Once the martial arts tournament concluded, the village shifted its focus to winter preparations. Most of the residents were well-acquainted with the routine. Some had even begun their chores before the festivities started, so everything appeared to be moving along as expected.
"Village Head, Village Head."
Yes, everything was progressing smoothly.
"Village Head, it isn't good to run away from reality."
The Civil Official Girls were strict with me. In truth, winter preparations were behind schedule. Half the reason was the tournament; the other half was... well, various complications.
As for the tournament, the cleanup efforts had required a significant amount of manpower, which naturally hampered our overall productivity. Granted, the stage breaking was somewhat inevitable, but leaving massive craters in the spectator stands and the pool was less than ideal. While I could have repaired them instantly, I decided to let the villagers handle it themselves as a lesson in reflection. However, that choice was exactly what had caused the delay. I began to wonder if I should have insisted on finishing the winter chores before starting the repairs. At any rate, the repairs were nearing completion, so I hoped everyone would work hard to make up for lost time.
Then there was the other half of the problem: Progenitor-san. He had whisked Lu, Tia, Ria, and Hakuren away on some errand. Apparently, they had made a promise back when he was transporting them to Shashato City during the spring and summer months. They were off helping him with something. I was told it wasn't dangerous, but I couldn't help but worry.
Was I worried about an affair? Not for a second. If anything, they were the ones doubting me. I wanted to tell them to rest easy; I would never, ever stray! There was absolutely no need to prepare any "companions" for me while they were gone. Oh? That wasn't what they meant? I see. Hahaha.
Lu, Tia, Ria, and Hakuren held significant influence and contributed heavily to the village's seasonal preparations. Since Lu and Tia effectively served as my secretaries, their absence left me in a real bind. I realized once again that we had only been able to manage the growing population so effectively because of the cooperation of Lu, Tia, and Ria’s group.
Furthermore, all four of them had borne my children. Fortunately, Raimeiren was delighted to look after Hiichiro, my son with Hakuren, and the High Elves took care of Lilius, my son with Ria. However, the task of watching Alfred, my son with Lu, and Tiselle, my daughter with Tia, fell to the High Ogre Race. While no one person was specifically to blame, the general workflow had slowed down. I really hoped the four of them would return soon. According to Progenitor-san's schedule, they should be back before winter truly set in.
The delay in preparations was unfortunate, but we simply had to make up for it with the available hands. The problem was that my own hands—the ones that should have been the busiest—were tied. Most of my time was occupied with interpersonal matters, specifically regarding the pregnant Frau, Rusty, and Sena.
A particular issue had arisen because of Rusty’s pregnancy: she was fixed in her human form and couldn't transform into a dragon until after the delivery. With Hakuren also away, the village's transport capacity had plummeted. Draim and Graffaloon had stepped forward to help, but almost nobody felt comfortable giving them orders. Lu, Tia, and Hakuren were the only ones who could speak to them freely, and since they were all gone, I was stuck acting as their constant handler.
In truth, Bulga and Stifano could have filled that role, as they were originally from Draim’s household and quite accustomed to him. However, their hands were full caring for Rusty. They were working harder than ever to ensure a safe delivery—they had even sat out the tournament for it. It felt wrong to burden them further. When I broached the subject, they simply looked dejected and told me it was impossible for them to give instructions to Lord Draim or Lady Graffaloon.
Then there was Beezel. Since Frau’s pregnancy was discovered, he had been commuting from the Demon King's Castle via teleportation magic every day. He was constantly consulting me about her care. He insisted on bringing in a dedicated maid for her, and even though Frau and I assured him the High Ogre Maids were sufficient, he remained restless.
While a veteran midwife from the Devil Race was coming to assist Rusty, Beezel was worried about what would happen if both women went into labor at once. I pointed out that Frau was due earlier, but he argued that you never knew what might happen. Eventually, we agreed to bring in a veteran maid who managed the Chrome estate in the Royal Capital. She had raised Beezel since he was a boy, so he trusted her implicitly.
Frau expressed concern about leaving the mansion in the Royal Capital unsupervised, but Beezel insisted that his daughter’s delivery was far more important. When Holly arrived, she carried herself with a poise that didn't betray her age. She was so dignified I almost instinctively called her "Nanny." Apparently, Beezel still did.
It took Holly about two days to acclimate, but once she did, her professionalism was unmatched. While officially Frau's personal maid, she also assisted the High Ogre Maids with the mansion's chores. Even Alfred and Tiselle took a liking to her. Best of all, she was one of the few people capable of catching and scold Urza. With Hakuren gone, she was a godsend. I half-hoped she would stay forever.
As for Sena, Naci—Gatto’s wife—was looking after her. The other Beastman girls were watching closely, eager to learn for when their own time eventually came. Since Sena was the daughter of the Howlin Village Chief, communication with her home village became more frequent. Eventually, word reached me that her father wanted to meet me. It made sense; I had never actually met my daughter’s father-in-law.
I considered visiting them myself, but the villagers advised against it, stating that from a status perspective, their chief should be the one to visit me. However, I didn't want to force him to trek through the forest just as winter was closing in. Since we had no dragon transport available, we settled on a vague promise to meet later. Sena apologized for her father’s "selfishness," but I told her I understood. I just asked her to write him a letter whenever she had a moment.
Lastly, there was the Saint whom Progenitor-san had brought along. She remained in the village but spent most of her time as a shut-in. Since she wasn't a permanent resident, I didn't mind, but I still tried to be a good host. I offered her trips to the hot springs or horse riding, but she turned me down every time. Curiously, she seemed quite willing to listen to the residents of Village One and Urza. I had no idea why.
I had to remind Urza not to force the poor girl to play with the cat just because she was being compliant. I also had to make sure Urza didn't slack off on her studies while Hakuren was away. I told her that if she was going to work outside, she needed to wear an extra layer. The air wasn't freezing yet, but winter would be here in the blink of an eye.
With a sigh, I turned back to the tasks at hand. We had to get these winter preparations finished.