Chapter 32

I decided to build a house.

Not just for me, but a proper one where Plati and Veil can live together.

A grand one that can even welcome guests.

However, there are a few issues for that.

The first problem that stood in the way was...

"There aren't enough hands...!"

Hearing this mutter, Plati showed me the starfish that was endlessly dividing.

Yeah.

Hands are hands, but not those starfish, right?

What I need are people to help with the work.

Building a house.

It goes without saying that it's a major task. It's a whole different level from building a shack.

Naturally, I can't do it alone as I wish. I can't make the girl Plati help either. Veil is a dragon, but it's impossible to make just a dragon help.

The only thing I can rely on her for is destruction.

And only thorough destruction at that.

So, the only hands I can currently use for building the house are mine, and that makes the efficiency inevitably low.

The fields have also grown quite large, and I can't neglect their care.

What should I do in such a situation?

It's obvious.

Consult the teacher.

* * *

"Do you think it would be good to increase the number of hands?"

The teacher, the Non-Life King.

The master of the dungeon near our home.

Apparently, over a thousand years ago, he willingly became an undead. After becoming the Undead King, so much time has passed that he has even forgotten his real name, and now he goes by the nickname "teacher."

Today, I visited the teacher's dungeon.

The gift I brought was pickled radish.

A new creation we tried making together with soy miso fermentation.

The teacher seemed genuinely happy, but... pickles and fermented products for an undead... I can't help but overthink and connect them.

...I'm probably overthinking it.

More importantly.

"Do you mean hiring more hands from somewhere?"

For example, the human capital city.

It's not impossible to hire mermaids through Plati's connections.

However...

"It seems troublesome either way...!!"

The pioneering life started with just me.

I'm not exactly a people-hater, but I'm not particularly good at socializing either.

I want to avoid the mental fatigue that comes with managing people, as it's an unfamiliar task.

Moreover, if I hire people, I need to pay wages.

But I currently have almost no money.

The ten gold coins I received from the human king at the very beginning were used up for buying the land and gathering various tools.

If I were to give rewards, it would have to be in kind, but I have no idea about the going rates for such things.

"You don't need to hire from outside."

The teacher shattered my worries with one blow.

"Bring them from here?"

"Here?"

"Here, you mean the teacher's dungeon?"

"Yes."

Are there other residents in this dungeon besides the teacher?

I thought it was just monsters?

"Of course, the ones to be brought are monsters."

"What do you mean?"

"Orcs and goblins, commonly known as anthropomorphic monsters, are among them. They are the kind that spawn in cave-type dungeons like mine."

According to the teacher, such anthropomorphic monsters can be commanded and assigned tasks.

However, only demons can do this.

In the wars between demons and humans, orcs and other anthropomorphic monsters from various dungeons in the demon-ruled lands are gathered and mobilized as troops.

"But if I'm not a demon, isn't it impossible for me to command them?"

My question after the explanation.

"The anthropomorphic monsters in this dungeon are under my control. If I command them to follow your orders, they will."

I see.

As one of the two major calamities in the world, demons can indeed do things that are normally impossible.

"Can I only command anthropomorphic monsters? What about, for example, beast-type monsters?"

"They don't have the intelligence to understand commands. That's why no race or being can control monsters themselves."

And it seems that anthropomorphic monsters, which mimic humans, are among the few monsters with enough intelligence to understand commands.

Even though they have intelligence, they are still monsters and lack a soul or self-awareness, and thus have no consciousness or survival instinct.

"So, there's no need to give them rewards or food. They absorb mana from the air to function and won't stop until they are killed."

"That's... convenient...!"

However, a part of me still wonders, "Is this really okay?"

"I keep about ten of them for odd jobs in the dungeon, but it would be good to take some of the naturally occurring ones."

Once again, I decided to take a few anthropomorphic monsters from the dungeon, thanks to the teacher's kindness.

As a bonus, I also received some mana metal from the teacher.

Every time I visit, I think the teacher...

Seems like a grandpa...!!