My name is Yame.
I'm the manager of this island, but what I actually spend my time doing is taking care of the birds, chickens, and Inferno Wolves.
Well, I don't really mind.
Right now, I was in the inn's kitchen making barbecue sauce.
Our prepared stock had run dry.
Even with a magic tool box to keep things chilled, it was still best to eat meat and perishables as soon as possible.
Because of that, I felt like we had been having barbecues a bit too frequently.
They were popular, to be fair.
Besides, whenever members of the Sea Race stopped by, barbecue was always what they looked forward to.
Even though we had plenty of other dishes to offer...
The High Elves were busy making smoked meat.
The Village Head had left behind a large smoker, so they were putting it to good use.
Normally, smoked meat kept well, but in this island's humid climate, it didn't last very long.
That was where the chilling magic tool box came in.
All you had to do was put it inside, and it was perfectly fine.
It really was wonderfully convenient.
Back in the era before I went to sleep, we had to handle everything with magic one by one.
The Lizardmen were grinding various grains into meal, mixing them together, and pressing them into feed blocks.
This was fodder for the birds and chickens.
They took great care making it, balancing ease of eating, digestibility, and overall nutrition.
After all, feeding birds and chickens only what they liked wasn't good for them.
Like peanuts, for instance.
Lately... I think they'd taken a liking to the komatsuna harvested from the fields tilled by the Village Head.
In any case, ever since we started giving them this feed, the birds' plumage had gotten much glossier, and the chickens had grown visibly larger than when they first arrived on the island.
They were laying eggs reliably, and the chicks were hatching without issue.
The little chicks chirping away were downright adorable.
We might need to start thinking about expanding the chicken coop soon.
While barbecue was a staple on the island, curry was just as popular.
We received canned curry powder from the Village Head, but the main drawback was that making it ourselves from scratch proved difficult.
It wasn't impossible, but tweaking it to our preferred taste was quite a challenge.
And since we couldn't let failed batches of curry powder go to waste, we had to stomach them even if they didn't suit our palate.
That was a bit rough.
In the end, the curry powder straight from the Village Head turned out to be the best choice.
Though over in Village Five and other places, people served all kinds of creative variations.
The thought of developing a signature curry unique to this island sounded appealing, but that seemed unlikely anytime soon.
Well, I was content to take my time researching it.
Perhaps because my strength had been steadily returning, I'd recently managed to fly just a tiny bit.
Well, it really was barely anything.
I'd still lose to a chicken's jumping height.
Even so, I managed to reach up and touch some tree nuts hanging high above.
That made me happy.
Harvesting them could wait for another time, though.
We weren't hurting for food right now, after all.
There were small caves scattered all across the island.
These were fairly recent additions.
To be specific, the Village Head had dug them out.
He made them as shelters against sudden downpours.
However, once he finished digging them, he decided it would be a waste to leave them empty.
So, naturally, he turned them into fields.
I know that sounds bizarre, and to be honest, I didn't quite get the logic either.
Then again, he was the Village Head.
There was no point overthinking it.
As a result, whenever you stepped into one of the small caves scattered across the island, some kind of edible crop was growing inside.
Most were varieties of mushrooms, but there were also bean sprouts... if I remembered the name correctly.
Those spindly, pale little sprouts were far tastier than I had expected.
There were also daikon radish sprouts.
They couldn't serve as a main staple, but they made a fantastic garnish.
Are daikon radish sprouts just what daikon look like before they grow up?
If you keep growing a daikon radish sprout, does it turn into a full daikon?
Or are they an entirely different plant?
I'd have to ask the Village Head next time I saw him.
I also needed to remind him not to just plant fields wherever the mood struck him.
As things stood, I couldn't even find them without an Inferno Wolf leading the way.
I only remembered the locations of two of them.
Worse, because they were scattered all over, I couldn't properly inspect them on a regular basis.
That was going to be a problem.
If he wanted to plant fields, they needed to be closer to the base.
Then again, that area was already practically covered in fields.
A visitor arrived on the island.
It was Beezel from the Demon Kingdom.
His teleportation magic required him to have visual familiarity with his destination.
Because of that, he had previously accompanied the Village Head and visited the island once via Shiso-sama's teleportation magic.
Since he had already made those preparations, I figured he would come by eventually, but he showed up sooner than expected.
Did he need to consult me about something?
Or did it have to do with the man he brought along?
I didn't recognize his face.
Regardless, Beezel, having teleported right onto the sandy beach, promptly handed a basket overflowing with fruit to me as I came out to greet them.
"This is a humble gift. Please forgive the unannounced visit."
Ah, you came all this way, so I'm not going to turn you away at the door.
Thanks for the fruit.
Well, let's head over to the inn for now.
We can handle introductions inside.
"Is that truly acceptable?"
It's fine, perfectly fine.
Standing around on the hot sand exchanging formal pleasantries would be miserable for you two, dressed up so stiffly like that.
Inside the inn, it's nice and cool thanks to the magic tools.
I'd heard Beezel had a long-standing relationship with the Village Head.
On top of that, Beezel's daughter was one of the Village Head's wives.
Their ties ran deep.
I wouldn't treat him poorly, nor could I afford to.
Besides, there was no reason Beezel would bring along someone harboring ill intent toward me.
Though for whatever reason, Beezel seemed awfully timid around me.
I guided Beezel and his companion into the base's inn and served them tea.
Naturally, the tea was brewed using leaves from the Village of the Great Tree, so the quality was guaranteed.
I sliced up the fruit they'd brought and arranged it on a plate.
Then came the introductions.
I'm Yame.
The manager of this island.
And while I already know Beezel, who might this gentleman with you be?
"I-It is an absolute honor to make your acquaintance. My name is Pugyal. Watgang Pugyal. A Demon Kingdom Count."
Hmm.
Why would this Count Pugyal come all the way out here to see me?
Did he perhaps have something to contest regarding the territorial claim over this island?
"No, no, no, heavens no, that is not in the slightest my intention!"
Then what brings you here?
"First and foremost, I wish to foster friendship. Let us be on good terms!"
Huh?
...Ah, sure, why not.
Being on good terms is definitely better than having bad blood.
It's not as though I hold any grudge against you, Count Pugyal...
Count Pugyal?
Pugyal?
Wait, are you a descendant of that Strong-Arm Pugyal?!
"I-If that Strong-Arm Pugyal refers to Theodore Pugyal, then yes, that is correct."
Oh!
I knew that name sounded familiar.
Yes, your demeanor is quite similar.
I took quite a few punches from that man back in the day.
I see, so you're his descendant.
...
No, no, there's no need to look so terrified.
I know full well that you and Strong-Arm Pugyal are two different people.
...Wait a second.
Now that I think back on it, Strong-Arm Pugyal punched me completely out of the blue.
Even though I hadn't done a single thing to him.
He rattled off an entire list of alleged atrocities, but none of those were mine—they were carried out by Gucci, Bulga, and Stifano.
He even pinned the blame on me for things done by demons I didn't even know.
I'm starting to get a little irritated just remembering it.
Ah, don't worry.
Even if I'm annoyed, it's not like I'm actually going to punch you.
Besides, with my strength in its current state, punching you wouldn't do much damage anyway.
"Ha-ha-ha. You have quite the sense of humor."
I wish it were just a joke...
I picked up a piece of the fruit they brought and ate it.
Sweet and delicious.
So, did you really just come here to establish friendly ties?
If that's all, you're welcome anytime.
"Thank you very much. While it may be meager proof of our goodwill, allow me to demonstrate it through action."
Through action?
For example?
"I shall arrange for my family's merchant vessels to make regular port calls at this island."
...That's very generous of you, but we don't have anything here to trade, you know?
As for food, we don't have enough surplus to provision a ship, so at most, all we could offer is fresh water.
I don't see any profit in your ships docking here.
"I am well aware. Hence, it serves as a gesture of pure goodwill."
In other words, you're willing to send ships out of their way to this island just to stay on my good side?
"For the time being, yes, that will be the case. However, in the future, we anticipate that regular port calls will lead to mutually profitable trade."
Well, that puts quite a bit of pressure on us.
"Please, think of this initial phase simply as an investment on our part. We can use the ships to transport heavy or bulky cargo that is difficult to move via teleportation magic. And, of course, to carry exports out as well."
That would actually be a tremendous help.
It felt bad relying on Shiso-sama, Lana-san, or Beezel's teleportation magic for every little thing, after all.
However, while I hold the authority to make decisions regarding the island as its manager, opening our port to regular maritime traffic involves external affairs, so I'll need to clear it with the Village Head first.
Is that acceptable to you?
"Of course."
Well, I don't think the Village Head will object, but...
Could I ask you to deliver the Village Head's response, Beezel?
"Understood! Leave it entirely to me."
No, no, Beezel.
You aren't my subordinate, so there's no need to be so stiff with me.
And Pugyal.
Please hold off on sending any ships until the harbor construction is actually finished.
"Understood. I shall eagerly await the harbor's completion."
Right, then.
Pugyal: "Count Chrome... no, Beezel. I have a favor to ask."
Beezel: "W-What is it?"
Pugyal: "Please take me to the First Generation of the Demon Empire... no, to the First Generation Sovereign."
Beezel: "W-Why deliberately walk into such a dangerous situation?"
Pugyal: "To preempt future disaster."
Beezel: "Even so..."
Pugyal: "It seems the House of Pugyal has a history of bad blood with the First Generation Sovereign of the Demon Empire..."
Beezel: "..."
Pugyal: "I'm begging you. I just want to be able to sleep at night. Don't worry, I'll provide the gift myself."
Beezel: "If things turn sour, I'm leaving you behind and escaping on my own, understood?"
Pugyal: "It will be fine. There won't be any trouble. I will apologize no matter what it takes!"
Pugyal: "I shall arrange for my ships to dock at this island."
Beezel: (H-How underhanded! I want to have our family's ships dock here too. But I can't bring myself to ask.)
Pugyal: (You can simply register your ships as affiliates of my house.)
Beezel: (Pugyal...)
Pugyal: (I owe you for the teleportation, after all.)
Pugyal: "First Generation Sovereign."
Yame: "Just Yame is fine."
Pugyal: "Ha-ha-ha, thank you very much. Lady Yame it is, then."
Yame: "You really don't need the honorific, you know."
Pugyal: "Please don't ask the impossible. (I have no desire to be hunted down by your devout followers!)"