"Can you pass me that shovel?" Isaac asked, turning at A Knight's direction, his hand gesturing for the item.
A Knight, who was in the middle of carrying a load of bricks, gently dropped them before picking up the shovel on the ground and giving it to Isaac. "Gladly. Here it is."
Receiving the shovel, Isaac nodded at him lightly. "Thanks."
Then, turning over to another direction, he looked at the figure of a person sitting down on the incomplete porch. "Thanks for all these, Ms. Druvis. Have to say, it definitely quickens the process of the construction."
Earlier this morning, Druvis came by the cabin once more, together with Regulus, to deliver various materials such as bricks, cement, and other essential items used for constructing.
Leveraging the Foundation's willingness to grant them certain requests, Druvis used hers to request these items as well as a couple more well under way.
"It's nothing. I'll never get to use my request anyway." Druvis, sitting down elegantly, explained.
"Even so, it's a great help." Isaac smiled. "Ain't that right, A Knight?"
"Verily." A Knight stopped and quickly replied to Isaac. Also turning to Druvis, he thanked her. "Thy kindness is as radiant as the stars themselves, m'lady."
"...you can stop the m'lady part. You can just call me Druvis." Not finding the way she was addressed appropriate, she corrected him. "I'm more comfortable with being called that way."
Hearing her, A Knight apologized solemnly. "Someone has made a mistake, forgive me then, Ms. Druvis."
After saying that bit, A Knight returned to his duty and carried off loads of bricks and cement, preparing to use them later.
Isaac and Druvis, left alone at the porch, remained silent. The former was using his shovel to clear up a path while the latter was taking a break, watching him.
Then, after observing Isaac for a while, Druvis asked him solemnly, her tone laced with curiosity.
"What do you plan to do with your cabin?"
Suddenly caught off guard by her question, Isaac paused what he was doing and looked at her. Thinking for a bit, he answered. "Nothing much, really. Rest, I guess? Why the sudden question?"
"It just made me curious why you would go all out of your way out here to build this than to stay with us." She gave him what had been in her mind lately. "Is there a reason?"
Throughout the time she knew him, he never once took the initiative to be in groups, preferring to isolate himself whenever possible.
She thought that she was just overthinking it, but when they finally had their own separate rooms in the Foundation, she noticed that he had begun to stop coming by the main building in the suitcase.
In fact, he only comes in the suitcase to either complete his cabin or accompany Vertin — but never once have he actively been with others longer than a few minutes.
Planting his shovel down to the ground, Isaac sighed heavily for a moment. Then, walking over to Druvis, she watched him sit down the wooden staircase just below her.
"If I said that all I want is a place of serenity... will that suffice as an answer?"
"..." She looked at him silently for a few seconds, staring at his murky pitch-dark eyes — as if she was looking at a tranquil surface of a dark ocean.
Indeed, he appeared to also be that kind of person, she thought. The type of be a recluse from modern society and prefer a much simpler life away from the hustle and bustle of civilization.
She could have just simply believed that, considering that he might have faced something in the past as an arcanist himself, but she also managed to catch a glimpse of something about him that made it hard to believe that all he wanted was serenity.
"...do you remember our first talk? Back at the relief shelter?" Druvis asked as she fixed her hair by sliding it back in her ear, her face reserved as she did so. "When we went around and handed out those potions, I mean."
"Yes?" Not knowing where she was taking the conversation, Isaac raised a brow. "What about it?"
Druvis lingered for a moment before speaking with a calm and measured voice. "Back then, you looked as if you were on the brink of collapse with all the thoughts in your head. One light push and you'd come stumbling down."
"Can a man plagued by his thoughts find rest in solitude?"
She was referring to when Isaac suddenly displayed signs of wistfulness and melancholy — and most importantly, regret.
It was such a subtle and quick event that he had quickly evaded that she didn't manage to fully delve deeper into it.
But from the looks of it, she wasn't that far off the truth.
"..." Isaac conjured a wry smile, not knowing how to reply briefly. Then, relaxing his gait, he looked up at the sky — to the seemingly boundless blue sky inside the suitcase, his expression mellow. "We all have varying back stories, Ms. Druvis. Some of us underwent arduous trials while some lived normal lives. Likewise, the way we cope with them later in life varies."
"As for me, this is my way of coping — to find somewhere to lie down and have a good rest. Don't you also find the notion great... Ms. Druvis?"
As Isaac spoke, he neither slowed nor quicker his pace, but instead just told his story normally with no pressure whatsoever. It was as if he was trying to tell his side of the story as cleanly as possible.
Druvis, sitting a few steps away from him, pondered his question momentarily. She then turned her gaze away and looked at the distance like what he was doing and continued to think of the answer.
The two young people — sitting at the porch — continued to look at the distance with vacant eyes for a few moments, as if they had all the time in the world.
A few moments later, while supporting her head with her hand, Druvis finally gave him an answer, her voice sounding somewhat warm — unlike her usual demeanor.
"I would be lying if I said I don't like that notion."
He scoffed lightly, finding it amusing that she seemed to have assumed the same demeanor as him. "It's been tough for you too, hasn't it, Ms. Druvis? Perhaps that was the reason why you were so keen on wanting to build this cabin is because..."
He paused before quickly adding with a light smirk. "...so that you, too, would have somewhere to escape to and have a good rest in serenity."
Isaac wasn't confident in his psychoanalysis nor was he even familiar with psychology that much to begin with — but he does know that when individuals want to achieve certain things, then they'll subconsciously gravitate towards it.
As for the innate need of comfort, well, that was an intrinsic part of being human. When one deals with stress, naturally, one needs to find a way to get rid of it.
Druvis didn't immediately give a reply, his words lingering in her mind for a while as she contemplated if they were true.
She had to admit that her sudden preoccupation with wanting to finish the cabin seemed quite unnatural for her. But when she takes in Isaac's words, she couldn't help but look at it from another angle.
'...do I also want to rest?'
Looking back at it now, she had never truly taken a good rest these past few days. She appeared fine enough, but somewhere inside, she was indeed tired.
She heaved a soft sigh. "...I will neither deny nor confirm that. Just... that it makes sense."
Isaac looked at her and noticed that she seemed to have been elucidated while in her thoughts, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Seeing her eyes — that looked very similar to his in some ways when expressing his emotions — Isaac pondered for a bit before coming up with an idea.
'...well, as the one who built the majority of the cabin... I guess it wouldn't hurt to lend it to her from time to time when I'm not here?'
If what he said was really right and Druvis was subconsciously finding a way to destress, then he'd be more than happy to give up his own for her.
He could always wait, after all. Moreover, it would also serve as his compensation for all her help.
'Guess it's decided then...' Supporting himself, he stood up and heaved deeply. 'More reason to finish the cabin as soon as possible.'
Then, turning to Druvis behind him, he gestured at her while extending his hand, as if asking for her in turn. "Shall we?"
With her materials, if they rushed now, then by tomorrow, the cabin would already be completed. Of course, if she doesn't want to, then that's fine — he could always go overtime to do it himself until nightfall.
What's important is to finish it as soon as possible and share it with her — since he knows what it's like to bottle up all those pent up emotions and needing to have a break.
Looking at Isaac's hands, she lingered for a moment before sighing. Then, extending her hand, she held his arm to support herself. "Very well."
Isaac smiled with satisfaction, and soon, the two of them returned to work.
Meanwhile, a certain humble and respectful knight, who had been present since earlier but was hidden, quietly nodded his head, seeing the two's interaction.
"What a good show of camaraderie."