READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Night Market
Chapter 52: Night Market
Our journey came to an end in about a week. The Festival of Holy Nights and the New Year’s Festival are approaching. As guests originally invited, both Urrica and I, who are usually called as guests, cannot afford to be absent. We cleared up the fortress in front of the dungeon and swiftly returned to Charlois.
—What awaited us upon our return was a tragedy.
“Oh… Urrica… Alexi-kun… you’ve finally come back…”
The viscount, who looked like a defeated character from a fighting game, clung to us, shedding tears.
“Really, despite me telling you not to interfere with people’s love affairs!”
Carol-san, standing firm, was poking her father with a morning star. Um, the blood on that morning star…?
“Welcome back, both of you. I’m glad you’re safe.”
Lord Kabaneru smiled gently. His keen perception skills chilled me the most. Familiarity can be quite frightening.
Charlois and the Kabaneru family were ablaze with activity this winter. The usually quiet capital was overflowing with liveliness, and along with the hot wine show of the new wine, Charlois’ liquor “Eau de Charlois” was exciting the market. Thanks to the viscount’s promotional efforts in the capital, the response from other territories was excellent. Immediately, the Marquis de Charlois, who is keen on trends and honor, volunteered to sponsor, even though the production was still in its early stages. The market was bustling, and Kabaneru’s achievements were being praised. It felt like the time of my previous loop when the paper was well-received.
Of course, Charlois’ liquor is already distributed to my family. If information arrives from the capital first, there will undoubtedly be a dispute later. Fortunately, the Kabaneru family understood my situation and arranged to deliver the tribute through the Appel Trading Company to Lord Moran, the Earl of Marol. I received cheerful letters from my parents. With this, the matter of Kabaneru-sensei and emergency crops came to a close within me. I’ll leave it to them to connect next year’s southern crop failure and emergency crops to a business opportunity. For them, alcohol might enrich their lives more than crops.
In the snow that lightly covered the town during the Festival of Holy Nights, the city was bustling with a night market. Simple trinkets shaped like reindeer, baked goods adorned with holly decorations, mittens with ribbons.
“Cobblestone is nice. Until last year, it was impossible due to muddy sludge.”
“I’m glad you say that.”
When Urrica and I got engaged. Seeing me instantly construct a stone house and a private road to the main street with my skills, the Kabaneru brothers asked me for a favor. They asked me to pave the capital’s streets with cobblestones. I didn’t like the idea of being recognized, but even I prefer an easy-to-walk road. For now, I undertook the paving of the main street. It became widely popular, and it became an opportunity to reevaluate the earth attribute skill.
Polishing skills requires raising the adventurer level. Kabaneru-sensei and Carol-san personally experienced this. They advocated talent development in the dungeon, and in place of the busy Kabaneru-sensei, Carol-san took on the task of training earth attribute construction workers.
“With my healing skills, it’ll be fine ♡.”
Her angelic smile attracted applicants. However, when they returned from the dungeon, everyone looked completely exhausted. It’s not hard to imagine what happened. Carol’s boot camp is going great.
Thinking about such things, we walked aimlessly, not really talking about anything. Since the place was crowded, we were holding hands just in case, but both of us—at least I don’t think Urrica has such feelings. However, her profile illuminated by the lantern was fantastically beautiful.
“…What is it? Do I have something on my face?”
“No, um, I thought it might suit you.”
What I found was a pair of earrings shaped like snowflakes. I’m sure I could make them more beautiful if I carved them, but this kind of thing is for memories.
“Shall I enchant them later?”
“You naive person. Such things are meant to be put on right here and now.”
She took off the earrings she was wearing, approached me, and leaned her ear toward me.
Although she doesn’t remember everything from all the loops, and Urrica is just a temporary fiancée to avoid an engagement, I enjoyed a Christmas date for the first time in this world.