I tilled the fields, lost in thought.
Purely, simply.
Heh. This was what calmed my mind most.
"Careful there, Kuro. It’s dangerous to get too close while I’m swinging a hoe."
Zabuton's children were creeping in too.
"Hahaha. Alright, alright. I get it. It’s time for a break."
The sun had shifted quite a bit in the sky. I must have been at it for a long time.
Break time.
Alfred and the others were playing a short distance away, so I watched them for a while to see how they were doing.
They had recently gone to the event facility in Village Five to participate in an escape game, where they had to solve various riddles to find their way out. The facility was scattered with puzzles designed for children, offering multiple escape routes for groups of participants.
The organizers had expected it to take about an hour to clear, but Alfred's group had finished it in a flash. Because they had time to spare, they ended up participating in the adults' session as well. Those puzzles were based on challenges adventurers encountered in actual dungeons; they required not only sharp wits but physical strength, and many were notoriously unfair.
Alfred and the others had split into five groups for the session, but only one group managed to escape. However, that was the only group out of all the adults present to actually clear it.
Truly impressive.
And now... it looked like they were training the ones who hadn't made it out by fiddling with a padlock.
I wondered if the children had never seen a padlock before. It was true that we rarely used them in this village; most of our doors had built-in locks. However, they weren't entirely non-existent. You could find them at the alcohol storage area, the mansion’s underground storehouse, or Flora's research lab—all places the children generally stayed away from.
Still, padlocks were manufactured in Howlin Village, and we purchased them from the Goroun Company. They should have had plenty of opportunities to see them before now.
As I looked closer, I realized the padlock the children were messing with was different from the ones I knew.
"Oh?"
This padlock wouldn't open even if you inserted and turned a key. It had five keyholes, and it wouldn't budge unless you inserted the key into them in a specific order.
The one next to it didn't even have a keyhole. Was it hidden? I couldn't find it at all.
"Wait, this part moves."
Hehehe.
Hold on. Even if I moved the plate, there still wasn't a keyhole. Come to think of it, there wasn't a key for it, either.
Was it a switch? And if I did this... and then that...
It didn't open.
Urza told me to leave it to her, so I handed it over. She quickly flipped the padlock over three times, and it clicked open.
How on earth did that work? I felt a sudden urge to take the thing apart and study its inner workings. But I couldn't just take away the children's toys.
Apparently, a High Ogre Maid had bought these padlocks for them in Village Five. I see, I see.
I glanced to the side and saw the Mountain Elves standing by. Their eyes were practically screaming that they were curious about them too.
I understood.
"I'll cover the cost. Go buy some for yourselves in Village Five."
I told them to check with the High Ogre Maid to find out which shop sold them.
"Just don't take them apart the second you get them."
I resumed my field work. Single-mindedly...
In the forest a short distance away, Progenitor-san and Suarlou were brawling.
"You filthy vampire!"
"Oh, shut up, you God-kin!"
...Single-mindedness. Pay it no mind, pay it no mind.
Lu and Tia were nearby, so I was sure it was fine.
By the time the sun began to set, I called it a day. Progenitor-san and Suarlou, who had been trying to beat each other senseless earlier, had apparently become fast friends.
"Lord Hiraku is a god."
"The Village Head is a divine messenger. I refuse to budge on that point."
...Lu and Tia were nowhere to be seen, so I assumed it was safe. I decided to pretend I hadn't heard what they were debating.
During dinner, Gou arrived from Village Four, also known as the Sun Castle. I wondered if something had happened, but it turned out Gou's only goal was to see Suarlou.
"Lady Suarlou. It has been a long time."
"Yes. Six hundred years, hasn't it?"
Suarlou was familiar with the Sun Castle; apparently, she had lived there for a period of time in the past.
"So, what brings you here today? Did you come all this way just to see me?"
"I did. I wanted to inform you that the Sun Castle is now known as Village Four and is governed by Village Head Hiraku."
"Don't worry. I've already heard the details from Malbit and Ruincia. I have no intention of trying to reclaim the Sun Castle now—especially since it is under the rule of Lord Hiraku... excuse me, the Village Head. I am one who follows his lead."
"I am relieved to hear you say that."
"Indeed. By the way, is the fuel situation managed? Even when I lived there, people complained that the fuel supply was critical. I won't ask for the castle back, but I won't allow it to fall if it's under the Village Head's care."
"Rest assured. The Village Head provided us with enough fuel to keep us airborne for ten thousand years."
"As expected of the Village Head."
"Yes. Truly, as expected of the Village Head."
Er, you two. We're all eating together, so could you maybe tone it down a little?
That night, I spent my time before the bath fiddling with the padlocks alongside the Mountain Elves. It was quite educational.
For the time being, I started carving a wooden replica of one of the locks. It was the one Urza had opened by flipping it over.
Ah, I see. There was a weighted iron ball inside that moved. That made sense. However, wouldn't it be impossible to open if you actually attached it to a door? You couldn't exactly flip a whole door over three times. It seemed like the mechanism required movement not just front-to-back, but also side-to-side.
Had the shopkeeper warned them about that? Apparently, they were told not to actually use these on doors.
Hahaha. Well, it was a fine example of not getting blinded by clever technology. It was interesting, though.
I wondered if I could use this mechanism for a treasure chest instead of a padlock. A treasure chest without a keyhole. Once I finished it, I’d have to send it over to the Village Five event facility for them to use.
While I was working, Suarlou was in the guest room reception area, a cat curled up on her lap, sharing a drink with the Sake Slime.
"I see now. I understand why Malbit and Ruincia stay away from the village for so long."
"Since you say that, Mother, when exactly do you plan on going home?"
Suarlou considered Suarliu's question for a moment.
"I would like to remain by the Village Head's side until I receive some kind of direct order from him."
Suarliu immediately relayed those words to me. Did she really want to send Suarlou home that badly?
Well, regardless, a single careless order from me could easily snowball into a major incident, so I would have to choose my words with extreme care.