Kays Translations

Chapter 83: The Heroes' Departure

Day 176 of Life in Another World

The next morning, the heroes arrived in the village a little earlier than planned. They came with minimal luggage, appearing light-hearted. At times like this, I couldn't help but think that Hayato's spatial storage skill was incredibly convenient.

Normally, we wouldn't allow anyone other than the villagers to enter the village without permission. However, considering the short duration of their stay and the potential negative impression it could leave, I granted permission to everyone. Besides, it was still early in the morning, and the dungeon party was in the village, so there was no need to worry about any mishaps.

Although I granted them permission to enter, they hadn't been granted residency in the village. The idea of enhancing their abilities crossed my mind, but I decided against it. I had a feeling that now wasn't the right time, even though I might regret this decision later.

It was just a baseless intuition, but I rarely experienced such a feeling. Trusting my instincts, I decided to let it go for now.

"Keisuke-san, sorry for coming so early."

"Good morning, everyone. I'm ready anytime, so no worries."

"Thank you. Everyone was so restless yesterday that we ended up coming out earlier than expected."

After exchanging brief greetings, the heroes seemed amazed by the village scenery they were seeing for the first time. Well, compared to their fortress, Nanashi Village would undoubtedly appear quite impressive.

"We heard about it, but... This is more like a small city, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's amazing, right?"

"And so many people."

"You can even take your time here, you know?"

"No, we can't stay for too long, and besides..."

"I wonder if the city is even bigger."

"I want to go and see it soon."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it!"

I see, they are preoccupied with thoughts about the city. Since it seemed better to see them off sooner, I took Hayato to the all-purpose warehouse and had him store plenty of food in his spatial storage.

During that time, Kyoko and the other members were exchanging farewell greetings, and by the time Hayato and I returned, it had turned into a lively discussion. The distance from the village to the city wasn't far, so it wasn't like they were bidding farewell for good. None of them had sad expressions; they were simply thinking, "See you later."

As the atmosphere grew lively, the heroes set off on their journey to the city, riding in a carriage. Although it was uncertain if we would meet again in the future, I hoped that we would be able to reunite in good health someday.

◇◇◇

After seeing off the heroes, life in the village returned to its usual routine. Any impact on Nanashi Village from the city or the capital was still a distant concern.

The sixth harvest of rice was completed at the farm, and the dried rice stalks were being transported to the threshing area. Thanks to the water mill-style threshing machine, the process of threshing and polishing the rice had become significantly more efficient, resolving the issue of not keeping up with the harvest.

Not only rice production but also the cultivation of wheat and vegetables were entrusted to the villagers. There were no significant problems, and if anything, we had surplus crops, to the point that proposals for expanding the farmland were being made.

Including the fruit orchard, there was still plenty of space on the premises, so I encouraged them to make the most of it.

Under the guidance of Melissa, Merinard's wife, the children in the village had turned the dining hall into a classroom and were actively studying reading and writing. With the surplus labor available from agricultural work, study sessions were held almost every day.

In the afternoon, they had free time, so everyone played as they pleased. Some children even volunteered for practical training in the shallower floors of the dungeon. We discouraged very young children from participating, but for those who were 10 years old or older and motivated, we allowed them to accompany Ludo and the others.

The parents didn't have any overly protective thoughts and didn't oppose their children's requests.

In this world, where the weak were eliminated, one had to acquire the means to survive on their own. From that perspective, Nanashi Village was an excellent training ground.

"Hey, everyone, how are you doing?"

While idling, I paid a visit to the blacksmith's workshop.

"Ah, Village Chief, thank you."

"Ah, Village Chief, I'm really struggling here."

"Oh, Natsuki isn't here?"

"Natsuki-chan went to the mine today with Haruka-san."

"I see. So, Natsuki wanted to see the rare stones we discovered directly on-site."

Natsuki, who was usually in the workshop, seemed to have gone to inspect the mine today. Only Belithea and Bears were present.

A few days ago, two types of rare stones were found in the deep parts of the mine. According to Haruka's appraisal, they were called "Magic Ore" and "Barrier Stone."

"Magic Ore" was an iron ore with a remarkably high magical essence content. When refined, it turned into "Magic Iron." It had a high conductivity for magic power, and its hardness increased when one's own magic power flowed through it. It was a remarkable material.

As for the "Barrier Stone," it received a vague appraisal of being a "rare stone blessed by the earth." It was excavated in a polished state, and just like when the village's barrier flickered, it quietly blinked on and off. It had a pale green color and was the embodiment of the village's protective barrier.

However, processing the Magic Iron wasn't going smoothly, and the two blacksmiths were at a loss. The heat reaction didn't occur in the magic furnace they usually used, and if they could solve that, they believed they could proceed with the other processing steps.

Natsuki wanted to try enhancing Magic Iron products with special abilities, so she went to find a solution on-site.

Regarding the Barrier Stone, it wasn't clear whether it should be kept as a raw stone or processed into a product for its effects to manifest. Furthermore, the exact nature of its effects was still unknown.

"I've been trying various things, but..."

"Is that so? ――It's not like the performance of the magic furnace is bad, is it?"

“The guy here is no different from the one in the city.

"Well, there will be progress soon! Let's take it easy."

　Unable to endure the awkward atmosphere spreading in this place, I picked up the barrier stone that caught my eye and rolled it around. Then, the brilliance of the stone, which had flickered until just a moment ago, subsided.

""a……""

"S-Sorry! I just picked it up! Hey, this... could it be... it's broken?"

"I do not understand……"

“Well, we still have some in stock…”

"Sorry, it's my fault for touching you carelessly."

　I did it.... A layman shouldn't carelessly touch valuable things that even professionals in the field don't know about.

"Well, then I'll go, I'm sorry I can't help you..."

　Instead of being strong, I ended up doing unnecessary things. I left the place like I was running away...

◇◇◇

　In the end, I spent the whole day in a vacant mood. Of course I am reflecting.

　On the way, there was a telepathy from Melinard, and I also heard that Hayato and the others had arrived in the city. As expected, it seems that he greeted the lord as soon as he was found to be a hero, but it didn't seem to have a bad atmosphere.

　It seems that the future will be decided with the lord and Merry Company. Melinard said don't worry because you were treated well, so it should be fine.

　

　In the evening, Natsuki and Haruka returned with the mining team.

"Oh, I heard Village Chief. It seems you accidentally broke the Barrier Stone."

"Guh, sorry... I just touched it."

"Well, everyone makes mistakes. Don't worry too much about it."

"You're right, let's switch gears!"

In this way, they comforted me, and I ended up being consoled instead, which was quite pitiful.

After that, we discussed if there was any way to find a solution while receiving encouragement from everyone.

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