After reporting to Lord Raz in Marestadt, I returned to the settlement.
I had been away for about a week, but the buildings were steadily coming along.
Though… it seems like the number of carpenters has slightly decreased? Still, most of the essential buildings have been completed, so it's probably enough.
The only building I still want is a watermill for grinding flour by autumn. There’s also the guesthouse that hasn’t been completed yet.
“Wow, that’s a huge gate and such a fancy house! Can we sleep in that one?”
“It really is amazing. I can’t believe this much was built in less than two months.”
“…Yeah.”
Naga-kun, Reus, and Ars-kun were impressed by the gate, guesthouse, and inn. But those are for guests, you know? I’ve prepared proper houses for you all.
“So far, we’ve prepared houses for Crow, Tiga-san, Rust-san, Reus, and Ars-kun—five in total. What do you want to do?”
“Ehh~ I want to be with Ars.”
“Well, we can build a house for just the two of you, but you’re both going to be away often. It might be easier if Tiga-san lives there to keep it ventilated and all. Besides, the house Tiga-san lives in has better soundproofing than the others.”
That’s partly at his request, but also to prevent eavesdropping. Though the soundproofing makes it hard to hear inside, I’m not sure if it makes the house more comfortable.
“The other houses aren’t soundproofed?”
“Honestly, I don’t know how much people can overhear. But yeah, if you’re outside like this, voices carry. There aren’t many people here after all.”
“That sounds… exhausting.”
“Ars… exhausting? What do you mean?”
“Well, my vision’s totally different between day and night, so it tires me out. That skill of his must be hard to use.”
He really didn’t need to say that knowing Tiga-san could hear him.
Still, it’s true that the skill isn’t the most convenient.
While Reus and the others were making a fuss, one of the carpenters noticed us and approached.
“Oh, you’re back.”
“Hey, Mr. Carpenter. How’s the progress?”
“Going smoothly. Some of the carpenters already left for their next job, though. Sorry about that.”
The master carpenter, who also acts as the foreman, happened to pass by and spoke up. He even gave me a report on the wages paid to those who had returned.
“It’s fine. You’ve all been working here for almost two months. By the way, were the payments sufficient?”
“More than enough. You provided the materials—wood and stone—so the budget was generous.”
Aside from the advance payment, I’ve been paying them properly, and it seems everything’s gone smoothly. I never asked about the daily wages, but it doesn’t seem like there are any complaints.
Apparently, some workers have been taking leftover wood or stone with them.
They’ve been treating it like a sale, which is fine since there’s surplus, but tracking non-medicine-related transactions is kind of a pain.
“By the way, miss, could I ask you for something? Could you make more bricks using magic?”
“Sure. I’ll work on it tomorrow.”
For a moment, I thought they had taken bricks while I was gone, but it turns out they just built more structures using them. If that’s the case, I don’t mind making more.
They even asked if they could buy them regularly, but I’ve put that on hold. I don’t mind selling excess stock, though.
Bricks are made by mixing materials, putting them into molds, drying, and firing them. It’s not that difficult. With magic, the drying process is more consistent, leading to higher-quality bricks, which has made them popular. As long as I have time, I don’t mind making them as a little gift if the foreman drops by.
They’ve even built proper facilities to dry and fire bricks without magic. By the way, thanks to my brother’s request, there’s a small kiln for cooking—super handy for making pizza and such.
“Kleine-san! Thank goodness!! I need to talk to you!”
Just as we were talking, Luna-san came running over in a hurry. At that moment, I realized—uh-oh. Something bad has happened.
I sensed trouble.
“Foreman, I’m sorry. Could we wrap up early today?”
“Hm? Something happen?”
“It might get a little noisy… and since it’s been a while, I’d love to have my brother’s cooking again. So please take the afternoon off and relax.”
“I see. Alright then, we’ll finish up early today.”
The foreman started giving instructions to the other carpenters. It was still before noon, so they aimed to finish up by lunchtime. Everyone cooperated.
“Kleine-san! It’s bad! What do we do!?”
“I knew it… Alright, let’s talk in my room. Brother, can I ask you to take care of lunch?”
“You just used my cooking as an excuse to end work early, didn’t you? …So, trouble again?”
“Probably. But I think it’ll happen after lunch, so I’ll talk to you about it then.”
Luna-san nodded vigorously beside me. So the bad feeling really is for this afternoon.
I told Naga-kun and the others it was “girl talk” and led her to my room.
"Sorry, um… it was a prophetic dream."
"Calm down. I kind of sensed that something might happen."
"Huh? Oh, really? You can tell that much?"
"Maybe? When it’s something dangerous, I get a vague feeling."
"Exactly! It is dangerous, but what should we do!?"
Luna apparently saw a vision of a dragon attacking this land from the sky. And she said she saw me, my brother, and Naga and the others fighting it.
"Can you tell me everything you remember?"
"Um, it was really just for a moment… A green dragon came flying from the northern mountains, and there were swarming shadows behind it. The dragon was the only thing I saw clearly—couldn’t make out what was behind it… They looked like they were shaped differently. On the ground, I think Granos and Leus were there. Um, Shima, Caro, and Lott were there too, and near them were some human silhouettes, but I couldn’t tell who they were. Judging by the position of the sun, it looked like it was around 3 PM."
So my brother and Leus were there—she must have thought she had to report it right away when we returned.
She could tell it was near the livestock barn. A dragon, huh… It’s showing up before we even head out. But maybe this is also a chance.
"Did you see anyone else?"
"Um… not in the actual scene I saw, but since it’s been a few days, and I was feeling uneasy this morning, I kept glancing over at Leonis… and, well… he stayed here today. But then I started worrying that maybe that would change the future or something…"
It seems she only saw the scene of the attack, and nothing about the damage afterward.
Since prophetic dreams usually happen within two or three days, she’s been nervous because today is the third day. Then, she heard that we returned just now and was sure of it—so she came running to tell me.
Considering we weren’t back yet, asking a capable person like Leonis to stay behind was a wise move.
"I do think it’s dangerous, but I don’t believe anyone’s life is at risk. Please leave it to us."
"Okay… um, is there anything I can do to help?"
"Hmm. When you saw the dragon in your dream, what did you feel?"
"I was scared… I mean, something like that attacking from the sky—it felt hopeless…"
"Then it might be better if you don’t join the fight. If you lose your composure, it could cause problems. I’d rather you stay near Master. I’ll handle things so nothing happens."
"…Got it. I’ll stay with Grandma. If anything happens, I’ll protect her, no matter what."
"Thank you. Don’t worry—it’ll be fine. With Leonis here, we have more than enough strength on our side."
Even as I prepare, something’s still bugging me.
A green dragon and the large shadows trailing behind it…
But why is it that the shadows feel more concerning than the dragon? I have this strange feeling that we shouldn’t defeat them…
No, maybe even taking down the dragon would be bad. If we’re going to negotiate, capturing it alive could be tough.
"Um, you don’t know when the prophetic dreams will happen, right?"
"Yeah. Lately, it’s like a snapshot—just a single scene pops into my head. But I’ve gotten pretty good at predicting the weather."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. When I focus on weather forecasting, I can use the ability pretty reliably. But the actual prophetic dreams don’t show what I want to see. And honestly, they’re often wrong."
Huh? They’re wrong?
So while she’s getting better at using it, the accuracy of her dreams is dropping?
"I think it’s a dangerous ability, so try not to let anyone find out… But they’re really that unreliable?"
"If I just make sure to avoid the same situation, they’re pretty easy to change. Like, I saw a vision where Bunny-chan ran into me, but since I knew the timing, I dodged her… and ended up losing my balance and falling face-first into a rice paddy. It was a total disaster—I got covered in mud. It would’ve been better if she had run into me."
So it really is that easy to alter a prophecy. Hmm…
Also, I need to watch out if Sphino’s rabbits are escaping from the ranch again.
"Other than that, is everything going okay? We were gone for a while—anything causing trouble?"
"Hmm. Not really. Crow’s kind of in his own world, but that actually makes him the easiest person to be around. He told me directly that he’s not good with women, so we don’t talk unless necessary. But he still helps out without being asked, which I appreciate. I can tell he really cares about Grandma. Lately, I’ve been going to her for advice too, so we’ve ended up talking more."
Apparently, while she was asking Master about fertilizer, she naturally got closer to Crow, since he’s the one who makes it. Meanwhile, Ryunne and Crow apparently don’t talk at all.
“Tiga shows up when you’re in trouble and helps out. He just kind of pops out when you need strength or an extra pair of hands.”
“Ah… yeah…”
“He’s kind and helpful, but Ryunne hates him.”
“Actually, Ryunne really doesn’t like men in general, huh?”
“She seems to particularly dislike Tiga. But he’s been a big help to me.”
Apparently, Tiga usually helps out Sphino or the carpenters, and also checks around to see if anything is lacking or needs doing.
And most likely, he can hear Luna when she speaks out loud, so he goes to help her.
Seems like he’s doing better than I expected.
“So, you’re not having any real trouble?”
“Lust’s the one I don’t get… What’s going on in his head?”
“I haven’t talked to him much either. But I think he’s always been like that. He seems like he’s thinking deeply and acts based on that, but he doesn’t let anyone read his real intentions.”
“I don’t get why he wants me to be his little sister.”
“Lust can use demonic powers too, so I think he’s worried about you. He doesn’t say it, but… he’s probably the reason the Empire fell. He’s also frustrated that he can’t fully control that power.”
When I explained about the demons and the Black God, he furrowed his brows in clear discomfort—so I’m sure Lust is struggling too.
If my own body started acting on its own, I’d be terrified. Luna’s more scared of being forced to endlessly witness disturbing scenes than of her body being taken over… But honestly, both of them could break their seals at any moment if they wanted.
He probably wants someone to tell him it wasn’t his fault the Empire fell. But the truth is, it was his fault. He’s dealing with that guilt in his own way, and that’s probably why Luna’s situation resonates with him.
“Oh yeah, about the people we kicked out—they’ve been coming around separately, but is that okay?”
“Some adventurers we know took them in, so… If it bothers you, I’ll tell them not to come into this area.”
“They all said they wanted to talk to Crane. Tiga said he’d listen to them, but he shut down all their demands. Is that alright?”
It’s not like they’re capable of doing anything.
Jude and the others brought in adventurers who could handle them, so they’re allowed to enter, technically.
“If they learn that they can’t always get their way and return to the right path, that would be ideal. But they tried to solve things with violence because they were frustrated. Kicking out all of them instead of just one prevents lingering resentment… And even if they hold a grudge, I can always run.”
“…I hated those guys. Ryunne too. They looked down on us just because we’re women. And they totally leered at Ryunne.”
“Honestly, the way Ryunne dresses, I can understand why men might see her that way. It suits her, but even I, as a fellow woman, can’t help noticing.”
She really does show off her curvy figure without shame, so she must know how she’s being seen. Still, it almost feels like she’s doing that to protect Luna in some way.
But it also looks a bit like Luna’s dependent on her, so I think I should take time to talk with her properly at some point.
“Tiga doesn’t look at her that way though, right?”
“Crow and Tiga are both mature enough, I think. I’m more worried about whether Naga and the boys can handle the distraction.”
“Those three don’t seem interested.”
“…Okay. If anything inappropriate happens, let me know. I’ll step in and take responsibility.”
Tiga handles most of it, but at least while I’m here, I plan to do my part. Since I’ve already complained about Naga picking up random monsters, I have to take responsibility for my own choices too.
“Well, I’ll go help out my brother now.”
“What’s for dinner?”
“You’ll like it. I’m making a lot, so you can get seconds too.”
We got a ridiculously huge reward from His Highness the Prince.
Now that we have plenty of money, my brother bought a ton of spices—we’re having his homemade curry.
Even if it’s expensive, sometimes you just really want curry.
We’ve got more than enough money for now, so this kind of luxury should be okay. Still, I should probably look into what the taxes will be like later…
“What, what is it?”
“Curry. We’ve got rice too.”
“Curry!? Really!? I can’t wait!”
Luna left the room with a big smile, and I followed her out, heading toward the workshop. I’ll greet Master first, then go see my brother.