My name is Yame.
It seems winter has arrived in the Village of the Great Tree.
The Village Head mentioned that it had suddenly grown cold.
On my island, we hardly feel winter at all.
Well, no, I can tell the temperature has dropped.
Just a tiny bit, though.
To be honest, the wind and rain are far more troublesome out here than any seasonal change.
It starts pouring out of nowhere, and the wind suddenly kicks up.
Well, if you keep an eye on the distant sky, you can somewhat predict it.
New residents have arrived on the island.
Chickens brought over from Village Five: three roosters and fifteen hens.
Bringing them from Village Five rather than the Village of the Great Tree was based on the Village Head's idea that gentler birds would be safer.
There was also the matter of how easy they are to care for.
I wouldn't say raising chickens is simple, but as long as you keep them fed and watered and stay prepared for predators, things usually work out.
We built a chicken coop ahead of time, and the dedicated chicken yard was securely fenced in.
Even so, more than half of them managed to escape on the very first day.
I clearly underestimated how high chickens can jump.
Still, the escapees all return to the coop once night falls.
Should I praise them for being smart?
It leaves me conflicted.
At any rate, the island has suddenly become quite lively.
After all, the only official residents before were me, the wooden doll Ivan, and... twenty-three birds.
The High Elves and Lizardmen are residents of the Village of the Great Tree.
They're only here on what amounts to a business trip.
So they can't really be counted as island residents.
Well, it's not like I treat them any differently because of that.
Even if they aren't official residents, we're companions living together on this island.
Oh, right.
The wild birds and the chickens don't fight.
They seem to get along peacefully, which is a relief.
When a chicken got lost, the birds searched for it and guided it all the way back to the coop.
The birds have also been showing the chickens good places to shelter when it rains.
While knowing those spots is great, I'd really rather they just didn't escape in the first place.
Once the chickens settle in, the Village Head wants to discuss introducing bees next.
With bees, we can get honey.
However, given the island's unique environment, I told him we should first investigate whether they could adapt.
It would be awful if they came all this way only to be wiped out.
I just can't figure out how we ought to test it.
Bringing over a few worker bees to ask them directly seems like the best approach, but... if the environment doesn't suit them, those worker bees might die.
Hmm.
It would be wonderful if we had a bee specialist around.
Heavy rain has been beating down on the island for about two days now.
Even so, the inn at our base is completely fine.
Both the birdhouse and the chicken coop held up without a problem.
The birds and chickens seem pretty annoyed by the prolonged downpour, though.
I relax and sip some tea in the inn's common room.
Mmm.
Light and climate control from magic tools.
The comforting sense of security that comes from a sturdy building standing firm against a torrential storm.
An abundance of food.
Ah, pure bliss.
I feel like the tea tastes a whole notch better.
Oh, this isn't tea brewed from island grass—it's made with tea leaves from the Village of the Great Tree.
That's why the High Elves and Lizardmen can drink it with absolute peace of mind.
"Yame-san, let's go bowling soon.
Bowling!"
Oh, sounds great!
I'm not going down easily this time.
Bowling is a game where you roll a ball to knock over pins shaped like villains.
During long stretches of rain when going outside is impossible, bowling has become quite popular based on the idea that getting some exercise is good for you.
Not that I dislike card games, mind you.
We played cards yesterday, so today it's bowling.
Having finished dead last in bowling, I head out into the rain to check on the birdhouse and chicken coop.
I'm sure they're fine, but it never hurts to check.
Ugh, if only I had knocked down that bandit pin back then...
No, when you think about it, the High Elves and Lizardmen have had plenty of practice bowling back in the Village of the Great Tree.
They're far more experienced than I am.
I've only played a handful of times.
Was the match decided before it even began?
Guh...
The heavy rain continues into the third day.
It really is an endless downpour.
Still, the gentle wind is a blessing.
If we had strong gusts on top of this, it would be a disaster.
"Yame-san, let's play this board game today.
You roll the dice and advance your piece along the board by the number rolled."
And depending on what's written on the spaces, your in-game funds go up or down, right?
"Yes.
In the end, whoever has the most money wins.
It's the latest revised edition made by the Village Head."
Hmm.
It sounds like a game of pure luck, but looking closely, several spaces require the player to make strategic choices.
So it takes not just luck, but good judgment at critical moments.
Heh.
When it comes to that kind of match, I won't lose!
Ugh, I picked the wrong career path!
Why on earth did I choose dancer...?
I should have planned for the future instead of grabbing quick cash.
I went out to patrol the birdhouse and chicken coop again today.
The chickens took all their rainy-day frustration out on me.
Hey, I get that you're stressed, but stop pecking at me!
It's not like I'm the one making it rain!
The weather finally cleared up on the fourth day.
Thank goodness.
The ground is a muddy mess because of all the rain, though.
I hated the thought of letting the chickens out into this muck, but their stress was boiling over, so I had no choice.
The moment I unlatched the chicken coop door, they all burst out in a stampede.
Aaaand they're visibly covered in mud.
I'll fill this box over here with water, so make sure you wash yourselves off!
If you don't like water, I left dry sand over here, so take a dust bath instead!
As for the wild birds... yep, they just flew off wherever they pleased.
Well, they know this island inside and out.
I trust nothing bad will happen to them.
"Yame-san, we're heading out to check the trails!"
The High Elves and Lizardmen wave to me with tools in hand.
Yeah, good luck out there!
I'll have lunch ready for you!
"Okay!"
While cooking the meal, I ponder a name for the island.
The Village Head asked me to come up with one.
I thought he should just name it himself, but he said he's terrible at coming up with names.
Not that I'm any good at it either.
Still, this kind of brainstorming was exactly what I should have been doing during the rainy days.
I feel a little guilty about that.
When I consulted the High Elves, Lizardmen, and the Sea Race, suggestions like Yame Island and Hiraku Island came up.
I'll keep them as options.
Though I'd really rather avoid Yame Island.
The island's name has finally been decided.
Great Tree Island.
Simple.
Yet that's what makes it so good.
There aren't any trees big enough to be called a great tree here, though.
It clearly shows our connection to the Village of the Great Tree, so it works.
Those in the know will understand.
Yep.
We got the Village Head's approval, so we'll pass the name along to the Sea Race as well.
I hope they spread the word far and wide.
Members of the Sea Race often visit Great Tree Island.
Though we lump them together under one name, there's actually a wide variety of different species among them.
The most common are Mermaids, Sahagins, Sea Lizardmen, and Sea Elves.
Among them, one mermaid took a real liking to our coastal bath.
Whenever the weather is nice, she stops by almost daily.
Using it is perfectly fine, but swimsuits are mandatory.
As a woman, she really ought to cover her chest.
If she argues that it's a cultural difference, I suppose that's that, but still.
If she wants to bathe completely naked, she should come up to the main base.
Well, being a mermaid, traveling overland is probably tough for her.
Once the railway the Village Head is working on is finished, maybe even mermaids will be able to visit the base.
The mermaid who fell in love with the seaside bath brought a treasure chest up from the seabed to pay her bathing fee.
It seems to have been salvaged from a sunken ship.
As long as it's not from a recently wrecked vessel, it shouldn't cause any trouble.
Ah, spoke too soon—there is trouble.
This treasure chest won't open.
The lock is ridiculously sturdy.
Wait, what is this?
The padlock is a puzzle?
Ugh.
This is actually fun.
I got a bit carried away trying to crack it.
Couldn't solve it, though.
Gucci: "Demon Empire Island."
Yame: "Rejected."
Bulga: "Emperor Yame Island."
Yame: "Rejected."
Stifano: "Yameland."
Yame: "It's an island name! Don't turn it into a country!"
Village Head: "My role as the protagonist... hasn't it been completely hijacked? Is it just my imagination? Just my imagination?!"
Lu: "I-It's definitely just your imagination."
Tia: "H-Have a little confidence in yourself!"
Yame: "My story's gonna go on for just a little bit longer, ya know!"
Village Head: "It's all over! It's going to be even longer than before!"