Volume 5 - CH 15.1

Chapter 15 – Reconstruction Efforts

When I woke up the next day, it was already past noon.

I knew I was pretty tired, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.

I wondered if the others were already up.

As I left the room, I bumped into Finne.

“Good morning, Haruto. You sure slept like a baby.”

“Yeah, looks like I had a very deep sleep.”

“Well, you did look pretty tired last night after all.”

“…I did?”

I was trying not to show it on my face though…

“Yeah. I’ve been with you for a while, so I can tell.”

Though it would appear that Finne had already caught on.

“And it wasn’t just me, you know? We all knew.”

Is that why Iris and the others went to their assigned rooms immediately without pursuing the matter?

“For real. Somehow, I feel bad taking advantage of your considerations.”

“Don’t worry about it. More importantly, you must be feeling hungry, aren’t you?”

Finne said, “Please follow me,” after I nodded and led me down a corridor that led to the outside of the cathedral. As we stepped outside, I saw that there was a garden area where rations were being distributed. This was for the people whose homes had been destroyed in yesterday’s battle. Apparently, there were other casualties besides the demon-summoning victims, and a separate memorial service was being planned for them.

“I’m about to eat as well, would you like to join me?”

“Shall we? What about the others?”

When I asked, it seemed that everyone else had been helping with the reconstruction while I was sleeping, and they were all busy helping out where they could. I felt guilty for being the only one still sleeping. Maybe my thoughts showed on my face because Finne smiled.

“Haruto, you’ve done more than your fair share, so please don’t worry about it. Besides, now it’s our turn to do something since we haven’t been able to do anything yet.”

“Thank you, hearing you say that does make me feel better.”

As we talked and went to get our rations, we saw Ilmina there helping out.

“Haruto, you’re awake.”

“Yeah, I barely woke up. I’m sorry for sleeping in and not helping.”

As I tried to apologize, Ilmina shook her hands at me, flustered.

“Not at all. After you saved so many people, there’s nobody who could fault you.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that. So, about the food distribution, I’d feel awkward taking it from those who need it more. In fact, please take this, as well,” I said, taking the food I had saved up out of my dimensional storage. There should be enough servings for about two hundred people. I had amassed this much by constantly stocking up on supplies and gathering monster meat.

“Are you sure we can have all of this!?” Ilmina yelled in awe. The other nuns also noticed it and stared in amazement.

“Absolutely, I have more than enough for my journey, so feel free to take it.”

“Thank you very much!” 

The nuns all thanked me in unison.

After Finne and I finished lunch, we headed straight to the reconstruction work. 

The area around the building where the demon summoning had taken place, where Finne had been helping out in the morning, apparently had enough people, so I decided to check out the other places. First, I went to the cathedral where I had been yesterday to see how it was, and there was Liebert.

“Liebert.”

“Oh, Haruto. Did you have a good rest?”

“Yes, thank you… What’s going on?”

They were construction workers judging by their clothing who were deep in thought, so I asked what was going on.

“Well, we were discussing how long it would take to repair the cathedral… And at this rate, it looks like it might take several months,” he replied.

It’s just going to take several months? Despite being that badly damaged, the workers were able to fix it in such a short amount of time? That seemed pretty fast already.

However, it seemed like Liebert and the others wanted to fix it even faster. So I decided to ask Ellis if there were any skills or abilities that could restore buildings.

<<Yes, there is, you need to use the [Reconstruction] skill. It allows one to rewind time in order to restore buildings within a 10-meter radius.>>

Can you believe there’s magic that’s perfect for reconstruction like this?

The radius of ten meters is a bit limiting, but with this, we should be able to speed up the reconstruction process. I immediately went to relay this information.

“Excuse me, Liebert?”

“What’s up?”

“About the cathedral, would you mind if I tried to fix it? I happen to have a skill that should come in handy.”

After considering for a moment, Liebert nodded.

“Alright. Can you try fixing this section as a test?”

“Sure, just give me some space.”

Liebert and the others stepped back as I instructed. I held my hand over the collapsed wall and activated my reconstruction skill. The wall seemed to rewind like a video in reverse, returning to its original state. I was amazed that it just took a few seconds, but Liebert and the workers were even more astonished, their eyes wide open.

“It’s fixed in an instant… That’s incredible.”

“It’s a handy skill indeed.”

Liebert and the others examined the repaired section closely and murmured in agreement. I then asked him a question.

“Would you mind leaving this part to me?”

“Sure, we’d appreciate your help. If you don’t mind, could you tell us what kind of skill it is? I don’t mean to pry, but we’re quite curious since it restored everything so perfectly.”

Hmm, it does seem like a time manipulation skill, and it might cause a commotion if word got out. I hesitated for a moment but decided to tell him, “I’ll tell you, but only you.”

“I understand. I won’t tell a soul.”

“Alright then.”

Liebert immediately asked the workers to step away, leaving just the two of us. I checked to make sure nobody was around, using my own skill, before telling him.

“The name of the skill I just used is called [Reconstruction].”

“Reconstruction…?”

He seemed puzzled.

“It’s a skill that turns back time within a specific range, restoring things to their original state.”

Upon hearing my explanation, Liebert was stunned and speechless for a while.

“…That’s a powerful skill. I’ve never heard of one that rewinds time like this. If people learn about it, it would cause a huge uproar. Now I understand why you wanted to keep it a secret. Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“Don’t mention it. I’ll fix the cathedral, but I’d appreciate it if you could just say that I have a skill to move debris or build structures.”

“Yes, of course.”

Liebert bowed his head. He then explained the situation to the craftsmen and headed off to work on the other buildings. Now, the skill’s effective range is ten meters, and since the damage spans a wide area, it might take a while. With a determined look, I started my work.

About an hour later, the work was nearing completion. I had finished the interior of the building, so only the visible exterior remained. Using the skill required focus, which was quite tiring. As I wiped the sweat from my brow, I heard a voice from behind.

“Haruto, you’ve worked hard.”

“Ah, it’s you, Ilmina.”

Standing there was Ilmina, holding a cup and a water jug.

“I heard from my father that you’re fixing it, Haruto… You’re making progress so quickly!”

Ilmina’s eyes were wide with amazement.

“But you’ve been working non-stop, haven’t you? How about taking a break?”

“Um, you’re right. I think I’ll take a short break.”

I decided to follow Ilmina’s suggestion without any resistance. We left the cathedral and sat down in the shade of a nearby tree.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

I took the cup that Ilmina had filled with water and held out, gulping it down in one go, making my throat feel refreshed.

“How did you fix it so quickly? What kind of magic did you use?”

“Well…”

Since we’re engaged now, there’s no need to hide anything. I honestly explained my skill, [Reconstruction], and Ilmina’s eyes widened even more.

“S-So there’s a divine skill like that…”

“You’re exaggerating. It’s not that great; its effect range isn’t that wide.”

I chuckled at Ilmina’s reaction, and she leaned in closer. A soft, floral scent tickled my nose.

“That’s not true at all! What you’re doing is amazing, Haruto! Be proud of yourself!”

“Okay! Calm down. I get what you’re trying to say!”

“Really? Do you really understand?”

“Yeah, but your face is a bit too close.”

“Ah!?”

When I pointed that out, Ilmina quickly backed away, her face turning red.

“S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to…!”

“No, it’s not that I dislike it, but we should be mindful of the people around us.”

I tried to cover it up, but honestly, I was just embarrassed. My face was probably as red as Illmina’s.

“Alright, I should get back to work.”

I stood up, trying to change the subject.

“Please do your best.”

“Yeah, and thanks for the water.”

“Ah! Y-Yes! Good luck!”

Ilmina, smiling happily at my gratitude, rushed off. She was soon caught by a nun, around the same age as her, who seemed to have been watching us, her face flushed. Seeing this heartwarming scene gave me the energy to resume my work.

“Oops, I think I overdid it…”

Looking at the finished cathedral, I couldn’t help but mutter that. The cathedral’s appearance had not only been restored but had become as beautiful as if it were brand new. I had intended to clean up the entire structure beyond just the damaged parts, but this was the result. I wonder if I’ll get scolded later. Just as I thought of that…