Chapter 35 Preparation for Episode 35
As soon as I sent the knife estimate, I received a reply wanting to place multiple orders, and somewhere in the midst of that, I got a message that the main body of the dryer was finished. While juggling these tasks, the Founding Festival was steadily approaching.
I wanted to deliver both items somehow, and while I waited for Luka's report, I thought I'd do a little research on my own.
"Grandson! Can't you fix this?"
"I'll give it a try."
"I want to use it for decorations at the Founding Festival. Do you have anything like this?"
"Please wait a moment."
"Second Generation, do you have anything just like this that I bought a long time ago?"
"I'll check."
Suddenly, a flood of customers rushed in, eager to get their orders ready for the Founding Festival, and I had my hands full.
After the store closed, I checked the past ledgers and found that the number of orders and repairs always increased around this time of year.
"I didn't hear that even unrelated stores would get busy..."
With all the ledgers, documents, and parts scattered around, along with the Arcane Art methods, I was staring at too many details, which was straining my eyes.
No matter how much I love tinkering with machines, I really didn't want to see anything else today.
I closed my eyes and flopped onto the sofa, when suddenly, a floral scent drifted close to my face.
"Getting more work isn't a bad thing, right?"
Out of nowhere, a warm towel landed on me.
I was surprised, but it felt nice, so I just went with it.
"What is that smell?"
"It's essential oil. Nice scent, isn't it?"
Just as I thought, it seems to be the scent from lavender oil extracted from flowers.
They drop a little into the water used to soak the towel.
"I didn't know there were things like that."
"Scent tends to stick in your memory. So when you smell something nice, it lifts your mood."
"Really..."
It's true; certain smells can suddenly bring back memories from back then.
There are also scents tied to unpleasant events.
"I'm not as tired as Tsukumo, but I'm feeling it too."
I couldn't see anything, but I guessed from the thump of a chair that Yuruyana was also using the towel on his eyes to take a break.
"Thanks to you, I'm really relieved."
It wasn't just about being able to leave customer service to someone while my hands were tied.
If it wasn't for Yuruyana's charm, which transcended age and gender, I don't think I could have handled everything this smoothly on my own.
"By the way, our sales on this side are looking good too."
It seems that hand cream is popular not just among women, but also among men who do hands-on work.
Seeing Yuruyana's hands, flawless even as someone who is more of a craftsman, makes you curious about what precautions he takes.
Even for those who don't care about appearance, taking a little care can prevent the pain from hangnails and cracked skin.
Plus, Yuruyana is simply really good at selling.
"But I've really come to realize just how big of an event it is."
There was a groan as he said he'd do better next year.
Apparently, he's already planning to stay again next year.
"Since we do it every year, everyone should start preparing sooner."
There's no reason to panic at the last minute when they could start getting ready as soon as the dates are known.
"But you know machines and tools tend to break unexpectedly when you need them?"
"That's true..."
Especially things that you only use during that time.
Forgetting to repair something that was already malfunctioning last year, or things suddenly breaking down after being covered in dust──there are plenty of reasons.
"Well, that could apply to people too. It's important to keep your body moving, after all."
* * *
I think the advice to "keep your body moving" was simply directed at how I tend to stay cooped up in the workshop, but compared to how I was back in my active days, I've gotten pretty sluggish.
I wonder how well I can handle the worst-case scenarios I might face.
The next morning, while eating breakfast, a sudden wave of anxiety hit me, and I dug out my Arcane Gun that I had stowed away in my bag, quickly disassembling and maintaining it in the workshop, where Yuruyana caught me.
"You had an Arcane Gun too."
"Just a little."
The handgun that Thomas had brought before is slightly slimmer than military-grade ones, and it's the largest size that civilians, aside from hunters, can possess.
That said, it's not that I own it because it's the only size I can have; I've used it since my military days.
I stepped outside through the entrance and set up a metal target in the corner of the yard, moving diagonally to gain as much distance as possible.
"Is it safe here?"
"That spot should be fine."
Yuruyana sat on the steps of the porch.
He rested his chin on his hand, watching me prepare to aim at the target.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, exhaled, and then hit the bullseye on my first shot.
A light sound rang out: "clink."
"Huh? I didn't hear a gunshot."
"It's a silenced round. Can't disturb the neighbors."
One of the best features of the arcane gun is, as long as it has magic power, you don't have to worry about running out of ammo, plus you can control the bullets yourself.
Not only can you fire with great force, but you can also add magic effects.
The most prominent example is the silenced round, which minimizes the loud noise when fired, and I used it the most during missions.
Since it only makes a sound when hitting something, it's easy to use anywhere.
The other day, when I serviced Thomas's gun, I accidentally forgot about it, and later Hannah worriedly asked, 'Did you hear that loud noise? Are you okay?'
I gathered myself and took one shot at each corner of the target.
For the 6th shot, I switched to a water round and aimed for the center.
I reloaded and repeated the same action, this time using a fire round for the last shot.
"Whoa!"
Yuruyana clapped, watching me perform, as if he was enjoying a street show, perfectly tuned into the routine my body had memorized.
"Impressive, is it [Two Star Demon]? You're hitting all of them!"
"No, I missed some."
A few shots on the second round were slightly off from the first round's marks.
Realizing I shouldn't slack off in training, I resolved to dedicate time to practice every morning and evening.
"Ah, so you were over here. I thought I heard someone talking."
Luka appeared, decked out in piercings, all set for the day off.
He was here to report on the investigation results.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)