Chapter 17: At last! To the village of the beginning!

My personal space expanded a lot in the few hours that have passed since I anchored it. I was glad to see that there were enough rooms for everyone too, so there wasn't any awkward moment where I had to tell them to share rooms.

Yay.

But that wasn't all, along the way I found out that we don't have only normal baths, but also an onsen, thanks to Nerinne wanting one. You know what that means?! MORE FANSERVICE! The shared bath scene will get even better! Nerinne and me, hot steam, warm water...

Umu. I can't wait to do it with Nerinne, maybe invite Erevain and the other maids down the line? That would make for a really good quality OVA. Just thinking about it makes me a bit aroused to be honest...

I must get ahold of myself...

Moving on, we also have a kitchen and a big one at that. There are enough stoves and ovens to make a complete feast and still have some of them free. There are also refrigerators and such. For a moment I thought that could be problem with the others, but it seems that there are refrigerators in Arte, just that they are enchanted with ice magic instead of running with electricity and so on. They were already stocked with vegetables and meat, but it seems that they are the ones from my world.

Nerinne explained that the space will provide the food that its master is familiar with. It uses my memories and magic power to recreate them. So, if I want food from this world I need to, well, eat it. The cook in the new Knights of the Ever Burning Will had her eyes turn into stars the moment she set foot in it.

She is quite the passionate one, that Louise. A pink haired woman that gives a big sis impression... she kinda reminds me of a character from the game of my waifu with that personality. And her body is not that different from that 'big sis' feel, you know, thick and curvaceous.

Speaking of that character from the game...

I thought hers were bigger but Nerinne says that mine are bigger. The face she was making when she said that was full of confidence and...lewd to say the least.

I had some strange sense of pride and accomplishment after she said that though. Hmm...

There is also a big library space but this time the shelves are empty. I tried to make my space replicate all those novels I have read, but I felt like some sort of interference didn't let me do the trick. I asked Nerinne and she said that maybe it has something to do with the room in the divine realm and me using my soul to put those things there.

That means Nerinne is the only one with access to my entire collection now...

I want to cry...

Anyways…

We also have training rooms, a laundry, and a smithy, which our group's smith took control of in a flash. The woman was almost salivating...she is a short haired, sporty looking beauty, but at that moment there wasn't anything of that. Just a smith with a serious smithy deficiency finally getting her proper dose again. I can't wait to see what things she makes in there. Ah, and her name is Roxxy. Well, she said it was more complicated than that, but since that nickname was easier and useful, she is going with that. Man, I will have to write down all these names just in case my memory fails me.

Erevain got her own personal office, and given her position, it is perfect for my strategist. She didn't express it with words, but her eyes showed that she was pleasantly surprised, I could even see a hint of nostalgia in them. Well, if she is happy then I'm happy too.

There's a meeting hall and a dinner hall too. It totally feels like a complete castle and Nerinne says that it will keep growing. That my experiences will influence it and shape its future additions.

I could see a hopeful smile on her face. She truly wants me to live a meaningful life in this world from the bottom of her heart and that makes me really happy. I can't stop saying that.

Ilya was with us the whole time, she is still a bit shy with the maid knights, but I bet she will warm up to them in due time.

Her face was full of curiosity every time we arrived at a new room, which warmed my heart.

And that was the whole tour.

___________________________________________________________

We are right now in the meeting hall deciding what to do next.

"Today we were supposed to deliver the supplies to the village but..."

Says Erevain who is beside me. Nerinne, meanwhile, is with Ilya exploring the castle a bit more and to let the maid knights relax a bit.

"Is there a problem?"

I say so while looking at a map Erevain had put on the table. It is well made for a handmade map if I say so myself.

According to Erevain, Illumbee village is a little village at the outskirts of the Kyrie Kingdom. They mostly subsist on their own with farming, hunting and the cattle they raise. But problems started two years ago with their land drying up and their cattle dying. They would get some new animals and land prepared, but even those would suffer the same fate. At that time, Erevain and the others couldn't investigate the reason behind it because of their circumstances, so they do what they can to help in other ways.

The village still survives to this day thanks to their hunters' efforts and Erevain's supplies, but it is far from ideal.

"It could be considered a distraction from your objective of dealing with the dragon lords, my lord."

"Ah, indeed..."

I can see some of the knights showing some worry. Come on, have some faith in me!

"...that could be the case if that was my only objective, Erevain. But that is not the case, remember that one of my objectives is to explore this world and see its wonders."

"Certainly, but a simple village—"

I cut her off with my hand and a bit of a glare.

"A simple village is part of it. A place that their inhabitants haven't given up on, despite its situation, is a worthy place to visit. And besides, I know that place is important to all of you. Important enough for it to warrant the risk you have taken to help them for all this time."

Some of the maid knights’ faces soften up with relief while others are smiling. See? I told you girls to trust me.

Nothing good comes from being just cold and ruthless. Even besto waifu has that position in my heart for her way of showing the emotions underneath that exterior, at least to the protagonist. She is truly the most human out of the bunch in my opinion of course...NOPE, SHE IS BESTO WAIFU. FIGHT ME.

"We won't just deliver those supplies; we are also going to investigate the cause of those problems and deal with whoever is responsible. And with how different you look; you won't have to worry about the risk."

I could see a faint smile on Erevain's face before returning to her usual seriousness.

"Very well, my lord. If I may ask, why does my lord think that someone is behind it all? It does stand to reason to think that way, but my lord's confidence makes it seem as if you know it to be the absolute truth."

Hmm...everyone's eyes are pretty much making the same question.

I can't tell them that in most isekai stories where something like this happens it is the fault of either corrupt government officials seeking to make the villagers abandon the land so they can sell it, or some shady merchant's mercenaries creating the demand for their overpriced products. Heck, it could even be a plan to frame the villagers for ruining the land and turn them into slaves.

If I go with the idea that my maid knights are exiled knights, then the first and third option seem more plausible. Because who would exile knights this loyal to their people, if not for a corrupt kingdom. That and they took care of any merchant seeking to profit from the village's woes, so there goes the second one.

Let's emulate besto waifu a bit here.

"Hoh~~. That is simple. Do not underestimate my knowledge. This here is a case of someone trying to obtain something from the suffering of the villagers. That someone is taking their time, instead of killing everyone they are trying to starve them or move them. That means they want a clean resolution and not a bloody one that raises suspicions. Do they want the land? The people? Their money? The reason may vary, but the fact is that someone is behind this. And we will end them so that the villagers can return to their normal lives again. Were those not your terms, Erevain?"

Some are completely wide-eyed right now. Heh, I'm awesome I know.

"Indeed, my lord. I apologize for asking."

"Do not. You are my right-hand woman, one of your responsibilities is to make questions, no matter how hard or foolish. Never apologize for doing your job. Do it better."

"Yes, my lord."

"We know what to do now. Erevain, Kris, Gabrielle and Luca. You will come with me to Illumbee village."

Erevain nods, Kris laughs excited, Gabrielle smiles and nods. Luca, on the other hand, gets startled and nods nervously, but her eyes are screaming 'Why me?!'. Cute. That's why.

"As for everyone else, focus on your training to get used to your new bodies, but be ready to deploy at a moment's notice. Understood?"

""""YES!""""

Exclaims everyone at the same time. That’s so cool.

_________________________________________________________

The day was normal. It was as if the ominous storm of the day before had never happened, and that was good for a certain village girl attending to her family's field.

"I was so scared yesterday but...huff! I'm glad the sky is clear now."

The field had some living plants but for the most part it was dry. It was a scene that could depress any farmer but there she was, working with a smile on her face.

"Maybe it is a sign that the Goddess has forgiven us and is releasing the curse that she has casted upon us..."

She looks at the dry field and her smile wavers for a moment.

"...I really hope so. But if not, I'll just have to keep working hard!"

She said as she started to plow the soil again, and again, until she saw some people entering the village.

"Huh? So beautiful...and not just the...man? Woman? But his maids as well. Are they foreigners?"

She didn't have any idea that it was a High Dragon Lord and her maid knights who just entered her village to change the lives of everyone.

To be continued...(cue ad for super expensive set of stickers with a surprise random one very 10 orders!) (Thank you for reading! Please enjoy an approximation done in picrew's Gorilla Art creator of the maids that Auros chose to accompany her!)

Erevain:

Gabrielle:

Kris:

Luca:

BONUS ILYA: