Chapter 367
Lately, time seems to be passing incredibly fast.
Just a short while ago, it was hot, but recently it's been getting gradually cooler.
"The construction of the vertical farmland is progressing smoothly, the development of the reservoir for the water source is also going well..."
In my room in the temporary housing area known as the pioneer village, I silently check documents.
Since the final go-ahead can only come from me, it can't be helped, but with each document I confirm, I can feel the gap between the development site and this village growing day by day.
Town operations are still a long way off, but the massive city walls surrounding the vast town area are steadily nearing completion. We are steadily enclosing an environment where self-sufficiency is possible within the walls: the pioneer village, the development site, the vertical farmland, and the reservoirs.
The goal is a castle-town style city capable of self-sufficiency, like Odawara Castle.
If we can deploy dungeons within that castle-town to secure magic stone and monster resources, it would be the icing on the cake, improving living conditions. However, even this goal is just a minor milestone, a passing point.
The design plans I've prepared include expansion elements, and who knows when we'll reach the final goal.
"As for the test operation report for the vertical farmland... we started with satiating root vegetables like potatoes, and progress is smooth so far. If this goes well, next is wheat and barley, then vegetables. If those results are good, then next is chickens."
But you could say that having such goals makes every day fulfilling.It was a big help that about a month ago, we welcomed Genjirou's clan, increasing our workforce and broadening the scope of our work.
All our residents are hard workers, so there haven't been any strange problems.The basics of life—clothing, food, and shelter—are secure, making it a safe place to live. Furthermore, when we opened the Golem Theater as entertainment, it was quite popular.
The reception varies by age and gender depending on the performance, but the novelty of unseen stories performed by golems has made it a weekly pleasure.
It serves as a break for the residents, a stage they can enjoy while drinking or snacking.
On a whim, I performed some famous works from a certain weekly manga magazine, which feature friendship, effort, and victory. As you might expect, they shot to the top in popularity, with four titles competing for the top spot.
By providing entertainment like this, no significant problems have arisen so far.
That's not to say there are absolutely no complaints, but if I worried about every little detail, I'd be paralyzed.
Perhaps because we live a daily life that directly contradicts this world's common sense, even the busy residents, with their heavy workloads, seem to be stimulated and enjoy themselves every day.
Even if I can't manage everything, I do what I can within my limits.
"Liberta! The dwarves have arrived!""Oh, is it already that time?"
It's hectic, but when you find it enjoyable, time disappears like water.
"Genjirou, shall we go?""Yes, sir."
If Nell came to get me, it means the group of dwarves introduced by Clarice has already arrived at the city gate.
They can't come directly here, of course.There are procedures, and some of them need to be assigned to the Duke.
So, the process was: from the western port, they stopped at the Royal Capital, then came here. That's why their arrival was delayed.
Whether I need a bodyguard is debatable, but just in case, Genjirou is accompanying me today as an attendant.The entertainers are working as guards for the construction workers and investigating the surrounding areas, so they're not here.
Lately, spies have been starting to appear here and there, so I'd like to replenish the entertainer personnel... but for the shadows, trust is paramount.It's hard to increase their numbers.
"Was there any trouble?""Not trouble, really, but they were amazed when they saw the city walls."
We're not all going out to greet the dwarves.The welcoming party consists of me, Genjirou following quietly behind, and Nell, who served as the messenger to inform us of the visitors.
We can't stop the pioneer village's work, as it would disrupt future schedules, so construction is progressing in real-time.Amina is essential for golem operations, so she's at the site today, and Ingrid is also there for support.
Claudia went to the headquarters today to attract a temple, so she's not in the village.
Esmeralda went to inspect the vertical farmland under test operation, meeting with the farm managers to discuss future crops.
"I bet they are! It's my masterpiece!"
So, I'll be the one to welcome the dwarves.I sent members of the Oniwaban Corps as escorts for their journey, so they should have arrived without problems, but the unexpected can happen anywhere.
This pioneer village (?) is a prime example.
Greeted by massive city walls that seem to come with a "dum-dum!" sound effect, it's no surprise they'd be shocked.
I don't intend to use that to gain an advantage.Though, I must admit, there's a part of me that wants to show off.
Keeping those feelings to myself, my steps are light.Since we both have prior information, things should proceed smoothly, I thought casually as I headed towards the city gate.
"What's going on?"
There, an unexpected scene was unfolding.
A noisy, bustling city gate.
Well, with nearly 200 people, it wouldn't be strange for the area to be noisy.
The problem was that the noise wasn't coming from in front of the gate, but from right next to the city wall.
Normally, outside the city gate, you'd expect to see the group of dwarves waiting. But they weren't there. When I exited the gate and turned left, they finally came into view.
"What in the world... I'd heard stories, but to have developed this much...""I'd heard from Lady Clarice that it was something unbelievable, but to have completed city walls already...""Wait, didn't you hear from the escorts? They say even this is still unfinished. Does that mean something even bigger is coming?""Hmm... this seamless, beautiful wall. You'd need a ladder to climb it, but...""It's at least 30 meters high. The length... I can barely see the end."
A group of dwarves clinging to the city wall, continuously observing the wall itself.Some were gently tapping it, which was the milder reaction. Others had taken out chisels and were trying to chip away at it.
There were even some who had taken out shovels and were trying to dig up the ground.
The escorts were stopping the latter two, but the fact that they continued their observations without even noticing my arrival suggested these were craftsmen, unlike the dwarf warrior I'd met before.
"Hey! Our Master has arrived!!"
The leader of the Oniwaban Corps members escorting the dwarves, noticing Genjirou's gaze, hurriedly tapped the shoulder of the dwarves' leader to get his attention.
"Oh! The master of this wall! Perfect timing!!"
This dwarf... hasn't he forgotten that I'm the employer?His sparkling, excited eyes are typical of a craftsman, I suppose. Behind him, the Oniwaban members were flustered, and behind me, Genjirou began to sharpen his gaze towards the dwarf who seemed about to act disrespectfully.
"Greetings first. Nice to meet you. I'm Liberta, the head of this territory—currently a pioneer village, but destined to become a city. You are the dwarves introduced by Clarice, correct?"
First, I nod to the two to indicate it's okay and calm them down. Then, turning my gaze to the leader of the dwarf craftsmen—let's call him the Foreman for now—he made an "Ah!" sound, flustered, and hurriedly straightened his posture.
"M-My apologies. I am Don Dolton, the leader of this group of dwarves.""May I call you Don?""Certainly, that's fine. Here is a letter from Lady Clarice."
He must have been told that being impolite was unacceptable. After my greeting snapped him back to attention, he was sweating bullets, hurriedly corrected his posture, took out a beautiful box from the bag he was carefully holding, and presented it.
"Master, there is no problem.""Thank you."
Ideally, I'd receive it directly, but since they're not yet part of the inner circle, Genjirou took the box, checked its safety, opened it, and offered me the contents.
A beautiful envelope with Clarice's clan crest on the sealing wax.
I cut it open with a paper knife. Inside were seasonal greetings followed by formal pleasantries.
Summarized, it basically said, "How are you? I'm doing well, thanks to what I learned from you."
Well, if battling with the elders counts as "doing well," then that's good.The next topic was about these dwarves. It seems the selection criteria prioritized personal reliability over skill.
Rather than dwarves deeply involved in politics, they gathered dwarves who had kept their distance from political affairs and were thus undervalued.Their fascination with the city walls, their analytical stance on how it was built, the letter's phrasing stating Clarice personally interviewed them and gathered dwarves who could work seriously in a new land—all this indicates that Don and his group are undoubtedly serious about their work.
Their personalities might need some adjusting, but it's clear they understand their place.
In fact, seeing how they hurriedly began to line up behind the foreman once he started dealing with me, I could sense their desire to work seriously here.
So, after finishing the letter, I turned a smile towards the foreman, Don, who was trembling slightly.
"Alright, thank you for the long journey. We welcome you."
I offered words of welcome.With just that, the dwarves sighed with relief and patted each other's shoulders.
Frankly, I like people with this craftsman's temperament.Their focus can be too sharp, often neglecting other things, but on the flip side, it means they've staked their lives on that one thing.
If I cherish their passion, they'll live up to my expectations.I think they're the kind of people with whom it's easy to build a trusting relationship.
"I'd like to tell you to rest first, but you're probably too curious about the walls and what's inside to relax, right?""Ahaha, yes, that's true."
Indeed, more than the desire to rest from the long journey, I could see they were itching to examine the walls and see what was happening inside.
"Then, by all means, come see the town we're building. That will make it easier to discuss work later.""Is that really alright?""Yes, we're currently developing the infrastructure, and I'd like to hear your opinions on that as well."
Therefore, rather than forcing them to rest here, it's better to show them everything first and then let them rest.
Apologies to the Oniwaban escorts, but I began leading the dwarf party towards the construction site.
From there, they were in a constant state of amazement.
First, they were amazed by the vast, cleared land beyond the walls. Next, they were shocked by the Block Golems descending from the mountain.
Then, they were astonished by the operation of the vertical farmland. Finally, their eyes widened in surprise at the underground sewage treatment facility currently under construction.
I thought they might get tired from the constant surprises, but with each one, they began seriously discussing what they could contribute.Watching them actively exchange opinions, as if proclaiming, "This is what dwarf craftsmen are," I became convinced that the future construction would become even better.