I am Yame.
Since the Village Head was expected to arrive on the island, the members of the investigation team were busy making various preparations.
Hmm… What preparations? Isn’t a simple "Welcome" enough? For my part, I was preparing tea.
...
When I sampled the tea I’d made, the taste was… remarkable. And by that, I mean terrible. How strange. I had used the same ingredients and the same method as always. Was it because my palate had grown accustomed to the food from the Village of the Great Tree and Village Five? Now I finally understood why Urza and the others had spat it out. I couldn't possibly serve this. I was glad I’d done a taste test. I would have to come up with something else.
The Village Head arrived on the island.
...
But why on a sailing ship? What happened to teleportation magic? Shiso-sama had used it this morning to send me and the investigation team here, hadn't he? Could it be that the Village Head disliked traveling via teleportation magic? If that were the case, he could have used the airship. Or he could have come riding on Lana-san.
Hmm, I didn't understand the reason for the ship. It was shaped differently from the flying vessel called the Universal Ship back in the Village of the Great Tree. Was he checking the port's functionality? No, that couldn't be it, since the port wasn't finished yet.
For the time being, the Village Head boarded a small boat lowered from the ship and made landfall. He carried a long harpoon. Since it was made of wood, it might have been his own handiwork. Accompanying him were numerous Inferno Wolves and Demon Spiders, who also boarded the small boat and landed. They were scanning the surroundings with great alertness, though I doubted there were any foes on this island that would require them to show their true strength.
Urza and the Ice Monster were there too. Additionally, there were numerous high elves, mountain elves, lizardmen, a few elder dwarves, members of the beastman race, and several High Ogre maids. They landed one after another. Looking at this crowd… there was no way they’d all fit in the base’s inn. I hoped they had a plan.
Oh, some angels arrived as well. About thirty of them. They must have been providing aerial cover for the ship, hidden among the clouds. On top of that, hundreds of members of the sea race lined up in the water. The island was overflowing with people.
After most of the group had landed, the Village Head thrust his harpoon into the sand. It slowly tipped over.
...
Perhaps it hadn't caught properly? It was a sandy beach, after all. He took hold of the harpoon and tried again. This time, to ensure it didn't topple, the Demon Spiders anchored it with several strands of silk. A few Inferno Wolves also sat at the base to brace it. How clever.
Once the Village Head confirmed the harpoon was stable, he made a landing declaration. I mean, we were already quite thoroughly "landed," but it seemed like a ritual, so I didn't let it bother me.
A short while later, a flag was raised on the watchtower. I was told it was the flag of the Village of the Great Tree. I see. Ah, but wasn't that watchtower built on the assumption that it would eventually be torn down? Was that okay? Oh, they were going to re-hang it in a more permanent location later. Yes, that sounded wise.
After inspecting the inn and the surrounding area, the Village Head headed toward the center of the island, guided by Gulf. Since high elves and angels were accompanying him, there was no chance of him getting lost. The Inferno Wolves and Demon Spiders followed along as well.
Those who didn't accompany the Village Head began preparing for a banquet—not near the inn, but on the shore. They were likely being considerate of the sea race. "Ah, the waves come up to about here, so it would be better to keep the fires a bit further inland," I suggested. "Also, the seafood the sea race brought will spoil quickly if it's not kept in the shade..." The Ice Monster stepped in, producing stacks of ice to cover the catch. He really was convenient.
The Village Head and his group returned as the sun was beginning to set. Having toured the site, the Village Head had a satisfied look on his face. I was glad he wasn't disappointed.
Then, the banquet began. The sake they'd brought was distributed, and a great chorus of cheers rang out. I wasn't much of a drinker, so I had mine diluted with juice. I only needed to feel a hint of the spirits. The massive supply of ingredients was transformed into one extravagant dish after another. The High Ogre maids who led the kitchen seemed to do the work of far more people than their actual number. They were truly impressive.
I ate at a table with the high elves, angels, and lizardmen who had been part of the investigation team. The food was delicious. Some of the dishes looked like things the birds could eat, so I wanted to share some with them. I planned to ask if there were leftovers. There were no leftovers. Well, with the Inferno Wolves, Demon Spiders, and so many of the sea race there, I suppose it couldn't be helped. I apologized to the birds and gave them some hard nuts I'd cracked open instead.
I noticed eggs in the nests inside the birdhouse. It looked like the bird population was going to increase again.
Then came the night. I wondered about the sleeping arrangements, but the residents of the Village of the Great Tree, including the Village Head, simply returned home, and the sea race went back to the water. They used teleportation magic to return to the village.
? So, wouldn't it have been fine if they'd come here via teleportation magic in the first place? The sailing ship the Village Head arrived on had departed before I’d even realized it.
The next day. The Village Head arrived on the island again. Via teleportation magic.
Hmm? What was that whole ship business yesterday about? I was curious enough to ask, and apparently, it was simply the Village Head's preference. If that was the case, then there was nothing more to say. I would just accept it and move on.
Along with the Village Head came some Inferno Wolves, Demon Spiders, high elves, mountain elves, lizardmen, and angels. It was about half the number of people from yesterday. This time, it seemed Urza and the Ice Monster hadn't come.
The Village Head planned to build a house near the center of the island. The location had already been selected by the advance investigation team. I'd been consulted as well, and it seemed like a fine spot. However, the path leading there was a bit difficult. I wondered if that would be a problem.
...
It seemed it wouldn't. For some reason, a road that hadn't existed yesterday had appeared. When had that happened? Who made it?
Apparently, they were also going to build a house for the Village Head near the base’s inn. He would use them for different purposes: the house near the center for private use, and the one near the base for official business. Several high elves were already marking out the construction site with rope. Ah, I see—when they were building the inn, they’d already planned out the square and the main street. This area was for shops, and private houses would line up over here. In that case, the base’s inn would probably become a proper inn in the future.
Wait. Would I be kicked out of the inn? Was I okay? Oh, they were going to build a house for me too? Hooray!
The excavation of the seabed near the port was progressing smoothly, thanks largely to the cooperation of the sea race. Yuri, who was piloting the Underwater Multi-purpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Equipment—the Artie Horse Aqua—said their directions were incredibly precise and helpful.
Several warehouses, essential for the port, had already been erected. Like the inn, they were kept low to protect against the wind, which meant they had limited storage capacity. They’d considered digging out the floors to make them semi-underground, but I’d vetoed that idea because they would flood when the tide came in. Instead, they decided to tunnel into a nearby cliff to create a second set of storehouses. I’d thought digging tunnels would be grueling work, but before I knew it, a row of clean, perfect caves had been finished. Seriously, when did they have the time? The high elves were currently making doors to seal them.
Then there was the railway. The Village Head was strangely enthusiastic about it, proposing a plan to lay tracks connecting the inn and the port. I didn't really understand what a railway was at first, but I got the gist after seeing a miniature model. It would certainly make transporting goods much easier. But wouldn't the rails rust so close to the sea? Apparently, the blacksmiths of the Beastman Race were researching rust-resistant iron. They were going to use a prototype for this project. Well, if the Village Head was fine with it, then so was I.
Lastly, my old cave base. It was decided that statues of the Creation God and the Agricultural God would be installed there. It was certainly a secure location that had served me well for a long time, so I had no reason to refuse. However, since the birds had been living there, there were droppings everywhere. Even though I’d tried to get them to use a specific spot by adjusting their perches, it wasn't exactly pristine. Since statues of gods were being placed there, leaving it in that state was out of the question. It needed a deep clean.
I’d intended to do it all myself, but the high elves, mountain elves, lizardmen, and even the angels pitched in to help. Numbers really are power. The job was finished in the blink of an eye. I was very grateful.
The statues were finally enshrined.
Later, the Village Head asked for some of my tea. My tea? As in, the same tea I’d served to Urza? Had he heard about it from her? I warned him that the taste was dreadful—I’d finally realized that myself. I told him I could make it since I had the ingredients, but he really shouldn't drink it.
After taking a sip, the Village Head struggled to suppress the urge to spit it out. See? I told him so. But for some reason, he looked… pleased. I wonder why?