五階、ゴブリン第一村の広場.

　陽気な太鼓の音が響き溢れる中、今日もゴブリンの職人たちは楽しげに物作りに勤しむ.
　いくつも置かれた低い机の上に山積みとなっているのは、多様な種類の革たちだ.
　見慣れた白いうさぎ革や、薄くしなやかなコウモリの羽.
　固く頑丈な茶色の恐鳥の革に、黒い滑らかな毛が残る狼の革.

　それぞれの特徴を生かして帽子や靴に手袋から鎧まで、手早く縫い合わされて作り上げられていく.
　最近の人気は肩から斜めに下げる長い吊り紐のついた小さな鞄で、構造は単純だが使い勝手がよく、注文が殺到している有り様である.

　その隣では大蟹の甲羅や亀の甲羅、さらには鉄甲虫の甲殻を生かした兜や胸当てが製作中だ.
　他にも皿や盃などの食器類や、鍋などの調理道具も次々と完成している.
　蟹皿などは熱が伝わりやすい欠点があるものの、意外と軽く丈夫なため上の村にも行き渡りつつあるほどである.

　武器に関しては朝一番に鉄の矢尻が届けられたので、弓矢担当のゴブリンたちが一心不乱に木を削っていた.
　矢羽根用の突撃鳥の尾羽根や弓弦に使う足の腱もたっぷりあるため、もりもりと弓矢を量産中である.

　奥に近い作業机ではせっせと蔓を編み込んで、大小幅広いサイズの籠を作るゴブリンらの姿も見える.
　籠編みは村での家仕事でお馴染みであり、手慣れている女性も多い.
　その中でも手が早く仕上がりも綺麗な二人が指導に当たっているだけあって、編み上がっていく籠も及第点に余裕で達する出来栄えである.

　この籠の普及によって、迷宮内での運送量は大幅に増える結果となった.
　今戻ってきたばかりの突撃鳥の体の両側にも、しっかりと大きな籠が括り付けてあり、中には翠硬（オリーブ）の実が山盛りに詰め込まれている.

　しかも蔓の使い道はそれだけでない.
　突撃鳥の鞍から下がるのは、生きたまま足を縛られた角うさぎどもだ.
　狩人のエタン直伝の蔓製のくくり罠にかかった哀れな獲物たちである.

　懸命にもがく角うさぎを受け取ったゴブリンたちは、足早に大芋虫の飼育小屋へと向かう.
　そこでいっせいに<粘つく糸>を浴びて、今や十匹を超える芋虫らの経験値の足しにされるのだ.

　その後は喉をかききって血抜きを済ませ、手早く皮を剝き内臓が取り去られる.
　そして角と皮は倉庫へ運ばれ、骨と内臓は突撃鳥の胃袋に収まり、肉は塩を擦り込まれて広場に戻される.

　干し肉作りも順調であり、柵の内側の陰にはうさぎやコウモリ、突撃鳥の肉に並んで、このところは羊肉も干されるようになっていた.
　迷迭花（ローズマリー）をまぶした特別製も、取り合いとなるほどの人気である.

　笑い声で賑わう広間に、不意に一匹のゴブリンが駆け込んできた.
　その手にあるのは、半分ほど水が詰まったスライム袋である.
　誇らしげに袋を掲げてみせるゴブリンだが、たちまち集まった仲間に取り囲まれてしまった.

　そして皆、興奮しながら次から次へと飛び跳ね出す.
　どうやらゴブリン村の近くに掘った溜池に、とうとう水が流れ込んだようだ.

　広場全体を見回していたカリーナは、ゴブリンたちの喜ぶ姿に嬉しそうに頬を緩めた.

「みなさん、水路が完成したようですよ」
「あらま. もうかい？　えらく早いね」
「井戸の時は、あんなに時間掛かってたのにねぇ. ここのことになると、本当に熱心だね」

　そう言いながらも女衆たちは、毛糸を撚（よ）る手を少しも緩めようとはしない.
　集中の度合いで言えば、いい勝負である.

　絹糸に続いて新たにもたらされたこの毛糸に、現在裁縫班は夢中である.
　There were plenty of underwear and everyday clothes that I wanted to make.

　But for now, I had to rest my hands and do what I had to do first.
　The women stretched out and strolled to the bone-shaped stove.

"Now that we've done our work, shall we treat the masters to a nice lunch?
"Yes, I'm sure they'll come back very hungry.


　§§§§


　On the eighth floor, in a corner of the Great Tree Corridor.

　The goblins laughed happily in front of the pile of earth that had risen firmly.
　This small pile of earth near the wall is actually a charcoal kiln.

　Under the guidance of Ethan, who had experience in charcoal making, nearly twenty goblins had worked together to build it.
　The grass around the kiln had been pulled out to ensure that the fire would not spread even if it did.

　The kiln was not the only thing we built.
　On top of the large tree that the fairies had used as their home, several burrows were also found.
　Some of them were small, but most of them could be made into magnificent rooms if they were cleaned and the insides cut down a little.

　A rope ladder made of woven vines now connected them, giving the appearance of a housing complex.
　There are also plans to build huts on top of the thick branches, and it seems that the living area will continue to increase.

　As the goblins danced around the charcoal kiln, a large demon approached stealthily.
　It was a branch-antlered deer, second only to the boss wolf in size on the eighth floor.

　But for some reason, there are multiple vine baskets hanging from its wide spread horns.
　Furthermore, on its back, fairies gathered like small birds were resting their wings comfortably.

　The antlered deer, which had now become a vehicle for the fairies, lowered its head and dexterously placed the baskets on the ground.
　The contents were freshly harvested mushrooms.

"Gu-hi-hi!
"Gee hee hee!

　The goblins jumped on the baskets with evil laughter, selected the mushrooms, and headed for a small cooking stove built next to the charcoal kiln.
　A small tortoise shell was already placed on the fire as a pot.
　The goblins threw mushrooms into the pot, which had been stocked with torn dried hare meat.

　The delicious scent of the mushrooms filled the air, and even the elf lovers of mushrooms spread their wings in unison.
　Their bellies growling, they fly around the pot. 　

　One of the goblins, who was still rifling through his basket, let out a reproachful laugh.
　It was because he hadn't found the blue fruit he was looking for.

　As the goblins stomped their feet in frustration, a fairy landed lightly on them.
　Then, reluctantly, she pulls out a piece of green tangerine fruit from her pochette.

　The goblin's eyes glistened with anticipation, and he opened his mouth wide, almost to his ears.
　The fairy almost drops the blue berry, but just as she is about to give in to temptation, she snatches it into her own mouth.

　The sound of laughter, like the ringing of a bell, echoed through the trunk of the great tree.



　§§§


　Tenth floor, near the central lake.
　It's time for the upper levels to start their lunches.

　We were sitting near the shore, watching a huge monster flying around on the water.
　Four large wings that move so quickly that it's difficult to catch with the eyes.


　They have large eyeballs that never miss their prey, and sharp jaws that instantly identify them as predators.
　Its long belly is as sharp and flat as a sharpened blade.

　In fact, its abdomen seems to be able to cut through anything.
　The name of the insect with the sword-like abdomen is the sword-tailed dragonfly.

　It is a vicious demon that is as long as a large species and has tremendous mobility at the same time.

"Wow, that looks really bad!
Ken-non!
Ken-non!

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

...... This looks like a tough opponent.

　The area around this water source is ideal for a base of operations, but it's no good if there are large, carnivorous insects like that around.
　But when I saw Etan's concern, I lifted the edge of my lips and said.

No, thank you very much. Those dragonflies are very useful.