chapter 65

I was woken up at noon .

While I was rubbing my sleepy eyes, I formed a 【Water ball】 above me and dipped my entire head in it as I walked towards the dining area in order to wash my face . Since I didn’t bring a towel with me, I just wiped the water off with my sleeve . When the children saw me and told me off .

「Maou-sama, how sloppy~」

「I’m just doing this to wash my face you know~ . I’ll wipe it off after」

「You will get scolded you knowー?」

「Mnnー? Ahー, sorry, sorry . I’m just really tired . Nnー . My body’s so heavyー」

「That’s because you didn’t sleep early you know~」

Un, that’s true . It would probably have been better if I just slept in the forest where I wouldn’t have been disturbed by those two .

「That’s true, isn’t it~? That’s why I’ll go to bed early from now on」

「Geez, Maou-sama . You shouldn’t do that you know~」

I started patting the head of the child that was close to me as I was being told that by one of the older kids .

「Ahー, yeah . Sorry about that . I was really tired so I took a nap」

「That’s not the point . Maou-sama keeps telling us to take breaks but you aren’t taking breaks yourself, are you?」

「I’m getting my rest you know? I even go back to my home town to relax with my family」

「Then you must be working too much . We understand that you’re doing these things with us in mind but it would be hard even for a Demon Lord to work without rest」

「Ahー, thanks for your concern but I’ll manage somehow if I just drink some of that water with salt and sugar in it you know? Hahaha……」

After that, I arrived at the dining area and slowly ate the bread, steamed fish, and fish soup that was given to me .

Once I was done eating, a slightly nervous Root-san came over to my table to talk with me . 1

「Caam, how big do you want the rabbit’s pen to beー?」

「Hmmー, since it’s going to be used for breeding, why don’t we build a small hut that’s about waist height, that’s 10 paces long and ten paces wide . We’ll just add some dirt in there so that they’ll have somewhere to sleep」

「Gotcha . I’ll try to make something of that scale . Also, we already cleared out a small area but we’re just starting to lay down the stone foundation and build the framework . We still need to put up the walls and the roof after that so even just a single house would take quite some time to complete」

「But even so, we need that to be built . I’m planning to board the ship to the port city and go to the bar and guild to try and recruit more craftsmen the next time they pa.s.s by here . The number of men would increase that way so I also plan to invite about twenty women to migrate here or just buy some women slaves . Because of that, I will have to ask you to build some kind of building where they can sleep in at the very least」

「Uh ohー, looks like things are going to start to get busy over here for us」

It seems like he’s the type of craftsman who can’t stop moving his hands since he was keeping them busy the entire time we were talking .

「I’ll be counting on you」

「Roger」

「I’m not going to explore the island today so I wonder what I should do……? Do some desk work? Do I even have something like that? Don’t think so . Play with the kids? I guess that wouldn’t really be a good idea . I’m not really sure what to do whenever I have free time」

「Then just help with the reclamation of the fields . What does desuku waーku even mean?」2

With the cat-eared old man’s sudden suggestion, I decided to go and help with the expansion of the fields by cutting the trees and uprooting the stumps . Since the roots can’t be used, it seems like they transport them to the charcoal-making hut where they stack them . I was already done with my part so I just rode on the carriage transporting the stumps on the way back . I was thinking how the wheel is such a wonderful invention .

Well, it depends on how you use it though . You can just attach it to a box and call it a day since it would be good enough to transport things after all .

◇

Now then, I’m going to explore the south side today but I’ll stop over the hot spring, as usual, to take a quick soak in it .

It’s different this time though since I’m doing this to recover from the time I didn’t get to sleep because of the couple copulating until dawn when I got back from my last exploration . The conversation I had with Cravatte because of that ended up being fun though .

There was a slender female harpy already bathing with a relaxed smile on her face but I just ignored her and used the hot spring to reinvigorate myself before heading south .

Looking at the southern part of the island while I’m still halfway down, I could see that there was a lake on the southwestern side . I can just explore that later . For now, I’ll just try and see if there are any forests or resources above ground I can gather on this side .

This side seems to have more gra.s.s-covered plains instead of forests compared to the other sides of the island . I still can’t see the coast as usual but I can pretty much tell what’s around here so I can now begin my exploration .

There were no particular changes to the terrain so it was pretty peaceful .

Or at least it would have been if there were no red flowers nor those pesky goblins here!

I couldn’t be bothered to deal with them so I just threw an obsidian axe towards the attacker that jumped out from the bushes . After seeing its head split open by the axe, I just left it there and continued with the exploration .

「Hmmー, with how flat the terrain is over here, I wonder how many years has it been since this island was formed?」

While I was wondering that, I scooped up some of the soil to properly examine the quality but I kept hitting quite a few large stones within the wonderfully black soil . It was quite a pain to go through so I used magic to lift the soil up to chest height and was able to determine that the area was a good place to set up a crop field .

It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to start developing more roads, the main road leading to the bay and a wide road along the coastline . In the meantime though, we should finish the road from the coast to the foot of the mountain . I really want that done .

I continued walking while thinking about how I’m going to develop the island even further but I could only find small forests scattered here and there . I decided to investigate them and while I was walking around, I found a tree with a green, acorn-like fruit that looks like those that I frequently saw on TV .

「Oi oi oi oi oi oi oi……… Kami-sama . What the heck are you doing with your world!?」

I shouted that at the heavens upon seeing what was in front of my eyes .

I threw down my luggage, picked several of those fruits, then washed them inside a 【Water ball】 . After I dried it off, I crushed them on top of the frying pan . Since I didn’t have a filter, I just gathered all of the paste in my hand then squeezed the liquid of the fruit into a cup .

My hands were greasy from the oil so I wiped them off on the ground and washed my hands with a 【Water ball】 before tasting the fluid using this morning’s bread .

「Is this actually an olive? Why is there everything on this island……?」

With a hint of excitement, I stuffed my rucksack with olives and began walking back with a spring on my step that was nothing like the time I discovered the Cacao .

I stopped by at the other smaller forest and they also had olives growing there .

I stumbled upon a rabbit by chance so I gladly killed it using an obsidian knife to avoid spilling the olive oil in the cup on my hand . After draining the blood, skinning it, and taking out the internal organs, I rubbed some salt on the meat and seasoned it with some of the fragrant herbs that I found . Then, I started grilling it using plenty of olive oil, carefully scooping the oil from the bottom with a spoon, and sprinkling it on top while having a huge smile on my face .

「Even so, I’m the olive oil」3

While muttering that, the rabbit finished roasting . It was crispy outside but juicy on the inside and the olive oil was dripping from the top .

「Go! Olive oil」

After saying that with a smug look on my face, I covered the roasted rabbit with olive oil then garnished it with some bread before eating it .

「Tasty! It’s so d.a.m.n tasty! The fresh olive oil was crudely made, but paired with fresh meat, natural salt, and fragrant herbs, even without pepper and sake, it has quite an exquisite taste! And if you put the meat in between the bread soaked in oil……! d.a.m.n, it’s so goodー!」

As I was yelling those things, Facil landed nearby .

「I’m here because you look like you’re eating something tastyー . Give me some~」4

Sharing my blessings or monopolizing it for myself…… After weighing my options as an adult, I just decided to share . I didn’t have plates so I just used an obsidian knife to cut the rabbit and the bread in half then gave it to her .

「Tastyー! What’s thisー? This is a rabbit right?」

「Rabbit! It really is rabbit!」

「Why is it so delicious?」

「I extracted oil from the fruit of this tree and used it to cook that」

「Hoe~ . I don’t really get it but let’s eat it before it gets cold!」

「Half of it is mine after all!」

After saying that, we had a meal together . We really sunk our teeth into that meat, didn’t we?

「I don’t know if I ever had food as tasty as that before you know~」

「It’s been a while for me too . After all, I was completely up to my limit ever since I came to the island that I didn’t really care what I was eating」

「I seeー . Anyway, I have not had one this crunchy before! I can’t wait to tell dad how tasty this was!」

She was about to fly off again but I caught her foot .

「Wait wait wait . I don’t mind if you tell them but you don’t have ingredients you know?」

「Hm? We caught some rabbits yesterday though?」

「We’re going to use those to get more . That’s why we can’t eat those yet」

「Eh~? We can’t?」

「If it’s deer or fish though……」

「We can eat it then!」

She immediately took off after saying that but I didn’t want to force myself today so I would have been troubled if I had to cook for her entire tribe like the last time . For that reason, I used wind magic to shift her off balance and slowly brought her down .

「What now~」

「Look, I’m not at the village right now, right? That’s why even if you go there, you won’t get to eat」

「We’ll come here then!」

「Well, if you’re going to bring people here, you can only bring your mom and dad, okay? Bring the meat we’re going to eat as well . Also some plates」

She wouldn’t budge no matter what I say so I just settled for that .

「’kay!」

After saying that, she immediately flew off .

「Haa…… My head hurts . I didn’t think there would be a kid on this island who would give me headaches…… Anyway, I wonder if she’ll remember what I said? Well, I guess it’s fine as long as she doesn’t forget about the meat and plates」

I took a break after that then at about 3 o’clock I saw three harpies flying in from the horizon .

「I heard from my daughter that you have a delicious rabbit dish for us」

The one who said that was the flashy male harpy I saw last time who had three rabbits in hand .

It’s not dinner time yet and what about my share? I wanted to ask that but I just received the rabbits with a smile and started doing the same process as the rabbit from earlier .

I had no choice with the bread so I just gave it to them .

「Umu, I’ve never had this kind of meat before . It’s delicious, Demon Lord!」

He started hitting my back while saying that . It hurts okay? And your wings are fluttering about .

「Mmー . Tastyー」

Facil’s mother, who was twice her size, was also eating the meat with a smile .

「Right? Right? This meal that Maou made is tasty right!?」

「That’s right!」「That’s true isn’t it~」

Un, this entire family really exhausts me .

After they finished eating, I brought up the thing I keep forgetting .

「Uhmー, I wasn’t able to introduce myself the other day so I’ll do it now . My name’s Caam . I hope that we can forge a strong relationship from now on」

「Umu, I as well」

Hm? Is he not going to introduce himself as well?

「Uhm, I’m sorry if this is rude but your name is?」

「Hm? Ah, I am the great ruler of the skies, Chiarore and this is my wife Ryuze . I a.s.sume you already know my daughter」

「Yes . Thank you Chiarore-san」

It’s kinda embarra.s.sing if you say it yourself you know?

「Thank you for the delicious rabbit」

「No problem . The ingredients would be delighted to know that they were made into a delicious dish」

Un, I was almost charmed by her for a bit upon hearing her soft voice and seeing her gentle smile .

「Hmmー, so there’s that way of thinking as well huh? As for us, we just roast them and eat them . that’s all there is to it」

「Ahー, that’s right . We’re already started to construct the building where we’re going to increase their numbers so I think we’ll see results when the time they usually give birth to their young comes」

「Is that so? That’s a relief . I was really surprised when you told me that we can raise them for eating you know! The shock felt like my head was. .h.i.t by a rock!」

He laughed loudly while flapping his arm-wings as he said that . Dust was flying everywhere so I honestly wanted him to stop but I just kept quiet about it .

After the meal, they said their thanks then went back to the mountain .

「Nnー, I guess their tribe is the type that makes you tired the more you get along with them」

While muttering that, I threw the dishes and cookware that I used into a hot 【Water Ball】 to make the oil residue float then rinsed them all off before resuming my exploration . Once evening came, I set up camp . Since it was still too early to have dinner, I decided to just skip it, knead flour by the campfire, then go to sleep after making a Kamakura out of the soil using magic .