My name is Yame.
I am the island's manager.
As such, I tend to the island's visitors.
Beezel and Pugyal headed back.
They were polite to the very end and exceptionally easy to deal with.
However, something Pugyal mentioned during our casual chat came as quite a shock.
It was about my treasure.
Apparently, my treasure was discovered.
And what's more, a massive conflict broke out over it.
No, wait, at first I thought there was a chance it wasn't even mine, but he told me my name was written right on the box.
Come to think of it, I do remember writing it.
So it really was mine after all.
I am thoroughly filled with guilt.
If it was going to cause a war, I should have just given it away to someone instead of burying it.
Then again, handing it over to just one person would have definitely caused a fight anyway.
Hmm, was it bound to happen sooner or later?
Let's just tell ourselves it was an inevitable conflict.
The next guest to arrive via Shiso-sama's teleportation magic was Alfred, the son of the Village Head and Lu.
Alfred is apparently developing an island of his own, and he came to visit me hoping to use this place as a reference.
I was glad he came, but isn't his island development already ahead of mine?
A house was built here only just recently.
Is this really going to help?
Well, having enthusiasm is a good thing.
Feel free to look around as much as you like.
Ah, pretty much anything you can't make sense of is the Village Head's doing.
Yeah, like that field over there.
And that cave over that way.
The house built up in that tree is being used as a playground for the chickens, I suppose.
However, there is a ban on entry for anyone who can't fly.
Because it's dangerous.
The wells scattered all over the place were all dug by the Village Head.
I was genuinely astonished that fresh water came out despite being so close to the sea.
Except for that one fitted with a pump, though, they're all covered with lids.
It would be dangerous if someone fell in.
We wouldn't fall in, of course, but the chickens and other critters might.
Yeah, one of them actually fell in once.
It managed to climb back up by hopping along the well walls, but it seemed to have hurt itself during the fall.
Oh, it's completely fine now.
Thanks to my healing magic.
I'm not particularly good at it, but things worked out somehow.
Ah, the chickens will come strutting up to you, but don't let your guard down.
They will peck right at the tops of your feet and your shins.
They really know which spots hurt the most.
Alfred stayed on the island for about three days.
I must say, his cooking skills are superior to mine.
It was an enormous help.
I found myself wishing he could have stayed just a little longer.
After Alfred left, I wondered if Urza would be the next to visit, but the Village Head showed up instead.
Apparently, hearing about Alfred's lifestyle on the island made him unable to sit still.
He can be childish in the strangest ways.
I welcome him all the same, though.
This time, the Village Head's purpose was to survey the site for building a lighthouse.
A lighthouse.
Evidently, the Sea Race requested that one be built to mark the island's presence.
While there is no problem with building a lighthouse on the island, the location is tricky.
A lighthouse illuminates the night, but doing so would disrupt the lifestyle of the island's residents.
Simply put, having bright light shining at night is a nuisance.
It's a nuisance for me, too.
So the summit of the mountain in the center of the island is out of the question.
Absolutely out of the question.
Therefore, the High Elves on the island took their time carefully selecting a site.
What they settled on was the rocky area on the east side of the island.
We will build it there to illuminate the waters to the east.
Since it juts out slightly, it should be easy to spot from the sea.
Conversely, from the island itself, the cliffs and forest will block the view, meaning it won't be noticeable unless we build an extraordinarily tall lighthouse.
Unless we build an extraordinarily tall lighthouse, that is.
Since it was an important point, I made sure to repeat it several times within earshot of the Village Head.
Well, in truth, if we get clever with the lighthouse's light fixture, we can limit the illumination range anyway.
The Village Head completed his preliminary inspection, and final approval for construction was granted.
The shape of the lighthouse had already been decided in consultation with the Sea Race.
Above all, it must be sturdy.
On top of that, we want it bright enough to pierce through even the foulest weather.
However, having it dazzling bright all the time would be a problem, so an adjustable brightness function is preferred.
The Village Head brought the lighting magic tool for the lighthouse with him.
It was a lighting magic tool roughly the size of two Village Heads stacked together.
Perhaps because a massive magic stone is set inside it, the light is blindingly bright.
Looking directly at it would practically burn your eyes out.
That was a close one.
The brightness adjustment... can be done, I see.
Thank goodness.
Well then, let's dive into construction... or so I'd like to say, but we're waiting on Yuri.
For the construction, we want to use the Underwater Multi-purpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Equipment, the Artie Horse Aqua.
Well, there is no rush on the lighthouse anyway, so we can take our time.
Dinner was homemade ramen prepared by the Village Head.
A soy sauce-based chashu ramen, piled high with extra bean sprouts.
Mm, delicious.
I learned how to use chopsticks back when I visited the Village of the Great Tree.
I have no trouble with them now.
I can even pick up beans.
Though I still struggle a bit with tofu.
Ah, I helped make the gyoza served on the side.
The ones with the slightly lumpy shapes are my handiwork.
Fufufu.
Knowing you made them yourself makes the flavor all the sweeter.
After the Village Head departed, the Demon King's entourage arrived via Beezel's teleportation magic.
"Thank you for having us!"
Excluding Beezel, there were twenty-five people in total, including the Demon King.
I didn't quite grasp the concept, but the Demon King and his crew had come for a three-day, two-night event known as a baseball training camp.
I welcomed them, of course, but the inn couldn't possibly accommodate that many guests.
The Demon King understood this beforehand, so they planned to pitch tents outside to sleep.
All we had to do was provide meals.
We received the ingredients and funds in advance, so I had zero complaints.
The High Elves and Lizardmen on the island seemed eager to help out with their baseball camp as well.
Yeah, give it your all.
Feel free to use the sandy beach and the open plaza.
Ah, if you're going to play baseball... the west side of the island would probably be best.
It's reasonably spacious.
The grass is kept short, too.
Aside from that, there's the sandy beach.
Ah, just be careful on the beach in the morning, as debris might wash ashore.
The cleanup is usually done by noon, so if you plan to use it, the afternoon is better.
Check with the High Elves or Lizardmen regarding the details.
Try not to get too close to the birds and chickens.
If you mistreat them, I'll be furious.
Make sure to get along with the Sea Race.
No picking fights.
Uh, right, one more thing.
If the weather looks like it's taking a turn for the worse, evacuate to the inn immediately.
It'll be a tight squeeze, but we can manage to fit everyone.
You can also fall back using Beezel's teleportation magic.
Feel free to make your own call on that.
However, if we issue an evacuation order from our side, you must obey.
For a while after that, spirited shouts of "Let's go!" and the distinct sounds of baseball echoed across the island.
I managed to learn the rules of baseball.
They are quite complicated.
I was even allowed to join in for a bit.
My defensive position was the outfield.
Yeah, it's fun.
Not a single ball came flying my way, though.
How was my batting, you ask?
I'd like you to take a step back and think about it calmly for a second.
Don't you think trying to hit a tiny ball with such a puny stick is an exercise in futility?
I certainly think it is.
Yame: "My treasure? If you want it, it's yours! Seek it out! For I left everything in that place!"
Bulga: "Given the delivery of that line, wouldn't you normally be executed right after?"
Yame: "A-Ah, but I'll just revive."
Bulga: "So, what was this treasure of yours anyway?"
Yame: "The salary I received back when I was the Representative of the Empire."
Bulga: "That's far more underwhelming than I expected."
Yame: "There are land deeds in there too, you know."
Bulga: "If those surfaced today, wouldn't that cause utter chaos?"
Yame: "Chaos indeed."
Yame: "Batter, batter, swing!"
Demon King: "That's a cheer for when you're playing defense! You don't shout that from inside the batter's box!"
Yame: "Then... pitcher, pitcher, throw?"
Demon King: "That... might be acceptable, I suppose?"