If this were the modern era, we wouldn’t have to pack down dirt roads like this—there’d be asphalt instead. What a shame.

…Wait. Would we still have to repaint the asphalt and scrape off chewing gum?

‘Come to think of it, a dirt road might be better.’

After a long while of backbreaking labor, the road was almost finished. Winter took a step back, clasped his hands behind his back, and surveyed the path with an eagle-eyed gaze.

"Hmm…"

"Does anything look off?"

I, standing beside him, immediately tried to read his expression. In a cold voice, he responded,

"The road is uneven."

"…I’ll have them flatten it further!"

And so, to smooth out the road, Benny even used her wind attribute aura.@@novelbin@@

"Father… I miss you…"

I definitely heard Benny mumbling, but I pretended I didn’t.

Since news had spread that the newly crowned Emperor would be passing through here, the townspeople had gathered to watch us prepare the road and await his arrival.

They murmured in admiration at Benny’s precise aura control. Not exactly the recognition she wanted, though.

‘That’s annoying.’

I glanced toward the crowd.

I’d been on external duty enough times to know exactly how people looked at us. They stared at us as if we were monsters, with thinly veiled fear in their eyes.

It was only natural, but that didn’t mean I liked standing among people who clearly despised me.

That was when I noticed Dalin.

With so many people around, she looked far less confident than she did at the unit. It was almost like she had regressed to how she had been when she first enlisted.

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