Volume 8 - CH 9

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The next day after the pioneer land’s first harvest festival and Alice’s birthday party was performed.

The tax collector in charge of the pioneer land, who is also the magistrate of Premie city, as well as Yuuji and Kevin were having a deep talk in regards to the future plans of the pioneer land at the space in front of the gate where the tree stumps are placed.

Alice was loitering around the residents who each began their respective work.

On her clothes that was created in this world, on her chest was a cloth rose corsage she got as a birthday present. It was a mild autumn weather, but a fox scarf was wrapped around her neck. She was a fashionista who was ahead of season. No, it seems that she merely wanted to boast about her presents however.

Alice took along Kotarou as her attendant and stood grinningly near the dogkins Marcel and Mark who were doing farmwork. She wanted to boast about her presents, but it was not something she herself would say. It was a girl’s complicated feelings.

Marcel and Mark noticed her appearance and exchanged their morning greetings. “Oh, Alice-chan, you’re wearing the muffler aren’t you! It suits you,” Marcel praised. Alice suddenly broke into a smile.

Mark became bashful seeing that face. Before Mark could say anything in the end, Alice briskly went away. Mark dropped his shoulders, crestfallen. Alice-chan, you’re cute, he murmured softly. Of course that did not reach Alice’s ears. Kotarou looked over her shoulder as if to tell him “do your best”. Mark’s prime of his life is still far away it seems.

Alice’s next target was the woodworker Thomas and his assistant team who were being zealous in their house construction.

It appears she is going to loiter around in that appearance the whole day today. She is very happy about it isn’t she, Kotarou seemingly said as she obediently moved together with Alice. She was a caring woman. She’s a dog though.

“There are no problems in our defensive battle power, so we are thinking about cultivating the agricultural land during the winter and recruit some farmer households who are interested in migrating together with the thawing of the snow. We have someone who can direct the farmwork, so retired adventurers could be fine as well I suppose. During the winter I would like to start with the preparations of the smithy as well”

Kevin spoke of the pioneering plans with the magistrate. Yuuji went “I see,” hearing Kevin’s thoughts. He was the pioneer group leader though. No, it may not be so strange if one would think of Kevin as his sponsor.

“Hum… Do you not intend to accept criminal slaves? I do not mind even if you work them like a horse though”

Having listened to Kevin, the magistrate asked a question to the pioneer group leader Yuuji.

“Criminal slaves, is it… I’ve heard about it from Mr Kevin, but that is still a little…”

Pioneering is heavy labor. They may certainly be appealing as a working force, but Yuuji, who was raised in modern day Japan, seemed opposed to criminal slaves to whom he is obliged to impose heavy labor with crude necessities of life.

The slaves of this world are able to buy themselves back and it is not unusual for commoners to follow them if they are specialized in a field, like Marcel who directs the farmwork. For that reason, even Yuuji was not that opposed to being the master of the dogkin slave, Marcel.

However, it is a different story when it comes to criminal slaves. Because their social position of slave is a punishment on top of causing an illegal act, their lord are requested to treat them worse than a certain standard. That Yuuji has psychological resistance to that was natural.

“How about we use the criminal slaves in constructing the road between here and the city if there are excess in criminal slaves? Currently we are clearing the road with the two people, but I believe the matter and environment is rigorous you see? Besides… If we are able to create a cart passable road, then I can invite the smithing workshop here, so immigrants can increase and tax yield should rise”

Kevin shrewdly suggested to the magistrate. The magistrate went “hum”, and was pondering.

Though they are criminal slaves, they would just be tied to prison if there were no reasonable working place for them. Leaving them idle would be wasteful, such thoughts were the magistrate’s and Kevin saw through that and made that suggestion.

It seems cold hearted, but this is the reality of this other world. These two were still on the gentle side, what with them not letting them do unproductive labor like Sisyphos.

Yuuji did not enter such conversation of the two and just watched over them.

“But about the immigration too, it will be once the investigation of the forest that the adventurers are currently conducting is complete, alright? If the goblins and orcs continue to increase like this, then it will be dangerous as you would expect after all.”

Did those words of Kevin caused it?

Since a voice saying “Heey Lord Yuuji, the adventurers you are talking about have returned you know~” could be heard.

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The simple plaza in front of the gates of Yuuji’s house, where stumps were placed.

There were Yuuji, Kevin, the former adventurers party leader and duo adventurers party ‘Dusk Wind,’ who have returned from their forest investigation. In addition to them, the magistrate who was in this land seems to be present as well, saying “I might as well join you.”

“So, how did it go? Did you find anything?”

As the pioneer group leader who requested the investigation, Yuuji asked the question to the two.

“Yes we did. First, we have discovered the goblin and orc settlement. Its location is about two days to the southeast from here. I guess it’s about two days to the northeast from Premie city”

The male fencer of the adventurers party ‘Dusk Wind’ reported. The other person, the male scout, nodded as well.

“Hum. It is closer to the city than we had expected”

Receiving their results and reflexively opening his mouth was Premie city’s magistrate.  The fact that the city could be attacked was to him a more serious affair, although the pioneer land could be able to repel them rather than being crushed by the monsters. He seems to be viewing the settlement being close to the city as a problem.

“Yes. The numbers appear to be about three hundred, goblins and orcs combined. I’ve also confirmed the existences of female goblins and orcs”

“Tch, so they come with females huh? They’ll increase even more if we don’t crush them early”

Who responded to the continuing report was the leader of the former third rank adventurers party ‘Dark green wind.’ Yuuji was surprised hearing three hundred, but it seems the fact that females exist and they will increase even more is the bigger problem rather than that fact.

“Yes, senpai. And then we discovered a superior type among the orcs. That one seems to be leading the group as their boss. I saw that guy also seems to have instructed the goblin and orcs to move together”

Originally it is difficult to think that the goblins and orcs, which are distinct species, are getting along and moving. A superior type of being is at first expected among the adventurers’ guild and the adventurers, but it appears their predictions are right.

“At present, the group’s main field of activities does not include human habitation. It’s just, there’s the location of their settlement, the existence of females and, to some extent, the superior type who functions as their brain, so… It’s necessary to crush them quickly, that’s what us two think. Of course, we plan to report that to the guild as well”

The ‘Dusk wind’ fencer said and brought the roughly summarized report to a finish. The area of activities and location of the settlement and the like based on a handwritten map will be reported afterwards, it seems. Seeing that the magistrate, pioneer leader, sponsor, their senior; the key figures are gathered, they seem to have decided to tell the main points for the present. Their judgment in that area is what made them worthy of being third rank adventurers who possess both ability and credibility.

“Sir Yuuji, Sir Kevin, what do you plan on doing? If we consider the distance from the city, I would not mind sending out soldiers of our territory however”

Receiving the magistrate’s look, Yuuji pointed his eyes towards Kevin.

Being the pioneer leader, he had seen report Kevin had put together, but the income as pioneer land was a minus even including Yuuji’s share on preserved food. This is reasonable for the pioneer group’s first year however. Yuuji’s judgment in turning to Kevin, who is his sponsor, may be correct.

“Thank you very much, sir. However, we are thinking about commissioning the adventurers’ guild. We would like to save the guildmaster’s face and deepen the relationship between the pioneer group and the adventurers’ guild. It’s just that I intend to make a request in relation to a grant for the commission”

Kevin seems to have not chosen extermination by the territory soldiers, but by the adventurers.

“Is that so, I understand” the magistrate acknowledged his judgment with few words. Crushing the settlement is vital to him and he didn’t seem to have any problems as to who will do it. But then, he also had an over-optimistic calculation however, that a mere grant would be comprehensively less of an expense than moving the territory soldiers.

By commissioning the adventurers’ guild, they would save the face of the guildmaster who had been cornered before. Of course, his opinion that he would not dispatch useless people as an adventurer’s guild who wants to send retired adventurers to the pioneer land, came into play in kevin’s mind. Also the opinion that he would not want to create debts to the feudal lord’s wife and the magistrate as much as possible.

“And so, Mr Yuuji. Please come with me when we go back to the city. Let us destroy and kill the settlement before it genuinely becomes winter and snow would pile up.

Hiding his usual smile in the shadows, Kevin talked to Yuuji with a serious expression.

Sharp eyes and the dangerous words of Kevin.

While being pushed by that intensity, Yuuji replied “Okay.”

No, it seems he could say nothing except for that however, from a portion of intensity finally shown by Kevin who holds the nickname of ‘Fighting Peddler’.

Yuuji still cannot seem to be a match against the vigor of the people living in the bloody world who are familiar with life and death.