Chishiya glanced over at Shuna.
"Shuna, do you know how to sew?"
Shuna nodded politely. "Chishiya-sama, I know a little."
Shion immediately chimed in with praise. "Chishiya-sama, Miss Shuna is being modest. She's famous back home. She's known as our Orihime. Her weaving skills are unmatched."
Sewing, of course, was a completely different art from forging.
Sewn clothing was more form-fitting, more comfortable to wear.
For instance, the outfits both Shion and Shuna were currently wearing were made of monster-grade silk, smooth and elegant.
The material came from the Hell Moth, a magical beast found near the Ogre Village. After spinning its cocoon, its silk was harvested and turned into cloth.
That silk contained a high concentration of magic and had surprisingly strong defensive properties.
Chishiya had long wanted to incorporate this into Labyrinth product lines.
Besides, this world also had linen and cotton.
Shuna should be able to process them.
Shion blinked. "Are you thinking about manufacturing textile-based clothing?"
Chishiya nodded.
"Exactly. I want to see if we can mass-produce clothes using monster silk."
"Monster silk?"
Shuna pondered a moment. "It's possible, but gathering the raw material will be difficult."
In this world…
Textiles were considered a luxury commodity.
Cotton and linen clothes were common, but silk was rare and rarely traded.
The main reason being—the Hell Moth was a ferocious, high-ranking B-class monster.
"Chishiya-sama," Souei stepped forward. "Leave the gathering to me."
The Hell Moth was dangerous—its scale dust could cause hallucinations. But during its metamorphosis, it was highly vulnerable.
Souei's plan was to harvest the cocoons before the moths hatched and return safely.
"Then I'll leave it to you," Chishiya said. "Though you'll probably need help."
He walked to the center of the village and opened a portal.
From it, over a hundred soldier ants marched out.
"Let them help with transporting the cocoons."
"And if possible, bring back live larvae. I want to establish a moth farm here in the village."
"Also, Shuna, I want you to teach weaving to the villagers."
After Chishiya finished explaining, Shuna's eyes sparkled.
"Really?!"
"Don't worry, Chishiya-sama! I'll do my best!"
She looked genuinely thrilled to be entrusted with the task.
Chishiya turned next to the bearded blacksmith standing nearby.
"Kurobe, you're good with forging, right?"
The gentle-looking man gave a humble nod.
"Then you're in charge of weapons production from now on."
"Just like Shuna, I'll need you to teach forging skills to the villagers."
Kurobe nodded. "Understood."
After assigning tasks, Chishiya returned to his room.
Raising moths in the Labyrinth... Collecting silk... Textile products...
A new idea suddenly lit up in his mind.
Could he revolutionize fashion here?
Women's clothing... stylish, alluring… maybe even—
Lace. Silk. Garter belts. Thigh-highs. Sheer cutouts. Open collars…
Stop.
No. Nope. Absolutely not.
He shut down the death-flag thought immediately.
And then…
A green light flashed inside the room.
A beautiful woman dressed in a simple gown materialized inside his tent.
Followed instantly by.
BOOM!
The entire wall exploded.
Benimaru and the others rushed in, eyes locked on the intruder.
"Who are you?!"
…Chishiya wiped his face slowly and stared at the new hole in the wall.
Seriously? Has nobody here ever heard of using a door?
Sighing, Chishiya turned back to the mysterious woman.
She looked distinctly Nordic, with fair skin and delicate, aristocratic features.
Her pale blue lips and matching blue eyes gave her a mysterious aura. She looked no older than twenty in human years.
But her translucent body gave her away—she didn't have a physical form.
The woman gave a graceful bow.
"Forgive the sudden visit. I am Treyni, a dryad."
Dryad. The forest guardian of Jura?
Wow, that didn't take long.
Barely been here a day and they're already knocking on my tent.
Chishiya tilted his head. "What brings you to us, Miss Treyni?"
He already had a good idea.
This was almost certainly about the Orc Lord.
Treyni confirmed it.
"I have come to ask for your help in defeating the Orc Lord."
She had observed Chishiya and his group for a full day and night, and was now confident he could be trusted.
The words "Orc Lord" instantly changed the room's atmosphere.
Benimaru and the others went stiff.
They hadn't forgotten what happened to their village.
From 300 villagers, only 30 remained.
Slaughtered by pigs. And that monster in the clown mask.
Even the children were wiped out.
Benimaru clenched his fists until they cracked.
A memory flashed across his mind.
That cheerful girl, just a few days ago, weaving flower crowns in the village.
"Young Master, you've been training so hard. Here, a gift from me."
But now—
Only blood, smoke, and shattered petals remained.
Not even a body to bury.
Once again, he'd failed to protect anything. Benimaru gritted his teeth.
"Benimaru."
A hand landed gently on his shoulder.
He looked up to see Chishiya gazing at him calmly.
"Take a breath."
"This won't happen again."
Benimaru nodded silently.
He'd let his emotions get the better of him.
Chishiya turned back to the beautiful dryad.
For Benimaru and the others' sake, he would help.
But the dryads needed to show some sincerity.
He wasn't Rimuru.
He wasn't some selfless saint.
"I'm willing to help," Chishiya said. "But what can the dryads offer in return?"
Treyni blinked in confusion.
She had spent the whole night watching him from afar.
He'd treated the Ogres so warmly. There was a sacred, almost divine quality to him.
He must be a noble and compassionate man.
"What... do you want us to do?"
That reaction…
Oh no.
These girls weren't planning to pay at all, were they?
Did you seriously think I was helping out of the goodness of my heart?
She looked so clueless.
Clearly had never dealt with a human before.
Chishiya sighed.
Time to educate the forest on the basics of transactional relationships.
"You dryads can monitor the entire Jura Forest, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then I want you to relay a message to all adventurers entering the forest."
"Eh? What kind of message?"
He ignored her question and looked her over again.
She had the perfect figure for a maid outfit.
Anyway.
"Do you agree?"
Treyni tilted her head. Something felt… off.
But she couldn't pinpoint what it was.
He didn't seem like a bad person.
So she agreed.
Once the deal was sealed, Chishiya let out a subtle smirk.
Treyni didn't notice it.
Besides, she didn't even have a physical body.
How bad could this really get?
And so, the partnership was formed.
Chishiya also learned that Rimuru had agreed to join the cause the day before.
In three days, they would meet at the Lizardman's territory.
First Alliance Conference
To discuss strategies for dealing with the Orc Lord.
(To be continued.)
***
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