“Wow…”
Karina’s first reaction as she entered my workshop, piggybacked by Renny.
Had she never seen my workshop back on the deserted island?
How long has it been since we escaped that place? It’s already fading from her memory? It hasn’t even been six months!
“I built this in a single day. Well, not even a full day… less than half a day!”
“What’s this?”
I turned to look at the item Karina pointed at.
“That’s an anvil. You hammer metal over there to shape it into objects.”
“So this is what an anvil looks like.”
Has Karina never been to a blacksmith?
Well, it makes sense. As a saint, the leader of a religion, she wouldn’t have much reason to visit a blacksmith. She may have heard of it in passing, but it’s not strange that she’s seeing it for the first time. After that, Karina continued to ask me questions about all sorts of items in my workshop.
Molds, furnaces, tanning workbenches, gunpowder work clothes, etc…
We must have gone back and forth about seven times or so, and then Karina sat on the makeshift chair I created, layered with leather, while watching me disassemble and repair the wheelchair. Of course, Millia and Renny were part of the set. I was a bit sad that Elisa had to leave for homework.
Sigh. I need to create an opportunity to get closer somehow.
I need to earn some trait points quickly and boost my stats or skills. The difference in rank going up is more significant than I thought. The amount of information I can grasp increases, making it so much easier to spot defects during crafting.
I crave trait points with a fierce longing. It’s almost like a drug.
If the difference moving from B to A is this much, how big is the gap going from A to S?
If my crafting skill stuck at A becomes an S…
What will my crafting skill become, I wonder?
“Should be good enough.”
I took my hands off the newly crafted Patrasche prototype, now referred to as the second model, and stepped back. As I surveyed it from a distance, I noticed the finish was much cleaner than before.
Of course, it’s not just the finish that’s improved.
With meticulous detailing, I reduced its weight to that of a feather, equipped it with a safety belt made of wolf leather, and most importantly, I tanned the bear skin from the deserted island, giving it a plush sensation, turning it into an avant-garde wheelchair.
Truly, avant-garde is the trend.
But wait, what does avant-garde even mean?
“Johann, Johann, can I sit on it?”
“No, this is a seat for Karina.”
“Tsk.”
Don’t puff your cheeks out like a kid. You’re the oldest here.
Even if we add up everyone’s ages here, it doesn’t even reach half of yours.
“I want to ride it too…”
“I’ll let you ride later, so just hold on for now.”
I gently ruffled her hair to soothe her and looked at Karina. Karina was inspecting the Patrasche Mk II with curiosity and then turned to Renny and asked her to help her sit on it.
The pink-haired saint, cradled in the brown-haired tanner’s arms, nestled back against the wheelchair’s backrest. Just in case, I had a device installed to prevent her from tipping backward, so there wouldn’t be any disasters while she leaned back.
Thankfully, it seemed to be just the right size.
Karina’s large hips—no, her pelvis—fit perfectly, and the top of her head just grazed the backrest, her feet barely touching the ground. Her expression seemed comfortable, so the size appears to be just right.
…Except for the fact that her chest was a bit too pronounced, which was concerning.
But this is something I can’t solve. If she sits up straight, her chest naturally stands out, and with those watermelons attached, there’s no way her posture won’t highlight that.
Therefore, I could only avert my gaze from the Patrasche Mk II. The intense gaze of Renny, staring at me, made it difficult to keep looking.
Renny tended to overprotect Karina… No, don’t look at me that way. It’s scary.
“I’ll check the wheelchair’s condition, so just stay still.”
I tried my best not to look at Karina’s large, beautiful chest and examined the wheelchair. The condition is different before and after a patient sits in it, so it’s necessary to check thoroughly.
If it breaks because of a design flaw, Karina could get seriously hurt.
Being a saint blessed by a god, she likely wouldn’t be injured easily, but given her currently weakened state, even minor issues could lead to serious injuries.
I meticulously inspected the wheelchair with heightened insight.
“Just stay still.”
“Ah, okay.”
I began checking the state of the now-squished Patrasche Mk II underneath the saint’s large backside, following the checklist I had in mind.
Is the center of gravity stable? Is there any part that might collapse under the weight? Are all the components functioning properly?
After nearly five minutes of circling around and checking, I stepped back three paces and straightened up.
“For now, it seems to hold the weight well. Karina, we’ll go for a lap around Yeomyeong-gwan, okay? If you feel any discomfort while riding, be sure to let me know. We’ll fix any issues that arise.”
“Got it.”
“Johann, I’ll push.”
Renny, who had been quietly observing us, stepped forward and spoke. I shook my head immediately at her suggestion.
“I’ll push since it’s easier for me to identify defects this way. You should be prepared for any unexpected situations. If something shorts out, Karina might be flung out.”
You need to watch over her. Fortunately, Renny readily agreed to my words.
“Okay.”
“Johann! What about me?”
What about you?
I pondered while looking at Millia’s face, filled with expectation as she gazed up at me. I didn’t specifically have anything for her to do. But if I don’t assign her anything, she might sulk. I had to figure out what to have this childish older sister do.
“Huh? What can I do?”
“Hmm, Millia. Could you keep me company?”
“Huh? Sure!”
Nice assist.
Millia wagged her invisible tail at Karina’s request and took her hand. Watching this heartwarming scene, Millia suddenly rotated her head 180 degrees to look up at me.
It seemed to ask when we’re going to start.
Sigh, she’s urging me to start, so we better roll.
I restored Millia’s head position and grabbed the handle of the Patrasche Mk II, pushing it forward.
And thus began our second stroll.
———————
“…so Johann was digging a tunnel…”
“Oh my, really? That’s amazing.”
Countless times of back-and-forth.
Though the story seemed repetitive, Karina was just happy. For her, this kind of everyday chit-chat was truly rare.
A saint.
The spiritual leader of the continent’s largest religion.
Having taken on such a heavy role at a young age, it was nearly impossible for her to have an open conversation with someone.
Especially with someone she doesn’t attach an honorific like ‘nim’ to.
The sense of distance embedded in the honorific “nim”. Karina wasn’t fond of that distance.
Admiring more than anyone else but never able to become close.
A relationship where personal bonds can’t be formed.
That understanding seemed to be emphasized.
That’s why she cherished Johann and Millia.
They were people she could talk to without the barrier of her saint status. They did what even Renny couldn’t do, simply and effortlessly.
“Let’s definitely go together later! The decorations on the ceiling of the Magic Department building are so beautiful!”
“Hoho, I’ll make sure to go together later.”
She didn’t want to let go.
A small desire had somehow grown vast, filling Karina’s heart. That’s why she felt genuinely happy when she heard that Millia would enter the academy with her and Johann would become her knight.
She wouldn’t lose her friends.
A girl who lived for everyone nurtured a small desire.
That desire was slowly expanding, but she wasn’t ready to respond to it yet.
“Karina. Do you have something to say?”
“Um… no. I was just wondering… if you’re not too tired.”
At Johann’s question, Karina stammered and turned her head. She felt a bit embarrassed.
“It’s not like I’m exhausted from just one lap.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. A normal human wouldn’t think about digging a tunnel all the way to the main building overnight! What kind of stamina is that?”
“It’s not difficult. It’s just about continuously digging.”
“A normal human would be exhausted before even finishing digging from one end of Yeomyeong-gwan to the other!”
In the playful banter between Renny and Johann, Karina chuckled softly. As soon as she laughed, everyone’s gaze was fixed on her.
The first to speak was Millia, who was crouched next to them, watching a caterpillar crawl.
“Karina looks super duper happy!”
“Hoho, that’s true.”
Though her body felt heavy and every breath was suffocating, Karina genuinely enjoyed walking together with the four of them. At that moment, she felt like a normal girl, not a saint.
‘How nice it would be if we could stay like this forever.’
Given her position as a saint, such a wish was unlikely to come true.
But, isn’t it okay to indulge in this moment?
‘Surely, Lord Kalon wouldn’t mind this little escapade?’
While harboring somewhat heretical thoughts, Karina opened her mouth.
“Thank you, everyone.”
For being by my side.
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