Re:Monster

Day 181

Before sunrise, I equipped my flying exoskeleton 【Jade Eagle King's Flight】 and flew through the skies. I didn't bring Kanami-chan with me, even though she was the only member of my group that could fly.

Since it's started to get especially cold recently, I didn't think that high-speed flight would be a good idea. However, it looks like my exoskeleton's Cold Resistance is better than I thought, since I didn’t feel it as I flew through the freezing cold and dense clouds.

Although the exoskeleton's surface would still get covered in a thin layer of ice, this wasn't a problem since it was easily removed with a little shake.

As a result, I was able to continue flying at full speed without any worries.

I encountered several flying monsters while on the way, but since they were easily blown away by the violent winds that were produced when I passed them, they probably weren’t high-level monsters.

Since I'm in a hurry, I decided to pick them up and eat them on my way back. I think I'll enjoy seeing what kind of taste they have.

And with that, I arrived at our base in the Kuuderun Great Forest.

Naturally, the reason I returned was to bid farewell to Gobujii, who died yesterday.

It's only been a few hours since his death. I went to sleep early yesterday so that I could wake up earlier than usual and return to the base.

Since I was quite fast, I made it to the base by sunrise, which is when most of the members that are still there become fully active.

Since only the non-combatants are still at the base, its combat ability is low. These includes the Cait Sith and Kobolds working in places like the Hot Springs Facilities, the Dwarves, and the human women.

Since I didn't tell anyone that I was coming back, they were surprised when I showed up. However, they quickly grasped the situation with 『Since it's Aporou, it’s not strange for him to be in the Royal Capital and the base at the same time.』

Although there are many people among those who stayed behind that came from other places, it seems that the "Common Sense" they developed before coming here has gradually collapsed. It looks like their reactions have weakened as they've grown accustomed to the "Common Sense" here.

I expected that they would at least care about the other species that they have become familiar with, and the circumstances are good for them to fall in love. However, I thought it was somewhat lonesome that their initial response to how things are here was nowhere to be seen.

Anyway, I exchanged simple greetings with the members I passed as I hurried to Gobujii’s location.

It looks like they had placed Gobujii’s corpse in the morgue to keep his body from rotting. Well, it would be quite inconvenient if the residential area had to be remodeled into a morgue, so we had set aside a place deep in the mines for this purpose to avoid this.

Since it was quite cold and most of the insects have been exterminated, keeping corpses there for a short time isn't be a problem.

Although it’s possible to use the space for food storage due to its size, that idea will be set aside for now.

Upon arriving at my destination, Gobujii was lying on top of the flat stone that was covered with fur.

He was wearing his usual loincloth and had his favorite walking stick by his side.

There weren't any visible injuries, so it looked like he was sleeping peacefully at first glance. However, upon taking a closer look, it’s obvious that he was already dead. Although his cold body hasn't started giving off a putrid smell yet, it will never move again.

It’s unlikely that he would turn into an undead and start moving though.

Well, even if he did turn into one, he’d probably be still weak.

After confirming his death, I clasped my hands together and offered a silent prayer.

Namu. I pray that Gobujii’s soul may rest in peace.

I felt a little lonely as I thought of various things while looking at his body.

There were no tears of sadness, but just like with the long dead Velvet, my gratitude towards Gobujii will never disappear.

If it weren’t for him, I'm certain that it would have taken a long time to gather information about this world, such as how to process materials from the Kuuderun Great Forest, as well as a lot of information that Redhead didn’t know, as well.

Really, Gobujii helped out a lot.

After expressing my gratitude, I ate Gobujii's entire body. By expanding my mouth beyond its limits, I finished eating him in three mouthfuls.

Honestly speaking, he wasn’t delicious. Since he was quite thin, there wasn’t much meat and his worn-out bones were easily broken from a light bite. It had only been a few hours since his death, but it was hard to tell how fresh his body was since he was a twenty year old Goblin.

Still, I ate all of Gobujii without leaving a single drop of blood, thinking of it as being my relative’s flesh and blood.

I believe that this was the right thing to do.

Ability learned: 【Old Goblin’s Wisdom】

...Honestly, I didn’t even think it was possible to learn anything from eating him.

Gobujii was way too weak, and the number of Goblins I'd need to eat to learn anything as an Apostle Lord makes it so it's not really worth doing.

However, I was able to learn something.

Perhaps Gobujii was saving his wisdom so that I could learn it after eating him. While that seemed unlikely, I can’t just ignore that possibility.

Another possibility is that since I'm a former Goblin, there was already a foundation in place that made it easy for me to learn the ability.

Since Gobujii knew a lot, it's possible that there was an increased chance of learning it, as well.

Anyway, I decided not to concern myself with the reasons I was able to learn this ability.

In the first place, it’s probably something that was influenced by chance. If that's the case, it's pointless to think about it since learning something in this way is beyond my control.

For now, I immediately used 【Old Goblin’s Wisdom】.

However, nothing changed. All I could see was the bare surface of the cavern in front of me.

It definitely didn't misfire. I'm certain that I used the ability. This time, I retrieved a 【Burst Seed】 from my Item Box.

Upon doing so, I was able to see the illusion of an inverted triangle above it. I'm certain that this wasn't there before, so it must be the effect of 【Old Goblin's WIsdom】. With that, I immediately decided to touch it.

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Name: Burst Seed

Habitat: Throughout the Kuuderun Great Forest, Iscarian Prison Forest, and many other such places.

Characteristics: Upon receiving a shock beyond a certain level, the hard seed will burst. They'll burst into 3-8 pieces and a lot of the seeds are tiny, though they have a tendency to be tough.

Remarks: It's the only seed that's suitable for eating. Although it's too hard to eat as it is, it can be softened by carefully boiling it for several hours. It has a texture that's similar to pork, and it has a rich taste.

Additional Information: Upon scattering, the seeds will attach to any nearby small animals that are unlucky enough to be hit and killed by them, where it'll use said animals for nourishment.

Although it's unlikely, it's possible for the seeds to grow faster, become harder, or have its explosive power increased, among other things.

The world's strongest burst seeds, known as 【Destructive Burst Seeds】 when they reach this level, have been confirmed to exist in the Ortoria Extinct Grove, which contains one of only five 【Great God Rank】 【Age of the Gods Dungeons】 that exist in the world.

At point-blank range, it's even capable of penetrating Dragon Scales and Shells. For that reason, it's said that people who challenge this dungeon must first develop counter-measures against these seeds.

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After a few tries, I was able to understand that 【Old Goblin’s Wisdom】 allows me to see the characteristics and special traits of materials taken from Great Forests, Groves, and other such places. It also seems to provide my brain with knowledge that I didn't know about before, which includes the production method and handling of poisons, among many other things.

It appears to be the same type of ability as 【Detect Analysis】, and since they both provide me with a large amount of information, I think it's safe to say that I know more than I did before.

Although being unable to read the information of many items is a flaw, this extensive knowledge should still be useful in the future... Secretly, I thought about cultivating full-fledged 【Burst Seeds】 for a moment.

I’d definitely like 【Destructive Burst Seeds】. Since they're considerably dangerous, it would be quite interesting to have them.

Well, since there was also information on how to use a variety of things, I expect that it'll be surprisingly helpful when developing new medicines with Alchemist-san.

I prayed again for Gobujii, who was still helpful after his death.

After saying my farewells to Gobujii, I left the morgue. I smelled something good, so I went to the dining hall. There, I met up with the Sisters as they made breakfast in the kitchen.

Since they didn't know that I was here, the Sisters were surprised when I showed up. However, they immediately smiled afterwards. Once they calmed down, it became warm and fluffy.

Although I had considered immediately returning to the Royal Capital, upon seeing their smiles, I decided to thoroughly enjoy the Sisters’ home cooking after my long absence.

I hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so it was perfect timing.

The smell was tempting and my stomach was empty. Gobujii had not been enough to fill my stomach for even a minute.

With that, I observed the two as I sat down in one of the seats in the [Dining Hall], which boasts a size large enough for all of our group's members to fit in, though it's only being used by those that are here right now.

They have gradually expanded and improved the [Kitchen] that supplies the [Dining Hall] with food. There's still room to spare now, even if around ten people are cooking in it at the same time.

It's been improved considerably with cooking tools that Blacksmith-san and her group had made from magic metal and spirit stones, which included pots and kitchen knives, among other things. There was also equipment such as cooking stoves and a water supply that had been installed in it.

With the equipment I mentioned above, it’s not a boast to say that it's equal to the kitchen of the Tomboy Princess’s Amber Palace.

In such a kitchen, the Sisters threw a large number of ingredients they had cut up into a large pot. Then, they added flavor by mixing in various seasonings as they cooked the stew on a stove that was fitted with a fire spirit stone. Their movements didn't slow down at all as they steadily prepared breakfast.

Although the Sisters are the only ones cooking in the kitchen, it wasn't a problem since they had acquired the 【Chief Cook】 job, which gave them the ability to provide enough food for the dozens of people that still remained in the base.

Although they’re in charge of cooking, they also help out in different areas when needed. They appear to be enjoying it though, so there's no need to worry.

As I waited for the Sisters' cooking while observing them, Blacksmith-san and Alchemist-san, whom I haven't seen in a long time, arrived at the [Dining Hall].

Just like the Sisters, although they were both surprised to see me, they quickly returned to their usual expressions. Since they hadn't seen me in a long time, they were happily telling me some childish stories.

Although we’ve been speaking through the ear cuffs every day, there's no doubt that talking face-to face is better. The physical warmth and subtle changes in their expressions are difficult to express through talking alone.

And as expected, the Sisters' cooking was delicious as it nourished and filled me with a day's worth of energy from within.

However, what one should pay attention to the most right now is Nicola, my only human child, who is sleeping peacefully in Alchemist-san’s arms.

Honestly, her sleeping face is too cute. Her red cheeks were squishy and her cute sleeping face appeared to be happy as she grasped my finger with her five tiny fingers. With her small and delicate body, it feels like she’d break from just a touch.

Of course, Auro, Argento, and Oniwaka are also lovely children, but the youngest one is Nicola, who is still an embarrassingly adorable baby. I love all four of them equally and I intend to show it, though... yeah, I can't help but smile when I see Nicola’s sleeping face.

So cute.

She’s so cute that it’s impossible to explain it simply with words. Sometimes, the others in the hall quietly observed where we were.

Because she's inherited my blood, she makes movements that you wouldn't expect from a one year old baby, so it might be possible to talk to her normally. Although I believe that that's going too far, it's still something to think about.

Since I was a bit worried, I used one of the 【Ancient】 class magic items from Velvet's inheritance to check on her. Using that, I confirmed that Nicola was actually born with two jobs for some reason, 【Job – Ogre Child】 and 【Job – Crest Maker】.

She probably obtained 【Ogre Child】 because I was an Ogre. Since Auro and Argento also have this job, it’s probably based on the race of the parents.

As I mentioned before, with regards to their characteristics, their vitality is stronger than usual and their growth appears to be accelerated.

Alchemist-san said it was somewhat painful when she breast-feeds Nicola, so her power may have been increased more than usual, as well.

As for 【Crest Maker】, it's a kind of 【Magic Job】 that allows the user to create magical crests like the Crest of Valor.

Although their tattoos are subtlely different from mine, since Nicola and the other three children have similar tattoos, they might be related to this.

However, I'm slightly worried about the fact that Auro and Argento don't have the 【Crest Maker】 job. I’m pretty sure that this is probably dependant on one’s personal qualities and talents, though.

Or...maybe there's a hidden condition?

Well, I’ll put that aside.

Being healed by the five of them after so long, I decided to stay overnight at the base today.

Even though we could talk via the ear cuffs, since I took the time to come home, I decided to take care of the other obligations that I've been neglecting.

That’s why I'm staying.

After finishing breakfast, I walked around with Blacksmith-san and Alchemist-san. We went to the ≪Workshop≫, one of the base's main facilities, where the Leprechauns were making armor and the Dwarves were diligently forging weapons.

Apparently they, or perhaps I should say the two of them and the Dwarves, have recently been devoting themselves to the development of new materials.

It looks like they've been researching until late at night every day in order to create an alloy that's been even slighty improved.

Stainless steel that's resistant to rusting from moving water, a magnesium alloy that has various uses, and silicon steel which can be used as a magnetic material for the core of motors, among other things. Although these were things that I'd only told them stories about, it seems that said stories were enough to pique their interest.

Fortunately, when it comes to the expansion of the base, I was able to secure the necessary materials by buying them in large quantities while I was in the Royal Capital. There was also a recent expedition to the nearby mountains which dug up some new ores. However, there was only enough for us to study, not to make stuff with.

Listening to their reports, they may be able to make alloys with the various metals that they found. With that said, I handed out the large quantity of many different kinds of metals that I had bought beforehand as souvenirs.

This was for the best, since they were very pleased to receive them.

As for the results of their research, with the short term help of the Dwarves and unique manufacturing methods used for 【Magic Metals】 and 【Magic Medicine】 that didn't exist in my previous life, it seems that they succeeded in developing a new alloy that has interesting characteristics.

Blacksmith-san and Alchemist-san puffed up with pride, and the satisfied look on their faces was quite memorable.

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Blacksmith-san aside, with Alchemist-san doing such a thing, it was quite touching to see a different side of her.

Well, it seems that they had an overwhelming number of failed experiments, but every failure is a stepping-stone to success.

Since they were able to make something new, the wasted materials were worth it.

However, it looks like it's not possible for them to reveal any items at this time. Since it seems that I'll be given a report when they're satisfied with the level of perfection they've achieved, I'm looking forward to it.

Although I was motivated by this news, I'll refrain from investigating what kind of alloy it is beforehand.

We continued doing this until after noon, when I began cooking lunch together with the Sisters.

Since I had obtained ingredients from the Royal Capital and the Purgatory that couldn't be obtained in the Kuuderun Great Forest, we decided to use those.

We used Jadar Wyvern meat to make things like Wyvern Hamburgers and Fried Wyvern Meat. After finishing all of their morning work, lunch became so popular that everyone that had gathered in the Dining Hall had seconds.

Incidentally, after finishing the meal, I imposed a gag order on the group members that had stayed behind.

The reason that I did this was that those who haven't eaten it yet would probably feel jealous. Though sharing the secret is an insignificant matter, I hope to at least strengthen their unity through this, even if it’s just a little bit.

I intend to feed the same food to the other members in the near future.

After lunch, I went to the ≪Hot Spring Facilities≫ that Doriane-san played an active role in.

The ≪Hot Spring Facilities≫ could be freely used by the Elves. The visitors gave the hot springs the alias ≪Parabellum Hot Springs≫ so it was easy to understand. It was decided that part of it was only for the Elves, though there were a few exceptions to this.

There was originally nothing more than a Japanese-style area enclosed with walls, which were placed at a distance from the hot springs themselves to keep the group members from entering it. However, the surrounding facilities have naturally increased over time, and it has become a splendid area as a result.

The Dwarves that were making armor with Mithril and other materials have set up their own shop that sells ornaments made with fine crastsmanship, known as ≪Glass Hammer: Dwarven Equipment≫.

There was also the restaurant ≪Beckoning Cat’s Increasing Orders≫, which provides various dishes to eat. Not only can people eat at reasonable prices, but those going to the restaurant can bring their own ingredients, making the food remarkably inexpensive.

The ≪Farmlands≫ have increased in size and progress has been made on cultivating crops as well. With the use of spirit stones, fruits and vegetables that are full of nutrition are being grown and then sold at cheap prices in the vegetable shop, ≪Blessings of the Forest Spirits≫. This place is very popular with the Elven wives.

For something new and dangerously addictive, there's the ≪Casino Bacalar≫, which is a late night gambling house that draws a person's attention to it and gathers the greedy.

For the gamblers that run out of money and those who weren't able to pay back the money they owe, there's ≪Debt Hell≫, a place that will lend people money, without asking them any questions.

In the evening, for customers that want to stay overnight, those who don't want to return because it's late, and those who want to wash away their sweat, the ≪Hot Springs Hotel Tyra≫ is a convenient one-story inn that they can stay at.

At the ≪Hot Springs Mansion: Ogre’s Kiln≫, people can stay in rooms that make use of many convenient magic items for comfort, though these rooms require reservations and cost a lot of money. On top of being able to travel to the hot springs, they can also make use of various services that are very convenient.

That's the current state of things.

To be honest, I think that the outcome would've been satisfactory if only the hot springs were open.

However, being involved in various businesses isn't a bad idea at all.

As it stands, even if we continue our mercenary work, the number of members will likely increase to 1000 in no time and it’ll be hard to feed them all.

For now, our food expenses are under control thanks to my 【Lesser Summoning: Giant】 ability and the vegetables and other produce that's being grown in the ≪Farmlands≫, but it's unclear how long this harvested food will last.

Although it’s possible to buy a large amount of food supplies and equipment for all our members, we would need a large amount of money to do so, even if we made the equipment ourselves.

For that reason, since we're improving the base's infrastructure in anticipation of the future income we'll receive, developing ways to earn a large amount of money will definitely be necessary.

Having said that, managing the various shops will be perfect training for this sort of thing.

Although there was a part of me that was anxious about this at first, since we had planned to make a living off of the profound lives of the Elves, it should be successful for now.

As a result, it felt like a huge burden was lifted from my shoulders.

The Elves want to continue to be good neighbors in the future, so we'll remain in a superior position to them, which will mean greater profits.

While I was thinking about ways to further improve the ≪Parabellum Hot Springs≫, I finally went to get some aroma oil from Doriane-san, which is created naturally and used in oil massages.

Since I'm the one that had the idea to do massages, I taught her how to do it. While receiving a massage, I told her what areas were good and bad, which improved her ability to give them.

The laid-back atmosphere helped to cure my every day fatigue.

In the end, the massage was excellent.

In the evening, I drank liquor with Father Elf for the first time in awhile.

While we were in the hot springs that are for the exclusive use of the group's top brass, I felt that the taste of the elven wine was improved by being in the springs. Since I had dug out the rock face so that we could drink while looking at the outside scenery, seeing the brilliance of the stars glowing in the night sky also improved the wine's taste.

We talked as I was thinking that it's nice to have a drinking companion, after all. We ended up talking about Father Elf’s younger brother.

His younger brother is someone I gave special permission to enter the springs. This invitation was extended in exchange for ten barrels of elven wine.

Younger Brother Elf stayed in the ≪Parabellum Hot Springs≫ for several days, along with Father Elf. While he thought that the various stores were quite interesting, he spent most of his time enjoying the various different kinds of hot springs that we have.

He was completely stuck in the hot springs and many years of fatigue was gradually removed, resulting in him becoming more energetic than he was when he arrived.

Afterwards, Younger Brother Elf and Father Elf exchanged a few words, and the former requested and received a communication cuff.

Although I haven’t spoken with Younger Brother Elf yet, the cuff gave me information via the clone buried in it.

As expected of brothers, he's like a dandy uncle and resembled Father Elf. Despite being the same sex, I thought they were elegant and I wanted to become that sort of old man.

Besides, since he has quite a high position as the president of the well-established ≪Green Arrow Star Village≫ company, he's definitely someone I want to be on familiar terms with.

At any rate, it looks like it'll be easy to get along with him thanks to the hot springs.

I have no doubt that he became quite interested when I dangled the hot springs in front of him in exchange.

I collected as much information as I could and upon understanding the true value of the Hot Springs and how rare it is, I don’t intend to give any discounts.

Younger Brother Elf seems to have quite a bit of political power as well, and it looks like he's currently on the way to the Royal Capital. He indicated that he'd like to conduct various full-scale business negotiations once he arrives.

Since Father Elf also said to me, 『Get along with my younger brother』, I intend to have an equal relationship with both of them for a long time.

Then, since it was already late at night, I had Father Elf stay at the ≪Hot Springs Mansion: Ogre’s Kiln≫ as I finished the rest of the detailed procedures.

Since I was looking forward to a night of enjoyment, I quickly finished them.

--

Day 182

Our group members are scattered about in various places, as they move towards each of the locations that we were requested at.

As for the contents of the requests, they include:

Town Defense

Guard nobles as they go to inspect their territories

Subjugation of a band of thieves hiding in the nearby mountains

Subjugation of aggressive monsters

And many more

Before, our only client was the Tomboy Princess. However, thanks to our mercenary group’s name becoming well known, many new clients have suddenly appeared, forming a queue.

Due to the recent coup d'état significantly affecting public order, thieves and bandits are moving about in the open. Knowing this, I’ve sent members towards villages where the feudal lords and village chiefs were troubled by the situation. By doing this, we should be able to take about half of the current requests.

By completing the requests we receive, our trustworthiness will increase. Even though we’re not in a dire situation, there’s no reason to decline something that will result in a comparatively high monetary reward.

For their convenience, I had the members that would need to deploy in the future gather at the mansion in the Royal Capital and in the Labyrinth City ≪Purgatory≫. By adjusting their schedules, they should be able to complete requests.

Although there some of them didn’t want their vacation to end, they’ll just have to be patient for their own sake.

Since a bit more preparation is required before we can start full-scale mobilization, I’ll treat them well for now.

Once I gave out instructions and finished breakfast, I returned to the Royal Capital.

After being seen off by Blacksmith-san, I enjoyed my trip in the air for a bit.

I caught several flying monsters on the way and ate them, but I wasn't able to learn anything.

As I expected, I'd need to stop and hunt a large number of them.

After I ate a certain amount, I stopped hunting them and quickened my pace a bit.

I caught sight of the Royal Capital before too much time had passed. After landing on the ground, I used the 【Proof of Belonging to Royal Authority】 to enter the city.

There weren’t that many people out on the streets near the castle before, but the place appears to be back to normal and it's full of even more vigor than before. There were a lot of Humans walking on the roads as voices attempted to attract customers.

I headed for the mansion on the border of the Nobles and Castle Districts that I was given as a reward while thinking, "As expected of the Royal Capital."

Along the way, while I was walking around and checking out the prices of merchandise in the stores and street stalls, the number of people around me that were whispering and pointing at me gradually increased.

Thanks to my superior hearing, I was able to hear them without doing anything. Still, I used 【Wiretapping】 to get rid of the noise so I could clearly hear their voices.

According to what I'm hearing, it seems that they're saying the following...

『Look. That’s the trump card I’ve heard from the stories.』

『His skills are the real deal. At the beginning of his fight, I saw him instantly kill a Jadar Wyvern in the arena. That guy is amazing.』

『Haa haa. Amazing, real one, the real one, it’s the real one! Buhaa!!』

Looks like most of them were present during my fight in the arena. It seems that they were whispering about my active role as a member of the Tomboy Princess’s camp during the coup d’état. On top of that, there were some men and women, both young and old, that had an atmosphere similar to that of the First Queen and Dark Hero.

Many of them were acting like they were praying to the Gods, but they weren't the worst kind.

I was troubled by the number of people gazing at me with bloodshot eyes and flushed cheeks. They had the same ecstatic smile as the First Queen.

This is troublesome. Their eyes seem to hold some sort of physical power and I couldn't help but shiver from the chills running down my spine. If this was a battle, I'm certain that I could instantly kill them. However, since I'm in town, I can't do anything because they are simply staring at me.

Religious fanatics are truly scary. For me, my compatibility with this sort of situation is far worse than it is with thieves and military forces. Thanks to the stress, my shoulders became stiff.

Since my mood had soured, I quickly bought a bunch of barbecued chicken from a stall before leaving for the mansion.

However, I could sense a large number of stalkers following behind me, so I decided to advance by jumping on the rooftops. As I expected, they weren't able to do anything. I heard what sounded like regretful sighs, but I ignored them.

I would just become more depressed if I took notice of them.

In this way, I finally arrived at the mansion located on the border between the Nobles and Castle Districts. Kanami-chan was waiting for me, and I proceeded hug her tightly.

Not knowing the situation that had occurred, she grumbled a bit as she buried her face in my chest. Looking at her arms, although were slender, they had a constricting strength that was similar to heavy machinery.

While it's not really a problem for me, for others, she would break all of their bones, cause their internal organs to overflow from their mouth, and she may even end up splitting their body in two.

No, I’m pretty sure Kanami-chan wouldn’t go that far. She shouldn't have any problems keeping her strength in check. Still, she probably has enough strength to crush boulders with ease.

Although she panicked for a moment, since this is a habit that should be mended, I chided her. Even though she was shaking her head out of embarrassment, I refused to let her go, and she gradually calmed down as I stroked her hair.

When I finally let her go, she let out a sigh of relief, but I guess that was inevitable.

Redhead was standing behind the rampaging Kanami-chan with a bitter smile on her face. Auro and Argento were with them as well, and they were looking at Kanami-chan with envy. Together, they all smiled at me and greeted me, saying 『Welcome back』.

It was a bit embarrassing, but I answered back with 『I’m back』.

Now then, after coming home I decided to immediately begin the mansion's renovations.

First, I planned to make two of the guest rooms on the first floor into part of the shop, so I began my expansion of the shop area there.

I kept tampering with the place until nothing was left untouched. Some of the extra walls were demolished or expanded as well, all in order to accommodate the interior's design.

The question now is what kind of shop should we set up in the guest rooms.

There are many things that we can do. I'm considering buying and selling the clothes made by the leprechauns and the girls, led by Kanami-chan, have based their design around their accumulated experiences from the oil massages given at the ≪Parabellum Hot Springs≫.

While we have yet to decide which plan we'll go with, I personally think that a Stone Sauna would be quite popular with the nobles of the Royal Capital. I intend to take into account how the place should look, as well.

Since we've already got a rough idea on what we'll go with, I'll have to make some small adjustments later as we continue to work as we planned.

Using my connections with the Tomboy Princess, I was able to employ famous and skilled craftsmen in the Royal Capital. Because of that, the renovations should be finished faster than it would normally take.

Still, in order to shorten the work period even more, I decided to mobilize many of our group members that have dexterous fingers.

By increasing our manpower and giving them work training, it’s like killing two birds with one stone. Or rather, since both the cost and time needed are also reduced, maybe I should say that it’s killing four birds with one stone.

Be that as it may, it should still take a few days to complete the remodeling of the first floor into a shop.

In the afternoon, I was diligently processing lumber as I thought about how to display the merchandise that will be lined up in the future.

Being able to make items was surprising by itself, but I was also able to learn how to make new items by watching others, thanks to 【Job - Craftsman】 and the recently obtained 【Demigod of Shaping’s Divine Protection】. Because the best of the best had gathered here, I was able to learn things just by observing them.

Since I noticeably improved as we continued, I became motivated and made various items with considerable speed. One craftsman, specifically a man in his 50’s that was managing the other craftsmen, seemed to look at me in high regards. Even though it’s only been a short time, he is now teaching me techniques that he'd normally only teach his disciples.

The foreman has a blunt way of speaking, but his method of teaching was precise and easy to understand. Thanks to my abilities, I was able to easily learn the techniques just by observing him.

After finishing an item according to his teachings, he looked pleased and nodded with some satisfaction. Because he has a strict personality, it's said that even his own disciples rarely get such a reaction.

Looking at me as I learned what the foreman was teaching me, one of his disciples in their thirties had an expression of astonishment stuck on their face.

I was grateful for the techniques I absorbed from the foreman, so I decided to show my gratitude by treating him to some elven wine after our work was finished in the evening.

While we were at it, I held a party in the garden area that we had gathered in. I had the butlers and maids that were still working in the mansion join us, as well.

I was primarily in charge of cooking the dishes we served at the party. Since it was being held outdoors, I thought that barbecueing Black Fomorian meat and vegetables from our ≪Farmlands≫ would be appropriate.

I burned some charcoal that was made from lumber we had gathered in the Great Forest before placing a large volume of food on top of a huge wire mesh. After thoroughly enjoying it myself, the Yakisoba that I prepared and arranged on an iron plate was pretty popular.

Because a considerable amount of food was made at one time, it wasn't really that time consuming to prepare enough for everyone at the party.

However, since Auro loves cooking and there was a lot of people there, she was helping cook the food beside me.

With the parent and child’s teamwork, there was enough food for everyone, even though there are some who were greedily devouring the food. Making everything myself was well worth it.

As for the party itself, I think it was a success.

--

Day 183

For the first time in a while, I took charge of training the experimental youth corps ≪Solitude≫ this morning.

Since I had entrusted them to Redhead for two days, it looks like the children have mimicked her fighting style, as their movements resemble the way a beast moves for some reason. Since they're using their own fighting abilities more often instead of using Arts, one could say that they’re gradually becoming members of ≪Parabellum≫.

Even though it'll still be some time before they’ll be useful, they’re quickly growing with every day that passes because they’re still young. In particular, the ringleader and the older members of the group have spirit.

I’m expecting them to become strong in the near future because of their avarice.

After finishing the morning training, I joined the workers and helped them with remodeling the mansion's shop around noon.

Since it’s their second day on the job, the other group members transporting the materials knew what to do more or less, and it looks like they were able to work faster as a result.

We continued working in a more efficient way until dusk, and we’ve gotten much closer to completing the shop's renovations.

As they are very skilled craftsmen and their work speed is amazing, I praised the craftsmen and thanked them for their services by offering them some liquor. We didn't have elven wine today, but some alcohol that I had obtained from the dungeons instead.

Either way, having some liquor after a hard day of work was great.

However, after drinking to a certain extent, we stopped.

They have to work early tomorrow morning after all.

--

Day 184

Right after midnight, Minokichi-kun's group, which has my second son Oniwaka with them, was attacked by someone.

However, nobody was harmed.

On the other hand, the attackers were annihilated.

Regarding this attack, I'll quickly explain the course of events around it.

To start with, the consciousness of Minokichi-kun's beloved pet, who was sound asleep on a pillow, was triggered as it sensed multiple presences approaching.

When it used its hearing and sense of smell to do a rough examination of the situation in the area, it heard small sounds coming from all directions. On top of that, it was able to smell the body odor of dozens of beings as well.

By using the clones in the ear cuffs to search for the enemy, they were given an accurate count of thirty three enemies around them. They were also able to confirm that the enemy was slowly approaching at almost the exact same time.

With the exception of Minokichi-kun, who was sleeping in a Skeleton Centipede that had expanded into a type of tent by rearranging its skeletal structure, other powerful members such as Asue-chan had noticed the group's approach.

Countermeasures were communicated through the ear cuffs, and because he had personally requested it, it was decided that only Minokichi-kun would engage them. He was the only person that was sleeping outside, so this was convenient.

As the enemy entered their attack range, the Skeleton Centipedes threw out special smokebombs that inflicted the negative status effects 【Paralysis】 and 【Lethargy】. Right after that, Minokichi-kun jumped out of bed and trampled the enemy without giving them any time to escape.

From the start of the battle until the end, no more than 10 seconds had passed. Several people were slain together with one swing of his axe, and even more were killed by the Thunder Flames that spread out and scorched the earth.

Minokichi-kun has been getting stronger and stronger recently, so he's become even more reliable.

To be honest, I would normally tell him to secure at least one captive to find out their true intentions, but since it’s Minokichi-kun, it can't be helped. His physical prowess aside, not much has changed from the old days and his intellect remains the same.

The attack also lacked imagination, even more so because it was a ranged one.

Since it was a massacre, it was disappointing that only a few of the corpses we examined still retained their figure somehow, and we weren't able to find anything that would tell us who they're affiliated with.

Even though the enemy was made up of Beastmen and Humans, there wasn't any uniformity to them. I can't say they were a mish-mash of mercenaries hired to attack Minokichi-kun and the others though, since all of their members were accustomed to using the same standard equipment.

With swords coated with a paralysis poison, daggers coated with a lethal poison, a great number of medicines that are very illegal, dark containers filled with deadly poison hidden in various places on their bodies, longcoats and trousers made out of strong leather which had a high 【Hiding】 effect, and magic boots that muffled their footsteps; this was the perfect equipment for an assassin.

While I’m assuming that they aren't affiliated with the Kingdom, I’m certain that there are members of their organization somewhere in the country.

As for the reason Minokichi-kun and the others were attacked, the war in the Kingdom is probably the cause.

Since the war potential that ≪Parabellum≫ possesses is superior in both quantity and quality, I already figured that we would be regarded as highly dangerous by the other countries. From the information my clones have gathered, I now know that this is actually the case.

Although some countries can be excluded immediately, there are places like that. I can't say where they're at, but they do exist.

Returning to the story, they couldn't make a move on the group's leader, me, since I was in the Royal Capital and they had no physical means of doing so after I cleared out most of the spies. As a result, I guess they wanted to get rid of Minokichi-kun and Asue-chan's military unit at an early stage, since they were part of my main forces.

There's also the possibility that they simply planned to scout out their power, with the intention of escaping after disturbing them to some degree.

I couldn't discover anything because the enemy was completely annihilated, so I told all military units to be cautious for the time being.

With this omen of a new war, I started to get a little excited.

--

Day 185

Day 185

Younger Brother Elf arrived at the Royal Capital early this morning, and came to my estate.

To go along with the Elven Liquor he brought as a present, he prepared several kinds of high-class dungeon liquor, as well as some rare magic metals and ores.

He may have heard from Father Elf that I’m quite the drinker, and as one would expect from the chairman of an established business, he was very well prepared.

As I lead him through the foyer of my estate, we talked about business.

Beside him was a shrewd young boy, his son, and standing next to me was Kanami-chan, who's able to enchant others with nothing more than her beauty.

I smiled wryly together with Younger Brother Elf as his son absentmindedly listened to our discussion while admiring Kanami-chan.

After our negotiations, a good number of contracts were signed.

Over at our company, various types of assistance will be given to the general company ≪Parabellum≫. This includes things like trade rights and plots of land, among other things. In exchange, we'll give them the right to use our Hot Springs and supply them with raw materials from the Great Forest, among other things.

Honestly, I think the rights to go to the Hot Springs would've been enough.

Although he tried to hide it, Younger Brother Elf was totally immersed when I accidentally revealed my new Hot Springs plans for the future. He’s like a hot springs addict.

I understand his reaction since the hot springs are very comfortable, but is it fine to have such a clear response to them? I don’t think so.

Well, there are only a few specific locations in this world that have natural hot springs. Even so, there are quite a few places you can go to.

Then again, ≪Parabellum Hot Springs≫ has a variety of curious things in the hot water, such as bubbles and lights, which is enough to consider it a first-class hot spring.

When he was about to agree to everything for just the Hot Springs, his son stopped him as I expected. At any rate, this conversation ended up giving me information about their personalities, as well. Even though it was such a short time frame, I was able to get a rough understanding of both of their personalities.

Well, at least the contents of the contract will be followed as long as there aren't any special circumstances.

When either one of us breaks the terms of the contract, we'll provide suitable compensation for the other party.

With this, it looks like we’ll be able to continue our good relations for the time being.

Because our negotiations had been successfully completed, I went back to remodeling the mansion.

Since it looked like the Elves wanted to observe the situation, I left it to Kanami-chan to entertain both of them.

After that, the day ended without any real issues.

--

Day 186

I have nothing in particular to talk about today.

Reconstruction has silently progressed and as a result, the store portion of the mansion is nearing completion.

At this rate, it will be completed tomorrow. Although a large portion of the first floor still needs work, since the store is only a small part of it, we should still be able to start doing business once I finish putting our merchandise on display.

--

Day 187

The work that we started in the morning was completed shortly after noon.

To put it simply, our current plan is to have a part of the store function as a supermarket.

Given that the shop became a structure that's roughly fifty meters long, forty meters wide, and seven meters tall, a lot of merchandise can be put on display in such a spacious area.

A basic commodity that we'll have is various materials that are used in alchemy, such as vegetables from the Great Forest, Black Skeleton bones, and so on.

We'll have cooking utensils for use at home such as large pots and kitchen knives whose sharpness and ability to cut things won't quickly deteriorate, as well.

Using air transportation, we'll bring fresh vegetables grown in our ≪Farmlands≫ to the Royal Capital, as well as a great variety of other ingredients, such as Black Fomorian meat.

We're also planning to have clothes that Kanami-chan and others have designed, as well as weapons and armor that were made by the Dwarves and Leprechauns.

In addition, we'll also have daily necessities such as scissors and expensive work gloves that are blade-proof, which I used my thread to make.

These are the types of items that our merchandise list will be composed of.

At first, I want to acquire regular customers by spreading the image that our prices are kept at a very reasonable level, so one can get almost any item they need by coming here.

Eventually though, I want to attract various shops and expand the business into a large-scale shopping center.

Anyway, the shop was more or less completed in this way.

After a short discussion, we decided that the store's grand opening would be in three days.

Although I'm feeling anxious about it, I'll try and run this shop for the time being. If it's not serving its purpose, I guess I can always make modifications. Even if the business fails, we'll still be able to eat because we can continue our mercenary work.

I calculated that if the Tomboy Princess moves, our customers will also include nobles, so I immediately told her about the day the store will open through the ear cuffs.

My only concern is that the First Queen will probably come, as well. Well, that shouldn't be a bad thing...probably.

--

Day 188

Today, I left the remodeling to the foreman and the other craftsmen and left the Royal Capital with the members of ≪Solitude≫.

I had them line up in two columns and we quickly headed for a forest that's roughly an hour's walk from the capital.

Seeing as they were wearing light leather armor, with things like swords and short spears in their hands and a backpack with food and medical supplies on their backs, the members of ≪Solitude≫ would've previously become worn out immediately, with the exception of some like the ringleader.

However, because their eating habits have improved and they've obtained combat-related jobs, they've reached the point where they can just barely handle actual combat with the help of body strengthening enchantments. When we arrived, although they were tired, not a single member had dropped out.

After we arrived, I had them all rest for roughly a minute so they could catch their breath. After that, I grouped them into parties of four, told them to go hunt monsters on the outskirts of the forest, and saw them off.

Since there were fifty of them, I was able to make twelve groups, though two people were left after doing so. I decided to have the two remaining people, the group leader and his bratty second in command (who is female), team up with Auro and Argento.

Since high level monsters don't come to the outskirts of the forest, I also told them to hunt further in it, as well.

It should be fine since Auro and Argento are with them, unless several Hind Bear ranked monsters appear. Since they have the ear cuffs with them as well, they shouldn't die either way.

If it's necessary, I'll just have to go and save them. While we waited for everyone to return, I trained with Redhead and Kanami-chan outside of the forest.

Everyone returned in the evening.

Although many of them suffered various major and minor injuries, some of them were able to hunt Horned Rabbits and Armored Tanuki, which were nostalgic to see. Another group had taken several legs from a Demon Spider, only to have them stolen by a type of wolf monster right after. Some of them harvested things like 【Thorned Fig Tree Roots】, which are roots that are delicious, but come out of the ground when something approaches and stabs them. There were also those who hunted Sleep Moths, a moth which scatters scales that causes those who inhale them to become drowsy. Surprisingly, it seems they did their best.

As I expected though, the group that had the best results was Auro's group.

They simply overwhelmed the other groups as they took down things like the following:

Orcs, with their pig heads and fat bodies.

Dire Looks, a large striped cat that confuses its opponents by emitting a scent that has a bewitching effect.

Gray Lizards, lizards that have characteristic gray scales and make use of unrefined axes.

Well, I wasn't really worried about them.

I gave them both praise and patted them on their heads. Though it was almost as if they were being tickled, they didn't seem to hate it.

After that, I gathered all the materials and loot into my Item Box and we set out to return using a Skeleton Centipede.

Since the majority of the children had fallen asleep, we took our time on the return journey. They smelled of blood and sweat from running around in the forest all day long, so when we returned to the mansion in the Royal Capital, the first thing I did was put them in the bath.

After the bath, I prepared meals for each specific group using the prey they hunted as ingredients. Since the people who hunted more had more extravagant meals, it should help motivate them in the future.

The message this gave them was, "If you want to eat something better, then work harder for it."

It's simple and effective.

--

Day 188 Sidestory A Certain Solitude Youth's POV

Day 188/Sidestory: Ringleader's POV (Future commander of the [Solitude] Corps of Parabellum)

Just until recently, I did not have dreams about the future. After all, getting enough food just for the day poses difficulty, and it only gets more difficult as the capital city gets colder by the day.

Finding someone you talked to yesterday dead in the morning is nothing unusual, and that is why I did everything I had to in order to survive. However, that unreasonable way of living has a limit, and I found out the hard way.

To live we stole, get caught, and dragged to a back alley we get beaten by several adults. Kicks without restraint struck my whole body. I had no choice but to wait for it all to wrap up. I thought that, I would die before it ended. However, perhaps I stink because I was washed with gutter water the day before, I lucked out when it ended sooner than usual. I didn’t die from the beatings. Even though my whole body hurts, I didn’t die yet. But, it won’t be far off, before I die like the others.

But, on that day, my destiny did a 180 degree turn.

There’s tasty food. There’s a safe place to sleep. There’s nice clothing that has been washed. There’s weapons to defend ourselves with. And more than anything, there’s someone who offered us protection.

It was like a dream, although of course nothing came without a price. What was needed, was us ourselves. Doing what we are told, with our given roles was requested.

The daily training we were assigned was hard. For us who hadn’t had enough to eat, the training was almost unbearable. But, we endured it. Endured and endured and endured, we clenched our teeth and continued training. And the day we see the results came.

At the forest an hour’s walk from the capital. Today we headed for it. This time the Commander's with us too, everyone was fired up. The Commander was our saviour. Without the Commander, half of us would have died.

The first time we met the Commander was scary, but we found out this place was warm, we couldn’t imagine anywhere else. I don’t know what the others think, but at least, I want to protect this warm place. That’s why I wanted to become power for the Commander who taught us how to live, who gave us a place to belong to. Even as little as it is, something that is as good as nothing, I thought I wanted to be of help. I thought I wanted to be useful.

As I reconfirmed those feelings, we formed parties of 4 under the Commander’s instructions, and dived into the forest.

Even though we were taught in our training, walking in the unaccustomed forest was difficult. On top of that the monsters that appeared went after our lives without mercy, it was very scary. I thought I’d start shaking if I let down my guard. But, I brought up my courage and thrust out my short spear. The monster that attacked — the Blade Rabbit’s fur split, pierced muscles, and torn organs gave a unique feel. And I felt when the spear had luckily pierced through the heart, the feeling of life slipping through.

As I looked down to the dying Blade Rabbit what I felt was not the guilt of stealing a life, but rather a strong sense of accomplishment. It was the certain feeling of me who was weak and only to be used, getting stronger.

Little by little, but steadily, becoming stronger. Still a far away dream, but I want to become useful to the Commander someday. That's my goal. That's why, for now, I focused on killing one monster at a time.

It's not an exceptional result, but the road's still long. I found a dream I didn't have before and there's many thing I want to do now as well.

The despair from back then, it feels like a memory already. Right now, I only need to walk forward with a single purpose.

Believer candidate. Future executive candidate.

Please be careful with raising this child.

Secured a promising force for the future.

--

Day 189

I left the redecorating to the foreman and the other craftsmen again today, and left the Royal Capital with Kanami-chan this morning.

Then, with the mental map that my clones had filled in, we left and flew to the Labyrinth City "Aquarium," which is a place I haven't been to yet.

Aquarium is located far away from the Royal Capital and the Kuuderun Great Forest, near the borders of the Atarakua Demon Empire, which is ruled by a Demon Emperor; I'll just call it the Demon Empire from now on. Since it's so far away, none of our members that grew up in the Great Forest have been there before.

When it comes to introducing Aquarium, the first thing that I'd have to say about it is that there's an 【Age of the Gods Dungeon】 there.

As for 【Age of the Gods Dungeons】, their high degree of difficulty can't be compared to the 【Derived Dungeons】 like the ones we've entered up to this point. This Labyrinth City is among the liveliest places that I've been to so far, though.

Special 【Artifact】 level items collected in the 【Age of the Gods Dungeon】 are more valuable than other dungeon items, though I was able to see the occasional adventurer wearing some unique armor on their body.

Because its difficulty is high, the level of the adventurers that challenge it appears to be suitably high as well. Since some of those amongst them possessed 【Divine Protection】, many of them were very appetizing.

Getting back to discussing the 【Age of the Gods Dungeons】, this one in particular was made by the 【Demigod of Spring Water】 and it’s classified as a 【Demigod Rank】 dungeon. The name it's been given is 【Waterfall Basin of Spring Water, Aquarium Forlia】.

One of the dungeon's basic specifications is that it's made up of underground levels. In addition, many of its traps are water-based, and the monsters that appear there are primarily those of the elemental, fish, and shellfish systems.

The final layer is fifty floors down, and in the dungeon's long history, there's been very few stories of adventurers making it to that floor and successfully killing the boss.

Most of them aren't capable of defeating the boss enshrined on a specific level. Since this prevents them from delving deeper, it looks like these people enter the upper levels of the dungeon every day in order to collect items and earn daily cash income.

By the way, I haven’t mentioned it yet, but the 【Age of the Gods Dungeons】 have ranks as well.

When it comes to the 【Great God Rank】 dungeons, which have the highest degree of difficulty, most 【Heroes】 and 【Great Heroes】 would be annihilated on the first floor if they challenged one.

According to the small amount of information left behind, only five of these exist in the world, and it looks like the small fry in them are basically the same level as Wyverns. Also, because they’re small fry, there’s a considerable number of them.

How scary.

【God Rank】 is the rank that comes before that in terms of difficulty. Although it’s difficult, these dungeons appear to be something that 【Heroes】 and 【Great Heroes】 are somehow able to delve into. Having said that, it seems they're often killed by the floor bosses, so they can't let down their guard in them.

Then there’s the 【Demigod Rank】, which is easiest rank of 【Age of the Gods Dungeons】.

If they're extremely cautious, it looks like ordinary people are somehow capable of descending into these. However, the amount of risk that 【Derived Dungeons】 carry is still incomparable to the 【Demigod Rank】.

Since even high-level people are mercilessly killed in these dungeons if they're careless, there aren't many who enter them.

However, for those that are reckless and continue to enter these dungeons, a large amount of money can be obtained all at once, if everything goes smoothly.

That’s the gist of it, anyway.

Anyway, I gathered information as I looked through the merchandise in the street stalls and shops. Although I did enter the dungeon, it looks like I’ll have to put in a lot of effort if I want to completely capture it.

I only went and leisurely explored the first floor this time around. There was a long and wide passage with a splendid interior that resembled a temple in some respects, and the floor was submerged up to my ankles in cold water. This causes a person's body temperature to constantly drop. They'll also consume more stamina than usual simply by walking.

Moreover, the dungeon strengthens the monsters within it by approximately 2 ranks, making them very tough, as I expected.

However, since everything was so appetizing, I decided to explore the dungeon a little bit more.

As a result, I obtained the following:

Twenty three Iolite Elementals, which have a spherical blue core that's wrapped in flowing water. The greatest magic from the Aqua system that it can use is third-grade magic.

Eighteen Armored Scissormen, which are roughly the size of Goblins. They normally lie camouflaged on the floor, but they'll jump up and try to catch those who get close with their shell and cut them. Their shell is stronger than steel.

Forty seven Bullet Fish, which are approximately sixty centimeters in length and have a characteristic pyramid shaped head that's as heavy as lead. They swim in the air like it's water and when they detect prey, they rush at them at a speed of roughly 130 kilometers per hour.

Eight Dirotonis, which are huge fish that are approximately two meters in size and have strong teeth that can even crunch Armored Scissormen. They have a scaled shell that's hardened to the point that it's like metal armor.

Ten Water Leapers, white frogs that are roughly the size of a large dog. It has the tail and fins of a fish, which makes it look like it has grown wings.

That about sums it up.

In addition to the item drops I got from the various monsters, since I was able to collect raw materials that can be gathered in the dungeon as well, my heart was warmed.

...Would it be easier to understand if I just said that I simply hunted monsters as I casually explored the first floor, and that I obtained approximately one million gold coins as a result?

After seeing the merits of the 【Age of the Gods Dungeon】, I'm sure that this is a place where I can make quite a lot of money.

I decided to return home before dusk, so I bought some magic metal and local ingredients as souvenirs on my way out of the city.

Because I can get home in no time if I fly through the skies, I want to develop some sort of air transportation in the future.

--

Day 190

Today is the opening day of the shop. Opening time: 9 A.M.

The Tomboy Princess was already there and she exclaimed 『I came!』 with a triumphant look on her face. Even though it's cold enough outside for snow to fall, she’s been waiting out there for three hours. Honestly, that fool.

She was wearing high-quality winter clothing to keep her warm, but she's still young. If I let her stand outside, she'll most likely catch a cold.

Although I was shocked for a moment, I brought her to a small snack corner that I had set up near the store's entrance and served her some hot tea.

The First Queen, Dark Hero, and their servants arrived just a few minutes later.

A chill ran down my spine for a moment when they glanced at me, but I'm trying to avoid thinking about that for the time being.

Since she thought that she was the first to arrive this early in the morning, the vexed expression that the First Queen momentarily displayed when she saw that the Tomboy Princess was already there left a deep impression.

They were arguing back and forth like a normal parent and child would, but their carefree mood told me that it wasn't anything serious and that they actually got along with each other.

Despite such an event occurring, the opening proceeded without any problems. Since this was coupled with a week-long opening sale, we had more visitors than I expected.

Though we hardly advertised through the distribution of flyers and things like that, it looks like the Tomboy Princess had been talking to the Nobles, and the Foreman to the commoners.

While I thought, "It's unexpected, but despite my skimping on advertising, it looks like there's a chance we can make a living with this because of our acquaintances," there was some trouble caused by nobles and commoners being gathered in the same place.

However, it looks like the problems were safely resolved by discussing them.

I won't bother talking about what happened though, since it's not worth mentioning.

Anyway, as for Female Samurai, she displayed unexpected success as a salesperson this time.

Apparently, she worked at a similar job as a part-timer before coming to this world, so she was accustomed to this sort of work. In addition to that, the experience she's gained from living in this world for several years has made her capable of grasping and promptly responding to the subtleties of other people's minds.

Because I only anticipated her fighting strength and her radar for Otherworlders, it looks like I've found something unexpected.

She was perfect for it, so I gave her the title of "Royal Capital Shop Manager."

She gave me a bitter smile, but I want her to work hard since the title comes with perks that include a salary increase, among other things.

Although there was a bit of trouble, the first day ended in this way.

Because it was more popular than I thought, it may unexpectedly be the right thing for us to do. As for Blacksmith-san, although she was doing this sort of work for the first time, since it looks like accounting is her strong suit, I'll have her take care of that from now on.

However, since I'm our representative, I’ll have to think of new goods and tactics in the future. As I was doing so, I cooked the prey that I brought back from the dungeon yesterday, ate it, and then went to bed.

One more thing. The dungeon monsters from the 【Age of the Gods Dungeon】 were very tasty.

They almost melted on my tongue when I ate them raw, but they were even more delicious when I cooked them.

I shouldn’t just explore the 【Demigod Rank】 dungeons, but also the 【God Rank】 ones.

As I cleaned up my excess drool, I thought, "Someday...the 【Great God Rank】 dungeons."

Today's the day that I decided on a clear goal for the future.