Not Lazy! Just Enjoy!

Five days had passed since Mia and the new residents from Blackwinter arrived, but it felt like no time at all.

During those five days, Cien and the people of Death Valley were busy creating their new homes.

First, they cleared and leveled the forest in front of the shop. Once that was accomplished, Cien began planning the construction of the first village in Death Valley.

The residents' houses would be located next to the inn.

Cien planned to build eight houses in total: five for the five families, one for an elderly man named Sid, one for a young woman in her twenties named Sella, and one for a widow named Yelina and two children who would be living with her.

As for the adventurer named Terrion, he chose to stay in the inn.

Initially, Cien rejected Terrion's request because living in the inn was not ideal for a long-term stay.

However, after discussing it with each other, they eventually decided that Terrion would stay in the inn until all the construction was completed.

The adventurer thought he didn't want to inconvenience Cien and the others, but he was unaware that his decision was actually causing inconvenience for Cien.

In addition to the houses for the new residents, Cien also planned to build a chicken coop and a goat pen, which were sent by Sravati.

The construction of these animal enclosures was even prioritized over the houses.

After clearing the forest, Cien proceeded to build the two livestock enclosures. They were located in the open field behind the inn.

Honestly, Cien didn't know what was going through Sravati's mind when she sent the livestock here.

Cien wasn't short on food supplies in Death Valley. He can easily obtain meat everyday from hunting. But, well... getting a new option of food wasn't bad either.

As for the person in charge of the livestock, Balmut and his family were willing to take care of the chicken.

As for the goats, another family of five, with the head of the family named Brent, would take care of them.

The other residents didn't sit idle either. They had already found their own jobs.

The other three married couples were now responsible for tending to the plantation, not just the one inside the cave. After the construction was completed, Cien would also create a farm in front of his shop.

It would focus on growing vegetables, so the plantation in the cave would only be used for herbs or special alchemy material.

As for Old Sid... well, he was too old to do heavy work. Cien didn't want to burden him with any responsibilities. Instead, let him and the other residents be responsible for the Oldman well-being.

Next, Yelina would be in charge of taking care of the children while the parents worked.

Not only that, but she and Cien also planned to make her house different from the others. Yelina's house would have two floors.

The upper floor would be Yelina living space, while the ground floor would be a restaurant.

Yes, Yelina would create the first restaurant in Death Valley. Would it be successful? Whether it was Yelina or Cien, they didn't care.

For Yelina herself, she opened the eatery because she wanted to help the residents who might not have time to cook due to work.

Not to mention there were two single individuals who were most likely too lazy to cook.

Two singles, the adventurer Terrion... or now, we should say former adventurer Terrion, will work as a hunter. The results of their hunts can be sold to Cien or Yelina.

Lastly, Sella is employed by Cien as a clerk in his store.

Thus, each new resident has their own occupation. Oh, it's worth noting that all the gardens and farms belong to Cien. Therefore, the people who take care of them will be paid by Cien every month.

From their wages, they can buy food at Yelina's or goods, vegetables, and other items at Kirana Shop.

With that, Cien finally feels that the desired circulation of money has started. It's just a matter of thinking about how to establish relationships with external merchants, and then everything will be perfect.

Five days have passed, and within those five days, the animal pens have been completed. Likewise, two houses have been built.

Yelina's house, which serves as a restaurant, is now standing.

Cien prioritized its construction because there is a need for a place to eat and cook temporarily for the residents who don't have their own accommodations yet.

Not to mention, there are guards, Mia and Veronica from Huntara, who are still helping.

Cien doesn't have time to cook for his guests from Huntara. And he's confident that Veronica and Mia can't cook either. That's why a restaurant is crucial.

By having one, not only can it meet the needs of the two nobles from Huntara, but the workers also don't have to worry about cooking during the construction period.

The expenses for the food itself are all covered by Cien during the construction phase. After that, the residents have to start buying their own food and ingredients.

The other completed house is Old Sid's house. The old man needed a warm roof to protect him from the cold of Death Valley.

Currently, Cien, the male residents, and the guards from Huntara are in the process of building the next houses.

Unlike the construction of the inn, which didn't require any nails, this time Cien had plenty of nails from the Third Princess's shipment. This saved Cien a lot of time.

With so many workers, he believed that the construction of those houses would be completed within five to one more week.

Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!

The sound of hammering echoed loudly in the silence of Death Valley. The voices of busy people constructing houses sounded cheerful.

Cien and the other men were heard laughing amidst their work. They would occasionally joke and talk about various things.

Cien, who had been living alone all this time, felt that life had returned to his surroundings. With the construction of those houses, the place that had felt like a prison was gradually becoming a village.

Indeed, a smile couldn't escape Cien's face at the moment.

Although initially he was somewhat overwhelmed thinking about how to take care of all the residents, after going through it and living together for five days, he realized that all the residents were good and independent people.

They were only outcasts because of circumstances that despised them, not because of crushing misery.

Seeing the sight of people happily working, one woman who sat at one of the tables in Yelina's restaurant, seemed relaxed. She watched their laughter through the window with a warm gaze.

That woman is Mia, an aide who initially had a formal and somewhat rigid demeanor. However, after spending five days in Death Valley, she had forgotten about formality and her status.

After a long time, Mia finally experienced what it meant to relax. No need to wear a mask and maintain a certain attitude at all times.

Freely, she could wake up in the afternoon, gossip with other women without considering their status, and enjoy delicious food without worrying about table manners.

Everything felt new but enjoyable for Mia. However, she was unaware that it was causing her to become lazy.

Just like today, Mia sat in the restaurant, observing the sight of people working while sipping the tea provided by Yelina. It was already noon, but Mia's hair still appeared disheveled.

Why? Because she had just woken up from her sleep. Waking up when the sun was reaching its peak, something Mia had never done in Huntara, but it had become a habit in the past three days.

"Here's your order, Miss Mia."

Yelina arrived, carrying a bowl of meat soup and bread.

"Thank you, Yelina," Mia said as she immediately scooped up some meat from the soup. She ate it and her hand rested on her cheek as she savored the deliciousness on her tongue.

"Mmmmm~ damn! Rank 5 monster meat is truly delicious. Being able to taste high-quality ingredients like this every day is a happiness that can't be felt in the city."

"Absolutely agree, Miss Mia! This is also the first time I myself have tasted meat from a Rank 5 monster. Not to mention Rank 5, even during my time in Blackwinter, finding a Rank 3 was extremely rare in the market.

"Now, every day, I get to have food of this quality. Who wouldn't be happy? Looking at the faces of the others, I'm sure coming here was the right decision," Yelina said, glancing at the other people who were busy working outside.

Nom nom nom...

Mia didn't pay attention to Yelina's words. She was too busy chewing and savoring every spoonful of food she ate.

After finishing, she leaned back in her chair, holding her blessed stomach.

"Mmm... it's so delicious~"

Yelina chuckled softly, "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Miss Mia."

"Just call me Mia, how many times do I have to say it? Sigh... but Yelina, I didn't expect that for someone who is cooking Rank 5 ingredients for the first time, you would serve it perfectly."

"Hmm, I don't know if my cooking was perfect or not. To be honest, I was nervous at first when I saw the cooking ingredients given by Lord Millard, but he actually said there was a ton of meat with the same quality in his shop."

In the end, Yelina was told by Cien to treat the meat as ordinary meat. There was no need to be careful or save the amount of meat used. He had plenty of it, and if not reduced, it would only pile up and be useless.

Hearing that, Mia let out a dry laugh. Truly, Cien was someone who managed to amaze and scare her at the same time.

And why wouldn't he? It was not only because he didn't care about noble customs, but the most frightening thing was that he could easily hunt monsters from Rank 3 to Rank 5.

Ian even said that Cien once killed a Rank 7 monster without any injuries. Imagining the man, who appeared weak and casual, Mia didn't know what to say.

"Miss Mia, would you like anything else?" Mia snapped out of her reverie upon hearing Yelina's offer. She smiled broadly.

"Of course. Another bowl of soup, please! No need for bread. Oh, and just call me Mia. You're...!"

Yelina simply chuckled without replying. She returned to the kitchen, taking Mia's dirty plate with her.

Five minutes later, Yelina returned with a bowl of fresh, warm soup.

Mia resumed enjoying her meal, but this time she invited Yelina to sit in front of her. The two of them were busy gossiping until evening.

The workers had finished for the day. They all flocked into Yelina's restaurant. The once-empty atmosphere was now bustling with the voices of the people.

Mia greeted those passing by her table, briefly inquiring about the progress of the construction. Along with them, Mia also placed an order for dinner.

This time the food took a little longer to arrive, as Yelina had to prepare a lot of dishes. Two children, who lived with Yelina, now were seen running around, delivering the food.

Seeing the little children brought a smile to Mia's face.

Their faces now appeared brighter and more enthusiastic. Despite the sadness of losing their parents, at least there was no sense of despair in their eyes.

"Hey, Mia. How does it feel to live lazily in this cursed place?"

Suddenly, a man's voice called out to her. Cien arrived and sat in front of Mia, flashing a mischievous smile at her.

Mia, who had started to get to know Cien, returned the mischievous smile.

"Who's being lazy? I'm just enjoying the perks offered here! A place far away from politics! Oh, perfect! Now I understand why the Princess referred to this place as heaven."