Volume 1 Chapter 38: When someone's on your mind

(Walson)

"Master... Are you alright?" When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Melon's worried face, and my head was on her lap.

Ahh- I drained all my mana and fainted again. A strong headache hit me as the side effect of abusing the mana potion.

[Commoners] have really low stats, and despite me using [Meditatraining] to improve my mana, and me being a [Vassal of The Forest], I'm still at this level...

By the way, [Meditatraining] is just a random name, it's execution is to drain all of my mana as much as possible to train my stats.

As we all know, 'better start when you're young!' So I started training like this since I was 5, this is why I have more mana than other [Commoners]. If they have 100, then I have 1000. *

But, this is actually not a lot.

In this country, the weakest of the weak [Beginner Mage] has about 900 mana, in other words. Despite having impressive reserves for a commoner, I'm still just a slightly uncommon [Commoner].

But on the other hand, I had Grace train using this method from a young age, which had extraordinary results and made her reservoirs really scary.

How scary, you ask? On the levels of something like Godzilla, I think.

"...Ahh." I moaned in pain. My headache is absolutely killing me.

Even though this is pushing myself too much, I had to get this done quickly. This is going to be my gift for Grace, and she is going to leave soon.

"It's lunchtime, Master, do you want something to eat?" Said Melon, kneeling. I saw her move a box of mana potions away from me out of the corner of my eyes.

"Melon, those potions are the last batch..."

*Crash!* Before I could finish, I saw her tail sway to the side, in a heavy, smashing motion...

"I'm sorry, Master, I accidentally ruined the potions, please discipline me." Melon said with a straight face. The potions are now nothing more than glass shards on the floor.

"... Whatever, can I lie down a bit more?" I closed my eyes. Well, I could always do things later.

"Of course, Master." Melon caressed my head... I don't know why, but I want to snuggle with her for now.

"Erm...Master...what about Grace..."

"Let her be, it's time for the both of you to choose your future paths." I replied, not really wanting to continue with the subject.

"But, Master has been messing around these days."

"Yeah... Right, Melon, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

"I'll leave this place once I'm 15, what do you plan on doing then?"

"Master... This can't be..." She gains a panicked expression

"Do you want the collar to go? With your current level, you can become very powerful..." Becoming an [Adventurer] or joining the army shouldn't be too hard for her.

"No." I was cut off suddenly. "I want to keep serving Master."

"...Really? You could become an [Adventurer], or go to the capital and join the army."

"...Are you abandoning me?" She suddenly teared up.

"Eh!!? No, no no no. I'm not abandoning you, I just wanted to ask... On a side note, do you not have any interest in freedom?"

"Then choosing to keep serving Master, is my freedom." She answered without hesitation.

"So you like me that much." I started to laugh, teasing her.

But hearing this, Melon straightened up her pose and stared at me.

From the position of the lap pillow, I saw Melon's cheeks turn red, but her eyes were still full of determination.

Whoa, she looks so cute.

"... Saying this might be overstepping my responsibilities as a slave... but Master, I like you a lot."

Ehh...Ehh!?

"Ahh?"

Wait a second, am I being confessed to right now?

"Yes, Master, that kind of like." Melon started to get embarrassed. "So I wanted to stay by your side and keep serving Master... is that not okay?"

Ahh... to think, she was with me for a long time, is she the kind of slave that offers both body and soul?

After hearing what she said, I wanted to make Melon wear a maid costume.

"Thank you." I sat up and patted Melon's head.

"If Master wants to be a merchant, let me be your guard." Melon looked at the hand on top of her head and laughed.

Seeing Melon's smile, my gloomy emotions were gone completely.

Alright! If someone wants to tag along, then let's make 'that thing' bigger. I walked up to the desk, picked up the pen, and started to modify the blueprint.

I thought I was going to become a lone merchant, so I didn't want to make the carriage too big, but since Melon wanted to come too, I had to make it bigger.

How about I just make it as big as I can, in case other people need a ride in the future... let me think, I can just use the [Chest] for storing goods, so I'll leave enough space for 10 [Chests].

It shouldn't be too heavy... will Rifle be able to pull it?

That's right, I'm going to let Rifle pull the carriage. Buying a horse and adding it as a pet is too troublesome, Rifle alone should suffice for companionship.

Looking at the modified blueprint, I took out different kinds of materials. Since I don't have mana to make more progress on the wand, let's make something that doesn't require mana.

The carriage is box-shaped with doors on the side. Other than the doors, you can get in through the driver's seat...it's 5 meters long, 3 meters wide, 2 meters tall, and the appearance is based on a caravan...

With the construction skills from Minecraft, structuring the prototype was quick, but in order to apply more things, I drilled the bottom of the carriage.

First, the suspension and the bearing.

I've gotten used to the luxurious car rides from my past life, so this is really important. Usually, this involves forging, but it could be taken care of with the Minecraft crafting skill and the [Furnace].

It took me 3 hours to install everything. Melon was in the training room, the sound of her training with the [Training Dummy] served as ambience.

Ok then, with this, a comfy carriage is done.

But! This is going to be used by me, so I can't just leave it like this.

Considering the total weight and Rifle's physical limits, I have to make it so that it can move without Rifle's help.

So, I put switches self-made from gears, redstone, and magic. It's too complicated, so I don't want to elaborate.

The power source is redstone, so there isn't a problem with running out of energy, and I can control it with a lever, by the way, there's even an armed arsenal!

It's technology not from this world, so normally, I'll just let Rifle pull it, even though letting a monster pull a carriage is already showing off.

The lever is usually hidden under the driver's seat, it can be pulled out directly when needed, and the carriage will be able to dash after Rifle jumps on top... Ok! It's practically finished!

I crawled out from the bottom of the carriage and discovered that 5 hours had passed... I forget about the time whenever I get really absorbed in making things, regardless of which life I live.

"...Walson." Until a soft-spoken voice appeared, I had not noticed someone was next to me.

While I wasn't paying attention, Grace has come here... it has been a long time since she visited, after that incident.

"Is there anything I can help?" I spoke.

My voice was far colder than I thought... What am I doing? I can't talk to Grace with this attitude.

"...Walson, are you in a bad mood?"

In a bad mood? Before you arrived, my mood was sort of good, but now it's complicated.

Of course, I can't say that out loud.

"No. Why suddenly come up here? It's dinner time right now, want something to eat?" I get ready to go to the kitchen.

"...Am I not allowed to come here without a reason?" Grace didn't answer me, but asked a weird question instead.

Hearing this, I stopped walking.

Am I not allowed to come here without a reason? You dare ask this question?

"Of course not, if your friends don't mind. You can come and go whenever you like, treat this place as your private garden. It's okay!" I turned around and answered Grace, and despite keeping a smile on my face, my tone was cold.

"...No, it's not like that... I..." Grace seemed nervous, but to me, she was just feeling guilty.

I know, I know that Grace has become more outgoing during these two years, she even has a huge group of fans back in the village, and I know that the landlord's son is clearly after her.

The landlord's son is experienced, handsome, and has a good reputation, plus having the rare talent for [Magic Swordsman], I should be happy for Grace.

But? The incident 3 weeks ago is freaking impossible for me to forget.

At that time, I went to the Dryad's tree to refine the [Core Magic Circle] of the staff, but after I spent a whole night on that, dragging my tired body along, I returned to the secret base to see an unbelievable sight.

A group of mercenaries is searching the outside of the secret base, an enraged Rifle is being attacked, and Grace? She is the one that led the mercenaries here, and the landlord's son is holding her hand while saying things like "protecting her", etc.

It would cause a big ruckus if anything in the secret base was known by the public; and for a weak being like me, this can only lead to my death!

She knew that!

SHE KNEW THAT!

If it wasn't for them attracting the mountain king by being too loud, I think I would already be taken away by now!

"...That was a misunderstanding, I-I don't..."

"Am I wrong? Oh, right, it's now enough treating this place as a private garden, how about this, what's his name... Your boyfriend... Oh, Neolla, right? I'll just give you this place, how about that? Oh, you don't have to care about our feelings, no, why am I saying this? It's not like you cared about that anyway!"

Yeah, if you cared, why only decide to visit me after three weeks?

At this point, I realized that I just said something very serious, which I had never done before... I... never talked this way.

"...Walson, think of me like that?"

"...Well, I shouldn't blame you, sorry for saying all of that." Watching Grace like this, I deflated. I... can't really stay angry when she has that look.

It's no use arguing anyway, as it has already happened.

I thought Grace would be angry at me and leave, but she stood straight - her height makes her tower over me - instead and stared down into my eyes.

So this is a height advantage... My height was still stuck at 160cm, a head shorter than Grace.

"...If that's how Walson thinks of me, then Walson needs to take me to the Capital." Grace's eyes were filled with anger and stubbornness.

"Ahh?" I wasn't able to react.

"...Walson made me unable to get to the Capital... I still need to go to the Academy, Walson needs to take me there."

I finally understood what Grace was saying, she wanted me to take her to the Royal Academy.

Of course, the next term starts in one and a half months, to make it in time, Grace needs to depart early.

So, it's before the coming-of-age ceremony...

"...The shop owner can't take me there because of personal reasons, so Walson must take me there." Grace added, "... We need to leave as soon as possible, or I can't see the shop owner again."

I almost choked when I heard this, a-are you treating me as an errand boy right now?

...Whatever, it's not like I haven't experienced this in the past life.

The staff for Grace hasn't been finished anyway, and I haven't decided where and what to trade, maybe it's better to go to the Capital.

I started to calculate every risk that would bring, but there's no reason to not go.

"M-Master, something happened in the village!" Just then, Melon runs in, panicking.

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