"Magic Arrow!"
Forty arrows of light rained down upon the horde of goblins. Following the arrows, the golem girl charged toward the enemy mass.
Iris's arrows and magic, flying over May's shoulder, held the vanguard in check. May, without slowing down, slipped past them and casually punched the Goblin Priest standing deepest within the group!
"Gih!?"
The Priest shrieked as it was sent flying, crashing against the wall.
Ren almost felt pity for the enemy, given the outrageously rough strategy. Still, he unleashed a single-target lightning magic, Lightning Bolt, using his new skill, 'Attribute Conversion.'
The goblins, already thrown into confusion by the area-of-effect magic and May's assault, couldn't regroup. They took the concentrated supporting fire from Ren and the others head-on.
"They are just goblins, after all. Once you hit them, they are fragile."
The boss group of the ninth floor, which had caused them so much trouble, was swiftly annihilated.
--------------------
"Um, are you the leader of the group that is planning to build a mountain...?"
"Ah. I'm the leader of the Mountain Society—to be precise, the 'Mountain and Sea Society for Watching the First Sunrise.'"
On the next holiday, Ren and the others, excluding Maribel, visited the home of the man introduced to them by the Sage.
The man's profession was carpentry. The middle-aged man, clad only in the minimum amount of clothing to cover his imposing physique—a gift of his many years in the alternate world—welcomed them with a straightforward manner (a completely different impression from the Sage, though he was also middle-aged).
His slender wife naturally served them tea, which was also a stark contrast to some other houses. Feeling surprised by how normal it all was, Ren offered the souvenirs (a stew made by Furi and Iris) and sat down across from him.
May was the one to break the ice:
"What exactly is that oddly long name you just mentioned?"
She was far too blunt.
Ren had suspected it, but this girl apparently knew nothing of holding back.
Fortunately, the carpenter simply laughed, saying, "It is long, isn't it?"
"But it makes it easier to understand, right? It's like a symbol of our dilemma."
"In other words, it's about the mountain or the sea...?"
"That's right. Opinions are split between 'We should see the first sunrise from a mountain,' and 'No, it should be the sea.'"
Sunrise and sunset, simply put, are the phenomena of the sun appearing from (or disappearing behind) the horizon (or the sea horizon).
It's easier to see from a high vantage point, but you can also see a beautiful sunrise if you have a clear, low horizontal line with nothing in the way.
Of course, this theory only holds true if the mechanism of rotation and revolution, and the shape of the world, are the same in this alternate world as they are in Earth.
The fact that Ren and the others, as Earthlings, could live here without much discomfort suggested there were no major differences—it was the general consensus that this world probably wasn't flat, for instance.
"Ah. Well, I suppose viewing the sea from the top of a mountain would be the best... but..."
"Then you wouldn't have enough Fragments, would you?"
"Exactly."
The members who wanted to see the first sunrise had diligently saved Fragments they could use for leisure, setting them aside from the Fragments needed to expand the town. While they had a significant amount, using them to create a view of the horizon or sea horizon was quite a task.
The horizon (or sea horizon) refers to a point far away from the current location. In this world, where a deep darkness covers "places you haven't been," the horizon "doesn't exist unless you create it."
To have a vast sea to the east and a high mountain to the west—that would be far too extravagant.
"Besides, creating a sea is incredibly difficult, isn't it? Making the path to the sea is one thing, but expanding it..."
"Ah, right. Because we have to use the Fragments..."
It would be fine if they could create it all at once, but if not, they would have to go to the edge of the world and concentrate. If the edge was over the ocean, they would naturally need a boat or something similar.
"And if we build a mountain, we have to consider the possibility of bears or wolves coming down to the village. It's been such a hassle that we haven't been able to move forward until now."
"That certainly sounds troublesome..."
"And the 'Sea Faction' has a strong opinion about wanting to eat shrimp and tuna."
"Yeah. Frankly, the food is better from the sea."
Furi's response was quite blunt, but Ren mostly agreed.
The representative luxury food from the mountains is the Matsutake mushroom, but for the younger generation who prioritize taste and cost-effectiveness, the question is, "Wouldn't a shiitake mushroom do?" And shiitake mushrooms can be cultivated on a log, provided you have the fungi.
"Hmm. Perhaps children don't understand the deliciousness of wild mountain vegetables."
"Pardon me, but weren't you also summoned to this world when you were a child?"
"My father was a carpenter. He had a strong tendency to value tradition, so we ate a lot of Japanese food, and I was used to things like that."
In that case, the New Year's celebration must be even more important to him.
"Lately, we haven't had many new members join the Society. Apparently, for recent young people, the New Year is nothing more than 'an event to get New Year's cash gifts.'"
"Ah."
"Haha. Well, maybe so."
Ren and Furi exchanged a wry smile.
Conversely, May and Iris, who were born in this alternate world, reacted more like, "Aren't traditional events important?" and "I agree."
In a world with spirits and magic, the sentiment toward good luck charms and traditions must be different.
The Society leader crossed his arms on the table and nodded:
"When I heard you all started creating a lake, I actually had high hopes. It made extending the path easier."
"The forest is toward the south of the town, though. Is that okay?"
"No problem. We just need to build a mountain to the west or a sea to the east."
If they create a sea, they can see the sunrise from the edge of the forest. If they build a mountain, they can see the sunrise from the top.
"It's quite a lot of effort to climb a mountain, though..."
"It's an annual event! In Japan, some people climb Mt. Fuji just for that. With our stamina, a little mountain climbing is nothing."
"That's true, I guess."
The sea has the expansion problem.
"Unfortunately, if we want to see the sunrise, the mountain seems more realistic. It's a shame, though."
"I agree. It's a shame we won't get to eat seafood."
"You really sound disappointed...? Well, I can't talk."
The leader smiled and said:
"If Iris-chan cooperates, things might move forward quickly."
"Me?"
"Your parents are the forest keepers, aren't they? They're against expanding the area around the forest. I understand they want to leave it undeveloped for the future, but that's a problem if we want to build a mountain."
It wasn't strictly necessary to extend the path from the forest. However, the smoothness of an extermination operation would be significantly different if bears and other animals suddenly came to town, as opposed to coming via the forest. Even the townspeople could manage to just kill them, but to "kill them with as little damage as possible" to harvest the meat, a skilled hunter would be better.
"Connecting the river to the lake would also make the forest animals happy, wouldn't it? Could you help us persuade your parents about that?"
"Yes. I can't promise the result, but I will cooperate."
"Really?! That's a lifesaver!"
On the way back, they stopped by the forest and consulted with Iris's parents, who surprisingly gave their OK without much fuss.
"Aina and the others have also become skilled enough to hunt, so perhaps it's the right time."
"Of course, we want to discuss the method of expansion beforehand, but we don't mind connecting to the mountain itself."
"Really?! Thank you, Dad, Mom!"
As the leader had suggested, the fact that their daughter made the request might have been a big factor.
With the permission secured, they went to report to the leader the next day. He was greatly pleased by the sudden progress. Just as Ren and the others thought the adults would take it from there, he said:
"Since we've come this far, why don't you all join the discussion?"
To extend the path, they needed to complete the lake first. Considering that, it would indeed be easier with Iris there. Feeling that the matter was getting much bigger than expected, they agreed. From then on, they were called to the 'First Sunrise (omitted) Society' meeting every holiday.
The discussions were basically just a venue for the adults to say whatever they wanted, arguing "It should be this way, no, that way."
Some people were drinking sake; it looked, for lack of a better word, completely disorganized.
Iris's mother, who attended the first discussion, quickly withdrew along with her husband, saying, "Please let us know once a plan has been decided."
"...Somehow, I understand why the mountain hasn't been built yet."
"Yeah. The Fragments aren't the only reason, are they?"
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
In Japan, public works decisions were made by the government office and such, but there was no one here who was skilled at this kind of thing.
After waiting for a while and seeing no progress, they suggested:
"Should we just go and finish the lake first?"
"We should."
"Oh? You're going to build the lake? That's interesting."
When Ren and the others started to move, several people followed them. They claimed it was a reconnaissance trip, but Ren couldn't shake the feeling they just came along because it looked fun.
In any case, after informing Iris's parents, the lake was completed.
A source of water with an area comparable to a junior high school's grounds, including the sports field. Next summer, maybe a hundred people could enjoy water activities there. Of course, they also prepared the end of the river, so it was possible to extend it toward the mountain from there.
"This is great. It's exciting to see new land."
"...Well, it's not like we can travel much here, is it?"
The leader was probably not a bad person, but he was slightly, no, considerably lacking in decisiveness.
Ren understood that he couldn't push too hard, especially since the two opposing factions both possessed significant combat power.
When the core members plus Ren and the others returned to the discussion venue, a drinking party had started.
Although not all members of the society were participating, it was quite lively. Perhaps half of the members were just showing up for a year-end party atmosphere.
"This is why nothing gets decided, of course."
"Oh, Ren-chan, was it? Welcome back. Hey, come over here and drink with us."
"Pour us some sake while you're at it."
"Who would do that!"
Ren instinctively raised his voice, sensing improper gazes from a few people. He had worn clothing that covered his skin just in case, and it seemed he had been right to do so.
Ren took a bottle of sake from a nearby drunk and turned to his companions:
"May. Will you take charge of this?"
The girl who had been murmuring "This is inefficient" while watching the commotion quickly lifted her head, though her expression remained serious.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. We're not going to get anywhere like this."
"Understood. Then..."
May, the youngest person present apart from the children brought by the participants, stepped forward boldly, completely ignoring the atmosphere in a good way, and made an announcement.
"Since the lake is complete, we will consider the goal of 'building a mountain' as agreed upon. Furthermore, let us decide on a person to design the path to the mountain and the shape of the mountain itself."
"H-How will we decide?"
Everyone had fallen silent due to the firm declaration. Someone in the gathered attention asked the question.
"We will hold an anonymous vote among everyone present in this room. Please write down the name of only one person you wish to entrust with the task."
"But some members who aren't here today..."
"If we wait for everyone to gather, we will never decide. We will consider the non-participants to have delegated their decision to the participants."
"Isn't there a better way?"
"Then propose one here. If the method seems appropriate, we will adopt it."
Everyone was silent.
Even Ren, who had delegated the task to May, was surprised by her unexpected effectiveness.
"...She's amazing. Where did she learn that?"
"Maybe her romance novel mixed in a court drama or a story about a cheating man losing a lawsuit?"
"You never know what will come in handy in life, do you...?"
Ren and the others helped with creating, distributing, and counting the ballots.
They repurposed Iris's spare paper for the ballots. She was well-prepared... though she had just brought it along with the lake design drawing.
Ren felt like he could predict who would be chosen.
Thinking that, he wrote down Iris's name.
"—Then, we will ask Ms. Iris, who received the most nominations, to create the design drawing."
Amidst the applause, Iris alone let out a near-shriek, "Me again...!?"
"Well, there's a precedent."
"Your picture of the lake was incredibly good, too."
"Ah, did both of you vote for me, too!?"
"Incidentally, I also voted for you."
Three votes had come from her own group.
The girl, who had been entrusted with the expectations of everyone, indignantly said, "That's awful...!" but then quickly started thinking about a concrete plan, "I need to ask the Sage to show me the encyclopedia."
It was precisely because she was this diligent that people had expectations of her.
"Then, the next meeting will be after Ms. Iris has completed the drawing. And prompting her to finish is prohibited. Is that clear?"
"No objection."
The disorganized meeting ended smoothly, as if by a lie, and the group gradually dispersed.
Iris looked nervous as several people called out "Good luck" to her, but May stood by the girl and said:
"Think of it in reverse. Now you don't have to worry about being called out until the drawing is complete."
"But there's less than a month until the New Year, you know?"
"The New Year, or the end of next year, it doesn't matter. People who have waited for years surely can wait for one more."
They had already secured a verbal agreement that "no prompting" would be allowed.
And so, the strategy meeting for creating the mountain somehow concluded peacefully.
============
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