Chapter 78

The next morning.

After finishing breakfast with the Nelson family as usual, Ichirou went out to the manor’s square with Rize, Eira, and Marie.

Isaac and Haber were already waiting by the carriage, and there seemed to be about thirty guards.

About twenty servants were also accompanying them, and wagons loaded with camping supplies and an empty wagon for transporting goods from Japan were prepared.

This time, it was a small-scale expedition of about fifty people.

"Five or six days... It might take a bit longer, but I’ll prepare various items and return. While I’m away, please take charge of the water mill installation in the granary area, Rize. Thank you."

"Yes, I’ll do my best. Please take care of yourself, Kazura-sama... And this."

Rize then handed Ichirou a small cloth bag she was holding.

"Hmm, is this... a bracelet?"

When Ichirou opened the cloth bag, he found a blue fabric bracelet with a silver clasp.

The bracelet, which appeared to be hand-knitted, had beautiful embroidery in red thread.

"Yes, I couldn’t make it very well, but..."

Rize said this with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Although she said she couldn’t make it well, to Ichirou, it looked quite skillfully knitted.

"Thank you. I’ll treasure it."

Ichirou smiled and thanked her, then wrapped the bracelet around his left wrist.

Seeing this, Rize blushed slightly and smiled happily.

"Well then, I’m off. Marie, come this way."

Ichirou called Marie, who was standing behind him, and they got into the carriage together.

Isaac closed the carriage door, bowed to Rize, and moved to the front of the carriage.

At Isaac’s command, the unit began to move towards Gricia Village.

Watching Ichirou and the others leave through the castle gate, Rize sighed as if she had finished a task.

"Alright, let’s go set up the water mill. I want to do some shopping on the way back, so let’s finish a bit earlier today. ...Hmm, what’s wrong?"

Eira was staring intently at the castle gate through which Ichirou and the others had left.

"Rize-sama, with Isaac-sama... it’s just too..."

"What do you mean? It can’t be helped, you know."

Understanding Eira’s concern, Rize frowned and countered.

"Really, I don’t have any feelings for him, so being overly considerate would be rude. It’s kinder to be straightforward than to give false hope."

"But, giving Kazura-sama the ‘affection bracelet’ in front of Isaac-sama is a bit... cruel, don’t you think?"

The bracelet Rize had given Ichirou was something mainly given by women to men to express their affection.

While there were no specific rules for the color of the fabric, the meaning of the affection varied depending on the color of the embroidery thread.

White thread meant, "Come back quickly before the thread changes color."

It was given to someone who was about to travel far away or a lover going to war, and could also be used as a farewell confession.

Black thread meant, "I’m waiting for you tonight."

It was used as a straightforward response when passionate feelings were ignited after a confession, or secretly given when someone was feeling aroused but too shy to say it.

Red thread meant, "I have feelings for you."

This was a bracelet used to express affection or make a confession, ranging from a simple "I like you" to a more subtle "I quite like you."

Therefore, receiving this bracelet could lead to misunderstandings, and one had to be careful how they interpreted it.

"But, it’s better than saying ‘I can’t reciprocate your feelings’ to his face, even though he hasn’t confessed. I tried to avoid embarrassing Isaac and my father."

Rize had already locked onto Ichirou as a potential marriage candidate.

Since his background was still unknown, she wasn’t planning to use seduction to create a fait accompli and force a marriage.

However, given that Zirconia was strongly recommending him, he was undoubtedly a good catch, and she thought it would be wise to build a good relationship with him now.

Over the past few days, while working in the granary area, Rize had become quite close to Ichirou.

She also felt that Ichirou was beginning to appreciate her not just for her looks but also for her personality.

She thought it was time to probe his background a bit, but decided to take one more step forward first.

If she probed too soon and offended him, it could ruin the progress they had made over the past few days.

She believed it was better to take all possible precautions and act carefully.

Moreover, she wasn’t in a hurry because she saw no rivals for Ichirou’s affection.

"Indeed, but... Isaac-sama is so pitiful..."

Eira continued to look at the castle gate with a sympathetic gaze, and Rize fell silent.

Rize didn’t see Isaac as a potential marriage partner, but she didn’t particularly dislike him.

Objectively, Isaac was a serious and hardworking young man with a good family background and good looks.

She respected him as a soldier and knew he was working hard to help the Nelsons.

So, when Eira said such things, Rize felt a bit hurt, as if she was being called a heartless woman.

"Ah! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it that way!"

Noticing Rize’s slightly displeased expression, Eira realized the implications of her words and hurriedly apologized.

"It’s fine, really. Let’s get to work. Can you prepare everything?"

Rize gave instructions without looking at Eira, who bowed deeply and ran to the manor to prepare for the work.

The next night.

Ichirou, holding a Boston bag, got off the carriage at the entrance to Gricia Village and was stunned by the scene before his eyes.

Isaac, standing next to him, was also grunting at the sight of the village.

"It looks like a military encampment... I didn’t expect it to change so much in just ten days..."

Gricia Village, which had previously been a small, rural village, had transformed into something resembling a field fortification.

Thick wooden stakes, sharpened to a point, were jutting outwards around the village, and a steep moat had been dug around them.

Wooden watchtowers were being constructed at the four corners of the fence, though they were still incomplete.

Piles of recently cut logs were stacked next to the village entrance, likely for the drawbridge that Valletta had mentioned.

As Ichirou and Isaac were overwhelmed by the village’s transformation, Valletta walked out from the entrance.

When she saw Ichirou, she smiled happily and ran over to him.

"Welcome back, Kazura-san."

"Thank you. Wow, this is quite impressive. I heard about the construction plans, but I didn’t expect it to be this extensive..."

Ichirou had received a brief explanation of the construction plans from Valletta about ten days ago, but he hadn’t expected such a large-scale project to be completed in such a short time.

He had thought a simple wooden fence and a shallow moat would be sufficient.

However, the fence was a professional-grade structure, similar to those seen in medieval war movies, with sharply pointed stakes.

The moat had a 60-degree slope and appeared to be about two meters deep.

Ichirou realized he had underestimated Valletta’s determination.

This girl was the type who, once she decided to do something, would do it thoroughly.

"I wanted to complete the construction faster, but it took longer than expected, and we were short on some materials... I, um, said I could handle it on my own before, but could you help me procure some materials and tools?"

"Sure, no problem. I’ll get everything you need, so feel free to ask."

Ichirou smiled and answered, and Valletta smiled happily.

"Thank you. Um, let’s continue this at home..."

"Sure, let’s do that."

Ichirou nodded at Valletta’s slightly hesitant suggestion, instructed Isaac to wait for a few days, and entered the village.

Returning to the Barin residence after a while, Ichirou, Valletta, and Barin were having dinner and chatting by the hearth.

The meal consisted of rice cooked with sweet potatoes and acorns, stir-fried vegetables with canned chicken, grilled Arcadian bugs, and canned peaches.

"So, Isteria is in such a dire state..."

"Yes, everything is on the brink. If we had started the support just six months later, it could have been a disaster. For now, we’ve installed the water mill, and the next steps are to expand the farmland and address hygiene issues."

Ichirou summarized the support efforts in Isteria, and Barin nodded seriously.

Valletta was also listening attentively, occasionally glancing at the bracelet on Ichirou’s left wrist.

"Hmm, hygiene issues. It would be ideal if we could use fresh water like in this village, but with the city so crowded, it’s impossible to bring water channels to all areas..."

Barin said this with a reflective tone and started eating the rice.

"Well, I’m going on a night patrol. I’ll be back at dawn, so please rest."

"Huh, a patrol now? There’s Isaac’s unit at the village entrance, and you could rest today..."

"No, no, you never know what might happen. I’ll be off, then."

Ignoring Ichirou’s surprised reaction, Barin left the house.

"(This pattern is becoming common... He’s probably trying to give us some privacy. No doubt.)"

The night before Ichirou left for Isteria from Gricia Village, Barin had also done the same thing, seemingly trying to give Ichirou and Valletta some alone time.

Ichirou had noticed the good atmosphere between them and was aware of Valletta’s feelings, which he found appealing.

However, Valletta was only 15, equivalent to a third-year middle school student in Japan, and the age difference made Ichirou hesitant.

If he was being honest, he was just making excuses to avoid taking the first step.

When Ichirou looked at Valletta, she was staring at him with a slightly anxious expression.

"Kazura-san, that bracelet..."

"Hmm, this one? Rize... the Nelsons’ daughter gave it to me when I left Isteria."

In response to Valletta’s hesitant question, Ichirou took off the bracelet and handed it to her.

"Rize-sama... gave this to you..."

Valletta took the bracelet and stared at it.

"Rize is only 14, but she works hard for the domain. She’s quite popular among the citizens, and since she started helping, the work efficiency has skyrocketed. I’m really impressed by her, despite her young age."

"So... that’s... the case..."

Valletta, who was being praised for her efforts, responded in a strained voice while still looking at the bracelet.

"Also, she’s kind to everyone, and she even gave me this hand-knitted bracelet. Her attention to detail is why she’s so popular among the citizens, and many nobles are proposing to her. As the daughter of a lord, she seems to think carefully about her actions."

Impressed by Ichirou’s words, Valletta looked up with a puzzled expression.

"To be so skilled in worldly matters at her age, thinking about the future, is truly admirable. I should learn from her..."

"Um, when Rize-sama gave you this bracelet, did she say anything?"

"Hmm? Not really... Oh, she said to take care of myself. Maybe it’s like a good luck charm for health?"

"Ah, yes, something like that. ‘Stay healthy and do your best’... something like that."

Believing the lie that came out of Valletta’s mouth, Ichirou nodded.

Valletta tightly gripped the bracelet and looked at it with a pained expression.

"...Valletta-san?"

Noticing the change in Valletta’s mood, Ichirou panicked internally.

He had inadvertently praised Rize too much, talking about her hard work and popularity among the citizens.

However, Valletta quickly looked up with a serious expression.

"...Kazura-san, I have a request."

"Hmm, a request?"

Ichirou, looking puzzled, nodded.

"When you return to Japan, could you buy some more books? I’d like to read history books and specialized books, if possible."

"History books and specialized books? What kind of topics are you interested in? There are many types of history books... and specialized books in architecture or engineering, perhaps? I think some of the books I’ve brought are quite good."

"I’ve memorized all the contents of the books in this house. It doesn’t matter if it’s architecture, medicine, or military. I want to read more books with new content. For history books, I’d be happy if they were from a time similar to our world."

"Wait, military too? And you’ve memorized all the books in this house... for real?"

Ichirou couldn’t help but ask, finding it hard to believe that Valletta had memorized all the books.

There were dozens of books that Ichirou had bought, and memorizing all of them in such a short time was beyond his capabilities.

"Yes, I can’t apply everything yet, but I’ve memorized all the contents. However, it’s not enough. I want to read more... I really want to..."

Valletta, who said this, looked down at her knees as if holding back something.

But she quickly looked up with a bittersweet smile.

"Please, can you do that for me?"

"Of course, I’ll bring back a lot of books."

Not fully understanding Valletta’s intentions, Ichirou smiled and nodded.

Valletta, looking relieved, thanked Ichirou and resumed the conversation and dinner.

"I want to be by your side."

It would take a little more time for Valletta to say these words.