“Please lift your head, Sir. If I had tried to handle matters all on my own, things would have assuredly turned out sour, so you have my gratitude, regardless.”
“...Thank you very much, Milady. I’m rather relieved to hear that from you. I would actually like to set up some security for you and your children myself, but would you...”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“...Right, I see. Wouldn’t help that if I provided guard detail, then it would be like outing the auction’s exhibitor on my own. I understand, then. Should anything go awry, please come consult me right away.”
“Yes, thank you. I’ll do just that if the time arises.”
—A few weeks passed, and the construction of the new orphanage was proceeding swimmingly. One day, during the mid-afternoon, Ristia handed out drinks to the hardworking carpenters as she always did.
“Thanks as always, Little Lady.”
“No, I should be thanking all of you. I’m so grateful,” Ristia answered, a smile on her face and appreciation in her heart. Ristia was dressed in a cool sundress with her jet black hair tied casually behind her. Despite her clearly coming from an affluent upbringing, she socialized and chatted with the rather rough-and-tumble-looking men. That quality made her a big hit among the carpenters. It resulted in some of the men deciding, After construction is over, I’m gonna confess my love to her. Naturally, Wood’s ever-prevalent eye loomed over his men, so Ristia hadn’t even noticed that that was the case.
“By the way, Little Lady, there’s something that’s been on my mind... Y’mind if I ask you about it?”
“Of course I don’t mind. What would you like to know?” Ristia asked, tipping her head in curiosity.
“Rebuilding the orphanage and the bathhouse are things that I get, but... what do you plan on using this building in the front for? It looks like a cafeteria, but it’s way too big for that, isn’t it?”
“Oh, that? I plan on opening up a shop.”
“...A shop?”
“Yes, a public cafeteria that specializes on light meals.”
“A cafeteria? But you’re not going to be able to make much of a profit with it being in this location, you know?”
“That doesn’t bother me one bit. Letting the children work is my goal, after all.” Ristia’s explanation that she wanted the children to work with no concern for profits made Wood and the others’ eyes open wide.
“I... see. So you’re trying to get them to work while they’re kids to teach them a trade? Boy, Little Lady, you really are looking out for those kids.”
Normally, there were no businesses that would let young children—especially orphans—work, but with Ristia being the one building it, there was nothing to worry about. Wood was touched, since she intended on letting the children gain experience while they were still young so that they could work properly for businesses in the future. Ristia had another plan in mind pertaining to all of this, but... that was another story for another time. The fact remained that she had the children’s best interests in mind, so she let it pass with a smile.
“Hey, Ristia! Ristia!” A relatively younger member of the carpenter crew called out to Ristia.
“Yes? What is it?“
“That cafeteria of yours. Can commoners like us come and eat at it?”
“Why, yes. Of course you can.”
“Whoooooa!!”
The carpenters let out cries of joy. It wasn’t just from the younger carpenters, either; Ristia was even popular among the middle-aged ones, too. Some of them could even be heard saying, “I sure wish I had a girl like her.”
“When you open up shop, I’m coming to eat for sure!”
“Yeah, me too!”
“Ehehe, I hope I get to see all of you there.” Ristia smiled adorably. Once she did, the carpenters’ thoughts all merged into one—they were going to go to the cafeteria every day once it opened and get cozy with Ristia. It was a sentiment that Ristia didn’t even have a clue about, however.
“Alright. If that’s how you want it, then let’s get back to work on the double!”
“Yeah!!”
The carpenters returned their cups back to Ristia’s tray after they were done drinking and returned to the construction site with revitalized faces.
“You’ll have to excuse my men.” Wood was the last one to return his teacup to the tray, and he gave her an awkward smile. While the apology was for his men’s suffocating appeals for Ristia’s attention, Ristia was left completely clueless, so she looked back inquisitively. She then cleaned up the cups on her tray with magic and placed them into her Item Box.
“By the way, is there anything I can help you with?”
“No, but the sentiment is appreciated. This is our job to do.”
“Oh, is that so? Please, don’t hesitate to ask me if you need anything, though. Personally, anything to speed up the process is greatly appreciated.”
“Hmm... Well, there is one thing I can ask of you. The materials you provided us are pretty heavy, you see. And carrying them up to the second floor is going to be a tall order. If you could move them to where we need, then...”
“Aah, I follow. If that’s your request, then I just have to move them to a more convenient location.” As soon as he finished his request, Ristia piled up and hardened the soil she had put in her Item Box from the groundwork she’d done right next to the under-construction orphanage, creating a sloped path that continued to the second floor portion of the facility.
“Hey, wait a second. What did you do this time?”
“Some more slight of hand, of course.”
“...Right, slight of hand. Can’t argue with that, can I?” It seemed that Wood had come to his own personal conclusion, accepting the supernatural phenomenon with little objection. Leaving Wood and the others to their business, Ristia, with the construction blueprints committed to memory, easily hoisted the materials up with one hand and carried them up the hill to the second floor with a casual stride.