Chapter 94

### Two Days Later, in the Morning

When Ichirou entered the room where he and Marie were to have breakfast, the other members were already gathered there.

Zirconia was also seated at the table, and she smiled when she saw Ichirou.

The slightly tired expression she had shown a few days ago was completely gone, and she looked in excellent health.

Ichirou had given her Lip-D through Eira, and it seemed to be having the desired effect.

"Mr. Kazura, good morning. I apologize for taking two days off."

"No, no, it's fine. How are you feeling now?"

"Yes, I'm fine now. I feel like I could work as much as needed."

Seeing Zirconia's bright expression, Ichirou sighed with relief.

Over the past two days, the image of Zirconia's crying face had been stuck in his mind, and he had been worried about her.

But from the look of it, she seemed to have recovered.

"Mr. Kazura, about today's work..."

As Ichirou took his seat, Rize, who was sitting to his right, spoke with a slightly apologetic expression.

She seemed a bit tired.

"Following yesterday, I have another meeting scheduled, so I won't be able to join you today... I'm very sorry."

"I see... But meetings are important. If you can help me when you have free time, that's fine, so don't worry about it."

"Thank you. Actually, I have meetings scheduled for the next two evenings as well... Would it be alright if the military inspection is postponed to the day after tomorrow?"

"Four days in a row of meetings? The inspection can wait, so it might be better to take a day off and rest..."

"No, I will definitely clear my schedule for the day after tomorrow, so please let me join you."

With such a packed schedule, Ichirou was worried about Rize.

Even when he was away, Rize had been busy with the waterwheel installation in the grain fields and negotiations with the craftsmen.

Moreover, she was also receiving lectures on internal affairs and military matters from a dedicated instructor in between her packed schedule.

He felt she should take a break, but she didn't seem to have any intention of doing so.

"Are you going to inspect the military?"

Hearing the conversation, Zirconia looked at Ichirou with a surprised expression.

"Yes, I received a brief explanation about military equipment from Nelson the day before yesterday, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes. When you have time, I would like to hear about the diplomatic situation as well."

"Oh, thank you! If you don't mind... No, never mind."

Zirconia started to say she would guide him after breakfast but felt a dark aura behind Rize and quickly retracted her words.

She had almost overstepped her bounds in response to Ichirou's unexpected words.

According to Eira, the relationship between the two was progressing smoothly.

Rize was actively trying to win Ichirou over, so it would be best to leave the room when they were together.

In the past few days, Zirconia had noticed that Ichirou was quite concerned about her.

She had been depressed since the failure of the night of pleasure, but after experiencing the effects of the cosmetics and Lip-D that Eira brought, her mood had completely changed.

After taking Lip-D, her body, which had been heavy from overwork and lack of sleep, recovered fully in just two hours, and she was now in excellent condition.

The cosmetics she received had also helped her skin, which had been rough, to recover rapidly overnight.

When she used the bath salts, she had a similar experience, but the performance of the cosmetics was far superior.

Ichirou had surprised her many times with the quality of the tools he brought, but it was unexpected that he had such magical drugs and cosmetics.

Receiving such effective drugs and cosmetics as if they were an apology, she realized that her concerns about that night were probably just her imagination.

If Ichirou had lost interest in her, he wouldn't have shown such consideration.

On the contrary, her depression had likely elicited sympathy and interest from Ichirou.

She should use this opportunity to attract more of Ichirou's attention.

"If you need any information, please let me know. I oversee the military, so I can answer your questions."

"Understood, I'll ask you if I need anything. But I can't promise to give you much advice, so don't expect too much."

Ichirou added this to avoid raising her expectations too high.

However, Zirconia didn't seem disappointed and smiled at him.

"Even just seeing it would be enough. Thank you."

"Hmm, I've been relying on you for internal affairs, Mr. Kazura... But I would greatly appreciate your advice on military matters as well. Please, I would be grateful if you could help."

"Ah, yes, I'll just take a look for now. Rize, thank you for your help."

"Yes!"

With that, the meal was ready, and they started eating together for the first time in two days.

### That Afternoon

In a certain part of the city of Isteria, Ichirou was explaining the use of a small well-digging machine to the well-digging workers.

Zirconia, dressed in armor, was standing next to him, listening to his explanation with a serious expression.

The area was surrounded by cloth to prevent people from peeping at the work.

Isaac and Haber were not present; Ichirou and Zirconia were there with a few guards and servants, as well as the workers.

At the Nelson residence, Isaac and Haber were working on the water channel for the hydroelectric generator.

"First, you need to stick the tip into the ground, then turn the handle to dig into the ground. The soil will accumulate in the tip, so after digging a certain amount, lift the machine and remove the soil. Repeat this process."

The small well-digging machine Ichirou brought had a T-shaped handle with a cylindrical container attached to the end.

The tip of the container was shaped like an open bird's beak and could dig into the ground when the handle was turned.

The inside of the container had a valve to prevent the soil from flowing back.

The material was steel, so the tip wouldn't break unless excessive force was applied.

It couldn't crush large rock formations, but for smaller layers of rock, the tip could be replaced with a specialized blade to crush the rock.

"If you dig continuously, you will reach a layer of brown sand that produces poor-quality water. However, don't stop digging after water appears. Continue digging until you reach good-quality water or the specified depth. If you hit a rock formation, stop digging and try another location."

The wells in the city of Isteria only produced iron-rich water called Kanake water, and the amount of water varied by season.

There should be a stable underground water vein with good-quality water deeper down, so the goal of this well-digging operation was to reach that vein.

However, there was a thick layer of rock underground, so the objective was to find a location that could reach the water vein without hitting the rock.

If no suitable location was found, the only way to get good-quality water would be to use the super-steel rock chisels to manually dig through the rock.

The existing wells had already reached the rock layer, so the workers were also given rock chisels to work on the rock alongside the well-digging.

With the current drought, many wells were dry, making it a good time to work on the rock.

Using a gasoline-powered breaker would finish the job quickly, but the noise would be too loud and noticeable, so it wasn't an option in the city.

After watching the workers start their work, Ichirou and Zirconia moved to the next location with only two guards.

"Mr. Kazura, I'm sorry for losing my composure the other day. And thank you for the medicine and cosmetics."

As they walked through the crowd, Zirconia spoke in a low voice.

She seemed to be watching Ichirou's expression, looking slightly downcast.

"No, I'm the one who should apologize for causing you to misunderstand. I... I made you feel scared..."

"Oh, no! It was my misunderstanding, not your fault! I'm fine now, so please don't worry about it."

When Ichirou apologized, Zirconia quickly added a follow-up.

"Thank you... By the way, did the medicine work?"

"Yes, it was truly wonderful. The fatigue in my body disappeared almost immediately after taking it. It's truly a secret medicine from the land of the gods."

Zirconia's usual soft smile reassured Ichirou.

He had seen her looking well at breakfast, but he wasn't sure if they could have a natural conversation again.

From her current demeanor, it seemed he didn't need to worry.

"That's good to hear. Did you like the cosmetics as well?"

"Yes, my skin looked completely different after just one night. It's like magic."

Looking at Zirconia's face, Ichirou could see that her skin indeed looked more supple and hydrated.

Her hair also looked more lustrous and beautiful, probably due to the effects of the shampoo and conditioner.

"I have a few more, so let me know when you run out. Also, if you feel unwell, please tell me immediately. I'll give you the medicine again."

"Thank you. But I'll be more careful not to overwork myself. And... if it's alright, I would like to share the medicine with Nelson and Isaac. They must be more tired than I am..."

Zirconia's suggestion was made with a shy and considerate tone, and the aggressive attitude she had shown before was completely gone.

Ichirou didn't know what had changed in her, but he could feel her gratitude and concern for him.

While he might back away if she pushed too hard, he felt compelled to help her when she tried to do her best.

"Alright, I'll give them some later."

"Thank you. They don't know about the medicine, so they'll be surprised."

Zirconia smiled happily, and Ichirou returned her smile. He then remembered a question he had been thinking about since last night.

"Previously, we caught three bandits who attacked Grisaea Village. Did you interrogate them?"

"Yes, I interrogated them while you were on your way to the village."

"You interrogated them yourself... What did you ask them?"

Thinking for a moment, Zirconia answered Ichirou's question.

"I asked them about their past crimes. Their answers matched the records of other victims, so they seemed to be telling the truth."

"They were habitual criminals... Did they say anything else?"

When Ichirou continued his questions, Zirconia paused and glanced at him sideways.

Her gaze seemed to be gauging his reaction.

"They said... the villagers of Grisaea were as strong as monsters..."

"Monsters, you say..."

When Ichirou murmured this, Zirconia quickly turned to him, looking flustered.

"No, no, I have no intention of doing anything to the villagers of Grisaea! Only Nelson and I know about the blessing... Oh, Eira knows too... I should have told you about the interrogation. I'm sorry..."

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it."

As Ichirou reassured the apologetic Zirconia, he felt relieved.

He wasn't sure how Zirconia perceived the villagers' strength, but at least she didn't seem to have any intention of hiding or exploiting that knowledge.

From her use of the term "blessing," she probably didn't realize that the power came from continuous consumption of the food.

He had been prepared for her to beg for the same power, but she showed no such inclination.

Her modest and unexpected reaction was a pleasant surprise.

"Where are those bandits now? Are they in a holding cell or something?"

"No, they were executed immediately after the interrogation. Their heads are displayed outside the south gate, but it might be time to collect them."

"..."

"Since they confessed to their past crimes, I had them executed by beheading to minimize their suffering... Should I have consulted you about the execution method?"

"No, no, it's fine. I see, their heads are displayed...?"

Ichirou was momentarily speechless at the sudden and gruesome information but forced himself to accept that this was the norm in this world.

The bandits were executed without a trial, but in this world, bandits probably didn't get trials.

Shuddering at the gap between his world and this one, Ichirou shifted the conversation to a more peaceful and less controversial topic.