Building Affinity with Villagers (2)
Building Affinity with Villagers (2)
In front of the bathhouse building. I had rejoined Miroa, who had just finished bathing and come out.
Of course, she was fully dressed, but seeing her still fidgeting while staring at the ground...
'Is she embarrassed?'
It seemed she was quite conscious about showing a relaxed demeanor in front of others.
"Ahem."
One more throat-clearing cough.
Miroa returned to her usual cold, expressionless demeanor.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Master."
Her voice had settled back into a calm, subdued tone.
And those cool eyes that seemed to simply observe everything.
Even though she had just shown that relaxed side, Gwen flinched slightly under Miroa's gaze.
"And it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Miroa, the maid who serves Master."
Miroa bowed her head politely toward Gwen.
"Ah, yes! I'm Gwen."
"You're a villager, I take it."
"Yes. I live down there near the village entrance."
"I understand. I too have just begun residing here, so I look forward to your cooperation."
"Well then, I'll just go fetch some water... I'll be going."
"Take care."
The conversation ended there.
Though the relationship between maid and master was close, there had never been any jealousy or catfights since the academy days.
Miroa was also the type whose inner thoughts were hard to read.
And the feelings she held for me were close to blind loyalty.
Gwen kept glancing back at us curiously as she walked, flinching whenever her eyes met Miroa's.
Then she entered the bathhouse.
Right around then.
A new message appeared before my eyes.
[A new system has been unlocked.]
Along with the announcement that something had been unlocked.
[From now on, you can act together with party members.]
[Party member Miroa has encountered villager Gwen for the first time.]
[The favorability collected by party member Miroa will now be reflected in the system.]
Several new lines appeared regarding Miroa.
So, basically...
'So I could have had Miroa do this instead.'
This meant that even if Miroa walked around the village, she could still build favorability with the villagers.
Roughly estimating, that's more than twice the efficiency.
'I'll ask Miroa to handle greeting the villagers.'
Originally, a lord didn't personally visit every corner of their territory.
When a new person moved in, it was the servants who handed out rice cakes and did the background checks.
Of course, any negative favorability would be shared too, but...
'She's definitely not the type to be hated by others.'
Miroa's personality would never earn anyone's dislike.
If anything, she'd be praised for quietly doing her job well.
'I'd like to offer various forms of help as well.'
So-called civil support.
If I have Miroa handle this, I can build favorability without lifting a finger.
Lords who cared about public sentiment occasionally did this, so there was no need to rely on the system itself.
'To maintain dignity, and to prove my qualifications as a lord.'
Though a noble's grace was fundamentally heaven-given, a small part of it also came from fulfilling one's duties.
Needless to say for a lord ruling a territory.
This was something I already needed to do, and now the system was offering a bonus gift of favorability?
I couldn't help but feel pleased and satisfied already.
By the way, this supported party play too?
I hadn't known despite searching through the status window so diligently last night.
'Because there was no related information at that time!'
It seemed there were things that kept unlocking and adding on.
I could only adapt my plans as they came.
If I could share things other than the favorability system, the efficiency would multiply.
Since this was just unlocked, I needed to look into it more...
'Is there no additional explanation?'
Then, as if kindly answering, new explanations appeared in a flash.
[A party member refers to a member of the community living together in the territory's mansion. By forming a special 'promise' with someone who has accumulated a certain level of favorability, you can recruit them as a new party member.]
[Party members share progress in favorability, achievements, quests, etc.]
The content wasn't particularly complicated.
It meant that if you build favorability with someone, you can take them as a party member, and even enable auto-farming.
So Miroa must have had a lot of favorability toward me from the start.
Since she was already a party member from the beginning, that 'promise' procedure probably wasn't necessary.
So, how should I revise the plan to be more efficient...
"Miroa. Let me think for a moment."
"Yes. Please do so comfortably."
Since I'd been lost in thought, Miroa had just been standing still.
Perfectly expressionless, mind empty. She looked cool due to the atmosphere and looks, but sometimes she just seemed blank.
What thoughts lay beneath that cold exterior?
Just in case, I decided to check.
[Searching party member Miroa's favorability.]
And immediately—
Pajik!
Sparks flew from the status window and struck me right between the eyes.
"Ah!?"
Ouch. I reflexively rubbed between my eyes and stepped back.
But Miroa merely tilted her head slightly with no particular reaction.
"......?"
"No, it's nothing. Just a bit of static electricity."
"Understood."
So the contents of the status window weren't visible to others.
It seemed I had just triggered some kind of error, and the reason became clear immediately.
[Cannot check favorability toward non-villager targets.]
Because she wasn't a villager.
A very intuitive and clear reason.
But then why was she listed as a party member in the system?
If she wasn't an entity below the system, shouldn't party play not be possible in the first place?
—It was better not to think about such things.
Miracles were inherently incomprehensible.
All the wizards who dug relentlessly into the origins of miracles had gone mad.
Instead, contemplating how to utilize them.
That was the attitude of modern wizards, myself included.
"Miroa. I have a favor to ask."
"Speak your will."
"That girl who came to fetch water earlier—I think it'd be good if you helped her out."
"I had also thought it would be difficult for the girl to manage alone, but in reality, not many nobles extend a helping hand to commoners. I am deeply moved by Master's heart."
"And while you're at it, greet the villagers, check on public sentiment, and spread the news that new people have moved in."
Around that time, Miroa very cautiously raised her hand to request permission to speak.
"Your command. Certainly, it is not a difficult task for me, however..."
"Yeah?"
"I am charged with guarding you, so leaving you alone is a great concern. Moreover, as you know, I lack talent in dealing with people... I worry that I might inadvertently harm your reputation, Master. That is my thought."
True, Miroa did have an intimidatingly cold aura.
She wasn't the type to step forward and speak warmly first.
But perhaps that actually made her more efficient.
"It's more efficient for you to go than for me to go personally."
"Efficiency, you say. But I am more confident in physical tasks than in dealing with people."
"First impressions matter, so it's better for a pretty person to go."
She was beautiful, so she'd earn goodwill, yet she wouldn't be looked down upon.
And she listened quietly while doing heavy work extremely well.
From the villagers' perspective, there'd be no way to dislike her.
At the same time, I could lay the foundation for maintaining my dignity as a lord.
Explaining it in a complicated way would be uncomfortable for both sides, so I compressed it into that single line just now.
"......!"
She faltered for a moment, but only briefly. Miroa maintained her usual perfect expressionlessness.
I wish she'd at least answer if she understood.
"Miroa?"
"Ah. Forgive me! I was listening. Then, as Master wills, h-heh, I shall follow your will."
It was just a moment, but I definitely saw it.
She definitely grinned in the middle.
"Then I'll be off!"
Miroa entered the bathhouse, and shortly after.
She emerged again, easily carrying a tin bucket full of water in each hand.
Inside those large buckets, the water surface rippled violently with even the slightest movement.
But around Miroa, it remained utterly calm.
"Master. Shall I head to the village like this?"
"Yeah. Thanks for your hard work."
Miroa reported this nonchalantly.
Meanwhile, Gwen, who had come trotting along beside her, looked uneasy.
"Um... is that okay!? It's full of water, your arms must hurt, carrying them like that... is it really fine? You'll have muscle soreness tomorrow!"
It made sense why she'd say that—Gwen was also carrying her own share of buckets.
She must have found two more inside the bathhouse.
But Gwen had balanced hers over her shoulders.
Carrying something on your shoulders and carrying it with your arms were completely different things.
"That thing without putting it on your shoulders, just using arm strength, must be really hard!"
"I have absolutely no problem."
"What about the sword? Is it because you have a sword on your back that you're doing that!"
"It's something I always carry, so there's no particular discomfort."
Despite this, Miroa wore her usual expressionless face.
"Let's go, Miss Gwen."
"Oh, oh my. Y-yes!"
Gwen, overwhelmed by Miroa's superhuman strength, trotted down the mountain.
Well, with that, the territory's reputation would rise on its own.
'Now, time for me to do my own thing.'
Since I'd entrusted the favorability quest to Miroa, it was my turn to achieve my original goal.
Namely, searching for oak trees to collect sap.
And while I was at it, I should check the condition of the water pipes connecting to the village.
I began climbing the mountain path toward the direction Gwen had mentioned the landslide occurred.
[You have acquired a new trait. / Trait: Novice Gatherer]
[The effect of the trait 'Novice Gatherer' makes it easier to understand the surrounding vegetation.]
Walking with the help of the status window, I soon discovered a high-quality oak grove.
The trees were in good condition, and at this level, extracting sap to make barrels would be no problem.
The lumber farming location was confirmed. Next was the plumbing.
'Search magic.'
I intended to use search magic here.
The attribute I conjured was that of finding things by sight.
I vividly envisioned a precisely crafted glass lens in my mind as the symbol of the magic, thereby elevating the search efficiency.
The target to find was the water pipe buried in the soil, with water flowing inside it.
Adding a few more attributes and symbols would help.
Then I added a bundle of calculation formulas to properly coordinate everything I had envisioned.
Thus, like a stream flowing from above to below toward a set destination, I gathered my spirit and chanted.
'Reveal that which was unseen, and make it visible.'
Then, a blue afterimage rose above the soil beneath the oak grove.
Like water shadows on the surface, the flickering traces gradually deepened and gathered into one place, forming a line.
It was the shape of an old magitech water pipe buried underground.
I walked along the path revealed above the tree roots and fallen leaves.
Normally, the pipes should have been well buried in the ground, but due to the landslide, many sections were exposed above the soil.
Then, while examining the area around the pipes.
I discovered a strange trace.
'What is this?'
Between the mounds of dirt, around the pipe joints, there was a sticky, blue mucus-like substance.
It felt completely different from ordinary mud, water stains, leaf debris, or moss.
A acidic liquid that carried residual mana.
Now I finally understood why the pipe-clearing magic I used on the first day wasn't working properly.