Volume 9 - CH 1

The boundary fence that separated the pioneer land and the forest, west of Yuuji’s house.

Today too, Yuuji and Alice showed their spirit in reinforcing the fence and strengthening the dry moat.

As the pioneer leader and as the pioneer village head, he was acting with his residents’ safety first in mind.

Kotarou seems to have gone out hunting in addition to patrolling the area.

Ever since they commissioned the subjugation of the monster village at the city of Premie and returned to the pioneer land, Kotarou had been in constant high alert. Kotarou’s bed was in Yuuji’s room since coming to this world, but recently she had been sleeping in the kennel she once lived in the garden. This must be in order to immediately deal with it if antyhing were to happen. She was a clever dog.

“Al~righty then Alice, shall we take a break about now?” “Okay, Yuuji-nii!” The two exchanged words, and then they heard *woof woof* cries from outside the fence.

It appears Kotarou was calling Yuuji from the fence at the south.

“Oh, I wonder what it is about, shall we go see Alice?” Yuuji called out to Alice, and then went towards the south of the pioneer land.

“Aah, Mr Yuuji, good day”

Who awaited the two, who was lured to south of the pioneer land by Kotarou’s cry, was Kevin’s group. It appears that the patrolling Kotarou discovered them and called Yuuji while guiding them. She was too clever a dog.

Behind Kevin as he greeted with a smile, was his usual exclusive escort and the archer Eleine of the adventurer trio.

“Hello Mr Kevin! Huh? This time there’s only one person from the usual adventurers?”

“Yes. I am considering staying here until the subjugation is over as well. The other two remained in order to guard the store. I’m also thinking about arranging temporary adventurers when it becomes prolonged after all”

“I see… But Mr Kevin, you say until the subjugation is over, but would your store be fine?”

So Yuuji said, worrying over the management of Kevin company. It appears he has become somewhat quicker to notice. But then again, the continuation of Kevin company affects Yuuji’s livelihood, so of course he would worry about it however.

“Truthfully I don’t really want to distance myself from it though. But, my employees are also here after all. I’m “Valuing their lives” you know”

It’s not the name of a strategy. It seems to be one of Kevin’s creeds. But, when taking into account his proposals of exterminating robbers or his proposal of cutting the monsters by the roots, what Kevin valued were lives of Kevin himself and his allies. He did not recognize even a shred of value on the lives of enemies and monsters however. As expected of the ‘Fighting Peddler’ brought up by ‘Bloodstained Gaegus’.

It seems he took along fighting power and visited the pioneer land in order to make the safety of Kevin Company’ employees, the catkin Nina and the two seamstresses, a definite fact.

“Heave-ho. This time I brought weapons too. These are bows. Arrows are bulky, so I could only carry a few. I brought arrowheads and feathers however, so let’s request the woodworker Mr Thomas to manufacture arrows later. Accuracy should drop since it isn’t his main profession and I think we will not be needing it, but well, just to be sure. And then I’ve brought three crossbows as well. They’re for the two seamstresses and Marcel or Mark-kun’s use”

The simple plaza before the gates of Yuuji’s house, where stumps lined up. There Kevin explained the things he brought in to Yuuji while he was unpacking it.

Alice and Kotarou were on the plot, looking after the chickens in the garden. Perhaps they understood the fact it’s soon winter, the six chickens ran through the garden energetically. Before long they will be locked up in the chicken pen that was built in Yuuji’s garage. They were moving as if to say we have to enjoy ourselves right away. No, they actually had always been like this.

It’s a famous type of weapon even in Japan, but Yuuji, who never had the chance to witness the genuine thing, took the crossbow in his hand,s impressed by it. By the way, he was not contemplating on anything in particular.

After taking out his camera and taking a photograph, he looked at one side, turned it over and looked at the bottom, and felt the bowstrings. While being on suspense from Yuuji’s actions, Kevin watched over him from the side.

“Erm, Mr Yuuji… A crossbow is quite expensive you know. It has many components after all. That’s why, uhm…

“Ah, aah, sorry,” said Yuuji, and he obediently returned the crossbow to Kevin’s hand. He seems to have understood Kevin’s intentions, which is “Don’t fiddle with it awkwardly and break it alright?” He had read his implied intention. He is progressing. No, he has been associating with Kevin for two and half years. He finally progressed.

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The night after Kevin visited the pioneer land.

In spite of the two seamstresses having already moved their residence to the residential complex, there were figures of five people inside their work-use tent.

“And so… the matter we have been talking about, how is the progress?”

The first question appeared from the figure of a well-built person.

For some reason, it was dim inside the tent.

“We’re having a rough time with it. The raw material of the cloth, elasticity, design, pattern making, cutting, sewing, everything are of unbelievable workmanship. If it’s the simple form that we were taught in addition to those, then we’re likely be able to make a prototype this winter somehow, but…”

Who answered was one man.

The woman next to him was grinding her teeth in regret with the offered genuine article in her hand. Of course she would. Another person made it and she herself could not. If she didn’t feel regret with this, then attaining success it as an artisan would be a dream within a dream.

“Is that so… Well, there are other articles you have been entrusted with, so it is plenty for the start of our business of course…”

The well built man, who began the conversation, spoke again.

“That aside, gimme more seamstresses! If the underlings are skillful, then at worst we can teach them even if they don’t have the skill. Anyways, we’re short of hands! How many things do we have piled up which we haven’t made a prototype of and all… Aah, not good, there’s too many things I want to do! I wonder if there is a drug that can make us move without sleep!”

The teeth grinding woman requested the man for workers. She had imagination, she also had ability, but she lacked time. The proposal was that of an employee worker who adores the ideals of a black company. It didn’t seem like the point where she requested workers has finished being dyed yet however.

“Alright. But please wait until the subjugation is over and it’s spring. Also, erm, it’s difficult to say, but…”

He accepted the arrangements of people, but it seems to be a long way to go. The faces of the man and women darkened.

“I’d like one suit of clothes tailored with this”

What the well built man took out from the rack he carried on his shoulder was a white cloth that gave off a unique luster.

“Thi- this is…” the man and woman with dark expressions said and their face instantly sparkled.

“It’s the silk that I received from Gaegus company president as a farewell gift when I went independent. Have Mr Yuuji teach you the form and then one suit of clothes before spring”

*gulp* the man and woman, no, the two seamstresses swallowed their saliva.

In this world, silk was an ‘Extreme’ level of treasure. The only ones who dealt in that, including even the neighboring countries, was Gaegus company, who had set up shop in the capital city of this country. They had never set their eyes upon them, even when they had heard rumors of it. The eyes of the two seamstresses, bloodshot from fatigue, began to shine blazingly. Their hour of death was near.

What was that “Valuing their lives” Kevin had been saying during the day about? Did he mean spend their lives valuably? That couldn’t be his intention. Probably, surely.

“Mr Kevin, could it, could it be…”

The man, I mean, Yuuji, who had been silent and watching over the development so far, realized the likelihood of that.

“Hey Kevin. You don’t mean, before the brassiere, be- before us even…”

The last one who was similarly silent, the scout of the former adventurers party, uttered those words. The tone of his was rougher than ever before.

“Yes. My store has settled in. I am able to see not only daily necessities, but also processed food, clothing and accessories, business types that will grow greatly. Spring. I intend to go to the capital carrying the clothes created here, which nobody has ever seen before, and propose marriage to her”

Hearing its use, the sunken eyes of the seamstress couple sparkled even more. Can they pass through the winter?

The two middle-aged bachelors dropped their shoulders, crestfallen, and patted each other’s shoulders as if to encourage each other. Spring was still far.

Once, under the twilight of late summer, upon witnessing the paper where the brassiere was printed on. We, though born on different days, the three middle-aged bachelors who vowed as such.

They finally seem to be parting company with each other.

No, they never vowed in the first place though.

In any case, thus the sufferable and delightful winter has been decided for the two seamstresses, and it has been decided that Yuuji, in spite of being single himself, will be thinking of a wedding dress.

The curse of the bulletin board residents seems to be coming to his mind. He did nothing but wish the curse would not go across worlds.

But then again, whether Kevin’s proposal will be accepted or not is yet another story.