Kujonin Chapter 77

     [>

Kujonin
Author: Hanabokuro
—

By the time we returned to Seth's house, Merumo had already returned and was helping Seth's mom.
"Welcome back."
Merumo, who was was.h.i.+ng vegetables, raised her head.
"Seth, I'll say it again, but you're free to look for love within the company, and I'd recommend marrying within the company."
I told Seth from behind in a whisper.
"I,I'm back!"
Seth's face twitched.
"Actually, I'm not really good with girls who beat monsters to death while laughing."
Seth's words have a strange weight to them.
"Stop talking about stupid things and hurry up and go inside.
With Velsa complaining from behind, we entered the house.
"What is it?"
Merumo asked Velsa.
"The boys are talking about nothing good."
"Geez, I'll sue you guys for s.e.xual hara.s.sment!"
When Merumo swung the vegetable over her head it emphasized her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and as men, the eyes are just going to go there.
"Ou, I feel like we just can't win!"

We helped out with dinner as we waited for Ayl.
Even when dinner time had pa.s.sed, Ayl still hadn't returned.
We had Seth's little sister and brother with us, so we ended up eating first.
There was stir-fried vegetables, fish-broth soup, grilled fish, and the steamed fish from Sera's mother lined up on the table; it was a full spread.
We devoured all of it quickly, leaving only Ayl's portion.
Seth's little sister and brother were delighted, so that was good.
While drinking after-dinner herb tea, all we had to do was wait for Ayl, so I decided to replenish the recovery potions.
I went to buy dried herbs from the village's store and practiced by the side of the well.
Merumo and Seth were cleaning up the tableware and talking about what souvenirs to buy.
Velsa seems to be talking with Seth's mom about the herbs she's raising.

Around the time I had finished replenis.h.i.+ng the recovery potion, with 12 bottles and 1 cask, there was someone coming from the direction of the mountain at an amazing speed.
It's a blue light according to Search Skill. It's Ayl.
"My bad. I was late."
Ayl said; since she had been running through the desert, she was dirty.
I used Cleanup on her, but her hair still looks stiff.
"I'll come after was.h.i.+ng up a bit," and she went to the well and drew water.
I returned to Seth's house and told them about Ayl's return.
Seth's little sister and brother are already sleepy.
They headed to the bedroom with their mother.

When I had lightly reheated the food, Ayl came into the house while wiping her hair with a cloth.
"I'm back."
"Welcome back."
Merumo took her sword and luggage.
"Alright then, it's fine if Ayl eats during it, so let's start the meeting."
Surrounding the table, I asked for everyone's reports.
"From Merumo."
"Yessir, as for the situation about the ca.n.a.ls, I found two signboards to the southside of the lake. They haven't started construction, but the woodcutters are felling trees to make huts for the workers."
"That so; got it. We'll leave Ayl for last, so Seth."
"Yessir, I investigated the river that had reduced its water amount, and I when I followed President's instructions and went up the river, I found a waterway."
"A waterway?"
Ayl asked while she ate her food.
"A manmade river."
Ayl nodded at my words without stopping the movements of her mouth.
"When I went down the water way, I came to a village where I met up with President and encountered a ghoul."
"Ghoul!?"
Ayl furrowed her brows.
"I'll explain from here. In conclusion, the Earth Hero is cultivating cotton plants on his giant plantation, and so, I believe that that's the reason why the lake's water is being reduced."
"How does that work?"
Ayl asked while gnawing on the grilled fish.
"Cotton needs a large amount of water, and the Earth Hero made the waterway  in order to pull water towards his plantation. As a result, the amount of water flowing into the lake is reduced, and the water in the lake is reduced, I believe. Accordingly, tomorrow I'll have the newbies go around the lake's surroundings, to look for evidence."
""Yessir.""
"And the dirt around the Hero's plantation contained a large amount of magic stone powder."
I waved at Velsa as I said so.
"That's right, the dirt there contains a far larger proportion of magic stone powder than normal. I think there's probably a magic circle drawn, probably to protect the cotton, but I don't know what kind of magic circle it is yet. However, that dirt with a large amount of magic stone in it is being blown up by the wind, and when people inhale it, the magic stone powder acc.u.mulates in their lungs. The magic stone acc.u.mulates in the lungs and, using the host's own magic power, it combines, and lastly it ends up as a fist-sized lump of a magic stone.
"And then you become a ghoul?"
"That's what happens."
Seth answered Ayl's question.
"The old woman I met at noon was leaping about the roofs as a ghoul at night."
We were all eyewitnesses, so Ayl couldn't not-believe us and nodded.
"As for prevention and treatment, we spread the masks around the Hero's village, and I was thinking of using mandrain plants."
"We were thinking that by making the mandrain pesticide, we'd be able to break up the magic stone within the lungs, and remove the powder from inside the body. See, just like the locust hoppers. However, we ran out of mandrain pesticide, so let's go pick them together tomorrow.
Velsa supplemented my explanation.
"Got it."
"Experimentation and the like will start from now. I don't know if it will go well or not. I kind of failed at persuading the Hero."
"Just what did you do…"
While giving a bitter smile, Ayl licked her greasy fingers.
"Give me another chance."
"Well, I guess it's impossible when some guy suddenly comes and says he's going to destroy the plantation."
"Well, yeah. And it's Naoki, right? He's a super suspicious person, so it can't be helped."
Ayl and Velsa looked at me, then heaved a huge sigh.
"So mean! But there is some truth to it. In Floura, there's a slave that came from the Hero's village. I was thinking I'd help that girl out. And so, please give me some money. It's a necessary expense, right?"
"Don't do weird things!"
"Do you really think I'm that untrustworthy?"
" "We do!" "
Looks like they have absolutely no faith in me.
Even the newbies are staring at me.
Tsk-!
"Well, we'll just leave that for later. What about Ayl?"
"I went to explain things to Riddle-san. It looks like he didn't really understand me. If you're heading to Floura, go explain things to him, Naoki. It's just, recently it's said that this country, HillLake, is making a lot of money. The main exports are cloth and cotton, they said, so isn't that probably thanks to the cotton from the Hero's village?"
Looks like the country Lake Adel and the Hero's village, Gnomefield, is called HillLake.
"In the past few years, they've been gaining power within the Alliance, and seems to have even proposed attacking the country to the north. Riddle-san was grumbling about how much of a pain it was to stop it. Also, he thanked us for exterminating the locust hoppers."
So they've really been eager to go to war. What a paaain.
"I've come to understand quite a few things. U-m, first of all, I think that there won't be any problems with firing the Earth Spirit, since he didn't do anything while overseeing this situation. I'll also have to report to G.o.d … but as for what will happen once the Hero isn't a Hero anymore…"
"Do you have some kind of plan?"
"Aa, I have a number of them, but this is probably the best one, I think…"
So saying, I tried laying out the operation I was thinking about.

"Can we actually do that?"
Ayl tapped her chin, thinking.
"I think we can. It's just aligning everyone's interests with ours, I believe."
"It's true, the merchants will probably be thrilled. As for the Alliance, they have no choice but to endorse it, huh…?
Velsa also stared at the ceiling, as if she was visualizing things.
"However, this plan was only something I thought up after going to the Hero's village. Everyone else should also think up of the after-care. It might end up a completely different way, so the more cards we have to play the better."
"But as someone originally from the Ruginia Alliance, I approve of President's plan."
"Me too."
Seth and Merumo gave their approval.

After that, we discussed the arrangements for tomorrow and went to bed.

Next morning, everyone took a simple breakfast and made their departures.
Seth and Merumo are investigating the river sources for the lake. I have them questioning everyone from the casual fishers to the fishermen, and even the children playing in the village, and they'll give their report to me at night.
Ayl, Velsa, and I left the mountain and entered the desert, harvesting mandrain plants.
Honestly, looking for them was terrible, but somehow I managed to find a grove of them before noon.
Ayl and Velsa returned to the cat tribe's village carrying that grove of mandrain plants to make the mandrain agent.
I have them go to the Hero's village once they're done. Just in case, I tell them not to forget to report back to me.
Carrying mandrain plants, I run to Floura.
My goal is to buy the slave who originated from the Hero's village, Cynthia, and to cure her.
And then I'll have to talk to Riddle-san about the plantation and the after-care.
I want instantaneous transportation if it's possible, but… should I ask G.o.d to make it so I can use s.p.a.ce magic?
A, I also have to report to G.o.d.
Dammit-! I want another few people besides me.
Should I increase the employees…
Thinking like that as I ran, I thought of a guy that would fit the bill.
I'll try contacting him immediately.
I poured magic power into the communication bag and tried calling him.
"How are you? Red Dragon."
["…Oo-! Is this Naoki?"]
"Have you perfected the humanification magic?"
["Haha, that's quite a difficult affair. Anyway, what's up?"]
"So I'm kind of in a hurry. I feel bad, but can you help me with a job for a bit?"
["Hm. It's not bad to go to humans' habitats once in a while. I don't mind."]
"Thanks. It'd help out a lot."
["A, Black Dragon-san. Huh? Black Dragon-san, you also want to go?"]
On the other side of the communication bag, Red Dragon is getting fl.u.s.tered.
"Huh!?"
Suddenly, the communication cut off for a moment.
["See, my humanification magic is perfected. I've received Naoki-dono's a.s.sistance before. I will also help."]
Black Dragon's voice came through.
"Your combat potential is a little overkill, but well, that's fine."
I told Black Dragon where Floura was, and we'll meet up there.

"Those guys are carnivores, right?"
I'm thankful for the dragons' help, but it looks like meals will be a pain.
I also need to tell the newbies to get some monster meat.
"Alright, I'll have them work hard to hunt for meat."

     [>