Ria was currently away on assignment in Village Five.
The reason for her trip was the arrival of over two hundred young male and female elves claiming to be "hostages" from the various settlements that had established friendly relations with us.
Personally, I didn't think hostages were necessary, but Yoko had judged them essential. She told me that refusing to accept them wasn't even an option. These people were a labor force provided by each village, and it was apparently necessary for Village Five to show it valued these settlements by accepting them and treating them with proper courtesy.
The burdens of leadership are heavy, it seems.
"No, you are doing something quite similar, Village Head," Yoko pointed out.
"Eh?"
Then it clicked. Ah, the residents from the Minotaur and Centaur races. I see; when I realized it was the same principle, it made sense.
The two hundred-plus elves were placed under the command of the Tree King and the Bow King. Normally, they should have fallen under the command of Hii, the Chief Military Officer of Village Five, but an objection was raised regarding treating them as direct retainers right away.
The Tree King and the Bow King were the ones who voiced the concern. They explained that there were differences in size and a strict hierarchy among the various elf settlements. To ignore those factors and treat everyone as equals would cause significant problems. Furthermore, given the temperament of elves, it was difficult to have them work alongside other races. It was better to have them conduct independent activities in small elven groups.
The Tree King and the Bow King proposed that they should be allowed to organize the newcomers as their own subordinates. However, the elves who had arrived as hostages rebelled against this idea.
"You two just want to lord it over us, don't you?" they challenged.
As representatives of their respective settlements, they were quite spirited and aggressive.
"Don't talk down to us!" the kings barked back. "We are already your superiors!"
A massive argument ensued. They went back and forth, shouting until they were blue in the face. While it didn't escalate to a physical brawl, some truly foul insults were flying through the air.
As luck would have it, I happened to be there. I had been asked to be present to welcome the new arrivals. My escorts included several High Elves, including Ria.
Ria and the others were, well... direct. They politely punched every single person there into silence. Even the Tree King and the Bow King were struck down and silenced.
"Village Head. Your instructions, please," Ria said calmly.
"Eh? Oh, right... um, for the time being, it’s probably easier if they stay organized within their own race."
And so, I adopted the proposal from the Tree King and the Bow King. The two hundred-plus elves were officially placed under their command.
"I cannot overlook that disrespectful attitude they showed earlier," Ria remarked. "For the sake of the Village Head and Village Five, I shall train them until they can die with a smile on their faces."
Thus, a training program began with Ria acting as the instructor. I wondered what had brought this on so suddenly, but Ria later pulled me aside to explain. She said that by putting them through the same grueling training, it would foster a sense of solidarity and improve their ability to cooperate.
I see. It seemed the Tree King and the Bow King were participating as well.
Today marked the fifth day of Ria’s stay in Village Five. The official reports claimed there were no problems. But I had my doubts. I’d heard that Pirika’s disciples, after witnessing Ria’s training sessions, had begun to reflect on how their own methods were far too soft. There were also reports of "Help" messages written in Elf Script being found in various locations around the village...
I have no desire to go looking for trouble where there is none. I decided to trust Ria.
As the weather grew hotter, the pool became incredibly popular. However, it was difficult to find the time to actually go for a swim unless your schedule was completely clear. Since I had several tasks to manage, I spent my time doing paperwork in the mansion instead of heading to the pool.
We had a device that produced a cool breeze, which made the room comfortable, but something felt missing. I eventually switched off the cooling device and threw open the windows. I placed a large wooden tub under my desk and filled it with water. After kicking off my shoes and rolling up my hems, I dunked my feet inside.
Yes, this was just right. The water wasn't ice-cold, but it was refreshing enough. There was something more atmospheric about cooling off this way.
"Hey, Sake Slime. Diving in is a bad idea."
If the floor got wet, Ann would be furious. My pants were already soaked. I told the slime not to swim around in such a cramped tub, but it didn't listen. For goodness' sake, it was splashing water all over my documents.
Thirty minutes later, even though I had wiped the floor thoroughly, Ann still scolded me. Perhaps it was because I had placed water-filled tubs all over the room to play with the Sake Slime and Zabuton’s children. She told me in no uncertain terms that if I wanted to play in the water, I should just go to the pool.
Cats have a habit of running away whenever you try to give them attention, yet they always come pestering you the moment you're busy. Was that just my imagination?
On the other hand, the dogs—or rather, Kuro’s children—welcomed me with everything they had the moment I looked their way. Because of that, I couldn't afford to give them half-hearted attention. Seeing them look disappointed was truly heartbreaking. When I played with them, I had to be fully committed. Being unfaithful halfway through was out of the question.
I knew that. I really did. And yet, the kittens always chose to interfere specifically when I was playing with Kuro’s children. I wasn't sure what to do about it.
"That happens because you are playing indoors," Ann pointed out. "If you go outside, the kittens won't bother you as much."
I suspected she was right. It’s just that I was still in the middle of my paperwork. I had only started playing with Kuro’s children to take a quick break...
"If your work isn't progressing, shall I stand over you and watch?" Ann offered.
"Hahaha. No, thank you."
For the time being, I asked Ann to take the kittens away. Even without being told, the kittens were stuck to her like glue. I felt a small pang of jealousy.
Then, Kuro’s children gathered in front of me. Right, I still had them. I knew, I knew. I rolled them onto their sides and gave their bellies a good rubbing. Kuro’s children kicked their legs with joy.
It was always so difficult to find the right moment to stop.