Chapter 202
Sumeria's body showed no abnormalities, but the damage to her brain was still serious.
"Come on, come on, good girl, let go now, nu. Reiji has to fill the public bath with water and build another one."
"No!"
"Come on, come on. Until then, go play with those old geezers loafing around over there. They may look different, but they aren't scary, nu."
"Nooo!"
The Red Elder tried to coax Sumeria, but she just kept shaking her head and clinging to my back.
I'd only just told her to stay back because it was dangerous while I was using magic, and she had refused.
Her fine blond hair was tangled and knotted in places. When we returned to Dragonfolk City that night, Kimidori Mama cut away the parts that seemed impossible to untangle, saying, "What a waste."
Her double eyelids and long lashes made her red eyes look bright and wide. Without her cracked, rough lips and weathered skin, she probably would have had the adorable looks of a girl her age. I thought she was about sixteen or seventeen.
Unlike Asha, whose features were sharp and beautiful, Sumeria gave an overall impression of softness and roundness.
She was no longer wearing underground people's clothes. Instead, she had put on some women's clothing from Kimidori Goln-san's house. However, dragonfolk had tails, so the back was open, and someone had hastily sewn around the opening.
Sumeria seemed unable to relax without a hood, so she had draped a long hand towel over her head.
"Sumeria-san, would you like to play with me?"
"..."
Perhaps because of her missing memories, Sumeria had regressed entirely to a toddler's state and was wary even of Asha.
"...No."
"W-why not?"
Asha seemed quietly stung by the rejection.
When I returned to Dragonfolk City yesterday, Asha had also looked strangely surprised, or perhaps shocked. After I explained Sumeria's situation, she had tears in her eyes and said, "If I'm of any use, I'll help with anything...!"
"You're... an enemy."
"Enemy!? I'm not an enemy! L-look, I'm just an ordinary High Elf who can juggle fireballs like this..."
Asha began juggling fireballs, but her statement was so riddled with openings for a retort that Kimidori Goln-san and I could only stare at her deadpan.
"F-for now, Reiji, why don't you try doing it like that, nu?"
"I-I understand... Though, when did it get decided that we'd be building another public bath?"
"It's your fault for giving them entertainment, nu."
"Uh, seriously...?"
I sent water toward the empty public bath while taking care not to disturb Sumeria, who was clinging tightly to my back. Even though she was shorter than me, it was only by a few centimeters...
Water came gushing from my outstretched hands in a roaring stream, tracing arcs into the public bath, and the morning sunlight made a rainbow.
"Ooh!"
Cheers rose from all around the public bath, which was already surrounded by a huge crowd.
Apparently, while I was away, they had managed to get by by storing water from a stream. But the stream was also a resource used in daily life, so diverting its water here had caused shortages elsewhere and even led to trouble.
We had to do something about this... We couldn't stay here forever, either.
"Flame."
Once the water was in, Asha used 【Fire Magic】 to heat it. Her control over the flames had reached the level of a master, and in no time, the public bath was at a comfortable temperature.
"Yessss!"
"Let's gooo!"
"This is the life, nuuuh!"
"Hey, you damn old geezers! Aren't you lot soaking in the public bath all day, every day?!"
Kimidori Goln-san scolded the elders for their unruly behavior, but they floated placidly in the steaming water as if his scolding had nothing to do with them. They were far too relaxed.
"Honestly... We need to establish proper rules, nu. We need to design everything properly so that all the city's residents can bathe in shifts..."
Watching Kimidori Goln-san mutter to himself, I realized something.
"That's right—Kimidori Goln-san. I've got an idea."
"Hm? What is it, nu?"
"A job you're very well suited for."
Kimidori Goln-san had continued a bizarre research project called "Discovery of Boiled Eggs" all by himself at his lakeside villa.
It might have been pointless, but it had given him specialized knowledge that Dragonfolk City, which relied on hunting for food, did not possess.
"A job suited to me...?"
His eyes showed hesitation, but also a hint of anticipation, so I nodded.
"I'll teach you sorcery. Let's make it possible to take baths even without magic!"
I filled the other public bath with water and used 【Earth Magic】 extensively to prepare for building public baths at three other locations in Dragonfolk City.
During that time, I gave Kimidori Goln-san all the knowledge about sorcery that I possessed.
Sorcery reproduces magic, but it requires a catalyst in place of magic power.
That catalyst is a stone containing magic power—a magic stone.
Tools made using these are magical devices.
A magical device that produces water or heats it can be made using only basic knowledge.
Of course, we could draw water from a well, fill the bath with it, and heat it over a fire. But what the dragonfolk wanted was not merely a bath; they wanted a "social gathering place" where many people could meet.
Magical devices were essential for building public baths.
"—I see. If we have them bring back the magic stones lodged in monsters' innards, we won't run short of fuel, nu."
"That's right. It isn't difficult, is it?"
The knowledge of sorcery I explained to Kimidori Goln-san was basic, and I knew nothing beyond it. Even that basic knowledge had come from analyzing the circuits of magical devices I'd seen so far with 【All Creation】.
If only I'd read a book about sorcery before this...!
"Oh, Reiji-dono."
Once the public bath construction and sorcery lecture were finished, it was time for a meeting with Dragonfolk City's representatives, together with the Lef people.
I felt like I was working too much. I hadn't even eaten lunch.
"I'm hungry."
"Whoa!?"
I'd forgotten that Sumeria was still clinging to my back.
"I've prepared some food. They're just simple sandwiches, though..."
When we reached the meeting hall, Asha had prepared a basket. They were indeed simple sandwiches—just bread with ingredients tucked between the slices—but—
"Asha made these?"
"Y-yes... It's my first time, so they may have turned out strange."
"Not at all. Food tastes better when someone else makes it for you, doesn't it?"
The sandwiches contained meat covered in a sweet-and-savory sauce. As I brought one to my mouth, a hand reached around from behind me, and Sumeria bit into the sandwich too.
"S-Sumeria-san, how does it taste...?"
"Mm."
She munched away and nodded. Apparently, she liked it.
"Oh my. Oh my, oh my, oh my! Please have some more!"
Asha's expression lit up. No matter what expression she wore, Asha was beautiful, but her smile really was the cutest of all.