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TL: ALT
Chapter 136 – Day 28 of the Strategy Life
I was surprised when I called on guests from outside because they were completely unable to deal with monsters.
I don’t know if this is limited to demons, but they just wanted to fight their own way. They tried to use their martial arts without looking at the monsters or carefully chanting spells.
Since morning, Chel had been trying to accompany the Kajuu clan to collect stones and rocks from the demonic land, but they failed. Now, the Kajuu clan is holed up in the warehouse, examining the stones and rocks we brought back.
Meanwhile, the soldiers are desperately using their staffs to hunt the giant coconut crabs on the beach and the sharks in the sea, but they haven’t killed a single one.
“What’s wrong?”
Sekito, the captain, asked. He seems to be Chel’s friend, so I’ll tell him straight.
“It’s your head, isn’t it?”
Chel is baking bread while holding her head in her hands. She seems to be trying to calm down.
“What should we do?”
Sekito continues to move around, frustrated that he’s not getting any results.
“Don’t expect an answer right away!”
Chel scolds Sekito as she throws a piece of bread on a skewer at me. I catch it in my mouth and eat it for breakfast. Salt bread from the East Coast is delicious.
“You want to show off the results of your training, but not even my magic is considered necessary in this demonic land! The Kajuu clan can’t use gravity for everything. Investigate more thoroughly! And make sure you eat breakfast properly!”
The salt bread that Chel made is piled high on a plate. She must have made a lot to share with the other ships’ crew members.
“Makyo, you don’t have to share the walrus meat. In a place like this, it’s not right to eat something you didn’t kill yourself. You have to teach them that.”
“Is that so? I understand.”
I had been about to cut the walrus meat into thick slices for the demons, but I decided to cut it into thin slices instead.
Chel had told the demons to be careful, and they were eating the salt bread carefully. Despite everything, Chel seems to be looking out for the demons so they won’t die. Yesterday, she defeated the sea monsters to keep the ship from sinking before welcoming them aboard.
“Was I like this when I first came to the demonic land?”
“I don’t think it’s that different. But in your case, you thought you would die if you couldn’t survive here, right?”
“That’s right. Doing only what you did in your country has no meaning. Even if you have a staff and know how to use it, you’re still bound by common sense.”
“Everyone who comes to the demonic land has gone through the same thing.”
“That’s right. Makyo, if we want to build a training ground, we have to start there.”
Hearing this, I thought of the captain and Sasha. As I watched the demons, I realized that increasing the number of subjects would be difficult.
Looking at the soldiers on the beach, I see that they are exhausted from their narrow-mindedness and minor mistakes. Above all, they can’t let go of themselves. They seem too concerned with pride, shame, and cooperation.
“Are they carrying too much of their own clan on their shoulders?”
“I think that’s part of it.”
After hearing Chel’s words, I took off my leather armor and boots.
“Let me show them reality.”
“That would be a great help. I’ve never been more ashamed to be a demon.”
I walked along the concrete pier and stopped in front of a moored ship.
“Excuse me! Is there anyone on the crew willing to go to the demonic land? Ideally, someone who has nothing to lose!”
I called out to the crew. There was a commotion on the ship, and then a reply came back.
“Don’t scare the common folk! We’re tired from the voyage!”
“I’m a common folk, too! I’d rather have an older person than a young adventurer. If possible, someone stuck between the captain and a new recruit—someone who can’t get any girls.”
When I said that, there was a burst of laughter from inside the ship.
“What? You’ve been targeting me from the start?”
A bald, sunburned, dark-skinned man appeared. He was short with thick arms and a stocky build. He had a small horn on his forehead, a button nose, and small eyes. He was a demon with a charming face.
“Our magician says demon nobles are useless, so I want to check it out. Please cooperate.”
“But I don’t have permission.”
“It’s okay. I’m the lord of this area.”
“Oh, I’m sorry! Please forgive me!”
The demon crew members bowed their heads.
“It’s fine. I’m just a humble man. Now, please come down. I beg you.”
I bowed my head and begged them.
“Well, if that’s the case…”
The crew member jumped off the ship. He was quite agile.
“I am a member of the Kazayomi clan. I can read the wind, but I can only use magic for everyday things. Is that okay?”
He seemed to be a member of a clan that could read the wind. He had a knife tucked into his waistband.
“We won’t use magic, so it’s okay. You can use the knife, right?”
“It’s my work tool, so…”
He said he used it to cut fish and open clams.
“Then take this. I’ll show you how to use it. Follow me.”
We passed the demon nobles eating bread and headed into the forest.
“Stay away from the vines so the plants don’t attack you.”
“What? Whoa! The vines are moving!”
The sailor lowered himself while holding his knife, surprised by the movement.
“So, shall we hunt that?”
I pointed to a field boar about the size of a small cow. In demonic land, it was probably a juvenile. On the East Coast, they use earth magic to shoot out of the ground.
“Is that a field boar from the demonic land?”
“It’s a subspecies found on the East Coast. Observe it carefully. The staff can cause status abnormalities when swung, so use it actively.”
“But… It’s coming this way! Feudal Lord-sama!”
“How do demon tribes deal with monsters that attack them?”
“We either counterattack with magic or run away!”
“Make a quick decision.”
The sailor’s legs were shaking as he stared at the field boar approaching him. His face was pale.
“I can’t move…”
He seemed frozen in fear.
“Wah!”
When he shouted, he rolled sideways. The boar charged into the spot where the sailor had been standing, knocking down the low bushes behind him.
Fugafugafuga!
The boar seemed excited.
“It’s coming back. Observe the monster’s body carefully.”
“Please spare me. I can’t do it.”
The crew member’s crotch was wet, and mud covered his entire body.
“With that kind of common sense, you’ll die in this demonic land. Are you sure? Can you say you’ve lived your life to the fullest?”
“…No, this kind of life isn’t enough.”
I used to think the same way before coming to this demonic land, so I made up my mind and bought it.
“You’ve even wet yourself. Is there anything else you’re willing to give up in your life?”
“Nothing!”
The crew member stood up and glared at the field boar behind him.
“What is the field boar’s weapon?”
“Its fangs. But they’re pointing upward. If you can dodge its charge…”
Lipa had said something similar.
The ship’s crew dodged the field boar’s charge by jumping sideways.
If you know the attack is coming, you can handle it.
The sailor stood up and smiled at me. Did he think he was going to be praised?
Immediately afterward, earth magic erupted from the ground, sending the sailor flying into the air.
“Guh!”
He was thrown into the bushes.
“This is pathetic! Damn it! What am I doing?”
The sailor staggered to his feet; one of his legs was apparently broken. Still, he was determined to get up.
He fixed his gaze on the boar and prepared for the next attack. All traces of weakness had disappeared from his body. This was probably the moment that would determine life or death.
“Get your weapon ready!”
At my command, the sailor immediately raised his staff.
The field boar charged at the sailor again.
The sailor swung his staff wildly. Perhaps he was hoping that one of the spells would hit. His plan worked, and one spell hit the field boar. However, it didn’t stop the boar, which continued toward the sailor.
The sailor braced himself, crossing his arms in preparation for the impact. He never took his eyes off the field boar, though.
Just before colliding, the field boar stopped and hit the broken roots of a low tree. It shook violently and then rolled over.
“Now’s your chance!”
The sailor stabbed the boar with his knife, but it was as if the blade had no effect.
“Damn it! It’s blunt!”
“What should we do now?”
The crew member first tried to gouge out its eyes. He seemed to have decided to target soft areas. He stabbed it under the armpits and at the base of the legs, but none of the wounds were fatal.
Ignoring my instructions, the crew member sharpened the tip of a nearby branch, thrust it into the field boar’s eye, and pressed down with all his weight. The branch must have reached the field boar’s brain.
“It’s still not dead.”
Despite having stabbed it in the brain, the field boar’s heart was still beating. However, it would not come back to life from this point.
“Let’s tie it up with vines and take it with us. Are your legs okay?”
“It hurts like hell, but it’s my own fault for being so stupid.”
The sailor said this, but I repositioned his broken leg, applied healing medicine, and wrapped it with medicinal herbs.
“Gugugugugi…”
He foamed at the mouth when I repositioned his leg, but he was still conscious.
“Do you want me to carry you?”
“No, I’ll walk on my own.”
The sailor gritted his teeth and returned to the beach. I decided to drag the boar back myself.
When we returned to the beach, the demon tribe was surprised to see the sailor covered in mud. I placed the corpse of the field boar on the sand. It was still warm, having just died.
“To be honest, I was mocking you from the ship. I thought demon nobles couldn’t hunt even a single monster. But that’s not the case. I’m covered in urine and feces. I’m muddy, and my legs are broken. Go ahead and laugh. I look terrible.”
The sailor said this, but no one laughed.
“However, you shouldn’t enter the demonic land unless you’re prepared to die or live. I understand now.”
The sailor entered the sea and washed himself and his clothes.
“You will die. The one who hunts even one monster will survive. This is everyday life in the demonic land.”
I said to all the demons.
“If countries want to trade with each other, it’s best to be on equal footing. I understand the circumstances of the Kingdom of Meiju, of course, but please try to understand our daily lives. Mutual understanding is important.”
Chel summarized.
The idea of building a road came from discussions with the Kajuu clan. The plan is to fill the gaps between the cobblestones with a mixture of palm tree sap, sand, and gravel. When asked about the heat, they said it could be cooled. I wonder how that will work.
The Kajuu clan will take samples of stones from the demonic land back with them.
After eating a whole roasted field boar for lunch, the demons began packing their belongings.
“May I ask your name?”
I asked the sailor standing alone on the pier.
“Pete.”
“I’m sorry for putting you through this.”
“No, not at all. I’m grateful. This is something I can boast about for the rest of my life.”
No matter how dirty or beaten you get, if you’re determined to get back up, you can overcome most things. Make sure you’re on the ship when the demons come to the demonic land.”
“I understand. I will.”
Once the Kajuu clan had finished their business, we loaded their belongings onto the ship.
“You should leave the waters of the demonic land during the night.”
Chel’s words prompted them to depart early.
We saw them off and defeated the monsters in the area until they reached the open sea.
We cleaned up the beach and checked the bags of salt. We had collected enough.
Chel and I lay down on the sand.
“It’s going to be hard to welcome the new residents.
The demons are our trading partners, but we will eventually have to accept them as residents of the Kingdom of Estinia. Otherwise, the demonic land won’t develop. I’d like to bring in dwarven engineers from the Elf Kingdom, but they won’t be able to survive in the demonic land unless they change their mindset. Even if we try to guide them, it won’t happen overnight.
“It might be easier to deal with intruders.”
“Just because I’ve been appointed lord doesn’t mean I can do it right away. I’ve realized how difficult it is.”
The sound of the waves echoed in the night sky.
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I still don’t trust Chel. I like Pete, he reminds me of an early Makyo lol
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