「Undine, were you the one that casted Inhibit Perception on the Fairykind?」
「It wasn’t me.」
「It was us!」
Since the Cat Sith family came to the Sanctuary, two more Cat Sith families had taken refuge here. No matter how I think of it, they couldn’t have passed through the barrier without being noticed by the stationing troops, and yet the troops didn’t show any indication of it. So when I asked Undine about it, the Great Wind Spirit Sylph and Great Light Spirit Selene said it was their doing.
「The children of the Fairykind have a strong connection to us. Especially since there are no bad children among the Cat Sith so it’s alright.」
「No, I don’t have a problem with it. But just how long will I be building houses, was what I was thinking.」
Yes, at the Great Spirits’ instructions, I had expanded the area by kids’ house on the western side. Right now there are more houses here now than in a poor village.
A public bathhouse will be built upon taking the hygienic environment of the kids into account.
The members of first Cat Sith family that reached the Sanctuary were the father Mabbo, mother Poporo, 7 year old elder sister Miri, and 5 year old little sister Lala. They have become familiar with the first sheltered kids, and Mabbo-san and Poporo-san cared for Wappa and the kids.
Then, a bearded old man with a beer barrel-shaped body passed through the barrier and entered the sanctuary.
「Wha?! Doganbo-san! Why are you here?!」
Right, carrying a large bag and plenty of luggage on both hands, it was the blacksmith from Volton, Doganbo-san.
「What’s this, so you really were involved in this, Takumi. I will be living here!」
「No, I don’t get what you mean though.」
「I heard from the fire spirits that the Great Fire Spirit and the Great Earth Spirit are here. So, as a Dwarf, I must have my workshop here.」
It seems it’s not only the Elves but also the Dwarves that can hear the voices of the Spirits. Dwarves have a high affinity with Earth spirits and Fire spirits, and many of them work as Blacksmiths and Miners. Doganbo-san apparently heard about this place from a Fire Spirit too.
Afterwards, meeting Salamander and Gnome, Doganbo-san was so moved that he kneeled and cried, and the Great Spirits were taken aback.
That night, Doganbo-san and I were soaking in an open air bath and Doganbo-san asked for something unreasonable.
「Fuu~ as expected, with the manifestation of Great Fire Spirit-sama, aren’t the hot springs amazing? The workshop furnace has Salamander-sama’s divine protection, and there’s even a mine managed by the Gnome-sama in the south. It’s a Dwarf’s paradise.」
「Well, that surprised me too though.」
I think it’s normal to be surprised when a mountain rises unnoticed. Even this hot spring, it was largely because of Salamander and Gnome’s powers.
I have a feeling that the Great Spirits have lost all self control upon coming here. The thicket in the north managed by Dryas has already become a dense forest on the inside.
「And so, Takumi when soaking in the bath like this, there’s something lacking, ain’t there?」
「Something lacking?」
「It’s that! A cold ale after a bath! Thanks to the chilled ale you popularized in Volton, it’s made me want to drink a cold ale after baths.」
It can’t be helped since Dwarves have a fondness for alcohol.
「Then I’ll get some in Volton.」
「No, it’s not that. Brew alcohol in this Sanctuary!」
「………………eh?」
Hearing about that, the Dwarves were apparently versed in the alcohol brewing. If it’s the top fermented ale, then it would be relatively easy to do, but I don’t understand the taste of whiskey and wine too well. I only drank beer in Japan.
Since Doganbo-san said he would make a distiller, I had to make a brewing workshop. As to why, Undine and others were in complete agreement when it came to alcohol brewing, and Undine, Dryas, and Gnome said they would work together to make an orchard for the wine making.
I think wine and whiskey can’t be made in a year or two though………….
「Alcohol, huh~ I look forward to it.」
「I wish to drink strong spirits (alcohol).」
Salamander, who transformed into a humanoid, and Gnome were also soaking in the hot springs while talking about alcohol.
「Still, doesn’t everyone drink at home every night?」
「Wouldn’t it be good if you didn’t need to buy alcohol in Volton?」
Right, every night, the Great Spirits drink copious amounts of alcohol that I supply.
I’m not convinced.
I finish my work at Volton quickly, construct houses and fields in the Sanctuary, and resupply the daily necessities and provisions of the kids and Cat Siths. Undine had said that the Spirit Tree is supplying its materials and Dryas offering the rare materials from the thicket and forest she manages to me, so am I not making a profit? And that it’s just as she says, but…………… I have a feeling I’m just being pushed around.
After taking a bath, I had a cold drink and talked to Sophia and the girls about the day’s events in the living room of our house.
「Hey, Sophia. What could the Great Spirits be doing? Could they be using me to do something in the Sanctuary?」
I tried asking Sophia, an elf with high affinity with Spirits and a user of Spirit Magic. I understand that the Spirits wanted to make a Sanctuary centered around the Spirit Tree, but I don’t know their goal.
Slightly troubled, Sophia looked hesitant to talk as she relayed her guess.
「…… By way of purifying the land, I believe that their largest objective is the expansion of people’s living space in this continent. Their safeguarding of children and the Fairykind certainly is unusual for the spirits who live as they please though, so I do not know.」
「Hmm, expanding the livable areas by purifying monster nests is good, but they aren’t doing this in the savage lands unrelated to any existing nation because they intend to make a Spirit-oriented country, right?」
「Spirits have no need for a country, so I do not think that is the case. However, their intention might be to create a vessel for the oppressed people.」
Reflecting on that, I then stopped thinking about it. It might not be possible to understand the ideals of the inhuman Spirits.
「Still, Doganbo-san had come here, so it wouldn’t end here, would it?」
「Yes, it’s unclear how many could come out of the barrier, however, I imagine that the flow of the Fairykind and oppressed Beastkins heading towards the Sanctuary can not be stopped.」
It was a course of events that anyone could grasp.
First, Elves who lived outside of Yggurle Kingdom headed for the Sanctuary. Next, children from crowded orphanages risked their lives and went for the Sanctuary.
Miraculously, the people advancing through the perilous savage lands had not been attacked by monsters or thieves. It was as if the Spirits were watching over them.
***