Launching The Plan.

The third time I woke up, I was still in the tavern, but this time I was on a proper bed.

I sat up and gave a long stretch. As I did, the duvet slipped, revealing the sleeping figure of the person next to me.

Dark… or rather, decently sun-tanned skin. A surprisingly thick chest. A neatly trimmed mustache. As I stared absentmindedly, my neighbor’s eyelids slowly fluttered open.

“Fuaaa… Good morning.”

“Good morning… Hans-san.”

Even if I was the long-awaited Alchemist, it was only natural that there were no preparations ready upon my sudden arrival. Currently, this village didn’t have a vacant house to use as a workshop—not even a spare room—so I’d ended up borrowing a spot in Hans-san’s bed in a room at the tavern.

“I’m sorry for intruding so suddenly… I hope I wasn’t in the way?”

“Hehe, please don’t let it worry you. Sleeping together like this is common when traveling. Besides, thanks to you, it was very warm and comfortable.”

At those words, I remembered the other two who had been sleeping with us and gently peeled back the duvet. There, at the foot of the bed, a ball of fur and a ball of feathers were curled up in a perfect oval.

Waking up from the touch of the cold morning air, Yoru and Kuu raised their heads and gave a big yawn. Then, as if they’d suddenly come to life, they scurried up my legs and climbed onto my chest.

“Master…”

“Koo… koo…”

Their faces softened, and they began to snore peacefully once again. I wanted to let them sleep, but I had a mountain of things to do today. Plus, a delicious smell was wafting through the air… and some rather noisy sounds.

Placing Yoru and Kuu on the edge of the bed, Hans-san and I hurriedly finished dressing. As we moved to pick up the two little ones, a blue sphere slid out from under the bed. It was Sue and Rah, the Blue Slimes. When on earth did they sneak in there?

As I watched, the slimes stopped right beneath the monster-kids. As if on cue, the two fell forward from the edge of the bed. Landing perfectly face-down on the slimes, Yoru and Kuu were carried out of the room.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Mornin’, Sensei, Uncle! Mornin’ to you too, Yoru-chi, Kuu-chi!”

Following the slimes into the tavern’s dining area, we were greeted by soft voices. Giving energetic greetings were Paula and Mia, both wearing aprons. Mia looked much the same, but Paula, who usually wore a robe that hid her figure, was… quite a fresh sight.

“G-good morning. Did you sleep well?”

I caught myself staring for a second but managed to compose myself and ask how they were feeling. Naturally, we couldn’t all sleep together, so Paula had shared Mia’s bed.

“Yep, yep! Pau-sama was amazing!”

“How so?”

“Hmm, just… amazing…”

Mia answered for her, but her reply was rather vague. Well, Paula looked busy, so it couldn’t be helped.

The tavern was incredibly lively for a morning. Almost every seat was filled, with a crowd of customers noisily enjoying their breakfast.

“Quite the gathering again.”

“It’s all thanks to you, Sensei! The place is booming. Here, Yoru-chi, sit here. Kuu-chi, you’re over there.”

Continuing the conversation, Mia picked the two up from the slimes and sat them on log chairs. Then, she plopped plates of steaming hot food in front of them. At the savory aroma, Yoru and Kuu snapped their eyes open. After staring at the food for a moment, the two silently tore into the brown masses. They began to chew vigorously, their faces instantly blooming with joy.

Finishing their meal in the blink of an eye, the monster-kids stared at their empty plates in shock. They looked up at me, then back at the empty plates with a bewildered expression. Well, if you eat it all, it’s gone.

“Whoa, already finished? These hamburg steaks are super popular, Sensei!”

“Glad to hear it.”

“You want some too?”

“No, just bread for me. Give my portion to Yoru and Kuu.”

“Yay!”

“Much obliged—!”

“Koo!”

Bat meat was popular as a reward, but the Giant Worm meat was incredibly unpopular. So, I’d come up with this new menu item: the Hamburg Steak. It’s a simple recipe using breadcrumbs soaked in Jade Oil as a binder, mixed with salt and worm meat. The unusual texture seemed to be a hit. I’d love some milk, onions, and pepper, but we have none of those. I’ll pray we find something similar in the dungeon.

Finishing my bread and bean soup, I got straight to my morning tasks. First, an aptitude test for the idle villagers who had gathered under the guise of a hamburg steak tasting.

The initial jobs shown on the status screen are roughly divided into four types: Warrior, Swordsman, Archer, and Mage. There are others, but the requirements are difficult, so I’m narrowing it down to these four. Those with mana are Mages; those who can handle a bow are Archers; those with some sword training are Swordsmen; and everyone else is a Warrior.

“Alright, if you’ve finished eating, please line up here. Okay, touch this and focus on the thought ‘Light up’.”

I determined who had mana based on whether they could light a White-Glow Stone.

“Okay, those who couldn’t, please head outside. Hans-san will be your opponent.”

Next was a sparring session with wooden sticks. Hans-san, a Level 15 Swordsman, would test their potential.

“Alright, good work. Now, could you head to the back?”

Those judged unsuited for the sword went to the fallow land out back for target practice with bows. Paula and Gob-tchi were the judges here.

“Kee-hee-hee-hee-hee!”

“My, my, what a splendid miss. Could you please head back to the tavern?”

After screening thirty people, the results were: four Mages, two Swordsmen, seven Archers, and seventeen Warriors. It was no surprise that Warriors were the majority, given they were mostly farmers who’d only ever held hoes.

“Wait, why are you in the line, Chief? And you have aptitude for a Swordsman?”

“I am prepared to soil these hands for the sake of the village!”

“No, we’d appreciate a Healer more.”

“…………Well, Master Hans looked like he was having a lot of fun.”

So that was the real reason.

“Today is just a warm-up, so I’ll only take three people. Chief, please look after the village while we’re gone.”

“Wh—not even me? You say I am unneeded?”

“You’re Level 20; of course you stay. Please work hard on the farm. Also, I’m leaving two sets of bows and arrows, so those who want to be Archers can practice.”

“Right, leave it to us, Teacher!”

“Next time, I’ll hit the mark!”

I asked two male Warriors and one female Mage to accompany us. Along with Hans-san, Paula, Mia, and all the monsters.

“Today, let’s focus on efficiency.”

Experience points can be earned by anyone as long as they participate in the battle. So, the plan was for the strong members to weaken the enemies, and the lower-level participants would deliver the finishing blows. Furthermore, since wandering around to find monsters takes time, I had Yo the Fairy and Gob-tchi scout them out—the “pulling” role.

Paula and the others would launch a simultaneous attack on the monsters brought back by the fairies. Once they were near death, the villagers and Hans-san would finish them off. Hans-san was participating as a Mage this time, starting from Level 1. Since has no killing power, he was using a bow.

This “Lynch-Mob Operation,” as I called it, was a bit awkward at first and had several failures, but as their levels rose, it stabilized. Eventually, I was able to get all four of them to Level 15. The time to reach the fifth floor was also reduced to just two hours. This was largely thanks to the familiars getting stronger and more experienced.

“Good work, everyone.”

“Whoa, this is a huge empty lot.”

“Teacher, is this the place you mentioned?”

“Yes, it is. Good, it’s been tilled properly.”

Yesterday, before returning to the surface, I’d had Mizu the Giant Worm till the area in front of the entrance. Checking it now, the ground was still uneven. It seems that empty areas are not subject to the dungeon’s restoration.

“Ugh, this part is still scorched.”

The olive tree Mia had burned when the Goblins ambushed us remained charred. However, looking closely, parts of the bark seemed to be slowly recovering. Perhaps tree regeneration takes time.

“Alright, for today’s help, I want you three to build a farm here.”

I took out the farm tools I’d been carrying and handed them to the three villagers. Next, I produced dog bones to use as markers, some Bat Guano Stones for fertilizer, and bundles of Labyrinth Garlic to plant.

“Paula, tell the Giant Worms to till this area one more time.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

Watching the worms turn the soil over in an instant, I explained the work in detail. They’d been farming for years, so they understood immediately. The three would first create furrows, then bury the guano as fertilizer. After letting it sit, they’d plant the garlic cloves one by one. Finally, they’d water it, and they were done. I didn’t forget to leave two large Boss Slime pouches full of Labyrinth Water near the stairs.

“With these amulets, the Goblins won’t attack you. Also, Horn Rabbits might appear, but you’re strong enough to defeat them on your own now. If you get hurt, drink this Mana-Vitality Potion.”

Handing the Goblin Amulets and medicines to the three, I pointed to the Giant Worms tilling the ground.

“The worms will protect you if anything happens, but if you judge it’s truly dangerous, just run back up the stairs.”

“Right, understood, Teacher.”

“Leave the rest to us.”

“Then, I’ll count on you.”

Leaving the garlic farm in the villagers’ hands, I turned back to the rest of the party.

“Now, shall we begin exploring the fifth floor from the edges?”