Dwarves: One hundred and sixty.
Elves: Two hundred and seventy-five.
Beastman Race: One hundred and twenty.
Demon Race: A little over six hundred.
Human Race: Just under two hundred.
...
Something was wrong.
I hadn't even officially decided to build a new village yet, and yet prospective residents were already flocking in. Well, technically it was just a list on a piece of paper and no one had actually moved yet, but still...
"This is the list of candidates to serve as the Representative of the New Village. Also, here is the proposed personnel list for the core bureaucratic structure..."
"Aren't you jumping the gun a bit? The village is still in the discussion phase," I said, questioning one of the Civil Official Girls as she brought in document after document.
"Doesn't this look like an appeal from the Demon Kingdom? They’re showing us exactly how much support they’ll provide if you decide to go through with it. Just look at the candidates for Village Head—having the Previous Generation Four Heavenly Kings on the list really shows their enthusiasm."
"The Previous Generation Four Heavenly Kings? Ah, the two who came for the martial arts tournament?"
I remembered them being exceptionally humble individuals.
"I’m happy they’re willing to help, but surely that would be asking too much of them."
"I agree. In fact, a petition just arrived from Paluanen's son."
"What does it say?"
"He says he’s prepared to work himself to the bone for the sake of the village, so he asks that you please spare his father. Huh? Wasn't this man the head of the house? Perhaps he passed the title down to his grandchild?"
"In any case, the name of a Former Four Heavenly King must carry a lot of weight for a petition like that to be sent. As expected, I can't really make him a Village Head."
"True. However, Village Head... Paluanen is a master of paperwork."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. I’ve heard that back when he was in active service, he could handle the workload of twenty civil officials all by himself."
"Man, I want to scout him so bad. I'd love to dump the village's paperwork on his desk."
"I was thinking the same thing, but... I suppose that’s impossible, isn't it?"
"Yeah... you're right."
I couldn't exactly ask someone with that kind of status and honor to come here just to do a village’s clerical work. What a shame.
"The one hundred and sixty Dwarves will be migrating from a nearby Dwarf Settlement."
"I hope they aren't being forced."
"It’s fine. Apparently, this is the result of Donovan getting in touch with them."
"Is their goal the alcohol?"
"That’s likely part of it, but... actually, I didn't know this either, but it seems Donovan is a very important person among the Dwarves."
"Really?"
"Yes. Apparently, just the mention of Donovan’s name was enough for the Dwarves to offer their full cooperation."
"Heh."
Now that I thought about it, I called Donovan and his group Dwarves, but they were technically Elder Dwarves. I wondered if their standing was fundamentally different from ordinary Dwarves.
"Similarly, the Elves will be migrating from nearby settlements and villages."
"Did Ria contact them?"
"No, that was Donovan as well. Apparently, he has some acquaintances."
"I see."
I’d been too quick to assume that just because they were High Elves, they’d naturally have connections with local Elves. My mistake.
The Beastman candidates for this potential village were unrelated to Howlin Village. Like the other Demons and Humans, they were the result of recruitment for volunteers across various regions. Perhaps the person in charge of recommendations was a hard-nose, as the personal evaluations for each individual were quite biting. However, I could tell they had been selected with an emphasis on reliability over mere skill.
Honestly, even without such a rigorous screening, I would have been fine with them migrating as they pleased. Then again, considering things like potential crime, I suppose it couldn't be that simple.
I needed to think about this.
Wait, wait. I was already thinking on the premise that the village would be built. I hadn't even decided on that yet. I hadn't even seen the location.
"Just leave the New Village documents in a pile somewhere for now. The more I look at them, the more I feel myself getting talked into building the place."
"Understood. Then, next is the Dungeon Renovation Plan."
"It's not even finished yet..."
"Well, if a Teleportation Gate is going to be installed in the dungeon, the current setup won't do."
"I suppose that's true. Fine. But let's have some tea first."
"That sounds wonderful. I'll prepare the tea, so Village Head, please handle the snacks."
"Would pancakes be alright?"
"Only if you put whipped cream on top and pour strawberry sauce over them."
"Roger that. Just don't tell the others."
"Hehe. I'll do my best."
Well, to cut to the chase, we were caught, and I ended up having to bake a massive mountain of pancakes.
"With a scent that good wafting around, of course people noticed..."
"Everyone stays indoors during the winter, after all."
"Wan!"
On a day when the winter cold had finally settled down, I decided to visit each village to see how they were doing. I heard reports through the residents, but that wasn't the same as seeing things with my own eyes. I set off on horseback, moving leisurely along the snowy roads.
First was Village One. Inside the indoor arena they’d built, I saw pigs running.
Wait, were those actually pigs? They were strangely lean and toned. They looked less like livestock and more like professional athletes. They were incredibly fast, too. Their behavior felt intense and stoic.
I didn't even need to ask what had happened. This was the result of them honing their bodies for the Pig Race. Apparently, they had recently started becoming picky about their diet, and their specific nutritional orders were getting complicated. I had told them before that they didn't need to work that hard and that I had no intention of eating them, but they didn't seem to listen. I suppose they just refused to let their guard down.
Since there were no particular problems there, I headed to Village Two.
At Village Two, the Minotaur children were playing outside. Even though I called them children, their physiques were roughly the same size as mine. They asked me to join in, so I played with them for a bit.
We played Red Light, Green Light. Their strides were so massive that they reached me in no time. I suggested we start from a bit further away next time.
When I reached Village Three, the horses got a bit excited. They started a race against the Centaur Race. I was worried about the footing, but the maintenance of the course built around the perimeter of Village Three was perfect. Apparently, they took turns clearing it on every clear day. I was happy to see they were taking such good care of it.
The race was won by the horses by a hair. They were in a fantastic mood afterward. The Centaurs who lost looked a bit depressed. I told them their movements were probably just sluggish from the winter, but that applied to the horses too. Plus, the horses had just finished carrying me there.
"Hang in there," I said. I felt a bit bad that I could only offer such simple encouragement.
Village Three also had no issues. I’d worried they might run low on food or firewood, but they were perfectly prepared.
Returning to the Village of the Great Tree, I took a balloon up to Village Four. It was freezing high in the air, but the cold vanished as I approached the Sun Castle. By the time I landed in Village Four, the air felt as warm as spring. It really was a different world.
Village Four was also doing well. The housing was mostly complete, and it felt like the bustle of the old days had finally returned.
"It certainly has," Bell said as she gave me a tour.
Finally, she guided me to the room where Gou's body was being stored. At Bell's signal, a section of the wall slid open. It was a hidden mechanism that would be absolutely impossible to find if you didn't know it was there. The security here was on a different level.
"It is a top-secret matter, after all."
Inside the fairly large room were countless cylindrical glass cases. Naked humans were inside the cases, with only one standing empty. I assumed that one was for Gou, and it seemed I was right. There was nothing else in the room.
"Is there any control equipment or a console?"
"We don't particularly require any."
I see. For Bell and Gou, it seemed they could operate the systems just by thinking. How convenient.
"Soon, Asa, Futa, and Miyo here will wake up. To be precise, they are already conscious, but they are struggling with the synchronization process with their physical bodies."
"Don't let them push themselves. Just make sure everything is perfect."
"Understood."
"By the way... do you have one of these?"
"Mine is a chair-type device in the basement. Much to my annoyance."
I had clearly struck a nerve.
After enjoying dinner in Village Four with Gou, Bell, and Kuzuden, I headed back home.
All the villages were doing just fine.