Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World
Chapter 186

Chapter 186. Good Friends

It had been a month and a half since my last visit to Jisero.

According to Quaid, a dozen or so reconstruction teams were working there, and the commander seemed to be someone skilled in construction.

Focused solely on rebuilding, they hadn't made much progress in interacting with the Garneles, but I was curious about the situation.

As usual, I had Fil on my shoulder detect monsters, and we dashed through the Deep Forest while avoiding them.

The depths of the forest were unknown, but the shallow areas required caution due to the [Stealth]-skilled mantis monster Nepro Molkus and the soft-bodied Meme, which also possessed [Stealth] and mimicry abilities. Since even Fil had never encountered a Meme before, extra caution was warranted.

There was also the possibility that powerful monsters, like earth dragons, might migrate north from the deeper parts of the forest.

While Fil cycled through known monsters, Quaid and I continued running, using [Presence Detection] to scout and shake off any detected monsters or carnivorous animals.

Some monsters clashed with each other after being lured by our presence, but I suppressed the urge to watch and pressed on.

However, I'd never gone to Jisero from the labyrinth before.

Quaid stopped several times to check our direction using the mountain range of Belzilv.

At first, I left it to him, but if we used [Trace Pursuit] to locate Garneles, we could confirm our direction more reliably.

After asking Fil to guide us, Quaid could focus on moving, and we covered the distance between the labyrinth and Jisero in about four days.

It was quite a journey, but traveling on foot with camping would've taken around a week. Even with little rest, this was a significant shortcut.

Unsurprisingly, Quaid looked exhausted, collapsing the moment we arrived.

I caught my breath lightly as I surveyed Jisero.

The warehouse ruins we'd once used as a base had been partially restored, with two small houses, a tiny storage shed, and a moderately sized kiln built nearby. The new structures were single-story wooden buildings with earthen walls.

I felt a slight hint of civilization compared to the labyrinth when a middle-aged beastman noticed us.

Quaid seemed to know him, as the beastman lowered his guard and approached—but stopped dead in his tracks the moment he saw Fil on my shoulder.

"Quaid… is that…?"

"Lord Alter."

Quaid answered while panting, and the beastman furrowed his brow, backing away with a grimace.

Was he wary—or did he dislike us? I thought Jisero was friendly toward us…

As I stood confused, Quaid gave a wry smile for some reason.

"Same as ever. This is Helg, the person in charge of Jisero's reconstruction. He's a skilled carpenter—but he's terrible with conflict."

"So this reaction is…?"

"Just fear. He'd jump at the sound of flapping wings."

Was he really fit to be the reconstruction leader?

Sighing internally, I turned back to Helg.

"I'm Alter Les Reedwald. This on my shoulder is Fil, the Hunter Fetch."

"H-Helg. Um, what brings you to Jisero…?"

"Urgent news. Is there somewhere we can talk calmly?"

"Then, please use that warehouse over there. It's under repair, so it's mostly empty."

Guided by the tense Helg, we headed to the warehouse ruins.

Other beastmen noticed our arrival, watching Quaid, me, and especially Fil with curiosity as they worked.

I greeted them with a glance as we passed by and arrived at the warehouse.

Last time, it had been nearly collapsed, but now the small room near the entrance had been restored, storing wooden crates and supplies.

"We don't have chairs… Will crates do?"

"Fine. More importantly, were these bricks fired here?"

"No, only some are newly fired. We gathered usable bricks from the ruins."

As he spoke, he offered a crate and tried to fetch drinks, but I stopped him.

"No need for hospitality. Let's get to the point. A few days ago, we spotted an earth dragon near the labyrinth."

Helg's face paled as he gulped audibly.

Then, he scrambled to his feet and shrieked.

"W-We must evacuate—!"

"Hold on."

I grabbed Helg's sleeve and forced him back down.

"I plan to ask the Garneles to buy us time until evacuation. Since they can retreat underwater, they're at less risk against an earth dragon."

When I proposed this, Helg made an unreadable expression.

He didn't seem keen, but his cowardice was excessive. The fact that [Concealment] hadn't been activated and interactions with the Garneles hadn't progressed suggested he didn't trust their reconciliation. Caution was fine, but delaying [Concealment] increased the risk of monsters or adventurers finding them. That'd be counterproductive.

When I asked if he'd negotiated with the Garneles, Helg admitted he'd only watched them from afar as they walked around the lake—he hadn't even met them.

This was a problem. If the others were the same, their relationship would collapse sooner or later.

"Who interacts with the Garneles the most?"

"The younger ones. They're out hunting now, but…"

"I'd like to hear their thoughts. Let's wait. In the meantime—since we're here, show me around the village."

Helg agreed with a troubled look and led the way.

We inspected the brick kiln, observed the restored well and reservoir, and exchanged greetings with beastmen busy tanning hides and making jerky. The village land was still rough, but the ruined fruit trees had been cut down, and young saplings had been planted.

Each change was small, but I could feel the breath of life returning.

"You've rebuilt a lot in just a month. By the way, did you bring the house pillars here?"

"No, we sourced them locally. They're still green wood."

I was slightly surprised and looked at the houses again.

We'd been lucky to find fallen trees, but here, they used fresh wood?

"Won't they warp when they dry?"

"They will, but earthen walls are easy to adjust. The roofs are just lightly bound branches and leaves, so we'll finish them properly once the pillars settle. They should be ready by winter."

"So instead of completing them at once, you finish them while using them?"

Though not too different from what we did, Helg's approach felt more planned.

Eshin probably had his own ideas but was too busy to implement them.

Further on, Helg showed me where felled trees were stacked.

Large stones were placed underneath for pest control, but they were left completely exposed. Even in this state, they'd dry properly, and some could be used as building material in as little as a month.

Regardless of his personality, it made sense why Helg had been chosen as the leader. In terms of knowledge and skill alone, he was the right man.

Still, the earthen walls were impressive.

Just having no gaps made the houses feel far more complete.

Curious, I asked about the materials, and Helg answered openly.

They mixed clay with dead leaves, adding sand to adjust if the mixture was too sticky.

The bricks used the same soil, and when he showed me the collection site, a corner of the forest had been cleared, exposing bare ground.

I picked up a handful of the piled soil.

The density was high, but clay was still dirt. Maybe… this could work?

Holding the clay in my left hand, I focused on its texture and activated [Handy Soil].

However, the dirt produced in my right hand was no different from usual.

Density alone wasn't enough—the composition must be different. If I adjusted the generation with that in mind—

I activated [Concentration Up] and focused on both hands.

I don't know how long I spent experimenting, but suddenly, a different texture reached my right hand, and a lump plopped to the ground.

Seeing this, Quaid and Helg let out small cheers.

"I generated it. But tweaking things like this burns through mana."

Even minor quality adjustments were tough, and clay required strict selection of components. This was beyond everyday magic.

To avoid forgetting the sensation, I generated more, but the plopping lumps looked unmistakably like… well, to put it bluntly, they were gross.

Ignoring my thoughts, Helg pinched the clay to test its texture.

"Pure clay. It'd work not just for earthen walls but also for sturdy bricks."

"Could we make fire-resistant bricks with it?"

"Any clay can do that. Fire it, crush it, and fire it again—then you've got fire-resistant bricks."

"That simple?"

The underwhelming answer caught me off guard, but Helg hastily waved his hands.

"Ah, it's possible, but high-quality fire-resistant bricks use entirely different clay. I'm no expert, so ask someone knowledgeable if you get the chance."

"Someone knowledgeable, huh? Got it."

I nodded and dropped the subject.

I'd be heading to Rejeper next—maybe I'd ask around there.

As we continued chatting and touring, the hunting party returned.

Quaid seemed to hold considerable status, as they rushed over to greet him the moment they noticed us. When he introduced me, they stiffened and bowed deeply.

Their haul consisted of a few birds, a small bear, and three goblins. The goblins were likely brought back to trade with the Garneles.

"How many magic stones for three?"

"Five goblins for one stone."

The unexpectedly harsh terms surprised me, and Quaid spoke up in a reverent tone.

"Even with over a decade's worth of magic stones sunk in the lake, trading one stone per goblin would deplete them quickly. The Garneles are to live alongside Jisero, sharing the goal of prosperity together. Exploitation is forbidden. That's what Hymes told them."

"I see. That makes sense."

The Garneles didn't understand material value. I'd warned them too, but Hymes had gone as far as setting concrete terms.

Though grateful, a new concern arose.

If the benefits of coexisting with the Garneles were this slim, transporting goblins would be a hassle. They might decide exterminating the Garneles was the better option.

Choosing my words carefully, I probed indirectly, but the youths unanimously denied the idea.

"Carrying goblins is a pain, but—"

Recently, an ogre had approached Jisero.

Ogres were far stronger than orcs. The beastmen mobilized their full force to intercept it—only to find the Garneles had already killed it.

Thinking they'd interfered with the beastmen's hunt, the Garneles even tried to share the spoils.

Communication failed, but they ended up receiving fangs for arrowheads and tendons for bowstrings.

Since then, they'd actively hunted goblins whenever they found traces.

Hearing this, I relaxed.

Magic stone trade was just short-term gain. This was the symbiosis I'd envisioned.

It was good [Concealment] hadn't activated yet—without the Garneles' strength, the ogre might've reached Jisero.

If transporting goblins remained the only interaction, the two groups would drift apart.

Now, it depended on [Concealment]'s effects. Since it'd revert before devastation, things should be fine.

The lake showed no signs of the earth dragon, nor were there broken trees along the shore.

For now, there was no evidence of the earth dragon approaching.

As I surveyed the scene, the young beastmen lined up the goblins by the water and struck a large rock with a wooden stick.

That seemed to be the signal, as three Garneles workers emerged from the lake.

The Garneles offered a magic stone on their claws, but the exchange fell short of the agreed terms.

After some gesturing, they reluctantly withdrew the stone and took the goblins.

Once the trade was done, I pointed in various directions, requesting an audience with the queen.

But if even simple exchanges were hard to communicate, complex negotiations were hopeless. The workers left the goblin corpses and dove back in, returning with royal guards.

Calling a variant would've been quicker, but the guards, at least, seemed to remember me. They grew slightly wary, so I pulled out Miranda's specialty—goblin cuisine—then pointed at myself and mimed walking underground.

The guards' gazes turned toward the former invasion point, so the message got through.

After a moment's thought, one let out a sharp cry.

However brief, the meaning was clear.

The workers grabbed the goblins and plunged into the water, while the guards motioned for me to follow them to the invasion point.

Permission granted, I parted ways with the beastmen.

At the invasion point, I used [Operate Soil] to shift the earth and [Earth Wall] to remove the stone seal.

The guards hadn't expected magic to unlock the barrier, and they skittered their tiny legs excitedly, poking at the dismantled wall.

With [Light] illuminating the slope, we descended in order: the guards, me, then Quaid.

I resealed the entrance with [Earth Wall] and loosely covered it with dirt. Without adjusting the grass, it'd be obvious if tampered with, but we wouldn't stay long.

Neither beastmen nor Garneles had used this passage, as faint dust had settled, and water stains suggested poor sealing.

Nearly slipping several times, we descended the winding slope and reached the nest.

Three workers—perhaps the same ones from earlier—were waiting.

Clearly on guard, they flanked us as we proceeded through the damp cavern.

We passed other workers and soldiers before sensing the queen's presence.

Word had spread, as fewer but still multiple soldiers, royal guards, and even variants had gathered.

The moment Quaid and I stepped into the chamber, dozens of eyes locked onto us.

To avoid provoking them, I stopped near the entrance, and soon, the clumsy variant relayed the queen's thoughts.

I expected questions about my purpose, but their interest fixated on the package in my hands.

When I raised and moved it, every gaze followed.

Did they recognize the smell? Well, I planned to hand it over anyway.

"A gift. My home's far from here, so bringing goblins is tough. I prepared this instead."

After notifying the queen, I began the final steps.

It was simple—simmering the concentrated soup and ingredients in a small pot.

Unsure of the Garneles' tastes, I eyeballed the thickness, but Miranda had taught me the ideal water ratio for maximum flavor.

Setting up the pot, I unpacked the ingredients.

The moment I opened the soup package, the Garneles stirred, and Quaid twisted in discomfort.

"Guards aren't needed here. Step back."

Quaid bowed and retreated as I lifted [Beast Transfromation].

Breathing through my mouth, I dropped the reddish-black mass into the pot, added dried ingredients and measured water, then heated it with [Flint]'s [Multi-Chant] from below.

As the mass dissolved, the clear water turned an unsettling color.

The stench intensified, and the Garneles' stares grew heavier.

Forget fire hazards—this was torture for anyone else.

Covering my mouth with cloth, I activated [Breeze] to filter the air.

Meanwhile, the Garneles grew more excited with each whiff.

Apologies, but this was the real deal.

Mentally begging forgiveness, I kept heating until the ingredients softened, then stopped [Flint].

Peering inside, I saw a hellish sight—a sea of blood with floating meat and organs.

Miranda, you tasted this? What insane professionalism. I respected her deeply.

Of course, I wouldn't taste it. I'm no pro.

"Done. It's goblin cuisine, but I don't know if it suits your tastes. If it's bad, tell me why."

A royal guard carried the pot to the queen, who, without hesitation, plunged her face in and froze.

…You okay there?

Worried, I watched closely and noticed tiny tremors.

She was chewing—no, drinking mindlessly.

Gradually, the pot tilted until she drained the last drop, face still submerged.

She seemed satisfied, but I asked for feedback anyway.

No response. Figuring she was listening, I changed topics.

"Actually, I need to discuss something. We spotted an earth dragon near my home."

After explaining briefly, I asked if they could buy time for the beastmen to evacuate if the dragon attacked.

Still no reply. The pot-tilted pose didn't budge.

Growing uneasy, I glanced around until a thought suddenly hit me.

[You brought.]

Confused, I hesitated.

"Ah, the goblin cuisine? Like I said, transporting goblins is tough. If you liked it—"

[Comrade?]

Baffled, I checked with the variant—apparently, she was asking if I was a comrade.

Uh, no? Different species. You didn't birth me.

"Sadly, no. But I'd like to be a good friend."

Watching the queen tilt her pot-covered head, I pondered how to explain.

She seemed a bit dim, but her INT was 15—higher than some human scholars.

However, her life experience was minimal. Monotonic, even. To her, visitors were either comrades or intruders.

Last time was different, but this time, I'd brought food. By her logic, that made me a comrade.

Half-baked explanations would only confuse her. With her intelligence, a proper explanation should suffice.

"Personal beliefs and environments vary, but true comrades share everything—profits, responsibilities, even lives. True friends share benefits selflessly and would risk their lives if needed. Hard to grasp? The roots are similar. The clear difference is belonging. No matter how close I get to the Garneles, I won't live here. My place is the labyrinth."

I emphasized key points with strong imagery.

Understanding new concepts was tough, but the queen wasn't incompetent. Matching my actions to my words should help.

Waiting silently, I was startled when she pointed at me.

[Outside comrade.]

"That's… one way to put it? The label's off, but close enough… maybe."

Nodding uncertainly, I watched as the queen let out a sharp cry.

Several Garneles gathered before her, and another thought came.

[Protect.]

Protect—me?

The group consisted of three royal guards, three soldiers, and five workers drawn by the food.

Not a huge force, but royal guards were valuable.

Confirming with the queen, she indeed intended to send them to the labyrinth.

Garneles in the labyrinth—what would happen?

I quickly analyzed.

They ate discarded monsters, so food wasn't an issue. Royal guards were elite and straightforward—more reliable than beastmen.

But [Language Acquisition] couldn't learn unspeakable words, and even then, it only worked for similar languages. Gestures had limits.

This was pushing it, but—

"If you're sending them, I'd need a variant too. Communication is vital. But I understand their value. Refusing won't change our relationship. Choose what's best for the Garneles."

Glancing at the clumsy variant, she was visibly flustered.

The queen's decision came swiftly.

The dispatch was approved, and the variant panicked further, chirping protests at the queen.

This might be a rare sight.

Emotionally detached Garneles obeyed even death orders. Only expressive variants would react like this.

And of course, the queen had never been contradicted before.

Annoyed, she cried louder,

[Protect!]

Reiterating her command.

The variant slumped in defeat.

Sorry for dragging you into this, but more importantly—why was the queen still holding that pot?

What exactly did she want to protect?

Rhetorical questions aside, she readily agreed to deter the earth dragon.

Honestly, her compliance was so effortless it almost felt like cheating.

Miranda's cooking played a part, but my words likely influenced her too.

Looking back at Quaid, I warned him.

"Don't pick fights with the Garneles, okay?"

"Never."

Quaid's tone was tense.

He must've sensed my mood.

Between those who'd kill if provoked and those who helped unconditionally—

Which side deserved goodwill wasn't even a question.