“Bird and animal control!”

That’s our topic today.
For those who grow crops, there is a big problem that troubles them: wild animals and birds that devour the crops they’ve tended.

“We didn’t grow these vegetables for you to eat!!!”

Whenever I see one, I chase them away.
They’re wise and powerful beasts. They could easily go around and over the fence we set up.
Pochi and his friends patrolled the area and controlled the damage to a certain extent at first, but with the expansion of our fields as the days went by, his group could no longer cover all of it.
A new approach is needed.

“…Let’s set up traps,” was the first idea that came to mind.

Traps.
It’s the thingy you set up beforehand so the thingies get caught in it.
It’s a very effective way to deal with wild animals that invade at any time.
Hence, I made a few things to try out:

First, a taut rope that trips you.
Second, a pit to fall in.
Three, a tub that would fall on you.
Fourth, a bear trap.

Then, I laid them around the farm.

The only trap that looked the most decent was the bear trap. But since it’s still a prototype, the springs are weak and loose.
I was dubious whether this trap would really catch anything, but I still set it up in the morning since it’s not like I’ll lose much. When I came back to check around noon, however, I was surprised to find that it did catch something.

“…”
“…”

It’s Veil.

“The heck are you doing there?”

The trap caught a dragon in its human form.
Her huge dragon body would definitely be able to wreck a trap designed for the size of a stray dog.

“It looked intriguing, so I… I tried stepping on it,” reluctantly says Veil.

You’re like a kid who wants to press the fire alarm button for no reason.

“You could’ve just broken free by turning into a dragon. Why are you still stuck in there?”
“I was afraid you’d get mad at me if I broke it, so I decided to wait.”
“I like that mindset.”

Anyway, I couldn’t leave her like that, so I disarmed the trap and let Veil go.
And since it had pretty loose springs, there’s no need to worry about injury.
Though it’s not like dragon Veil would’ve suffered a scratch even if it had been a strong spring.

“Now go, and don’t get caught again.”

I pretended like the protagonist of some story and let Veil go.
Veil looked back time and again before she went back to the forest.
She doesn’t even live there.

Based on the above results, I scrapped the idea as Pochi and the earth spirits could possibly get caught in it as well.
I collected the items I had set up and went back to the house.

I heard a loud knocking on the door as soon as I returned home, so I went to open it, and the person standing in the doorway was…
Veil.

“I’m here to return the favor!”

An event must have been triggered.

I’m feeling déjà vu from this flow of events.
Find a beast caught in a trap→save it→turns into a human and comes to return the favor.
Wasn’t there a folk tale like that from a long time ago?

Well, except Veil was in her human form from the very beginning.
Besides, in the original story, it was a bird that came to return the favor, not a dragon.
I once recounted a fairytale from my world during my spare time, and I think Veil was present at that time too.

“…That’s not it. I’m a traveler who needs a place to stay for the night!”

But you live here.
I don’t know when she realized the similarity in the flow of events, but she’s now in full “The Crane of Gratitude” mode.

“I’ll weave for you if you let me stay! Take me to the weaving room!”

Veil then goes to the weaving room in our house, which she knows very well.
There were several goblins inside, all in the middle of weaving fabric from the adamantine silkworms’ silk and cotton from the fields.

“Get out of here! You mustn’t take a peek at the weaving!”
“The audacity!”

Our goblin victims were thrown out of the room even though they work there.
As expected of a dragon, no one can top their selfishness.
The goblins who were kicked out ask me in confusion.

“My Lord… What should we do?”
“You don’t really need to finish them right away, no? Let Veil do what she wants for a while.”

And so, Veil had the weaving room all to herself.

“Listen up, Master! I’m weaving to repay you, so promise me that you will never, ever peek! Swear you won’t!” she says as she shuts the door.
“…I guess that’s our cue to never peek without permission,” says the goblins.
“Hmm…”

What would be the right thing to do here?

Open the door and take a peek?
Or leave her alone?

This decision is very difficult.
If we proceed according to the original story, it would be faithful to peek inside at the right time.
However, as a result, the crane, or in this case, the dragon, whose true identity is revealed, flies away and never comes back.

In other words, a bad ending.
Those who broke the taboo get their retribution.

We all know the tragic ending, so why should we choose an option we shouldn’t?
It would be very dumb of the protagonist to choose a bad ending on their second run.

Therefore, if we want to have a happy ending, we shouldn’t peek, but at the same time, that wouldn’t be “The Crane of Gratitude” anymore.
It’s just Veil’s pretend-play of the same title.
If her goal is to recreate the story, isn’t peeking at the right time the best choice to make?

“Which one is the right choice?!”

Two perplexing choices.
Why must this torment me so?
I pondered and pondered.
After all my pondering…

“…Ready, set, one!”
“…Ready, set, two! Damn it, I missed!”
“Heh-heh-he. I’m next, My Lord… Ready, set, four!”
“Ah, it was a hit!!!”

After abandoning all hope and worries, the goblins and I amused ourselves with simple games.
They’re bored and have nothing else to do after Veil took their job.

“My Lord! Let’s do ohajiki next!”
“How rash of you to challenge my strongest ohajiki, the mana metal hopscotch!”

Just when we were getting heated up over our games…

“Peek, damn it!!!”

Veil got angry at us.
So, peeking was the right choice!

“Don’t you understand the flow of the story, Master? You’re supposed to say ‘So, it was you, Veil…’ after seeing me weave with all that I have!”

That’s from a different story, and a more tragic one at that.

“Geez! I’m going to fly away now that you know who I am! I can’t stay here! Take care, Grandma and Grandpa!”

But there are no old people here, and this is where you live.
Without paying attention to my tsukkomi, Veil reverted to her dragon form and flew away into the sky.

“Veil, it’s dinnertime soon.”
“Yay, food!”

And she came back right away.

By the way, Veil actually managed to weave something while she was holed up in the room.
It’s made from her dragon scales.

I know some may wonder how that works, but in the original “The Crane of Gratitude,” the crane was weaving with its feathers, so I’d say there’s not much point in thinking logically about it.

Anyway, the cloth is made of dragon scales.
Doesn’t that sound pretty rare?

“Are you going to make me sew legendary clothing again?!”

When I took it to Batemy, our local tailor, she got all worked up.

“I’ve never seen a weave like this! Its exceptional feel! If I were to make clothes out of it, it’ll have more defense than a full set of legendary armor! Are you sure? Do you really want me to make that, Lord Saint?!”
“Ah… Yeah, it’s fine.”

It’s a shame to leave it as it is.
Veil should also be cautious about producing legendary items on a whim.

Thus, the “Dragon Robe” was completed by Batemy in the best quality possible and became an invincible armor that can repel all attacks and magic, unless it is a holy sword or a weapon made of mana metal.

Perhaps because they thought their position was threatened, Arachne and the adamantine silkworms got together to make a firm objection.

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One thing worries me now that we’ve added heaters to our farm: fire accidents.
A little carelessness and a fire could break out, burning everything down.

People say a single match is enough to start a fire, but with so much wood and coal burning in the heater, it’s not just a match that we need to look out for.

It’s something that must be kept in mind the moment you build a house, but it’d be better to spread awareness to all our residents once again.

Fires are scary.
Be careful of possible causes of fire.
We must never make light of it.

And so, we shall be conducting a fire prevention campaign at our farm today.

“You’re all going to learn about the horrors of fires.”

I gathered all the residents for today’s fire drill.

“I’ll teach you how to avoid fires and what to do in case a fire breaks out, so make sure you listen well and make use of this knowledge! Then, we’ll rid this earth of fires!!!”
“OKAY!”

Orcs, goblins, mermaids, elves, satyrs, earth spirits, wolves, and Bacchus’ Maidens—all of them are present.
There wouldn’t be any point in conducting the drill otherwise.

“The first thing you need to know is what to say when a fire breaks out. You better remember these words…”

And they are…

“O-ka-shi! (emergency drill instruction)”
“OKASHI?! (sweets)” shouts a group of people.

“Sweets? Did you say sweets, Master?! Is it cake? Ice cream? Maybe fruit parfait???”
“If it has butter, then all the better! It highlights the sweetness!!!”

Veil and the earth spirits are getting ahead of themselves as usual again.

“No. I’m not talking about treats-okashi.”

O-Ka-Shi is an acronym for the three things you should keep in mind when you encounter a fire, making it easier to remember and react promptly in an emergency.

Our ancestors sure have thought up something witty.
Or maybe it was recent, I don’t know.

“Let’s learn what ‘O,’ ‘Ka,’ and ‘Shi’ stand for!”

O-Osanai (don’t push)!
Don’t push one another when trying to evacuate, or you might miss your chance to escape.

Ka-Kasanai (don’t lend)!

“…Huh?”

Lending or borrowing money, even between friends, can lead to the breakup of relationships.
That’s why you should never lend money.

Wait, no.
That’s important on its own, but it has nothing to do with fires.

This isn’t the right ‘ka’…
The ‘ka’ after ‘o’ is…

Karinai (don’t loan).

Never take part in illegal loans.
…Not this either!

Why aren’t we moving away from the financial side of things?!

Wasn’t ‘O-Ka-Shi’ supposed to compactly summarize the necessary things to do during a fire?
Do I just have that bad of a memory?

“W-We’ll just come back to ‘ka’ later…”

Let’s try to remember what ‘shi’ stands for next.

Shi-Shiranai (don’t know).

…
Why is this getting so random?
My memory is fuzzy on everything but the first word.

“Oh well! I’ll try to remember what ‘o-ka-shi’ stands for by the end of the drill!”

I was booed for my lame attempts at hosting.

“Next fire drill lesson: Firefighting practice!”

Firefighters that come at the press of a few buttons like in my world don’t exist here.
We have to extinguish the fire by ourselves!
That’s why we need to experience firefighting beforehand so that we can be prepared for the real thing.

Hence, I prepared a small campfire in an open, flat area outdoors, by assembling wood and setting fire to it.
The fire burns red hot.

“You will extinguish this fire on your own to gain hands-on experience. I’ve prepared some fire extinguishing tools, so use them!”

Fire extinguishers are still too advanced for this world, so I prepared buckets of water.
I think I’m going to place these emergency water buckets everywhere on the farm from now on.

Come on, don’t hesitate to pour this water on the blazing fire!
Those who wish to try it, fall in line!

“Hmm… So, you just want us to put out that fire?”

Surprisingly, Veil was the one who volunteered first.
Currently, she’s in her human form.

“I don’t think we need to use water for that.”
“Huh?”

Veil gives a glance at the fiery campfire and says, “Vanish.”

With a single word from the dragon-girl, the fire went out by itself, not even a wisp of smoke in sight.
Platy then explains to me who’s dumbfoundedly speechless.

“A fire that size is no threat with dragon magic. Don’t underestimate the ultimate magic that mankind has yet to understand.”
“Exactamundo! I can put out a small fire like this with a snap of my fingers. I can put out even bigger flames in an instant! For example, I could put out a wildfire that would cover that whole mountain! Do you want me to show you how?!”

But there’s no wildfire on that mountain.
Since there’s no fire, you’re going to make one yourself with your dragon breath, you say?

Don’t!!!

That’s just like an arsonist getting credit for putting out a fire they started themselves!
Anyway, we all rushed to stop her.

“I’m not as good as Lady Veil, but…”

Next comes Lampeye from the mermaid team, nicknamed the Witch of Hellfire.

She holds her hands out toward the re-lit campfire and whispered, “Dorime, dorime…”
The flames broke into smaller flames and went onto her hands.

“…She’s manipulating the flames?”
“I’m called the Witch of Hellfire exactly because I can use flames as if they were a part of me. Those who can set fire to the flames at will are merely second-rate fire mages,” says Lampeye, as she holds up the flame in her hands and extinguishes it.

It wasn’t as fast as Veil’s, but it was still a remarkable feat.

“I don’t have the ability to control flames like Lampeye, but I made this,” says my wife, Platy.

Something smoky is coming out of the test tube she brought with her.

Wait… I think it’s more like mist.
It’s something in between smoke and mist… The best way to describe it would probably be dry ice vapor.

An unimaginable amount of dry ice vapor is coming out of the test tube!
As if crawling on the ground, it’s heading straight for the campfire!

…By the way, the goblin team is the one who reignites the fire every time it’s extinguished.
Thanks, you guys.

Back on topic, the vapor from the dry ice finally covered the flames and swallowed them!
It’s as if we’re watching the predatory behavior of an amoeba!

Over time, the fire was extinguished by the vapor.

“This auto-extinguishing mist is made by diluting a monster called smoke slimes with a magic potion,” explains Platy. “Smoke slimes originally use the body heat of living creatures as their energy source and are known for clinging to their prey, stealing their body heat, and freezing them to death. I applied that logic here.”

The smoke slime, modified by the magic potion, only reacts to high-temperature objects like fire, so it automatically goes to any fire source and extinguishes itself—an ideal fire extinguishing device.

“I’ve already placed this fire-extinguishing mist all over the farm.”
“Huh? For real?!”

According to Platy, they’re sealed in paper boxes and set in every possible place where a fire could start.
If a fire breaks out and the paper box is burned, the fire-extinguishing mist will leak out and extinguish it.

“You don’t even have to wait for the fire to reach it, you can also just throw the box into the fire. It’s a great system, isn’t it?”
“U-Uh-huh…”
“Besides, we’ve got some reliable people with us to help prevent fires,” says Platy as she shifts her gaze toward the elves and the hypercaons who immediately struck a pose.

“Forest fires are a matter of life-or-death to us elves! We can use our superior senses as forest-dwellers to immediately detect and extinguish fires!!!”
“Woowoowoof! Woof, woof, woof!!!”

‘Wolf monsters’ sense of smell can detect even the slightest scent of burning!’ is probably what they’re saying.

I can’t believe I forgot something important.
Though our worlds are different, fires are still the same so it’s only natural that corresponding countermeasures are in place.

Fantasy sure is great.

I finally remembered it!
I was about to finish the drill without remembering, but I managed to remember one thing: the ‘shi’ in o-ka-shi.

Shi stands for…

Shinanai (don’t die).

That’s it.
That’s the most important thing!

Thank goodness I remembered it.

Ahh, I feel so much better now!

the real o-ka-shi: osanai (don’t push), kakenai (don’t run), shaberanai (don’t talk).
sha in shaberanai is composed of shi and a small ya to make the sha (しゃ) sound, hence shi.
today’s chapter was more of a gag with practically impossible to localize jokes/puns.

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My second winter is right around the corner.
We had a swell time last winter being unprepared and all, but we’ve learned our lesson and are ready this year!

Our elves have been making and storing charcoal since the beginning of last winter and Batemy has been sewing thick clothes for us.
Pochi and the other wolves have also shed their coats into thicker ones.

Of course, I can’t let myself be outdone!
As the owner of this farm, I’ve decided to make my own preparations for winter—a heater!!!

But kerosene doesn’t exist in this world, so I’ll have to find an alternative fuel source.
That’s when I came up with…

Firewood!
We can burn firewood and use the heat to warm the room!

We’ll spend a warm winter with the power of this firewood heater!

That’s why I’ll be making one now.
We need to keep the fire burning inside while it transfers heat to the outside to function as a proper heater.

The material we’ll be using is, of course, mana metal.
Strangely enough, mana metal softens at a relatively low temperature, but once I finish processing it and wait for it to harden, it attains a melting point that far exceeds that of steel and never burns or melts.
The thermal conductivity is also ideal, making it the perfect material for heaters.

“Hm, I wonder about that…”
“Oh, what’s the matter, Bacchus?”
“I think the dwarves would weep if they saw this. Still, this place really has an abundant supply of mana metal!”

Bacchus walks past after leaving behind suggestive words.

“Oh, our sake brewery is also making a lot of strong spirits to fight the cold!”
“Sure, please do.”

Looks like we’ll also be able to drink whiskey and brandy aside from shochu soon.

Now, back to the main topic and concentrate on building the heater.

First, I need to think about making the chimney.
It’s absolutely necessary so the smoke has an outlet.

And it’s not enough to just build any chimney.
The smoke and the air around the fire both carry heat through the chimney, so the chimney itself also gets a certain amount of heat.

If I connect that chimney to every room around the house, all rooms will receive radiated heat.
But in doing so, we also have to increase the heat output of the heater.
Of course, there are some problems such as unequal heat distribution with the area near the heater hotter than the rest, but we can research that in the future.

“Proper ventilation is also important to make the heater work, so I need to make it in a way that’s easy for air to enter…”

The elves suddenly joined me in making the heater.

“It’s good to have a pile of firewood next to the heater so you can easily add more.”
“Let’s make a basket for storing the firewood!”
“Wouldn’t it be fun to boil water and cook on the heater?”
“It is extremely hot to the touch. Let’s build a fence around it so the little ones won’t accidentally touch it.”

They keep proposing good ideas.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we could see the fire inside?”
“Poel, can you make a glass cover for the heater?”
“Leave it to me! I can make a super heat-resistant glass that won’t melt even in magma!”

Poel, leader of the glasswork team, is highly motivated.
After a lot of trial and error, she made the real thing.

“But don’t you think it’s amazing that Lord Saint can easily process mana metal which is much harder than steel?”
“It’s not me who’s amazing, it’s this holy sword.”

Adamantine silk that even dragon fangs cannot penetrate is easy to pierce and sew together because the needle used is made of mana metal.
And the Wicked-Holy Sword Dreischwartz can easily cut through that mana metal and process it into such tools.

“I see!”
“No wonder it’s called a holy sword!”
“The ultimate sword given by the god of the underworld!”
“We’ve witnessed its awesomeness first hand!”

I can’t tell you how many times the holy sword has helped us on the farm!
I’m extremely lucky to have come across this sword!

“Thank you, holy sword!!!”

After all that messing around, we finally did it!
A heater made entirely of mana metal!

The chimney goes to several rooms in the house, so more rooms can be heated.

We can put pots and pans on it since its top is flat.
We can also boil water, cook food, or even bake mochi.

“Our farm is now fully prepared for winter! Come at us whenever you feel like it, General Winter!”
“Hold on, Lord Saint!!!” cries out Aileron.

What’s wrong? You seem to be in a rush.

“This heater is missing something crucial!”
“W-What?!”

What do you mean?
The heater that I put my heart and soul into building and perfecting is missing something?!

“The firewood!”
“Oh, right!”

It’s a heater that uses firewood!

No machine can work without fuel.
A firewood heater without its firewood is like a mage without magic.

“O-Okay, let’s go into the forest now to collect firewood!”

But will we be able to collect enough before winter?
Don’t we need to let it dry for a certain period of time after chopping them into pieces?

“You’re so absentminded, Lord Saint! But don’t worry!”
“Huh?”
“We elves have already collected the firewood!!!”

Whaaaaat?!

There’s a huge pile of firewood piled behind the house!
They collected all of this?!

“Oak, evergreen oak, zelkova! We’ve prepared all sorts of wood! One of the best things about open-air fire is that you can enjoy different kinds of flames with different kinds of wood!!!”
“Really?”

As expected of our elven forest-dwellers!

“It should be enough to last us all winter! Use it to your heart’s content, Lord Saint!”
“Aileron, you guys…”

You’re such well-prepared elves!
Moved by emotion and solidarity, Aileron and I hug each other tightly.

“Don’t you always keep firewood for the kiln, boss? That’s the same pile, isn’t it?”
“Shh! Shut it!”

I felt the bond between me and the elves deepen as we built the heater.

“Haa… I’m home!”

After the bond between me and the elves skyrocketed, Platy returned.

“Where did they come from?”

After Platy, Orkbo, Gobukichi, and the rest came buzzing in.
It suddenly became noisy.

Were you all out?
Where have you been?

“What’s wrong with you, Dear, hugging Aileron like that? Are you going to make her your concubine now?”

No, I’m not!
And stop making it sound like I have concubines other than Aileron!

“What about you, Platy? Where did you go with the orcs and goblins?”

Thinking about it now, there’s no way the orcs didn’t want to help in building the heater.
Maybe since they were away is why I didn’t sense their presence.

“Isn’t it obvious? We’re getting ready for winter.”
“What?”
“We were caught by surprise last year, so we have to be prepared this year.”

As expected of my wife, she was thinking the same thing.
I’m sure she’ll be very surprised when she sees this!

Behold, our heater!

“So, we dug out a lot.”
“Hm? Of what?”
“Coal.”

Coal?

Orkubo pushes a cart filled with jet-black rocks.
Is that coal?!
The coal used to power steam trains and steamboats?!

“W-Where did you get that?”
“Sensei remodeled his cave dungeon and made it possible to mine coal! So, I asked Orkubo and the others to help me dig them today!”

Carts of coal arrived one after the other, and it looked like there was more than enough to last us all winter.
The more we looked at it, the sootier our faces became.

…
…Coal has better thermal efficiency than firewood and charcoal, right?
Otherwise, the Industrial Revolution never would’ve happened.

“The orcs even made a coal heater! Now we won’t freeze this winter anymore!!!”

Looks like we’ll be spending a really warm winter this year.
A desolate autumn breeze blew relentlessly across me and the elves.

Side note, thankfully, the mana metal used for the firewood heater was sturdy, so it worked fine with coal, which generates more heat.

I thought the firewood would go to waste, but Aileron’s pottery group just kept using them for their kiln.

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“Master, I have a question.”

One day, I was approached by Horkosfon.
I wonder what it’s about?

“Have you already finished the small-grained natto? How about trying edamame natto next?”
“No, it’s not about that. But I’d like to know more about edamame natto later in detail.”

It’s not about natto?
That’s weird, considering it’s Horkosfon. What does she want?

“…But I’d still like to know more about edamame natto later!!!”
“Okay, okay. Let’s move on to the main subject.”
“Do you still remember my ally whom you restored some time ago, Master?”

Oh, her.

Horkosfon belongs to a race called angels, bioweapons sent by the celestial gods thousands of years ago to invade the earth.
When the earth was on the verge of collapse, all the gods came together to stop and destroy the angels except Horkosfon.

However, a second angel has recently been resurrected.
Yours truly resurrected her by assembling unearthed parts from different angels.
And so, based on those parts, the angel was…resurrected? Born? Anyway, the outcome wasn’t satisfactory. Thankfully, Hermes, a god, came with the right timing to retrieve her and left behind the words, “I will tune her to perfection.”

Several months have passed since then.

“But my ally has yet to return until this very day.”

Now that she mentions it, it has been quite a long time.
He did say he’ll tune her, but since this is the work of the gods, we can’t really say for sure how long it will take.
Though, I doubt it’d be this long…

If we haven’t heard anything from them, then I guess we’ll just have to inquire ourselves.

“You know the drill, Sensei.”
“Yessiree.”

When it comes to god-summoning, Sensei’s our man.
Part of this is his hobby, so he happily accepted our request.

“Hm.”

Sensei’s summoning chants keep on getting sloppier and sloppier.
Still, Hermes was summoned.

“Ho-ho-ho!”

I should be accustomed to this by now, but they really pop out just like that, huh?
Are you fine with this, gods?

“…I witnessed an elder spirit being summoned just recently…”
“Yikes!”

Before I knew it, Batemy had appeared behind me.
Her stealthy approach spooked me out.

“Summoning the elder spirit, a being far lower in rank than a god, was done by hundreds of carefully selected summoners who vomited blood in the process…”

And then, Batemy left without elaborating further.

…
I knew Sensei was awesome!!!

“Yoo-hoo, Saint! I couldst have paid a visit without being summoned if only thee told me so.”

Hermes doesn’t even hide his enthusiasm or frivolity.

“What kind of feast shall thee lavish upon me today? Oh, I also knoweth that Bacchus hast taken up residence here! I am so lucky to be able to quaff alcohol mad by that alcohol lover’s skills combined with Saint’s knowledge before Uncle Hades and the rest! Ah, I also wanteth some of thy edamame!!!”
“Then take this.”
“Ahh!!!”

Horkosfon fires her mana cannon at full blast with neither reserve nor consideration.
Hermes narrowly dodges it and the stray blast shoots up into the sky and blows away the clouds.

“What doth thou think thee art doing, angel?! Here I thought thee has’t becometh more docile since thee started living with the saint, but from the looks of it, thouest just became crazier!!!”
“That’s not true. I’m learning how to behave like an intellectual every day under Master.”
“Thou art lying! Then what was that violent act?!”
“That wasn’t violence. That was a tsukkomi.”

Tsukkomis are a part of our culture.
Not that any of that matters.

“That tsukkomi was payback for your months-long boke. But if that wasn’t a boke, then you’ve done something negligent.”
“Whaa?”
“What happened to the tuning of my ally we entrusted to you? I asked Master and Sensei to summon you to ask that question.”

Sensei is busy playing with Pochi since he’s already finished his part.
So, now, it’s a face-to-face discussion between Hermes and Horkosfon.

“You took my ally under the guise of ‘tuning her’ and promised to bring her back immediately, but we haven’t heard anything from you in months. Did you break your promise?”

I don’t think that’s how you should talk to a god…
But what she said was right, nonetheless.

“I knew all the celestial gods were nasty. Do you eat natto? Eating it can cleanse that corrupted soul of yours.”
“…If thou art asking about her tuning, we has’t already finished it and hath sent her back to thee long ago.”
“Huh?”
“Thou art talking about Songokufon, art thou not? We finished tuning her in just a few days after thouest passed her to me. Ahh! Wait! Doth not shoot, doth not shoot, doth not shoot!!!”

Horkosfon’s Destroy Mode eyes glow red as she points her muzzle at the god.

“What? Didst thou not hear of it? I thought Puffer told thee!”
“Huh?”
“Huh?!”
“HUH?!”

Huh?
Why did he mention Puffer’s name?

“Songokufon is currently accompanying Arowana the merprince on his journey! Puffer, another member of their group, comes back here oft, does the lady not?!”

Oh.

It’s true that Platy’s brother, Prince Arowana, is on a pilgrimage to become the next Mermaid King.
He has a few companions, one of whom is Puffer, who travels back and forth between the farm and Prince Arowana’s side every day with her super high-level teleportation magic to perform her duties here at the farm.

“Gonna make Discus ♪ and Veiltail♪ do my work again♪ Then return to my lovey-dovey tour with the prince♪”

We just saw Puffer walk by us humming a song with horrible lyrics.

“All right! Time to return to Prince Arowana’s side with this magic potion…”
“Hold it right there.”

Horkosfon tightly grips Puffer’s shoulders.

“I have something to ask you. You can either spill everything or get blown up by my mana cannon, whichever you prefer.”

This threat is also a tsukkomi which is still within the limits of culture.

Shortly thereafter, Puffer used her potion to bring the patched-up angel back with her.

“’Ey! The name’s Songokufon! Nice ta meecha!!!”

She looks much better than when we first met her. Even her patched-up parts look seamless.
Her weird way of talking still hasn’t changed, though it seems she has learned some manners to an extent…

“Disciplining her was tough work, I tell you.”

You taught her manners, Puffer?!
You’re literally the last mermaid on the polite list!!!

“This is what they call the fruits of traveling. It’s not just Songokufon. Prince Arowana and Hakkai have also overcome difficulties and are making remarkable improvements.”

So, ‘sending one’s beloved child on a journey,’ showed immediate results, huh?

“I also entrusted Songokufon to Arowana and his group in anticipation of that. Though it is forsooth regrettable that thee were not informed. I thought Puffer told thee already.”
“Simultaneous Mana Cannon Fusillade!” “Count moi in!”
“AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Horkosfon readying her muzzle and Songokufon jumping on the bandwagon is also another tsukkomi.
It’s still within our culture’s standards.

“Songokufon…”

The two angels face each other after leaving Hermes with an afro.

“I’m so glad that you’re back in this world, despite all the ups and downs. Now that you’re here, I’m no longer the only angel in this world.”

Horkosfon embraces Songokufon tightly.
It’s like a touching scene of sisters being reunited.

“…Ngh!!!”

However, Songokufon soon pushes Horkosfon away like a cat trying to escape from its clingy owner and runs away.

“Huh? Where are you going?!”

She runs toward Puffer and buries her face in her chest.

“Hehe~ It’s much softer and more comfortable to hug Sis…”

It seems Songokufon prefers hugging Puffer more than Horkosfon.

“Sis’ chest is much bigger, I love it~”

Then, we hear a snapping sound come from Horkosfon.

“I’ve heard that the best way to understand each other since ancient times is through fistfights. It seems now’s the time for that!”
“Huh? Ya think that you, an old model, are a match for moi, who was given the latest modifications by that Hepa-god? A bit conceited, aincha?”

Stopppppppppppppp!
Two angels with the power to destroy the world shouldn’t be fighting at my placeee!

I guess… angels, including our Horkosfon, do need good education just as Hermes said.

After a short while…

“All right, it’s about time I return to my beloved. Let’s go, Songoku.”
“Hey, Sis.”

Puffer and Songokufon are about to leave.
Their destination, of course, would be where Prince Arowana is. Wait… what?
Did she just say ‘beloved’?

“No need to be in such a hurry to return. Can’t you take your time and relax a little more?”
“I’d love to, but my beloved’s place is in chaos right now. I have to hurry back and provide support.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”

Is Prince Arowana in some kind of trouble?

“He’s fighting a dragon.”
“Go! Now!!!”

No, that won’t suffice!
We’ll assist you!
Orkubo, Gobukichi! And times like this are when Veil is most needed, but where the hell did that dragon gooooooo?!

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We’re still talking about alcohol.
But this time’s the last.

Fermentation is essential for making alcohol…well, alcohol.
Yeast decomposes the sugar in the ingredients and convert them into alcohol, but what happens when this process reaches its end?

It reaches its final form.
Such is our topic today.

“Nooo!!!”

Bacchus, who had become the leader in alcohol brewing at our farm, rejected my proposal.

“You can’t do that! It’s a line that mustn’t be crossed! If you cross that line, alcohol will cease to be alcohol! That’s taboo!!!”
“It’s needed. Please accept it.”
“Saint… I knew you were a scary guy! As expected of an otherworlder, you fail to grasp this world’s commonsense! …Still!!!”

Bacchus then explains to me like I’m five.

“Anything but that! Please! Don’t do anything to desecrate the alcohol I’ve put so much effort into! Isn’t it good enough as it is?! Why take the risk of ruining it?!”
“…It’s because I’ve been using it for as long as I can remember.”

And I will continue to do so.
That’s my way.

If there is a possibility of creating something new, I will take on that challenge.

“You’re that determined to make it?”
“Yes.”
“Vinegar?!”

Yes, vinegar.

That’s today’s subject.
Did you know that vinegar is made from alcohol?

“What? That heated argument they had was all about whether or not to make vinegar?”
“They get heated up over the stupidest things, don’t they?”

Platy and Veil are whispering to each other as bystanders, but they understand nothing.
Men get serious exactly because it’s stupid!!!

Alcohol can be made because of the fermentation action of yeast.

Carbohydrates are broken down into sugar, and then sugar is broken down into alcohol.
What happens when the alcohol is further fermented and broken down by bacteria then?
It becomes acetic acid.
In other words; vinegar—the ultimate evolutionary form after a series of fermentation!

Moreover, it’s one of the most basic condiments along with salt and sugar.
It’s late, but it will make a fine addition to our kitchen!

To tell you the truth, I’ve been using a vinegar-like condiment that Platy compounded with her magic as a substitute.
But if there’s hope of accomplishing the real thing, we should boldly take the plunge.

Even if the vinegar is made from alcohol, the alcohol is completely decomposed, so it’s not really alcohol anymore.

“Waaaah! Nooo! I don’t want my alcohol to stop being alcohol!!!”

Bacchus is bawling his eyes out in detest.
Surely, there’s nothing more depressing for the god of alcohol than to see his beloved alcohol vanish.

But I’m not going to console him.
I still have my eyes set on making vinegar.

It can be made by just letting the alcohol sit there, right?
I think.

Of course, we have to be careful not to let mold grow in the process.
I’ll ask Platy, our local expert, to help me with it and proceed with caution.

No, wait.
Let’s try one more twist at the same time—mirin.

Do you know the difference between vinegar and mirin?
Yeah, me neither.

But I do remember reading about how to make mirin in a manga, so I’m going to give it a try.

Time to prepare the ingredients.

Shochu.
Glutinous rice.
And fungus to ferment the glutinous rice.

That’s all.
We had to wait for Bacchus to finish his work because shochu is indispensable.

Thanks, Bacchus.
Thanks to you, we can reach new heights.

I’ll ask Platy to shorten the fermentation period, then make genuine mirin.

Mirin’s done!
I took a little lick to test it out.

It’s sweet!

I thought it would be sour since it’s kind of related to vinegar, but it wasn’t. The saccharification process of the glutinous rice incorporated into the process must’ve made it sweet.

Anyway, let’s use this in various dishes to pursue better taste!

“My alcohol… The alcohol I made!!!”

Meanwhile, Bacchus is still breaking down crying.

“Oh, well… Here, try this.”
“Huh?”

I gave Bacchus a clear glass filled with liquid.

“What is this? I only drink alcohol and nothing else, you know.”
“Just try it.”

Bacchus looked extremely wary at first, but he finally gave in and drank from the glass.
And then…

“It’s alcohoooooool!!!” he shouts. “It’s alcohol! It really is alcohol!! And it’s insanely delicious! I’ve never tasted anything like this! What is this, Saint?!”
“It’s shochu mixed with mirin. We call it honnaoshi.”

Mirin made from shochu mixed with shochu— that’s honnaoshi.
It’s similar to the bizarre idea of putting tofu in miso soup, both finished products of soybeans, but I’m proud to say that this is the best way to make Bacchus accept the outcome.

“I like this, Saint!”

And he did accept it.

“The more I let the taste linger, the more I realize that this mirin also has some alcohol in it! It’s delicious!”

Bacchus then gulped down the mirin.

The vinegar also added more life to our dining table.

Rice vinegar is made from Japanese sake, much like wine vinegar is made from wine.
There are as many different kinds of vinegar as there are different kinds of alcohol.

I got carried away and made all sorts of things.
I could’ve been satisfied with just one kind, but no!

How am I supposed to use up all of them now?
I heard that it’s hygienic to drink vinegar straight from the bottle, so maybe…

I made Orkubo and the others drink it.

“Yay!”
“Vinegar tastes great!”
“We’ll always be friends, right?”
“Friends forever!”

Drinking the vinegar made their manliness drop down significant levels?!
So, their manliness dropped in response to the disappearance of the alcohol content?

Or maybe their brains have gone mush?! People also say drinking vinegar makes your body limp…

But, as I said, there’s no way we can use up all of it this way, so I have to think of a new approach.
Since it’s a new discovery, I wonder if there’s a dish where vinegar can be used as the highlight instead of it being a mere secret ingredient…

Ah, wait. There is.

I thaw the fish that the orcs caught and make sashimi out of them.
Then mold them quickly to make sure that my body temperature doesn’t transfer to the rice…
Now’s your time to shine, “Hand of Supremacy”!

“Sushi Kuineeee!!!”

Nigirizushi is ready.
Otherworldly farm-fresh sushi, ready to serve!

“Dear has made another new dish!”
“Huh? For real?!”
“I want some!!!”
“Wait up! Dibs on the first bite!!!”

And as usual, our farm residents began to gather around.

I was a little worried if they would eat it because raw fish isn’t popular and we have mermaids on this farm, but they were surprisingly unperturbed.
They dipped it in soy sauce and gobbled it up.

“Yummy! This one’s good too!”
“I never thought I’d be enchanted with uncooked fish!”
“The rice that comes with the fish tastes different from usual too!”
“You never fail to amaze us with your ingenuity, Lord Saint!”

The vinegared rice was a hit.
Maybe it’d be a good idea to try chirashizushi or a hand-rolled sushi party next time.

These things are only possible because of the vinegar.

I am grateful to alcohol, the predecessor of vinegar.
And to Bacchus for brewing the alcohol.

“…Except.”

There is one crucial thing missing to make sushi complete.

Wasabi.

I haven’t made it yet.
Everyone was already satisfied with wasabi-free sushi, so what would happen if I were to introduce wasabi to them now? All hell breaking loose?

Lastly… Are nigirizushi and onigiri the same or different?
To test things, I offered a piece of otoro sushi (but otherworldy) to Hephaestus’ altar.
Light shone down on the sushi like a spotlight from the ceiling.

“NO.”

Hephaestus’ judgment was harsh.

But the nigirizushi was sucked up by the light and ascended into the sky.
It seems he still liked it.

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After a few months had passed…

“It’s done! The distilled alcohol is finished!”

People naturally gathered around after Bacchus’ announcement.

“The dwarves’ special still was a great success! And thanks to the mana metal, it doesn’t smell at all!”

I was wondering where he went when he disappeared from the farm for a while, but it seems he ordered a still.
He could’ve just asked me to do it, though…

Anyway, we tasted the finished shochu, and it was delicious.

It’s much purer than seishu and has alcohol content so high it almost feels like it’s burning your tongue, but it still retains the distinct taste of Japanese sake.
This makes me want to taste sweet potato shochu, barley shochu, and chestnut shochu too.

As for the rest of our farm residents who tried the shochu…

“Damn! It’s so strong!!!”
“Maybe it’s because the alcohol concentration is high?”
“My tongue is burning! I feel like I can almost breathe fire with this!!!”
“But don’t you always breathe fire, Veil?”

The women seemed to have a hard time getting used to the high alcohol content.
The orcs and goblins, on the other hand…

“Here, have a glass.”
“Thanks.”
“It feels great to share a drink, eh?”
“Though we were born on different days, I hope we die on the same day.”

Their manliness keeps on rising in proportion to their drink’s alcohol content!!!

Still…
As expected from the god of alcohol. He managed to make a brew unknown to him taste so good in one try.

Alcohol brewed by Bacchus is naturally better and tastier than the rest.
I feel like this farm has become more extravagant again with him permanently staying here to make alcohol after wandering the world for so long. Our repertoire of alcoholic beverages even expanded thanks to him.

“But now that we have shochu, I’d also like to try making other things…”
“Huh?!” responds Bacchus to my murmuring.

“No way! You can make something else with shochu?!”

Yep.
Shochu… or rather a type of alcohol that cannot be made without distilled alcohol.

And that is…

“Umeshu!”

You soak the plums in shochu for months to get their extract. The taste of alcohol mixed with the plums is exceptional!

We’re already growing plums in the dungeon orchard. All that’s left is to add rock sugar to it, but…
I don’t know how to make that.
Can we substitute it for regular sugar?
Let’s give it a try.

I asked Poel to make large glass bottles and put varying quantities of sugar in them with the plums and shochu, then stored them in a cool, dark place.

“When can we drink it? Tomorrow?!”
“We have to wait longer than that.”

This demigod really loses all self-control when it comes to alcohol.

At the very least, don’t drink the shochu until it turns plum-colored for three to four months, give or take.
There may be a way to speed up the process, but let’s just take our time here.

“…Wait, I think we can still do something interesting with it.”

Plums aren’t the only fruit you can soak in shochu.

We can also soak other fruits and herbs to make their corresponding fruit and herbal wines.
I think even habushu (snake wine) is similar to umeshu.

“Let’s soak all sorts of fruits in shochu and make more kinds of fruit wine!”
“More fruit wine!!!”

And so, our farm hosted a fruit wine competition.

My capriciousness soon became known throughout the farm, and many people brought fruits they wanted to soak.

Ultimately, the elves brought relatively decent ones.
As forest-dwellers, they’re familiar with tasty fruits and what would taste good when soaked in alcohol.

“Lord Saint! I think apples would be good!”
“No, no, it has to be loquats!”
“Lemons!”
“Kiwis!”
“Dragon fruits!!!”

Do we even grow any of those?
No matter.
Just the thought of them does seem like they’ll make delicious fruit wine.

The mermaid team’s idea is also quite fascinating.

“We mermaids also have a way of soaking medicinal herbs in water for our magic. These are the herbs we chose that are good for nourishment.”

I soaked the herbs that Platy gave me in anticipation of herbal wine.

Next comes Letasreit.

“Fava beans! I want to drink alcohol with fava beans!!!”
“You really love your beans, don’t you?”

However, I don’t think they produce any extract when soaked in alcohol.
Besides, aren’t pulses supposed to be staple food like potatoes and grains?

“Just do it! Soak the fava beans in alcohol! I want to drink fava bean wine!!!”
“Fine, fine! I get it!”

And so, I was forced to try brewing fava bean wine as well.
But then I realized later on that her suggestion was still sane.

Next comes Veil.

“Can we make good wine if we add this cake?”
“Rejected.”

That’s cooked food. At least bring me an ingredient or something.

“Aww! Think about it, Master! It’s cake! It’s very sweet, creamy, and fluffy! If you soak it in alcohol, it will turn into a very sweet and delicious beverage!!!”
“No, it won’t. Rejected.”

Veil reluctantly ate the cake she brought then and there and left.

Next comes the earth spirits.

“Butter!”
“We’ll make butter wine with it!!!”

Well, you see…
That would just be wine with melted butter, wouldn’t it?
Even if it seems like it’ll be the most successful attempt, I still think it will have a sad outcome, so just enjoy your butter as is.

Next comes Panu and the other satyrs.

“Please add our milk into the alcohol!”

That would just be milky wine.
It’s not that I don’t think it would be delicious, but, uh…

Last but not least comes Horkosfon.

“Please soak this natto…”
“Stoppp!!!”

So, although most of the ideas were crazy, I accepted the relatively sensible ideas of Platy and the elves and soaked various fruits and herbs.

I’ll store them all together and look forward to their completion.

But just when I thought this would be the end of the story…

An outstanding one showed up.

“…Oh, hey, Batemy.”

Come to think of it, I didn’t see her at the fruit wine idea contest earlier.
Not that I mind, though, since it’s non-compulsory.

“What’s up? Did you come up with a good idea too?”

Don’t be shy and speak up.
I welcome good ideas anytime!

“No, Lord Saint, it’s not me…”

Batemy looks somewhat troubled.

“…These little ones said they wanted to help you!”

What was on Batemy’s held-out hands were…

The adamantine silkworms.
They look at me as if they’re dead-set on something.

“Huh? Why the serious looks?”

It’s not that they were completely incomprehensible, but when I stared straight into their faces, I got the feeling that they’re saying something like this:

“You’re looking for ingredients to put in your alcohol, yes?”
“We can give you lots of extracts!!!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

I. Screamed.

Sure, habushu may be one kind of pickled alcohol and you fall under the list of utilizable animal protein… But!!!

You guys don’t have to sacrifice yourselves like that!!!

You’ll make me cry with guilt!
And even if alcohol isn’t involved, I still don’t have it in me to take the plunge into entomophagy!!!

“It’s okay, Master!”
“No problemo!”
“If you can stomach the first bite, you should be able to gobble up the rest!!!”

Are what I feel like they’re telling me.

Seriously, how can you guys be so selfless?!

i was today years old when I found out that snake wine is a thing.

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They say the demons are our ancestors.

A long time ago, a faction was defeated in a war amongst the demons and then hid deep within a cave after managing to escape safely.

As a result of hiding underground for a long time, their limbs became shorter and shorter to fit into the narrow tunnels and developed a short and stout stature. After several generations of this remodeling, they became a completely different race, branching off from their demon ancestors.

That is how we, the dwarves, came to be.
We’re a subspecies of the demon race just like the elves, but we take advantage of our subterranean habitat to dig holes in caves and mine minerals to make into various weapons and tools for a living. Now that we have made peace with the demons who have forgotten why they fought with us in the first place, they’ve become our long-time VIP clients.

Our Underground Dwarven Empire has flourished by digging underground to mine iron, hammer, forge, process, and sell them as tools.

Oh, sorry for the late introductions, I am the head of that very same empire.

The rest of the world calls me king, but I don’t want such stiff and formal titles.
I prefer the more informal and familiar title of “Pops” – Edward Smith, head of the dwarves—alias Pops Edward.

Now.
A rare visitor has come to our underground empire.
It’s the same guy who always shows up unexpectedly.

“Hey, Pops. Your place is teeming with people who look like crushed square boars to the moon and back as usual!”
“A rude statement from the get-go?!”

It’s demigod Bacchus—a half-blood oddball who has been wandering the earth.
He’s been coming to our empire ever since the last, last, last, last, last, last, last, last, last, last, last Pops was alive.

“You hadn’t shown yourself in years, and that has given us peace of mind. What do you want now? Surely, you’re not here to cause a racket like last time, no?”
“Oh, come on, you’re being so unwelcoming again. I bet you’re actually happy to see me.”
“T-That’s not true at all!”

This demigod saw right through me!

“Oh, that so? Guess this souvenir’s going nowhere.”
“Waiiiit!!!”

My attention was drawn to the small bottle that Bacchus kept flashing from his pocket.

“That’s alcohol, isn’t it? Alcohol you made! I’ll take that, thank you very much!”
“But I don’t want to give it to someone who won’t even make me feel welcome. I have other people I can give this to, anyway!”
“All right, all right! The Underground Dwarven Empire welcomes you with all the hospitality we have! Hey, someone go and prepare a banquet!”
“That’s the spirit. You should have been honest like that from the start.”

You cursed demigod!
Apparently, he’s the one who introduced alcohol to the world.
He teaches the art of alcohol brewing to his Maiden worshippers and distributes it everywhere.

The alcohol he brews is said to be much more luxurious and rare than the alcohol made by his Maidens, so rare that even the Demon King or the late king of the Human Kingdom has never tried it.

“You dwarves really love your alcohol more than any other race. You find it hard to resist the temptation of my brew.”
“Ugh…I have no words to reply, but please don’t try to get the whole empire drunk again like last time, okay? It’s not good for an entire nation’s reputation to be stagnant with a hangover.”
“So, shall we not drink this time?”
“We’ll drink!!!”
“Yes, yes, yes! This is why I love dwarves. No drinker is a bad guy. Just a buncha good guys!”

I do feel like I’m being discreetly used as your plaything, though.

Oh well, I’ll just savor the alcohol he has brought with him this time!
Stop being a tease and take it out!!!

“Don’t be in such a hurry. At least let me say something beforehand. The reason is that this time, it’s a new brew, different from the usual.”
“A new brew?!”

What are those thrilling words?!
Are you saying that this is alcohol that I’ve never tasted before?

“Give it a try. It’s a kind of Japanese sake.”
“Oh, yeah? A cup! Someone, get me a cup!”

I pour the alcohol into the cup…
…The heck is this?

“Hey, Alcohol God. Are you trying to fool me? Isn’t this just water?”

The cup is filled with a clear and colorless liquid.
No matter how I look at it, it could only be water.

“It’s seishu. It became like that after I strained the impurities under Saint’s advice. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”
“Huh?”

So, I did.
And it was delicious.

“It’s alcohol!”
“I told you so.”

It’s so clear, but it tastes like strong and refreshing alcohol!
It’s not the same as the wine that Bacchus always brings, but it’s definitely alcohol! And super tasty too!

“Try this beer next.”
“What’s with this fizz? And this mild bitterness!”

I was already astonished by the taste of the Japanese sake earlier…

You’re incredible for making these, Bacchus!
You really are a god!

“I can’t take credit for this. No one else in this world knows about this alcohol save for the person I borrowed wisdom from.”
“O-Oh? Is that so?”
“That’s why I came to visit you today. What do you think, Dwarf King? Wouldn’t you like to try more kinds of alcohol?”
“Call me ‘Pops’ not ‘King’ …Wait, there are other kinds of alcohol?!”

No way.
Beer and Japanese sake were already divine.
You mean I’ve yet to experience even greater bliss than this?!

“They’re called shochu, whiskey, and brandy.”
“Three kinds?!”
“But it seems they need a special tool to brew them. Hence, I came to you for advice. You dwarves are good at making tools, aren’t you? I know Saint can also make it if I ask him to, but I can’t keep bothering him any more than this.”
“What do you want me to make? I’ll make anything! I’m ready to put my dwarven pride on the line anytime for some good alcoholll!!!”
“As expected of a race that loves to drink.”

Then we got down to business and Bacchus gave me a detailed explanation of the “still.”

“What do you think? Can you make one?”
“I think it’s similar to the process of refining iron ore. It’s nothing too difficult.”
“I knew I could count on you dwarves; no one is better than you at making ironware!”

Hmph, flattery won’t get you anywhere.

But when I finish what you ordered, I’ll be the first to drink the new brew made from it!

“I’ll give you the materials needed for the still.”
“Materials? We’ve already got plenty of those.”

After all, we dig holes every day to mine iron here in the Underground Dwarven Empire.

“No, I can’t let you do that. I’m shouldering the cost.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“That’s why I got the best material from Saint. I want you to use this for making the still.”

He places the ingot in front of me with a heavy clang.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the shimmer of the metal.

“I-Is this… mana metal?”
“Yes, the best metal in the world. Not only is it hard and a good conductor of heat, but it doesn’t smell. It’s just perfect in every way!”
“Mana metaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal?!”
“Huh?!”

Mana metal?!
Mana metal?!

The best metal on earth which can only be mined in cave dungeons with high mana concentrations and is the object of avid desire by blacksmiths like me!!!

It is extremely valuable and scarce due to the dangers of going too deep into the dungeons.

Even I, the head of the Underground Dwarven Empire, have only ever seen a small lump the size of the tip of my pinky finger.

But what’s before me right now… Is a huge ingot!
There are one, two, three, four, five… Way too many of them to even count!

“Um… Are all of these only meant for making the still? With this much mana metal, we can even make two to three legendary swords!!!”
“Are those tears I’m seeing?”

No, but it would be a disservice to a blacksmith to ignore the wishes of their client and make only what he wants to make.

Very well, I’ll give you the best still ever!

But…
But if there’s a bit of extra mana metal, can I at least make a knife or something out of it? Please!

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Afforestation.

In order to revive the elven forest which had once withered away due to the tyranny of the human race, a project funded by our elves and carried out by the Demon King’s army has been initiated to grow tree saplings and plant them.

The elves can invest a lot in their home forest’s revival since they have no other use for their money, while the Demon King’s army can secure employment without paying out of their own pockets.
It was a win-win situation for both parties.

But is there anything I can do to help, I wonder?
Like offering some wisdom, for example.

Planting trees to revive the forest is hard work.
Besides, they take a long time to grow. If we go through the normal process, it would be a decade-long project. But if we don’t, we could shorten that time to a few months or years…

Anyway, let’s put all of that aside for now.
The first thing to consider is what kind of tree to plant.

Big trees, small trees, leafy trees which fall off in the fall and winter and trees which have leaves all-year-round, trees as thin as sticks, fruit and flower-bearing trees, etc.
What kind of tree should we plant from these choices?

Since the purpose of this afforestation project is to return the forest to its original state after it was devastated by magic, I think it’d be best to plant trees that were once there.

And not just one kind.
Many kinds.
Because having different kinds of trees growing is how nature works its wonders.

However…

“No! If we’re going to plant trees, it has to be maple trees! The sap that comes out of them is divine!”
“If you’re going with that logic, then these cypress trees are way better! They’re strong and sturdy, perfect for making tools!”
“I want fruit-bearing trees like this!”
“I want apple trees!”
“Don’t you think there’s something sophisticated about planting bamboos?”

…
The elves are arguing here in the dungeon orchard.

There are dozens of different types of trees planted here that we use for various purposes, such as cutting them down for lumber, picking their fruits, and admiring their flowers.

Our forest-dwellers visit the dungeon orchard far more often than the other farm residents, so they know the types of trees that thrive here, and each of them has a tree or two that they fancy.

Now, all of them are presenting their own favorite trees to plant in their old home.

“I think we should plant loquat trees! They have edible fruit, herbal foliage, and good lumber!”
“Shuddup! You should listen to me, the former boss!”

But Aileron…
Don’t you want to restore the forest to its natural state?
And yet, you’re deciding which trees to plant based on your preferences.

…I wonder if that’s really okay?
It’s hard to draw a line between what’s natural and man-made.
But I still think it’s better to plant trees that naturally grow in this world.

The trees here in the dungeon orchard are trees from my world, sprouted by my ability.
In other words, they are trees from another world.
It’s not desirable for alien plants to flourish in this world, taking away the indigenous plants’ space.
This is why I think it’s a good idea to plant their forest with trees that are originally from this world.

“No way. I want maple trees!”
“I told you that loquat would be better, you blockhead!!!”

None of them are listening at all.
Do my profound thoughts not reach them?

“Lord Saint!”
“What kind of tree do you think we should plant, Lord Saint?!”

Now they’re turning to me for suggestions.

…Hmm.
Let’s see…
If they’re actually asking me what kind of tree I want to plant under that pretext, then it’d be…

“…Cedar.”

Cedar is a very useful building material.
Unlike other trees, it grows straight and is easy to process.

That’s why in my world, there are even mountains that have only cedar trees and nothing else.

“…”

However, cedars have one more major characteristic that cannot be ignored—they spread a tremendous amount of pollen at the beginning of spring.
Their pollen is the cause of a certain national disease…

“…Hay fever.”

Let’s imagine—a cedar forest flourishes in another world thanks to the elves’ afforestation initiative and engulfs the entire world in its pollen…

“Sounds disastrous…”

Whether or not this world will be exposed to the fury of cedar pollen depends on my decision today.
Still…

“What do you think we should plant, Lord Saint?”
“……Cedar.”

The reason I can’t get rid of the feeling that hay fever isn’t my problem is that I’ve never had it—breathing in cedar pollen doesn’t make me sneeze or itch my eyelids.

Cedar being a particularly excellent building material is a fact. It’d also be a fantastic idea to give the people of this world Pandora’s box containing both hope and despair in the form of cedar saplings.

…On second thought, maybe I shouldn’t.
I think it’s a bad idea to intentionally introduce alien plants.
Let’s just plant tree saplings indigenous to this world.

I felt like I had gained some kind of virtue by making that decision in my head.

Still, having said all that…

“My Lord…”
“Hmm? Oh, Orkubo. You guys came as well?”
“We’d like to cut down a few cedar trees if you don’t mind.”
“Sure.”

The cedar trees cultivated in the dungeon orchard have been very useful in the construction of the mansion and the bathhouse. That just goes to show how useful they are.

We can’t give up on planting them just because I’m afraid of people getting hay fever.
It doesn’t affect me anyway, so we’re good to go!!!

“…Achoo!!!”

…
…Huh?

Was that a big sneeze I just heard?

“We’re cutting down the cedar.”
“Heave. Ho!”

The orcs swing their axes into the fine cedar tree to chop it down.
Naturally, its foliage sways with their every swing.

“…ACHOO!!!”

?!
…
……Psh, naw.
No way.
I’m just hearing things.

I’m sure I am.

this chapter’s title has got to be my proudest big brain moment yet. the Japanese title is 気になる木, which is read as ‘ki ni naru ki.’ loosely translating it, we get something like interesting/concerning/troubling(the list goes on depending on the context) tree.

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“And there you have it.”

Leviasa would bring back big news whenever she returns.

“The tableware made by Team Aileron is all the rage in the Demon Capital now.”
“YES!!!”

Aileron’s group is ecstatic.
Their delight is justified since they felt left out while the other three groups have already made their debut in the market.

“Demons had this notion that eating was just a matter of taking in nutrients, and the same was true for the dishes merely holding those, so the eye-catching dishes they made were considered a rarity.”

I see.

“They became popular, especially among the upper-class demons. Even The Potter’s Guild has been inspired to make similar tableware, but they seem to be struggling with the colors not showing up as well as they would like and the distorted shapes caused them to break.”
“Obviously! Our technology isn’t something that can be easily imitated!”

Aileron is getting carried away.

“The dishes we fired are masterpieces born of generations-old technology combined with Lord Saint’s wit! The demons will never be able to catch up even if it takes them a thousand years!”
“Aileron, a little modesty please.”

It is true that I helped make the enamels and instructed them how to shape the pottery…

“In any case, enjoying a lavish meal with Noujou-made tableware has become the trend in the capital, and they’re selling like hot cakes.”

Oh.
That’s the brand name we use for our products.
I guess we’re pretty all-rounded with what we produce, not just limiting ourselves to one type of product.

“I left everything else to Pandemonium to sell it at their premium price after receiving Lord Baal’s seal of approval… Here you go.”

And then, she takes out another huge leather bag…

“This is the payment for it.”
“WOW!!!”

The elves made a lot of money again.

Leviasa would return with a huge amount of gold coins every time she would take the elves’ crafts to the capital with her.

The elves’ eyes sparkle like the mountain of gold before them.

“So many gold coins!”
“Unlike anything we’ve ever looted during our time as bandits!”
“We wouldn’t be able to make a run for it if we were carrying this many!”

Not only the Aileron’s group, but Maelga’s leatherwork group, Poel’s glasswork group, and Mieral’s woodwork group are all making huge profits, so they should have accumulated a considerable amount of money by now.

I’m happy that their efforts are being recognized, but…

“We made so much money…”

The elves piled the money they earned into one huge, towering mountain of gold.

“What should we spend it on?”
“Good question.”

And then we face another problem.

Money.
It’s what makes the world go round.

The system is designed in a way that they leave your hand one way or another after obtaining it.
This is how money circulates and keeps the economy alive.

However, the providence of the market economy doesn’t apply to our farm.

Why not?
Because the food, clothing, and shelter we provide ourselves with are more than sufficient.

“I want to eat good fooood.”
“Lord Saint’s dishes are the best in the world.”
“I want to wear pretty clothesss.”
“The clothes Batemy makes are both comfortable and stylish.”
“I want to live in a niiice house.”
“It is our pride as elves to live in forests!!!”

They can’t come up with anything to spend their money on like so.

If you ask me, our farm’s motto is self-sufficiency.
I want to make what we eat, wear, use, and sleep in with our own efforts.
I’ve built my farm with this goal in mind, so I’m actually glad to see that they have come to the same conclusion of making everything we need here.

I always want to say with a smug look on my face that the concept of buying doesn’t exist on our farm.

So, it’s only natural that the elves would have trouble spending the money they made.

Even Batemy who got into the market before them and made a lot of money also had trouble spending at first.

She eventually seems to have spent it on all sorts of fashion-related items.

“She’s not doing that anymore.”
“Wait, really?”

Batemy’s partner, Belena, suddenly told me that.

“She’s been saving up all the money she gets from selling her clothes now.”
“Saving up for what?”
“Marriage…”

…
With that elite soldier back in the Demon Kingdom?

After she had said all she had to say, Belena left with a face devoid of any expression.
…Her character is pretty much wandering off now.

Batemy has established a valid use for her earnings, so that’s fine. But what about our elves?

“Lord Saint!”
“We’ve thought of something!”

Aileron and Maelga come to me.
They were originally the leader and second-in-command during their banditry times, so they represent their race on our farm.

In the past, they stole left and right from the humans and the demons and ended up at our farm where they were eventually caught after all that running away from their pursuers.
And to atone for their sins, they work here.
That’s how they came to live with us.

“Do you remember how we became bandits, Lord Saint? I think we told you before.”
“Yeah, the forest you used to live in withered and died, right?”

Elves are forest-dwellers and they can’t live without them.
Hence, they resorted to banditry after they lost their home.

“I heard sometime later that the thaumaturgy used by the human race consumes a great deal of the naturally circulating mana and brings adverse effects to nature.”
“If our forest was destroyed because of the human’s activities, then now that the demon race has destroyed them, the negative effects brought by their magic should’ve also disappeared.”
“Now may be the time to revive the forest we once lost!”

I see.
With the disappearance of the humans’ magic and the return of the exploited mana to the earth’s surface, the desolate lands may be revived.

“We want to use our money to fund that cause!”

Mm-hm.

“I think we can do something with this much money to help bring back the forest where we were born!”
“If we just let nature take its course, it may take hundreds of years, but with extra hands, it may come back even faster!”

I’d say that’s a good way to use their money.

The first thing that comes to mind as a way to revive a dying forest is, of course, afforestation—planting tree saplings and letting them grow.

“But to do this, we need people to grow saplings and plant them…”

If the money earned by Aileron and the others could be used to pay for such helpers, wouldn’t that be a wholesome splurge?

“Afforestation!”
“Thanks, Lord Saint! You’re a walking source of good ideas!”

Positive responses were elicited from Aileron and Maelga after my explanation.

We’re going to start a project to revive the elves’ forest, funded by our farm’s elf team!

“So, who’s going to take the lead in afforestation? Are you going to do it yourselves?”
“No way. We’ll have to leave the farm to do that. And we don’t want that.”

…
They’ve become accustomed to living here.

“We can eat good food every day and have a rewarding job. It’s heaven!”
“And we can visit Lady Veil’s mountain dungeon whenever we feel homesick!”

They’ve lost their wildness, too.

Oh well, I don’t mind.
I don’t want them to leave, either.

“So that means someone else will take action…”

And then, a certain someone came into my sight.

It’s Leviasa of the Heavenly Four who has been impressing us with her abilities recently.
She’s currently in the middle of stuffing her cheeks with the deluxe pudding I made as a reward for her efforts.

“Competent!”
“Can you please stop calling me ‘Competent’ in place of my real name?”

No one’s more suited for the role than her.

The Demon King’s army is said to have too much manpower after their war with the human race is over. It’s a win-win situation for both parties, as they can effectively use their manpower and have costs borne by a different source.

“…”

In response, Leviasa responded not with words, but just a sour expression on her face, which, without a doubt, meant…

“…That’s just annoying.”

Afforestation is a huge responsibility, a hundred times harder than selling products.

“…Aeshma.”
“Yes?!”

Leviasa calls out to Aeshma, another member of the Heavenly Four temporarily staying with us.

“I think you should do it. You know, tree planting.”
“Say what?! What are you planning to do, giving the job to someone else?!”
“Don’t you think the Heavenly Four should learn to cooperate? I’ve already contributed enough. It’s your turn now.”
“Leviasa…”

Aeshma, taking Leviasa’s words seriously, is moved to tears.

“I’m sorry. It seems I misunderstood you. I thought you knew that I was easily manipulated and used that to your advantage!”

Why doesn’t she doubt her despite knowing that much then?

“It’s okay. The new Heavenly Four should cultivate a better understanding of each other.”
“Thank you. I will see through this duty on your behalf!”

And so, the elven financing and afforestation will proceed under Aeshma’s leadership.

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I am Bebegitt, a demon potter.

I live my days firing plates in my workshop located on the outskirts of the Demon Capital.
I knead and fire, knead and fire, knead and fire.

I’ve been doing this for 40 years and will continue to fire plates to my heart’s desire!!!

“Please leave the job to us and go. Don’t you have a dinner to attend to today?”

What’s that, sonny?
No matter what you say, I have to bask in the kiln’s heat at least once a day or I can’t get in the groove!

“Still, you’re having dinner with the Great Demon King. We don’t want to upset His Majesty and have our workshop shut down, so please leave now so as not to be late.”

The Great Demon King Baal?
What does that retired geezer want with me now of all times?
He’s been finding fault with my dishes ever since he was the Demon King.

Whatever.
He’s retired now, but if he still dares to ask for something unreasonable, he’s going to get it from me this time!
And then I’ll beg to the current Demon King in tears!

All right, I’m off!
I’m going to show him the spirit of a true craftsman!

It’s been a while since I’ve been to his retirement home, but as usual, it’s teeming with bizarre things of all shapes and sizes.

Hm? What’s with this bunch of wooden statues?
Why are there so many of them lined up in one corner of the room?

“You really do have a discerning eye for spotting those statues right away,” says the Great Demon King Baal.

He has bequeathed all his responsibilities of Demon King to his son, Lord Zedan, and is now living a peaceful retired life.
Must be nice to be him.

“I’ve always wondered if you had an aesthetic sense worthy of being a potter, but if you are impressed by these wooden idols, then you more or less pass as one.”
“Psh, you and your ever-constant impertinent talk.”

This geezer has always been a bit of a nag about the weirdest things.
He always finds fault with my plates.
Still, I can’t go against the head of the Demon Kingdom. I thought senility was going to lead to his retirement, but he stopped being the Great Demon King and is now yappier than ever!

“I bought these statues from a certain person. Each statue looks like the real thing, don’t you think? From now on, our kingdom must pay a fortune for this kind of thing.”
“Did you summon me here just to brag about that? You sure got a lot of time on your hands, Great Demon King.”

Well, it’s true that they’re all very well-made…
But I also resent this person’s hobbies, so I won’t openly agree with his statement.

“Bebegitt. You’re a craftsman I’ve always been watching over, yet you still haven’t improved at all. You can make the world a more gorgeous place if you could incorporate ‘beauty’ into your works, but no.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We make plates and cups, utensils for daily use. Every day will be a hassle if such things are flippant.”
“I’m telling you that’s what you need. You never learn, no matter how many years pass, do you?”

This is why I hate this old man. Every time we meet, he blabbers non-stop.

Even though my dishes have been highly praised by many people, this old man is the only one who lambasts my works with incomprehensible remarks.

‘Aesthetic’?
‘Hassle’?

That’s what he wants in his dishes?
Oh, please.
Tableware should hold food and not spill it.
As long as it fulfills that function, nothing else matters!

“You’re probably fed up with my lecturing. My business today was to have dinner with you anyway. Feel free to eat as much as you like.”
“Don’t mind if I do. It’s free food, after all.”

But why a dinner at this time?

I don’t think it’s going to end with just eating.
Still, I have no idea what he wants to talk to me about on this occasion.

What on earth is this geezer’s purpose in calling me here?

As soon as we started having dinner, I discovered what his aim was.

When I saw the food on the table…or rather the plates on which the food was placed, I was stupefied!

“W-W-What are these plates?!”

They’re completely different from the plates we make!
Their colors… Their shapes!
Can they really be called tableware?!

“You noticed right away, didn’t you? If you didn’t, calling yourself a potter is laughable.”

He’s just thinking out loud, isn’t he?
He’s even smirking.

“The plates you make are all basic—white and circular, the same shape and color. There’s nothing interesting about them at all.”
“That’s the most efficient way to do it, of course! Do you mean to say something else is needed?!”
“Creativity, like these dishes.”

Ugh.
The plates that he showed me are multicolored, from green and blue to black and earthy colors, and even have detailed patterns on them!

Their shapes aren’t limited to being circular, either. Some are deliberately square, oval, or oddly distorted!

But why?
This distorted shape. Instead of seeing it as a completely inefficient design…

It looks fancy!

“This is the tableware I’ve been looking for.”
“Great Demon King?!”
“If it’s just for the intake of food, having any sort of decoration is unnecessary and just tread the most efficient path of making them. However, these plates dared to step outside the limitations of such efficiency!”

Vibrant colors.
Eye-catching shapes.

The colors of the ingredients are even more accentuated by the tableware, making the dining table look gorgeous.

“The demon race will not just eat and live in the new era. Now that the war with the humans is over, the demons must also enrich their minds.”
“Hence the peculiar tableware?”
“I bought these dishes from Leviasa to state this opinion of mine and paid a lot of money in the process to spread awareness on it.”
“A lot?! How much are we talking about here?!”

Hearing the exact price made my jaw drop.

It’s several hundred times the price of the plates we sell!
One plate is worth enough money to build a mansion!

“Dare to make plates as good as these with your title on the line? Hm, demon potter?”
“?!”

I see!
So, that’s why he summoned me here today!

He wanted to ignite the craftsman spirit in me by showing these plates!

Fair enough.
I’m going to create something way better with my own two hands!

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“And that’s how I sold them.”

Our farm is absolutely shocked to hear Leviasa’s report.

“No. Freaking. Way!”
“Sold out?!”
“And at a much higher price than any of us expected!!!”

The most excited bunch are, of course, Mieral and her team who made the statues.
They certainly must be very happy that their work was recognized. They’re hugging each other with tears of joy.

“So, here’s their payment. Heave…ho!”
“Oh, wow.”

That’s one HUGE bag.
Is it full of coins, perhaps?

“All gold coins.”
“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!”

The elves’ voices are no longer within the normal vocal range.

“They sure bought them at quite the high price. Who in the world actually has the money to pay for all of that?”
“Oh, they’re just some eccentric person.”

Leviasa didn’t say much about her client.

It was only later that I realized that she also sold my and Sensei’s statue.
But was that really a good idea?

Sensei’s statue can still pass off as divine, but wouldn’t my statue be just completely out-of-place?
Nonetheless, they still bought the entire set.
This must be like the marketing scheme online shopping channels on TV use where you get an extra item for free if you buy them right away…

“Well done! Well done, Leviasa!”

Leviasa’s superior, Mrs. Glasya, is also delighted.

“If we keep this up, we won’t lose to Team Astres! My reputation will undeniably increase with this!!!”

The elves are tossing Leviasa into the air in front of her.

“You’re so competent, Leviasa!”
“Really competent!”
“Leave everything to Leviasa to solve your worries!”
“Master Leviasa!!!”
“Master Leviasa of the Heavenly Four!!!”

They’re being tremendously generous with their praises.

“…”

Mrs. Glasya continues to stare at them.

“…Hey, did my reputation really go up? It’s as if only Leviasa’s reputation increased.”
“That’s not true at all, my queen.”

Leviasa makes a clean and swift landing from her position mid-air.

“I’m your loyal subordinate and will always be, Queen Glasya. A subordinate’s achievement is also their superior’s. This is universal common sense.”
“Oh! You’re right! I’m so lucky to have such a good subordinate!”

Seeing Leviasa smoothly cajole Mrs. Glasya made me remember how competent she really is.

But not everyone is happy.
While there are joyful elves, there are also upset ones.

“Why did you sell just Mieral’s stuff?!” angrily asks Aileron.

Leviasa agreed to sell two kinds of products for us: Team Mieral’s woodworks and Team Aileron’s pottery.
Only one of the two was sold this time with Team Aileron’s products still on hand.

If we also take into account Team Maelga’s leather goods and Team Poel’s glasswork that are still selling well through Mrs. Astres, only Aileron’s group is completely left behind, so her anger is understandable.

“Don’t panic. There is a certain order to things,” says Leviasa to appease Aileron. “The potteries you have made are all of remarkable quality. It’s only natural for me to sell them at a price they deserve.”
“Competent once again!”

We’re still not going to get over calling her that, huh?

“Regarding that order, the other party put their complete trust in me after my business with them. They said they can’t go wrong with my offers. That’s why I’m going to make use of that trust to sell your pottery at a high price!”
“You’re not going to do anything shady, are you?!”
“Actually…”
“?”
“There’s something I’d like to ask you, Lord Saint.”
“?”

According to what Leviasa told me, the value of dishes and other related items, including pottery, is uniformly low at present in the Demon Kingdom.
For example, there is not much of a difference between the plates used by the common people and the plates used by royalty at parties. And this trend is widespread throughout the entire nation.

—Their rule of thumb is: “If it’s usable, it works.”

Moreover, this way of thinking is also prevalent in the former Human Kingdom, hence they aren’t worth all that much.

In such a world, women’s desire to be beautiful remains immortal, which is why clothes sell well, while Poel’s glasswork reminds people of crystal jewelry.

“That’s why we have to be very deliberate in selling elven pottery,” says Leviasa.

“I was surprised when I saw the unusual pottery they made for the first time.”
“’Unusual’?”
“They’re just plates and cups meant to be used daily, but they’re all dyed in different colors such as green, red, black, and blue, some even with patterns on them. They also vary in shapes and are distorted in funny ways, but for some reason, they don’t look like flops to me!”

…
…Ah.

There was this manga revolving around making artistic bowls that I was hooked on in my world…
Wanting to imitate this, I told Aileron all about it which also got her excited.
Her group made different enamels, remodeled the kiln, and kept on making this ‘unusual’ tableware Leviasa calls out of their overflowing enthusiasm.

“If I can find a way to sell them, they’ll be worth far more than just mere tableware. This is where my question comes in, Lord Saint.”
“What is it, Miss Competent?”
“How did you feel when you tried to make them? I’m going to use that in my sales talk, so explain it to me in detail!”
“Explain?!”
“Please go into the minutest details!”

Why don’t you ask Aileron’s group that?! They’re the artists!
You found out I was the one who gave them orders?
Oh…

…Thus, I was forced to perform the embarrassing act of explaining my state of mind during their creation.

And then…

The next day…

“All sold.”
“Too competent!”

Leviasa’s rapid advance knows no bounds.

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My name is Baal. But everyone calls me…
The biggest fool of the demon race.

I spend my money on the most worthless of things.
Hence, the biggest fool.

I use up my money to buy what I want—paintings, sculptures, ancient scriptures, and things that were used by great people in the past.
Everyone calls me a fool for buying such things.

What good is a painting?
Can wood carvings fill your stomach?
So what if you know something from the past?
They’re all just a bunch of old junk.

They mock my collection like so.

They try to act high-handed by telling me that I should buy something of value instead—jewels, gold, grand estates, young and beautiful women, you name it.
But it’s none of their business.

The war with the human race has been going on for hundreds of years.
Due to this prolonged warfare, we demons have lost the time to spare just enjoying life.

Surviving the day was all that mattered.
This new norm lasted for several hundreds of years.

But that’s not good enough for me.

We, the demons, must pass on to the future generation what has been created by our ancestors and cultivate rich social rules with it. This richness can be gained and developed over time, just like strength. But the only social rule we have is inheriting what the past has given us and nothing else.

That’s why I buy things that are deemed worthless by others, even if I am called a fool for it.
I want to keep the past alive to pass on to the future.

Fortunately, I have plenty of money.

I’m sure I’ll be visited by all kinds of people today, scammers selling me junk included.
Still, I’m not going to refuse any one of them.

All right, it’s about time I go meet them.

“I heard you made it to the Heavenly Four, lass.”
“It was pure luck, sir. By all rights, the title of ‘Malicious’ will always belong to Queen Glasya.”
“Zedan sure got himself quite the stubborn tomboys as queens. A brave move, if you ask me, considering he’s a timid boy.”

I was surprised that Leviasa, who had just become one of the Heavenly Four, came to visit me.

“What business do you have with me? Do you want to strengthen your influence as a Heavenly One? Won’t it be a miscalculation if you do that now?”
“If I were to visit you, it’s only for one thing, sir.”
“Oh?”
“There’s something I’d like you to buy.”

I knew there was something different about this woman even when she was still Glasya’s aide.
If I had to say, she’s similar to that Belphgamilia…
They’re both interesting fellows.

“You’re still peddling even as a Heavenly One?”
“Your eyes see the true value in things, Lord Baal. I only have you to go to when presenting a bargain.”

Lass, I do not know whether you revere or disdain me at this point in time.

“I’ll have a look at them.”
“Thank you very much. I’ve already brought them into your garden.”
“Oh, they’re that big?”

But how can this lass just bring them in my garden like she owns the place?
Zedan’s already got two quirky wives, but he still has subordinates like her on top of that?

When I went to my garden, I was surprised.

God…
God is here!

“It’s Hades, the God of the Underworld!!!”
“You can also tell, sir? When I saw this for the first time, I knew without being told that it was a statue of him.”

A majestic figure…
A thick beard…
Ethereal clothing befitting the god of the underworld…

A figure so divine is beautifully carved out of a wooden pillar!
It’s as if the pillar has been reincarnated as a god…

“It’s really remarkable as if the real god was used as its model…”
“…Who is the artist? The master craftsman who carved this magnificent statue?!”
“They’re elves. That’s all I can tell you for now, sir.”

Elves!
So their dexterous race made this, no wonder.

But seriously, it’s as if they saw the god descend to this transient world and carved them as they were.

“Actually, it’s not just his statue.”
“What?!”

My gaze followed where the lass’ finger was pointing…and saw many more statues!

This one’s a statue of Mother Earth Goddess, Demetersephone, Hades’ wife!
Then there are statues of Hades’ faithful messengers, Thanatos of Death and Hypnos of Slumber!
Statues of the Three Judges of the Underworld: Rhadamanthys, Aiacos, and Minos!
Hold on, there are also statues of Poseidon, the God of the Sea, and his relatives!
…All of them are as sublime as if they were traced from their real counterparts!

“The god of the earth and the god of the sea’s statues are here, but where is the god of the heaven’s statue?”
“Maybe he’s not worth carving?”

Oh well, but I guess it’s better than having Hades, the god we worship, left out.

“What about this statue placed among the gods?”
“It’s not an idol, isn’t it? It looks like a dried-up skeleton, so scary that I shudder just looking at it!”
“…Is this a Lifeless King?”
“One of the World’s Two Greatest Calamities, the Lifeless King?!”
“Ah, it’s all coming back to me now. I’ve encountered him a couple of times during my prime years.”

But what’s with this random, nondescript human statue over here?
It’s rather odd to see it amidst all these majestic wooden idols.

“…”

Nonetheless, they’re all wonderfully made.

In the Demon Kingdom, even sculptures of gods aren’t as highly valued.
At best, they are kept in solemn places and are easily replaced and trashed if they get dirty or broken.
That’s about it.

But I think that’s not good enough.

Especially when they’re soulful sculptures like these. They should be carefully preserved and passed on to the future generation along with the creator’s sentiments.

“Very well, I’ll buy them.”

All of them.
It’d be catastrophic if even one of these wonderful sculptures were to fall into the hands of someone who doesn’t understand its value.
I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if they were smashed and used as firewood instead.

“Thank you for your patronage. The total price is about this much.”

I skimmed through the sales contract the lass presented to me.
Then my eyes were drawn to the price stated.

“This isn’t funny.”

I rejected it.

“You, lass, still don’t understand the true value of things! The ridiculous price you proposed isn’t even worth one of these masterpieces!!!”

It’s no different from the price of the wood that was used!

“Listen up! These sculptures deserve a much better price!”

I had my butler bring out some red ink and amended the contract with the appropriate value.
The lass’ eyes widened upon seeing this.

“This much?! It’s a hundred times more expensive!”
“It’s the price you pay for the labor, skills, and time the artist spent making it as well as the grace it will bestow the future.”

Call me an idiot who pays a lot of money for “junk” for all I care.
But this is the kind of money we demons, who have grown weary of the recent war, need to spend in this new era. An era where Zedan and his men have destroyed the Human Kingdom.

“Understood. Then I will sell it to you at this price. All proceeds go to the elves.”
“Huh? You’re not taking a portion?”
“Well, I’m not a merchant, sir. I’m a Heavenly One.”

I really don’t get how she thinks.

Whatever, tell this to the elves while you’re at it: I’m willing to shelter them if they ever face trouble in their lives. I’ll give them everything they need for carving, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

It’s been a while since I’ve felt good about my shopping experience, but a certain visitor came and ruined that.

It’s Zedan.

He’s already got his hands full with work as king yet he still casually disturbs me and my peaceful retired life.

“Looks like you’ve splurged a lot again, Father.”
“That’s uncalled-for, Zedan. I’m already a retired man. What I do is none of you or anyone’s business.”
“That’s not true. The demon race is still very much under your influence. Please bear that in mind.”
“Hmph, I wonder about that. Everyone holds me in contempt as a fool.”
“You still care about that kind of backstabbing? You should just ignore those cowards who can’t even criticize you to your face. Your proud and loyal followers still use only one name to address you.”

Hmph.
It’s a conspicuous name.

The previous demon king… Great Demon King Baal.

tbh this baal guy is way ahead of his time.

also hades’ wife’s og name is actually demetersephone, I think I’m going to keep it that way now cause i vaguely remember I used demeter in one chapter and persephone in the other. sorry about that :clown:

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The two new members of the Heavenly Four, Aeshma and Leviasa, are temporarily staying at our farm.

Aeshma has gotten enough spotlight lately, so it’s time we talk about Leviasa and her capabilities next.

Mrs. Glasya is being hounded by the elves upon her visit to our farm.
I didn’t know what was going on at first, but as I listened to their exchange, I gradually began to understand.

“Demon Queen!”
“When are you going to start selling our work?”

The elves are in a storm of protest against Glasya, the second Demon Queen, led by Aileron the pottery group leader, and Mieral the woodwork group leader.
Our elven artisans are divided into such a fashion.

Why are these two flaring up at a queen so discourteously, you ask?

Months ago, they said they wanted to sell their works to the outside world after being inspired by Batemy’s clothes selling like mad in the Demon Capital.

In fact, the leather goods made by Maelga’s team and the glasswork made by Poel’s team were sold by Mrs. Astres through Shax and are now recording steady sales.

And yet.
The pottery made by Aileron’s group and the woodwork made by Mieral’s group hasn’t been sold at all despite being fellow artisans.

Why is that?
Mrs. Glasya, another queen like Mrs. Astres, interrupted, “It’s not fair that only Astres is doing this! Let me do it too!”

By distributing superior farm articles under Mrs. Astres’ name, her reputation from the entire demon race will also rise.
Worried about being outclassed as a queen, Mrs. Glasya interjected.

After several discussions, it was decided that the four types of products produced by the elves would be split-released to the market.

Mrs. Astres is in charge of Maelga’s leather goods and Poel’s glass goods.
Similarly, Mrs. Glasya is in charge of Aileron’s pottery and Mieral’s woodworks.
That should be enough to explain the gist of things.

This is where light and darkness split for the elves.

“Maelga and Poel’s works are already out in the market! But what about ours?!”
“They’re piling up from your side, aren’t they? Why aren’t you selling them? Sell them right this instant!!!”

There you have it.
Both Mieral and Aileron have no modesty even though they’re talking to a queen. As expected of former, anti-authority bandits.

“…Now, now. Calm down and listen.”

Mrs. Glasya also seems to have become more composed than when she was a Heavenly One.
She continues to talk with befitting solemnity.

“Your colleagues’ works under Astres’ intermediary are selling like hotcakes, but the works you entrusted to me are not appearing on the market at all, so I can understand why you’re angry. But I have a reason for that.”
“We weren’t expecting you to say that… It’s not like we blame you alone for it…”
“Well, it’s actually because I haven’t been doing anything that nothing’s ever happening.”
“So it’s YOUR fault after all!!!”

They’re so energetic.

“Listen. I’ll tell you the reason why so you’ll understand!”
“Fine! Let’s hear it!”

They’re feeling desperate now.

“It rings true that this intermediary business has a rivalry aspect between me and Astres with our title as queen on the line.”
“I-I see…”
“The world will think of the one who sells more as the better Demon Queen! I’m not going to let her beat me! She’s my destined enemy since our times as Heavenly Ones!!!”

Hence, Mrs. Glasya must use a different method to win against Mrs. Astres.

In other words, she won’t be using Shax’s intermediary services.
If she imitated her, it’s only natural that Mrs. Astres, who already had actual results, would make a more lasting impression.
The only way for Mrs. Glasya to achieve a surprising victory is to use another route and create a bigger boom than her rival.

“…I tried fumbling around for a new route, but I couldn’t find any.”
“Whatever! Give back our works! We’ll have Miss Astres sell them for us instead!”
“Don’t be ridiculous! If you do that, I’ll lose miserably! My pride cannot allow thaaaat!!!”

And now they start scuffling.
Why can’t she just put her stubbornness aside and sell them normally?

Watching their behavior, I let out a sigh.

“You’re a completely useless woman as always, Queen Glasya,” says Leviasa, Mrs. Glasya’s successor as a Heavenly One. “I’ll find you a route to sell their crafts if you’d like.”
“You will?!”
“I can’t say for sure until I see the actual products, though. Well, it should be fine if it’s nothing too extreme. Elven handicrafts are luxury items, anyway.”
“All right! Everything’s in your hands now, Leviasa!”

She leaves all the hard work to her subordinate without any second thoughts.

“I don’t care anymore as long as it’s not Glasya!”
“Please! We leave our works to you!”

The elves also agreed immediately, putting everything into Leviasa’s custody.

“Queen Glasya has risen to the rank of a Heavenly One almost entirely on her merits in combat,” says Leviasa calmly. “Even though the Malicious-Holy Sword is a family heirloom, she’s just from a branch family with a low ranking. Nonetheless, she has had a staggering career fighting her way through the infantry, defeating countless heroes, rising through the ranks, and finally being promoted as one of the Heavenly Four.”

Though her voice is calm, you can somewhat feel an underlying bragging tone to it.
She must respect and admire her superior a lot.

“Hence, she lacks the skills to handle such practical matters outside the battlefield. That’s where I come in as her aide.”

In other words, she’s good at this kind of negotiation.
I’d feel sorry for Aileron and Mieral if they don’t get what they rightfully deserve soon, so please do something about this.

“So, the items are…tableware and wooden statues?”

The two leaders went into the warehouse where they store their works.

“Most of the samples we gave to Glasya are roughly like these.”
“I can’t really tell what’s good or bad about these items, but I feel like they have a certain overwhelming air to them!” says Leviasa, looking at the wooden statue made by Mieral.

“This is a statue of Hades, yes?”
“Yep.”
“I knew it. I could tell for some reason!”

…Well, I suppose so.

After all, that wooden statue was based on the real Hades, the God of the Underworld who was summoned some time ago!
Of course, it’s going to look like him!

“The mysterious air that emanates from this statue makes you think that if the real Hades were to descend, he’d look exactly like this.”
“Right? Haha…”

I couldn’t help but let out an awkward laugh.

“Okay. I know someone who would be willing to pay a fortune for something like this. I’ll visit them tomorrow.”
“You’re going to sell these directly?!”
“The fewer intermediaries, the better.”

And so, she went back to the capital to do her negotiations.

The next day.

“Everything was sold out. And over the target price.”
“That was way too fast!”

She really is competent.

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