Chapter 91
Three Ortem carts were completed .
They are simple structures with four wheels and handles on a large box .
Of course, the front is carved with a face, just like Ortem .
It’s been a while since I’ve done a good job .
I was about to lift the balm bird with both arms and load it onto the Ortem cart when Gordon stopped me .
“Abel-san, I’d like to check something before we stack them up . When you catch a balm bird, it comes with a little something extra . If you have that many birds, it must have something, please lend them to me . ”
An added extra?
I didn’t know what it was, but I had no reason to say no .
I silently handed the balm bird to Gordon .
Gordon takes the balm bird and sits down on the ground with his hips and puts the bird on his lap .
With his right hand, he spreads the balm bird’s beak and sticks his fingers in it . Then, with his other hand, he taps vigorously
“…… What are you doing?”
“This is a miss . I’m sure the one I missed is mixed in with the others, so at least one of them is…… oh, here it is! just a little more, a little more! s.h.i.t! d.a.m.n it! s.h.i.t! I got it, I got it!”
Gordon happily pulled out his right hand .
In his hand, he held a drool-coated gold coin .
…… In short, the extra was apparently a gold coin that had been used by other adventurers as bait and eaten away, sometimes remains in their mouth .
Even if it was happily offered to me, I’m a bit reluctant to accept it .
“…… Well, I’ll give you what comes out of their mouth . Originally, you guys were chasing after the balm bird took the gold coins, right?”
As of now, Gordon is having his work cut out for him .
However, it’s also useful as insurance against Gaston, although it’s partly because he’s the one who poked and prodded me and gave me a lot of trouble .
I’m thankful that he has muscles that I don’t, and since he seemed to be seriously afraid of me, he’s unlikely to betray me .
Considering that it’s likely to continue to be useful in the future, I’d better be prepared to pay the price .
They’re going to have to buy another bow for Mordon, but I don’t think they seem to have much money to spare .
It’s only a few gold coins or so, which is insignificant in terms of the number of balm birds .
Besides…… I don’t want to touch those sticky gold coins .
“I-Is that okay? Really? Abel-san…… no, Brother Abel!”
An impressed Gordon approaches with his hands outstretched .
“Stop with the brother . Hey, get that hand away from me!”
…… At any rate, before enough time had pa.s.sed, the gold spitting was finished and the balm bird stacking process was over .
I had Mea and the Gordon brothers push the Ortem cart and started walking towards the city of Lomarn .
Even though we were divided into three equal parts, there were still a lot of balm birds .
Compared to the Gordon brothers, whose muscles were for sale, it was a little tougher for Mea .
Mea would occasionally stop to wipe the sweat off her feet and let out a breath of agony .
Then she took a quick breath and gained momentum to move forward and make up for her delayed steps .
“Are you okay?”
“No, really, I’m perfectly fine! In fact, a little bit of a ha.s.sle is just fine for Mea!”
Mea, who said this while breathing slightly hard, looked like she was having a hard time with it normally .
The position of the handle might have been a little high for Mea, too .
Should I have changed it to fit for the person a little more?
If there’s a next time, I’ll consider it .
I thought about at least carrying my own luggage by myself, but I don’t have that much time to spare either .
The more delicate a piece of magic is, the more it wears down your spirit .
And my legs are also bulging .
Even I can only walk as hard as I can . No, really .
On the way home, Gordon compares me to Mea and Me, squinting and scratching his head in frustration .
He was mumbling something, but when his eyes met mine, he quickly looked away and forced his expression back to a bland expression .
What is it, is there something on my face?
“…… Hey little girl . That one on your back, I’ll carry it . ”
Gordon suggests to Mea .
“I, I don’t want to! This is what Mea was entrusted with by Abel!”
Mea speeds up her walk as if to escape and pulls Gordon away from her .
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t even have anything that important in there, and it would be better if he carries it for you…’
I called out to Mea’s back as she moved away .
Mea was wobbling from side to side due to the fact that she forced herself to increase her speed .
“…… Brother Abel too, you know, you can at least carry the weight on her back . ”
Gordon mouthed as he looked away as if it was hard to say .
“N, no…… I wish I could but I’m too busy, and I’m doing my best just from walking or something…… but honestly I think it’s time for you to take a break……”
“Now you’re joking……”
Gordon looked back at me and stopped his mouth from saying something .
“What? What’s going on?”
“Whe-, when did you get so sweaty, brother Abel……”
…… Even with this, I think I’ve gotten a lot better since I left the village .
“Sorry Mea, I think it’s time to take a short break . Mea, hey!”
I call out to Mea, who is walking ahead of me .
Mea looked back a little, she tried to stop the Ortem cart…… but the force pulled her back and she slumped down on the spot .
“Kyah!”
Mea’s body fell with such force that the Ortem cart almost fell into the path below the steps .
Not good .
I take out my wand and thrust it into the ground .
A magic circle appears and the ground around me is engulfed in light .
“Oh earth, alteration”
The dirt under Mea’s feet sucked the soles of her shoes in, forcing her to get into position .
“Ah…… Huh?’
Mea opened her closed eyes and tilted her head confused .
The front wheels of the Ortem cart, too, were protruding out of the road, but it had stopped moving in that state .
It was a scene that as if time had stopped .
“Phew!”
Since it was on the spur of the moment, he took a wider range in favor of certainty, which altered Gordon’s foothold as well .
This caused Gordon to hit the knee of his right foot, which had been off the ground, into the suddenly stopped Ortem cart .
“Oh, sorry . Gordon . ”
“N, no, just this…… Ouch……”
I’d like to disarm the magic, but if I do, Mea’s Ortem cart will fall off the road .
It’s not that high on the bottom step, so it can be picked up normally, but if it’s tipped over, the balm bird will be damaged .
“Land”
I wave my wand .
The light from the tip of my wand reaches directly underneath the Ortem cart that is about to fall .
The terrain deforms and the soil rises .
The ground appears underneath the front wheels of Ortem cart .
“Alright, with this we’re good now”
“Oh, thank you Abel…… I’m saved . ”
Mea seemed to finally relax when she saw that the Ortem cart was safe, and her body, which had been tense to look at, relaxed easily .
“H-, hey, who are you really?”
Gordon stared at the newly emerging scaffolding, his face twitching .