Chapter 925: Secret Payment Methods
It blows a small forest away with overwhelming destructive force, then levels the site with the dragon’s immense strength. To the untrained eye, it might seem like the dragon could just level the ground to the necessary extent with its own hands from the start, but while that might make the surface look good, tree roots and rocks tend to remain just below the surface. It’s not as simple as saying, well, it’s underground, so it’s fine. Even if it’s fine at first, over time, as the ground is compacted, those roots and rocks can become exposed or interfere with the foundations of houses, which is a nuisance. For a small pioneer village, one might just shrug it off and deal with it flexibly, but this time, we’re building a town for ten thousand people, with everything from flood control to transportation carefully planned. It seems they want to get it as neatly organized as possible.
“We blasted it down to a sufficient depth, backfilled it, cast the 『Soil-compacting』 magic passed down by the elves, and had the idle dragons trample it down. It should be stable for the time being”
“Why on earth would there be magic to compact soil……? If they were using magic for farming, you’d think they’d create magic to plow without a hoe instead”
“It’s a useful spell for repairing and preventing landslides. Besides, when I told Tetes about it, her eyes lit up. She said we might be able to secure sufficient defensive strength with earthworks”
“……I see”
Dianne’s words made me reflect. My ideas about magic really are pretty limited, aren’t they?
“Now we just have to wait for the detailed plan from the Royal Capital University. If we do this by hand, just leveling the ground alone would take a whole season, so the planners are probably taking their time. They’re probably panicking right about now”
“……I wonder if they’ve even heard about our progress over there yet”
I haven’t been to the capital recently, and given the communication channels, it’s a bit of a stretch to reach Polka directly. The procedure is set up so that reports are first sent to Minister Ashton in Celesta’s capital, Quica, and from there, a request is forwarded to the Royal University. Normally, the late King Trot, who proposed the idea, would be the one to take responsibility, but he is officially considered to have stepped away from power. It seems the Celesta Parliament wouldn’t stand for it if he, who has a reputation for cunning, were to once again openly take the helm of such a massive project. That’s why Minister Ashton has stepped in to take the heat. But.
“As for that, I had Leda take me there the other day while the Blue Dragons were working on it, so the news itself has already reached them”
“……So easily?”
Well, sure, it’s right across the Small Serpent Mountains, and if you wanted to go, half a day would probably be plenty. But the fact that the dragons’ mobility was being used without my knowledge, I don’t know if I should feel relieved or a little lonely. N, No, I’m not trying to nitpick. What Dianne is doing is definitely necessary, and it’s obviously better that they can move around without needing my orders.
“It was still autumn in the capital. It was definitely a lot colder than Celesta, but the streets were bustling with people. Even though we’re in the same country, it felt like I was seeing a different world”
……No, I have to admit, I’m a little envious. Maybe. It’s not that I dislike my laid-back life in Polka, surrounded by my female slaves, but I do miss the hustle and bustle of the city a little. Maybe I just haven’t adjusted to country life yet.
“……Please take me with you next time”
“? If you want to go, you could just ask Maia anytime”
“It’s just, I feel a little hesitant about going on a whim……”
No one would complain, but it’s hard to visit the city without a legitimate reason. Maybe it’s a hangover from my time as a soldier. ……Also, going on a weird trip without Dianne-san feels like something bad might happen, you know?
————–
It had been a fair amount of time since I returned from Renfangas. Every day, I visited the homes and regular lodgings of my female slaves to do naughty things, occasionally got let into the Elven Forest to enjoy the eternal spring air, and joined the prostitutes as they soaked in the hot springs and took in the snowy scenery, all while waiting for the furnace I’d asked Irina to build to be finished. I’ve already decided on my first project. I’m thinking of rebuilding Naris’s Crash Haken. Well, since Naris can use anything, there’s no need to stick to some weird gimmick weapon, and I no longer have the farm tool-derived blade that gave it its original shape. In fact, it’d probably be better to just keep making orthodox weapons as practice and have Naris test them out. But Naris keeps subtly pushing me for an upgraded version.
“Captain Smithson—. Isn’t the next weapon ready yet?”
“You won’t be using it for a while. You’ve still got the sword from the last battle against Renfangas, don’t you?”
“That was just a stopgap! I mean, when I’m with you, I never know when a serious battle will break out, so if I let my guard down, I’ll end up fighting in some weird situation before I know it! It’s not like it’s supposed to be that dangerous……but just count how many times I’ve messed up!”
“I hear a forge for me will be ready soon, so just wait until then”
“A forge? It doesn’t matter if it’s at Jackie’s place or Breakcore’s place, does it? Besides, there’s already a forge for you in Rennesto. Just make it there, as a replacement for the Crash Haken!”
“So, you’re prepared to get dragged into some weird fight in the process, are you?”
“What do you mean, weird fight?”
“I don’t know either, but if I carelessly set out on a journey, something’s bound to happen! You’re the one who said so!”
“Gununu……”
I don’t have the slightest desire to fight, and weird things usually don’t happen… or so I’d think. But if I count them up, lately I’ve been getting into trouble at the most unexpected times. Rennesto is already like a showcase of trouble, so if I’m not careful, something’s bound to happen. Probably something to do with Sharon or Tetes.
“……So, once that new furnace is finished, you’ll make it for me, right?”
“Well, at a friend’s price”
“You’re charging me?! From a female slave?!”
“You’re just a pretend female slave, aren’t you?”
“Normal women wouldn’t become a man’s female slave, even if it’s just pretend! I want you to properly appreciate that!”
“There are way too many things to nitpick here”
Are you okay with being evaluated as a female slave? Besides, weren’t you the one who believed there’s nothing better than free? Also, isn’t it a bit unconvincing to bring that up to me right now, when all these super casual female slave hopefuls are popping up left and right? Or something like that.
“Kuu, so what do you want then……my body?! Are you telling me to pay with my body!?”
Naris grabs the front of her shirt tightly and makes a frustrated face. ……Yeah. It’s obviously too obvious, even I can tell.
“……You know exactly what you’re doing and you’re just messing with me, don’t you?”
“……It’s true that I’d really prefer to pay with something other than money, if possible”
She really doesn’t want to pay me that much? Well, I guess it’s only natural not to want to pay if she can get away with it. Plus, in Naris’s case, she’s the type who couldn’t forget our time together and ended up putting a collar on herself, so if she pays with her body, she’s basically coming out ahead. ……Well, as for me, it’s not like I absolutely need the money either. I don’t, but going along with Naris’s plan just like that doesn’t seem very interesting.
“Alright. We’ll go with the Tetes method”
“A method that feels nothing but ominous……!”
“What? It’s the payment method I used when I made accessories for Tetes”
“……Please, do explain the details”
“The pricing is set at two rounds of anal sex for one hairpin”
“That’s way too steep! No wonder Tetes-chan became an analist with rates like that!”
“If we calculate this as a weapon……in terms of labor hours”
“Wait, just how much do you want to fuck my ass!?”
“Well, if it’s pussy, you’d probably just enjoy it, so I wouldn’t know who’s actually paying, me or you……”
“If we’re talking hundreds of times, I think we’d lose track of whether it’s a payment or a receipt either way!?”
“……I didn’t expect you to catch that”
Also, no matter what, if I focus on Naris that many times and use my dick that much, I’m probably going to get booed either way. ……Naris averted her gaze while holding her butt as if it were a sore spot, muttering under her breath.
“Just go with something straightforward like no birth control, insemination sex or something like that……”
“Wait, is that really okay with you?”
“……Well, if you’ll make me a Crash Haken for it, I guess it’s barely okay. Given the elves’ chances of getting pregnant anyway……”
“…………”
It’s just. I have a feeling this girl is going to end up getting pregnant while saying something like, 「What can I do? It just happened!」. So, with that thought in mind, I let out a sigh.
“……So, what kind of gimmick should we add this time? Since we’re at it, let’s make it more elaborate”
I decided to call it a done deal.