Chapter 9

The two foremen immediately started moving with the new apprentices in tow.

As for me, I intended to return to the podium with Ellie.

"Lord Joshua, what’s next?"

"I think the team assignments for Rumburg, Bartholomew, and Arle are almost done."

"You’re going to give them instructions! That’s reassuring."

Ellie, who gave a slight smile, modestly squeezed my hand.

I prefer doing the actual work, but the farmers and craftsmen with more experience are far more reliable than me. In everything, it’s important to match the right person to the right job... I should focus on making everyone work more efficiently by using my brain. I’m not the best at leadership, but they’ve come to admire me. If they need something, I should be the one to ask. I’m making all sorts of excuses, but the truth is, I’m too scrawny to do heavy work. It’s embarrassing.

Well, Rumburg and the others... there they are.

As expected, they’re gathered in groups.

"Rumburg, Bartholomew, Arle."

"Here."

"Right here."

"Yo."

They bowed in front of me in their own ways. Their methods of bowing reflect their personalities, and it’s a bit amusing to see them all bow together. Rumburg’s bow is sharp and beautiful, even outshining a noble’s. On the other hand, Bartholomew raises his right hand in a casual greeting. Arle, meanwhile, gently pinches the hem of her skirt and bows. This is a stark contrast to Ellie’s sharp, forty-five-degree bow.

"Arle, divide the agricultural team in half and have one group gather cassava and the other select the farmland... No, the farmland is already being prepared from yesterday. The other half should go and cut down trees."

"Understood."

Arle nodded, her ears twitching. But her tail started wagging as if she had an idea.

"Arle, you’ll handle the cassava. Gather the roots. I’ll check the collected items later."

"What about the tree-cutting? How will that be handled?"

Ah, that’s right.

I haven’t told her about the foremen yet.

"That’s fine. I’ve already talked to Garam, the dwarf foreman. They’ll take care of it."

"Understood!"

The foremen, though they work in different fields, are all top-notch craftsmen. There’s nothing to worry about.

"Next is Rumburg."

"Ah, here."

Rumburg knelt on one knee and his face tightened. His gaze is too sharp; it’s a bit scary... I told him to relax a bit.

Well, this is Rumburg, so it’s better to let him move freely rather than force him to change.

"Head to the river to the north on horseback. It shouldn’t take long, right?"

"Yes. How many people will be needed?"

"Not too many. There’s a limit to the number of horses. What I want you to do is a reconnaissance mission."

While exploring the surroundings, I want you to eliminate any dangerous creatures.

It’s fortunate that there’s a river nearby. If there was no water source, I would have considered evacuating from this mansion in the worst case.

"How far should the reconnaissance cover?"

"Hmm, about a ten-minute ride on horseback should be fine. I think we’ll make the riverbank our base."

"Water is essential for living, I see."

"Yeah. The river... it needs a name."

"Lord Joshua, would you like to name it? This is uncharted territory, so the river hasn’t been named yet."

Hmm.

Naming things is not my strong suit.

"Lord Joshua, if I may, there’s one more thing I’d like you to consider."

"Hm?"

Ellie timidly suggested something. She seemed hesitant to speak, as if it was hard for her to make a suggestion to me.

"I want to hear any opinions. Two heads are better than one, and three are better than two."

"Y-Yes. Then, do you plan to turn this place into a town?"

"Um, yeah. More people might come, so I want to set up proper facilities."

"I see! In that case, I think it would be good to decide on a name for the town."

"Ah, um..."

A name for the town. I’d be fine with something like "The Town," but that wouldn’t be a good name for the people living there...

When it comes to naming a town, some preparation or ceremony is needed. I don’t really want to do it, but I’ve decided to take responsibility for the people who have gathered here. So, I need to commit to it. Yes.

"Ah, don’t make that face. It’s not a bad suggestion."

"S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to."

"I think it’s better to declare the town’s name in front of everyone. This will be a place where everyone will live."

"Lord Joshua! Your compassion for each and every person... it’s wonderful!"

"Hehe. Ah, right. I just thought of a name for the river."

Ellie looked at me intently when I mentioned the river’s name. Arle’s ears and tail perked up, and her eyes sparkled. Bartholomew put his hand on his scruffy beard and listened closely. Rumburg, still on one knee, raised his eyebrows and seemed determined not to miss a word.

"I’ll name the river the Rubicon River, to signify a new beginning."

"The name carries such meaning. This Rumburg will remember it well."

Rumburg, whose shoulders trembled, placed his right hand on his chest and bowed. The meaning of the Rubicon River might not be understood by the people in this world, but I chose this name because I like it. The Rubicon River is famous for a quote by the Roman hero Caesar, which is well-known in Japan as well. When his soldiers hesitated to cross the Rubicon River, which marked the boundary with Rome, Caesar said:

"Crossing this river will mean the destruction of the human world, not crossing it will mean my destruction. Let us advance to where the gods and our enemies who have insulted us await. The die is cast."

This story has come to mean "making a significant decision." The meaning I wanted to convey is that we are starting anew from this place. However, it’s embarrassing to share this, so the Rubicon River is the perfect name. Every time I hear the name, I’ll remember that everything started here. Of course, when I reminisce about my busy past, I’d rather be lazily dozing off.

"Well, that’s the end of this. Next is Bartholomew."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, my cheeks heated up. I called his name to cover it up.

"Hey, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to explore and mine in the west or south wastelands or the eastern forest."

"Mining? Just gather some stones, right?"

"Yeah. Also, check if there’s anything unusual, like a black pond or something."

"Huh?"

"If you go, can you take Sequoia with you? She might be a bit of a hindrance, but—"

"No problem. She can ride with me on my horse."

"Thanks. The number of people is up to you."

"Got it!"

Sequoia isn’t as skilled in forest perception as the elves, but her curiosity will surely be helpful in exploration. She understands best what I mean by "unusual things." Whether it’s minerals, sand, plants, or water, she approaches everything with interest. The resources available in the area will determine what we can do.

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