“Here’s the towel!”
“Thanks.”
I wiped my face and hands with the towel Millia handed me. I wasn’t a construction worker on a hard labor site, so I was reluctant to eat while dirty. After meticulously wiping the dirt off my hands and face, I used my skill.
“Crafting.”
In an instant, a suitable-sized table and chairs were created. I placed a lamp in the middle of the table to provide the perfect lighting.
Of course, my ability is the best skill for maintaining work-life balance. The real problem is that it’s not very useful in combat unless I squeeze it out forcefully. As usual, I complained about my skills while untying the cloth that held my lunchbox.
“Looks like a fifth-floor lunch, huh?”
It seemed they prepared more than usual, probably accommodating my request to increase the portions from yesterday.
“Hehe, it’s rice! Rice~”
“Ah, finally… it’s rice…”
“Well done.”
“Ugh… my back hurts…”
“Lunch lunch lunch~ Today’s got a sweet apple dressing salad, conveniently cut steak, soft bread, and beef soup!”
What a protein-rich diet! I began separating the lunchbox and laying everything out. Sif, who had been completely worn out, lifted her head as the delicious smell hit her, sniffing around as she got up.
“Looks delicious…”
“Johann! Sif! Here’s the fork and spoon!”
“Thanks.”
“Thank… you…”
We started our meal with the utensils Millia pulled from her belongings, diving into the abundance of food on the table in a matter of moments. Soon, our lunchboxes were completely emptied, and we leaned back in our chairs.
So our overworked bodies could rest.
“I’m full~”
“Ugh… I feel bad for my little siblings…”
Feeling guilty about eating? I patted Sif on the shoulder to comfort her.
“Just treat your siblings, so what’s the problem?”
“Right… I’ve earned a lot of money… Hehehehe…”
This is so utterly ridiculous. I turned my gaze from Sif, who was wobbling around like a slime in laughter, and unfolded the map on the table. After three days, our progress was about 30%. The work was going exceptionally smoothly. I leisurely marked an X on the section I had completed.
“Johann! What are you looking at?”
“Checking progress.”
“Hmm, I can’t make heads or tails of it.”
Who could? To anyone else, it would just look like a bunch of lines scribbled haphazardly. I finished my check, rolled up the map, and stuffed it into my pouch. Now, it was time for a break, so I thought I’d take a short nap.
But first, let’s change the mood a bit.
“Sif, get up for a sec. Dismantle. Crafting.”
I removed the table and created a suitable brazier in its place. It would be just perfect for a rest in this chilly, damp space – a necessary measure to avoid catching a cold. I took wood and a fire-starting magical tool from the cart and lit the brazier.
Magic tools really are the best.
A warm light filled the cool tunnel.
“Fire, good! Ahhhh…”
She might end up roasted like a cat at this rate. I used my skill to create a long bench and laid Sif down on it. As expected of a cat beastkin, she quickly fell asleep, curling up despite her awkwardly bent body.
Are all cat beastkin like this?
“Thank you…”
Then I might as well take a short nap too. I comfortably sat in the chair and closed my eyes.
“Johann, are you sleeping?”
“Just going to rest my eyes for a bit.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
At Millia’s question, I opened my eyes and looked at her. She had a sulky expression. What was she sulking about? I couldn’t guess. It must be something trivial since it’s Millia. Like being upset because I’m not playing with her and decided to sleep instead.
I groggily came up with a suitable answer.
“How about riding a kickboard? You’ll have to deliver the lunch container to Yeomyeong-gwan anyway.”
Millia frowned, clearly unhappy with my response. I must have picked the wrong answer. The pampered dullahan approached me with more noise than usual, demanding with a huff.
“I wanna sleep too! Use your lap as a pillow!”
“You’d sleep better on a bed, wouldn’t you?”
She’s not a kid or anything…
…but the way she acts is just like a child.
“I’m going to rest here, okay?”
“…If you insist. Crafting.”
I extended the chair, turning it into a bench. Before the bench was even completely made, Millia quickly spread a cloth over it and lay down, using my lap as a pillow. The band connecting her neck, now stretched awkwardly, but seeing as Sif was also asleep, it didn’t matter.
I let the creeping sleep take over me.
—————–
“Johann… sleeping?”
In the stillness where only the sound of wood burning could be heard, Millia stared up at Johann. He had fallen into a deep slumber from the hard labor in the morning. She had no intention of closing her eyes.
She wasn’t sleepy in the first place.
“…Hehe.”
She rubbed her face against Johann’s thigh, trying to enjoy her time in her own way. With muscles that were anything but soft, it felt as if she was resting her head on a rock, but she didn’t mind.
Such things weren’t even remotely important.
“Hmm~ hmm~ hmm~”
A small melody filled the quiet tunnel. One of the few songs that remained in her memory. Now, the recollection was vague, but two phrases of the melody lingered in her mind.
“…I’m bored.”
She could sleep, but she didn’t want to. She had already slept through a whole day since coming here, so that was only natural. She decided to play with Johann, fiddling with his fingers, placing her hand on his head to make him pet her, and teasingly rolling around on his lap.
But how boring it was to play with something unresponsive. Quickly getting tired of it, Millia returned her head to its original place, pulling up the band to secure it. As a dullahan, she instantly became human.
“When will he wake up…”
She stood up, adjusting her position before leaning back against Johann. She wrapped her arms around his and closed her eyes. The mixed scent of sweat and dirt was unpleasant, but she didn’t care.
She genuinely liked Johann.
A sacrificial offering unloved by anyone.
A girl yearning for love.
The man who reached out to her.
That alone made Johann her parent, sibling, and friend. And she was aiming for more than that.
Only then could she be loved forever.
“Hehe, we’re together forever…”
A whisper unheard by anyone ignited within the crackling fire.
———————-
“I’m dying! I’m really going to die!”
“Just hold on a little longer, we’re almost there.”
It seemed we were nearing the end, yet she was still lounging around. How hard could it be just to pull a cart? I’ve been digging hundreds of tons of earth over here.
“You know that’s the sixth time you’ve said that? I’m seriously going to die from overwork! I’ve already been working for 14 hours!”
“Five gold coins.”
“No matter how much money you promise, it still won’t work!”
“Six coins.”
“…Seven coins.”
Look at this? I glared at Sif, who was sprawled on the neatly organized stone floor. Even now, she’s trying to negotiate. Is money really that good? It seems she’s taken about 3% of the budget I received.
I had no intention of debating with a worker trying to negotiate in such a situation. I met her gaze and immediately issued an ultimatum.
“Do you want to quit after getting seven coins?”
“Uh, that was a joke!”
With the swiftness of a spring, Sif jumped up and grabbed the cart handle.
Ah, so this is why everyone wants to be an employer. The sweet taste of tormenting a subordinate was unexpectedly delightful. From Sif’s perspective, I must feel like a wicked employer, but considering what I’ve paid her, it would provide enough to feed most modest families for about five years, so I’m not bad.
“Ugh, I’m tired…”
“Just hang on a little longer, it’s almost over.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Nyah…”
Is she trying to appeal by acting like a cat? I turned my gaze away from Sif, who was sprawled on the cart, and focused on the final tunnel.
The basic passage work was done, and this was the last tunnel to be dug. I pondered as I touched the stone wall at the end of the tunnel I had dug.
‘As expected, there was a dungeon here.’
A dungeon beneath the academy. In a game, it’s a place you can’t access unless there’s a specific incident. Naturally, that incident would be the final exam. The protagonist, forced into the dungeon due to someone’s scheme, struggles to survive alongside their companions.
It was an event where humanity’s enemies first appeared, so it was necessary to prepare. With Karina weakened now, I couldn’t guarantee whether the protagonist’s party would survive that unknown danger.
This world doesn’t simply allow you to recover from serious injuries by drinking potions like in a game.
…By the way, I have to confirm the existence of the protagonist.
“…Soon, school will resume, and I can check then.”
I can’t ask around foolishly and raise unnecessary suspicion, so I simply have to wait.
After all, the protagonist’s recognition will surely soar just before and after the final exam.
I turned around and exited the small tunnel. There was no need to do any special work here. I just needed to hide it for now. The time to uncover this tunnel wouldn’t be for about a month.
“Crafting.”
“…Why are you stopping it?”
“I dug it wrong.”
I made an excuse and looked at the perfectly blocked wall. Just to be safe, I’d built a wall five meters thick; aside from me, nobody would find it.
“Meow?! Does that mean I need to dig more?!”
“Nope. We’re stopping here, or rather, we’re done. The emergency passage work is complete.”
Why did military terms just come out of my mouth? I felt a strange sense of sensation as I led Sif out of the tunnel.
—————-
“What? You finished? Is that really true?”
“Yes… It is.”
“Are you joking? It’s only been ten days!”
I carefully chose my words, making sure my smile didn’t show.
“You can send someone to check right away.”
“Huh…”
The principal stared at me for a long time, as if trying to determine whether I was lying. I didn’t enjoy the experience of being stared down by an old man for so long.
“Fine. I’ll send an inspector straight away, so you can go back.”
“Understood.”
If I was told to leave, then I would. I dragged my weary body out of the principal’s office. As I opened the door, a soft and fluffy sensation wrapped around my arm.
“Hehe, is the work all done?”
“Yep.”
Was it because I hadn’t played with her lately? Millia clung to my arm more than usual, rubbing her cheek against it. Despite being a dullahan, she was acting like a total puppy. I chuckled softly and hurried toward Yeomyeong-gwan.
Now that I had dug the tunnel, it was time to start preparing seriously.
I recalled the tools I could make in the workshop and quickened my pace toward Yeomyeong-gwan.
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