The next morning, I went with Krul to fetch water from the lake, as was our regular routine. She looked happy to be going with me...I thought. I couldn’tactually read the expressions of drakes, so my interpretation was part wishful thinking.

Since we were at the lake, I took the opportunity to wash myself as well, chatting with Krul all the while.

“Did Diana take over for me while I was gone?” I asked.

“Kuluuu,” she chirruped.

I had no way of understanding the nuances of her response, but somehow, it sounded like she was saying, “Yup.”

Thanks to my quality time with Krul, my day was off to a heartwarming start.

“Shall we head back?”

“Kululululu!”

We walked back to the cabin together, me with the water jugs hefted on my shoulders and Krul with them slung around her neck. Another snapshot in our quiet day-to-day life.

At home, we finished up breakfast and laundry before sitting down together for our morning huddle.

I kicked the discussion off by declaring, “I’ll be forging a sword for Helen today.”

“Should the rest of us continue our usual schedule?” Rike asked.

“Yeah. You can shadow me as I work today. Can you make more plate metal with any extra time?”

The five of them chimed in with their agreements.

A new day in Forge Eizo begins.

First order of business—light the firebed and forge using magic. I didn’t understand the principles behind the power I was channeling, but at the very least, I didn’t have to chant any long incantations.

Magic was more like...a field of particles in the air. By snatching up these particles and compressing them, I could generate heat to light a fire. That was the general idea at least. It worked similarly to adiabatic compression systems. Y’know, the kind where the comp