The Patrolling Village Chief: Part One

By the time I woke up around noon and my head cleared up a bit, the lord's messenger still hadn't arrived.

… Yeah, this is still nagging at me. Oh well, let's go back to sleep.

…

And even after my second nap, there was still no word. Could I have actually gotten away? That's what I was starting to think.

"Eh? Good morning? It's still noon on the first day, Kehma."

When I showed my face in the Village Chief's office, Rokuko was munching on melon bread at the desk. It probably wasn't one of those cheap sweet bread assortments (6 for 5 DP), but the slightly expensive bakery kind. Though at our current income, it's a rounding error.

"Morning, Rokuko. Any messages?"

"Nope. I was on guard though."

Could it be that they still haven't noticed?

Or maybe they noticed but are still in the middle of taking action. If that's the case, I could sleep a bit more…

No, thinking like that is bad. I want to sleep soundly without worrying about the little things.

"… Actually, I was worried about it and couldn't sleep well. I'm going to end up troubling you, Rokuko."

"You do tend to worry about the details, Kehma… Well, I like that about you."

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"I said I like how you worry about pushing troublesome things onto me."

"I see. I like you too, Rokuko… Rokuko, your face is red. And you're grinning a lot."

Rokuko quickly covered her face with her hands.

"I-I can't help it! You said something like that…"

"Should I not have said it?"

"Say it more! We're partners, after all."

"Okay, I love you, Rokuko."

It would be perfect if I planted a kiss on her here, but I'm not smooth enough to just casually kiss someone.

Aah, my ears are hot. I shouldn't do things I'm not used to.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

Well, I've appeased my partner whom I'd been neglecting with just a letter, so I suppose I'll take a look around Golen Village, the village in front of the dungeon. I'm just a figurehead, but I'm still the Village Chief.

I've been neglecting it completely lately, so I want to check what's where.

"Oh? Goshujin-sama, going for a walk? I'm free, so can I come along?"

"Ichika, huh. Well, it's more of a patrol than a walk."

Apparently, Ichika has been working part-time at shops on her days off, so she knows more about the current state of this village than I do.

I'd like to tell her to rest, but she keeps saying things like "I need money! For the slots!" So I've given her permission as long as it doesn't interfere with her inn duties.

And apparently, today was her day off from that part-time job too.

"I see. Then since I'm guiding ya, buy me some curry bread from the bakery series."

"That's your goal?"

"Obviously. I'd totally suck up to ya for curry bread. Hey, wanna grope my boobs?"

"… You're not selling your body like that to other people, are you?"

"That's only for Goshujin-sama, of course. I don't sell myself cheap, and more importantly, I'm Goshujin-sama's slave, ya know? I can't do that sort of thing on my own… Or did ya want me to? If that's your thing, depending on the compensation…"

"No, that's fine. Sorry for asking something weird."

"Then about my curry bread compensation, please?"

"Yeah yeah, I'll buy you two."

I promised her a reward, and Ichika, with a happy smile on her face, decided to come along.

"So, ya not gonna grope 'em?"

"Maybe if I feel like it."

First up is the dungeon entrance. A simple fence has been set up at the entrance to [Cave of Desires].

Monsters like goblins don't come out, but it's apparently there just in case they do.

"Also, since the number of kids has increased lately, it's apparently also to tell them not to enter on their own."

"Eh, the number of children has increased?"

"Merchants' kids, families that adventurers brought over, that sort of thing. Also, apparently some people got busy during the winter, but those babies aren't born yet so they don't count."

Apparently, since they didn't have to worry about starvation this winter and could stay warm thanks to the hot springs, there are quite a few people who want to immigrate here. The deputy village chief Wozuma has been refusing to permit anyone too strange, but even so, the population has increased considerably.

Kusaan, the carpenter-adventurer, has been so busy building houses that he hasn't been doing any adventuring lately.

"Hearing that really makes me feel like I'm just a figurehead."

"Really? They do seem to be getting your approval, though."

"Yeah, I've delegated all the immigration decisions to Wozuma and Kusaan."

"… Ah, so that's how it is?"

And then, along the road extending from the dungeon, there was our inn [Dancing Doll's Pavilion] and the Adventurer Guild branch office.

The inn is connected to the Village Chief's residence and the employee dormitory, so it takes up quite a large area. Behind the guild branch office is a warehouse, and next to it is a bar. Deputy Village Chief Wozuma also works as the barkeep there… well, that was his main job to begin with.

"Speaking of which, is the bar doing well? I've been making him do a lot as deputy village chief."

"It's thriving, yeah. Bars mainly get busy at night, so… see? There's construction going on behind the bar. Isn't that for expanding the bar?"

When I looked, they seemed to be building something. Some adventurers staying at our inn were helping with the construction, probably thanks to a quest posted at the guild branch.

"So it's making decent money?"

"Even if it weren't, he's getting his deputy village chief allowance, right? He ain't got complaints."

I suppose so. Then it's fine.

Next was further along from the bar, the Dyne Trading Company. Dyne, the merchant I've put in charge of managing our village's finances. He's a competent merchant who multiplies the money when you leave it with him. Thanks to him, this village is easily in the black.

And just then, Dyne was putting out goods.

"Oh? Ichika. Today ain't your work day. What's up?"

"Just escorting my Goshujin-sama on his patrol. We're just browsing, so ya don't have to bother with us."

"That so? Then feel free to look around and… wait! Kehma-han, thank you as always!"

"Y-yeah, you seem to be doing well, Dyne."

When these two with their Paveran accents get together, it really does sound like Kansai dialect.

"Oh yeah, that magic tool called a [Stove] that came from the dungeon the other day, it's amazin'!"

"Ah, the stove."

The stove is a magic tool I had our apprentice witch Nerune develop. Its purpose is exactly what it sounds like: cooking. It uses magic stones as fuel. A magic formation is drawn on a ceramic plate, and you can even adjust the heat output.

I put them in treasure chests in the dungeon, but I also brought some directly to this shop. I just said I found them in the dungeon. (Note: Nerune's laboratory is inside the dungeon, so it's not a lie.)

"It's thin and you can use regular pots with it as-is, so it's selling like hotcakes even to non-adventurers… So if you find any more, please bring them to my shop. I'll give you a good price."

"Well, if I find any. For now, just show me what you've got for sale."

"Sure thing!"

The merchandise included adventurer gear, along with several weapons and magic tools.

Besides the weapons and magic tools obtained from the dungeon, there were also some made by Kantra, who'd taught Nerune the basics of making magic tools. Kantra is a talented guy who's both a blacksmith and an alchemist.

… Oh, there are also swords that combine magic tools with blades. Are these selling? Ah, they're not. I see.

"… Hmm? There's quite a selection of accessories too. This ring, is it also a magic tool?"

"That one's just a regular accessory. But it sells really well."

"Huh, why's that? Do passing tourists buy them?"

Thanks to word-of-mouth reputation, we've been getting more regular guests at our inn saying things like "I came for the hot springs" or "I came for the food." Maybe they're buying souvenirs?

"Nah, tourists mostly buy the wooden sculptures."

The wooden sculptures are handicrafts made in the succubus village hidden inside the dungeon. We collect them and put them in treasure chests as consolation prizes.

By the way, for some reason they only make things shaped like matsutake mushrooms. I've been having him sell them by insisting they're some kind of kokeshi dolls.

"… Eh, why?"

"Just being a knick-knack from a dungeon makes it a curiosity to regular folks, right? And they're strangely smooth for wood, so they feel nice to touch. Well, I'd welcome more of those too. I'll buy 'em at a decent price."

… Is there some lingering succubus scent on them?

I picked up one of the kokeshi dolls tucked away in a corner of the shop and gave it a sniff, but I couldn't really tell.