● Character Introductions
Dryme: Lastismun's father.
Graffalun: Lastismun's mother.
Gucci: An Ancient Demon. He works at Dryme's Nest.
It had been about two days since Yame-san arrived at the village.
I had discovered that carrying a shield provided her with a sense of mental stability. She still fainted whenever Bulga approached, though. Stifano was no good either. For the time being, I asked the two of them to stay away from her. I felt bad about it.
Gucci also went out of his way to visit, but I had to tell him to keep his distance as well. I could tell he had taken a liking to Yame-san. He was even petting her head with a gentle "there, there." Meanwhile, Yame-san’s eyes had rolled back and she was foaming at the mouth.
Wait, were they lovers? No? Not a married couple either? Just old comrades, then. I understood, but I told him to stop approaching her for the sake of her health.
Once I pulled Gucci and the others away, the way Yame-san looked at me became… intense. Those weren't eyes of affection, though. They were the eyes of someone who had discovered an exceptionally sturdy shield. Unfortunately, I could not act as her physical shield myself. I wanted her to make do with the one I had given her.
Regarding that shield... I tried to think of a design that would suit her, but it was difficult. The best option would have been to have her change her outfit, but it felt too rude to demand that a guest change her clothes. So, I gave up on various ideas and crafted a large shield—a greatshield—that could hide her entire body, outfit and all.
I made it out of wood. Considering she had to hold it up, iron would have been far too heavy. I could have used certain materials from the village to craft a shield that was both light and incredibly hard, but the residents stopped me, saying it would be a waste.
"No matter how excellent a shield you make, it won't stop Lady Hakuren’s attacks, and it would be meaningless against a coordinated assault from Kuro and his pack."
I didn’t think Hakuren or Kuro’s group would actually attack a shield Yame-san was holding, but their point was taken. Regardless, even a wooden shield made from the hardy timber of the Forest of Death was quite formidable. It seemed to have the desired effect, as Yame-san finally settled down.
Yame-san turned out to have a hearty appetite. She especially seemed to love sweets. At one point, she was even fighting over them with the Fairy Queen. She was surprisingly strong in strange situations.
Once we were finally able to hold a proper conversation, I asked her about her circumstances and discovered a major misunderstanding on my part. I had assumed Urza was the one who broke her seal, but I was wrong. The seal had actually broken on its own several years ago, and Yame-san had been living on that uninhabited island ever since.
Then Urza arrived. Urza had been told the island was uninhabited and had landed after securing the usage rights, only to be shocked by Yame-san’s presence. Furthermore, Yame-san had claimed ownership of the island on the grounds that she was the original inhabitant. Apparently, they had a discussion about it.
Wait, come to think of it, Urza didn't attack her or anything, did she? Bulga and Stifano mentioned that Urza had probably punched her at least once.
"Are you okay? Was it a truly gentlemanly discussion?" I asked. "Uh, you aren't being threatened, are you? If Urza told you to keep quiet, it’s okay to tell me. If you can’t say it in words, just give me a hand signal."
...She seemed to be fine. No, I shouldn't have doubted Urza. I'm sorry.
Anyway, when faced with a claim of ownership, Urza considered withdrawing to avoid trouble. There was no reason to fixate on that specific island; she could simply look for another one. It was Yame-san who stopped her. She begged her not to give up, to persist—and, more specifically, to save her.
Though Yame-san had been living on the island, her lifestyle was anything but comfortable. It was, after all, a deserted island. Securing food was difficult, and bad weather meant she couldn't move around freely. She had only survived because there were no magic beasts or monsters on the island that posed a major threat, but she was constantly living on the edge of death.
"Since you’re an Ancient Demon, couldn't you have flown somewhere else?" I asked.
She couldn't fly.
"Then how about swimming?"
She couldn't swim either.
"Then how did you end up on an island?"
Apparently, the land had been part of the continent when she was first sealed, but by the time she woke up, it had become an island. Furthermore, the long years of being sealed had drained her of her power; she currently possessed only about as much strength as an ordinary member of the Demon Race.
She'd had a truly difficult time. Ah, please don't cry. Yes, yes, you did your best.
In the end, she surrendered her ownership rights to the island in exchange for Urza’s protection. Urza considered letting her live in the city she used as a base, but Asa, Earth, and Ice apparently sensed that Yame-san was a magnet for trouble. They suggested entrusting her to me instead.
They figured that if she came here, Bulga and Stifano would be present, and Gucci would come if called. Versa and Prada were also nearby in Village Five. They believed she would manage better if she were surrounded by her own kind. Ice, who returned with Urza, insisted that this definitely wasn't an attempt to dump a problem on me. I decided to take it as a sign of their trust.
For now, Yame-san needed rest. Once she felt more composed, I planned to find some kind of work for her. If she just spent her days eating and sleeping, she would likely feel a heavy sense of debt. Since she had been living as a castaway, she didn't have any personal wealth to speak of.
Gucci ended up paying for Yame-san’s stay. I told him he didn't need to worry about the cost.
"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't," Gucci replied. "However, she has lost a significant amount of her strength. I suspect she will be a burden to you."
I had heard she was weakened, but was it really that severe?
"Yes. It is strange for one of her kind to weaken to that extent merely from being sealed, but..."
The geography of the area where she was sealed had changed completely, so perhaps that had an influence?
"Perhaps. Regardless, please be careful when you visit the island where Yame was found. Ensure you take either Bulga or Stifano with you."
I nodded. "Understood."
"Also, if Lady Hakuren or Lady Lastismun are with you, I believe you will be safe regardless of what happens."
I would have to consult with them about that. If Urza was going, Hakuren would likely want to come along, but Lastismun... if either Bulga or Stifano were away, she might find it impossible to join us because of the children. Hakuren was comfortable leaving the children with Dose, Raimeiren, or the High Ogre maids, but Lastismun usually preferred to leave them with Bulga or Stifano.
Well, Bulga and Stifano had originally come to the village as Lastismun's assistants, so her trust in them was understandable. Then again, she had recently started trusting the Flying Carpet to watch over them as well. If I took either Bulga or Stifano and the Flying Carpet...
"If necessary, you could always call for Lord Dryme or Lady Graffalun," Gucci suggested.
Ah, there was that option. Would they be happy to look after their grandchildren? I'm sure they would, but I couldn't keep imposing on them. It wasn't good to rely on them too much.
In any case, since Urza had invited me, it was decided that I would be going to the uninhabited island where Yame-san had lived. As for the travel companions, I would decide after talking it over with everyone.
Lu: "Unfortunately?"
Tia: "So you’re saying you wanted to be Yame-san’s shield if you could?"
Village Head: "It was just a figure of speech! A figure of speech!"
Dryme: "Is there any grandfather who would consider looking after his grandchildren a burden?"
Graffalun: "You can rely on us. You really can, you know."
Lastismun: "I'm just worried that if I leave them with my parents, they'll teach them strange things..."
Dryme: "There’s nothing strange about teaching them about daikon, is there?"
Graffalun: "It’s not strange to teach them how to crush an opponent’s fighting spirit on the very first move, is it?"
Lastismun: "...Please send Gucci over here."