The Civil Official Girls presented their case as follows:
The girls lived divided among three large houses, essentially leading a communal lifestyle. While they were supposed to handle meals on a rotation system, the results were often tragic when the duty fell to someone buried in work.
To give you an idea of these "tragic" meals, imagine a whole cabbage placed alone on a plate. A single, uncut daikon radish on a plate. Two eggplants lined up on a plate. A few mushrooms scattered on a plate. On a plate...
And now, please listen to the soul-wrenching cry of the Civil Official Girls.
"Just because you put raw ingredients on a plate doesn't mean it's a meal!"
Now, now, calm down.
"S-sorry. But it was just so much to take... Do you have any idea how it feels to have one of Zabuton's children look at you with pity and offer you a steamed potato?"
"They actually gave you one?"
"Yes. They even put butter on it for me. It was delicious."
I bet it was.
"At any rate, our workload is never consistent, which means the time we can dedicate to cooking varies wildly. Combine that with our general lack of culinary skill, and this is the inevitable result."
"I get it, I get it. So, you want a place that provides prepared meals, right?"
"Exactly. The village has the Inn's Dining Hall and the Mansion's Dining Hall, but the inn only opens when there are guests, and even then, the guests come first. As for the Mansion's Dining Hall, the encounter rate with high-ranking individuals is so high that it’s hard to just pop in for a quiet meal."
"You don't have to be so reserved around us."
"We’ve grown used to the Demon King and Count Chrome, but Lord Dos, Lady Raimeiren, and Lady Yoko are... still a bit much."
"They aren't actually that scary... but I understand. You want to be able to eat in peace."
"Thank you! That is why we are formally requesting the establishment of a Resident-only Dining Hall."
"I see. Ria and the others can handle the construction, but what about the cooks?"
"Rest assured. Lord Gucci, the butler for Lord Draim, has reached out to ask if we could take in several members of the Devil Race as apprentice cooks."
"And you want to use this new dining hall as a training ground for those apprentices?"
"Yes. Provided, of course, that you give your permission to accept them into the village."
"I won't refuse that... but is it really impossible to bring people from your own homes?"
"Pardon?"
"Well, you girls have family homes back in the Demon Kingdom, don't you?"
"We do."
"And those homes have servants, right?"
"Innumerable ones."
"Could you not have brought some of those servants here to handle the cooking?"
"Village Head, Village Head. Servants are not slaves."
"I'm aware of that much, thank you."
"Good. They are employees who work for wages. If the labor conditions are too grueling for the pay, they quit. Naturally, there are negotiations first, but still."
"I see."
"In short, servants have the right to choose where they work."
"Umu. So you're saying it's difficult to get them to work here?"
"They refuse the moment we explain the location. In fact, many have already turned us down."
"I-Is that so...?"
"Yes. It might be different if we could explain the situation in more detail, but the Demon King has ordered us not to spread too much information about this village. A fanatically loyal vassal might come, but parents aren't about to let go of a servant that dedicated."
"A fanatically loyal vassal?"
"Someone like Holly-san, the Head Housekeeper of the House of Count Chrome."
"You think she's that dedicated?"
"To come all the way to the Village of the Great Tree specifically to care for Lady Fraciabell, Lady Frau's daughter? That takes an incredible amount of resolve."
"Hmm. Is the name 'Forest of Death' really that much of a deterrent...?"
"That's part of it. Regardless, please remember that ordinary people will not come here of their own volition."
"I see. ...Wait, hold on. There are plenty of people who came here voluntarily."
"People who will overcome any hardship for the sake of alcohol are not classified as 'ordinary people.'"
After some further deliberation, we officially decided to construct the village dining hall. I thought about how to manage the operations, but I decided to wait until the Devil Race apprentices arrived so I could consult with them. No matter how much I planned, it was important to hear the opinions of the people actually doing the work.
"By the way, can I ask you something?"
I turned to the girl who was currently worshiping the document approving the dining hall's construction.
"What is it?"
"You had days when you were on cooking duty too, right?"
"I did."
"Did you ever resort to the 'On the Plate Series'?"
"W-well, yes, on occasion."
"What did you serve?"
"Wheat."
"............"
"I was scolded quite thoroughly, as you might imagine."
"I bet you were."
I’ll do my best to get the dining hall open as soon as possible.
With Lu away in Shashato City, Tia had taken over the responsibility of looking after Lupumirina. I felt bad about dumping all the work on her, so I made an effort to visit Tia's room frequently.
When I arrived, I found Granmaria holding Lupumirina.
"Sorry to keep bothering you with this."
"Not at all."
"Where's Tia?"
"She's in the next room putting Lady Aurora down for a nap."
"I see. I should be quiet then."
"Yes."
I held out my arms to invite Lupumirina over, but she clung to Granmaria and wouldn't budge.
"Women tend to be more popular with children in these situations," Granmaria noted.
"You don't have to be so diplomatic about it."
Still, I was left standing there with my arms wide open. As I wondered what to do, Granmaria thought for a moment and then spoke.
"Keep your arms like that. Actually, I have something to tell you, Village Head."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"It seems I have conceived."
"...Eh?"
Conceived? Not "conceded." Conceived. As in, pregnant. ...Who? Well, in this situation...
When I looked at Granmaria, she gave a bashful smile and jumped into my open arms, still holding Lupumirina.
"Ah, I can't hug you properly with Lupumirina in the way."
"Isn't it bad to hug a pregnant woman tightly anyway?"
"T-that’s true. No, you did well. Wait, that sounds too arrogant. ...Thank you. Yes, thank you."
Granmaria was pregnant. This was wonderful news.
"I understand that it's good news, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't flirt in my room."
Tia, who had returned after putting Aurora to bed, sounded exasperated. As it turned out, she had already known.
"She consulted with me as soon as she suspected it. Lu-san knows as well."
"I had no idea."
"These things are meant to be shared by the mother herself, so please don't be angry with Lu-san for keeping it a secret."
"Of course not."
"And don't be mad at me for staying silent either."
"Hahaha."
I couldn't help but laugh.
Granmaria: One of the Angel Race and one of the Genocide Angels. Lupumirina: Eldest daughter of Lu (Vampire). Aurora: Second daughter of Tia (Angel Race). Fraciabell: Daughter of Frau (Demon Race). Grandchild of Beezel.