The second group: Centaurs.
There were one hundred and four of them in total. Thirty were male, and seventy-four were female. The children were clearly distinguishable—thirty boys and thirty-four girls. That left forty adults who could serve as a labor force, but they were all women. These able-bodied adults were clad in either leather or iron armor, weapons in hand and ready for combat as they warily surveyed their surroundings. While the children wore protective gear, they carried no weapons.
From the look of them, they seemed like a group that had barely escaped a castle besieged by war.
"Beezel, who are these people?" I asked.
Beezel was the one who had brought them. Since he had used teleportation magic to move such a large group to the outskirts of the village all at once, he was looking quite unsteady on his feet. He had mentioned he would rest at Frau’s house afterward, but I wanted to hear as much as possible before he did.
"As you can see, they are a group that fled a castle caught in the flames of war," Beezel replied.
"Did you really offer migration to people in the middle of a battle?"
"Hardly. The front lines shifted, and the region became dangerous quite suddenly, so I extended the offer of migration as a means of evacuation."
"And the fighting started while the negotiations were underway?"
"Yes. Since I had already spoken with them, I couldn't very well abandon them."
"...And the opponent?"
"The Fullhart Kingdom."
That was the human nation currently at war with the Demon Kingdom.
"I’ll cooperate as much as I can, so please, do your best," Beezel added.
"Understood."
I asked a Lizardman to carry the exhausted Beezel to Frau’s house.
Now then...
I looked at the Centaurs. They hadn't lowered their guard and remained in a combat-ready stance. I couldn't leave things like this.
"I am Hiraku, the Village Head. Who is your representative?"
"I am. My name is Gluewald."
A woman stepped forward. She looked like a knight, equipped with high-quality iron armor—though her lower body was that of a horse. Ah, so Centaurs wore clothes over their equine halves as well. From the front, she looked like an ordinary human.
"I am a relative of the chief retainer of the House of Viscount Beeg. What are you staring at?"
"Ah... sorry."
Who was Viscount Beeg? In times like this, Frau would usually help, but she had gone to the house to let Beezel rest. In that case, I would leave it to the Civil Official Girls.
"Welcome to the Village of the Great Tree," one said. "This land is connected to Count Chrome, who guided you here. Please, set your minds at ease."
Count Chrome? ...Oh, she meant Beezel.
"We were offered a chance to migrate here," Gluewald said. "Has the word reached your side?"
"It has, but I believe you were also notified that there are certain... complications."
"Hmph. See that you handle them."
"Miss Gluewald," the girl countered. "What exactly did you come to this village to do? If you believe you have obtained new territory, I must ask you to reconsider that notion immediately."
"You... A mere village girl dares to give orders to me?"
"My apologies. I have not yet introduced myself. I am the second daughter of the House of Count Drowa of the Demon Kingdom—Rasshashi Drowa."
Rasshashi, one of the Civil Official Girls, pinched her skirt and gave Gluewald a refined, elegant bow. Even in her simple village attire, she exuded an undeniable grace. Unable to withstand that level of refinement, I instinctively took a step back, assuming the position of a mere servant.
"The House of Viscount Beeg belongs to the Western Faction and is a subordinate of my family," Rasshashi continued. "Which member of that house were you again?"
"M-my apologies! I am Gluewald Lavy Call, a relative of the chief retainer of the House of Viscount Beeg."
It seemed Rasshashi held the higher social standing by a wide margin.
"I told you that you could rest easy. How much longer do you intend to brandish those weapons?"
"I-I am terribly sorry!"
At Gluewald’s command, the Centaurs finally stood down. What a relief. I made sure to praise Rasshashi.
"Thank you, Village Head," she said. "They seem a bit disoriented. To help them settle in, may I provide them with a meal, just as we did for the Minotaurs?"
"Of course. I’ve already made arrangements for that."
"As expected of you. Also, since they appear to be associates of my family, would it be alright if I took charge of them?"
"Yeah, that would be a huge help. Can I leave them to you?"
"You may leave everything to me."
"And one more thing..."
"Yes?"
"If they are your family's associates, does that mean your family's home is in danger as well? Are they okay?"
"I have received information regarding that from Lord Beezel. There are no problems for the time being."
"I see."
"However, if something should happen, I will be relying on you."
"Yeah, I understand."
I left the Centaurs in Rasshashi’s hands and went back to discuss the logistics of their arrival.
"Now then, Miss Gluewald," Rasshashi said.
"Yes!"
"A very prompt response. It would have been better if you had acted like that from the start..."
"I am deeply sorry for my insolent behavior."
"No, please. I didn't mean to bully you. I understand that your earlier attitude was for the sake of protecting the children. It must have been a difficult journey to get here."
"It was..."
"The Village of the Great Tree intends to accept you all as discussed. However, you will be staying in a newly established village, not this one. And that village is not yet complete."
"I have heard as much. Could I ask you to at least let the children live in this village?"
"The one who decides that is the Village Head. Ah, that reminds me. I forgot to mention something vital."
"What is it?"
"The highest authority in this village is the Village Head."
"The Village Head... You mean that man from before?"
"Correct. And unfortunately, my position in this village is quite low. In fact, I am at the very bottom."
"Surely not... A lady of the House of Count Drowa?"
"Consider the fact that Count Chrome transported you personally, and yet I am the one directly handling your case. In this village, someone of my class is at the bottom. That is the kind of place this is."
"......"
"Well, it’s hard to believe just by being told. First, you will eat. This is a gift from the Village Head’s generosity—do not forget to be grateful. After you've finished, I will show a few of you, yourself included, around the village so you can see and feel the reality of it for yourselves."
I headed home to consult with the others.
"They were quite rude, weren't they? Are you really going to accept them?" someone asked.
"I didn't think they were that bad... This is an unfamiliar land to them. It's only natural they'd be on edge."
"I suppose, but..."
"Let’s trust Rasshashi to handle the mediation. More importantly, we have a bigger problem."
A bigger problem. The Centaurs of the second group had the lower bodies of horses. They were roughly the size of a real horse. In other words, they were huge—about the same size as the Minotaurs. And because their lower bodies were equine, living in houses built to human standards would be difficult. They wouldn't even fit through some of the hallways. The outhouses wouldn't be the right size either.
Actually, the Minotaurs had the same issue.
"Village Head, where are you going?"
"I thought I'd go make some outhouses for the Minotaurs and Centaurs."
"My apologies, but please put that off for now. It’s fine. I know you're a stickler for cleanliness, but I’ll make sure they’re told to use specific designated areas, so please don't worry."
"Mrmph."
"By the way, Village Head."
"What is it?"
"Kuro’s pack and Zabuton’s brood haven't shown themselves to the newcomers yet. Is there a reason for that?"
"Draim and Beezel warned me. They said the refugees are frightened and on edge, so I shouldn't introduce them too suddenly. That’s why most of Kuro’s pack is in the forest right now. Zabuton and her kids are staying up in the trees or on the roofs of their own accord. A few are staying close by as messengers, though."
As I spoke, one of Zabuton’s children slid down from the ceiling, waved a leg at me, and then climbed back up.
"A wise decision."
"Well, I'm sure they'll end up meeting by tonight anyway. Regardless, prepare yourself."
"For what?"
"The first and second groups arrived earlier than expected. I wouldn't be surprised if the next one showed up right now."
"Oh, surely not."
"Hahaha... Oh, wait. It looks like someone’s here."
"Hahaha. You're joking, right?"
"I wish I were..."
"Village Head! A message from Granmaria. She encountered the group Michael recommended in the forest. They should be arriving any minute!"
I knew it.