Chapter 8

Ah, I see. I thought you were nowhere to be seen, but you were just a little away from the crowd.

There were some people sitting in a circle next to the carriage, who seemed to be the master and his apprentices.

It’s not even noon yet, and they’re already completely drunk.

“Oh, Joshua, you really came to this remote borderland.”

A red-faced, bearded dwarf raised his beer glass and beckoned me over.

“Come on, come on, sit down.”

Just as I was wondering what to do, a gnome master with a triangular hat and a white beard tugged at my sleeve. The gnome was only about as tall as my waist, with pointed ears, slender and petite, and white eyebrows that almost covered his eyes. However, his wrinkled fingers moved more skillfully than anyone else’s, and his eyes, hidden by his eyebrows, occasionally glinted sharply, but only when he was interested in something.

“What did you come here for? A drinking party?”

“Of course not. I heard you came to this borderland. You’re going to make something, right? All sorts of interesting things.”

“Indeed, indeed.”

The dwarf gulped down his beer in one go, rolling up his sleeves and laughing heartily. On the other hand, the gnome rubbed his hands together and chuckled unpleasantly.

“What about your shop in the Rudel Principality, Gorum and Tores?”

I shrugged, hinting that they should go back as soon as possible.

“No worries. We only brought the master and three apprentices. No need to worry about the shop! Ha ha ha.”

Gorum, the dwarf, laughed heartily.

“I’m the same. Indeed, indeed. Ho ho ho.”

Tores, the gnome, also laughed brightly. Besides the two masters, there were six others in total. They seemed to be apprentices who had just started their training. The dwarves were either young or not, but there were also humans and other races mixed in. From the appearance of the human boy, it was clear that the six of them were young.

“Surely you’re not letting the children drink, right?”

“Of course not. Tores isn’t drinking either.”

When I voiced my concern, Gorum thumped his chest and poured more beer.

“You’ve been drinking this much alone…?”

“The two of my kin are drinking. For us dwarves, alcohol is like food.”

“I see, I see.”

This guy is hopeless. I need to do something quickly. Talking to the red-nosed dwarf won’t get me anywhere since he’s not thinking clearly. I’ll talk to Tores, who’s sober.

“Tores, did you know this place is a barren land? There’s not even a house, let alone a field.”

“Ho ho. That’s why. I’m already excited to see what you’ll do.”

This is a welcome offer, no doubt. I’m worried about the shop I left behind in the principality, but all the other craftsmen are staying there.

“Alright… I understand. I heard it’s barren, but there seem to be crops. We can manage with food.”

“Indeed, Joshua. But it’s not just barren. There’s a rumor that there are no magic stones!”

Tores raised an eyebrow excitedly. I, on the other hand, was stunned.

“Really…?”

“Ho ho ho. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ll do.”

So, there are no magic stones.

“Well, we’ll manage somehow. For a while, we’ll have to do without lighting, sewage, and water supply.”

“Ha ha ha. That’s no problem. Night is supposed to be dark!”

Gorum was listening to the conversation while drinking. Magic stones are like batteries. They contain magic power instead of electricity and can be used to light lanterns. Items that use magic stones are called magic tools, and there are things like refrigerators for temperature control and magic tools for purifying sewage. They are essential for convenience, but we can manage without them. If there are no magic stones, we’ll have to find another way. Fortunately, that lolicon fox is there, and we’ve already done some experiments. We’ll have to see if it works.

“Joshua, we’re all ready. Let’s get started.”

Tores clapped his hands and stood up. The three apprentices lined up behind him.

“Is there anyone with a gift?”

“One of them has a gift, but it’s not very useful.”

“What kind of gift?”

“‘Purification.’”

Tores patted the back of one of the three apprentices, a boy with light brown hair. The boy scratched his nose and tilted his head.

“Purification, like cleaning water?”

“Yeah! I can turn colored water into clear water!”

The boy, looking nervous, answered for Tores.

Hmm, I see. That’s—

“‘Useful.’”

“Really? I’ve only used it for fun because we have magic tools.”

“When the time comes, I’ll count on you. If it works as I imagine, it will be very ‘useful.’ I’ll count on you, um—”

“My name is Nathan. Nice to meet you, Joshua-sama.”

“Great!”

I patted Nathan’s curly hair and gave his shoulder a pat.

“Anyway, the gift comes later. First, there’s something specific I need you to do.”

“Ho ho. I’m looking forward to seeing how you’ll ‘use’ Nathan’s gift. First, it’s logging, right?”

Indeed, Tores. You understand!

“That’s right! We need wood for everything. Cut, cut, and cut some more. Work with the others.”

“We’ve brought the tools. Fo fo fo.”

“Thanks. I’ll need your help with the fine work later. I have a lot of things I want you to do.”

Tores and I shook hands firmly and laughed together. His specialty is fine craftsmanship, from furniture to intricate parts.

“I’ll also help with logging.”

Gorum, who had been drinking, stood up, still holding his beer. His steps seemed steady, so he should be fine.

“I want Gorum and the others to do something else. Shovels and pickaxes.”

“Hmm. We need a workshop for everything. I understand. Lime and combustion stones?”

Even drunk, his mind is clear. That’s great.

“Exactly! Lime is also useful for building houses. We can make mortar from lime, which will speed up construction. I want to build houses quickly, so I’m thinking of using wood and mortar for now. Combustion stones are a necessity for daily life, a substitute for firewood. A few of them can melt iron when thrown into a furnace. Unlike magic stones, if we don’t have combustion stones, it will be quite troublesome, but they are found everywhere, so we should be able to find them quickly.”

“Alright, let’s start by looking for them within the range we can see from this house.”

“Understood. If we can’t find them, we’ll expand the search area?”

“If that happens, I’ll need the search team’s help. Please consult with my butler and gardener.”

Gorum and I shook hands firmly, and we both smiled.

If you found this interesting, I would be very happy if you could bookmark and rate it!