128.1. Those Who Are Standing Can Still Be Used, Even If They’re Friends, Isn’t It?

“Craft-san! Let’s go play!”

That day, the one who came through the doors of the production guild was the hunter, Jitaro.

As usual, the guild was packed with craftsmen and guild staff who had come to pick up goods, and the staff were swamped with work. Despite this, Jitaro’s goofy invitation to play made me wonder if he had iron hair growing from his heart.

“Just in time! Are you free!? You must be free!”

I grabbed Jitaro’s shoulders, who was standing around like a fool, and Leafan behind me gleamed with excitement.

“Jitarou-san! You’re free, right!? You are, aren’t you!?”

“To invite us to play means you must be free! No doubt about it! Jitaro, you’re free!”

“Uh, well, yeah, I’m free…”

“Great! Guard secured! We’re heading to the wetlands!”

“Okay! Be careful!”

Jitaro looked unusually stunned, but it’s his fault for showing up at a time like this.

“Jitaro! Get ready for the trip immediately! Just a few days’ worth! Bring the Super Jet right now! We’ll meet at the East Gate in 30 minutes!”

The Super Jet is Jitaro’s beloved steed… or rather, his beloved pony.

Raised on stamina potions, it’s as strong as a horse bred in Golden Dawn, but for some reason, its appearance never changes; it’s a curious pony.

“Y-Yes!”

“Be careful! Both of you!”

“I’ll return as soon as I can!”

I quickly finished preparing for the trip and mounted my trusty steed, Black Dragon.

When I arrived at the East Gate, Jitaro was already feeding carrots to the Super Jet.

As expected of a hunter, it seemed like preparing for an unexpected trip was no problem.

“So, Craft-san, where are we going? Huh!? You’re not going to some naughty store, are you!? I heard there are hardly any around this town!”

“Of course not! If that were the case, Leafan wouldn’t be sending us off!”

Going to a naughty store and declaring it to a girl—what kind of pervert does that!?

Besides, going to such places is embarrassing!

“That’s right! You don’t need to go to such places when I’m here!”

A new person jumped into the conversation between Jitaro and me.

The first thing that caught my eye was her ample chest!

Next, my attention was drawn to the reptilian tail extending from her lower back.

Her face, both dignified and cute, would make anyone say she’s beautiful.

She is Shururu, the daughter of the village chief of the Gourd Swamp Village, Charle.

She’s one of the surviving Lizardmen we met while investigating dangerous borderlands.

Even among Lizardmen, some like her brother Jurara retain many reptilian features, while Shururu, with only a tail and eyes different from humans, looks almost completely human.

In other words, at first glance, she’s a busty beauty.

And now Shururu is clinging to my arm. To be honest, it makes me nervous.

“Hey!? You’re touching! You’re touching, so get off!?”

“I’m touching!”

“So envious! So envious!”

That mysterious softness against my elbow!

I forcefully shook Shururu off.

“Ah!”

“Shururu. We don’t have time to play! We’re going to build a village, remember!”

When I yelled that, Jitaro clapped his hands.

“So, we’re heading to the wetlands now? And you wanted a guard for that, right?”

“Yeah. It’s a relief you got it right away. Recently, I’ve been banned from going outside the city alone.”

It’s not just Kyle; even Leafan has banned it, so I’m reluctantly obeying. I understand the concern, but isn’t it a bit overprotective?

I used to be an adventurer, after all.

But since Shururu is joining us this time, it’s reasonable to have a guard.

We’re going to the wetlands, where we’re building a village for the Lizardmen. The basic housing is already completed, and most of the Lizardmen have moved in.

Because Shururu looks almost human, she handles matters in Golden Dawn when needed.

Even though we have a communication magic tool, it’s only usable from my side, which is a drawback.

Connecting with Shururu requires endless conversations, which is a bit troublesome. It’s not just about magic power; it takes up time as well.

More importantly…

“Craft-sama! Let’s ride the same horse together!”

“It’s okay. I borrowed a horse from Kyle.”

“Eh? But I’m not good with horses…”

“I know you’ve been racing from the wetlands here on horseback.”

“Ah!”

“Then, let’s ride together on my Super Jet—”

“Let’s depart now, Craft-sama!”