I’ve Been Reincarnated as a Tentacle Slime~ I Want to Live a Comfortable, Secure Life and Do Whatever I Want~ - Chapter 37

After a short pause, the village elder began to speak.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Leonora, come here.”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

I was captivated by the human girl who entered. Her long chestnut hair and big, drooping black eyes gave her a soft, kind impression. Like the other villagers, she was thin and her hair was damaged, but even so, she was stunning. If Rio was one in a thousand, Leonora was one in ten thousand.

Once I’ve defeated the bandits, this girl will become mine…?

“Cruz-sama? Is something wrong? Cruz-sama?”

Leonora tilted her head, puzzled by my lack of response.

Oh… I had been completely captivated.

“My apologies. I was mesmerized.”

I laughed awkwardly to cover my embarrassment.

“My, you’re quite the charmer. I’m happy to be chosen by someone like you, Cruz-sama.”

Leonora smiled sweetly as she said something shocking.

Did she seriously say that so casually…?

“Well then, Lord Cruz, shall we begin the slave ceremony?”

Even the village chief is saying something outrageous.

“No, that’s only if I succeed in defeating the bandits, right? Until then, let’s not jump ahead.”

I’ll be honest, I got scared. Things were moving way too fast and it freaked me out.

“You’re quite sincere. Very well, I’ll wait until that day.”

Leonora smiled like a flower in bloom and gently grasped my hand.

“Leonora, I’m counting on you to guide Lord Cruz.”

“Okay. Leave it to me, Grandpa. Well then, Cruz-sama, shall we go?”

I was led outside by Leonora, her hand pulling mine.

“Cruz-sama, where would you like to go?”

“Right. Let’s go to the riverside first, then the farmland.”

I couldn’t keep looking pathetic forever, so I pulled myself together and set off to explore the village.

My purpose was to find out two things: whether they had enough water, and why the crops weren’t growing well.

Thanks to being with Leonora, no one looked at me strangely, and I was able to walk around. All thanks to the village chief’s arrangement.

There were no problems with the water; the well had enough and was used for drinking and cooking.

The river hadn’t dried up either, with water reaching about waist-deep. It was used for washing clothes and bathing. I bumped into a woman bathing there. This seems to be a common occurrence, and no one scolded me. Apparently, communal bathing was standard in the Middle Ages.

Also, it seems that in the old days, people used to boil water and take a bath once a week.

As for the fields, there was a major problem. Drainage was good, but the soil was mostly red clay. It lacked nutrients, so there was no way vegetables could grow well. A few girls were working hard to till it, but their efforts would probably be in vain…

“If we don’t get some leaf mold from the forest, the fields won’t have enough nutrients.”

“We could get attacked by wild animals or monsters, especially now…”

“I’m scared to go into the forest…”

It’s true now more than ever.

“That’s why I’ll go and get it.”

“Cruz-sama, it’s dangerous. What if something happens…”

Leonora worries about me, but I’m the one who can sense things beyond normal sight, so I’m probably the one who would strike first.

“If something were to happen, I wouldn’t be able to carry out the bandit extermination. So don’t worry.”

“Then, I’ll go too!”

I stop Leonora from saying something reckless.

“Having someone who can’t fight would just be a hindrance. I’ll be back soon, so please wait here.”

“Yes…”

I grabbed the shovel and pulled the cart into the forest.

–

Due to the poor visibility in the forest, the village quickly disappears from view. I confirm there are no signs of people using [Sonic Manipulation] and then proceed to dig up the leaf mold with my shovel-like tentacles. Before long, the rickshaw is full, and I return to the village along the original path.

“I’m back. See everything’s fine, right?”

“Welcome back, Cruz-sama. Still, I can’t help but worry.”

I can understand the worry since this is something that regular people can’t imitate, but there’s nothing to be done except to get used to it.

“Amazing!”

“There’s so much soil!”

“Cruz-san, you’re amazing!”

“With this, vegetables might grow!”

The girls who were working in the field gather around. If I keep building up my favorability like this, something good might happen.

I went a few times to gather leaf mold and managed to transform one of the fields into rich, dark soil suitable for growing vegetables. After that, I was able to bathe with the girls who worked in the field, so my efforts were worth it.

“It’s not really good to stare, but it’s okay if it’s you, Cruz-san!”

I was told something like that, so I made sure to burn it into my memory. Later, I found out that exceptional workers are considered top-notch assets, so I can confidently say the favorability-boosting strategy worked out wonderfully.

–

As the sun sets and dinner time arrives, the villagers gather in the lobby of the village chief’s house. Fifty villagers gather in the large hall. Everyone holds a mug of ale (with the children’s watered-down version) and waits for the village chief’s words.

“This time, the adventurer Lord Cruz has provided us with many prey. Not only that, he entered the forest himself and brought back nutrient-rich soil, and one of our fields has revived!”

A wave of cheers erupts.

“And most importantly, Lord Cruz has declared that he and his companions will defeat the hated bandits!!”

An even greater cheer echoes through the lobby.

“Glory to Lord Cruz and his companions!!!”

“””Glory to them!!!”””

That was probably the signal for the toast earlier. Having missed it, I drank down my ale in hurry.

It’s been a long time since I had alcohol. It’s not particularly tasty, but in situations like this, it feels good. It’s probably similar to seafood yakisoba.

“Chief, is it really okay to hold a party like this when the village is struggling?”

“It’s not exactly fine… but the people need hope. Rather than waiting for a slow demise, they need even a small hope to cling to. I want Lord Cruz to enjoy himself. That is our wish.”

“I understand. I will enjoy myself to the fullest.”

After that, I drank with the villagers, and time flew by.

The children were long asleep, snoring in the next room. The adults were fairly drunk, and I think I was in a pretty bad condition too… Even so, I clinked mugs with the men, was hugged by the women, drank together from the same mugs, and even exchanged kisses. As I kept doing these things, my memory faded――――

Rhoda: A woman in her 40s who looks to be in her 30s, with wolf ears. She has an 18-year-old daughter.

Legos: A man in his 50s, an old man. The village chief, a human. He looks great with a beard.

Leonora: She has long chestnut-colored hair, big black eyes, and droopy eyes. She’s the kind of rare beauty that comes once in ten thousand women.

This time’s results:

・They probably just wanted something, anything, to break the current situation.

・It seems like they have a concept of leaf mold.

Chapter length 2812 characters.