I am currently facing a headache-inducing problem.
“Ummm…”
I'm sitting in an expensive-looking chair in my room, the carvings at the side undoubtedly made by a master carpenter. I fold my arms, observing the items scattered upon my desk..
There's a lot of , the one's for replenishment.
These stones are rare, colorless, and about the size of a palm. Larger than the size of three batteries laid side by side. They look like crystals, and have a crystal pillar inscribed in the middle, with vertical writing running down the pillar.
I have around a hundred pieces of them.
It's all thanks to the crazy daily allowance my parents give me that I could stock up on these stones, buying a little day by day.
The pocket money of the rich is… unbelievable!
I don't think you people should be giving that much money to kids. This is the reason why the children of the rich are so depraved. Instead, they should be giving their kids just enough of an allowance where they would be encouraged to save up to buy what they want. They should appreciate money more, okay!
Well, while that's the case… This ridiculous allowance is what lessens my headache and allows for me to do what I want.
Each meant for replenishing magic power is made with gems. Therefore, they're considered expensive. Just one palm-sized stone is worth about three thousand yen from my original world. An average child won't be able to afford this many stones.
If I successfully store magic power into this thing, then like a battery, I can use the energy inside as the power source for various magic goods I've made. Exhausted of magic power, this stone is basically a normal transparent stone.
Judging by each stone's size, if I use the full extent of my magic power, I can charge about three pieces a day.
I'm losing motivation.
I wonder if there's an easier method to completely charge these stones… .
Like, you know, something with abundant magic power. A source of magic that's like a hot spring, water continuously flowing, enough for a person to take as much water as they want… Man, a hot spring sure does sound good right about now—no! I need to focus. What's like an endless source—
Suddenly, the image of shiny, golden locks flash before my eyes.
“AHHHHHH!!!”
I shoot out of my seat and knock over my chair out of reflex.
Isn't there someone like that?!
Someone whose magic reserves practically never run dry?!
That's right, I can just ask Alfred to charge these stones! I'll ask the future hero! If it's him, he can surely do this in a flash! This task seems perfectly tailored for him!
But after the initial high, I'm back to sighing.
That's because, although I was jumping up from joy after discovering a great solution to my problem, another problem seems to have surfaced.
How can I make Alfred charge these stones for me?
After a moment, I'm able to calm down, dropping back into my seat. I fold my arms before my chest.
How can I get him to agree to help me? Is there something I can exchange for his help? Something I can bait him with…
“Ah!!”
I have a good idea!
Wow, aren't I super clear-headed today?!
“I can just tell him it's a part-time job!"
Come to think of it, the last time I met Alfred at the church, he said he just finished working at one of his short-term part-time jobs, and was looking for a new one! With this he will surely take my bait.
Yosh, let's just do that.
I'll have to negotiate the price of each piece with him, though. I wonder what the average price for this kind of thing is. No idea. Well, Alfred should be more knowledgeable about this than me, since he's worked a lot of part-time jobs before. Ah, but maybe it will be better if I consult Lowendal about the market price first. If it's expensive to charge magic stones, I want to get the best bang out of my buck.
I'll test out my haggling ability! And I have no intention of losing!
Just like with my favorite tea leaf and sweets shop. At the beginning, they clearly overcharged me, and I had to beat down their prices. There's no way I'll buy anything at the asking price. Haggling the cost to half of its original is the best feeling!
Content with my plans, I hum and nod, stuffing the giant pile of transparent crystals into a bag.
Since I can't mention the part-time job in school, I discuss it with Alfred on the weekend, after he comes home from work.
“So how about one thousand Erd per piece?”
Erd is this world's currency. It's worth about the same as the currency in my original world. The cost of living too. That makes things a lot easier for me.
With ten pieces, he can get ten thousand Erd. The market price hourly wage for part-time work is a thousand Erd, so this shouldn't be unprofitable for him.
I sit beside Alfred in the dining room as he's eating his dinner, trying to negotiate a wage.
Gulping down the stew and bread made by Marie, Alfred turns his face towards me, and raises a brow. (I also have my fill. The food here tastes home-cooked and delicious.)
Anyway, your plate is already empty? Don't you think you eat too fast? Please eat slower. Wolfing down food is not good for your body, you know.
“One thousand.”
“Yeah.”
Alfred stares at the ceiling. He seems to be considering it. Then, after stroking his jaw, he suddenly turns to face me once more. He nods.
“…Alright.”
“Really!!?”
I did it!!
What a quick negotiation!! But why does it feel like I didn't negotiate at all?
I cheerfully open my leather briefcase and place the cloth bag full of magic origin stones on to the desk.
“Here are one thousand pieces. You can take your time with them. Any amount you do will be super helpful. I'll pay you according to how many charged stones you give per exchange—"
After he catches sight of how many are in the bag, his eyes widen.
“One hundred pieces? What do you need so many for?”
“Ehh!? T-that… It's for many things. Many, many things! Uhh, t-that's right. M-my father needs them. Since you seem to have a huge excess of magic power, I just thought why not use yours. It's not a bad deal, right?”
“Well… That's true.”
“Uh huh. That's right, yeah! Then as a test trial, let's have you charge one piece."
I retrieve one of the transparent crystal gems from the bag, and place it within Alfred's grasp.
“Like the method, you just have to pour your magic power inside this stone. Think of the stone as an empty container. It's different from transferring magic power to other people. There's no resistance, so it should be fairly simple.”
“Heeeh…”
“Go try it."
Alfred lightly grips the crystal, and starts to pour in his magic power.
The colorless crystal quickly bleeds orange, then red—
And it shatters.
The glittering and transparent sand falls through the gaps between Alfred's fingers.
“Wha…!?”
“It broke.”
It broke? Like h.e.l.llllllll!!
T-this idiot! That thing costs three thousand Erd! And he crushed it to pieces in a second! H-how wasteful!!
I get that you can charge magic power in the speed of a bullet, but you don't have to crush three thousand Erd into smithereens, you idiot!!
“Stupid idiot! Charge it softly! Softly! You put too much magic power in it, you stupidly magical-powerful idiot! Stop immediately when the stones turns deep orange!"
I can't help but take out another stone, shoving it into Alfred's palm.
I can't let him break another one. If it even looks like he's about to shatter one, I'll have to quickly s.n.a.t.c.h it from his fingers! As a contingency plan, I grab on to his hand, the one that's charging the stone.
“L-let's try one more time.”
Alfred nods, and start to focus on the crystal again.
The transparent stone slowly turns orange. What, so you can do it if you put your heart into it! Really, just do that from the start.
Before the stone bleeds red, I lightly tap Alfred's hand and he stops.
He opens his palm. A thick blood-orange crystal sits within, the color the testament to it's fully-charged condition.
The flawless work, which I have expected from Alfred, causes me to smile and nod.
“See, aren't you able to do it if you try it properly? Uh huh, good job!”
After saying this, I glance up. Alfred is also looking at me, his gaze fond. He smiles.
I'm taken aback and quickly avert my eyes
…What am I doing, smiling as if we get along? This is no good.
“…Y-you just have to charge the rest of the stones like you just did. Do you understand the method now?”
“I understand. That's right Lian, is the deadline soon?"
“Hm? Deadline… Ah, well, let's just say I want it completed as fast as you can…. Do you have something else you need to do?
Alfred nods. “Three weeks from tomorrow will be spring break, right?”
“Y-yeah. You're right. What about it?”
Three weeks starting tomorrow, our local school will have a break.
A lot of the students help out in their family farms, so the school takes a break at that time. It's a busy season for farmers, since it is the period in which they have to plant their seeds.
I'll be busy too. I still need to make the demon alarms, and I also haven't finished the village's hazard map. Thus, I'm planning on using the spring break to quickly advance my progress.
“Tomorrow, I will accompany Cheddar-san and his wife to Fothel village. It's across a mountain from here. That's why I'll be absent from the church for at most two weeks."
Absent…?
“…Eh!?! W-why!? And why for so long?!"
“It's only a possibility that the trip will take two week… We're bringing cows and horses on our journey too. Cheddar-san's relative has a ranch in that village, but apparently more than half of their livestock died from illness. So they are in desperate need of animals, to the point that they traveled to our village to request for some. Cheddar-san and his wife are bringing along eight cows with them… And, they requested that I come along.”
Ahh, I see.
They probably wanted him as an escort..
Since Alfred is strong.
“Fothel village…”
I'm at a loss.
Now I remember.
…I see.
So, we're already at this stage──
Special thanks to the awesome Anon-san for the ko-fi!