I sat by the reservoir, zoning out as I kneaded the Sake Slime in my hands. Masayuki, one of Kuro’s offspring, sat beside me, staring off into the distance alongside me. The pond turtles peered up at us, their expressions seemingly asking if we were okay.
I chuckled. I was fine. Truly, I was. Being healed by the texture of the Sake Slime while Masayuki kept me company was more than enough.
Eventually, Saint Seles came to retrieve the Sake Slime, and Masayuki was led away by his partners.
Alone again, I decided it was time to carve another Statue of God.
Progenitor-san had a habit of taking every Statue of God I carved and leaving behind stacks of money and jewels in their place. After finishing about ten of them, I decided to switch things up and start making chess pieces instead.
I produced four standard sets. Then, for a bit of variety, I crafted a "God Version." Since custom pieces could be hard to identify at a glance, I made an effort to differentiate them by their bases. With only six types of pieces—King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, and Pawn—the task wasn't particularly difficult.
They turned out quite well. I wouldn't actually play a match with them, though; that felt a bit like tempting fate. Better to leave them as decorations. And no, Progenitor-san, these aren't for sale. It wasn't about the price. I’d be in a lot of trouble if some "Secret Treasure of the Korin Religion" suddenly made its way out into the world.
Since Kuroyon and Malbit are the village's resident chess experts, I also tried my hand at "Kuro" and "Angel" versions. For the Kuro set, Kuro served as the King and Yuki as the Queen. I differentiated their bases and added little crowns just to be safe. For the Angel version, I considered using Tia as the King but ultimately went with Malbit and chose Ruincia as the Queen. They looked quite sharp.
Zabuton eventually approached me, gesturing that she wanted a set for her group as well, so I set to work on a "Zabuton Version." Her family was so diverse that I had no trouble with the casting. I made Zabuton the King and Arako the Arachne the Queen.
While I was immersed in my hobby, a report arrived: Galf and his team had returned to Village Five. The War Bear hunt had been a resounding success. Over the ten-day expedition, they had taken down twenty-seven of the beasts, along with countless other monsters and magic beasts.
According to Galf, the density of monsters in the area had been abnormal. If they hadn't intervened, Village Five, the surrounding settlements, and even Shashato City might have suffered. We had truly dodged a bullet.
Yoko looked visibly relieved. "Since the only signs were those Trents, I’d grown careless," she admitted.
While Village Five’s defenses were solid, the surrounding villages were much more vulnerable. Furthermore, I had been encouraging livestock promotion—cows, pigs, and chickens—in the neighboring villages to meet the demand in Village Five and Shashato City. A considerable amount of capital had been invested in those projects, and they were nearly ruined.
Of course, the fact that no villagers were harmed was the most important outcome.
"As a precaution, I’ll have the adventurers make the rounds to each village," Yoko proposed. I agreed immediately.
"Also, regarding the monsters and magic beasts killed during the hunt..."
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"No, the merchants are simply waiting for them to be put up for sale."
The carcasses were being transported to Village Five by adventurers and butchered there. Naturally, merchants weren't going to let an opportunity like that pass them by.
"I think you should do as you see fit... but why check with me?"
"Normally, the rights to the kills belong to those who defeated them. However, this was a subjugation ordered by the Village Head. Moreover, the rewards were promised on a per-kill basis. In this case, the rights belong to you."
"I’d call it more of a request than an order."
"It’s the same thing."
"I understand. Check with Galf’s team to see if they need any specific parts, and then we’ll sell the surplus."
"That’s a help. They’ve already started preparing the auction."
"I'll hurry and check, then."
Galf and his crew were celebrating their return at Sake & Meat Niz. Everyone seemed healthy enough, but the Bronze Knight was moping in a corner. When I asked what was wrong, he lamented that he had been tricked by Wood Killers three times.
I didn't even know how to begin comforting someone for that. Help, anyone?
"You're a novice; it's because you let your guard down," the Silver Knight said, kicking him while he was down. "Unlike Trents, you can tell the difference if you actually look closely."
Well, it was true that coddling him wouldn't help him grow, but still... I decided to leave warrior business to the warriors.
I checked with Galf and the others, but they didn't need any parts. They said the reward I’d promised was more than enough. One of Yoko’s subordinates who had accompanied me went back to convey the message. I wondered if the pressure from the merchants was really that intense. I was grateful for Yoko handling it.
I joined the banquet and listened to the tales of the hunt. According to Galf and Daga, Pirika and Chelsea had become considerably stronger. In particular, they suggested Pirika was ready for the Warrior Division of our village’s martial arts tournament. They said the Knight Division was still a bit much for her, but I wouldn't mind her entering if she wanted to.
As for Chelsea... she refused outright. She had once reached the finals of the General Division, only to be taken down in a single blow by Urza. Even though Urza was currently away, she still wouldn't enter. Instead, she asked if I would host a major martial arts tournament in Village Five. She noted that while there were small, spontaneous matches, there weren't any large-scale events hosted by me.
I told her I didn't mind and that I’d mention it to Yoko.
Later, I worried that Yoko might be spread too thin. She was already managing the underground shopping street development, livestock promotion, school construction, and the racetrack project. I brought her some sake and snacks before broaching the subject. To my surprise, she wasn't angry; she had been planning to suggest the same thing.
"Actually, I was just about to propose a tournament from my side," she said.
"Really?"
"Umu. Since they hold monthly tournaments in Shashato City, I figured the people would just go there, but I was naive. It’s all Galf’s fault."
"Galf’s?"
"Fighters confident in their skills have been swarming this city to challenge the 'God of War Galf' to informal matches. I’ve been getting complaints from everywhere."
"And the tournament is the solution?"
"Exactly. We can't make it as flashy as the one in Shashato City, but giving them a place to vent should settle things down. It also gives Galf a valid excuse to decline random challenges."
"He can just tell them to settle it at the tournament. I see."
"There are also many residents who simply want a tournament in Village Five. It’s a bit of a rivalry with Shashato City."
"Rivalry, huh..."
"It’s not to be scoffed at. In the future, it might be good to hold a joint event with Shashato City. Though that’s likely a story for five or ten years from now."
A joint event between Village Five and Shashato City. Village Five wouldn't have any issues. As for Shashato City... with Miyo there assisting Magistrate Ifuls, it actually seemed plausible.
"I think it’s a great idea," I said.
"Isn't it? For now, I’m in favor of the tournament. I want to move forward with it immediately."
"Understood. When should we aim to hold it? Next year? Or maybe the year after?"
"Next month."
"…What?"
"The demand is truly that high."
I wondered if Chelsea’s request had been less about her own desires and more about speaking for the crowd.