Our first stop was the Hollow Bottom branch of the White Wolf Store, as planned.

　I don't know if we were fortunate enough to go to ...... or some other consideration, but the location of the branch was one of the best in the branch.

　With the opening of the store tomorrow, the storefront is already lined with many items, and the employees working at the branch are hard at work preparing and rehearsing.

　Entering the store through the employee's entrance instead of the locked main entrance, Natalia, the branch manager, greeted me with a smile.

'Good morning, Manager Luke,'
Yeah, good morning. You look like you're ready to go.

　The branch staff, led by Natalia, were preparing for tomorrow in a harmonious manner.

　Dorothea of the Sundial Chamber of Commerce - having been trained as a disciple of Sylvia's grandmother, Natalia had more than a fair amount of experience in running a shop.

　If I hadn't been able to hire Natalia, I wouldn't have been able to welcome the day before the opening of the store so calmly.

'It's been a dream of mine for a long time to lead a shop like this. ...... Oh, did I mention this before?

　Natalia smiled enthralled.

　It was a topic she had heard before, but it was still something she would want to talk about again and again if it pleased her.

''That's right, Manager Luke. Yesterday, the head of the Adventurer's Guild chapter requested a few things: .......
From Chapter Chief Florence?
I've got the notes right here, but I think it's best if we talk to him in person.
'I guess I'm adding to the product line or ...... this guy is in Erica's territory. I was going to go say hi later, so I'll check it out then.

　While me and Natalia are talking about business matters, Garnett and the others are also looking around the branch with interest.

'Huh?　Hey, Luke. Is there any less merchandise on this shelf?

　Erica asked dubiously as she looked into the product shelf next to the accounting counter.

　That shelf is a corner where potions and pills are displayed, manufactured mainly by Erika.

　If you ask me, it certainly looks like there are strangely many gaps and few products.

'To tell the truth, yesterday, I was asked by some workers to sell some potions. It was before the official opening of the store, but I sold it at the discretion of the branch manager. I'll replenish the stock and place additional orders later.
'Speaking of which, I heard that yesterday was the final push for the construction work. How was the product's reputation?

　I ask, hoping that Natalia would have heard at least this much, of course.

'It was a big hit. There were some regulars who had been here for a while, and the pharmacist complimented them on how well they had improved.


　Erika is shyly (or not) bashful.

　The reputation of the medicines handled by the White Wolf Store is directly related to Erica's reputation.

　I'm not sure I'm going to be able to say that I'm not happy about it, since my skill as a pharmacist was praised.

It's time to move on,










　Next, after seeing the White Wolf Shop branch, I decide to look for Noir and Alexia, who must be working somewhere in the branch.

'The girls are helping to work on the water system of this building. I thought we were in the thick of the work of bringing in the hot springs now.
Hot springs?　At the bottom of a dungeon like this?

　Leila asked back to Sakura, who was showing her the way, with a surprised look on her face.

''Yes. There was a simple bathhouse since the war, but it was decided to renovate it on a large scale to create a full-fledged bathhouse, not to mention the equivalent ...... to the hot spring lodges on the ground.''
''But there's a 'Demon King's Castle Realm' that's more underground than here, right? Is there such a thing as a hot spring?
That's why we're building the facilities to draw them in.

　To Leila, who seemed to have no way of understanding exactly what was going on, Sakura repeated a careful explanation.

''Alexia is a crafty engineer from the multi-storied city. I've never been to a multi-storied city, but I've heard that a multi-storied city is stacked up in tiers, and the higher up you go, the more expensive the land is treated.
You're in the multistory city of ...... Springfield, right?

　As expected of the Dragon King's Knights, he had been educated in the family of the Dragon King's Knights, so he was able to recall the existence and official name of the multi-storied city immediately.

　And then he clapped his hands as if to say that he was satisfied with everything.

''I heard that city has developed a water transmission mechanism to carry the purified water to the upper level and send the wastewater from the upper level to the lower level. You've applied that to send the hot spring water above ground to the fifth level of the Sundial Forest and back.
Yes, that's right. Since it's quite large, Alexia couldn't have done it alone, so she's been able to get other engineers to join her.

　Although it was left out of Sakura's explanation, what Alexia and the others are maintaining is not only the hot spring water supply and drainage system, but also the fresh water supply system used for drinking water and cooking.

　This one, too, is in the form of replacing the one temporarily set up during the Demon King's War with a full-fledged one that is designed for long-term use.

　As I was walking nonchalantly down the corridor while exchanging such conversations, Garnett suddenly stopped at the intersection of the corridors and stopped me, turning away from the direction of travel.

'White Wolf's, there's a chapter leader over there. Why don't you go ahead and say hello?
'Florence?　...... It's true. Sorry, Sakura, but there's a change of plans.

　I tell Sakura, who is leading the way, and I decide to change the order and finish greeting the branch chief.

''Oh, what an odd place to be.

　Florence seemed to notice us as well, and she smiled and waved at us as she ran up to us.

''I was just thinking of going to the branch manager's office later. I was going to say hello to you the day before the branch opened and then ask you for more information about the additional types of products we have to offer.
Really?　I'm sorry to ask you to do this on such short notice, but I hope you'll consider it positively.
It depends on the conditions. If the guild can take care of the materials, it's easier for us to accept it. ......, since we're going to have to go to ......, why don't we have a direct conversation with the person in charge?
'What?　Oh, it's me!

　Erica blushed and surprised, and tended to tense up in front of Florence.

　Meanwhile, Garnett bent down lightly and stared at the girl behind Florence, who looked bored - her daughter, Lisa.

'Hmm ...... not like ...... or ......'

　...... to whom, to whom.

　Anyway, at the very moment when I was about to fill in more details with Florence, a gust of wind seemed to blow through the corridor, and a small oriental boy appeared.

'Nagi?　What's the matter with you, here--

　But Nagi didn't even look at me or Sakura, and was the first to raise her voice to Florence.

'Branch leader!　It's an emergency!　There's been an accidental collapse in the Demon King's Castle Realm!