In the Land of Leadale - Volume 3 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – An Assault, a Lamentation, a Doting Parent, and a Request 

The subjugation team, meanwhile, was in the middle of an invasion… 

“Hey, miss. Is somethin’ goin’ on? I heard a weird scream outta nowhere,” said Arbiter. 

Floating above Cayna’s head was a doll-sized girl with her fingers pressed together and an apologetic expression on her face. This was the Wind Spirit patrol Cayna had sent out earlier. The beautiful girl was a transparent green, but Arbiter and his men were unable to see spirits. 

With her arms crossed and a conflicted look on her face, Cayna offered a simple explanation. 

“The spirit I sent out on reconnaissance found our foe. Seems they’ve got a mage among their ranks. An assault might be reckless.” 

“An ogre mage?!” one of the mercenaries shouted. 

Those three words set the rest of the group on edge. After all, if extremely rare mages were born among the ogres, they possessed shrewdness beyond the rest of their species. There might even be an ogre king that led the others around by the nose and commanded hordes to raid villages. Cayna hadn’t yet heard of ogres destroying villages, so that was still just the stuff of urban legend. 

“Can we leave the mage to you, miss?” Arbiter asked. 

“Yes, I’ll handle it.” 

It seemed that Arbiter was going to fight fire with fire and use Cayna as the strong arm in his battle strategy. Indeed, Cayna wouldn’t likely be able to improvise cooperation with the mercenaries if they followed Arbiter’s capricious orders. Thus, the most constructive thing to do would be to carry out a search-and-destroy mission and send her to take on the strongest enemy. 

I get the feeling this mage is tougher than an ogre. 

Besides, the Wind Spirit never said the mage was an ogre. It was mostly likely an elf or other similar race that had the ability to see spirits. 

When they arrived at their destination, Cayna canceled all additional magic and sent the kirin away. Arbiter watched reluctantly as the majestic beast licked Cayna’s cheek before departing. 

“Ain’t that thing gonna help us?” he asked, his expression dubious. 

“See, there’s one downside to summoning the kirin. As long as it’s active, all my attacks are sealed.” 

A kirin was pretty much only used for searches and moving at high speeds—extremely helpful if that’s all you had in mind, but a total pain in the butt otherwise. 

Arbiter grimaced at Cayna’s explanation and murmured, “Summonings sure do seem like a damn nuisance.” He was the type that, when noticed by the enemy, would rather charge in first than get ambushed. You couldn’t give your foe time to think. 

Cayna did as instructed and cast spells on everyone to amplify their defense and magic resistance by several times. Also considering the possibility of a trap, she stood at the front of the group and blasted at the cave area with a direct stream of water magic. 

Magic Skill: Load: Torrential Bullet Wave Qua Drohga: Ready Set 

A mass of water materialized in midair before Cayna, enveloping her in a watery sphere that noisily transformed into a cannon. The turret was fitted with ammo that looked like a bundle of ten or so spears twisted together. 

“Dig!” 

Countless water spears spiraled out of the barrel at high speed like snakes going after their prey the moment Cayna struck her hand forward. Several tons of torrential waves mowed down trees and dug up the earth, flattening everything in its path. 

While the mercenaries were indeed shocked, they also told themselves, “Well, it is Cayna,” in understanding. 

Each member ran forward as directed, while Cayna crouched down and put her hands over her ears. This was, of course, because the forest was assailing her with protests of You’re terrible! Savage! Monster! and You demon! 

“Wh-what’s wrong, miss?” 

“Yes, I know. I heard you, okay? …Ah, please don’t mind me. It’s a personal matter.” 

Arbiter wasn’t aware of high elves’ quirks, and he gave her a funny look as she bowed her head to the surrounding trees. They couldn’t lose momentum now, so he harshly spurred on his subordinates and headed for the front of the enemy hideout. 

As they rushed over, they arrived at an area surrounded by rocky mountains jutting several meters into the air. Cayna’s most recent spell had left a gaping mark on what was supposedly the entrance. Or rather, what was thought to be rocky mountains were actually cave-ins, and the supposed entrance was completely buried under the rubble that had fallen from above. Arbiter and his men’s enthusiasm ended in shocking disappointment that hit them hard. 

When they looked around, they saw a wide area right in front of them where several people could partake in a melee. 

The spot was carpeted in short weeds, and within it stood five ogres in crude leather armor. They were huddled together to a certain degree, and it seemed as if they had been ready to ambush Arbiter’s group. However, Cayna’s magic had pierced straight through them. The survivors had apparently avoided the danger by running to the left and right; proof of this was written in the area directly in front of the rocky rubble, which was scattered with ogre blood, gore, and bones. 

As soon as the ogres saw Arbiter and the others rush in, the monsters looked at one another, quickly readied their clubs and short swords, and let out mighty war cries. 

This was all simply part of the job for Arbiter and his mercenaries, so their response was as cool as could be. 

“I’ll take one, and y’all get the rest! Don’t screw up!” 

“Yeah, yeah, we got it, boss.” 

The mercenaries took that as his signal and dispersed all at once. It was two-on-one, and the men vigilantly slayed the monsters without fail. Arbiter faced one of them all on his own, dodging and repelling it with his spear before ensnaring his opponent’s weapon and tossing it into the sky. Aiming for the moment his enemy’s eyes watched it dance through the air, he ripped the ogre’s throat to shreds. The monster had lost focus for only a second, but it gripped its throat as blood came gushing out. Unable to muster even a roar of anger, the foe fell to the ground. 

The other mercenaries likewise went with the meticulous strategy of defending against the enemy’s attack as they either found a vital point to shred or aimed for the openings the ogres left in their rage. The men didn’t have quite as much flair as Arbiter, but they suffered only the most minor of scratches. 

“Yo, you guys finally done? Damn, that took forever.” 

“We weren’t slow at all. You’re just weird!” 

The mercenaries voiced their grievances while Arbiter stared at them indifferently with his spear in one hand. 

“They’re ogres, aren’t they? Spears can’t pierce through their tough skin and solid muscle that easily!” 

“What’re you talkin’ about? It’s ’cause y’all cut corners during training.” 

“Nghhh?! How is there this big a difference between us when our magic weapons are pretty much the same level?!” 

“Where does his strength come from when he drinks like a fish…?” 

There was no obvious difference in attack power between Arbiter’s Flame Lance and the other mercenaries’ magical weapons (which were long swords, short swords, and the like.) Although those whom Arbiter had chosen to join him on this mission had been with him since he was with the knights, they wanted to stamp their feet in frustration every time they watched him surpass them by no small amount. 

Watching the subordinates grind their teeth in frustration, Arbiter finally realized that Cayna, who had been in the rear guard, hadn’t followed from behind. 

“Hey, where’s the miss?” 

“She’s been behind us the whole— Oh, she’s gone.” 

Looking back at the forest the group had come from, the mercenaries tilted their heads and looked at one another. Indeed, although Cayna had been with them since they exited the forest, she was now nowhere to be seen. 

Cayna received a warning while bowing to the trees and plants. She picked up a rock and threw it behind her with all she had. Just as she heard a presence gasp, the stone sent ripples across the empty space. As if breaking an illusion, a blurry human figure appeared from the other side of the distorted background. She was a female elf with dusky skin and dressed in well-made armor and a cloak. She wielded a wand that appeared to be a bow with a knuckle guard attached to it. The woman had a more mature air about her than Cayna, but her graceful features were currently marked with rage. 

“Tch, so you sensed me…” 

“Ohhh, it was a D. elf all along.” 

The elf grimaced even more at Cayna’s word choice. The abbreviation D. elf (dark elf), together with R. elf (red elf) and B. elf (blue elf), was a summary of skin colors and put one in the “eccentric” category. 

Among players, there were those who made their characters colors like red and blue. Needless to say, those unfamiliar with such a sight shunned and avoided them and said things like Gross and Seriously? Of course, these novel colors would trend for several months after release before naturally fading out of fashion. 

If Arbiter had been present, he would have undoubtedly gone on red alert. In this world, dark creatures were said to have sold their souls to evil (the demon race excluded) and were detested as taboo. Nevertheless, when picking color schemes in Leadale’s character creator, it was only natural that one could create dark elves, dark dwarves, and dark dragoids, so players didn’t have a tradition of shunning the shade. Furthermore, Cayna was out of the loop and had no way of knowing such practices existed in this modern world. 

At first, Cayna thought the dark elf was one of the locals. However, her suspicions rose when she used Search and saw the elf was referred to as the Roar of Sinawev. Cayna immediately had Kee investigate further, and he confirmed the dark elf was an event boss she had defeated back in the game. 

The same thing happened with the Ghost Ship. Why are event bosses activating when there’s no more Admins, NPCs, or quests? 

“Perhaps she was left behind when the game ended service and someone abandoned their mission halfway?” 

As the dark elf nocked electric magic into her wand-bow (a bow that also cast magic), Cayna zigzagged through the forest to put distance between them. The dark elf shot several lightning arrows without a care; they grazed the trees, which weakened the bolts’ power, as they homed in on their target. Unable to withstand Cayna’s anti-magic defenses, the arrows stopped just short of her and vanished. 

“Tch, you’re a tough one!” 

Cayna heard cursing on the other side of the trees, and soon several more lightning arrows came flying her way. 

Magic Skill: Rapid Lightning Zan Lezi Sos 

Cayna murmured a spell and pointed her right arm at the lightning arrow flying toward her. An instant later, a flash surged from the band around her arm, and the head of a shishi lion burst forth to crush the arrow between its teeth. 

“What?!” 

The lightning lion wrapped around Cayna’s arm and crackled with electricity. Its eyes gleamed savagely at the dark elf. 

“You there, D. elf! Quietly toss your weapons and surrender!” 

“An elf like you, fraternizing with humans?! Damn traitor!” 

Cayna had intended to form a connection with her after peaceful negotiations, but the dark elf had nothing for Cayna but abuse. Humans and elves had never been antagonistic against each other when Leadale was just a game. 

“Ummm, I’m not really sure what she’s getting at.” 

“Perhaps she is merely doing whatever her assigned event has laid out?” 

“Ah, gotcha. Still, I don’t remember any events having such a chatty NPC.” 

“We do not yet know the full picture. Therefore, we cannot make any assertions.” 

“What are you mumbling to yourself about?!” 

Having obviously lost her temper, the dark elf fired off a spell. She cast it instantly, meaning she had to be using some kind of magical tool. Her outstretched hands held an orb of lightning, which then extended into a large spear; she raised it held high over her head and immediately unleashed it. The thick lightning spear charged straight at Cayna, smashing trees and incinerating underbrush in its path. 

Not fazed in the least, Cayna calmly threw forward the lion head wrapped around her right arm. The moment it left her, the lion was no longer just a head; it grew a body, four legs, and a tail as well. The lion was only about as large as a medium-size dog; it hardly even compared to the opponent’s enormous spear. To the untrained eye, the question over who would win was clear as day. 

The dark elf seemed to be thinking the same thing, because she gave a pleased laugh that suggested Cayna’s time was up. 

“Ha-ha-ha-ha! You think that little kitty cat can hold up against my greatest weapon?!” 

Faced with that delighted, twisted smile, Cayna remained unmoved as she awaited the spell’s outcome. 

Not far away from Cayna, the spear and the lion violently clashed, and electricity flew every which way. The ensuing collision flashed like a strobe light, so it was hard to make out the details. Nevertheless, that equilibrium lasted for barely a moment. It wasn’t even a second. 

From within the pure-white brightness came a lightning lion that had ballooned to the size of an elephant and pierced straight through its opponent. 

“Wh-whaaaaaaaat?!” 

The dark elf’s gleeful sneer vanished, replaced by a shocked expression. 

A lightning attack like that was mere fodder for the Lightning Spirit. Cayna had called upon her weakest lion spirit, but it was more than enough to best the dark elf. 

The dark elf raised her bow-wand over her as a shield, but she held out for only the shortest second. She managed to save herself because she threw something in her hand at the lightning lion. The beast batted it with one swipe of its front paw, alighted to the ground, and started chewing on it. Cayna could hear a crunch. 

“It ate the magic device…” 

“It does seem that way…” 

When Cayna stuck out her right arm to the side, the lion transformed into a single horizontal bolt of lightning and returned to the ring. 

“Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit! Dammittt!” 

The dark elf had fallen to her knees, trembling, and when she shot back up, her voice held a resentment for the world and everything in it. Although there was no questioning she was actually very beautiful, her expression was as distorted as ever. She glared spitefully, unsheathed the blade at her side, and charged at Cayna. 

Cayna was shocked by the deep-seated hatred on the dark elf’s face, but she took the magic staff out of her earring, returned it to its normal size, and squared off against her opponent. 

The dark elf had gone for a direct charge but changed her trajectory at the last second. She stepped to the left and thrust her blade at Cayna’s neck in a poorly timed attempt. Cayna, who spun her magic staff to repel this, met the dark elf with the opposite end of her quickly revolving weapon. 

“Phew, that was close!” said Cayna. 

“You’re too soft!” 

The dark elf twisted her upper half to avoid the blow, then spun her body, sword and all, like a top to slash at the right side of Cayna’s head. 

Rather, she tried to slash at Cayna’s head. The dark elf’s arm was struck hard by Cayna’s spinning staff, and she dropped her sword. When the dark elf saw Cayna’s sinister grin, she quickly tried to put distance between them. However, something stopped her, and she fell before she could take another step. When she swiftly raised her head and stared at the ground awash in dead leaves, she saw both her legs were caught by earth-colored hands protruding from the ground. 

The dark elf looked up and found herself face-to-face with a wicked witch twirling her magic staff. 

“All righty, then. Ready to surrender?” Cayna asked. 

“Pretty fast for a mage! You won’t get that lucky again!” 

The dark elf tossed a weapon forward, striking the bottom of the hilt with her palm to send the sword flying at Cayna—an incredible ambush attack. The dark elf tried going against the eternally composed enemy before her, but she felt the thick magic radiating off Cayna and was rooted where she stood. 

The sword fell to the ground, useless. A green glimmer, far more powerful than her own earlier lightning spear and likely to level the entire area if fully unleashed, slowly converged in Cayna’s right hand. 

Magic Skill: Load: Type II Raging Storm, Dan la Giga: Ready Set 

“Blast her away!” 

A basketball-sized ball of air pressure released from Cayna’s hand. This vertically striped melon sphere was a hyper-condensed hurricane that contained enough power to mercilessly cause as much damage to people’s lives as any natural disaster. 

The melon storm traveled at a languid pace before hitting the dark elf. An instant later, it demonstrated its recoil power and sent the target flying. Under this momentum, the dark elf’s back snapped scores of trees as she disappeared from sight. The force of it was like being taken out by a wrecking ball. 

The noises her body made were unpleasantly fatal-sounding, and the dark elf crashed into a large tree deeper within the forest. Without time to let out even a cry of agony, the dark elf’s body flashed with static as it gradually began to fade away. Finally, her entire image grew blurry and then dissolved into pixels until nothing was left. 

Cayna’s expression loosened slightly as she watched. This was a common sight in the game whenever one defeated an enemy character. 

“……Agh, geez! I don’t know anything anymore!” 

“Huh? Miss, are you okay?!” 

As Cayna gripped her hair and wailed in cluelessness, Arbiter appeared from the other side of the trees. A number of his men had been wounded, but everyone was more or less okay. With an accomplished look on his face, Arbiter asked about Cayna’s situation and the disastrous scene around her. 

“We’re all done on our end. How’s it going over…here…?” 

Burnt foliage. Sections of earth completely gouged out. Trees that looked as if something solid had blasted straight through them. Parts of the forest was completely flattened, and it seemed like a terrible force of nature had passed through. 

Arbiter had been worried Cayna had run into some detached flying forces, since she didn’t follow after them. However, Cayna herself seemed perfectly fine, so he gave up on pressing her further. 

“At any rate, I beat the ringleader,” she announced. 

“We’ve only got five ogres left to take care of. We struck oil and embers in the cave just to be safe, though.” 

“Seriously, why’d something like that have to show up around here…?” 

Dubious, Arbiter watched Cayna mumble and grumble and wondered if there really was a foe that could have kept her so held up. 

Noticing his staring, Cayna waved her hand lightly and attempted to deflect with an “Oh, don’t mind me.” 

Then, just as everyone decided to search the area for evidence of remaining ogres… 

…they heard what sounded like an avalanche from far off, and shortly thereafter felt an earthquake-like tremor beneath their feet. 

“…Oh?” 

“The heck was that?” 

The mercenaries turned their heads this way and that to pinpoint the direction of the noise and found it was coming from where they’d entered the forest. Every which way one thought about it, the sound could have only originated from the village. Arbiter halted their search and quickly gave orders to return home and aid their comrades. 

“Go on ahead of us, miss! If anything happens, we’re countin’ on ya!” 

“Right! I’m off, then.” 

Racing ahead, Cayna cast Flight and soared into the sky with gusto. She picked up speed and spotted the open village amid the spread of forest. However, Cayna racked her brains as soon as she spotted a fracture east of the main road extending from the village. It definitely hadn’t been there the day before. This mark, which appeared to have felled several miles of forest, was no doubt related to the noise and tremor from before. Roxilius and Roxine could have accomplished such a feat, but they were assigned to protect the villagers and act as Luka’s guardian. They wouldn’t have any reason to travel outside. 

Cayna had a bad feeling about this. She added Speed Up to her Flight spell and made her way home. 

When Cayna descended into town, she found the adults scolding Lytt and Latem. 

“Going outside when the village is already on edge about the monsters! What were you thinking?!” 

“Sniff… Hic… I-I’m sorryyyy.” 

“C’mon, Mom. She’s upset enough and obviously reflecting on her actions, so why not forgive her already…?” 

Lytt was sniffing and sobbing in front of Marelle. Luine attempted to pacify their mother, but it was a drop in the ocean. 

“You hush! There’s no way we can show our faces in front of Cayna and Mr. Arbiter after they’ve done so much to protect us from the monsters without asking anything in return!” 

Marelle’s angry voice echoed through the village. She paid no heed to her husband’s and Luine’s attempts at arbitration, and her ogreish countenance made Lytt cry even harder. 

Across from them, Latem was kneeling on the hard ground and receiving the lecture of his life from Sunya and her terrifying grin. 

“Are you listening, Latem? What do you think that person would say if they heard you instigated the young ladies of other families into going outside?” 

“U-um, M-Mom?” 

“Oh, do you have some sort of excuse? How unmanly. You are a disgrace to Lux’s proud dwarf lineage!” 

“Y-yes, I’m very sorry…” 

“Honestly, you’ve always been so…” Yada, yada, yada, yada… 

Sunya started going on about her son’s shortcomings, whether they were related to the incident or not. Latem trembled at his mother’s prattling, and if one looked closely, it was clear there was no smile in his eyes. Having his past pranks aired in front of the entire village one after the other turned the boy pale. 

“Sniff… Hic…” 

“My lady, please do not worry. Lady Cayna will not be upset over something like this.” 

“A broken pendant is nothing in the hands of Lady Cayna. She will make it as good as new.” 

Roxilius and Roxine did their best to console the sobbing Luka. 

“Pheeeew.” 

Cayna had been expecting the worst, but the children were safe. That said, something bad must have happened. 

Her shoulders relaxed at the harmless scene and she heaved a deep sigh of relief. Luka jolted in shock when she saw Cayna, who tottered toward her, head hung low. Marelle and Sunya noticed and stopped their lecturing. Cayna wrapped Luka’s small body in a tight embrace from where she was seated on the ground. Even the villagers who had been expecting an explosion of anger gripped their chests in relief. 

…The sobbing they heard in that next instant wasn’t coming from Luka. 

“Sniff… Urgh…I-I’m so glad you’re safe, Lukaaaaa… UWAAAAAGH!” 

“Hgh?” squeaked Luka. 

“Huh? Ummm… Lady Cayna?” 

Watching their master wail as she held Luka close threw Roxine—and everyone else present—for a loop. The villagers were equally dumbfounded at the sight of Cayna bawling in earnest. 

“H-hey, Cayna! Your daughter’s fine! Come now, don’t go crying like a lost child!” Marelle insisted. 

“Sh-she’s right, Cayna! This was entirely my son’s fault, so there’s no need to spill tears for his sake!” 

“I-I’m sorry! It really was all my fault,” said Latem. “I forced Luka to come with us.” 

“I’m sorry, Miss Cayna,” came Lytt’s apology. 

“L-Lady Cayna?! Please pull yourself together!” Roxilius urged. 

The one most thrown by all this was Luka in Cayna’s arms. Just when the girl was sure she’d be yelled at, she was wrapped in a safe, gentle hug. In the brief instant that she thought Ah, I can still stay with these kind people, her guardian had begun sobbing. 

Cayna was also far stronger than Luka, so escaping her embrace was nigh impossible. The adults all consoled the older girl and looked at the younger with concern. Lytt and Latem had joined in on their hug and started crying out of sync with Cayna’s own sobs. On top of that, Luka’s clothes were already soaked. How could she be anything other than flustered? 

The clamor continued until Arbiter and the others returned, and the sun had long set by the time Cayna stopped crying and released Luka from her arms. 

“I’m…tired.” 

Luka sank into an exhaustion so foreign to her that she wasn’t even sure if she’d dream about her real parents cheering her on once night fell. 

For several days following this incident, the villagers witnessed Cayna following Luka around like a little chick. 

Take the mornings, for example. 

“Hmm? Where are you going, Luka? Want me to come with you?” 

“…I’m going to…the bathroom… I’ll be okay.” 

Then during study time. 

“You okay, Luka? Anything here you don’t understand?” 

“…I’m fine, but…he might—” 

“Caynaaa, I don’t get this at all!” 

“Rox, please help Latem.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

*Smile* ? (Cayna grinning ear to ear at Luka, no intention of leaving her side.) 

“………” ? (The collective sweat drop at Cayna’s behavior.) 

Then in the evenings… 

“Okay, Luka. Come join me in bed!” 

“…I think you’ll be…okay…by yourself…Mommy Cayna.” 

“Squeeee! Cie! Cie! Luka called me Mommy! Did you hear? Did you hear that?” 

“Lady Cayna, that was the twelfth time today.” 

Cayna watched over (?) Luka like this for days, leading Luka to swear never to worry her again. 

Cayna’s helicopter parenting at last came to an end with the words “Mommy Cayna…you’re annoying me.” 

This harsh statement from her daughter was apparently enough to make Cayna stand frozen in her room with a ghastly look on her face. The damage such an arrow caused when it pierced through her heart was beyond description. 

That said, she recovered after just one night. Although a bit subdued the next day, she put on a cheerful face for the villagers. 

Elineh and the others set off for Felskeilo the day after the incident. There were injuries among them, but Arbiter had told her, “It’s a bunch of light scratches, so we don’t need magic. Save that sorta thing for the people who really need it,” and refused her healing abilities. 

The real issue was the children’s recklessness. Their intention had been to find a place to make flower crowns where Cayna couldn’t hear the plants’ voices, so she couldn’t find the strength to be mad at them. 

It seemed the adults were raking the children over the coals to make up for this. Sunya was furious with Latem, and Lux even more so when he returned from his deliveries. The boy’s face swelled from the pummeling he received, and his parents ended up having to use one of Cayna’s potions on him. Sunya felt that Lux had gone too far, making her even more furious. 

“Lady Luka, if something like this ever happens again, you will never get another snack!” 

“Sniff… I-I’m…sorry…” 

Crestfallen, Luka hung her head at Roxine’s chosen punishment. 

“I dunno if this is considered peaceful or not…” 

Cayna watched them uncomfortably, and Roxilius gave a wry smile as he explained. 

“Snack time is quite important. She would be losing a luxury normally only nobles may enjoy.” 

In Cayna’s household, they enjoyed the same routine she’d also had when she was alive in the real world: breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. 

However, the villagers normally had only two meals a day and never ate sweets unless they had the time to make them. The confections they did make were limited to cookies kneaded together with nuts and berries. Since these consisted of only flour, goat’s milk, nuts, and berries, the sweetness all depended on the final two ingredients. Thus, when Cayna had brought the villagers cake the other day, it was no exaggeration to say their appreciation of it was over the moon. 

“Such sweetness exists in this world?!” 

“So good. So, so goooood!” 

“Heaven is a place on earth…” 

“Uwagh?! Hold on—you can’t eat it that fast!” 

Although they had gone a bit overboard, since the cake had been introduced as a way to entertain a party, the majority of villagers calmed down and realized it was something Cayna made for banquets and the like. 

“Giving them cake so soon probably set the bar too high.” 

As Cayna pondered what to show from her repertoire next, Roxine put her on hold. 

“It’s fine to return to basics, Lady Cayna. You create out of the goodness of your heart, so there is no need to respond to their every request. If there are any complaints, I will be happy to be of service.” 

Roxine had an obvious arrogance in her eye, and she wore a strained smile. No matter what she said, her way of dealing with things would never change. Either her harsh tongue would grow even worse or she’d learn to say mean things more gently. 

“You can just make normal cookies and have the stupid cat talk them up.” 

“By ‘talk them up,’ do you mean give a sales pitch?” asked Cayna. 

“Rhetorical flourishes will make your cookies seem like the only ones in the entire world. Squeeze him hard enough and he should be able to work something out, right? Of course, I’ll have nothing to say if doing so sends him to the grave.” 

As usual, Cayna wanted to run from this palpable malice toward Roxine’s fellow werecat. Was it because of Opus’s influence as her original creator? Or maybe Opus actually hated himself deep down? When Cayna considered this, sadness and loneliness gripped her heart, and her shoulders suddenly slumped. 

“Wha—? Lady Cayna?! Why are you curled up in a corner like that?” 

“…Reasons.” 

“Is that a storm cloud I see hanging over your head?! If I have so foolishly offended you, I shall humbly commit seppuku!” 

“Your big mouth is the entire problem!” 

It was a never-ending slapstick comedy routine. They were the spitting image of a happy family—at least, in some way or another. 

At any rate, one day a meeting was called to discuss the children’s heartless act. 

Although called a “meeting,” it consisted only of the village elder, the hunter Lottor, and the innkeeper Marelle, as well as Lux and Cayna, both of whom had recently moved in from the outside world. They gathered in the quiet dining hall in the early afternoon. Again, despite being labeled as a “meeting,” it was more like a gathering to discuss various matters within the village. 

“For now, Sir Lottor is teaching Latem of the dangers that exist outside and how to deal with them effectively. This entire incident occurred because of my failure to educate him. I truly apologize!” Lux, who had a conflicted expression on his face the moment he walked in, bowed forcefully. 

“N-now, now, Lux. The children are already being punished enough over this, so there’s no need for anyone else to bow in apology.” 

“If Lux is going to speak up, then I will, too. This all happened because I took the kids on a flight tour.” 

Lottor tried to stop Lux from bowing, but Cayna quietly held up her hand in regret. It seemed like the meeting would spiral into a contest of lowered heads. 

It was here that Marelle mercilessly dropped trays on Cayna and Lux. 

“Gwagh?!” 

“Fwah?!” 

“There, now both of you have been punished. Bowing all day won’t get this conversation anywhere, so just drop it.” 

Her rather violent methods caused Lux and Cayna to exchange glances and then nod in embarrassment. They turned to Marelle meekly. 

“Sorry.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

Marelle waved the trays around, and with a sour look on her face, she said, “Don’t do it again.” 

The village elder waited for them to finish before beginning to speak. 

“I think it would be best if we fortify the fence as soon as possible.” 

Cayna was taken aback by the sudden introduction of the subject and the solutions that soon went flying. She glanced at everyone with a confused look of Huh? We’re starting on this already? Since when?? However, fellow village newcomer Lux didn’t seem to question it. The village did things spur of the moment, and Cayna was forcefully swept along. 

“Wait, Elder. Rather than blocking off the entrance, shouldn’t we be reducing our need to venture outside?” Lottor asked. 

“Now that I’ve warned Lytt, I doubt she’ll be up to those antics again,” said Marelle. 

“Wouldn’t it be best, then, to teach everyone how to use the charm stones?” Lux offered. 

Opinions burst forth like a broken dam, and Cayna listened in silence. 

Aside from Lottor, Cayna was the only fighter in the village. However, from the viewpoint of one with excessive battle strength, even if she offered an opinion, it would likely be something outlandish that included prerequisite skills. 

As she listened to opinions fly and converted them to manga speech bubbles within her mind, Lottor asked, “What do you think, Cayna?” 

“…Even if you ask me, I can only provide manual labor.” 

““““Like feats of strength?”””” 

Since everyone questioned her thus, Cayna explained her plan from the very beginning. 

“First, I’d put a barrier over the entire town. However, only the people I know would be able to enter, and no one could leave. Any travelers who suddenly showed up would naturally be repelled. Next, I’d set up patrol golems disguised as soldiers. Since they can only obey basic orders, if instructed to protect the village from outside enemies, anyone who came across the golems would be their next victim. I’d also call out summonings that possess free thought and have them protect the village. A lot of high-level summonings don’t look like people, so—” 

“Wait, wait! Hold up!” 

When Cayna started listing off her different defensive plans, everyone’s faces paled. Lux rushed to interrupt her train of thought. 

“I don’t really get everything you’re saying, but I do at least understand your suggestions are rather unsettling, Lady Cayna.” 

“Oh… They are?” 

The fact that Cayna herself was unaware of this made the plans even more so. 

First, there was the odorless, tasteless, and invisible magic barrier that would cover the village. Those known to the user could enter easily, but everyone else was repelled. Cayna had obtained this skill during a quest to protect a closed-off elven village from outside invaders. However, since the magic was a prerequisite for learning Isolation Barrier, it was used only once for that particular quest. 

Second, there was the spell to create rock golems, which she’d used for Adventurers Guild requests in Felskeilo. Originally, it was developed so solo players could create traveling golems that would aid them and act as disposable battle units. Since they were built for fighting, the only commands the golems understood were “Protect” and “Attack.” In this new world, golems were now capable of carrying out several more complex commands, but even so, this improvement pretty much amounted to “Protect the village from outside enemies” and “Capture invaders.” Since there was a good possibility everyone who approached the village would be exclusively viewed as either an enemy or an invader, turning the golems into guards proved difficult. 

Third, there was the option of calling upon summonings that possessed free thought. However, like the aforementioned examples, their appearance was problematic. Those obtained in the special Heaven and Underworld areas were commonly referred to as “angels” and “demons.” The fact that they possessed free will and were able to think was fine, but their supreme confidence in themselves, which granted them the ability to shift their appearance, was not. If travelers along the main road were greeted by a demon at the entrance or saw a huge, multi-winged angel flying above them, they would fall into a panic. 

As the village elder and the others listened to her explanation in detail, they were all in mute shock at this extreme power beyond any of their imaginations. Only Lux’s eyes sparkled upon hearing about the golems. 

In the end, no one was able agree on a single opinion, so it was decided that they would save the issue for next time. In the meantime, Cayna proposed that Roxilius freely patrol the village. The people could report anything they sensed was odd, no matter how big or small. Cayna and the werecat pair would also handle any fight too big for Lottor. 

Since Cayna was often out of town, Roxine and Roxilius would also serve as the village’s military force while she was away. Since the two appeared to be a young boy and girl, many villagers rejected the idea of recruiting them, but when told both could single-handedly crush a horned bear, they reluctantly agreed. 

Despite the werecats’ appearance, the two were powerful warriors who, at level 550, were only half as strong as Cayna. Even so, the question of getting the people to understand that power was an issue. 

The horned bear brought out to help make the comparison was a poor soul indeed. 

After the meeting, Cayna headed to the bathhouse. This time, her goal was to show appreciation to the one who had shared what she knew about the children. 

“Thank you so much, Mimily.” 

“All right, enough of that. You’ve already thanked me a million times!” 

Cayna sat next to Mimily in the warm water, and the mermaid waved her hand modestly as she lost track of how many times Cayna bowed her head. 

Who could say what would have happened if Mimily hadn’t heard the children scheming nearby and immediately informed Roxilius? Although the White Dragon had indeed manifested from the pendant, the children would have been left defenseless after it disappeared. The danger of being attacked by a second wave of monsters was very real. Thinking of it that way, one might say Roxilius and Roxine had indeed arrived in the nick of time. 

If Cayna had discovered that Luka and the others had fallen to a monster, she would have most likely given in to her rage and burned down not only the forest but half the country as well. She would have become nothing more than a demon of destruction beyond anyone’s reach. 

When Mimily listened to this possibility blankly, she gave a heartfelt sigh of relief. 

“…Thank goodness. I’m so glad I told someone!” 

“Um, I was kidding about going crazy.” 

“It’s no laughing matter! That was absolutely terrifying!” 

Mimily cowered at the edge of the bath, and Cayna tilted her head, wondering if she’d done anything to scare the mermaid. When she asked, it turned out the dragon was the cause. 

“You can summon such an enormous dragon out of nowhere—how is that not terrifying?!” 

Mimily let out a sort of half yelp, and Cayna realized the dragons in Mimily’s world were considerably different from how she remembered. 

When Leadale was a game, dragons existed only with Summoning Magic; aside from a small number of wild dragons (those related to quests), they were nowhere to be seen. At most, some would make their way into stories and legends on occasion. And even then, they were almost always the mighty allies of the just. 

It seemed that in Mimily’s world, dragons were selfish, acted without any consideration for others, and constantly caused others massive amounts of trouble. It was a dragon that had spread the false rumor that eating the flesh of a mermaid would extend one’s life. To a certain degree, they were the source of all evil. Although corrupt nobles and greedy merchants lacked the same power, they lived similar lives. 

“Dragons aren’t scary at all, really.” 

Cayna summoned a level-1 White Dragon in front of the frightened Mimily. The magic circle itself was the size of a washbasin, but the fluffy White Dragon that popped out of it was as small as a cat and could easily fit in one’s hand. While its silvery-white horns and four wings marked it as a White Dragon, it was more like a cute, tottering, mini, plush version of its grown self. 

The dragon gave a small cry of “Myaagh.” 

Mimily’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the adorable creature, and she instantly jumped out from the rock she was hiding behind. 

“Oh my goodness, it’s so cute!” 

“It is, isn’t it?” 

Soon enough, the White Dragon was in Mimily’s arms, tilting its head with a “Myagh?” Hearts appeared in the mermaid’s eyes, and she rubbed her cheek against the dragon. 

Cayna nodded in satisfaction; Li’l Fairy popped out of her hair and clung to her. It looked like the fairy and the White Dragon were about to go toe-to-toe, but when their eyes met, the dragon lost its nerve and tried to flee. 

“Huh? What? Wh-what’s wrong?” said Mimily. 

“Good question…” 

The White Dragon was proud of its fine plumage and surely didn’t appreciate having to slip out of others’ hands like an eel. After struggling for a bit and realizing it would be difficult to escape Mimily’s grasp, it undid the magic that kept it materialized and quickly disappeared. 

“What?! Seriously?!” 

Cayna was astonished to see the White Dragon going against its summoner’s will and leaving of its own accord. 

For some reason, she could now see why the fairy feared it. 

Then several days later… 

Although Cayna didn’t understand why Li’l Fairy was afraid, after doing some comparisons with several other summonings, it was clear she reacted to those that possessed high levels of free will. She didn’t know the cause and had no choice but to give up on asking Opus. 

“Aghhh, I feel like I’ve gone down a huge rabbit hole. I guess I’ll go see Caerick.” 

“Don’t you think that’s because you’ve been obsessed with Lady Luka?” 

“………” 

Cayna had been mumbling to herself and stretching when Roxine made a biting remark. Cayna froze mid-stretch, then twisted her neck with an audible crack, crack, crack until she was facing Roxine. The werecat pretended not to notice and bowed. “My apologies. I spoke out of line.” 

It was best to apologize while Cayna still viewed it as a joke. Everything would end fine that way, but if Roxine or anyone else ever seriously set Cayna off and made an enemy of her, there was no way they’d ever win. 

As soon as Cayna looked at her reproachfully and said “Okay, then,” Roxine gave a deep sigh. If her master began seeing her as an odious subordinate, that was the exact treatment she was going to get. 

Accompanied by Roxilius, Luka followed Cayna out of the house. Cayna then patted her on the head. The girl planned on helping Lytt and Latem clean the bathhouse from then on. 

The village elder had ruled it was Lytt and Latem who had been the truly reckless ones during the previous incident and handed down their punishment of cleaning the bathhouse. At present, there was no set time limit to this, and it looked like it might continue forever. However, since the women’s bath doubled as Mimily’s home, it was already perfectly clean. Thus, the three would primarily be cleaning the men’s washroom and the area around it. Both sides of the bathhouse were cast with Purification, which affected only the water quality, so the spell included no actual cleaning. 

Lytt and Latem were keenly aware that they would have lost their lives if Luka hadn’t been with them, so they reflected deeply on their actions and worked with everything they had. Unsurprisingly, the task was impossible for just two children, so Roxilius was assigned to both give them a helping hand and act as supervisor. 

Luka felt some responsibility for being unable to stop the two and volunteered to help. Cayna had fixed her pendant, and it once again hung around her neck. 

A White Dragon with level-9 summoning power couldn’t remain active for very long, so Cayna made a few tweaks: Now she’d downsized to a Brown Dragon with level-6 summoning power. A level-660 dragon was still a force to be reckoned with, however. 

Although the White Dragon had healing and barrier-creation abilities, its battle strength was the bottom of the barrel among dragons. Nevertheless, it did have its Prism Buster attack, and the dragon’s level only further added to that power. 

If a Black Dragon, which specialized in range attacks, had appeared at the same level, the earth along the eastern main road would have likely turned into a crater. 

The horned Brown Dragon, which looked like an ankylosaurus, had low attack power, but in terms of protection, it was the best among the dragons. 

The all-powerful White Dragon that she’d set to be summoned without proper consideration had unfortunately been large enough to be seen clearly from the village. Cayna reflected on the disturbance it had caused, and this time, she made the dragon no bigger than a mobile crane. However, if the people ever saw its fiendish face, Cayna was almost certain they’d panic. That was the sort of mess people who knew no limits caused. 

“Well then, I’ll be off in Helshper for a bit…” 

“I’ll…be okay…Mommy Cayna. Don’t…worry.” 

“The two of us will keep a proper eye on her this time, so please be at ease.” 

Luka nodded, and Roxilius gave a respectful bow. Hearing “Mommy” from her daughter threatened to overwhelm Cayna with emotion, and she gave Luka a big hug. Luka, who was well used to this by now, weathered her good-bye with a strained smile. 

Raising children was never easy. Luka had a feeling she’d caused more trouble for herself and resigned herself to the fact that her efforts at easing her mother’s worry had incited Cayna’s maternal love. 

A purple light rose up from Teleport’s magic circle to envelop Cayna, and she disappeared. Luka let out a “Phew,” and both Roxilius and Roxine, the latter of whom had seen Cayna off from the entranceway, laughed. 

“Well done, my lady.” 

“I want…Mommy Cayna to trust me…” 

“It cannot be helped. Not much time has passed since then, after all. Rather, she is pleased you have accepted her. Our master is quite attached to family.” 

“…She…is?” 

Luka thought back to Skargo and Kartatz, whom she had met in the capital, and wondered if Cayna was lonely because her children, Luka’s stepbrothers, had left the nest. In actuality, Cayna’s attachments had existed back when she was living in the real world, so Luka’s and Roxilius’s line of thinking was entirely mistaken. 

When Cayna flew off toward Helshper’s western gate, the gatekeepers gave her a strange look. The combined subjugation army had only just returned, so travelers and merchants were wary of passing through the western trade route. A harmless-looking young girl appearing from that direction obviously made the guards wary. 

Excited to be back in the hustle and bustle of the city, Cayna headed to the market before making her way to Sakaiya. She stocked up on the ingredients Roxine had requested and glanced around in the hopes of discovering a rarity. 

There were fruits and vegetables of all colors. Preparations of large freshwater fish. Wives churning delicious-smelling pots. Packed crates of egg-like mushrooms the size of chickens. It was mostly food being sold, but there were also chairs and shelves, plates and other dishware, sari-like clothing, shoes, and much more. When she saw one stall selling rather warped Buddha-esque statues, she passed by quickly; they were undoubtedly influenced by the wooden Buddha statues Elineh had sold out of last time. 

She then purchased soup at a stall and relished some baked sweets. When she bought over twenty skewers for Luka and the others as souvenirs, the nice older man threw in an extra for free. 

Cayna finally headed to Sakaiya. As usual, the entrance was packed with the coming and going of workers and customers. As she tried to pass through the crowd with a meat skewer in her mouth, she spotted a face she hadn’t seen in some time. 

“Yoo-hoo, Cohral!” she called. 

“Huh? Oh, Cayna. Funny meeting you here.” 

When Cayna crossed paths with the sword-wielding Cohral and his four friends, the group looked puzzled at first, but their expressions soon changed to relief as they greeted her. 

“That’s some fancy grub you’re eatin’ there. You get a good job?” said Cohral. 

“Are these skewers famous or something?” Cayna asked. 

“Hey now, don’t tell me you bought ’em without a clue. You’re somethin’ else.” 

She heard from Cohral that they were made from the meat of a ballrat, a creature that commonly ravaged orchards. It stored nutrition in its tail rather than in its body and could live on this for up to a month. Since they were shockingly nimble, successive generations of trap specialists had passed on the task of capturing them. The tail had a spongelike quality, and when dried out, it could be made into a high-quality brush item. Since the creature’s diet consisted mainly of fruit, its meat had a sweetness that made the ballrat considerably expensive gourmet fare. 

“Huh, neat.” 

“That’s all you’ve got to say?! Guess I wasted my breath.” 

“By the way, you got business with Sakaiya, too?” 

“Yeah, kinda. There was a guard request at the guild, so we took it on…but with all these people runnin’ around, we have no idea who the client is or how we’re supposed to meet ’em.” 

“Oh-ho, guard work, huh?” 

Taking on a request was fine, but it looked like the group had come across the problem of not knowing what their client looked like. Indeed, with various races going in and out, it was impossible to tell whether someone was a worker or a customer. 

Cayna scanned the crowd and approached a werecat using an abacus. 

“Excuse me.” 

“Ah, hello. How may I help you?” 

“Is Idzik available? Could you tell him Cayna is here?” 

“The young master…? Yes, please wait just a moment. This may take some time. Is that all right?” 

“Not a problem. I figured as much, seeing how busy things are here.” 

The werecat employee bowed, then withdrew into the shop. Although she’d been told it would take a while, Cayna doubted Idzik would keep her waiting very long. She’d been fully aware of that when she replied to the werecat. 

Cohral and his party waited on the opposite side of the road by a row of storehouses. It seemed to be an area packed with merchandise that didn’t need to be constantly rushed in and out, and they watched workers pass right by. 

Cayna waved to the group as she approached and said, “Just asked to see the young master.” 

In that instant, the faces of Cohral’s party simultaneously went from confused to aghast. Such expressions were clearly asking with concern how a mere adventurer could personally call upon the young master of Sakaiya, a company whose name and foothold were well-rooted across the continent. 

The only ones who didn’t seem especially struck by this were the adventurer Cayna herself and their fellow party member Cohral. The two continued talking amiably. 

“Come here often, then?” he asked her. 

“Every now and again, yeah. It’s nice having connections.” 

“What? You damn elites got all the luck.” 

“You gotta get yourself some grandkids.” 

“No idea what you’re on about… Anyway, I haven’t seen you in Felskeilo at all lately. What’ve you been up to?” 

“I’ve been thinking about setting up a bar around here. Beer, whiskey, that sort of thing.” 

“Ohhh, whiskey, huh? Gimme some of that.” 

“Don’t order me around! If you want whiskey, just make it yourself.” 

“Huh? I obviously can’t do that. Not without a brewery and a giant still, at least.” 

“I get it now. You’ve completely abandoned the opportunities that Craft Skills can bring.” 

“What?! There’s a skill that makes whiskey?! Teach me!” 

“No way.” 

“You’re gonna turn me down just like that?!” 

Their harmonious back and forth turned to the most delicious way to drink whiskey, and as Cohral told her what vintages tasted best, Canya listened diligently with murmurs of “Yes, yes, I see.” She had Kee remember all the most vital information. 

As this was going on, a young yet dignified elf approached Cayna from the other side of the street and bowed. The werecat employee behind him who had announced Cayna’s arrival looked on in disbelief. 

Unless they understood the circumstances, a simple employee had no way of knowing why their young master would immediately stop what he was doing just because Cayna had asked for him by name. 

“My apologies for the wait, Great-Grandmother. What brings you to us today?” 

“Long time no see, Idzik. Sorry for having you come out here to meet me. Is Caerick in?” 

“Ah yes. Father is inside as usual…” 

“My five adventurer friends here also have business with you. They said they took on a guild request.” 

“Oh? …Ah, I see. My deepest apologies for having you come all this way.” 

Idzik’s disappointed look lasted for a merest moment before resuming the countenance of a serious merchant. He respectfully bowed his head to Cohral and his party, each of whom looked perplexed. 

Cayna smirked, knowing full well he expected something of her. The requester’s excessive courtesy made his response even more laughable. 

Idzik told the werecat employee standing at attention behind him to call for a kobold servant. It seemed this person was one rank below Idzik. He left Cayna with the servant and took Cohral and the others inside to discuss his request. 

Cayna herself was led to Caerick’s private room, where he always spent his leisure time, and her grandson greeted her with a look of surprise. 

“How lovely to see you, Grandmother. How might I assist you?” 

“I received the magic rhymestones and wheat you sent. I got the approval pretty quickly, but are you really okay with me making beer and whiskey?” 

“Yes, it was some very fine alcohol. I tasted it together with several friends who thought highly of it. The flavor is quite rich.” 

“Yeah, someone mentioned to me once that you can, like, dilute it with ice or water. Apparently, whiskey gets more flavorful when you let it settle over long periods of time. One, five, and ten years, I think?” 

“Mm, so that is the sort of drink we are dealing with. It seems this knowledge is rather new to you as well, Grandmother.” 

“Right, I just heard about it from my adventurer friend Cohral, who came here on a request for Idzik. You should ask him for the details.” 

Cayna was technically underage, so there was no way she could have known the finer points of alcohol. She had plenty of knowledgeable friends, but even they couldn’t teach her if the subject never came up. 

With a murmur of “I see, I see,” Caerick scribbled notes on several sheets of paper. 

Cayna had received a large amount of wheat from Lux when he returned to the village after delivering the two barrels to Helshper. Unsurprisingly, she put this in her Item Box, since there was no other place for it, and she ended up needing an additional storeroom. She was in no particular hurry, so it was decided the village carpenters would build one. Furthermore, the storehouse would include a cellar where the whiskey could be stored. 

If the whiskey was going to be there for a long period of time, Cayna thought it would be best to have staff from Sakaiya who were well-versed in humidity and temperature manage the spirits. She could even produce endless beer right in the village as long as she had the proper ingredients, so she planned for the products to be made-to-order. 

The problem was the magic rhymestones. 

If infused with a basic technique, one could create a lethal weapon that any average person could handle just by supplying it with magic. Just like the Fireball Staff the mage who attacked them at the checkpoint had wielded. 

“Still, though, to think you would gather so many magic rhymestones in such a short amount of time. I was really impressed.” 

“I used the same method I heard from you, Grandmother. I questioned the children selling rocks, and with enough compensation, they told me where I might find them. Once I gathered a number of skilled mages who could sense magic, finding a vein of such stones was simple.” 

“I only heard you used money and force tactics to buy your way out of the problem…” 

“…That was supposed to be a secret.” 

Perhaps embarrassed that she’d hit the bull’s-eye, Caerick looked away as he answered. 

“Anyway, I came over to talk to you about putting these to work.” 

The topic now at hand was the main reason for her visit. 

Several prototype balls about two and a half centimeters in diameter rolled across the table. 

“…What are these?” 

“They’re processed versions of the stones you sent. You use them like this.” 

Together with her concise explanation, Cayna snapped her fingers. An instant later, light released from the ball and shot straight above them. Caerick watched in amazement as the ceiling was dyed pure white and glowed like a floodlight. The steady direction of light was filled with the fixed spell Additional White Light Level 5: Light. It was a magic tool that, when inserted into a cylinder, worked just as well any flashlight. It was filled with ample MP, so it would run nonstop for several days, even when used as a light in this manner. Magic rhymestones themselves also absorbed magic from the surrounding space little by little, so even if the light shut off temporarily, it would be operational again in no time. 

“I’d like you to use these in ceilings as a way to light up rooms…but perhaps you have other ideas in mind?” 

“N-no, no, no, Grandmother, have you mistaken me for some sort of merchant of death?! I am perfectly satisfied with using them solely as a light source!” 

Caerick trembled at the sight of his grandmother’s pent-up anger, and he cleared up any misunderstandings with both words and gestures. Of course, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t considered the attack power of such a magic item. Given that he was calculating a way to sell them as a light source, he hoped to avoid her wrath here. 

Cayna had threatened him to make sure he wouldn’t try to pull anything funny, but by his frazzled reaction, she could tell there was no chance of that. She said, “I’m kidding,” and dialed down her righteous indignation. 

“P-p-p-please don’t scare me like that… Phew.” 

“Ha-ha, sorry. Well then, I’ll use what I have on hand to process several more like these as light sources. Can I send them your way once I’m done?” 

“Hmm, about that. If possible, do you think you could perhaps ship them along with a caravan? Although your methods of transporting goods in an instant greatly fascinates me, please allot a portion of goods to those who make their living along the trade routes.” 

“Ohhh, I see, I see. Even though my skills can complete the work of several in an instant, when you think about it, they also take away just as many jobs. Still, it’ll be less expensive if I do it…” 

“My apologies, but Sakaiya will not fall to ruin over such a minimal fee. I ask that you do not underestimate us.” 

“Ah, sure, you got it. Everyone knows their business best. Yup. Let’s just leave it at that.” 

She continued negotiating the transport fee with Caerick. If she entrusted the merchandise to Elineh’s familiar caravan, Sakaiya would pay upon delivery and handle the shipping costs. 

There was also the matter of recent circumstances. 

“Huh, so Helshper is reinforcing the eastern checkpoint?” 

“We’ve finally crushed the bandits flowing in from the west for the time being. Even if it straddles the border, the village you currently reside in is still close by, Grandmother. Our nation’s upper echelons are naturally aware of your presence, but it is necessary for us to prepare in ways that cannot be made public. Our company has been providing you raw material, and it seems one of our representatives, along with the country’s leaders, will meet with an emissary of Felskeilo at the checkpoint.” 

“Ah, that must be what Cohral and the others are here for. Why not leave protection to the knights who are always sticking by the nation’s leaders, though?” 

“As I mentioned before, Grandmother, money leaves a trail.” 

“Indeed it does… If we’re being thorough, I guess I’ve got no choice but to make things that can be shipped out.” 

Keeping her response noncommittal, Cayna looked out at the garden and noticed the sun was starting to tinge with orange. She had flown to Helshper before noon, walked around the market, bought lunch from a food stall, and made her way here. Cayna never said she’d be back before evening, but she was worried about Luka and decided to finish up the conversation so she could return home. She also realized her deep love and longing for Luka outweighed her concern, and she grinned at how much she was wrapped around her daughter’s little finger. 

“Let’s end here for today. Thank you for your warm welcome despite me dropping in like this, Caerick.” 

“Come to think of it, you’ve recently adopted a little girl, correct? You undoubtedly must be worried. Please hurry home. If there is anything else we can help with, please do not hesitate to ask.” 

“Ah-ha-ha…” 

Caerick was completely mixed up over who was worried about whom in this situation. As Cayna gave a stiff smile and went to leave, she remembered a request she wanted to ask back when she was building her house. 

“Oh, Caerick…” 

“What is it, Grandmother?” 

“When you send the caravan, could you add in some goats and chickens?” 

“Very well. I’ll ask you to pay for them upon delivery.” 

“Sure. Sorry for the trouble. See you later.” 

Since live creatures couldn’t be added to the Item Box or included in a party, she wouldn’t be able to use Teleport with them on her. 

Speaking of which, she still wasn’t sure how party members were added. In the game, players would send a request, and if the other person accepted, they would be added to the sender’s party. Currently, the difference between a known player and the average person depended on whether one received a notification. 

The system was a mass of mystery that seemed like it could be improved upon with some earnest wishful thinking. It was this very mass of mystery that recognized players, but what exactly unified the system and where its core was located were unknown. The players’ dilemma was they couldn’t do anything without depending on such vagueness. 

Exiting the garden, Cayna waved good-bye to her grandson and disappeared in a flash of purple lightning. 

Fascinated, Caerick waved back and stared at the place where his grandmother had vanished. The magic circle dimly lit by purple light turned to a fine powder and disappeared without a trace. 

“Appearing and disappearing as always. What a busy person she is. Well then, shall I start with the correct method of enjoying that delicious drink? As for the light, Grandmother asked that I first recommend it to my noble acquaintances and gather their opinions about this streetlight.” 

He would hear more about the adventurers from his son and ask for more details on the information he’d gleaned from Cayna. He would also ready the caravan and purchase livestock. Wondering to himself how much would be needed to provide for one family, among other thoughts, he harkened back to when he had first founded Sakaiya. 

Now that his son was managing the shop, all Caerick had to do was review his business. There was a pleasantness to the memories his grandmother’s requests rekindled. 

Caerick stopped by his son’s room, taking care to quell his restless mind.