I knew we were facing a mountain of problems.
From the start, the sheer number of people we had agreed to take in was simply too high. And they had arrived far earlier than anticipated. However, since I had already committed to accepting them all, there was nothing left to do but give it my all. It would certainly place a burden on the current residents, but I hoped they would understand.
That night, I gathered the representatives of each race for a discussion.
In attendance were the representatives for the Minotaurs, the Centaurs, and the Nyunyu-daphne, along with Nuph, Rasshashi, and Mam, who had been appointed as their respective caretakers. Draim and Beezel were also present.
There had been some pushback against involving the newcomers so suddenly, but I felt it was better to share our concerns from the outset. Besides, they weren't guests. Even if they were going to live in separate areas, they were our new residents.
"I am Gordon, representative of the Minotaur race."
"I am Gluewald, representative of the Centaur race."
"Igu. Representing the Nyunyu-daphne."
Igu attended while being carried by one of the Nyunyu-daphne in human form. Apparently, Igu was too heavy for Mam to move around comfortably.
In any case, it was a relief that the immigrant groups were divided by race. It made them easier to address, and their racial leaders could simply double as the group representatives.
Usually, we gathered around a large table, but we had forgone that tonight since the Minotaurs and Centaurs were so large. Everyone sat on log stools or directly on the floor.
"Before we begin, may I speak?" Gluewald, the Centaur representative, raised her hand. "I would like to offer my deepest apologies for my rude and presumptuous behavior when we first met. The fault lies with me alone, so I humbly beg you not to let my actions reflect poorly on the others."
Gluewald stood up, then bent her front legs and lowered her upper body in a deep bow. Since her hind legs remained straight, her rear was still sticking up in the air... I wondered if that was the standard Centaur way of apologizing. I’d have to ask later.
"I didn't think you were that rude, but I accept the apology. Don't worry abou—ahem. Be careful in the future."
I had been about to tell her it was fine, but Rasshashi, standing beside Gluewald, had scribbled a prompt on a wooden board and held it up for me to see. I decided to follow her lead. Honestly, who was it that taught her how to use cue cards?
"Yes. Thank you very much. I shall be mindful from now on," Gluewald replied, seemingly unaware of Rasshashi’s assistance as she expressed her gratitude.
"I look forward to your hard work." This was another of Rasshashi's instructions.
"Yes, sir!"
Apparently satisfied with Gluewald's reaction, Rasshashi flipped the wooden board over.
“As expected of the Village Head! A superb performance! You could be a king at any moment!”
Thanks, but everyone standing near me can see those cards too. Lu and Tia were both struggling to hold back their laughter.
I moved the conversation along. For the time being, the most pressing issue was where the newcomers would sleep. While they all insisted they were fine sleeping outdoors, I wanted to get the small children under a roof.
There were three large, roofed structures in the village: my house, the Inn, and the Sake Brewery. While they were large, they weren't necessarily big enough to house everyone comfortably. And I wasn't about to touch the brewery—I could feel Donovan glaring at me already.
"We'll open up the Inn. The younger children will have priority for resting there."
As for the others, I wanted to find a solution as soon as possible. My nerves wouldn't be able to handle the guilt of us sleeping in beds while our new residents were stuck outside.
"Regarding our temporary camp, it would be a great help if you could continue to let us use our current spot," Gordon said. The Minotaurs wanted to stay near the tournament stage.
"We would appreciate it if we could use the area where the cows and horses were previously kept," the Centaurs requested, referring to the Ranch Area.
"As for us, we do not mind the location, provided it gets plenty of sunlight," the Nyunyu-daphne added.
That settled that.
"Very well. The Minotaurs and Centaurs may rest in those locations. If you need anything, don't hesitate to tell your caretakers."
"Understood."
"Yes, sir."
"Nuph, Rasshashi—try to stay with them as much as possible during the day. Also, for the time being, the two of you will be staying at my house."
"We understand, but... staying at your house, Village Head?"
"Why is that?"
"To save the Minotaurs and Centaurs the trouble of having to look for you if they need something."
"I see. That makes sense."
"We shall do as you say."
"The Nyunyu-daphne are free to sleep wherever they like. However, stay out of the fields. Also, make sure not to cause trouble for the others. Mam, make sure you stay in close contact with them."
"Acknowledged," Igu said.
"Mam, I know it's a big job, but I’m counting on you."
"Yes! I'll do my best!"
"I'd like you to stay at my house as well, Mam. Is that all right?"
"That's fine, but I'd like to go back once to report to Ramrias-san."
"Of course. Ann, please prepare rooms for the three of them."
"Understood."
After that, we hashed out the remaining details. We would leave the newly completed Village One vacant for now. First, everyone would focus on the harvest. Afterward, we would start building Village Two and Village Three as time allowed.
Once the buildings in Village Two were finished, one group could move in. Since they arrived first, the Minotaurs were slated for Village Two. The Centaurs would take Village Three. After that, we would build Village Four for the Nyunyu-daphne. Draim and Beezel both agreed to drop by occasionally to help reassure the newcomers and keep them calm. It was a huge help.
And so, the harvest began.
Those capable of agricultural work hit the fields. Those who weren't went into the forest to hunt.
That was when a new problem emerged. It turned out the majority of the Minotaurs, Centaurs, and Nyunyu-daphne were incapable of hunting the monsters and demon beasts in this forest.
"They look pretty sturdy, though," I remarked.
"Even if you say that, Village Head, the Minotaur race is fundamentally peaceful," Nuph explained. "They don't fight as a group. Instead, they have a few specialized combatants who protect the rest of the tribe. Those warriors are incredibly strong, but everyone else is quite pastoral."
"Is combat specialization a matter of training?"
"No, it seems to be decided at birth. You can tell by the shape of their horns."
"I see. And among the Minotaurs who came here?"
"Aside from Gordon, their representative, the others are all still children."
"So Gordon is the only one who can safely enter the forest."
"That is correct."
"Well, I can't have them getting hurt. I'll have to think of some other work for the rest."
"Thank you. We appreciate it."
Next, I turned to the Centaurs. "How many of your people can hunt in the woods?"
"Only seven adults, including Gluewald," Rasshashi answered. "The children can't handle it."
"I thought most of them were armed, though?"
"They are, but they're mostly civilians who picked up weapons to protect the children during the migration. They aren't professional soldiers."
"So only seven of them are trained?"
"Actually, only Gluewald and one other have real military training. As for the other five... they say they can just about manage a Fanged Rabbit. But that’s only based on their own self-assessment, so..."
"I see. That sounds a bit risky for the forest."
"I agree. I’d prefer if everyone except Gluewald and the other trained soldier were assigned to different tasks."
"Understood. I'll think of something."
The Nyunyu-daphne were easier to figure out. They had ways of escaping danger, but their actual combat power was likely minimal.
"Actually, they can fight well enough, and their magic is quite impressive," Mam corrected me.
"Oh? Really?"
"Yes. However, they don't hunt proactively. They prefer to wait for prey to come to them, so they can't bring in large quantities."
"Ah, I see."
"Besides, while the ones in human form are fine, the ones in stump form have a very hard time moving around."
"Fair enough. Still, even a small amount of meat would be a help."
"True. But we’ll need to designate specific areas for them so they don't clash with Kuro-san's pack, or they won't catch anything."
"Right, since they can't move around to find better spots. I'll talk to Kuro and the others to figure out a location."
"Thank you!"
In the end, I found new jobs for those who couldn't enter the forest.
The Minotaurs were put in charge of transporting the harvest. Regardless of gender, they had incredible strength. They would be responsible for hauling the crops to the storehouses.
The Centaurs were tasked with setting up temporary shelters. I had them rig up large canvas sheets to serve as cover against the sun and rain. They did this for both themselves and the Minotaurs. I also asked them to help look after the Minotaur children.
The Nyunyu-daphne all moved to the area around the future site of Village Two to set up their ambush hunting spots.
Everyone worked hard at their new, unfamiliar tasks.
By the end of the first day, excluding the Nyunyu-daphne, the hunting team's total haul was exactly one Fanged Rabbit. Furthermore, they had three casualties: Gordon, Gluewald, and another Centaur were all injured.
"Are Fanged Rabbits really that tough?" I asked.
"Well..." one of the Civil Official Girls replied. "For a normal person, encountering one is a reason to despair."
As I listened to her, I decided that none of them would be going back into the forest tomorrow.
"By the way," I asked her, "could you beat a Fanged Rabbit?"
"Please, don't joke like that. I'm strictly in the general division."