Connecting the Village of the Great Tree to the hot springs with the Teleportation Gate made me realize just how incredibly convenient it was. A journey that previously took several days on foot—or several hours on Hakuren’s back—now lasted only as long as the walk to the installation site within the dungeon. It was a complete game-changer.
Of course, convenience didn't mean the work was finished. First, I had the gate at the hot springs enclosed within a building. Since the Teleportation Gate was already functional, I could send workers directly from the village, and the project was completed in the blink of an eye.
While I was at it, I ordered some maintenance for the hot spring's inns and changing rooms. With the influx of visitors, we needed more baskets for clothes and tubs for the water. I would also have to ask Zabuton to provide more towels to keep up with the demand.
Then there was the matter of introductions for the Death Knights and the Lion Family. While some of them were familiar faces from the festivals and martial arts tournaments, the rest stayed at the hot springs year-round. Since only a handful of villagers had visited the springs before, I had to ensure everyone was properly introduced to prevent any unfortunate accidents where someone might attack or be attacked. I wanted to avoid any unnecessary conflict.
The Death Knights and the lions seemed genuinely pleased to have more visitors. They knew they were welcome to visit the Village of the Great Tree whenever they liked, too.
Asa was appointed as the manager for the hot spring side of the gate, while the Lamia race handled the dungeon side. The Civil Official Girls and I sat down to hammer out the basic rules for using the gates. We kept things simple—only two rules, in fact.
First: Users must state their name and purpose to the manager for the logs. Second: Children ten years old or younger are prohibited from using the gate without an adult escort.
The first rule was a requirement for tracking travelers, something the Demon Kingdom had specifically requested. I considered implementing capacity limits or transit passes, but for now, I wanted the hot springs to remain accessible. We can tighten the restrictions later if problems arise.
The second rule was about safety. If children were allowed free rein, their range of travel would expand far too quickly. If they ran into trouble on the other side, we wouldn't be able to respond as quickly as we could within the village. While the eyes of Kuro’s and Zabuton’s children are everywhere near the Great Tree, we couldn't expect that level of security at every teleportation destination. For their own safety, solo travel for children was banned.
Naturally, the children complained. I felt bad about it, but I told them they were perfectly fine to go as long as an adult was with them. For this purpose, I set a one-to-one ratio of adults to children. Crucially, I counted Kuro’s children and Zabuton’s children as "adults" for the sake of these rules.
The slimes presented a unique challenge. They are all over the village, and many had migrated into the dungeon once it was completed. Occasionally, they would wander right into the gate room. When asked if they should be allowed to use it, I decided to treat them like the children—no travel without a guardian. The Sake Slime was the only exception; he is clever enough to look after himself.
As for the other animals, the Cat and the Jewel Cat, Jewel, were permitted, but the kittens were strictly forbidden for the time being.
Once the gate was operational, various minor issues cropped up. I asked Asa and the Lamia race to keep a log of any problems and to propose improvements to the rules as they saw fit.
While monitoring the hot spring route, I started thinking about the next step: installing a gate in Village Five within the Demon Kingdom Territory. That’s just a placeholder name for now; we are still looking for a formal title. Although the village was originally conceived as a mere cover for the gate, the project has taken on a life of its own. The villagers were initially only cautiously supportive, but now that construction has begun, everyone is giving it their all. They don't do anything halfway.
We have already laid out the village sectors and marked the spot for the gate. That area is slated to become my residence. I had initially envisioned a modest little house, but they persuaded me that a large mansion was necessary to properly conceal the constant flow of people through the gate.
Once the plans were finalized, representatives from the Demon Kingdom asked to take charge of the construction. I agreed, thinking it would be better for locals to design a village that fits their territory rather than relying on my own sensibilities. My only request was for them to avoid packing the buildings too tightly together for fire safety.
According to reports, progress is moving at a brisk pace, and a small number of prospective migrants have already begun moving in. Everything is going well—mostly.
The only thing not going smoothly is the "Perimeter Cleaning." At first, I wondered if they literally meant tidying up, but the Civil Official Girls explained that it’s a euphemism for clearing out the monsters and magic beasts claiming the surrounding territory. They have hired a swarm of adventurers for a full-scale sweep, but progress is lagging. Fortunately, no one has been hurt yet, but they sent a very humble request for reinforcements.
After a quick consultation, we decided to dispatch Galf, Daga, five lizardmen, and five high elves. I offered to send some of Kuro’s or Zabuton’s offspring, but the girls shot that down. They argued that it would make Village Five stand out for all the wrong reasons. Given they are from the Demon Kingdom, I deferred to their judgment.
Galf’s team set off on Hakuren’s back. They will spend a night at Draim’s Nest and should arrive within two days. Futa went with them to place the coordinate stone for the gate; once that’s done, she will return with Hakuren to help with the activation. Galf and his crew expect to spend about a month clearing the area.
"We'll wrap this up fast," Galf promised. "I don't want to miss the martial arts tournament."
"I understand, but make sure not to get injured," I told him.
"Of course. I won't take any unnecessary risks."
"I'm counting on you. Also, try to think of a formal name for Village Five."
"Is 'Village Five' not good enough?"
"It makes sense to us, but it would sound like a bizarre name to the people of the Demon Kingdom."
"Maybe we should build five giant towers?" Galf joked.
"I see..."
"I'm kidding! I'll give it some real thought."
After they departed, I found myself musing over the tower idea. Five towers might be a bit much, but perhaps five statues? Or a pentagonal village symbol? I was wondering if that would be easier than coming up with a name when the news finally arrived.
Rusty had gone into labor.