The child had grown significantly.
I felt like I was watching him every day, and yet... hmm. He looked like he would be standing soon. I really shouldn't be such a doting parent.
Lately, Tia and the High Elves have been getting more aggressive. I understand how they feel, but children are a gift from the heavens. I’ll do my best, but I really hope they don't push themselves too hard.
Then there’s Draim and Beezel. They keep dropping by to check on Rusty and Frau while making indirect comments about wanting grandchildren. I won't force anything unless the girls themselves are on board. But what if they are? Well, they’re both beauties, so... Wait. Isn't Rusty oviparous? And Frau is a high-ranking noble's daughter, right? They say they don't mind, but... No. I should stop thinking about this. I get the feeling that if I go any further, there’ll be no turning back.
The communication network using Rusty’s small wyverns has basically become a scheduled mail service. Regardless of whether there’s an urgent message, we send a wyvern out at set intervals. If the other side has a reply, they send it back with the wyvern on its return trip. Usually, it’s one flight a day. For those we need to contact more often, we do multiple flights. If it’s just to keep in touch, once a week or once a month is enough. Either way, it requires cooperation from the recipient.
We contact Howlin Village once a week. The messages from our side are mostly letters from the Beastmen who moved here to their parents and families. From their side, it’s mainly discussions about trading grain for minerals. Once the trade talks take a solid shape, Tia goes there personally to finalize the deals. As for transporting the grain and minerals, I used to rely on Draim, but now Rusty handles it. At first, she wasn't thrilled about a dragon doing manual labor, but she agreed once I offered to provide sweets.
According to Tia, there’s even talk of Howlin Village becoming completely dependent on the Village of the Great Tree for food so they can focus entirely on mining and ironworking. The final decision is up to them, but I warned them they might regret it once our village has all the iron tools it needs. If I actually tried to feed everyone in Howlin Village, I’d have to expand the fields significantly. Besides, if most of their village focuses on ironworking, where would all that surplus iron even go? Well, the Demon Kingdom is at war, so I suppose iron is in high demand. Still, war doesn't last forever. Personally, I think Howlin Village should keep up its own food production.
To the south, past the mountain where Draim’s nest is and beyond the Iron Forest, lies the sea. Frau proposed that we start trading with a human port town on that coast. The goal was to acquire seafood. It all started when I muttered something during a meal: "If we had seafood, I could make so many more dishes." The solidarity the other villagers showed in response was incredible.
The southern port town is called Shashato, or Shashato City. Apparently, a merchant Frau knows has a shop there, and she wants to use it as our point of contact for trade. I’d be thrilled to get my hands on some seafood, so I agreed to cooperate. It’s a trade, but like with Howlin Village, we can use a barter system, so I started picking out items to bring.
My first suggestion was sake, but I was immediately shut down.
"Exporting our sake? How could you say such a horrible thing?"
"The sake is a village treasure!"
"The sake belongs in our storehouses, nowhere else!"
The Dwarves and High Elves were a united front on this. I had no choice but to switch to crops.
"Since we don't know what they’re looking for, let's focus on the crops we have the largest surplus of."
"That sounds like a plan," Frau agreed.
For the time being, I decided to treat this as a one-time transaction to get the seafood we needed rather than a regular trade route. We could gather more information once we were there. Or so I thought, but apparently, I wasn't allowed to go.
The group for the trip to Shashato City was decided: Frau as the representative, Rusty as transport, and five Lizardmen, including Daga, as porters and guards.
"We’re off," Frau said.
"I'll make sure everything gets there safely," Rusty added.
"Leave the heavy lifting to us," Daga assured me.
Shashato City was quite a distance away. Even for Rusty, a flight while prioritizing the safety of the cargo and passengers would take half a day. To avoid overexerting themselves, they planned to stay overnight at Draim’s nest on the South Mountain. I hoped they wouldn't be a nuisance, though for Rusty, it was basically a trip back to her parents' house. They would reach the city the next day, then return to Draim’s nest that evening for another night’s stay. They wouldn't be back until the third day. I just hoped they’d return safely.
They returned. Rusty’s back was loaded with more luggage than when they left, and the group had grown in number.
"Village Head, I’ve brought Mr. Michael, a merchant from Shashato City," Frau said, introducing a well-dressed, middle-aged man.
"H-How do you do? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Michael Goroun, head of the Goroun Company."
"I’m Hiraku, the Village Head of the Village of the Great Tree."
We exchanged several polite bows. It felt strangely nostalgic.
"Village Head, these two are the servants who will be working at my house. You don’t mind, do you?"
Still in her dragon form, Rusty introduced two women in maid uniforms.
"I am Bulga."
"I am Stifano."
They looked human at first glance, but as I watched, bat-like wings sprouted from their backs. They were of the Devil Race. Apparently, they were relatives of Draim’s attendant, Gucci. It seemed they had been looking for servants to work for Rusty for a while now, and since they’d finally made a choice, they brought them along. I gave my okay for the two of them.
But why was Mr. Michael here? He provided the answer himself.
"I was so astonished by the quality of this village's crops that I felt compelled to come and pay my respects in person, in the hope of establishing a friendly trade relationship."
"Thank you for coming all this way."
"Hahaha, the pleasure is mine. I’ve had quite the experience—riding a dragon, staying a night in a dragon’s nest..."
His face turned a bit pale as he spoke. I couldn't tell if he was still terrified or if he was just dreading the trip back.
"Please, rest for today. We can discuss the details tomorrow."
"I understand. I’ll do just that. Oh, as for my luggage..."
I saw Mr. Michael to the inn with his belongings and arranged for an attendant. Until recently, Frau had lived at the inn too, but she’d moved into her own house once it was finished. She mentioned it was her first time living alone and that the High Ogre Race had been helping her out with various things. She’d probably end up bringing in her own servants from the outside eventually, just like Rusty.
"Good work everyone. How did it go?"
"Just like you asked, I brought back a ton of seafood," Rusty said. The cargo had already been unloaded from her back.
"We’ve packed it in ice to keep it fresh," Daga explained. "Here is the inventory. We’ll start moving it to the cellar."
I looked over the list Daga handed me. It was full of the names of fish and shellfish I’d never heard of. Looking at the cargo, I saw fish that looked like tuna, bonito, saury, and mackerel. There were also shells that resembled scallops and turban shells. Maybe they were the same species, just with different names? There was even something that was unmistakably squid.
However, since fish and shellfish can carry toxins or parasites, I decided to consult someone knowledgeable before eating anything. I wasn't sure if anyone in the village fit the bill; maybe asking Mr. Michael tomorrow would be my best bet.
"And these are processed goods from Shashato City. Apparently, they’re used as seasonings," Daga said, bringing over a jar. It was a local specialty of the city, meant to be added to simmering pots. From the look of it, it was probably fish sauce. I was thrilled to find a seasoning I didn't recognize—it would definitely broaden our culinary horizons.
They’d also bought various trinkets and tools, which I distributed among the villagers. That night, we held a banquet to reward those who had gone on the trip. I thought it might as well serve as a welcome party for Mr. Michael, but apparently, that was being saved for tomorrow.