Mountain Village" with a population of 32 is a village in the mountains.

　It is located between Mt. Imo and the Mother Mountain, and is said to be a desolate land full of rocks.



　So he chose Yoshioka Juzo as his companion for the trip.

　I always take him with me whenever I go to a village with which I am not very familiar.

　It is a good idea to take him with you when you go to a village where you have little or no familiarity with, because even though you may have announced the arrival of a new lord with a high bill of goods, it is quite painful to let him know that you are the new lord.

　In such a case, the quickest way is to ask for an introduction from Yoshioka Juzo, who has a wide acquaintance.


　Zsa Zsa ......


I heard that village used to be more prosperous.

　As they climbed up the mountain path, Juzo muttered to himself, "When I was a kid, there were fewer and fewer people around.

There were fewer and fewer people around when I was a kid," he muttered, "but there were still at least 100 people here. But there were still at least 100 people.

I don't know why it's gone.

It's probably because they're so deep in the mountains and there's no industry to speak of.

'Then, on the contrary. How could a village be built in a place like that and there used to be over a hundred people living there?

I don't know. It must have happened long before I was born, so I don't know.


　Zach, zach, zach: ......


　By the time we arrived at the mountain village, the sun was already shifting to the west.

　The sun was already shining in the west, on the barren soil and rocks.

　The sun was shining down on the wooden houses that stood side by side in a golden hue, painting the world in sepia.


By the way, we don't have a chief in the mountains," he said.

Is that so?

Yes. There are only four families in this village already.

......

　According to Juzo, there were eleven, four, eight and nine members in each of the four families.

　Then I figured it would be quicker to visit each of them, so I knocked on the door from the edge.

''Ah, this is Kannushi-sama.

　And the other party is relieved to see Yoshioka Juzo's face first.

　Apart from the sad appearance of the village on the verge of extinction, the expression of the people inside is normally cheerful, which is somehow very strange.

''Hi. I'm going to be the new master, let me introduce you to him.

'Oh! The Lord of the High Cards! There's no way we're stuck in the mountains.

No.

　I would open the [Goddess' eyes] while answering in this way.



　First of all, a family of eight, and a family of nine.

　Each of them had a small child with the job titles of a supportive and offensive wizard, but this seemed impossible due to their age.


　The family of four was a young teenage family with a brother and a sister and brother-in-law who had crossed over to form a married couple and still had no children.

　Although this family also had an avant-garde swordsman in their family ...... they can only hope that they can increase the population and prevent the village from disappearing for now.


　Tontonton: ......

　Then he knocked on the door of the house with a population of 11, the largest in the village.

'Yes, yes,'

　It was a woman in her 30's who answered the door.

''This is the new lord of .......

　And, as usual, he was introduced to Yoshioka Juzo.

''What? You are the lord? Yah handsome handsome handsome young handsome man!

　And then she slapped me on the shoulder.

　She's quite a powerful woman, isn't she?

　Seriously, it's lightly painful .......


　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about the fact that it's a great deal more than just the fact that you've got a great deal more to say about it than just the fact that you've got a great deal more to say about it than just the fact that you've got a great deal more to say about it than just the fact that you've got a great deal more to say about it.

My lord. Please take one of our worthy individuals to the monster slayer!

　I said.

'Worthy?'

　It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to see the difference.

It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect when you're in the marketplace. Akira!

　The woman called out to someone who looked like her brother.

'......'

　That stubborn bearded man lying on the floor doesn't respond to any of his sister's words.


　Well, since she said that, I thought I'd check ...... just in case, and I opened my [Goddess' eyes] towards the man.

Incubation: the excavator's miner.

　And it was a job title that didn't seem to have anything to do with the adventure.


'Master Eiga. The sun is setting for today, and I wonder if you will let me stay in this house?

　Then Yoshioka Juzo says from the side.

'Hmm. If we hurry up and go home, we'll be fine, won't we? It's me and Juzo.

'Don't say that! You should definitely stay there.

　The landlady said, "I'm going to stay at these 11 people's house today.


　◇


　I don't know if it's appropriate to call her hostess ......, but looking at the dining room table, she seems to be the most outspoken person in the house anyway.

　I'm not sure if it's appropriate to call her father, but he's a retired man.

　There were also two men and women in their late twenties who said they were the landlady's younger brothers and sisters, and an older brother called Akira, but none of them seemed to be able to surpass the landlady's authority.

　Cackle!

　The rest of the kids were wacky and unsure of who was whose child it was.


　On the other hand, the one who seems to be in the weakest position in the house, including the children, is also Akira.

　It is said that he doesn't work at all, but that doesn't mean he's sick, and he doesn't participate in any conversation.

　I asked him about it, and he told me that he is not very good at socializing with people, and cannot work with the people in the village.

　He is already in his mid-thirties, so naturally he is looked down upon by everyone.

......

　I spoke to my mistress while staring at Akira, who arched her back and moved her thin chin in a fuzzy manner.


I said to her. I'm not sure if this village is more wealthy than I thought.

Oh, yeah?

　That's what I thought when I saw the way the house was built, the clothes, the things they ate.

'How in the world do they make a living?'

These days, it's more like an intermediary between the mountain hunters and the village of Joso.

　It is said that there are hunters who do not belong to any village in the mountains around here.

　The hunters would take their catches to the mountain villages, where they would be processed into meat and fur before being taken back.

　The hunters would take in the game in the mountain villages, where they would process it into meat and fur before trading it with other villages.

"If this many people can make a living, we won't be deprived of anything.

Hmm. I see. ......

　I was poking at a spoonful of rice porridge with wild vegetables and chicken in the grain, and something was stuck in my head.

'Yes! This village used to be more populated, didn't it?

Huh?

Yes. About a hundred people lived there when I was a kid.

　The oldest man, a 50-year-old man, said from the side.

　He was probably about the same age as Yoshioka Juzo, so it made sense.

Before I was born, he used to live a lot longer than that.

'What industry was feeding that many people? You can't live with more than a hundred people just by brokering with the hunters.

Come on. This village has done a lot of things to survive. There wasn't one in particular: ......

...... Right.

　This story ended with.



　◇



　The next morning.


　Keen! ...... kacha kacha kacha ......


　Suddenly, a hard sound like a sparring match pierced my ears, and I woke up with a start.


　What was that sound?


　I was sleeping on the type of bedclothes that lay directly on the floor and turned my body around.

　Then I saw Akira, the supposedly worthless bastard, getting ready to go out early in the morning.

　A large furoshiki is used to wrap up large and small pickaxes, shovels and wedges.

What's that? I think he's going to work.

That was different.

　The landlady, who was lying next to him, turned over and said, "My brother, he's been digging holes all day.

"My brother, he's always digging holes.

Holes? Of what?

It's nothing. I'm just digging. It would be nice if I could make a living at it, but I'm not making a living at it.

　The hostess sighs.

'......'

　Akira should have heard such small talk, but he didn't respond, and he just closed the door to the house.

　Hmm.

　I'm kind of stuck, and I'm worried about him.

　I'm thinking of going after him.

Hey, Juzo. Juzo.

Go Go ......

　Juzo was snoring and not waking up at all.

'I'm sorry, but if Juzo wakes up, tell him to wait until I get back.

Haha. ......

　I had no choice, so I told the mistress so, and I followed Akira alone.


　◇


　Kacha Kacha Kacha: ......


　Akira is going down the mountain path while making the metallic sound of tools.

　It's not that he doesn't seem to notice my sloppy following, which is based on the premise that he doesn't mind being noticed.

Nsho ......

　After a while, Akira lowered the furoshiki in front of an apparently hard-looking rock wall.

　Kang! Boom!

　Then he immediately drove a wedge into the wall and started digging a hole.

　I see.

　His latent vocational ability, the digger, is such a talent, right?

　In a way, he is making great use of his talent.


　Kaan! Khan! Khan! ......


　Yup.

　Actually, looking at it like this, even to a layman's eye, the digging was excellent.

　I don't know how he does it, but he probably uses the right tools to determine the hardness of the stone.

　I don't know much about him, but he is probably using the right tools to find out how hard the stone is, etc. He has the back of an excellent worker, wielding a hammer and a pickaxe, without a doubt.

　I'm sure that this hole-digging business could be considered complete, no matter how taciturn and hard to get along with people.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you.

　And that "digging business" is not needed in the "mountain village" unit at the moment.

　Therefore, he has neither men nor place to stand.

　It would be nice if he could find another way to adapt, but I don't think he has anything else to do.

......

　I was filled with a very sad feeling in my heart.

　When I wondered why I felt so sympathetic to him.

　I'm going to be the first to admit that I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that.

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I've smelled something similar to myself in this man.

　Yes.

　I was in the exact same position as Akira when I didn't need my cultivation skills anymore in the hero's party, because I was in the exact same position as Akira.


''Hey! Why don't we take a break?

　I couldn't get enough of it, so I called out to Akira from behind.

"Nah ...... ah ...... ri-liu, ryoshu.

　Akira chokes on his words as if he's scared when he sees my face.

　I shouldn't do this.

　You have to be careful about how you treat people, since you are extremely bad at socializing with them.

It's all right. I'm not going to hurt you. Do you want a cigarette?

　He smiled and said softly, "I'm sorry," and suggested a paper cigarette, which he refrained from taking at first, but soon took it.

　Boom!

　I chanted Kira and lit his cigarette.

'Oh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, it's been a long time since I've had a ...... yani.

　And Akira sputtering and smoking.

'Well ....... See, there's a little bit of booze, too.

　I pulled out a whiskey from my inside pocket, and he blushed a little as he enjoyed it too.

Yummy.

　So, when the liquor comes in, Akira's stuttering seems to correct itself a bit, and we begin to communicate reasonably well.

　If you keep quiet, the stubble gives you an unusual impression, but when you talk to him, he's just a normal old man.

'Hiccup ....... Oh, geez, it's been a long time since I've talked to someone like this.

Okay.

'Ode, ode ....... I'm not very good at talking, but I like it.

　Well, it's a tragedy because even people who don't like to socialize like to talk to each other: .......

'And by the way. Li-li-li, my lord. Yesterday, Mu, I heard you talking about the old days.

'A long time ago? Yeah. You know, back in that mountain village when there were over 100 people there. I was just curious. I wondered how so many people made a living here.

Oh, hands. My great-grandfather was a good friend of mine. I knew him a little.

'What? Seriously?

　When he asked, Akira stood up with a scoff and began to walk along the rock wall, but with a slightly drunken gait.


　Zsa Zsa: ......


　I follow Akira in silence.

　After a short walk.

There it is.

　And he stopped.

　And what we saw was another 'hole' in front of us.

'Ah! Here! ......

　But I huffed and opened my eyes.

　That's because it was just the same shape as that 'hole' that I discovered with Natsume's grandmother in 'West of the Domain'.

''What is this?''

When my great-grandfather was a boy. He could still find minerals. And then it died. The minerals were gone. So there are fewer people left.

　Okay.

　So that's what it is.

But my hands. My great-grandfather taught me how to dig a hole.

'I see. ....... So what was the mineral removed?

I don't know. I don't know what it's called. My great-grandfather gave me this.

　With these words, Akira took out a stone the size of a palm from the furoshiki cloth.


　It is a transparent emerald green with a mysterious glimmering light.

　It is a crystal with magical properties .......


''That's ...... [Demonic Ore]!


　I exclaimed as I looked at the stone Akira handed me.