What they’re worried about isn’t really the development of this place or the profits they could gain from it… It seems more like they’re afraid that some change here might make their lives more constrained.

From my point of view, even if things are a little more rigid than the current rundown state, a life with some order is more reassuring…

But I guess they feel differently.

I can’t help but think, just how much of an outlaw mindset do they have? But then again, these are the kind of people who voluntarily live and operate in an area crawling with powerful monsters, so maybe the lifestyle in a town just feels too stifling to them.

Anyway, like the others here in the base, they’ve probably sensed that something’s about to change—and that’s why they called me over to talk about it.

If they were asking about investment opportunities, I’d turn them down flat.

Insider trading’s a no-go, after all.

But in their case…

If we start expecting them to act all proper even in this base, they might just decide to pack up and head to another town.

I’m guessing that’s the whole reason they’ve stuck around here in the first place.

It’s not like I’m planning to treat them with special privilege, but capable adventurers are absolutely essential to us, and there are times we need to handle things flexibly.

I don’t know how many others like them are among the adventurers coming in and out of here, but at the very least, the ones currently present clearly fit that mold.

That said, even when I say “act proper,” it’s not like we’re asking for anything outrageous.

Just like… don’t walk around with unsheathed blades… or don’t wear bloodstained clothes in the streets… simple stuff like that.

They’re not bad people or anything, but they’ve just… drifted too far from civilization, you know?

They’re probably aware of that themselves, but when something’s become a habit over time, it’s hard to suddenly change overnight.

…Alright.

“Chances are, people from the capital might be coming here sometime soon. I think Alec and Mr. Zighart will be among them. I imagine you’ll be seeing more of those two in the near future.”

It’s probably not wise to go into too much detail with people like them, who aren’t really interested in the development project—but it should be fine to just let them know that these two are the ones in charge.

Even though both of them are members of the Knight Order, their roles still lean closer to adventurers, and they understand that world well.

“Alec and his crew, huh…?”

The room, which had been silent until now, started to stir slightly—but the atmosphere wasn’t tense. It felt more like a moment of ease.

Sure enough, those two seem to have earned the trust of the adventurers.

“If you have any questions, just ask them.”

Like I said, I don’t know for sure if they’re actually coming, but I’ll ask them to stop by once their break is over.

Everything after that… I’ll leave to those two!

◇

After finishing my conversation with the adventurers, I decided to leave the eastern base.

There wasn’t anything left to see on the way back, so I kicked up the speed and took off in one go.

Maybe because some time had passed, there were more adventurers hunting in the forest than on the way out. Still, there was no one in that middle area—it’s probably just become a dead zone.

If that hunting ground is always empty like this, I’d love to go on a mass hunt there myself… but then there’s the problem of handling all the corpses…

The patrol soldiers pass through there, and if I could sync my timing with them—or maybe strike a deal with a passing merchant where they take all the bodies in exchange for no money—it might work. But I can’t say that’s the most efficient method.

If I’m going to hunt there, I should probably wait until the eastern base development gets going and more people start moving through that area.

As I contemplated opening up a new hunting ground, I sped along smoothly.

The eastern gate of the capital city came into view.

“Hmm… There are quite a lot of people here…”

When I left earlier, there had been barely anyone around the eastern gate. But since some time has passed, now there’s a line of adventurers and merchants waiting to get in.

They were carrying monster corpses and harvested materials from the eastern base’s hunts. Merchants from the city had also come out in anticipation of those goods, making the area feel lively.

There were guards stationed at the gate, and with the Knight Order’s training grounds nearby, it was unlikely that any fights would break out. But since I hadn’t been to this side lately, I hadn’t noticed—spring is almost here, and more people are starting to go out.

Maybe it’s always like this around this time.

That group of adventurers is probably heading for the Adventurer Guild, but that area is filled with people either just returning from a hunt or about to head out on one.

If that group ends up clashing with others over there, a fight might break out.

It’s inside the city, and the adventurer district has a strong patrol presence, so maybe I’m just overthinking things. Still, leaving it completely unchecked would be irresponsible.

And just as I was thinking that—something came to mind.

“…Ah. So that’s why they’re building it at the orphanage ruins.”

It’s closer to the adventurer district, and it separates the outside and the dungeon spaces effectively.

If the eastern base’s development takes off, it might resolve the issue entirely. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay to just ignore the problem until then.

That large piece of land right next to the eastern gate…

Yeah, of course they’d want it.

Makes perfect sense.

Nodding to myself with a soft “Hmm, hmm,” I passed over the wall and entered the city, paying no mind to the noise below.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera ・Blessing・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garment】

Blessed Item ・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】+1【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】【Monkey’s Arm】・8 cards

Seriana ・【Area Detection】・【】・0 cards

Elena ・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec ・【Power Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・10 cards