Chapter 128 - Chapter 4: Preliminary Investigation (Part 2)
When we went inside, it was much more damp than the other places. There were even puddles in the corners.
I didn't see any wet spots on the walls, but they were discolored up to about waist height. Water might have leaked from somewhere and pooled to that height.
I turned off the Fireflies once, but no light was leaking from anywhere.
"If we dig here, water might come out."
Paul-san said that since the surroundings are mountains but there are no rivers, there should be groundwater under the flatlands. After that, it's just a matter of where to dig to hit a water vein, apparently...
"If we widen this hole, it might be usable as a well."
"Director. What about the bats?"
"Bats carry diseases. We can't have them living around a well."
That's a pity. They cooperated in the house centipede extermination.
If they become allies, they might be active during night battles.
"Where were the bats living?"
"Apparently, it's a bit closer to the entrance. This place is too far."
Robinson-san said it's away from this candidate water source.
In that case...
"Paul-san. This room is quite a bit lower than the entrance, right? If we block the path we've taken so far up to the bats' dwelling and dig a side tunnel from another place, the bats can stay as they are, right?"
"Well, that's true, but digging deep into the rock is quite a task. The rock around here apparently has silica mixed in. It's quite hard."
"Silica?"
I didn't know what he meant, so while I was tilting my head, he brought out a stone, saying, "This."
It was a whitish lump.
"This is silica. Just think of it as a relative of quartz. If we can get a large amount, it can be a material for glass, but we won't know until we investigate. In any case, it's hard, so it can't be dug easily."
"Let's ask."
There are experts. We should just have them tell us.
We decided to have the Goblins investigate. The Goblins went outside once, and while consulting each other, they looked around at various places, putting their ears to the ground, and they seemed to have reached a conclusion.
They gathered at Robinson-san's place.
The Goblins said that while there are many rocks around the cliff, it is possible to dig a hole down from the surface and then a side tunnel. It would be easier to widen the crack, but it's not a problem, they said. If things go well, water might come out just by digging a vertical hole.
In undertaking the Nakanohara waterworks construction, the Goblins were provided with various tools. They say that if they use such tools to read the grain of the stone, they can dig through the rock around here.
It's surprising that stones have grains, but it's apparently like wood grain; just as it's easier to split a board along the grain, it's the same.
Speaking of which, the rock here has gray stripes. They might be talking about that.
As expected of hole-digging experts.
I don't know how much the house centipedes will be worth, but we should be able to secure a water source.
"This is something we must talk to Mayor Adolf about. The civil engineering department of the Marcelo Company might be able to take on a new job."
I immediately called Captain Lewis.
"Could you tell me the construction schedule for a bit?"
Lewis-san spread out a map and explained it to everyone.
"This place is in the southwestern part of the entire flatlands. The fortress is planned to be built in the central part. First, we'll build a fortress at the northern pass, then develop the road and connect it with the surrounding fortresses to build the central fortress. Then, we'll open a road from the southern mountains to the plains, and finally, development will begin."
"But what if there was a silica vein here?"
I showed him the stone from earlier.
"Hmm. If it's promising, it might be developed preferentially."
"In that case, would the road to the plains be opened first?"
"I wonder. We'd have to stop monsters from invading the plains. At least after the northern fortress and the central fortress are built. I don't know what the higher-ups will say, but in the event of an invasion from the north, as Jaegers, we can't guarantee it otherwise."
"If the fortress goes smoothly, two years?"
"Probably something like that. It also depends on how long the construction of the roads connecting the fortresses takes."
Peering into the map, there were four black circles and one red circle drawn on the roughly square-shaped flatlands. The red circle was around the middle, so it must be the fortress. There was one black circle next to the red circle, and the others were near the mountains. The black circle in the southwest corner was apparently this hole.
"Captain Lewis. May I ask something?"
"What is it, Jeanne?"
"This flatland is roughly square-shaped, with a mountain stream to the east, and otherwise surrounded by mountains, right?"
"That's correct."
"And one more thing, the closest part to the southern plains is not the southeastern part but around here, right?"
"That's right, but is there something on your mind?"
"No, I was just curious about the overall terrain. Thank you very much."
"I-I see. I'm glad if you're satisfied."
He had a puzzled face, so I quickly moved away to where Beatrix and the others were.
"Beatrix, Bonnie, I have a favor."
"What?"
"Remember the terrain around here. I'll tell you the reason later."
"Hmm... Understood. Around this rock and the place where the Goblins were talking about digging a vertical hole, right?"
"Yes. Please. I can't do it alone."
"Should I draw a picture?"
"If you have the leeway, please."
"I guess I should grasp the position of the forest and the approximate distance!"
"Yes. Please."
"Yeah. Got it!"
After taking a break, we decided to head to the next hole in the bowl. Since there were many of us, it would take two trips.
"Are we exploring the second one too?"
"No. We'll do it tomorrow. It's difficult in a cave if Beatrix's magic can't be used. If there are more house centipedes, other magic won't work."
"Sorry. I'll aim for the big ones from now on."
"You don't have to apologize. That was the correct treatment."
"Thank you."
The first group, Bonnie and I, went with Lewis-san and the other Jaegers. The next hole is to the south of the flatlands, so we just need to head southeast.
I asked Paul-san to fly over the rock before we left.
The rock surface was at the edge of a hill with sparse trees rising from the north, and the whole area was surrounded by forest. Looking from the sky, I could see the plains beyond the southern mountains. Since the southern mountains are higher on the Eastern Plains side, the other side was hidden by the mountains and couldn't be seen.
There are two fortresses to the east and one to the west.
On the north side, I could see the pass in question, but it was too far to tell well.
"How much of the northern fortress is built?"
"Right now, we've only just built a residential area on the southern slope. Since a reservoir was made, we built it near there. We'll use that as a base to build the road and the fortress."
It'll be surrounded by fortresses. Public order shouldn't be bad. The problem is the road...
"Once the northern fortress is built, what will happen to the current fortress?"
"Half are planned to move. However, once the central fortress is built, the base will move there. Then it'll be like a checkpoint."
"Are you going to make a road to the south to the west of the mountain fortress too?"
"I think that'll be the case, but for a while, we'll be going down the mountain stream by boat."
The fortress isn't that far. The problem is the mountain stream; there's no way a boat could come up. As I thought, is it difficult?
"You're quite enthusiastic. Are you planning to volunteer for the monster extermination before the development?"
Was there such a thing?
"What, you didn't know? I thought for sure that was it."
According to Paul-san, a large-scale monster hunt is conducted before development, and even after that, there are people who live in the development villages and take on monster hunting. Most are hunters, but some people become residents of the village once its management gets on track, apparently.
"Right now, I'm in the middle of consulting with Marcelo about whether to volunteer. If you guys are okay with it, you can participate too. However, we have to select the people carefully."
If we're to live there, the companions who only work in Nakanohara Town won't be able to participate.
Just Bonnie and me.
"If we take it on, how long would the period be?"
"It depends on the size of the planned development area. If it's the entire flatlands, it'll be the size of four villages. A guideline would be one or two years before development and three years after development begins. If problems arise by then, the development itself might be treated as a failure."
"Living there for five years?"
"No, if you're just doing monster extermination without participating in the development, you can just go in shifts. If the Marcelo Company takes it on, there's [Teleport] and my flight magic. If we feel like it, we can make it a day trip."
If monster extermination becomes officially recognized by the Kingdom, members of the guard and the town hall will apparently join in too. If things go well, everyone might be able to participate.
"How about it? It's still a story for the future, but the monster hunt has already begun. If you're willing to take it on, shall we all talk about it?"
When I looked at Bonnie, she was nodding.
"That's right. Please."
Either way, we have to do monster extermination. It should be better to have a wide range. Let's consult with everyone too.
"It'll be reassuring if Jeanne and the others come. We might be able to ask for reinforcements when the northern fortress is attacked too."
The nice middle-aged man was saying something.
I glared at him from the corner of my eye and reached for Chururi's cage on my waist.
"N-no. I'm saying it from the bottom of my heart. We fought together against the remnants of the Demon Lord's army, didn't we? In the Eastern Plains, you fought something like a Fenrir, right? There are few people with such experience outside of the Royal Army."
Now that he mentions it, that might be true.
"Thank you very much."
I thanked him honestly.
The second hole was almost due south of the candidate fortress site. As I thought, it's in the middle of a cliff.
"[Revenant] bats were going in and out of here. There's no livestock, so there's no damage, but we have to exterminate them anyway."
"Somehow, they're all in the middle of cliffs."
"Otherwise, we would have crushed them. It would be unbearable if they became Orc nests."
That's true too.
Does that mean this time it's only things like that?
"No, the candidate fortress site is different. It's a rocky mountain, but it's a hole you can enter directly from the top. No one has seen monsters, and it seemed quite deep, so we left it alone, but we can't do that if we're building a fortress. You could say it's the main event of this monster extermination."
"We'll do this one tomorrow. After that, let's go to the candidate fortress site."
"That's right. The last one is near the Eastern Plains mountain fortress, so let's stop by to report."
It's been a while since I met the Eastern Plains Jaegers. The captain there is a serious person, so it's reassuring.
I glanced at Lewis-san.
He immediately noticed and gave me a nice smile with his white teeth shining.
By the stage the reconnaissance for tomorrow was over, it was evening.
When I was about to return to Nakanohara with [Teleport] after having the Goblins get inside the barrels, a bandit beckoned and called me.
I can roughly guess what it is, but...
"Is Angelica-san making tomorrow's bento?"
"She said she'd make our share. As for how many spares there will be, that's up to Angelica-san."
I was given five this time.
It might be time to start taking money.
"I-I see. Then, that's fine."
He sighed and was about to go back. He must have been bragged to by the guys who ate them.
"Tell me your name. If you like, I'll secure one for you."
"R-really?"
"In exchange, though."
Some kind of negotiation began.
When Beatrix whispered, the bandit crossed his arms and started thinking.
Anyway, she's probably plotting something with Owen-san again.
"Just talk to the captain. If you do, I'll secure the day after tomorrow's bento too."
"I see. Then, I'll talk to him for now. But I can't take responsibility for whether it goes well."
"It's fine, it's fine. We're just thinking it'll be a lucky find if it goes well."
"Understood. Then, I'm counting on you."
"Okay!"
The deal seemed to be settled.
"What were you talking about?"
"Hehe. It's a secret."
"It's a violation of the rules."
"Oh, fine, I can't help it."
She was grinning.
"You're making field uniforms at the orphanage, right? This is the bento shop version of that."
"Bento shop?"
"Yeah. Since we gathered the current mothers, it's a waste to just have them dyeing field uniforms. So, Owen-san and the other vigilantes who run the dining halls told me to have them make catering bentos for hunters and people doing civil engineering work."
"Owen-san and the others?"
Normally, the bentos being sold are made by the dining halls. They make them before opening. I had heard that especially in summer, they spoil quickly, so they end up with very simple menus and low profits. Apparently, if you place an order in the morning, injured soldiers will transport them by carriage by lunchtime.
But what does it mean that the vigilantes are involved?
Is something going to happen soon?
"Yeah. Everyone in the vigilantes is worried about the families they'd leave behind if there's a war, right? So, it's not exactly a mutual aid society, but if we create several businesses like that, we can feel at ease even if something happens."
"But the marble dyeing is being done at the orphanage."
"It's fine. Adolf-san and the Headmistress and the others agreed. They said we can use the orphanage kitchen if it's during free time."
"How about sourcing ingredients?"
"Everyone at the dining halls will give us leftovers at a low price. By the way, the name is decided as Nakanohara Bento Service. The one in charge of seasoning guidance is Angelica-san. Apparently, one silver coin per week will be paid by the town. The orphanage's meals will surely become delicious too."
When did she arrange all that?
"You're amazing."
"Right? But Owen-san said it too. That Jeanne is truly something for trying to help war widows with marble dyeing. You were eighth last year, but you've become a noble too, so aim higher this year."
"That has nothing to do with it!"
Honestly... I'm the one who'll be treated to food by the middle-aged men anyway.
Besides, I wish they'd consider how it feels to be teased by them all the time.
But Beatrix is amazing. Even after hearing that story, it won't be of any profit to Beatrix...
"Oh, right, sorry, but dinner is at the Bird's Head Tavern until this job is over. They said they'd treat us."
I see. That's how it goes, doesn't it?
I have received a new bookmark registration.
Thank you very much.