The next morning

'Pina, this time the car is parked, so we're going to balloon it up. Could you do some reconnaissance in the air with that?　The winch moves with a button, so we can take a break, okay?

　I can take a break from Pina, and I'll stay alert on my bike. In addition, there is no risk of explosion with a helium balloon. The raw material is liquid helium, and since it's what the window flowers use to overclock, wasting it is prohibited.

　As soon as Pina agreed, I tried it out....

"Pina, Rotate, Stare, Balloon, Fun

　It's supposed to be able to fly low, but I feel like I'm enjoying the balloon and the rotation more than the lookout, and I'm very worried that I'll miss it. The height of the balloon is over 100m, which is difficult to aim at with an arrow, so it is safe. Besides, the balloon and the rope are detachable, so we can escape immediately.

　This way, Pina will have full surveillance.
　Window flower drones will patrol the easiest places to hide and look for bandits.

　I'm having Anya process the gift Asta gave me as a thank-you gift. Me, Midia, and Mog ride our bikes and work on the village and the experimental farm with a moat and embankment. The moat will connect the upstream and downstream areas of the river.


Making the moat.

You're amazing, Mogu, you know how to dig and fill quickly, it's a shame you're not more humble.

　What's it look like, 20 km/h?　Either way, it's not a civil engineering project, and it's incredibly fast. An average earth spirit can build a moat or earthen mound. But in the case of Mog, the speed is faster in each level. On top of that, the fuel consumption is 1/100th of the fuel efficiency, super magical and eco-friendly, although the rating was sacrificed...
(We can't use earthquakes, walls, stone cannons, or other big moves.)

"Midea, it's time to switch magic supplies... it's hard...

　Even if it's eco-friendly, my magic power is less than human.
　I don't have enough magic power for a construction project of this scale.

''Ryota your magic power is too low, isn't it?　Can't you make more?

　That...............Actually I asked the Goddess before I came to this world.

The truth is that they're trying to prevent your body from increasing in number. If there's any more of them, they'll develop a disease called magical liver. The goddess warned me that if it gets worse, a magical nucleus will form in the liver and cause a dangerous disease called cirrhosis of the liver.

　Apparently, earthlings use their livers to make energy, so it's just right for storing magical power. If you change half of your internal organs into artificial organs, you can get more, but you'd have to stop being a human.

"Ryota is really an otherworldly person... but that won't change my feelings, will it?　Toshiaki-san is married too, so there's nothing wrong with marriage itself.

Let's talk about it when we're done talking about it, okay?　It's an accident when you're driving a motorcycle.

　A motorcycle for two?　I have no tolerance for this kind of thing, so you can't just shoot me in the face!　I might die of an irregular heartbeat. I almost died like that, but by mid-afternoon, I was able to complete it, leaving part of it behind.


★ Ready to intercept.

'Hey, Ryota. Why is this moat so shallow?　Won't the thieves come after you?

You don't want to be anywhere near there, do you?　It looks shallow, but it's actually a double bottom. If you step through it, don't worry, it's a proper moat.

　This place was dug by the villagers. It's roughly 2.5 meters deep and contains water.

'Oh, this is a trap!　But if some of them fall off, won't they know?

'The water in there is from Asta's gratitude. That mucous membrane that was left over when it was reduced in size during the grading process, it's the raw material for the numbing potion, so he asked me for it. I had Anya process it and make it into a numbing dig. It's a trick that paralyzes the bandits when they fall.

　Asta-san was embarrassed, but you ended up using it surprisingly quickly...

'And it's downhill beyond this disguised moat, right?　You know, the mog made it dry on this side only. Simply put, it's the same mechanism as the ant hell.

　Still, all of them are subtle.... if the bandits are coming, probably at night. I'm sure most of them will be caught, but they'll inevitably miss the rear.



''It would have been easier if I could use Pina's song, but that thing works on everyone who can hear it... so it can't be near the village. Besides, I heard that Window Flower found a bandit who came to scout out this moat, I'm sure there's not much left to be done, right?

　If a bunch of guys in the village fall for Pina with a seductive song, it could be a recipe for disaster, with families breaking up and heartbreaks galore. I don't want to turn the village into an a-hole like that.

''Hmm, is it enough for 15 silver coins?　Besides, can we just let the bandits get away with it?

We're going to plant something called barbed wire on the retreat route. But since it's a product of Earth and can be made with technology from this world the person who witnesses it will be lost forever. So we can't take them captive. I'll try to devise a way to get them into the moat as much as possible.

　I hate to be the one to use it, but I want you to test something other than firearms.　There's not much empirical data!　I've received a complaint from Kanayako-sama that my investigation is also an experiment in modern weaponry in a world where magic exists.

"I'll never go further than the slope!　But what if I see it and I go missing too?

　That has been confirmed by the Goddess. Local regular employment for me and the spirits has a contract with the Goddess. In Pina's case, I can't understand it when I see it, and I can't reproduce it with my wing claws.

'I have a contract with the Goddess, so I'm fine. If I try to tell her, I'll pass out from the intense pain, but...''

'That's scary!　I won't look at it and I won't tell anyone!　I didn't even listen to you earlier!

　If it weren't for the thorns we'd still be able to use ropes to tie the stakes together in this world. Furthermore, if this world didn't have wire making technology, it wouldn't be this tough. But the fact that we have a ringmail is proof that we can make wire in large quantities.

　Modern weapons, like brass casings and unexploded ordnance countermeasures, have a lot of trouble destroying evidence. And guns still claim to be magic wands for finger bullets only.


★ Back to the armored car.

"Pinner, is it time for dinner?　Don't come down!'
"Pina, no. More balloons, more balloons, more games...

　Disgusting and selfish!
　I don't know how to deal with a child's selfishness.
　Did you do the candy and whip thing at times like this?

"Pina, it's a lobster today... and if you don't eat your food, you'll lose your balloon.　You'll never play again!

"Pina, I'm coming down.

　Huh, I'm stuck.

　We're going to serve lobster, but after dinner we'll have language lessons. I want Pina to be able to sing the lyrics for sure, and in the future I plan to make her a singer. When he becomes a successful singer, he will boast, "I raised Pina myself.

　By the way, Pina is here, so first of all, we have to eat. You can also enjoy freshly made breads and baked goods, as well as a home bakery that was recently set up by Myrna and her husband.

Hmm, I'm getting used to this world's cuisine... and this world's cuisine is pretty good too.
The nutritional balance is better than in Japan. In Japan, we had just udon noodles and side dishes.

　Window flowers!　Stay with Mr. Rose from being uncool!　I've got to get that story out of my head.

'You cook so well, Anya!　Come to think of it, doesn't he eat?

'I told him about the advantages of barbed wire and how it works, and he said he invented a machine to make barbed wire from wire. I believe it is being made now with the factory and some of the tools, don't you think?

　Sure, the structure is simple, and it's something an old farmer from the West could have invented, but did Anya invent it just by looking at it?

'Did you give them the proper precautions?　I hear you won't die, but if you show it to anyone else, you'll be in a great deal of pain.

Are you okay?　I just want to make a machine, and my main mission is to train craftsmen rather than barbed wire.

　Come to think of it, you promised to teach me skills... I've forgotten that I'm a craftsman these days, because I'm completely under the impression that I'm a fellow exterminator.

''It was a promise, I'm not a boy who breaks penalties, so how's the progress against bandits?''

　When I hear the report on the window flowers, they say it's all done.