Chapter 38

As the petals of the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

Kena's overprotective behavior towards her daughter had finally come to a pause when her daughter said, "Kena, Mom... You're so annoying."

The person who had been scolded by her adopted daughter stood still in her room, completely pale.

The damage from the arrow that pierced her heart was indescribable.

Well, it would recover after a night, and the next day, though she was still a bit down, she showed a lively appearance to the villagers.

"Ah, I feel like I've strayed a bit, but let's go to Helshper for now."

"Wasn't it mostly because Lady Kena was being too clingy to the young lady?"

"......"

Kena, who was doing stretching exercises while cracking her spine, was pierced by the sharp tongue of Roxine, who didn't even think of her as her master.

Kena, who had frozen in a stretching pose, turned her head like a tin toy, "Gigigi," and Roxine bowed with a straight face.

"I'm sorry. I let it slip."

It's better to apologize while it's still a joke.

If it's still a joke, it's still okay, but if her master gets seriously angry, there's no chance for Roxine and the others to win.

Kena, who sighed deeply, thought that difficulties make children grow, and that she was strangling herself. She stroked Luca's head, who had come out with Roxilus.

The girl was planning to clean the public bath with her friends.

The mayor had given a punishment to the culprits, Latem and Ritt, for their reckless actions the last time.

The punishment was to clean the public bath, and it seemed that it would continue indefinitely.

Both of them, realizing that they would have certainly lost their lives without Luca, were working hard as a form of reflection.

Since two children alone couldn't handle everything, Roxilus also planned to lend a hand as a supervisor.

Luca, feeling guilty for not stopping them, was helping out voluntarily.

Around Luca's neck hung a pendant that Kena had properly repaired.

Because the White Dragon of [Summon Lv9] could only exist for a short time, it had been improved.

It was now a Brown Dragon of [Summon Lv6].

Even at this level, it was a monster of Lv660.

The White Dragon, which had the ability to heal and create barriers, had the lowest combat ability among dragons.

The Brown Dragon, which looked like a brown armored dragon with horns, had low attack power but was top-notch in terms of protection among dragons.

Unfortunately, when the White Dragon was summoned at maximum level, its huge body could be clearly seen from the village.

Reflecting on the commotion it caused, this time it would be summoned to the size of a small apartment building.

That's what people who don't know their limits do.

"Well, I'm going to Helshper for a bit..."

"Yeah, it's fine. Kena, Mom... I don't want to... worry you... anymore."

"This time, we'll keep a close eye on things, so please rest assured."

Luca nodded vigorously, and Roxilus bowed respectfully.

Kena, who was hugged by her daughter's "Mom" comment, smiled wryly and got through the moment.

Difficulties make children grow, and Luca, who felt like she was strangling herself, sighed deeply inside.

Kena disappeared from the spot, enveloped in the light rising from the purple magic circle at her feet.

Luca, who let out a sigh of relief, and Roxine, who had been seeing her off at the entrance, burst out laughing.

"Good work, Miss."

"Kena, Mom... I want you to trust me..."

"There's no help for it. It hasn't been that long since then. I'm actually happy that you've been recognized by the young lady. The master is very attached to the concept of family."

"...I see."

Kena, whose spirits were lifted by the bustling city she hadn't visited in a while, went to the market before heading to the Sakaya.

She bought the ingredients Roxine had asked for and looked around to see if there was anything unusual.

Colorful vegetables and fruits.

A huge freshwater fish being filleted on the spot.

A woman stirring a pot that smelled good.

Mushrooms the size of eggs in a basket, similar to chickens.

Most of them were food, but there were also chairs, shelves, and tableware. Clothing and shoes similar to Sally's. A wide variety of items were for sale.

When she saw a rather distorted statue of a Buddha at one stall, she quickly passed by.

Kena, munching on a skewer, arrived at the bustling street in front of the Sakaya, where workers and customers were mixed together, and called out to a familiar face.

"Coral, right?"

"Huh? Kena. What a coincidence to run into you here."

Coral and her four companions, who were carrying the greatsword Kena had given her before, looked relieved and greeted Kena.

"So, do you have business with the Sakaya?"

"Yeah, a bit. The guild had a guard request, and we took it on... But with so many people around, I have no idea who to talk to to get to the boss."

"Hmm, a guard request, huh."

Kena looked around the crowd, then approached a cat person who was calculating on an abacus.

"Excuse me."

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"Is Izuu around? Can you tell him Kena is here?"

"The young master... Yes, please wait a moment."

The cat person tilted her head and went inside the store.

Kena returned to the other side of the street where Coral and her party were waiting and told them, "I've asked him to call the young master."

Suddenly, Coral and her companions' puzzled expressions turned into strange ones.

The adventurer, who didn't seem to mind, continued the conversation casually.

"Do you come here often?"

"Well, I do. It's nice to have connections, isn't it?"

"Damn you, you bourgeois!"

"Having a grandchild is a good thing, you know."

"What the hell are you talking about...? By the way, you haven't been seen in Felskeiro for a while. What have you been up to?"

"I was thinking of opening a liquor store here. Whiskey and beer."

"Hmm, whiskey, huh. I'd like to try it."

"Command form, huh!? If you want to drink it, make it yourself."

"Huh? I can't make it. You need a big distillery and all that stuff."

"Ah, I see. I understand that you've given up on all the technical skills."

"What? You have those skills? Please teach me."

"No."

"Cut in half!?"

The conversation turned to the proper way to drink whiskey, and Coral began to talk about how good aged whiskey was, while Kena listened attentively and stored the important points in her key.

Just then, a young elf man with a certain presence approached Kena and her party, bowed, and said,

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Great Grandmother. What brings you here today?"

"It's been a while, Izuu. Sorry to bother you, but is Keirick around?"

"Ah, yes. Father is in the back as usual...?"

"Izuu, these five adventurers have business with you. They've taken on a guild request."

"Ah... Yes. I apologize for the trouble of coming all this way."

Izuu, who had a serious businessman's face, bowed politely to Coral and her party, who had strange expressions.

Kena smiled wryly, realizing that she had been expected.

It was a funny situation that the person making the request was so humble.

Izuu called a kobold servant to guide Kena and took Coral and her party inside to discuss the request.

Kena was led to Keirick's usual spacious room.

His grandson welcomed him with a surprised expression.

"Great Grandmother, what brings you here today?"

"We've received the stone and wheat. The approval for the goods was quite quick, but is it okay to start making the whiskey and beer right away?"

"Yes, the alcohol was of very high quality. I tasted it with a few friends, and it was well-received, though it was a bit strong."

"Ah, I heard that from Coral just now. Apparently, it's supposed to be diluted with water or ice. And the whiskey gets better with age, like one year, five years, ten years, and so on."

"I see, so it's a type of drink that's classified by age. I didn't know that, Great Grandmother?"

"Yes, I just heard it from Coral, who's here on a request with Izuu. You can ask her for more details."

Keirick muttered, "I see, I see," and scribbled a few notes on a piece of paper.

Kena, who had received a large amount of barley from Lux and the others when they returned from Helshper with two barrels of goods, had to build an additional warehouse because there was no place to store them.

She planned to build a basement in the new warehouse to store the whiskey barrels.

She intended to make the beer on the spot when the materials were available and after receiving an order.

The problem was the stone.

If a simple magical formula was embedded, it could become a powerful weapon that could be easily handled by ordinary people with just a supply of magic power, like the fire attack staff the mage who attacked the checkpoint had.

This was the main reason for her visit today.

She had brought a sample for testing and rolled a three-centimeter sphere onto the table.

"...What is this?"

"This is the stone you sent, processed and created. It's used like this."

With a brief explanation, she snapped her fingers.

The light that burst from the sphere illuminated the ceiling like a projector, turning it completely white.

Keirick watched in silence as the [Enhanced White Light LV5: Light] was embedded in a specific direction.

If it were placed in a tube, it would function like a flashlight.

With a generous amount of MP, it could last for a few days in this state.

"I would like to use this kind of thing to illuminate rooms by embedding it in the ceiling... Do you have any other uses for it?"

"N-no, no, no, Great Grandmother, don't mistake me for a merchant of death! I'm fine with just the light!"

Keirick, who was trembling at his grandmother's indignant expression, tried to clear up the misunderstanding with gestures and words.

Of course, he hadn't completely ignored the possibility of using it as an offensive magical tool.

However, he had only considered using it as a light source for business, and he didn't want to anger his grandmother.

Kena had threatened him just to confirm, but when she realized from his panic that there was no such possibility, she withdrew her indignant attitude and said, "Just kidding."

"Oh, don't scare me like that... Phew."

"Hehe, sorry. Well, I'll process all the light sources the same way. When they're ready, I'll send them here, okay?"

"Hmm, yes. If possible, could you arrange for a caravan to transport them? I'm very interested in your instantaneous teleportation, but for the sake of activating trade routes, it would be better to delegate the work to such people."

"Hmm, I see. It's true that my skills can do the work of dozens of people in an instant, but on the other hand, it means that many people would lose their jobs. But it would save money if I did it..."

"Fortunately, this Sakaya is not so destitute that it would collapse over such trivial expenses. Please don't underestimate us."

"Ah, yes, yes. 'To each his own,' right? If that's the case, I understand."

The conversation continued about the transportation costs.

They discussed entrusting the transport to Eline's caravan, a familiar face, and having the Sakaya pay the freight on a COD basis. They also talked about the current situation.

"Hmm, you're improving the checkpoint in the east?"

"Yes, it was once destroyed by bandits who came from the west. Although it's on the border, it's also close to the village where you live. Of course, the existence of the Great Grandmother is known to the upper echelons of the country, but since it can't be made public, we need to be prepared. A meeting is to be held at the checkpoint with representatives from the Sakaya, who have taken on the task of transporting the materials, and envoys from the country and Felskeiro."

"Oh, that's why Coral and her party are here. Are you not going to entrust the guard duty to the knights who are with the country's dignitaries?"

"Great Grandmother, as I said before, money flows. If you're thorough, you have to make something that can be transported."

"Ah, I see. If that's the case, I'll make something that can be transported."

Kena, who had been thinking of something harmless, noticed that the sky had turned orange.

She had flown to Helshper in the morning, gone to the market, and had lunch at a stall before coming here. She hadn't said she would return while it was still light, but she was starting to worry about Luca.

Realizing that she was missing her, she smiled wryly at her own motherly behavior and decided to end the conversation and go home.

"I'll take my leave here. Thank you for your kind reception, Keirick, even though I came suddenly."

"By the way, you mentioned that you took in a girl. I'm sure you must be worried about her. Please go back to her soon. If there's anything we can do for you in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Ah, hahaha..."

In this case, it was the opposite of what Keirick thought.

Kena, who was about to leave with a strained smile, remembered something she had thought about when building the house.

"Oh, Keirick."

"Yes, Great Grandmother?"

"Could you send goats and chickens with the caravan?"

"Ah, yes, I understand. I'll have them sent COD."

"Thanks. See you later."

Since living creatures couldn't be stored in an item box or registered in a party and couldn't be carried with [Teleport], Kena went out to the garden side, waved goodbye to her grandson, and disappeared in a purple light.

Keirick, who had been drawn into waving back, looked at the spot where his grandmother had disappeared.

The magic circle that had been faintly displayed in purple light had disappeared, leaving no trace.

"She's as busy as ever, appearing and disappearing. Well, let's start with the proper way to drink good alcohol. As for the light, I'll start by recommending it to the nobles. The Great Grandmother mentioned something about 'Gaito.'"

Keirick listened to the details of the information from his son about the adventurers and the questions from his grandmother.

He then arranged for the caravan and bought livestock.

Thinking about how much would be needed for a family, he reminisced about the early days of the Sakaya.

Now that his son was running the store, he had nothing to do but review the business.

The request from his grandmother was a fun reminder of the old days.

Keirick, restraining his wandering mind, visited his son's room.

The scene changed from her grandson, who had suddenly appeared in front of her, to the familiar house.

Kena, who had been looking up at the sky, which was half orange, was greeted by Roxine, who had noticed her.

She handed over the ingredients she had bought and checked inside the house, but Luca was not there.

"If you're looking for the young lady, she's at the inn. That fool is with her, so there's no problem."

"Inn?"

"Yes, some important person from Felskeiro has come or something."

"Important person? Why would that have anything to do with Luca...?"

She remembered a similar conversation she had just had with her grandson.

The envoy from Felskeiro was likely to be Maimai, who had not yet met Luca, as they were setting up a checkpoint to be used as a garrison in an agreement with the neighboring country.

When she arrived at the inn, she saw a beautifully decorated carriage and six horses, which she had seen on the expedition, parked on the side of the inn.

However, it would take a day to get from here to the checkpoint, and it should take about nine days from Helshper to the checkpoint.

Kena was amazed that the envoy could afford to wait for eight days.

...But the next moment, her expression froze when she saw the person who came out of the inn.

An elf man with ears sticking out on both sides.

Wearing a blue robe indicating a high-ranking priest, with the symbol of the god of light embroidered in gold thread.

His long golden hair, which seemed to be well-maintained, and his handsome face that could captivate any woman, with a charming smile that was only directed at family members.

It was her eldest son, Scargor, who was one of the top troublemakers in Kena's mind.

Scargor, who came out of the inn with Luca and Roxilus, 'shone' the moment he saw Kena. With a 'tearful' background, he approached her with a suspicious gait, 'stern! stern!' and slid to Kena's feet in a 'seiza' position, 'zuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuz