Chapter 8: The Infrastructure Deficit
Watching a burly blacksmith try to mount a giant wolf is the kind of slapstick comedy I usually charge a ticket fee for. Myrd, the silent one, actually handles it with surprising grace. Garm and Dold look like they're expecting to be eaten before the next milestone.
"I am a realist, Rimuru," I pulse, settling back into my silk-lined spot on Ranga's back as the wild wolves vanish into the brush. "Now, let's keep moving. I'm beginning to miss the soot of the forge. At least that was a dry heat."
The "village" appears on the horizon shortly after.
Calling it a village is a generous use of the term. It is a cluster of lean-tos and dilapidated huts that look like they would collapse if a particularly large butterfly flapped its wings too close.
As we approach, a crowd of green-skinned figures rushes out. They are larger and more evolved than standard Goblins—clearly the recipients of Rimuru's reckless magicule spending. They bow until their foreheads hit the mud, but their eyes are fixed on Rimuru.
"Lord Rimuru! You've returned!" a muscular Goblin bellows, his voice echoing with genuine devotion.
Then, he sees me. A dark, iridescent sphere floating three inches above the fur of a Direwolf.
The Goblins freeze. Spears are gripped tighter. The air fills with the vibration of low-level magicules—their confusion manifesting as a mild, disorganized static.
"Who is... this?" the lead Goblin asks, his tone shifting from worship to wary suspicion.
"Oh! Everyone, this is Shinji!" Rimuru says, bouncing off his wolf. "He's... well, he's with me. He helped us in Dwargon!"
I float off Ranga, maintaining a perfect, level altitude to avoid the muck. I do not wave. I do not smile. I simply observe.
Notice. Biological contaminants in current settlement exceed acceptable luxury thresholds by 840%. Structural integrity of dwellings: Critical. Inhabitants: Primitive. Strategic value: Manpower only.
Azathoth, tell me something I don't know. My internal monologue is currently mapping out a five-year plan for a gentrification project. This place is a slum, and I'm the new landlord.
"I am Shinji Satou," I pulse, my voice a cold, resonant frequency that bypasses their ears. "I am the consultant for your future development. I suggest you stop staring and start clearing a path. The mud-to-civilization ratio in this sector is offensive."
"He's a bit of a shark," Rimuru giggles, though the Goblins look more intimidated than comforted.
Kaijin slides off his wolf, his boots sinking two inches into the mud. He looks at the "architecture" and rubs the back of his neck. "Well, Boss," he says to Rimuru. "You certainly weren't kidding about starting from scratch."
"Infrastructure first," I pulse, ignoring the Goblins' nervous whispers. "Rimuru, we are currently wasting 30% of our productivity on basic survival. We need a grid. We need housing that isn't made of 'hope' and 'sticks'."
[Capitalist's Inventory]
I release the wooden cart I've been hauling from Dwargon. It hits the mud with a wet thud.
"Use the cart for hauling," I command. "And you—the one with the excessive pectoral muscles—find a patch of land that isn't currently a swamp. I refuse to park myself in a bog while the construction is underway."
"Y-yes, Lord Shinji!" the lead Goblin—Rigurd—stammers, bowing hurriedly. He doesn't know who I am, but he knows the sound of an executive order when he hears one.
Warning. Magicule signature detected at the village perimeter. It is faint, but structured. Not a monster. Possibly... an ogre?
Analysis. Probability of encounter: Increasing. Strength: Substantial for the current timeline.
Azathoth, if an Ogre messes up my new 'dry zone', I am charging them a life-insurance premium they can't afford.
"Rimuru," I transmit, my internal persona shifting from 'Annoyed Manager' to 'Tactical Analyst'. "We have incoming. Something with a bit more 'market value' than those wild wolves."
Rimuru perks up, his slime body tensing. "I feel it too. Everyone, stay behind me!"
Current Magicule Reserves: 98.7%. Location: Goblin Village (Center). Status: Initiating urban development. Threat: Imminent.