I think I’ve got the hang of driving a wagon now. Probably.
“Thank you!” I say, handing Matthew ten pennies along with my gratitude.
But seeing the logging efforts around Lang Village… at this rate, it feels like the Great Forest is going to swallow them whole.
It seems Matthew feels the same way.
“Starting tomorrow, I’m planning on taking the requests to trim branches from the felled trees.”
Oh, dear. It seems I’m the type of person who just can’t stand being in debt.
“In that case, I’ll take that request with you. Do I need a hatchet?”
Matthew looks a little surprised, but then he smiles.
“I’d be glad for the help! The branch-trimming requests closer to Carlton are more popular.”
Well, of course they are.
“This should be enough to get me to Copper-rank,” I add, making it clear this is a one-time thing.
“Wow, that’s amazing! I only just made it to three-star.”
Well, that’s because I’ve been turning in mid-grade herbs left and right. I doubt you get many promotion points from trimming branches.
When I get back to the cabin, I wanna scream, “What a mistake!” But I stop myself so I don’t arouse Selina’s suspicion.
The reason I have such a hard time with Matthew is because I’m too soft.
“I’ll never make it as an adventurer if I’m this much of a pushover!”
I feel my shoulders slump, but I want to keep the promise I made.
Besides, all I have to do is trim branches with a hatchet, without using magic! My Air Cutter is officially sealed.
When I tell Selina I’ve taken a request to trim branches in Lang Village, she bursts out laughing.
Then she offers me a bitter warning. “Zoe, you be careful, now. You’re far too soft.”
I don’t know if it’s because of her witchly resolve or her aristocratic upbringing, but Selina always keeps a certain distance from the villagers.
Me, though? I grew up in the Great Forest with only a rather neglectful Selina for company, so I’m starved for human contact!
It’s not that I want to be friends with foolish adventurers, mind you. But the rain-making incident taught me that getting too close to people is a bad idea.
I think I understand that now.
“I’ll be gone all day again today, so could you at least exercise Noah for me? I’ll leave his saddle and bridle on. Oh, and make sure you take them off when you’re done!”
She should be able to get them off using Storage.
The next morning, I’m supposed to meet Matthew and the others at the guild in Carlton.
It feels like we’re forming a party, but we’re not! This is a one-time thing!
“Good morning!” Matthew says cheerfully.
“Morning,” I reply.
“Once we accept the request, we’ll head over to Lang Village. The others have been on this request since yesterday.”
Well, it might be easier with just the two of us.
“Wait, Ms. Zoe is taking a branch-trimming request?” Lena asks, giving Matthew and me a strange look.
“This should get me promoted to Copper-rank, right? I thought it wouldn’t be good to only ever gather herbs.”
Her expression becomes even more peculiar.
“Um, the branch-trimming request is a two-star job, so it won’t count toward promotion points for a three-star adventurer like you or Matthew.”
“What?! I had no idea!” I exclaim. It seems Matthew already knew.
“I’m doing it for the village,” he says with a cool expression.
“Well, fine! I’ll just turn in some more herbs.”
I thought we might take a wagon, but it turns out to be a carriage.
A two-person carriage is so convenient. I kind of want one. Noah could probably even pull something this size.
At the logging site in Lang Village, everyone is already hard at work.
There’s Maggie’s father!
“Hey, Matthew! Here for the branch-trimming request?”
Matthew is greeted with a warm welcome from the other villagers.
“Zoe, you sure you’ll be alright?” Maggie’s father asks me, looking concerned.
“Yep, I’m used to trimming branches.” I take my hatchet out of my wicker basket and smile.
“Right, you grew up in the Great Forest, didn’t you!” He knows me well.
I start chopping the branches off the felled trees. With just a bit of physical enhancement and a touch of mana infused into my swings, the work goes quickly.
Swish, swish, swish.
“Hey, Zoe! You really are used to this. I’d love to have your help again in the future.”
This! This is what I can’t stand about Matthew. He has a way of pushing his own sense of justice onto others.
“It’s just for today! I’ll be Copper-rank tomorrow after I turn in my herbs!”
I have to shut him down firmly, or I’ll get dragged into this. Besides, I’m already doing my part to stop the forest’s expansion from behind the scenes!
During our lunch break, they pass around warm soup. It’s a welcome treat after working in the cold.
But still, taking requests with other people is stressful. I’m never doing this again.
“You should take some of these trimmed branches home with you,” Maggie’s father offers kindly.
But since I’ve been thinning out the trees myself, I have plenty.
“Thank you,” I say, stuffing them into my wicker basket anyway. Well, you can never have too much kindling.
“Matthew, thank you for teaching me how to handle a horse. Now we’re even!”
Phew… One less thing hanging over my head.
But Matthew just looks surprised.
“Huh? I didn’t think of it like that at all!” he says.
The fact that he’s so completely oblivious might just be the real reason I can’t stand him.