One day, a new resident joined our community.
I assume the newcomer arrived at the recommendation of Zabuton's children. They presented it to me bound tightly in their spider silk—a massive bee.
The creature was about thirty centimeters long. Had I encountered it without its restraints, my first instinct likely would have been to flee or strike it down. Based on the spiderlings' gestures, however, I gathered that they wanted to keep the bee as a sort of livestock.
Up close, I noticed the bee had fur-like tufts on its head, neck, and limbs, giving it a surprisingly dignified air. Besides, I reasoned, bees could be incredibly beneficial for our crops.
"It isn't going to turn on us, is it?" I asked, looking for reassurance.
If it posed a threat, I would have to deal with it. However, the spiderling holding the bee gestured emphatically that it was safe. For its part, the captive bee seemed to be projecting its own silent assurances that it would behave.
"Alright," I conceded. "Where should we put it?"
After consulting with the bee on its preferences, I constructed a beehive hut in a corner of the North Fruit Area. It was a rudimentary structure designed to shield against the wind and rain, much like the outhouses I had built when I first arrived.
I wondered what the creature would eat, only to see one of the spiderlings present it with a strawberry. They seemed dedicated to its care, though I couldn't help but wonder where that strawberry had come from. I decided to turn a blind eye and consider it a pre-harvest snack.
Over the following days, I noticed several of Zabuton's children taking turns tending to the newcomer. Ten days later, a large, rounded nest had taken shape. It resembled an oversized hornet's nest, but its sheer scale meant it had been built directly on the floor, making it look more like a termite mound.
Worker bees soon began to emerge. I was surprised to find they were the size of ordinary bees back home; I’d assumed the whole species would be giants like the queen. Eventually, a new type appeared—smaller than the queen but twice the size of a worker, roughly fifteen centimeters long. These stayed back to guard the nest. Soldier bees, perhaps?
I only hoped they wouldn't get into any territorial disputes with Zabuton's children. Regardless, I decided to leave the hive's management to the spiderlings. If anything went wrong, I was sure they would come to find me.
While Lu and Tia were thrilled at the prospect of fresh honey upon seeing the hive, Ria and the other high elves looked visibly tense. I wondered if they had a particular phobia of bees.
At long last, the waterway was finally complete.
Since the project involved mounding and packing soil before digging out the channel, the waterway wasn't particularly wide, but it functioned perfectly. Water flowed steadily into the reservoir without a single leak. Seeing the current move brought tears to my eyes.
It was a relief. I owed a great debt of gratitude to everyone who had helped me reach this point. I decided that tonight’s dinner would be a grand feast.
With the waterway finished and the reservoir filling, the possibilities for the village expanded overnight. Top of the list was the bathhouse I had been dreaming of for so long.
Working alongside Ria and her team, we constructed a building featuring a boiler area, a bathroom, a washing area, and a changing room. At this stage, we couldn't manage a reheating system, so the process was simple: heat the water elsewhere and pour it into the tub. To facilitate this, I built an outdoor furnace and installed a dedicated stone oven, with a small channel to guide the boiled water directly into the bathroom. I also ran a branch from the main waterway to the furnace to make fetching water easier.
The tub itself was massive—three meters long, a meter and a half wide, and a meter deep. I installed a drainage plug and a dedicated runoff channel. Following Tia's advice on environmental impact, I didn't dump the waste directly into the river. Instead, I routed it through a drainage pool filled with slimes to purify the water before it rejoined the main river system. Slimes really are incredibly convenient.
The tub was so big that filling and heating it would clearly be a chore, but I’d longed for a spacious bath for too long to compromise. I finished the interior with a washing area and a changing room, and since scenery is half the experience, I installed a large window overlooking the grounds. The resulting bathhouse felt far more luxurious than my current sleeping hut. I really needed to get around to building a proper house, but at that moment, the bath was my priority.
Once everything was ready, I had to teach the others how to use it, as the concept of a hot bath was entirely foreign to them. Until then, everyone had managed with just a damp cloth. Given the sheer amount of water and firewood required, it truly was a luxury. When verbal explanations failed to get the point across, I realized I’d have to demonstrate. By now, none of them were particularly bothered by my nudity.
Under the curious gazes of the women, I washed myself and finally stepped into the tub.
"It’s soaking into my soul," I whispered. Tears welled up again. The heat, the space—it was overwhelming. I hadn’t been allowed to bathe since being hospitalized in my previous life. A long-suppressed sigh of contentment escaped my lips.
I lost myself in the bliss of the water, forgetting the women were even there. My reaction must have been convincing, because suddenly, all hesitation vanished. They all decided to join me at once.
"Wait! Stop! I know it’s a big tub, but it’s not that big! We need a rotation! Take turns!"
My moment of peace was short-lived.