Cheese (4)

A muddy river flows. It’s not very wide, but it’s a very long river that flows from the central part of the Empire to this southeastern coast.

Water buffalo inhabit this area.

They should inhabit here. But there was no sign of water buffalo. Only hippos with their mouths open in the river.

As I got closer, a nasty-looking crocodile crawled out. Called a Kyarrik, it’s a ferocious creature that can be considered a monster.

“What is this inferior creature?”

The crocodile tried to attack with its sharp teeth but was stomped by Rurin’s foot and went limp.

Rurin started poking and tormenting the unconscious crocodile.

Water buffalo need water, so they’ll show up eventually. This must be their habitat.

I dragged Rurin along and entered the forest upstream.

Bright red fruits hung on the trees in the forest. I didn’t know their name. They boasted a red color like a ruby apple, but they were definitely not apples. They were very soft, like cherries, but the size of an apple.

I remembered quenching my hunger with these fruits ten years ago. During a harsh march, these fruits were like an oasis. They hold such memories.

I gestured to Rurin, thinking of eating them after a long time.

“Rurin, go up and pick those fruits.”

The fruits were a bit high up.

“Can’t we just cut the tree down?”

“Dragon, you don’t have to cut down the tree just to get the fruits, right? That’s a symbiotic relationship. I get the fruits, and the tree avoids being cut down by you.”

“What is that! It’s strange!”

Yes, it’s strange. It’s nonsense. I’ve cut down countless trees when needed. I even cut one down earlier to lay the tuna on. But now, the tree itself is not the goal. Just picking the fruits will do.

“I mean a piggyback ride. Come, sit on my shoulders.”

Rurin tilted her head as if not understanding what I meant. But she seemed interested in sitting on my shoulders.

“Ooh, am I ruling over your face!”

Rurin suddenly sat on my shoulders. As I stood up straight, she started cheering.

“Oooooh!”

Rurin grabbed my hair wildly. It hurt.

“Hehe, you’re mine now!”

“Dragon? Can you pick the fruit before I throw you off?”

“It would hurt if you threw me.”

Rurin frowned and reached for the fruits. Having obtained the target, I bent down and let her off the ground.

“Good, well done.”

“But is this tasty?”

She asked, her eyes filled with appetite, despite it not being long since we ate the tuna.

So I put the fruit in the dragon’s mouth.

“Mmph!”

She pouted for a moment, but as the sweet juice went down her throat, she calmed down. Soon, she was engrossed in the fruit.

I also took a bite of the fruit.

It felt like a mix of strawberries and bananas with a lot of water. A charming fruit with a rich sweetness and tanginess.

“Oh?”

“Oh?”

Rurin parroted my words. I was surprised because the water buffalo finally appeared. Muddy water buffalo heading towards the river. One, two, three, four, five. Six. Seven. Eight.

A herd of water buffalo began drinking from the river.

“Found them!”

My voice rose involuntarily.

Water buffalo. My mozzarella cheese has appeared.

“Moo? What is it?”

Rurin asked with her mouth full of fruit.

“It’s treasure. It’s also called a Bereneryk.”

Rurin looked at me and the water buffalo alternately, as if questioning how that was treasure.

I asked Rurin to knock out the water buffalo. Then I executed a large-scale teleportation.

I released the eight water buffalo on the hill, set up a barrier to prevent monsters from escaping, and started building a fence by cutting trees down. Since it was too much to do alone, I also hired laborers.

I used Dragon Fear to prevent the water buffalo from behaving wildly. Rurin was still too young to use magic to manipulate human minds. But she could control the minds of small-brained animals.

That’s the specialty of dragons, the 10th-class mental magic.

Once fully grown and her power matures, she might eventually use 10th-class magic to manipulate human minds, but it won’t work on me.

As long as the Dragon Heart is alive inside me.

Anyway, I used that magic to modify their temperament to be as docile as domesticated cattle. Then I created an artificial lake.

The site for constructing the water buffalo pen is an area where the lair construction isn’t taking place. It’s on the edge of the hill, so there’s no need to dig below.

Water is supplied by magic. It needs to be changed daily to prevent stagnation. The changed water flows down a steep slope, naturally flowing into the stream between Greek City and the hill.

It’s a lake for the water buffalo.

Next is the pen. I built a pen next to the lake. I also employed laborers for this. A pen is not a structure that requires high-level skills; it can be built quickly and easily.

Still, it took about ten days to get this far.

It looks like a proper ranch. The captured water buffalo are divided into males and females, so they can be bred to increase their numbers.

The more they breed, the more mozzarella cheese we’ll have.

Now it’s time to find employees to work at the ranch. About two strong men to feed the water buffalo and handle general management. And one person with experience working on a ranch. I’m thinking of a total of three people.

My own ranch and restaurant. Simply saying it sounds peaceful.

Though it’s starting with just eight water buffalo.

I asked the well-connected Mrs. Rayne to find someone with experience. And I asked the Greek boy to put up a recruitment notice.

Jobs are always welcome, regardless of the era.

Especially if they offer quite a high wage.

Today is the day of the interview.

I told Rurin not to say a single word to the people coming today. All sorts of riff-raff will come, and it would be a problem if they upset her.

As usual, Rurin sprawled on the table taking a nap, and I turned the second floor into an interview room.

[Interviews are on the second floor. Please line up and proceed in order.]

I erected a sign, and someone entered the restaurant. Already? There was still quite some time before the interview. My question was answered when I saw that it was Mr. Knoll, who had nothing to do with the interviews.

“Hey, you’re making a ranch? Business must be good. The restaurant doesn’t have many people though.”

“I just have a lot of savings. I saved a lot before retiring. Unlike someone who got scammed. Hehe.”

“What did you say? Damn it!”

Mr. Knoll, at a loss for words, stomped his feet. Then he changed the subject.

“Well, anyway! How can you interview alone? I’ve met all sorts of people while doing mercenary work, so I’ll help you out! I’m not like the revered wizard! Hahaha!”

Mr. Knoll laughed loudly, went down to the first floor, picked up a chair, and sat next to me.

He’s a stubborn man.

Well, it might be better than doing it alone. That’s true.

Just then, another person hesitantly came up to the second floor. It was someone I knew again.

“Um…”

“Ms. Elena?”

“Yes, yes! Hello.”

The elf greeted me with a bright smile. She was beautiful as always. But what brings her here? She’s not quitting being a doctor to work at the ranch, is she?

“What brings you here, Ms. Elena?”

“Well, you see! The, the great John…”

I quickly put my finger to my lips, glancing at Mr. Knoll. Fortunately, he seemed to think nothing of it. He was giggling, excited about being an interviewer.

“Oh! Sorry! Anyway, he’s sleeping… I thought it would be a big deal if I woke him up, and there was no one in the kitchen, so I was about to leave when I saw the sign and came up quietly.”

A very funny scene flashed through my mind. The elf entered the restaurant. She looked for me but couldn’t find me. Then, seeing the dragon sprawled on the table purring, she knelt down in shock. Confirming that the dragon was asleep, she hurriedly crawled out of the restaurant, discovering the sign at the last moment – a slapstick comedy.

“Well, anyway, did you come for a meal?”

“No? I, I decided to come and learn the cooking you mentioned before…”

Ah, I did say that when I visited Mr. Ment in the hospital. Has her passion for vegetable cooking surpassed her fear of the dragon?

“Today is a bit difficult. I need to hire people for the ranch.”

“That makes sense, right? Sorry for interrupting! I’ll be going then!”

The elf bowed repeatedly, looking apologetic. I looked at Mr. Knoll and had a good idea. Ms. Elena is a hundred times more useful than Mr. Knoll.

She’s an elf who can see through lies. There’s no better talent for an interviewer.

“Wait a minute, Ms. Elena. Could you spare some time?”

“Yes?”

“Character is important when hiring people, right? If someone is lying, could you let me know?”

“Lies? Sure! I’ll help as much as I can!”

Ms. Elena clasped her hands and nodded vigorously.

“I’ll do my best, so please trust me.”

She’s surprisingly proactive. I brought a chair and made a place for her, and she sat down. Now, there were three interviewers.

Soon, the actual interview candidates started appearing one by one, forming a line.

That’s how the interviews began.

“No, that guy came to the shop and caused trouble last time.”

Mr. Knoll said that and declared him disqualified.

Bang.

“That person had lustful thoughts about me!”

Ms. Elena also raised her eyebrows and declared him disqualified.

“That guy has an unfriendly look in his eyes.”

“That’s right. He had lustful thoughts about me!”

Disqualified, bang.

“That guy seems okay?”

“No, he lied!”

Oh dear. These people?

It was a series of disqualifications. I couldn’t say anything. They just disqualified everyone as soon as they came in.

Ms. Elena was extremely proactive, burning with a sudden sense of duty. Where did her timid personality go? She was almost aggressive.

When I asked Ms. Elena, she said it’s fine if people are just kind to her. But having lewd thoughts about her is mentally exhausting.

Ms. Elena described such people as having lustful thoughts.

Of course, it’s their freedom to imagine whatever they want in their minds. But if someone comes for a job interview and has thoughts about rolling around with Ms. Elena? That’s obviously a disqualification.

But at this rate, we’re getting nowhere. I decided to at least ask some questions and spoke gently to the two.

“I’ll pass the judgment this time, so please stay quiet.”