Looking up, I saw a formation of angels soaring through the sky: Tia, Granmaria, Kudel, Corone, Suarliu, Suarkou, Kierbit, Malbit, Ruincia, Suarlou, and Razmaria.
They flew in a perfectly synchronized horizontal line, their speeds matched with precision.
After completing a circuit above the village, they shifted into a new formation with Malbit at the center and began a series of aerial maneuvers. Every transition was so sharp it felt like you could hear the snap of them locking into place. It was, in a word, magnificent.
Malbit was the one directing the group. Standing at the center of the formation, she issued signals with an air of authority. It was a far cry from her usual self; she looked like a truly dignified commander.
The reason they had started this group flight was simple.
Even though it was only autumn, Tiselle had spotted Malbit competing with the kittens for space in the kotatsu. She had turned to Tia and asked, "Mother, is that what all the angels are like?"
To be fair to Malbit’s reputation, she had already finished the work assigned to her by Ruincia. It was supposed to be a rare moment of relaxation. However, to Tiselle, who remembered Malbit’s extreme laziness from the previous winter, it must have sounded like a hollow excuse.
Tia decided this wouldn't do and consulted with Ruincia, which led to this display.
The group flight seemed to make a deep impression not only on Tiselle but on the other children as well. They let out thunderous cheers. Aurora... was likely too young to understand what was happening, but she looked happy, so I counted it as a success.
Hm? Kudel was signaling me from the air.
I crossed my arms to form an 'X,' signaling my refusal. Kudel persisted, signaling that just once—just one time—would be fine.
The answer was still no. Absolutely not.
Kudel was asking to use the spear equipped with Kuro's horn. That weapon was strictly forbidden unless the children were awake and active. At this hour, Lupumirina and Rosemaria were still napping. If she let that spear's sound echo through the village, Ann and the others would be absolutely livid.
I signaled my refusal once more. I even enlisted the help of some nearby Inferno Wolves, having them stand in a formation on the ground to form a giant 'X' in wolf characters rather than human ones. She couldn't claim she hadn't seen it now.
Eventually, Kudel broke formation and descended to the mansion. A few moments later, she trudged back out looking dejected and returned to the sky. It seemed she hadn't been able to persuade Ann. I’ll make an opportunity for you another time, I thought. For today, just focus on entertaining the children.
I wasn't entirely sure if the flight had truly restored the dignity of the Angel Race in the children's eyes, but it was certain that they looked at Malbit a little differently now.
So, Malbit, let's hold off on the kotatsu for now. Just for a little while. Yes, I mean it. No, the problem isn't whether tomorrow is okay... Fine, I’ll set up a kotatsu at the Angel Race villa. Does work follow you there? Don't worry, it's the same even if you're in the mansion's kotatsu.
Also, Raimeiren. Just because Hiichiro asked for it, please don't start gathering a group of dragons. I'd love to see a dragon flight too, but what if another Sun Castle-style incident happens? Wasn't the whole point of your self-restraint to avoid drawing that kind of attention? You say if something were coming, it would have arrived long ago? Well, maybe, but let's just skip it for today.
Watching the angels fly made me reflect on my own standing. I wondered how the children viewed me. I didn't think I was a particularly dignified father figure. I like to think I'm reasonably understanding, but I couldn't recall the children ever being particularly clingy or spoiled with me.
Hmm. There was no point in just brooding over it. I just had to do what the angels did: show them my good side as a father.
However, I had already finished plowing the fields. Hunting in the forest was an option, but I couldn't exactly take the children into a dangerous hunt. If I wanted to show them something... no, it would be better if we did something together.
Alright, mushroom hunting it is.
Once I decided, I wanted to move immediately, but since the sun was already setting, it would have to wait. I announced that we would head out the following morning.
The next day, a large group gathered.
There was Alfred, Tiselle, Urza, Nart, Lilius, Rigul, Ratte, Torain, Hiichiro, Gral, and about twenty lizardman children. Aside from the lizardman children, everyone wore long sleeves and pants suitable for the forest. For safety, they also carried short swords or daggers, though I doubted they’d need them. I even gave special permission to Urza, who was currently under a weapon ban. I wasn't about to send her into the forest defenseless. As for Gral and Hiichiro... they were probably fine even with their bare hands.
In addition to the children, we were joined by Hakuren, Rusty, Raimeiren, Dos, Draim, and ten adult lizardmen carrying large baskets. They would be supervising the children.
Furthermore, an advance party led by the high elf Ria had already departed for the mushroom patches I had cultivated. Since monsters or magic beasts could be dangerous, Kuro's children and Zabuton's children had gone along to secure the area. Overprotective? Perhaps, but I wasn't going to take any chances.
We set off. Hakuren and Draim offered to carry us in their dragon forms, but the children insisted on walking, so we went on foot. Personally, I was happy to spend more time walking alongside them.
After about an hour of trekking through the woods, we reached the harvesting grounds. I felt like we'd managed to have some good conversations along the way. I was satisfied.
...Right, I had to remember the goal: mushroom hunting.
Years ago, I had used the Universal Farming Tool in this general area while focusing on the concept of "edible mushrooms." As a result, if you looked closely at the forest floor, you could find shiitake, maitake, matsutake, and oyster mushrooms growing all over the place.
I had the children start by harvesting those. I made sure to remind them not to wander too deep into the woods, and I signaled to Ria and the scouts to keep a close eye on everyone.
Once we had a decent haul, we moved to the next location. This spot was also for mushrooms, but of the truffle variety. Since they grow underground, you can't find them just by looking. This was where Kuro's children came in. I had the children form small groups, each accompanied by one of the wolves to sniff out the truffles.
"Hey now, don't dig with your bare hands. I brought proper tools for a reason."
I looked over to see Raimeiren and Dos doting exclusively on Hiichiro. I had to tell them to keep an eye on the other children as well. Meanwhile, Draim was getting a bit too carried away with his demonstrations. I told him once was enough; if he kept digging them all up himself, there wouldn't be any left for the kids.
Under normal circumstances, there were enough truffles to keep the children busy all day, but it looked like some monster or magic beast had beaten us to the punch. About half the patch had been torn up. Since I hadn't left any guards here, it couldn't be helped. We'd move to another spot soon and hope for better luck.
Suddenly, I received a signal from Ria. A magic beast had appeared. Kuro's children and Zabuton's children were already engaging, but it seemed there were quite a few of them.
This was bad. I called out for the children to gather around. I was just about to tell Hakuren to shift into her dragon form and evacuate the children into the sky when a single giant boar burst from the brush.
It charged straight at us. Several of Zabuton's children were actually riding on the beast’s back, but they leaped away the moment they saw me, clearly clearing the way so they wouldn't interfere. I appreciated the gesture.
I dispatched the charging beast with a single swing of the hoe from my Universal Farming Tool. Then, guided by the spiders, I headed toward the rest of the pack.
There were eight giant boars in total—a substantial herd. It seemed these boars were the ones who had been raiding our truffle patch. They probably thought we were encroaching on their territory. I felt a little bad for them, even though I was technically the one who had grown the truffles.
Still, obtaining this much meat right before winter was something to celebrate. However, the mushroom hunt had to be cut short so we could haul the carcasses back to the village. It was a bit of a shame; I had wanted to show off my truffle-finding skills to the kids.
"Huh? You thought the way I hunted the boars was amazing?"
R-Really? Hahaha. That’s a bit embarrassing. But yes, I suppose I’m satisfied.
I had Draim make several round trips in his dragon form to transport the boars. The children also flew back to the village on Raimeiren's back, as they were exhausted from the day's excitement.
When I returned to the mansion, I found Fouche waiting for me. She looked absolutely drained. Like Progenitor-san, she had been buried in work related to the fallen island.
"What? The adventurers who caused the island to fall escaped from prison?"
That sounded terrifying, but she quickly added that they had already been recaptured. That was a relief. I told Fouche she should stay and relax for the evening. We were having mushroom hot pot tonight, thanks to all the hard work the children had put in.