Ria's mother was coming to the village.
Since Bron had found her at the Demon Kingdom Academy, Beezel was going to send her our way.
It was a sudden development, so I had to prepare quickly to ensure we weren't being rude.
After all, Ria and the others had been an immense help to me in countless ways.
I was sure they would be happy to see their mother again.
...
Wait, why were Ria and the rest of the High Elves preparing for combat?
And they looked dead serious about it, too.
Hmm?
I assumed Beezel would arrive from the south side of the village as usual, right?
Why were they constructing defensive positions at the village's southern edge?
I didn't mind the construction, but it was still winter.
Wasn't it freezing out there?
As for me... ah, I was told I should just wait at the mansion.
Understood.
I wondered if there was some kind of ritual or tradition involved in welcoming a mother.
When Ria's mother finally arrived to greet me, she was in tatters.
I wondered if Ria and her group had done that?
No, that wasn't it.
Ria and the others were also covered in scuffs and bruises.
This particular brand of messiness... it was the work of Kuro's children.
They had been staring at me for a while now, practically begging for a pat on the head.
I'd get to them once the introductions were finished.
"I am Rigne, Warrior Chief of the Rif Clan."
"Nice to meet you. I'm the Village Head. My name is Hiraku."
The formal greeting ended quite normally.
The reason it was so brief was that Ria and the others were already whisking Rigne away to the bath.
Well, both sides were looking pretty worse for wear.
We could have a proper talk during dinner.
Once Ria and Rigne headed for the baths, Kuro's children approached me expectantly.
I praised them.
I hadn't expected Rigne and Malbit to be acquaintances, though.
I suppose when you live as long as they do, your social circle naturally expands.
It seemed like Lu and Tia knew of her as well.
Only by reputation?
Is that so.
Perhaps Rigne was a very famous person.
Oops, sorry.
My petting was getting a bit distracted.
There, there.
Let's try that again.
You guys did a great job!
...
I praised them because they clearly wanted it, but why did they end up fighting Rigne in the first place?
Night fell.
I sat at the same table as Ria's mother, Rigne, for dinner.
Lu, Tia, and Ria joined us.
I thought Lilius should have sat with us too, but...
Speaking of family, I had heard that Ria was a sister or cousin to Lise, Liri, Rief, Ricotto, Rize, and Rita.
I wondered if Rigne had any other daughters.
I decided to ask.
"Liri and Rita are also my daughters, though they are adopted. They are likely just being reserved."
"Is that so?"
When I glanced at Liri and Rita sitting at a table some distance away, they gave me a signal telling me not to worry about them.
If they were fine with it, I wouldn't push...
Well, perhaps they would all have a chance to talk late into the night.
I'd make sure to send some sake over for them.
The dinner conversation mostly centered on Rigne and Ria.
"One way or another, I spent about a hundred years searching for you. I never imagined you had fled into the Forest of Death."
"It was the only way to shake our pursuers. I am truly sorry."
"I should be the one apologizing. I am sorry."
"No, please."
I worried the atmosphere was going to turn heavy, but Ria immediately changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, I heard from Bron that you were staying in some ruins, Mother? Were there ruins like that in Rita's Forest?"
Rita's Forest was the name of the North Forest near the academy where Bron and the boys were staying.
Apparently, that was where Ria's old village had once been.
"You were all just children, so you probably didn't know. Those ruins were under the management of our clan. Though, 'management' mostly meant exterminating whatever moved so it didn't become a nest for monsters or magic beasts. I never learned what the facility was actually for."
"And you've been managing those ruins all this time, Mother?"
"It is the duty of our clan, after all. Though, it's only been my responsibility for the last fifty years or so. It had been neglected for quite a while before that, so clearing out all the monsters and magic beasts that had moved in was quite a chore. Most of the moss cultivated in the ruins had been destroyed as well, so restoring it was a struggle."
"Moss?"
"Umu. Hair-Gloss Moss."
Lu reacted instantly to Rigne's answer.
"If it isn't a problem, could you tell me about the cultivation environment and other details?"
"It is a clan secret. Or so I would like to say... but I suppose it doesn't matter. This village is as good as family, after all."
Rigne looked to me for confirmation, so I gave her a nod.
Immediately, Tia nudged my leg under the table.
"The words," she whispered.
Ah, right. Just nodding wasn't enough.
This was the part where I had to say the line.
Actually, Lu, Tia, and Ria had prepared several scripted responses for me to use depending on the situation.
"The High Elf race is precious family, and a vital part of Great Tree Village."
I hoped that was okay.
Tia gave me a discreet OK sign.
Thank goodness.
As for Rigne's reaction... she was crying!
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for granting my clan a place of peaceful rest."
That felt a bit like an exaggeration, but then again, she had clearly been through a lot.
Ria and the others had apparently lived a life of constant camping and wandering until they joined us.
"Rigne-san, if you would like, I was thinking you could live in this village as well."
"Thank you for the invitation. I would be honored to become a member of this village. However, I intend to seek employment at the Demon Kingdom Academy rather than staying here."
"The Academy? The one Bron and the others are attending?"
"Yes. I was invited by young Bron. I can continue managing the ruins there as well. Of course, I will strive to never bring shame to my status as a member of Great Tree Village, and should this village ever face a crisis, I intend to be the first to rush to its aid."
She didn't have to be quite that intense about it.
Still, it was a bit of a shame we wouldn't be living together.
But considering Gol, Sil, and Bron, it might be helpful to have someone like her at the Academy.
Ria and the others would probably be lonely, though.
...
Wait, was it my imagination, or did Ria actually look happy about this?
At the High Elves' table a short distance away, I could hear the sounds of a celebratory toast.
Wait, what?
"...However, I've been told the Academy won't need me until spring. Until then, I intend to spend my time training the clan here. It will be for a short duration, but I look forward to working with you."
The moment Rigne said that, Ria's smile froze.
Ah, I see.
She was the strict type.
Ria's own training sessions were already whispered about as being "hellish" in Village Five, yet even Ria was dreading this.
"Would you like to join us, Village Head?"
"Hahaha."
I was curious, but I thought I'd pass.
Ria, don't look at me with that "how could you leave me like this" face.
I had various jobs to do because spring was right around the corner.
Three days later.
A massive defensive fortification had been erected on the south side of the village.
Rigne's voice boomed across the field.
"Too slow! You should be able to erect a fortification of this scale in a single day!"
"Y-Yes, Ma'am! We're sorry!"
The High Elves, standing in perfectly straight lines, shouted back in unison.
"Good. Now, begin the demolition. I want it leveled in half a day."
"What?"
"It should be easier than building it. Get to work. If you fail, there will be a penalty. Don't worry, I won't be that harsh. I'll just have you do a bit of the special training I've devised. For warriors forged in the Forest of Death, it shouldn't be much trouble at all. Hmm—maybe that's too light for a penalty? Fine, let's add a mock battle as well. Our opponent will be... the Assistant Chief of the Angel Race was here, wasn't she? Her skill is the real deal. You'll enjoy it. What? Malbit? You want to fight someone who tries to overturn a loss in a mock battle through political maneuvering? You're incredible. I'd hate that. However, I intend to fulfill your wishes to the best of my ability. I shall go negotiate with her."
The High Elves apparently spent their nights praying fervently for spring to arrive.
It was still way too early for Lilius, Rigul, and Ratte to join in.
Besides, it was too cold for them even to watch.
"Come on, play with me instead."
"Papa!"
Oh. You guys said "Papa" properly.
Hahaha. No need to be shy about it.
On a side note, "Hair-Gloss Moss" was such a peculiar name.
I wondered if it was used in medicine to make hair more beautiful.
I tried asking Rigne about it later.
"It's a potency medicine... an ingredient for medicine that aids in 'nighttime activities.'"
"Why the sudden rephrase? Or rather, if it's for that kind of medicine, why does it have a name like that? Is it because of how it looks?"
"No, it looks like ordinary moss. It's called that because after a man takes the medicine, the woman's hair becomes glossy and beautiful."
"Wait... does the woman take the medicine?"
"No, the man takes it."
...
The man drinks the medicine, and the woman's hair becomes glossy? What kind of causal relationship was that?
I decided it was best not to think too deeply about it.
However, I felt my perception of Rigne starting to shift.
"I only cultivate it to earn a living, you know."
But it was a cultivation site she kept secret even from her own children, right?
"High Elf men are somewhat indifferent when it comes to... ahem. Well, even without you asking, I shall ensure that a supply of the highest quality is gathered for the Village Head's use."
No, really.
I don't need it.