Since the Demon King’s wife was due to arrive shortly, I made my way toward the village’s residential area. My destination was one of the southern gates. We had recently designated this as the village’s main entrance.
Lu and Tia had pointed out that using the southern edge of the new fields as the primary entrance felt inappropriate now that I had built the Great Tree Dungeon even further south. I didn't mind either way, but the villagers were strangely insistent on the matter, so I deferred to them. I’ll have to build a proper, grand gate there at some point.
It was cold enough that I intended to go alone, but Frau, Yuri, and Ann insisted on coming along. I appreciated the company.
"Hm? Red Armor, are you coming too?"
I didn't mind if it tagged along. Kuro’s children looked like they wanted to join us as well, but the Demon King had specifically requested that the welcoming party be kept to a bare minimum. If even a small group of the wolves came, they would arrive in packs of ten. I had to apologize and ask them to sit this one out.
By the time we reached the southern gate, the Demon King’s group was already there. It consisted of the Demon King himself, a woman who had to be his wife, Beezel, and the three beastman boys.
The boys spotted me and started to charge for a tackle, but they screeched to a halt the moment they saw Frau and Yuri standing beside me. They approached at a much more dignified pace and bowed politely.
"Village Head, we have returned."
"Welcome back."
It seemed the Demon King’s wife had run into some trouble the moment she arrived. She was dropping small objects all over the ground. Had the cord on her accessories snapped? The Demon King and Beezel were busy scurrying around to pick them up. I wanted to help, but Frau stopped me, insisting that I should focus on the greetings first.
The Demon King’s wife stepped forward and puffed out her chest.
"Commoner! I commend your effort in receiving me! I am Anne, wife of the Demon King! From this day forth—mgh?!"
Her speech was cut short as the Demon King and Yuri—who had lunged from my side—simultaneously moved to silence her. Frau and Beezel then stepped in front of me to shield her from my view.
"Our apologies," Frau said. "It seems our coordination was... lacking. Please wait a moment."
Following Frau's instructions, I waited right there. I could hear the muffled voices of the Demon King and Yuri lecturing her in the background. What was this "noble speech" they were talking about? Was it some kind of archaic court language? Regardless, once they were finished, we tried again.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Anne Rochell, wife of the Demon King. I look forward to your acquaintance."
She spoke quite normally this time.
"And I am Hiraku, the Village Head of the Village of the Great Tree. Welcome."
I returned the greeting I had prepared. It felt a bit dry, but Frau and Yuri had vetted the script, so I assumed this was the standard. Since most people present were already acquaintances, I only needed to introduce Ann and Red Armor. I suspected the Demon King wanted a small group specifically to keep these formalities brief.
As we headed toward the mansion with Ann leading the way, I couldn't help but notice just how affectionate the royal couple was. They started walking side-by-side, then held hands, and before I knew it, the Demon King was carrying her princess-style. I briefly considered offering a carriage if she found walking difficult, but I decided better of it. I knew exactly why they were doing it.
I pointed out village landmarks as we walked. I showed her the sake factory where the dwarves worked, the communal baths, and the World Tree. I made sure to warn her not to touch the silkworm cocoons nested at the base of the branches.
When she noticed the commotion in the forest, I had to explain that it was just Graffaloon and Rusty having a mother-daughter spat. Graffaloon couldn't bear to part with her granddaughter, Lananon, and had tried to take her back by force. I apologized for the unsightly scene, though I assured her we were safe behind the barrier Dos was working hard to maintain.
Raimeiren was currently looking after Lananon. She found the girl just as precious as Hiichiro, but she’d been holding back out of respect for Graffaloon. I suppose this was her chance to finally dote on her.
When we reached the mansion, Kuro’s children were lined up by the entrance in even greater numbers than before. I felt bad for making them wait in the cold and gave them some pets. White Armor greeted me by raising a leg, and Red Armor returned to its post. I made sure to tell them to take breaks.
The mansion was warm and inviting. In the main hall, I introduced Lu and Tia as the representatives of my wives. Sena, the beastman representative, was also there to thank the Demon King’s wife for looking after the three boys at the academy. Galf and Gatto were there as her attendants.
We skipped introducing the children for now at the Demon King's request, especially since it was their study time. We'd do it at dinner instead. I did notice Anne Rochell reacting quite strongly to Lu, Tia, and Galf, but I brushed it off.
The Demon King’s wife wanted to change before we continued. I remembered Yuri doing the same when she first arrived; it must be a cultural thing. The Demon King insisted on escorting her to the guest room himself. They really did get along well.
A while later, she joined us in the guest room. Unfortunately, Malbit and the others were already there, lounging around the kotatsu and drinking. I’d told them to stay away, but they had ignored me. It turned out Anne and Malbit were old acquaintances. Anne was so shocked she let out a piercing shriek, followed immediately by a tirade of insults.
I couldn't blame her—it really was a bad look for the high-ranking officials of the Garlet Kingdom to be lounging around like that. I encouraged her to keep going.
She turned her sights on Ruincia next, telling her she needed to be firmer with her boss. I felt bad for Ruincia—she really does try her best. Then she scolded Suarlou, saying a "dangerous angel" shouldn't be drinking in the middle of the day; she should be committing evil deeds or at least planning them. I hadn't realized Suarlou was considered dangerous in the Demon Kingdom.
She even took a swipe at Razmaria, reminiscing about the days when the angels called themselves "God-kin." Then things got personal, and she started insulting Razmaria’s figure. I had to step in when she brought up "useless breasts." The Demon King helped me calm her down.
Once things settled, we moved on to the next introduction: Progenitor-san. He introduced himself using his real name, which prompted another piercing shriek from the Demon King's wife.
Presently, the Demon King was introducing her to the cats. He knew them all by name—Raigiel, Jewel, the older sisters, and the kittens. He gave a very detailed explanation, and it brought a massive smile to Anne’s face. It was the happiest I’d seen her since she arrived. It seems they’re both cat lovers.
I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, though. Those kittens never come when I call, yet they gathered instantly for the Demon King. I half-jokingly thought about banning them from my kotatsu later, though I’d spare Raigiel and Jewel since they actually listen to me.
I didn't want to neglect the wolves, so I made sure to pet Kuro and Yuki, who were waiting patiently. Zabuton’s children were also lined up, ready to perform a dance for our guest. I was looking forward to seeing it.