132: Even if we fail, no time to sulk.

Thanks to the adventurers gathered around Raidock at the front, our barge—(…)—arrived at the scene of the accident on the water in no time.

"Good! Adventurers, split into your party roles! Jitarou! Solar! You two, team up with the archers and toss ropes to the drowning guy! Don’t forget to tie a piece of wood to the end!"

"Got it!"

"Leave it to us!"

The archers immediately started preparing the ropes.

Raidock swung his arm sharply.

"Anyone who can heal, move to the neighboring barge with Marilyn! Looks like the injured are gathering there!"

Several barges at the construction site were chained together, forming a small island.

Since we could see the injured gathering, we docked alongside the artificial island.

A few sailors jumped from the barge onto our skiff and quickly secured the two with chains.

They even threw up a makeshift bridge, as if on impulse.

Marilyn and the adventurers who could heal dashed off toward the injured.

“Anyone who can swim—come with me and dive in for rescue!”

“““Yeah!!”””

Raidock’s order drew sharp replies from the remaining warriors and swordsmen among the adventurers, but I shot down the idea right away.

“No way. Too dangerous!”

Water’s the worst. Even if you’re attacked by monsters, you might escape if you’re lucky. Or fight back if you’re strong enough.

But underwater? You can’t breathe. You die. Same for half-breeds.

A lizardman might hold their breath longer than a human, but not forever. Raidock could probably stay under like one, but if something goes wrong down there and he can’t surface? Dead for sure.

And this place? It’s a disaster site. No one can even guess what might happen.

Even if we’re talking about rescuing lives, there’s no way I’d send someone into something like that. Secondary and tertiary disasters—those have to be avoided.

I told Raidock all this, tried to talk him out of it.

But Raidock just stared at me like I’d lost my mind.

“Hey now. You’re the reason I can even do this, aren’t you?”

“Huh?”

I don’t get it.

“You’re not serious. You don’t remember?”

Raidock widened his eyes, pulled out a potion bottle.

I recognize that.

It was the alchemical potion we made in bulk a few days ago.

Not just Raidock—he’s got one. So do the other adventurers who’re still alive.

Breath-water potion.

“Hey, Craft. I’d go through reckless stuff if it was just me, but we’ve got other party members here? Play it safe. We’ve got the potion—prioritize those with breath-water when we heard it was underwater.”

Yeah, that’s right. Raidock’s the type to push through anything crazy, but he doesn’t force it on others.

Regret.

“Alright, Craft and Eva—find the on-site负责人 and get the full picture! After that, I’ll hand over command to you!”

“Got it.”

Raidock and the others leap one after another into the river. Was Camille among them? Probably.

“Um… sorry to be serious, but…”

Eva adjusts the brim of her mage’s hat, cold eyes locking onto me.

“Remember what you did earlier?”

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!

I dropped to my knees right there.

Eva stared down at me in silence for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.

"I know you didn’t do it on purpose."

"Of course not!"

I answered with a bounce, and she shot me another icy glance.

I pressed my forehead into the floor.

"Next time, treat me to dinner."

"Got it!"

If that’s all it takes to be forgiven, I’m the lucky one!

Seriously, I’ve been too busy lately to even think about spending money.

"Anyway, let’s hurry. No time for jokes."

"Yeah."

I shook off the mood, activated my scrying magic, and scanned the area.

The target appeared instantly.

"Leifan!"

"Craft! Thank goodness! You made it!"

Leifan, half-gnome and guildmaster of the Golden Dune production, was clinging to a mast.

It was a slender mast, the kind you'd attach to a barge—but somehow, with Leifan, it looked thick.

Yeah, whatever. Doesn't matter.

"…Trying to be a cicada or something?"

"No! Just holding on so I don't fall off the ship!"

I scanned the barge.

The barge Leifan was on was huge. From the mast standing in the middle down to the water? Two lengths of timber, at least.

"Wait—Leifan…?"

Leifan’s face went bright red instantly.

Then he snapped back, half-defeated.

"Yeah! I can’t swim! Sorry, okay?!"

"N-no, I’m not complaining! I just thought—usually fighting in swamps and stuff..."

Looks just like I’m standing on solid ground with trees all around me!?

I don’t see it! Yeah!?

My spine straightens without thinking.

Mum! Yes! Mum!

"Just tell me the situation. Whatever you’ve got, just spit it out."

"Y-yeah. We were driving stakes at the bridge site when we got attacked by a waterborne monster. Some of the barges got sunk."

"Barges sunk? Seriously?"

Barges aren’t built to float—they’re made for it. How hard did they get hit?

"We drove off the monster, but we’re stuck trying to pull out the workers who fell in!"

"Then it’s fine. Raidock’s already on his way."

"Ah. Right. Guess that’s what I’d expect."

Leifan exhales, relief washing over him.

Holding tight to the mast.

Leifan’s “plank” was a board set into the water, driven in place, then drained to create a pocket of space within the river.

One of the hardest jobs in building bridge piers.

And it had failed during testing…

I shivered, scanning the site.

All the people in need had already been rescued by adventurers.

External wounds were treated with Healing Potions. Breathing problems and similar symptoms had been handled by clerics’ healing magic and medical care. Thanks to the use of Cure Potions too, we’d managed to avoid any deaths.

I turned back to Leifan and nodded firmly.

“Leifan. We’d forgotten how terrifying the frontier really is.”

Frontier expansion.

Yeah. We’d forgotten.

Wasn’t that supposed to mean death, plain and simple?

“Yeah.”

Leifan nodded too.

“But…”

I smirked, lifting the corner of my mouth.

“Not planning to give up, are you?”

She shot back with a challenging grin.

“Of course not! Back home, we’re having a reflection meeting and a strategy session!”

She said it, clinging tight to the mast.

“Not gonna hold, is it…”

Where the hell did Jitarou even come from?

Tomorrow’s the big release day for Volume 4!

This time, we’ve got a full original story—so please, do check it out!