Chapter 91

Summary of the previous chapter ------------------------------------------------------

Battle with orcs in the forest.

Thanks to the training, we can now defeat ten orcs without much trouble.

"Let's have a reflection meeting today!"

"…What's up, Yuki? Suddenly. Are you okay?"

As soon as they returned to the inn room, Yuki suddenly said this, and Haruka looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"It's not okay to say it's fine!? We should have a reflection meeting."

"Sure, but…"

"I thought we needed a title call sometimes. We always just started without it."

"Are you saying we should add some emphasis? I think that's not a bad idea."

Natsuki nodded happily, and Yuki smiled wryly, looking a bit troubled.

"No, I just said it off the top of my head. I didn't mean to do it properly."

"Is that so…"

Natsuki looked a bit disappointed.

She's the most serious among us.

The other members, to varying degrees, are the type who think it's fine as long as they do what they need to do.

If we compare it to summer homework, Natsuki is the type who does a little bit every day. Haruka and Yuki are the type who finish it in a few days after receiving it.

I do it in spurts, focusing on one subject at a time, like finishing all the math at once. I do this a few times and finish everything by the middle of the summer.

Toya is quite casual; sometimes he finishes it right away, and sometimes he does it all at the last minute, but he never submits it late, so it might be a kind of talent.

"Reflection meeting… At least, the training seems to have paid off, right?"

"Yeah. ——I feel it's more about the skills, though."

"Skills are also the result of training. We trained to acquire them. It was quite painful."

Fortunately, we didn't need to use [Iron Wall] or [Magic Barrier], but [Strength Enhancement] and [Vajra] were very effective.

"Magic has become quite convenient too. Naohiro and I can take out four orcs at once, which is a big help."

"That's true. We didn't have the opportunity to fight multiple enemies, but it would have been good to try it out."

"Regarding Yuki and Haruka's close combat, it's probably about that level. In the extreme case, we don't need to kill them."

Yuki is a bit in between, but Haruka is a complete backliner. It's the right choice to buy time without getting hurt and wait for someone else to intervene. It's too risky for Haruka, the main healer, to drop out.

"I'm a bit concerned about the power of the bow. It's a bit lacking against orcs with the current bow."

On average, Haruka takes out an orc with about three arrows. Sometimes she can take one out with a single arrow, but often it doesn't seem to be very effective when it hits the body.

"A stronger bow, maybe?"

"With [Strength Enhancement], that could be an option."

The bow has become lighter, allowing her to shoot faster, but the power hasn't changed.

"Didn't we have something called 'Flame Weapon' in fire magic? What about that?"

"Even if we could use it, 'Fire Arrow' would be faster."

"…That's true."

If the activation time of 'Flame Weapon' were significantly shorter than 'Fire Arrow,' it would be worth considering, but since we haven't even managed to activate it yet, it's just theoretical.

"I think Haruka should learn attack magic sooner. There are attack spells for wind and water, and it's possible to learn new fire magic. We could even create spells not in the spellbook, right?"

"I think it's better to conserve mana for healing magic."

"Oh, that's true…"

We haven't relied on Haruka's healing magic much, but the peace of mind it provides is significant. Considering this, I can understand why Haruka doesn't want to use much mana in combat.

But Natsuki disagreed.

"I think it's fine to use some. My light magic is now level 3, and I didn't use any mana in combat. If we aim for about half, it should be okay, right?"

"…That's true. If Natsuki can use it, maybe I should practice a bit. Naohiro, can you help me?"

"Me?"

"Because fire magic is the easiest for attack spells, right?"

"Yeah, that's true. Even in the spellbook, attack spells start at level 1."

For other magic types, simple attack spells appear between levels 3 and 5. Light magic doesn't have attack spells at all.

Considering the flexibility of magic, it's not impossible to use, but the primary role of a light mage is healing.

"Then, should we wait until Haruka can use attack magic before our next hunt?"

"Yes. Considering the number of orcs, it will likely be a nest extermination, so it would be safer."

The number of orcs we saw during reconnaissance. We've killed 28 orcs since then.

Considering this, Natsuki's suggestion makes sense.

"Then, let's aim for that and each do our best."

With Haruka's closing words, the reflection meeting for the day came to an end.

◇ ◇ ◇

The next day, training resumed.

While we were covered in dirt and practicing magic, houses were quickly taking shape nearby. The construction speed was incredibly fast.

There were many carpenters, and even more part-time workers doing odd jobs.

Honestly, I thought there wouldn't be enough work for so many carpenters in this town…

"That? I had the same question, so I asked. Apparently, this town is known for furniture production."

According to Haruka, these carpenters usually make furniture, but when construction work comes up, they work together to take on the project.

Construction work provides immediate cash, which is appreciated by the carpenters, and the clients appreciate the quick turnaround.

This system has become established in the town.

"Furniture production… I didn't know that."

"Me neither. I never had the time to think about such things."

Our priority was how to live, not the town's industry. That's understandable.

"But why furniture? Is there a reason?"

"There is. The town started making furniture using high-quality wood from the mountains to the north."

"Hmm… They were cutting trees there?"

I remember being told not to go there because it was dangerous.

Maybe it's a protected resource, and there are penalties for going there, like how logging of Yakusugi is now banned?

"No, logging isn't done there now… or rather, it can't be done."

In the past, the monsters in that area were mostly orcs, and occasionally ogres, but the threat level has gradually increased. The price of the wood no longer justifies the risk. As a result, there are no adventurers to protect the loggers, and the high-quality wood is no longer available.

"The remaining high-quality wood is now very expensive?"

"Then, what about those carpenters?"

"Now they use wood from the southern forest to make regular furniture. They have the skills honed during the so-called 'high-quality wood bubble,' so there's still demand."

I see. They don't rely on rare materials and have honed their skills. That's impressive.

Or maybe the less skilled carpenters went out of business, and only the skilled ones remain.

"The quality of the house shouldn't be a concern."

"Yes. Since we're not skimping on the budget, I think it will be fine."

Haruka looked at the house.

The pillars were already up, and the roof was in place. They were now working on the walls and floors.

The structure is mostly solid wood, with some plaster walls and stone floors, so the construction is progressing quickly.

"…Looking at it, they don't seem to use insulation."

"Yes. In Japan, we would put glass wool or foam urethane inside the walls… I wonder if it will be cold or hot enough."

"There's no insulation in the attic either."

This is the standard construction method in this country, so I hope it will be fine, but it might just be a matter of endurance.

"Can't we make some kind of insulation with alchemy?"

"Glass wool would be difficult to install afterward. But foam urethane could be injected through holes?"

"No, the structure is simple, so we can just remove the boards and reattach them."

If it were a structure like 'drywall with wallpaper,' it would be hard to fix once removed, but with just boards, it should be flexible.

"…If we find it uncomfortable after a year, we'll think about it."

"…That's true. It might be more comfortable than we think."

We don't know how much we can endure as modern people.

The Japanese of the past lived with shoji screens, enduring the cold of winter.

"By the way, there's a 'Heating' spell at level 2 in fire magic."

"Oh, that's right."

"Furthermore, there's 'Cold Resistance' at level 5 and 'Heat Resistance' at level 6. We might even be able to create 'Air Conditioning.'"

"That's a good incentive to learn fire magic."

The spells are primarily for outdoor activities or extreme conditions, but they can be used in daily life without any problems.

The only issue is whether my mana will last if I use them continuously.

If Haruka can use them, more than half of us will be able to use fire magic, significantly reducing the burden.

The difference between two people using it and three people using it is significant. Specifically, the burden is reduced to less than half.

"Alright, Haruka, do your best."

"Yes, for a comfortable life!"

…It's a bit different from our original goal, but it's good that she's motivated.

Thank you for your comments.

They are very encouraging.

Due to time constraints, I can't respond individually, but I'll put more effort into the story.