Crank returned to Argon’s workshop in a wagon, fainting from what the witch Gorgon had done to him, and had to lie down and take care of himself for almost three days.
“…that’s sore.”
“are you okay?”
“Chew, for the first two, two days, it was really like a poem, a corpse.”
Tuna and Ariete sat or stood by Crank’s bed, looking worried. Crank nodded his head after gulping down the soup from the mug in his hand.
“It’s okay. Hasn’t the announcement of the southern business trip been posted yet?”
“Because it’s not yet full-fledged winter. A week or so should pass.”
“In the meantime, I need to rest and recover my physical strength. Resting is also work.”
Then Ariete puts a trembling hand on Crank’s shoulder.
“I wanted to touch it. You have a really strong body.”
“huh?”
Crank looks up at her as if asking what’s going on. Tuna laughs hysterically.
“Oh, I re-linked the automaton and the nervous system. Now, ah, Ariete really has limbs that move like limbs.”
“…Tell me in detail.”
When Tuna, who was excited, explained to Crank the nervous system router he had installed on Ariete’s body, Crank showed great curiosity.
“Awesome! How did you do it? Do you have blueprints? What is the concept?”
“Oh, no. Shall we make one?”
“request.”
Carrot, who was baking pancakes in the furnace while standing on the scaffold, screamed.
“How many times do I have to tell you to lie down!”
“Uh, um.”
Crank, who had no strength in his body, lay down on the bed again and looked up at the ceiling.
“Good. Everything went well…”
“crank?”
A plate of steaming hot pancakes was held out to the side of Tuna’s face.
“Don’t wake me up.”
“Uh, yes. Carrot’s mother. I’m glad to be back.”
Ariete also nodded as she ate the cake on her plate with a fork.
“I’m happy too. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good night’s sleep tonight.”
“It’s weird sharing your senses, but you did a great job. good job. Tuna children.”
Carrot stroked the head of Tuna, who was squatting by the bed and receiving a plate of pancakes.
Tuna, who was in a good mood at the compliment, smiled and smiled.
“Hey, you talk well now.”
“yes. You showed me an unsightly side.”
Ariete intervened.
“And this is so delicious.”
“You two need to learn how to cook. What are you going to do when you get married?”
“Shouldn’t it be delivered by ship?”
“The Tuna children say great things. If you don’t meet someone who understands you, you’ll be kicked out?”
Tuna, who had her eyes wide open with a fork in her mouth, turned her head.
“Me, the person who understands me…”
Crank, wearing a helmet, is lying on the bed.
“Ariete is fine. congratulations. It’s not long until you return as an adventurer now, right?”
Arriete, who was able to bend her knees naturally without giving Shion a separate command, raised her arm and stroked Carrot’s white cheek. A soft touch is transmitted, albeit slightly.
It feels like waking up from a long nightmare.
“I promised to register as a citizen and an adventurer when Crank returns.”
“Oh. Adventurer Ariete. Is it good to hear?”
Ariete’s shoulder lifted the plate with a happy expression.
It is in contrast to the appearance of turning his back on the world with a blanket, pessimistic about the whole world just a month ago.
“City, civic registration?”
“I heard you need a guarantor. We’ll talk about that again when the crank recovers. Who will wash the dishes?”
Ariete raises her hand.
“I want to feel the touch of my hand more. I want to touch anything.”
Ariete, who had good intentions but wasn’t used to controlling her strength, ate a few plates and was kicked by Carrot.
And two days later, Crank got out of bed.
“Is it okay if I don’t lie down a little longer?”
“It has improved a lot. Now you have to move your body little by little. If you lie down too much, you will lose muscle.”
Crank summoned Tuna and Ariete.
“Prepare to go out. Let’s go to City Hall, I’ll have to register your citizens.”
Ariete liked it, but Tuna was a bit scared.
“Gwa, are you okay? I···.”
“Okay. To live in the city in earnest, citizen registration is essential. let’s go.”
As if they weren’t used to showing their faces to people yet, the two put on hoods over their robes and went out to the studio.
Carrot was in the lead and was walking gallantly, when the hairy boys passing by recognized Carrot and Crank and shouted.
“hey! crank! Carrot!”
“wow! Hairy Adventure Team!”
“Yumma!”
Men with shaggy beards giggled and shook their fists. As they approached, Tuna shrank even though she was wearing a hood, and Ariete hugged her.
The men greeted Crank and looked down at Carrot.
“wow! Are you clean? Are the repairs done now? What about combat uniforms?”
“I haven’t gotten my combat uniform yet. I’ve been making it for a while.”
The hairy guys nodded and smiled.
“As expected, the guild needs you. I must go and spread the word that Carrot has returned.”
Carrot smiled. The men exchanged their regards with Crank as well, pointing to the people standing behind them.
“who is this? Who are these people?”
“As an assistant and acquaintance. I want to register as a citizen and as an adventurer.”
“Oh oh! New adventurers are always welcome! nice to meet you! We are the swordsmen of the party sunset!”
When the man who seemed to be the party leader held out his hand, Tuna shrank even more, and just as Crank was about to say something, Ariete stepped forward and took his hand.
“Nice to meet you. Ariete is indebted to Crank.”
“Hey! Me, you are a beauty! crank!”
“Is that so? I don’t.”
“Your eyes are buttonholes!”
The hairy blonde stepped forward.
“This is Gaston, I am Polo, and Vasily. Please remember us! Master here!”
Seeing the metal hands and thinking that they were wearing armor underneath their robes, the hairy fuss made a fuss, and Ariete smiled and nodded.
“Goodbye!”
“Welcome to Argon! Beauty is always welcome!”
“Bye! Hairy Adventure Team!”
“Yumma! I grew up because it was cold!”
Ariete, who looked at Carrot and the waggling hairs, let out a long sigh.
Crank asked.
“how is it?”
“It’s been a while since we talked, so you’re a little nervous.”
“I am scared. I want to go home soon.”
Tuna’s voice came out from under the hood with her head down, but she didn’t stutter because she was nervous.
“Is it social phobia? In the long run, you’d better get over it. Humans are herd animals. So relationships with others are important.”
“don’t worry! I’ll protect you! No one can touch Tuna as long as I am!”
Carrot raised a small fist and shouted.
Thinking that Carrot’s small fist was more reassuring than Crank’s argument, Tuna’s face brightened.
Arriving at City Hall after appeasing the people with phobias, they were able to register as citizens surprisingly easily.
“If the guarantor is a famous person, the process is greatly simplified. But you have to show your face.”
“hmm.”
“eww···.”
Ariete and Tuna took off their hoods. The staff in charge liked it.
“Oh my, they are both beautiful. Why are you hiding your face?”
After registering, I received my citizenship card and on the way back, I stopped by the adventurer’s guild to register as an adventurer in Ariete.
Even though it was winter, the work of adventurers did not dry out, so many people who came and went to the guild cheered for the appearance of the atmosphere maker.
“hahahahaha! I’m back!”
Carrot, now red-haired, blocks the door with her hand on her hip, and the people who come and go inside giggle.
“Looks like the carrot repair is over.”
“Good. It’s very clean.”
“Crank, where the hell do you put that soft skin on? If the price is right, I want to cover our children too.”
It’s not at the level of a professional contractor, but surprisingly his skills aren’t bad, so there are quite a few people who want to pay him a little money to do maintenance, but he declined the crank. The reason was simple.
“The moment you get paid and work, that’s sales. Business by unqualified persons is against the law. The maintenance guild will not stand still.”
“Big-! It did! crank! Hit the adventurers and open a garage! I will be a regular!”
If you mention maintenance guilds like this, most maintenance beacons fall away. Crank was grateful to the maintenance guild he hadn’t even joined.
“It would be okay to open a shop someday when I grow old.”
“really?!”
From noble mtl dot com
Unexpectedly, it was Carrot who was delighted. Carrot said, running in front of the crank with both hands tightly clasped together.
“When you get older, won’t you go out on adventures and stay calm? While leisurely fixing the automaton?”
Crank felt a bit strange, but nodded.
“The age at which you can act as an adventurer is limited. It will be a promising future.”
“Yah-ho! I was worried that my master was going to hunt orcs with an ax until he was old!”
“Ka, Carrot is like a mother.”
Tuna, who was clinging to the back of the crank, said. Carrot smiled and looked at the crank and saw Tuna.
“Tunatuna, how about a place with a lot of people?”
It was Tuna, who was sweating a little and her eyes were spinning, but she didn’t say that she was going to die.
“It’s still too early for me.”
“We are by your side. Don’t worry and get used to it. However, you cannot solve everything alone.”
“What is that granny behind the crank?”
A group of mischievous young adventurers approaches. The people who leaned down to stare at Tuna widened their eyes.
“uh? Are you a woman?”
“pretty?”
“depending on? But it looks a bit dark.”
“and! Is this the moment when crank tastes are revealed!”
“What kind of woman do you like? Uncle Crank is unusual, isn’t it?”
“Yumma, surprisingly, who knows how to do well at night?”
“Isn’t that something you can tell by turning off the lights?”
Not all adventurers were on good terms, so wars of nerves between them were common. Crank and Carrot also received so many fights like this that they became insensitive, but it was different now.
“If you guys keep doing nasty things, will you get stabbed in the back while working? Do you know what fragging is?”
“what? This peanut doll…!”
The adventurers who took a step closer confronted Carrot with both hands on his waist, and Crank crossed his arms.
“He is my assistant. I hope you don’t involve your family or acquaintances.”
“Oh, Crank messed up. That’s dangerous.”
“hey! stop! Don’t make a fuss!”
Passers-by dropped the two groups. Then Ariete comes running with a piece of paper. The hood was off, as if he had gotten used to people’s gazes.
“It’s done! I am an adventurer now!”
Sensing a strange atmosphere in the crowd, Ariete raised her eyebrows to the sky after hearing what Carrot had to say.
She went to Crank’s side, crossed her arms, and shouted.
“Don’t insult my family!”
Kiyiing…!
Sensing the battle, Shion increases the output of her magic engine.
When a green light leaked out from under Ariete’s chest, the gathered people whispered and the adventurer’s guild management staff, who had been quietly observing the situation until then, relaxed their arms.
In order to subdue the adventurers who would brawl when bored, everyone was stingy because they were monsters with a higher level of interpersonal combat power.
Crank also cleared his throat and turned around.
“Let’s go.”
Everyone turned around and left, but Carrot stayed until the end. Carrot, who made the horn, shouted.
“ruler! Only a few days left! everyone! Are the preparations for the southern winter business trip going well?!”
The adventurers cheer at Carrot’s exciting cry, which had just been talked about with a bloody knife.
“hahahahaha!”
“Ki-yo-oh clothes!”
“Yah hoo!”
Adventurers are usually lively, and among them, there are many veterans who are always cheerful.
And everyone is insane.
Dangerous work where lives come and go is a daily life, and because of that, many miserable and painful things are experienced, so most of the normal people fall out and only those who are a little lacking are left on this floor.
So Carrot’s playful shouts were always in demand.
“okay! You bastard!”
“hahahaha! I’m going to go see the southern beauties again this year!”
“Even money!”
“Orc meat! Troll meat! Another delicacy is the grilled monster with southern seasoning! Keuhehehe!”
Carrot, winking at the young people backing away while gritting her teeth, makes a cute gesture and then bites her tongue.
“Then see you in the south! hehehe!”
Cheers erupted from the guild. The guild master, who was sitting in his office reviewing the fairy tale to be published this month, smiled heartily.