People often have the image of dwarves as perpetual drinkers, but that wasn't entirely accurate.
They were certainly fervent workers—provided the task involved brewing.
As long as sake was involved, they would even perform farm work without a single complaint. In fact, they were often more fastidious about the harvest timing than I was. It was a good trait to have.
I had initially assumed they would be habitual secret drinkers during the brewing process, but they didn't indulge at all beyond a mere taste test. According to them:
"There is no way one could produce good sake while working in a drunken state."
I see.
Since brewing involved working with fire, they didn't touch a drop even when they took turns standing night watch.
"It is absolutely preposterous for a fire watchman to drink."
That made sense. Fire was a terrifying thing.
The only time they actually drank was during meals.
"Hmm, today’s batch is no good."
"Yeah, the aroma has vanished. It's just sake for burning the throat."
"Speaking of aromas, I found a tree with a wonderful scent. Why don't we try making a barrel out of that?"
"Rather than a barrel, how about that method the Village Head mentioned?"
"You mean the one where you add fragrance while drying the crops?"
"We just have to smoke the crops before turning them into sake. It shouldn't be difficult."
"True. However, I'm frustrated with myself for not thinking of such a method until now."
"Hahaha!"
They drank during their usual meals, but it felt less like a leisure activity and more like a tasting, a critique, or a research presentation. Well, this was partly because I regulated the villagers' alcohol consumption. The residents were only allowed to drink during banquets.
I felt bad about keeping it restricted forever, so I had planned to lift the ban once they learned moderation... but since things were going well, I decided to maintain the status quo. Since there was a way to obtain it by exchanging Reward Medals, I hoped things wouldn't reach a breaking point.
At any rate, unlike the stereotypes, the dwarves weren't constantly soaked in sake. They were earnest.
When it came to brewing, that is.
...
......
"Hey, Donovan."
"What is it, Village Head?"
"Did the numbers increase again?"
"Umu. They arrived this morning. I thought to have them greet the Village Head immediately, but they said they wanted to prioritize the brewing site."
The dwarf population had currently grown to fifteen.
"They'll have trouble finding a place to sleep. Shall we build something?"
"If we're building, I'd like to request a drying shed first. Also, I want a new still. And a shed to house it in."
"I'll build them if they're necessary, but shouldn't a place to sleep come first?"
"No, I request the drying shed first. As for a place to sleep, the floor is sufficient."
They were earnest.
When it came to brewing, that is.
Then, a guest arrived.
He was a strange person.
Strange point number one: He reached the village without being detected by Zabuton, Granmaria’s squad, or Kuro and the wolves. Well, the new dwarves were similar in that regard, but...
Strange point number two: Despite that, Zabuton and Kuro's pack didn't attack him. It felt as though they couldn't strike even if they wanted to.
Strange point number three: When he was discovered, he was performing a prostration in front of the statue of God I had carved by the Great Tree. Even when we noticed his presence and surrounded him, he did not stop his prayer.
For those unfamiliar, a prostration is the ultimate sign of reverence, where one casts their entire body flat against the ground. If you only saw the final pose, you might think he had just collapsed, but it was the highest form of etiquette.
The guest's identity was quickly revealed.
"Progenitor?"
It was Lu's grandfather.
"I heard that Lulushi had given birth," he said. "I thought it might be some kind of mistake... but it's true, isn't it?"
"Yes," Lu replied. "Even I didn't think I would be able to have a child."
"I suppose so. But while it is a rare thing, a child is a treasure. Make sure to cherish them."
"Yes. Thank you very much."
The Progenitor appeared to be a young man. He wore crisp, aristocratic clothing, but he had purposefully disheveled parts of it. Even so, it didn't look sloppy; on the contrary, he made it look like the height of fashion. He didn't project an air that pushed others away, but rather a calculated friendliness. Though, that might have just been because his clothes were dirty from the prostration.
According to Lulushi's introduction, this Progenitor had lived for about four thousand years.
Four thousand years. I couldn't feel that kind of weight from the person in front of me; to me, he seemed more like a friendly young man I might know from the neighborhood.
"Hahaha. The secret to longevity is a periodic memory reset," he explained, as if sensing my doubt. "I make sure not to forget the essentials—like names and kin—and then I promptly forget everything else. It's unsettling at first, but once you do it, you get used to it. Since the last time I reset was about two hundred years ago, I still feel quite young."
"Can vampires really do things like that?" I asked.
"It's not because I'm a vampire; it's magic. I think some dragons do it too. Living long is exhausting in many ways, you see. Ah, I don't mean Dos, but those older than him."
"Are you an acquaintance of Dos?"
"I heard about you all from him. Ah, yes, I'm sorry for entering the village without a greeting. I intended to leave quietly after seeing how things were, but I was lured in by a scent that piqued my interest."
"A scent?"
"This. This statue. The Creator God."
"The Creator God? Which one?"
In the Shrine of the Great Tree, there were two figures I had carved. One was the God I met when I was sent to this world. The other was the god of agriculture who had likely given me the Universal Farming Tool.
Without hesitation, the Progenitor pointed to the God I met when I first arrived.
"This one. It's amazing. It perfectly embodies the Creator God. I instinctively bowed my head."
"...Have you actually met him?"
"Once, when I was born. He told me that although I had a slightly unusual constitution, I should do my best."
"Is that 'unusual constitution' being a vampire?"
"It seems so. With this body, I've had many hardships, been saved in many ways, and apparently did many things... but I have no memory of them. Hahaha."
After laughing for a bit, the Progenitor looked at me with a serious expression.
"No matter what I do, I don't forget the Creator God, nor can I forget him. But I don't know his true form. Is he a youth or an elder? What color are his eyes? His hair? How long is it? I've challenged myself several times to give him shape, but I could never embody him as well as this statue."
I could see a passionate fire in the Progenitor's eyes as he looked at the carving.
"As expected, I can't give this one away," I said.
"That's a shame, but I understand. That's why I want you to carve a new one for me. I'll pay a fair price. Could I ask this of you?"
"Ah—..."
I pondered for a moment and looked around. Quite a few villagers had gathered by now.
Lu and Flora were practically praying to me, as if saying "Please." Tia, Granmaria, and the others had expressions that urged me to accept, as if saying "It can't be helped." Rusty and Hakuren looked on with anticipation for my answer. Frau and the Civil Official Girls seemed to have decided to pretend they hadn't seen the Progenitor at all, choosing to escape reality instead.
The others mostly fell into one of those categories. The most common look was the one saying it couldn't be helped.
"I'll try to carve it... but I don't know if you'll like it or not. I'm not exactly a professional sculptor."
In reality, while I was the one who carved it, the result was largely thanks to the Universal Farming Tool.
"Ah, I don't mind at all. I would be in your debt."
"Understood. Just wait a bit. Do you have a preference for the size? Is a life-sized human scale alright?"
"That would be perfect."
"Roger. I'll carve it quickly."
I went to the forest, chose a suitable tree, and felled it. I changed the Universal Farming Tool into a chisel and carved while pouring in my gratitude.
Carve, carve, carve.
I changed the tool into a carving knife and made fine adjustments.
Finished.
I felt like I made him about twenty percent more handsome than the original statue at the Great Tree, but the general aura seemed right.
"How is this?"
Looking at the Progenitor, who was already performing a prostration in front of the new statue, there was no need to ask for an answer.
Afterward, a banquet was held to welcome him. In the midst of the festivities, the Progenitor held Alfred with a broad smile on his face. He probably intended to dote on his great-grandchild, but since he looked so young, they appeared more like father and son.
While I thought it made for a picturesque scene, I felt a slight pang of jealousy—Alfred was my child, after all. Lu eventually noticed and soothed me.
Ah, family life.
During the banquet, I talked about various things with the Progenitor, though the only thing I really gathered was that he was someone truly incredible.