A year's end and beginning

1 Winter days

Winter arrived.

And it brought a sudden, heavy snowfall and bitter cold. That was dangerously close.

If Village Three had been completed a few days later, some of the Centaurs would have had to rely on the Northern Dungeon's hospitality.

"The food deliveries are complete. All the villages are doing fine."

One of the Centaurs responsible for communications between the villages reported to me.

The Tree Elves in Village One, the Minotaurs in Village Two, and the Centaurs in Village Three had each begun their new lives.

"What about measures against the cold?"

"No problems. There's plenty of firewood, too. However, Mr. Gordon and Miss Gruwald would like to discuss the snow on the roofs."

"Hmm? Snow on the roofs?"

"If we Centaurs climb onto them, we might crush them."

"I think they could support even you... All right, I understand. I'll send people to clear the snow, so please carry them over when the weather improves."

"Understood."

"Did you run into any problems on the way here?"

"Nothing in particular."

"How's the river?"

"Now that you mention it, the water seemed higher than usual. Would it be better to remove the waterwheels from the river for now?"

"No, a slight increase probably won't affect them. What about the waterway construction?"

"It's still in the planning stages in both Village Two and Village Three. Since you instructed us not to push ourselves, we're choosing days with good weather to work."

"Right. Make sure you don't push yourselves."

I had assigned several winter jobs to Village Two and Village Three.

Still, this was their first winter on unfamiliar land, so I wanted them to focus on safety.

"How's Village One doing?"

"Nothing unusual."

"I see. Any other messages?"

"One. Miss Ig of Village One, Mr. Gordon of Village Two, and Miss Gruwald of Village Three would like to ask a favor of you, Village Chief."

"Hmm? What sort of favor?"

"Since the leaders of each village are also called village chiefs, they would like to give you a new title."

"Oh, I see."

More villages meant more village chiefs? That made sense. I hadn't thought of that.

A new title for me... Something other than village chief? What would be good?

"The three of them suggested simply calling you 'king.' What do you think?"

"'King'? That's a bit much..."

"The other suggestion was 'grand village chief.'"

"...I-I'll think about it. But don't get your hopes up."

"Understood. I'll remain on standby here for about two hours, then pass through the other villages on my way back to Village Three."

"Got it."

I really couldn't stomach either "king" or "grand village chief."

I heard Kuro's descendants barking outside, so I opened the door.

A team of twenty wolves stood in neat rows. The only one standing out in front was Kuro's child, Kuro Five.

After a bark, they all ran west.

At present, twenty of Kuro's descendants were stationed as guards in each of Village One, Village Two, and Village Three. Though I called them guards, they were really just living there.

Kuro Six, Kuro Seven, and Kuro Eight led the teams in the villages, while Kuro Five led the mobile unit. The mobile unit's current task was to clear the way for messengers such as the Centaurs.

The Centaurs could outrun any Magic Creatures or magical beasts they encountered, so clearing the way seemed unnecessary, but we couldn't afford to be careless in case something happened.

It meant a little extra work for the Kuros, but I hoped they would bear with it.

Just as I finished seeing Kuro Five and the others off, I heard barking behind me. "Ah, okay, I know. You're saying it's cold outside, so hurry up and close the door, right?" I apologized to Kuro and Yuki, who were napping in the house, and shut the door.

...Where had the wildness they had when we first met gone?

It was cold outside in winter. I hid indoors without going out at all, continuing my shut-in lifestyle.

I couldn't say our food supplies were absolutely foolproof, but I had prepared enough for everyone to eat three full meals a day.

What exceeded my expectations was the number of Kuro's descendants born that year.

Just as I was worrying that we might run short of food, Hakuren and Rasuti went south and brought back huge fish, solving the problem in one stroke. I was truly grateful.

Wouldn't it have been better to solve the food problem this way from the start? No, even if I was going to ask them, I had to do everything I could first.

"Fry the next plate."

"Me too!"

In short, I was busy cooking those fish for Hakuren and Rasuti.

Gran Maria came to consult me.

"Village Chief, I'd like to discuss our patrol range. With the new villages included, the area we patrol has become quite extensive."

"You can't cover it all?"

"Flying over it isn't a problem, but our ground surveillance isn't thorough enough. Some things might slip through."

"Hmm... All right, that can't be helped. The little ones basically don't move around much in winter anyway, so it's fine as long as you don't miss the big ones."

Besides, wyverns were what we needed to watch out for most.

"Understood. Then we'll continue as we are. Also, when spring comes, I'd like to bring some friends here. Would that be all right?"

"Are these friends Angels?"

"Yes. They aren't particularly strong fighters, but they can at least fly."

"If they say they want to live here, that's fine, but don't force them."

"Understood. I'll try contacting them in spring."

Friends of Gran Maria and the others, huh? What sort of Angels would they be?

I didn't know what had changed in the horse's mind, but the horse in the pasture area actually let me ride.

And even followed my wishes to some extent.

In other words... I had learned to ride a horse. Ohhh!

Thinking back, after the horse saw me riding on Gruwald's back, there had been a bout of sulking, but after we made up, the horse became surprisingly obedient.

If the horse was willing to be friendly, it only made sense for me to be affectionate too. Was that what changed our relationship?

"There, there. All right, let's go."

Though we were only moving at a brisk walking pace, I still enjoyed riding.

Not far away, Gruwald was glaring at us, sending a chill down my spine.

Why was Gruwald here? Oh, right, a regular report. Uh... I hadn't done anything wrong, but I felt guilty.

Perhaps sensing how I felt, the horse deliberately smiled at Gruwald.

Yes, Gruwald looked downright terrifying.

Zabuton and the others disappeared during winter. Hibernating, probably? It always felt a little lonely this time of year.

Still, a few remained energetically active on my roof.

Though they wouldn't go anywhere cold.

But I wanted them to be careful and stay away from fires so they wouldn't burn themselves.

Now, as for winter work, I had already decided what to do.

First, produce more Reward Medals.

I was currently discussing with everyone whether we should award Reward Medals to the Minotaurs, Centaurs, and Tree Elves. If we did, we also needed to discuss how many.

I worked hard to produce more so we could handle any possibility.

Perhaps because I had become more practiced, I worked faster than last year.

Next came making small tools and miscellaneous items.

The new villages had too few things, only the bare minimum, so I would use the winter to produce more.

I gave the finished items to the Centaurs making their regular visits to carry away. Everyone praised them, so I got carried away and made a huge amount.

"Um... Village Chief?"

"What is it?"

I had just given an Oni Race maid a few cups for household use, but she looked somewhat troubled.

"The carvings on the sides of these cups are too elaborate, which makes them rather awkward to use... And we have to be especially careful when washing them."

"Hmm, did I overdo it?"

"Wooden cups with carvings this intricate aren't everyday utensils anymore. They're works of art. Also, this is the deity you hold so dear, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"In that case, I suggest using them as presents or thank-you gifts."

"Uh... Wouldn't it be embarrassing to give people things I made myself?"

"You needn't worry about that at all. Incidentally, someone also asked me what to do with the tableware distributed to the villages, and I told them to use it as decoration."

"...What did I do wrong?"

"Leaving the plates aside for now, you can't carve the part of a cup that touches the lips. Wouldn't it be better to concentrate the carving on one section of the side?"

"Something like this?"

"...Is that me in the design?"

"Yes."

"Thank you very much. I'll treasure it as a family heirloom."

"No, I just made it on a whim. If possible, I'd like you to use it..."

Ignoring my suggestion, the Oni Race maid held the cup in both hands and left the room with a skip in her step.

Afterward, I could see the expectant Oni Race maids putting particular effort into their hairstyles and clothes.

"All right, I'll make one for everyone who wants one!"

Since the shrines and deity statues in Village Two and Village Three were complete, I began carving the statues of Kuro, Yuki, and Zabuton that I hadn't made yet.

Unlike usual, I worked carefully indoors this time, so they didn't feel wild enough. I wasn't very satisfied with such tame results.

Thinking that changing their poses might help, I tried again with "a sense of motion" as my theme.

The resulting statues made such an impression that an Oni Race maid entering the room looked as though she were facing a formidable enemy.

"Are these... for warding off evil?"

"Not really, but probably something close."

The Zabuton statue with its "sense of motion" was very popular with Zabuton's children who remained active during winter.

I often saw them beside it.

Then there was one last thing.

Three High Elves-Ria, Lize, and Rafa-were pregnant. All the children were mine. Well, they had been with me for a long time, after all.

The discovery of their pregnancies plunged the High Elves into a festive uproar during winter.

Though the atmosphere among them was one of hoping for boys, from my standpoint, either boys or girls were fine as long as they were born safely.

Soon afterward, we discovered that Ann, an Oni Race maid, was pregnant too. Of course, the child was also mine.

The Oni Race maids were just as excited as the High Elves.

This renewed my determination to keep working hard as a father.

Since I was already so determined, could the women of the various races please stop constantly herding me into a bedroom?

2 Winter troubles

Though I wanted to spend the winter relaxing, trouble came knocking on its own.

There were three main problems that winter.

One was the food problem caused by Kuro's descendants, but Hakuren and Rasuti had already solved that.

The other two involved visitors.

It was a pleasantly warm day despite being winter.

"Sorry to intrude!"

The speaker was a huge man over three meters tall.

He stood outside wearing a helmet that completely concealed his face and a suit of full armor that looked extremely heavy, holding an enormous club.

He cut a mighty, imposing figure.

Since Beezel stood beside him looking troubled, I couldn't help calling him over to ask.

"Who's that?"

"Glatts, one of the Demon King Kingdom's Four Heavenly Kings."

"Four Heavenly Kings?"

"It's a title akin to a minister of the Demon King Kingdom."

"What does this minister want here?"

"Since His Majesty kept praising this village, he wanted to come issue a challenge."

"A challenge... You mean the martial arts tournament we held before?"

"Yes. He wants to fight the strongest person in the village."

"What a nuisance. But even if we tell him that, he won't go home, will he?"

"Probably not."

"Hmm. But even if we wanted to let him challenge the winner, Pillow, the tournament champion, is hibernating, you know?"

"If you find someone suitable to fight him, he should go home satisfied."

"Then let's ask Kuro and the others..."

"Sorry. He already got beaten up before reaching the village, so please choose someone else."

"Then Gran Maria."

"Same story. He got thoroughly beaten up before reaching the village."

"Gran Maria lost in the first round, didn't she? Isn't that guy one of the Four Heavenly Kings?"

"Although he's in charge of military affairs, he isn't the type to charge into battle on the front lines himself. He excels at commanding from the rear..."

"Then why did he come looking for a fight?"

"Because he really wants to fight on the front lines."

"Is it really all right to have someone like that among the Four Heavenly Kings?"

"His talent for commanding from the rear really does qualify as genius, though..."

"...Sounds like you have it rough."

"I do."

Still, finding him an opponent was awkward.

Ria and Ann, who were relatively good at holding back, were both pregnant. Even if they volunteered, I wouldn't let them fight.

That left Daga the lizardman, Donovan the dwarf, and Mea the Mountain Elf.

Although Daga had lost in the first round, he was still strong enough to compete in the knight division.

Mea was the champion of the warrior division, so perhaps Donovan would be a safer choice? Still, he struck me as the sort who wouldn't hold back or show any restraint.

While I was still thinking, Sena of the Beastmen had already defeated him.

"Uh..."

"Could you find an opponent weaker than that Beastman girl?"

Beezel was asking far too much.

Anyway, this became an activity to pass the time during winter.

However, that wasn't the visitor problem I meant. The real problem came afterward.

"Please, marry me!"

Glatts, one of the Demon King Kingdom's Four Heavenly Kings, was proposing to a woman.

The woman in question was Rinona, a Minotaur girl stationed here as Village Two's representative. She was small for a Minotaur, standing less than two meters tall.

She had a calm, graceful air about her. In a nutshell, she was the gentle older girl next door.

However, her chest had an incredibly imposing presence. That was the sort of woman she was.

Whenever Glatts was injured in battle, Rinona treated him. That was probably why he had fallen for her.

Glatts removed his full-face helmet, revealing his face. He was extremely handsome. He also had small bull horns on his head.

He emphasized that he was a Minotaur too, doing his utmost to show off his good points.

However...

"I'm sorry. I intend to devote myself to the village, so I cannot return your feelings."

Rinona rejected him immediately.

We were going to move straight on to a feast to console him, but Glatts refused to give up.

"Devote yourself to the village? That means you're still unmarried, right? Wonderful. May I discuss this with your parents? Or do you have some other guardian?"

Although Rinona continued to refuse him, Glatts showed considerable persistence in romance, quite unlike his performance in battle.

"Not without the village chief's permission."

In the end, Rinona brought up my name.

"The village chief?"

Glatts glared at me. No, I hadn't made a move on her.

She was only living in the village as a representative. Still, emphasizing that probably wouldn't help.

Yes, it was a wasted effort, just as expected.

"Please state your conditions."

"Huh?"

"Your conditions for allowing me to marry Rinona."

I asked him to wait a moment, then consulted the nearby High Elves and Oni Race maids.

"Is this what asking for someone's hand is like?"

"That's how it happens in stories."

"I'm so jealous!"

"Yes, a romance torn apart by the village chief."

...There was no consulting them at all.

All I knew was that unless I named some conditions, things wouldn't settle down.

Beezel advised me that if I thought they weren't suitable for each other, the usual approach was to set an impossible task. I obediently followed his advice.

"Personally, I'd like to support you, but I place more importance on the choice of the person involved. Unless Rinona herself says she wants to marry you, I can't agree."

"So if Rinona says she wants to marry me, you'll agree?"

"You mustn't force her. You can't threaten her with violence or authority, either."

After telling Glatts that, I called Rinona over.

"You don't need to answer him right away. Don't think about the village. First, think carefully about whether you're right for each other, then give him your answer. If you say you want to marry that man, I'll support you fully. Ah...this has absolutely nothing to do with whether I've taken a fancy to you."

"I understand. Thank you very much."

And so, for the time being, the matter of Glatts and Rinona was settled with a decision to wait and see what happened. I thought there shouldn't be any problems.

As it turned out, there was still a problem.

"I've decided to stay."

Glatts announced that he would move into Big Tree Village.

"What nonsense are you talking about? You're one of the Four Heavenly Kings, aren't you? And a marquis, too? What's more, aren't you currently commander-in-chief of the Western Army? What about your work and your territory?"

Beezel tried to resist.

"Those things will work themselves out."

"No, they won't. Enough. Stop fooling around and go home."

"Then I'll resign. I'll give up my position in the marquis's family, too. I'll leave the rest to my younger sister or brother."

"Don't be so rash!"

"I will live for love!"

Beezel and Glatts argued fiercely.

According to Glatts, he wanted to stay by Rinona's side as much as possible so she could learn more about his good points.

Also, he could keep watch from nearby to prevent other men from approaching her.

I understood that way of thinking, but Beezel was on the verge of tears, so I hoped they could find a compromise.

The compromise.

Whenever Beezel came to the village, he would contact Glatts whenever possible.

If Glatts wanted to come, Beezel would bring him to the village.

I wasn't sure whether this was the result of Beezel's efforts to persuade him, or thanks to Rinona saying, "Please do your best at work," while they were seeking a compromise...

Before leaving, Glatts spent about an hour whispering sweet nothings to Rinona. It was quite a headache, but he didn't seem to be a bad person.

After that, Glatts and Rinona apparently became something like pen pals, corresponding through the small wyvern used to contact Beezel.

That was the second problem and where it stood.

Well, all I could do was watch. I wouldn't force things along or get in their way.

As for everyone else, I wanted them to interfere as little as possible. No, that was an order. I told them to mind their own business.

In any era, other people's romantic affairs made excellent entertainment.

And the third problem.

Doraim's younger brother, Dors, had fled here.

3: Dors and Kuhdel

After coming to the village, Dors took human form and greeted me, then asked for a room at the inn.

Next, he called Hakuren over and began drinking with her in the inn's dining room.

"Listen, big sister. This really is too much."

Dors had come to the village to escape.

Apparently, he had fled here because he was being forced into marriage.

Incidentally, for some reason, I was there too. Meanwhile, the representatives from Village Two and Village Three who had been staying at the inn had taken refuge in my house instead.

It was all at Hakuren's request. Well, she probably needed someone to help with the cooking.

I cooked for Hakuren and Dors and served their food. They seemed more interested in drinking, so I prepared snacks to go with their drinks.

Normally, even guests couldn't eat and drink without restraint during winter. Our food stores were important, after all. However, Dors had thoughtfully brought plenty of ingredients and gifts, so that wasn't a problem. I hoped he would eat his fill.

Now, to put together what I'd heard while cooking and serving...

The dragon Dors was supposed to marry was actually someone he knew. To be more precise, they were cousins, with her being older, and she apparently was stronger than Dors.

Since Dors got beaten up whenever they met, he was strongly opposed to having a wife like that.

However, Dors's older sister, Seki Ren, had her eye on his prospective bride's younger brother, so she sided with the woman. As for Death and Raimeiren, they supported marriage on the principle that more children and grandchildren meant more blessings. With no allies at home, Dors had fled in despair-that seemed to be the gist of it.

Yes, I see. And now, at this very moment.

His prospective bride had also taken human form and was sitting across the table from Dors.

"Are you the village chief? I'm sorry it took me so long to introduce myself. My name is Kuhdel, and my father is Lady Raimeiren's younger brother. Through that connection, I will soon become Lord Dors's wife. I look forward to getting to know you."

Kuhdel wore an evening gown, but her neatly arranged, long, jet-black hair gave her the air of a woman from Japan. Although I hadn't seen her dragon form, I wouldn't have been surprised if she were an Eastern dragon rather than a Western one.

"I'm Hiraku, the village chief. Pleased to meet you."

Incidentally, nobody was injured during her visit. Apparently, Kuudel, who had been on patrol at the time, had guided her down quietly into the village.

Kuhdel had come to the inn to greet me, only to happen upon Dors, so she had simply joined us.

At present, Dors was stiff all over and completely unable to move.

"Lord Dors? What's wrong? Are you too nervous? Hehe, you're so funny."

"..."

"Lord Dors, answer me."

"Ah, uh, yes."

Dors managed to force out a response.

"You're happy to see me, aren't you?"

"Uh, yes, I'm happy."

"You're happy to marry me, aren't you?"

"..."

"Lord Dors, answer me."

"I-I-I told you before, I..."

"Is there another woman you like?"

Killing intent filled the dining room.

"Now, now, Kuhdel. No bullying my little brother."

"Big sister Hakuren, I'm not bullying Lord Dors. If anything, I'm the one being bullied."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. We had promised to go out together, but he broke his promise without a second thought. I even went out of my way to pick him up, but he pretended not to be home."

"Ah...then Dors was in the wrong."

Dors shook his head.

Although I didn't want to get involved in a situation like this, as a fellow man, I couldn't abandon him.

"Hakuren, sorry, but could you chat with Kuhdel for a little while? There's something I want to discuss with Dors."

"Oh? Couldn't you talk right here?"

Kuhdel tried to stop us, but I had Dors leave the table first, then whispered in her ear.

"This is to persuade him to marry you, so please give me a little time."

"...Understood. You truly are worthy of big sister Hakuren's approval."

I hurried after Dors, since I had a feeling he would run straight off. In fact, he was just about to flee.

"Wait, wait."

I stopped Dors as he was about to make his escape.

"What?"

"Even if you run, she'll chase after you. If she catches you, you're done for."

"Ugh...b-but..."

"All right, all right. Calm down first and talk with me for a bit."

"Talk?"

"Yes, how should I put it? I only met her for the first time today...but there's something dangerous about that Kuhdel."

"You understand?"

"Yes."

"Th-thank goodness. Thank goodness. Someone understands how I feel."

"Don't cry yet. Now, answer my next question honestly."

"What is it?"

"What conditions would you have for marrying Kuhdel?"

"Huh?"

"If you were going to marry Kuhdel, what conditions would you want to set?"

"No, well, to be honest, I never even considered her a potential wife..."

"You should give up on that."

"You're telling me to give up..."

"You said earlier that she had a dangerous air about her, right? I don't think you can escape. My guess is that even if Death and Raimeiren opposed it now, Kuhdel wouldn't give up. Meeting her meant your luck had run out."

"Meeting her... she was right there watching the moment I was born!"

"Then it's fate. Stop fighting it."

"H-how can you say that..."

"You'll have to resign yourself to getting married, but it's not time to despair yet."

"...What do you mean?"

"That's why you need to set conditions. There are things you dislike about her, right? Tell her to improve them. Then couldn't she become someone you'd think, 'I wouldn't mind marrying her'?"

"No way. I don't think she'd listen."

"Really? Have you ever said anything to her about those things before?"

"Ah... no, I haven't, but..."

"Then try telling her."

"Ah... ugh..."

"Don't worry! The way I see it, she'll definitely accept your conditions!"

"R-really?"

"Yes. But to make that happen, you have to explain them properly. That's the important part."

"But I can't speak freely in front of her at all..."

"All right, then write them down."

"Huh?"

"You can write them on paper, right? Do your best to write down everything you want. Also, it's cold outside. Let's get back indoors."

"O-okay."

After waving to Hakuren and Kuhdel, who had stayed in the dining room, I went back with Dors to the room he was borrowing.

Then I handed Dors some paper and a pen.

"Here, write down everything you want from her without holding anything back! Don't overlook even the smallest detail! Think of it this way: however much you write, that's how much she'll change! Make Kuhdel into the woman you want. Write your heart out!"

"Y-yes!"

I left Dors devoting his full attention to the paper and returned to the dining room alone.

"Has Lord Dors accepted?"

"Before we discuss that, Kuhdel, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Do you want to marry Dors?"

"Of course."

"Are you sure you want Dors?"

"Yes, Lord Dors is the one I want."

"I understand completely. To be honest, I just asked Dors to write down everything he hopes for in his future wife regarding marriage."

"His future wife... in other words-"

"It's for you, Kuhdel. I thought that, being you, you would probably accept all his requests."

We had only just met, but for some reason, I understood her personality.

"Yes. If those are Lord Dors's wishes, I must fulfill every one of them."

"What an ideal bride."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"But that alone won't make a marriage go smoothly."

"...What do you mean?"

"I don't think I'm in any position to lecture you... but let me say a few things anyway. The most important thing in marriage is for both spouses to accept each other."

"Accept each other..."

"One side can't be overwhelmingly forceful! And it's not right for one side to obey completely, either! Becoming husband and wife isn't just about having children. It means working together to build a family! Kuhdel! Can you do what I just said?"

"O-of course I can! I'll show you that I can build a happy family with Lord Dors!"

"Good. Then you should write down what you want from Dors, too!"

I handed Kuhdel paper and a pen.

"Huh?"

"The things you want Dors to improve. There must be some, right?"

"Yes, there are, but..."

"If he can make requests, then of course you can, too. Don't hold back. Write them all down!"

"...Understood."

I prepared a guest room for Kuhdel so she could concentrate on writing inside.

Only Hakuren and I remained in the inn's dining room.

"You really do like meddling, village chief. Does it come naturally?"

"Dors is your younger brother, isn't he?"

"You did this because it involved my little brother?"

"That's right."

"Village chief."

"What is it?"

"Actually, there are a few things I'd like from you, too~"

"Hahaha, what a coincidence. There are a few things I'd like from you, too~"

Hakuren and I flirted as we enjoyed the remaining food and drinks.

The next day.

Dors, holding his grand masterpiece, sat across the table from Kuhdel, who had about twenty sheets of paper in her hands.

"All right, exchange them."

"Huh? Um, shouldn't we edit them first?"

"Why would your feelings need editing?"

I shouted at the hesitant Dors, and the two exchanged their papers.

"Next, go back to your rooms and read everything! Everything! Don't skip a single word!"

The two returned to their rooms.

"Will that settle things?"

"Hard to say. But... at least they've written down their thoughts for each other to read. That's a step forward from their previous relationship, right?"

"I see~"

I didn't know whether things would turn out as I expected, but at least Dors and Kuhdel left together when it was time to go home.

Dors's expression looked a little more relaxed, so I guessed things would be all right.

Problems came and went. What a relief.

"Only Big Sister Hakuren and the village chief got to be there... that's not fair."

Rasuti sulked a little over being left out even though the matter concerned Dragons.

And so...

"Please, about my relationship with Kuron..."

Having helped Dors and Kuhdel make progress, I was praised as a "miracle counselor," and even Seki Ren, Hakuren's younger sister and Dors's older sister, came to see me.

Dragons really moved fast.

4: Long winter days

When it came to foods I craved once winter arrived, mochi was one.

Mochi required steaming glutinous rice, pounding it with a pestle, and shaping it.

Mochi. Once the thought of eating it came to mind, the craving only grew stronger.

Mochi, mochi, mochi. We hadn't harvested much glutinous rice, but using it to make mochi was reasonable enough!

On the first attempt, I steamed it but failed. Ugh.

On the second attempt, I finally succeeded! But the texture seemed different from what I was after. Had I pounded the rice wrong? Was my rhythm off? No, maybe I wasn't strong enough?

On the third attempt, I asked the resident Minotaur representative to help pound it and the resident Centaur representative to help turn it over.

It turned out delicious. It was especially good with sweetened soy sauce, and dipping it in sweetened roasted soybean flour was nice, too. I should plant a few more fields of glutinous rice next year. Besides, this food could be stored for a long time.

Another food I craved once winter arrived was sweet red bean soup with mochi! First, I steamed the red beans, then added sugar and a little salt. Balancing the sweetness and saltiness was quite difficult. It took me about seven attempts to get an acceptable flavor.

Finally, I added the mochi! Perfect sweet red bean soup with mochi!

"Y-you put mochi in it... I never would've thought of that."

"How could red bean soup with mochi not taste good?"

It was all gone in no time.

Foods I craved once winter arrived... what else was there? Ehomaki (note: a specialty sushi from Osaka, made by rolling vinegared rice and fillings in nori)? Nori... I had asked Michael to get some for me. We had rice. We had vinegar, too. As for the fillings... they would mostly be vegetables, but that was fine. That left the omelet... that was about it, right?

"Is this a new dish?"

"Yes."

They were originally supposed to be eaten as whole rolls without cutting them, but in the end, I sliced them for everyone to enjoy.

"What a curious flavor."

"Different from rice balls, right?"

"You can change the fillings inside... it feels like the possibilities are endless."

They were a big hit.

Making ehomaki also reminded me of Setsubun (note: a Japanese festival whose activities include eating ehomaki and scattering beans).

Setsubun.

...Scattering beans when we were worried about our food reserves probably wasn't an option.

What other holidays were around that time... Valentine's Day? Chocolate was made from cacao beans, right?

The Almighty Farming Tool could grow cacao trees, but I didn't know how to turn cacao beans into chocolate.

Surely cacao fruit didn't have chocolate inside?

Ah... but I did want some chocolate, too. I would try growing cacao trees once spring came.

That was about it on the food front.

I had made all those foods at home, so I made them several more times afterward for those who had unfortunately missed out.

The mochi was very popular.

"Don't choke on it~"

An experiment I conducted in winter.

On a day with good weather, I asked Rasuti to fly as high as she could and drop a certain object.

The object I had asked her to drop went into free fall. Partway down, a piece of cloth spread outward, then snapped open-a parachute.

With its parachute open, the object slowed its descent and drifted unsteadily down to the ground.

A wooden box serving as a weight hung from the parachute. I checked the glass bottle inside the box, and it hadn't broken.

Gran Maria, who had accompanied me for the experiment, was astonished.

"Village chief? What was that?"

"I made this in case I ever fell off while riding Rasuti or Hakuren... it seems to work well."

"If you fell off... you would use that to descend?"

"In an emergency. But besides people, I'm also planning to attach it to cargo, like I just did."

"Cargo is fine, but wouldn't it be dangerous for people?"

"I can't say it's absolutely safe, but it's better than nothing, right?"

"There's magic that controls the speed of a fall."

"...I can't use it."

"My apologies."

"Well, I won't test it on a person right away. I'll run repeated experiments first, then ask someone who can fly to try it."

"In that case, I'm relieved."

Rasuti returned from her flight, and I asked what she had thought while watching from above.

"I think scattering lots of them down below would feel really satisfying."

"..."

Anyway, the parachute still needed improvements. Yes. Unfortunately, Zabuton and the others, who supplied the cloth and ropes, were still hibernating, so I couldn't continue. I would experiment again in spring.

"Hmm?"

The Alcohol Slime approached, looking full of anticipation.

...Are you sure? It's dangerous, you know.

The Alcohol Slime's presence told me it would be fine.

"Good luck."

I saluted the Alcohol Slime as it opened the wooden box's lid, then it climbed inside.

As for the lid... leaving it open would let it see its surroundings, so that was fine.

Since it would be terrifying if the parachute failed to open, I decided not to fold it and to leave it open instead.

"Rasuti, could you keep it like this and carry the wooden box up into the air?"

"Understood."

"Gran Maria, stand by at low altitude. If anything goes wrong, rescue the Alcohol Slime."

"As you command."

Then Rasuti flew to about the same height as before and dropped the wooden box.

The unfolded parachute opened immediately, slowing its descent.

...At first glance, it looked like a balloon.

The Alcohol Slime enjoyed

a few minutes of strolling through the sky before landing safely. The impact was slight, too, so there seemed to be no problems. The Alcohol Slime bounced around happily.

"...For some reason, it looks really happy."

"Yes."

Rasuti and Gran Maria looked my way.

...Since they could fly if anything went wrong anyway, I let them play with the parachute.

"That felt pretty good."

"The feeling of floating gently down was new and fun."

"But you can't just strap the parachute to your shoulders. You have to secure it around your thighs, too. It's a little embarrassing."

"Exactly. Isn't there some other way to wear it?"

The two of them, who had changed into long pants beforehand, offered various suggestions for improvements, but the rest would have to wait until Zabuton and the others woke up.

Also, the Alcohol Slime was next. Everyone, line up properly.

The snow did not hinder the Centaurs' movements.

"But don't push yourselves to travel if a blizzard comes."

"Understood. If it stays like this, it's no trouble... Oh, but the snow on the bridge does feel a little frightening. It would be nice if the bridge were a little wider."

"That's a reasonable suggestion. But making it wider raises the concern that Magic Creatures or magic beasts might cross the river, too."

"Magic Creatures or magic beasts... That's a fair point. I'm sorry for asking too much."

"Not at all. I'm the one asking you to make the trip every day, so I'd like to improve anything that's inconvenient. Widening it isn't an option, but how about adding railings?"

"Railings? Those certainly would help. As things stand, everyone worries about stepping on snow and falling off the bridge."

"Let's do that, then. Could you take me there on a day with good weather?"

"As you command."

On a day with good weather.

I rode a Centaur to the bridge.

Accompanying me were the three Centaurs who had come on their regular messenger run and the two Centaurs stationed in the village.

There were also Kuro and ten of his descendants acting as guards. Half of those descendants had been born this year.

"Are you doing the regular messenger runs in groups of three now? I seem to remember you starting out with two or five..."

"Yes. After trying various arrangements, we decided that groups of three were best."

"I see. As long as you aren't pushing yourselves too hard, that's fine."

"Yes."

We arrived at the bridge.

Although the weather was fine, there was still snow on the bridge, along with hoofprints left by the Centaurs' repeated crossings.

"Since it's a wooden bridge, we didn't dare melt the snow with fire magic."

"Hahaha. Please, whatever you do, don't try that."

The bridge had been made by laying a log across the river and shaving off the top. To add railings to it... I would need nails.

Although I had brought nails, thinking through the order of the work, I would need to make the railings first, take down the bridge, attach the railings, and finally put the bridge back.

...Too much trouble.

I went into the forest to find a fairly large tree. It needed to be about three meters in diameter and longer than the river was wide.

I felled it and shaped it.

I carved a log into a U-shaped bridge. Instead of making railings, I gave it side walls.

"How's this?"

"It feels quite good, but it restricts our view when crossing. I don't think they need to be that high..."

"I see."

So I cut the side walls down to half their height and made holes in them.

Since this structure would collect water when it rained or snowed, I gave the bridge's floor a slight slope and made several drainage holes in the side walls.

"How's this?"

"It feels very good. Thank you very much."

"Hahaha. All right, could the messengers head straight to the villages and let everyone know the bridge has been replaced?"

"Understood."

The three Centaur messengers crossed the newly completed bridge and galloped off.

"That took quite a while. We'd better head back, too."

I urged the Centaurs stationed in the village to get ready to return, but...

"Kuro and the others seem to be chasing some prey."

The youngsters born this year were working very hard. But I had never seen the prey they were driving along before.

A deer? Its antlers looked incredibly vicious... Ah, even its movements were vicious.

It swung its antlers to fight back, but Kuro's descendants dodged every attack. Although its attacks missed, it seemed to have succeeded in breaking out of their encirclement. The deer charged toward me, throwing the stationed Centaurs into a panic.

Fortunately, I already had the Almighty Farming Tool firmly in my hands in hoe form.

I swung down at its head and finished off the vicious deer. Kuro's descendants barked, praising my outstanding performance.

"Hahaha. All right, let's bleed it and take it home."

I was overjoyed by this unexpected addition to our food supply.

"This is a Panic Caribou."

"Yes."

The Oni Race maids and the Civil Servant Girls looked solemn.

"Shouldn't I have hunted it?"

"No... Well, although it's quite rare, it's a magic beast, so there's nothing wrong with hunting it... It's just that most of this deer's value lies in its antlers..."

Since I had struck it with the Almighty Farming Tool in hoe form, its antlers had turned to soil along with its head.

"Sorry. But safety first."

It would have been awful to get hurt trying to avoid its antlers.

"I understand that... But its antlers are apparently very delicious."

...You could eat the antlers?

"I've never eaten them, but apparently everyone who has praises them to the skies."

"Isn't that just because they're rare and unusual?"

In short, a delicacy.

"Let's leave it at that."

As for the Panic Caribou's meat, that was quite tasty, too.

Since I couldn't stop wondering how its antlers tasted, I went into the forest to hunt Panic Caribou on days with good weather.

After mobilizing Gran Maria and the others, along with a large number of Kuro's descendants, we were lucky enough to catch one on the seventh day. This time, we kept its antlers intact.

Apparently, the most traditional way to prepare them was to grind them into powder and make soup.

Once it was ready, I tried a mouthful.

It was movingly delicious. The caribou meat was good, too, but the antlers were even better. Truly astonishing.

However, no matter how many times I went into the forest after that, I never encountered another Panic Caribou.

Hmm. The memory of delicious food was hard to erase.

You got me, Panic Caribou.

5 Happy spring

Spring had arrived! Spring, when life got busy! As I greeted Zabuton and the others, who had become active again, I rejoiced at spring's arrival.

First, we checked our food stores.

Led by Frau, the Civil Servant Girls began inspecting them and making careful calculations.

"Big Tree Village has no problems!"

"Village Two's food consumption is somewhat uneven, but the total amount is fine."

"Uneven?"

"They seem to be consuming fruit more quickly. On the other hand, their grain consumption has been kept low."

"Is it a matter of taste?"

"Ah... No, well, I think... they're probably just saving the food that keeps longer for later."

"We told them we'd replenish anything they ran short of, didn't we? Does Village Two not trust us?"

"That's not it. It's probably just a habit. After all, they seem to have gone hungry for a long time before coming here."

"...I see. Next village."

"Village Three seems to have consumed more over the winter. They'll need supplies within the next few days."

"Can we send some from Big Tree Village?"

"No problem. At the current rate of consumption, we can last until the next harvest. I'll arrange it right away."

"Sorry for the trouble. But why did Village Three consume more?"

"Apparently, they misjudged how much the children would eat."

"They may be children, but they're still Centaurs. They all seem to eat a lot."

"I see. Then Village One... Rather than saying there are no problems, they've barely consumed anything. Most of the food we sent has been stored away."

"Even if they don't need to eat, knowing they've hardly eaten anything feels a little..."

"Let's be grateful to them for reducing our consumption."

As things stood, our food would last until Big Tree Village's next harvest. However, that depended on harvesting as much as we had in previous years. In other words, everyone was counting on my Almighty Farming Tool. It looked like I would have to work hard.

We cleaned away the dirt that had accumulated over the winter.

It was dirtier than I had imagined. While doing the big cleanup, I also took things outside to disinfect them in the sun. As for the accumulated rubbish, I tilled it all into soil with the Almighty Farming Tool.

All right, next came the fields-although I wanted to get to work farming, I first had to gather the representatives of each race for a meeting.

Ig, the Tree Elf from Village One, Gordon, the Minotaur from Village Two, and Gruwald, the Centaur from Village Three, all attended.

The main topics included our plans for this year and the distribution of Reward Medals. Although we called it a meeting, the topics had all been discussed beforehand, so almost

all that remained was for me to announce them.

"First, this year I'd like to focus on developing Village Two and Village Three."

Ideally, Village Two and Village Three would each become self-sufficient. But there was no need to rush. Even if I wanted to achieve it quickly, it probably wouldn't go that smoothly.

The immediate priority was to let everyone grow accustomed to life here and settle down with peace of mind.

I had also received reports that, thanks to everyone's handicrafts over the winter, the interiors of their homes were largely furnished.

As for building the waterways, the weather had prevented their completion. I had already told everyone not to push themselves too hard on that front, so that was no problem. But the fields still needed irrigation. Building waterways and reservoirs therefore remained the priority.

Next came addressing the problems discovered over the winter.

These mainly involved relocating outdoor toilets and adding covered walkways and the like.

Once those were finished, all that should remain would be the fields... But since I would handle those alone with the Almighty Farming Tool, that wouldn't affect the villages.

If there was a problem, it was that my schedule was too packed.

Also, until now, the High Elves had done most of the construction, with the Minotaurs and Centaurs merely assisting, but I wanted them to acquire some building skills of their own.

As things stood, each village had prioritized surviving the winter, so they had only built the homes they needed for that. I hoped they could learn building techniques while constructing large gathering spaces, bathhouses, and other buildings.

I passed along all those points, one by one.

We had also discussed the Reward Medals many times over the winter.

The result was-

"Except for the Tree Elves and those stationed in the other villages, every worker living in Big Tree Village will receive three medals. Each race's representative will receive ten more."

The distribution within Big Tree Village was basically the same as last year.

Those who could not yet contribute labor, such as Alfred, Tiselle, and the newly born Lizardman children, would not receive Reward Medals.

Conversely, the Beastmen boys, who were young but already working hard, all received some. Kuro, Zabuton, and their groups also received additional medals because they were groups.

Thank you for all your help so far, and I looked forward to your continued support.

"This year, we won't distribute any to individual residents of Village One, Village Two, or Village Three yet. However, each village will receive thirty medals, to be held temporarily by its representative."

This was clearly different treatment for the new residents.

I had wanted to treat everyone equally, but Ig, Gordon, and Gruwald had all politely declined.

They said that they had not yet contributed to the village, and that treating adults and children alike would also cause problems. They certainly had a point.

So, after a little discussion, we distributed thirty medals to each village.

The list of items available in exchange for Reward Medals had not changed much from last year.

We had simply added a note that there would be a waiting period for furniture I made myself. That was about it.

Also, Rasuti and Hakuren each received two extra Reward Medals for their contributions to our winter food supply.

There had been some debate over that number, too.

Rasuti and Hakuren both said they didn't need any, while I insisted on giving them some. In the end, we settled on the middling number of two each.

Perhaps a certificate or some other form of commendation would have been better? I also felt it was a problem that I alone decided how many Reward Medals to give.

Afterward, I announced Big Tree Village's future plans at the meeting.

These included expanding the fields and orchards, allocating land for various crops, and remodeling my house.

Although this part had little to do with those living outside Big Tree Village, I still wanted them to hear it.

There was one more important matter concerning the children's education.

The Minotaurs of Village Two had twenty-three children and forty-nine adults.

The Centaurs of Village Three had sixty-four children and forty adults.

Normally, the adults could simply take turns teaching the children, but there were too few adults for the number of children.

On top of that, the adults were busy adjusting to their new lives.

As things stood, they could only assign a few adults to watch the children, while leaving their education on hold.

"Considering their future needs, wouldn't it be better for them to at least learn reading, writing, and arithmetic?"

"That's true, but right now, even the adults can't necessarily do those things..."

After asking, I learned that none of the Minotaurs had the skills to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic.

The Centaurs were much the same.

When I asked further, I learned that even those who claimed they could calculate only knew addition and subtraction. Multiplication and division seemed completely beyond them.

"Is that the extent of their education?"

"Um..."

Among the residents of Big Tree Village, several High Elves and Mountain Elves had shaky arithmetic skills too, but at least Hakuren was teaching them, so that was no problem.

She proudly announced that everyone could now read, write, and do arithmetic, apart from the children who were too young, the slimes, and the bees.

Even Kuro's descendants and Zabuton's children?

Apparently, they really could. That made me realize the gap in educational standards. And I couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

"Commuting to school would be too much of a burden on the children, so it would be best to teach them in their own villages. In the short term, let's send teachers from Big Tree Village as a stopgap."

Hakuren would be the main teacher, with a few members of the Civil Servant Girls helping out. That was roughly the plan.

Yes, education was important, but we couldn't rush it. It would be terrible if forcing the children to study made them hate school. We would take it step by step.

As for the final point...

We needed to confirm our plans to find people to settle in Village One. The reason I wanted outsiders to move here was to ease my concerns.

Two things worried me.

First, if anything happened to me, the user of the Almighty Farming Tool, it could cause tremendous trouble for the village.

Of course, I didn't want to die, but humans grew old. Sooner or later, I would die.

There would be no problem if Alfred and Tiselle could inherit the Almighty Farming Tool, but that was probably just wishful thinking on my part.

Besides, even if I didn't die, something might happen that made the Almighty Farming Tool unusable, so I wanted other people who could farm.

The other concern was the ratio of men to women.

As things stood, there were too few men besides me. That wasn't healthy. Well, unhealthy or not, since I'd gotten involved with them, I would take proper care of them.

I'd been prepared for that for a long time. Honestly, I'd already accepted that part. The problem was what would happen in the future.

Everyone in Alfred's generation was a sibling. No matter how you looked at it, that wasn't healthy, was it?

Even for the village's future, we needed men other than me. However, these new settlers... the Minotaurs had a size problem, the Centaurs couldn't mate with us, and the Tree Elves were a race that didn't need sexual reproduction in the first place.

Even if they could provide labor for farming, they couldn't solve the imbalance between men and women.

So we would continue seeking outsiders to settle here.

Once we had confirmed that, the meeting came to an end.

With the meeting over, I could finally get out into the fields!

I put everything I had into cultivating Big Tree Village's fields. I'd thought their previous size was already about my limit, but somehow I managed to expand them further.

The fields grew from thirty-two by twenty-four plots to thirty-two by thirty-two. However, I left the herb field in the northeast untouched during the expansion.

Since the herb field measured eight by eight plots, the actual area added to the farmland was eight by twenty-four plots.

We had more new residents and more of Kuro's descendants too. That was wonderful.

While I was expanding the farmland, Zabuton's children set out on their travels as usual.

They raised one leg high to salute me, then shot out threads and flew off one by one.

I hoped they would stay full of life even far away. I also needed to thank the children who stayed. Thank you.

Once the farmland expansion was finished, it was time to expand the orchard.

I increased it from twelve by eight plots to twelve by twelve.

I added less common fruits such as coconuts, pomegranates, limes, kiwifruit, lychees, and mangosteens, as well as planting cacao trees.

It was becoming a proper orchard.

The bees living in the orchard had successfully established new hives too, so it looked like we could expect honey this year as well.

Next was the pasture.

Yes, the calves and young goats were steadily increasing in number and growing healthily. The chickens east of the house had also increased, making the pasture very lively.

Cute. Yes, they were so cute.

Even though they were supposed to become meat on our table someday...

We weren't at that stage yet.

We could hunt for meat in the forest anyway, so there was no need to force ourselves to eat them, was there?

Even knowing it was hypocrisy, I was too softhearted to go through with it.

I would leave supplying cow's milk, goat's milk, and eggs to them.

Once the work in Big Tree Village reached a stopping point, I headed to Village Two under the protection of Kuro's descendants.

What should we plant?

Village Two was the Minotaurs' village.

First, I set up the statues of Kuro, Yuki, and Zabuton that I had made for Village Two's shrine.

Zabuton's children living in Village Two carried her statue up into the big tree. Make sure to secure it firmly so it wouldn't fall.

Then I prayed to the gods. Please watch over Village Two as well.

On my way to Village Two, I crossed the bridge I had improved last time and discovered a problem.

The bridge's sidewalls got in the way when we carried the statues of Kuro, Yuki, and Zabuton across. Since Rasuti and Hakuren had always transported the food by air, I hadn't noticed the problem.

I would think about how to improve the bridge next time.

The Minotaurs living in Village Two had farming experience, so there wasn't much to worry about.

"Please dig a reservoir around here."

While I had been working in Big Tree Village, Village Two's water channel had been completed.

The channel was made of bamboo. They had processed the bamboo and laid the groundwork during winter, then assembled it all at once in spring.

Although there were concerns about the capacity and strength of a bamboo water channel, it had the advantage of being easy to repair and replace.

To increase the water supply, they were currently planning to build a second channel.

I built the reservoir in the designated spot and dug a drainage channel while I was at it.

"You finished in the blink of an eye. We couldn't dig into this ground at all..."

It was all thanks to the Almighty Farming Tool. So I told them to show greater reverence for the shrine rather than thanking me.

Come to think of it, what did they believe in? Could the shrine I'd built actually be an eyesore to them...?

Worried about that, I called Gordon over to ask.

"We worship the god of farming, but we aren't so zealous that we reject other gods..."

"I see. The god of farming... you mean the God of Agriculture, right? He is indeed one of the gods enshrined there..."

"I heard. He looks different from the god we know, but that isn't a problem."

"I see. Then, when I have time, I'll make a statue of the god of farming you know."

"Thank you very much."

Now, back to my usual work.

"We'd like to focus on grains for the fields. However, planting only one crop would be disastrous if the harvest failed, so please plant several varieties. If we could ask you to plant fruit trees as well, we would appreciate that too."

I cultivated the fields according to Village Two's wishes. I left the location and size entirely up to the villagers.

Since I was using the Almighty Farming Tool for the first planting, it wouldn't take much effort. However, they planned to use seeds from their harvests for the second planting onward, so I decided it was best to follow the Minotaurs' wishes regarding the area.

The result-

Village Two started with sixteen by sixteen plots of farmland, planted with wheat, corn, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, and broomcorn millet.

Honestly, I had only heard the names of foxtail millet, barnyard millet, and broomcorn millet before, but the Minotaurs recognized them, and they were among the food we'd bought from Michael, so I knew what they looked like.

Holding actual samples of the grains, I worked hard at cultivating while listening to the Minotaurs' explanations. I believed the Almighty Farming Tool could handle it.

The orchard measured eight by eight plots, mainly planted with orange, peach, apple, and pear trees, with a few lemon and lime trees mixed in.

As for the rest, they set aside eight by eight plots of land to begin raising goats.

They had prepared for this before I arrived, so the fence, goat pen, and watering area were already built.

I used the Almighty Farming Tool to cultivate the ground where they planned to graze the goats, making grass grow for the goats to eat.

Next came the goats themselves.

We brought six from Big Tree Village.

This was only my personal wish, but I hoped they wouldn't eat these goats and would let the herd breed first.

"Some of us know how to make cheese from goat's milk, so we'll prioritize that."

Then I would leave it to them.

There were plenty of other things they wanted to do, but first they needed to establish a firm footing. I had no objection to that way of thinking.

"Thank you very much for giving us such extensive fields."

"We'll work hard to cultivate them."

"We'll take good care of these goats too."

Amid their words of thanks, I headed on to Village Three.

Village Three.

Sorry it took me so long to get here.

First, I set up the statues of Kuro, Yuki, and Zabuton for Village Three's shrine.

As in Village Two, Zabuton's children living here carried her statue into the big tree. Be careful not to let it fall.

Then I prayed to the gods as well, asking them to watch over Village Three too.

The Centaurs had a wide variety of faiths, but the god of war had the most worshippers. I would try carving a statue when I had time.

Village Three was the Centaurs' village.

The village's water channel was also finished.

I had been a little worried because these Centaurs were all women, but apparently the Minotaurs from Village Two had come to help.

So, like Village Two, they had a bamboo water channel.

To repay their help with building the channel, the Centaurs had apparently helped the Minotaurs make small household items. That was a very good thing.

After digging the reservoir and drainage channel, I went to cultivate the fields.

At Village Three's request, I focused on vegetables-apparently, this was the result of discussions between Village Two and Village Three. I was happy to try growing various crops too, so I had no objections.

The fields measured sixteen by sixteen plots, with carrots, daikon radishes, eggplants, and pumpkins as the main crops. There were also potatoes, sweet potatoes, strawberries, watermelons, and melons, among others.

The orchard was also eight by eight plots.

At first, I thought everyone would be happy with apples, but it turned out they wanted more peaches.

"Peaches are simply wonderful."

The Centaurs seemed very fond of the peaches they'd eaten in Big Tree Village. But peaches were difficult to store. So although I would plant more peaches, I couldn't neglect persimmons and oranges either.

Next, as in Village Two, we discussed livestock and ultimately decided on chickens.

So I prepared four by four plots of land and swung the Almighty Farming Tool to grow grass that could serve as feed.

We also needed a fence before the chickens arrived. Since it only needed to keep the chickens from escaping, I simply laid thick logs down to enclose the area.

Oh, I needed to make an entrance too.

With that, the fence was finished.

As for the chicken coop and watering area, I would leave the Centaurs of Village Three to do their best... but the adult Centaurs were all women and apparently weren't very good at carpentry.

So I called over several High Elves, who built the chicken coop and watering area in one go.

Then we brought about ten chickens from Big Tree Village.

Here too, I hoped they would let them breed rather than eat them right away. Grow up healthy.

With that, the work in Village Three was done.

Or so I thought, but there was still a little left. We needed to build a fence and ditch around Village Three.

Previously, we hadn't had enough time, and we knew a small fence and ditch wouldn't be much use, so we had put it off.

Perhaps because of that, Kuro's descendants had kept a sharp watch and caught quite a lot of prey over the winter. I was truly grateful.

But that also meant there was plenty of prey nearby.

Although we planned to have Kuro's descendants stationed here permanently, it would still be better to surround the residential area with a fence and ditch.

First came the ditch. A few strokes of the Almighty Farming Tool dug it out. Done.

Next came the fence. I cut down larger trees in the forest and lined them up around the village.

Once I secured an entrance and prepared a bridge across the ditch, it was finished. Since I only needed to enclose the houses rather than the whole village, it didn't take much time.

I would find another opportunity to build a fence and ditch around the entire village. After all, the fields here might expand further.

After finishing the work in Village Three, I returned to Village Two.

Village Two also needed a fence and ditch around its houses.

Of course, the fence and ditch enclosing this entire village would also have to wait for another opportunity.

As I returned to Big Tree Village, about a hundred of Kuro's descendants born last year set off on a journey together.

Huh? To find mates? Since none of them had gone out lately, I'd forgotten for a moment. I would miss them.

Still, more than half of the children born last year stayed. Thank you.

Just as I reached to stroke the head of a nearby wolf, Kuro suddenly cut in.

Hahaha.

Good boy, good boy. Then I would pet Kuro first. But when I went to pet the next one, Yuki was already waiting there. All right, all right.

I could pet them, but petting every single one would be a little difficult, so I hoped they wouldn't line up.

...That was quite an intimidating line.

Also, why were even the Beastmen girls and Oni Race maids lining up?

That day, I played with Kuro and the others until nightfall.

In Big Tree Village, preparations were underway to remodel my house.

The plan was to extend the already long residence farther sideways, then turn a corner.

We would also build a bathhouse.

The problem was the Oni Race maids' dormitory.

I had been wondering what to do about it, but apparently, it had been decided that the current dormitory would be torn down and incorporated into the residence.

While we were at it, we would also reduce the fields near the house and turn that space into a chicken-rearing area.

The fields near the house were largely experimental to begin with, growing crops in small quantities, so reducing them was fine, b-

ut...

Wouldn't the house be too big? It would be about two hundred meters long, you know?

Everyone insisted it would be fine, so I had no choice but to accept it. Would it really?

Anyway, the residence was still being remodeled.

I had assumed everyone living in my house would have to move somewhere else temporarily, but I was wrong.

Apparently, they would divide the house into several sections and work on them in turn.

They started with the planned extension.

I cut down trees in the forest for the remodeling and carried the timber to the construction site.

Village Two and Village Three also sent a few people to help and observe the construction. Thank you, everyone.

Unlike the entirely wooden houses we had built before, this remodeling began with laying a proper foundation, building stone walls, then securing them with something like concrete.

"This time, we're trying to build a home combining wood and stone. A purely wooden house is nice too, but if we want it to look impressive, we need stone."

Apparently, that was how it worked.

Since I had left everything in their hands, I would keep my mouth shut.

I prepared and processed the timber as requested.

Before the remodeling was finished, harvest season came around again in Big Tree Village, so work stopped.

The harvest couldn't wait.

Once the harvest was over, the next round of planting would begin.

With Village Two, Village Three, and Kuro's descendants to consider now, I couldn't let my guard down.

The thought of reducing the fields used for brewing briefly crossed my mind, but I lost to the dwarves' intensely pleading gazes and had to leave them as they were.

Village Two and Village Three would probably start harvesting soon too, wouldn't they?

When that happened, I would have to go cultivate their fields again. There was no harm in having extra food ready.

For some reason, it seemed I could never catch a break.

Chapter 7: The Status of Village Two and Village Three

The harvests in Village Two and Village Three ended, and I cultivated their fields for another round. Working was fun.

Then a problem surfaced.

I had assumed each village's harvest belonged to that village, but the people around me thought otherwise.

"Huh? All of it goes to me?"

The entire harvests of Village Two and Village Three became my property.

Rasuti, who looked after the Centaurs of Village Three, explained this to me. Naf, who looked after the Minotaurs of Village Two, stood a step behind her.

"Village Chief, you're hoping Village Two and Village Three will become self-sufficient, correct?"

"Yes."

"However, Village Two and Village Three do not wish to be independent."

"Huh?"

"Because accepting your full protection is safer than becoming independent."

"Uh..."

They didn't want independence? Was that possible?

"Please consider their circumstances."

"Their circumstances?"

"First, their villages' defenses. Those are handled almost entirely by Mr. Kuro's and Lady Zabuton's descendants, correct?"

"W-well, yes, that's true."

"As for their productivity, it's still difficult to say how things will develop... but you're the one who cultivates the fields, Village Chief. They only tend the crops, correct?"

"That's right."

"Furthermore, if they want supplies other than crops, they still have to ask Big Tree Village, don't they?"

"Is that... so?"

"Under those circumstances, no one would want their village to be independent."

"Hmm..."

"Although the villages are gradually becoming better equipped in every respect, they've only just been established. I believe we still need to look after them for the time being."

"I-I see."

"The harvests belong to you, Village Chief-the chief of Big Tree Village. It's about time you reconsidered that title as well."

"Sorry."

"Next, regarding our arrangements going forward... essentially, we would like you to consider Village Two and Village Three groups of caretakers tending your distant fields."

"...Are you sure that's all right?"

"That is the opinion of every resident of Village Two and Village Three."

"I see."

"We could transport the harvests to Big Tree Village, but hauling them back again when distributing food would be too much trouble. Therefore, each village would store its harvest and be allowed to use a portion of it for food. As for requests from each village, the stationed representatives or those of us looking after them would convey them to you. We ask that you approve this arrangement."

"You're asking for my approval, but isn't that more or less what we're doing already?"

"Yes."

"When I was clearing their fields, I didn't get the impression they thought that way..."

The residents of Village Two and Village Three had offered quite a lot of input on the size of the fields and the types of crops.

Hadn't they been so enthusiastic because they considered the villages their own?

Hmm...

"Whose idea was it to change course? Someone hasn't been putting unnecessary pressure on them from the sidelines, have they?"

"Of course not. Everyone in Village Two and Village Three wanted this treatment from the beginning. There has been no change of course."

Rasuti hurriedly denied my suspicion.

"It was because you wanted to give the harvests of Village Two and Village Three directly to the villagers that they hurried to consult Naf and me."

"So that's why you brought this up."

"Yes. You could also call it reaffirming our relationship. We hope to avoid any misunderstandings."

"...All right. Then I approve."

"Thank you very much."

Rasuti and Naf bowed their heads. Judging by their momentary looks of relief, this matter seemed to have worried them more than I had imagined.

"Sorry I didn't make things clear beforehand and left you worried."

"Not at all."

"I'd always thought letting them be independent and free would be better."

"Independence and freedom come with responsibility. Those things can wait until they're able to support themselves."

"That makes sense. Then, just as idle conversation... do Village Two and Village Three have the ambition to become independent someday?"

"Village Three will have to wait until the children grow up, so that discussion is probably ten or twenty years away."

"It's much the same for Village Two. However, given the Minotaurs' nature, they probably won't seek independence on their own."

"...Understood. So I still need to keep looking after them for now, right?"

"We ask for your continued support."

Hmm... had my thinking been too naive?

I had thought that if I prepared homes and fields, the settlers would handle the rest themselves... but things weren't that simple.

Even if I had thought everything through, staying dependent on Big Tree Village was safer than following my suggestion and pursuing independence-was that what they were thinking?

With so many children, continuing to follow me might have felt more reassuring than stumbling along independently.

Follow me.

The responsibility suddenly felt immense. Was this that burden people called "having everyone's lives entrusted to you"? Perhaps I hadn't really felt it before because all the villagers lived within my sight?

But there was another group of people relying on me to live, somewhere I couldn't easily keep an eye on.

Rulers really were impressive. I didn't feel I could go that far. Still, since I had brought them here, I would take good care of them until they could become independent.

Independent.

As Rasuti had just said, that could wait until they could support themselves. In other words, I needed to make it possible for their villages to stand on their own.

Expecting that in just a year or two was probably too harsh. Still, I would give it my best shot.

Kuro and the others had also established their arrangements.

Basically, most of them lived in Big Tree Village. Although about a hundred had previously set out on a journey, plenty still remained.

In addition, around thirty were permanently stationed in each of Village One, Village Two, and Village Three, while another thirty formed a roaming unit that patrolled between the villages.

They had volunteered to help without anyone giving them orders. I really appreciated it.

Hmm? All right.

I played fetch with Kuro and the others using flying discs and balls.

"...Y-you're all so energetic."

Also, there really were a lot of them.

I couldn't keep track of the exact number of Zabuton's children... but there were probably about fifty in each village?

Their main tasks were repelling outside enemies and removing pests from the fields. They seemed to get along well with the residents of each village. I would be counting on them from now on too.

Hmm? You wanted to play too? All right.

I held a fashion show with Zabuton and the others.

That left me with a few more outfits.

"Doesn't this one look a little aristocratic?"

I couldn't wear it to work in the fields, but Zabuton seemed satisfied, so I had no complaints.

Afterward, everyone held another potato feast.

"Hahaha, thank you. But I can't eat raw potatoes."

I explained that to Zabuton's children, who had brought me raw potatoes.

Although several Tree Elves had been stationed in each village as liaisons...

"Isn't your presence a little too faint?"

"Even if you say

that, there's nothing we can do... We stay in tree form in the villages."

"Trees? Aren't you just stumps?"

"That's the form we use to move around. We can also take the form of ordinary trees."

"I see."

"So we naturally blend into the scenery, right? It's only normal that our presence is faint. Incidentally, a game is popular among us right now: 'Sneak a little closer to the houses every day and see when the residents notice something's wrong.'"

"Make sure you don't take it too far."

"Understood."

Although I had appointed them as the administrators of Village One, not having to worry about anything really saved me a lot of trouble.

Hmm...

"Is there anything you'd like me to do for you?"

"Huh? In that case, we'd like you to prune us."

"...Prune you?"

"Remove excess branches and leaves from the trees."

"I know what pruning is, but... is that really all right?"

"As long as we're in tree or stump form, it's fine."

"I see. Then... well, I'm not sure I can make you look nice..."

And so I went around the villages, pruning the Tree Elves.

"Ohhh! S-such incredible skill."

"Have you had experience pruning before?"

"A god. A god really does exist."

The Tree Elves revered me immensely. I guessed it was probably because I had used the Almighty Farming Tool to prune them.

"Once every six months... no, even once a year would do. We'll be counting on you."

"Hahaha, if I have time."

"Why won't you play with us?"

That was what the residents of Big Tree Village said to me. Uh, I hadn't been playing, you know.

And so we held a small recreational event.

"The first Big Tree Village hide-and-seek tournament!"

"All right, the village chief will be Death. Anyone caught will join me as Death."

Since members of the Oni Race were participating, we called the seekers Death rather than oni.

"If you can stay hidden for a set amount of time, you'll get some kind of reward."

Just shouting without touching someone didn't count.

It had originally been nothing more than an activity to amuse the children, but it turned out to be quite lively.

"I can't find anyone!"

The villagers were incredibly good at hiding.

The intelligence department?

Beezel visited for the first time in a while, so I chatted with him.

"Are the Centaurs doing all right here?"

"They're fine, but there's something I'd like to ask you."

"What is it?"

"If you find anyone whose name is on this list, I'd like you to let us know."

I handed Beezel a stack of papers.

They contained over a hundred names: husbands, relatives, acquaintances, and friends of the Centaurs living in Village Three.

"The fighting in that area is dying down. I'll go looking when the time is right."

"That would be a huge help."

"Not at all. I'm the one who should be thanking you for taking them in."

Since I had the opportunity, I also asked him to help find people willing to move to Village One.

"About the settlers, can't you find anyone in the towns? Um... this might sound bad, but what about orphans?"

"There are some, but persuading orphans is rather difficult."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. All orphans in the Demon King's territory are raised in orphanages, and when they graduate, they're assigned jobs in various places. That system has been operating for decades, even centuries, so very few people look down on orphans."

"I see. Sorry for making such a strange suggestion."

"No, it's only the Demon King's territory where things are reasonably good. Some places in other countries are miserable."

"Couldn't you bring people over from those places?"

"That's not easy, since they're in other countries. Even if we mean well, they might think we're kidnapping people or something and cause an uproar. It could even start a war."

"I see."

"Besides, even if we could, almost everyone we could find in places like that would be female."

"...What do you mean?"

"Men are valuable labor, so individuals and organizations take in boys as an investment in the future. As for girls..."

"Wouldn't establishments that employ women take in girls for the future?"

"Those with resources to spare might, but small establishments struggling to get by probably couldn't."

"Getting by in the present takes priority, then?"

"Exactly."

"..."

The conversation had taken a heavy turn.

But my abilities were limited, too. I wouldn't make grand claims about saving every unfortunate person in the world, nor did I have any such ambition.

All I could do was help people in trouble in front of me as much as I could.

My family naturally came first, then the villagers, and then my friends outside the village.

Even knowing there were unfortunate women in other countries, there was nothing I could do.

I wanted to do something, but I had no way to do it. There probably wasn't anything I could do, right? They were in other countries, after all. Normally, it couldn't be done. Although it couldn't be done...

"Let's change the subject... haven't you set up organizations in other countries to gather intelligence?"

"What do you mean?"

"Organizations that gather intelligence about other countries. Their people live there and report to their home country whenever they obtain important information."

"Ah, I see. Unfortunately, we're members of the Demon Race. Some of us look no different from humans at first glance, but anyone who knows what to look for would see through them immediately. That makes establishing such organizations quite difficult."

"But you aren't all members of the Demon Race, are you? I've heard Shashaato and the village east of Good Forest Village are human settlements."

"Only the representatives of those towns and villages are human. Not everyone living there is human. Though it's true that humans are more numerous."

The humans living in those places generally supported integration between humans and the Demon Race. Furthermore, humans working in the Demon King's territory had no desire to engage in dangerous activities.

"I see. In that case, finding local humans would be best, right?"

"Getting locals to help us wouldn't really... ah!"

At that point, the discussion finally connected with our earlier topic.

Exactly. Hire local humans. How they would be used after being hired was another matter.

As far as I was concerned, I just needed an excuse to give them money.

"I'd be willing to make a donation... though it won't be much. Sorry for the trouble, but please do what you can."

"Understood. Thank you for your assistance."

That was all I could do. I didn't have resources to spare, but now that I'd heard about it, I couldn't simply stand by.

I'd set aside some of the village funds...

"Hakuren."

"What?"

"You shed some scales yesterday, right? Can those be sold?"

"It's unusual to hear you say something like that, Chief~ Sure~"

And so I received ten of Hakuren's scales.

"Sorry, I'm paying in goods."

"Huh? Ah... no, um... huh?"

I didn't mind if people called it hypocrisy. I'd done what I could.

Beezel carefully took Hakuren's scales home with him.

Several years later, at the Demon King's Castle.

"How did it turn out?"

"We're getting reports on almost every change in every region almost immediately. It's impressive."

"I see. Just what you'd expect of Earl Chrome. Everything is going according to his plan."

"Exactly. At first, I also thought using people from other countries to gather intelligence would be no help at all..."

"Hahaha, so did I. I never imagined establishing orphanages everywhere and having them gather intelligence would produce such astonishing results."

"The intelligence comes in the form of diaries and daily reports, after all. That makes it hard to arouse suspicion."

"Quite right. But where did Earl Chrome get the funds to establish so many orphanages?"

"Rumor has it that a certain wealthy individual provided them."

"I've heard that rumor too... but I can't get anyone to tell me that individual's name."

"Well, it doesn't matter whose money it is, as long as they're paying properly."

"Fair point. All right, first compile the intelligence and report to each department. Be particularly certain about information on the hero's location."

"Yes, sir."

The Demon King's Kingdom Intelligence Department had begun operating.

"Glatts, how are things?"

"I was astonished. We even have information on prices in every region. Our opponents' movements are as clear as day. I don't think we could possibly lose a defensive war."

"Exactly. I never expected us to gather such detailed intelligence either."

"Wasn't this what you had in mind when you planned the operation, sir?"

"Hahaha, the real purpose was charity, actually. So it would be a problem if we used this intelligence to invade other countries. Please don't do that."

"Why would I ever do something as troublesome as invading another country?"

"True enough. If there's any information that catches your attention, or anything

you want to know, please tell me."

"Sure. In fact, there's something I'd like to ask right now... I want to know who this chess player is. There's something about them that resembles me. It would be troublesome if they became an enemy commander."

"I see. Shall we try to win them over?"

"Well, that would be ideal if possible, but there's no need to force it. As long as they don't become our enemy."

"Understood."

"Um... you two, could you stop leaving me, the Demon King, out while you have these clever-sounding conversations all by yourselves? At this rate, what's the point of my being here...?"

"What would you like us to do, then?"

"Let me join in, and repeat that conversation. Somewhere my daughter can hear it, if possible."

"..."

The Demon King Kingdom was truly peaceful.

In a certain town, several years later.

"You don't see many brats around lately, do you?"

"Hmm? There are always brats around, aren't there? Look, there's one over there."

"No, I don't mean that kind of brat."

"Oh, you mean the ones who used to sleep by the roadside? They built a big building on the outskirts, right? They're there."

"The one the carpenters were working so hard to finish a little while ago?"

"That's right. Apparently, it's an orphanage."

"I see. Our lord certainly is generous with his money."

"Hahaha, I hear the lord didn't build it. A big merchant company from another town paid for it."

"Hmm? A merchant company paid for it? Can they make money doing that?"

"Who knows? How would commoners like us understand what big merchant companies are thinking?"

"True. Still, it feels good to have all those filthy brats gone."

"Hahaha, you say that, but you used to give those filthy brats food sometimes. If you're worried, go visit them. Apparently, the orphanage is recruiting volunteers."

"I-I'm not worried about them. It's just, well, um... how do I put it?"

"Let's go together. I'm worried about them too, anyway."

"I'm not worried. But if you are, I suppose I'll have to come along."

"Yes, yes."

The orphanages in every region were welcomed by the local residents.

Side story: Kuron

My name was Kuron, and I was a male dragon.

Dragons were greatly respected and feared in this world.

Not to boast, but our family's bloodline was quite distinguished.

My father often modestly said it was nothing special, but I thought that was because he chose the wrong people to compare himself with.

Lord Death, Lady Raimeiren, Lady Hakuren, and Lord Maxbergak.

Compared with those dragons whose names had gone down in history, my father certainly was unremarkable.

Nevertheless, he was worthy of respect.

The first thing worthy of respect.

He dared to voice his opinions to my mother.

The second thing worthy of respect.

Even when my mother got angry, he needed only about three days to win her over.

The third thing worthy of respect.

He dared to strike up a conversation with my mother while she was rampaging.

...He was incredible.

My mother was certainly a great beauty, but to sum up her personality in one word... arrogant.

Although she doted on my older sister and me, she was extremely harsh with her subordinates and the races under her.

If I regarded her not as my mother but as a woman... it was astonishing that my sister and I had ever been born.

Still, although I saw them as my parents, they saw each other as a man and a woman. Their children probably couldn't understand that.

Now then, over the past few years... my respect for my father had grown even stronger.

The reason was that I, too, was being pressured into marriage.

Let me make one thing clear first.

I had no intention of getting married. The reason was that I'd observed my parents and my sister.

It wasn't that I had a bad relationship with my parents or my sister. But surely very few people would want to get married after seeing how my father and mother interacted? And surely quite a few people would become disillusioned with women after seeing my sister.

I was confident that I wasn't wrong to feel that way. It was simply too terrifying.

Female dragons had an ability that let them sense when their destined partner was born.

Apparently, since there were so few dragons, a god had granted them this ability because it would be too pitiful if they never had a chance to meet their other half.

My sister had found her partner through this very ability. Although he was extremely unwilling, I didn't think anyone would dare defy my sister. The wedding was probably already in its final countdown.

I'd heard that no female had sensed anything and come to visit when I was born, so I'd always thought my destined partner had yet to be born.

So all I'd felt was a little sympathy for my sister and her other half.

However, that ability wasn't absolute. Even though it was an ability bestowed by a god? Apparently, there were individual differences after all. What the hell?

It seemed that even if they sensed nothing when their partner was born, they could still sense something upon meeting them.

Wasn't that just ordinary love at first sight?

But no one paid any attention to my levelheaded remark.

The one who considered me her destined partner was Lord Death's third daughter, Seki Ren.

I met her when I went with my older sister to visit Lord Death's lair.

My sister's destined partner was Lord Death's second son, Dors. Although I felt terribly bad that my sister had latched onto Dors, who was much younger than me, I still gave them my blessing.

As for Seki Ren, she stared at me without blinking, making me wonder whether I had done something rude. I worried about it for quite a while.

As we were about to head home, Seki Ren stopped me and handed me an entire roasted large Magic Creature. To be honest, I thought she was playing a prank on me.

But I was wrong.

If my mother and sister hadn't explained, I would never have known that it was Seki Ren doing everything she could to express her affection.

Oh, so that was a sign of affection? While I was still puzzled by how completely different it was from the affection I knew, she somehow became my fiancée. I didn't remember anyone asking me to confirm that. Was I remembering wrong?

After that, Seki Ren kept up her advances.

I was a man, too.

Having a woman show affection for me didn't feel bad.

However, her invitations to hunt ferocious Magic Creatures together gave me a headache. She even asked if I would prefer to destroy a dungeon instead, but that wasn't what I meant.

I would have preferred to spend some more peaceful time together, getting to know each other as we moved toward marriage...

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it."

My father spoke gently.

"I want to hold my grandchildren."

My mother spoke expectantly.

"Are you getting married before me? Or after me? Your answer could affect your health, you know?"

Sister, are you threatening me?

"Let's run away together."

Dors, if you were a woman, I'd say yes. That absurd thought even crossed my mind. Still, his words made me happier than anything else I had heard.

Ah, what am I supposed to do?

Huh?

Was Seki Ren really that bad, you asked? Of course not. I had never seen a dragon as beautiful as her, and she was strong.

In a way, I was a fan of hers.

But looking at her as someone to marry was a little...

You understood? Thank goodness.

Ah, yes, I knew.

I wouldn't tell his wife about this.

The person I was consulting was Dors's older brother, Doraim.

Although he was already married, he was one of the few allies Dors and I had.

Well, apparently he had abandoned his duty of guarding Mount Gurugurando and come to see me on Seki Ren's instructions... but Doraim was on my side. I believe in you.

As I spent my days drifting along like that, some shocking news arrived.

It concerned Lord Death's eldest daughter, Hakuren.

She was a notorious troublemaking dragon, and there probably wasn't a single one among the Dragons who didn't know her name. She was stronger and fiercer than my sister, yet that dragon had apparently become a human's wife.

I took the news seriously and didn't think it was a joke. After all, joking with Hakuren's name among the Dragons was practically asking to die, so I believed it was true.

And I really was shocked.

Apparently, that human had defeated Hakuren right in front of Lord Death and Lady Raimeiren.

...Incredible. I respected him from the bottom of my heart.

After asking for more details, I learned that even Doraim's daughter, Lastismun, had apparently married that human.

...Huh?

He had taken two Dragons as wives? Was that human a monster?

He was truly awe-inspiring.

I was afraid. If possible, I wanted to stay as far away from him as I could. I swore that to myself.

Yet before long, I went to meet that human of my own accord.

The human who had taken Hakuren and Lastismun as his wives had apparently brought my sister and Dors together.

It was a miracle.

No, perhaps he was a messenger sent by a god.

Dors, who had previously refused to marry my sister even if it killed him, was now very enthusi-

-astic about getting married. For some reason, my sister also seemed to have become more accommodating.

That human was amazing.

And with that human's help, perhaps something could be done about my marriage, too.

No, surely it would all work out! He can definitely help me, there's no doubt about it! If possible, I'd prefer to have the engagement annulled!

Huh? Seki Ren had already gone to see him?

Would I be better off running away?

Huh? Who's tapping my shoulder? Hakuren? Why are you here? You have something to discuss with me... uh.

Things weren't as miserable as I had imagined... I thought I would probably be able to have a happy married life.