Communal Housing

The sudden spike in our population made me want to clutch my head in my hands.

However, seeing the smile playing on Emilina’s lips, it wasn't hard to guess that she was the one behind these boys appearing here.

“Emilina, what on earth were you thinking? If they’d run into danger on the way here...”

“It is quite alright. Just as you instructed, Lord Yuri, these children have been diligently training every day. By now, they possess strength comparable to apprentice mercenaries.”

“Even so...”

“You were the one who said it, weren't you, Lord Yuri? That we were short on manpower.”

“I did say that, but...”

“Besides, I did make sure to ask if they actually wanted to come. Though, originally, I’d been moving forward with a plan to build an orphanage,” Emilina said, her expression shifting into a wry smile.

The orphanage plan in the Royal Capital is gone? Isn't that a problem?

In the game’s timeline, there was an event called the Great Orphan Riot which led to Knot of the Lousouth House getting arrested. In that scenario, he had declared the Saint’s orphanage a waste of money and conspired with the Demon Race to destroy it. The protagonists eventually exposed his villainy, and Knot was hauled away.

Actually, maybe it doesn't matter. Knot was the most careless member of the family; he’d left behind mountains of evidence for his crimes regardless of the specific event. Even if one plot point vanished, he’d likely find another way to get himself caught.

“Does this mean you’re planning to build an orphanage in my territory instead?”

“Not exactly. After all, every one of them is ready to serve as part of our workforce.”

Their aptitude was certainly higher than Fee’s, but they were still essentially mob characters; their numbers weren't exceptionally high.

Name: Al Gender: Male / Age: 11 / Race: Human Occupation: Orphan Level: 5 HP: 45/45 (C) MP: 3/3 (E) Attack: 9 (D) Defense: 3 (E) Agility: 6 (D) Magic Power: 1 (E) 【Skills】 Search: 2 (C) / Command: 5 (A) 【Magic】 Fire: 1 (E)

Wait... did his skills increase?

When I’d looked him over before, I hadn't seen any notable abilities and had brushed him off. I was sure he’d only possessed Search back then. Now, for some reason, Command had been added to the list.

Furthermore, his aptitude was surprisingly high. While his other stats were mediocre, he clearly possessed a gift for leading others.

“Well? What do you think?” Emilina asked, smiling happily. She seemed to have realized I was using Appraisal to check their status.

“You're right. With abilities like these, they’ll be a huge help.”

“R-Really, Meat Big Bro?!”

“Don’t call me ‘Meat Big Bro.’ I am Yuri Lousouth, the Lord of this territory.”

“Oh, the Fisherman Yuri Big Bro! I’m Al!”

He misheard “Lord” as “Fisherman” with such staggering confidence that Fee began to hover nearby, looking flustered and anxious. It was possible these linguistic blunders weren't intentional; he likely didn't know the actual meaning of the words and was simply substituting them with terms he understood.

“Fine, you can keep calling me what you want.”

“Yeah! Thanks, Meat Big Bro!” Al beamed.

“Still, this many people all at once... this is a headache.”

This had happened just as I thought I could finally start repairing the existing houses. I’d build them individual homes eventually, but for now, they’d have to endure Communal Housing. It wasn't just the orphans, either; I needed to build something for the mercenaries. Since I wasn't sure if they intended to settle here permanently, an inn-style setup seemed best.

“Sigh... I just hope I have enough Magic Power. Fee, can you get everyone to help you haul the materials from the warehouse?”

“Understood-no! Fritz, come this way-no!”

“W-Wait a second! I’m still talking to Yuri—!”

Fritz clearly had more physical strength, yet Fee dragged him away effortlessly. The other mercenaries followed in their wake. Once they were gone, I began planning the Communal Housing while listening to the children’s requests.

There were fifteen children in total. For Al, who would be managing them, I’d provide a slightly larger private room for administrative work. For the rest, I planned two large dormitories separated by gender, each furnished with bunk beds. I also intended to include fully functional toilets and baths.

I planned to implement these hygiene standards in every house I built from here on out. Good sanitation would prevent outbreaks of disease and keep the citizenry looking presentable. Ultimately, that would lead to a cleaner, more prosperous-looking city. Finally, adding a kitchen, a storehouse, and a dining hall made it a fairly substantial structure. It was likely the largest building in the territory so far.

I chose a spot one block away from the crossroads that served as the main thoroughfare. Eventually, I wanted this entire area to be a residential district.

Of course, imagining it was the easy part. Constructing it from scratch with magic was an exhausting ordeal. Using the same method I’d employed for the City Wall, I had to search for and extract stone from the Earth, process it into the required shapes, and then physically manifest the structure.

All three steps consumed Magic Power. The more complex the shape, the higher the cost; I still wasn't at the level where I could build a house out of thin air without raw materials. However, if I prepared the materials beforehand, the mana cost would be cut in half. By pre-visualizing the design in detail, I could suppress the consumption even further.

It was only through this exhaustive process that I could finally manifest a building.

“Sorry to keep you waiting-no!”

Fee and the others returned, hauling massive logs. These were trees we’d cleared out while building the City Wall and had kept in storage.

“That’s perfect. Keep them coming.”

“Leave it to me-no!”

“Hey! I’m the one doing the heavy lifting here!” Fritz yelled as Fee hauled him off yet again.

“Isn't there anything we can do?” Al asked, unable to sit still.

“Well...”

There were plenty of chores, but looking at the other children, they seemed to be at their physical limits. They were slumped on the ground, looking utterly spent.

“For now, just rest. Take everyone to the bath and get them cleaned up.”

“Yeah! Got it!”

Al started to head toward the baths with gusto, but he stopped and turned back almost immediately.

“Hey, where’s the well in this place?”

“The well?”

“I shall show you the way. Follow me,” Emilina offered. Since she knew Al and the others, she was the perfect person for the job.

Still, I wondered why he was so focused on a well. Was he just thirsty? I puzzled over it as I watched them disappear toward the bathhouse.

---

After several more trips with the logs, Fritz and his men collapsed in a heap, completely drained.

“Lord Yuri, you mustn't overdo it-no,” Fee warned.

“I know. Just watch.”

Using the materials they’d gathered, I immediately began constructing the Communal Housing.

Ngh...

I had optimized the mana consumption as much as possible, but I still felt the Magic Power being ripped from my body. The sudden drain made my vision swim.

“Lord Yuri, please rest-no.”

“No... I can do this.”

I forced a final surge of mana into the structure, and the Communal Housing was complete. It was a two-story wooden building, exactly as I had envisioned it.

“Huff... huff...”

“You pushed yourself too hard again-no!”

“I know. But they need a place to sleep. They’ve worked hard to get here; I won’t have them living in back alleys like they did in the Royal Capital.”

“...It can’t be helped-no. Just for today-no,” Fee said, her expression softening. Perhaps she was remembering her own past.

“Next is the inn for the mercenaries...”

“That can wait until tomorrow-no.”

“...Isn't that a bit harsh?”

“It is fine-no. I do not smell rain in the air today-no.”

I wasn't really worried about the weather...

Then again, they were mercenaries; they were used to sleeping under the stars. Still, I decided to use my remaining dregs of mana to at least put up a basic shell of a building. I’d handle the fine details tomorrow, but they needed something to shield them from the wind.

---

“I’ve never washed in such a huge, warm pool of water before...”

The children, including Al, returned with Emilina looking dazed and refreshed. When they saw the building that hadn't existed minutes ago, they erupted in shock.

“W-What is this? Where did this building come from?!”

“You're back. This is where you’ll be staying. It’s a shared space, so you’ll have to bear with that.”

“Wait... we get to live in this house?”

“I’d be in trouble if you didn't. I only built what I could manage with magic, so let me know if you’re missing anything.”

“We will! Thanks, Meat Big Bro!”

The children were already vibrating with excitement. I gave a wry smile and told them they could go inside; they immediately scrambled through the door as if they were racing.

As I watched them, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction, something grabbed my leg like a zombie. It was Fritz.

“Yuri... finally... you’ll listen to me...”

“...”

I was so startled I reflexively stomped on him, but he didn't let go.

“Sorry about that. What is it?”

“I brought a letter for you. Just... take it.”

I opened the letter Fritz handed me. The contents were brief: ‘A reward shall be granted for the achievement of subjugating the Earth Dragon alongside the Dragon Slayer.’

In short, it was a summons to the Royal Capital to collect a bounty.

“Ugh... Fritz, can’t you go instead? You’re heading back anyway, right?”

“Why would I?! You’re the one being summoned! There’s no way I’m going alone!”

“Sigh... fine. I’ll leave once I’ve finished the immediate work here.”

“In that case, I shall return with you,” Emilina added.

I suspected she had her own motives for this summons. I really didn't want to go... but ignoring it would be seen as an act of disrespect to the crown.

“I’ll head out once the mercenaries have their inn and the children have their assignments.”

My heart felt heavy. I gripped the letter—the catalyst for this unnecessary trouble—and crushed it in my fist.