#1138 The Demand for Women

“My Lord, there’s trouble in the development site.”

Oh, great. Another one?
I was in the middle of farm work when I got the report from the goblins.

Well, I did figure there’d be one problem after another. The development site, and by extension, this whole budding Farm Kingdom, is still brand new.
Naturally, issues are going to pop up left and right.

That’s what you call growing pains.

Which is why we need patience right now, and we shouldn’t complain, we just have to face these problems head-on.

“So, what’s the issue this time?”

I ask the goblin who came to inform me.

“They say there’s a shortage of women.”
“Oh, shut it.”

I couldn’t help snapping.
But come on, that’s a real eye-roller.

What is that supposed to mean?!
“Gimme women”?!
Everyone’s working their tails off, and you’re worried about that kind of thing?!
In some no-nonsense men’s training camp, you’d get decked for saying something so soft. In Satsuma, they’d crush you on the spot!!!

Now’s no time to be distracted by wine and women!

They need to shape up!
We’ve got an enormous project in the works here!

“Actually, Dear, this is a serious concern.”

Platy shows up then, carrying our third son, Shotaro.

“You might brush it off as frivolous, but it’s a real problem. If you make the wrong call, it could very well derail the entire founding effort.”

Seriously?

“Think about it. The developers doing all the heavy lifting, felling trees, plowing land have all been men, right? We specifically recruited for manpower. That means right now, the settlement’s population is literally one hundred percent male. This isn’t an exaggeration or a rough figure; it’s exact.”

Huh. That’s…actually true.

When the development was first carved out of wild forest, there weren’t even decent beds to sleep in. It was far too harsh for most women to handle.

We needed hardy men to battle the wilderness from day one.

“But that’s been going on for quite a while now. And apparently, they’ve reached their breaking point.”

Their…what?

“Their biological drive.”

Platy, please!
No need to be so blunt!

Plus, Shotaro is right there in your arms!
Even if he’s just a baby and can’t understand yet, this can’t be good for his future education!

“What’s wrong with it?”

She said “What’s wrong with it?!” as if she had no clue.

“Every living creature has a survival instinct to pass on its genes. Be it mating, pollination, parthenogenesis, sexual reproduction, or even cloning through cell division; it’s all just an effort to keep the species going. If they don’t reproduce, they die out. It’s that simple.”

Well, yeah, but…

“Exactly! Reproduction is one of the most crucial acts for every living thing...right up there with eating, sleeping, and, well, you know. Acting like it’s embarrassing or dirty is just plain foolish. It’s a fundamental part of life!”

She said it so proudly.

But Platy’s basically a witch in this world, meaning she’s an expert in potions and magical research.

It’s no wonder she sees these social taboos as silly.

“And from that perspective, things in the development site are looking pretty grim! We’ve got hundreds of men in their prime, with no women in sight, all cooped up together. That creates some serious stress!”

Really?
I mean, I lived by myself for a while when I was setting up this farm.
It didn’t feel that bad… I don’t recall feeling so, uh, “frustrated” in that sense.

“Well, that’s because you had me almost from the start, right? You didn’t even have a chance to get all hot and bothered, Dear.”

Ugh…good point.

“You and those men are in completely different situations. They’ve got a small world of just guys everywhere they turn.”
“Yes, and apparently seeing how happy Leader Orkubo and Leader Gobukichi’s families looked really rubbed salt in the wound. Suddenly, our settlers were hyper-aware of how lonely they are, and their stress levels went through the roof.”

That’s from the goblin who delivered the report.

Feeling the warmth of a family can make loneliness sting that much more...
I guess it hit them pretty hard.

But come on, they might not have wives or kids, but they’ve still got comrades they can count on, right?
Aren’t friends enough to chase away loneliness?

“As your wife, I have to say you’re not exactly the most libidinous man out there. If you were, you wouldn’t have stopped at just me; you’d probably have tried wooing Panu or Belena to build yourself a harem.”

Hey!
I’ve been nothing but faithful to you, and that’s what you have to say?!

You’re making it sound like somewhere out there are guys so driven by lust they collect harems by the dozen!

“Of course, a person with zero restraint who steals other people’s partners is the worst. But what I’m trying to say here is that there are plenty of men in the world with overflowing desires far more than you, Dear, and they can’t just suppress it. It’s rough on them.”

…Huh.
So I’m not particularly lusty?

Then again, I’m already the father of three, so it’s not like I don’t have any drive at all. Right?

No, I think it’s just that my sense of reason is stronger than my impulses. That’s it! That’s gotta be it!
I can control it, so it just looks like I have a weak drive. Yes, exactly!

Why am I even having to defend myself here?!

“Point is, there are men with stronger urges and weaker self-control, and for them, the development site is a nightmare. They’ve got no outlet for certain urges, so they’re probably going insane!”

I guess? Maybe?
All-male quarters with zero female presence is bound to be tough…

I can imagine the pressure building with no release valve in sight.
There’s only so much a guy can hold back.

“That’s right! No women, just men! Eventually, with no other option, they’ll end up turning to each other!!!”

Wait, what?!
You’re saying if they can’t channel it anywhere else, they’ll redirect it internally?!

That’s definitely a concern.
If they end up going that route, well…we’re venturing into uncharted territory.

“Besides, the environment in the development site has improved a lot, thanks to the help of the orcs and goblins. They have roofs over their heads and proper places to sleep. I think it’s about time we invited women to come and live there.”

I see!
If we bring some female settlers in, that’ll solve the problem of it being an all-male space.

They’ll be happier if there’s good home-cooked food!
If you can come home to someone saying ‘Welcome back,’ that’s what you call real happiness!

“Honestly, Dear, the main point is a little more physical than that…!
“My Lord’s heart is just so pure…”

Platy and the goblin both give me a look that’s strangely warm and pitying.
What’s that about?

***

Anyway, we decided to recruit some new settlers right away,

Obviously, we can’t just “grow” people on the farm.
We have to bring them in from outside.

We reached out to both the demons and humans, and they seemed a bit thrown at first by the request.
But they’re professionals, so a few weeks later, they sent us a fresh batch of workers.

And now it’s time to throw a big welcome party!
We’re going to give these new lady settlers...the ones who’ll help build our future Farm Kingdom, the warmest possible reception, so they’ll know moving here was the best decision they ever made!!!