He planned to clear out this entire room of stones today, then have the Hidden deliver more.
His other task was to cross out their entries in the stone register.
Afterward, he would ask Ubuyashiki Kagaya to have someone reorganize it. Stones with crossed-out entries would no longer need to be collected.
That would help avoid duplicates.
He did not cross out the stones containing gold or silver, though... a little selfish indulgence on his part.
Before he knew it, more than half the afternoon had passed. The pile of stones in the room had shrunk further, and Tetsu no Sosuke's movements had begun to turn mechanical.
Pick up a stone, take a look, toss it aside... repeating the same process over and over was rather hypnotic, and Tetsu no Sosuke was growing listless.
He blearily glanced at the stone in his hand. It was labeled [Water]. After looking at it, he casually tossed it into the cart and picked up the next one...
"Hm?"
He rubbed his eyes. "Something doesn't feel right."
He hurriedly stood up and went over to search the cart.
It was easy to find, because that stone looked distinctive at a glance.
Its watery blue hue and texture made it instantly recognizable.
He grabbed the stone and examined it closely. Sure enough, it was water!
"A water stone?" Tetsu no Sosuke hurriedly opened the register and soon found the corresponding description.
Its size, shape, and color all matched. Tetsu no Sosuke focused on where it had been found. The entry read, "Discovered in the Drylands."
"...The Drylands?" Tetsu no Sosuke looked at the address listed there, rubbed his chin, set the stone aside, and continued sorting.
There was no point rushing. He still had work to do.
After spending the whole afternoon clearing out the