Trust from Alexia

Our business was finished, but I decided to stay in Luido for a few days.

I shared an inn room with Alexia.

At this point, neither of us minded seeing each other's skin or watching each other change. We'd washed each other's backs after all.

Besides, having a mage around made bathing incredibly convenient.

Mages truly were wonderful.

Moving the Earth Elemental Stone would require Elza's help.

We'd also need to set up a barrier afterward to prevent tampering.

That meant waiting for Azu and the others to return, but doing nothing would be wasteful.

So I decided to start on the uncultivated area now.

We'd have to do it eventually anyway.

Holding a hoe in hand and changing into clothes that could get dirty, I headed for the site.

Alexia wore her usual dress with armor added.

I'd originally made her wear it as harassment and for my own amusement, but it really did suit her well. With her good figure and posture, it looked great on her.

This time was for magic work, so her clothes wouldn't get dirty.

We arrived at the site.

True to its name, the uncultivated land was rough terrain untouched by human hands. At least it wasn't forest.

I could see why Luido's people hadn't bothered with it.

The effort-to-reward ratio was poor. Cultivable area would barely increase, and even if it did, there wasn't enough labor to work it.

The conclusion that it was a losing proposition must have persisted for ages.

But we couldn't leave it that way forever.

We needed to make use of the unused land too.

"By the way, what's that?"

"This? I borrowed it from a neighbor since they had extras. Two people should be faster, right?"

When I showed her the hoe and said that, I got a big sigh in return.

"We learned from the last construction project that tilling by hand is slow. I'll handle it, so it would be far more helpful if you moved the rocks and tree roots that come up."

"I see…"

I reluctantly set down the hoe.

Alexia put on leather gloves and squeezed her hands several times to check the feel.

Apparently visualization was important for magic, and by treating the leather gloves as a stand-in for soil, the effect was enhanced.

I didn't understand mages' sensibilities, but if a professional said so, it must be true.

The ground immediately began to heave and overturn.

Large rocks and tree roots were dug up along with the soil, and I busied myself moving them.

Alexia's earth magic had more force than before.

The way the area of effect spread out like waves was incredible.

The stones I kept carrying were formed into golems that helped with the work.

After enough time passed, the rocks composing the golems' bodies would crumble apart, making this two birds with one stone.

After continuing for a while, the previously uncultivated land had transformed into vast farmland.

Few landowners would possess this much acreage.

The blisters on my hands stung, but the joy of having this much land at my disposal outweighed it.

"Here, let me see. It's dangerous if dirt gets into the wounds."

Alexia grabbed both my hands.

She washed the wounds with clean water she'd created with magic, dried them, and wrapped them in bandages.

She could be clumsy in some ways, but as a battlefield veteran, her bandaging was impeccable.

"There. Have Elza heal the rest."

"Thanks, I will. While you're at it, I'd appreciate if you could fix this back pain too."

"What are you, an old man?"

She slapped my back hard.

But despite the impact, it didn't hurt. Rather, my back pain eased.

"Master, I know you love money, but you hunch forward more and more when you're counting it. You need to be mindful of your posture."

"Okay, okay! I'll be careful, so stop mothering me!"

Having someone so attentive was a mixed blessing. I was grateful, but being lectured at my age…

She replied that as long as I understood, it was fine.

Her attitude was still haughty, but in a way, that was one of Alexia's strengths.

Confidence made her beauty shine.

A demure version would look nice too, in its own way.

"Now we just need to moisten the soil. I hear those sweet potatoes are drought-resistant, but there's no need to deliberately dry out the land. It would be even better if we could make them grow larger."

"Then it would be better to wait for Azu and the others to return. Even my magic can't produce that much water."

"So we need the Water Elemental. Spirits really are amazing."

"Normally, even borrowing their power is difficult. And we have three types. Even in my hometown, one just happened to take up residence, and that alone was practically a miracle."

As she said this with an exasperated look, the salamander popped out of her brooch and perched on Alexia's head.

Alexia gently stroked the salamander.

"They're pure creatures. Their power has no good or evil in it."

"That's true. If they were misused, the damage would be serious."

"In that sense, coming here was the right choice. Even if you use them to make a bit of money, you don't do anything wrong."

Those words were Alexia's trust in me given voice.

Trust built day by day through my actions.

"Well, there are some things that make me wonder about you."

She said that while glaring at me through narrowed eyes.

I was a man too. Sometimes I wanted to touch.

Azu and Elza would probably accept it, but Alexia was the one with the least strings attached.

I didn't need to hold back with slaves, but crossing that line would inevitably change our relationship no matter what form it took.

Was it selfish to want things to stay as they were a little longer?

After spending a few days alone together, Alexia and I returned to Kassad.

Azu and the others had just returned, so I received their report.

Nothing noteworthy. Excellent results.

Even after deducting Finn's share, we'd made a solid profit.

I had Elza heal my hands, and finally it was time to move the Earth Elemental Stone.