I passed the village square that was lively again today.
In the square, there were oba-cha[1]... beautiful ladies chatting about this and that.
"Yes yes! So I ended up asking for seconds of spaghetti twice."
"Me too—."
"My husband ate my portion too before, you know? Isn't that unbelievable?"
"Wa—, Mauro-san eats well after all—"
"Because of that, I had to eat hard bread! Unbelievable!"
It seems like that wives talk about their husbands or about food, whatever world it is.
These people show a particularly strong obsession for snacks, so caution is necessary. What would happen if I attempted something in this world without many sweet things?
For me who is considering trading sugar using teleportation, I can't help but get fidgety from anxiousness. Because I don't know when I might end up like Bartholo...
.
While thinking about the future and flinching every time I saw a lady or two, I slinked out of the square and looked for Logan-san's house.
.
When I walked a little ways north from the mayor's house, I suddenly came across a shed in a clearing in the forest. Behind that, there was a smaller shed, maybe a storeroom.
When I approached, the hard, rhythmical sound of banging metal came from the shed.
But I wonder what kind of person Logan-san is. According to Celia-san, he's in the cute category but not honest.
I'm not sure about Celia-san's age, but does that mean Logan-san is not older than her?
I don't get the hierarchy between men and women in Coryatt Village. Now I'm just seeing an extreme example of this ossan. It must be.
"Excuse me—. Is Logan-san here—?"
I looked around inside the open shed where the sound of someone working came out from.
When I peeked inside, the walls were charred black overall, maybe because a lot of wood and charcoal is being used.
Maybe for working, it's built quite large, so it looks bigger than the houses in the village.
Inside, there was an unshaven man with a headband around his head like a carpenter.
That's probably Logan-san.
Probably because he's been swinging the heavy hammer many times, there clearly were muscles on his body. Around 50, maybe? Because of the sweat, soot and the stubble, he looks old.
Logan-san might have noticed me, but he did not look at me and kept his focus on work, continuously hitting something.
I didn't go in and stood there watching.
A while later, his work possibly finished, Logan-san stopped moving.
"This is no place for kids….. go back."
Logan-san spoke bluntly while wiping his sweat with a cloth.
Wo—w, I was suddenly told to go back. No, thinking rationally, if a four-year-old kid came over to the smithy, one would normally think that the kid came to play or watch.
"I have something I want you to make."
"Is that a joke? If you want to play, do it somewhere else."
Indeed, this happens as expected. Then, here I'll play my trump card.
"I see... Celia-san told me that Logan-san can do it. No, she said that she won't leave you alone if you don't... alright. I'll go back."
"...Wait up."
The moment I turned around, Logan-san spoke up. That's the trump card for you!
"Yes?"
I looked back with an innocent expression.
"...What did she ask for."
"I might be lying using Celia-san's name though?"
"You know what happens if you do that in this village, right? They are strong and tough. We're no match for them..."
Even though he had such a stern and glum expression in the beginning. When the switch was flipped, he quickly turned negative.
Let's live freely so I won't become like this. It was a moment I vowed so.
.
"So?"
Possibly having recovered, he returned to the glum expression. That was a fast change. Maybe Logan-san can accept these things easily because he toughened up from past experiences.
"Logan-san, what can you make?"
"Pots, farming tools, cooking knives and swords. If I had to say, cooking knives are my specialty."
"You can make quite a lot."
"That's what village blacksmiths can normally do."
"I see. Today, I want to ask for a frying pan and a knife."
"I got the knife, but what about the frying pan? Is the normal round one fine?"
"No, I need something rectangular with the handle at an oblique angle."
It would have been nice to write on some parchment, but it looks like there's none. By the way, poor-quality paper can be bought at cheap prices. The merchant that visits the mansion regularly always brings some.
It seems like there are better quality paper in the capital. For now, poor quality paper are bundled and sold to be used as memo pads.
Celia-san too had something like notes. Looks like they are necessary for writing down recipes. Now, she's training her daughter or something. Then the ultimate creature would be complete in a few years, hm.
Left with no choice, I carefully took out paper using space magic from inside my pouch, and drew pictures of the frying pan for egg rolls.
I showed him pictures from different angles: from above, from the side, from below, and from an oblique angle.
"Rectangular? What do you need that for?"
"You can make a delicious egg roll with it."
"Can't you use round ones?"
"You can't get that beauty without a rectangular one!"
"R-Really."
Afterwards, we discussed a little about the depth and length.
For the knife, he told me to come later if I wasn't going to use it right away. That makes sense. Since it would need to fit my body.
.
.
.
A week after ordering.
As arranged, I headed for Logan-san's place.
However, today I'm flying there using space magic. Let's think of the image of Logan-san's shed!
The scenery in front of our house disappeared and in a blink it shifted to the scenery in front of Logan-san's shed.
At first, I wasn't used to the scenery suddenly changing so I felt queasy, but it's nothing now that I'm used to it.
Thanks to practicing every day, this distance is an easy feat. Just in case, I closely examined all corners.
I ended up hearing, "Is there something strange about this place? They're just normal sheds and woods, no?" from Logan-san though.
Nae! Ah'm tryin' tae carve th' image intae mah heed! I unconsciously used a Scottish accent.[2] I don't want to be thought of as a strange kid or a pervert, thank you very much.
The hour should be around the same as the time before. I soon could hear the sound of metal. Maybe having finished work, he was looking at the blade of a kitchen knife.
Perhaps having noticed me, he took his gaze off the knife.
"Don't surprise me. When did you come, really..."
I came using space magic today. You didn't even feel my presence, did you? This magic, I think it would be amazing if an assassin learned it.
"Ahaha. Is it finished?"
"Aa, here."
Logan-san strode forth and picked up the two rectangular frying pans that were hung up on the wall.
One will be for Celia-san, while the other will be used at the mansion.
I slowly looked over it, and confirmed that there was no problem. They were mostly same as the order so there is no problem. The slight improvements must be Logan-san's kindness.
"Thank you!"
"How do you actually use it?"
"If you lend me a kitchen and some ingredients, I can make some right away, you know?"
"It's nowhere grand, but I've eggs and a bit of salt and sugar."
"Then let's start making it."
When I followed Logan-san, I arrived at another shed.
Maybe this is the house. Well that makes sense. He can't sleep at his workplace after all.
This shed looks like the older one. There were holes in few places.
Logan-san entered the shed and started preparing by lighting a fire with wood.
Then why don't I reinforce some places in the meanwhile.
I filled in the holes using earth magic.
Having finished making a fire already, Logan-san was looking at me with a bewildered expression.
"You, you can use magic at that age."
"Well, I can do this much. I blocked up the holes."
"Looks like you can live with just those abilities."
"Magic is for making life prosperous, so that's a given."
"It's not for fighting?"
"Of course. Though I'll use it for self-defence."
While chatting, I put some oil into the pan, and once it warmed I slowly added the eggs which were mixed before.
It would have been nice if I had soy sauce, but even without that the flavour of eggs is plenty delicious, so I just sprinkled a pinch of sugar. It seems like Logan-san does not like sweet things, so I sprinkled only a little.
"Ho—, you're quite dextrous too. You planning on becoming a cook?"
"I like cooking, but I won't become a cook."
Gradually, layers started forming on the eggs and started thickening.
Beautiful, this shape. You can always have egg rolls. I had quite a lot in the past too—.
"Hoh—, so the rectangular shape is for this."
Seeing the finished egg roll, Logan-san murmured, deeply moved.
"Then, try some."
Logan-san put a warm slice of egg roll into his mouth.
"...Delicious. I have fried eggs or omelettes quite often, but to think that there would be this much texture and flavour just from making layers."
"Right? The taste changes depending on the flavour, you know? If this spreads, I think there will be flood of orders for frying pans."
"The orders will increase without a doubt. I'll prepare some from today."
It seems like Logan-san liked it too. If I heard, 'This is bad, you made such a boring thing?' I would have felt dejected.
That day, Logan-san tenaciously asked me, "I can have this if I go to Celia's restaurant, right?" so I answered "Yes you can eat it there yes you can," many times to escape.
He might be addicted.
On the way back home, I visited Celia-san's restaurant and showed how it's made.
"I need to get some eggs!"
She looked happy. She's even neglecting work to practice making egg rolls.
Also, in the restaurant, reversi was so successful that there were so many men. I wonder if she left it to her daughter.
Just in case, I warned her that Logan-san might get boisterous and noisy, but,
"Logan, that guy was like from a long time ago. Let him come however much he wants,"
Was her reply. How very manly.