CH 81.1

Some time after the new year, the hole we had been digging outside Torquiva was completed.

Of course, it was not the final stage but rather a temporary dock for constructing the hundred-meter class magic construct.

The hole is about 10 meters deep and when you stand on the edge and look down, you’ll experience dizziness.

The workers were all equipped with lifelines since even I couldn’t cure death.

At the completion ceremony in the snowy weather, I served sake to the workers but warned them to stay away from the hole if they drank any alcohol.

There is a fence around but drunks can climb over it even if they have to break it down.

In any case, it is safe to say that the plan is going well.

All that was left to do was to bring the magic crystals out of the secret underground magic crystal factory and lay them on the dock along with the materials….until someone commented on it.

Someone who could put a damper on our momentum, who do you think is it?

Someone really close to me, literally and figuratively.

Right, it was my wife, a retired army major, who is a signatory of this project……

「So, the materials of this watchtower class magic construct……it seems like the number of magic crystals is suspicious.」

「Ah, are you sure?」

In our couple’s bedroom, Laura-san looks at me curiously as she reads the details of the watchtower class magic construct building project.

She looked at me with concern when I said “are you sure?”. My heart was beating so fast.

The heaters and humidifiers were set up to the max so I should be comfortable but beads of cold sweat were running down my back.

「Yeah, it’s too much, isn’t it? And the kind of too much that’s enough to sustain this city for a year.」

Thinking about it now, it’s normal for Laura-san to have doubts.

Magic crystals are energy resources taken from monsters and are not something that can be easily obtained.

Even in urban areas, they are still using firewood and coke as fuel.

Magic crystals are essentially a luxury item and a military commodity.

At least that’s how it’s supposed, until I built a top secret magic crystal factory………

「Eh? Ah, no, that’s fine desu yo. It’s just a little too much desu.」

「Where did you get all this stuff? This is not the kind of quantity that money can buy.」

「Ah, that……」

My excuse was not well received.

I failed.

To be honest, I must have been numb to magic crystals.

I know that being hasty would only bring trouble so I never intended to be one. However, it turned out that I became too hasty in this case.

Anyway, I had become so accustomed to the situation of being able to obtain magic crystals anytime in the quantity I wanted that I had not questioned it until Laura-san pointed out the anomaly to me.

I should have been more careful and kept the number smaller……

I tried to amend the situation but I couldn’t find the right words.

「……..」

「……..this, you did it, did you?」

Laughing “kukuku” like a true villainess, Laura-san tossed the papers onto the desk hard and looked at me in the face.

「Eh? What is it?」

「Let’s stop all the nonsense, shall we……」

Instead of a cigarette, she took out a stick of candy from her breast pocket and tapped the desk.

「So that’s how it is. There’s no way you’ll try dungeon pilfering, being the scaredy guy you are……that means you did something weird again, did you?」

With a bitter smile, she probably could see that I was trying to cover up the whole situation.

I think she was trying to be mature so that the two of us wouldn’t get into trouble.

Even if she didn’t, our life as a couple has been saved mostly because of her.

Let’s not lose sight of being grateful.

「I lost……Laura-san, you found everything.」

「You are a lot easier to understand than you think you are.」

Chuckling while saying that, I got up and took my coat from the coat hangers.

It’s night but it’s better to get these things done quickly.

「I’ll bring you somewhere. It will be easier for you to understand upon seeing it.」

「And where are you bringing me?」

「…….the Schenker’s real top most secret, the magic crystal factory.」

Hearing those words, Laura-san’s candy dropped from her mouth.