When I Was Reincarnated, All the Heroines Were Stolen by the Fake Hero ~ The Guy Who Dominated With Original Story Knowledge, and Me Who Dominated With Talent. It Seems the World After the Ending Is My One-Man Stage ~ - Episode 29

Chapter 2

Episode 29

It had been almost a month since we began cooperating with the beastkin village—or rather, with the people we provisionally named the “Thunder Beast Tribe.”

The overwhelming strength that Lin and her group brought completely changed the previously stagnant state of battle.

Compared to when I first arrived here as the new lord, the suspicion once visible in the eyes of the people had faded.

Now, I could feel genuine trust and expectation directed toward me.

And now, at present—

I was alone in my study. I was reading through a tall stack of books one after another.

“With this, we’ve reclaimed the lost lands. But… what should I do from here?”

The land we took back had mostly been ravaged by monsters.

We had to rebuild homes, cultivate fields, and restore infrastructure.

There was so much to do—but we lacked resources, money, technology, and knowledge.

The problems were endless.

As I sank deeper into thought, a soft knock echoed at the door.

“Yutaka-sama, lunch preparations are nearly complete.”

It was Sebas’ voice.

“Ah, I’ll be right there.”

I placed a bookmark in the book I was reading, closed it, and stood up while rotating my stiff shoulders.

I left the study and headed to the dining room.

When I arrived, Sebas and Kotama were just finishing laying out the food on the table.

Noticing me, Kotama’s face lit up instantly.

“Ah! Yutaka-sama!”

Kotama trotted over with light footsteps.

“Today, I made sandwiches using edible monster meat sent from Kanaloa!”

She reported proudly, puffing her chest out.

I smiled at her and replied:

“Oh? I’m looking forward to it.”

Then I took my usual seat.

Soon, the three of us were seated. We quietly said “itadakimasu” in unison and began our meal.

I picked up the sandwich Kotama had made with such confidence.

Monster meat, due to its unique smell and tough fibers, was generally considered unsuitable for eating.

I’d eaten it plenty of times during the journey to defeat the Demon King—it always felt like chewing rubber stuffed with straw.

So while I had heard that this meat came from a part suitable for eating, I still expected it to be somewhat tough.

But after taking a bite, I was quietly stunned.

(…It’s tender.)

Far from tough, it was shockingly soft—easy to bite through.

There was barely any gamey smell. And the flavor of the meat spread out gently.

Kotama’s homemade herb-scented sauce enhanced it perfectly.

“Mm, this is really good.”

The words came out of my mouth naturally.

Across the table, Sebas widened his eyes in surprise.

“Indeed, truly. I’m amazed at how tender the meat is. It’s hard to believe this is monster meat.”

Hearing our praise, Kotama’s cat ears twitched happily.

“Your skills are improving, Kotama.”

“Ehehe…”

Kotama blushed with a beaming smile.

While savoring the sandwich, Sebas nodded thoughtfully.

“Still, I must say, it’s remarkable how Lin-sama and Ron-sama’s tribe—the Thunder Beast Tribe—eat this meat almost raw without much preparation.”

“Yeah. On the other hand, they say our cooking makes the meat too soft or too strong in flavor for them. Different environments, different food cultures.”

I suddenly imagined what Kotama would have been like if she’d grown up in the Thunder Beast Tribe’s village.

Would she be wild and rugged like Lin?

…No, I quickly decided I didn’t like that idea.

Ever since the expedition to search for the Thunder Beast Tribe, my relationship with Kotama had deepened.

Now we could sit together at the same table, talk casually like a family—

And that made me happier than I could express.

There was a time when she’d run and hide behind Sebas the moment she saw me.

This change felt more valuable than any battlefield victory.

“Yutaka-sama. You’re scheduled to visit the town of Kanaloa this afternoon, correct?”

Sebas asked while sipping post-meal tea.

“Yeah. This will be the fourth regular report meeting since Lin and the others arrived.”

“If I recall, last time we heard that the town beyond Kanaloa, Vegetoria, was nearly under control. If we can reclaim Vegetoria, the surrounding fertile lands will also return to us. With that, the long-standing food shortage problem may finally be resolved.”

I nodded at Sebas’ words.

“It might be inappropriate for me to say this… but I’m actually looking forward to hearing the report.”

＊ ＊ ＊

Later that day, I visited the town of Kanaloa with Sebas and Kotama.

The town had changed drastically from when I first came—it no longer had that tense, somber atmosphere.

There were more smiles on people’s faces.

Even the soldiers could be seen enjoying themselves with simple games and leisure.

What made me smile most, though, were the occasional scenes like this:

Near the garrison, a young Thunder Beast warrior with an arm injury sat surrounded by human children. He was telling them old stories.

In another alleyway, a human soldier and a Thunder Beast warrior were laughing and comparing muscles.

Despite the new element of the beastfolk, people were adapting—building a new daily life.

This peaceful scene now seemed more radiant than anything.

When we arrived at the garrison, we found Freyja, Lin, and Ron already there.

“Yutaka-dono, we’ve been expecting you.”

“Yo, Boss! We’ve been waiting!”

Freyja and Lin each greeted me in turn.

But Ron, seeing Kotama behind us, immediately started acting strange.

“K-Kotama, you’re here too…!”

“Yes, it’s been a while, Ron-san.”

Kotama returned the greeting with a cheerful smile. While Ron muttered a clumsy “Y-yeah…” and turned his face away in embarrassment.

After that endearing exchange, Freyja clapped her hands to get our attention.

“Let’s get to it. Good news, Yutaka-dono.”

A faint smile formed on her face.

“We successfully reclaimed the town of Vegetoria just the other day.”

“Oh!”

“Is that true, Freyja-sama!?”

Sebas and I both shouted with joy.

But Freyja quickly added, her expression tightening:

“However… as expected, the former village site has been utterly devastated by monsters. Reconstruction will take a long time. Above all, we’re short on manpower.”

Picking up where Freyja left off, Lin shrugged with a weary look.

“My people too—lots of them are injured from continuous battles. They’re exhausted. Sorry, but I’m planning to give them some proper time off. Otherwise, they won’t be able to enjoy the Fluff-Fluff, y’know?”

“…”

If only we had a skilled healer, even just one…

It’d speed up recovery and lighten the burden on the troops.

I considered asking Raiza, but she was enjoying her new peaceful life…

No, there was no point in wishing for what we didn’t have.

I shook my head. I then bowed deeply to Freyja and Lin.

“No, this is more than enough. Compared to before, we’ve made enormous progress. Thank you both, truly.”

After that, the discussion moved to future reconstruction plans.

Once the reports wrapped up, Lin gave a big stretch.

“Well, I’m off to enjoy some Fluff-Fluff. See ya later, Boss.”

With that, she left the garrison with a spring in her step.

“W-wait up, Lin-nee!”

Ron chased after her in a panic.

Just before disappearing from sight, he turned back and called out:

“Kotama, see you again!”

And with that, he ran off after his sister.