My name was Wilson. I was the chairman of a small company based in Village Five.
My hobby was collecting buttons. Yes, the simple buttons you find on clothing. Buttons were truly wonderful things; each one was handcrafted by an artisan, meaning no two were ever exactly alike. Furthermore, buttons held stories—tales of the lives lived by those who wore the clothes they were attached to. I understood, of course. I didn’t expect anyone to share my passion. I only asked that you treated your buttons with care.
It was midday. Before I moved to Village Five, eating two meals a day was my daily routine, but since arriving here, I had transitioned to three. At first, I didn’t think I could manage that much food, but I found that if I put my mind to it, I could eat quite a bit.
Well, I knew the reason why. It was the bread. The bread I had eaten before coming here was as hard as a stone and tasted wretched, but it certainly kept a man full. After settling in Village Five, I stopped eating that hard bread entirely. Soft, delicious bread was sold here for roughly the same price, so I really had no other choice.
Because I now ate three meals a day, my food expenses had increased, but business was going well enough that I didn't need to worry about the cost. It was a blessing, truly. My only real trouble was that my stomach had begun to protrude a bit, which led to teasing from my wife and sons.
But no, such thoughts were useless. I put aside the concerns about my waistline and focused on the hamburger steak set meal that had just been delivered. The platter held the steak, a side of grilled vegetables, a bowl of vegetable soup, and soft bread. For such a luxurious meal, eight medium copper coins was an absolute bargain.
And the taste was exquisite. The head chef of this restaurant was a top finisher in the village cooking contest, so his skill was a given. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that in Village Five, people better understood a cook’s talent when told he had been trained by the High Ogre Maids—the regular champions of those competitions.
Ah, it really was delicious. Tasting food like this made me want to try my hand at running a restaurant myself. Despite my appearance, I was actually quite confident in my own cooking, though I had to admit I couldn't make anything as sublime as this hamburger steak.
As I finished my meal and enjoyed a post-lunch drink, one of the employees from my shop arrived. His break wasn't scheduled until much later. The fact that he was seeking me out suggested there was something he needed to report urgently.
"The Goroun Company has made a move," he informed me. "They're gathering people, primarily carpenters."
The Goroun Company. They were a titan in Village Five that could not be ignored, but their status as a major firm wasn't the most important detail. The vital point was that they were the purveyors for the Village Head. If the Goroun Company was taking unusual action, it meant the Village Head’s intentions were behind it.
I didn't ignore the possibility that it was the Acting Village Head’s idea, of course. However, I couldn't imagine the Acting Village Head would ever disregard the Village Head’s wishes. For any project of this scale, she surely obtained his permission.
Therefore, there was no problem. If the Goroun Company had taken an unusual action, it meant there was a profitable venture afoot, without a doubt. I had to move quickly as well. There was a chance my liquid funds would be insufficient, so I would have to consider borrowing from my father’s workshop.
As it turned out, the Village Head’s intention was the construction of a shrine on the mountain near Village Five. Or was it a Divine Realm? They were essentially the same thing; either way, it was a magnificent building. Since I was involved in the procurement of construction materials, I turned a decent profit. Just a decent amount, mind you. I didn't act out of greed. Everything was for the development of Village Five! And for the gourmet food of Village Five!
I wasn't lying to myself. To be honest, it would be a disaster for me if Village Five ever ceased to exist. That was why I actually wished the administration would take more in taxes, but my thoughts apparently differed from those of the Village Head and the Acting Village Head. It was a bit frustrating, but I’m sure they had deep considerations that a mere chairman of a small company couldn't fathom. I would simply believe in them and follow their lead.
The shrine construction brought a massive change to Village Five. Until then, the south side of the village had been the most popular and developed area because the road leading to Shashato City was located there. Shashato City lay to the southwest, so the west side benefited from that traffic as well. Even after the Teleportation Gate was established and the road's strategic value decreased, the south side remained the favorite.
The residents of the east and north sides were dissatisfied with this, even if they didn't say it aloud. The administration must have picked up on that sentiment. The mountain where the shrine was built was to the northeast of Village Five.
That was right—a new road leading to the shrine was being built!
The residents of the east and north sides had already contributed funds. Even those without money were participating as laborers. The moment the Acting Village Head granted permission, the road began to take shape with incredible momentum. It was the Road of Hope for the east and north.
This would surely boost the popularity of those districts. The Village Head and the Acting Village Head had cared enough to look after the east and north! Hahaha, the people in the south and west must be green with envy!
Well, in truth, the residents of the south and west were also contributing money and helping with the construction. Everything was for the sake of the village. Even if a project started in the south or west, those in the east and north would cooperate without hesitation.
Still, it looked like it was going to be a massive road. I wondered how many carriages could fit side-by-side. It looked wide enough for twenty or more—perhaps fifty meters across. Knowing the Village Head, he would surely use this road for some kind of grand event. I looked forward to it.
Both sides of the road were partitioned with stakes and ropes. Shops would be built here. The rights belonged to the village, and the Acting Village Head said she would sell them to interested parties via a lottery. Based on the rumors I’d gathered, it seemed many food-related businesses were moving in, hoping to cater to the pilgrims heading to the shrine.
I see. I wanted to participate as well. Even if my workload made it impossible to cook myself, opening a restaurant was an attractive prospect. I decided I should submit requests for several of the lots.
As I was lost in thought, my employee came running back, looking even more panicked than before. Had the Goroun Company moved again?
"Chairman! Your son has collapsed!"
"What?"
"He's at your father’s workshop!"
W-What could that mean? Had my father assigned my son some unreasonable labor? He did mention recently that he had acquired some rare fabric...
No, that couldn't be it. Knowing my father, if a task was so difficult it would cause someone to collapse, he would have monopolized it for his own enjoyment. He was that kind of man.
In that case, was it an illness? Or perhaps an accident? I was terrified for my son. I had to hurry to my father’s workshop immediately.