Chapter 92: Acceptance of the Fishmen Tribe

―― Rejuvenation ――

Is such a dream-like thing really possible?

Tsubaki, Sakura, Haruka, and Kyoko are also present in this place. I sit in front of Dolly and immediately begin the conversation.

“So, Dolly, is it true that you can rejuvenate?”

“Well, to be precise, it’s more like optimizing the body.”

“So it’s not rejuvenation, then?”

“Exactly. It’s going back to the peak physical age and maintaining that state. It’s not like our lifespan is significantly extended.”

“I see. But if you put it that way, it means the lifespan will increase somewhat, right?”

“We can maintain a healthy body, which affects the burden on the body and even mental aspects. So, the lifespan is extended a bit. Also, the visible age varies from person to person.”

Since Dolly is knowledgeable about the Dragon Tribe, and she has experienced it herself, I accept this explanation.

“Um, this might be a bit impolite to ask… Oh, never mind.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry. You’re around our age, right? I’m 78, and my husband is 80. We both came down to the Beastmen’s territory when we were in our 20s. While Drago has grown a bit, I’ve maintained the appearance from that time.”

Indeed, Dolly looks like she’s in her mid-20s. She mentioned that the Dragon Tribe’s lifespan is around 300 years.

“Next, I want to know how this optimization works.”

“It’s the Dragon Energy, the equivalent of what you call mana. The high-quality Dragon Energy in this Oomori Forest is the reason. It’s almost comparable to the Dragon Village, our homeland.”

“By absorbing that Dragon Energy, you undergo optimization.”

“Exactly. The Dragon Tribe receives the protection of the Goddess, so our absorption rate of Dragon Energy is high. I think you are in a state close to that as well.”

“Come to think of it, the barrier changed its color once. It was renamed [Earth Goddess’s Blessing] so maybe we were affected since then.”

“Exactly. The entire village received the blessing.”

It has been about 70 days since the barrier changed. From that point on, I believe the improvements have been happening gradually. Everyone in the village seemed to feel a surge of power at that time.

“I understand everything now. Thanks for this valuable information, Dolly.”

“If I could be of help, I’m glad.”

“So, Keisuke-san, what do you think of us now that you’ve seen us again?”

With the mystery of the barrier resolved, Haruka joins the conversation.

Naturally, she must be asking about the visible changes. She doesn’t seem tipsy today, but she still asks quite a scary question.

“Haruka, you look much younger. No one would doubt you’re in your 20s. You look really beautiful.”

“Oh, well, that’s an acceptable answer. Thanks, thanks!”

After receiving a passing grade for now, I glanced at the other women, but… it’s no good. They all have expectant eyes, waiting for some compliment. Except for Haruka, they’re all in their 20s, and Sakura is even 19… They are already so young and beautiful, what else can I compliment them on… This is too difficult.

I know that silence won’t do any good, so I answer each of them one by one, carefully and more specifically, until I finally manage to escape after praising Dolly too.

Heading towards the newly expanded bar area, I take a deep breath… The villagers enjoying their meals looked pleasant to the eye.

The handshake event seems to be over, and some men are drinking nearby. I notice that Natsuki and the others have disappeared from sight.

◇◇◇

Day 193 of Life in Another World

The next morning, a group of Fish-men arrived at the village. Led by Merinard, they arrived on six carriages.

Merinard had informed us in advance that they were coming to accompany the regular transport of provisions. They plan to load the empty carriages with sweet potatoes and rice and return to live in the village, replacing Merrimus.

Finally, their long-awaited wish to enter the dungeon seems to come true. The escorts were saying the same thing, but it’s Merinard we’re talking about, so he must have carefully arranged that as well.

At the western end of the village, facing the Fish-men through the barrier, I exchanged a few words with Merinard and then let them go to their families in the village.

Now, it’s me, Haruka, and the Fish-men Tribe’s Chief Maria facing each other.

“Village Chief, nice to meet you. I am Maria, the Chief of the Fish-men Tribe. Accept our gratitude for accepting our clan.”

Maria gave a polite greeting, but most of the 29 Fish-men behind her seemed somewhat uneasy. Some even seemed a bit skeptical, indicating that this decision might not have been the consensus of the entire tribe and was made solely by Maria.

I granted them all permission to reside in the village and signaled Haruka to address Maria.

“Nice to have you here. The whole village welcomes you. You may be a bit confused at first, but we hope you’ll get used to it as soon as possible.”

“Intrusive as it may be, are Drago and Dolly not here? They should have arrived yesterday…”

“Oh, they’re here. They’ve all become villagers, and they quickly fit in. But right now, well… They all went to the dungeon. I tried to stop them, but they didn’t listen.”

“What?! That Drago… He’s way too reckless when it comes to anything related to combat. Every time—”

From there, Maria’s complaints continued for a bit, no, quite a long time. Haruka skillfully responded and listened, so we managed to avoid any trouble, but both the Fish-men and I couldn’t hide our uncomfortable expressions.

‘[There are five people who can be allowed to enter the village, 20 people who seem to reach 50 loyalty points, and five who have less than 40 loyalty points. The average level is around 15, and the highest level is Maria-san at 35. None of them seem to possess skills that pose a threat to the village.]’

‘[Five people below 40, huh? We need to think carefully and act cautiously.]’

‘[Maybe we need to do something to pique their interest or provide good hospitality to make a good impression on them?]’

‘[Got it. Talk to Tsubaki, order some meals, and also call Urgan and Uruk to provide them with some protection.]’

‘[Understood! But no reckless actions, okay?]’

‘[Thanks, but let’s not let our guard down.]’

Haruka is truly amazing. She gives me the information I need accurately, while also managing to engage Maria in conversation… I could never do that.

Since we can’t stand around talking forever, so I decided to have the Fish-men rest in the barracks outside the barrier.

“Hey, Maria, should I show more respect and deference to the clan chief? If it could cause resentment among the other fish-men, I’ll change my approach.”

“There is no animosity. Everyone talks to me as if I’m their friend. You can rest assured that none of the fishermen are going to be able to warm up to you because of the way you talk to me.”

“I see, that’s a relief. By the way, for now, only five people, including you, can enter the village. The other 20 will probably be able to enter soon, but the remaining five seem a bit difficult.”

“Do you know who those five are?”

Recalling what Haruka asked me, I looked over at the barracks and casually conveyed the information to Maria. Then…

“It’s those guys after all. I wonder… How long will they keep acting stubborn?”

“Is there a reason for their reluctance?”

“Those five used to be fishermen in the city. They were hesitant to move here because there’s no sea around.”

“And did you forcibly bring them here against their will?”

“No, I didn’t. They were convinced that it is for the survival of the species.”

“Hmm. By the way, can you tell me what kind of fishing method they used?”

“Fish-men fishing is primarily diving. None of them are interested in net fishing or angling.”

According to Maria, Fish-men are quite skilled at swimming. I’m not surprised by that, as I expected as much. It seems they have their own pride in their abilities.

“In that case, if they can reach the sea and find a reasonably spacious shore, fishing should be possible, right?”

“Of course. But… the southern part of the Oomori Forest is a steep cliff. There’s no way we can go down that cliff.”

“As a matter of fact, we have already made it accessible, safely. Moreover, there’s a large cave-like space down there. How about that?”

“You’re kidding, right? But if that’s true, then of course it’s possible. Hey, could you explain it to those guys?”

Of course, that was my intention, so I called the five Fish-men over and explained the current situation of the southern sea to them. They were pleased to hear it, but they wanted to bring their fishing gear and go there to check it out for themselves. Apparently, they couldn’t bear to part with their essential tools even though there’s no sea here.

The people who were so reluctant just a while ago now have joyfully revealed their emotions. Feeling a solid sense of accomplishment, I called Haruka and had her appraise them again.

“Keisuke-san, what did you do exactly? All five of them have loyalty points exceeding 70 now… It was around 30 just a little while ago, why is that?”

“It seems that they were all sea-loving men. They were really happy when I told them about the south.”

“Oh, I see… Oh! Hero-kun’s souvenir turned out to be useful!”

“That’s right. We should also thank Kyoko’s magic.”

If they can enter the barrier, they can use the carriages. It’s still morning, so they should be able to return by dusk at the latest.

“Merinard, can we borrow one of the carriages that they came in? I want to take the Fish-men to the southern sea. 』

“Please feel free to use it. There should be an empty carriage. 』

“I’m sorry, but while I’m away, please take care of entertaining the Fish-men with Tsubaki and the others. 』

“Understood.”

“Maria, shall we head to the sea now? We can enter the village with these five people, and with the carriage, it will only take an hour to get there and back.”

“There’s no reason to refuse. I also want to see it. Let’s go quickly! You guys better be grateful too!”

“Of course! Our sea is waiting for us! Come on, Village Chief, let’s go!”

And so, with Maria and the five fishermen in tow, we headed towards the southern fort.

(This turned into a somewhat strange development… But compared to yesterday, it’s much easier.)

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