When I returned from my two-day vacation, I found a pile of papers on my desk, just as I had expected.

"I've done a lot of rounds and simple petitions.
　And Foldente is chuckling as usual.

　I thanked him and gave up this morning's visit and blamed him for the paperwork I had to do this morning.

　Around noon.
'Master!　Lunch is important~!
　As I said this, Korok came running into my office at a great pace.
　
　I'm glad to see that Korok is in a good mood after having played a lot of games with me in the ocean, but I'm not sure if he's going to be able to find his way into the lord's office.
Dinner!　Dinner!
　And I can't help but run around singing....

　As I was thinking that, Eldena, Aura, and Aela come in a little later to Korok.
''.......lunch, want to join us?''
　In Eldena's hand was a large basket.

　I paused my work and moved with the others to the lawn behind the town hall, where we opened Eldena's basket and had lunch together.

　Here we open Eldena's basket and have lunch together.
Yo, I'm finally done with my work.
　From the magic workshop, Yome came rushing over and joined the lunch circle.

　It seems that Erdena, Aura, and Ela made the bento for us.
　They all look very colorful and delicious.
'Master, eat Korok's too, bear!
　Huh?　Did Korok make something, too?
　I was a little startled, and Korok offered me a big smile and a petite tomato.
'Here's a washed up bear.
　Korok laughs at that.
　I giggled at Korok and took it to my mouth.
"Yes, it's delicious.
　As I said this, Korok happily hugged me.

　And so I spent a leisurely lunchtime...

　I got back to the office a little late for my noon start time.

　There was a figure of Biblina and Nirmana standing in a state of Nioh.
I took the trouble to invite you to lunch and now where have you been walking around?
My lord, it's awful, I've been waiting for you all day.
　I couldn't help but giggle as the two of them pressed on me....

************************.

　There was some complications.
　Anyway, I'm getting back to work.


　This area is warm to begin with, but the temperature in Liberty Village is much warmer than the rest of this area.
　This is because the heat from the lava reservoirs underneath Mount Gorun in the center of the village raises the temperature of the ground around it.
　As we will see, Mount Gorn is still an active volcano.
　We should be prepared for the possibility of an eruption if it happens...

Well, I'll be able to drink all this magma out of a mountain of it.
　Yes, that's a very matter-of-fact statement, Sara.

　In its true form, Sarah is a giant salamander, and can breathe fire on its own, so maybe that's possible...although it's a little too far beyond what you can imagine....

　I thought it would be a shame to leave this kind of land feature as it is.
　A prototype public bathhouse using geothermal energy has been built and is now in trial operation.

　A part of the water from the river at the foot of Mount Gorun is drawn underground and geothermally heated water is used for the baths.
　Although it does not have the same effect as a hot spring, the hot water is always provided in a large bath, and this kind of facility is rare in such a remote city, let alone in the downtown of the royal capital.

　In addition to the sub-humans living in the village, the soldiers of Batcombe who come to challenge the underground labyrinth (dungeon) are also very popular.

　The fee is free for all the villagers during the trial operation and a small fee is charged for non-villagers - Batcombe's soldiers and users of the underground labyrinth - but with the popularity of the public baths, I think we should consider the fee structure and hurry up the official operation.

　Even though this public bathhouse was built, the hot spring village is still very popular as always.
　Unlike public baths, hot springs have a strong effect on healing fatigue, and there is no end to the number of users who seek out the hot water.
　In addition, the excellent cuisine prepared by young elf master is also very popular.
　For that reason, we need to do something about the matter of increasing the number of lodging facilities, which is constantly being requested, as soon as possible...

　The school is also doing well.
　Three students, Korok and sisters Aura and Aela, have also enrolled here, and they all seem to be enjoying themselves.
　According to Mr. Magic, there are a few children among the students who have magical qualities, and they have offered to teach magic lessons from time to time.
　It was known that there were some sub-humans with strong magical powers, but unlike races, sub-humans are not given the opportunity to learn magical powers in the first place, so even if they possessed such powers, they were more likely to be buried.
　This is something I want to do proactively, and I'm beginning to ponder this and that with Foldente and also Eldena.

************************.

　Inside Liberty Village, though, things are developing steadily, albeit slowly.
　As if in in inverse proportion to this, the situation in the vicinity is becoming more and more confusing.


　Biblina, who is acting as an intermediary for Batcombe, came to visit me in the lord's room.
　With a slightly reluctant look on her face.
Is this a good time?
　He handed me a letter of intent that he had in his hand.

　It was from Gelter, the lord of Batcombe and father of Vibrina.

　It advised us to be wary of the disturbing activity inside Gehmose, a small frontier city located between Batcombe and Liberty Village.

　They told me that some important people from Batcombe's military faction had been visiting Gehemorse frequently in recent days.
　Gehemorse borders both Batcombe and Liberty.
　If Gehemorse and the anti-Gehrutheran Batcombe army joined hands, it would be
　It is not inconceivable that the anti-Georgetan Batcombe forces would rush through Gehmose territory and attack Liberty village at once.

　The anti-Geortier forces of Batcombe are aware that Liberty Village is close to the Lords, including Geltar, and have recently shown quite open hostility to them.
　There are a few of the military faction's soldiers who come to the underground labyrinth (dungeon), and there are quite a few who are creating a rancorous atmosphere, but since Geltar always dispatches more soldiers from the Lords' faction due to his consideration, and because the Lords' daughter, Biblina, is always on the lookout for them in the village, there is currently no one who acts openly, but if things continue as they are, there is no reason to expect anything to happen at any time.

　Also, even if it's Gehemorse.
　Because of my previous refusal to join the Union of Frontier Cities, it is unlikely that the Lord of Gehemorse, Geldos, has a good impression of me.

　If those two forces are currently communicating implicitly, it is reasonable to assume that there will be some kind of movement in the near future.

I'm sure your father has asked me to inform my lord of this.
　Your father has asked me to inform the lord of this, and for now, I'll be even more careful about the soldiers coming from Batcombe.

　The total number of soldiers coming from Batcombe has always been determined to be 50, but if the heroes of the Great Sword, Twin Swords, and Great Spear and his party were to infiltrate the village in large numbers, all of them would rampage through the village at the same time, and the combined forces of the military faction and Gehmose would come in response to them.............Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

　Please pray that it doesn't happen.
　Biblina and I had a meeting to discuss the future, and we confirmed that we would set up a network of contacts so that I would be notified as soon as possible in the event of any urgent communication from Gelter.

　It seemed to me that tensions had increased somewhat with Gehmose.
　This is where an unexpected side-effect enters the picture.

　Krome, the lord of the small frontier city of Picks, who was on friendly terms with Liberty Village, sensed the disturbing movements of Gehmose and
If you're planning to do something wrong in Liberty Village, the Pics will no longer be part of the Frontier Cities Coalition.
　He notified them.

　The representative of the Union of Frontier Small Cities, the middle-aged lord of Gehmose, Geldos, was so violently upset by this that he hurriedly visited the pickets. He gave a desperate explanation and begged him to maintain the Frontier Small Cities Union.

　Imagining that Geldos in a great panic, me and Foldente couldn't help but gush about it.

　However, I don't think Geldos has given up everything just because of this one incident, and most importantly, I don't think the anti-Gelter faction in Batcombe will back down.
　
　In any case, it seems unlikely that we will be able to keep our eyes on the anti-Gelter faction in Batcombe and on Gehmose's movements.

************************.

　When I returned to my room after working late, I noticed that the bed was strangely raised.

　I quietly approached it and looked at it, and found Korok inside, curled up in a ball, breathing in his sleep.
　Normally, Korok spends time with Aura and the others and sleeps with them, but since we went to the beach together the other day, I can't help but feel that he's been overly spoiled by me.

''Mnya.......master........''

　Nevertheless
　I felt sorry for Korok, who was sleeping so comfortably, and I felt sorry for him, waking him up and sending him back to his room
　I changed into my nightgown and slipped into it beside Korok.
　Korok hugged me in his sleep, and
"Master my favorite bear....
　With that, he began to sleep again.

　Thanks in part to Korok's warm body, I soon fell into a deep sleep.


　The next morning
　I woke up with a scream as my head was bitten by a kolok that I had mistaken for a nut in my sleep....