Chapter 80: Tatsumi

There were two boys and one girl.

The brown-haired boy with a stray lock of hair sticking up was named Tatsumi.

The dark-haired boy with a white cloth tied around his head was named Ieyasu.

Lastly, there was a cute girl with long, silky black hair named Sayo.

The three of them were not only the most outstanding young warriors in Mazura Village but also childhood friends who had grown up together.

"I understand, Grandpa Chief."

Tatsumi, clearly a swordsman, gripped his longsword and dashed forward, slashing through the air. His speed and strength were impressive, far beyond that of an average person.

Considering Tatsumi's young age, Blayn thought he had decent potential.

Sayo and Ieyasu were about to follow suit when Blayn spoke up.

"No need to go through all that trouble. I don't have high requirements for workers—just being in good health and having basic construction knowledge is enough."

For a rural village like this, that was practically no requirement at all. In the Empire—especially in struggling villages like this one—most people knew a little bit of everything.

"That won't be a problem. The rest of the workers are already prepared."

The village chief responded immediately.

Finding a hundred suitable workers was easy. However, to leave a good impression on these powerful figures, they had carefully selected a group of physically stronger villagers first.

That was why even Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu had been included.

Their real combat ability was enough to take down Class-One Danger Beasts. Special-Class Danger Beasts would be a challenge, but in a remote village like this, they were already among the strongest.

Originally, the three had planned to leave for the Imperial Capital in two days, carrying the hopes of their entire village as they joined the military, determined to carve out a future for themselves and eventually lift their village out of hardship.

Although this sudden job under an Imperial official disrupted their plans, the high pay would provide immediate relief to their village's financial struggles.

Besides, if they performed well in front of this high-ranking official—who, according to the village chief, held a significant position—they might even be recommended for early enlistment. That would make climbing the ranks in the army much easier.

"We'll give it our all!"

Tatsumi beamed with youthful energy, filled with anticipation for his future.

Naïve as he was, he had no idea what the Imperial Capital was really like.

"Tatsumi's really fired up. We can't slack off either," Ieyasu said with a grin.

Sayo smiled as well, but her attention was soon drawn to a black-haired, black-eyed girl sitting nearby.

She watched as the girl quietly nibbled on the snacks laid out on the table.

Sayo couldn't help but feel curious. The girl looked to be around the same age as her, and the adults accompanying her had already made a name for themselves in the Imperial Capital despite their youth.

If she, Tatsumi, and Ieyasu could achieve the same, they could surely bring hope to their village.

At that moment, Kurome also noticed Sayo staring at her.

After a brief pause, seeing that Sayo still hadn't looked away, Kurome wordlessly pulled all the snacks on the table toward herself and, with a serious expression, stated, "These are mine."

Then, as if realizing something, she reconsidered. After all, the snacks weren't actually hers.

"...But I suppose I could share a little with you."

"..."

Sayo blinked in surprise.

This was nothing like the imposing Imperial officials she had imagined.

"N-No, I wasn't looking at the snacks! I was just thinking how young and amazing you all are," Sayo hurriedly explained, snapping out of her daze.

"With your talents, you'd stand out even in the Imperial Capital—though it's not as wonderful a place as you might think," Blayn remarked.

"Really?!"

Tatsumi's excitement grew.

Blayn's words only reinforced his confidence.

Now, more than ever, he was eager to go to the Imperial Capital, convinced that as long as he worked hard, he could make a name for himself.

...

In reality, if Tatsumi hadn't been swindled out of all his money by Leone at the start of the original story, and if he had successfully enlisted in the army, he likely would have caught the attention of Great General Budo and been personally trained.

After all, more than his current strength, Tatsumi's greatest asset was his potential for growth—something even Budo had acknowledged.

Of course, once Tatsumi learned the truth about Sayo and Ieyasu's deaths, he would probably still join Night Raid and take the path toward overthrowing the Empire.

…

Soon, a hundred workers had gathered at the village entrance.

"Since the construction of this fortress is highly classified, you will all remain blindfolded until we reach the worksite," Blayn announced to everyone. "So when you're riding on the Danger Beasts later, make sure to hold on tight."

"Wait… does that mean we're actually going to ride on the backs of Danger Beasts?"

"It must be pretty far. I've heard that flying Danger Beasts are the fastest way to travel."

"Honestly, this is kind of scary… I've never ridden a Danger Beast before."

...

Some were visibly nervous about the idea, while others were excited at the rare opportunity to experience riding one.

"Don't worry, all of our Danger Beasts have been fully tamed—they won't harm you," Blayn reassured the group.

With that, all the workers, including Tatsumi and his friends, were blindfolded. Once they were securely seated on the backs of the Danger Beasts, the journey back to Seiga Cavern began.

...

The flight didn't take long.

Once they had arrived deep within Seiga Cavern, Blayn finally allowed the workers to remove their blindfolds.

As they opened their eyes and took in their surroundings, they could only tell that they were in some kind of cave.

But none of them dwelled on it—they were here to work and earn money, not to ask unnecessary and potentially dangerous questions.

Right from the start, they showed great enthusiasm.

In this world, those who had undergone proper training tended to have strong physiques, making their work efficiency naturally high.

The first step was to construct a small base, which, with such hardworking and sturdy laborers, wouldn't take more than a few days. The expansion could come later.

With a little supervision, the workers would take care of everything—there was no need for Blayn to involve himself too much.

He had his own matters to attend to—specifically, his meeting with the leader of Night Raid.

After all, he hadn't forgotten his promise to Sheele.

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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