Day 341-350/Day 346

Day 346
After finishing what I had left to do here, today I will return to the Great Forest along with Minokichi-kun and the other main members. As the number of people this time were reduced to only about 10 people, consisting of Kanami-chan, others other than Demons, Redhead, the children, along with few others, we were able to enjoy traveling by air for a while, riding Tatsushirou.
By the way, I ordinarily flew within the Atarakua Demon Empire, but unlike before, we were not tracked by their soldiers. I wonder whether it was an influence of the backlog of the【Succession to the Emperor】as well. I was able to come back to the Great Forest in the afternoon, after recovering a few flight-type monster we shot down.
Although it seems that the green is deeper than before, while not having seen it for a while from the sky, it is clear that new developments are spreading around the base.
However, rather than treating trees without care, it is structured in a way that allows you to see how you can easily live while taking full advantage of nature's topography. Although trees which would otherwise interfere with traffic are cut down, more than a certain amount of nature is left, making it easier to live with and protect.
Originally a base used by the Orcs as «Mining Sites», now it was in a state that could appropriately be called a city inside the Great Forest. While feeling satisfied with the base that is steadily expanding itself, we land on the «Airfield» at the top of the summit that has been maintained.
After giving a chunk of Dragon King's meat to Tatsushirou who is a little tired after the long flight, and stroking his face covered with rough, scraping scales using my silver arm, we took a special large sized Skeleton tramp - very distinguishable from others - and rode downhill on the skeleton train. The skeleton train is used by hundreds of people who can ride along the marginal rails that has been laid in the internal base, proceeding almost gently without any vibration.
Incidentally, the rail has increased more than before, and now it continues all the way to «The First Coal Mine» and so on. That's one of the new facilities which pioneered a mountain a little ways away to collect mineral resources, but rails are still being placed.
It would be good to even take a quick ride around with Gulli to confirm the changes made to the base because he came back, but in the meantime we decided to go back to our house. While I made this home I've hardly ever slept in it, but because blacksmith-san lives here, I usually get the feeling that somehow things are settling down.
After having some time to organize our luggage, Blacksmith-san returned still wearing her work clothes after wrapping up her duties since we came back.
Behind her, came the cooking sisters wearing their aprons as well as accompanied by the female knight, who has just finished training. Then Doriane-san, who was in charge of the education of her subordinates, already had them start to work on their own, and alchemist-san is present holding Nicola, my second daughter, who has already learnt a few simple words.
Since they had been informed beforehand of our return home, they had started to finish up their work after confirming the appearance of Tatsushirou. I was glad to come all the way back to see the others, so I decided to spend the rest of the day in the mansion forgetting about other chores, while talking about a lot of other things the rest of the day.
Because of the rare opportunity, and her being the only child the with a slower growth rate, comparable to that of human children, little Nicola could not outright leave the child care contact of her mother, the alchemist, so now she sat cross-legged on top of my knee, while I was touching her soft cheeks and limbs with a "Puni-puni" sound.
I could not forget that I am a parent and indeed it is still a shock, but Nicola doesn't show a displeased face, on the contrary she has a look as if asking for some pampering. Or, perhaps it's the tattoos on my body that are far more interesting, she might be impressed relentlessly as she come to touch them with a "Peta-peta" sound. Or maybe, because she was born with【Job - Crest Master】, she might be instinctively drawn with some interest.
Even after they've all grown up, I will not forget the skinship with my other children such as Auro, Argento, Oniwaka and Opushii while thinking about going around various places with other children. In ordinary days, training drills are strictly followed, so we should let ourselves be spoiled in these relaxed times. Today was a day filled with home-like feelings.
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RAWS
 
“三百四十六日目”
一先ずやるべき事はやったので、今日は朝からミノ吉くん達主要メンバーと共に大森林に帰還する。
数はカナ美ちゃん達八鬼の他、赤髪ショートや子供達だけと十数名程度にまで減っているので、タツ四朗に乗ってしばし空の旅を楽しんだ。
ちなみに、普通に魔帝国内を飛んだが以前とは違い、魔帝国の兵士達に追跡される事も無かった。
やはり【帝王継承】のゴタゴタが影響しているのだろうか。
適当に飛行型モンスターを撃ち落として回収しつつ、昼過ぎには大森林まで戻って来る事が出来た。
暫く見ない間に以前よりも一層緑が深くなっているようだが、拠点周辺には開発の手が広がっているのが上空からだと良く分かる。
ただし無節操に樹木を伐採するのではなく、自然の地形を最大限に生かしつつも生活しやすいような工夫が窺える構造だ。
通行の邪魔になるような樹木は伐採しているが、一定以上の自然は残され、住みやすい上に守りやすくしている
かつてはオーク達の≪採掘場≫だった拠点も、今では大森林の中にある街、とでも表現するのが適切な状態になっていた。
順調に拡大していく拠点に満足しつつ、整備した山頂にある≪飛行場≫に着陸する。
長時間の飛行でやや疲れているタツ四朗に龍王肉の塊を与え、鱗で覆われた顔をガシガシと銀腕で削る様に撫でた後、ゴトゴトと音を立てながらやって来た特別仕様の大型骸骨トロッコ――他と区別する為、骸骨列車と次からは表記する――に乗って下へ向かった。
数十名が余裕を持って乗れる骸骨列車は拠点内部に敷かれたレールに沿い、殆ど振動もなく緩やかに進んでいく。
ちなみにレールは以前よりも増え、鉱物資源採取の為に少し離れた山を開拓した新しい施設の一つである≪第一炭鉱≫などにも続いているが、それはさて置き。
帰ってきたのだから拠点の変化を確認する為グルリと一周しても良かったのだが、一先ずは俺達の家に帰る事にした。
造ってから殆ど寝泊まりもしていない家ながら、普段は鍛冶師さん達が暮らしているからか、何となく落ち着く感じがする。
しばらく荷物の整理をしていると、仕事を切り上げてきたのか作業着姿の鍛冶師さんが帰って来た。
その後ろにはエプロン姿の姉妹さん達と、訓練を終えたばかりの女騎士。それから部下の教育をしていたドリアーヌさんと、既に自力で歩き始めただけでなく、簡単な言葉なら理解している次女のニコラを抱いた錬金術師さんが居る。
帰ると事前に連絡していたので、タツ四朗の姿を確認した時点で戻り始めていたそうだ。
わざわざ会いに戻ってきてくれた事は嬉しかったので、今日は他の仕事を忘れ、皆で色んな事を話をしながら屋敷で過ごす事に決めた。
滅多にない機会なので、子供の中で唯一の人間である事で成長速度が他の子よりも遅く、母親である錬金術師さんに育児を任せきりで接触の少ないニコラを胡坐をかいた膝の上に乗せ、プニプニとその柔い頬や手足に触れる。
俺が親である事を忘れられると流石にショックを隠せないのでこうして触れ合っているのだが、ニコラは嫌な顔をせず、それどころか甘えるように身を寄せてきた。
俺の身体にある刺青が興味深いのか、ペタペタと執拗に触ってくるのが印象的だ。
生まれながらにして【職業・】を持っているからか、本能的に興味を引かれるのかもしれない。
大きくなれば他の子達と一緒に色んな場所を回ろうなと思いつつ、オーロやアルジェント、鬼若やオプシーといった他の子達とのスキンシップも忘れない。
普段の訓練では厳しく接している分、こうした緩やかな時は甘やかせてやるべきだろう。
今日はアットホームな感じの一日だった。
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Category:Novel
Category:Re:Monster Volume 9