The migrants were set to take up residence in Village One.
This raised two main issues: appointing their caretaker and deciding what to do with the Nyunyu-daphnes, who had been managing the village until now. We held a meeting to discuss these points before the group arrived.
Including myself, there were four participants. First was Igu, the representative of the Nyunyu-daphnes, who sat in her usual stump-like form. Then there was Mam, a beastman who served as their caretaker. Finally, for some reason, the Sake Slime was perched in one of the conference room chairs. I hesitated to count it, but the room felt a bit empty with just three of us, so I added it to the tally.
The "discussion" mostly consisted of me listening to Igu’s requests. We went through various scenarios, with her explaining how she wanted things handled in different situations. The Sake Slime, meanwhile, lost interest halfway through and drifted off to sleep.
Now that the migrants had actually arrived, we finalized the plan. We held a briefing in the inn’s first-floor hall—the same place where we’d had the welcome party—to communicate our decisions and answer any questions.
The attendees were myself, Igu, Mam, and all twenty members of the migrant group. Their leader had requested that everyone attend, believing they should hear anything that directly affected their future lives firsthand, especially since they might have opinions of their own. I saw no reason to hide anything, so I agreed.
After we finished reintroducing ourselves, the meeting began.
"As some of you may have heard at yesterday's welcome party, you will be living in Village One, a separate settlement to the west of here," Mam said, taking the lead on the briefing. I had intended to do it myself, but she had asked me to refrain with a polite smile.
"There are many vacant houses in Village One, so we can provide one house per couple."
A murmur of excitement rippled through the group at Mam’s words.
"The Nyunyu-daphne race currently lives there to manage the village. While their role was originally supposed to end once new residents arrived, we’ve decided twenty people are too few to maintain the place alone. Therefore, the Nyunyu-daphnes will continue to live there alongside you."
"Um... does that mean we’ll be living together?" one of the migrants asked, raising a hand.
"In a sense, yes, though their way of life is quite different from a human's. To put it simply, they prefer the outdoors to living inside a house."
"I’m sorry, I don't quite understand," the man replied bashfully. The Nyunyu-daphne are a rare race, and it seemed there were very few demi-humans in the land these people came from.
"My apologies. Let me try another way. Do you know what a chicken is?"
"Yes."
"And a cow?"
"Of course."
"Think of it like raising chickens and cows together on the same ranch."
I wondered if that was actually easier to understand.
"So, in the same space, the cows live as cows and the chickens live as chickens?"
Oh, he actually got it. Impressive.
"I won't say which race is the cow and which is the chicken, but since our species are different, our habits are different. Please find a way to get along despite those differences."
The migrants gave hesitant but agreeable nods.
"As for your caretaker—essentially your point of contact for any requests or complaints—I will be taking on that role. I look forward to working with you."
When Mam bowed, the migrants bowed back. I had been a little unsure about who should handle the job, but Mam had stepped forward proactively. Since she already lived in Village One, she wanted to look after the newcomers as well. Igu had agreed, so I made it official.
"We will be providing food supplies for the time being, but... can all of you cook?"
The migrants looked conflicted. When asked why, they explained that while they could cook basic meals, they didn't know how to handle the many ingredients they’d never seen before.
"I see. In that case, we’ll lend you some people who can teach you. Village Head?"
I agreed to dispatch a few High Ogre Maids and High Elves. The Nyunyu-daphnes ate, but they didn't really "cook" in the traditional sense.
"For now, you'll be living as a group. Is everyone comfortable with your current leader remaining as your representative?"
Mam went through the list of notifications and confirmations one by one. It ended up taking quite a while.
"That concludes the briefing. Are there any questions?"
"Y-yes," the leader said, raising his hand. "I think I understand the basics of village life. But what kind of work are we expected to do?"
"Our preference is for you to engage in agriculture, but we don't expect everyone to have an immediate knack for it." Fouche hadn't mentioned specifically recruiting farmers, after all. "We’d like you to try various tasks over the coming months. By next spring, we hope you’ll have decided what you’d like to focus on."
"Would we be kicked out of the village depending on what we choose to do?"
"We wouldn't do anything like that... right, Village Head?"
Mam looked at me, and I shook my head. We weren't that heartless. However, "neets" would be a problem. He who does not work, neither shall he eat.
"Don't overthink it. For this year, your priority should just be getting used to life here."
After a few more questions, the session ended. However, we didn't dismiss them yet. We still had to move everyone to Village One.
It was a significant distance to cover, and going on foot would take far too long. Additionally, the migrants had luggage. Although I’d told Fouche we would provide furniture, dishes, and tools, they still had their personal belongings and clothes. I didn't want to make them carry all that on foot.
As for transportation, I had initially considered asking Rusty to fly them over, but Mam vetoed the idea. She wanted them to learn the actual distance between the settlements.
That was where the carriages came in. I had returned the carriage with the suspension system to Michael during the winter, but three more had been brought to the village since then. We had already finished retrofitting them with suspensions, and they were ready to be sent to Michael, but Hakuren’s pregnancy had delayed the shipment.
Could we use those? No, I couldn't just use merchandise meant for delivery. Instead, we used a carriage the Mountain Elves had built themselves after studying the originals. It wasn't an exact replica; they had modified it to be lightweight, sturdy, and high-performance. It didn't have the sophisticated suspension intended for Michael’s order, but it did use leaf springs.
Leaf springs were basically springs made from the elasticity of wood. Apparently, the technology existed in this world, but Michael’s carriages hadn't used them. Perhaps the prevalence of magic made such mechanical advancements slow to spread. I hadn't heard anything about patents from Frau or Michael, so I figured it was fine to use.
Still, we only had one carriage with leaf springs, and it could only hold eight people, including the driver. To solve this, we attached a trailer—something like a large rear car—to the back. It was built for hauling cargo, so it lacked any kind of suspension, but it could hold ten people.
I asked four centaurs to pull the rig. For the remaining two people and the overflow of luggage, we used horses and other centaurs. In short, eight people in the carriage, ten in the trailer, and two riding with the centaurs.
A heated Rock-Paper-Scissors tournament broke out to decide who went where. Since they were standing right in front of the centaurs, the migrants tried not to look openly disappointed about losing, but they couldn't hide the tears in their eyes. The centaurs aren't that scary, really.
I ended up riding with Gluewald of the centaur race. Mam and Igu (still a stump) rode on a horse. With a pack of Kuro’s children acting as an escort, our caravan set off.
Because the carriage and trailer were heavy, we moved at a slow, easy pace. I wondered if it would be convenient to set up a regular carriage service between the villages. Then again, the Minotaurs were too big to ride them, and the centaurs were faster on their own. If I did it, it would probably only be for the route between the main village and Village One.
But who would use it? The migrants probably wouldn't be traveling back and forth that often. At most, it would be Mam. In that case, lending her a horse would be simpler. I decided to put the regular carriage service on hold.
Lost in thought, I realized we had arrived at Village One.
Rows of houses stood ready, each spacious enough for a family of four. I could feel the migrants' spirits lift as they saw their new homes. However, their gaze soon dropped, and they flinched.
The Nyunyu-daphnes were waiting to greet them, flanked by the Inferno Wolves and the spiderlings who guarded the village. Seeing them all lined up like that, even I was struck by how many there were.
"Allow me to introduce everyone," Mam said with a smile.
"You’re free to choose whichever house you like, but please, no fighting. If two groups want the same house, talk it out."
She showed them the central plaza, the well, and the outhouses. Just to be safe, she explained how to use the latter two.
"You must always use the outhouses for your business. And you must always wash your hands afterward. This is of the utmost importance."
Hygiene was vital; I didn't even want to imagine a plague sweeping through the village.
"That large tree in the center is the symbol of this village. No pranks, and make sure you teach your future children to respect it as well."
"What’s that over there?" someone asked.
"That’s a shrine. A place for prayer."
"To the Creator God!"
"...And the other one?"
"The God of Agriculture."
Once Mam finished her tour, the migrants split into pairs to find their houses. Some decided instantly, while others agonized over the choice. Personalities really do shine through at times like this. I noted that some wanted to pray immediately, but I told them it could wait—if they didn't hurry, all the good houses would be taken.
"Village Head, was that all right?" Mam asked.
"It was perfect. I’m counting on you."
"Yes! I'll do my best."
"And Igu, thanks for looking after the place until now. I’ll be relying on you too."
"Leave it to us," she replied. She was quite reliable, even as a stump.
Gluewald and the others detached the carriage and headed back to the main village, pulling only the empty trailer. They were going to pick up the immediate food supplies and the instructors who would teach the newcomers to cook. I also had them bring over several slimes.
Since the Nyunyu-daphnes didn't produce waste, Village One was short on slimes. It was a bit of a mystery how they could eat without ever needing to relieve themselves, but since they were wood spirits who could turn into trees or stumps, I decided not to think too deeply about it. It was just how they were.
"Is that the Nyunyu-daphne house?" I asked, pointing to a large building Mam had indicated earlier.
"Yes. They prefer the outdoors, but they need a place to store their belongings."
"Belongings?" I wondered for a second before remembering the reward medals and the items they exchanged them for. They definitely needed a place to keep those safe.
"And their clothes," Mam added.
Right. When the Nyunyu-daphnes took human form, they were usually stark naked. That was a problem for communal living, so I’d asked them to wear clothes in that form. A few had made a habit of it, but most found it a chore and preferred staying as trees or stumps. It was a bit of a waste, considering how beautiful they were in human form.
About an hour later, Gluewald’s group returned. They were making good time, likely because they had ditched the heavy carriage—or perhaps because they weren't holding back. The slimes seemed fine, but the two High Elves who had come to teach cooking looked a little green. I made a mental note to look into adding leaf springs or a suspension system to the trailer as well.
By the time we finished unloading, most of the migrants had settled on their houses. They were all smiles, and I hoped they could keep those smiles for a long time. As Mam said, for now, they just needed to get used to the lifestyle.
We had a welcome party planned for Village One tonight. Unlike yesterday’s party, where they were guests, tonight they would be celebrated as members of the community.
I called each couple over and handed them a wooden nameplate. I’d noted their names during yesterday's festivities and prepared them for today. Receiving these made them official residents of Village One. There would be hardships ahead, I was sure, but I truly wanted them to succeed.