"...... Mmmm, that's not a very good response. No coercion, eh?　We're going to pay more than the market rate as well as compensation for the brave Falcon case: ......

　King Alfred's rocky face twisted into a troubled expression and he tilted his head.

　It's not a bad idea to have a big bear trying to be gentle with a small animal.

'd*mn it. It was somewhat premature of me to think that a good job offer would be more pleasing than a cash offer.
"No, ...... its ...... too big for my brain to keep up with, I guess you could say: ......

　There are certainly people who would be happy to offer jobs on more favorable terms than cash compensation.

　This is because it not only warms their pockets, but also allows them to build up a track record of having done this kind of work.

　For example, in the case of an arms dealer, a track record of delivering weapons at the king's request will definitely give me an advantage in future work.

　However, the content of the request for cooperation that King Alfred offered me was too large in scale, no matter what.

''Your Majesty ...... is too much of a burden to be won by an adventurer crumbling like me.
'For now, though, I'd like you to look over the construction plans at this point. We've been in the middle of a series of meetings, and we haven't made any real decisions yet.
I'll have a look at .......

　For starters, I'm going to read the bundle of documents I was given.

　A draft of the building layout and candidate deployment forces.
　The information described was all important.

　King Alfred hadn't stated it clearly, but I would definitely be obliged to keep it confidential.

　As soon as I opened the work schedule item, I shouted out.

Nah ......!　The "Sundial Forest" is temporarily closed during construction for safety reasons...... planned duration is three months......?　Your Majesty!　The residents of Green Hollow can't live with a plan like this!

　As the second dragon fiasco caused problems, the current Green Hollow Town was supported by income related to the Sundial Forest.

　If that was stopped for three months, most of the residents would undoubtedly have their lives ruined.

　Some may be able to earn money by being involved in the construction of the base, but in the grand scheme of things, it's only a small portion. It would be a waste of time.

You think so? I'm concerned too, but the Golden Fang Knights who will be stationed at the base are adamant that it's the 'surest and safest plan'.

　Apparently, King Alfred himself doesn't like the plan.

　The reason why the Knights didn't retract their opinions despite the king's concerns was immediately apparent after reading the plan.

''If we close the dungeon temporarily to prepare for unforeseen circumstances and continue to monitor and scrounge up materials to build a base quickly ...... and don't think about the town's economy, this plan is certainly the best...'' ...)

　Once the base is completed, they can intercept any demon king's men or wild dragons that try to come out.

　Until then, they are going to forbid them to enter the dungeon and prevent them from causing any damage in case of an emergency.

　After the appearance of the dragons last week, a force was supposed to be dispatched from the royal palace to ensure safety--the advance party has already arrived--but the Golden Fang Knights decided that they needed to take more measures than that. Id.

'(Maybe the Adventurers (us) and the Golden Fang Knights have different values of safety.)

　When the adventurers heard that support from the royal palace and high-ranking adventurers were coming, they decided that they could accept some risk then.

　The Golden Fang Knights, on the other hand, wanted more security.

　If a demon or demon race were to launch a surprise attack, it would definitely be difficult to reliably protect all the people scattered in the tree-filled 'Sundial Forest'.

　The adventurers tolerated the risk, but the Golden Fang Knights decided that there was no way to protect them, so they wouldn't let them enter in the first place - it would make sense if they thought of it that way.

　However, the planned period of time to lift the blockade is too long. This would be a complete setback.

　Not to mention the residents of Green Hollow Town will suffer, and the E rank adventurers who decided to stay in town will not be able to meet up with us.

''I'm Luke of the White Wolf Forest. If you have a good idea, feel free to tell me. I don't feel comfortable pushing ahead with this plan. We could pay compensation to the inhabitants, but ...... just paying for a solution doesn't bode well in the long run.

　We can ask for input directly from the King - this is truly the single biggest opportunity we have.

　If I could offer a suitable alternative, I might be able to reverse the plans that were burdening Green Hollow Town.

　After desperately trying to gather my wits and keep my head in the sand, one idea emerged.

...... In layman's terms, I still think the problem with this plan is that it takes too long. It's all about ensuring security for the residents, but if it ruins their lives, it's meaningless.

　Perhaps, the Golden Fang Knights did not know much about the economic situation in Green Hollow Town.

　The same was true of the Silverwing Knights, so this might be the only thing that could be done.

　It's unrealistic to imagine that if the town's residents were in attendance at the meeting, it would be .......

　Normally, only people of high rank can participate in the Imperial Council where the king is present, and such people don't live in Green Hollow.

''But with my [Restoration] skills, I might be able to greatly reduce the time to completion.
"Ho-ho!　What exactly are you going to do?
''We're going to demolish the existing facilities in the nearby towns and cities and bring the wreckage into the 'Sundial Forest' to [repair] them. As long as we have about half of the total wreckage, we can make up for the rest with the trees and stones in the dungeon.

　As it was once when we fixed the bridge on the way down the mountain from Green Hollow, it's much faster to use [restoration] skills than to build it from scratch.

　It would take a lot of time to dismantle the building and transport the wreckage, but it would be less than the time it would take to procure and transport building materials normally, and it would be crucial to skip the building process.

'The plan states that the closure of the dungeon is to ensure the safety of the outpost until it is completed. If we can greatly reduce the work period, I don't think we'll have to bother closing it down.
'...... Interesting!　That's an idea that comes from the owner of a rare skill himself!
''The only problem is the amount of magic power I have. Nearly all my magic power in one civilian house: ......
Don't worry. Don't worry, I'll have plenty of magic crystals for you. Now that we've got a good idea, it's time to resume the meeting!

　King Alfred summoned the soldiers who were waiting outside the tent and told them to call the participants to order.

　Then he told me to be present and began to tell the participants of his new plan.

　--Surprisingly, the response from the participants was quite positive.

　One official appreciated the fact that he would not have to pay compensation.

　One nobleman was pleased that he could make good use of the aging facilities.

　A minister emphasized the advantage of not having to leave the road leading to the Demon King's Castle for so long.

　The reasons were different, but one by one, they expressed their approval, and finally, all of them except for the representative of the Golden Fang Order agreed with it.

''O Gilbert. How do you rate it?''
............

　The representative of the Golden Fang Knights got up from his chair and moved over to a large drawing that was prominently displayed.

''I think it's a great idea, but I'd like you to accept our wishes on two counts. One is to divert the remnants of the Golden Fang Knights' Crane Fort Branch, which is currently being dismantled, as the main facility of the base. The other is .......

　The representative of the Knights took a pen and added a new building to the drawing.

"Beyond the 'Dragon's Loophole' - to set up an outpost in the underground space where the Demon King's Castle resides as well. The facilities on the 'Sundial Forest' side will be used for stockpiling and logistical support, while the underground space side will be dedicated to warfare.
'I see. That's the form you were advocating in the first place.
'Yes, sir. It was dismissed as too big a deal, but if you can get him to cooperate, it won't be a problem.

　A representative named Gilbert or something like that turns his gaze towards me.

　It's an expressionless man who hasn't moved a single eyebrow since a moment ago.

　It's a different type of knight ...... than Felix and Garnett, or is this a more standard knight?

'Alright. The others have no objections, right?

　King Alfred looked around the tent and smiled broadly.

''Luke of the White Wolf Forest. I will give you official approval to handle mithril in addition to the reward when the base is successfully built. I'll look forward to it.