Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 223: The Little Warriors
Having completed the groundbreaking development of the Magic Giant’s Scribe Golem Writer and the Magic Scooter, Isamu entrusted the mass production process to Willem and Eto while preparing for his next task.
“I see, so you’re planning to integrate it with the garrison?”
“Yes. The easiest option would be to build it in Klaufendam, but concentrating too many important facilities in one place is risky…”
At the moment, he was explaining this plan to Selfers.
The project in question was the establishment of an exchange center, the key component of the communication network using the Magic Giant’s Scribe Golem Writer.
As long as scalability could be ensured, the necessary infrastructure wouldn’t be anything more than a few desks and chairs, making the construction itself relatively simple.
The real challenge, however, lay in security—given the facility’s critical importance.
“We’ll naturally establish a security perimeter around the facility, but by only connecting the road through the garrison, we create a strong deterrent.”
“That makes sense. With the renowned Eriksen Mercenary Knights keeping watch, I doubt there could be a better safeguard. Sounds like a solid plan.”
“Thank you.”
Isamu’s first proposed location was deep within a forest behind a garrison occupied by the mercenary knights of the Eriksen Count’s household.
The garrison itself served the dual purpose of providing combat training to allied factions and keeping hostile northern nobles in check, ensuring a consistent military presence.
The idea was to make full use of this already available force.
“A forest location, huh? Is there enough space to construct a building? We could clear some trees, but there’s a possibility of future expansion, right?”
Nicolette, who had been listening in, raised a construction-related concern instead of a security one.
“There’s actually an open area a little beyond the garrison, without any trees growing. I was thinking of using that.”
“Oh? There’s a clearing in the forest?”
“Yes, it was discovered not too long ago. Loppen from the Adventurers’ Guild mentioned it to me. Apparently, some adventurers who were out in the forest with Orihime stumbled upon it.”
“Orihime, huh? That little one is still as cute as she is clever.”
“Nya~”
As Nicolette listened to the explanation, she stroked Orihime, who was lounging on the cool marble table.
Whenever she was in Klaufendam, Orihime frequently ventured into the forest to hunt monsters and beasts.
The city’s adventurers were well aware of this and enjoyed assisting her in carrying back the prey. In fact, the excitement of working alongside her had boosted adventurer retention rates—a fact that made Loppen quite pleased.
The clearing had been discovered during one such hunting trip.
The forests surrounding Klaufendam contained occasional patches of land where few, if any, trees grew.
These spaces either had massive trees blocking rainfall from reaching the ground or had soil too hard for roots to take hold.
The newly discovered site was an example of the latter.
“There’s bound to be some monsters in the area, so I thought we’d start with a cleanup operation.”
“Understood. We could send in the knights, but I assume you’ll be reaching out to the Adventurers’ Guild?”
“Yes. They’re more experienced in forest combat, and since Orihime will be accompanying them, everyone will be motivated to take part.”
“Haha, no doubt about that. I’ll cover the rewards, so go ahead and submit an official request to the guild under our name. Orihime, I’m counting on you.”
“Nya-fu.”
As Selfers gently stroked her fur, Orihime squinted her eyes and let out a confident meow.
“Hey, there’s one over there!”
“Myaa!!”
“Neeh!!”
“Ooooh! Amazing!!”
“Nya-fu.”
From within the forest, the cute sounds of feline voices echoed—an odd contrast to the presence of dangerous monsters.
“I knew Hime-sensei was a powerhouse, but damn, those new little ones are impressive too.”
“Myaa.”
“Neeh.”
Loppen, watching the two cats work in perfect sync to take down a goblin, let out an awed whistle.
The small calico and tabby-and-white cats meowed proudly, as if understanding they were being praised.
“They may be cats, but they were originally monsters, after all.”
“Right, I heard they were descendants of strays brought over by another lost wanderer from Isamu’s world.”
“Exactly. By now, no one really remembers what kind of monsters they originally were, though.”
“By the way, Loppen, are you sure it’s fine for you to be out here?”
“Oh, most of the adventurers are already here, so I might as well be, too.”
Isamu voiced his concern about the vice guild master leaving the guild unattended, but Loppen simply chuckled.
The morning after submitting the monster extermination request, Isamu arrived at the designated meeting point, only to be greeted by a massive crowd of adventurers.
Though he had expected only a few parties to sign up, news of Orihime’s participation had spread, drawing in adventurers who insisted on joining—even without payment.
“Good job, Leo!”
“Neeh!”
“Kiki, well done!”
“Myaa!”
Nearby, Julius and Tiramisu praised their feline partners, Leo and Kiki, who had followed Orihime into battle.
The two had been mere kittens when they first met, but after two months, they had grown considerably.
Not only them, but all eight Avalushi cats that had returned to Klaufendam had tagged along.
The adventurers had split into four teams, with two cats assigned to each group.
Occasionally, cheers could be heard from deeper in the forest—clear evidence that the other teams’ feline companions were performing just as well.
By noon, the party had completed their monster cleanup and gathered in the forest clearing designated as the exchange center’s construction site.
As they ate in small groups, the conversation revolved around the newly introduced cats.
“My Cooper was the most courageous and beautiful one out there.”
Drexler, with a small white cat perched on his shoulder, declared proudly.
“No, no, my Laura’s graceful movements were unmatched!”
Elis, with a large silver long-haired cat nestled on her lap, countered.
Before long, other adventurers joined in, passionately debating which cat was the cutest or the coolest, turning the discussion into an all-out contest.
“…Honestly, every single one of them.”
“Haha, isn’t it fine? Thanks to them, the monsters were cleaned up nicely. Besides, in my world too, everyone thought their own cat was the best.”
“Nyaffuu~”
Seeing the lively scene, Loppen let out a sigh, but Isamu couldn’t help but smile at what had become a predictable situation.
Since the monster extermination was finished by noon, the afternoon was divided into two teams—one focused on road construction and the other on building preparation.
Those who could use wind magic worked with Isamu and the knights to clear trees along the planned road, while the rest focused on leveling the ground for construction.
It was a task that couldn’t be completed in just one day, but with the help of magic giants—golems—the land was fully cleared within two days.
Then, in just three more days, the structure itself was mostly completed.
The building’s simple design played a role, but more than that, the speed was thanks to the large number of people working on it simultaneously.
The following day, Isamu, accompanied by a few knights skilled in magic, stood inside the newly constructed exchange center.
“I see… So while the above-ground structure is built, the real exchange center is actually underground?”
“Yes. The security is tight, so I don’t think there will be any major issues, but this is just an extra precaution.”
The blueprint Isamu showed them detailed a staircase leading underground and a large subterranean chamber.
To further ensure security, the first-floor structure was merely a decoy—the actual exchange center would be placed underground.
Even if the building above were set on fire, the underground facility would remain safe.
This was only possible because magic communication was barely affected by physical obstructions and because the site happened to have a hard, rocky foundation.
“Digging too quickly would be risky, so let’s proceed carefully. Stay safe!”
“””Stay safe!”””
With that, they began excavation. Using charcoal, they marked out the digging areas, then used Mud Madness to liquefy the ground before scooping it out.
To improve efficiency, they first dug a sloped path leading underground, making it easier to remove the loosened earth.
The Mud Madness spell, once mastered, allowed for precise liquefaction of the ground.
Moreover, areas that weren’t affected by the magic remained completely dry and solid, even at the boundary of the liquefied sections.
As a newly developed spell, its range was too limited to be of much use, but when properly applied as an ancient magic technique, Isamu saw it as an unparalleled tool for civil engineering.
The Klaufeldt family, having observed Isamu using the spell in various situations, quickly recognized its usefulness. As a result, several individuals had already begun mastering it at a level close to Isamu’s.
After digging to a certain depth, Isamu, Eto, and Willem worked together to engrave magical formations onto the walls and ceiling.
This was the same earth-enhancing magic circle used in the Magic Scooter, now a well-known technique.
The rocky foundation was already solid, but reinforcing it with magic would make it even more secure.
Although the above-ground structure was merely a decoy, they reinforced it as well.
After another three days of excavation, an underground facility boasting fortress-like strength was completed in the middle of the viscount’s forest.