Fun Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord (Novel) - Chapter 126 - The Adventurers' Town Is Filling Out

Chapter 126 – The Adventurers’ Town Is Filling Out

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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While I was giving priority to building the furnace, before I knew it Kamushin and Espada and the others had returned as well.

They had more than a dozen people with them, and all of them were looking this way.

“Lord Van. We have sorted out those who have experience in business and wish to do business!”

When Kamushin called out to me, I somehow put on a polite smile and waved one hand.

“Thanks. There were more than I expected. It felt like if Espada did the sorting, the number would drop a lot, though.”

“Yes. In truth there were more than a hundred.”

Apparently these are amazing people who survived a ten percent pass rate. In that case, there should definitely be no problem.

“Then, shall we build the shops before the furnace? Let us stop there for today.”

When I answered that, I felt Habel glaring this way from behind me.

“The furnace takes priority, damn it.”

“I think we can get the material orichalcum again, but you are going to hand it over to the king of the Dwarf Kingdom first, right?”

“Guh, nngh…”

When I answered Habel’s complaint back with a reason, he expressed his anger by flailing both hands around in frustration. He is unique.

“All right, then let us go back to the adventurers’ town. Kusara’s inn should probably have all the furniture by now too.”

Either way, it looks like I may escape building that hellish furnace for now. Thinking about it carefully, there is no reason the furnace has to be put into operation in fifteen days. I had almost been swept away by Habel’s momentum and made to work in a black labor environment.

Taking the frustrated Habel and the other dwarves along as well, we returned once more to the adventurers’ town. Once my feelings grew lighter, somehow even my steps grew lighter too.

Since it had already become close to evening, I turned around as soon as we got back to the main street of the adventurers’ town and looked at the people who were planning to start business right away.

“As for the shops, I will help with things like advancing the initial investment costs, exemption from taxation for the first year, and assistance in procuring materials. However, so that it does not become discrimination when someone else says they want to open a shop in the future, this help will take the form of debt. Of course, the amount will vary depending on the scale of the shop, but even if it takes time, I will have to get the money paid back. Is there no problem with that?”

When I confirmed that, the gathered people all nodded firmly. They are probably people who have that much enthusiasm. I gave a large nod back and checked my surroundings.

Perhaps they were still carrying in furniture, but the merchant apprentices from the Bell-Rango Company were going in and out of Kusara’s inn one after another. The Bell-Rango Company also plans to open stores, so I wanted to discuss the location, but Rango was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is Rango… ah, there he is… and Bell too?”

For some reason I could see Rango walking this way from the rear with the sort of quick pace used in race walking, and Bell following right behind him.

“Lord Van!”

“You found a dwarven smith!?”

The instant I thought our eyes had met, the two of them waved their hands and shouted loudly. Perhaps they were so happy that there was finally a prospect of securing a smith they had long been waiting for, because both their eyes were dimly shining like hungry magic beasts. The two of them closed in right before me and looked back and forth between me and Habel and the others lined up behind me.

“Ah, yes. Right now they are building a furnace at the edge of Seat Village. But we need at least two large pieces of orichalcum ore, you see. So I was thinking I would make the shops in the adventurers’ town first, and then build the furnace at a slower pace.”

When I answered that, Bell and Rango looked at each other and then showed meaningful smiles. Then Bell turned back this way and opened her mouth.

“Please be at ease, Lord Van! When I went to confirm earlier, I heard that Apkallu had some orichalcum ore in storage, so I negotiated and had one piece handed over to us!”

“What exactly have you done?”

At Bell’s statement, I reflexively complained and fearfully turned around behind me.

There stood Habel and the others, all wearing broad smiles.

“There is orichalcum ore!?”

“What in the world! To think we would get it in the middle of a town!”

“Wahahahaha! We can go home to the country!”

“All right, we are building the furnace!”

While the dwarves raised a cry and got all worked up, Habel forcefully declared that construction of the furnace would resume. At that, the other dwarves quickly turned around and widened their eyes.

“Oi, Habel! The other matter came first!”

“Did you forget the original purpose of our journey!?”

At those words from his comrades, Habel raised one hand and showed them his palm.

“I know! I understand all of your feelings as well! But can you not also understand this desire to do smithing… this desire to strike metal heated red-hot!”

When Habel forcefully tried to persuade them, the dwarves looked at one another and fell into confusion.

“That is true… we want to do smithing too.”

“I have not even gripped a hammer in two years…”

The dwarves said such things. I do not really understand it myself, but apparently Habel’s words had struck them strongly. They discussed it for a while, but before long they turned around this way with refreshed faces and opened their mouths.

“All right, understood. We were going to move to the next place and search anyway. Waiting a month or two would be fine.”

When one dwarf said that with his arms folded, the other dwarves also gave big nods.

“In exchange, when the furnace is completed one month from now, let us grip the hammer too.”

“Of course!”

Habel forcefully answered his comrades’ words. Even the adventurers around us were nodding as though it were a good story. I too smiled while watching Habel and the others happily slinging arms over each other’s shoulders, but then I realized they were talking on the premise that the furnace would be completed in one month, and I immediately wanted to hold my head.