Published: August 2, 2025
Today, three chapters posted simultaneously.
This is the first chapter.
“So this is what it looks like inside.”
“The ceiling is covered in slime… but I guess they’re using that to catch bugs.”
“This small room over here is the toilet.”
“Seriously? They even have that kind of facility?”
“What’s this tube?”
“That’s a water purifier. It filters the water to make it clean—”
Currently, the base is open to the students.
Just as the second day’s shift began, a boy asked to see the place, so I gave permission. Word spread quickly, and more and more students gathered. There are only six so far, but the room isn’t that big, so it feels pretty crowded...
“Ryoma, are you there?”
“Hm? Yeah, I’m here.”
I heard Gazelle’s voice from outside. I wonder what’s up?
“There you are! Look!”
When I poked my head in from the entrance, he held up his catch with both hands. Since I was standing higher, he lifted it up toward me, trying to bring it as close to my face as possible.
“So you’ve got birds today too. Pretty big ones, huh.”
“Yeah! I set traps yesterday.”
“Ah, so that’s why you were late last night.”
“Right. And since the traps worked, I gave the blood to the slime. Blood is nutritious, right?”
Oh, that’s great. These kids really are good at hunting.
“But I only caught this much today, so can I have the meat back? I’d love to be generous, but…”
“This is enough. I’ll get the blood draining ready right away. As a thank you, would you like some tea inside? It’s made from river water and herbs picked nearby.”
“I’ll take whatever I can get. Also, can I look inside?”
He really is straightforward. I like that.
“Of course. Hey, does anyone else want some? It’s made with ingredients we can find around here.”
“I’m good.”
“Me too. We should prepare for tonight.”
“Yeah. We’ll leave you now.”
“Thanks for showing us inside.”
“I’ll use this as a reference.”
“Thanks!”
I saw the six students off and started preparing the tea.
“Just brush off any bugs lightly and come on in.”
Gazelle obediently followed my instructions and immediately began staring intently at the walls.
“See anything interesting?”
“I was just thinking this is a proper wall. My house has old walls with drafts coming through. Compared to that, this temporary place is solid.”
“I see.”
“I wish I could use earth magic…”
Is he not good with earth magic?
“I’m terrible at magic. But seeing this, I can’t help but think if I could use magic, maybe I could fix my walls too.”
“Are they that bad?”
I asked as I handed him the tea. He laughed and nodded.
“Ouch, hot… Our house is still better off. The adults care about us and listen to us. A little repair work fixes most problems. It looks dirty, but it’s livable. The really bad one is probably the old lady’s house next door.”
“Probably? I’m not sure.”
Could it be the ruins-like building I heard about the other day? That old lady’s place?
“Well, it’s just a little more waiting.”
“Waiting?”
“Yeah! I’m an adventurer now. Still low rank, but I’ll train hard and make a lot of money. Then instead of repairing the house, I’ll completely rebuild it—big and comfortable for everyone.”
“I get it.”
He seems very ambitious.
“How big, exactly?”
“How big… I haven’t thought that far.”
I felt a bit let down by such a vague answer.
“Well, that happens. You can think about it as you go.”
“I’ve decided!”
“Already?!”
Huh? You thought it through and decided that fast? That’s quick.
Anyway, I asked what size house he wanted.
“About as big as your shop.”
“Why?”
Why would my shop come up all of a sudden?
“I just remembered your shop has two floors, right? That’s why.”
“That’s your only point!?”
“Well, having a second floor means more space, right?”
“It does increase living space.”
“See? Plus, buildings with two floors are rare here. It’d stand out.”
Is that so?
But hiring contractors would cost time and money, so rebuilding casually wouldn’t be easy. Maybe he should be a little more cautious… But first, they need to save money. A rough goal like this is fine for now.