Chapter 354: Extra Service

“Company, halt! Take a break!”

“Sir!”

Sesto and his group arrived about ten minutes late. As expected of the elite knights of the Fertio Marquis family, they swiftly prepared for the break with disciplined, orderly movements. Then, Sesto peeked out from one of the carriages. He looked around with a displeased expression and spotted us in the middle of our meal.

“……Soldier Captain. Why is there such a gap in our arrival times?”

Perhaps because he had just woken up, Sesto asked in a slightly hoarse voice. The Soldier Captain stopped his preparations, stood up, and straightened his back.

“Sir! I believe it is because the carriages Lord Van uses are of higher performance than the ones possessed by our Marquis Chivalric Order!”

“……If you knew that, why didn’t you improve them while we were in Seatoh Village? You had a whole day, didn’t you?”

“My apologies! The thought did not occur to me!”

When Sesto questioned him aggressively, the Soldier Captain voiced his apology. However, it’s hard to think that far ahead. They had participated in the defense of Centena, but they likely couldn’t have memorized the performance of my carriages at that time. It seemed cruel to blame him too much. Just as I thought that, Sesto raised his hand.

He didn’t punch him, but Sesto slapped the Soldier Captain’s cheek with his open palm. It wasn’t a hard slap, but the sound caused the knights to involuntarily turn their gaze toward them.

Sensing that he had drawn everyone’s attention, Sesto narrowed his eyes sharply, clicked his tongue, and turned his back. Watching Sesto walk silently toward the river, I headed over to the Soldier Captain, who had been left alone.

“……Are you okay? This looks like it will affect our marching speed going forward, so I’ll build you a carriage as a complimentary service.”

When I said that, the Soldier Captain turned around in surprise.

“N-No…… We cannot have you go that far for us, Lord Van……!”

The Soldier Captain held back politely. He is now in his late twenties and has become a captain, but he is also one of the people who taught me swordsmanship when I was a child. Recalling that past, I laughed and waved one hand.

“It’s for Silhouette, who calls me ‘Lord Van’ instead of ‘Viscount Van.’ Think of it as thanks for teaching me swordsmanship.”

I said that half-jokingly and asked Khamsin to prepare some wood. While Khamsin went to relay the message to Dee and the others, Silhouette, the Soldier Captain, tucked his chin in with teary eyes.

“T-Thank you, very much……! I offer my utmost gratitude for your kind consideration, Lord Van……!”

“You’re exaggerating. It’s just a carriage.”

I gave a wry smile at the overwhelmed Silhouette and left it at that.

Even though they were on a break, Dee and the others brought the wood with incredible speed. Honestly, I thought the entire afternoon would be taken up by logging, so even I, the one who gave the instructions, was astonished.

“Will this be enough?”

“Thanks! That helps a lot! Alright, go rest a bit longer.”

“Understood!”

Dee said that with an energy that made it hard to believe he had just felled ten trees, then returned to the others who had resumed their break.

Is it just that Dee, who cuts down trees in a single blow, is strange? I’m supposed to be the person with common sense.

When I muttered that, Arte smiled as if she was troubled. Why won’t you answer me?

Thinking that, I touched the wood that had been carried in, intending to build it quickly. I concentrated my magic and unfolded the blueprint in my mind. Since I’ve made them many times already, building a carriage is a breeze.

However, the only problem is the suspension. Without the rubber part of the wheels, the ride quality just dies, but without suspension, it’s genuinely bad.

So, I started by simply making the wheels, shafts, and the lower part of the body. Then, I installed the suspension above the axle bearings so that the body was in a slightly floating state. Once that was done, all that was left was to pile on the rest.

I decided to make the driver’s seat a bit wider and design it so that up to four horses could be hitched if needed—that sort of vibe. This part is the most fun.

“U-Um, Lord Van……?”

Suddenly, Arte called my name, and I stopped my hands.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

I turned around, keeping my back to the carriage, and Arte pointed at the half-built carriage with a troubled look.

“Um, just how far do you intend to build?”

“Eh?”

Prompted by her words, I turned back to look. The majority of the carriage was already complete, but for some reason, I was in the middle of installing incredibly elaborate decorations. The walls of the carriage were being adorned with decorations that looked like a magnificent Buddhist altar.

“……W-When did it end up like this?”

I answered with a question mark, not understanding it myself. Arte smiled wryly at that. Her smile seemed to gouge at my wounds.

“A-Alright. I’m making everyone wait, so I’ll build another one right away!”

“Y-Yes! Please do your best!”

Cheered on by a cute girl, I aggressively built one more carriage. perhaps my abilities improved due to her encouragement, because I finished one carriage in about thirty minutes. It had zero decorations, but the performance should be more than sufficient.

“Finally done.”

Just as I said that with a sigh of relief, Havel, having finished his meal, walked over.

“Ooh? It is already done? As expected of you, Lord Van…… Wait, the decoration is half-baked, isn’t it!”

Just when I thought I was finished, Havel discovered the carriage in its half-finished state. I thought, This is bad, but it was too late.

“This won’t do! I’ll give you a hand!”

“Ehhh!?”

Thus, the fire was lit under the perfectionist Havel, and our departure was delayed by another hour.