When we got out of the hot spring, I drank fruit milk (from Tanimura) and Garcia drank coffee milk.


　Very, very, very ......


　As I put my hands on my hips and tilted the bottle to refresh my throat, I suddenly felt a round, chunky lump sticking to my lower right shoulder blade.

　I thought it was Mr. Igarashi, so I continued to drink, and when I had finished, I looked back.

...... Excuse me, Eiga-sama. We're done here.

　The female secretary, wearing a yukata with her hair down and holding a fan in both hands, looked a little apologetic.

　She seemed to be concerned about the fact that I had given up the private bath to the women.

It's fine. I was with Garcia, and the bathhouse was huge.

But using a private room without the lord is ......

It's okay because the lord said it's okay. And you looked like you were having fun too.

"...... fun?

　Igarashi-san, who tilted his head and stared at me.

　Yabe ......

"No. I'm sure you had fun. Let's get back to the others.

　It's a great way to get to know the people in your area.


　The three of us went back to our room.


...... "Hey, where's Glico?

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

"Glico went to the ping-pong table," said Watermelon.

　Watermelon said.

　I thought it would be a good idea to pay him a visit, but it was not to be, as the waitresses were bringing in the food just then.

Excuse me.

Your meal is ready.

Wow!

It looks delicious!

　When I saw everyone's happy faces, I hated myself for not being able to stop worrying about the heroic party from earlier.

　It's a shame that this is such a great opportunity for a comfort trip.

I'm not sure what to say.

　I shook my head and decided to enjoy the feast with everyone in front of me.

"Mmm, that's good... Sir.

"Yeah. Yes, it is.

　This white raw fish is especially delicious.

　It is indeed a fishing village.

　The black liquid made by fermenting soybeans and the green condiments (from Tanimura) go well with the fish.

　Everyone was eating it, saying it was delicious.

"Heh, it's not so bad.

　Then Liv smiled evilly and tried to get the maids to drink the local sake.

"Wow.

Booze!

"Hey, don't do that. ......

　Icoca, who has the temperament of a committee chairman, said so and did not drink, but Watermelon and Manaka were allowed to drink a sip or two of sake, and their faces turned red, saying "I'm not drunk at all" and "We're already adults.

　I didn't think it was a problem, but it was a big problem that Igarashi-san was watching us with his eyes shining.

"Hey, don't do that!

　Liv changed and hid the liquor bottle, and the female secretary looked disappointed.

　I feel sorry for her, but I can't help it.

"I ate too much.

I'm in pain. ......

"I can't eat anymore.

　After eating.

　Garcia, Watermelon, and Manaka were flipping over with their bellies flabby.

　On the other hand, Liv, who seemed to have eaten as much as they did, was looking cool.

What's the matter? What a pity.

　Liv ruffled her hair and lit a cigarette.

　Her yukata was pulled down at the obi like a tunagi, and she was wearing the usual cool tank top and necklace, but her stomach didn't look bloated at all.

　I wondered where all the food she had eaten had gone.


　After that, there were a couple of visitors in the room.

　Natsume, the chief of Kimura, the chief of Nakamura, and Juzo of Yoshioka Shrine. ......

　The people of Tohun attach great importance to bathing, and many of them had come to stay here since the first day of opening.

　Especially since Natsume's house is on the west side of the territory, it's quite a distance to Isomura, which is on the east side of the territory, but she came on foot, which is still surprising.

　In any case, it's good that the people of the domain can have more fun, isn't it?

Hello, my lord. ......

　Akira was also among the visitors.

"Oh, Akira!

　Akira was the discoverer of the hot spring, so he had been invited by Isomura.

　His wife, who had just gotten married, was next to him, and when I thought back to his lonely back when we first met, I felt a pang in my heart.

"Oh, oh, oh, hot spring. Did you like it?

"Yeah!　Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to take a nice bath.

　I tapped him on the shoulder and he laughed.

"My lord. This ...... was made by Shohei and Ode. I'll take it.



What?　Oh. What's this?

　I asked, but Akira got embarrassed and left before I could answer.

　He handed me what looked like a scroll, and I quickly unfolded it.

　At first glance, I couldn't understand what it said.

But Mr. Igarashi told me, "...... is a map.

　Mr. Igarashi told me.

　Yes.

　It seems that Shohei wrote down the geological and topographical features of his territory as they became clearer and clearer through Akira's geological survey.

　There were many tables and drawings of strata and elevations in various forms, and I couldn't understand them very well, but I could understand the map that showed the location of the whole territory, and the following is it.


---------- --------
← 至・帝都 至・奥賀→

▲▲▲▲ River ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ □□□□▲▲▲▲▲▲
▲▲▲▲｜▲▲▲▲▲▲□□□□▲▲▲▲
▲▲▲▲▲ backslash▲▲▲▲▲外村□▲▲▲▲　　　
▲▲▲▲▲▲｜▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
▲▲▲▲▲▲｜▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
▲▲▲Okumura▲｜▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
Demon Mine ▲▲▲▲｜▲▲▲▲ Tanimura▲▲▲▲▲
▲□▲▲▲▲▲＼▲▲▲▲▲▲▲□▲▲▲

▲□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□
□□□□　
　　　　　　
　　Old□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□　　　　　　
　　Port□□□□□｜□□□□　　　　　　
　　　　□□館□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□　　　　　　
　　　　　□□□□｜□□□　　　　　　　
　　　　　Port□□□□□□　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　□ □ Island Village　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　□ Island Village　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　□ □ □　　　
---------- --------

▲ = mountainous area
□ = Plain
| = large river



Looking at it this way, it's inconvenient to get from east to west.

"That's true.

　Thus, the map led to a discussion of territory management.

　The traffic in the territory was connected by waterways to Kimura, Nakamura, Tatate, and Shinko, but access to the Demon Mine in the west and Isomura in the east was still inadequate.

　I can just fly over there with the Kuro King Maru, but I would like to make it smoother for the people to come and go.

If the transportation infrastructure is too weak, new businesses won't take off.

　said Garcia.

　Judging from the fact that he has built a banking system, this merchant is hoping that the people of his domain will start businesses that transcend village boundaries.

"Then why don't you build a magic railroad?

　Then Liv said something like that.

"Sure, if the whole terrain is clear, it's easier to plan the route.

　A magical railroad.

　It's true, I've always wanted to build one in my territory. ......

But you're in the middle of developing weapons for land warfare, right?　Can you afford that?

It's okay. It's okay. Ichitaro and the others have grown up quite a bit.

　I'm proud of them, but even so, there is a limit to our supply.

What do you think, Igarashi-san?

...... It is possible that the technology of laying railroads will be useful in battle, just as the technology of building this inn was contributed by the port for battle.

　I see, you have a point.

"Then, if we were to do it, which line would be the best to lay it?

　At this point, our dreams began to swell.

　We discussed various plans in front of the map with a bit of excitement.



　I wonder how long we had been talking on .......

　The maids who were playing cards on the futon had long since fallen asleep.

　As time went on, Liv fell asleep, and finally Garcia fell asleep as well, the excitement of the discussion finally died down.

We've been talking a lot, haven't we?

"Yes, .......

　As expected, Mr. Igarashi seemed to be a little tired. He shifted his heels from where he had been sitting, put his knees together in the shape of a "ku" and looked out the window.

　Beyond the darkness.

　Lili Lili Lili ......

　The insects chirping in the darkness were beginning to change their species from yesterday.

"Summer is almost over. ......

　When I murmured this, the sharp-eyed Mr. Igarashi looked up at me with his fan, as if he was unusually flirting.

......

　I smiled back at the yukata beauty and returned my gaze to the map of the territory that Akira had given me, suddenly aware of the very full feeling in my chest.

　At the same time, the guilty feeling of worrying about Cross and the others, which had been bothering her earlier, disappeared.

　I think the true nature of this sense of satisfaction is the confidence I have in my current friends, my current territory, and my current self.

　The confidence I have in myself now proves to me that it's not because I'm still in the party.

　It was inevitable that I lost my place there, and I can affirm without a lie that this is where I belong now.

　Even if it's .......

　But that doesn't mean that the days of adventuring with Cross and the others are gone.



　So I thought it was natural to be worried when I heard that they were not doing well, and that there was no need to feel sorry for my current friends.


"Well... Shall we go to bed?

"...... Yes.

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.