We gathered in the mansion’s meeting room to discuss how we would handle the teleportation gate. The Demon King was the primary participant, with Beezel, Draim, and the Progenitor attending as observers.
"As far as my investigation shows, there are no laws in the Demon Kingdom restricting the installation of teleportation gates," the Demon King began. "Provided the lord of the land grants permission, you are free to do as you wish. However, given the nature of the device, I must ask that you refrain from making its existence public. Regional logistics would collapse."
"Logistics? Does that mean I can't use it to transport our village's crops?" I asked.
"That is perfectly fine. What I want you to refrain from is using it for direct commercial shipping. For instance, if you were to connect the Royal Capital and Shashato City directly, it would be incredibly convenient—but the towns and villages positioned between them would be ruined."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense."
"As long as one end of the gate is in this village, I won't complain about where you put the other. However, I would like you to show a certain amount of consideration."
"Consideration?"
"To be blunt, it would be problematic if you built it inside a city."
"Is that so?"
"Indeed. Just in case... On the off chance that a monster or magic beast from this forest made it through the gate, the consequences for a populated area would be dire. I must consider that possibility."
I understood his point. Even if we claimed everything was perfectly safe, he would be failing as a ruler if he believed us unconditionally.
"If possible, I would like the gate to be located at least one day’s carriage ride away from Shashato City."
The Demon King's other requirements were equally reasonable: keeping records of travelers, limiting the daily volume of traffic, appointing a dedicated manager, maintaining a permanent guard presence, and keeping the gate's existence as secret as possible.
Still, managing the teleportation gate was starting to sound like a major headache. I suppose that was only to be expected for something of its magnitude.
"I heard that Shashato City was a candidate for the gate. Has that changed?" the Demon King asked.
I had consulted with Beezel several times before today’s meeting, so word must have reached him through those talks.
"We have many connections there, after all," I replied.
"Since Shashato City and its surroundings are Royal Territory, I shall grant permission for the installation. But... it would be a significant burden for you to set up a gate outside the city and keep a manager and guards stationed there permanently."
"That's true."
Leaving the effort aside, our main problem was a lack of manpower.
"There is a simple way to solve those issues," the Demon King suggested.
"Oh?"
"How about founding a new village at the gate's location? There is a perfect spot about a day's carriage ride from Shashato. A village would provide the perfect cover for the gate’s existence."
At an appropriate point, our discussion shifted into a light meal.
"Mm. It is delicious, as expected. The food at the restaurants in Shashato isn't bad, but the fare here is truly exceptional."
While the chef's skill certainly played a part, I liked to think the quality of our ingredients made the difference. After the meal, Beezel took the opportunity to brag to the Demon King about Fracia. Watching them, I found myself wondering if Yuri, the Demon King’s daughter, had any marriage prospects on the horizon. Then again, that was a delicate subject, so I decided not to pry.
A new village, huh?
The proposed site was a day from Shashato by carriage and two days from the coast, meaning it was further inland. Setting the gate there would certainly streamline my dealings with Michael-san. In truth, I would have preferred to put it directly in Shashato, but considering the risks, that was probably too dangerous. When the Demon King said the secrecy was intended to avoid unnecessary trouble, I could only nod in agreement. I hadn't intended to advertise the thing anyway.
Beezel aside, Draim and the Progenitor both agreed that the proposal was sound. However, they expressed concern that building a new village might be too much work. It certainly had been difficult when we established Village One, Village Two, and Village Three.
The real issue wasn't the construction itself; it was the people. We would need a manager for the gate, guards, a village leader, and a general workforce. We’d likely have to dispatch several people from the Great Tree Village to get things started.
There were just too many factors to consider. Between this and the management of Big Roof Shashato, should I put the gate on the back burner? No, wait—if we had a gate, wouldn't Big Roof Shashato be easier to manage?
Actually, would it? It would make transporting ingredients easier, and it would make it simpler for Marcos and Paula to visit Village One. Speaking of which, I remembered that Kricky—one of Kuro’s pups named by Marcos and Paula—had been acting quite lonely lately. Maybe I should take him along to see them next time? No, he was working hard to guard the house in their absence. Perhaps I should just have Marcos and Paula come back? But they were both giving their all to the shop.
Hmm. Well, there was no point brooding over it alone; I needed to consult with everyone. Whatever we decided, nothing would happen until spring. Plus, we still had the plan to connect the Village of the Great Tree to the hot spring area. I wondered if it was okay to have two gates in the same location. It sounded convenient, but it was probably a bad idea.
I gave up for the night. I still had time to think.
One of Kuro’s pups approached me, letting out a pathetic, high-pitched whimper. It turned out a small bone was stuck in his throat. Honestly, what was he doing? I reached into his mouth and fished it out. Being this large has its perks in situations like this. It looked like a rib from a fanged rabbit. I patted his head and told him to eat more slowly from now on.
"There, there. It’s okay now."
Next, Lu approached me, making her own pathetic noises. It didn't seem like she was choking on a bone, though.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I want to dismantle the teleportation gate..."
"I already told you that you could."
"But there's a high possibility I'll just end up breaking it without learning anything."
"If you can learn even a little bit, isn't it worth it, even if it breaks?"
"I suppose so, but... ugh."
I patted her head, too. It seemed she was going to worry about it for a while longer. I suggested she try tinkering with some other magic items for a change of pace.
"How about we focus on making another baby instead?" she asked.
She certainly didn't mince words. It wasn't that I didn't want a second child—I really did—but her timing was... well, it was very Lu.
Later, I discussed the teleportation gate with the rest of the villagers, including the Demon King's proposal for the new village. Overall, the reaction was split right down the middle. Some even pointed out that since we didn't have a gate to begin with, there was no reason to force ourselves to install one now.
That was a fair point. In the end, we decided that we should at least go scout the location. Once the spring field work was finished, I would make a trip to see the proposed site.