Chapter 19

"Such a thing."

The concrete that was just a thick liquid a moment ago has hardened to a rock-solid state.

How can I not be surprised by this?

The furnace made of concrete was shaped like a small incinerator.

It was a rectangular box with a chimney at the top, probably for ventilation.

As I stumbled toward the concrete furnace, I almost bumped into Sequoia, who was standing with her arms crossed and her back arched.

My mind was only on the furnace, and I hadn't noticed her.

"Can I touch it?"

"Indecent... but go ahead. Here."

Sequoia uncrossed her arms and stood on tiptoe.

Ignoring her completely, I touched the concrete wall.

When I tapped the wall with my fist, it made a satisfying thud.

"Amazing!"

"I'm surprised."

Alru was also tapping the concrete wall beside me.

Unlike her words, she didn't seem to be particularly impressed by the concrete wall.

Why? Because her cat ears and tail weren't reacting at all.

Cat ears speak louder than words, you know.

"You don't have to pretend to be impressed for my sake."

"I'm surprised."

I thought I was telling her she didn't have to flatter me, but she shook her head in denial.

Huh?

It seems she was genuinely surprised.

"Are you surprised that the concrete has hardened?"

"I was surprised. By you, Joshua-sama."

"Oh, I see."

How high is her evaluation of me...? She was surprised that I was surprised.

It seems she thinks I know everything, and the expectations are heavy.

As I was considering whether to deny it, she touched her finger to her lips and perked up her ears, as if remembering something.

"Another thing. I was a bit surprised that it was black."

"Black?"

Huh?

The concrete wall isn't black. It's more like gray.

If I wanted to make it black, I could, but there's no particular benefit to doing so.

It would just add extra work and slow down the construction process.

We're not at the stage where we need to worry about design. We need to quickly set up the infrastructure. So, we want to minimize the work and build as quickly as possible.

Thump.

Hmm. I felt a slight impact on my waist.

"What's up?"

When I turned around, I saw Sequoia with her cheeks puffed out.

"Underwear talk is irrelevant."

"Underwear... oh."

I slapped my knee.

Finally, I understood.

"You mean when my skirt flipped up earlier?"

"That's what I said! Don't talk about it!"

"The mystery is solved. Alright, if this is going well, the internal structure must be fine too."

Ah, Sequoia is walking away with a pout.

She turned back and stuck out her tongue.

Well, I guess I should try to smooth things over.

"Alru"

"Yes!"

She's so energetic.

No, that's not what I meant. I almost forgot to go to Garam's place.

"Sequoia may look young, but she's an adult."

"An adult?"

"Yes, she's much older than I am. She just looks like a child."

"Okay!"

Good, she seems to understand.

With that settled, I called out to the two craftsmen waiting for me.

"Garam, Tore. Can we discuss the follow-up work?"

"This is where the real work begins."

"Indeed. This is the time to put Joshua-sama's and a certain theory into practice."

Garam and Tore responded with strong words. They seem very excited.

We sat in a circle, with Alru standing behind me.

Sequoia forced her way between me and Tore.

"I want to be part of the discussion."

"Of course. We can't complete it without Sequoia."

Sequoia's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then she relaxed and her fox ears drooped.

"Alright, sit down."

"Mmm."

She tried to lean on me, so I pushed her pink cheeks back to her original position.

Now that everyone is here, let's get started.

"I can't do the actual work. But I understand the mechanisms of the water wheel and the furnace. I'm hesitant to give instructions, though."

"You have to. Get on with it."

"Indeed, indeed."

They were really eager.

I was worried that a layman's input might slow down the work, but it seems that was a baseless concern.

I wanted to give instructions to avoid any arguments about who does what.

"Alright. Tore, you and I will work on the water wheel's gears. Garam, you and Sequoia will handle the equipment. Sequoia understands the mechanisms. Alru, I want you to build a house around the furnace."

As soon as I said that, Garam and the apprentices stood up, and Tore urged me to hurry.

Sequoia, with a thoughtful look, tapped her chin and seemed to be constructing a mental blueprint.

Everyone moved quickly.

The spirit of the craftsmen was stirring. Sequoia, driven by intellectual curiosity, was probably feeling the same.

"Let's go."

"Alright, wait a moment."

Unable to wait, Tore called me over where he was stacking the gears.

When did he move there?

Before that, I turned to Alru, who had been standing quietly by my side.

"Alru, do you need to guard me?"

"You have to be where I can see you."

"Do you have to stick to me?"

"Yes. Because Sequoia-sama is here."

"Because Sequoia is here?"

"Yes. Sequoia-sama can protect you."

"I see. So, with both Alru and Sequoia, you don't need to stick to me."

"Yes."

"Can you gather reeds over there, then?"

"Sure!"

I offered her the large knife hanging from my waist, but she politely declined and started moving without it.

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