It’s Been a While
The next day, when I checked the state of the shrubs Guush like, I saw they were already sprouting lush green leaves just like in Lux Village.
To help them grow even larger, I sprinkled them with water using water magic.
When I went into the great forest and watered shrubs there too, I ran into some Guush.
As soon as we stepped away from the shrubs, the Guush approached and started eating.
At this rate, it won’t be long before they’ll come to the shrubs closer to the village too.
When that happens, we’ll have to test whether the slimes can act as living clippers.
For now, though, since we don’t have many slimes, they’ll have to proceed cautiously…
When I returned to the village, a crowd had gathered at the assembly hall.
Since there was a wagon parked there, I figured someone had arrived.
A beastkin who had accompanied me said, “It’s Nat and the others. They were due to arrive around now.”
As I got closer, sure enough, there was Nat along with the members of Golden Wings.
“Mr. Salem,” I called out, and Salem, noticing us, came over.
“Young Master Reinhardt, it’s been a while. So you were here in the village.”
“Yes, I had some business here.”
While I was talking with Salem, the other members of Golden Wings gathered as well.
Allie said, “Young Master Reinhardt, please teach us a new spell.”
When I answered, “I don’t have any,” she looked disappointed.
Well, it’s not like I’m constantly coming up with new spells.
“Is Canal here too?”
“Yes, he’s here. He went to the public bath, saying he’d go fill it with hot water.”
Apparently, every time he comes here, he pours in hot water, which has become quite popular. Beastkin who can use water magic always tag along with him, trying hard to learn by watching him.
“Hey, Vice-Captain Logan, you’ve retired, haven’t you? What brings you here?”
“Oh, Salem, it’s been a while. Young Master Reinhardt roped me into this. I’m working with him on a joint project with this village.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. That’s why I’m here today. You guys been doing sparring matches with the beastkin? They’re pretty strong,” Logan said, getting into an excited discussion about mock battles with three of the Golden Wings men.
“Hardt,” someone called.
I turned and saw Canal along with a young beastkin man and woman.
“Canal, did you finish filling the bath with hot water?”
“Yeah. All that’s left is for them to adjust it with water before they get in. Oh, and these two behind me are Linda and Ramon. They want to learn how to use water magic to make hot water, so whenever I’m filling the public bath with hot water, they watch me closely.”
“We’ve only just begun practicing water magic,” said Ramon, a beastkin who looked a lot like a Scottish Fold cat. “By watching every time, we’re hoping that one day we’ll be able to do it too.”
“Have you managed to produce water yet?”
“Yes. Not in large amounts, but I can make enough to fill a bucket for the well.”
“In that case, you should start practicing making warm water while imagining it filling the bucket.”
“Warm water…?”
“That’s right.”
Even just lukewarm water makes laundry and washing easier in winter. I told him there was no need to start with boiling water, and he said right away that he’d give it a try.
“I practiced and managed to make boiling water, you know. Why warm water first?” Canal asked.
“You’ve got two attributes, Canal, so you’ve got more mana. For someone with only one attribute, lowering the level of the exercise might make it easier to succeed.”
“But come on—if you’re heating a bath, boiling water’s way more convenient, right? You wouldn’t even need firewood.”
“That’s true. But even heating the bath with just warm water would reduce the amount of firewood used. That alone helps the village. Besides, couldn’t you use fire magic to heat bathwater too?”
“““Eh!?”””
“You can do that!?” Canal, Linda, and Allie all exclaimed at the same time.
Allie was still nearby, it seemed.
I explained that just like adding ice to water makes it colder, shouldn’t adding fire to water make it hot? Then Linda, the cheetah-like beastkin girl who had just been introduced, said, “I’ll go call Ed!” and ran off.
Ed? Who’s that?
What do you think about this chapter?
