Chapter 124 - Chapter 111 An Unexpected Attack!?
"Huh, so [Dimaria-san] just happened to find it then?"
"Indeed. I entrusted it to them, thinking it would be good to have at least one park in the developing lands, but it was an unexpected harvest."
[Miki] cheerfully chomped on a bell pepper.
She dislikes carrots but is okay with bell peppers, apparently even likes them. She's fine with bitter things but dislikes sweet ones.
"So, for you to ask such a thing, does it mean my brother also acquired a tree [Spirit Stone]?"
"Ah... well, yeah. Through a somewhat special route..."
Am I an idiot? Of course, she'd figure it out if I asked. It's [Miki], after all.
Still, I want to keep the "the [Fairy] did it" part a secret for a bit longer.
Hmm. You mean it's not at a stage where you can talk about it yet?
"Yeah, it's a bit too incomprehensible right now. I'll tell everyone soon."
Contact with other NPC races, not just monsters, is probably an inherent part of the [Expansion of Living Space]. I mean, I hope they make contact soon...
"Well, fine."
[Miki], apparently satisfied, slurped her instant Chinese soup.
"So, does it seem okay over there?"
"For today, there shouldn't be any problems. Though it might be tough for beginners on the front lines, there shouldn't be an issue if they team up with intermediate players. If there's any concern, it's the number of enemies."
"Are the numbers alright?"
"For now, yes. From what I heard from the night shift, the last attack was around 2 AM, and today's first attack was around 9 AM, and a part of the [Stone Wall] was destroyed."
Whoa, seriously?
No matter how strong a player is, it seems like one person can't do anything alone.
...Though [Leona-sama] yesterday might be an exception.
"So, they were fixing that, then?"
"I don't have those kinds of production skills, you see. I was more giving training to those who wield large shields."
According to [Miki], skill levels apparently go up with guidance from someone with a higher skill level. Come to think of it, [Miki] herself was being trained by an NPC, right?
I wonder if that means it's designed so that latecomers don't struggle too much.
"By the way, [Bell-dono] was making [Stone Walls] like crazy."
"Pfft!"
Well, that's probably the most useful thing, but still...
"Thanks for the meal!"
"You're welcome. Do you know when the next attack is?"
"It'll probably be just after 7 o'clock."
"Seriously? I'll clean up, so you go ahead."
"Much obliged!"
Dinner started early at 6 PM, but before I knew it, it was already 15 minutes to 7 PM.
I guess I can take my time cleaning up and be done around 8 PM...
*
"Evening."
Shou-kun.
Only Mion greeted me in the [Club Room].
[Seth (Miki)] and [Bell-san] are probably both in IRO, and [Yata-sensei] isn't always there. There was a certain achievement (capturing [Bell-san]) at noon, after all...
"What about that live stream?"
It's Seth-chan's. There was an attack just now, and it just ended.
"Was it alright?"
Yes. Right now, they're tending to wounds and repairing the walls.
Sitting down and peering into the monitor, [Bell-san] was shown again, creating a [Stone Wall].
Because of that incident, she's completely become the "stone wall" character...
"What was the battle like?"
This time, many Orcs attacked. They seemed considerably stronger than Goblins, but everyone properly divided roles and defeated them.
"Hoh."
I thought, since they're just people who happened to gather there, would their coordination be okay? But if it's going well, that's great.
[Natto-san] was working hard directing things. He seems to get along well with the NPCs, and he was doing a lot of mediating.
"Ah..."
In his case, "mediating" usually means he just somehow makes things work with a "come on, let's all get along" kind of vibe.
"Oh, is [Iincho] doing alright?"
I was watching that a bit too, but I didn't see [Polly-san].
Well, for [Iincho], that makes sense. It would be stranger if she were playing games all the time.
Nevertheless, in [Anheim Territory], [Leona-sama] and the [Imperial Guard] members were commanding well, and [Silver Manor] was providing free backup.
It's probably a "take a loss to gain more" kind of situation.
"Well, since it seems fine, I guess I'll go too."
Yes. Have a good trip.
"I'm off."
...I wonder how it is that I'm getting used to this.
*
"Woof."
"Yeah, this. And tell the [Fairy] thanks for the [Spirit Stone]."
"Woofn."
I petted the smug-faced [Lupi] and sent her off.
The tree [Spirit Stone] is just thrown into my inventory for now, but I should probably make it into a pendant or something, just like the light [Spirit Stone].
Is it finally time for dismantling?
"Yeah, starting with the roof. Grabbing my hammer and nail puller..."
Getting onto the roof was easy: first, I got on the [Storage]'s roof from the scaffolding, then simply crossed a sturdy plank to the top of the [Mountain Cabin].
The [Mountain Cabin] is two-storied, but since the [Storage] on the mountain side has a ceiling of about 3 meters, the plank I crossed wasn't too steep.
Please be careful, okay?
"Roger."
Still, falling is no joke, so I was cautious. Fall damage in games seems to deal more damage than any other attack.
But I'm a little curious how much damage it would be from this height. Yesterday, [Leona-sama] jumped off a city wall of similar height and was fine, so...
... ... ...
"Heave-ho! This is the last one!"
For the last two roof planks, I just pulled out the nails, lifted the roof from inside, and then slowly slid it westward—to the opposite side of the [Storage]—and let it fall.
All of them are off.
"It took quite a while, huh. Thanks to that, or rather, my [Carpentry] skill went up to 4."
Dismantling and repairing seem to add to skill experience. It makes sense, as you learn the structure.
Are you leaving that framework?
"I'm taking off these rafters too. I want to replace the eaves as well."
It's a very simply constructed lean-to roof. Rafters are laid from the mountain-side eaves to the sea-side eaves, with roof sheathing nailed onto them.
On top of the sheathing, tree bark was laid and secured... I probably can't use that anymore. I think I'll use thin [Stone Walls] as roof tiles instead.
Um, that's too much jargon, I don't understand.
"Right..."
Of course, it wouldn't make sense.
"Woof!!"
"Hmm? [Lupi], what's wrong?"
[Lupi]'s tone of voice, which came from outside, was somehow different from usual.
Rushing out of the room, a [Fairy], apparently having come with her, flew right in front of me,
"~~~!!"
She seemed incredibly flustered, frantically waving her arms and trying to convey something... what should I do?
Is it some kind of emergency?
"I think so, but..."
Then, [Lupi] came carrying a composite armor that had been left in the [Storage].
"Did a monster appear!?"
"Woof!"
You need to hurry!
"Wait a moment. I'll get ready right away!"