Before I knew it, the kittens had grown into small cats.
Their once-adorable faces had taken on a more dignified look. While it was a little sad to see them grow up so fast, I should really be celebrating their progress.
Miel, Lael, Uel, and Gael.
Jewel-like stones were beginning to form on the foreheads of the four cats—two white, one black, and one spotted. Their mother’s lineage clearly ran deep. Apparently, the gems would grow larger as they matured.
Come to think of it, Lu and her group were the ones who had brought Jewel back in the first place. It was a bit late to ask, but where exactly did they find her?
They explained that they had raided an illegal trade deal and "confiscated" her.
...I really wish they wouldn't get involved in such dangerous business.
So, the Jewel Cat was being traded there, was she? Was it actually okay to just take her? Was it legal? If they said so, I suppose there was no problem.
The kittens had begun wandering off on their own more often, but they were still children at heart. When it was time to sleep, they all huddled together by Jewel’s side.
Beside them, the Cat was looking a little forlorn. Oh, Rael went over to him. She seemed to be a total daddy's girl.
Now that I mention it, the kittens were all female.
Hang in there, Dad.
The Saint, whom Progenitor-san had entrusted to the village, was still here. I wondered what was taking Progenitor-san so long to find her a permanent placement. He showed his face once in a while to consult with us about the Teleportation Gates, but... was it still going to take more time? Things weren't progressing as planned. It sounded like he had his hands full.
The Saint was no longer treated like a guest; she had become a full-fledged member of the village workforce, so I didn't mind if she stayed indefinitely. She had even started interacting with the Sake Slime, the Beastman Race, and the High Ogre Race.
Of course, if the Saint herself decided she wanted to leave, I wouldn't stop her. The most I could do was keep improving the daily meals to make it harder for her to want to go. After all, if the Saint left, the Sake Slime would be lonely.
Down in the Great Tree Dungeon, the Lamia and Giant races had officially moved in. There were five Lamias and seven Giants. Apparently, they planned to rotate with members staying in the other dungeons occasionally.
They insisted that support from the village was unnecessary, but I couldn't just leave it at that. I set up houses for both races in the Residential Area so they could spend time on the surface as well. Since they came to the village for various reasons anyway, there had been talk of preparing these for a while. As for the Lamias, they had already been helping us by staying over during the wine-making season.
I was genuinely taken aback when both the Lamias and Giants burst into tears of gratitude upon hearing about the houses. Was it really something to be that happy about? At any rate, they should give their thanks to the High Elves, who did most of the construction. I only gathered the materials.
Besides the Lamia Race and the Giant Race, some of Zabuton's children had also started living in the dungeon. While many set out on their seasonal journeys again this year, their numbers were lower than usual. The reason was simple: many had decided to stay and live in the dungeon.
I couldn't help but wonder if expanding the dungeon would mean none of them ever had to leave.
The children living in the dungeon seemed to have specialized for that environment, evolving into forms I had never seen before. There was the thin, rod-like Needle Spider; the Ghillie Spider that lurked in the dungeon walls and floors; and the Gate Spider that staked out a specific location. There were many others as well.
Lu and Tia gave me a breakdown while we looked at the actual spiders, though I couldn't help but feel they were acting a little spooked. Maybe it was just my imagination? It was a bit late for them to be scared of spiders. One of them had even been living right above my room until the other day.
That’s right—the one with the unusual craving for tomatoes. It seemed its preferences hadn't changed even after evolving, so I’ll have to bring it some next time. I should bring something for the others, too. Would potatoes be okay?
Hahaha. In exchange, I'm counting on all of you to look after the dungeon. Get along with the Lamias and the Giants.
I still had the uncut gemstones I’d received from the Wyverns. Unless you cut the jewel from the ore and polish it, it’s just a rock. However, there was no one here with any experience in that field.
Jewel-related work... in a typical fantasy setting, this would be where the dwarves come in, but our local dwarves are strictly alcohol specialists. Normal dwarves would...
Wait, there were some dwarves among the potential immigrants for the new village we were planning. I didn't know if they could actually handle uncut gemstones, but...
"Those fellows are good at that sort of thing. You can leave it to them," Donovan guaranteed.
I decided to take his word for it. For now, I'll wait until after we decide whether to build the new village or not. It would be problematic if I contacted them prematurely and the new village became a foregone conclusion. I'm scheduled to be shown the candidate sites soon, so I'll decide after seeing them. The gemstones could stay as rocks for a while longer.
Alfred was the son of a human—me—and a vampire, Lu. Until now, there hadn't been any obvious vampire-like characteristics. Personally, I thought he was born leaning toward his human side.
However, when I stopped to think about it, what exactly defined a vampire anyway? They looked almost exactly like humans.
Fangs? Lu could lengthen or retract hers at will. Was that it?
I checked Alfred’s mouth, but his baby teeth were all perfectly straight and normal. No fangs in sight. No problem there.
What other characteristics were there? Vampires in my old world were weak to sunlight or afraid of flowing water, but those didn't apply to Lu.
Was it okay to just assume he was normal?
Lu pouted a little at my conclusion. It was fine, wasn't it? He was definitely her child regardless.
"But..."
Lu’s concern stemmed from the fact that Tiselle, my daughter with Tia, had already grown small wings on her back. She couldn't use them yet, but apparently, she’ll be able to show or hide them at will once she gets used to it. Tia was absolutely thrilled and was already lecturing the poor girl on wing management.
Honestly, Tia, I think it might still be a bit early for Tiselle.
In any case, if Lu worried too much, it would only make Alfred depressed, so I told her to relax. They might just not have appeared yet. And as I said before, even if he took after me more, he was still our son.
"I... I suppose you're right."
A few days later.
"It appears Lord Alfred has developed night vision," Ann reported.
Upon hearing this, Lu’s face lit up with a look of restrained joy.