Chapter – 58
The Village Chief’s Great Command! The Gears of the Future Begin to Turn
After Akio and Silvia’s “sweet week” came to an end, the two returned to their daily lives as the village chief and his lady. The village, in turn, was brimming with new vitality. Akio immediately gathered the key members in the central hall’s meeting room—Silvia, Ayane, Aruto, Kina, Celestina, Leonora, and Dorgan—for the “First Akio Town Development Planning Meeting”, where he would announce a grand plan for the village’s future and assign roles for each project.
“Thank you all for coming. Our town grows every day thanks to everyone’s efforts. But to make it an even safer, richer, and happier place where everyone can truly smile, there are a few major tasks I want us to take on seriously.”
Everyone nodded earnestly at Akio’s words.
First, Akio identified the top priorities: “Full-scale operation of the hot spring facility” and “Construction of the Forest Blessing Purification System.”
Hot Spring Facility Operations & Management:
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General Supervisor (like the proprietress): Ayane – Responsible for establishing usage rules, cleaning, managing supplies, and providing careful guidance to the villagers.
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Facility Management & Labor: Kina – Responsible for managing the baths (temperature control, cleaning, etc.), transporting firewood, and providing practical advice from a beast-person’s perspective.
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Healing & Atmosphere: Celestina – Responsible for providing herbal tea in the relaxation area and ensuring a safe environment for children and the elderly. Leonora would assist Celestina and also handle security around the facility.
Forest Blessing Purification System Construction:
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Design & Expert Knowledge: Silvia – Using her knowledge of forests and herbal medicine, she would design the system and oversee construction, ensuring harmony with nature.
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Technical Guidance & Site Supervision: Akio – Applying his Earth-based knowledge, he would direct earthworks and structural construction.
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Special Structures & Material Processing: Dorgan – Responsible for durable stonework and producing or improving necessary tools.
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Site Operations Leader: Aruto – Under Akio and Dorgan’s direction, he would lead the village youth in actual construction work.
Akio then announced the leaders of other concurrent projects:
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Ironworks Project: Dorgan (Chief), Akio (Technical Advisor), Aruto & Kenta (Apprentices/Assistants)
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Lifestyle Improvement Project (showers, swimsuits, cleaning tools, etc.): Akio (Planner/Technical Guidance), Ayane (Fabric Development/Testing), Silvia (Material Knowledge), Kina (Practical Usability)
“These tasks will be challenging, but I believe that if we work together, we can achieve them. If you ever face any problems, please feel free to consult with me or Silvia.”
At Akio’s powerful words, those assigned to roles reaffirmed their resolve with responses of “Yes!”, “Understood!”, and “We’ll do our best!”
Once the meeting ended, the village immediately became bustling with activity.
Ayane, Kina, and Lady Celestina headed to the hot spring hut to prepare it for public use. They wrote out rules for usage, schedules for switching between men and women, explanations of the hot spring’s benefits (supervised by Silvia), and warnings for children on wooden boards. In the relaxation area, they set up handmade benches and prepared herbal tea.
Meanwhile, Silvia, Akio, Dorgan, and Aruto went to the planned site for the purification system, conducting detailed surveys, listing necessary materials (specific types of stones, gravel, herbs, mosses with purifying properties), and discussing the first steps of excavation work.
Thanks to the village chief’s clear directives and the careful allocation of roles suited to each person’s strengths, everyone could feel that the gears of the future had begun to turn with powerful momentum. Beyond the steam of the hot spring and beneath the soil, their new challenges were about to begin.
