The first group had arrived.
These were the immigrants gathered through Draim’s connections. They had been brought here via aerial transport by Draim, Hakuren, and Lasty. To facilitate this, we had recently prepared a giant four-legged table. The concept was simple: by carrying the table on their backs while in dragon form, the dragons could significantly increase their transport capacity.
The table was designed with four legs so that it could stand firmly on the ground even after the dragon carrying it shifted back into human form. This made loading and unloading cargo much easier, as the dragons didn't need to remain transformed throughout the process—a feature that had already made the rig quite popular.
For this trip, we had rigged ropes across the top of the giant table to ensure no one would fall off during the flight. Watching the three dragons flying toward the village in formation with those massive tables on their backs reminded me of a wyvern raid; it was a sight that was more than a little intimidating.
There were seventy-two of them in total, all belonging to a race known as Minotaurs.
The Minotaurs I remembered from my old world were giants with the heads of bulls, but the ones standing before me had human faces. However, they did possess two large horns, similar to those of a water buffalo, protruding from their heads. Furthermore, while the Minotaurs of my previous world were a male-only race—or rather, a single legendary individual—this group included plenty of women as well.
Well, this was another world. I decided not to sweat the small details.
I offered Draim a reward for the transport, but he declined, asking me to put whatever I would have given him toward helping the Minotaurs instead. I wondered if he was still feeling guilty about the trouble he’d run into while recruiting. I had been the one to ask for the favor, so he really didn't need to worry about it.
Hakuren and Lasty, on the other hand, had no such reservations and requested their rewards immediately. Regardless, it was a massive help to have everyone transported so quickly. It seemed Draim intended to stay with the newcomers for a short while.
"It would be irresponsible to simply drop them off and leave," Draim said. "They must be feeling anxious."
"I am Gordon, the representative," their leader said, stepping forward. "We look forward to working with you."
As we exchanged greetings, I took stock of the group. There were twenty-eight men and forty-four women. Among them were twenty-three children—eight boys and fifteen girls. The remaining forty-nine were said to be ready for immediate labor, but...
Every one of them capable of working was gaunt, little more than skin and bones. It was obvious at a glance that they hadn't eaten properly for some time. Since the children looked relatively healthy, the adults had likely been giving up their own portions to feed them. In their current state, they didn't look capable of manual labor at all.
"For now, how about a meal?" I suggested. "We’ll get something ready for you right away."
I had the Minotaurs gather near the area where the martial arts tournament had been held. I then instructed the High Ogre maids to prepare and distribute food. I wanted the dishes to be easy on the stomach, but I worried about racial dietary restrictions. The maids assured me they would handle it without any issues, so I left the catering in their capable hands.
Next, I planned to have Lu, Tia, and Flora check if anyone needed healing magic.
That covered the basics, but I realized I hadn't appointed a caretaker yet. If these people had to wait for my personal permission or judgment every time a minor issue arose, progress would be painfully slow. I needed someone to act as a guide for their daily lives. For the Beastman Race, I had relied on Ramrias of the High Ogre Race, and she was still doing an excellent job.
I hadn't decided who should lead the Minotaurs.
"Village Head, would you consider appointing me as their caretaker?" one of the Lizardmen asked, stepping forward.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes. I’ve had some interaction with Minotaurs in the past. If no one else is familiar with their race, I would like to volunteer."
The others nearby shook their heads, and since he had volunteered himself, he clearly had the drive for it.
"Very well, Nuph."
I couldn't tell the Lizardmen apart when I first arrived, but after all this time together, I had finally learned how to distinguish them—though I still struggled with the newer hatchlings.
"I’m putting you in charge of the Minotaurs."
"Thank you very much."
With the Minotaurs left in Nuph’s care, I gathered everyone else at the house for a meeting.
"We have a new problem regarding the new villages," I began.
"Indeed," the High Elves agreed, looking troubled.
A Mountain Elf, who had been busy building waterwheels back in the Village of the Great Tree, raised her hand. "Pardon me. I haven't visited the new sites yet, so I'm not sure I understand. What exactly is the problem?"
One of the High Elves answered her. "We built the new settlements to accommodate about a hundred people."
Yes, I had doubled the capacity from the original fifty. However...
"Is that a problem? The numbers seem to match up, don't they?"
"We built them to human scale," the High Elf explained.
"Ah."
It was a total blind spot. I hadn't considered the size difference at all. No one who had joined the village up to this point had been exceptionally large. But the Minotaurs, even in their emaciated state, were massive. Setting aside the children, every adult stood well over two meters tall, with some reaching nearly three.
Then there was the clothing issue. I didn't know what they had been through, but their clothes were little more than tattered rags.
"Let’s ask Zabuton to make some new clothes in a hurry," I said.
I looked at one of Zabuton's children nearby. The spiderling raised a leg in acknowledgment and scurried off to find its mother.
"The most pressing issue is their sleeping quarters," I continued.
"True. We could ask them to manage by sleeping outdoors for a while and just pray for no rain," a High Elf suggested.
"I’d hate to ask that of them, but..."
Autumn harvest was almost upon us. I was already considering putting the construction of the new villages on hold. To survive the winter, securing food was the absolute priority. We couldn't afford to skip the harvest, which meant house building would have to wait. Even if we had the Minotaurs help with the work, finishing everything before winter hit was a massive gamble.
"Um," someone who had been scouting the Northern Dungeon spoke up. "If the houses won't be ready in time, why not have them winter in the Northern Dungeon? The Giants live there, so there's plenty of space and the ceilings are high."
"It’s not a bad idea," I admitted. "But will the Giants accept them?"
"They seemed very friendly when I met them. I think they'll agree. Of course, we’ll have to provide a gift as thanks, and we'd need to bring in our own fuel and food for the winter."
"Right. I’d like to handle as much as we can ourselves, but we should prepare for the worst. Let’s send someone to negotiate with the Giants."
"Understood. I'll pick out a delegation."
"I’m counting on you. Also..."
Then there was the matter of supplies.
"We’ll use the village funds to buy food and tools from Michael-san."
From what I could see, the Minotaurs had arrived with no personal possessions. A few of them carried battered swords or spears, but that was it.
"Should we prepare weapons for them as well?" I asked.
The group began debating the necessity of arming the newcomers.
"Still, to arrive with no food, no clothes, and no belongings... I wonder what happened to them?"
"Nuph is looking into that now," I said. "We should have answers soon. More importantly, regarding their immediate meals..."
There was so much to discuss. But in the middle of our meeting, a new update arrived.
"Village Head! The group led by Beezel-sama is about to arrive!"
A wave of dizziness washed over me.