Akatsuki Translations

 Naturally, 【Dragon-Devoured Uuga】 currently has no food production capabilities.

 There is land. Perhaps due to the good circulation of magic power on Uuga’s back, plants grow extremely fast as well.

 The problem, if one had to point it out, is the extremely simple issue of limited land.

 Of course, this problem applies to all cities. Fundamentally, the amount of habitable space in this world is very small. Without increasing living space through high-rise buildings, it would be impossible to get by. Unless a city specializes entirely in food production and utilizes the blessings of the Sun God Zerudia like the 【Production Cities】, stable self-sufficiency is difficult.

 For that reason, Uuga currently relies on trade for its food supply.

 However, Uuga is not functioning as a proper city at the moment, making regular trade difficult. Therefore, food is periodically supplied by the Trade Guild in the form of requests from Gradol.

 Naturally, not just any Trade Guild can take on this role. Those who are well-versed in and understanding of the circumstances around Uuga’s birth are selected.

“We were incredibly lucky, weren’t we? Thanks to the sheer coincidence of being present at Uuga’s birth, we’ve reaped the benefits.”

“You sure know how to play your cards right, old hag,” Jain muttered, addressing Sousan from the 【Great Eagle of Dawn】, who had come to Uuga for the regular food supply.

The 【Great Eagle of Dawn】 transported food to the stationary Uuga, bringing everything from long-lasting provisions to luxury items. They even opened a market while Uuga was stationary, trading various goods for entertainment. It was fair to say they were doing quite well.

The rewards for the 【Great Eagle of Dawn】, who had been directly tasked with supplying food to Uuga, were incomparable to standard transportation jobs. The implicit agreement was that they would remain silent about much of what they saw and heard in Uuga, making their role extremely lucrative even if it was just transporting food.

 But that is of course not the only advantage they gain from setting foot in Uuga.

 They have the formidable advantage of monopolizing the information Uuga possesses.

“So that’s why, hey, if you discover anything else, let me know. I’ll buy it at a high price!” Sousan said.

“Couldn’t you settle down a bit more…?” Jain asked.

“Hah! Whether you look right or left, this place is a mass of moneymaking opportunities. Staying quiet in a place like that is for fools! From my perspective, you living here and leisurely playing knight seems more questionable,” she retorted.

“I’ll tell ya now, if you blab or think of misusing this at the current stage, Gradol will haul you off,” Jain warned.

“That much is obvious, isn’t it? Of course, I’ll hold back until Gradol gives the OK. And when that happens, it’s all about who gets the head start,” Sousan said with a grin.

 Is that so, Jain sighed. Echelle had asked him to negotiate with her, but he really wasn’t good with this woman. She was supposed to be an ally by position, but he couldn’t let his guard down at all, and he had the unshakable feeling that she had become even more lively since coming to Uuga. He wanted to believe it was his imagination that her wrinkles seemed to have decreased and she looked younger.

 Well, whatever. Let’s just get the job done for now. Jain gave instructions to his subordinates.

“We’ve been getting something interesting in Uuga lately. I want you, a renowned Trade Guild member, to confirm if it can be sold,” he said.

“And what’s that?” Sousan asked.

“【Uuga’s Shell】.”

What the subordinates brought over looked like a giant iron plate – a piece of Uuga’s shell.

 Uuga is a familiar, and quite special, but it is a living creature.

“…It’s light,” Sousan remarked.

“But it’s sturdy. It takes a bit of skill to process, but it’s easy for a craftsman,” Jain said.

“How much can you get?” she asked.

“It naturally peels off every few days. Even this single piece is just a processed and cut portion. Originally, there’s five times this much.”

“How durable is it?”

“It’s inferior to mithril, of course, but it’s on par with a Hellboar’s hide. Above all, the lightness and thinness are in a different league.”

Sousan fell silent for a moment, seemingly finishing some calculations, then grinned wickedly.

“It has a really lovely scent of money. This will work. Give me more. I’ll have my people check how much it can be processed.”

“Check all you want, but don’t sell it before Gradol gives the OK…?”

“I know, I know. Ah, but they’ll probably allow me to tantalize the folks desperately sniffing around Uuga a bit, right?”

“You really have an awful personality…”

And so, the negotiation progressed. In addition to the samples for investigation, Sousan took a large amount of 【Uuga’s Shell】, and in exchange for that and a bit of “extra”, the umpteenth negotiation with the 【Great Eagle of Dawn】 came to an end.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

That night.

“I was invited over by the neighbors who said they got their hands on some good booze, but…”

Ur had a quite busy day.

It was because the residential areas of Uuga had been damaged in the monster attack the other day. Naturally, various places were damaged, and he was called out to repair them. Of course, since Uuga currently had few residents, many of the destroyed areas were unused, but they couldn’t just leave them unrepaired.

Until now, the management of Uuga had been done almost haphazardly, but at the 【Heavenly Demon’s Trial】, the possibility of【The Walkers】 being formally entrusted with the management and operation of Uuga had emerged.

In the end, it was a proposal to prevent Uuga from being taken by Envy, but in case it actually came to fruition, they had to diligently hone and demonstrate their abilities from now on. If they couldn’t do it when the time came, it would be unacceptable.

Therefore, Ur was busy today as well, going around all of Uuga, checking for damage, instructing repairs, and dispatching personnel. Ur returned home fatigued from the unfamiliar work of mentally organizing the command structure that would need to be sorted out soon.

Then, as if watching for his return, Jain came with the doorbell as Ur collapsed inside the house.

“I just happened to get some tasty booze from the Great Eagle of Dawn, wanna come drink?”

“It’s rare for you to invite me for a drink,” Ur said.

“If you don’t want it, I don’t mind. Bring your own snacks though,” Jain replied.

“……”

It’s not that Ur didn’t find the appeal in getting good alcohol for free, so he ended up accepting the invitation.

He remembered buying some high-grade snacks like blacktusked pork preserved in oil from the 【Great Eagle of Dawn】, so he brought that as a gift and knocked on the door.

And there…

『HAHAHA! Oh! It’s Ur! Ur came too!! HAHAHAHAHA!!』

Rock downed a mug of magic stone soaked in liquor, the alcohol passing through his skeletal body and wetting the ground.

“Hey Ur. You’re a lifesaver for coming. A real lifesaver…!!”

For some reason, Eckstein was cross-dressing and begging for help.

“Why’d you bring a guy again, Jaaaain!! Bring some girls!!”

Black was shouting.

“…..Rock and Ecks are one thing, but why’d you invite Black, Jain?”

“I didn’t invite him. I finished my business and went home to find these guys there.”

“Isn’t that trespassing?”

Ur regretted the lack of a knight order in Uuga. He thought about consulting Lacretia.

“To explain how this came to be! I was freeloading booze at someone’s house!”

『Then ‘Ah joined up with ‘im halfway』

“I was kidnapped,” Eckstein said.

“And smelling the scent of tasty alcohol at Jain’s house, we decided to hold a drinking party!!”

I see, Ur nodded in understanding. Then he quietly turned on his heel.

“Well then, sorry for the intrusion.”

“Don’t say that, stay a while.”

“I’ll have to decline. Sorry for the intrusion.”

“Don’t be like that. As neighbors, let’s deepen our friendship today.”

“I think maintaining a sense of distance is important. Sorry for the intrusion.”

“……”

“……”

“Just get over here, dammit!!!”

“Kidnappiiiing!! Heeelp!!!”

Ur was kidnapped.

A hellish drinking party began.