Workforce Has Arrived!

* * *

We could use some extra hands.

We could use some extra hands~!

On a relatively comfortable late summer afternoon when it was starting to get cooler, during our usual meeting after lunch break, the old man and the perverted old geezer sighed like that.

Labor shortage.

This is one of the issues with this base that has been frequently discussed among us recently.

I cant manage the fields alone any more than this

Since the old man has low combat ability, he usually tills the fields inside the defensive wall.

What hes growing are edible plants that the perverted old geezer and I found in the forest.

Various plants are cultivated in the old mans fields, such as aburi-na, sugarvine, soboro beans, and more.

These are all fantasy plants from the demon realm and have extremely vigorous reproductive power.

In the sunny base, they increase explosively.

Thanks to that, our food situation has improved considerably, but theyre increasing too much for us to keep up with harvesting and processing.

For example, if aburi-na is properly dried, it seems to become a preserved food that can be eaten throughout the winter, so we want to secure a large amount while we can.

Soboro beans also seem to be able to be stored without sprouting if kept in a dark place, so we want to harvest as much as possible and save them for winter.

However, these beans are small, one by one.

Theyre about the size of adzuki beans.

Taking them out of the pods and drying them takes a lot of time.

Recently, its become impossible to keep up if we shell them one by one, so weve been pulling up the plants that are about as tall as an adult, drying them whole in a dark place, and then thwacking them with sticks.

That makes the beans spill out. We collect those.

This has improved our work efficiency to some extent, but we still cant keep up with the workload.

No matter how strong I am, this is a problem that cant be helped.

By the way, the cultivation methods, harvesting methods, processing methods, and cooking methods for these demon realm plants that arent even known by name yet were all devised and improved from scratch by the old man.

The old mans achievements are very low-key, but hes seriously amazing.

Hes modest about it, but I seriously think hes a genius.

I heard he used to be a noble, but rather than a noble, he seems to have had the aptitude to be the leader of groups like farmers or processors.

If it comes to this, Id like to finish making the road before fall, you know~.

The perverted old geezer and I continue to work on maintaining the area around the base.

Starting with the defensive wall, we connected a waterway from the water source to create a moat around the base, planted demon-repelling herbs around it oh, and we also dug a well inside the base.

My ability to work tirelessly with plenty of horsepower and the perverted old geezers ability to skillfully use earth magic are well-matched, and the base development is progressing at a considerable speed.

And what were mainly working on now what we plan to continue working on in the afternoon today is creating a road connecting the log bridge at the entrance of the Zamago Forest to this base.

The perverted old geezer, who wants to establish an Adventurers Guild branch here, wants to improve transportation so that adventurers and merchants can easily come this far.

But this road construction is more trouble than we thought.

Roughly cutting down trees in the direction instructed by the perverted old geezer this wasnt a problem.

Its the same thing we did at the very beginning of building the base.

The problem is what comes after.

The perverted old geezer uses earth magic to turn the cleared land where I did the logging into a road, but in order to properly level the ground so that horse-drawn carriages can pass through, careful preparation such as mowing the remaining undergrowth, removing stumps and rocks, and so on is necessary.

Careful preparation yeah, thats my weak point.

In the end, no matter how much horsepower I have, the amount of work involved doesnt decrease, and it takes time.

In other words, both of us reach the conclusion that we dont have enough manpower.

However, while my work fundamentally doesnt mesh well with the old mans work because it might destroy the crops, thats not the case with the perverted old geezers work.

I can work a little more, you know?

I still have plenty of energy left, so the more I work, the more progress well make.

Thats why I propose that to the old man and the perverted old geezer, but both of them shake their heads.

According to them, Im working too much.

I dont have a problem with it since Im not tired at all, but as adults, they seem to feel guilty about having a little girl continue to do work that exceeds the capacity of ordinary people.

Weve secured a safe base, you know! Emi-chan should take it easy for a bit now!

Youre not a slave, you know

They say things like that.

I dont mind, though.

But when the old man says those lines with a really tearful face, I have no choice but to nod and take a break.

The old man is sensitive, so he gets depressed easily over various things.

Geez, what a troublesome old man!

Well, thanks to that, Im given a decent amount of free time every day, so I spend that time either training, taking a nap, or snacking in the forest.

Recently, it seems that new monsters have started to flow in from the direction of Mount Nanga, so Im happy that my snacks are increasing.

Like Noshteruketch.

Now then, lets end the lunch break here. In the afternoon, lets all work diligently and devote ourselves to labor.

Okay.

Foooh~~~!

Now, sensing that the meeting was starting to get a bit sloppy, the old man wrapped up the discussion.

Alright, lets work energetically then!

<Emi!!>

!?

At that moment!

Suddenly, Extra-sama raised a voice of alert!

<The Mana Sensing Threads have been cut. Someone is approaching the base.>

These Mana Sensing Threads are a stationary scouting magic power manipulation technique that I developed in the Kaise Forest.

By stringing easily breakable threads of magic power around, I can grasp the location of targets that approach without noticing and cut the threads.

Now that the defensive wall is complete, setting up Mana Sensing Threads is no longer necessary, but Ive made it a habit to string these threads when Im inside the base for training and just in case.

Those Mana Sensing Threads have been cut.

The location is on the road leading from the gate outside the moat.

Moreover, I set these threads at a relatively high position.

If I set them too low, small creatures would just scurry around and cut them, making them meaningless!

Specifically, theyre set at about shoulder height for an adult.

As far as I know, the only monster in this forest tall enough to cut these threads is the Mountain Topopolock.

And those guys have either been hunted to extinction or returned to the mountains, so I havent seen them recently.

Which means.

<These are probably humans approaching, right?>

I strain my ears to listen.

I cant make out the details due to the sounds of the forest, but certainly.

Certainly, I hear human voices!

Whats wrong, Emi?

The old man calls out to me, puzzled by my sudden stop and turn towards the gate.

People, coming.

What?

Foh!?

Workforce, maybe! Bringing them!

I started running towards the gate!

<W-Wait a minute, Emi! Bringing them what if theyre a group with malicious intent like bandits, for example? What do you plan to do?>

Huh?

Obviously, Ill just beat them up and make them listen to what I say!

I used Grasshopper to leap in one bound and jump over the gate!

* * *

Now then, thud.

I land in front of the group approaching the base.

I release a somewhat strong Intimidation from the start so they dont look down on me.

Judging from their appearance, it seems theyre adventurer-like.

<Perhaps they came to the demon realm to hunt?>

There are four of them.

A dirty man.

A priest-looking woman who reeks of alcohol.

A muscular big man.

And a decently handsome blond man.

Yeah, their equipment looks a bit worn but well-used.

And with Magic Perception, I can clearly see that they have considerably more magic power than ordinary people.

This is it.

All four of them are decently strong.

Strong enough to operate in this forest.

If they fought the perverted old geezer, the group of four would probably lose.

<Of course. That perverted old geezer may be a pervert, but hes a former special-class adventurer. Hes quite strong for a human.>

Yeah.

But well, this is good.

These four are pretty good.

Especially the decently handsome blond man, he properly followed me with his eyes when I suddenly descended from above.

He seems the strongest, so is he the leader?

Well, anyway!

Ive been waiting. For people like you.

Old man! Perverted old geezer!

Were really lucky!

The people who might become the workforce we wanted just came along!

Concealing my excited inner thoughts with an expressionless face, I guided the group of four into the base.

The group of four silently followed me with pale faces.

Yeah, I really like how they obediently listen to what I say!

Im happy that I might be able to get along with all four of them!