I'm Yame.
I serve as the manager of Great Tree Island.
Though the only residents besides me are the doll Ivan, the birds, and the chickens.
It's plenty lively, all things considered.
Currently, the island's facilities consist of an inn, a birdhouse, a chicken coop, a watchtower, the base, and a coastal bath.
And, I suppose, the storehouse.
Port construction is currently on hold.
Without Yuri around, the Underwater Multi-purpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Equipment—the Artie Horse Aqua—can't operate.
We could technically build without it, but the work has been paused because the efficiency difference is night and day.
Construction on the Village Head's House, nestled inside the mountain at the island's center, has also ground to a halt.
That's because the Mountain Elves in charge of interior finishing aren't here.
Nothing can be done about it.
About ten private residences have been erected at the base, but their interiors remain completely untouched for the same reason.
It's not that the High Elves or Lizardmen are utterly incapable of interior carpentry, but they're deliberately saving that work for the Mountain Elves.
It's a matter of respecting trade boundaries—protecting their own specialized craft by not encroaching on someone else's.
Well, there's no rush to finish the buildings anyway, so I haven't said a word.
Shops and a dining hall are planned for the base as well, but those have been pushed to the back burner due to a lack of hands.
I suppose we'll have to solve the labor shortage first.
Just as I was pondering our manpower problem, the island gained another Inferno Wolf.
The Village Head brought it over.
Apparently, it's a youngster who had grown isolated within the village pack.
Even the pack alpha threw up his hands in defeat, so I was told.
To be sure, when you can't fit into a pack, stepping away for a while isn't a bad idea.
Still, while I wondered why it had to be dumped on me, it's not like you can just leave an Inferno Wolf in any random town when you think about it.
Here, we're cut off from the mainland, and there are very few people.
There's no risk of startling anyone.
Let's make the best of it.
For now, the plan is simply to let the Inferno Wolf acclimate to island life.
I'm curious about why it became estranged, but asking out of nowhere won't get it to open up.
No need to rush.
Or so I thought, but the moment the Inferno Wolf stepped into the base inn, it burrowed straight into the kotatsu set up in the common room and refused to budge.
The only times it ever emerges are to use the outdoor outhouse and to eat.
...
Well, as long as it does its business outside, I suppose it's fine.
It eats its meals without fuss, too.
Speak up if you ever need anything, alright?
The birds and chickens were terrified by the newcomer's presence at first, but they adapted in no time.
Resilient little things.
Though it feels more like they simply resigned themselves to an insurmountable gap in raw power.
Still, the sheer audacity to demand peanuts to soothe their frayed nerves proves they're plenty tough.
Yes, yes, I'll crush the peanuts, so just give me a moment.
When I broached the subject of staffing the shops and dining hall with the Sea Race, they told me that Sea Lizardmen and Sea Elves—who can operate on land without issue—would be willing to lend a hand.
That's a huge relief.
Naturally, I'll pay proper wages.
I've been entrusted with generous operational funds from the Village Head, after all.
Just hold on a second before fixing any numbers, though.
My concept of currency dates back two thousand years.
I didn't spend a single copper in Village Five or the Village of the Great Tree, so my financial sense hasn't been updated.
And money is useless on this island anyway.
Ah, then would paying cash be pointless?
Well, they could spend it whenever they go shopping on the mainland.
If the Sea Race prefers, barter works just as well.
In that case, what we can offer would primarily be the crops we receive from the Village of the Great Tree.
Regardless, I'll consult the Village Head the next time he visits.
There's no hurry.
It'll be quite some time before the shops and dining hall are operational anyway.
The Sea Race were out sunbathing along the sandy beach and rocky shore.
Even if they can survive underwater for extended periods, they still need to soak up the sunlight.
However, when they lie limp and completely motionless...
You can't help but panic, wondering if a mountain of drowning victims just washed ashore.
In fact, it gave people quite a scare.
Namely, the High Elves and Lizardmen.
I wasn't caught off guard since the Sea Race had already asked me if they could borrow the shore to sunbathe.
I was sure I'd passed the word along, though.
Did it just go in one ear and out the other because I mentioned it over dinner?
Perhaps I ought to establish dedicated meeting times for sharing information.
Ah, a message board might do the trick.
A board where important notices can be posted.
That way, anyone can check it and stay informed.
Right, let's do that.
I installed a message board in the inn's common area.
We decided that all notices on the message board must be written in the Common Tongue.
Because nobody could decipher the script I wrote.
The Village Head read it without breaking a sweat, though...
Since a notice is useless if the others can't read it, the Common Tongue it is.
Don't worry.
I'm just out of practice; it's not like I don't know the language.
Ah, wait, my grammar might be a touch dubious.
Time to hit the books.
The fields the Village Head plowed.
Far from simply sprouting, the crops have grown remarkably.
The fruit trees are shooting up fast, too.
Did he imbue them with some sort of magic?
The Village Head didn't look like he was casting anything, though.
Divine protection from a god?
No way.
Well, no use fretting over the details.
Let's look forward to the peanut field's harvest as well.
A group of slimes has settled down at the island's garbage dump.
They break down the accumulated waste, which is an immense help.
I'll gladly recognize them as official residents of the island.
If that's what they want, of course.
Oh, you do?
Alright, then you're officially island residents.
Let's see... there are three of you, right?
Turned out there were seven.
The Inferno Wolf that came to the island has finally settled into island life.
And warmed up to me.
Well, I'm the one feeding it, and I gave it a good brushing whenever I had a spare moment.
So, why were you so isolated in the first place?
Uh-huh, I see.
Being around the pack made you feel like you were losing your identity?
Ah, youth.
Aren't Inferno Wolves supposed to thrive in packs, though?
You hate going outside, but they kept nagging you that running outdoors is essential?
Well, they're not wrong.
If you don't stay active while you're young, your body won't develop properly.
You have to move around to a certain degree just to keep pace with the pack.
Doing it "for the sake of the pack" is what rubs you the wrong way, huh?
I get it.
Then how about doing it for yourself?
Even if you choose to live on your own, you still need strength, right?
Working hard for your own benefit doesn't sound half bad.
Well, as long as it suits you, you're welcome to stay on this island forever.
Take your time and think it over.
Ah, but is it really alright to just lounge around eating free meals forever?
We receive our provisions from the Village Head, but is it right to just gorge yourself without giving back?
Any interest in doing a little work around the island?
...Alright, then I hereby assign you to island patrol duty.
If anything happens, report straight to me.
I know, I know.
Put in an honest day's work, and I'll give you a thorough brushing afterward.
Do your best.
Inferno Wolf: "Wait, isn't this where you're supposed to assign me to guard the house?"
Yame: "Don't get soft on me. Food you didn't work for tastes awful, doesn't it?"
Inferno Wolf: "Huh? It tastes incredible, actually."
Yame: "..."
Inferno Wolf: "A-A meal after hard labor is truly the best, isn't it!"
Yame: "There, there. Good boy."
Inferno Wolf: "I just wish people wouldn't assume every dog loves going for walks!"
Yame: "I hear you, but you're not a dog—you're a wolf."