The twin angels, Suarliu and Suarkou, have both given birth.
It happened almost simultaneously, and both babies were girls. They were part of the angel race, after all.
Suarlou, the mother of the twins, was absolutely delighted. I didn't mind her excitement, but I really wished she wouldn't fly around while holding the newborns. It didn't matter if she was at a low altitude or indoors—just watching her made me nervous. Fortunately, Razmaria eventually pulled her down and forced her back to the ground. That was a huge help.
Regarding the children's names, I consulted with Suarliu and Suarkou to decide. Suarliu’s daughter was named Suarlina, and Suarkou’s daughter was named Suarkona. The names were quite similar, but Suarlou said she had no problem with it.
"Suarlina and Suarkona. Those are lovely names," Razmaria said with a smile as she watched over the infants. She wasn't holding one herself because Suarlou was monopolizing both of them. I thought that with two babies, she might let someone else have a turn, but that was apparently a forbidden thought. Suarlou refused to hand either of them over, insisting that both were her precious grandchildren. Razmaria didn't try to force the issue; she handled the situation with the poise of a mature adult, which put me at ease.
Shortly after, Tia, Malbit, Ruincia, and Reginleiv arrived. They offered their support to the new mothers and celebrated the arrival of the babies. I was grateful for their kindness.
Meanwhile, Lana-san’s house has been completed in the residential area of the Village of the Great Tree. It isn't a mansion, just a standard house on the larger side. However, the furniture provided by Raimeiren is quite extravagant. The kitchen is fully equipped with various magic tools, and an ample supply of magic stones has been placed there. It is ready for her to move in at any moment. All that remains is for Lana-san herself to visit, but I wonder when that will be.
Leaving a house empty until her arrival is a bit of a concern, as vacant homes tend to deteriorate quickly. While things are usually fine in the Village of the Great Tree, empty houses can still present security risks. I was considering leaving the task to the Nyunyu-daphne again, but when I consulted Raimeiren, she arranged for the devil race midwives to take turns managing the place until Lana-san arrives.
That was a relief. Still, I wondered about them starting a banquet the moment they were put in charge. Wait, it wasn't a banquet? A food tasting? Apparently, they were holding a presentation of the skills they’d learned from the High Ogre maids. I see. Well, the kitchen needs to be used to stay in good condition, so that was fine. But I thought using it so boisterously before Lana-san gave her approval might be... wait, they already got permission?
Did Lana-san come here? No? They went to ask her? I see. Well, as long as she approved, it was fine. I just told them to be careful with the fire. Come to think of it, if they went to see her, she must know the house is finished. Did they hear anything about when she might move in? Because she was refraining from teleportation magic, she wouldn't be here until winter? Got it. I’ll make a note of that.
Then, at noon, Lana-san arrived—via teleportation.
"You said you'd refrain!" Dos and Giral shouted.
"We heard it would be winter!"
To be precise, they had challenged Lana-san to a match, been soundly defeated, and were now grumbling to Raimeiren and Guronde. Since they had fought in their dragon forms, the village children were cheering for Lana-san’s overwhelming strength. Lananon, who shares her name, seemed particularly impressed.
That was all well and good, but I needed the damaged forest to be repaired. The fields were untouched, but I worried the cows and horses would be... well, actually, they didn't seem bothered. Were they used to this? I guess so. At most, the newcomer Bicorn, who wasn't used to such things, had fainted. He eventually woke up and started moving, but I checked him over just in case he'd hurt himself when he fell. While I was calling him over, Flora arrived and helped me with the examination.
"He seems fine," she said. I agreed. Once we gave him a light pat to let him know he was okay, the Bicorn galloped off with the other horses who had been hovering nearby out of concern.
I was glad he was safe. Turning to Flora, I realized it had been a while since I'd seen her active during the day. She usually works from night until early morning, sleeping through the day unless there's a major event like the Martial Arts Tournament.
"I was sleeping," she explained, "but it’s hard to stay under with all that 'bang-boom' commotion going on."
Ah, sorry about that. I felt I should complain to Lana-san... but she had already checked her house, enjoyed a full meal by the poolside, and headed home with souvenirs. I decided I'd lodge a complaint with Dos and the others for starting the fight in the first place.
"Oh, don't worry too much about it," Flora said. "It's hard for me to argue back if they tell me it's my own fault for sleeping during the day."
Not at all. There's nothing wrong with sleeping during the day.
"I appreciate you saying that. Research actually goes much better at night, you see."
Apparently, as long as she had light, the night was quiet and productive. Flora could brighten a room with magic, of course, but as a vampire, she had night vision anyway. Did she even need lights?
"I use them to show that I’m working. Besides, it gets depressing if it stays pitch black."
Even for a vampire?
"It’s a matter of personality."
I see. My next question, though... why was she in a swimsuit?
"I figured since I was already awake, I’d enjoy the pool. But neither Big Sister nor you were there."
So she had come to the ranch area to find us.
"Exactly. But I see Big Sister isn't here either."
Lu was in Village Five. We’d been discussing using a golem at the Tracking Cart factory.
"Is that so? That's a shame. I wanted her to see this swimsuit."
Flora was wearing a one-piece that looked like a school swimsuit, but it had a character embroidered on the chest.
"It’s Five-kun," she noted.
Ah, Five-kun.
"How does it look?"
It suits you.
"Ehehe."
Did she pick it out herself?
"Zabuton-san’s children prepared it for me."
I figured it didn't quite feel like Zabuton’s usual style; so it was the children.
"Adding Five-kun was my idea, though."
Isn't embroidery a bit much for a swimsuit?
"Fufufu. Don't you know, Village Head? True fashion exists beyond the point where practicality is surpassed."
I didn't know that. Still, I thought the design would be popular with the kids.
"I'm sure... with the kids? What about the adults?"
Well, adults have their own tastes. Anyway, I told her I’d join her at the pool if she liked. Lu would probably be back eventually.
"Thank you. By the way, I saw a slide I didn't recognize."
Ah, the High Elves built that one. Because of the distance, height, and angle, it was meant for adults; children couldn't use it alone. You had to ride a two-person sliding board and jump out toward the pool.
"It reminds me of the festival sliding we did before."
Exactly. The High Elves apparently built it so adults could have a way to play with the children. Without something like that, the kids usually just cluster together and play amongst themselves.
"Is it restricted to parents and children, then? I was hoping I could try it."
No, it's perfectly fine. If you want, we can go down together. It’s actually pretty terrifying.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
We enjoyed the pool together until the sun began to set.