By the time we finished eating, it was nearly fifteen o’clock. It was too late to call it lunch.
I would like to end things here for the day, but that is not possible at a fortress on top of a mountain. There were still many things that had to be done before it got dark.
「Rusul-san. I’ll leave the fortress matters to you. We’ll go make a round around the fortress.」
I will leave the fortress to Rusul-san. It seems they already have a repair plan prepared.
「Yes. What will you be doing, Takato-san?」
「We’re going to bring water.」
Since it’s a fortress, I assumed there would be a well. The fact that we have to carry water up here is completely unexpected. Still, I already have a way to secure water.
I took out single pipe scaffolding, scaffold boards, and clamps from the home and assembled them. Then I set up a vinyl pool. Even that alone took almost an hour.
After bringing out ten plastic tanks, two basins, an electric pump, and twenty size-D batteries, I climbed onto the assembled scaffold boards and entered the home from there.
「Ah, Takato-san. Are you having a meeting?」
「No. We don’t have water here, so I’m preparing to store some. Has Ladarion returned yet?」
「No, not yet. At noon they spotted a herd of Misuzu, so they said they would remain cautious.」
Well, with that many around, it wouldn’t be strange if some fled toward the town of Rihar. I just hope there isn’t a Yamaguros among them. Maybe I should buy some anti-materiel rifle rounds just in case.
I attached a vinyl hose to the faucet of the unit bath, extended it to the dust chute at the entrance, and turned on the water so it poured down like a chute.
When I looked out the window, Mebi waved to show that the water was coming out.
To signal that I understood, I dropped a light blue vinyl ball down the chute as well. Since the vinyl pool was large enough for three adults, I decided to take a shower while it filled up.
After a quick wash, I had a light meal and did some shopping on the tablet. My reward money kept disappearing rapidly.
「Takato. I’m hungry.」
Ladarion returned looking exhausted.
I bought tuna sushi so she could eat right away. She devoured ten pieces in less than ten seconds, as if she were in an eating contest. After becoming a big eater, did she now change jobs to speed eater?
「Fuu. I’ve calmed down. I want ramen.」
It seems the endless eating has stopped, but with that much physical activity, anyone would get hungry. Besides, she is still in her growth phase, so she eats a lot.
「Make sure you eat vegetables too.」
I brought out a salad made with pesticide-free vegetables.
「So, how are things over there?」
It takes two days on foot to reach Milond Fortress. If they are being cautious about monsters attacking the Misuzu herd, they might not even be halfway there yet.
「It’s not going very well. There were a lot of people, and there was also an attack by monsters. Grandpa said it might take two more days for them to arrive.」
It seems things are not going very smoothly over there.
「Are you planning to repair that fortress as well? Where did you even get the budget for that?」
It might not be a full-scale reconstruction, but moving that many people still means a large amount of money is being spent. Did they have some hidden funds?
「It seems the Demon King’s army is on the move. There were scouts that looked like them. Tell Kainzel-san to stay alert.」
「Got it. Ah, another serving of ramen.」
Yeah, yeah. I bought her another serving and went to the entrance to check outside.
It was already completely dark outside, and fires were burning here and there.
I stopped the water and closed the chute, then went outside.
「It doesn’t fill up as much as I expected.」
Well, trying to collect two or three hundred liters from a household faucet will take time. I also need to transfer it into the plastic tanks.
I climbed down from the scaffold, went back into the home, and brought out a portable power supply, a floodlight, and a one-touch tent.
「Mishinie. How’s the situation?」
「Nothing unusual. It’s peaceful.」
She said it lightly, but since she wasn’t drinking wine, she probably wasn’t letting her guard down. She seems like the type who does things properly when it matters.
「What about the watch?」
「Rusul and the others are handling it, but we can’t rely on them completely. I had the two of them rest first.」
「I see. Please keep it up a little longer. I heard Ladarion’s report, but I still haven’t heard from Miriel yet.」
「Don’t push yourself too hard.」
「I’ll be drinking coffee while I do it, so it’s nothing serious.」
I set up the one-touch tent, assembled the floodlight, connected it to the portable power supply, and turned it on before entering the home.
「Ah, Takato-san. Cyrus-sama has arrived. He is heading to the fort that the giants are building tomorrow.」
「That person really seems to have completely left the Adventurers Guild.」
「Cyrus-sama, is he joining the goblin extermination guild?」
「Rather than joining, I think he has taken on the role of managing this entire area.」
You can’t just leave an armed organization alone. Someone in power will stand above it and place someone there to keep watch. Especially since I am an important person sent by that useless goddess. If they became hostile, that would be a serious problem. Anyone in a position of authority would want someone capable there to keep things under control.
「……Takato-san, did you involve Koraus……?」
「No, that’s not it. Koraus jumped in on its own.」
They want to make use of me. That’s why I’m letting them use me. I’ll make sure things can’t run without me.
「Well, a relationship where both sides use each other is the best kind. Whatever I give, I’ll have it returned later. The same amount that I gave.」
Giving too much is no good. Taking too much is also no good. The best relationships are built on equal give and take.
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