New Alchemia

"Senpaaai, Blade-senpaaai."

"Hm? Well if it isn't Karina! Long time no see. You here for the request too?"

A request. I see, so that's a thing here. Thanks for the immediate intel!

"Nah, I'm just passing through."

"Passing through…? This ain't exactly somewhere you just pass through. Well, whatever."

"So you're here on a request, Senpai?"

"Yeah! It's a request from the 'New Alchemia,' reconstruction work for the new capital!"

According to him, they're paying five silver coins per person per day. Apparently it's a pretty generous deal—though it's pocket change to me now.

Still, 'New Alchemia,' huh. So the former second-in-command and whoever else survived are trying to rebuild the country?

"Where are Shieldon-senpai and Sekko-senpai?"

"Ah. Shieldon's over there clearing rubble, and Sekko's running around as a messenger. Me, I'm helping with the soup kitchen, as you can see."

Now that he mentioned it, Senpai was sporting an apron and peeling potatoes, knife in hand.

Hmm, somehow it just fit. It suited him.

"Isn't this more of a job for your Woodworking skill…?"

"I helped out when they were building the temporary housing. But cooking duty got shoved onto me. Nobody wants to do it, and nobody wants to let just anyone do it either, apparently."

Apparently it's partly about cooking ability, but more importantly, you can't leave food preparation to someone you don't trust.

In other words, Blade-senpai got the job on the strength of his character. As expected of my senpai.

"Nyaa nyaa, Karina. This guy doesn't look all that strong, but is he really your senpai, nya?"

"Watch your mouth, Misha. Senpai's a great benefactor who taught me the ABCs of being an adventurer."

"Minya!? Hey you, why didn't you teach this girl more common sense, nya!?"

"… Ah, yeah, sorry about that? I was getting dragged around by Karina too, y'know."

"Ah, I get it now, nya. Sorry for asking the impossible, nya."

Blade-senpai and Misha firmly clasped hands. What's with this friendship? A relationship centered around me?

"Oh, by the way, I'm Misha, nya! When people talk about the Gale of Terarialbee, they mean me, nya!"

"The Gale!? That A-rank adventurer!?"

"Wait, what? You had a title other than 'The Butt That Pleases God'?"

"Hey, don't bring that up, nya!?"

On top of that, she was the same A-rank as Mashiro-san? News to me.

"… Ah, um. I'm Blade, a C-rank adventurer. Nice to meet ya."

"Huh, C? Did you just say C? Nyaaan, I braced myself 'cause you're Karina's senpai, but you're nothing spec—gkh, nyaa! Ahem! So Karina was a beginner once too, and this is the benefactor who helped her back then, nya!"

Good, good. One little pinch on the butt and she remembered her place. Don't badmouth my senpai, Misha.

"Senpai, this one's our pet, so no need for formalities! Right, Misha!"

"Yes indeed, nya, I'm a pet, nya, sorryyy."

"O-oh… Hey Karina, how the heck did you end up with the Gale following you around…?"

"Now, now, let's not sweat the details. Oh, want me to help peel those potatoes?"

"Oh, then take care of that basket over there."

A quick whoosh of Spatial Magic. And done, all peeled.

"Finished. Here you go. Oh, I'll do those ones too."

"Yeah. Magic really is something else. Here, it ain't much, but take this as a tip."

Blade-senpai casually tossed me a silver coin. Wow, roughly ten thousand yen just for peeling potatoes. How generous. That's a fifth of Blade-senpai's daily wage, is that really okay?

"That's how much work it would've been to peel 'em normally, so it's fair."

"Then how about I throw in cutting them and tossing them in the pot as a bonus?"

"Hey now, I ain't giving any more tips after that, alright? But if you do, you can eat with us."

And so I helped Blade-senpai with his work. Then, with the freed-up time, I decided to ask him more about the situation.