Chapter 67

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"Perhaps I'll stay in the night workshop until I find someone to request security..."

"Eh?!"

Did I say something so surprising? Even the usually carefree Anna was frozen in a rare look of shock.

"It's dangerous to spend the night there alone!"

"But... I can enter the workshop, and if a thief comes, I can drive them off."

"No, I know that! It's true that there aren't many who can beat Reina, but I don't want to agree emotionally...!"

Anna nodded silently beside me, her head bobbing up and down. Usually, both of us praise me as being strong and amazing, but this time, for some reason, they are being overly protective.

If I were really as strong as an average gold-class adventurer, I should be able to handle the workshop's security without worry. Or perhaps, they were praising me out of consideration because I've always lacked recognition from my family and lost confidence...?

If that's the case, then I might end up feeling a bit embarrassed for confidently offering to do the security...

"Reina, being very strong and spending a night in a workshop where the key might have been stolen and a thief might come are two different things. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, I'm sorry."

I nodded in agreement, pushed by Anna's momentum. It felt as scary as when I was scolded for staying up all night to try to surpass Germain's test scores in my first year at the academy.

"Still, why would Reina do it herself...? If that's the case, I'll take the request. I won't be swayed by bribes or anything."

"I trust you, Fred, of course... But I'm stronger than you, so I think it's better for me to do the security."

Since there's a saying 'right person for the right job,' I think this is the correct arrangement. Fred, however, looked taken aback by my matter-of-fact statement.

"Heh... Hehe! You're right, Reina, you are stronger than me."

"W-Well, Fred, you always say that..."

My voice wavered, but Fred laughed, as if to blow it away.

"No, it's different. I'm happy. It's great to see Reina, who usually lacks confidence, acknowledge her own strength."

"Truly, even though it's still a little compared to my actual abilities, it's a great thing that you can recognize your own strength...!"

I felt a bit embarrassed realizing that I had boldly declared that I was stronger in front of Fred.

"But I can't allow you to do the night watch yourself."

"Exactly."

In the end, the workshop's security until the renovation was to be handled by finding someone through the Adventurer's Guild, and Fred would take over for the few days until a suitable person was found.

"I'm worried that Reina might sneak into the workshop at night out of enthusiasm... If there's someone on guard, I can rest easy."

"Ugh... I shouldn't have said I'd do it myself, even though I was worried."

"Since I don't have any current requests, I'll prepare for the night watch tomorrow and start that night. If someone comes tonight, there's nothing we can do..."

"When I left the workshop today, I set up a mechanism that leaves a trace if someone else opens it. If there's any sign of tampering, I'll report it to the patrol before opening it."

"Of course, Reina, you're always so thorough and vigilant. It's wonderful."

Feeling a bit embarrassed by Anna's excessive praise, I updated my to-do list in my head.

First, I need to ask someone to find a trustworthy adventurer to request security. If I offer a generous reward, I hope they can find someone quickly. I don't want to keep relying on Fred.

"Also, I want to keep it a secret from Amber that I'll be doing the night watch for a while. She might get excited and say she wants to do it too."

"That's... true."

"Indeed, it's a possibility..."

Amber has grown, but she still has some risky tendencies. In fact, she has become more relaxed around us, and while she used to be as obedient as a borrowed cat, she now often forgets to come home on time when she gets absorbed in play, or she slips away to chase something that catches her interest in the market.

Three days ago, she got lost in the market and was scolded by Anna. I can't help but laugh when I remember her with her ears flattened, listening to the lecture.

She also often disobeys Fred's rule of not entering his bedroom, even though she doesn't do anything in there. It seems she enjoys breaking the rule and getting scolded.

I understand that she's doing it for fun, but because of this, I can't let her take on requests alone.

Amber is strong enough to beat most gold-class adventurers, but that's precisely why I'm worried.

If she were to sneak out while I'm sleeping, I probably wouldn't notice. I can wake up if there's a threat from bandits or monsters during camping, but...

"Amber becoming more affectionate is a sign of healthy growth... It reminds me of when I was taking care of my younger siblings."

Anna's experienced words were very convincing.

For now, I'll explain to Amber that Fred is on a request and won't be home at night, but I'll keep the details vague.