"Uu, I'm so sleeeepy~"
Because I spent last night creating a new menu for our restaurant, I didn't get much sleep. The new item on our menu is a hot rice dish flavoured with lots of spices, topped with a roux of vegetables or meat; that's right, it's 'curry rice'.
I spent all of yesterday challenging myself to create curry. Looks like it's true that when you come to another world, you just start getting crazy cravings for it. I just wanted to eat it so badly that I tried to make it myself, but it's really hard. Although I remembered what it was supposed to taste like, I don't know exactly what spices they put in it. Even when I used similar ingredients, the taste ends up kind of off.
Man, the Indians really were amazing, huh? They came up with such an amazing balance of spices after all. Aahh, I seriously wish I had curry powder.
I didn't do any proper cooking in my last life so I can't come up with the recipe for curry. After all, the only garnishes I knew for curry were potato and carrot. That's why the only thing I can use is my memory of how it tasted.
Honestly, I just want to punch the old me in the face. After all, I know more about this world's cuisine now. So now I know just what a lazy life I used to lead.
Anyway, busy with this, and that, I only slept four hours ago.
And right now I'm participating in the town meeting. Normally this is left to Mum or Dad, but Dad suddenly demanded that I go, so I got promoted.
Daddy really asks for the impossible…
I'm sure it's because of what happened earlier.
I guess it was pretty bad that I solved our debt crisis single-handedly. Well, rather than me, it was more like Remilia-san who solved it though. I ended up being scolded because it could have been dangerous had I made just one mistake.
"Don't you trust our neighbours in this town!?" Dad said, and I got completely chewed out. He was mad because everybody in town was joining together to stand up to them, but I went and did a solo play.
He probably made me come to this meeting so I could get to know everyone a little better, and maybe become a bit more mature.
Since he was that concerned about me, I couldn't refuse.
I'm rubbing my eyes due to the sleepiness but… these sorts of meetings are the same in every world, huh. They keep going on and on about stuff I don't care about.
And the speeches that our town mayor gives are too longgg. I've heard that the old mayor loves talking, but it looks like it's true. In my old life, I never listened to the principal's speeches either. Eventually the sleepiness caught up with me.
"You look sleepy, Tilea-chan."
As I was nodding off, George, the clerk from the guard station spoke to me in a friendly voice.
"I-, I'm sorry. I stayed up a little late cooking, and…"
"Haha, as passionate as always, huh. But you shouldn't overdo things."
"Yes. I know that, but… it just kind of happened, ehe."
Being pointed out as a cooking maniac, I just scratched my head in embarrassment.
Hmm!? Speaking of which, George-san is here. Loser(Bizef) isn't coming?
Even though he seems like the type who would proactively come to a meeting like this to act all important…
"Is Bizef-san not going to participate?"
"Aahh, Bizef is still holed up in his house."
Srs? He's still all up about that time? Isn't he going to turn into a real hikikomori at this rate?
To begin with, it's his fault that my family was in danger. Even now, he still hasn't explained himself once to us. Even if we accept that it's because he's a loser, he inconvenienced us, so he should apologise.
While I was mumbling unhappily, the mayor suddenly got louder.
"Also, there is a final, urgent matter to discuss!"
Urgent matter?
As you'd expect, I need to hear this out at least. Slapping my face awake with both hands, I forcefully cleared my sleepy head, and began listening carefully to what he had to say.
"These last few days, the circumstances around Beruga have changed."
"Mayor, what do you mean change?"
"Apparently the ecosystem around our town is being destroyed."
"I-, Is that true?"
The mayor's bombshell announcement sent the townspeople into a clamour. It's true that Ork meat has been getting more expensive, and a few ingredients that were common before have disappeared from the markets.
"The veteran adventurers that come to sell magic beast meat at the markets are all saying the same thing, so there is no mistake."
"And why is this urgent?"
"Apparently a large-type magic beast or a pack of magic dogs have been discovered."
"Large-type magic beast!? I haven't heard a thing about that yet."
"There have already been victims. Apparently Zalgie Village was annihilated."
"Zalgie Village!? But that isn't too far from here."
"Indeed. That's why we must be vigilant as well."
"B-, But to annihilate the whole village is…"
"According to the adventurers that went to Zalgie Village, not a single soul was spotted there."
"C-, Couldn't they have all moved somewhere together?"
"And leave the tools for their livelihood behind? Impossible. And moreover, the adventurers supposedly discovered corpses there, and those corpses appeared to have been brutally bitten apart by a beast."
"A-, All of them?"
"They only found the parts for a few people. The rest are probably in some magic beast's stomach."
Panic spread through the townspeople. In such a peaceful town, nobody expected to hear such a violent story. Myself included. I mean, I thought that even at its worst, Beruga was safer than Japan in my old life.
The other day Loser(Bizef) may have called over the Usojima-kuns, but that was an irregular exception, and the town is normally peaceful. But despite that, to think something like this happened…
"Whether magic dogs or a large-type magic beast… it looks like these parts have become dangerous, doesn't it, George-san."
"Yeah. I've lived here for thirty years in this town, and this is the first time."
"Thought so…"
A large-type magic beast, or a pack of magic dogs. It really is a crazy story. It's hard to imagine that a large-type magic beast would suddenly appear in these parts. Realistically speaking, I think that the magic dog theory is on the money. Something probably caused them to migrate towards our town.
The mayor continued to talk.
"…And so, I have thought of two options."
"What are they?"
"The first is that we create a town militia."
"A militia?"
"Indeed. Each family contributes a few volunteers, and take turns keeping a lookout around town."
"And the other option?"
"The other option is to rely on the Guild. We have the testimonies of the adventurers, and I think they will organise a suppression squad for us."
"Wouldn't this option be better? We're all amateurs, so let's rely on the pros."
"Fumu. However, just our town taxes will not be enough for the request. In that case, we will be taking money from each household."
Everybody began to think about the two options. If we recruit volunteers for the town militia then we won't need to worry about money, but it will come along with significant threat of death. On the other hand, relying on the Guild would keep all our lives safe, but in that case our wallets will hurt.
Money or people…
"What do you think, George-san?"
"Let's see. Normally just a town militia would be enough. However, from what we hear the danger is out of the ordinary, so the militia would likely be unable to handle it."
"I see. But if it turns out that it isn't really a big deal, then would the Guild commission would just be a waste of money?"
"True, but would just our town be enough? After all, our ace Bizef is in that kind of state."
"Ah, that's true."
"Tilea-chan, do you have anybody you could perhaps rely on?"
"Hm~mm, if it's just numbers then our store's staff and their friends sum up to quite a few, but…"
"Aahh, you mean Nielsen-san, don't you? Honestly, where on earth did you find that dandy?"
Gegeh-, so even George-san knows about him!? So that Pervert(Nielsen)'s fame as a mature lady killer has spread this far.
"Well, it's true that he's popular with the all the wives, isn't he. But his physical strength is a little…"
"One of those so-called 'loverboys', was he? A lady's man who gets through life with just money and power, huh."
Muu, if that chuunibyou is a 'loverboy' then it's the end of the damned world. But thinking about it, it's true that we don't have enough people to form anything close to a decent militia. I think that even if we need to spend some money, it's best to call the Guild.
"Well then, now that we have all discussed every opinion, it is time for a majority vote."
Saying that, the mayor took the votes. Naturally I voted to commission the Guild.
The result…
The great majority voted the same way I did.
It looks like everybody is having their doubts about Loser(Bizef). Having come to a decision, we sent out a fast-horse to contact the guild. They should probably send a subjugation team in a few weeks.
"It seems things have gotten serious, huh, Tilea-chan. Try your best to be careful while going outside."
"Yes. Please be careful too, George-san."
It really is dangerous. In particular, we'd better stay away from Zalg-… Huh?
Isn't that the place that Timu and the others like to play? I'd better warn Timu as quickly as possible.
Leaving the meeting behind, I hurried to the shop.