The last few days rush by in a blur. The Defense Expo is a huge success.

I expected some of the chieftains to take our offer of alliance, but much more happened.

Some smaller tribes want to resettle into our camp with everything they have.

I didn't expect that we'd blow up in size. Did I hope we stay a cozy little tribe forever?

[Notice: You can't expand and stay small at once.]

I know, but this is too much. I wanted to move at a slower pace. Well, it's too late for that.

Too many wanted to settle in even after I tightened the conditions.

Once we grow in size from the one hundred to half a thousand, I have to say no to the rest.

Everyone registers their skills and in the first round, only the best can stay.

I want to avoid getting four hundred miners with no mountains nearby.

But too many hunters would become an issue too.

It'd be a problem if we exterminated every animal.

[Notice: Monsters multiply faster than wild animals, and their meat is edible too. They are more dangerous to hunt down. But hunters equipped with crossbows won't have issues.]

Still, I want a diverse workforce that solves their issues without my cheat skills.

I like to keep myself busy, but when it's Alexandra's turn, I don't want to overburden her.

I hunt for the more exotic occupations I know nothing about. One of the kobolds is a charcoal burner. Something I never heard about but will come in handy.

Some builders can come too. Even with my instant-building cheat skill, I can't keep up with the housing. And once we catch up, they can set up a road network between the villages.

The Orcs are busy hunting to feed everyone, and the newcomers take the wheelbarrows to haul clay all day. I cut down so many trees that I worry about the forest.

[Notice: You can regrow the trees faster, using magic.]

And will you let me use that spell?

[Once you unlock a higher level...]

Yeah, that's what I thought. Knowing the System, that day might never come.

I need a solution now. And one that's sustainable.

The Thirteenth Battalion used to have a thousand men. But when they settled here, they already lost much of that. We run out of space on the large clearing within a day.

It can only hold more people if I build a settlement like what Fenna's Beastmen have.

And that needs advanced materials, like bricks, iron, and stone.

I can get clay and burn bricks from the swamp, and we have wood, but none of the rest.

My bottomless inventory empties in the blink of an eye, and the merchants can't keep up.

And that's where the food issue comes in. Meat is the tribe's main export, we trade the excess food to get everything we want. But now we have to feed five times as many mouths.

[Notice: If you level up, you'll gain another skill point that you can...]

No. I won't pick up farming. With the crossbows, the hunters are still ahead of their game.

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But how long until they hunt down every poor animal and monster nearby?

[As I said...]

The only solution is to enlist Charlotte and Omerta and make a list of every new arrival.

Anyone with a skill or usable knowledge has to work immediately.

Since the clearing got much larger after all the woodcutting, we can set up a rice field outside the walls. Okay. It's Lambert's idea since his magic is useful in agriculture too.

The village becomes too busy for that little stream and the outdoor bathing place. But the little cogwheels in my brain are turning. I can build a public bath from the first batch of bricks.

The kobold needs a place to burn the charcoal, and the process releases a lot of heat.

That can keep the water warm, and the stream could drive a small pump too.

It's too perfect to pass. I can even send the kids to collect slimes from the water reservoir.

If they can keep that huge lake clean they should also work in my public bath.

[Notice: It feels like you're ignoring me. You planned to find a magic stone for your next copy.]

Oh, right. It was too ambitious to think I could even explore a dungeon this week.

I wanted to get that thing for the core of another homunculus. Alexandra promised one more copy of me I could use in her world since she took the first one to mine.

It can wait until I test that one out. What if it will be a bad experience? And there's no time to think about anything in this mess. Those ten days she said I have to wait until we meet are almost up.

Cath and the Demon Lord's men left the next day after the Expo going on separate ways.

I didn't want to hold back either party, but the Princess shed a few tears.

Fenna took a tearful goodbye from her father too, but decided to stay here and help with the expansion.

Her village provides much of the building materials, planning, and workforce.

In exchange, she wanted to get the first shipment of the crossbows.

We ran out of iron though, so that has to wait too. And even if we're allies, I'll give them the simplest models, no fancy mechanisms or magazines.

We must keep our edge, even above the rest of the Neutral League.

Of course, most of that edge will be Alexandra.

And while she's away, I will do my best to impersonate her.

[Notice: You are still terrible at it. But you are doing well for yourself. +1 CHA]

Oh, wow. Thanks. I didn't look at my Character Sheet in ages. I couldn't find the time to stop and take a deep breath.

[Character Name: Leona] [Race, Class, Level: Beastfolk (Feline), Harem Warrior, Lvl 5]

[Str: 12] [Dex: 18] [Con: 16] [Int: 13] [Wis: 17] [Cha: 17] [HP: 80/80] [MP: 85/85]

Skills: Masterful Crafting.

If only I got an Experience Bar to see how far the next level is.

I've done so much, but there is progress on that front.

Let's hope when we switch, Alex will fix that up too.