CH 88

“Nomos’s story.”

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A few days had passed since Kika defeated her first skeleton. Finally, the land development that Nomos had requested was completed. Despite relying on cheat-like tools for development, it was a tremendous sense of accomplishment from the daily hard work.

“Nomos, the land development is finished.”

“Yeah, let’s proceed with the contract.”

That was easy. I’m the kind of person who thrives on praise.

“Sure, please.”

“Alright, let’s do it. I am Nomos, the Earth Spirit. If you wish to make a contract, take this clod of earth and press it against your chest.”

Huh? Silphy had a wind jewel, and Dine had a water jewel, but this one is an earth clod. I wonder why it couldn’t be a jewel. Maybe the sound doesn’t feel quite right.

Nevertheless, it seems rather plain with just the earth around me and Nomos. Well, never mind, let’s quickly make the contract. I received the earth clod and pressed it against my chest, and it dissolved into magical energy, being absorbed into me.

Wait, with the contracts I made with the major spirits, it was wind, water, and seeds… Am I not trying to cultivate seeds?

“Hmm, the contract is complete. Now you’ll find it easier to move.”

This was the most uneventful contract I’ve had so far. Sara and the others are taking a nap, and Bell is playing at the Spirit Tree. Only Silphy is accompanying me, so she’s the only one who can say congratulations. It doesn’t feel quite real.

“What do you mean by ‘easier to move’? Is it about the sanctuary you mentioned before? Since we made the contract, couldn’t you tell me?”

I’ve been curious for a while about the sanctuary. It has a romantic ring to it, but it also sounds troublesome.

“Well, it’s not that. Eventually, we’ll need Yuta’s permission too, so it might be time to talk about it. It might take a while, so bring some tea. Alcohol would be fine too.”

“Sounds like a serious talk, so let’s stick to tea for now. I’ll bring out the alcohol at night for a celebration of the contract.”

“I see, looking forward to the night then.”

For a moment, he made a disappointed face, but when I mentioned alcohol at night, he smiled. I’ve been thinking this for a while, but if I offer alcohol as an offering and apply for a spirit contract, would I be able to catch all the major spirits? If that happens, I will be overflowing with cheats… Let’s keep it a secret.

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…Summarizing Nomos’ story, it’s quite an amazing tale.

To put it simply, a sanctuary refers to land protected by the spirits. There seem to be several in the world, and they protect important points related to the balance of nature in the world.

It’s an incredible story, but since this land was originally a marsh, just digging a well shouldn’t make it an important point related to the balance of nature. I raised my doubts to Nomos.

As a person from another world with unique characteristics and tools suitable for development, this place, which was barren for a long time, has now become a living land with a spring, and further development is anticipated. Moreover, a spirit tree has grown.

Depending on how the story progresses, this place could potentially be protected as a sanctuary, serving as the starting point for the revival of this once barren land. If it is protected, we won’t have to worry about being attacked by people. It seems hassle-free and advantageous.

“I understand that sanctuaries are amazing, but why is Nomos so fixated on creating a sanctuary?”

“Well, you see, a sanctuary is a place where we spirits can materialize without difficulty. However, in other sanctuaries, which are important locations, we are not allowed to move freely. But if this land becomes a sanctuary, it will be a place where we can freely roam. In other words, it might be the first place in this world where spirits can enjoy freedom. Exciting, isn’t it?”

“Exciting, huh? Are you planning to create a village for the spirits here? Besides, shouldn’t the revival of the barren land be done by human hands?”

“A village, huh? A village sounds interesting too. And if Yuta works hard, it will be revived by human hands, won’t it?”

“Revived by human hands? Why does it sound like I’m the one who has to work hard? I’m happy to see more greenery here, but I have no intention of pushing myself too hard. Once I have some leeway, I plan to relax. Originally, the purpose was to develop this land for survival, not for some noble goal like reviving the barren land.”

“I understand. I’m not telling you to overwork yourself. Just make improvements so that Yuta can live comfortably here. If there’s something we spirits need from you, we’ll provide proper compensation, and if you agree, you can accept it.”

“Hmm… If that’s the case, there shouldn’t be a problem. I have a certain attachment to this place, and if it becomes a sanctuary, I won’t have to worry about concealing it or being attacked by people. It would also become livelier with more spirits in the sanctuary.”

“By the way, why are you so eager to materialize? It doesn’t seem inconvenient in the current state.”

“Indeed, it’s not inconvenient in the current state. But materialization means an increased connection with this world. If we can materialize in a place where we can move freely, there will be many enjoyable things, you know?”

I see. Nomos wants to create a place like a theme park or a resort for the spirits. That’s why Nomos made the condition of expanding the area.

“I understand what Nomos wants to do to some extent, but it would be troublesome if our access is prohibited once it becomes a sanctuary. Is that going to be alright?”

“Of course. I won’t do anything to take away the space you have expanded. However, if you plan to bring many people, I would like to have a division between the areas for humans and spirits.”

Certainly, if many people come, conflicts might arise. But I don’t have any plans to bring anyone.

“I don’t have any plans to bring many people, but if it ever happens, dividing the areas shouldn’t be a problem.”

My life is connected to the spirits, so if I can repay them even a little through this, there’s no problem.

“Oh, that’s a relief. Haha, now I am the owner of a sake brewery. Yuta, I will start making sake from your hometown right away!”

Damn. Nomos turned out to be even more devoted to desires than I thought. Did he actually plan to make his own alcohol? Silphy, who was listening nearby, is holding her head. She seems to have a headache, even though she’s a spirit.

“Nomos, calm down. It’s not like it’s been decided that this will be designated as a sanctuary. Besides, before that, I’ll ask for mithril refining, glassware, and soil improvement.”

“Huh? Oh, right, right. It wasn’t decided to be a sanctuary yet.”

I’ve never seen Nomos in such high spirits before. He’s dead serious about making alcohol. Since I have very little knowledge, I’ll just give him the basics and leave it to him.

“Let’s start with mithril. Should I bring the ore here?”

“No, it’s troublesome, so let’s do it all at once. Bring it all.”

“There’s quite a lot, are you sure?”

I’ve been digging along the vein with all my might. A fairly large cave has been created inside the labyrinth.

“It’s fine. Hurry up.”

As long as it’s fine, I’m relieved. I worry a little as I release the mithril ore from the magic bag, rattling it. The ore keeps coming out one after another. I didn’t realize I had dug up this much.

I create several small mountains, and finally, the release of the ore is finished. I wonder how many dump trucks’ worth that is. I can’t even imagine.

“Oh, there’s quite a lot. Stand back a bit.”

As Nomos instructed, I step back, and he raises his right hand and makes a sound like “hmm.” The scattered ore liquefies with a gloopy sound. I don’t understand why the ore turns into liquid.

From that liquefied ore, a silver-colored liquid is extracted and solidifies into brick-like shapes. There are six of them… Is that all that can be obtained from a large amount of ore?

“You managed to get quite a bit. There are also trace amounts of other metals, but they’re neither valuable nor substantial. This seems to be mithril-specific ore… Dungeon ores are quite interesting. Hey, Yuuta, what about the rocks? If you’re going to use them, I can process and solidify them for you.”

“Yeah, let’s have them formed into blocks. Make them sturdy so they can be used for building a house.”

“Understood.”

As soon as Nomos responds, the liquefied ore continues to solidify into rectangular shapes one after another. It’s convenient, isn’t it?

Huh? If I had asked for the rocks to be solidified in the shape of a house… No, when building a house, it’s meaningless unless I carefully consider the floor plan and create a house that I like. It’s also difficult to decide between a house made of wood. I want to consult with a carpenter and discuss it thoroughly.

“I’m done.”

While I was contemplating, a large number of blocks had been completed. The value of the colonization tool is seriously in jeopardy.

“Thank you. By the way, you mentioned that you managed to get quite a bit of mithril, but is this amount considered a large quantity with this much ore?”

“Yes, indeed. It’s quite a substantial amount. In a normal vein, getting one-third of this would be considered excellent. It must be because it’s dungeon ore.”

“I see…”

…That’s why mithril is so valuable. I thought I had obtained a large quantity of mithril in my imagination, but it seems I was naive.

“Next is the glassware. Yuta, I believe you had sand from the beach. Bring it out.”

As instructed, I bring out the sand, and once again, it liquefies, and something resembling glass comes out in liquid form. It’s somewhat unreasonable. I remember that making glass was supposed to be difficult, requiring temperatures of over a thousand degrees and additional materials…

It’s undoubtedly better if it’s easier, but I find it strange that I’m not quite satisfied with the fact that glass-like objects are being effortlessly created right in front of me.

“What kind of shape should I make?”

For now, I should focus on the glass in front of me. I was the one who said I wanted glassware, so it’s a good thing if it can be easily made.

That’s when things unexpectedly took a lot of time. Regular cups and plates were completed without any issues, but as I approached beer mugs and the like, the situation became questionable.

When I casually mentioned that the taste of alcohol even changes with the glass, revealing my limited knowledge, Nomos became intrigued.

Although I managed to get by with only remembering the basic shapes, Nomos seems intent on researching it himself. What would happen if I told him about crystal glass? I think it required adding lead or something… I should postpone this topic for now. Alcohol-related discussions with Nomos are dangerous.

After finishing the glassware, it’s time to have the soil mixed. All the areas I colonized have transformed into fertile soil, and the reddish-brown dry soil is gone. Just looking at this place, no one would think it’s a land of death.

However, it took more time than I expected. It’s about time to feed Sara and the others and go level up.