Autumn arrived.
It was harvest time.
In the past, I had always harvested every single crop, then used the Universal Farming Tool to till the remains back into the earth, effectively resetting the fields. Even for the autumn harvest right before winter, I usually turned everything back into soil.
However, I had to be more careful this time. Unlike previous years, Village Two and Village Three were practicing conventional agriculture. We had to set aside a portion of the harvest to use as seeds.
That was easy enough to say, but... while it was simple for crops with obvious seeds, what was I supposed to do for the ones that didn't have any? I seemed to recall that root vegetables could just be left alone, but I would simply have to experiment and see.
It would be quite a headache if they turned out to be seedless varieties. Bananas were seedless, after all, so it wouldn't be surprising if a few other crops were the same. I wondered if the Universal Farming Tool would handle it if I just tilled while consciously thinking about "leaving seeds behind."
Alternatively, we could always buy seeds or seedlings from elsewhere. It wasn't as if we were the only ones farming in this world; people practiced normal agriculture in regions all over. For the Minotaurs, who already had farming experience, that might actually be the better approach.
Regardless, for now, I just had to focus on the task at hand.
"In other words... the harvest here at the Village of the Great Tree will proceed as usual, while we'll need to be more methodical with Village Two and Village Three."
"Exactly."
One of the Civil Official Girls summarized the situation for me, so I went along with it.
Later, Donovan the Dwarf approached me. "Regarding the wine—it seems that removing the skins results in a vintage with much less astringency."
He clearly wanted to try making it.
"I don't mind if you do, but why are you asking for my permission?"
I had assumed he just brewed whatever he liked without consulting me, but he shook his head.
"Well, it's about the labor. Peeling all those grapes requires quite a few hands."
"I see. Do you have someone in mind?"
"Ideally, I'd ask the Beastman girls because they're so dexterous, but they're swamped this time of year."
"That's true. I have them busy pressing oil and making other processed goods."
"The High Elves and Mountain Elves are tied up with winter preparations, and the Lizardmen are just as busy."
"It's rare to find anyone with free hands during this season," I noted.
The reason we didn't hold the festival or the martial arts tournament immediately after the autumn harvest was specifically because everyone was so preoccupied.
"So, I went looking for anyone available... and the Lamia Race said they wanted to earn some wages. I’d like to hire them."
So that was why he needed my approval.
"I have no objection, but what's the compensation?"
"They want food and lodging while they're staying in the village, and they've requested to be paid in crops afterward."
"Understood. That shouldn't be a problem. You decide on the types and quantities of the crops, Donovan."
"Got it. Leave it to me."
And so, six members of the Lamia Race stayed in the village to assist with the brewing. They spent their days peeling and crushing grapes—a truly peaceful sight.
Once the harvest concluded, we held our usual barter session, which we called trade, with Howlin Village. Daga served as our representative this time. Apparently, when the guests were leaving after the martial arts tournament, he had promised to head over there for some sparring matches. I didn't mind the training, as long as he didn't forget his actual job.
Two of the Civil Official Girls, who were skilled at math, accompanied him. As for the heavy lifting, we decided to hire laborers locally in Howlin Village. This was based on our past experiences and the fact that Howlin Village was desperate to earn even a little extra income.
As usual, it seemed they were still locked in a dispute with a nearby human village. I had no intention of meddling, but I did wonder if something could be done soon. Since both Howlin Village and the human village were within the Demon Kingdom's borders, I thought perhaps consulting the Demon King or Beezel might resolve it.
Wait—Galf had seen the Demon King and Beezel when he came for the tournament. If they could have helped, surely he would have spoken up then.
...Well, if Howlin Village officially asked for my advice, I'd give it some thought.
Then, they asked.
"What? Me? To the Demon King?"
Galf had accompanied Daga back from the trade mission. Then came the detailed explanation. Apparently, they were reaching their breaking point and were even considering abandoning their village entirely.
Normally, when a village is in trouble, the village head acts as a representative to petition the Lord. However, a petition meant handing the matter over to the Lord's judgment entirely, and they would be forced to obey whatever ruling he made. Since the Lord seemed to favor the human village, Howlin Village didn't trust him enough to file a formal complaint.
That was why they wanted someone who could give orders to that Lord. They had considered a direct appeal to the Demon King, but...
"I beg you, please use your influence with the Demon King on our behalf."
"Influence? You just want me to ask him to listen to your story, right?"
"Yes."
"Couldn't you have just told him yourself during the tournament?"
"That would be far too presumptuous!"
"Uh..."
As Galf and I stood there awkwardly, Frau—who had appeared out of nowhere—whispered in my ear.
"Um, Village Head, the Demon King is the highest authority in the Demon Kingdom. It is unheard of for ordinary citizens to speak with him directly."
"He helped me think of names for the children, though."
"That is normally impossible."
"So..."
"I believe it is entirely possible for you to speak with him, Village Head."
"I suppose so... But first, let me hear the cause of the dispute."
I didn't think it was likely, but there was always a chance that Howlin Village was the one in the wrong.
The human village they were feuding with was called Hyuma Village. The trouble had started when a woman from Hyuma Village, who had married into Howlin Village, returned to her family. Following that, trade with Hyuma Village had become blatantly unfair, and they had begun pressuring the surrounding settlements.
Howlin Village hadn't taken it lying down; they had appealed to the neighboring villages to explain the situation. They had expected Hyuma Village to back down under peer pressure, but instead, Hyuma Village chose to sever all trade. That brought us to the present.
"As far as we're concerned," Galf explained, "we believe that woman went back and told Hyuma Village all sorts of lies about us."
"I see. And the reason she left? Did the couple not get along?"
"No, the husband and wife were on great terms. She was a wonderful woman, too. The problem was that she couldn't adjust to life in the mountains and her health began to fail. She was desperate to stay with us, but we worried about what would happen if she died so soon after coming all the way from Hyuma Village to marry into our clan..."
"So you sent her back."
"Yeah."
Because I was hearing this from Howlin Village's perspective, I couldn't see any fault on their end. In fact, I thought they were being remarkably level-headed by not resorting to martial prowess.
"Why is the Lord siding with Hyuma Village?"
"The Lord is a human. Plus, Hyuma Village is much closer to his mansion. He's never even visited Howlin Village, but he stays at Hyuma Village all the time."
So, from the Lord's perspective, he was simply backing a village that had treated him well.
"The Village Head and I did go to explain the situation to the Lord once," Galf continued. "But he just accepted Hyuma Village's claim that we were the ones at fault. We were ready to file a formal petition depending on how the talk went, but we realized it was hopeless and backed off."
Hmm. So Hyuma Village really was the villain here? I wanted to hear their side of the story, but...
As I was thinking, Frau signaled me from behind.
"There's something I need you to confirm..."
"Hmm?"
I listened to Frau's quiet advice and then turned back to Galf with a few more questions.
"That woman who returned home—is she the daughter of someone influential in Hyuma Village?"
"I heard she's a relative of their village head."
"And the husband from your side?"
"The Village Head's son. Sena's older brother."
"How did the marriage come about?"
"It was an arrangement between the parents. The suggestion actually came from Hyuma Village; they said they wanted to solidify their friendship with us."
"Did you hold a ceremony to celebrate the union?"
"Yeah. A grand one at Hyuma Village. Even the Lord attended."
I finished my questions and looked back at Frau. She was clutching her head in her hands.
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? Everything! This is completely Howlin Village's fault!"
"What?"
Apparently, there are rules in this world that I don't understand at all. Perhaps it's just a cultural difference.