Chapter 1.4 - Unbending Will

「She’s a bit late.」

「Yeah. Could it be that she can’t find it?」

As Misty has not yet returned, not only Eseria but Cornelia looks confused as well. Then, Alana, Cornelia’s maid who was left with them, speaks up modestly.

「Ano, Cornelia-sama, Eseria-sama, that thing should be dissolved with water first then heat it under fire every time it is used so I think it will take more time.」

When they heard it, the two looked surprised.

「Eh? Is that so?」

「Yes. If you don’t use it while it’s warm, it will solidify so you won’t be able to use it.」

「Really….that’s quite laborious.」

「I’m sorry. We did not explain it to you earlier….」

「No. Don’t worry. That only means that we need to wait a little longer.」

Cornelia, who usually doesn’t say anything rude to the servants, and Eseria, who had never imagined that it was quite laborious, did not blame the apologizing Alana. Cornelia even speaks with her gently.

「Eseria, let’s wait quietly, okay?」

「Okay」

She has no intention of objecting to that and as they waited quietly, Misty, who’s holding a pot with one of her hands, returned to the room.

「I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Eseria-sama, is this all right?」

「Ehto…..yeah, thanks.」

(This is….I have never actually seen this thing before but this looks more of a glue than paste…..)

The stuffy thing in the pot was not transparent but brown. It is a substitute that Eseria was not familiar with and it doesn’t resemble paste. Looking at her stunned, Cornelia called her out as if she’s in trouble.

「Eseria? If you don’t use it now, it will harden and you won’t be able to use it. You don’t want that, don’t you?」

Eseria instantly replied.

「That’s right! Give me a second!」

「Go ahead.」

She received the pot from Misty in a hurry and put it on the table she prepared for pasting. However, when she finally saw what’s in the pot. Eseria almost cried.

(Ugh….it looks sticky so it will probably stick but I can’t apply this using a spatula or a paintbrush. I need to use a painting brush….though I’m not good at painting narrow lines, I can confidently say that I can apply this neatly and evenly…)

While secretly whining in her heart, Etheria put the unknown entity to her brush and began applying it as evenly as possible along the edges of the paper. After that, four sheets of paper are bonded together to finally form an almost perfect square paper.

「I somehow managed to do it, is this alright?」

Eseria muttered to convince herself while looking down at the finished product. While looking at her from the side, Cornelia asks.

「Beautiful. You managed to make it to the same length and width. So, what are you going to do with it? Are you still going to use paste?」

「No, for the time being, this is good enough. Thank you.」

「Understood. I’ll clean it up.」

Eseria thanked Misty for cleaning up the pot and asked her sister again.

「Now then, oneesama, I want to use a ruler.」

She casually said that but Cornelia who heard it had a strange expression.

「What is a ruler?」

「Ehto….it’s a scale that measures length.」

「A tape measure?」

「No, it’s not. It’s hard like a straight stick or a thin plate….」

Cornelia, who heard the explanation, looked back at her maid.

「Alana, how about you? Do you know that thing?」

「I’m sorry. I can’t think of anything….」

「…..I’m sorry oneesama. Please don’t ask me about it for now.」

Looking at the lady and maid who are seriously puzzled, Eseria almost unable to hold back her tears.

(You can’t lose at this level, Eseria! In any world, a pioneer is a person who revolutionizes life using her own wisdom and courage!!)

After a short while, she shook her clenched fist and immediately ran to the wall. Then, she took a well-bound book from the bookshelf, put the edge of the book to the newly made paper, and painstakingly drew lines. After drawing a large square, she folds the paper vertically, then horizontally. She did that twice then unfold the paper and draw vertical and horizontal lines in equal intervals. While looking at Eseria’s expression, Alana fearfully asked her lady.

「Ano….Cornelia-sama. Eseria-sama is writing something on the paper with a scary expression….Is it okay to leave her like that?」

「She’s just writing things so you don’t need to worry about it….I’m getting more and more anxious though.」

Without noticing that she was receiving those kinds of gazes, Etheria was able to complete what she’s writing.

「Ano, Eseria?」

「Done! Oneesama, look!」

「Ehto….what’s with that square patterns?」

「I’m going to use it now.」

Eseria proudly showed what she had drawn with her own hands but her elder sister’s reaction is not that much. However, she didn’t even bother with that reaction and made a new request.

「Now, do you have a paper that is thicker than this?」

「Thick paper? What are you going to use it for?」

「….as expected, there’s no cardboard too.」

Cornelia was confused but Eseria, who had been resistant to her poor reaction, did not get depressed.

「Okay, oneesama, I’ll just go to the garden for a moment!」

After saying so, she put the paper on the table and ran towards the hallway. Cornelia spoke impatiently.

「Ah, Eseria, wait! I’ll go with you! You two, come with me!」

「Yes!」

「Ojousama, please wait!」

Cornelia followed her sister with Alana and Misty who had just returned.