Construction on the Underground Shopping Street in Village Five was moving along at a brisk pace.
My job was simple: keep working hard to expand the tunnels. I was careful to use the Universal Farming Tool to reinforce the walls as I went, ensuring nothing would collapse. One thing I had to keep in mind during the excavation was the height requirement; I had to make sure I dug out the upper sections first.
I continued to dig away, bit by bit.
It looked like this would still take a while, so I decided to take it slow. It wouldn't do to build a grand shell of a structure if there was nothing of substance to fill it with. With that in mind, I decided to come up with a new specialty product for Village Five.
When I mentioned this to Yoko, she looked at me with genuine surprise. I wondered if I’d said something strange, but I was mistaken.
Apparently, Village Five was already overflowing with local specialties.
In terms of seasonings, there were mayonnaise, miso, and soy sauce. Then there was the alcohol—Village Five Sake and the improved version, Village Five Sake Kai. There were the iron goods forged by the resident dwarves and the textiles woven by the elves.
Then there were the foodstuffs: chicken meat and eggs, beef, pork, goat, and mutton, all raised in Village Five and the surrounding settlements. On top of that, there were the materials harvested from the monsters and magic beasts hunted in the vicinity.
Any one of those would have been more than enough to put a village or town on the map.
Culturally, the village also boasted a Medicinal Herb Garden, a library, a theater, a large public bath, various event facilities, and a baseball stadium. Travelers came from far and wide specifically for those attractions.
The library was a particular favorite. Initially, it had been little more than a collection of books recording stories from various regions, and it had seen very few visitors. Literacy was simply too low.
To address that, the staff began holding "reading aloud" sessions. The original concept was to spark an interest in books and letters by reading short stories to children, but it became a resounding success. Not only children but adults as well began flocking to the library to listen.
Seeing the demand, the readers began putting more effort into their craft. They started dividing roles among multiple people and adding lighting and sound effects to their performances. Eventually, they ran through the supply of stories suited for reading aloud, and that was when the library staff began creating their own original tales.
They researched what kinds of stories were popular in different regions and crafted narratives that would delight their audience. Of course, not every story was a hit. Some were met with dissatisfaction, but the creators used those failures as fuel to keep producing new work.
As word of their activities spread, people from all over who enjoyed writing stories as a hobby began to gather there. Today, the Village Five Library is recognized as a major creative powerhouse for storytelling.
I heard that the theater was actually an evolution of those reading sessions. While the theater is still growing, professional actors who specialize in stage performances are already starting to emerge.
On top of all this, Village Five was currently building an academy, a racetrack, and the Underground Shopping Street. While the academy was mostly for the locals and wouldn't have much impact on outsiders, the racetrack was a different story. It was sure to draw even more crowds—people looking to compete and those looking to gamble on the outcomes.
The Underground Shopping Street, like the academy, was intended for the residents of Village Five, but I wasn't sure how that would play out. Big Roof Shashato back in Shashato City had also been built for the locals, but now it drew people from across the entire Demon Kingdom. While I wouldn't go so far as to say this would be identical, predicting the outcome was difficult.
"On top of everything else, we have the powerful draw of our ramen, a church with a Saint, and a security team led by Pirika," Yoko said. "And yet, you still wish to create another specialty?"
Hearing her put it that way, I offered an honest apology. I’d wanted something unique to Village Five, but I hadn't realized just how much they already had. My understanding of the situation had been naive.
Well, I’d really just intended to make a simple food item.
"You know what abura-age is, right?" I asked. "I was thinking of using it to make O-inari-san. You cut the fried tofu into triangles, simmer them in a sweet broth... and then there’s vinegar rice—rice seasoned with vinegar. You stuff the rice inside, and you're done."
As a peace offering, I made three and handed them to Yoko.
"I see... These are delicious," she admitted. "And quite easy to eat."
"We’re already pushing the production of soybeans for the tofu and rice for the filling here in Village Five, aren't we?" I explained. "O-inari-san might be a bit 'weak' as a specialty on its own, but you can add local flair by adjusting the sweetness of the broth or improving the vinegar rice. Plus, you don't have to stick to just vinegar rice; you can use mixed rice, pasta, or even mochi. It’s versatile enough to suit the residents' tastes... but I suppose it isn't necessary for Village Five as it is now."
"Village Head, do not say such mean-spirited things."
And so, O-inari-san was officially designated as a new specialty of Village Five.
However, we wouldn't be selling them on a large scale until the soybean and rice production was fully established. Until then, they would be limited to the menu at the Village Council Hall’s dining room.
"I shall use my authority as Acting Village Head to ensure one plate is reserved for me," Yoko declared.
"That's cheating," I countered. "Even the Acting Village Head should have to line up properly. There are people who really love O-inari-san, you know."
"I see. In that case, I shall use my authority as Acting Village Head to move my lunch hour slightly earlier."
"Lady Yoko is determined to get her hands on those O-inari-san no matter what," one of the staff whispered.
"For some reason, I’ve taken quite a liking to them," she replied.
Their popularity seemed high, but it looked like it would be some time before the name became a household word.