The day after the martial arts tournament ended, the Demon King and Beezel departed early in the morning.
It seemed the aftermath of the chaos caused by Guronde was still being felt in the kingdom. As a result, Randan, Gratz, and Hou hadn't been able to make it to the festival at all. It wasn't strictly my fault, but it was hard to say I was entirely unrelated to the situation. I felt a bit guilty. I told the Demon King to let me know if there was anything I could do to help.
Progenitor-san, who had arrived on the evening of the tournament and missed most of the action, decided to stay for a while. He looked utterly exhausted; apparently, he had been quite busy. Fouche’s absence was for the same reason. I was relieved to hear their hectic schedules had nothing to do with Guronde. Progenitor-san was currently relaxing at the hot springs, and I truly hoped he would find some rejuvenation there.
Dos, Draim, and Raimeiren were also staying over. I felt like they had been in the village quite frequently lately. I welcomed their company, of course, but I did wonder if their own homes were faring alright without them. Though, every so often, Gucci would show up to drag Draim back home.
Giral and Guronde were staying as well. Giral planned to leave soon, but discussions were underway for Guronde to remain in the Village of the Great Tree permanently. This was driven by Guronde's own desire to stay by Gural's side as much as possible. She seemed deeply concerned about the fact that she had kept Gural at a distance until now.
I had already received more than enough compensation for her stay. For the time being, she would be focusing on recovering her physical strength, as she still couldn't move her body freely. However, I felt that if she was going to settle in the village, she should eventually have a job. It wasn't that I was forcing her to work, but in my opinion, having a role is what truly makes someone a member of a community.
I wanted her to take her time thinking about what she could do based on her own strengths. While I was considering this, it turned out she was an absolute master of magic. When people thought of magic in the village, they usually thought of Lu and Tia, but Guronde was apparently a mage who far surpassed them both.
Her specialized attribute was Darkness, but she could use magic of any attribute—and she was more skillful with it than either Lu or Tia. Her signature technique was the simultaneous casting of eight different spells. I supposed that made sense, given her nature. Apparently, she could manage it even in human form.
Consequently, she was officially appointed as the children's magic teacher. The children were overjoyed, as Guronde was already quite popular with them. I just hoped they wouldn't get so excited that they made Lu and Tia—their previous teachers—sulk. Everything in moderation, kids.
I told Guronde to take it easy at first and not overdo it. I wanted her to proceed while consulting with Hakuren, Lu, and Tia. I was counting on her.
By the way, Guronde was staying in a guest room at the Village Head's Mansion. Even though we had built a house specifically for Gural, the girl preferred living at the mansion with us.
As for the Lamias from the Southern Dungeon and the Giants from the Northern Dungeon, half returned home while the other half stayed. Originally, they had come to help with the autumn harvest and crop processing, but that had since become a permanent arrangement. There were three harvests a year in the Village of the Great Tree, so there was never a shortage of work.
The Lamias and Giants worked in the village and took our crops home as payment. Those staying were effectively here as seasonal workers. The teams were scheduled to rotate after the festival. This meant there were always farewell greetings from the groups leaving, which I was never very good at. It felt a little lonely.
The Lamias and Giants returned to their respective dungeons in groups, accompanied by a few of Kuro’s children as escorts. They could have managed the trip on their own, but it was a "just in case" measure. Kuro’s children would take their time returning, hunting in various areas along the way. I just hoped they wouldn't push themselves too hard.
Malbit, Suarlou, and Razmaria stayed as well, acting as if it were only natural. Far from showing any sign of leaving, they had already dragged the kotatsu out of the storehouse to prepare for winter. I had to tell them to wait—it was far too early to be fully entrenched in a kotatsu. I also asked if they were ever going to use the villa we built for the Angel Race. They weren't.
So, they were staying in the mansion’s guest rooms. I didn't mind, but I told them to make sure they thanked Suarliu and Suarkou for cleaning the villa. I also informed them that when the autumn harvest came around, they would be helping. No complaining allowed.
Then there was Ruincia, who arrived later than the other three. She proceeded to unilaterally thrash Malbit, Suarlou, and Razmaria. I found myself questioning what all that talk during the tournament about the "weight" of the Angel Race Leader actually meant. I also began to suspect that the stories of Suarlou being the "strongest angel" might have been a bit of an exaggeration. Or maybe she was just suffering from festival fatigue? Let's go with that.
I understood why Ruincia punished Malbit, but why Suarlou and Razmaria? As it turned out, they had also slacked off on their duties. I understood, but I asked Ruincia to be a bit lenient with Razmaria. She just wanted to see her grandchild, after all. Anyone could understand that feeling, right?
Malbit and Suarlou started complaining, but I told them to be quiet.
Ruincia listened to the report regarding the meeting with Guronde from the three of them. Afterward, she came to me for confirmation. I wondered if she simply didn't trust them. She explained that it wasn't that; rather, given the sensitivity of the topic, she needed verification. She said it was dangerous to think one understood everything by only hearing one side's perception. That made sense.
I offered to arrange a formal meeting between Ruincia and Guronde, but she turned me down. It didn't particularly matter to me either way. I asked if Ruincia was staying as well, and she said she would be here until spring. Understood.
Last year, we ran the General Division as a tournament, but this year we reverted to the usual one-on-one format. I had judged that consecutive matches in a tournament were too harsh for the participants in that division. Additionally, the number of people wanting to enter was simply too high. I wanted to ensure that everyone who had been looking forward to the day got to fight as much as possible. Those who wanted multiple bouts could just sign up multiple times.
The downside to the one-on-one format was that a clear winner wasn't decided. This left the children feeling dissatisfied, which was likely why they were currently holding their own mock tournament. Galf and Daga acted as referees to keep things safe.
Urza was currently spending her time instructing the other kids. You might think she was acting as a mentor because she had won the General Division last time, but the reality was different. During the actual festival, Urza had tried to enter not just the Warrior Division, but the Knight Division. Furthermore, she had been armed with the powerful sword Guronde had given me.
A Death Knight had been forced to step in to stop her. He worked hard, but because he had held back against a child, he ended up being the one injured. Even the shield I had made with the Mountain Elves was destroyed during the struggle. It was partly Urza's own strength, but that sword likely played a large part in the destruction. I had displayed it in a guest room, but maybe I should just seal it away.
As punishment for taking the sword without permission, I banned Urza from carrying any weapons. That was why she had no choice but to focus on teaching the other children. I hoped she was reflecting on her actions.
Currently, that Death Knight was undergoing treatment in the village. Since he was an undead, healing magic didn't work the same way on him, so recovery was taking time. In his place, several beastman girls went to the hot springs. They said they wanted to get along with the Lion Family, so I left them to it.
I was the one who went to the hot springs to explain the situation to the two Death Knights remaining on duty. While I was there, I noticed an unfamiliar skeleton. I wondered if we had gained another Death Knight, but I was wrong.
She was a Death Mage.
Even though she struck a cool, professional pose, it was hard to take her seriously when she was holding a scrub brush. She had arrived recently and apologized for the late introduction. Apparently, the Death Knight who had come to the village was supposed to have introduced her.
So, the Death Mage began working at the hot springs as well. Since she was female, I asked if she could wear some clothes. It wasn't that I was bothered by her skeletal form, but she was a woman, after all. I felt she should at least cover her torso and waist. She requested something "mage-like," so I decided to ask Zabuton for help.