As dawn broke, Akira began his day with his usual workout routine, invigorating his body and mind. Afterward, he instructed the goblins to cut several trees and bring the trunks back to the base. With the goblins set to work, Akira visited the seedling, carefully watering it and pouring mana into its roots. He anticipated the young treant developing legs and detaching from the ground soon.
Next, Akira headed to his crafting room, intent on making a cauldron for Jarvis. He meticulously crafted a large, sturdy cauldron, designed to cook sizable batches of meals for the goblins. Once finished, he carried it downstairs and presented it to Jarvis and Lesley. Jarvis inspected the cauldron with a keen eye, nodding in approval.
"Excellent craftsmanship, Master," Jarvis praised.
"It's no big deal, Jarvis. This should make your work easier," Akira replied.
As Lesley placed the cauldron in its designated spot and fetched firewood, Akira turned to Jarvis. "I have something I want to discuss with you."
"Yes, Master, I am at your service," Jarvis responded humbly.
"Do you remember the large cave where you found me injured?" Akira asked.
"Yes, Master, I do," Jarvis confirmed.
"That cave is full of various minerals, and I want to mine them," Akira explained.
"That is an excellent idea, Master," Jarvis agreed.
"I will need you and the goblins for this task," Akira continued.
"Master, I will do whatever I can for you, but if you want me to mine, don't expect much from this old body," Jarvis said with a touch of humor.
Akira chuckled. "I'm not asking you to mine the minerals yourself. I will provide you with a carriage and a handful of goblins. I will also send Alphagob with you to handle any ghouls and secure the cave if any monsters appear. I just need you to supervise them. Imagine goblins riding a carriage—any adventurer who sees them will surely attack, thinking they must have looted some merchant."
Jarvis bowed slightly. "I apologize for my insolence, Master. I will certainly do as you please."
"That's why I bought the horse. The goblins are gathering wood and will make a carriage once they finish," Akira explained.
Jarvis thought for a moment and then said, "Master, there is an issue."
"What is it?" Akira asked.
"A horse is fine for carrying household items, but it won't be able to pull a carriage full of ores," Jarvis said.
"Should we get another one?" Akira inquired.
Jarvis shook his head. "We should get two oxen. They will certainly do the job."
Akira nodded in agreement. He pulled out his bag and handed gold coins to Jarvis. Jarvis counted the coins and looked up. "This is more than enough for the two oxen, Master."
Akira replies then "Get vital items for mining, like lanterns and sleeping bags. Also, get some adamantite ore because I need to make pickaxes and am out of minerals. And get some clothes for the goblins."
As Jarvis prepared to leave, Akira noticed Lesley poking her head out from around the corner. He stopped Jarvis. "Also, pick up Lesley's maid dresses from the tailor."
Jarvis nodded. "Yes, Master. I will leave right away."
As Jarvis left the house, Akira called out to Lesley. She came running and asked, "Yes, Master, what can I do for you?"
"Firstly, have a seat," Akira said, pointing to a chair.
Lesley sat down, and Akira looked at her kindly. "What is bothering you?"
Lesley lowered her head and finally spoke, "Why did you pick me?"
Akira smiled. "Because I needed a maid, and I think you will be a fine one."
"But I can't use mana, not even a single bit. I have suffered all my life. I'm an elf, and elves are supposed to have a good amount and control over mana, but I don't even have a single drop," Lesley explained, her voice filled with sadness.
"That's not entirely true," Akira said gently. "You do have mana; it's just that the amount is so small that it stays in your core, which is your heart. It's okay if you can't use mana. I don't mind it. I just care about your well-being and that you work well here."
Lesley looked up at Akira, her eyes filled with hope. "Really?"
"Really," Akira confirmed. "Now, tell me about yourself."
Lesley took a deep breath and began her story. She spoke of how she was taunted by the villagers she lived with in the woods. Her parents, in shame, took her far away and then abandoned her. She was caught by bandits, sold to a slave merchant, and spent her time being passed from one merchant to another because no one wanted her after discovering she had no mana and that's how she ended up in her.
Akira stood up, walked towards Lesley, and patted her head. "This will be your final home. You will spend the rest of your life here with us."
Lesley became emotional, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked at Akira's face and saw his warm smile. This made her smile too, even as the tears fell. She wiped her tears and said, "I want to be a proper servant. I want you to make a binding contract with me."
Akira initially resisted the idea of a binding contract, but Lesley insisted. With a sigh, Akira asked for her hand. He performed the binding ritual, and Lesley, seeing the mark of binding appear on her hand, was overjoyed.
"Is that all you wanted to talk about last night?" Akira asked.
Lesley became shy again, lowering her head. She quietly said, "I don't know how the toilet works or how the water magically comes from the pipes. I don't know how to open it."
Akira laughed softly and took Lesley to the toilet. He showed her how everything worked. She was amazed and said, "Using this, I don't have to worry about making water with mana or disposing waste."
"Exactly. That's why I installed all this," Akira said.
Their conversation was interrupted by a goblin who came to inform Akira that the wood had been gathered. Akira instructed Lesley to continue with her chores and went to the front yard to start making the carriage from the wood.