Chapter 237: Night Watch
By the time we finished having our dinner - made comfortably inside the house made using Earth magic-, it had already become dark outside.
However, we are not inconvenienced by the darkness inside the house. Light magic tools had been installed in various places in the house.
Thanks to that, the inside of the rooms can maintain the brightness as in the daytime.
Elna-kaasan, Nord-tousan, and Eleonora-neesan are sitting on the chairs and talking with each other, while Sylvio-niisan and I are sitting on a sofa reading a book.
Row-san is outside looking after the horses, and Mina was happily eating cookies after her meal.
It doesn’t feel like we were in the middle of a trip at all, but everyone was also relaxing in their own ways, perhaps they have gotten used to the comfort.
As we spend our time like that for some time, Nord-tousan abruptly stands up.
「……I think it is time to head outside and keep a lookout」
「Keep a lookout?」
I tilted my head hearing Nord-tousan said that.
「That’s right. There are a lot of monsters that become active when it’s nighttime. We are close to the mountain, after all, we are not safe even if we have some buildings around us. That's why two people need to keep a lookout together during a shift at night」
「Ehー, we‘re keeping a lookoutー? We have such an imposing house here, so even monsters will be wary of it and won’t come to attack us, won’t they?」
I don’t want to keep a lookout and cut off my sleeping time. I’m sleepy already, so I want to lie down and sleep on a bed comfortably today if possible.
「Monsters are not stupid you know. The existence of a house is a sign that there are humans. If anything, curious and ferocious monsters will likely come attacking of their own free will」
When I complain about it, Elna-kaasan explained the necessity of keeping a lookout without complaining which is unusual.
It’s surprising since I thought Elna-kaasan will also dislike this kind of thing.
As expected from the two who had been living as adventurers, the two of them look like they are exceedingly cautious against monsters at night.
If even those two said something to that extent, then it looks like it’s really dangerous so we have no other choice than to do it.
「This place is not as safe as the Koryatt village, you know? Give it up」
「Fine fine, I understand already」
Right, this is not the peaceful Koryatt village. So, I have to whine in moderation.
◆
「Al, can you light the fire?」
「Yeess」
Nord-tousan places two firewoods on the ground and I light the fire using Fire magic.
Then use twigs and straws to make the fire bigger and use Wind magic to send gentle wind on it.
After a while, the fire is brilliantly lit, and the firewoods flared up.
Okay then, as can be seen, the first pair of honorable lookouts are Nord-tousan and me.
I’m still seven years old so my body also wants to sleep early. Taking that into account, they decided that I will take the first lookout and after this, I can sleep soundly until morning. I mean, if I were to be assigned to the second or third shift, I will be woken up in the middle of my sleep and will just be sleepy while doing my lookout duty.
I’m grateful for Nord-tousan as he properly shows consideration to his children.
Incidentally, the next shift is still Nord-tousan, and Mina. The third shifts are Elna-kaasan and Sylvio-niisan. After that is the last shifts, Eleonora-neesan and Row-san.
It is a total of an eight-hour lookout with two hours-shifts. We have one reliable adult here, so we’re safe even in emergency situations.
Though I said that, I don’t think we won’t have to worry about such situations since we have excess fighting power in every shift.
I’m staring at the flickering flames while thinking about such things.
The large firewood and branches are making *pakipaki* sounds as if they are cracking, and orange light is filling the area, illuminating the darkness.
The flame in the darkness looks so clear and beautiful.
The flame gives off warm air while swaying and flickering. It never has the same shape, and it’s fun to kill some time just by watching the flame.
I thought that keeping a lookout at night will just cut off my sleeping time and it won’t be fun at all, but if I just watch the glowing flame like this then it looks like I’ll be able to waste plenty of time.
I’m glad to have found an unexpected diversion.
「……Al, are you all right?」
「…………」
「……Al? Al!」
「Hm? Hae? What?」
Just as I was absorbed in staring at the flames for a while, Nord-tousan suddenly shook my shoulder.
「It’s nothing, it’s just that color was steadily disappearing from your eyes so I got worried」
「Is that so? But I was just staring at the flames you know?」
Even when I tilted my head to the side and said that, for some reason, Nord-tousan has a worried look on his face.
I feel like Eleonora-neesan and Sylvio-niisan also told me the same thing when I was staring at the flowing water in the river.
I wonder, did I really have such a dangerous look?
I breathe a sigh to collect myself, even as I think about such things.
It’s nice that we have a fire so that we won’t get cold, but I want a chair to sit on. As expected, to keep on standing or crouching like this is tough.
So I immediately cast Earth magic and make two chairs of just the right size around the bonfire.
They are a normal type of chair with a proper backrest, and a type of chair with a deep, curved backrest to relax.
「Nord-tousan sit over there」
「A, aah. Thank you」
Of course, I want to sit on the second chair, and after I urge Nord-tousan to sit on the normal chair, I sit on the second type of chair.
When I sit on the deep backrest-type chair, I felt the sensation as if my body is being wrapped by the chair due to the curve. I can clearly feel that this chair seat is deeper compared to the normal chair when I sit on it.
For some reason, it became interesting when I make some changes to the chair, so I cast Earth magic while sitting on the chair.
This time I make it while imagining the backrest to be something that can be reclined even more.
Immediately after that, a type of chair with a deep, reclining backrest was made this time.
After confirming that there is no problem with the whole chair, I sit on the newly-made chair. No, I guess it’s more correct to say that it’s a chair for lying down, already? I was no longer sitting down on the chair that maintained a perfect balance but lying down on it.
Laying down a slime cushion under my head, I unconsciously feel relaxed and cozy. Then today’s fatigue suddenly came rushing.
I was tired since I woke up so early this morning and we left the mansion for the trip after that.
I feel like I can sleep comfortably now. In any case, Nord-tousan is here so there should be no problem even if I sleep.
I heard the devil whisper to me. And since the angel didn’t come to me, I close my eyelids without hesitation.
「Hey, Al! You’re trying to sleep right now, didn’t you!?」
However, I was dragged back to reality before my consciousness can fall into the comfortable darkness. That was because Nord-tousan was strongly shaking my shoulder.
「But, I’m sleepy mon」
「Be patient」
Che, and here I thought that he would just wryly smile and overlook it if Nord-tousan saw a children’s innocent sleeping face.
I wonder if I should do this earlier? Like ‘he can admirably endure his drowsiness even though he’s still seven years, and he finally can’t win against it and fell asleep’. It’d be great if I have such a plot happen to me.
「I can only see this chair as something that invites Al to sleep. Al should also sit on a normal chair」
「……yeeーss」
Since Nord-tousan said something reasonable, I got off the chair and create a normal chair. Then, my drowsiness became somewhat bearable than before.
……so this is the evil chair that invites you to sleep.
here
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