Finally, we began our objective for today, the felling of trees for materials.

　Workers from the engineers' union, armed with axes, machetes and saws, are wielding their prey individually against trees that two or three adults could barely round in their arms.

　But, of course, it takes a long time to cut down even one tree with human tools. That's why we usually cut down five or six trees at most. At the most, they could only cut down seven or eight trees.

　There were three wagons to carry the load. One cart was used to load the trunks of trees that had been cut down to logs, and the other was used to load up the trimmed branches. The last one is a spare in case two of them are not enough.

　But the last one is rarely used. Basically, they say they only need two carts.

　Hearing that, I wanted to offer my help if I could add to it with my own strength. I'm sure that the power of magic will be effective in this kind of work as well.

'.........I thought.......but is it too much to ask?

　However, I can't do that kind of work on my own. If we do it on our own, it can cause trouble for others.

　So, in the meantime, I asked Karius-san about it.

I'll be there in a minute.

　He nodded with a light shake of his hair, which was a bit long for a man, and then quickly stepped up to Gon-san in a few words. Apparently, he's going to check it out. He doesn't look like his mouth, but he's a really caring person.

　I look away from his slender back. Thus, looking at him from behind, Karius-san looked somewhat more feminine than male.

　His shoulders are narrow, his waist is thin, and his head is so small that it really looks like a man. Beautiful is a word that fits well.

'Hey,'

　As I'm thinking about something that might be rude, Karius-san calls out to me in a low voice. A sharp gaze is directed towards me, as if to slash anything I touch from one end to the other.

''Ah, yes.''

Come on. Gonchan gave me the go-ahead.

　Gong...?

　While tilting my head, I ran up to Gon-san and Karius-san. Then Gon-san turns to me.

Yo. You're Gerald," he said. Can you help me cut down a tree with your magic?

Yeah. I'll see if I can help.

'Hmmm well, that's an honestly nice offer. You can't do that with magic?

　Gon-san asks me with a quizzical look. Well, it's true that for someone who doesn't know much about magic, it might be difficult to imagine a child like me cutting down a huge tree.

　If you are in Gon-san's position, that concern is also legitimate, so it can't be helped that he reacts in this way. I'm sure he knows more about cutting down trees than we do as mere adventurers.

It's not as if I have any experience in cutting down trees using magic. But I believe that by using magic, the process is easier and quicker than it would be if you were to do it the usual way.

'By the time you get here, it's clear that this kid is good with magic. The annoying thing is that for a f*cking cocky little bastard, he seems to have a better arm.

　Mr. Karius also interjected from the side. The way he said it was very rough, though.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this," he said, "and if it's too late, you'll have more encounters with demons. They are less active during the day. It's a wise choice to cut loose and go home if you can get it done quickly.

Well, Karius has a point. Okay, there's no harm in giving it a try. We arrived earlier than usual today, so there's no problem if it doesn't work out.

　Rather than me, Karius-san's words worked, and Gon shook his head. Then he turned to the people who were working on it.

Hey, f*ck you!　Pull up!　He said he's going to use his magic to take out all the trees!

　I shouted.

　Then, everyone comes back to us in a lump as Gong-san's voice. They gave us a temporary space to make room, as it would not be safe for the tree to fall if anyone was nearby.

　I stepped forward, but I had no idea what kind of tree to cut down, so I was in a bit of a bind. So I'm a little stumped.

Well, you should cut down that tree. I like the way it sticks out.

　From behind me, Mr. Gon points to a tree and gives me such instructions.

　I'm not sure if it's a magnificent tree or not. But I'm sure Gong knows the tree much better than I do.

　I point my palm at the designated tree and utter an impromptu spell.

''Cut it down.''

　As soon as we chanted, the tree, which had been chopped off near its base, began to creak and lean. Then, as the tree fell to its side with a heavy thud, everyone cheered from behind.

'Oh, wow, kid!

You're a little cocky, but you're getting it done!

'You're so cocky!　It's f*cking cheeky, though!

Hmm.

　I think it was probably Karius who snickered at the end.

　I was happy and a little embarrassed to receive the praise and jeers at my back. I asked Gon-san, struggling not to smile in embarrassment.

Do you want me to take this somewhere appropriate?

Can you do that?　Then we need to cut off some branches and stuff, and we need a little bit of open space.

What about that place?

　While saying this, he turns his attention to the slightly wider part of the road. Mr. Gong looks in that direction as well.

Yeah. It's a lot easier to do the heavy lifting around here.

　He shook his head.

　Once that was decided, all that was left was to follow the instructions.

''Transport.''

　Pointing my palm toward the tree I had cut down, I spoke the next spell.

　Then the tree floats softly in the air. I remind it to move to the right or left to try it out, and it moves freely according to my will.

　It would be easy to carry it.

　I carried the tree to the spot Gon-san had just instructed me to, and now...

"'Put it down right there,'

　He mouthed the words.

　Then, in a complete change, the tree was quietly lowered to the spot.

　We repeated this process several more times, and what would normally take until the evening was finished a little after noon. Everyone seemed happy to have cut down on the most time-consuming part of the job.

'It's easy to be unprotected when you're working,'

　Karius tells me on the way home.

The more you go into the forest to work, the more likely you are to be caught by surprise. It may seem to you rookies that all you have to do is cut down trees, but the longer you spend, the more dangerous the attacks will be. The longer it takes, the greater the risk of being attacked by monsters.

'So, I guess Gerald was able to get the job done safely today!

　As Meir said this, Karius-san turned his cold gaze on her.

'That's true, but that's no reason to let your guard down, lass. A frayed consciousness is a dead giveaway.''

Yes, yes....

　When Karius-san pointed out that she was harsh, Myl shrugged her shoulders in disappointment. To her, Karius-san added

"Don't walk with your back arched. You'll be slower to respond when the time comes.

Yes!

　And so on.

　But fortunately, we didn't encounter any major dangers on the way back, and we were able to return to the adventurer's town safely.

It's not bad for a first time mission, but you're just kids. You're just kids, though. You must be extra careful in the dungeon.

　When we parted, Karius-san said those words to me.

　I took those words to heart as a lesson for the future and finally finished my first mission.