Arriving at the laboratory, I immediately headed out towards the village. When I visited the village chief's house, there was no one there. "Huh? Not home?" "Maybe he's at the field?" "I've got a feeling that's where he is, meow." Well, I'm not entirely unconvinced myself. We left the village chief's house and made our way to the field we visited yesterday. There, in the field, were the village chief, Monica, and Cody, all peering down at a section of the field. To be honest, it looks like they didn't move since yesterday. "What seems to be the matter...?" I began to speak but stopped midway. That's because at the feet of the three, there were leaves that almost seemed to rustle with the onomatopoeic sound *rustle*. "It looks like they're almost ready to eat." "Indeed, meow." We joined the trio and gazed down at the daikon leaves. "Good morning. This is quite impressive, isn't it?" The village chief greeted us with a wry smile. "Yamada-san, take a look over there." Cody pointed to the spot where I had planted the last of the daikon seeds yesterday. Nothing was growing there. Well, that's to be expected. "So, it was the fertilizer after all, right?" "I believe so." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Tatsuya-dono, how much fertilizer can you provide?" The village chief inquired. "Give me some time, and I can prepare as much as is needed..." I'm ordering it online, so I just have to wait for it to be delivered. "I see... So we're not quite out of the woods yet." "Right..." "Tatsuya-dono, please prepare it as soon as possible. Once we see how it goes, I'll officially hand over the role of village chief to you." That was quick. "Isn't that a bit hasty?" "No, all the villagers already know you. They were pleased with the agricultural tools you provided yesterday and with the clearing of trees to expand the farmland. And now with this fertilizer... No one will object; on the contrary, they are joyful and revere you. This is your chance." So, being popular is essential for those in power? "Tatsuya-san, Tatsuya-san" Ruri tugged at my suit jacket, prompting me to lean down. Then, Ruri leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Now is truly the time. If you assume the position now, even if you become a bit reckless or despotic in the future, the villagers will bear it, and they will all follow and trust you." I may not grasp the full extent of what's unreasonable, but I want to make sure I don't become a tyrant. "Understood... Village Chief, I’d like to head back today and promptly prepare the farming tools." "Please do. And of course, I will continue to offer my assistance, even with a new Village Chief in place." That's essential. It would be a problem if we were to lose the Village Chief. "Excuse me, Monica-san... Could I take a little bit of your time?"

After bowing to the Village Chief, I turned to Monica. "Me? What is it?" "There are several questions I wish to raise about the succession of the village leader and the role of the auditor..." Just as Miriam mentioned earlier, I need to have a talk with her. "Ah... I understand. That's fine." "Could you come over to my place?" "Eh? To Yamada-san's house?" Oh, that might have been inappropriate. Was it wrong to invite a young lady to my home? "Tatsuya-san, not everyone can simply that house, you know?" Ruri comes pulling at the suit again. "What do you mean 'can't enter'?" "A heavily fortified barrier has been erected due to the presence of a wide array of magical tools and research outcomes there." Ah, so that's the case? I usually live in that house, and without stringent security measures, it could be dangerous. "So the villagers can't enter too?" "Yes, indeed. Without permission, no one can enter." Really? "Village chief, could you lend us a place to talk?" "If you like, please use my house. I will be looking around the village for a little while longer." "Monica-san, is that okay?" "Yes, absolutely." As Monica kindly nodded, we headed to the village chief's house. Arriving at the village chief's house, I sit down at the table. "I noticed before, the door isn't locked, so I guess it's okay to enter freely..." Ruri had entered without knocking previously as well. "In this village, we have a small community of about 30 people; everyone's akin to family. Although I'm originally from the capital, you wouldn't find such camaraderie there." Monica answers with a wry smile. "Isn't that... quite problematic?" Entering a young woman's house without permission is definitely crossing the line. "No, certainly no one would enter a woman's house without permission." "That's good to hear. I was a bit worried." "Haha, if things were actually that bad, I'd quit my job in tears... Anyway, what was it you wanted to ask?" Upon laughing, Monica-san segues into the core topic. "Monica-san, before we get into the story I mentioned earlier, there's something important I need to talk to you about." "Something important? What might that be?" Monica tilted her head curiously. "Monica, you're an auditor, right? How long will you be serving in that capacity?" "How long... until this village is dissolved, or until we can see some sort of stable state for the village? Judging by how things are going, it might be quite soon." "And after that, will another auditor take your place?" "No, I don't think so. At most, someone from the royal capital might come once a year to check on the taxes." I see... "I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you have any plans for employment after you leave here?" "Not really... I might end up in another settlement village. I'm not exactly what you'd call exceptional..." This is the moment... This is where I should make my move!