I stepped away from Galf for a moment so Frau could explain the situation to me.
"Since marriage can be a bit complicated, let’s use an ornament as an analogy," she began. "Suppose you gave someone an ornament because you wanted to establish a friendship, but they sent it right back, claiming it didn’t suit their village. What would you think?"
"Well... I’d think they weren’t interested in being friends."
"Exactly. That is essentially what happened."
"But she wasn't an ornament; she was a person. From the perspective of Howlin Village, they didn't want to force her to live there if it meant she would die."
"That right there is the problem. That was their mistake."
"Eh?"
"It’s as if they said, ‘We’re returning this ornament you gave us as a token of friendship because it’ll rot if we keep it in our village.’ That’s what they did, right?"
"I suppose so."
"If you actually intend to get along, you must never return it."
"Wait, what?"
"You are supposed to manage the gift properly so it doesn't rot, treating it with the utmost care. Doing so demonstrates your sincere desire to maintain a good relationship."
"I see your point, but..."
"I’ll confirm the details later, but I suspect they treated her like any other woman who had married into the village."
"...In other words, Howlin Village and Hyuma Village had completely different ideas about what this marriage meant."
"Precisely. Furthermore, the local Lord is involved in this."
"Did he actually attend the wedding?"
"He did. That means the Lord himself personally endorsed the union. And yet, she was sent back... essentially, they dragged the Lord’s reputation through the mud."
"But still, they had a reason."
"If we look closer... there’s a high probability that the girl who was sent back is the Lord’s illegitimate child."
"What?"
"Even for his own subjects, it’s extraordinary for a Lord to attend a private wedding."
"Which means..."
"The Lord married off a daughter he fathered in Hyuma Village, only for her to be mistreated and cast out... Honestly, I’m surprised the Lord hasn't marched an army into Howlin Village yet."
"Uh..."
I went back and relayed everything Frau had told me to Galf.
"We certainly treated her as an ordinary wife," Galf admitted. "But she never looked unhappy because of it."
Since explaining everything myself was taking too long, I had Frau stand beside me to assist.
"Of course she didn't," Frau countered. "Having come as a bride, she could hardly go around wearing a dissatisfied expression."
"So, you're saying that treating her like a normal wife was the wrong move?"
"If she hadn't fallen ill, it wouldn't have been a problem, but..."
"But look... she had the Mine Cough," Galf insisted. "If we hadn't sent her back, she would have been dead before long."
"Regarding the 'not letting her die' part... what exactly is this Mine Cough?"
"The Mine Cough."
"My apologies. Could you explain what that is?"
"It’s a harbinger of a fatal disease. Anyone who develops the Mine Cough must be removed from the vicinity of the mines immediately, or they will die."
"...No matter what?"
"As long as they stay near the mines, yes. That’s why, unable to bear watching such a young girl suffer, we forced her to return home. However..."
"Did you explain the nature of the Mine Cough to the people of Hyuma Village?"
"Well, even if we said she’d recover once she left the mines, it’s still an illness. We were strictly forbidden from spreading word of it, lest it ruin the girl's chances of ever marrying again."
"It was a breakdown in communication!" Frau shouted.
"Eh?"
"A total breakdown in communication!! For heaven's sake!"
Following that outburst, Frau summoned Beezel via a small wyvern. He spent the next while traveling back and forth between Howlin Village and Hyuma Village. Eventually, he spoke with the Lord and settled the matter once and for all.
"Well, things won't return to normal overnight, but this should set the relationship between Howlin Village and Hyuma Village back on the path to recovery. I made sure to tell them that if it doesn't, I will personally snap," Frau reported.
"G-good work. You too, Beezel."
"N-no, I'm just glad the Lord was a reasonable man. Though, Fraurem... strictly speaking, this was an act exceeding your authority."
"I figured it was better than being scolded by the Demon King later."
"Yes, that is why I cooperated... but in the future, please try to be more mindful of factions and lineages."
"In this particular case, who would that have been?"
"Count Pugyal."
"Ah... I'm sorry, Father. I realize now there was a much easier way to handle this."
"Think nothing of it. It didn't feel bad to be relied upon by my daughter for the first time in a while."
Beezel enjoyed a nice dinner and a soak in the bath before heading home.
"An easier way?" I asked after he left.
"Count Pugyal's daughters are living right here in the village."
Ah, she meant the Civil Official Girls.
"Is it easier to talk to that Count than most?"
Terms like 'territorial patron' and 'protégé' were tossed around, making things quite confusing, but essentially, the Count is the boss of that entire region. Since Beezel is the boss of a different territory, it would technically be seen as meddling for him to interfere, which is a major social faux pas. In the worst case, it could lead to a feud between high-ranking nobles.
This time, they settled things between Beezel and the local Lord quietly, treating it as an unofficial arrangement. Even so, Beezel mentioned he would still have to go pay his respects to Count Pugyal eventually. If he didn't, it would turn into a massive dispute if the truth ever came out later.
"Politics really is a hassle."
"Yes. I simply acted in the heat of the moment. I will reflect on my impulsiveness."
"Well, you resolved the trouble regardless. Let's call it a success."
"Yes. And so, about that..."
"Right."
The couple at the center of the whole ordeal was officially married once again. The groom was the son of the Howlin Village Head, and the bride was a relative of the Hyuma Village Head. Just as Frau had suspected, she was indeed the Lord's illegitimate child.
After returning to Hyuma Village, she had actually given birth... and the child was clearly of the Beastman Race. Hyuma Village had been hoping for Howlin Village to swallow its pride and apologize so they could move forward with a remarriage, but neither side was willing to budge.
I couldn't help but think that if they had just sat down and spoken frankly at some point, it never would have escalated this far. But from Hyuma Village's perspective, their gesture of friendship had been rejected. From Howlin Village's perspective, they had done their best to care for her, only to be met with hostility. It was hard for either side to be the first to bow their head.
I was truly relieved it didn't escalate into a violent conflict.
So, they were married again—but because of the risk of the Mine Cough recurring, they couldn't live in Howlin Village. Ideally, the husband would have moved to Hyuma Village, but that would make it look like Howlin Village had surrendered, which would have sparked further resentment.
It was a real headache of a situation. As a result, the couple and their child immigrated to the Village of the Great Tree. It meant Howlin Village was losing its next village head, but they decided that was a better outcome than him moving to Hyuma Village.
"We look forward to being in your care."
"Please look after us."
"Pleashed to meet chew!"
The newcomer was Gatto, a beastman and the son of the Howlin Village Head. With him were his wife, Naci, and their daughter, Nart.
"I'm sure you already understand, but..."
"Yes," Gatto interrupted respectfully. "I will forget that I was ever the son of a village head and strive to integrate as just another villager. Sena is my sister, but here, I will bow my head and follow her lead."
"I-I see."
He seemed perhaps a bit too sensible... but if he was willing to be reasonable, I wasn't going to complain. Sena was visibly happy to have them here, too.
"Take good care of your wife and child."
"I will."
Nart was a little over four years old. She was already bigger than Alfred, so I figured it would be a big help if she could be a good older sister to him.
With that, I thought the matter was finally settled. But then...
"Since they're marrying again, that makes them newlyweds! We have to build them a new house!"
"They’re going to be living in our village now. Shouldn't we hold a proper wedding ceremony for them here as well?"
The High Elves made the proposal, and the Mountain Elves were quick to jump in.
"We happen to have a high-ranking priest staying with us, after all."
Shiso-san, who had been lingering in the village for a while, was more than happy to play along.
"That means it’s time for a banquet!"
Those who had just been looking for an excuse to drink gathered in an instant, and a grand celebration was held. I decided to worry about the finer details some other time.
On a side note, Gatto's family fainted quite spectacularly when they first saw Kuro and Zabuton. They really aren't that scary once you get to know them. They managed to stay conscious when they saw the Lamias helping with the winemaking, though they did let out a few screams. The Lamias look unusual, certainly, but they’re good people.
Nart got used to her new surroundings in just a few days and was soon running around while riding on the backs of Kuro's children. Naci was still a bit skittish, but she began her new life with the support of Sena and the others. As for Gatto... he shut himself away for a few days, but the quality of our food and sake eventually coaxed him out. He’s currently in the middle of getting back on his feet.
"D-do your best, me," he muttered to himself.
As a postscript, Galf decided to stay in the Village of the Great Tree through the winter to keep an eye on Gatto.
"Is that all right? Your wife is still back in Howlin Village, isn't she?"
"I explained everything to her, so it's fine. Besides, she was the one who asked me to stay."
"Oh?"
"Because our daughter is here."
"Ah, that makes sense."
Galf took up residence at the inn. Daga, Uno, and Makura often gathered in the inn's garden for what looked like mock battles. I didn't mind the training, as long as they didn't forget their actual duties.
And as for Ria... I knew she wanted to join in the sparring, but she still needed to focus on resting.