"Next, we need to go to the military outpost. This way."

With that, Erika turned to the left again, and Raine followed her.

"Just out of curiosity, do we always deliver directly like this?" Raine asked.

"There aren't many people around, and it's a bit much to ask them to come pick it up," Erika replied.

If it were up to Raine, he would have insisted they come to pick it up. But, given that this was a favor, Erika was probably right.

They continued walking and soon arrived at a small two-story building, which was even smaller than the town hall.

"Is this the place?" Raine asked.

"Yes, this is where we handle all the paperwork," Erika answered.

Erika nodded and entered the outpost, with Raine following closely behind. The inside of the outpost was not very spacious, with only a few people behind the reception desk and no other visitors. It wasn't surprising, considering not many had business with the military outpost. Still, it was better than Raine’s place.

"Hey, Lutz!" Erika called out casually to a brown-haired man behind the reception desk.

"Hmm? Oh, Erika," the man responded, standing up and walking over. He was tall and had a well-defined face. Could he be her boyfriend? Raine wondered.

"Good morning!" Erika greeted.

"Good morning. And who’s this?" Lutz asked, glancing at Raine.

"This is Raine, a colleague who just got assigned here yesterday," Erika explained.

"I see… I'm Lutz Lintner, a soldier in this town. Nice to meet you," Lutz said, extending his hand.

"Raine Alexander. Nice to meet you… Lintner?" Raine replied, shaking his hand.

Wasn't Erika also a Lintner?

"Ah, we're cousins," Lutz clarified.

That explained Erika's familiarity with him.

"Lutz, I brought the potions for delivery," Erika said, placing her bag on the counter.

"Ah, you're quick. Alright, let's have a look," Lutz responded, as Erika began taking out the potions from her bag. He carefully inspected each one.

"They all seem to be of good quality. Hold on a moment; I'll get the paperwork," Lutz said before disappearing into a room in the back.

"That's a relief... I wasn’t too confident about the potions," Erika said quietly.

"Really? I checked them in the warehouse too, and everything seemed fine. Including the bricks, of course," Raine reassured her.

"Leonora is the one who's good at making potions and medicines, so I usually leave that to her. My specialty is more in crafting things like bricks," Erika admitted.

Ah, that makes sense, Raine thought. He remembered helping her study the day before; she wasn't too fond of chemistry and alchemical reactions.

"Of course, it's ideal to be proficient in everything, but if you have a team, it’s not a bad idea to divide tasks based on strengths," Raine suggested.

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"You're right... The problem is, we’re only three," Erika sighed.

Yeah, that's tough… We really need to address this soon, Raine thought.

As they spoke in hushed tones, Raine noticed Lutz returning with another man, a stern-looking figure with a beard.

"…A noble," Raine muttered.

"…Major Esmalch," Erika whispered back.

A major, huh? That's a bit high up, Raine mused.

"Sorry for the wait, Erika. Could you sign here?" Lutz asked, placing a document on the counter.

Erika quickly signed the paper.

"Thank you. Now, about the next order..." Lutz began, glancing at the major.

"Ahem… Thank you for your efforts on this task. The potions were of excellent quality, and we are quite satisfied," Major Esmalch said, crossing his arms behind his back with an air of superiority.

"Oh, thank you very much," Erika said, bowing her head timidly.

"However, we would like to place an order for 100 magic stones," the major continued.

"Magic stones? And the deadline?" Erika inquired.

"One week," the major answered.

What?

"One week? That's a bit…"

"Is it too difficult? It's an urgent request," the major pressed.

"Well, it's just that we're short-staffed right now…" Erika tried to explain.

"If it's too much trouble, we can always go to the private sector. If you're unable to handle urgent orders, we may have to reconsider our future dealings," the major threatened.

Yeah, there’s no way Erika can handle this, Raine thought.

"Erika, let me handle this," Raine said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, please do," Erika responded, stepping back.

"And who might you be?" the major asked.

"I'm Raine Alexander, newly assigned to the Reit Branch as of yesterday. Pleasure to meet you," Raine introduced himself.

"Hmm… Finally, a new recruit," the major mused.

Not exactly a rookie, Raine thought to himself.

"Yes, about the order, I have a few questions if that's alright?" Raine continued.

"Of course," the major agreed.

"First, you mentioned it’s an urgent request with a one-week deadline. That's quite short notice. Is there a specific reason for such urgency?" Raine asked.

"The reason is classified," the major replied curtly.

Of course, he would say that.

"However, I must ask, is this a matter that affects the survival of the town? Asking for 100 magic stones out of the blue made me think there might be a war brewing," Raine pressed.

Magic stones are used as boosters for casting magic and are often integrated into wands and other magical instruments.

"No, it's nothing like that. It’s simply for a training exercise. I can’t give more details, but our schedule is packed," the major explained.

Just reschedule, then, Raine thought. This feels more like a nuisance tactic.

"I see. Understood. Also, with such an urgent order and a one-week deadline, the cost will significantly increase. Are you prepared for that?" Raine asked.

"How much are we talking about?" the major asked.

"At least double. 2 million El," Raine answered.

The major frowned at the price.

"Isn’t that a bit steep?" the major complained.

"That’s how it is with urgent requests. Especially for 100 magic stones in a week. If it’s too much, you might consider the private sector. It’ll cost you even more," Raine countered.

If you’re lucky, it will only be double. The private sector would likely charge even more, taking advantage of the situation.

"Are you certain you can deliver? Failure is not an option," the major demanded.

He’s hoping we fail, Raine realized.

"We can deliver. But can you provide the necessary magic stones?" Raine asked.

Magic stones are crafted from magic crystals.

"You expect us to provide the materials?" the major asked.

"Naturally. Do you think we have a stockpile of 100 magic crystals? If you want us to source the materials, we’ll buy them from the market, which means the cost will increase further. And since this is urgent, it will be quite expensive," Raine explained.

The major's frown deepened.

"…Fine. We will provide them," the major conceded.

"Then please have them delivered today," Raine requested.

"Today? That’s impossible," the major objected.

What?

"Why? This is an urgent request, isn’t it? If time is of the essence, then gather the resources quickly. Or is it not that urgent after all? In that case, I recommend extending the deadline," Raine suggested.

"…Lutz, see to it," the major ordered, passing the task to his subordinate.

"And make sure they come with certification. We’ll be crafting the magic stones using your materials, and if there’s an issue with quality, it won't be our responsibility," Raine added.

It's common for nobles to use material quality as a pretext for complaints later on.

"Lutz, use whoever you need," the major ordered again before hastily returning to his office.

"There aren’t any spare hands…" Lutz muttered under his breath.

"Seems like you're not lucky with your superiors. Anyway, we’ll leave it to you. Erika, let’s head back," Raine said.

"R-right," Erika replied.

Leaving the frustrated Lutz behind, Raine and Erika exited the outpost.