Lastismoon was Draim’s daughter, but everyone in the village just called her Rusty.
In her dragon form, she was a massive beast measuring roughly fifteen meters, but in her human form, she looked like a middle school student. With her long blonde hair and sharp, dignified features, she had the air of a student council president or a disciplinary committee head about her. Perhaps the fact that she had tracked her father down on suspicion of him having an affair only added to that impression.
When I first saw her, she was wearing a formal dress as if she were headed to a gala, but since moving into the village, she had fully committed to "village girl" fashion. She seemed like the type who liked to start with the right look. Of course, no matter what she wore, the horns on her head and the tail behind her made it very clear she was a dragon.
"Rusty settled in quite quickly, didn’t she?" I remarked.
"Give them good food, entertainment, and a sense of purpose, and that’s usually how it goes. Dragons are fundamentally bored creatures, after all," someone replied.
"Is that why Draim visits so often?"
"Exactly."
When it came to meals, Rusty wasn't a picky eater. She seemed to enjoy everything she was served. Whenever she tried something new, she would inevitably mutter, "Father, you're so unfair!" over and over again. Regarding fruit, she preferred sweetness over acidity. She took a particular liking to the dried persimmons.
"Is this really all that’s left...?"
I often caught her looking despondent at the entrance to the storehouse. We had eaten a lot of dried persimmons during the winter, so the stock was already low, but I couldn't help but think: Hey, those are technically everyone's portions.
Rusty also enjoyed chess, reversi, and mini bowling. Her skill was decent—about on par with the beastman boys. She got quite invested in the games, her mood swinging with every win or loss.
When she was outside, she would sometimes join Kuro’s offspring in chasing after the flying disc. Since she couldn't outrun the four-legged wolves in her human form, she would transform into a dragon just to catch the disc and then act all triumphant. She might have been more childish than her appearance suggested.
Kuro’s offspring would come to me to complain that she was cheating. Honestly, even if they complained to me, there wasn't much I could do.
Initially, I intended to treat Rusty as a guest, but since Draim and his wife had specifically asked for her to be put to work, I obliged. Since I wasn't sure what she was capable of, I had her try various tasks.
As for hunting, even if she was young, she was still a dragon; the prey sensed her presence, got terrified, and refused to come out of hiding. As for mining, she was capable of rough excavation, but she lacked the finesse for detailed work. Caring for the chickens and cows was also a failure. She had absolutely no experience with housework, and her attempts only resulted in more work for everyone else.
As for field work... the crops were too precious, so I didn't even let her near them.
The conclusion was clear: she was a high-born lady with zero life skills. Perhaps dragons were a race specialized entirely for combat? I had an image of dragons being intelligent, but...
Regardless, she was far too much firepower for the village. I was about to decide that her best use was guarding the forest alongside Granmaria, but then a better role was found.
Rusty’s job was decided: Diplomat.
It turned out she was actually quite good at welcoming guests and negotiating. Her first client was Beezel, the Demon King’s messenger. His official goal was to purchase crops, but he had also come to investigate the incident where Rusty and the others had rampaged nearby.
"Hahaha. As long as there are no problems, all is well. Ah, do you still have any of those yellow fruits from before? I ran out during the winter."
"You mean the mandarins. I believe we still have some in stock... but it's the start of the season, so don't expect too much. For this time of year, how about some strawberries instead?"
"Strawberries?"
"Yes. They have a lovely sweet and tart flavor. If you sprinkle them with sugar or dip them in milk, they’re even better. Though they're plenty delicious on their own."
"That sounds wonderful. I'll take ten boxes, then."
"Would you like some sugar and milk to go with those?"
"I'm truly no match for you. Very well, I shall take both."
"Thank you. As for the price... I’ll give you a discount and set it at this much."
"If we're talking about discounts, surely this much would be better...?"
"Then let's settle on this."
I was amazed to see where she had hidden that short temper of hers—the one that had almost made her burn the village down. Maybe she only lost her cool when her father was involved?
Furthermore, she used several small wyverns, each about a meter long, to handle communications. This allowed for much tighter contact with the Demon King’s Castle, Howlin Village, and Draim. The actual care of the small wyverns, however, was promptly dumped onto the lizardmen.
"Are there really twenty of them?" I asked.
"Whether it’s one or twenty, it’s all the same to us. Leave it to us," the lizardman replied confidently.
"I see."
The biggest challenges in raising the small wyverns were teaching them not to attack the chickens or cows and ensuring they weren't attacked by Zabuton’s children.
"Is it a bit of newcomer hazing?" I asked.
"No, it seems the spiders simply viewed them as prey until now."
"Is that right?"
"Well, they do fly. For now, I’ve put collars on the wyverns and asked the spiders to leave them alone."
I hoped they would manage.
"My daughter! Are you doing well? If you need anything at all, just say the word."
"I’m fine, Father, but why do you visit so often? You were just here ten days ago."
"Everything is fine back home because Gucci is there. Hey! I’ll have the usual!"
At Draim’s signal, the High Ogre working at Rusty’s house began preparing food and sake.
"So, I heard you used the bath. What did you think? It’s the best, isn’t it?"
"It is. However, the fact that there are so many people using it is a bit of a drawback."
"Ah... the women’s bath must be crowded. The men’s bath is nice and spacious. Even Gucci hops in whenever he comes here."
"Father, that's unfair!"
"Hahaha. Now you understand why I built a house here."
"I do. Speaking of which, couldn't you send some servants? The High Ogres are looking after me, but since they’re just on loan, I feel a bit awkward."
"I’ve ordered Gucci to select some staff. However, we’ve run into a bit of a dispute."
"Are people unhappy about the idea of working under me?"
"The opposite. Word has gotten out about how good the food is in this village, and the number of applicants is overwhelming. At one point, even Gucci was insisting that he should be the one to go."
"I can understand the feeling, but you’d be the one in trouble if Gucci left, wouldn't you, Father?"
"Umu. Regardless, I’ll have him make a decision soon."
"I’ll be waiting."
The Demon King’s Castle
"Where is Beezel? I heard he returned."
"Yes, but he went straight to his family home."
"Not to his quarters?"
"No. He said he had urgent business to attend to. Oh, but he did leave the souvenirs with me."
"I see. That is good. But urgent business for Beezel? I hope nothing is wrong..."