Chapter 90: That time when heroes arrived on the island

TL: kizen

PR: Filip/Gecko

The following day after it had been decided that Queen Bee and the others will be living inside the cavity of a large tree, set up a barricade with some signs, a rope, and a few stakes. I drove the stakes on the ground around the tree then connected them with the rope. These were of course taken from the community storage.

This tree is home to Queen Bee and the Honey Bees. They are managing this area so dont be afraid of them and lets all treat them well

Bees are living in this tree. Dont play any pranks on them okay?

This is good enough right? I even wrote sign intended to be read by the children after all

I should also inform Arc-san and Speck next.

Oi. Speck. Are you free?

I met up with Speck first who was in the middle of his patrol.

Hm? What?

Do you know about the bees that came to the village yesterday?

Un. It was that black swarm, right? I saw it. I also heard about it from Reika

Then that makes things quicker. They will be living in that large tree in the middle of the forest. They dont want to be disturbed as much as possible so I put a sign around the tree

Uh huh. Still, shouldnt you go and tell the village chief about that? That way, the whole village would know about it. I cant just decide on it by myself you know?

Ah, thats right. I dont really feel like doing it but Im going to talk with the chief. Who knows? Maybe he has something to say about it

Alright

Anyway, please take care and protect the bees

Umu. Its good that there are more things getting added to the village but what about the island?

Its fine since these bees were originally from the island. It seems like they have to find a separate hive once their numbers increase. Speaking of, this is a simple blueprint of a hive. I think one of the honey bees would inform someone when its time for them to find a different hive so Ill leave them in your care

Then its fine

Well then, please tell everyone else what we just talking about okay?

Alright, I understand. We could get some honey which we can sell in town so theres nothing to complain about

Thanks. Im heading back then

After saying that, I went home and decided to make some snacks with honey. I should make use of it now that we have it.

Hmm, I could make something with flour I guess. Its easy to make as long you have the ingredients after all.

I added 5 parts flour to 1 part sugar, honey, olive oil, milk, and a pinch of salt.

I quickly mixed all of the ingredients then baked it in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.

And with that, the vegan honey cookie is complete.1 Its something you can make without b.u.t.ter and eggs. Its healthier that way. Flour really is all-purpose.2

The children should be playing in the morning so this will be their afternoon snack. I should start preparing for lunch.

In the afternoon, I did the usual training with the kids. Suzuran told me I could fight back using Water b.a.l.l.s as long as I only used it to hinder their movements so I aimed it at Lilys face to get her to flinch and at Miels whenever he shoots out a Fireball. I kept using these dirty tactics against the children, or rather, I had to use them.

After that, Latte came back, then we all ate the snacks I made. When evening came, I decided to check on the store.

Good work. How has it been going?

U-um, you see. Three people came to the store. They were humans like us but they were a bit different. They had rare black hair so we were thinking they might be heroes. Their party consists of two elderly men and one that was much younger than them. They had different features so they probably arent related to each other. One of the elderly men even came to the store five times in a day

Were they doing surveillance!?

No, I dont think so. This is just a guess but I think he just really loves coffee. He would even drink it without adding anything and he looked satisfied whenever he left. He also purchased coffee to bring home whenever he came to the store at night

If thats the case then I guess he just really like coffee

Thats right. It was surprising how much he drank. He didnt even add sugar or cows milk. He would just say the usual then take a seat

Oh, thats already at the level of a coffee addict then

However, this evening he purchased more bags than usual. Fifty to be exact

Haa? Fifty bags? Those guys are pretty amazing

Were not sure but doesnt it take five days to get to the island from here? I think that amount is enough to last that amount of time

So that means theyll leave tomorrow and arrive five days later at the island?

Thats what we think

Thank you for this valuable information. Im going back now to prepare

Yes. Please be careful

Because of that, I wont be able to come by for a while. Would you guys be alright?

Well be fine. Leave everything here to us

Thank you

With that in mind, I went back to the island.

And so, theres a high chance that a group of three heroes will be arriving on the island five to six days later

Three huh? Theyre also all old men so they might be skilled. They have lived for that long so we need to be careful of them despite their age

Thats true. There are surprisingly strong grandpas and grandmas after all. It would be better if we acted on the side of caution

Do you have a plan?

Nope. Ill just deal with it when the time comes.

I wont be able to win with just a straightforward attack if theyre a kendo or aikido instructor after all. Takeru-kun is still young but he might get stronger once he matures. Did they give up on his development and just send someone strong, to begin with?

Takeru-kun said hell do his best to help us out though so either they thought he hadnt defeated me yet or they came to make sure. I guess I shouldnt make light of the enemy.

Dont be fooled. They might be the ones teaching swordsmans.h.i.+p and unarmed combat to the soldiers of the castle

Got it. I wont let my guard down even if theyre empty handed

Six days later

Caam-san! Its a s.h.i.+p!

Theyre here! Everyone, please head to the new village

Yes!

Keith and the old men, lets engage the enemy here. There are three of them. Lets do our best!

Yeah

The s.h.i.+p stopped at the entrance of the bay, then a really small rowboat like the ones youll see at a park was lowered. Once it was on the water, the s.h.i.+p raised its sails then sailed towards the demonkin side of the continent.

Oi, looks like they left them

Thats true

The sense of unease kept piling up as the boat got closer.

As per the information I received, an elderly man was rowing the boat. The other old man looked like he was throwing up while a man who looked like he was in his thirties had both of his hands in the air with a white flag raised.

Whats going on there?

I dont know. Do you know what waving a white flag means?

It means theyre surrendering

Ah, so it has the same meaning in this world. Its the first time Ive seen something like that.

Once the rowboat got close enough, the man waving the white flag started speaking in j.a.panese.

We heard about you from Takeru-kun

What the h.e.l.l is that guy saying?

Keith had already drawn his bow and was ready to shoot. Ah, this is bad.

Keith! Stop! Lower your bow! Down boy! They are probably related to that hero Rock so Ill deal with them. Keith, you go and tell the others that its okay

I desperately tried to stop Keith.

A-alright. But dont be careless okay?

Its fine! You guys too, lower your weapons. There might be people who are strong even when they are unarmed like you said but these guys are probably different!

Got it. If thats what you say then its fine. We will also go back

Thank you

After saying that, they all went back to where the other villagers were.

Iya, I was scared when he started pointing his bow at us. Thank you, Nagi-kun

That was the first thing they said when they disembarked.

Uh, nice to meet you. You can call me Caam. Ah, this is what my parents named me. Its not like Takeru-kuns which is an alias. And you are?

Im Aida. These two are Enomoto-san and Oda-san

Best regards

Hey, before that, do you have water or tea? The inside of my mouths like a desert right now

I quickly produced a Water Ball then gave it to the old man called Enomoto to drink.

Ahh. So good. Its not shaking like in the s.h.i.+p

So, do any of you speak the continents common language?

We all can. We just spoke in j.a.panese to gain Nagi-kuns trust

Ah, thats good. Although everyone on the island knows that Im the Demon Lord, they still dont know Im a reincarnated person. Thats why, I would appreciate it if you would speak the common language from now on. Now then, lets not talk here while standing. Follow me to my house

Alright. Weve brought a little something for you so look forward to it

Heres barley tea and coffee

We ran out of coffee on the s.h.i.+p yesterday so this is much appreciated.

Oda-san, you bought fifty bags and had already gone through all of them in five days? Hes a total junkie huh?

Its not something that goes along with barley tea but here is some tsukemono. I made it with a year old nukadoko so its sure to be good

He opened the package he was carrying on his back then took out a pot that had boiled eggs, tomatoes, and cuc.u.mbers inside.

Oh, its nukadzuke or to be more specific, picked tomatoes and boiled eggs

The small ones are really good but there werent any in the port town so we just bought the regular ones. We put it in there before we left so it should be ready to go. You just need to wash it first

With the addition of the nukadzuke, the table was filled with stuff you wouldnt usually see in this world.

Waa, its been a while since Ive had nukadzuke. I want some rice now. I used to make malted rice after all

Dont worry, we also brought the seed rice with us

Enomoto-san grinned as he took out a large pouch and put it on the table.

Woooah! I didnt have any knowledge about rice cultivation so I havent tried it out. Does this mean that you have agricultural knowledge, Enomoto-san?

Of course. You seemed to be doing interesting things here from what weve heard so we decided to come

Enomoto-san already said it but I cant stand just drinking roasted dandelions and seeds anymore so Im really thankful that you have coffee

I also came because I was interested after hearing about you from Iwamoto-kun. Well, to be frank, I just wanted to get out of that rotten country but anyway, shall we introduce ourselves? You already know our names so how about our professions? I was a teacher

I worked a mechanics job. I stripped down and put together bikes and tinkered a bit with cars. I used to be a mechanic for a nearby agricultural cooperative so I know a bit about it. These are my blueprints

Oda-san handed the blueprints over to me.

A windmill with a waterwheel, a hand pump, and is this a leaf spring? Its also easy to understand. Its drawn in a way thats easy to understand for people in this world

I also wanted to make an engine but I dont have the technology to build one. Its going to be tough with just smithing after all. Were surrounded by water though so I could probably make something if its just on the level of a pop pop boat

Ooh!

A long and narrow iron pipe would be impossible but I could probably do it if its something simple

Oh, weve just been getting help from aquatic demonkin when it comes to that up until now

If thats the case then well need to discuss it with them since it concerns their employment. Besides, well need fuel. Well also need to make improvements to a wooden s.h.i.+p since there will be fire involved

Then lets just work that out as we go

As I said earlier, I worked in agriculture. Ive done a bit of dairy farming so I can help out with that

Im really glad youre here. One of my wives is helping out with the livestock industry in my home town so

One of?

Ah. Well, you see Uh, I have two. I really only planned for one but Well, bigamy is common in this world. The other one fell for me and

My excuses keep on piling up.

Arent you a former j.a.panese? What are you doing?

I tried my best to persuade them, you know? But before I knew it, that happened Uh, Im sorry

No no no, its natural for a man to approach a woman if shes beautiful. Thats what I used to do in my younger days you know?

Nope, thats not true at all. Thats just you

Yeah yeah. Hell understand even if you dont say anything. Here, why dont you have a cuc.u.mber

He gave him a cuc.u.mber with a smile which he wryly ate.3

After that, we talked for a bit more and I was told about the details of how they came into this world.

You were summoned then treated as a sacrificial p.a.w.n huh? Even a mild-mannered j.a.panese person would get mad after that

Thats right. If Ugajin hasnt sneaked in, we would still be sharing our knowledge and skills as heroes of that country

I heard that the previous generation wasnt that bad though. It only went downhill after that brat that they spoiled became king. Even his daughter, you cant hear a single good rumor about her you know? Shes a manizer who preys on the summoned men that she likes

She has no chance to succeed the throne so shes probably just playing around as much as she wants before shes used as a tool for a political marriage. Shes probably already engaged with a n.o.bleman from somewhere that she knows nothing about. She might not even know how her fianc looks like and if he has a terrible personality

Its horrible how not even love can help in that situation

That would make even heroes run away

I drank up my lukewarm tea as I listened to even more of their stories.

If it werent for you, Caam-kun, we might still be living in that declining village. Because of that, why dont we spread the word out and gather the summoned j.a.panese people scattered throughout the world?

Hmm, I dont mind but isnt that just asking for us to get attacked?

Even if we have cannons? I know when it comes to that you know?

We even have the blueprints

We should increase the number of pigs and cows to collect their s.h.i.+t then

Wait wait wait, why are you all so eager about this? And dont you need to get a saltpeter for that plan to work? Did already you discuss this among yourselves beforehand?

Thats right. At the very least, together with Ugajin who isnt here, we were planning to fire portable cannons made of wood at the castle walls to hara.s.s them. If the tree cannons catch fire then well stop

Please dont act like its something simple to build when even I cant do it

It should be easy for j.a.panese people who know some history or have some knowledge about it right? Didnt you build a distiller and make sake?

Well yeah. But that was just to develop my home town

Still, dont you think youll want to make one if your hometown was a war-ridden place? Gunpowder or a musket is a relatively simple thing to make after all

I guess. It wasnt necessary in the place where I was born though

Sorry, Caam-kun Can I have some more coffee?

This person really is that huh? Even though were having a serious conversation, theres nothing in his head other than coffee. He even said it in a really low and serious voice. I thought something serious happened for a second there.

Well then, lets discuss this some other time

Lets permanently shelf this discussion since the fewer the fires, the better. I want to live in peace you know?

You dont understand. Taking such a low cultured world would be childs play

What are you going to do after taking over then?

Just taking it would be enough for me

At least think about it. How many people do you think would die before you manage to take over?

Well, we were used as sacrificial p.a.w.ns, you know? Just a bit should be fine

Aida-san said that with an evil smile.

Please dont smile while you say that. What do you plan to do to the demonkin side then?

Ill destroy them if they decide to attack the humans while theyre weak from the battle. If not then Ill already be satisfied taking over the humans side

Aida-san, you sure have a wild imagination, dont you?

Were already in another world so I want to have some fun at least

Dont say that so smugly, please. I really cant tell when youre serious you know?

I want to get back at the country that summoned us. At least that part Im serious about

Hearing that, the other two just nodded quietly. I guess they were pretty p.i.s.sed off.

Ah, how does everyone feel about a bath?

I more or less had them. It sure was tough to dig the well though. I thought that if there was a well, it would be easier to set up the hand-operated pump that I built

When I was a kid, I was in charge of fetching the bathwater but its tough now at my age

Its also hard for me so I only did it a few times

Well then, lets go to the hot spring. Lets make preparations so we can get in once we get there

As I said that, they instantly stood up from their seats. Slow down, you guys.

One overlooking the sea or one thats halfway up the mountain, which do you prefer?

Why not both?

Thats right. Thats the only correct choice

Then its settled. We want to visit both

Alright, after youve prepared, Ill use transfer magic to take us there

If its a change of clothes then we have it right here

Its in the innermost part if I remember correctly

Ive got everything in my small shoulder bag over here so Im good to go

Whats this? Theyre like a three-person comedy act. I wonder why they get along this well even though their ages are different? Must be nice.

Alright, first up is the mountain-side hot spring. Harpies sometimes come to play around so there might be feathers floating around and there sure are a lot huh? Please just ignore it

Its fine. Its just like dead leaves or bugs in an open-air bath

After he said that, Enomoto-san immediately got undressed and entered the hot spring first.

I would have preferred if there was a wall or a hedge but its probably impossible with this kind of mountain. It must be hard to get materials here huh?

Oda-san immediately followed.

Its such nice scenery, isnt it? It would have been great if that lake was the ocean though

Hey, youre already asking for too much

Thats right

Phew

This would have been great with some nihonshu

Well be able to make it once Enomoto-san succeeds in growing rice

Well need a cellar and large barrels for that

Wait, wont that take a lot of time? Why are you talking about it like its something made just like that?

Were j.a.panese people so its already decided, right?

Even I wouldnt drink coffee in a hot spring

An out of bath beer would also be great

Oh, thats nice too

Rather than just beer, why dont we make a properly managed distillery with a production method thats actually established in our world?

Its nice to have a goal. Although, even if we have the knowledge, we dont have the technology. It really is a frustrating world

How do I even join in on this conversation?

After that, we moved to the hot spring that was close to the beach.

A hot spring overlooking the beach. This would have been the complete package if we just had some Nihonshu right now

I prefer mountain springs

Wait, it doesnt sound like you two care about where as long as theres nihonshu

Both are great

Yeah yeah. Thanks

Alright, Im going to live near this hot spring. The lands flat, I can even make rice paddies, and it even comes with a hot spring. This place is perfect

Ill help too

As for me, Ill stay at Caam-kuns village. Come and visit from time to time okay?

Wait, arent you getting ahead of yourself when we dont even have a house yet? Do you even know where we are on the island?

Based on the suns position, the hot spring we were in before was west of here. As for the bay, its to the east right? I dont know how far it is though

Teachers are amazing, arent they? You are correct. The coastline is roughly 150 kilometers across and the mountain we were just at is the center of the island

Its quite far, isnt it? So it would take about a day to get there from the village we were in. If it was me, Ill need two days though

Dont say something like that so proudly