Chapter 68: Again, huh~
The next day.
It was approaching 3 PM.
Today the sky was cloudy, but not dark enough to feel gloomy. The sun was simply blocked by white clouds.
I stood at the training ground watching the students’ movements, arms crossed.
The day before, the students had already narrowed down which weapons to raise.
So today, when training started, they immediately chose their weapons and began raising their skill levels.
I occasionally gave advice or hints, making sure not to tell them the answer.
Of course, my students were capable, so I didn’t say much.
They could talk to each other, so that must be why.
So far, I hadn’t seen any students arguing.
Roy, who had looked dark yesterday, smiled when he saw today’s training.
Lucy was comparing a bundle of papers with Roy’s movements and giving instructions.
Roy would stop and look at the papers Lucy was holding every time she pointed something out.
After serious consultation with Lucy, Roy would start moving the same way again, get pointed out, and consult once more.
It looked just like a married couple, and I laughed.
By the way, Erika-san, who was training near me, suddenly burst out laughing and looked at me with a puzzled expression.
Just as I was about to wrap up training, I noticed one student squatting on the ground.
I quickly went over and called out to the female student with dark red hair in short hair, Polte.
Polte was holding her foot and her friends nearby were coming over worried.
"Polte, what’s wrong?"
"Ah, Raide Instructor. Um, my sole got rubbed..."
"Then go straight to the medical room and have it treated. ...Sorry, but can you do that for me?"
Polte winced, so I assumed it hurt. She nodded at my words.
I asked her friends to take care of her, and they nodded with smiles.
Polte leaned on her friends and headed to the medical room.
I watched them go, arms crossed and rubbing my chin.
...Exactly.
If it was a foot that had been properly trained, it would be fine, but... a girl’s foot... and she’s still only sixteen.
What should I do...? As I was thinking, Erika-san approached me while wiping sweat from her face with a towel.
She was wearing a bra, but the nipples weren’t visible, though her breasts were swaying.
Maryka-san had said it was bad to make them too firm.
I think she meant the same principle as braiding.
If you don’t let out a little shock, the opposite would happen — it would hurt.
Making the right balance was difficult, so Maryka-san had been holding her head.
While looking at Erika-san’s damp training clothes, I looked down at her feet.
"What is it? You’ve been staring at them so intently... What happened to Polte-san?"
"...Her sole seems to have been rubbed."
"Ah, I understand. I don’t skip foot care every day either."
"...I see."
Foot care... we need that too.
I stood with my arms crossed and looked at Erika-san with a troubled expression.
I had only been thinking, but Erika-san thought I had misunderstood and took a step back with a strained smile.
I gathered my thoughts, smiled at Erika-san, and said,
"Erika."
"Y-yes?"
"I have a request."
I smiled and said that. Elysia-san’s smile turned distant at the words.
It’s okay. It’s not a bad request.
In the instructor’s room, I finished organizing the students’ documents.
Erika-san and I left the academy together.
It was 5 PM, so the sunset was covering the royal capital.
A gentle wind carried the scent of the coming warm season.
It was hard to describe, but I could feel "Ah, it’s getting warmer."
When I looked sideways, Erika-san was pressing her fluttering blonde hair with one hand, smiling gently.
I smiled, realizing that Elysia-san and Erika-san were indeed mother and daughter.
We were heading to the shoe shop Erika-san liked.
I had ideas about the materials, but I decided it was better to leave the shape and design to professionals.
We walked along 11th Street toward the castle wall.
11th Street was full of restaurants, but the bar scene was particularly lively, so it was popular with both civilians and adventurers.
Just as we were approaching the castle wall and royal castle area, Erika-san tugged at my clothes.
I looked at her face. She was smiling and pointing at a certain building.
Following her finger, I saw a plain brown building sandwiched between two brightly lit restaurants.
Perhaps it looked that way because the stores on both ends were bright.
As we got closer, I could tell the interior was larger than the flower mist.
Under Erika-san’s guidance, I opened the shop door and stepped inside.
Inside, I looked around and saw wonderful shoes displayed.
The items were arranged so you could easily pick them up and see the differences.
From the layout, it was clear that the owner thought carefully about customers.
Erika-san walked to the back and spoke to the woman at the counter.
She had soft, wavy short hair and a gentle smile. She noticed Erika-san and bowed calmly.
"Welcome, Erika-sama."
"Yes, Deene. Sorry to come so suddenly, but do you have time?"
"...Yes, that’s fine. What about you?"
Deene-san swayed her melon-sized breasts and looked at me strangely.
I gave her a serious bow, then introduced myself after standing up.
"It’s nice to meet you. I’m Raide, a combat instructor at the academy."
"I teach your class."
Erika-san placed one hand on her hip and added with a wry smile.
I gave her a bow of thanks with my eyes. Erika-san waved her hand.
Deene-san tilted her head slightly and handed the counter over to a young woman, then led us to the back reception room.
For some reason... when I looked to check how many people were there, I felt like I was looking into an empty space...
We entered the room. Elysia-san and I sat on the central sofa, and Deene-san sat on the opposite sofa.
After the shop attendant brought tea, I began explaining.
I told Deene-san about Polte-san’s rubbed sole during training and explained the situation in easy-to-understand terms.
Deene-san listened seriously, took a sip of tea, and gave a troubled expression.
"That’s something I’ve been thinking about too. But no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find anything that absorbs shock while staying small."
"...Can this be used?"
Deene-san was smiling, but there was a hint of regret in her voice. I took out the item from my magic bag and showed it to her.
The moment I pulled it out, Erika-san took a sip of her tea with a distant smile.
Deene-san tilted her head at the item, then looked back and forth between it and my face.
"That... is it slime?"
"Yes, it’s slime... Do you have shoe sole molds?"
I decided it was better to show than explain, so I demonstrated on the table.
Slime is normally a liquid with only stickiness, but it can absorb various things and show effects.
I poured the slime into the shoe sole mold I brought, sprinkled sand on it, and mixed it.
This sand was the fine sand I had sifted while renovating [Suzuya] because I needed it.
I mixed it evenly, waited a little, and removed the mold.
What I got was a fluffy insoles that looked exactly like shoe soles.
I asked her to close her eyes because the insoles I made were a little thicker.
I handed the finished insoles to Deene-san, who was watching with wide eyes.
Both of Deene-san’s hands were trembling slightly as she took them.
She pulled, bent, and examined the insoles.
Finally, she took off her shoes and stepped on them barefoot.
When I saw her face light up, I added with a wry smile,
"You have sand only for now, but what about trying other powders? ...Can you make shoes for the students?"
"...Yes, I will! Please let me!"
Deene-san hugged the slime insoles tightly with both hands and pleaded desperately.
I nodded with a smile and glanced at Erika-san, who was smiling in the distance.
Erika-san noticed my gaze, placed her cup gracefully on the table, chuckled, and muttered,
"...Again, huh~"
