Chapter 525: The Development of the Island
Chris’s statue—no, it’s not really a statue, is it? It’s not carved, nor is it cast. What do you even call it in this case?
The surface of the Spirit Gold is wrapped in “something fine.” Wrapped, or maybe it’s more like it’s entering and exiting? Because of that, the Spirit Gold sparkles more than regular gold, and even without light, it seems to glow faintly.
I can see the “something fine,” so I can’t really tell if it’s the Spirit or the Spirit Gold that’s shining. Maybe I should try looking at it when the Spirit isn’t visible. Either way, Chris’s statue looks like it’s shining brightly.
The Spirit Iron in my tower also glows faintly during the day, though you can hardly tell. Since I have the Spirit Lamp lit, I can’t see it at night either!
“If this… if we put this much on the market, the prices will collapse…”
“No, we won’t sell it, right?”
They said I could do what I wanted, but I still think it belongs to Chris.
“Yes, please don’t sell it. And the weight—it’s so heavy that the tabletop might dent, it might dent, ahhhhh!”
Soleil is half-crying.
Spirit Gold is much heavier than I imagined. Soleil is struggling to lift it with both hands, trembling.
Kiel quickly grabs Chris’s statue and sets it down on the floor.
“Ugh, a lump of Spirit Gold, placing this statue that looks like it might move on the floor…”
Soleil seems to have no intention of selling this Spirit Gold, but he appears to be uneasy about placing something so valuable directly on the ground.
And I think it might actually move.
“My lord, please allow us to keep it until we can set up a perimeter in the outlying area. We need to ensure it looks well-guarded, or else mischievous thieves might come and start by breaking into the surrounding houses.”
Ah. Even if Chris’s statue is safe, there’s a chance that trouble could spill over to the surrounding area. Auro and Kiel seem indifferent to what happens to humans, but they care about ensuring that my residents remain unharmed.
“Okay, I understand.”
“Let’s use that as bait to set things up.”
Kiel grins with a mischievous look.
“It’s their fault for coming here, after all.”
Auro smiles brightly.
…Wait, are they actually enjoying the idea of exterminating intruders? I hope they at least have the enthusiasm to protect as well.
The recruitment for residents has closed; we won’t be accepting anyone from outside anymore. Instead, we’ll focus on increasing tourism. The inn is ready for guests now.
Even so, it seems there are still plenty of applications. Apparently, there’s a dormitory near the dock that holds a lottery once a month for stays in Naruadeid.
The upscale inn facing the square seems to operate like an auction, where only those who donate a significant amount to the island’s “Spirit’s Branch” can stay. By the way, the accommodation fees are separate. The best room is reportedly contested every time between the heads of the commercial and shipping guilds of Naruadeid, and they seem to be staying for extended periods.
They’ve set a limit on how long guests can stay, yet for some reason, they keep overlapping. It’s profitable, but even in business with the island, they compete, which Soleil finds a bit annoying.
I handed out cheese tarts as a snack and wrapped up the meeting.
“By the way, we have human-sized instruments ready at the ‘Spirit’s Branch.’ We’ve also hired someone to maintain the instruments, who will also help with the theater.”
“Oh…”
What if that Haniwa gets sued for noise pollution? I mean, there aren’t any regular houses nearby, but still.
“We’ve gathered wind and string instruments and avoided percussion.”
Auro smiles cheerfully.
So, they really are making a noisy decision, huh?
“Has the theater started yet?”
The theater facing the square also serves as a concert hall.
The sound effects for the plays are live, somewhat like opera, so the stage is designed with depth to ensure good acoustics. Just having good sound isn’t everything, though.
They’ve been doing some performances like solo acts and instrumentals, but nothing serious yet. More often than not, they perform on the stairs facing the square.
“Nothing serious yet.”
“We don’t have a dedicated theater troupe, but we’re planning to invite one that will be visiting Naruadeid to stop by here as well. We can’t fill the seats without more tourists, or else we won’t break even.”
Soleil continues after Auro.
“I see.”
Is it something like a touring company? It must cost money to invite them, and while the first day might fill up with residents, it seems tough to attract tourists afterward given the island’s population.
“It’ll be soon. They’ll be begging to perform here from theater companies and musicians before we know it.”
Soleil lifts his lips in a grin.
“Speaking of which, I heard that a violin left overnight at the ‘Spirit’s Branch’ had its sound enriched. Is that really okay? They can’t be making legendary instruments, can they?”
I divert my gaze from Kiel’s words.
We can’t ban Spirits from entering the ‘Spirit’s Branch’!