Chapter 42 – Bear-san Raises Chickens

The next day, I headed to the village first thing in the morning, using the gate I installed yesterday.

A villager who noticed me came over when I entered the village.

「What’s the matter?」

「Is it okay for me to meet the village chief?」

「I think it’ll be okay.」

He kindly guided me to the village chief’s house.

「Oh, Yuna-san, what’s the matter?」

「Good morning. I have a small favor to ask.」

「If it’s Yuna-san’s request, then I have to hear you out.」

「Is it possible to catch the Cluckers from the other day alive ?」

「They can be caught relatively easily if we set traps.」

「Then can you catch some for me? If possible, a hen please.」

「Of course, it’s the request from Yuna-san who saved the village after all. So then, how many do you want?」

「The more the better, but too many might decrease the quantity of food for the village. Just enough that it won’t affect the village, please.」

「I understand. Let’s have people who are not busy go catch them.」

「Thank you very much.」

「So, what do you plan to do, Yuna-san?」

「I have something to do in the mountains, so I’ll come back when I’m finished with that.」

「I think it will be possible to catch several birds before noon.」

「In that case, please do so. I’ll be counting on you.」

I returned to the cave with the transfer gate.

I erased the transfer gate after entering the cave.

I expanded the cave some more and used earth magic to create a house.

The first floor had the shape of a small bear cub.

The rooms were assigned to be the kitchen, restroom, bathroom, and my room.

I installed a light magic stone in each room.

Finally, I installed a transfer gate next to the bear cub’s front door.

With this, base number one was completed.

Approximately 20 Cluckers were tied together with rope when I returned to the village.

They’re chickens, no matter how I look at it.

Though, they are larger than I thought.

「Is this many okay?」

「The chicks will be born soon and grow up quickly, so it’s okay. There aren’t any monsters around here, so it’s an easy environment for raising the birds. Please rest easy and take them.」

「Thank you very much.」

I had the villagers tie the Cluckers to Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear so they wouldn’t fall off. It would have been nice to be able to place them in the Bear Box alive, but it is impossible so it cannot be helped.

「Are you really planning to go back now?」

「Yes, the sooner the better.」

「Is that so…we had hoped to show you some hospitality.」

I forced money for the Cluckers onto the elder, who seemed like he wasn’t going to accept, and headed to the cave where the transfer gate was located.

I moved to the Bear House using the transfer gate after blocking the entrance of the cave with earth magic.

I left the Cluckers tied to Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear as we went through.

They won’t die, right?

The bears began to move out after it became dark outside.

They ran in the dark, through the empty streets

Eh, would it be better to use the transfer gate?

I just wanted to run through the middle of town with the bears.

After passing by the orphanage, I arrived at the land I bought through the Commerce Guild.

I dismounted Swaying Bear and checked the land.

I wonder if around here is okay.

I made a chicken coop using earth magic.

Furthermore, I surrounded the chicken coop with three-or-so meter tall walls.

They probably wouldn’t run away if it was this tall, right?

I entered the chicken coop with Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear.

I roughly loosened the ropes that tied the Cluckers.

The Cluckers, released from their rope bindings, moved around inside the henhouse.

I feel relieved after checking and finding that they were all alive.

Let’s end things here today and return to the Bear House.

The next morning, after finishing breakfast, I headed to the orphanage.

The children were gathered in front of the wall where the chicken coop was located when I arrived at the orphanage.

「Big Sis Bear!」

The children noticed me and came over.

「Big Sis Bear, a wall suddenly appeared when I woke up this morning!」

「That’s because I made it.」

「Big Sis did?」

The orphanage children stared at me.

「Let’s go to the orphanage for now. I have something to talk to Miss Director about.」

I brought the children along toward the orphanage and met with Miss Director.

Miss Director and a woman who looked slightly older than 20-years-old were there when I arrived at the orphanage.

Was this Liz, the person who supposedly worked at the orphanage with Miss Director?

「This is Yuna-san. Thank you very much for yesterday. This is the person we talked about yesterday, Liz.」

「I’m Liz. Thank you very much for the food yesterday.」

Liz bowed her head.

「Don’t mind it, it was just a whim of mine.」

「What kind of business do you have today?」

「I want to give the children some work, is that okay? I’ll pay them wages, of course.」

「Work for the children?」

「You don’t need to worry, it’s not dangerous work.」

「In that case, what kind of work is it?」

「Have you seen the wall outside?」

「Yes, I woke up this morning, and the wall had appeared. The children were raising a clamor.」

「I made the wall last night. I wanted the children to look after the birds within the walls.」

「Erm, you made the wall in one night?」

「To look after birds?」

Miss Director and Liz were surprised for different reasons.

「I made the wall with magic.」

「What kind of work is it?」

「Simply gathering the eggs in the morning, cleaning the coop, and looking after the birds. The birds are not food, so please don’t eat them, okay?」

「Do you plan on starting an egg-selling business?」

「The value of eggs in this town seems to be high enough.」

「Can you really make enough money with just that?」

「Though there are other things I want to request, it’s just this for now. What’s the matter?」

Miss Director looked towards the children.

「What do you all want to do? Yuna-san seems like she wants to give you work. If you work, you’ll be able to eat. If not, it will become like the situation a few days ago. There isn’t any more of the food that Yuna-san brought.」

She asked a question to the children.

「I’ll do it!」

「Please let me do it!」

「I’ll also do it!」

「Me too!」

「Me as well!」

The children responded in a rambunctious manner.

「Is everyone okay with it? In that case, Yuna-san, you look after these children?」

「Yes, and is it okay if I borrow Liz as well?」

「Me?」

「Yes. I want to ask you to look after these children.」

「If that’s all, I don’t mind. Liz, please be mindful to reliably follow Yuna-san’s directions.」

「Yes, Director.」

I opened the door, passed the walls, and then entered the henhouse.

The Cluckers were asleep when we entered the henhouse.

「The work for you guys is;

#1, let the birds go outside if it is sunny in the mornings.

#2, gather the eggs laid in the chicken coop.

#3, clean the chicken coop.

#4, give the birds food and water.

#5, return the birds back to the chicken coop.

Can you do this?」

I asked the children.

The children answered without any hesitation.

「In that case, please let the birds out. The eggs laid by the birds will be sold for money to allow you guys to buy food, so be gentle with them.」

The children gave affirmative responses.

「Put the eggs in this container.」

I made an egg case from earth magic.

The case had ten egg-shaped holes in it.

I made about a hundred, including spares.

The children brought the eggs back.

Ten holes were filled up.

Exactly one pack.

Was that a good enough performance for twenty of them?

There might be environmental changes to consider, too.

「Liz-san, are there any vegetable scraps that you were able to get yesterday?」

「Yes, there is.」

「Is it alright if we use it to feed the birds?」

「About that…」

Even though they were vegetable scraps, it was still food that Liz acquired after bowing her head.

There was probably a sense of perplexity at feeding that to the birds.

「It’s all right, the birds will lay eggs. Everything will be okay if we can sell those.」

「I understand. I’ll bring the scraps.」

「I need to go back first. Once the cleaning is over, please tell the children to return the birds back to the chicken coop after a short time.」

I headed to a certain place while carrying the eggs.