The day after the martial arts tournament ended, I hadn't slept a wink.
The morning sun was blinding.
The reason for my insomnia was simple: last night, Paula, who had been looking after things in Village One, had gone into labor.
Logically, I knew my being awake wouldn't change the outcome, but I couldn't bring myself to rest. Not after hearing that it was a difficult delivery.
Thankfully, the child was born safely just a short while ago.
It was a joyous occasion—a healthy baby boy.
His eyes were the spitting image of Paula's, and his mouth was hers as well.
Er... I'm sure there are parts of him that resemble Marcos, too.
I offered those words of comfort, but Marcos, who had rushed back in a desperate hurry, didn't seem to care about the resemblance at all. Rather than worrying about who the boy looked like, he was simply overwhelmed with gratitude that the child had been born into the world.
That was only natural. I remember feeling the exact same way when Alfred was born.
Still, Marcos, Paula—worshiping me won't bring you any divine blessings, you know?
And Kricky, good job. If you hadn't delivered the message so quickly, things might have taken a dangerous turn.
Hahaha. You've become quite reliable. I'll be counting on you from now on as well.
As for Hakuren, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you.
"Don't worry about it. My father and mother don't know what Marcos looks like, after all."
I had asked Hakuren to go and fetch Marcos. The veteran midwives of the Devil Race had warned me that the worst-case scenario for both mother and child was a possibility, so I couldn't afford not to bring him home.
By utilizing the Teleportation Gate and then having Hakuren fly in her dragon form, she managed to make the round trip between the Village of the Great Tree and Shashato City in just three hours.
Since it was the middle of the night, the part that took the most time was actually locating Marcos in the city. It seems Michael-san, who accompanied Hakuren, mobilized the Goroun Company's personnel to find and secure him. I heard the whole ordeal looked a bit like a kidnapping.
As for Michael-san himself... he'd been out cold since the moment they returned. I'll have to thank him properly once he wakes up.
In hindsight, I realized I should have just asked Progenitor-san or Beezel to teleport him directly. I must have been more panicked than I thought. I only realized that alternative existed when Hakuren landed with Marcos in tow. I noticed Progenitor-san and Beezel asserting their presence once they'd grasped the situation.
I really need to reflect on my lack of composure. It was a relief the baby was born safely, but if something had gone wrong...
No, let's not go there. Everything turned out fine. That's what matters.
I eventually asked Progenitor-san to handle the teleportation from the Village of the Great Tree back to Village One.
Back at the Village of the Great Tree, the banquet was still going strong despite it being morning. Even after the news of Paula's difficult labor broke, everyone who wasn't directly involved stayed at the party. I worried it might be insensitive, but I was told that a gloomy atmosphere only invites misfortune.
"That's why we want the banquet to continue," the residents of Village One told me in unison. Given that, I had no choice but to let it keep going.
By mutual consent, the matches on the stage were canceled. Instead, the area became a forum for people to announce happy events or good news while enjoying food and Sake.
Well, that lasted until the report arrived that Paula had given birth safely. After a massive, celebratory cheer, the atmosphere reverted to its usual rowdy self.
The Demon King actually took the stage to recruit challengers. He looked a bit flustered when Yuri stepped up to face him, especially with the four members of the Current Four Heavenly Kings lined up behind her as support.
That banquet was still continuing even now.
"Village Head, what should we do about this?"
"Let it be voluntary participation. Have everyone disband by tomorrow morning. And make sure anyone who's exhausted gets some sleep."
I gave the order while stifling a massive yawn.
Once the tournament in the Village of the Great Tree concluded, it was time for the Village Five Harvest Festival. In reality, the actual harvest had finished much earlier, but they had delayed the festivities until our tournament was over.
"I'm sorry for making you wait."
"Not at all. Even if we had started earlier, it wouldn't have been nearly as lively without the people from the Village of the Great Tree," Yoko replied.
"I appreciate you saying that."
With Yoko and two members of the Previous Generation Four Heavenly Kings managing the logistics, everything proceeded smoothly. It was called a "Harvest Festival," but in practice, it was more like a massive winter trade fair. That said, there were plenty of stalls and a stage, so the festive spirit was certainly there.
After I gave the opening greeting, I went to supervise the ten stalls managed by the High Ogre Maids and the Beastman girls.
The two stalls selling nothing but alcohol were incredibly popular. They didn't serve the spirits straight, offering them instead by the cup as fruit mixes or diluted with water—both hot and cold. The drinks weren't just flying off the shelves; they were flowing.
The customers were efficient, too. They didn't loiter in front of the stalls; they ordered quickly, paid their fees, took their Sake, and immediately yielded their spots to the next person. There was no fumbling or hesitation.
I wondered if they had been practicing for this. Their movements were so synchronized it made me suspicious. Did they really want Sake that badly? I thought we'd been distributing plenty of "Village Five Sake" and "Village Five Sake Kai" already. Perhaps it was just the festival atmosphere.
Among the other stalls, five were dedicated to food: yakitori skewers, grilled fish, grilled corn, pizza, and burgers.
The "burgers" weren't hamburgers, but rather hot dogs. During the tasting phase, people had been confused by the name "hot dog," so I decided to simplify the terminology. Anything served in a bun with a slit cut into it was a "burger," while anything sandwiched between two separate slices of bread was a "sandwich."
Because of that, what I knew as a hamburger was technically called a "sandwich" here. It felt a bit strange, but I supposed I'd get used to it. Maybe I'd consider a better name later.
Since each stall only sold one specific item, the turnover was fast, but the lines were still long. Everyone was working their hardest, but the cooking speed simply couldn't keep up with the demand. To go any faster, we'd need to expand the equipment, which wasn't feasible for a temporary stall. We'd just have to increase the number of stalls next year.
Two stalls were dedicated to sweets, selling things like cotton candy and a variation of taiyaki. The Mountain Elves and Gatto had put a lot of work into building the cotton candy machine and the taiyaki grills. I was very grateful for their efforts.
They were a hit with the children—and surprisingly, the adults too. I might have set the price too low, as I was troubled by the number of people trying to buy in bulk. Cotton candy shrivels up if you let it sit, so buying a mountain of it at once is pointless. I tried to tell them to eat it all today since it wouldn't last, and I really wanted people to enjoy the taiyaki while they were still hot.
The final stall sold juice for those who didn't drink alcohol. At first, the foot traffic was slow compared to the Sake stalls, but by nighttime, there was a massive queue.
On the stage, various performers took turns entertaining the crowd. I didn't have much leisure to watch, but I had to stop and look when Alfred made his appearance.
Alfred was on stage with Aegis, the phoenix chick, having him perform a hoop of fire jump.
The venue was erupting with excitement, but I couldn't help but wonder... isn't a phoenix a bird made of fire to begin with? Is jumping through a fiery ring actually difficult for him?
Well, the crowd thought it was amazing, so I suppose it was! You're doing great, Alfred!
As for Lu, who was acting as his assistant... her outfit was very cute, but I couldn't help but think it was a bit too daring to be wearing in front of such a large audience.