THE BEGINNING

Scarlett and Yumi followed the stream of curious villagers to the site where the portal was forming. As they arrived, they heard the crisp pop of the air, signaling that the portal had stabilized. The edges of the vortex simmered with brilliant blue light, captivating everyone who witnessed it. From this dazzling gateway, three figures stepped through, one of whom clutched a bag tightly to his chest.

The newcomers looked around, their eyes widening in alarm as they realized they were surrounded by an array of non-human villagers. The sight of these so-called monsters made them tremble with fear, clearly not having expected such a greeting.

Scarlett stepped forward, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she observed their discomfort. "Welcome, free laborers," she announced with a playful tone. "The King of Gwarga sent you all here, right?"

Out of the group, a dwarf with a long beard who was quite short in stature—barely reaching Scarlett's waist—took a brave step forward. Despite his trembling voice, there was a note of confidence as he introduced himself. "I'm Gorham, an armorer and swordsmith," he declared.

Next, an average-looking older man in a robe stepped up. "I'm Sigfried," he said calmly. "I specialize in construction and arts."

Following in turn, the third man, who was bald and dark skinned proclaimed, "I'm Gohard, and I'm very confident in my craftsmanship."

As Scarlett surveyed the newcomers, she noticed an unsettling detail: each of them wore a slave collar around their necks. Though she could remove the collars effortlessly with her powers, she chose to inquire first, wanting to understand their situation better.

"Why are you all wearing slave collars? You don't look like someone's slaves. Or were you sent here against your will?" Scarlett asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and concern.

The dwarf, Gorham, responded with a weary nod. "Yes, none of us wanted to come here. We were prisoners, and they promised to pay our families in return for our work here. They attached these slave collars to ensure we couldn't escape."

Scarlett furrowed her brows, puzzled and alarmed by the revelation. "Prisoners? What did you all do?"

Gorham sighed deeply before explaining. "I, Sigfried, and Gohard were imprisoned because of the same person—a noble who claimed that our works were copies of his, and he reported us. But the truth is, he was the actual copycat; he was copying our hard work. Since we're commoners and he's a noble, no one listened to our side of the story."

Scarlett sighed in disappointment, her expression reflecting a mix of frustration and disbelief. "They believed him just because he was a noble? Don't they have the common sense to see how illogical it is for one man to be skilled in three distinct crafts?"

It seemed absurd to Scarlett that such a claim could be taken seriously or that justice could be so blatantly skewed by social status. Yet, she recognized that this was a common plight for commoners facing the word of nobility. Though the story stirred a sense of injustice in her, Scarlett knew that dwelling on their past wouldn't change it.

Scarlett raised one hand, her fingers curling slightly as she focused her energy. An invisible force manifested around the newcomers' necks, the subtle power of her psychokinesis at work. With a mere flick of her wrist, she effortlessly broke the slave collars that had been restraining them. The clinks of the shattered collars hitting the ground marked their newfound freedom.

The faces of Gorham, Sigfried and Gohard lit up with relief and joy as they realized their collars had been removed. They exchanged glances that mixed surprise with gratitude, then all three sets of eyes turned toward Scarlett.

A broad grin spread across Scarlett's face as she gave them a cheerful thumbs up. "You're not actually free laborers," she declared, her voice warm with the promise of better days. "I'll be giving you five gold coins a month as a salary, and it will also increase if you all work well."

This announcement brought visible relief and a spark of excitement to the group. For them, earning five gold coins a month was akin to living in luxury. To a commoner, even the sight of five gold coins at once was rare, often a dream out of reach. Given Scarlett's resources—having a thousand gold coins from Avion—allocating fifteen gold coins every month to pay the trio was a trivial matter for her, but for them, it represented a significant and life-changing opportunity.

Gorham, the dwarf, stepped forward with a purposeful stride and handed the bag he had been carrying to Scarlett. She sensed immediately that this was no ordinary bag; it was a Spatial Inventory Bag, capable of holding far more than its outward appearance suggested.

Scarlett placed her hand on the bag, her expression thoughtful as she explored its contents. Her fingers closed around a particularly significant item, and when she withdrew her hand, she held a grimoire. The book was a manual for learning telepathy, a skill that would be invaluable to her. Given her current inability to travel to Darwitz, mastering telepathy would allow her to communicate with Irish and Aoto without physical presence.

With a decisive nod, Scarlett kept the grimoire for herself. She then called over Cryptus, handing him the Spatial Inventory Bag with specific instructions. "Take out all the stuff from this and examine everything. Then burn the bag," she instructed firmly. "If you find anything wrong with the goods, come to me immediately."

Her tone carried a mix of caution and authority. Scarlett was well aware of the potential risks involved in accepting goods from the Kingdom of Gwarga. The possibility that the bag could contain cursed items or objects designed to cause destruction was not lost on her. Such caution was necessary to protect her village and its inhabitants from any hidden threats that might have been cleverly disguised as aid.

"So everyone, start your work from now!" Scarlett announced with clear authority.

It was only the afternoon, allowing everyone to begin their tasks immediately. In Scarlett's village, the villagers were always ready for this type of work, as they typically didn't have many other responsibilities to occupy their time.

The elder goblin, Semiath, who appeared much younger after receiving Scarlett's blessings, stepped forward. He took the lead in introducing Gorham, Sigfried, and Gohard to their new roles and living arrangements. Semiath's presence was crucial; his vast experience and wisdom meant he could handle many of the village's day-to-day operations, relieving Scarlett of the burden of managing every minor detail herself.

Suddenly, a series of loud thumping sounds echoed from the outskirts of the village—a noise of something large being dropped. Scarlett recognized this immediately. She had asked for a substantial delivery from the Kingdom of Gwarga, and due to the volume of supplies, they had to be dropped from above as a logistical necessity.

Scarlett's plans for the village were ambitious. She aimed to upgrade it to the status of a town and then start engaging in business with humans to develop it even further. The idea of building a town by spending only fifteen gold coins a month was a remarkable feat.

Without wasting a moment, Scarlett headed back to her shelter, determined to make use of the precious time. Yumi, on the other hand, accompanied Elder Semiath to meet with the new workers. Being the only other humans in the village besides Scarlett and not monsters or demons, Yumi found herself gravitating towards them. It had only been a few hours since her arrival in the village, and she hadn't yet fully settled her nerves or shaken off her anxiety about interacting with the village's more unusual residents.

Scarlett had already delegated the necessary tasks to Elder Semiath and Cryptus, trusting in their abilities to manage without her direct supervision. Cryptus might have been only about two and a half years old, but his sharp intellect was undeniable. His youthful age belied a wisdom and capability that made him an invaluable asset to Scarlett, allowing her to focus on other pressing matters.

Now in the solitude of her shelter, Scarlett could dedicate herself to studying the grimoire she had retrieved. The book was a key to mastering telepathy, a skill that would significantly enhance her ability to communicate over long distances, particularly with Irish and Aoto.

As the day transitioned into evening, the entire village buzzed with the energy of new beginnings. It was the first day of work for the villagers with the newly arrived specialists—Gorham, Sigfried, and Gohard—and everyone was eager to learn. The villagers absorbed the instructions like children, whose natural curiosity and capacity for rapid learning made them adept at picking up new skills quickly.

There was a palpable excitement in the air, a sense of community and discovery that pervaded the village. It was clear that mastering these new crafts wouldn't take more than a few days, given the villagers' enthusiastic response and quick comprehension.

The villagers had organically begun to sort themselves into groups based on their physical characteristics and innate abilities, optimizing the workflow. The Hobgoblins, with their dexterous hands and keen eyes for detail, naturally gravitated towards becoming house builders. The giant monsters, leveraging their formidable strength, took on the role of laborers, responsible for carrying heavy materials and delivering them to designated locations.

Meanwhile, other demons, with a knack for finer work, became carpenters or craftsmen. There was a sense of discovery among many as they explored these trades, with some finding a newfound passion for becoming armorers or swordsmiths.

Scarlett lay on the ground, her head resting comfortably on a pillow made of dried grasses, the grimoire open in her hands. She was deeply engrossed in the complex text about telepathy, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible. Her serene moment, however, was abruptly interrupted.

Without warning, a figure leapt onto Scarlett's belly, landing with an unexpected thump. Scarlett looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly in annoyance as Yumi's face hovered just above the grimoire she was reading.

"Why are you disturbing me, president?" Scarlett asked, her voice tinged with exasperation but softened by the familiarity of their friendship.

Perched comfortably on Scarlett's stomach, Yumi beamed down at her, unfazed by the interruption she had caused. "C'mon, you didn't tell me how you and Ms. Irish got engaged. I really love yuri romances," Yumi pleaded, her curiosity piqued and her enthusiasm for romantic tales evident in her bright eyes.

"If someone else would have said that, I would definitely not have believed them, but it's you, ya'know. At least tell me who you were before?" Yumi continued, her barrage of questions flowing freely. "A student? A teacher? Some student's relative?"

Scarlett sighed, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth despite her initial irritation. Yumi's relentless curiosity and her genuine interest in Scarlett's personal history were hard to resist. Every part of her wanted to continue studying the grimoire.

Scarlett had reached her limit with Yumi's relentless questions. With a playful smirk, she tapped Yumi lightly on the forehead. "You really talk too much. No one would believe me if I told them what your actual personality is like."

Yumi pouted, twisting her lips to one side in a gesture of mock anger that looked more cute than fierce. "Hmmph? Then I can't even be myself here?" she retorted, her tone playful yet tinged with faux indignation.

Scarlett sat up, causing Yumi, who had been perched comfortably on her belly, to slide back onto her thighs. Scarlett's expression softened as she spoke, "I really like it when people are true to themselves. Most people only see outward beauty. That's why they pretend to like others but curse them behind their backs. I'd rather they just tell me they hate me. I don't mind, as long as they don't act on it."

Yumi looked a bit taken aback by Scarlett's straightforwardness. Although still playfully annoyed, she couldn't help but respond with a teasing tone, her voice cuter in its feigned aggression, "Hmmph, is that so? Then I definitely hate you."she declared, her voice more adorable than aggressive.

Instead of reacting negatively, Scarlett burst out laughing. Her laughter was genuine and warm, not the menacing kind that could unsettle an opponent. "Thanks for the compliment, hahaha..." she chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Caught by surprise at how close she was to Scarlett, and somewhat disarmed by her laughter, Despite being a female, She got caught off guard by Scarlett's allure. Yumi's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. She turned her face away, avoiding eye contact, overwhelmed by the sudden intimacy.

Scarlett was also very quick to catch on , it did took her a second to notice that Yumi's blushed.

Scarlett noticed Yumi's reaction instantly, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Ara...Ara... Did you just blush?" she teased, her voice playful yet soft.

Scarlett gently but firmly held Yumi's back, pulling her close so their faces were just inches apart, their breath mingling. Their proximity intensified, Yumi's breast pressed against Scarlett's chest, her breath tickling Yumi's ear. Scarlett towered over her, compelling Yumi to tilt her head back to meet her gaze. Since Scarlett was taller than yumi, So she could on look up to her.

Leaning in, Scarlett's breath was warm against Yumi's ear as she whispered teasingly, "If you are that interested in yuri romance, then I can teach you many things physically." The heat of her breath sent a shiver down Yumi's spine, her entire body trembling with a mix of nervousness and embarrassment.

Overwhelmed by the teasing, Yumi quickly freed herself from Scarlett's grasp and jumped back onto the ground. With her eyes squeezed shut in a mix of anger and embarrassment, she stammered, "S-stop, with these teasing."

Scarlett couldn't help but let out a laugh, amused by Yumi's flustered reaction. The more Scarlett laughed, the more embarrassed Yumi became, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red.

Just as Yumi was on the brink of losing her temper completely, a group of young demons approached the entrance of Scarlett's shelter, interrupting the moment. "Scarlett-sama, can we come inside?" they called out tentatively.

Choosing to address the new arrivals, Scarlett stood up and stepped outside of the shelter to meet them directly. She recognized them as the group assigned to agricultural tasks. Their main duty had been to locate a suitable place for farming, prepare the ground, and plant seeds. "So, did you all finish your work?" Scarlett inquired, her tone shifting to one of leadership.

The group of demons bowed respectfully and nodded in unison, indicating their successful completion of the task. They then led Scarlett towards the new farmland, walking about 200 meters to the right side of the village. This area was set apart from the houses, a thoughtful placement that kept the residential areas separate from the agricultural zone. Remember where Scarlett punched on the ground and made a Well, Just a little further from there. It was a practical decision, ensuring that the daily activities of the village wouldn't interfere with the growth and maintenance of the crops and also the water supply will be very easy.

As Scarlett approached the farm, she was struck by its vastness. The large amount of free space in the village had allowed for a significantly sized agricultural area, cleverly organized into different sections based on the types of vegetables and fruits planned for cultivation.

For now, the farm was freshly planted with seeds for various vegetables—their initial agricultural goal. In a typical setting, growing vegetables would take months, But what kind of fantasy world is it, if magic can't help in this kind of situations?

Stepping forward, Scarlett placed her hand gently on the soil. She channeled her mana through the ground, invoking a spell of "Growth Magic." This wasn't like using fertilizer, which could speed growth but potentially reduce the plants' quality. Her magic was pure, designed to enhance growth without any adverse effects.

However, Scarlett was cautious. Instead of pouring a vast amount of mana into the spell, she opted to moderate the magic's intensity to first ensure there were no unintended consequences. The seeds responded quickly, sprouting and stretching up to 40 cm from the ground in mere moments. Though the leaves flourished, no actual vegetables were visible yet.

Everyone watching was impressed but not surprised; they had become somewhat accustomed to Scarlett's remarkable abilities. Scarlett clapped her hands together, brushing off the dirt as she stood. "The vegetables will take about 12 to 18 hours to grow fully," she announced confidently.

The villagers didn't mind the wait. Most of them were accustomed to a diet that included animal-type monsters, so one more day wouldn't make a significant difference. However, for Yumi and the new workers, who weren't used to such fare, the prospect of waiting was less appealing.

Yumi's reaction was immediate and vocal. "That means we have to sleep without eating anything?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with shock and a hint of worry.

Scarlett simply nodded in confirmation.

A realization dawned on Yumi, connecting this moment back to an earlier one. "Is that why you insisted me to eat so much this morning?"