It wasn't unusual for a town to spring up around a castle. I understood that much. But could a town really form right next to a village? Especially one as close as this.
Was it some kind of harassment?
Apparently not. The reason the town had formed was because of the people waiting for permission to migrate to our village. Since they hadn’t been granted entry, they felt it would be improper to simply move in, so they started their lives just outside the village's borders. As more people gathered, a town gradually took shape.
And there was more to it. The Demon Kingdom hadn't just stood by and watched this happen. They had properly reported the situation and consulted with the Village of the Great Tree.
"Hopeful migrants have started settling on the slopes of the plateau. How should we proceed?"
"The Village Head wouldn't trouble himself with such trifles. Let them do as they please."
"A considerable number of them have already established themselves, however..."
"The Village Head does not turn away those who wish to live in the village. Accept them all."
"For security reasons, we would like to construct a wall. Would that be acceptable?"
"If it's for the benefit of the residents, the Village Head has no reason to refuse. Build a sturdy one."
Yoko had acted as the representative for the Village of the Great Tree. However, she hadn't made those decisions entirely on her own. She had properly reported and consulted with me as well.
"Those hoping to move to the village want to live on the slopes of the plateau. Do you mind?"
"Eh? Wouldn't that be inconvenient for them? Well, if they're okay with it, I don't mind."
"It seems a significant number of people want to live on the slopes."
"I wonder why. Is it a racial thing? Well, whatever, it's fine."
"They want to build a defensive wall to protect the residents."
"That makes sense. Let me know if they're short on funds."
I didn't have all those conversations at once, but the memories were there. I wasn't saying this to anyone in particular, but please, let me make an excuse. I had assumed the premise of every conversation was that migration to Village Five had finally begun.
It was my fault for not confirming the details. I knew that. It was my mistake...
Yes, it was entirely my fault.
Now, what was I supposed to do?
First things first. I had to speak to the people currently bowing their heads before me.
"I-I'm not angry."
And I really wasn't. If anything, I was just bewildered. No, wait, that wasn't right either. I shouldn't be bewildered. I needed to keep my composure. Yes, I was perfectly calm.
Hahaha.
So please, stop worshipping me.
Standing before me were two of the Previous Generation Four Heavenly Kings, and behind them were about fifty others. Apparently, they were the representatives for the people living on the slopes. The group included members of the Demon Race, Elves, Dwarves, Beastman Race, and even some humans. Most of them looked young, but considering their races, they were probably all older than me.
I felt bad since they had gone to the trouble of gathering, but for now, I dismissed them.
Wait, sorry. I chose my words poorly. I meant they were dismissed from this specific meeting, not that they were being exiled. Please, stop looking so despairing.
I pulled the two former Heavenly Kings aside. Assuming we maintained the status quo for now, were there any pressing issues?
"We can hardly produce any food here, so we have to purchase everything from the outside," one of them explained.
"Are you managing to buy enough?"
"Yes. The Goroun Company in Shashato City has been very cooperative. Additionally, transport units have already departed from our own territories. We should be able to start building a stockpile within a month."
"I see. And the funds for these purchases?"
"We have donations collected from various regions. There won't be a problem for the foreseeable future."
"Donations?"
"From the Lords who ended up pushing their residents onto us."
"Wait. Were the residents here forced out?"
"No, that's not it. However, to save face, the nobles prefer to frame it as them 'assigning' the residents to us rather than admitting their people simply left."
"I see... You didn't extort those donations, did you?"
"We merely suggested that we would require some preparation funds if we were to take them off their hands."
"Don't do that from now on. I'll provide the funds..."
I stopped myself. I needed to stay calm and confirm the actual amounts required. Was this for a month? A year? If it was this much, I could probably handle it. Even if the costs doubled, I could make it work.
"I'll provide the funding. Return the donations to whoever gave them, but do it under a different name."
"Understood."
"Still, it'll be difficult if we're constantly buying food."
To be honest, the cost wasn't that high compared to the Village of the Great Tree's total assets, but it didn't feel right to just let the project bleed money. That gold was meant for our village, after all.
"We plan to establish fields and ranches on the other side of the outer wall. It will be tough this year and next, but we expect to be self-sufficient in a few years."
"What about industry?"
"We've discovered a promising ore vein nearby. We intend to focus on mining and processing."
"An ore vein? Is it okay for us to mine it?"
"We've established that this entire area belongs to the village, so there is no problem. However, to avoid future disputes, we have already reported it to the Demon Kingdom."
Apparently, the vein had gone undiscovered because the area had never been developed. When the village construction began, they had cleared out the local Monsters and Magic Beasts, leading to the discovery. According to the former Heavenly Kings, there was a high probability of finding even more veins.
Was that really okay? I’d have to bring it up the next time I saw the Demon King or Beezel. For now, they claimed the current vein would yield a decent profit.
There were other minor issues, but the representatives said they could handle them, so I left it in their hands. It wasn't realistic for me to micromanage every detail when I wouldn't be staying here permanently. My plan was to leave for Draim’s Nest before sunset anyway.
I told them to maintain the status quo for the time being and thanked them for their hard work.
Then, I turned my thoughts to the Teleportation Gate, my primary reason for coming here. The area where the gate would open had been properly prepared. While the building above it was nowhere near finished, the gate itself was hidden behind heavy cloth.
It would be faster to just open the gate and have the residents of the Village of the Great Tree finish the construction all at once. It would be easy enough to transport the building materials from the village that way. Moving things through the dungeon might be a bit of a pain, but it would be much easier than hauling everything up from the bottom of the plateau.
Yes, let's go with that. Five thousand people were already living here; it was too late to back out now. And if I was going to commit, I wanted that gate operational. After all, this place was only a day's journey from Shashato City.
Wait... if it was only a day away, why were the Monsters and Magic Beasts around here so strong? I remembered hearing that they rarely appeared near Shashato City.
"That's just how it is in places where development hasn't reached yet," Galf answered.
When did he get here?
"I just happened to be in the forest below," he said.
"Well, that's good timing. So, who is the woman behind you?"
"Hahaha..." Galf gave me a troubled look.
She looked human. Mid-twenties, maybe? She certainly had the air of a swordsman about her.
"It is an honor to meet you. I am Pirika Winup, the one currently bearing the title of Sword Saint. I am here to request that Galf-sama take me as his disciple."
"Thank you for the polite greeting. I'm Hiraku, the Village Head of the Village of the Great Tree."
Umm... what exactly was a Sword Saint?