The bite of winter had finally arrived.
Yes, it was winter now.
Autumn had been so hectic this year that it felt like it had vanished in the blink of an eye. The primary causes were the construction of Village Five and the operation to rescue Pirika’s disciples.
Despite the busy schedule, I still managed to oversee the harvest and hold the annual martial arts tournament. Lu and Tia didn’t participate this year, as they were away handling the preliminary work for the rescue mission.
The standout performer in the tournament was Kierbit of the Angel Race.
"As long as Tia isn't around, I can pull this off!"
With that as her battle cry, she tore through the Knight Division and claimed the championship. It was clear she’d done her homework; her countermeasures against the Lamia Race's jump attacks, the thread techniques of Zabuton’s children, and the high-speed movements of Kuro’s children were flawless.
The only time she seemed to struggle was during her match against her fellow Angel, Granmaria. However, Granmaria was already exhausted after a grueling battle with the Lamia Warrior Chief, Suunea. It seems Kierbit was blessed with a favorable bracket once again.
She seemed aware of her luck, but when she was handed the championship trophy, she literally jumped for joy. It was a heartwarming sight.
On a side note, the defeated Lamias and the children of Zabuton and Kuro have already begun researching ways to bypass the "counter-measure sealing" Kierbit used. The victims—excuse me, the practice partners—chosen for these experiments were the Angels Suarliu and Suarkou.
Hang in there, you two.
Another noteworthy participant was the Demon King. His luck with the draw is truly something to behold, and he showed incredible grit. His Four Heavenly Kings—Beezel, Gratz, and Randan—were moved to tears as they cheered him on passionately. They each had a drink in hand while doing so, though.
The remaining Heavenly King, Hou, wasn't at the tournament venue at all. Instead, she spent her time at the dwarves’ stalls. I thought she was just there to drink, but it turns out she’d brought sake produced in her own territory to solicit professional feedback. Well, she was still drinking plenty while she worked.
The tournament had its share of ups and downs, but it was fun and nobody was seriously injured, so I’d call it a success.
Rewinding a bit, the construction of Village Five was completed around the middle of autumn. At that time, we finalized the core of the settlement's management structure.
Yoko the Nine-tailed Fox was formally appointed as the Village Five Acting Village Head, and the Saint was appointed as the Religious Relations Manager.
Yoko took the position at her own request. Since she had been the primary supervisor on the Village of the Great Tree's side during construction, I saw no reason to refuse her initiative. However, when I wondered what had prompted her sudden interest, it turned out she wanted to bring the village residents who had been caring for Hitoe over to Village Five.
I see.
From the perspective of Village Five, there were no objections either. Having someone dispatched from the Village of the Great Tree as the Acting Village Head would be much smoother than trying to appoint someone from within the new settlement. And so, the matter was settled.
Technically, Yoko is now the mistress of the Village Five Mansion, but she still returns to the Village of the Great Tree most nights. I assume it's because her daughter, Hitoe, still lives here.
As for the Saint, her appointment came at Progenitor-san’s request.
Initially, the Saint’s post-retirement destination had been decided, but a string of political troubles had prevented things from moving forward. Apparently, several factions were locked in a shadow war, each trying to claim the prestige that would come from having her under their umbrella.
I asked if Progenitor-san couldn't just settle things with a stern word, but he explained that the infighting was happening at the lower levels of the organization, where his authority didn't quite reach. Some of those people didn't even know who he was. He self-deprecatingly remarked that it was his own fault for staying out of the public eye for so long.
Fouche would normally be the one to whip the lower levels into shape, but she was buried under her own workload. In the midst of that stalemate, they found hope in Village Five.
There was no reason we couldn't have a Korin Religion Church in Village Five, and certainly no reason the Saint couldn't serve there. The Saint herself expressed a desire to work in the new town, so that’s how it was settled.
She currently works at the Village Five Church, though she returns to the Village of the Great Tree every night with Yoko. Is that really the best way to do things?
Several priests chosen by Fouche were also dispatched to the church. They actually live on-site. Apparently, the newly built church is incredibly comfortable. Still, I have to wonder about men being moved to tears just by having their own private rooms and beds. What kind of lives were they living before this?
It bothered me—or rather, I felt pity for them—so I’ve been sending various supplies to them through the Saint.
The operation to rescue Pirika’s disciples took place after the martial arts tournament.
The lynchpin of the mission was the attention-grabbing dragon, Marksbergark. I had asked Hakuren to invite him to the tournament in advance. I’d already told him what I needed him to do, so it wasn't like I was tricking him into a job. His compensation was sake, crops, and various sweets. I imagine the sweets are for his wife and daughter.
The plan was simple: while Marksbergark flew around to draw the locals' attention, we would open a Teleportation Gate to the village where the disciples were being held.
While a distraction might not have been strictly necessary, the target was the Fullhart Kingdom, which is currently at war with the Demon Kingdom. I wanted to avoid any diplomatic incidents. Our policy was to avoid being seen by anyone other than the people we were rescuing. I felt a bit bad for making Marksbergark work so hard, but he pulled it off.
To facilitate the Gate, Pirika had to return to her village first to set the Teleportation Gate Specification Stone. This was the primary reason it took so long to execute the plan after we’d decided on it. If we’d asked Progenitor-san or Beezel—who can use teleportation magic—it would have been much faster, but given the sensitive nature of the mission, I couldn't involve them.
It couldn't be helped.
Lu and Tia acted as Pirika’s escorts. I use the term loosely; they didn't stay by her side, but rather shadowed her from a distance to ensure her safety. Since we couldn't know the exact moment Pirika would reach her village, we set a specific date and time for the operation.
Marksbergark would take to the skies on that day. By then, Pirika had to be back in the village and have her disciples ready to move. Pirika had been confident, but the group included not just the students but also their families. I’d expected at least some opposition to the idea of fleeing.
However, there was zero pushback. Every single one of them agreed to escape. I have to wonder if the Fullhart Kingdom is actually doing okay.
The disciples lived their lives as usual until the appointed hour, then packed their bags at the very last second. Right on time, Lu set the Specification Stone.
The moment the Teleportation Gate opened, twenty people—a mix of High Elves and Lizardmen—and I crossed over. The High Elves and Lizardmen were officially my escorts, but I had them focus on guiding the refugees.
I, meanwhile, got to work plowing the land with the Universal Farming Tool. If the villagers simply vanished, people would assume they fled. But if the entire village itself was gone, it would look less like a desertion and more like a bizarre disaster or supernatural phenomenon. Even I would be baffled by such a sight.
Once the disciples and their families were through, my escorts and I returned through the Gate. Pirika and Tia followed. Finally, Lu crossed back while holding the Specification Stone.
I was surprised that such a thing was even possible, but apparently the stone is only necessary to stabilize the opening of the Gate and isn't critical afterward. Normally, the Gate would linger for a while before fading on its own, but to ensure there was no trace left behind, I took the stone from Lu and smashed it with the Universal Farming Tool. That forced the Gate to close instantly.
The mission was a resounding success. Tia’s presence had been a "just in case" measure; she was there to grab Pirika and fly her to safety if things went south.
The funny part was that despite the village literally vanishing, it took over a month for the kingdom to realize there was a problem. Perhaps we were being a bit too paranoid? Or maybe Marksbergark just did too good a job as a distraction.
Regardless, Pirika, her disciples, and their families have successfully relocated to Village Five. I hope they find happiness there.
There was one minor issue, however. Because we’d essentially used the Teleportation Gate as a one-off, Miyo’s intended role as the Gate Manager was eliminated. The Civil Official Girls practically screamed for her help, and since she agreed, she’ll be assisting them until we find her a permanent position.
It really was an eventful autumn.
...
Wait, Miyo’s eyes look like those of a ghost... Is she going to be okay?
Right, I need to find more help for the civil officials. I know, I know. Frau is doing her best, but the results haven't been great.
I’ve just finished baking some Stollen. Maybe I should take some to them? I shouldn't brag, but it turned out quite well.
Yes, you can have as many loaves as you want. But please, slice it before you eat it. Biting into a whole loaf is a bit... actually, never mind. Just eat. Yes, go ahead.
As for paperwork, I’ve been officially banned from the office. Apparently, while I can handle the arithmetic, my document formatting is atrocious.
I suppose I should count that as a stroke of luck.
No, I really do need to find more civil officials. Village Five seems to have plenty of talent, so maybe I should look into scouting some of them.
I’ll try talking it over with Yoko.