89-83 To the undeveloped forest




 I left Yenis the next morning and was leading Lionel's, Keffin's, and Yalvo's squads out into the woods of the unsettled area.

'You've been under a lot of stress lately, haven't you?
' ... yeah. Still, there are times when you have to do it, right?
But you're trying too hard.
'You've never done any internal politics like that before, have you?
'Oh, not at all. But thanks for putting up with it. I got the words to remodel the slums, so all this stress is a good thing, right?

 Lionel and Ketty were "brulel" and Forenoire was looking out for me.
 The past ten days had been a lot of work.

 I realized that I was actually in a state where I couldn't do anything about what each beastie was good at and what to do with my new business, because it was a goose chase.
 Eighty percent of the people were working, and the other twenty percent were children and the infirm and elderly.
 If they thought that was healthy, it could take away even the fighting instincts of the beastmen.

''But I see you've been writing to the Adventurer's Guild?''
'Yeah. I thought I'd give the beastmen who know the beastly lands an idea of what's going on now.

 Lionel and Ketty twisted their heads, but preparations were steadily beginning to be made.


'So how many trees are you planning to head out to the forest today and cut down?'
'What? Yeah, the girls will be telling me how much to cut today.

 I pointed a quickie thumb at the carriage behind me.

'But I'm still wondering if it was lucky or unlucky after all,'

'Yeah. We didn't end up catching him, and he may have been planning something to leave his slaves behind, but I feel like he's amplified the resentment from the Empire again.
Hmmm. Well, it's a good thing we were able to create a facility similar to an orphanage, isn't it?
'That's because Doran and Paula set up an orphanage and Nahlia bought me an educator. But still.....
I can't blame them for wanting to go back to being slaves. Most of them were missing limbs and didn't have enough to eat. I'm more grateful to Luciel-sama than to be thrown out in a strange place.
I'm still getting used to the decorations.
 I felt a little embarrassed and looked forward.

 The slavers who sold Lionel and the others to me were assassins from the Empire.
 However, if anything, the slavers were responsible for screening out the beastmen with money and those who seemed to have strong desires.

 It's a good thing that you're able to get your hands on a few of these things.
 When rescuing the 14 slaves, they made an oath not to talk about the fact that they were under a recovery spell with anyone else present, and I was entrusted with full authority to heal them as well.

 Currently, they are probably being trained to become the future receptionists of the Healers' Guild.
 I'm not sure how many times I've been in the same situation.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to find a way to make it work.
But I'm sure they and their friends are grateful to me. Of course I'm grateful.
Lefty. I will owe you a debt of gratitude.
 They gave me a good smile and soothed my soul.


 It wasn't a city road from the middle of the road, but the grass hadn't gotten any longer and the forest was in front of us.

'So can you drop off the three elves too?'
 With that, Doran and Paula came down with the elves.


 There wasn't the same sadness and despair in their eyes as when they had met before, but a problem had broken out.

'Dwarves are the best magic tools.
I can make a better grimoire than you can.
 Paula, a half-dwarf, and Lycian, an elf, are vying for the skill of the magician... and now their mouths.

'The eagles and other dwarves, beloved of fire and earth, will be more useful to Master Luciel.
"You old fart makes a lot of noise. An elf, beloved by the life-giving wind and the water that moistens everything, would be more useful to Master Luciel.
Who is an old man? I'm older than you, and I'm three times as old as you.
 Dolan and Milfine, bragging about each other's spirits and snorting about my usefulness.

'Mi, folks, let's stop. 
 And the one who cringes is half human and half elf, Cressia.
Cresia can see the spirits, but apparently doesn't know how to talk to them.


'Huh, Lionel, can you keep that thing quiet?
Hahaha.
 Lionel just laughed and Ketty turned her face outward, which had been turned towards us earlier.

''Huh, gather quickly,'' Lythian and Milfine, sort out the trees that can be cut down while teaching Cressia to interact with the spirits. Kefin's squad, go and strap on some backup and this cord.
"Yes, sir.
Doran and Paula, you'll help with the felling. Lionel and Ketty will guard the guards, including me. Yalvo's squad will escort Forenoire and the others, and let me know if any demons or adventurers come in from outside.
"Yes.

 They're totally my squad now~. With that in mind, I let them each go into action.


'There's a pretty good tree to cut down, isn't there?
Then I will use the flaming greatsword, the gift of Lord Luciel, to slay you.
Don't burn it.

 It seems that the superhumans in this world can cut without letting their blades bite into the tree.
 As I watched that gradual scene of the tree leaning and falling down, I was impressed and Keti dropped the fine tree branches that fell.
 That sight was still amazing.
 When that work was done, I was able to put the magic bag away.

 Paula also manipulated her golem to bring down trees, and Dolan became a lumberjack by turning his hammer into a large axe.

 The overly smooth felling of the trees was about to cross the hundred mark.

'Dolan, do you have any idea how many trees we'll need for that and this project?'
''Six hundred trees the size of this one could be used for anything with the scrap wood from the houses in the slums. We don't need a sanitarium, do we?
Yeah. I made sure I got that part right.

 I'm building a school with fifty houses and about three times the size of the Healer's Guild.
 And this time I'm trying to build this without taking any money from them, and with good reason.

''Caw.''
 As I was thinking that far, I heard a scream.

''........Proceed with caution. Lionel, if it's effective against the enemy, I'll allow you to put flames on your sword. Let's go.
 The five of us headed in the direction of the scream and found Kefin and the others down.

''........Where are the enemies?''
I can't find it.
It may be Trent, but I don't feel a flicker of magic.
Okay. Then stay alert.
 I chanted Area High Heels and then all of them got up, holding their heads down and shaking them as I recovered them in turn.

'So what's going on?
I thought there was a nut on the ground, so I picked it up and...
'That was Mandrake. I didn't have time to tell him to stop.
Well, I'm glad you're okay.
 If it's in a story, it's usually something that could be dead.

'Is this still an ingredient in medicine?
Yes, but I understand that the process has been lost. But I understand that the process has been lost.
 It's material for an elixir or something........


...Everyone be on alert. Demons are coming in!
 

''Don't ever die! If you live, you will be cured.
 I take out my illusion wand and shield and equip it.

''Lisian, Milfine, and Cressia, use this bow, and if you can use it, I'll allow you to use spirit magic.
"Okay.
Dolan and Paula, use the golem to stop the demon's momentum.
"Yes?
"Keffin's squad, keep the demons away from Paula and Lisian and the others.
"Yes.
"Lionel and Ketty, go ahead and rampage as much as you want.
Kick it. When you say it like that, it makes me feel copious.
You're in charge.

 I put up an area barrier and the enemies came into view.
''Well there's a lot of them, but I'll do my best. I'll consider a bonus if we win, so don't die.

 The mere procurement of materials took an unexpected turn, but I would never die, and I would never let it die, I held up my illusion wand.