Chapter 479 - Helping Each Other Out
Leaving the study where I'd been organizing books, I found three Ghillie Dhu in the entrance hall.
Are these different ones from before? They seem a little taller.
"Um, could you explain what's going on?"
"Ryuu."
I asked Pan, who seemed to have led them here. Apparently, they appeared while he was working in the fields near the water channel.
And upon seeing Mion, who was working with him, they cried out, "It's the Jade Goddess-sama!"
"Ah…"
I explained to Mion, or rather, the Goddess-sama, who looked puzzled by my reaction.
"Aww…"
"No, it's partly my fault."
I had told Pan's group that the Jade Goddess-sama was visiting, so that probably made it worse.
"It seems the image of the Jade Goddess in the game has been applied to Mion-san."
It was like that when Sweee's group first saw Mion too; it seemed Mion was the Jade Goddess, and it felt like it applied to the entire game.
It kind of makes me wonder, 'Is that okay?' But it'd be strange not to react… I guess there's no point in thinking too deeply about it.
And, of course,
"~~~♪"
"Figures that would happen.
"Shou-kun?"
"They want to become island residents."
Sweee, Pan, and Shal were there, and apparently, they had explained who we were and invited them.
For me, it was totally fine. Considering what lay ahead, I'd be happy just to have them guide us through that forest.
"Meow. Meow meow~"
"Huh? Work? Can you sew?"
"Sewing?"
According to Shal, the Ghillie Dhu are good at sewing. They have a special talent for extracting fibers from plants and turning them into rope and thread.
The leaf clothes they were wearing were apparently self-made.
"That's amazing!"
"In that case, we should offer something in return. If they're going to work, we need to properly compensate them."
"That's true."
"Ryuu~!" "Meow!"
Pan declared that they could grow plenty more vegetables. Shal then raised a paw, offering to help with rabbit hunting.
We also had dried fish from True's place… Wait, how many Ghillie Dhu are there anyway?
"Um, how many of you are there in total? It's not just the three of you here, is it? Also, I heard you live in that forest, so I'd like to know more about that."
"Meow meow."
"Ugh ugh."
Shal translated, questioning the Ghillie Dhu. Summarizing what she gathered:
・There are 33 of them in total, in three groups of 11.
・Each group manages a section of the forest across the water channel.
・Monsters do appear, but there's a large Divine Tree in the back of the forest, by the lake, making it safe.
That was the gist of it.
The back of the forest, the lake… I'm really curious about that.
"Thirty people or so, so vegetables should be fine, right?"
"Ryuu!"
Pan thumped his chest, looking dependable. Currently, we had an excess of crops in the fields, so it worked out.
Incidentally, the Ghillie Dhu apparently eat both meat and vegetables normally. They usually move through the trees and hunt Bicobits on the ground.
"Oh, wow. From up in the trees, do you use bows and arrows or something?"
"Meow?"
"Ugh ugh ugh."
One of the leaders showed me a thin wooden tube, a little under 50cm long. Ah!
"A blowgun!"
"Huh?"
Mion looked completely baffled, which was understandable.
I gave a brief explanation of what kind of weapon it was. Showing her it in action would be faster, but trying it here might be a bit dangerous.
"~~~?"
"Oh, right. We welcome you to become island residents. If you ever have any problems, please don't hesitate to tell us, and we'll help as much as we can."
The three Ghillie Dhu nodded in agreement at Sweee's translated words.
Now, what about names?
"Um, Mion?"
"Yes. How about Kuro-chan, Rake-chan, and Ato-chan?"
"Okay. So, Kuro, Rake, Ato. Nice to meet you."
I shook hands with each of them.
They then shook Mion's hand, and her level of emotion was surprisingly high…
[Ghillie Dhu Guardian: Obtained 3 SP]
After acquiring the Guardian title, I checked the island population. It was precisely 151 people.
"Is it okay if I ask about the origin of the names?"
"Perhaps the three Goddesses of Fate from Greek mythology?"
"Yes."
Mion said they were named after the three sister goddesses of Greek mythology: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos.
Yata-sensei explained that they were goddesses who spun the thread of fate. It also connected to their skill in sewing… wait, what?
"Um… are all three of them girls?"
"Of course."
"How typical of Shou-kun."
Mion smiled, and Yata-sensei sounded slightly exasperated.
I really didn't notice at all…
"Ryuu~ryu?"
"Ugh ugh, ugh ugh."
Ignoring my dejection, Kuro and Pan were discussing practical matters.
Specifically, building a Watermill Hut by the water channel, which had been left untouched due to various reasons.
"Ah, yeah. If Kuro's group is okay with it, let's build one."
"Ryuu!"
Pan was incredibly enthusiastic, which made me feel a bit bad…
Building the hut seemed fine, but I'd have to handle the waterwheel myself.
It wouldn't be a complex one for pumping water, but I'd need to confirm if a small one would turn properly first…
"Ugh ugh?"
"Ryuu~"
Apparently, Kuro's group was interested in Floss Cotton. I'd be very happy if they could process it into thread, then fabric, and then clothes.
"Meow?"
"Ah, sorry. The Ecryu wool that Shal's group sheared for us is still unprocessed."
"Meow~ meow."
Shal said not to worry.
I felt bad that I hadn't had time to process it after receiving it. In fact, I'd started and stopped so many things.
"Shou-kun, you have too many things to do. I think it would be better to ask Mion-san to help with whatever she can."
"Can you leave it to me?"
"Okay, then can I leave everything related to sewing to you? It'd probably be fun to make things with Kuro and the others too."
"Yes!"
First, perhaps we should have them make a robe for Mion from Ecryu wool?
Then, maybe make bandanas for everyone, or put cushions around the house to make it more homely.
"Speaking of which, we still had some Amama Fabric left over, didn't we?"
"Ah, yes…"