Rimuru's Restart: That Time I Travelled Back in Time

Chapter 9: Prologue to Disaster

"Is this even a village...?" Benimaru murmured, his brow furrowed.

Maybe he had a point. With a thousand people meticulously working day and night, this place had transformed from a village into a thriving town. The plaza was built shortly after the Ogres' arrival, marking a significant upgrade in our development.

But let's focus on the festival.

Our guests of honor were the Ogres, and the entire population gathered in the plaza, laying down carpets that would serve as a communal dining area. Our chiefs brought out a gigantic pot that left us all in awe.

"Oi— isn't this a little bit too much?" I asked Rigurd, eyeing the massive cauldron.

And then there were the mountains of booze brought in by the Dwarven brothers, adding to the astonishing spectacle unfolding before us.

"When did we acquire all this booze?!" I exclaimed.

"Well, Master, Vesta happened to be a rich nobleman from Dwargon. As payment for letting him work here, Vesta imported these drinks from Dwargon," Kaijin explained, a wide smile stretching across his face.

That's great and all, but Vesta was sitting in a corner with a sour expression, clearly unhappy about being forced to import the alcohol.

"Oi, just how much did all this cost?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"It's impossible to count the bottles, but money-wise, Vesta spent 40 gold coins on booze," Kaijin replied.

Are you planning an alcohol buffet?!

I couldn't help but sympathize with Vesta's dwindling bank account, but I was also grateful—after all, I loved booze. With this supply, I could already imagine Shizu-san getting playful after a few drinks!

Ehem, ehem... Coming back to my senses, I focused on the scene before me. A plentiful amount of monsters secured by the patrol team had been lined up in front of the town's professional cooks. The top Goblin lords, under Rigurd's guidance, then laid down black rice on the carpets placed around the plaza. It almost felt like we were preparing for a massive hot pot feast, except the whole town was involved.

"Lady Shizu, if you will..." one of the Goblin lords said respectfully.

Understanding the request, Shizu-san ignited the large pot with ease. It seemed her popularity in town was steadily growing—her generous attitude and willingness to help were endearing her to everyone. She fit in perfectly.

I morphed into my human form and strolled through the town, exchanging greetings as I walked. Various monsters welcomed me as we all prepared for the feast.

"Great Rimuru!" "Great Rimuru! Good evening." "Good evening as well." "Lord Rimuru!"

The greetings came from all directions, and I could feel the warmth of Tempest, this home I had worked so hard to protect. It had finally taken shape. As I took in the moment, I recalled Milim's words to me from long ago:

"The most important things are always fragile. Are you ready if someday all of this falls apart?"

Her words echoed in my mind, a reminder of the delicate balance we lived in. I didn't know what the future of this timeline had in store for us, but I knew one thing for certain—I would protect this town. I would protect everyone.

With that thought, I raised my hand.

"Simple barrier," I chanted softly, pouring just the right amount of magic into it. The barrier would allow monsters in my Chronology to pass through but keep out those with ill intent. I doubted we would be attacked this early in the game, but with the entire population gathered in the central plaza, it was better to be cautious. The barrier was also specialized for keeping out egoless monsters from the forest.