Chapter 355 - 355: Repair Craftsman Erna

But Rigel did not dislike that kind of attitude.

Most humans fawned and became obedient toward nobles.

With that he could not make use of the precious cheat skill [Rape].

"Can't it get a little cheaper?"

"It cannot."

"Instant answer. Do you understand you're dealing with a noble?"

"I understand. But respect and business are separate. If we cut more than this we can only reduce the craftsmen's wages."

"…That's no good."

Rigel dropped his eyes to the estimate sheet once more.

He wanted to lower the price but he could not push that ripple onto the craftsmen.

There was the risk craftsmen would flee low wages and there would be no one to repair the castle.

After thinking a little he thought of another method.

"Then lower it by the amount I help."

"You?"

"Aa."

"…Lord Rigel, are you serious?"

"Serious. If it's physical work I think I'll be quite useful."

"I think it's more than quite."

Count Blade loosened the corner of his mouth slightly.

Facing him Erna still looked at Rigel with a face of half-belief half-doubt.

It was no wonder a son of a marquis house had volunteered field work himself.

"There's also carrying stone materials?"

"No problem."

"If you become a hindrance it's extra charge."

"Harsh."

"It's a site."

"Understood. That's fine."

Erna folded her arms and thought a little.

There was no appearance of Rigel joking.

Eventually judging there was no problem with the conditions themselves she nodded small.

"…The discount is only for the amount worked."

"Enough."

"Then you may go. Explaining the ledgers after that is fine."

"Understood. Then I'll go a little."

Rigel stood.

Then as if that were a signal Mesterica and Cynthia also raised their hips at the same time.

Both intended to accompany as if obvious.

"I'll go too."

"Naturally I will accompany too!"

"You two don't come."

"Why!"

"Why!?"

"Is there an idiot who takes the ones who broke it to the repair site."

"How rude!"

"We won't break anymore!"

"If the two of you come I'll add a danger allowance."

"…Leaving you."

Rigel answered.

He was trying to bargain down repair costs by working himself; taking the two and increasing expenses would be putting the cart before the horse.

He decided not to hear Mesterica and Cynthia's dissatisfaction for now.

"Rigel!"

"Lord Rigel!"

"Then let's go, Erna."

"Yes."

The two let the protest voices flying from behind go in one ear and left the conference room.

—-

The first place she guided him to was the west corridor.

"First please carry the rubble around here."

Erna pointed at the stone materials piled at their feet.

Unless they secured the passage first they apparently could not enter full-scale repair work.

Around them carts and rope for transport were also prepared; originally several people would probably divide the work and clear it.

"This?"

"Yes. Only, that looks quite heavy so two people—"

Faster than she finished speaking Rigel bent at the waist.

He gripped the edge of a large stone material and lifted it with one hand just like that.

"Where do I put it?"

"…Over there."

"Got it."

Rigel started walking as if nothing had happened.

However one looked it was not a size one person would carry.

Even for craftsmen it was an article for two, or if unlucky three people.

While seeing that back off Erna muttered small.

"Are you really human?"

"For now."

"What's 'for now,' what's 'for now.'"

Work from there proceeded at an abnormal speed.

Timber that originally several people would carry he shouldered alone and lifted crushed stone materials one after another.

He separated usable and discarded ones and even cleared the rubble blocking the passage together.

Erna who at first had given detailed instructions was from midway only matching Rigel's speed and at her limit.

"You're convenient."

"Don't talk about people like tools."

"That you're convenient is fact."

While saying that Erna took out the clipboard paper hanging at her waist.

She ran her gaze as if confirming work volume and wrote some numbers.

Seeing that movement Rigel immediately reacted.

"That's the discount amount?"

"Yes."

"How much cheaper?"

"At present three silver coins."

"That's not at all!"

"Please don't take craftsman work lightly."

"Carrying this much for three coins?"

"The discount is only for the physical work portion. Repair costs include material costs and technical fees too."

"Worldly-wise…"

"If you hate it please pay normally."

"I'm working because I hate that."

While exchanging such the two advanced further in.

After a while Erna stopped her feet at one corner of the wall.

There a hole a person could somehow pass through had opened.

The other side seemed a small storeroom and from the gap of the collapsed wall a dim interior could be seen.

"I'll confirm here too."

"What are you looking at?"

"The inner pillar. Unless I look from the other side I don't know how far the crack has gone."

Saying that Erna without hesitation put her upper body into the hole.

Her head vanished, her shoulders vanished.

Up to there it was smooth.

But around her waist her movement stopped.

"…Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

"Please wait a little. …Nn."

From beyond the wall a voice mixed with a little impatience returned.

Erna tried to push her body forward.

However it did not advance.

This time she tried to go back conversely and her feet went backward.

But that way did not move either.

"..."

"..."

Rigel for several seconds silently watched the situation.

Her upper body was beyond the wall.

What could be seen from this side was only from the waist down.

"Oi."

"What."

"Can't you get out?"

"I can!"

"You're stopped."

"My clothes just caught a little!"

Erna swayed her body left and right.

Accompanying that the sound of clothes rubbing happened but the wall hole did not budge.

Rather from moving forcibly it even looked more caught.

"Shall I help?"

"I'm fine!"

"But that, you can't by yourself, right."

"I can!"

Her body moved left and right again.

Trying to push forward, stop.

Trying to pull out backward, stop again.

Several more seconds.

"..."

"..."

"…Please pull."

"Say that from the start."

"Shut up!"

Rigel approached the wall while sighing.

First he confirmed the hole edge.

He carefully stretched a hand toward Erna's body.

"Going."

"Please don't grab a weird place."

"Then where am I supposed to grab."

"Think about that!"

"Lots of demands!"

He put force in little by little.

At first there was resistance as if catching.

Even so the clothes jammed at the wall edge gradually began to shift.

Then Erna's body slipped zururi out of the hole.

"Wah!"

From the resistance suddenly vanishing Erna's body flew backward with momentum.

Just as she was about to fall to the floor Rigel caught her with one arm.

"Here."

"…Thank you."

"You can say thanks honestly."

"I can, that much."

Immediately separating her body Erna brushed off the dust on her work clothes many times.

White wall powder adhered around her waist and several rubbed traces remained on her clothes too.

After confirming that this time she glared at the wall hole looking resentful.

"I'll widen it a little later."

"You're not going to close it?"

"Before repair I need to confirm the inside once more."

"You'll enter again?"

"I will enter though."

Erna turned jirori.

In those eyes dissatisfaction at him watching without saying anything earlier also seemed mixed.

"You're not thinking something rude?"

"I'm not thinking."

"You absolutely were thinking."

"That's your assumption."

"Then why did you smile a little just now?"

"I didn't smile."

"You smiled."

"Your imagination."

"It's absolutely not imagination!"

The two's voices rang in the west corridor where rubble still remained.