Sura and her group's arrival in Gilm naturally became a major topic of conversation.
With over a hundred carriages rolling in, and Lord Daskar himself coming out to greet them on top of that... Information had also been circulated beforehand that Sura's group were refugees—strictly speaking, that wasn't entirely accurate—so when they actually entered Gilm, they naturally drew a great deal of attention.
Even on Gilm's main street, when over a hundred carriages passed through, it was naturally impossible to weave between the crowds.
They temporarily closed the main street to traffic... but Sura fully understood that she and her group were outsiders who had come to Gilm.
Being outsiders, they needed to be accepted by the residents as quickly as possible.
Under those circumstances, the quickest way for Sura's group to gain acceptance was to use what they had.
And so...
"Uwooooooooooo! No way! What's with that group of beauties!"
"No, seriously, what is going on? Amazing... amazing..."
"Kyaaah! Miss, look over hereee!"
The women currently moving along the main street—all of them with appearances above average, faces befitting descriptions like beautiful, cute, and lovely—were waving from the carriage windows, walking alongside the carriages, and some even riding on the carriage roofs, scattering charm in all directions.
Originally, they were women abducted from surrounding nations to serve as vessels for birthing Giants, and simultaneously to work as prostitutes to bring in money for Jaya.
Naturally, they had been selected with well-proportioned features as the top priority, so in what could practically be called a parade, many served as its centerpiece.
...Of course, the fact that only beautiful and cute women were gathered like this meant that while they gained popularity among men and some women, they also drew resentment.
Sura had apparently decided that it was necessary to do this now, even at the cost of earning some resentment.
Indeed, the effect was tremendous, with cheers rising from the crowd.
"Kyaaah! Set-chan! Set-chan! Set-chan!"
Some were not after the women, but rather after Set, who was following along at the rear with Rei.
However, by that very action, Sura's group had clearly demonstrated their connection to Rei and Set.
There was hardly anyone in Gilm who did not know of Rei and Set, so the likelihood of the women being harassed should have decreased considerably.
...Of course, among those who had come to Gilm for the Expansion Construction, many were poorly informed about adventurers.
Naturally, such people did not know of Rei, and if they were unlucky, things could end in the worst possible outcome.
(Well, at least this serves as Sura's group's formal debut. The number of people thinking stupid things should definitely decrease. ...Though the fact that it won't drop to zero is the painful part.)
Walking at the rear of the parade alongside Set, Rei surveyed the surroundings.
Many people initially directed their gazes over as if wondering what the commotion was about, then upon seeing Sura's group parading, they were astonished and became captivated.
That cycle repeated itself... and amid it all, the food stalls selling dishes that could be eaten on the go were desperately calling out to attract customers, knowing now was the time to make an effort.
"Hey, wait, Rei! What's going on here!"
Turning his gaze toward his name called out so suddenly, he saw Phron—whom he had teamed up with a few days ago during the Gamelion Hunt—looking at him with an expression of surprise.
However, given the current situation, if Rei said anything, it would undoubtedly draw attention.
Rei merely gave Phron a light nod and continued walking without saying anything more.
Sensing something from Rei's demeanor, Phron must have understood. Though slightly bewildered, she sighed as if to say it couldn't be helped, and without saying anything further, she saw Rei and the parade pass by.
Thus they continued advancing along the main street... and eventually, when they reached the area undergoing Expansion Construction, the number of people watching the parade naturally dwindled.
Having come this far, the majority were those working on the Expansion Construction, so that was only natural.
Disrupting the work of those laboring was not Sura's group's intention, so the parade came to an end.
...Of course, though it was called a parade, in reality they had simply moved along the main street without any music or fanfare.
Whether that could truly be called a parade, Rei did not know.
For Rei, who had lived in Japan, the word parade still conjured images of something far more flashy.
Like a local sports team becoming champions of Japan, or a local athlete performing brilliantly at a world tournament... that sort of thing.
"Now then, I will guide you to your dwellings."
Following Sarajiros's words, Sura's group moved along quietly, unlike before.
However, it was a group of nearly a thousand people, the majority of them women.
Given that most of those working on the Expansion Construction were men, it was only natural that their eyes would be captivated by such a group.
If they had only been captivated, there would have been no problem.
However... several people ended up dropping the loads they were carrying onto their own feet.
On top of that, some dropped their loads onto the feet of their coworkers, which had even led to fights breaking out.
"Um, is it all right to keep going like this?"
It was likely because such exchanges were within her field of vision that Sura asked Sarajiros, but the person being asked nodded back without any issue at all.
"Well now. However, if we linger here, we will inevitably draw everyone's attention. Given that, I think it would be best to move along as quickly as possible."
Told that, Sura was convinced... and so they proceeded through the midst of the people working at various tasks.
Eventually, upon reaching an area where construction was already fairly complete, the number of workers naturally decreased.
Within the group, there were a fair number of people who did not enjoy receiving attention—no, rather, who were poor at handling it—and because of that, some felt relieved.
"It was quite... um... different from what I expected."
"Was it? I'm used to Gilm being this kind of place, so I don't particularly feel that way."
Rocks replied to Sura's words as her lover.
He appeared slightly displeased, probably because Sura had been treated almost like a spectacle.
However, the only one displeased by that was Rocks; Sura herself did not seem particularly bothered.
In any case, the group arrived at a place where there were hardly any people, and there, many buildings stood in a row.
However, it was naturally impossible to build houses for all one thousand people in such a short time, so it was a place where what could be called large huts were lined up in rows.
Though they were huts, they were built using wood from the Treant Forest, and were far sturdier than they appeared.
The lumber harvested from the Treant Forest, adjusted by magic, had high heat insulation, and the warmth inside barely escaped to the outside.
Furthermore, the artisans who built the huts spread out before Sura's group were naturally skilled carpenters, so there were no gaps for cold drafts or falling snow to slip through.
"The number of huts might be somewhat insufficient for everyone... but still, it's better than freezing to death. More than anything, compared to the people who came here to work and are sleeping in crude shelters, these are overwhelmingly better."
Sura and the others said nothing in response to Sarajiros, who spoke with full confidence.
Originally, they were treated as refugees.
Being refugees, just having huts like these prepared for them was more than enough to be grateful for.
Especially in this season, sleeping outdoors at night was tantamount to suicide.
If they could stay in a town or village, that would be one thing, but when they could not, everyone had slept inside the carriages.
Being able to sleep while freely stretching their arms and legs was without a doubt satisfying enough.
"Thank you very much."
When those heartfelt words of gratitude were offered from the bottom of their hearts, Sarajiros momentarily faltered, unsure of how to respond.
He had not shown it on his face, but he knew from the information that this group possessed enough strength to easily annihilate a typical bandit gang.
That was precisely why he had thought they might complain about not each having their own individual house... but the unexpectedly positive reception made Sarajiros inwardly relieved.
"No, no. I am glad to see you are pleased with them. Also, as a matter of course, these houses are strictly temporary. Once spring arrives and Expansion Construction can resume, we will listen to everyone's opinions and provide houses of their own to those who wish for them. At that time, we will recycle the lumber used in these huts, so I would appreciate it if you do not get them too dirty..."
"If there are many people who would prefer communal living rather than living alone, would it be all right for them to continue using these huts as they are?"
That was what Sura asked.
For Sura, she believed that it was safer for women to live together in a group to some extent rather than living alone or in pairs.
Also, having lived as a group for months during the journey here, they had grown accustomed to that lifestyle, which was a significant factor.
Since they would be living in an unfamiliar land regardless, living with people they knew well would give them peace of mind.
Initially, the group had been a motley collection of various factions simply traveling together, but after journeying together for months—literally spending every waking moment together—they had grown close whether they wanted to or not.
Of course, before growing close, they had clashed, fought, and argued countless times.
As a result, a sense of unity as a group was born, and they had reached the point where they could understand what each person needed to do with unspoken rapport.
For Sura, who had led such a group, she predicted that while she could not speak for everyone... most of them would probably not give up communal living even when spring came.
...Though Sura herself was considering living with Rocks in the future.
However, she did not expect that to happen immediately come spring.
She planned to do so only after everyone else who came to Gilm together had established a foothold and could manage on their own.
Rocks had been informed of Sura's intentions beforehand and had no particular objections.
"Um, then about the carriages..."
"Ah, I will be taking charge of those. I say this, but arranging those carriages and the horses pulling them was a considerable expense for the Zorgeh Merchant Guild. They are to be used for operating in Gilm."
At Gimekara's words, several of the women wore expressions of dissatisfaction.
After all, they had spent months living in those carriages.
They had grumbled about the cramped quarters when sleeping, but the carriages were still like homes to them.
And the horses that pulled the carriages—after traveling and caring for them for months, they had grown attached to them.
The idea that the Zorgeh Merchant Guild would unilaterally take away those carriages and horses did not sit well with many.
...Perhaps because they had gained enough power to annihilate your average bandit gang, the gazes directed at Gimekara were sharp.
Sharp enough that any ordinary person would have lost the will to fight on the spot.
However, Gimekara did not retreat a single step even under those gazes.
Naturally. No matter how the women felt, the ones who prepared the carriages were Gimekara... and the Zorgeh Merchant Guild to which he belonged.
From Gimekara's perspective, he had been lending out the carriages and the horses pulling them temporarily, and from an objective standpoint, it was not unreasonable to perceive it that way.
"Wait."
The one who interjected in that volatile situation was Sura.
Standing with Sharia and Rocks flanking her on either side, her manner radiated a certain air of dignity—one she had acquired at some point while leading nearly a thousand people.
"The one who prepared the carriages was Gimekara. Given that, it is not unreasonable for Gimekara to claim ownership."
Going by those words alone, she was clearly taking Gimekara's side.
However—Sura's words continued.
"But, Gimekara. You understand that we've grown attached to the carriages we used and the horses we cared for, don't you?"
"Well, I suppose I can understand that somewhat..."
"Good, as long as you understand. Then, if we said we wanted to buy those carriages and horses from you, would you sell them?"
At Sura's words, Gimekara opened his eyes slightly.
Being a capable merchant, it showed just how much surprise that had brought about.
"Both the horses and the carriages. Buying both would come to a considerable price, are you sure?"
"Yes. If you truly want to keep them, I think that much is only natural."
In the end, that was how the matter was settled.