Again. ......

　As soon as I stepped out of the labyrinth, I found myself surrounded by people again, and I shrugged my shoulders.
　This time, however, they didn't seem to be carrying anything that looked like a weapon.

　When the figures noticed us, they started shouting.

"Oh, they're coming out!
"Thank God. Are you okay?
"See, I told you. I told you there was nothing to worry about.
Bullshit!　You're the one who's freaking out!
I'm not! I'm not!　What proof do you have?　What?

　Apparently, the worried villagers were waiting for me near the side hole.
　However, due to the presence of the gatekeeper, Mr. Mee, the big worm, they couldn't get too close and surrounded us from afar.

　This is too conspicuous, so please try to avoid it.
　Also, it's bad for your heart.

Thank you all for coming.
"Hey, Chief, check this out. Look at this clean water!
The well's ready for use. Would you like to try some?

　It's too dark to see, but it looks like the slime Su-san and Ra-san have done their job well.

Thank you so much, ....... "Thank you so much for coming, Master.
In just one day, they easily dug a well and even cleaned the river water, smelting is amazing .......

　No, that's where Paula, the magician, comes in.
　The village chief nodded repeatedly to the villagers, who crowded around him with joy, and glanced at me.

　Then, as if he had made up his mind, he changed his voice slightly and gave instructions to the villagers.

I'm not going to talk too long here, so let's go back to the village first. Also, I have something very important to say to you, so someone please gather in the square.
"Okay, I'm in. I'm going for a run!
I'm coming with you. I'm worried about you, too!

　The two men who had been arguing earlier started to run briskly.
　Exhausted, we walked leisurely behind them toward the village.
　Yoru and Kuu had already fallen asleep as if their batteries were dead.
　I have to admit that I'm starting to yawn a bit, but we still have a lot of work to do today, so we'll do our best.

　As soon as we entered the village, we were surrounded by new people.


　But this one's mostly female.

"Master, I've been waiting for you. Look at that. Look at that!
"This one's pretty good, too. I've been working hard all day.

　"I've been working hard all day," she said, as she finished sewing the batskin she had requested.
　He proudly handed me the finished product, showing it to me.

Thank you very much. Yes, it's good work. What would you like to pay for it?
"Meat!　Do you have any more of that meat?
Me, too!
That's not fair. We don't have enough meat either!

　As for the remuneration for the sewing work, since I didn't have much, I had agreed to pay in kind.
　When the ladies asked for meat, I offered them a new exchange.

"We also have oil, from today's search.
"Oil?
"Yes, would you like a taste?

　I handed them a bottle of jade oil (olive oil), and they dabbed some in their palms and licked it to taste it.
　They all looked at each other in amazement.

"What the hell is this?　This is oil?
"They're making fun of us because we're from the country. "He's making fun of us because we're country folk.
"But it's delicious. Yes, it's delicious.

　For some reason, bottles of oil were being passed around one after another, even to the women who hadn't asked for sewing work.
　At the same time, there were shouts of surprise.

"What, oil?　That's something else entirely.
It smells so good. It seems to be good for your skin.
Yeah, I like the taste. I bet it's delicious on bread.
Wouldn't it be even better if you cooked the meat?

　All the women around me were looking at me.

"Sir, don't you have any work for us to do?
We can do anything!
Are you able to take care of yourself?


"Wait a minute!

　I hurriedly held back the rain of questions that was pouring in.
　I have a lot of work to do, but it's not something I'm going to ask you to do right now.
　And to be honest, I'm too tired to think straight.

I'll give you your reward first. As for the job, we'll be recruiting in the tavern tomorrow, so please leave today.
Yeah, I'm sorry about that.
I got a little carried away with the grease and the meat.
Well, I'm ........ Can I get a bottle of this oil?
"Well, I'm afraid I don't have a standard. Mr. Hans, what should we do about the price?
It's difficult to decide right now. For now, can I have just bat meat and jade oil as my reward?
Oh, by the way, we have salt.

　When I took out a sachet of freshly made salt, Hans-san's eyes widened in disbelief.
　No, not only Hans.
　There was a gasp of surprise from the others.

"Where did you get this?

　Hans-san, who licked it and turned his face the same color as salt, asked, and I simply told him where it came from.

"Look, the underground lake on the sixth floor. That's the water there.

　On my way home, I thought of something and drew some water from the underground lake.
　The rarity of the water was unknown, so I tried to lick it and found it salty.
　So I it, and the new name that appeared was the water of the underground salt lake.

　I tried to sublimate it while doing other alchemy, and it turned out to be salt.
　However, one bag of slime is enough to fill the palm of your hand, so it may be a little troublesome to make a large amount.

I see. ....... That ......, well, that's a problem.
Yeah, that's a shame.

　Salt is a monopoly business of the government and cannot be produced without permission.
　You can apply for it, but you will have to go through a screening process to see if you can really produce it, which is unlikely to happen.

"Well, I thought it would be okay if we just use it in the village.
So from now on, I can get not only oil and meat, but also salt!
The underground labyrinth is really amazing. ......

　"It's really amazing, the underground labyrinth is ." The women started to make noise again, but the village chief stopped them.

The village chief stopped them, "I'd like to talk to you about that. Instead of standing here talking, let's go to the square.

　The big village chief's calm manner immediately put an end to the commotion.
　I asked him to take his time and think about the reward for his work until tomorrow.

　When we finally arrived at the center of the village, there was already a crowd of people.


　Even small children had arrived, and they crowded around Sue the slime like puppies seeking milk.

　Grandpa Eugen, Heimo the blacksmith, and Ute the tavernkeeper were standing in front of the newly built well, waiting for us to arrive.

"So you're finally back. I was about to start a drink when I got tired of waiting.
You're all right. I was worried about you. Welcome home.
You're late. Where the hell have you been? Here, it's ready.

　What Heimo handed me was a lamp made of white light stone.
　The base was simple but neat, and the stone part was firmly fixed in place.
　The base is simple but neat, and the stone is firmly fixed.

　There is a place on the base where a wire can be inserted, and a shade can be placed over it in case it is dark.
　The umbrella is made of wire bones and tanned bat wings joined together with silk thread, giving it a slightly horror-like appearance.
　Together with the pedestal, the design was quite eye-catching.

"Oh, this is nice.
"Wow, that's really cool. It's very urban.
Oh, I can't help looking at it.

　It seems to be well received by the two women.
　When I put it on the well and poured magic power into it to make it glow, it fit better than I expected.

"How do you like it?　Do you like it?
"Yeah, it's great. I'm glad I left it to you. So, can we get five more cars?
Yeah, we're good. But make sure you take them to the labyrinth when you're done!

　The bear-like man grasped my offered hand firmly.
　As everyone's attention was drawn to the bright light of the white light stone, the village chief stepped forward to the well.

Thank you for gathering here today. It seems that everyone has come, except for those who can't move.

　He seems to have grasped all the participants with just a quick glance around.
　It was a terrific observation. 　

It seems that there are many people who can't wait, so let's get right to the point. As for the underground labyrinth, I accompanied Mr. Nino today to take a look at it, and frankly speaking, ...... it was a very dangerous place.

　The words were so grave that several people shrugged their shoulders.
　Some of the mothers grabbed their children by the arm.
　Nodding at their reactions, the mayor continued.

But at the same time, it was a very attractive place. It has been a long time since I have been as surprised and moved by an experience as I am today. ...... Well, to put it bluntly, I enjoyed it.



　The villagers were surprised and laughed at his overly honest words.

The only reason I was able to feel this way was because of the help of Nino and the others. If I had gone in alone, I would have felt nothing but horror and misery.

　The mayor looked around at the crowd and continued in a hushed tone.

It's been five years since this village was established. Now that we have overcome the initial hardships, life itself has become much more stable. But are you satisfied?
No, not yet.
I'd like to have a better drink.
I'd like to eat. There must be a lot of better food in the city.
I don't have any complaints about my children, as long as they grow up well.

　I have no complaints if my children grow up well." The village chief smiled and replied to the villagers.

The chief smiled at the villagers and replied, "Yes, I have a long way to go. We have plenty of food and daily necessities. And especially medicine. ......

　The demon man clenched his fist tightly for a moment, then looked up and straight at the villagers.
　The chief of the village, meeting the gaze of the crowd, stated his conclusion strongly.

That underground labyrinth could be the answer. I am convinced of that today. That place is necessary for the betterment of this village.

　There was a moment's pause, then a loud round of applause.
　The village chief, who had glanced at me again, lowered his hand to quiet the place and opened his mouth.

Today, I propose three new rules for this village. The first is secrecy. The first is secrecy. If the existence of the underground labyrinth becomes known, the very survival of the village will be at stake. Therefore, the existence of the labyrinth must never be revealed to anyone outside this village. No matter if you are a relative or a close friend, we ask that you keep this point in mind at all costs.

　At present, there is no contact point outside the village other than Hans-san.
　However, the ties between his hometown and his relatives are stronger than expected, and he cannot be too careful.

The second is the prohibition of unauthorized entry and exit. The underground labyrinth is a place of great treasures, but it is also a place where dangerous demons roam. Therefore, only those authorized by Lord Nino are allowed to enter. There is no guarantee of life, so please be prepared.

　I also appreciate this very much.
　The aftertaste would be very bad if you got greedy and went in there and died.

The third thing is that you must cooperate with Nino-sama whenever he asks you to do something related to the labyrinth. I think it's the best way for this village to grow.

　I felt like I had said it forcefully, but the villagers applauded again.
　The villagers again applauded loudly, and when I turned on the Shirasho stone that I had just brought home to cheer them up, they became even more excited.
　Someone suddenly started singing, someone clapped their hands, and someone started dancing.


　Everyone seems to be happy enough even without the happy water.

　As I watched the villagers laughing together, Paula, who was standing next to me, whispered to me with a mysterious smile.

You're the man, aren't you? You've managed to get this village under your control in just two days. ......

　Yeah, you're ruining the good mood.