My name is Azuki, a High Ogre maid. I am one who serves the Village Head. Today, I was assigned to Village Head Duty, so I did my best to remain at his side.
Despite the winter chill, the Village Head stepped out of the mansion. He appeared to be dressed warmly enough, but just in case, I brought along an extra garment for him to drape over his shoulders.
He stopped and looked up at the sky. High above, an Eagle was soaring through the air. Perched upon its back was the Phoenix Chick, Aegis. While it was fine for Aegis to act spoiled with the Eagle, I worried he might grow too accustomed to it. He might end up as a bird that cannot fly.
I realized I shouldn't dally. I looked around for the Village Head and found he had moved toward the Reservoir. One of the High Elves, who was also keeping a watchful eye on him, pointed the way for me. I offered a silent thanks for her hard work in the cold.
The Village Head was conversing with the Pond Turtles. Even for turtles, their gestures were remarkably expressive; I found myself quite impressed. They seemed to be using those gestures to discuss their hibernation. It appeared they were saying a temporary farewell until spring, and the Village Head looked a little lonely at the thought.
When the Village Head returned to the mansion, Red Armor and White Armor were there to greet him. I wanted to say that few could ever hope to break past such reliable gatekeepers, but in this village, there were several individuals who could, which was a bit of a problem.
The Village Head headed for the guest room rather than his own quarters. He often lamented that the children never seemed to come near his private room, but that was because the mothers had collectively forbidden them from doing so. Unless the Village Head invited them personally, the children would stay away. As for the reason why they were barred? They were still children. It was far too early for them to take an interest in the "mature" activities that occurred there.
The Village Head slid his legs into the guest room's kotatsu. I hurried to prepare tea. Soon after, the Inferno Wolves Kuro and Yuki arrived, naturally taking their places by his side.
I knew a secret, though. Whenever the Village Head went outside, Kuro and Yuki would watch him from the third-floor windows of the mansion. The sight of them lined up there was quite adorable. Of course, they showed no sign of that now as they nestled to the Village Head’s left and right. It was a heartwarming scene.
However, as a professional, I knew that showing more of a smile than necessary was improper. While maintaining a neutral expression, I served tea and some mochi to the Village Head. This mochi had been pounded just a short while ago. Lord Giral had been full of enthusiasm, trying to show off his strength to Gral. I still remembered the moment the mortar and pestle shattered… Gral had glared at Lord Giral with such reproach that I could hardly bear to watch. I wondered how bad it would have been if the Village Head hadn't intervened.
Kuro nudged toward the mochi, but I had to stop him. That mochi was for the Village Head; he wasn't supposed to beg. Besides, one of his descendants—I wasn't sure if it was a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild—had nearly choked on mochi once. While the poor thing was panicking, the other Inferno Wolves nearby had breathed fire into its mouth, incinerating the stuck mochi into ash to save it. I hadn't forgotten that incident, and it seemed the Village Head remembered it well, too.
"Understood," I said. "I'll prepare okaki then."
I recalled how, when we first made okaki, Lord Dos had eaten them one after another until Lady Raimeiren began to glare at him. We had salt, soy sauce, and sesame flavors; I asked the Village Head which he preferred. He left the choice to me, so I decided on soy sauce.
I prepared a portable brazier and began to grill the okaki in a spot where the Village Head could see them from the kotatsu. The aroma was wonderful. Kuro stared at me intently, but I assured him I wouldn't sneak a bite.
When I placed the freshly grilled okaki on a tray and handed them over, Kuro and Yuki acted even more spoiled. They were practically asking to be hand-fed. I felt a pang of envy, but I quickly suppressed it. Expressionless. I had to remain composed.
After a while, the Angel Race Leader, Lady Malbit, joined us. She slid into the kotatsu as if she had been there all day. Though she acted like a hopeless slacker in front of the Village Head, I knew the truth. Late at night, while the Village Head slept, I had seen her discussing serious matters with Lord Dos, Lady Yoko, Shiso-san, and the Demon King. In those moments, she truly looked the part of a leader. And when she consulted Lady Lu and Lady Tia about Kierbit's marriage prospects, she was every bit a concerned mother. It was hard to reconcile that image with the woman now sitting in a kotatsu demanding sake.
I went to fetch her drink. Okaki alone weren't quite enough for a drinking session. I made sure to bring a cup for the Sake Slime as well.
As I was attending to the Village Head, Lady Malbit, and the Sake Slime, a commotion broke out in the kitchen. A cat suddenly bolted out into the hallway—the patterns identified her as Miel. Inside the kitchen, Ann stood with a look of silent fury.
Before Ann sat several fish that had been defrosted for dinner. Someone had gnawed a bite or two out of the choice belly cuts. There was no doubt Miel was the culprit. Ann had seen her too and asked me where the cat had gone. I looked back, but Miel was already out of sight. She was fast, but she wasn't the type to run far. She was the type to flee toward a safe zone.
In other words, she was heading for the Village Head. He was soft on cats, and Miel knew it. I informed Ann of her likely location. Ann considered it for a moment and decided to let the Village Head make the judgment call.
To my surprise, the Village Head handed Miel directly over to Ann. Miel looked absolutely stunned, and I felt the same. Even the Village Head scolded her, telling her that stealing food was wrong. Miel seemed to accept her fate; she wouldn't try to escape now. If she did, Ann's anger would peak, and she would likely lose her meals entirely. Miel understood that much. I watched as the foolish cat was led away, wondering why she had done it if she knew the consequences. I suppose hunger is a powerful motivator.
Regaining my composure, I saw the Village Head was now grilling okaki himself by the portable brazier. He intended to take them to Red Armor and White Armor at the gate. Okaki handmade by the Village Head… how enviable. I stepped in to help.
Lady Ruincia arrived shortly after, prompting Lady Malbit to dive deep into the kotatsu to hide. However, Kuro and Yuki promptly pushed her back out. I couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the sight. The Village Head then invited Lady Malbit to join in, and the three of us grilled okaki together. It felt like a pleasant joint effort.
A bit later, Alfred, Tiselle, and the other children arrived and stood watching the okaki with intense focus. Even though they clearly wanted some, they didn't beg. Lady Lu and Lady Tia had raised them to understand that as the Village Head’s children, their whims could impose on the residents. It felt a bit un-childlike to me, but I knew it was a necessary part of their education.
They waited patiently to be invited. However, Urza had no such restraint. She went right up to the Village Head and asked for some okaki. It was strange, considering she was supposed to have received similar training from Lady Hakuren. But once Urza spoke up, Alfred, Tiselle, and the others couldn't help but voice their own desires. I knew their mothers would scold them for it later, but the Village Head agreed with a smile.
As he got carried away grilling more and more, I worried about their appetites for dinner. I decided to play the villain for a moment.
"Just a little bit, keep dinner in mind," I warned.
I figured I would have to finish whatever was left over. I could always call Lord Dos to help. In fact, Lord Dos was already waiting in the kotatsu, gesturing for me to bring them over without hesitation. He was more than happy to help.
The Village Head seemed very pleased to have spent time with the children. Later, I heard that Red Armor and White Armor had performed a Dance of Deep Emotion after receiving their okaki. Zabuton’s other children had watched them with envy, so after dinner, the Village Head and I spent some time grilling okaki for them as well. It was an exhausting day, but a fulfilling one.
As an aside, I saw the Fairy Queen crunching away on okaki earlier.
"They aren't sweet," I remarked. "Is that alright?"
"They're okay," she replied. "But by eating snacks that aren't sweet, the sweet snacks taste even better later… Wait, these are actually delicious. They're good, so don't you dare take them away!"