I wondered what the next box held.
I opened Box No. 3.
Inside, I found a collection of smaller boxes. Their contents varied, but they all appeared to be tools used for alchemy. Although several had been damaged by the impact of the fall, Lu and Tia secured every single one of them, seemingly unbothered by the cracks.
I didn't mind if they used them, but I told them they had to be willing to lend them out if anyone else needed them.
...
It might have been a bit late to start worrying about this, but was it actually acceptable for me to do as I pleased with everything inside these boxes? Under normal circumstances, I should have reported them as lost property... but there was no one left to report them to.
Besides, if they had been sitting here for at least twenty-five hundred years, the original owner was surely long dead. Then again, I couldn't say that for certain. Progenitor-san and Prada had both lived for well over two millennia, after all.
Seeing my dilemma, Ann offered some advice.
"I believe it would be appropriate to treat these as harvested goods."
"Harvested goods? Not lost property?"
"Correct. It is no different from gathering wild herbs in the forest."
I see. Was that really okay? After thinking it over for a moment, I decided to look at it like an adventurer finding gear in a dungeon and claiming it as their own. That felt reasonable enough.
Pulling myself together, I opened Box No. 4.
This one contained fabrics—blankets, sheets, and the like. It seemed they were items the previous owner had used in their daily life.
"I am sorry for providing such mundane items," the box apologized.
"Not at all. You never know what might come in handy."
That said, the stains and grime were quite prominent; I couldn't call them clean even to be polite. To be honest, I didn't feel much like using them myself. The fabric wasn't particularly high-quality, either. Considering they were over twenty-five hundred years old, they might have had some historical value, but...
Into the storehouse they went.
Just as I was thinking that, I noticed Zabuton's Children staring at the cloths with intense expressions. Did they want them? It seemed so. Using them was certainly better than letting them rot in storage. I handed the fabrics over to the spiders who wanted them.
"Could we have a few pieces to use as cleaning rags?" one of the High Ogre Maids asked.
I felt a bit bad for the box, but...
"I do not mind at all," Box No. 4 replied.
True to its unbothered nature regarding its "unlucky" number, No. 4 had a very easygoing personality. Zabuton's Children handed several pieces suitable for rags over to the maid. I offered a silent apology to the box.
Next, I opened Box No. 5.
Inside were large jars filled with sand. Unfortunately, about half of them had shattered, likely due to the impact of the fall. I suppose I should have been grateful that half had survived.
The type of sand seemed to vary from jar to jar, but the contents of the broken ones had ended up mixed together at the bottom of the chest.
Wait, what?
Apparently, if I provided replacement jars or plates, the box could sort the sand into them. It claimed it could separate them back into their original states.
"You can actually do that?"
That was impressive. I removed the intact jars along with the shards of the broken ones, then placed several empty plates inside. I closed the lid, and when I opened it again, the sands were perfectly sorted.
Wow, that really was amazing.
The sand was a material for alchemy. We couldn't identify the specific types without a closer look, but Lu and Tia were already moving to claim them when Gatto called out for them to wait. It seemed some of the sands could be used for blacksmithing as well.
"I see. You'll have to discuss it among yourselves."
Gatto agreed and immediately recruited Donovan to his side, starting a negotiation against Lu and Tia. I understood wanting to even the numbers, but why Donovan? Apparently, because Donovan had a deep understanding of smithing and was one of the few people who could actually stand his ground against Lu and Tia. That made sense.
Leaving the negotiations to the interested parties, I opened Box No. 7.
Lumber? No, it looked like folding furniture. When I took the items out and unfolded them, they transformed into tables and chairs. The design was incredibly compact. I could learn a lot from this craftsmanship. They were sturdy, too; not a single piece was broken.
I decided to give these to the Mountain Elves. I figured it would provide them with some good inspiration.
Next was Box No. 10.
Inside were several iron rods of varying thicknesses and some broken glass. Based on the shards, I inferred that this was a collapsible Astronomical Telescope. My hunch was right; there was even a tripod-like mount. The broken glass appeared to be the objective lens. It was the type you looked into from the side.
The eyepiece seemed to be intact, but when I checked the mirror inside... ah, it had a crack. That was a shame. I'd have to ask the craftsmen in Village Five to manufacture a new objective lens and mirror.
Wait, there were spares?
The box informed me that those parts had always been prone to breaking. It directed me to a protective sub-box. Inside were plenty of spares for the lens and mirror. There were also additional eyepieces—no, those were lenses with different magnifications.
This kind of thing was genuinely exciting. The tripod was a magic tool that could automatically track a specific star. Truly high-performance! I decided to try it out, and if it worked well, I’d show it to the children.
Just as the thought crossed my mind, Hakuren—who had appeared out of nowhere—picked up the fully assembled telescope and carried it outside. She immediately started gathering the children to show them. Apparently, it was a clear night, perfect for stargazing. She wanted to show them the moons first, as the different patterns on the Two Moons were quite interesting.
I see.
...
It would have been a lie to say I wasn't interested. But the boxes from No. 12 onward were still waiting for me...
"It is quite all right. Please, go enjoy yourself," one of the boxes said.
"Waiting is our specialty, after all."
"Compared to the time we spent abandoned in the forest, this is nothing."
You guys...
"Sorry. I'll just look at the stars for a moment and come right back."
I paused the investigation for a short while. I took my turn with the telescope and enjoyed the view of the stars.
Then, it was back to work.
I opened Box No. 12.
Inside were irregularly shaped rods... staves, perhaps? They looked like the kind of staves a mage would use. Some even had things that looked like magic stones embedded in them. There were thirty in total, and none of them appeared to be broken.
I thought about giving them to Lu and Tia, but their debate with Gatto's group was still in full swing. I decided to put these on hold for now.
I opened Box No. 15.
This one was filled with smaller boxes. It looked similar to Box No. 3, but were the contents different? I opened a few to check and found brushes, towels, cups, wooden plates, shoes, gloves, and hats. They seemed to be the daily necessities and clothing of the previous owner.
They were clean thanks to being stored in the chest, but every item showed signs of heavy use. However, a fur muffler among them looked brand new. Maybe it had just been purchased? It was made from the fur of an animal I didn't recognize, and I found myself quite drawn to it. I wanted to ask Lu or Tia about it, but since they were still occupied, I put it aside.
Ann secured the usable tableware and instructed one of the High Ogre Maids to wash them.
Finally, I opened Box No. 17.
It was packed with books. When I questioned the box, it told me they weren't about alchemy or magic, but were simply stories and literature. I was actually more grateful for that. However, since I was the only one who could read the script, it would be a nightmare if I were asked to translate them all.
"If you provide me with a few books written in the modern script, I can study them and handle the translations myself," Box No. 17 offered.
"You can do that?"
"Indeed. It will take some time, but I can manage. I am an Intelligence Box, after all."
How reliable.
"However, I will need you to provide paper, pens, and ink so I can write down the translated text..."
If that was all it took, I could certainly provide them. I told the box I was looking forward to its work.
"Certainly. Leave it to me!" Box No. 17 replied, its lid flapping energetically.
Immediately, the other boxes began to grumble.
"That's unfair! Why does he get a job before us?"
"I can translate too!"
"He's always been such a show-off."
"He probably wasn't even bored in the forest since he had all those books to read."
"Alright, settle down," I said. "No fighting. I plan on asking all of you for help with various things. There’s no need to rush."
I wasn't lying. It was my mistake for giving No. 17 a task first. I explained that I intended to listen to all of their wishes and find suitable roles for each of them.
"Wishes?"
"You would actually listen to what we want?"
"Well, if you're going to work, it's better to be in a place that makes you feel motivated, right?"
"Oohh! As expected of our Master!"
"I shall think long and hard about where I wish to work."
"Yeah, take your time," I said.
I still had the remaining boxes to check, after all.