Chapter 38

Translator: True Detective

Chapter 38. Witches Wear Hard Hats

The party has grown.

The core of an RPG is comrades. Beating slimes alone is labor, not adventure.

Only with comrades can there be strategy, only with strategy can there be narrative, and only with narrative can romance bloom.

Warrior, Mage, Healer, Tanker.

The clearer the division of roles, the higher the efficiency of dungeon conquering.

Let's check the composition of our current party.

Tanker cum Dealer: Me Politics Charge: Lucia Melee Dealer: Freya All-rounder Hero: Leona And New Member: Eri

Eri's role group is still unclear, but it has already been proven that her administrative processing ability is outstanding.

Lucia's speed of processing documents has become noticeably faster, and the North's supply system is stabilizing day by day.

And above all, she eats well.

Just eating the food I make well is sufficient qualification for a party member.

Especially recalling her emptying the Kraken Tentacle Soup bowl during the last banquet fills me with pride.

A child who reacts honestly when eating delicious things.

Good. Very good.

For a chef, the best reward is a cleanly empty plate.

Watching all party members eat well, sleep well, and grow well healthily.

Isn't this exactly the correct daily life part of Romance Fantasy.

What the author threw away in the original work. What readers wanted so much.

Time eating together, laughing together, growing together. I reclaimed that.

Like that, today too is an extremely peaceful morning.

"G, Great Warrior-nim!!"

──Was supposed to be.

A maid ran over with a pale face.

"I, In Miss Eri's room……! Big trouble!"

Next moment.

"Kyaaaaaaack!"

Eri's scream.

I sprinted down the hallway without hesitation.

Might be nothing.

Just a bug might have appeared, or she might have had a bad dream.

But assuming the worst and moving at the best speed. That is a leader's duty.

In front of the room was already chaos.

"Suddenly that grew from inside! Miss Eri screamed so we tried to enter, but thorns were too sharp……!"

Maids retreated to the end of the hallway in fear, and something bizarre green was squirming out through the door crack.

Thorn vines.

I tore off the door without hesitation.

"Hweeeeeng! What is thiiiiis! Go away! Go away I say!"

Density as if compressing a jungle into one room.

Bed, wardrobe, bedside table not visible.

Only writhing thorn vines full.

In the center was Eri.

Kid wearing pink pajamas, squatting on the bed on the verge of tears.

"Help! Leon Oppa! Or Pitch-black thing! Anyone!"

I walked in thud thud.

Thorn vines recognized me.

Wriggle wriggle.

Vines were moving as if alive.

It’s magic. And quite high-level magic at that.

What on earth was this guy doing.

Thorn vines wound around my armor.

Tightening. Strength is quite strong.

Pressure that would have folded three or four ribs if it were an ordinary person.

I released Aura of Abyss once.

Kuuung──

Black wave swept the room. Vines flinched.

"Move."

One word.

That was enough.

Vines split left and right swaaack.

Even guys on the floor lay flat making a Red Carpet… no, Green Carpet.

Polite plants. Well educated.

I passed through the vine forest and approached the bed.

"Hic. Sob."

Eri looked up at me covered in tears and snot.

"Late! Late! Eri thought she was dying!"

Eri hung on my waist.

Even though she must feel the cold metallic nature of the armor, the guy didn't know how to fall off.

Then, another footstep was heard from behind.

"Knight-nim! Eri! What happen…!"

It was Lucia.

And she looked at me, and Eri hanging on me.

"Relief…… Eri, hurt anywhere?"

"Sister……! Scared……!"

Lucia accepted Eri and stroked her head.

"Relief that Knight-nim was here."

Did you hear? Did you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hear just now?

'Relief that Knight-nim was here.'

Accumulated one more Lucia's 'Very Good' stamp today too.

As situation calmed down, Eri also came to her senses slowly. The guy looked down at vines became obedient under her feet.

"E, Eri didn't do anything……! Was just sleeping……! Opened eyes and became like this……!"

Eri beckoned with finger.

Thorn vine wriggle.

Beckon opposite again.

Clenched and opened fist, a small flower bud popped pong on vine then withered.

Eri's magenta pupils grew bigger gradually.

"This… I did it?"

"Probably."

"Eri… uses magic? Was I a mage?"

Eri looked at her both hands alternately.

And slowly, a very evil and arrogant smile started to spread on her lips.

"So that was it! As expected Eris-nim wasn't a weak beautiful ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠girl! Genius! All-rounder! Plus magic too! Uhehehe! Saw that Sister Lucia? Eris-nim's great power! Now the world under Eris-nim's feet…"

"Just in time."

"Huh?"

Her delusion run-away was cut off.

"J, Just in time you say…… What turned out well……?"

"Became useful."

Blood drained completely from Eri's face.

Here is Frostgard Outskirts, 3rd Logistics Warehouse Extension Construction Site.

Scene of life where Northern cutting wind rages, dust flies, and men's sweat smell vibrates.

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!" "That stone a bit more to the right!" "Let's eat first!"

Energetic. Dynamic.

Sublime energy created by labor.

Lucia in charge of administration, Freya commanding manpower, and I occasionally cleaning up monsters, North is becoming solid day by day.

And today there was one heterogeneous existence there.

"What is thiiiiiiis!"

It is Eri.

She adapted to the construction site in an instant.

Yellow hard hat on head. No space to put twintails so sticking out to both sides.

Fluorescent orange safety vest on body. Too big so comes down to knees. Cotton gloves on hands. Finger parts remain half empty.

"Huh? Why Eri in place like this? Eri is noble mage? Chosen existence!"

Freya beside her gave a scolding.

"Said can use magic? Then should pay for meal with magic?"

"But! Magic isn't used in place like this! More flashy! Cool! Blowing enemies away bang bang should be like that! Such… such manual labor!"

"He who does not work, neither shall he eat. North's iron rule."

"Eri is Eri! Eri is cute so make exception!"

"Said won't work."

Freya was merciless. She pointed at pile of materials stacked with finger.

"Here, move that to 2nd floor. With that tentacle-like magic of yours."

"Not tentacle! Noble thorn vine!"

"Yeah yeah. Tentacle vine."

Eri looked up at me as if requesting salvation.

Red glint and eyes met.

Turned gaze in 0.3 seconds.

Salvation request failed.

Thus the girl became a laborer.

Eri reached out hand making crying face.

"Ughhh… Just wait… Someday will revenge…"

Crack. Crackle.

Giant thorn vines soared from the ground.

"Oho! Amazing, kid!" "Said mage, really true!" "Hey! Look at that! Vines nailing by themselves too!"

"Hehehe. Really? That amazing? Praise more! Worship!"

Eri became conceited immediately and puffed nose breath. Simple guy.

To speak result first, Eri's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠magic was surprisingly useful at construction site.

Controlling thorn vines to bundle and transport timber. Infiltrating vines into gaps between stones to bind. When lifting heavy materials, vines operate like cranes.

She carried materials, erected walls, and put on roofs.

Of course the result's design was a bit…… grotesque though.

Stems like bloody veins flowing on warehouse walls. Entrance looks like maw of hell, windows are eyeball shapes.

If classifying architecturally…… Bio-Gothic? Organic Horror?

Eri created a new genre.

"Kuh, cool! Just our taste!" "Black Knight-nim style!" "Barbarism! Destruction! Oblivion!"

But Northerners cheered.

Important thing to them is not 'How hideous' but 'How sturdy'.

In that sense Eri's grotesque magic fit perfectly with Northern pragmatic sentiment.

Natural material. High durability. Maintenance unnecessary. Equipped with self-defense function too.

Meanwhile Leona took out notebook from one side of site and was writing something.

Scratch scratch.

"…Evil energy felt. That child, really okay?"

'No good or evil in magic itself. Important thing is where to use that power. You saw what Eri did today. Erected walls, carried loads, mingled with people. Eri is a good child. Please watch over her.'

"Does a cat become a beast if it raises claws?"

Leona looked at me as if fed up.

"You are really… beyond saving."

Will accept as compliment.

5 PM.

Work end.

Eri was exhausted.

Hard hat crooked, vest covered in dirt.

"Saw? Eri-nim's perfect work processing? Now admit! Eri is not a freeloader!"

But subtle sense of accomplishment lingered on girl's face.

"Okay, admit. Paid for meal."

Freya threw a piece of jerky indifferently. Eri snatched and bit it.

"Hard! Give pudding not jerky!"

Pudding is scheduled to be made tomorrow. If warm milk tonight, complete tomorrow morning.

Caramel sauce requires precise control of sugar caramelization temperature so shouldn't rush.

Not rushing. Cooking is love, and love is waiting.

It was then.

Bark! Bark bark!

Sound of thunderous barking heard from far away.

Hybrid of wolf monster and husky. Snowfield's runaway locomotive. My diligent dog unit.

Eight huskies ran turning tails like propellers.

But today guys' target wasn't me.

"Uh? Uh uh? Why coming this way?"

It was Eri.

"Uaaaaack! Don't come! Go away! Dog! Hate dogs!"

Eri stepped back, but already late.

Thud!

Husky Unit 1 pounced on Eri.

Following Unit 2, Unit 3… Chain assault.

Bark bark bark bark bark!!

"Kyaaaaack! Save me! Being eaten?! Eri is not tasty!! Only bones! Will give Freya instead so forgive me!"

Eri's desperate scream echoed in construction site.

Lick. Lick lick. Slurp.

"Uaaaaack! Wet! Sticky! Smelly! Don't do it! Ticklish!"

Guys know instinctively. That this guy is 'weak'. And strangely feel sense of kinship.

Dogs chewed Eri's pink hair, licked cheeks, tap danced on stomach.

"Freya! Black Knight! Help!"

Freya was holding stomach and rolling.

"Hey! You popular! Dogs go crazy?"

"Don't just laugh and help meeeee!"

Eventually one stepping forward is only me.

"Sit."

All stop.

Eight huskies put butts on ground simultaneously.

"Ughhh… Huh?"

Eri sat reflexively too.

"Lie down."

"……Won't lie down!!!"

Relief. Seems not unconditional obedience.

Data acquisition complete. Will refer to future command.

Eri staggered up covered in dog hair and saliva.

Appearance is a mess. Hair disheveled, tears welling up in eyes.

But the guy fixed expression immediately.

"H, Hmph… Saw?"

Eri spoke with trembling voice.

"Saw animals following me right? This is proof that Eri has that much kind and noble soul!"

High probability attracted by magic power not because kind person though.

Well, if she wants to think so, that’s fine.

Anyway, Eri became close with huskies quickly too.

Bark!

"Hieek!"

That evening.

Dining room was richer than usual.

To practice truth that meal after labor is honey taste, I prepared special dish.

Menu is 'Well-grilled Snow Boar Steak and Truffle Oil Mashed Potato'.

Today's key is meat resting. Rest exactly 5 minutes after grilling. Time for juice to redistribute inside. And repeat that process several times.

Fortunately roulette was success today. Visual normal and taste normal too.

"Munch munch! Tasthy! Tasthy!"

Nom nom nom──

Eri was slicing and swallowing steak like starved hyena. Hand movement holding fork and knife invisible.

Lucia was wiping sauce on Eri's mouth with pleased expression.

"Eat slowly Eri. Indigestion."

"Yeah! Sister eat too! This really tasthy!"

Freya stuck steak on forks in both hands and bit alternately. Barbaric but efficient eating method. Ingestion speed unrivalled.

Leona has correct posture. Knife angle, fork direction, even chewing count. Movement embodying dining manners.

Watching that peaceful scene, fell in thought for a moment.

Let's organize today's events.

Combining these keywords, one person comes to mind.

Villain appeared in original work.

Thorn Society Seven Fingers.

Seven core executives of secret society worshipping Evil God.

Among them was a witch.

'Pink Calamity. Witch binding with thorn vines and harvesting life.''One smile of her and Empire nobles sold souls.''Ravishing appearance. Voluptuous body. Provocative eyes.''Femme fatale toying with men on palm.'

Controlling thorn vines, employing monster legion, pink calamity──

Wait. Pink?

I looked at the creature in front of eyes again.

…Not it.

'Femme fatale' and 'Sauce-covered hamster' cannot be tied in same category.

Ravishing appearance? Expression closer to concussion than ravishing. Voluptuous body? Where to look to see voluptuous, feel like can't find even with magnifying glass. Toying with men on palm? Cried crushed by dogs?

Right, coincidence.

Are there one or two pink hairs in the world. Are there one or two people using plant magic.

I concluded.

Eri is just an unlucky cheeky kid mage who lost memory.

"Eat more."

"Only then taste of eating you arises."

"Hiek?!"

Eri stopped swallowing steak and hiccuped.

"To, Too much! As expected raising to eat me?!"

"P, Probably joke! Because Black Knight!"

"Eyes not smiling! And Sister Lucia trembling too!"

Peaceful evening.

If goes only like this, happy ending not far.