Chapter 93
Chapter 93: Trial Digging Commence Two days later, morning .
At breakfast, when Kazura arrived at the dining room together with Marie, there were already other people inside . This morning, Zirconia also partic.i.p.ated and she smiled when she noticed Kazura’s presence . There were no trace nor signs of the slightly exhausted expression she had the other day and her physical condition seems to be excellent . Since Kazura had I given Lipo-D for Zirconia to Eira, perhaps this was the result of its effect . 「Kazura-san, good morning . Please accept my apology to be absent for two days . 」(Zirconia) 「No, it"s fine . Do you feel better today?」(Kazura) 「Yes, I’m already feeling well, I can work even right now . 」(Zirconia) Zirconia spoke with a bright expression, so Kazura sighed a relief inside his mind . For the past two days, Kazura couldn’t erase the Zirconia’s crying face that stuck in his mind and felt depressed of what’s happened with her . However, seeing her expression, it seemed that for the time being, she had recovered somehow . 「Ano, Kazura-sama, about the work for today……」(Lieze) When Kazura took his seat, Lieze who was sitting on his right, spoke to him with an apologetic face . It seemed that there was traces of fatigue remained on her face . 「Similar to the yesterday, there are another audiences has been scheduled and so I couldn’t accompany you for today…… I am terribly sorry . 」(Lieze) 「Is that so?…… but the audiences are also important matters, right? I already appreciate if you can help me when you are free, so please don’t worry about it . 」(Kazura) 「Thank you very much . Actually, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow there will be audiences even until the evening…… So will it be alright if the military inspection is performed 3 days from now?」(Lieze) 「The audiences are 4 consecutive days? It will be alright even if the inspection is at a later date, so please take a rest at least for a day……」(Kazura) 「No, 3 days from now, my schedule will be absolutely empty, so please let me accompany you . 」(Lieze) Since Lieze’s schedule was very packed, Kazura was worried about her . Lieze must have been very busy with the waterwheel installation in the farmlands and negotiation with the craftsmen every day in his absence . Furthermore, it seemed that she received territory administration and military related lectures from her exclusive tutor between the gaps of her crowded schedule, . Although he felt sorry to interrupt her meager break day, the person herself didn’t feel like taking a day off . 「Are you planning to inspect the military?」(Zirconia) Listening to their conversation, Zirconia looked at Kazura with a surprised face . 「Yes, the day before yesterday, Nelson-san had given me some explanation about the armament, but I wanted to at least see it personally firsthand . Also, if there is a time later, then I would like to hear about the diplomatic situation . 」(Kazura) 「Oh my, thank you very much! Then if you don’t mind then…… ah, no, it’s nothing . 」(Zirconia) Zirconia was about to say, “should I guide you for the inspection after the breakfast”, but she felt a dark aura behind Lieze who sat opposite of her, so she retracted her words back . Since she heard unantic.i.p.ated words coming from Kazura, it seemed that she had unconsciously going to say an unnecessary remark . From Eira’s words, the relationship between the two was progressing favorably . Since Liese seemed to aggressively trying to conquer Kazura, so in a situation where these two were together, then it would be better if she stepped aside as much as possible . In these past few days, Zirconia was aware that Kazura was really concerned about her . Until the yesterday evening, she kept feeling depressed due to the failure of the night visit, but after having experienced the effect of the cosmetic products and the Lipo-D brought by Eira, she felt that her mood made a complete change into an exhilarated state . After drinking the Lipo D, her body that felt heavy like lead from overwork and lack of sleep was fully relieved in a mere 2 hours and her current physical condition was top form . In addition, thanks to the cosmetics given to her, her skin that looked rough began to radically improve overnight . Thought she experienced similar phenomenon when taking a bath with the bath salt, but the effect of the cosmetics surpa.s.sed that by a wide margin . Thought she had been surprised many times by the performance of the goods that were brought by Kazura, but it was unexpected for her that Kazura even possessed drugs and cosmetics with magic-like effect . For him to give medicines and cosmetics with such effects to her as if these were apology gifts, she realized that she was just she was too over-concerned about the event that evening . If Kazura had lost interest in her, then he wouldn’t be this concerned for her like this . On the contrary, her really depressed-like state was able to induce Kazura’s sympathy and concern . If she made good use of this situation then she could successfully attract Kazura’s attention even more . 「If there is any information you that you need, please inform me . Since I supervise the military, I believe I can answer that question . 」(Zirconia) 「I understand . Then, I hope for your cooperation when that time comes . But, since I don’t know if I can give any advise, please don’t expect too much . 」(Kazura) I mustn’t fan their expectations conceitedly, Kazura appended his words . However, Zirconia didn’t made any particularly disappointed expression and smiled brightly at Kazura . 「It will be enough, even if you only observing . Thank you very much . 」(Zirconia) 「Yes, we are truly obliged that Kazura-dono is helping us in internal affairs as well…… Nonetheless, we are truly saved to also receive an advice in the military affairs . We are extremely grateful . 」(Nelson) 「Ah, yes, for now, I’ll be just looking around . Lieze-san, I’ll be depending on you next time . 」(Kazura) 「Yes!」(Lieze)
Meanwhile, the breakfast preparation had been finished, so after 2 days, the four of them finally ate the breakfast together . ✦✧✦✧✦ The same day, afternoon . In a certain corner of the Isteria city, kazura explained to the well-diggers about how to use the small well-digging auger . Beside Kazura there was the armored figure of Zirconia, who was listening to his explanation seriously . There were cloths stretched around to conceal the work scene from the surrounding . Isaac and Havel didn’t accompany Kazura, so the people in this place were Kazura, Zirconia, several escorts, servants, and the craftsmen in this place . Since it was necessary to construct aqueducts for the hydroturbine generator at Nelson’s mansion, Isaac and Havel were working at that task . 「Pierce the tip into the ground like this, then turn the handle and it will dig the ground . The dug up soil will be gathered at the tip, so after you dig to a certain extent, raise the well-digging auger and remove the soil . Keep repeat this step . 」(Kazura) The small well-digging auger brought by Kazura was a T–shaped handle attached to a cylindrical container at its tip . The container tips was a sharp edge shaped like opened bird"s beak, if the handle is turned when it was pierced into the ground, then it will gouge the ground to dig it . Because there was a valve inside of the container, the dug soil wouldn’t flow back . Since it was made from steel, unless they didn’t apply too much force then its edge shouldn’t break . Although it wasn’t able to pulverize large bedrock, if it was just a seam of a small stone, then it could crush the stone by exchanging the tip with a special blade fitting . 「If you keep digging throughout the day, I believe you will reach the brown sand layer where the poor quality water gushed out, but don’t stop digging even when water comes out, but please continue to dig until it reached the layer where good quality gushed out . But if you hit the rock bed, stop digging and dig elsewhere . 」(Kazura) The wells in the city of Isteria, not only turned up water that containing large amounts of iron content, which was called metallic water, but the amount of water also varies depending on the season . There should be a groundwater water vein where good quality water could gush out more steadily in deeper depths, so the current hole digging work was to dig into that underground water vein . However, because there was a thick bedrock under the ground, the objective was to find a place to reach the underground water vein without hitting the bedrock . If they couldn’t find layer without a bedrock even after digging at many places, then there was no other way but to use the prepared ultrahard steel chisel to manually dig through the bedrock to secure the good quality water . Since the existing wells had already reached the bedrock layer, he planned to distribute the chisel to the craftsmen and conduct the bedrock digging work in parallel . Since it was currently a drought season, most of the well had dried out, so this was a good timing to perform the bedrock drilling work . If he uses the gasoline-engine rock breaker then it would the work would be finished in the blink of an eye, but because the noise during the rock drilling was too extensively loud and so conspicuous, he didn’t consider to use it inside the city . When Kazura and Zirconia observed that the craftsmen who began their work, they moved to the next place with only the escort soldiers . 「Kazura-san, I apologize for losing my composure the other day, also I am grateful for medicine and cosmetics . 」(Zirconia) Kazura walked alongside with Zirconia in the middle of the group, and then Zirconia started talking to him in low voice . Perhaps Zirconia had been waiting for Kazura’s reaction, she made an apologetic downcast look .
「No, it was my actions that caused the misunderstanding, I’m truly sorry for this . That…… ended up gave you a frightening experience……」(Kazura) 「Ah, no! Since I misunderstanding of my own accord, it’s not Kazura-san’s fault! Since I’ already alright, please don’t be bothered with it too much . 」(Zirconia) Kazura apologized and so Zirconia hurriedly made a follow-up response . 「I am thankful…… Umm, did the medicine I gave effective?」(Kazura) 「Yes, it was truly a wonderful medicine . After drinking it, just one night pa.s.sed and all of the tiredness in my body had vanished . As one would expect from a medicine from the G.o.d’s Realm . 」(Zirconia) Zirconia answered with her usual gentle smile and Kazura felt relieved from the bottom of his heart . Although he had seen her cheerful figure at the breakfast, he didn’t have the confidence that they could normally converse like this again . But looking from her current state, it seemed that he didn’t need to worry anymore . 「That’s good to hear . Are you pleased with the cosmetics as well?」(Kazura) 「Yes, after I applied it, my skin became so beautiful overnight, that I couldn’t recognize myself . It is truly like a magic . 」(Zirconia) When he looked closely at Zirconia’s happy smiling face, certainly the skin felt more firm and moist than before . Perhaps because the effects of shampoo and conditioner also began to appear, her hair also looked glossier and more beautiful than before . 「Since I still have some in hand, please inform me when the cosmetics are about to be used up . Also, please inform me immediately if your body felt unwell, since I"ll give you that medicine again . 」(Kazura) 「Thank you very much . However, I will be careful to not overdo myself in the future, so please don’t worry about me . But, perhaps…… If you do not mind, I wish that you can share the medicine with Nelson and Isaac as well . Surely, they should be more tired than me……」(Zirconia) Timidly Zirconia came forward with a suggestion, the greedy atmosphere that she had previously had completely disappeared . Kazura didn’t know what is happening on her, but recently he really felt that she held grat.i.tude and attentiveness towards him . This might be too meddling, but somehow after seeing how she was doing her best with her own power, he ended wanted to help her . 「I understand, I’ll give it to them after this . 」(Kazura) 「Thank you very much . Since Nelson doesn’t know the medicine’s effectiveness, surely he would be surprised . 」(Zirconia) Zirconia said this while smiling delightedly and Kazura smiled back and then he asked the question that had been bothering him since last night . 「By the way, you have caught three bandits who attacked Grisea Village before, right? Did you interrogate those bandits?」(Kazura) 「Yes, when Kazura headed back to the village, I interrogated them . 」(Zirconia) 「So Zirconia-san personally interrogated them…… What kind of thing had you heard from them?」(Kazura)
Kazura asked and Zirconia thought for a while as if to recall it before she opened her mouth to reply . 「Etto, I heard about the details of the crime they had committed so far . Since it matched the content of the other damages recorded in the doc.u.ments, it seemed that they had confessed honestly without lying . 」(Zirconia) 「So they habitually attacked people…… Did they told anything else?」(Kazura) When Kazura continued to inquire, after a while, Zirconia made a sidelong gaze at Kazura . That gaze was trying to infer Kazura’s expression . 「About that…… they said that the villagers of Grisea Village were strong like a monster……」(Zirconia) 「…… Like a monster?」(Kazura) When Kazura murmured like this, Zirconia looked at Kazura’s face with a panicked expression . 「Ah, no, it doesn’t mean that I intend to treat the people in Grisea Village differently! As for the blessing of strength, only Naruson who knows about it besides me…… Ah, Eira also knows this… . . Then I should have properly conveyed the content of the interrogation…… I apology for not saying anything……」(Zirconia) 「No, it"s alright . Please don’t mind it . 」(Kazura) While calming Zirconia who was ruefully apologizing, Kazura felt relieved . He didn’t know how much had Zirconia aware of the villagers" strength, but at least if she knew about it then she would like to utilize it . From her words 『Blessing of Strengh』, perhaps she didn’t aware that the strength was gained from the continuous consumption of the food . He also thought that she would appeal to him to give them that strength too, but there was no sign that she would do this at all . She was nothing but modest and this was an unexpected response for Kazura . 「So where are those bandits now? Are they being imprisoned in a gaol somewhere?」(Kazura) 「No, they were executed immediately after the interrogation . Their heads were displayed on the South Gate exit, but soon might be the right time to collect them . 」(Zirconia) 「……」(Kazura) 「Because they had honestly confessed about their past deed, I decided to punish with the least pain, …… ano, I wonder if I should have consulted about the execution method too?」(Zirconia) 「N-no, it"s alright . I see, so they were decapitated……」(Kazura) Although Kazura was at a loss for words from this sudden dreadful information, he could understand that this was natural for this world . Though he thought that the bandits weren’t given any trial if they were executed immediately after interrogation, but there might be no need to try each and every bandit . While Kazura shuddered at this difference with his own world, he shifted the topic of the conversation into a harmless and peaceful one .