coos and begs. Bell's interpreter tells us that she is requesting seeds of a plant that produces a lot of sweet fruit.

"Seeds of a plant that produces sweet fruits? Since we are indoors, tree nuts are difficult to find. Then, let's use melon seeds. It will produce a fresh and sweet gourd.

"Coo-coo!"

The tamamos are extremely happy. When you say gourd, does it produce fruit like a watermelon?　I don't think there's enough space for it even though it's a pretty big planter. ...... Well, you don't need me to worry about that part. Dolly, who knows a lot about plants, would never recommend a plant that can't be grown in a planter. Besides, if a striped gourd grows, Uri, named after Uribo, will be happy.

Tamamo, who got Dolly to produce seeds, immediately plants the seeds in a planter, and Rain waters the planter. Even though they are low-level spirits, they are going to produce delicious fruits with such a large number of spirits. I'm a little concerned about the fact that we are going to the labyrinth city tomorrow. ...... Well, it will be all right if we ask the remaining great spirits to take care of them.

I'm sure everyone is satisfied for now, so I'll just check with Gina and the others to make sure everything is okay and then we'll be free to go. I'll make some plans for the labyrinth city. I'm going to make some plans for the labyrinth city. I'll check that with Sylphy and the others at night.

Oh, ...... I forgot to process the eels. I'll ask them to do the real cooking after we get back from the labyrinth city, but for now we'll process and store them during the night. I'm busier than I thought.