"You're to blame."
"You were in the wrong."
"Village Head, I wish you would be a little more considerate."
"Though, I don't exactly hate that clumsy side of you either."
The rebukes came in quick succession from Lu, Tia, Ria, and Frau.
Also present were Donovan the Dwarf, Nuph the Minotaur caretaker, Rasshashi the Centaur caretaker, and Mam the caretaker for the Nyunyu-daphne.
The topic at hand involved Gordon the Minotaur, Gluewald the Centaur, and the Nyunyu-daphne. Basically, they were trying to send concubines my way, and when I asked for advice on how to handle it, this was the response I got.
"Now, now," Donovan said, trying to soothe the room with sake in hand. "There are a lot of opinions flying around... but first, the Village Head needs to understand how a man in his position—no, how a person of power—is supposed to carry himself."
"A person of power?"
"Exactly. It isn’t actually that complicated."
Donovan took a long swig of sake and explained while pouring himself another. I was the one paying for the drink, by the way.
"Let’s take us Dwarves as an example. By whose permission do we live in this village?"
"Mine, I suppose?"
"Indeed. And we Dwarves brew sake for the sake of this village. You might think we do it for ourselves, but we don't. Every drop we produce is delivered directly to the Village Head."
"That's true."
"Now, let's say you decided to kick the Dwarves out."
"What?"
"It's a hypothetical. If you ever thought about throwing us out, the thing that would make you hesitate is our brewing. You aren’t particularly obsessed with alcohol yourself, but many others in this village crave it. If you got rid of us and the sake stopped flowing... well, you might be fine, but others would be disgruntled. The village might become unstable. So, you’d conclude that it's better to keep the Dwarves around. You see?"
Would I really think that? ...Actually, I probably would.
"In other words, our brewing is the price we pay for the right to live here. Do you follow me so far?"
"Y-yeah."
"We have our sake. Lady Lu and Lady Tia are your advisors and have borne your children. The High Ogres handle the domestic chores. The High Elves do the hunting and construction. The Lizardmen handle the heavy lifting. Even the Beastman girls have their various tasks. The Demon Race girls assist with your paperwork. The Mountain Elves proved their worth through smithing and pottery, and most recently, by building that waterwheel. And of course, there’s no need to even mention Lady Zabuton, Kuro’s pack, or the Dragons."
Donovan listed them off as if checking a mental tally.
"Everyone who has lived here until now either had a reason to be permitted to stay or created one for themselves. The newcomers don't have that yet, and it makes them anxious. They fear that if the whims of a powerful man like you change, they’ll be thrown out."
"But I have no intention of throwing them out..."
"You might feel that way. You’re the type to welcome anyone and chase no one. But they don't know that yet. It hasn't even been a hundred days since you met."
When he put it that way... I see.
"I need you to realize that you are the most powerful man in the Village of the Great Tree, and by extension, the new villages. I want you to behave accordingly."
"Behave accordingly?"
"Your current behavior is causing anxiety. You are expected to act in a way that puts those fears to rest." Donovan drained his cup and poured yet another. "To put it simply, it’s about the balance of status. Right now, if you say something, those people cannot refuse you."
"..."
"There is a massive difference between 'not being able to refuse' and 'being able to refuse but choosing to accept.' Currently, you are giving too much."
"Giving too much?"
"Yes. A safe haven, delicious food, our sake, Lady Zabuton’s fabrics—you’ve given them a mountain of things. And yet, because winter is coming, you haven't asked for any payment. If they were villains, they’d be laughing at their good fortune, but these people are virtuous. They are being crushed by the weight of your charity."
"But they've been helping with construction and other things..."
"They're building their own houses, and you're even feeding them while they do it. Do you honestly think their current labor is of equal value to what they've received?"
...
"Do you understand now why they want to offer you their women?"
"...Yeah."
"And do you see why the women here are scolding you for refusing?"
"Ugh."
"...Hahaha. I’ve ended up sounding a bit preachy. But once you understand the situation, just act like the Village Head you are."
"What do you mean?"
"Just because they offer a woman doesn't mean you have to take her as a concubine. It’s a matter of appearances."
"Oh... wait."
Assumptions truly are terrifying.
"What you demand of them is your choice, Village Head... just don’t forget that they can’t say no."
"I understand."
"...I could only say all that because I’m drunk. Don’t expect me to be this talkative all the time."
"I’m sorry. And thank you."
"Ah... and while I’m at it, Ria."
"Yes?"
"You High Elves are being too greedy. You need to hold back a little."
Donovan... my estimation of him skyrocketed.
"If you don't leave any openings, the Village Head couldn't accept anyone else even if he wanted to. Think about the other races, too."
Wait, no. I actually wanted him to tell them to let me rest.
"I am discussing things with the other tribes," Ria replied. "But... well, I’ll give it some thought."
I did a mental fist pump and decided then and there to give Donovan a Reward Medal... no, that wasn't right. I'd give him more sake. Thank you!
I also wanted him to say the same thing to the High Ogres. And I definitely wanted more advice the next time he got drunk.
I had lacked the necessary resolve—the resolve required to take in over two hundred new residents. Thinking that simply providing food and shelter was enough had been a mistake. These new residents were people with their own lives and social needs.
After that, we gathered our thoughts and talked properly. If we had stopped there, it would have just been me getting a lecture without solving anything. I asked Nuph, Rasshashi, and Mam for their input as well.
The result was this:
"Staying in the Village of the Great Tree?"
I sat down with Gordon and Gluewald to explain the plan.
"Yes. It might be difficult, but I want each village to set up a rotation of people to stay here."
"I understand, but... what exactly will they be doing here?"
"Mainly, they will act as liaisons to relay my orders back to their villages. Since we’re living apart, I don't want us to suffer from a lack of information. Their job will be to record what happens here and report it back home, while also keeping me updated on how things are going in the other settlements."
While the Centaurs could deliver messages quickly, hearing news from one's own kin is usually more trusted.
"I will also have them perform other tasks I require. To put it bluntly, they will be my personal Errand Persons."
"Errand Persons..."
"Exactly. While they are in this village, they will act as my hands and feet."
In formal terms, this was labor provided by the various tribes.
"Two people from each village at a time. You can decide the length of their stay, but they must check in when they arrive and leave. Any questions?"
"When do we begin?"
"Starting today. Pick your Residents immediately."
"Residents?"
"Yes, that’s the title for those stationed here."
"Understood. Where should they stay during their time in the village?"
"Use the Inn for now."
"For now?"
"Next spring, I’m going to renovate my house. I’ll add rooms for the Residents then. They can’t really be Errand Persons if they aren't close by."
"Oh!"
"That means..."
I had requested Errand Persons. And those Errand Persons would eventually live in my house. If the villages wanted to offer me women, they could simply choose women for the liaison roles. What happened after that was between me and the individuals, but as far as the villages were concerned, they had fulfilled their social obligation of offering someone to the leader.
It might have been a bit shallow, but this was the compromise the others and I had reached.
"And on top of that, I have specific work for the villages themselves."
"Of course."
"Gordon, your village will focus on agriculture. If you're interested, you can handle livestock as well. I heard your people used to do sericulture; if you're willing, I'll start looking for silkworms."
"You have my deepest thanks. We will start with farming to establish our foundation."
Gordon bowed deeply. Until now, I’d only made vague inquiries without giving them a concrete purpose. I reflected on that. I couldn't forget the importance of give-and-take.
For everything I gave, I had to ask for something in return. Even if I had to adjust things later, it was important to give them an immediate goal to work toward.
"Gluewald, your village... it isn’t finished yet, but once it is, you will also focus on agriculture. Beyond that, I’m counting on your tribe’s speed. You will be in charge of a regular courier service between the villages. This will be every day, regardless of the weather or the season. It will be a grueling task."
"Understood. Leave it to us."
"We’ll settle the fine details once the village is done."
Gluewald bowed. That was one more thing settled.
Now, for the last piece. I called for Igu.
"Regarding your village, Igu... I’ve decided not to build it."
"!"
Igu gasped, and vines suddenly shot out from the top of her stump.
"Don't panic. I'm just not building a separate one. I want your people to live primarily here, in the Village of the Great Tree."
"What? O-oh! Are we truly allowed to live in this village?"
"Yes. However, I want you to continue acting as the alarm system and night lighting for the other settlements."
"Understood!"
"Since those jobs require you to be present in the other villages, you’ll have to live in split groups. Is that all right?"
"That is no problem at all."
"I see. Also... I’m sorry, but we need to be mindful of the Minotaurs and Centaurs who arrived before you."
Even if it was a matter of size and lifestyle, it would cause friction if the Nyunyu-daphne—the last to arrive—lived in the main village while the first two groups were sent away to the satellite settlements.
"What would you have us do?"
"I want you to act as the managers for Village One for a while."
"Managers for Village One?"
"Yes. The construction there is finished and it’s ready for residents, but buildings fall apart quickly if no one is living in them."
Currently, it was a ghost town.
"Until new immigrants arrive, I’m entrusting the maintenance of that village to you. That’s in addition to your lighting and alarm duties. It’s a lot of work."
"I understand. Leave it to us."
Flowers were blooming on the vines that had sprouted when she was startled.
"Good. I'm counting on you."
...
I was exhausted. I wanted to just laze around.
But I couldn't. I had to finish the Centaurs' village. Winter was right on our doorstep.