Chapter 157: Did I finally awaken? When I realized it, I was mass-producing without paying attention to it

Day 51 Morning, White Weirdo Inn.

Today, we are supposed to continue dungeon exploration from where we left off yesterday? But the girls seem to be having a girls-only meeting during breakfast? There is an awful lot of whispering, giggling, and screaming, I wonder what's that all about?

But Armored Pres-san, surrounded by the girls on all sides, is earnestly trying to tell a story, constantly gesturing in the process. The girls like talking, after all, so she must be enjoying being able to chat like this.

In the long time she spent down in the dark depths of the earth, she probably gave up on even dreaming about such a day coming, so I'm glad she is having fun now. I'm glad that she is smiling now.

Slime-san also ate its breakfast of bread and stew while jiggling in delight. Being fed one loaf after another by Poster Girl and Stalker Girl it's bouncing cheerfully. Looks like it is having fun too. That surely must be better than staying all alone underground.

But it's eating like crazy, so I will have to earn to cover those food expenses. It finally has a chance to eat to its hearts content, and I want to keep it that way.

It's about time I get to planning the shopping tour to another fief, so I'd like to accumulate some money for that.

The region can't remain isolated. Stagnation in goods circulation will mean economic death for the frontier.

At the moment, I made it possible for Stalker Girl's clansmen to pass the fake dungeon with the escort of adventurers, so stock refreshment, and sales of magic stones and mushrooms still more or less continue although at the bare minimum level.

This puts heavy limitations on both quantity and volume of goods.

I can order the great dungeon to allow merchants to pass, but the monopoly of such merchants might also become a problem.

What do we do with the circulation of goods and money?

It's going to depend on negotiations with the kingdom, but we can't afford to simply wait, doing nothing.

After all, we are going to run out of rice! And soy sauce too!

However, I'm going to bring everything else to self-sufficiency. After all, the economy is a weapon.

If one needs iron, if one needs fabric, that will become a weakness to exploit. This will be an economic war.

That's why the region has to achieve at least minimum self-sufficiency. Mass production should be possible with spinning and weaving machines, but there are not enough animals to provide enough wool for that.

As for iron ore, I already found a few veins, so if tunnels were made, the problem could be solved.

And while the food lacks variety, the volume is well on the self-sufficiency level.Chck out ltst vl on n/o/v/l/bin(.)c//m

With the frontier having the monopoly on magic stones and mushrooms, the one to be pressured will be the kingdom. The only instrument they will have left is military power.

However, regular troops have no chance of breaking through the fake dungeon, hence, the kingdom will have no other choice but to negotiate. Until that happens, I want to restock on deficit goods and improve self-sufficiency.

In the end, abundance is power? One needs abundance to avoid being taken advantage of. The inability to suddenly increase the number of livestock and worker populations is a bottleneck.

Heeeeeeeeeeeey. Haruuuka-kuun! We are about to leave? Why are you making buckets while mumbling under your nose?

Please keep handicrafts for nighttime, okay?

I wait for the President and the others while basking in an angry Flat Gaze. An exhilarating morning Flat Gaze. However, the boss of the notice board, huh. What's next, promotion to the Master Of the Notice Board?

The way to the Emperor of the Notice Boards seems long. But I think the bigger problem is that requests are probably going to stay the same until that day. What's the point of that notice board then?

We are back. We are done with the report so we can leave now. Are you complaining about the quests again? Even if there were good requests, you wouldn't be able to take them anyway since we are heading to the dungeon?

Why do you like the notice board so much? Do you want it? You can't take it home, okay? You will get scolded?

Although you seem to be already getting scolded.

If the notice board comes with the Flat Gaze Receptionist President, then I want it, otherwise, I couldn't care less? I mean, by now, I already memorized the contents of never-changing requests posted on it?

Of course, I did, I've been looking at the same notice board every day for almost a month after all. Seriously.

Dropping by the general store I delivered the goods and gave the shopkeeper a good slap with a paper fan, scolding her. Considering that I find new orders every time I come back, this doesn't seem to have any effect.

Moreover, even while being slapped with a paper fan, she is fully focused on consuming the mushroom lunch? She probably was suffering from withdrawal.

And after setting up a new sales counter, I leave. She really sold it. She sold the sales counter. And so she spent the whole day yesterday with a bunch of stacked-up wooden boxes.

Why would a general store even be dealing in sales counters?

Slime-san seems to be in a good mood, getting to see the town. For some reason it was looking with desire at dried meat, so I bought some for it, and Slime-san ate it while bouncing in joy. Looks like Slime-san took a great liking to it. Let's stock up later.

Greeting the gatekeepers we leave the town. However, those guards are casually letting a dungeon emperor and a dungeon master into the town, what exactly are they trying to gatekeep then?

And we finally head for the dungeon.

All of the girls look drowsy. Are they training at night or something? Even with their eyes almost closed, they seem to be able to navigate through Improved Detect Presence alone?

As I heard in the morning, today, Detect Presenceof all of the girls finally evolved intoImproved Detect Presence, Vibration Magic is also hitting MaX level on one girl after another. And yetSearchis somehow not improving? I wonder why? What are they trying to Detect and Vibrate?

Stiff shoulders?

Hey? The stuff the boys were wearing today, is that some kind of uniform? Did you make it the same on purpose?

Ah? That. I asked the boys if they have any requests too, but the only demand they had was Sturdy, dirt doesn't stand out, easy to move, and with lots of pockets. So it ended up looking somewhat militaristic.

Everyone got a camo M65 imitation for the top and dark cargo pants for the bottom, and since they are even wearing boots, they totally look like army men? What kind of mercenary squad is that? This is a fantasy world of sword and magic, read the atmosphere for goodness sake.

Well, the girls also were enjoying themselves in the morning, each wearing whatever clothes they wanted, so it made for a gorgeous display. Well, eating in full armor is probably inconvenient. The boys can do whatever, who cares about them. Seriously.

However, they immediately changed into battle gear, so it's short-timed fun. Meanwhile, I'm in the Villager A set since the morning. It's just normal clothes after all? I did fix them a bit, but otherwise, they are still the same.

Here we are~. The third dungeon-sa~n. It mainly has beast-type monsters and there are lo~ts of them~? The original party warned to be careful with mana management?

With beast-types it might be faster to scatter poisoned food, but since Slime-san might eat it, I'd rather not. Moreover, keeping the incoming boss fight in mind, exp grind, and training for the girls is also important.

If at the times when they are with Armored Pres-san they fight under her guidance they should learn more nuances of fighting or pacing. It is precisely because they have cheat abilities that they have to use such chances to get the experience they undoubtedly lack.