Lananon was an acquaintance of Dos—or more accurately, she was Raimeiren’s grandmother. Since she shared a name with my daughter, I thought things might get confusing, but she told me that "Lana" was fine, so that was what I decided to call her.
And that Lana... was still in the village.
Based on the initial mood, I had expected her to leave quickly, but it seemed she intended to stay at the hot spring area for medical treatment. Apparently, she was no longer able to fly properly in her dragon form.
Because of that, Urza, who had been scheduled to leave with Lana, ended up extending her stay as well. Hakuren and Zabuton were delighted. The children were happy too.
On a side note, Zabuton appeared to be an old acquaintance of Lana’s, and she was being unusually proactive in trying to interact with her. Lana, however, went to great lengths to avoid meeting Zabuton’s eyes. I couldn't help but wonder if something had happened between them in the past.
Lana’s continued presence brought about a few other changes.
Specifically, Dos and Giral actually started working. They were reportedly powering through a massive backlog of tasks with uncharacteristic energy. According to Raimeiren, this wasn't because Lana had scolded them; they were simply using work as a convenient excuse to stay as far away from her as possible.
When Dos and Giral’s subordinates were summoned for duty, they seemed surprisingly unfazed by Lana’s presence. It was as if they had realized there was no point in running and had reached a state of total resignation.
The Devil Race midwives had a similar vibe. They seemed to feel that only those who still harbored a shred of hope would bother trying to flee. I see.
Then there was Draim.
Lana had asked him about his work in the fields. It wasn't a rebuke or a warning; she simply asked why he was doing it.
In response, Draim stood his ground and spoke firmly. "I am growing these to spread the deliciousness of the daikon to the world."
He looked as though he was prepared for any challenge, though his legs were vibrating at high speed, almost as if they belonged to an entirely different creature.
"There is no problem with that," Lana replied. "The Age of Gods Dragon Race has many roles, but outside of those, one should do as they please."
"Yes! Thank you very much!"
"This daikon that you favor so much... it has piqued my interest. Serve some to me when the mood strikes."
"If spring-sown daikon are acceptable, we can harvest them now. I shall have them prepared for you this evening. To be honest, the ones sown in early autumn are the most flavorful, but even the spring-sown variety grows quite tasty in the Village Head's fields."
"Is that so? Very well."
Draim then launched into a detailed explanation of the daikon. Watching him from their hiding spot, Raimeiren and Graffaloon were whispering through tears about how magnificent he had become.
As for the Fairy Queen, she stopped showing up, even when sweets were prepared. This was rare. She wasn't even hanging around the children. I wondered if she had business elsewhere, but the sweets set aside for her always disappeared eventually, so she was clearly visiting the village in secret. The children were starting to miss her, so I hoped she would show herself again soon.
Progenitor-san had a strange request as well.
"First, I want you to draw a line between me and Lananon-san. Then, Village Head, I want you to position yourself directly on that line—ideally as close to me as possible."
He gave me these instructions with an incredibly serious expression, like a coach explaining a defensive formation.
Then there were the Demon Race members, like Frau and the other Civil Official Girls. They looked at Lana with pure adoration. To them, Lana was a legendary savior. Apparently, back when the Demon Race was going through a period of great hardship, she was the great benefactor who had crushed their enemies—dragons, ancient devils, humans, and the like.
The history buffs among them were approaching her to talk without any fear. Lana seemed happy to have an audience, as she was all smiles while she spoke. Lately, I often saw the girls gathered around her at the dinner table.
The Demon King, however, wouldn't go anywhere near her. He was keeping a very obvious distance. When I asked why, he replied, "W-well, she’s the reason several of my predecessors were forced into retirement..."
I-I see.
Yoko, Niz, and Echid sent a joint petition stating their intention to defend Village Five to the last man. They were clearly on high alert because of Lana. I sent back a message telling them there was no need to worry, and even offered to introduce them. A very polite letter declining the offer arrived almost immediately.
Yoko had summoned her daughter, Hitoe, to Village Five and hadn't been back to the Village of the Great Tree for some time. According to Nana's reports, the town was currently in the middle of a defensive preparation drill. I wondered if they were okay, but since it doubled as training and evacuation drills, I suppose it was fine. It almost felt like a festival atmosphere.
Bell and the Village Four Fougma remained unchanged. "That lady is essentially a natural disaster," Bell said. "If you’ve done everything you can to prepare, all that’s left is to pray."
The High Elves, Dwarves, and Lizardmen felt much the same. The Angel Race, however, was divided into those who stayed put, those who fled, and those who fought. Those who didn't change went about their business as usual. Those who fled used the teleportation gate to go to Village Five, only to be caught by Yoko and drafted into her defense army. She wasn't about to let their combat power go to waste.
As for those who "fought"... for some reason, they were all hiding behind my back. Lana is over there, you know?
And then there was Gucci. Even though it was broad daylight, he was drinking and venting his grievances. I was the one stuck listening to him. In the past, Lana had apparently put him through hell. He had challenged her several times, but the racial compatibility was so poor that he never stood a chance. Beyond that, she had apparently chased him around relentlessly.
When he had reached the end of his rope, he went to the Dragon King—an enemy at the time—to ask for help. But the Dragon King had simply bowed his head in a silent apology, which had driven Gucci to total despair. I see, I see. Anyway, just keep drinking.
I also asked him to forgive Bulga and Stifano. They had only called him because they panicked, and after all, they were the ones looking after Lananon and Kukulkan.
Alfred returned to the village around the same time as Progenitor-san. Lately, Alfred had been staying in his adult form when he visited, but after being praised by Urza, he reverted to his usual appearance. He's at a difficult age.
By the way, Urza was wearing a new black GothLoli dress that Zabuton had made. Alfred praised her normally, without a hint of embarrassment. I could really feel the results of the education Lu and the others had given him. Of course, she really did look good in it. Given Alfred’s personal tastes, a GothLoli outfit was probably right in his strike zone.
Finally, I had a consultation with Raimeiren. She suggested we build a house for Lana in the village. Even if she wasn't living here permanently, it would serve as a landing point for teleportation magic. Apparently, even if Lana said she wouldn't use it, she was the type of dragon who would use it whenever she felt like it in an emergency.
I wouldn't have minded giving her a room in the mansion, but if she suddenly teleported inside, Dos would probably break down in tears. Raimeiren also admitted she wouldn't be able to relax.
I didn't have a problem with building the house, but for those reasons, putting it near Giral’s was out of the question. She said even deep in the forest would be fine, but I rejected that because it would be a nightmare to maintain. I wondered where would be best. The residential area was getting cramped, and building a house that wouldn't be used regularly felt like a waste.
I also had to consider the size and who would look after her. Raimeiren said she would bring several servants through her own connections. As for the size, I figured it was best to ask Lana herself.
When I did, she said a normal, single-story house like the ones in the village was fine. She seemed incredibly happy about the idea, and it never felt bad to be appreciated. I'll make sure to build her a solid home.
Gucci: "Lord Gigrant, who tamed Lady Lananon by taking her as his wife, is our true hero."
Old Demon King: "Once you hear her name, you're trapped in the snare of having to challenge her..."