I decided to leave Galf behind and return to the Village of the Great Tree.
In my own mind, I had already decided to open the Teleportation Gate, but I told him I wasn’t sure if it could happen immediately because I needed to consult with everyone first. Still, it seemed Galf couldn't bring himself to abandon Pirika.
Daga looked like he wanted to stay as well, but he insisted that my protection was his priority. I didn't think I really needed an escort just to ride on Hakuren's back to Draim's Nest—especially since Yoko, the High Elves, and the Lizardmen were already with me—but Daga believed in seeing his duty through to the very end. That was very like him.
If that was the case, though, wouldn't it have been better to just bring Pirika back with us? Apparently not. Galf's goal wasn't to give her a place to live, but to make her stronger, which meant he wanted her to fight in an appropriate environment. I didn't really know what kind of place would be appropriate for that, so I figured it was best to leave it to his judgment. I just told him not to overdo it and to stay safe.
I offered to leave some money for them, but he asked for seasonings instead. I apologized for only having what was on hand and gave them to him.
"And... right, I need to report this accurately to your wife," I said.
I asked if he was sure he didn't want to keep it a secret, but he told me she would find out even if he tried to hide it.
"Leave it to me!" I declared.
Galf gave me a look of pure unease. Did he doubt my communication skills that much? I told him to rest easy; I wasn't so bored that I'd enjoy causing trouble for him. He eventually handed me a letter and told me not to say anything unnecessary. I didn't quite follow his logic, but I accepted it.
We stayed for one night at Draim's Nest, where we received an intense welcome from the Devil Race staff. The hospitality was even more grand than usual because of the news that Rusty had given birth. They pelted me with well-wishes for Rusty and questions about whether the baby, Lana, was cute or when she might visit the nest.
Among them, one Devil Race man with a terrifying face said, "Don't you dare make Rusty-sama cry," like an overprotective older brother. I had no intention of doing that, but I wondered what his actual relationship to her was. Gucci scolded him immediately; turns out the guy just wanted to try saying a cool line because he’d had too much to drink. Draim himself wasn't there, as he had been at the Village of the Great Tree when we left.
We arrived back at the village the following evening. It had been a short trip of only one night. I thanked Daga, Hakuren, Yoko, the High Elves, and the Lizardmen before we disbanded.
I had plenty of work to do, but first, I delivered the letter to Galf's wife. I made sure not to say anything unnecessary.
"This person named Pirika... was she a beauty?" she asked.
I honestly didn't know what the correct answer was supposed to be.
After surviving that trial, I took a short break in my room. I sat in my floor chair and relaxed. The kittens immediately piled onto my lap, while Miel perched on top of my head as usual.
"Don't fall off now," I murmured.
Then Lu came in. She pushed the kittens off my lap and took their place, using my legs as a pillow for her head. I didn't mind, but the displaced kittens immediately climbed onto her face. I couldn't help but laugh.
Since the evening meal was also going to serve as a briefing, there were more people than usual. Most of those who had accompanied me were there, along with the Civil Official Girls and the Race Representatives. After giving my general report, I proposed opening the Teleportation Gate to Village Five.
I felt a bit like I was being swept along by circumstance, but the prospect of shortening that travel distance was too attractive to ignore. It was only a day from Village Five to Shashato City. In fact, if Village Five started trading with Shashato City, we wouldn't even need to travel all the way to the coast ourselves. It would be like having a city right outside the Great Tree Dungeon.
Of course, there were problems to consider. Could we really manage that many people so suddenly? The two former members of the Four Heavenly Kings were working hard, but as the population grew, trouble was inevitable. Even in the few hours I had spent there, several issues had already cropped up. We needed to decide who would be in charge of Village Five.
Furthermore, people in the completed sections of the town were already buying and selling things with currency. We would have to handle the administration there differently than in the Village of the Great Tree or Villages One through Four, which used Reward Medals. It was going to be a hassle, but it was necessary. Opening the gate without thinking these things through would be dangerous. I decided we would have intensive discussions starting the next day and asked the Race Representatives to attend. With the reporting done, we spent the rest of the night eating and drinking.
The discussions lasted for five days. Opening the Teleportation Gate was approved almost immediately. Regarding the representative for Village Five, Bell from Village Four suggested waiting for the new members of the Mercury Race to awaken. Apparently, three of them had already woken up and were currently studying so they could function in society. Bell was quite eager to throw all three of them straight into the deep end at Village Five. Since no one else was volunteering for the job, I was grateful, though I felt a little bad for them. Then again, with Futa included, there would be four of them going over together, so they wouldn't be lonely.
The bulk of the meeting focused on the rules for using the gate. Many were of the opinion that allowing unrestricted travel from Village Five was a security risk. Conversely, they decided that travel from our side to Village Five should also be restricted. The logic was that it wouldn't be fair to tell them not to use it if we used it whenever we pleased.
In the end, we agreed the gate would primarily be used for the import and export of crops and goods, as well as for travel by myself, Galf, Marcos, or Paula. Naturally, any time I traveled, I would be accompanied by an escort.
As for the status of Village Five, the consensus moved toward respecting its independence while keeping it under the village's umbrella. Everyone seemed to feel that treating it on the same level as our other villages would be problematic.
I had thought Village Five should be treated as a higher priority because of its sheer scale, but I got the impression everyone else looked down on it as being a step below the other villages. Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen it in person yet, or maybe it was because it was a settlement that had just formed on its own. In the end, treating it as a trading partner might be the most practical approach. I even considered leaving the governance entirely to them—as long as our crops sold, I'd be happy. But I realized I couldn't be that irresponsible. I decided I would need to have a proper talk with the Demon Kingdom side as well.
Three days later, the Teleportation Gate to Village Five was officially opened. We had waited those three days to prepare lumber for a house and transport it into the dungeon. I felt bad making everyone work while it was still so hot out, but I wanted to build the house quickly and give the people over there a surprise.
"No abnormalities with the gate. The weather is clear. No problems," reported a Lizardman scout who had gone through first.
If it had been raining, we would have postponed construction, but since it was clear, we proceeded. Building materials were ferried through the gate one after another, followed by the High Elves and Lizardmen who would handle the construction.
Once I saw them off, I stepped out of the dungeon. Ria was by my side. I knew what she was thinking—we were still short on lumber. Accompanied by the children of Kuro and Zabuton, I headed into the forest.
On a side note, as soon as Galf heard the gate was open, he rushed back to the village to see his wife. He's away from home so often that I didn't think he'd be that worried, but perhaps it was different this time because he'd been training in such close proximity to another woman.
Then again, his wife is a beastman, too. Her nose is probably very sharp.