“The breakfast over here is ready to be served!” “Understood!”
Energetic voices echo through the kitchen as always. I plate the finished dishes and call over the servers to carry them out. Now, on to the next dish. I check the orders around me and anticipate the next steps. Right, let’s continue. I check the pre-cut ingredients and start stir-frying them in the pot.
“Garn! How are things on your end?” “Numbers three and seven are ready!” “Then move on to eight and ten! Adra?” “I’ve finished portioning ingredients for one and five!” “Then do two and four! Everyone else, prepare six and nine!” “Yes sir!” they all respond in unison.
Everyone in the kitchen moves efficiently under my direction. This is really helpful. When we were traveling with the mercenary group, I was basically running everything by myself. To think I’d end up doing proper chef work in a castle kitchen… life really is unpredictable. With these thoughts in mind, I finish preparing the next dish.
“This one’s ready! Please take it out! And be careful not to mix up the servings! This one has the ingredients removed that the diner can’t eat!” “Understood!”
The server responds energetically and heads out of the kitchen.
Now then, do this next, and then that… As I’m planning the next steps, it happens.
“Is Shuri here?”
Kuuga enters the kitchen. He looks around and, spotting me, comes closer.
“Ah, there you are. Shuri, I’ve got a small favor to ask.” “Can it wait? I’m a bit tied up right now.” “Later’s fine, but I need you to bring some refreshments to the training grounds. They’re good at training, but those guys tire out way too quickly.”
Kuuga says this with an exasperated look. Currently, Kuuga spends his days training soldiers as their commander. Once the military operations begin in earnest, he’ll be giving orders to subordinates on the front lines alongside Gyngus. Though given how strong Kuuga is himself, most of the actual commanding will probably fall to Gyngus.
“So yeah, that’s what I need.” “Understood. Before lunch?” “Nah, make it afternoon. We’ve got night march training planned for today too.” “Got it.” “Shuriiii? You here?”
This time Tegue comes in as well.
“What’s up, Tegue?” “Nothing major. Just wondering if you’d like to grab a drink after work?” “What about your own work…”
Tegue is currently training a different group of soldiers from Kuuga. He’s mainly in charge of instructing and leading the people responsible for maintaining order and guarding the castle. Simply put, Tegue is tasked with defense. Mm, that’s quite a responsibility.
“I’ve got a capable deputy handling things! So, tonight then!” “Then count me in too!” “Ah, wait-”
Before I can stop them, they both made their declarations. Really, those two haven’t changed at all. Even though they’ve become leaders with many subordinates, I guess it’s hard to suddenly become responsible adults. Though that’s just like them. I return to work with a wry smile. Some time passes, and the morning rush of diners starts to die down.
“Alright everyone, break time!” “Yeah…”
Everyone collapses onto chairs with exhausted expressions. Well, that’s to be expected. We make food for lots of people every morning. By the way, lunch is actually our quiet time. Some people eat outside the castle for lunch, so we have fewer customers.
“You’re all free to go. I’ll start the lunch preparations.” “Eh… Shuri, you’re still going to work?” “Well, there’s still a lot to do…”
I give a playful response to the surprised question from one of my subordinates. Even though lunch is quieter, we still get quite a few people coming in. Got to prepare for that. So I reach for some potatoes to peel for lunch prep, but someone swiftly snatches them away.
“Shuri. Take a break already. If the boss doesn’t rest, the workers can’t either.” “That’s right. Leave this to me and Garn.”
The ones holding the knife and potatoes are Garn and Adra. Neither of them shows any trace of their former lives in intelligence work and soldiering – they’ve become men who look completely at home in the kitchen. Actually, people are sometimes surprised because they’re both such big guys doing kitchen work.
“Wait, but-” “This is practice too. We are supposed to be your deputies managing the staff after all.” “We need to at least catch up to Shuri when it comes to potato peeling!”
As they say this and get to work, their peeling technique has become quite skilled, smoothly removing the skins cleanly. Their knife skills and ingredient handling have improved too, which makes me happy. Currently, the two serve as deputy leaders under me in the kitchen. You see, some people try to take advantage of my youthful appearance. These tend to be people who were close to the workers who went on strike and are trying to cause trouble in our current workplace. Garn and Adra help me deal with such people by keeping them in line or getting rid of them. It’s really helpful, though I should probably handle it myself. Still, I’m impressed by how good they’ve become at cooking, I think to myself. In the beginning, they were constantly cutting their fingers with knives… but now they’re reliable people I can trust with everything from tool management to prep work.
“Then may I leave it to you?” “Yeah, leave it to us!” “First, I’m gonna mash all these potatoes here.” “Stop that!”
I won’t be able to use them in the soup if you do that.
“Um, is Shuri here?”
Someone else comes to the kitchen while we’re taking our break.
“Oh, if it isn’t Arius!” “That’s right.”
I approach Arius, who is standing somewhat uncertainly in the kitchen doorway.
“What’s wrong? Do you need something?” “No, I just woke up a bit late today… Could I perhaps get some soup?” “Of course. We have extra soup and bread. If you don’t mind staff meals, I can serve you right away.” “Then yes please.”
As Arius tries to leave the kitchen, she stumbles and has to brace herself against the wall. I hurriedly move to support her.
“A-are you alright?!” “Y-yes, I’m fine.” “Are you feeling unwell? If so, I should report to Gungrave…” “R-really, it’s nothing at all!”
Arius shouts this out. That surprised me. Suddenly raising her voice like that. But Arius glares at me with a bright red face.
“What’s wrong?” “While I appreciate Shuri’s concern… Gungrave drank that thing you gave him, and it was quite troublesome.” “Pardon?” “That’s why I stayed up late, and now I can’t walk properly.”
???? ……… …Ah, Arius is walking bow-legged and needs to lean on the wall due to fatigue and lack of sleep. I gave Gungrave mead. And he was drinking this morning too.
I understand everything now.
“You two were… energetic, I see.” “Hey!!” “I’m sorry! I’ll bring your food right away!”
As Arius’s face turns even redder and she reaches for the cane at her waist, I quickly flee back into the kitchen. I see. Children might come soon, perhaps. Thinking such improper thoughts.
After delivering breakfast to Arius, I head toward the bathroom during my break. Though Arius scolded me as a pervert, saying it was a “reward” or something – no way. I could only apologize for my own lewdness. Now then, here I am, standing hesitant in the hallway. Why, you ask? Well…
“Phew…”
Because Gungrave is lying face down sleeping in the hallway. Gungrave has become the lord of this territory, so he should be swamped with work and handover duties. So why is he sleeping here?
“What’s wrong, Gungrave?” “Nothing’s wrong. Just being soothed by the cold floor.”
That’s what people call eccentric behavior. Swallowing those words, I shake Gungrave’s body.
“Come on, you’ll get dirty lying on the hallway floor. Let’s stand up first, okay?” “No! I need more soothing time!” “Then keep getting soothed.”
This is the first time I’ve seen someone throw such an annoying tantrum. I can’t deal with this. So I try to walk past Gungrave toward the bathroom, but my feet won’t move. Looking down, I see Gungrave has grabbed my right ankle in a vice grip.
“Aren’t you worried about me at all!” “I’m worried about your head, but… So? What exactly happened?”
I can’t deal with this, but if I leave him alone it’ll just become more troublesome… Really, what a pain. With no choice, I stop and turn Gungrave onto his back. His face below shows complete exhaustion, with dark circles under his eyes.
“I’m tired.” “That’s right.” “Running things is different from the mercenary group, lots of different things are tough.” “Yes, you have.”
Unable to think of a good response, I just offer agreement for now.
“Right! That’s all the complaining I needed! Time to get back to work!”
But Gungrave quickly regains his spirit and stands up. Huh? What was the point of that little scene just now?
“Do your best.”
But I can’t say that either, so I can only swallow my words and offer encouragement.
“You bet. This is just the beginning… just the beginning.”
Saying this, Gungrave rolls his shoulders to psych himself up. The staff strike, opposition forces, evaluation from the citizens… Gungrave bears all these negative emotions alone. I see, this must be more exhausting than the actual work. He has to overturn those negative evaluations. So, I’ll support what I can support.
“This is just the beginning. Come back when you’re hungry. Delicious food will be waiting.” “Yeah. Looking forward to it.”
With that answer, Gungrave heads back to his room. Seeing the strength in his retreating figure reassures me. Still okay. When he’s not okay anymore, I’ll at least listen to his complaints. Thinking such thoughts, I finally head to the bathroom.
Now then, I’ve made breakfast, but there’s one troublesome person in this castle who doesn’t come to the dining hall to eat. After returning to the kitchen, I load breakfast onto a tray to deliver it to that person.
“Oh, Shuri!” “Good morning, Shuri!”
At the top of the stairs, I find Aeclys and Gyngus. The two seem to have been chatting while walking down the hallway. I hear that for people who’ve known Aeclys and the others from before, seeing these two like this is quite shocking. Well, they were fighting over who would become lord, after all. Can’t be helped.
“Good morning. Are you both heading to work?” “Yeah. I’m off to discuss military matters with Kuuga.” “I finished my work, so I thought I might drop by Shuri’s place!”
Saying this, Aeclys stands next to me with a smile.
“But I’m still working… Eh? You finished already?” “That’s right! I’ve handed over most of the internal affairs to Gungrave, so I don’t have much to do anymore.” “Is that so? Gyngus?”
Indeed, Aeclys lives normally now. She doesn’t need to cross-dress and pretend to be the next lord anymore. I’ve heard from Gungrave and others that her workload has been significantly reduced. I see… Aeclys has become free and seems to be living happily. That’s good. She still cross-dresses out of habit, but it suits her androgynous features well, and it’s her preference so there’s no need to comment on it. However, when I ask this, Gyngus makes a bitter face.
“…While it’s less than before, sister’s workload is still ridiculous.” “Huh?” “She’s just finishing quickly because she’s smart and efficient. For normal people, it would take until evening.” “No way?”
I ask Aeclys with a surprised face, but she just laughs bashfully.
“That’s not true! I know my work limits! It’s just that the work has decreased dramatically from before, so I’m taking it easy! Though I don’t mind being praised by Shuri! Hehe!” “It’s amazing, but I haven’t really said it’s amazing…”
I try to say I haven’t praised her yet, but before I can, someone places a hand on my shoulder. Looking over, Gyngus shakes his head with a tired face and solemn expression. Don’t say unnecessary things, he means.
“What she does includes reviewing account books for irregularities, receiving reports from intelligence agents, managing castle supplies and finances, managing taxes and updating land rights documents…” “That’s considered reduced?”
When I ask Gyngus this, he shakes his head.
“While it has decreased, it’s not an amount normal people could handle.” “Right.” “My sister is especially talented at internal affairs, you know. Don’t take her words at face value.” “Got it.”
So she really was a genius… I can only marvel at this.
“Well then, I need to deliver this.” “Yeah, sorry for stopping you.” “Eh? You won’t talk with me?”
Ugh, Aeclys is being deliberately cute… I couldn’t help but find it adorable! But putting that aside.
“I’m still working, so.” “Can’t be helped then. See you later!” “Shuri, I’m counting on you for lunch.” “Got it.”
Aeclys and Gyngus head down the stairs. Brother and sister getting along… Well, now that the cause of their conflict is gone, it’s natural I suppose. But somehow it’s reassuring. Now then, time to deliver breakfast. I walk down the hallway toward my destination.
A strange smell comes from in front of the room. I stop as I’m about to knock on the door of my destination, catching a whiff of an indescribable stench. What’s this smell? It’s like rain falling on sun-baked asphalt…
“Are you alright, Lill?”
Worried, I enter the room. Inside is a room filled with various experimental equipment. This is the room of someone who forcibly carved out research and development spaces in the castle and claimed them as their base. In the middle of the room, said person lies collapsed.
“Wait, Lill?!”
Indeed, Lill has collapsed on the floor. This room was set up by the former magic engineering troops from the mercenary group and the castle’s original magic engineers. They’ve occupied quite a large room, crammed it full of all sorts of experimental equipment, and turned it into the castle’s “Untouchable Room.” Not “Unopened” room, but “Untouchable.” As in a room you shouldn’t get deeply involved with. Why? Because strange smells waft out, researchers sleep on the floor, and they try to use passersby as experimental samples.
“What’s wrong, Lill?!” “Ugh… Sh-Shuri?”
Lill opens her eyes slightly and confirms it’s me.
“Ah, that…” “I understand. The hamburger steak, right? Here you go.”
Understanding everything, I present the meal I brought on the tray – hamburger steak, soup, and bread.
“Thank you!”
Lill instantly awakens and pounces on the food, devouring it. Almost like she’s starving. I wish she’d eat with better manners, but seeing Lill eat so happily and with such obvious enjoyment, I can’t bring myself to say anything. Yes, Lill was simply hungry. This happens every time, so all I can do is smile wryly. Basically, Lill got so excited about having her dream castle laboratory that she’s been dedicating herself day and night to developing new magic engineering tools. Though she’s going a bit overboard.
“Mmm~ Thank you for the meal!”
Lill finishes the food in no time at all. That was fast.
“That was delicious. Thank you.” “Not at all. …What research were you doing today?”
When I ask this, Lill leans forward with sparkling eyes.
“Today! Or rather, yesterday, Lill was thinking about new construction tools!” “Oh, what kind of tools?” “Tools that can easily dig the ground! This!”
Huh? Did she make something like an excavator? But what Lill pulls out is just a regular spade.
“Isn’t that just an ordinary spade?” “Wrong! The blade has a special mechanism! When it touches the ground, it vibrates at ultra-high speed to loosen the soil, making it easier to dig!” “Oh?” “Not only that, but there’s also a mechanism that slightly lifts the scooped dirt from the blade, reducing its weight!”
Amazing, genuinely amazing.
“So basically, it’s a spade that makes digging and tilling easier.” “Exactly! And next, this…”
She continues introducing her newly developed magic engineering tools one after another. Each one shows thoughtful design. I genuinely think they’re quite convenient. After finishing her introductions, Lill settles down.
“So that’s what Lill has been working on… To be honest, it’s fun.” “Fun?”
Lill says this with a smile.
“Lill couldn’t have imagined this in the past. When we were traveling around as mercenaries, Lill didn’t really have the luxury to develop tools that could help people like this.” “That’s true.” “So, Shuri. Thank you.”
Thank you?
“Why thank you?” “Because of you, Lill is here. Lill can do what Lill love like this. It’s all thanks to you.”
Thanks to me, huh? That’s not right.
“No, it’s thanks to everyone’s efforts.” “But… no, never mind.”
Lill shows a troubled smile and says:
“When Shuri starts being modest, there’s no stopping you. Let’s leave it at that.” “I see. …Oh, well then, I should get going.” “Wait.”
As I try to leave with the tray, Lill stops me. When I turn around, Lill asks with a playful smile:
“Are you happy now, Shuri?”
…What an unfair question.💬 1
“Of course. I’m very happy.”
How could I not be happy? Because I met Gungrave, I’m living these enjoyable days. It’s not an easy path, but it’s still enjoyable. I’m sure such days will continue from here on.
“I’m happy. Very much so.”
So, I’ll continue to stay with everyone. Since that day I swore to live in this world. After all, this has become my homeland.
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Chapter 56
“The breakfast over here is ready to be served!”
“Understood!”
Energetic voices echo through the kitchen as always.
I plate the finished dishes and call over the servers to carry them out.
Now, on to the next dish. I check the orders around me and anticipate the next steps.
Right, let’s continue. I check the pre-cut ingredients and start stir-frying them in the pot.
“Garn! How are things on your end?”
“Numbers three and seven are ready!”
“Then move on to eight and ten! Adra?”
“I’ve finished portioning ingredients for one and five!”
“Then do two and four! Everyone else, prepare six and nine!”
“Yes sir!” they all respond in unison.
Everyone in the kitchen moves efficiently under my direction.
This is really helpful. When we were traveling with the mercenary group, I was basically running everything by myself.
To think I’d end up doing proper chef work in a castle kitchen… life really is unpredictable.
With these thoughts in mind, I finish preparing the next dish.
“This one’s ready! Please take it out! And be careful not to mix up the servings! This one has the ingredients removed that the diner can’t eat!”
“Understood!”
The server responds energetically and heads out of the kitchen.
Now then, do this next, and then that…
As I’m planning the next steps, it happens.
“Is Shuri here?”
Kuuga enters the kitchen.
He looks around and, spotting me, comes closer.
“Ah, there you are. Shuri, I’ve got a small favor to ask.”
“Can it wait? I’m a bit tied up right now.”
“Later’s fine, but I need you to bring some refreshments to the training grounds. They’re good at training, but those guys tire out way too quickly.”
Kuuga says this with an exasperated look.
Currently, Kuuga spends his days training soldiers as their commander.
Once the military operations begin in earnest, he’ll be giving orders to subordinates on the front lines alongside Gyngus. Though given how strong Kuuga is himself, most of the actual commanding will probably fall to Gyngus.
“So yeah, that’s what I need.”
“Understood. Before lunch?”
“Nah, make it afternoon. We’ve got night march training planned for today too.”
“Got it.”
“Shuriiii? You here?”
This time Tegue comes in as well.
“What’s up, Tegue?”
“Nothing major. Just wondering if you’d like to grab a drink after work?”
“What about your own work…”
Tegue is currently training a different group of soldiers from Kuuga. He’s mainly in charge of instructing and leading the people responsible for maintaining order and guarding the castle.
Simply put, Tegue is tasked with defense. Mm, that’s quite a responsibility.
“I’ve got a capable deputy handling things! So, tonight then!”
“Then count me in too!”
“Ah, wait-”
Before I can stop them, they both made their declarations.
Really, those two haven’t changed at all. Even though they’ve become leaders with many subordinates, I guess it’s hard to suddenly become responsible adults.
Though that’s just like them. I return to work with a wry smile.
Some time passes, and the morning rush of diners starts to die down.
“Alright everyone, break time!”
“Yeah…”
Everyone collapses onto chairs with exhausted expressions.
Well, that’s to be expected. We make food for lots of people every morning.
By the way, lunch is actually our quiet time. Some people eat outside the castle for lunch, so we have fewer customers.
“You’re all free to go. I’ll start the lunch preparations.”
“Eh… Shuri, you’re still going to work?”
“Well, there’s still a lot to do…”
I give a playful response to the surprised question from one of my subordinates.
Even though lunch is quieter, we still get quite a few people coming in. Got to prepare for that.
So I reach for some potatoes to peel for lunch prep, but someone swiftly snatches them away.
“Shuri. Take a break already. If the boss doesn’t rest, the workers can’t either.”
“That’s right. Leave this to me and Garn.”
The ones holding the knife and potatoes are Garn and Adra.
Neither of them shows any trace of their former lives in intelligence work and soldiering – they’ve become men who look completely at home in the kitchen.
Actually, people are sometimes surprised because they’re both such big guys doing kitchen work.
“Wait, but-”
“This is practice too. We are supposed to be your deputies managing the staff after all.”
“We need to at least catch up to Shuri when it comes to potato peeling!”
As they say this and get to work, their peeling technique has become quite skilled, smoothly removing the skins cleanly. Their knife skills and ingredient handling have improved too, which makes me happy.
Currently, the two serve as deputy leaders under me in the kitchen.
You see, some people try to take advantage of my youthful appearance. These tend to be people who were close to the workers who went on strike and are trying to cause trouble in our current workplace.
Garn and Adra help me deal with such people by keeping them in line or getting rid of them. It’s really helpful, though I should probably handle it myself.
Still, I’m impressed by how good they’ve become at cooking, I think to myself.
In the beginning, they were constantly cutting their fingers with knives… but now they’re reliable people I can trust with everything from tool management to prep work.
“Then may I leave it to you?”
“Yeah, leave it to us!”
“First, I’m gonna mash all these potatoes here.”
“Stop that!”
I won’t be able to use them in the soup if you do that.
“Um, is Shuri here?”
Someone else comes to the kitchen while we’re taking our break.
“Oh, if it isn’t Arius!”
“That’s right.”
I approach Arius, who is standing somewhat uncertainly in the kitchen doorway.
“What’s wrong? Do you need something?”
“No, I just woke up a bit late today… Could I perhaps get some soup?”
“Of course. We have extra soup and bread. If you don’t mind staff meals, I can serve you right away.”
“Then yes please.”
As Arius tries to leave the kitchen, she stumbles and has to brace herself against the wall.
I hurriedly move to support her.
“A-are you alright?!”
“Y-yes, I’m fine.”
“Are you feeling unwell? If so, I should report to Gungrave…”
“R-really, it’s nothing at all!”
Arius shouts this out.
That surprised me. Suddenly raising her voice like that.
But Arius glares at me with a bright red face.
“What’s wrong?”
“While I appreciate Shuri’s concern… Gungrave drank that thing you gave him, and it was quite troublesome.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s why I stayed up late, and now I can’t walk properly.”
????
………
…Ah, Arius is walking bow-legged and needs to lean on the wall due to fatigue and lack of sleep.
I gave Gungrave mead. And he was drinking this morning too.
I understand everything now.
“You two were… energetic, I see.”
“Hey!!”
“I’m sorry! I’ll bring your food right away!”
As Arius’s face turns even redder and she reaches for the cane at her waist, I quickly flee back into the kitchen.
I see. Children might come soon, perhaps.
Thinking such improper thoughts.
After delivering breakfast to Arius, I head toward the bathroom during my break.
Though Arius scolded me as a pervert, saying it was a “reward” or something – no way. I could only apologize for my own lewdness.
Now then, here I am, standing hesitant in the hallway.
Why, you ask? Well…
“Phew…”
Because Gungrave is lying face down sleeping in the hallway.
Gungrave has become the lord of this territory, so he should be swamped with work and handover duties.
So why is he sleeping here?
“What’s wrong, Gungrave?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Just being soothed by the cold floor.”
That’s what people call eccentric behavior.
Swallowing those words, I shake Gungrave’s body.
“Come on, you’ll get dirty lying on the hallway floor. Let’s stand up first, okay?”
“No! I need more soothing time!”
“Then keep getting soothed.”
This is the first time I’ve seen someone throw such an annoying tantrum. I can’t deal with this.
So I try to walk past Gungrave toward the bathroom, but my feet won’t move.
Looking down, I see Gungrave has grabbed my right ankle in a vice grip.
“Aren’t you worried about me at all!”
“I’m worried about your head, but… So? What exactly happened?”
I can’t deal with this, but if I leave him alone it’ll just become more troublesome… Really, what a pain.
With no choice, I stop and turn Gungrave onto his back.
His face below shows complete exhaustion, with dark circles under his eyes.
“I’m tired.”
“That’s right.”
“Running things is different from the mercenary group, lots of different things are tough.”
“Yes, you have.”
Unable to think of a good response, I just offer agreement for now.
“Right! That’s all the complaining I needed! Time to get back to work!”
But Gungrave quickly regains his spirit and stands up.
Huh? What was the point of that little scene just now?
“Do your best.”
But I can’t say that either, so I can only swallow my words and offer encouragement.
“You bet. This is just the beginning… just the beginning.”
Saying this, Gungrave rolls his shoulders to psych himself up.
The staff strike, opposition forces, evaluation from the citizens… Gungrave bears all these negative emotions alone. I see, this must be more exhausting than the actual work.
He has to overturn those negative evaluations.
So, I’ll support what I can support.
“This is just the beginning. Come back when you’re hungry. Delicious food will be waiting.”
“Yeah. Looking forward to it.”
With that answer, Gungrave heads back to his room.
Seeing the strength in his retreating figure reassures me.
Still okay. When he’s not okay anymore, I’ll at least listen to his complaints.
Thinking such thoughts, I finally head to the bathroom.
Now then, I’ve made breakfast, but there’s one troublesome person in this castle who doesn’t come to the dining hall to eat.
After returning to the kitchen, I load breakfast onto a tray to deliver it to that person.
“Oh, Shuri!”
“Good morning, Shuri!”
At the top of the stairs, I find Aeclys and Gyngus. The two seem to have been chatting while walking down the hallway.
I hear that for people who’ve known Aeclys and the others from before, seeing these two like this is quite shocking.
Well, they were fighting over who would become lord, after all. Can’t be helped.
“Good morning. Are you both heading to work?”
“Yeah. I’m off to discuss military matters with Kuuga.”
“I finished my work, so I thought I might drop by Shuri’s place!”
Saying this, Aeclys stands next to me with a smile.
“But I’m still working… Eh? You finished already?”
“That’s right! I’ve handed over most of the internal affairs to Gungrave, so I don’t have much to do anymore.”
“Is that so? Gyngus?”
Indeed, Aeclys lives normally now. She doesn’t need to cross-dress and pretend to be the next lord anymore. I’ve heard from Gungrave and others that her workload has been significantly reduced.
I see… Aeclys has become free and seems to be living happily. That’s good. She still cross-dresses out of habit, but it suits her androgynous features well, and it’s her preference so there’s no need to comment on it.
However, when I ask this, Gyngus makes a bitter face.
“…While it’s less than before, sister’s workload is still ridiculous.”
“Huh?”
“She’s just finishing quickly because she’s smart and efficient. For normal people, it would take until evening.”
“No way?”
I ask Aeclys with a surprised face, but she just laughs bashfully.
“That’s not true! I know my work limits! It’s just that the work has decreased dramatically from before, so I’m taking it easy! Though I don’t mind being praised by Shuri! Hehe!”
“It’s amazing, but I haven’t really said it’s amazing…”
I try to say I haven’t praised her yet, but before I can, someone places a hand on my shoulder.
Looking over, Gyngus shakes his head with a tired face and solemn expression.
Don’t say unnecessary things, he means.
“What she does includes reviewing account books for irregularities, receiving reports from intelligence agents, managing castle supplies and finances, managing taxes and updating land rights documents…”
“That’s considered reduced?”
When I ask Gyngus this, he shakes his head.
“While it has decreased, it’s not an amount normal people could handle.”
“Right.”
“My sister is especially talented at internal affairs, you know. Don’t take her words at face value.”
“Got it.”
So she really was a genius… I can only marvel at this.
“Well then, I need to deliver this.”
“Yeah, sorry for stopping you.”
“Eh? You won’t talk with me?”
Ugh, Aeclys is being deliberately cute… I couldn’t help but find it adorable!
But putting that aside.
“I’m still working, so.”
“Can’t be helped then. See you later!”
“Shuri, I’m counting on you for lunch.”
“Got it.”
Aeclys and Gyngus head down the stairs.
Brother and sister getting along… Well, now that the cause of their conflict is gone, it’s natural I suppose.
But somehow it’s reassuring.
Now then, time to deliver breakfast. I walk down the hallway toward my destination.
A strange smell comes from in front of the room.
I stop as I’m about to knock on the door of my destination, catching a whiff of an indescribable stench.
What’s this smell? It’s like rain falling on sun-baked asphalt…
“Are you alright, Lill?”
Worried, I enter the room.
Inside is a room filled with various experimental equipment.
This is the room of someone who forcibly carved out research and development spaces in the castle and claimed them as their base.
In the middle of the room, said person lies collapsed.
“Wait, Lill?!”
Indeed, Lill has collapsed on the floor.
This room was set up by the former magic engineering troops from the mercenary group and the castle’s original magic engineers.
They’ve occupied quite a large room, crammed it full of all sorts of experimental equipment, and turned it into the castle’s “Untouchable Room.”
Not “Unopened” room, but “Untouchable.” As in a room you shouldn’t get deeply involved with.
Why? Because strange smells waft out, researchers sleep on the floor, and they try to use passersby as experimental samples.
“What’s wrong, Lill?!”
“Ugh… Sh-Shuri?”
Lill opens her eyes slightly and confirms it’s me.
“Ah, that…”
“I understand. The hamburger steak, right? Here you go.”
Understanding everything, I present the meal I brought on the tray – hamburger steak, soup, and bread.
“Thank you!”
Lill instantly awakens and pounces on the food, devouring it. Almost like she’s starving.
I wish she’d eat with better manners, but seeing Lill eat so happily and with such obvious enjoyment, I can’t bring myself to say anything.
Yes, Lill was simply hungry.
This happens every time, so all I can do is smile wryly.
Basically, Lill got so excited about having her dream castle laboratory that she’s been dedicating herself day and night to developing new magic engineering tools.
Though she’s going a bit overboard.
“Mmm~ Thank you for the meal!”
Lill finishes the food in no time at all. That was fast.
“That was delicious. Thank you.”
“Not at all. …What research were you doing today?”
When I ask this, Lill leans forward with sparkling eyes.
“Today! Or rather, yesterday, Lill was thinking about new construction tools!”
“Oh, what kind of tools?”
“Tools that can easily dig the ground! This!”
Huh? Did she make something like an excavator?
But what Lill pulls out is just a regular spade.
“Isn’t that just an ordinary spade?”
“Wrong! The blade has a special mechanism! When it touches the ground, it vibrates at ultra-high speed to loosen the soil, making it easier to dig!”
“Oh?”
“Not only that, but there’s also a mechanism that slightly lifts the scooped dirt from the blade, reducing its weight!”
Amazing, genuinely amazing.
“So basically, it’s a spade that makes digging and tilling easier.”
“Exactly! And next, this…”
She continues introducing her newly developed magic engineering tools one after another.
Each one shows thoughtful design. I genuinely think they’re quite convenient.
After finishing her introductions, Lill settles down.
“So that’s what Lill has been working on… To be honest, it’s fun.”
“Fun?”
Lill says this with a smile.
“Lill couldn’t have imagined this in the past. When we were traveling around as mercenaries, Lill didn’t really have the luxury to develop tools that could help people like this.”
“That’s true.”
“So, Shuri. Thank you.”
Thank you?
“Why thank you?”
“Because of you, Lill is here. Lill can do what Lill love like this. It’s all thanks to you.”
Thanks to me, huh?
That’s not right.
“No, it’s thanks to everyone’s efforts.”
“But… no, never mind.”
Lill shows a troubled smile and says:
“When Shuri starts being modest, there’s no stopping you. Let’s leave it at that.”
“I see. …Oh, well then, I should get going.”
“Wait.”
As I try to leave with the tray, Lill stops me.
When I turn around, Lill asks with a playful smile:
“Are you happy now, Shuri?”
…What an unfair question.💬 1
“Of course. I’m very happy.”
How could I not be happy?
Because I met Gungrave, I’m living these enjoyable days.
It’s not an easy path, but it’s still enjoyable.
I’m sure such days will continue from here on.
“I’m happy. Very much so.”
So, I’ll continue to stay with everyone.
Since that day I swore to live in this world.
After all, this has become my homeland.
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