Chapter 62

About half a month ago, the town of Lindemen began to buzz with prosperity. It was only natural, given that items that had previously been discarded as worthless now had a price tag. The "artificial magic stone" developed by Liana transforms small, useless magic stones, which were previously unsuitable for use in magic tools, into larger, more valuable ones.

Since only Liana can use this technology to create artificial magic stones, the town of Lindemen has seen a sudden economic boom due to the purchase of these small, useless magic stones. Even lower-level adventurers are suddenly doing well, and I've heard that adventurers from nearby areas, who hadn't been making much money, are starting to flock in.

Adventurers, to be honest, come in all sorts. Some are drawn by the allure of grand tales, while others, born as second or later children, leave their hometowns with no land or job to inherit and become adventurers because they have no other choice. Unlike in the past, the Adventurer's Guild now receives requests for construction work and day labor, so even those who can't slay monsters can manage to make a living.

However, the small magic stones being bought as raw materials can be obtained even by children, such as from worm-like monsters. Due to the sudden increase in demand for artificial magic stones, adventurers who previously did day labor are now hunting these small monsters en masse. I can understand their motivation; they can earn more by collecting these small magic stones.

However, Liana has been working hard over the past few days to prepare various materials to ensure that the small monsters, which are lower in the ecosystem, are not over-hunted, and to prevent the various jobs that these adventurers used to do from being disrupted. It's impressive that she can imagine and act preemptively before anything happens.

Today, a meeting is being held on the second floor of the Adventurer's Guild, with the Viscount Betametal also in attendance. I, who had taken a voluntary day off, had finished maintaining my weapons and armor and was waiting to pick up Kohaku from the orphanage, so I was reading a book in Liana's living room.

To be honest, I hardly use my own room these days, except for taking showers and sleeping. I mostly just use it to store my belongings. Otherwise, I spend my time here, even when I have no particular reason to. At first, I thought it might be rude to intrude so much on a place where only women live. However, Kohaku often comes to call me, and Liana often invites me for meals, and Anna and I share a common interest in reading. I offer to help Anna with her reading, acting as a sort of dictionary since she can't yet use the local language as fluently as her native tongue. Before I knew it, spending time here had become my norm.

Today, I found myself lingering here again... Anna had said, "I bought a large piece of pork because it was cheap, but it didn't quite fit in here," and had stored it in the magic refrigerator in my room. After that, she returned and continued reading as usual.

When it was time to prepare dinner, I thought about helping... and for a moment, I glanced at Anna, who was sitting across the table from me, knitting. She was making winter gear for Kohaku, who had requested red yarn. The only sound was the soft swish of the knitting needles.

I noticed the sunlight had shifted and was now reaching my feet. I could hear the voices of some children and the carpenters at a nearby construction site.

"Shall I make some tea? Would you like some, Anna?"

"Thank you, I would."

I knew exactly where the tea leaves and teapot were in the kitchen. Even my own set of dishes was prepared there. I have dinner with them every morning and evening, and to avoid overstepping, I pay for my meals as a small token of gratitude.

I was about to start the magic stove to boil water... but it seemed the magic stone had run out. I removed the gray, depleted stone and replaced it with a new one—an artificial magic stone, of course, made by Liana's workshop.

Before the water boiled, I poured it into the teapot, let the tea leaves steep, and then quietly poured two cups. The aroma was delightful... I almost wanted to add a splash of distilled liquor, but I restrained myself, as alcohol is not allowed in this room for various reasons. If Liana were to accidentally ingest any alcohol...! There is cooking wine here, but I want to avoid any risks.

"But, Mr. Fred, you've always been so kind to us... and you went to great lengths to help Liana with the Alchemist's Guild recently. Thank you so much."

"No, no, it's nothing. I did it on my own, and you've already thanked me many times."

I got involved because I had connections on the other side. Besides, Liana and Anna have already thanked me more times than I can count. They are both very considerate...

"Anna, you seem like an older sister to Liana."

"Oh! Being called Liana's sister is a great honor."

Thinking about it, Kohaku seems like a real little sister. She always relies on and plays with Liana and Anna, but both of them clearly dote on her.

"I... I mentioned a little when I first came to Lindemen. I didn't have a close relationship with my biological family..."

"Yes, you mentioned a bit about it then... but, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

I have many things I haven't shared with them either. I gently interrupted her, feeling a bit guilty, but Anna continued.

At the time, the journey was tense, and I didn't want to pry into Anna's past, especially since she was working hard to learn a new language. I believe people should only share their past if they want to.

"It's a common story, but I was one of many children in a poor, lower-ranking noble family, and I was sent out to work before I turned ten. Even when I was at home, I was always busy taking care of my younger siblings and helping with household chores, so I don't have many fond memories of my family."

The household staff consisted only of an elderly butler and his wife, and her mother, a noble lady, also did housework and odd jobs. "I remember my mother teaching me embroidery, but I can hardly recall her face," she said with a light laugh. "It's a common story," she added.

"Initially, I worked as a servant in a different household, not the Agget family. I wasn't a well-off child being sent to learn manners, so I worked as a regular servant. Of course, I couldn't afford to send letters, so I lost contact with my family... and they didn't reach out either."

"That's often the case when you're on your own."

"Yes... and not everyone can write."

"Ah... that's true."

When I became an adventurer, I was surprised by the low literacy rate. I realized that many people didn't know things I thought were common knowledge, and I couldn't even explain Liana's situation. I chuckled at the memory.

I took a sip of the slightly warmed tea, as if to start anew.