Kujonin

Author: Hanabokuro

—

Heading to where the ca.n.a.l converged together with Seth, we arrived at the divergence in the river from yesterday.

When I tried to keep my behavior as normal as possible, Seth ended up saying it was "Weird," so with a, "I can't be whatever I'm not, so when I die, I die," I gave up.

However, in the middle of out work, I made up a Revival Misanga.

Although I said it was work, I just took out the magic tool staff that crushes rocks and filled the s.p.a.ces between the rocks.

I'm just stabbing the ground and sending magic power in, so I just need to be touching the staff with a part of my body.

I tried leaving the work of filling the cracks in the rock with the crushed stone to Seth, but he quickly became magic power deficient.

Letting him drink the magic power recovery syrup, I then sent him to make the pond with the wind squall board.

I had already made over half the pond, so I thought it would be alright, but he soon came back all dizzy, so I had him drink the magic recovery syrup.

It couldn't be helped, so I handed him the shovel and made the pond with manual labor.

There was a mountain of pebbles that formed in front of the rocks, so around the time I wound the revival misanga around my wrist, it was past noon and nearing night time.

When I went to see how Seth was doing, the pretty, round pond was pretty much done.

Seth's diligence has appeared.

However, I wondered if he was in the pond the entire time, because just looking at him made me feel cold.

"O-i! Are you okay-!?"

And when I waved at Seth and called to him, he turned his head.

"It will be done with just a little more, I'll finish it!"

Is how he answered.

Well, he seems okay, so it's fine?

I made a campfire for Seth, who was finis.h.i.+ng up the pond, and waited.

Coming up out of the pond, Seth shook his body, sending the water on his body flying, and he came this way.

"Aren't you cold from working in the water?"

I asked.

"At this temperature, it's fine. I'm used to being in the water from the lake."

Isn't this because he's resistant to cold?

When I tried asking, "The beastmen around Adel Lake are all able to deal with water temperature to this degree," he answered.

What a terrifying species.

That said, even though he has some resistance to the temperature it's still troublesome, so he warmed up a bit by the fire before we returned.

The clothes were also dried with the wind squall board.

During that time, I handed over some monster pelts for Seth.

Seth is muscular, so even though he's just sitting there, the pelts suit him and he looks like a seasoned adventurer.

If seen from the side, I probably look like the subordinate and Seth like the master, I bet.

"President, if we don't hurry and return, won't Ayl and the others get mad?"

He's timid, though.

While I was staring aimlessly into the fire, the sky had turned into an orange color before I knew it.

["Naoki! Black Dragon-san has come to the inn. Also, Garcisan wants you."]

All of a sudden, Ayl's voice came from the communication bag.

"Ah, my bad. We're returning now."

I replied, stood up, and stretched.

"Time to go back."

"Yessir."

I'm hungry, so I returned at a light run.

It seemed to be Seth's full power, so he was sweating.

In the inn's dining hall, our female employees and the humanified dragons were beginning to make merry.

"Ooh, our dear President has returned."

Red Dragon seems to be completely hammered.

"Welcome back, did you stop up the river?"

Velsa asked.

"Yup, it's stopped. How about the well?"

"The well is deep, so it will be quite difficult to draw up water."

"Then should we make a pump? Huh? Where's Garcisan? Did he leave?"

When I looked around, Garcisan's figure wasn't there.

Or like, there isn't anyone other than our employees and the dragons.

I feel like it's quiet outside, too.

"Yeah. He said to drop by his house whenever's good."

"Then I should go for bit. You didn't tell him about the public road corps, right?"

"We didn't. I thought it would be better for Naoki to explain it."

Velsa said as she ate monster meat.

Merumo was wearing an ap.r.o.n, pouring the dragons their drinks.

Even when I looked in the kitchen, there was n.o.body there.

I guess the food on the table is Merumo's cooking.

"I got it. Seth, save me my portion of the dinner."

"OK."

"We're here, after all. There might be no food left."

"Whaaat, if there's not enough, we will go hunting in the wastelands."

The drunk Red Dragon and Black Dragon grinned with liquor bottles in their hands.

"Don't worry, we have a lot, at least."

Ayl said as she slapped her item bag.

What Ayl has is the first item bag I made, and only Ayl and I can use it.

Money, food, monster pelts, and the company's a.s.sets are all within.

I'm carrying the more simplistic items.

"I'm off."

" " " "Have a nice trip." " " "

With my employees seeing me off, I left the inn.

The sun sank in the west, and it was the time for the lights in the houses in the village to come on, but here and there were lights missing.

It seems like after the plantation was destroyed yesterday, today most of the merchants and villagers have fled.

The Misses came quickly to Garcisan's door when I struck it, and she guided me with, "My husband is in the warehouse."

In the warehouse, 15 villagers and merchants were gathered around wooden boxes being used in place of a desk.

Garcisan and Cynthia were sitting within, their faces dark.

I wonder if Garcisan is holding himself responsible.

"Good evening~."

Everyone's looks landed on me as I entered.

"Naoki-kun! You've come right when Cynthia was telling me about you."

Garcisan said.

"Me? What about?"

"Well, about the treatment of Ghoul Disease… Other than the people here, everyone thought that they might get Ghoul Disease if they stay here and fled. Ah told them that there's a treatment, but the plantation is also burned up, after all. Ah couldn't stop them."

"I see."

"Why'd yah help us?"

One of the villagers asked me.

"Even if you as me why … it was one of the objectives for my job."

"A servant of G.o.d? A servant of the spirits?"

"Or a servant of the Evil G.o.d? The ones who called the dragons was you guys, right? There was a guy that was talking towards some kind of bag."

They're pretty much right, but it feels like it'll get ugly if I told them the truth.

"Even if you say that … well, I'm a normal contractor. It just so happened that my hypothesis of the treatment method was correct. That aside, what did everyone stay behind in the village to do?"

Forcefully changing the subject, I tried questioning the villagers and merchants.

"We're all people that Garcisan has saved. Ain't no way we can leave an' abandon our benefactor."

"Ain't it 'cause ya don't gots anywhere else ta go?"

"What'dja say-!?"

"Now now … so how many people are actually left in this village?"

"The people here and their families. As well as the priests and sisters at the church."

Cynthia replied.

"Is that so?"

I purposefully acted like I was thinking, drawing attention to myself.

"Something wrong with that?"

"No, well, I have this proposal about making money for the people left, but do you care to listen?"

" " "Proposal about making money?" " "

With Garcisan included, everyone in the warehouse had dumbfounded faces.

I unfurled the map of the Ruginia Alliance on the wooden boxes acting as a desk and began to talk.

It's not like I really need the map to talk about it, but it's easier to have a visual aid.

"A tolled carriage road!?"

The merchants raised surprised voices when they heard my story.

"That's right!"

"Who's going to be taking this road?"

A villager asked me.

"Anyone can take it. The one who will make it is Garcisan. Everyone uses them habitually, so you should understand the convenience, right? The roads around this village are extremely easy to walk on. It's because Garcisan made it with Earth Magic, right?"

"Th,that's right. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for the travelling merchants."

Garcisan replied.

"This time, couldn't you make it easy for feehorses to run on it? So they can produce their full speed."

The merchants responded to the words, 'full speed' with "If that happens then…" "But … if it's Garcisan, then," and the like in whispers and stared at the map. As expected, merchants recognize the value of roads.

"If Naoki-kun is asking me to. If Ah can do it, then Ah'll do whatever ya ask, but …"

"I'm glad. Hearing that makes me relieved."

"But who is going to provide the money for such a thing?"

"The Central Government."

"The Central Government!?"

"Yes, actually, I've already discussed it with them, and I think an investigator from the Central Government will arrive within a few days."

"I,is that so?"

The villagers and merchants were also making a fuss, saying things like, "The Central Government?" "The Alliance's Central Government?"

"Yes. Ah, it would be bad if HillLake's king found out, right? That you decided to change your work because the plantation's destroyed."

"No, that's … I wonder."

'By the way, how soon would it reach the king's ear that the plantation was destroyed?"

I tried asking a merchant next to me.

"The ones who ran away first did so yesterday, so … if they head to the capital, then they'll reach the capital tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I think. After that, I don't know how soon the king will hear of it."

2 or 3 days, huh?

"There will be an official coming to confirm the situation from the capital, right?"

"Probably."

The fastest the official will come would be in 4 days. It would be 6 days for the official to return to the capital and make a report. If they send out a summons for Garcisan, the roundtrip would take 4 days, so that would about 10 days, naa. The ones who fled ran away yesterday, so 9 days are left.

"If that's the case, then which do you think will happen, being sent disaster funds, or Garcisan being summoned to the capital to take responsibility?"

I asked Garcisan.

"I wonder, even if I'm asked to take responsibility, I think I would just be sent to Adel Lake to build ca.n.a.ls."

Oh yeah, there was that plan, too. I need to put a top to that, too.

"If the ca.n.a.ls are built the lake will disappear, so please stop, okay?"

"-! I understand."

Garcisan nodded many times.

"Then, this is supposed to be about how everyone can make money, so the plantation is burnt down and the hill is gone, right? Don't you think it's a plot that's extremely suitable to become a pasture?"

At my words, the merchants' eyes opened wide.

"I see, the feehorses!"

"Craftsmen who make carriages too, right!"

"First let's build the road towards the western country where we can get good wood!"

The merchants' opinions flew about.

"No, wait. You said there was going to be a toll, so how is it going to be levied?

The villagers interjected.

"The Central Government is involved. If we do it, the Merchant's Guild will cooperate."

The merchants responded.

"There's no water in this village."

"As for the water, right now, my employees are digging a well."

"No way … you expected this … everyone, wait! How can we listen to this unknown b.a.s.t.a.r.d from who knows where?"

A villager said.

"He ain't some unknown b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He's someone who's protectin' us from Ghoul Disease."

The merchants said.

"What protected us from Ghoul Disease is Pastor Romeo's hard work."

"Aa, that's right!"

The villagers nodded.

"How about building a memorial to Pastor Romeo?"

"That's a good idea! We'll definitely build it!"

The villagers jumped on my suggestion.

"Where should we build it?"

"By the road would be good!"

The merchants and villagers joined heads and stared at the map as the gave each of their opinions.

However, it seems that the youth in the village were still opposed.

"Do you feel like you're being fooled?"

I heard Cynthia's voice calling out to them.

"That's right. Cynthia is saying so too."

"It's important to be suspicious. But you know, that Naoki is a person who cured everyone's disease. Both me and you were all saved. That's what the results show. Of course, that doesn't mean that the results in the future will also be proven. But the hopeless atmosphere from just now has been changed, hasn't it? He showed everyone hopes for the future. The villagers, the merchants, when we were at a loss for what to do without the plantation, he's making a well for our sakes, and it even looks like he found us work. I don't know what his true aim is, but don't you think it would be fine to wait a little and see?"

"Cynthia…"

"If you're doubting him, you're also doubting your Hero father. If something else like the Ghoul Disease happens again, it would be a huge deal, after all."

"No way…"

"No, that's exactly right! It's all mah fault that there were so many who died!"

Garcisan suddenly raised his voice.

"Ah didn't see anythin' but what Ah wanted to see, and Ah wouldn't see what Ah didn't want to see! Mah sins are heavy! From now on, Ah'm gonna work mah bones to powder, for the sake of those who died! Ah'm sure Ah'm gonna make mistakes, so Ah'm gonna need everyone to help me! Please … please, lend me your strength!"

Garcisan bowed his head deeply to everyone on the spot.

"Watcha saying! Of course we will!"

"That's why we stayed in the village!"

"We'll show them Gnomefield's true power!"

The villagers and the merchants all raised their voices.

Around the map I placed on the box, everyone, including Garcisan, Cynthia, the village's youth, were gathered, discussing ideas about roads and wagons.

"First, we should have the road to the south for the Central Government's inspectors!"

"Hang on, hang on, then, this here is wasteland, so what do we do about it?"

"Monsters, huh… they'll attack the road."

"If they attack it, we just have to fix it right away. If it's just a flat piece of land, then even my kids can do it."

"Then first, should we start a course on earth magic from Garcisan?"

"That's right, we also have to confirm the people who are capable."

The warehouse was busy late into the night.

I quietly opened the door and went outside.

When I went out, Garcisan's wife was there.

Was she worried?

"It seems like it will be alright."

When I said so and smiled,

"Thank you!"

She gave her thanks.

"Tomorrow, I'll come to dig wells, so see you tomorrow."

"Yes, see you tomorrow."

I waved to the Misses and returned to the inn.