In this world, factions inevitably form whenever people gather.
The Village of the Great Tree was no exception.
"Fried eggs must be cooked on both sides. That is the pinnacle of perfection."
"But isn't sunny-side up better? It looks more elegant, and the runny yolk tastes better, right?"
"I think I prefer tamagoyaki myself."
"What about the dashi-maki the Village Head prepared?"
"That’s in a separate category altogether."
It was peaceful—as long as it remained a verbal dispute.
For the record, I was a member of the boiled egg faction. I loved them with a simple sprinkle of salt. It wasn't a lifelong preference; it only started after I moved to this village. At first, we had neither eggs nor salt. Now, we have both. Feeling grateful for these daily staples, I stepped in to stop the argument before it turned into a brawl.
"A three-day egg ban," I declared.
The village was growing restless with festival preparations. I left most of the planning to the Civil Official Girls again this year, which kept my mind at ease. Still, I wasn't just idling; I was helping research new festival dishes.
A massive bowl of eggs sat before me. Even with the ban, the chickens kept laying, so this was the inevitable result. Since I couldn't let them go to waste, I decided to make seasoned boiled eggs.
First, I boiled the eggs. Once they cooled, I marinated them in a broth made of sake, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar, along with a bit of water and herbs. Simple as that. I looked forward to seeing how they would turn out in three days.
However, I wondered if it was really wise to turn every single egg into a seasoned boiled egg. Today’s batch was fine, but should I do the same for tomorrow and the day after?
I asked the High Ogre Maids for their thoughts.
"How about using them for bread?"
"They could work for cakes as well."
"What about pudding?"
I see. Then I would use the next two days' worth of eggs for bread, cakes, and pudding. That sounded like a solid plan.
The following day, new factions had formed over how to use those very eggs.
"Bread! We should make sweet buns!"
"Cakes are clearly the superior choice!"
"Why not just make pudding?"
In the end, the eggs from the second and third days were also turned into seasoned boiled eggs.
Ahem.
It wasn't as if I spent all my time cooking before the festival. Yoko had approached me for an important consultation.
"It’s about the guests from Village Five..."
I had initially thought about a grand invitation, but everyone around me insisted I reconsider, so I dropped the idea. I hadn't expected such unanimous opposition. I suppose inviting a crowd that significantly outnumbered the villagers would be problematic. We already had visitors coming from Villages One through Four; I realized that inviting more people than we could host would be a mistake.
But did they think I was planning to invite all of Village Five? I’m not that lacking in common sense. I only intended to invite those I knew personally—Pirika and her disciples, the priests, the staff at Yoko’s mansion, the two members of the Previous Generation Four Heavenly Kings, and the Village Five Councilors.
Even so, that added up to about five hundred people. Yeah, that was definitely too many.
After discussing it with Yoko, we decided not to invite anyone from Village Five. She was worried that inviting people selectively would create a social divide. Apparently, various factions were already starting to emerge there.
"Is that really okay?" I asked.
"There are many of them, after all," Yoko replied. "Unless factions form to some extent, the city is difficult to govern. There are aspects that I have even encouraged."
Currently, nearly twenty thousand people lived in Village Five. To manage a population of that size, middle management was necessary. Those middle managers were the faction leaders. She explained that groups were forming based on occupations and residential areas.
"Factions are also forming based on faith," she added.
"Faith?" I thought Seles was the one organizing that.
"The Village Head Absolute Faction, the Village Head Watch-over Faction, the Village Head Proactive Faction, the Village of the Great Tree Faction, the High Elf Faction, the Donovan Faction... those are the most prominent."
"What on earth are those?"
"The Absolute Faction views the Village Head with the same fearful reverence one would accord a dragon. The Watch-over Faction believes in observing the Village Head from a distance. The Proactive Faction, conversely, seeks to be useful by actively approaching the Village Head."
I was speechless.
"The Village of the Great Tree Faction is also known as the Summit Faction. They worship everyone associated with the Village of the Great Tree, including you. The High Elf Faction is centered around the elves, with the Tree King and Bow King at the core. The Donovan Faction is made up of the dwarves."
"Are they dangerous?"
"Not at all. They merely hold private meetings. It shouldn't be a problem."
I felt like there might be a problem, but Yoko laughed and told me not to worry because she would dismantle them if they ever interfered with her governance. She was a little scary.
While no one was officially invited from Village Five, we informed those who knew of our village about the festival and mentioned that they were welcome to attend on their own.
In the end, only the two members of the Previous Generation Four Heavenly Kings chose to participate.