Chapter 188: Alone
“Ugh, the artwork…!”
“That’s just for relieving back pain, right? It definitely works.”
I said to Soleil, who was trembling with agitation.
“Do you have any idea how much that piece is worth…?”
“Double the price if I sell it to both of them?”
“…!”
Soleil glared at me with teary eyes.
“That artwork must have taken years for the craftsman to carve!”
“Calm down. It’s true that having just one jade piece can lead to unnecessary disputes…”
Faramia tried to soothe Soleil.
That jade piece was something I carved on a whim. With the right tools made from Demon Beast materials and my own strength, it felt like carving vegetables or soap. Jade is soft, after all. If it had been a stone that could easily crack with a miscalculated amount of force, it wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.
“And this glass! Why was it in the barn…? I almost fainted when I saw it, and the construction worker did faint!”
“But there was a key, right?”
I had locked the barn to prevent the kids from sneaking in; I didn’t want anyone getting hurt.
“Just a token key! And this glass, it doesn’t break no matter what! I had to adjust the window size to fit it! I don’t know who you know among the Gold Rank folks, but none of these things should be treated carelessly! Just how much do you think it costs…?”
“Please calm down; the other party is a Lord.”
“Well, that’s fine, but if you want, you can just call me ‘big brother.’ Having two Soleils is confusing enough.”
I replaced the phrase “respect your employer” with “don’t disregard them.” It would be troublesome if I was bowed down to before I even earned any respect.
“Auro and Kiel are so unresponsive…! Even Faramia…!”
“I’m sorry. I am surprised, but it doesn’t last. Changelings don’t cling to things they aren’t interested in…”
Faramia comforted Soleil with a blank expression, despite his teary eyes.
“By the way, did you really want to hire me, big brother?”
Faramia forcefully changed the subject.
“Are you adding ‘sama’ to that? Since you’re with Soleil, wouldn’t it be fine as long as you get along? Or is there some issue with the work, or will you fight with other employees?”
My name is Ippaiatte… No, now I have a Chinese-style name added: Niichan!
“Because you are a Lord. I don’t show much expression regarding anything other than matters concerning Soleil. Besides, being a Changeling with the Black Spirit, ordinary folks tend to find it creepy.”
“I’m used to blank expressions. Does being a Changeling with the Black Spirit make you want to do something bad, or does it have some influence just by being there?”
I’m accustomed to the scary face option.
“Not particularly…”
“Then it’s fine. Soleil said he would mediate or adjust the relationships.”
I’m leaving that part entirely to him. I hired him for that very reason!
“Yes, of course.”
When I looked at Soleil, he had regained his composure and nodded vigorously.
Alright, the jade piece and glass have been settled!
With that, we returned to the tower. It was already well past noon, but it was time for lunch.
I sat on the edge of the Empty Well and took out my wrapped meal. Today’s menu consisted of grilled rice balls with green onion miso, salmon rice balls, pickled daikon, and small grilled dried sardines. Time for some salt replenishment. I really wish I had some bamboo; a bent wappa would do, too.
I took a hearty bite of the fragrant green onion miso, nibbled on the pickled daikon, chomped down on the grilled sardines, and savored the fluffy salmon rice ball. A sip of strong green tea refreshed my mouth.
Now, let’s get back to work. I stepped onto the board and began to loosen the rope of the winch. Even the flickering flame of the lamp felt hot. I could summon a Spirit, but I wasn’t sure how it would affect the Magic Circle. It would be scary if some unpredictable side effect occurred.
So, I diligently endured the heat, carving the stones of the well while drawing the Magic Circle. I hope I won’t run out of breath doing this.
It’s alright; the day after tomorrow, I’ll be going on an Exploration with Retze in the Forest. If I work hard today and tomorrow, I should be able to finish it. Ah, but I wonder if it would look nice to mosaic around the well.
The stonework of this well is made of marble, which is expensive for carving the Magic Circle, but I requested it. For some reason, they have a culture of minimizing seams when using marble. Even if they lay it out like tiles, the grout lines are barely noticeable. When stacked to form a pillar, it looks like a single column.
In Japan, the grout lines are thick because it’s scary to think they might crack during an earthquake if the stones bump against each other.
Thanks to that, it’s been beautifully finished, and fortunately, it’s easy to carve. And perhaps out of consideration or because they had leftover materials, the protruding parts from the floor are all made of marble. Since they went through the trouble of making it so beautifully, it’s only natural to want to make the rest look nice too.
Hmm, but arranging the mosaic is going to be more difficult than the Magic Circle. Once the Magic Circle is complete, maybe I’ll ask the Spirit for help. Now, what kind of pattern should I make?