"It has been quite a while, Village Head Hiraku."
An elderly man dressed in a crisp, sharp butler’s uniform bowed deeply before me. With his white hair swept back and a dandy mustache waxed into perfect points, he cut an impressive figure.
This was Gou Fougma.
Formerly the assistant to the lord of the Sun Castle, he now served as one of the assistants to the acting village head of Village Four. Until recently, he had transferred his consciousness into a crystal to conserve energy, but having finally returned to a human body, he had come to pay his respects.
"You look older than I imagined," I remarked. "I thought you would be a bit younger."
"In my line of work, a man cannot truly be trusted unless he possesses a certain degree of age and gravity in his appearance."
He had a point. If given the choice between two people of equal ability, most would likely trust the seasoned veteran over the youth. However, that didn't quite explain Bell’s appearance.
"Our creator, you see, was of the mind that the younger a maid was, the better."
I see. I decided it was best to stop thinking too deeply about their creator’s preferences.
"The others are scheduled to wake up soon as well. They will come to greet you as soon as they are conscious, so I hope you will look upon them with favor."
"I understand. How is Village Four doing?"
"Without any issues. Acting Village Head Kuzuden is handling things quite well."
"That’s good to hear. And the food supplies are holding up? Don't let anyone push themselves too hard."
"Yes, we are quite alright. Thank you for your concern. Has anything noteworthy happened here in the Village of the Great Tree?"
"Here? No... nothing has really changed. It’s business as usual."
"Business as usual, you say?"
"Yeah."
"And that massive mountain of snow outside...?"
"The children said they wanted to play, so Raimeiren and Hakuren scraped together every bit of snow they could find. That’s the result."
A small mountain nearly thirty meters high had been erected on the south side of the village.
"The core of the mountain has been packed solid, so there’s no danger of it collapsing and burying anyone. I also made sure the meltwater would drain properly into the river through the waterways."
I hadn't been careless with the logistics.
"I see. Business as usual, indeed."
Exactly. Just another day.
"Actually, I am here for more than just a greeting. We have discovered a significant magic tool within the Sun Castle—I refer to the structure itself, not the village. I have come to report this find."
"A significant magic tool?"
"Yes. It is an item that requires extremely careful handling, so I felt it best to leave the decision regarding its use to you, Village Head."
"What kind of tool is it?"
"A Teleportation Gate."
"...Going by the name, I assume it’s a gate for travel?"
"Precisely. They are operated in pairs, connecting two specific locations instantaneously."
"That sounds incredibly convenient."
"It is. They were once relatively common, but the vast majority were lost or destroyed during the great wars. I doubt there are any operational sets left in the world today."
"What a waste."
"It is, in a sense. However, they are also a liability during wartime."
I could see why. Moving troops or supplies through such a gate would be a massive advantage, but if an enemy were to secretly install one deep within your own territory... it was a terrifying thought.
"But they’re great for times of peace, right? Weren't they rebuilt after the wars ended?"
"They are difficult to maintain, and if one gate is destroyed, its partner becomes useless."
"Could you just link a leftover gate to a different one?"
"That was researched at one point, but the conclusion was that it is impossible."
"I guess nothing is ever that easy."
"No, indeed. Since these gates are as dangerous as they are convenient, I would like you to decide if we should use them at all, and if so, where they should be placed."
"Hmm... I can't decide that right now. I’ll need to consult with everyone."
"Understood. As a bit of background knowledge, any operational gate requires a guardian. This is to prevent unauthorized use by the unscrupulous. As I mentioned, they are military risks, so it is standard practice to have a system in place to destroy the gate immediately if necessary."
So that was why there weren't any operational gates left.
"Furthermore, they cannot be installed in a moving location like Village Four."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. It might be possible if Village Four moved much more slowly, but as it stands..."
"And that was the place I wanted to put one the most."
"I agree. It is a great shame."
It really was.
"One more thing... please keep in mind that once a gate is installed, moving it again is extremely difficult. Also, once set up, they are always active. Ah, I nearly forgot the most important part."
"Yes?"
"We discovered three sets in total."
That certainly changed the scope of the conversation.
I brought the matter of the Teleportation Gates to the village for discussion.
"There used to be a gate in our village a long time ago," one of the residents mentioned. "There were always guards posted."
It seemed that the High Elf and Angel villages had once possessed them. Now, however, those gates were nothing more than decorative monuments. You could find similar non-functional gates as landmarks in various regions, so they weren't rare in appearance—only in function.
"Even a working gate is a treasure, but a set that hasn't even been installed yet? That’s a literal gold mine of lost technology," Lu said, clutching her head in frustration.
"Do you want to dismantle one set for analysis?"
"I want to, but I don't have the confidence... I’m afraid I’d just end up breaking it. But... ugh!"
I decided to let her wrestle with that dilemma as much as she liked.
After a long debate, our first idea was to connect the Village of the Great Tree to the Hot Spring Area. It would make visiting the springs effortless, and the Death Knights or the lions could easily act as guardians. It was a strong candidate for the first set.
However, some argued it was a waste of a rare resource since the distance was relatively short. After all, if Hakuren gave us a lift, it didn't take long to get there.
If we were going to use them, people suggested we should at least connect to a place outside the Forest of Death. Howlin Village, Draim’s Nest, and the Demon King’s Castle were all proposed, but we eventually settled on Shashato City as a primary interest.
But there was a problem. As Gou had warned, a Teleportation Gate was a massive military asset. Therefore, its legality and handling would vary by nation. How would the Demon Kingdom react?
Neither Frau nor the Civil Official Girls knew for sure, as there were currently no active gates within the kingdom’s borders. I felt a bit hesitant to install one in secret. I decided to consult Beezel the next time he visited.
The next issue was disclosure. How much should we reveal? If we told Michael-san, the village’s logistics would improve overnight. However, that would mean the Lamia Delivery service we currently relied on would see a sharp drop in business. I’d have to figure out some kind of compensation for the Lamias.
Furthermore, while I didn't mind more visitors, not every guest would be friendly. We had to consider the security risks of opening a direct door into the village.
Finally, there was the question of where to put the gate within the Village of the Great Tree itself. Inside the mansion? Outside? In the village center or on the outskirts? For security, further away was better; for convenience, closer was better.
"Regarding the location here in the village, perhaps we don't need to worry so much?" Ria suggested.
"What do you mean?"
Ria looked at me as if I’d forgotten something obvious. "Why not install it inside the dungeon we’re currently building to the south?"
"...Ah, that makes sense."
It was perfect. If we placed the gate in the deepest part of the dungeon, nobody could reach it without the guidance of a villager who knew the secret shortcuts. Plus, the dungeon was already full of traps for the unwary.
However, since I’d originally intended it to be a Training Dungeon, I realized I’d have to redesign a few sections if it was going to serve as a high-security vault.
"Well, there’s no need to rush into a decision. Let’s sleep on it," Ann said, soothing the room as she made her rounds with the tea.
She was right. This wasn't something to decide on a whim. For now, the only thing we officially agreed upon was to keep one set in storage for the time being. This left Lu to continue her internal struggle.
"Husband."
Holly called out to me after the meeting.
"What is it, Holly?"
"Um, I have a small question... Who is that wonderful gentleman over there?"
"Wonderful gentleman?"
I followed her gaze. She was looking at Gou.
...
"He doesn't quite compare to my late husband, of course, but his conduct is flawless. And that refined, deep voice... I would very much like to establish a friendship with him."
"I'll introduce you."
"Oh, thank you! Ah, wait just a moment... I must go and tidy my appearance first."
Since he was currently in the form of an elderly man, he and Holly did seem to make a good match, but... wait. I shouldn't jump to conclusions about romance. She might just be looking for someone with similar professional standards to talk to.
Yes. I would simply watch over them for now.
And Frau? Stop looking so excited while you watch them.
And Bell, when did you get here? Did you just appear because you sensed a juicy rumor? I’m joking, I’m joking.
Ah, she had brought the transportation plans for the gates. Looking at the documents, I realized the Teleportation Gates were actually quite large. I wondered where they had been hiding. I thought I’d searched the Sun Castle fairly thoroughly.
"Did you ever see the room where Gou’s body was being stored?" Bell asked.
"Now that you mention it..." I couldn't recall such a place.
"At the time, our relationship was still a bit uncertain. My apologies. The next time you visit the Sun Castle—or rather, Village Four—I will be happy to show you the way."
"I’ll look forward to it."