CHAPTER 73…………………………………..
Rest (3)
When it finally seemed that the two’s bickering had come to an end, they continued to exchange volleys back and forth.
‘Maybe he’s not as scary as I thought…’
Because of that, perhaps, the inner wall she had built up toward Lowell began to lower even further. Temia’s effort to pick out topics for him—pinpointing and guiding him so he could express his opinions more easily, even while sharply pointing out his flaws—was starting to shine.
As a result, once the heavy matters were settled, Lowell found himself bombarded with all sorts of bizarre and unexpected questions.
“Um, that cat that used to visit the village often hasn’t been around lately. Can’t you find it somehow?”
“My kid’s been talking funny these days—do you think he might’ve eaten something strange?”
Faced with the sudden barrage of questions, Lowell could only let out a strangled cry.
“How should I know that?!”
Temia merely averted her eyes from his desperate look.
Surprisingly, the meeting concluded without any further issues. No—more than that, it went remarkably smoothly.
“I was worried we wouldn’t solve it again this time, but thank goodness!”
“Finally, I can sleep with my legs stretched out!”
Ironically, the person who contributed the most was none other than Lowell. Perhaps because no one had expected much from him, everyone seemed both delighted and oddly surprised.
Their noisy discussions hadn’t been in vain—it showed in how relaxed the atmosphere was as they left the hall. Even the way others looked at Lowell told the story. His consistent manner no longer made anyone uncomfortable. A few, the more sociable types, even clapped him on the shoulder as they spoke.
“Hey, wizard! You seem way more cheerful than before! I’m impressed!”
“I’ve always been the same, actually. Nothing’s changed.”
“Ha! You’ve even learned to joke now!”
Lowell shot a weary look at the village representative, who walked off laughing as though he’d just heard a great joke. But no one seemed to notice his discomfort. Clearly, helping to solve the village’s issue had won him some affection.
After being bombarded by conversation after conversation, Lowell finally looked exhausted. He tugged on Temia’s sleeve.
“Temia… let’s just go back. If we stay here any longer, my ears might burst from all this noise.”
“Why? You should try enjoying this kind of gathering once in a while.”
Temia tried to hide a small laugh, feigning innocence. It was a little funny to see him so uncomfortable, almost breaking into hives, while everyone else looked at him with such warmth.
‘Strangely enough, it feels like all that pent-up frustration is finally melting away…’
“Don’t say something ridiculous! Everyone here’s reacting like they can’t even hear what I’m saying—that’s not normal!”
Looking paler than usual, he spoke hastily, then shut his eyes tight like he wanted to escape. Gripping Temia’s hand like a lifeline, he held on tight. For someone who usually handled everything so confidently, seeing him so flustered and helpless was… honestly, a little cute.
‘Cute? …What the hell am I thinking?’
Startled by her own thoughts, Temia shook her head hard. Clearly, she’d lost her mind after such an unfamiliar day.
‘Ugh, fine. He looks pitiful enough today—maybe I’ll let him off the hook.’
Resolute, Temia quickly led Lowell away from the crowd and back to the workshop. Even on the way, he looked completely drained, his eyes hollow as he stared at her. Seeing that proud man reduced to this after a bit of social attention was amusing in its own way.
‘He really did need some time around people.’
Though it had drained him, at least he no longer looked at others with hostility. That alone was a meaningful result from today’s ordeal.
But if she kept teasing him now, he might actually collapse, so she decisively opened the workshop door, sat him down, and poured him some tea.
Seeing that, Lowell muttered,
“Temia… that was kind of cool. My heart just skipped a beat.”
Naturally, Temia ignored the nonsense. She soothed the flustered Lerry—who was panicking about how thin his master looked—and took the bluebird upstairs.
Not long after, rumors began to spread through the village. People started showing up around the workshop much more often.
Since it was still officially on long vacation, they weren’t selling anything, but even stepping outside to tend the herb garden or take a walk drew waves and greetings from villagers.
It was probably just friendly curiosity, but for Lowell, who had sought peace and quiet, it was a nightmare.
“I picked this place because it was supposed to be quiet. Small villages—this is the problem. News spreads too fast.”
“That’s the fifth time you’ve said that, Lowell. Don’t you think it’s a bit late to complain? And it’s not like people are barging in for help—they’re just curious. Having a wizard in town is something special for them.”
“I’m not some attraction to be gawked at.”
“Try to think of it differently. Not as an attraction—just as someone who draws people’s interest and goodwill easily.”
As they talked, a few bright-eyed children gathered nearby, looking up at them.
“My dad said the wizard looks scary but actually isn’t!”
“My mom said you’re a good person! She told me to thank you for finding the cat!”
“I just wanted to come here! Hehe, only grown-ups get to go in, that’s not fair!”
Their cheerful voices were filled with innocent curiosity. Lowell pressed a hand to his forehead before replying weakly,
“So, you’re saying… you’ve got nothing better to do? Wouldn’t you rather go play outside?”
“But it’s more fun here! There are so many pretty, colorful things!”
“Uh… the workshop’s still closed for vacation, so—”
“We know! That’s why it’s the best time to look around! No customers!”
“…Wow. Whose kids are you? You’ll never get ripped off in life, that’s for sure.”
Still, he watched his language carefully around the children. It even surprised Temia a little, and the kids, sensing that, grew even more excited and refused to leave. Eventually, Lowell gave up.
“Fine. You can look—but don’t touch anything, don’t open anything, and don’t move anything. Break the rules and you’re out. Got it?”
“It’s okay! I’m good at following rules!”
“…Hopeless. Kids really are difficult.”
He looked like he wanted to say more but stopped, sighing as he watched them wander around the workshop.
‘Normally he’d snap at them, but he’s holding back because they’re kids?’
Unable to scold them, he fidgeted anxiously, following them around like a restless guardian. Every time one came too close, he’d flinch and retreat as if burned.
“Mr. Wizard! What’s in this yellow bottle?”
“That’s… a jar of fragments from a Philosopher’s Stone—wait, don’t touch that! …Let’s just look with our eyes, okay?”
“But it’s shiny! Can I touch it just once?”
“No, it’s for sale. If it breaks, it’s a hassle. …I’ll take it down for you, so you can see it closer on the table.”
He couldn’t bring himself to turn them away completely. Temia, watching him awkwardly but kindly interacting with the children, smiled and brought out some finger food.
As the kids munched happily, she asked them directly about Lowell.
“So, is this your first time talking to the wizard from the Green Sandwich Workshop?”
“Yes! I thought he’d be super scary—he’s really tall, and he always frowns like this!”
“But he didn’t frown that much today, right? He even showed you those magic materials himself.”
“Yeah! There was this shiny glass bottle—he showed it to us up close! It was glowing! So cool!”
As they chewed their snacks, they started sharing more stories—some from today, others from before, when Lowell first settled in town.
“One time, I was peeking at the workshop ‘cause I was curious, and the wizard came out! I was so nervous I tripped, but before I fell, he used magic and lifted me back up! I wanted to thank him, but he just frowned and went inside…”
“Oh my! So today isn’t your first meeting, then?”
“Nope! My little brother saw him too! I think everyone’s met him at least once!”
The stories flowed on, time slipping by unnoticed. Temia, fascinated to learn new sides of Lowell she hadn’t known, kept refilling their plates just to hear more.
Eventually, when the now-full children each received a small digestive potion from Lowell, the visit came to an end.
“Bye-bye! Can we come again sometime?”
“Sure. Thanks for stopping by.”
The door closed with a thud, and Lowell let out a long sigh. He looked as drained as he had after the last village meeting.
“Children… are difficult,” he murmured.
Coming from a wizard who could solve magical formulas others couldn’t even read, it was a rather amusing statement. Temia, tidying up the table, smiled warmly at the sight.
After a few more such whirlwind visits, the first noisy week of their “vacation” finally came to an end. And on the very first day of the second week, Lowell said,
“I’ll be stepping out for a while.”
