I got in touch with the residents of Village One, Village Two, and Village Three to confirm that everyone was safe. Apparently, the buildings had held up just fine.
I temporarily handed off the snow removal duties to the others and headed to Alfred’s room to apologize.
"I’m sorry about earlier," I said.
To be honest, I didn't think Alfred was at fault for what happened in Village Five. Those around him had likely coordinated things to ensure he stayed out of trouble. In my capacity as the Village Head, I really had no reason to scold him.
However, I didn't think it was healthy for him to be the only one considered "innocent" simply because everyone else had shielded him. So, I gave him a talking-to as his father.
Lilius, Rigul, Ratte, and Torain—you let your younger brothers do something dangerous right under your nose. You need to reflect on your actions as their older brother.
My apology to him was for failing to explain that properly at the time. I took a moment to break it down so he could fully understand my reasoning.
There was no need for him to look so dejected, I told him. As long as he understood why I had scolded him and applied that lesson next time, everything would be fine. I did feel that his house arrest was a bit excessive, but it was simply too dangerous to have children wandering around while we were clearing the snow.
He had seen it himself, after all—that incredible accumulation of snow. There were still heavy drifts perched atop the buildings and trees. It would be a disaster if they fell on someone. I told him that while I had initially set the house arrest for three days, I would let him out as soon as the snow removal was finished. For now, he just needed to stay put in his room.
After that, I made the rounds to visit the other children individually. Of course, that included going to see Urza and Nart as well.
Alfred would be turning nine next year. That meant it had been nine years since I first became a parent. I was still a total novice. Raising children was truly hard work.
Once I finished visiting all the children's rooms, I took a short break. I was exhausted.
Aside from Alfred, all the other children seemed dissatisfied that he had been placed under house arrest alongside them.
"It was wrong of him, as an older brother, to stand by while his younger brothers did something dangerous," I explained, but they weren't convinced.
As I stood there at a loss, Ann, who had been watching from the sidelines, stepped in to rephrase it for me.
"Lord Alfred has taken responsibility for his younger brothers' failures in his capacity as the eldest," she said.
I had my doubts about that phrasing, but since the children seemed to accept it, it was hard to correct her. I had heard it wasn't good for adults to constantly flip-flop on their words in front of children.
Still, I didn't want them to take the word "failure" too heavily. I wanted them to take things easy.
My toughest opponent, however, was Urza.
Hakuren wasn't around. If she had been, I would have left this to her, but since she wasn't, I had to handle it myself. I had to face her as a father.
"I know you acted with the Village of the Great Tree’s best interests in mind," I told her. "But the problem is that you tried to handle everything on your own. You should have consulted the adults nearby. Why couldn't you do that?"
"……I’m sorry."
It took nearly an hour of talking before I finally heard an apology from Urza.
"With Gol, Sil, and Bron gone, you suddenly found yourself in the role of everyone's big sister. You worked hard. You did a good job. Just make sure to rely on the adults around you from now on."
I gave Urza a tight hug. It had been a long day. I didn't intend to just dump everything on the mothers, but this experience made me feel a renewed sense of gratitude toward them.
"Village Head, the first stage of snow removal is complete," one of the High Elves arrived to report.
I had only intended to step away for a moment, so I felt bad for leaving them to handle the work for so long. The first stage involved clearing enough snow to allow for basic movement within the Residential Area.
"Good work. Let's call it a day and finish the rest tomorrow."
The sun was already beginning to set.
"Understood. I’ll go and notify the teams in the Ranch Area and the Fruit Tree Area."
"Thanks. Make sure no one slips on the ice."
That night, I gathered the mothers who had been evacuated to Village Five.
This entire incident was the result of a complete lack of supervision on their part. It was true that Lu was technically in charge of the children, so I had already sentenced her to a ten-day research ban as her supervisory penalty.
Lu might have trusted Alfred and the others, but they were in an unfamiliar environment. Someone should have been watching them at all times, or at the very least, they should have been kept within sight. To put it bluntly, while you can believe in them, you cannot yet rely on them. They are still just children.
Naturally, I couldn't say that in front of the kids themselves.
I decided to hold everyone collectively responsible for the incident. However, Granmaria, who was pregnant; Ann, who had been attending to her; and Hakuren, who hadn't been present, were all exempt. Hakuren hadn't even returned to the village yet.
I announced the punishment for the rest.
"A one-month Ban on Child-making Punishment."
The room erupted in a stir. Yes, I knew it was a harsh sentence.
"Don't worry. I will be sharing the punishment with you."
It wasn't just the mothers' fault. Even if it was for the sake of the village, I was also to blame for not accompanying them during the evacuation. Therefore, I would take the hit as well. I, too, would be under a one-month Ban on Child-making Punishment.
The moment I said that, the mothers surrounded me and forced me into a formal seiza on the floor.
"We have accepted the collective responsibility of the mothers and the responsibility of the father," they said in unison. "However, we cannot accept the terms of this punishment. We shall negotiate."
Wait, did they rehearse that? It was eerie how they all spoke perfectly in sync.
I wasn't trying to dodge the issue, but... well, we negotiated.
The mothers' revised punishment: a ten-day Ban on Child-making Punishment and a thirty-day ban on sweets.
The father's punishment: a three-day Village Five Assignment.
Apparently, my public profile in Village Five is still far too low. I’ll have to work hard.
Explanation of the punishment
Village Five Assignment: Traveling to Village Five to perform official duties.