Page 175

(Walson)

Whenever such intense battles like this occur, the aftermath work is often more troublesome than the fighting itself.

I rode on Rifle's back for a day and night before finally finding a village in a place that resembled a desert oasis... Or perhaps, it shouldn't be called an oasis; I should say it's one of the few places with tall plants, indicating that there should be a water source nearby.

If I hadn't closely examined it as I approached, I might not have noticed this village. Because this could no longer be called a village; it would be better to call it a ruin.

The village houses were severely damaged, and under the rampage of monsters, even part of the windbreak forest in this oasis couldn't escape the claws of the monsters. Sand and dust poured in through the gaps, burying this ruined village.

I never thought Derisha would be born in a place like this... Although it's not completely arid yet, this place is already in the transition zone between grasslands and deserts.

Moreover, living in this oasis area means having to compete with creatures like magical beasts for territory...

No wonder that [Villager] could trek so far even in a severely injured state. [Villagers] raised in such an environment must be quite tough.

...I guess I can understand why Derisha doesn't look anything like a princess.

As a side note, I pulled a makeshift cart behind Rifle, inside of which were the unconscious female hero and the Griffin.

This cart is definitely not comfortable, but I can't be bothered. That female hero must have a strong physical constitution, and besides, she hasn't suffered too many injuries.

In short, after circling around this oasis area and fighting a group of roaming monsters, I found surviving [Villagers] in a cave, stepping on the corpses of goblins.

These [Villagers] numbered around fifty or so. After introducing myself as Derisha's companion to the village chief, they offered help.

The condition of these people is very poor, to say the least. Aside from malnutrition, everyone had wounds of various sizes, with eight of them missing limbs.

What surprised me was that, even though they had suffered so much, each of them still held weapons like hoes, axes, or pitchforks in their hands, and a strong fighting spirit burned in their eyes, never fading.

The cave was also scattered with many goblin bones... Damn, they survived by eating this stuff.

Among these people, ninety percent are just [Villagers] Damn it!

Derisha, Derisha, just how tough is the place where you were born?

Well, that being said, even discerning people can see that they are at the end of their strength. So, I first provided them with food, and then took out the [MPOH (β)] I had produced during this time. Since the quantity of production during this period was not large, the lightly injured ones took a diluted dose, and the severely injured ones received a full bottle.

Huh? You're worried that it might cause problems if outsiders see it?

...Well, even though it might sound shameless to say this, Derisha... She might become my wife in the future, and even if not, she's a companion in our group.

Hiding something here could likely lead to discord within the team, and these [Villagers] seem quite simple; they probably won't speak carelessly.

...Even if it does leak out, it doesn't matter; after all, we've already attracted attention.

After a simple organization, I used telepathy to inform Derisha's group that there were no problems for now and asked them to come over. It would probably take about two to three days.

During this time, I started another task.

After being reborn in a different world, this is the second time I've undertaken large-scale construction... I rebuilt the entire village.

I built 17 houses to accommodate these [Villagers] according to the number of families. As for materials, I directly recycled them from the original village that had been destroyed, and it didn't cost much.

Bathhouses, farmlands, I handled these things in the same way as the Sardinian Orphanage, taking into account the arid zone, and I also installed an underground water extractor.

... In fact, it doesn't extract groundwater; it extracts an infinite water source made from two Minecraft buckets. But I didn't tell these common folks about that.

Finally, there was the issue of security. If they were to compete with magical beasts for territory, the remaining [Villagers] after this incident would find it extremely difficult to do so. Therefore, I spared no expense.

... A special creature from Minecraft, the [Iron Golem]!

In appearance, it's a three-meter-tall, robust giant robot.

It's something players can make with four iron blocks and a pumpkin and can be used to protect homes, gardens, and turn monsters into minced meat.

They have incredible defense by default, and through testing, in this world, their level also increases with the number of monsters they kill.

However, there are some differences compared to the game. Originally, [Iron Golems] only attack monsters. But what's different is that they can execute other actions through my commands, so it's not just monsters; bandits, thieves, and the like are also targets.

Of course, through commands, they can also perform tasks like plowing fields... Why can they follow my orders?

Have you forgotten? [Iron Golems] are made with a pumpkin as their head... In other words, they have a pumpkin brain, and pumpkins are plants...

Oh, the seemingly useless racial trait of [Ancient Tree - Human] finally has some use! I can communicate with plants!!!

... What's exciting is that as long as these [Villagers] are willing, they can also create weapons or armor for the [Iron Golems]. Furthermore, these [Iron Golems] have high intelligence. They can easily climb, jump, and their combat ability is several levels higher than those in Minecraft... Even in the era of Earth before my reincarnation, such intelligent AI was considered top-notch.

I made five [Iron Golems]. First, I gave them the top priority command of "expel hostile creatures," then I handed over the command authority to the village chief. This should be sufficient to protect Josephton Village.

Hmm... I suddenly realized that every time I start building something, I tend to lose control unintentionally... Well, it's already like this; I'll just leave it be.

"Cr-Creator-sama, is there anything we can do for you?" In the newly revitalized village, the old village chief with wrinkles all over his face asked me nervously, his eyes filled with fanatic admiration.

"No, go and do your own thing, whether you want to plow the fields or whatever... Hmm, it's none of my business." I sniffed and made a shooing gesture towards the old village chief.

I'm already too lazy to complain about that title.

"Yes, sir, I'll go plow the fields... Would you like to have someone stay behind to serve you?" The old village chief said, pointing to the tall woman standing beside him... She looked incredibly devout.

... Tan skin, simple clothing, well-proportioned and beautifully toned muscles that seemed like a work of art... Oh my, I just had a feast for my eyes, but unfortunately, I'm not in the mood for that.

I can't handle another quirky princess.

"No need, I'm tired, let me be alone for a while," I said, taking a recliner from my inventory and placing it in the shade of the eaves.

The old village chief didn't say much and led the woman away.

I coughed a few times, and as soon as I sat on the recliner, my body almost collapsed, and the dizziness made my vision blurry.

...Before coming here, it was mentioned that I had caught a cold but hadn't received treatment because of limited milk.

So, dragging my sick body, I fought with the female hero, battled with groups of monsters, and then built a village that could comfortably accommodate fifty people over the past few days. I haven't closed my eyes at all.

It was only this morning when I finished construction that I realized my condition was terrible. Even the minor cuts on my fingers from accidentally getting scratched by wood took half an hour to heal... My recovery ability has even declined.

...Let me just rest my eyes for a moment before the others arrive...