My mornings started late.
I usually woke up well after the sun had fully risen. After performing some light exercises reminiscent of radio calisthenics, I began my first task of the day: a patrol of the house. Apparently, this was considered a vital duty for the head of a household, so I made an effort to do it every morning and evening.
Whenever I was unable to perform the rounds, the task fell to others according to a household hierarchy that had been established entirely without my knowledge. As far as I could tell, the order went: Lu, Tia, Flora, Ann, and then Hakuren. Alfred and Tiselle were still too young to be included, but in truth, I was never officially told this hierarchy existed. Since no one had bothered to inform me, I decided it was probably for the best if I simply didn't worry about it.
The morning patrol mostly consisted of greeting the staff working throughout the house. The High Ogre maids were always active by the time I emerged; they would already have the fires stoked, breakfast preparations underway, and the cleaning started. Considering they also had to prepare food for Kuro and the rest of the pack, they had a mountain of work, yet they did it all without a word of complaint. I was truly grateful to them.
Because they insisted on starting their duties before I was even out of bed, I had to be careful not to wake up too early. I had told them repeatedly that I didn't mind if they slept in, but they were determined to be up before me. Eventually, I just gave up and stayed in bed. There was some kind of "maid spirit" at play that I couldn't quite grasp—a professional pride that dictated they could not be asleep while the master of the house was awake.
Therefore, even if my eyes opened early, I stayed under the covers. I wasn't allowed to leave. My late mornings weren't a result of laziness; they were a courtesy to the staff.
As I made my rounds, we exchanged reports if anything had happened overnight.
"A Sake Slime infiltrated the food storehouse last night," one of the maids reported. "It managed to get into one barrel of cooking alcohol."
"Was it from the supply we specifically set out in small batches as a distraction?" I asked.
"Yes. I am conflicted as to whether I should be pleased the plan worked, or lament my own incompetence for allowing the breach in the first place."
"I’ve more or less given up on keeping them out entirely," I replied. "Let’s just take the win. Anything else?"
"Nothing significant. Today’s main breakfast features a soup of daikon, spinach, and cabbage, served with roasted killer rabbit meat."
"Understood. I'll hurry along."
I didn't eat breakfast until the patrol was complete. The inspection covered the common areas of the house, excluding private rooms and the storehouses, so it didn't take very long. I greeted the High Ogre maids at their various posts, received their reports, and finished up quickly.
Breakfast in our house took place in the dining hall and was served in three shifts. The first shift included me, Lu, Tia, Flora, and Hakuren. Alfred and Tiselle had different dietary needs and schedules, so they were handled separately. Since the other shifts couldn't start until I was finished, I made a point of eating quickly. Lu and Tia also hurried so they could get back to their children’s meals.
The second shift was for the High Ogre maids. I had suggested we all eat together, but they insisted on the split based on the size of the dining hall, the kitchen's output capacity, and the necessity of childcare. Someone had to keep an eye on Alfred and Tiselle while Lu and Tia were eating, after all.
The third shift was for those who missed the earlier times or for any guests who arrived early in the morning. This usually included Flora and Hakuren, who were notorious late-risers, as well as Granmaria, Kudel, and Corone. When the three angels first arrived, they lived with the lizardmen, but their different biological rhythms eventually led them to move into their own house.
That move revealed their total lack of domestic skills. While the lizardmen visited them to handle the cleaning and laundry, the timing of meals made it easier for the angels to eat at my house. Ostensibly, they joined the third shift to provide reports on the previous night’s aerial watch.
"No issues to report?" I asked during the meal.
"None, Village Head," Granmaria replied. "Three killer rabbits tried to approach the village around dusk, but Kuro’s pack intercepted and eliminated them."
"I see. Those rabbits never seem to go away, do they?"
"They certainly don't. Though, they are quite tasty, so it’s hard to complain too much."
"Fair point."
If anything, I had the nagging feeling their numbers were actually increasing.
Once breakfast was over, I headed outside. I greeted Kuro, Yuki, and Zabuton, then stopped by the shrine to offer a prayer. After that, I began my patrol of the fields. My companions were usually Kuro, Yuki, or some of Kuro’s children.
I used the Universal Farming Tool to plow any areas that needed it and watered any patches that looked dry. While checking the health of the crops, I also kept an eye out for pests. Between Zabuton’s children eating the bugs and Kuro’s pack alerting me to infestations, we hadn't suffered any major damage. Anything I did find, I eliminated using the watering can form of the Tool.
As for the crops themselves... so far, everything was growing perfectly. I wondered if that was simply the power of fields tilled with the Universal Farming Tool. It made me a bit anxious about how agriculture would fare at the new village. I wondered if there was some kind of magic to help with that. I decided to consult Lu or Tia about it—or perhaps Frau, Rusty, or Hakuren.
The fields had grown quite large, making the patrol a significant chore. However, seeing the crops growing so vigorously always put my mind at ease.
Then came lunch.
I made sure to eat a hearty meal. Unlike breakfast, lunch wasn't a formal affair; the High Ogre maids simply prepared the food, and everyone ate whenever and wherever they liked. There were no assigned seats, but I usually ate in the dining hall or at a table in the courtyard.
Growing up in my previous world, a midday meal was standard, but I found it wasn't a common custom in this world. Even Lu and Tia were surprised by the concept at first, though they adjusted to it quickly. Kuro and the wolves didn't eat lunch. Actually, they could eat massive amounts if food was available, but they could also go about ten days without eating if they had to. My own anxiety was the only thing that stopped me from testing if they could go longer.
The high elves were even more bewildered by the concept of regular meals than the dragons were. Apparently, before they arrived at this village, they were lucky if they managed to secure even one meal a day. I remember being moved to tears when I first heard that. I wanted them to eat their fill.
The dwarves were the only ones who took lunch in stride, likely because they were too focused on the alcohol that accompanied the food. Draim and Beezel were also confused by the habit during their visits, but they had since grown accustomed to it. I wondered if Yuri was doing alright back home; I hoped she wasn't making life too difficult for her attendants. She was a princess, after all, so she could probably handle herself.
Regardless, the habit of eating lunch had taken root among the villagers. For me, it had become a time for meetings and reports. That was why I kept my lunch location consistent—so people knew where to find me.
"Village Head," one of the high elves reported. "Most of the planned buildings at the new village are complete. There’s still some interior work to do, but we’re thinking of leaving that to the new residents."
"The female goats are starting to show," a lizardman added. "I believe they're pregnant. We’d like to upgrade their feed to something higher quality, if that’s alright."
"In the southwest section of the village, the houses are a bit too close to the forest line," a maid noted. "We’ve received requests to clear a bit more space there."
"Based on the autumn harvest projections, we’re going to run out of room," one of the civil official girls said. "We either need to build a new storehouse immediately or arrange an early sale to Michael."
Joining me for lunch were representatives from the high elves, lizardmen, High Ogre maids, and the civil official girls. I listened to each of them and gave instructions where decisions were needed. Since we had introduced the Reward Medals, the administrative side of things had become much smoother.
Lu and Tia used to join these meetings, but they had started eating separately. It turned out that the others felt hesitant to speak up while the two of them were busy tending to Alfred and Tiselle. I also had a habit of getting distracted by the babies, so it was probably for the best. I needed to reflect on that.
"On a related note, Village Head," the lizardman continued. "Just like the goats, the pregnant Inferno Wolves are getting a bit territorial. Please make sure Alfred-sama and Tiselle-sama stay clear of them for now."
"I understand. I'll be careful. Though, Lu and Tia are always with them, so I’m sure it’s fine."
"Well... while we believe mothers should be the ones to raise their children, it might be worth letting the High Ogres handle them more often. They're quite experienced."
"Is there a problem with Lu and Tia?" I asked, concerned.
"No, not exactly... it's just that watching them is a bit nerve-wracking..."
"Don't be too hard on them," I said. "Everyone is clumsy with their first child. Even I was terrified just to hold Alfred when he was first born."
"My apologies, Village Head. To be blunt, we're mostly worried about the way they fly while holding the children."
"...They're flying with them?"
"Yes. Quite high up, in fact. Whenever we see it, we're all terrified they might drop them."
"I see... I'll be sure to give them a warning."
"Please do."
Lunch turned out to be quite a lively affair, as usual.