4th Sukurach of Jariel 1205

Lucy's POV

I can't believe it... It should be at most a one-week journey.... and this fella managed to make it a nearly 2-week journey...

" We are finally here, it feels like eternity~" Christine complained.

WHOSE FAULT DO YOU THINK IT IS!

You have been lazy to do everything! From setting up camp to hunting food, and even to fetch water! You haven't even bathed for 2 weeks!

" I swear if Adeline knows about your condition now, she will go nuts on you," I said to Christine. Adeline definitely would go ham on making her look and act like a girl. 100%

" I'll just tidy up when she comes~ It's not like she would be here immediately in front of my eyes like that~," she said.

" I swear even if normally these bodies won't be able to get fat, you will definitely get fatter," I complained.

" And then I will be better in you in that area~," she said while pointing to my breast. YOU!

" I swear ill throw you to Petrasha and hope that I will never get to meet you again. How can you be more annoying than you are on Earth!" you sure you are Kevin? You are even way way way more lazier than him! He would at least still go out for a jog on Sundays.

As we continue walking towards the northwest gate towards the capital of the dwarven kingdom, we just keep bickering here and there.

" Reason of entry and permits please." the dwarven gatekeeper told us and I went ahead to get my permit from my inventory before I heard a very familiar loli voice.

" They are with me guards, don't worry," It's Petrasha.

" So what took you two so long. I thought you would be here 5 days ago. Is it because of Christine?" Petrasha said as we continue to walk along the dwarven tunnel towards the capital.

" Yeah, she really took a long time doing stuff, which is actually done by me... I have to hunt for food, go fetch water, just literally everything while she just eats all of our food... *sigh* Why can't she be more competent..." I said to Petrasha.

" I can feel she's pretty incompetent..." Petrasha said while looking at the sleeping Christine on the wagon that she brought.

" Thanks for coming to pick us up with the wagon though. It really helped me a lot... and sorry," I said to Petrasha.

After meeting Petrasha, Christine immediately jumped towards her and literally molested her in every way possible. If it isn't because Petrasha literally ordered the guards to stand down, I feel that Christine and maybe even me will be executed for er molestation or assault on nobility... After several failing attempts to push Christine away, Petrasha took out her hammer and gave Christine a good ol bonk on the head. Which is why she is at the cart and not walking like me or Petrasha.

" But for real, dwarven architecture really is something else. The tunnels feels so wide it's like the tunnels in the highways back on Earth." I said while Petrasha added " In reality, it's only like a 2-way lane back on earth though. So it isn't as wide as it seems to be. But at the very least it won't let people feel that it's very cramped."

" The way you guys polish the ceiling and walls doesn't make it feels like we are underground at all! At most its just feels like we are indoors. What are those lights at the middle, by the way, the light it gives looks like sunlight? Is it a new type of metal?" I asked.

" Oho glad you noticed it. It is just a type of metal that radiates warm light. It is called Lumium. It is actually a metal from a game that I played, I didn't know if its components will be the same but I tried it anyway, and voila a new metal is discovered. Ever since that, all the tunnels in the Argerios started to use these metal lamps! The only downside is that once Lumium, it is kinda impossible to close it off again. This means that it will remain lighted up forever. So it's actually not usable indoors, but with places like these tunnels, it's the perfect match!" Petrasha said while puffing her non-existent chest... at least mine is a bit bigger so I'm happy.

" I can also see that you are trying to get asphalt right? The black part here which is for carts and wagons is asphalt right?" I asked, well I highly doubt it's asphalt, it doesn't feel like it.

" This is where you are wrong. These stones here are lavastone that cooled down and lost the lava part of it. We call these stones grimstones. A pretty name for some cooled-down lava right. These stones are very resistant to friction so you don't have to worry that they lose their color even after years. Along with the Lumium lamps, it looks pretty much like the roads we have back on Earth. Currently, we are trying to mass-produce these grimstone road paths so that we can pave it all the way to all 3 kingdom capitals. Though I must say that it will be a long way to go. Lavastone doesn't cool down that fast, after all, even these are the result of using it for over two decades." Petrasha said.

Wait... aren't these supposed to be obsidian? 

" No those are directly cooled lava, lavastone are different from lava as it's actually solid lava. I still don't understand how does this forms but from what I heard from the elders, lavastone is formed by forcibly pressing the lava with earth magic that it will start to solidify without losing its magmatic properties. Lavastone still remains its temperature like lava but with dwarven technologies remains easier to transport than liquid lava. With proper methods, we could even start exporting lavastone to other regions! Currently, lavastone is used in a lot of forges to assist in blacksmithing as what is a better fuel than to use lava itself. Liquid lava might cause the surrounding to catch fire but lavastone will not! Pretty neat stuff I would say." Petrasha info-dumped me.

Damn these dwarves really are top-notch huh.

" So what kind of technology level are the dwarves at... I am curious. The elven kingdom looks medieval in construction and technology but their laws and stuff looks modern" I asked. In the Estaria Kingdom. Most of the laws that they follow is similar to those in modern times, as in the punishment part. Execution is not that common compared to before and the government actually follows a semi-democratic way where each major town will first elect their mayor and these mayors will choose one of them to become the leader, in which will become the king. Though a lot of us just let the king continues so far as he is doing a good job. We don't really need too much advancement right now so it's fine.

"Let's see, I would say the dwarven kingdom is at industrial but I'm not so sure, even until now we haven't been able to produce niter for stuff. But we started to use coal, pyrite, and various fuels to provide electricity. Well not really electricity, in here we call electricity as ether. But they do the same stuff anyway and we would need ether pipes rather than electric wires. Architecture wise well, I'm not sure how should we compare dwarven architecture to earth's one but in terms of construction level I would say industrial or even atomic. Though we still use various stone materials as the base, we have started to use metallic frames to construct buildings. The new dwarven town hall even boasts a height of 15 stories tall! But for the laws hrmm. There really aren't that many laws here, most dwarven lives like a brotherhood. They don't do stuff such as stealing as such so the laws are mostly for the outsiders." Petrasha explained.

Damn industrial... no wonder you can start creating phones... don't develop a PC. Christine will be addicted to it... I warn you...

" We should be almost there to the city of Heart Forge. I would advise against using this name to dwarves though. They like the old name more, we only use this name for non-dwarven people. The old name is Kadrel Amoruk." Petrasha said.

Why the name change if you aren't even going to use it...

" Well, I just want to rest nicely for a day without me having to worry about anything. Christine has already given me a lot of trouble that it made me think that I shouldn't even bring her on this trip in the first place." I said while letting out a loud sigh.

" Haha... I know that feeling. Back on Earth on every field trip, it's always me, Beno, or Marco who handles stuff... he just goes ahead and flirts with girls every time we go on field trips..." Petrasha said. Those sure are old times. I even remembered when he tried to flirt with a girl who turns out to be the guide's daughter. He got yelled at real bad and is literally forbidden to come out for the rest of that trip!

" No, it's even worse this time... In those field trips at least there's a lot of other girls that he can flirt with, so his concentration is divided into many other girls. This time, we are only traveling with each other... It's torture... he literally uses every chance he can to flirt with me..." I said dejectedly. I already lost count of the times he made me blush... with those statements that she said shamelessly spit out...

" Anyways you said you have a job for me right. What should I do?" I asked. 

" Oh that, I need you to help me pass the message and the ManaComs to the other 3 continents. I want to make sure that we can get Adeline, Marco, and Beno as soon as they reach here. I already send two other council members to the polar continents and one for the leviathans." Petrasha said. Exploring other continents huh, I would like to. But why me tho, you got other council members to do the job right.

" Why me though. I'm not a member of the council so I don't think I should represent them though." I asked.

" Don't worry, the demon king owes me one for introducing irrigation system to their fields, and the dryads are glad that I managed to convince each town on their continent to only make one town there each. The Kesintorr settlements are mostly dwarven settlements so they would still listen to me as a council member. So don't worry. Just say that you speak for me and you are fine. Also, remember to show my sigil that is." ... this girl. Just what did she do within 5 years. Literally introducing irrigation to the demons... that's a new technology for them... Settling settlement problem with natives, that's major politics... You crazy girl...

Somehow I instinctively start to pat her head...

" Oi, I'm not a kid! Stop doing that to me!" Petrasha yelled... but she didn't resist...

" Sorry, when I saw you like this it reminds me of the little kids back at Edolophini and also my little brothers back on Earth," I said. I mean it's true. Petrasha is only around 90cm tall... that's half of Christine's height. But her trying to work so hard to gather us together really makes me happy.

" Alright, I will accept this quest of yours. But take care of Christine though. If possible also try to force her to learn some common sense of this world. She literally just blurted she want to marry me when we are traveling." I said.

" That's... a serious problem. Alright, I will ask the retired council members to help. Some of them like to teach people about stuff anyways." Petrasha said. She really is a reliable kid. I continue to pat her head more.

" Sorry for not contacting you right after I arrive by the way... I got swept up with these dwarven stuff and forgot to go ahead and find you." Petrasa said in a sad voice.

" Don't be, aren't we here now? In the end, you being swept up with those stuff allowed us to be more efficient in finding the other people. Isn't it?" I said to Petrasha.

" Well yeah... Say, Lucy." "Yes?" " Should I call you onee-san now that in this world you are older than me."..

Saying that in such a cute voice and embarrassed face... I'm getting diabetes...

" Ara ara~," I said in a very onee-san ¹Onee-san means big sister tone. " Sure, my cute imouto," I said as I continue to pat her head.

Benokelvin

Oho, it seems our Christine is once a very good F L E R T too bad Lucy is taken

Damn Petrasha you sure are using your otherworldly knowledge good.

I wonder if anyone of you would know where the metal "Lumium" Come from~

Next chapter soon~