Chapter 32

"Ah, Ellie."

It was too late to call out.

Ellie was already out of earshot.

"I'm just blushing."

"It didn't look that way to me..."

Alulu closed one of her round eyes and pouted playfully.

Not as much as Rumburg, but Ellie can be too serious sometimes.

I went too far with the joke. I need to make it up to her later.

"Master Joshua, I'll guide you."

Alulu's sudden murmur left me momentarily confused.

"Is this something Ellie asked you to do? Is there something you want to show me?"

"Yes!"

Alulu turned on her heel and skipped along, wagging her tail happily.

After a few steps, she stopped and turned her head back to me.

"Master Joshua?"

"I'm right behind you, don't worry."

"Okay!"

Ah, what about the wooden sign?

It's just left there.

"Shouldn't you just set it up?"

With that, Sequoia kicked the wooden sign with her foot.

The sign spun and flew up into the air, then plunged into the ground several dozen meters away.

"There, the kitten is waiting. Hurry up."

"O-Okay."

Sequoia's bisque doll-like face, pointing at Alulu with her chin, made my spine shiver.

Even a light kick could turn me into a squished tomato...

I have to absolutely oppose violence. Even a light jab could break my ribs.

"Why do you look so pale? I do have some sense. I control my strength according to the situation."

"Thanks for that."

She read my mind!

Well, I'll just trust Sequoia and act as usual.

◇◇◇

The place Alulu led me to was right in the middle of a residential construction site.

"The Margrave is here!"

"Master Joshua!"

What's with this crowd?

The people working on the construction gathered and surrounded me before I knew it. The crowd's cheers made it impossible to move.

However, a path naturally formed, and Alulu led me further in.

Behind the crowd stood a house!

A two-story single-family home with white walls and a red brick roof.

The corners of the walls were adorned with bricks, giving it a simple yet charming South European look. It was a grand house.

"This should allow for a comfortable life."

"Master Joshua, it's an honor to meet you. My name is Paul."

A man in his mid-thirties, with a cloth headband, bowed deeply.

His sun-tanned, wheat-colored skin and thick biceps suggested he was the owner of this house.

"Paul, did you build this?"

"Not alone, but I'm representing the carpenters to speak to you, Master Joshua."

"I think it's a wonderful house. Do you plan to build more like this?"

"Yes. If it meets Master Joshua's standards, we intended to build more like this."

"I think this is more than enough. In fact, such a fine house will ensure a comfortable life."

"I'm honored. The interior is still unfinished, but we plan to incorporate the opinions of the future residents."

"Understood. It's a tough job, but I'll count on you for a while longer."

So, they showed me a sample house.

I didn't need to confirm it, but I appreciate their thoughtfulness.

I extended my right hand to Paul, who wiped his hand on his clothes before hesitantly reaching out.

Is he hesitant to shake my hand?

Don't worry. I don't care about status. Of course, in the Cumberland Margraviate, I don't plan to enforce a class system.

"Are you worried about your dirty hands? They're good hands. The dirt is a badge of honor."

"Master Joshua!"

I held his hand with both of mine and smiled.

A tear rolled down the tough-looking man's face, and the crowd murmured.

Oh no, did I misjudge the distance?

"Margrave! As expected, our Margrave is great!"

"We'll follow you for life!"

Thunderous applause echoed.

"Thank you for making good use of the materials we prepared. I'll count on you from now on."

I pulled Alulu's hand and escaped from the scene.

Sequoia? She'll probably follow on her own. Probably.

◇◇◇

Clippity-clop.

The horse trotted along.

Clippity-clop.

After the tour of the test house, we finally headed to the ecological survey of the thunder beast and its surrounding area...

"Get on the back."

"I don't want to. I don't want to be left behind again."

"Hey, don't cover your eyes!"

"Make sure not to leave me behind this time."

"Alright, alright, let go of my eyes."

"Good."

Finally, Sequoia's hands left my eyes.

Phew. Still, she's still piggybacking on me.

For the ecological survey, as agreed, it's just Sequoia and me.

However, during the tour of the test house, Sequoia, who was expected to follow, seemed to be distracted by the interior and left the scene on her own.

So, I ended up leaving her behind and had to come back to retrieve her later.

And that's how we ended up here.

"Sequoia, can we even ride a horse into the forest?"

"In Joshua's case, it might be better to leave the horse at the blacksmith and walk."

When she gets serious, she reverts to her usual self.

That makes things easier for me.

"Alright. Let's head for the pineapple grove."

"Sure. Leave the location to me. I've been in the forest before."

"Thanks. I heard from Baltro, but I didn't understand much."

"The scenery is similar, so it's understandable for a layman."

"I'll count on you."

"Consider it done."

I tried to high-five, but this position won't work...

Let's get to the blacksmith quickly. Once we dismount, I won't have to piggyback anymore.

I firmly resolved this in my heart, but Sequoia asked in a serious tone, still in the same position...

"Is the goal to find the thunder beast's food?"

"No, the first step is to find something that can withstand lightning. The thunder beast must visit the pineapple grove multiple times, so there must be something that can withstand electricity."

"Interesting. What do you plan to do with it?"

"The primary goal is to protect our bodies. It would be ideal if it's fibrous, but a coating type would also work."

"You have some plans, don't you? I'm looking forward to it."

Sequoia hummed happily, even singing a little tune.

Is she thinking it's related to science? That's exactly right. Insulators are very important.

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