NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 101: We’re Going To Build A Fortress
Riding on Montego's shoulder, I arrived at the orcs' village of Sutin.
To a small and delicate beauty like me, the oversized buildings and sprawling countryside felt almost surreal, yet oddly nostalgic.
"Isn't that Lady Euphemia?!"
"Oh! Lady Euphemia has returned!"
"Lady Euphemia!"
Orcs who had been working or lounging about and chatting spotted me perched on Montego's shoulder, their faces lighting up with joy. Without any specific intention, I let my smile widen and waved back at them.
"This is your place, Euphemia?" asked Zonda Pauga, a boar beastman, walking beside Montego with a skeptical expression.
"You could say that, but not really. Originally, this was Montego and his people's village. When the 'Anti-Lion Coalition' tried to take it over, we stepped in to stop them."
"That's when we decided to entrust our future to Lady Euphemia. And it seems you've decided to follow her as well?" Montego added cheerfully, tapping his head while addressing Zonda, showing no sign of tension despite Zonda’s formidable appearance.
It was clear that Montego, an orc, felt no fear towards Zonda, a boar beastman much stronger than himself. If anyone were to dismiss this as naive, I would surely laugh in their face.
"I'm Zonda Pauga, once a high-ranking retainer of Lord Randall. As you said, I'm now under Euphemia's command. Pleased to meet you."
"I'm Montego, the acting village chief of these Sutin orcs. Pleased to meet you as well," Montego responded with a friendly tone, the two beastmen seemingly finding common ground effortlessly.
"So, Lady Euphemia, we'll catch up with the details once everyone is gathered. But what’s the plan now? Shall we head home and wait for the others?" Montego inquired.
"No, there are several things we need to confirm. First, let's head to the frontier of the demon village, then to the rocky area of Dubil."
"Should we send Maya and Katarina ahead to the rocky area then?" suggested Junos, who had joined us without me noticing. His quick thinking brought a smile to my face, and I patted Montego's head again.
"Yes, good idea. Tell them to prepare to show us the fruits of Dubil’s labor. We'll be meeting there, so they should also prepare a meal."
"We'll handle that. Soon enough, we'll be transporting various things. Let's prepare for a feast and head there with Bernard tribe and the others," Montego replied. He then gently lifted me from his shoulder and placed me onto Zonda’s. With a cheerful "See you later!" he dashed off, still full of energy despite his earlier exertions.
"Well then, Lady Euphemia, we’ll proceed as planned," said Katarina, the demon girl, and Maya, the spear-wielder, as they sprinted off. The two of them were faster on foot than any carriage could be.
"So, Lady Euphemia, care to give the new guy some directions?" Zonda asked with a strange half-smile.
Resting my palm on Zonda’s head, I gazed at the clear sky, the nostalgic countryside, and the houses of Sutin village before speaking.
"Hmm, our direction is simple. We move towards the future."
It was a line I thought was quite impressive, but the only one visibly moved was Kirina, Serena the fox spirit’s daughter. Zonda remained stoic, and Junos merely snickered.
But that was fine by me.
Heading north from Sutin Village, a gentle hill greets you. As you descend, you enter the pastureland managed by the Bernard tribe of dog beastmen and the Taurus tribe of cow beastmen.
The Bernard tribe tends to the horses, while the Taurus tribe looks after the cattles and some small poultry farms. It's not strictly segregated, though. Some orcs help the Bernard tribe, and there are Taurus women who handle cooking duties in Sutin Village.
If a mixed offspring of pig and cow beastmen were to be born next year, it would be consensual, and there would be nothing for me to say about it.
Honestly, I'm not privy to all the details.
Hehe~
Beyond the pastures lies the edge of the beastman territory, just before the vast forest known as the Demon Wilderness or simply call it Demon Forests. A considerable river flows there, with Serena and Kirina's house on the near side, currently managed by someone from the Polo tribe.
When I first crossed from the Demon Wilderness, I slipped in the river and had to be rescued by Junos. Now, a sturdy bridge spans the river, even allowing passage for carriages. These improvements enrich both our lives and spirits.
"You're really pushing into the Demon Wilderness..." Zonda muttered in amazement. Alto Bernard, the leader of the Bernard tribe who had joined us along the way, nodded with a wry smile.
"Surprising, isn't it? The idea of developing that side of the forest was beyond our imagination."
"Indeed. While I have hunted the forest animals, the thought of clearing the forest never crossed my mind," Zonda replied.
Serena chuckled softly.
It wasn’t that I particularly enjoyed clearing the forest. Initially, I intended to respect the beastman territory and find a place outside it... but now, those details have faded from memory.
By the way, I've given hardly any direct instructions regarding the development of the Demon Forests, so I have no idea what’s happening there.
Crossing the bridge into the forest, it felt like entering a well-maintained campsite perfect for forest bathing. The path was wide enough for carriages but not all the trees had been cut down. Only the central clearing, likely intended as a base, was completely leveled and cleared of roots.
The fact that this was achieved manually is impressive. Though, considering the demon species can slice trees with a single axe swing or burn roots with magic, it's unfair to compare it to Earth’s standards.
"Ah, Lady Euphemia! You're back!"
A voice called out as we entered the Demon Wilderness. It seemed like a moving plush toy at first glance, but it was actually Iota Polo, a kobold and representative of the Polo tribe. He often participated in the wilderness development.
"Yes, I’m back. We have much to discuss, so gather everyone in the rocky area of Dubil later. I have some tasks to assign and some business to attend to here as well."
"Business, you say?"
Iota tilted his head slightly. He looked so adorably puzzled that I almost wanted to ruffle his fur, but I restrained myself.
"I need to check on a few things," I explained. "Specifically, the amount of ash we've accumulated from our burnings and the supplies I've secretly ordered."
"If that's the case, you'll want to head to the storage building. We've had to keep building more warehouses because of the sheer volume," came a voice from behind us.
Zonda, who was carrying me, hadn't noticed the speaker either, and turned around abruptly, nearly tossing me off in the process. I managed to hold on thanks to his hair.
It was Biante who had spoken.
Biante, a formidable woman and the oldest survivor of the Yunofeliza clan, oversaw most of the Demon Wilderness development. Despite her responsibilities, she looked no older than twenty. In fact, the axeman Jainos seemed more aged in comparison.
"Well, well, Biante. It's been a while. I see you've been following my instructions to the letter. Excellent," I greeted her.
"You've got some nerve, smiling like that after leaving without even a goodbye when you went to meet the Beast King," she retorted.
"Of course I'm grateful to someone who manages everyone without being asked. I feel a kinship with a hardworking woman. Besides, I thought you wouldn't need a farewell," I replied with a smirk.
She responded with a slightly sour expression.
"Fine, fine. But why are you here now, after being gone for over fifty days?"
"I'll explain everything later, but I need to tell you something first, Biante."
"Hmm. I have a bad feeling about this," she said, though her expression softened slightly, perhaps sensing what was coming.
And her instincts were correct.
"We're likely to clash with the humans. They'll come here, so we'll be defending ourselves. I plan to build a fortress."
"Hah! First you get involved in beastman conflicts, and now you're talking about fighting humans. And you're a human yourself, speaking as if you're not," Biante scoffed.
"Of course. I don't belong on that side," I replied with a clear, confident smile. Biante flinched slightly, which was rather disrespectful given how cute I am.
"This is my place, Biante. Our place. These are things we can't afford to lose," I said, hopping down from Zonda's shoulder. The landing wasn't graceful, given the height it was kinda embarrasing, but I managed. I looked up at Biante Grimoire and smiled.
"Biante, I want you to lead the construction of the fortress. We'll discuss the details at Dubil's rocky area. Will you do it?"
"You're really something else, you know that?" she said, shaking her head.
Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not.
And so, with our group a bit larger, we headed to the rocky area where Dubil Ganon, the dwarf blacksmith, lived. On the way, Biante seemed to be complaining to Junos, who mostly ignored her, which was a bit pitiful.
I felt a bit of sympathy for her, but Biante Grimoire, as the name suggests, would surely understand. It couldn't be helped. As the one responsible for all this, I fully grasp the necessity. I can't abandon those who look up to me and wander off alone. I wouldn't want to.
Likewise, Biante can't abandon her surroundings. She didn't join the assault on the human army in Escard because she couldn't abandon Junos and the others.
That's why I like her. But as long as I am who I am, she probably won't like me much. That too, is something that can't be helped.
In any case.
"You're always in such a hurry, coming and going without notice. You asked for a bunch of stuff without setting a deadline, so I made a lot of it," grumbled Dubil when we arrived at the rocky area. He had already laid out the items in his workshop.
"Thin, flexible iron wires. Scissors to cut them. And iron rods mixed with demon ore. Jainos and the others kept bringing ingots and ores from the dungeon, so we went into full-scale production," he explained.
What exactly are you planning to do? Dubil wondered aloud, echoing the curiosity of everyone present. All eyes were on me, filled with anticipation.
But as I’ve already said.
"We're going to build a fortress—to prepare for battle against the humans."