The Neighborhood High School Girl, Miss Isezaki, Is the Great Saintess Returned from Another World~ And I, Suddenly Awakened as Her Exclusive Mana Supply Uncle, Travel Between Earth and Another World with Time-Space Magic~ - 194. The Reward for Work

194. 194. 194. 194. The Reward for Work

After stowing the supply materials in the warehouse, Isezaki-san, Maristel, and I finally left the base.

Maristel had informed us that if we continued climbing the mountains known as the “Magic Stone Mines,” we would eventually reach an untouched forest. It seemed like the perfect place for gathering medicinal herbs, so we decided to aim for the middle of the mountain.

As we walked towards the Magic Stone Mines, a structure combining the natural terrain with an artificial fortress came into view. This was the fort I had helped construct, now known as “Magic Fortress Maristel.”

“Look, look! You can see my house from here! After you all left, the soldiers from Carius kept strengthening and expanding it. It’s become really impressive!”

Maristel boasted about her home with great enthusiasm. Technically, it wasn’t really her home, but I saw no reason to spoil her mood with unnecessary corrections if she was happy working there.

Indeed, the fortress had changed significantly since I had hastily built it. There were more watchtowers, the stone walls were taller, and it looked more like a fortress than before.

“By the way, I heard that when Digram attacked, the Living Dead played a big role.”

“Yes! The soldiers from Digram put up a fight at first, but as soon as I turned their fallen comrades into dolls and had them fight back, they quickly retreated. I was hoping they would resist a bit more so I could increase my collection of dolls, but it’s a shame they didn’t.”

Maristel talked about it as if it were nothing, but the thought of your fallen comrades rising to attack you as Living Dead is the stuff of nightmares. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for the Digram soldiers.

Suddenly, Maristel clapped her hands as if she had just remembered something.

“Oh, Matsunaga! This counts as work I’ve done, right? You said you’d give me a reward if I worked, so did you bring it?”

“Yes, I did. You mentioned wanting a doll, right?”

Of course, I hadn’t forgotten. I had already purchased it at the shopping mall I visited with Isezaki-san and Aihara the other day.

“Yes, a doll! Show me, show me, show me right now! I can’t wait any longer!”

Maristel eagerly pressed closer to me, her body pushing against mine in her low-cut dress.  It made it difficult to know where to look. However, when I turned my gaze away, I was met with Isezaki-san’s cold stare.

“…Maristel, aren’t we about to gather medicinal herbs? Can’t this wait until later? And please, step away from my husband.”

“What!? No way! I want to see it now! I want to see it, I want to see it!”

Maristel started flailing her arms and legs like a child throwing a tantrum. A grown adult acting like this was surprisingly annoying. It was better to just show her the doll and get it over with.

“Okay, okay. I’ll show it to you, so please step back a little…”

“Alright, I’ll step back!”

Maristel quickly moved away from me. I let out a sigh of relief and then pulled out the doll I had bought for her from my [Storage Space].

Choosing the right kind of doll for a woman of Maristel’s age living in another world was no easy task. In the end, I decided on a different character from the “Chiikawa” giant plushie series, the same one Isezaki-san had gifted to Colin.

“This is my new doll… It’s so cute… And it feels soft and fluffy when I touch it. It’s warm, too, and it smells nice… The dolls I make are squishy and cold to the touch. They smell terrible, but this one is completely different…”

Comparing it to the Living Dead was a bit much, but it seemed Maristel was thoroughly pleased with the plushie. As she gazed at it, her face softened with a blissful expression.

Isezaki-san watched her with a slightly bored look, but then—

“And this… is for you, Isezaki-san. Thank you for always helping me.”

Isezaki-san looked at me with a blank expression, then blushed with her face showing clear surprise.

“Wh-what!? For me too?”

I nodded in response.

I felt it would be unfair to give a reward only to Maristel, so while Isezaki-san was momentarily distracted, I had purchased another item. 

This was a “Chiikawa” cushion. Since Isezaki-san’s apron featured this character, she should like this item as well.

When Isezaki-san received the cushion from me, she buried her face in it and whispered:

“Thank you, Matsunaga-sama. …I’ll treasure it.”

“Great, I’m glad to hear that. …For now, let’s put these away in the [Storage Space] so they don’t get in the way while we move. Isezaki-san, Maristel-san, could you return the items for a moment?”

I extended my hand to the two of them, who were hugging the stuffed toys and cushions.

However, the two of them quickly stepped back and seemed to be in sync with each other.

““Just a little longer like this!””

““…Don’t copy me!””

They weirdly said so in unison.