Chapter 73 - Daily Life with a Mage
"Excuse me. Eh!? Even though it's Aldo's house, isn't it plain!?"
As soon as Kurune entered my house, she let out a rude shout.
"How rude. This is a house I newly acquired, you know? Of course I'd get some furniture together."
I said with a proud expression to Kurune, who was looking around the living room in a daze.
It's different from the inn life of moving from place to place. Once I decided to live here, even I, who am usually indifferent to furniture, would properly prepare some. Of course I'd make an effort to live as comfortably as possible.
"Heh—, you've even paid attention to the color of the walls and the furniture, using soft-colored carpets and rugs..."
Mumu?
"Wooden houses have a nice sense of maturity and calm, but if you match them with the colors of wooden furniture, they tend to give off a dark image, so you have to be especially careful with the colors of the rugs and curtains, don't you?"
W-Was that so?
"The flower picture frame is a good accent too, and it's displayed in the place where one's eyes go first upon entering. If it were displayed on the left wall, only the person sitting on the sofa would be able to see it."
Gunuuu, the wall on the left was the place I had intuitively tried to install it at first. Flora had gently persuaded me out of it, and it was changed to the current spot that enters a person's field of vision when they come in.
On the left wall, there is a small hole as if to represent the remains of that attempt.
"You're amazing, Aldo!"
"............"
Kurune turned around and was praising me, but no matter how I looked at it, her eyes were mocking me.
Curse you, Kurune, you're saying that knowing full well, aren't you? You went and pinpointed and praised every single spot that Flora set up.
While I grimaced in frustration, Flora gave a wry "Ahaha" laugh.
"Well, those are all things Flora newly brought in, though."
And then Aisha, who knew the meaning behind Kurune's words, deliberately attacked me.
"You guys are noisy. I mean, Aisha, you've finished guiding Kurune, right? Hurry up and get back to work."
When I desperately counterattacked Aisha, Kurune started walking toward a chair in the living room while giggling. Flora, who was guiding her, was also laughing a little. Cruel.
"It's fine. If I have the pretext of guiding a guest, Ina will gladly take over the work."
It must be hard to look after such a vast vineyard. I feel sorry for Ina, who has to help her sister with a habit of slacking off.
"Go back after you've had some tea and a little rest, okay?"
"Yeah, and then I'll head back after chatting while snacking on some Pico Fruit and Kuku Fruit. That's what a rest is to me."
In other words, she has no intention of leaving for a while.
I let out a sigh at the usual Aisha and headed to the kitchen.
She did say to put out Pico Fruit and Kuku Fruit in addition to the tea.
While I put out the fruit and arranged them on a plate, Flora took out tea leaves and tableware to prepare the usual tea.
Kurune, who was seated, was swinging her legs while observing the living room with interest, and Aisha, who was next to her, was slumped face-down.
What a bunch of free-spirited women.
However, having Kurune mixed in with the usual members like this feels very fresh.
It somewhat reminds me of the scenes in the inns when we were adventuring as a party. Keel used to sit in an unrefined way just like Aisha too.
"What's wrong?"
Before I knew it, I must have been smiling, as Kurune looked at me with a curious face.
"No, I just remembered the scenes from our adventurer days. Keel used to sit like that in the inns too, didn't he?"
"Ah, Keel was brisk when he was cooking for himself, but he'd slack off in inns where he didn't need to cook, wouldn't he?"
When I pointed at Aisha and said so, Kurune also laughed with a look of agreement.
"Wait a minute. From the name Keel, that person is a man, right? I don't know why, but I can't stand being lumped together with that person."
Well, he is a middle-aged man with a monkey face. I can understand why Aisha would say not to treat them the same. She's sharp, even though she's never met him.
While I was giving a wry smile, Kurune suddenly laughed out loud, "Ahahahaha!"
"...What? Why are you laughing so much?"
"Ahahahaha! Sorry! Aisha and Keel's faces look like they're overlapping, so don't look this way! Ahahahaha!"
Seeing Aisha's dissatisfied face must have hit her funny bone, as Kurune laughed loudly.
Since Aisha doesn't know the man named Keel, she has a suspicious face, but she seems to have sensed that she was being mocked somehow.
She looked at the laughing Kurune with a pouting face, then shot a glance my way.
"Pupu"
Their features aren't similar at all, but somehow the way she directed her gaze and the way she raised her eyebrows were exactly like Keel.
It's no good. Thinking that made Aisha's face overlap with Keel's. Once it got to this point, I couldn't stop laughing.
"...This is somehow very unpleasant. Hurry up and give me the fruit."
Aisha, who was laughed at by Kurune and me, demanded the fruit by clapping her hands in a bad mood.
If I laugh any more, Aisha will really get sulky, so I put out Aisha's portion first to soothe her for the time being.
Kurune, who is the guest, is still laughing, so I don't need to worry about her.
"Ah, Aldo-san. We're a bit short on water, so I'll go fetch some."
Ignoring Aisha, who was eating fruit with a displeased look, Flora spoke up.
Apparently, the amount of water in the jar was unreliable.
Ah, since I didn't think Aisha or Kurune would be coming today, I hadn't put that much water in. Aisha likes Flora's tea, so she'll easily drink three cups, and Kurune likes tea too, so she'll probably drink about the same.
"In that case, I'll go fetch it right away, so you just put out the water for them."
"Ah, yes. Understood."
Thinking it would be faster for me, who has strength, to fetch it, Flora handed me the bucket with a slightly apologetic look. Since fetching water is basically my role, Flora doesn't need to worry about it.
"Well then, I'm off."
"What's wrong?"
As I headed to the entrance with the bucket, Kurune, whose laughter had subsided, spoke with a suspicious voice.
"We're short on water, so I'm going to fetch some."
"Then my magic will do, won't it? You don't have to go all the way to the well to fetch it; magic is instant, you know?"
Ah, come to think of it, that's right.
"...Wait, Aldo, have you forgotten that I'm a mage?"
"Sorry, sorry. Living a life that doesn't rely on magic has become ingrained in me."
When I returned as if remembering, Kurune had a bit of a sulky expression.
Regarding the bath, I relied completely on magic tools, but for everything else, I basically lived a life without using magic tools.
Even with Kurune, who can use magic, here, the option of asking her as I used to had naturally disappeared.
Once humans get used to something, their lifestyle and thoughts change.
"Well then, Kurune. Can I ask you to do it?"
"Leave it to me!"
When I put the bucket back in the kitchen and placed a large water jar on the floor instead, Kurune gleefully picked up the staff that had been leaning against the wall.
"What, what? Kurune is going to produce water with magic?"
"Kurune-san is going to produce water with magic for us?"
The two of them, who seemed to have gathered what was happening from the conversation, came over with interested eyes.
In a rural village, you rarely get to see magic, after all. It's only natural to be curious about what kind of thing magic is.
While we watched, Kurune leisurely approached the jar.
Usually, she just shoots it in haphazardly, but since there's an audience, she's probably trying to perform it coolly.
Having reached the jar, Kurune made her expression dignified and slowly pointed her staff at the jar.
Then she stopped and took a long pause.
Then she closed her eyes and slowly opened her thin lips.
"'O pure water, converge upon my staff. Water.'"
Kurune's clear voice, like a ringing bell, echoed in the living room, and then, water was fired from the tip of Kurune's staff.
Usually, she just says "Water" listlessly and shoots out a stream of water.
The water fired from Kurune's staff filled the jar.
"...Water really did come out. And from the tip of a staff that had nothing."
"...T-That's amazing."
Unlike Aisha, who raised a voice of admiration, Flora was somewhat hesitant.
That's because it's the same magic as the magic tool I use every day in the bathroom. Hearing it was magic, she might have imagined something more vivid.
Kurune, unaware of such things, looked satisfied seeing Aisha and Flora surprised by the water magic.
"Thanks."
"Something like this is a piece of cake."
When I thanked her, Kurune answered happily.
"...Is this really drinkable?"
"It's drinkable."
When Kurune answered, Aisha unhesitatingly scooped some water with a cup.
Then, after checking the transparent water and smelling it, she gulped it down.
"Unlike spring water or well water, it feels tasteless and odorless. It's normally delicious to drink."
"Ah, it's true. It's a bit different from the usual taste."
"That's because spring water and well water have various components in them."
When Flora, who drank next, stated her impressions, Kurune said proudly.
Water produced by magic doesn't have extra components in it, after all.
There are those who prefer water produced by magic, and those who prefer water that exists naturally. Well, which one a person finds delicious depends on the individual, but for adventurers traveling through various regions, securing water is necessary, so having someone who can use water magic is something to be grateful for.
"Thank you very much. I'll try brewing tea using this water!"
"Yes, please do!"
It's gotten a bit long, so I'll cut it here.