Chapter 93: The Southern Fishing Grounds and Salt Factory

Led by Fish-men Chief Maria, along with five fishermen, they boarded the carriage.

As a precaution, I decided to have the brothers, Urugan and Uruuk, who were called as escorts, stay with us. Though I don’t think they’ll leave the barrier, it’s better to be prepared for any unforeseen events. There’s a saying that accidents are more likely to happen when you let your guard down.

“Alright, let’s depart!”

I put Maria next to me on the coachman’s seat, and naturally, I took the reins. I have become quite used to it, and communication with the horses has improved considerably.

—By the way, I’m actually quite nervous right now. With the villagers reaching 99, we have finally surpassed 100. I expected to hear an announcement the moment the carriage entered the barrier.

Anticipating it, I drove the carriage, and we just slipped inside the barrier, but…

“Huh, I didn’t hear the announcement. We should have definitely surpassed 100.”

Unfortunately, it seems there was no skill unlock condition like “Village Population: Achieve 100.” I had high hopes, so this result caught me off guard. It was only recently that the population reached 100 with the birth of the Rabbit-kin twins, but if it hadn’t, I would have surely been disappointed.

(Phew, It can’t be helped. I need to switch my mindset and think about what’s next.)

The current state of affairs in the village isn’t critical. I’ll be patient and wait for the next skill upgrade. While talking with Maria, I drove the carriage forward.

◇◇◇

When we arrived at the southern fort where the heroes were, we immediately got off the carriage to stretch our bodies. The horses were resting by the riverside after being freed from their restraints.

“Hey, Village Chief, is this the place you were talking about, the dwelling of the heroes? It’s quite sturdily built.”

“We had an exceptional magician. Kyoko, who is here with us, took care of the passage to the sea.”

“Kyoko-san the sage, huh? Thanks to her, these guys were able to enter the village. I should express my gratitude.”

“Kyoko will surely be happy to hear that. Anyway, I’ll extend the barrier to the sea for now, so please wait here for a while.”

The barrier was already extended to a point near the cliff, so they continued extending it toward the sea. They could also cover the stairs leading down along the cliff and the cave below, so I carefully extended the barrier without leaving any gaps.

I was about to set up a transfer point within the cave, but I remembered that I had already given the ability to Tsubaki. I decided to do that next time.

In any case, this was the moment when the plan to “completely divide the Great Forest(Oomori) into east and west” was finally achieved.

After completing the fixation of the barrier, I climbed up the cliff for a moment, and with the fishermen in tow, I descended again.

“Oh, this is perfect for fishing! And it even has a resting place in the cave. Couldn’t ask for more!”

“If I had known there was such a good spot, I should have brought the magic tools for salt production instead of selling them. Well, it’s too late now.”

“Well, the Village Chief has already arranged it all, supposedly.”

“Oh, really? As expected of the Village Chief! He’s prepared not only the fishing grounds but also the magic tools for salt production…”

“He prepared everything for us to the maximum. We must respond accordingly!”

“Wow, Village Chief, you’re amazing! You’ve been doing all this for us…”

They seemed to have a rather severe misunderstanding… Fish-men’s positive way of thinking is making me feel sorry.

The preparations for the Fish-men’s settlement were limited to providing them with houses. Moreover, I only found out about the fishermen when they came to the village. The preparations for the fishing grounds were also thanks to Kyoko, and the magic tools for salt production were provided by Merinard’s thoughtfulness.

“You guys have got it all wrong. Both the fishing grounds and the magic tools were just coincidental.”

“Kaaaaa…!! Your humble attitude, as well as your concern for the villagers, it’s just… the best Village Chief!”

“Yeah, it was definitely the right decision to follow Big Sis. Right, everyone?”

“Yeah, Big Sis is amazing!”

“Hey, I’ll knock you guys out! It was because of you that the fish-men were inconvenienced!”

“Uh, we’re really sorry about that…”

“Well, Maria, it worked out somehow, so it’s fine. If everyone can contribute in their future work, that would be great.”

At this rate, no matter how many times I correct them, they’ll just keep misunderstanding. Since it leaves a good impression anyway, I don’t mind if they hold positive feelings.

(I’ll express my gratitude to Merinard and Kyoko later… Alright, the business is done, so let’s head back for today.)

The fishermen looked like they wanted to dive into the sea, but Maria scolded them, and they obediently got back into the carriage.

On the way back, they continued discussing their future plans for living and work.

He told me that fishermen were good at sea fishing, the salt industry, and cooking with marine products. In Kaemos, which faces the sea, it seems that fish-men and ape-men were in charge of these industries, and he was proud to say that he could be trusted with the know-how related to the sea.

Also, with the mass migration of the Fish-men, they were worried if it would significantly impact the city’s fishing industry. However, most of the catch comes from the Ape-men net fishing, so in terms of food supply, it should not have much impact, they firmly asserted.

However, the Fish-men’s catch is known for its taste and high quality, which is traded at high prices. According to them, “The Ape-men fishing is inadequate. It’s not just about catching a lot!” They were quite passionate about it.

In the end, I assigned the majority of the Fish-men to fishing and salt production work, and the rest to be in charge of the dining hall’s cooking. From now on, as seafood would also be served at the table, they thought it best to have experts from the sea preparing delicious dishes.

“Can you hear me, Keisuke-san? 』

Just as we were about to reach the village, I received a telepathic message from Haruka.

“Yes, I can hear you. How are things on your side? 』

“The village’s sweet potatoes are incredibly effective! Maybe they contain some special ingredient… Anyway, everyone here has become a villager, so don’t worry! 』

“Oh, that’s great to hear. We’ll be there soon too, so tell me all the details when we get back. Take care! 』

“Sure thing. We’ll prepare a welcome party, so be careful on your way back! 』

It seemed that Haruka and the others were doing well too.

“Maria, I’ll be counting on you from today. Work hard for me and the village.”

“Yes, my clan and I will contribute our best.”

◇◇◇

When we returned to the village, the customary welcome party began almost immediately. Or rather, some people had already started without waiting for anyone.

The architect Rudorg and others who liked drinking invited the Fish-men to the bar to have a great time. According to them, they needed to quickly consider what kind of houses to build. I have no intention of stopping them, so I’ll just let them chat away.

With the recent construction rush coming to an end, Rudorg and the others must be excited to have some work to do again. Of course, wanting to drink some alcohol is probably another reason… Well, it’s not a big deal.

In the meantime, the dungeon team and mining team also returned as the day grew darker.

As expected, Maria approached Drago and started lecturing him extensively. That won’t be ending anytime soon, so I left them and headed to the dining hall.

Everyone, except Maria and the five fishermen, had already offered their prayers at the church, and Haruka’s detailed appraisal and Tsubaki’s registration of the new villagers were also completed. Their efficiency was as high as ever.

According to the appraisal results, there were quite a few who gained the jobs of cook and fisherman, while the rest were still without any skills. Although Fish-men are generally skilled at swimming, those related racial traits don’t seem to be recognized as skills.

“Haruka, Tsubaki, sorry to bother you, but I’ll rely on Maria and those five as well. They all want to live in this village.”

“Since they’re fish-men, I asked them if it would be better for them to live by the sea. But they said they’d prefer to live with the other villagers for their daily lives.”

“If they live too far away, it might cause some friction between the villages. I think they’re considering that.”

“I see. Well then, we’ll take care of arranging their homes and registration. Please go to the dining hall, Keisuke-san.”

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you then.”

After a while, the full-fledged welcome party began, and by the time everyone finished eating, Drago and Maria finally showed up.

Drago’s face looked completely exhausted. It was evident that he had been through quite a lot. He knew this would happen… Why did he go to the dungeon? Well, even if he knew, he probably couldn’t resist the urge.

When Drago arrived at the dining hall, he immediately headed to the bar area. After gulping down a cup, he started enthusiastically discussing his dungeon adventures. This guy seems to have forgotten the word “remorse” somewhere. Now, he’s just having fun eating and drinking with the villagers.

At this rate, I wonder when we’ll be able to hear about the Beast-man territory…

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