Gata gata goto goto.

   The covered carriage that was traveling down the road continued to shake with a gentle rhythm.

   Inside the empty luggage area were Ravi and I, as well as one other person, Catlie, the girl we met yesterday.

「Waa! Look at that, Ravi-chan, there’re bunny-sans in the fields! 」

「Umm……, where……? 」

「There there! 」

「Wa, it’s really……! 」

「Fufu, Ravi-chan¹ is a rabbit too, right? I’m also a rabbit so we’re a match. 」

「Unn……a match……」

   The girls were talking excitedly, while looking at the scenery passing. While looking after them, I called out.

「Ravi. Catlie. It’s dangerous if you lean out so much. 」

「Yes, I will be careful! 」

「Daddy, sorry to worry you.」

   Ravi listened to what I said and sat back down properly, while still keeping her sparkling eyes fixed on the scenery. She’s enjoying the trip so far.

「Ah. This road, we’ve been here before……. Say, daddy, the horses are amazing……! They’re so fast. 」

「Yeah. These horses are especially fast. 」

   Since on the journey back, we would be carrying heavy luggage, so I hope to be at least decently fast. That’s why I chose the horses that looked young and energetic.

「We have a different horse when we come back. Since we are going to get a lot of wood. We need a horse that can carry a heavy load. 」

「Can horses bear such heavy things? 」

「Yeah. Since the carriage have wheels to help them. Probably eight tons would be fine. 」

   She was surprised as her mouth opened, her surprised response is cute too.

「Customer-san, you know well. To know the maximum load of a carriage, could you be in the same business? 」

「Horses-san, they are amazingly strong. But daddy is much stronger than that you know? 」

「Is that so, Ravi-chan? As expected of the adventurer Douglas-san! 」

「Daddy is always amazing, when he becomes muscular he’s more amazing! 」

   Ravi was sticking up her chest and is proud of me. Although I’m not comfortable getting praised by other people, but when it’s my daughter, I felt bottomless joy. I smiled bitterly from my embarrassment, as I looked the surroundings.

   The bridge just now, it was the junction to Milton. The people I met there, Veronica, Ted, the Rose Princess, and Madam. While feeling a little nostalgic, I turned back towards the road that we are progressing.

   As to the reason why we are on the horse carriage now, returning to when we met and talked with Catlie yesterday――.

　◇◇◇

「――I see. That’s why you have to build a house with just five gold huh……」

   While moving her long white ears, Catlie listened to my explanation intently. After that, we left the craftsman guild and went to another store, 『Reversing Gale Bird』which is on another street.

   There’s a dining hall inside the guild for the craftsman or the requestor but the atmosphere would be unpleasant. Me and this girl, the both of us are getting attention from the craftsmen… for different reasons.

   Especially when she’s a girl working as a craftsman. There were people who have obviously don’t want her there.

「I fully understand what Douglas-san wants to do for his friend. That’s why, I will not ask for any payment! 」

「No. Please properly receive it. 」

「But……」

「You have your own life to worry about. 」

   Catlie nodded while seemingly a little fidgety. Ravi asked as if worrying.

「Catlie-oneesan, what’s wrong……? 」

   As though getting worried by a young little girl, Catlie raised her face with courage.

「Sorry……Honestly speaking. I don’t have any jobs normally. The times that people hired me……it’s still zero now……. I just worked as an assistant whenever there’s a lack of personnel……」

   Isn’t that because that she was discriminated against since she was a girl as a craftsman? While recalling the happenings in the craftsman guild, I thought so in secret.

「And the one who gave the first job to me, it was the famous Douglas-san! That’s why, I’m already more than happy. So, the payment……」

   I’m glad that this job has given her some self-confidence. But still, if she’s going to work, it shouldn’t be for free.

「Didn’t you accept the job not as a volunteer, but a first-class craftsman?  」

「T-that’s……」

「You must accept the proper pay befitting the job. If I were to tell my friend that the inn was built with free labor, then I will definitely be scolded. 」

「Uu……But I, I’ve never done any job on my own before……」

「Even so, you’ve properly learned from your parents right? 」

「Y-yes! I have confidence in that……! My parents are very skillful craftsman! 」

「Then it’s settled. 」

   It’s not like I don’t understand her feelings. When I lost my abilities and I couldn’t clear any quests properly, I became blind to my surroundings after losing my self-confidence.

   Thinking that I should be grateful that I have a quest to accept, and to clear that, I bought a mountain load of potions. Even if I cleared the quest and got the rewards, with the potion’s costs, I would still be in the red……. Failing to calculate that is a clear loss of qualifications as an adventurer.

「Like how you are grateful to me, I feel the same way for you who was willing to accept my request. Have more self-confidence. I want you to complete the job and receive compensation that suits your abilities. 」

「Self-confidence……? 」

「That’s right. Don’t say something that will lower your own worth. It doesn’t matter if you have a job or not. If you think that you have the skills of a craftsman, then be proud of it. 」

   The girl’s red eyes started to be wet with tears, but she immediately rubbed them with her sleeves, along with her nose.

「U……Understood……」

「So you will accept your payment? 」

「Y-yes……. Thank you very much……」

「Catlie-oneesan, don’t cry……」

「T-that’s right. Hey look, don’t stop your hands. Eat more. 」

「T-thank you very much――」

   And so Catlie stuffed her mouth with salad.

「I will be paying you properly for your work. But other than that, we must economize on the budget. Is there any way? 」

「Yes, I think it’s going to be difficult, but I’m doing my best! 」

   After ordering her second salad, Catlie thought in silent.

「Sorry. I know it’s a difficult task……」

「No, please! I’m happy! I was relied on, and you helped me sort out my feelings! 」

   While grasping her fork tightly, Catlie continued thinking.

「Things that cost the most, is definitely the labor cost and material costs. If unskilled people work then it will be cheaper but it will take much longer for completion. 」

「How long do you mean? 」

「Since an inn is larger than a normal residence……. Even if we have five workers, it will take a month and half. If I manage to get a helper, it will take three months at earliest……. We will definitely need at least two people, since carrying and supporting the timber is needed, doing it alone is definitely impossible. 」

「I see……By the way, if a super strong amateur would participate, would that help? 」

   As if agreeing, Ravi raised her face.

「Daddy, muscle swelling? 」

「Yeah. I wonder if muscle power will be a help or not. 」

「It’s fine even if the helper isn’t a carpenter! 」

「That’s great. 」

   I felt relieved. The one who’s most responsible for Eihab’s inn is me. If I were to only stand and look while giving out orders, it wouldn’t feel right.

「And regarding the materials……It’s a difficult problem……」

「Can you explain? 」

   Catlie nodded.

「The wood suitable for construction is actually very expensive. 」

「I-is that so……」

「Normally, when you build a house, of the ten gold needed, six of them are actually for the wood. 」

   Doesn’t that mean the majority of the expenses are due to the wood?

「Why is it so expensive? Is it rare? 」

「No, the wood itself is from the northern Shishikaba Forest. But, that is the elves’ territory. To purchase the wood, you can only wait for the elves to sell them, and they only do that twice a month. But, the elves themselves are the problem. 」

   I realized the reason why Catlie felt down.

「The elves hate races other than themselves after all. The logging and transport cost quite a lot, and they won’t even budge a bit……」

   In other words, rather than the wood being expensive, it’s the price of getting a deal with the elves.

「It’s troublesome. Really, I want to just go to where the elves are and buy it from them. 」

   As I thought, it’s something like this huh. Since the elves have cautious personality, they try their best to not meddle with other races. There aren’t really any people that are accepted by them, and they especially hate humans.

   If they knew the wood is for building an inn for humans, then they might not engage in a deal at all.

「But there are elves that don’t mind humans too……」

   While saying that, I suddenly recalled.

「That’s right. How about asking the elves from Floria? I know them. If we were to cut the lumber ourselves, then it will probably be cheap. 」

「Eh!? 」

   Catlie eyes became round.

「Daddy, Nicky and the others? 」

「Yeah, that’s right. I’m sure they still remember us. 」

「Waa. We can meet them again……! 」

「Eh? Eeeh? 」

   At Catlie who’s stupefied, I explained.

「I have someone I know. Since they were willing to let us stay there for a few days, they might hear us out. 」

「Eh……Eeeeeeeeeeh!? 」

   Catlie yelled loudly.

「You have elven acquaintances……How did you do it――!? 」

   It’s not that big of a deal. It’s just that we stopped by there on our journey.

「It will take twenty days on horse to Floria. And we will need a carriage to carry the lumber huh. 」

   The fees for renting a horse carriage, it should be fine if I calculate it aside from the construction fees. It might be cheating a little but, this much money should be fine even if I pay.

   Thus, here we are, riding on the shaky horse carriage.

1. eeh, you get it, it’s similar in pronunciation