The kittens’ eyes had finally opened, and they were beginning to move around with boundless energy.
The only times they were ever still were when they were sleeping or nursing from Jewel, the Jewel Cat. They were at that mischievous age where you couldn't take your eyes off them for a second, or there was no telling where they might wander. The Cat and Jewel were constantly on the move, catching the kittens and dragging them back whenever they tried to stray too far.
The kittens seemed to have no sense of fear, as they were quite proactive in approaching Zabuton’s children. Not knowing quite how to handle the tiny things, Zabuton’s children simply stood there and let the kittens do whatever they pleased.
I felt bad for them. I offered my own apologies, though I’m sure the Cat and Jewel were the ones feeling the most apologetic.
Oh, were Kuro’s children the next targets? Perhaps because they were afraid they might accidentally crush the kittens if they moved too clumsily, Kuro’s children also remained perfectly still, letting the little ones climb all over them.
I’m sorry, guys. Just bear with it for a bit. I’ll go make some toys the kittens might actually enjoy.
I started with some simple cat-teasers. No, they weren't for the Cat or Jewel—they were specifically for the kittens.
…But the kittens’ reaction was lukewarm at best. Why?
As I stood there, perplexed, Zabuton crawled up beside me. She began weaving mouse-shaped plushies right there on the spot and presented them to the kittens. The kittens went wild with excitement. They bit them, kicked them, pounced on them, and scratched them… so that was the kind of play they wanted.
I felt a little twinge of jealousy.
Perhaps because they had exerted so much energy playing with the plushies, the kittens eventually wore themselves out and fell asleep. The Cat and Jewel came over to collect them. They both looked immensely relieved. It was going to be a rough time for a while, so I wished them the best of luck.
When I asked if they needed anything, their request was simple: spare mouse plushies.
Given the way the kittens were playing, the current ones would likely be torn to shreds in no time. Zabuton signaled her understanding and crafted three more stuffed toys—not just mice this time—and placed them beside the sleeping kittens.
…Maybe I should try my hand at knitting too. Then again, the kittens would probably be fully grown before my skills showed any real improvement.
Apparently, things had become quite chaotic in Shashato City.
According to a letter from Michael-san, the city's population had surged to the point where things were becoming a bit disorganized. When I wondered what had caused such a sudden influx, the answer turned out to be Big Roof Shashato.
Between the food being delicious and the rise of related businesses providing plenty of employment, people simply weren't leaving the city. Related businesses? I tilted my head at that, but it seemed that the businesses supplying Big Roof Shashato were flourishing as well. New buildings were being constructed everywhere, and they were even facing labor shortages. Come to think of it, I did have that large-scale poultry farm built near the city.
The employees of Big Roof Shashato had apparently formed a security team to protect the shop and its surrounding area. The number of employees had exceeded fifteen hundred, so while they were stretched thin, they were managing to keep things under control. I had been receiving reports, but the scale of it all was becoming incredible. I wondered if Marcos and Paula were just that talented at management. And was it really alright for me, someone who was almost never at the shop, to remain the Shop Manager?
The ones refusing to leave Shashato City were primarily sailors from the Human Kingdom. They were flatly refusing to board their ships when it came time to depart, choosing instead to settle down in the city. If it were just a matter of individual ships being short-handed, that would be one thing, but the human vessels that couldn't depart were occupying the harbor, which was starting to interfere with trade. Consequently, the flow of goods was beginning to stagnate.
That sounded like a real headache.
The letter asked for Big Roof Shashato’s cooperation in resolving the chaos, but I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Ah, he wanted us to open branch stores in other cities.
…That was honestly impossible. We lacked the necessary know-how. I felt that Big Roof Shashato only succeeded because it had the full backing of Michael-san’s Goroun Company. Opening a branch in a location where we couldn't expect that kind of support was premature, no matter how I looked at it. Our employees were likely still under-trained for that kind of expansion as well.
Since it was a request from Michael-san, I wanted to do what I could, but I couldn't give him a favorable answer on that front. The impact might be minor, but I decided we should try to address the issue by developing products that customers could take home or items with a long shelf life. I also made a note to consult with Lu and Frau.
Just as I was considering a trip to meet the Gorlock Race in the Eastern Dungeon, the Lamia Race from the Southern Dungeon and the Giant Race from the Northern Dungeon arrived. It wasn't the season for a festival, so I was curious about their visit.
As it turned out, both groups were interested in the Great Tree Dungeon. They were asking if they could be allowed to work there. I didn't mind, but I wasn't entirely sure what kind of "work" a dungeon provided.
Noticing my confusion, Lu stepped in to explain. Apparently, they wanted to exterminate naturally occurring monsters. In places like dungeons, small monsters tended to manifest spontaneously, and if left unchecked, they could potentially attract much larger threats.
…Wait, were the village’s cellar and well alright? Was the space where people lived safe?
Lu assured me that inhabited areas were fine. Furthermore, the village was protected because we had the Statue of the Creator God. Even though I had carved that statue by hand, it apparently still carried weight. I see. And even if something did appear, Zabuton’s children would likely have killed it instantly.
Thinking about it, I realized I still didn't know much about monsters or magic beasts.
Regardless, I explained the plan to install Teleportation Gates to the Lamias and the Giants. I warned them that, in the worst-case scenario, enemies might use the gates to attack, but neither group wavered in their resolve.
I consulted with Zabuton. Since she had no objections, I hired both races. I let them choose where they wanted to stay, and both groups decided to establish their base on Floor 4. Regarding the Lamia Race, the installation of the Teleportation Gates would likely lead to a decrease in the use of the Lamia Delivery service, so this was also intended as a form of compensation.
Both groups planned to return to their respective dungeons once to gather more people. I told them that was fine, but asked them not to make too big a scene of it.
"Wait, once the Teleportation Gates are installed, you want us to handle the management of those as well?"
I was grateful for the offer, but I asked if they were truly okay with that. They were. I told them that since the gates hadn't been installed yet, we would finalize the details once they were operational.
But how had they even found out about the Great Tree Dungeon?
The Giants had apparently heard about it from Urza during the snowball fight last winter. The Lamias had then received the word from the Giants. They seemed to be getting along quite well. Well, it was certainly better than them fighting.
We had the Lamia Race from the Southern Dungeon, the Giant Race from the Northern Dungeon, and the Gorlock Race from the Eastern Dungeon. I wondered if there was a dungeon in the west as well. Maybe I should send out an investigation team eventually.
Also, I wondered if it would be possible to connect the dungeons underground. It sounded difficult, but if we could manage it, travel would become much easier. As for how to dig the tunnels… either I would have to do it myself, or I’d have to ask Zabuton’s children to put in the work.
Well, I'd keep it under consideration.