My name was Marlon.
I was the heir apparent to the Goroun Company and the eldest son of the current chairman. However, I had become far more famous for my title as the Arranger of Big Roof Shashato.
In addition to Maruura, which was a shop directly managed by the Village of the Great Tree, Big Roof Shashato housed several other businesses from the city. My job was to make the final decisions on where each of those shops was positioned within the facility, which was why people called me that.
In practice, the locations were usually determined by a periodic lottery, so there wasn't much for me to actually intervene in, but I didn't let that bother me. My role was less of an "arranger" and more of a "mediator." My main task was to arbitrate disputes between shops and customers, or between the shops themselves. I left the altercations between customers to Goldie, our specialist in rougher matters. It was all about putting the right person in the right place.
Now, while I was busy working at Big Roof Shashato, my father dropped a bombshell.
"I’m taking you with me to the Harvest Festival in the Village of the Great Tree this year."
I spun around and bolted. I honestly thought it was a personal best for speed. However, my father somehow circled around and intercepted me, catching me in a firm armlock.
"I understand your feelings, but don't you dare run."
"I've told you a dozen times, I'll only accompany you as far as Village Five! I am absolutely not setting foot in the Village of the Great Tree!"
"The Village Head requested you by name. I can't refuse him. Accept your fate."
"Even if you break my arm, you won't break my spirit!"
The mere thought brought back memories of the Gate Guardian Dragon's Nest. My father had tied me up and dragged me there once before. That kind of terror wasn't something you could forget even if you tried. It still haunted my dreams. And yet, he was telling me to go even further beyond that dragon's nest?
"It's fine. If you pile on enough terror, eventually you’ll go numb. You'll be fine."
"Impossible! It’s impossible! It’s absolutely impossible! Wait—it’s going to snap! Father, it’s really going to sn-aaa-p!"
I was utterly overpowered. I couldn't believe it. To think he would seriously try to break his own son's arm... The legendary persistence my father used to muscle his way through deals with the great merchants of the Royal Capital was still alive and well. I just never imagined it would be directed at me.
Ugh. I suppose I should find some solace in the fact that my cousins, Tito and Randy, as well as our Combat Captain, Milford, were being dragged down with me.
Ah, I see you guys got caught in armlocks too. That really hurts, doesn't it? But wait, Milford, what happened to you? Surely you could have beaten my father?
He couldn't? Apparently, before they could even exchange words, my father had kicked his weapon away and locked his arm... Yeah, I’m sorry on my father's behalf.
Since it had come to this, I had to prepare myself. Hmm? Could I just slip away on the day of the trip?
Hahaha. My wife and children had already left on a "vacation" orchestrated by my father. Yes, they were hostages. My father was the kind of man who would do that without blinking. I suspected the same had happened to the others as well. I certainly couldn't run away and abandon my family. I had no choice but to see this through.
The day before the Harvest Festival.
We traveled from Village Five to the Village of the Great Tree using a teleportation gate. My father warned me that the existence of the gate was a top secret. I would never breathe a word of it to anyone. After seeing Arako-san, the Arachne who served as our guide, I didn't have the slightest desire to speak. Wasn't Arako-san a disaster-class monster? Honestly, I wanted to wipe her from my memory as quickly as possible.
After emerging from the dungeon at the end of the teleportation gate, I was greeted by a sight of vast, harvested fields and a village. Was this really the heart of the Forest of Death? By the time we reached the Village Head's Mansion, the reality of the place hit me over and over again.
First, I saw the Inferno Wolves practicing a parade formation. They were lined up with terrifying precision. That force alone would be enough to topple a kingdom. Then, right beside them, were those Demon Spider children? They were practicing a dance. That, too, was enough to destroy a nation.
And that was the Fairy Queen over there, wasn't it? Even if someone told me it wasn't, I wouldn't believe them. She possessed a presence you simply couldn't ignore. Even with several Dragons soaring through the sky, nothing felt out of place. That massive wolf... was that a Fenrir? Then that giant eagle must be a Hraesvelgr.
For that matter, there was an incredibly divine-looking tree over there. No, surely not. That tree was supposed to be a sacred treasure kept within the Angel Race Village... and that woman looked exactly like the Angel Race Leader. I had only ever seen her in illustrations, so perhaps I was mistaken. Was it just my imagination?
Ah, that was the Assistant Chief's Attendant. She was the real deal.
...This was bad. I had to look away. I needed to divert my eyes with everything I had. I shouldn't look at the living creatures. I'll just focus on the architecture... wait.
The village buildings were constructed entirely from Forest of Death timber. It was madness. Even if I were exaggerating by saying they were made of gold, it would certainly be cheaper to build a house out of silver. The very concept of building with wood from the Forest of Death was insane. And these metal fittings... were they from Howlin Village? And the cloth was woven from Demon Spider silk...
If I stayed here any longer, my common sense would crumble into dust.
"Ah, Mr. Gate Guardian Dragon, it’s been a long time. Yes, I'm Michael's son. Daikon? Oh, I like it very much. I prefer it boiled. Hahahaha."
I actually felt relieved just by seeing the Gate Guardian Dragon. I was speaking to him normally. My body wasn't even shaking. I was struck by how much I had grown.
By the way, I ended up changing my clothes about five times before I even met the Village Head. I finally understood why my father told me to keep my food and water intake to a minimum starting the day before. In a desperate attempt to escape the fear, I ended up drinking far too much. I regretted it deeply. Also, I felt a twinge of resentment toward Tito, Randy, and Milford, who had managed to sleep through the whole thing.
The Harvest Festival came to an end. I had almost no memory of the events themselves. Why were the clothes my father was wearing now suddenly treated like national treasures?
Ugh... I wanted to drink more sake. The pudding was exquisite. And that "Eile" they called Eel was also... that’s it, the Eel! To think those pests so despised by fishermen could be transformed into something that delicious.
I remembered now. That was going to be big business. I knew my father had been buying up Eels, but had he anticipated this?
"Heh. You've finally got the face of a merchant."
"Father."
"I thought you were still a greenhorn, but it seems you’ve become a full-fledged merchant after all. I can rest easy now, knowing I can hand the chairman's seat over to you at any time."
"Hahaha. You must be joking. I’m still a mere novice. I’ll need you to stay at the helm for at least another fifty years, Father."
"Don't say such pathetic things. Besides, fifty years is physically impossible. I'm only human, you know."
"If we ask the Village Head... or rather, any of the residents here, I’m sure they could do something about your lifespan."
"Hahaha. ...Wait, you’re actually serious."
"I'm dead serious. I will absolutely not succeed you! We'll just skip my generation and give the position to my son."
"I won't let my precious grandson shoulder such a burden! You're the one who’s going to do it!"
"I refuse! I absolutely refuse! My mind is made up. I will never take over!"
I successfully parried my father's armlock and we ended up in a full-blown grapple. I truly couldn't do it. I could never hope to surpass my father.
"To think you could actually block my armlock, and yet you still have the nerve to say that!"
"I'll leave the negotiations with a village where the Dragon King and the Dark Dragon get into a fistfight just because someone put lemon on the karaage without asking to you, Father!"