Chapter 41

cat, cat, cat (2)

Even for Lortel who had grown up seeing all kinds of human beings the girl named Lucy Mayril was a type that was difficult for him to understand.

Often when you walk around the school grounds you see him fast asleep in a sunny area. You might just think he’s a weirdo and move on.

However he was seen beating up a high-ranking spirit at the top of Mount Orn in the northwest of the island or a monster in the form of a shark the size of a house was destroyed with a single wave of his hand in the eastern bay...

The image of him wielding his transcendental strength here and there is often caught and caught in Lortel’s ears.

On that subject during the Glaskan Incident and the Ofilis Hall Incident he took a nap in a corner and didn’t even think about showing off his powers so there is a limit to living at one’s own pace.

In the first place even with Lortel’s intelligence power it was impossible to obtain any information about Lucy Mayril’s identity.

I have no idea where he is from or what he did before entering Sylvania.

Moreover I don’t understand why I’m going to the Academy when I can destroy a city single-handedly.

She is lazy and comes to class regularly but most of the time she is only seen dozing off and even Glast the professor in charge does not touch Lucy at all.

In the first place there was no sign of trying to teach Lucy anything. The younger Ziggs once seriously reported Lucy’s attitude to Professor Glast – ‘That student is not at a level where I can teach him or not so he needn’t care. He is the type of person who realizes things on his own if he needs to achieve something.

Ziggs and Lortel had no choice but to leave Lucy’s eccentric behavior alone considering that a professor who made it his business to lead students could say something like that.

Actually I’m just a little concerned but Lucy doesn’t cause trouble to Lortel. No we’ve almost never had a conversation in the first place.

Isn’t he like a wild stray cat who always walks around the school with a blank look on his face eating when he’s hungry and sleeping when he’s sleepy?

At one time I thought it would be nice to be able to open up a network thanks to his transcendent strength but the more I looked at him the more I realized that he was not a human being who could be controlled so I gave up a long time ago.

Thinking that way I was sure that I had gotten quite used to the girl named Lucy.

“Mugaaaaagh!”

– Whiik

Ed picked up Lucy’s entire body carried it over his shoulder and threw it into the wooden shelter outside then opened the door and came in again.

“Oh sorry. You’re awake Lortel. Lucy was hiding in the cabin. “She’s put away now so rest in peace.”

Ed who was refreshingly wiping away his sweat looked as if he had just finished the cleaning he had been putting off.

The morning of the second day of Lortel’s cabin life.

The first day went by hecticly.

I washed myself in a stream for the first time in my life sat shamefully in the corner of the cabin covered with a shabby cloth to dry my wet clothes felt a strange sense of warmth while eating the fish that Ed cooked with great care and was filled with romance as I looked up at the starry sky. Seeing etc... I have gone through all sorts of turbulent and thrilling experiences that are difficult to summarize in one line.

Since I was a chased person it was funny to go outside so I stayed indoors most of the time but just sitting in this camp gave me an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. Even though it was a hard wooden floor I was able to get a good night’s sleep for the first time in a while.

However if this life in hiding was a healing camp filled with nothing but romance... It’s also hard to say that. First of all being on the run plays a part but the most inconvenient thing is the presence of natural enemies.

“I heard Yenika is stopping by in the morning. I think I’ll read a book by the fire today and do some spirit training. “If you need anything tell him.”

Yenika stubbornly stayed in the Dex building last night until it was time to count the number of people.

And seeing as he was planning to come out to the northern forest again early in the morning it seemed like Lortel was planning to sit at camp for the entire three days of his stay.

Sometimes when we make eye contact outside the door he smiles with the clearest and most refreshing face in the world and Lortel is not to be outdone and smiles back with the brightest smile in the world. It feels like we are getting tired of each other.

In any case during these three days when he temporarily put aside his life as a merchant Yenica is Lortel’s main enemy.

... That’s all I was thinking.

“Do you think Lucy comes to camp often senior?”

“What can I say? “I just think it’s a natural disaster.”

“... ”

Lortel felt as if his unique intuition was crying out.

When I think about what I saw of Lucy yesterday and today I even wonder if she spends too much time at camp.

Whenever he gets the chance he clings to Ed’s side picks up some beef jerky from the drying rack eats it falls asleep on the roof of the cabin or sprawls out on a rock near Ed who is chopping firewood and tells trivial stories.

In the first place given the nature of Lucy as a human being there is absolutely nothing worthy of being viewed by the opposite sex but that’s just the current situation.

He has become so naturally absorbed into the camp that even Ed considers it a part of his daily life and whenever he comes to he is always sitting next to him and grumbling loudly. Isn’t this quite dangerous?

As I said the opportunity for the development of human relationships between men and women usually comes from a change in perception. If Lucy changes her current attitude and feels love or a desire to possess Ed... This ends up being a different type of disaster than Yenika. In fact I think I might be more tired.

This is one of the many lessons I have learned while living in the world of mourning. If you discover the seeds of disaster it is right to remove them at that point.

However the methodology is problematic. how? If you ask me I have no choice but to blurt out an answer.

“It may be a little noisy but I’m also busy so please understand.”

After saying that Ed brought in a bunch of bricks that he didn’t even know where they came from and started stacking them up.

Lortel nodded hesitantly and glanced at the wooden shelter peeking out toward the open door.

The clothes are completely disheveled and out of shape.

The sight of Lucy falling asleep wheezing with uneaten beef jerky in her mouth... It certainly seems far from love or a desire for exclusivity.

From the beginning it was clear that he had built a wall against those feelings... Lortel wondered if he had overreacted a bit.

In any case Lucy’s unpredictable nature makes it difficult for ordinary people to understand her.

There is nothing wrong with being careful but there is no need to overreact and tire yourself out.

The point of contact between Ed and Lucy is in name and reality a problem between them not a problem that Lortel should interfere with. Trying to restrain your partner when you are not in a relationship or anything like that may seem like a very tiring style.

After a certain degree of self-objectification Lortel nodded and leaned against the hut wall again.

Am I becoming unnecessarily sensitive to unfamiliar romantic feelings? Even my unusual appearance slowly begins to be accepted with joy and I cross my hands for no reason.

I just glanced at the back of Ed who was carrying a brick and studying it while holding his knees and resting his chin on them.

I can’t help but burst into laughter as it’s inevitable but I don’t want to lose my image as a skilled and respectable merchant by showing myself like this for no reason so I lower my head.

That mask is Lortel’s most powerful weapon at this point.

In any case I don’t think there’s a need to be too sensitive about Ed’s personal relationships.

Time is full and overflowing.

* [New finished product]

Handmade Bricks Bricks made by scooping mud into a mold shaping it drying it thoroughly and then baking it using ignition magic.

Production Difficulty: ●●○○○ [ Production completed. Crafting proficiency has increased. ]

[I have learned the stonemason skill. The increase in proficiency increases due to the talent stat. ]

[New finished product]

Brick Fireplace A fireplace made of handmade bricks. Because the joints are treated with mud it is not strong but it looks like it can fulfill its role as a stove. If you want to use it indoors it seems like you need to attach a smoke pipe.

Production Difficulty: ●●◐○○ [ Production completed. Crafting proficiency has increased. ]

-Track crackle.

I spent the whole morning on it but I didn’t have time to even build a chimney. I think I have no choice but to use the afternoon or night time.

Still the finished product itself is quite satisfactory so I feel very good for the first time in a long time. Just a little bit longer and it won’t be long before we can move into a cabin and live there.

It’s a stable living environment. How dream-like these words are.

“Oh my the smell is unique. “Did you put basil in it?”

“Bell gave some away the other day. But can you tell just by smelling it?”

“I’m confident in my sense of smell.”

Lortel humming Jenica with her eyes wide open and me. Like this the three of us got ready to have lunch around the fire.

It was a food made by shredding fish whose storage conditions were critical turning them into fillets grilling them on a grill and adding various spices.

My cooking skill level is increasing day by day and I feel like my eating habits have also improved as I have an environment where I can obtain and use a variety of food ingredients.

It’s still a wild diet but... Anyway the taste is getting better every day so that’s a positive thing. Once construction of the cabin is complete it might not be a bad idea to try growing a few small annual vegetables yourself.

When I take a bite with a skewer the meat juice soaks in quite well and my mouth starts watering.

“Seeing as I haven’t felt any movement this morning I think we can assume that the plan is going well.”

Lortel gently covered his mouth chewed his food and continued speaking. Yenica pursed her lips and didn’t say anything as if she was in a bad mood.

“If we’ve come this far all we have to do now is wait for the news of victory.”

okay. “It’s a good thing but we shouldn’t let our guard down.”

“Hold on to your worries! Take responsibility and I will raise Ed’s sense of elemental magic! “I’ll make it possible for you to make a contract with a lieutenant spirit in no time!”

Ahem! I was so grateful to see him smiling that I nodded along.

“So... it seems like direct communication with spirits is still difficult?”

“My voice seems to reach the lower-level spirits that I see occasionally but I tend to have a hard time hearing what they say to me.”

okay? hmm... Considering the level of magic Ed handles that can’t be possible. “Aren’t your spirit sensitivity and mana sensitivity raised to a pretty good level?”

“... “That’s right.”

This... Could it be that the spirits simply don’t talk to Ed? Even if you can’t hear it clearly you should be able to vaguely hear what the spirits are saying... ”

After saying this Jenica held out her index finger to the sparrow sitting on her shoulder.

The cute-looking sparrow quickly moved to sit on Yenika’s index finger.

“Charis! “Would you like to talk to Ed?”

[ Lady Yenica! This man... I can’t... Because! ]

oh... ! It really sounds vague... !

As I focused my mind more on the sensation of magical power the voice began to come through clearly.

[ We need to raise the level of sensitivity a little more for our story to be heard in the first place! ]

is it? But Ed’s growth is faster than I thought.”

[Think about this man’s daily routine! How much time has there been for magical training! You know Miss Yenika too! According to what was reported during last week’s regular reporting meeting held at the window of Room 203 of the Dex Building the supplies in the food warehouse are running low and we need to focus on the hut construction right now so we can’t distract ourselves with anything else.]

When Yenika placed her palm on the sparrow’s head and twisted the flow of magical power the sparrow-shaped spirit was reverse summoned and disappeared in an instant.

“... “Did you hear that?”

“Faintly?”

A moment of silence.

“... But what about the weekly regular reporting meeting?”

“Yes the Northern Forest is a place where many spirits gather and live. So do you really need to report other external changes to me or have a system like that anyway? Do you want me to let you know if something seems to make the spirits nervous about me? In the meantime there is a little bit of information about Ed mixed in but it doesn’t have much of a part and it feels like licorice in a pharmacy as if it’s just a secret message of Ed’s well-being... ? “A light feeling like letting a neighbor know how you’re doing in passing?”

“... .okay?

The gibberish tone of his words is strangely annoying but the most important thing right now is ultimately how to practice spirit magic.

“Anyway I’ll check Ed’s spirit sensitivity and such on a regular basis. This is probably because I am the most open-minded person in the academic department. In the first place people with developed senses for spirits are rare.”

“Yeah I’m thankful for that.”

Anyway with the help of a skilled elementalist you can truly excel at elemental magic. Because I have good friends this part has become really good.

In the end the part that concerns me is the magic engineering side...

“Oh are you finished talking?”

Lortel entered the story still smiling.

okay.

“So let’s finish the story about magic engineering supplies. “There is more inventory than expected so I think we will be able to provide enough.”

This is also good news.

“In addition most of them are practically treated as dead assets because they have expired or have no record of being sold for more than a certain period of time.”

“Oh then can you sell it for the lowest price possible? “Try to add as much as you can to the 20 coins you promised.”

“Selling at a low price. The senior also said something very sad. Anyway the amount is not large and is practically a dead asset so it is free... ”

After saying that Lortel shook his head for a moment and then looked at me and Yenika alternately.

As he looked at Lortel with a puzzled face that fox-like smile soon appeared again.

free... However it must be difficult since I have the title of merchant right?”

yes. “I understand your position.”

“But I will sell it for the lowest price possible. As malicious inventory arises it continues. However since it is a contract where money is exchanged a contract must also be written... Also it would be a good idea to write a bill of sale whenever you sell it.”

“Do you usually go that far in a simple sales contract?”

“Well we have a special compromise. I heard you’re giving it to me cheaply? Ahaha. but... ”

Lortel smiled and added to the story wondering what made him feel so good.

“You have to renew your contract every time so you should visit the Elte Sanghoe branch in Seongdang-dong periodically. Since you’re here it would be nice to have a cup of tea and talk about various personal matters right? Considering changes in properties the more frequently the contract is renewed the better so once a week... “How about once every three days?”

“If it’s a contract it can’t be helped that it’s a bit cumbersome. “Don’t just think about covering up the dump.”

“Oh my I told you this last time too... “The secret to Elte Company’s longevity is its conscience.”

It is quite important to create an environment where magical engineering supplies can be provided stably.

We will be able to coordinate the details at that time. It’s not like I don’t know how to use magic engineering supplies.

however... It’s not okay to give that much for free... ?”

That’s where Yenika came in.

“Ed helped me a lot this time. “If it’s an amount that doesn’t cause significant damage to the ledger it’s okay to not be too rigid about the contract or anything like that.”

When Yenica speaks in a strangely stiff tone Lortel responds with a contrasting assertive tone.

“I am a merchant. Even if you are a benefactor you will never give something away for free. “This is also a kind of work ethic.”

lie! “It’s just making a cause!”

“Justice? “For what reason?”

Lortel’s expression as she blinks at Yenica with a blank face makes her look like a girl who doesn’t know anything about the world.

It goes without saying but Lortel can’t be that kind of girl.

In fact I think there is room to think more about price negotiations.

If we boil Lortel further with the issue of the Ofilis Hall occupation there is a high possibility that we will come up with a way to conclude a contract from a more advantageous position.

This point is quite a sharp point for Yenika. Lortel’s tendency to use evil to earn even a single gold coin at every opportunity should not be taken lightly.

Then I was thinking for a moment about how to conclude the story.

“Oh my I didn’t know Lady Lortel would be here.”

At those words everyone turned their heads and looked toward the grass and a familiar guest had come by.

“... Mr. Bell?”

“Ugh... ”

“... “Why are you doing this?”

Looking at the sight of the campfire with me Lortel and Yenica sitting around the campfire Belle suddenly pressed her temples and closed her eyes.

“No sorry. Just looking at the members already makes me feel dizzy.”

“... yes?

“It looks like the situation is not at all peaceful. “I’m sorry for coming to you so suddenly.”

The first person whose gaze turned cold was Lortel.

He probably doesn’t want to meet officials from the Ofilis Hall. He probably didn’t even want to reveal his location in the first place.

In fact at this point it is already a victory for Lortel. The plan to sell jangguryu has already passed. If Elte was going to subdue Lortel he should have come to this hut last night as soon as possible. Still even though he was being cautious just in case it was worth it to have the luxury of going outside the hut and basking in the fireworks. In fact we are in a position where we are waiting for news of victory.

Still Belle’s outfit seems to make Lortel uncomfortable.

Compared to the neat and tidy senior maid attire the outfit is much flashier. It was the maid’s outfit.

The fact that Belle has taken over the position of head maid after Ellis means that the Ofilis Hall incident is being concluded as planned.

Belle walked in with her usual elegant appearance and carefully sat down across from our group.

“... I’m sorry to deliver gloomy news but... ”

And with his eyes tightly closed he slowly continued his story.

I quietly lowered my gaze because I could guess what Belle was going to say.

I looked at the crackling bonfire and threw in a few more embers.