The spring parade concluded safely.
The main focus of this parade was the trio: Alfred, Urza, and Tiselle.
Since they wouldn't be returning for a while, we made the rounds through each village.
In particular, because the three of them are officially from Village Five, we held a massive celebration there.
I didn't mind that, but I wondered why the parade in every village ended up feeling like a send-off ceremony for a military campaign.
The Village Five Residents, for instance, kept chanting that they would definitely come if anything happened to the three of them.
Since they shouted this while brandishing swords and spears, it sounded more like they were promising to invade if anything happened to the children.
Gratz, who participated as a member of Village Two, didn't seem to give any thought to the marching route.
The Demon Kingdom is an ally, you know.
At the end of the parade in Village Five, the Demon King, who played the role of welcoming the three, had a look of sheer dread on his face.
The performance involved the Demon King welcoming the three as they set off on their journey, but they didn't leave immediately.
They properly returned to the Village of the Great Tree first.
The departure was set for tomorrow.
Accompanying the three were Soil Doll Earth and Asa, the former Hot Spring Area Teleportation Gate manager.
The individual sent by the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race arrived just a moments ago.
"I am Mettora. It is a pleasure to meet you."
She was a dragon with pale blue scales, but her human form was that of a woman in her thirties. She stood with perfect posture, wearing a classic, long-skirted maid outfit.
I thought it was rare for a dragon to wear a maid outfit, but Draim explained it to me. Apparently, she was one of the members of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race working under Raimeiren.
She had come here after being requested by the members of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race who had gathered for the whale hunt. Of course, Raimeiren had given her permission.
By the way, she possessed another name: Dandaji.
That name sounded familiar. Hakuren had told me about it before.
She was the Strongest of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race.
As for why she used a different name, one reason was that she simply didn't like the sound of the name Dandaji. The other was that if she introduced herself as Dandaji, people would challenge her seeking the title of the Strongest of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race.
"Even if someone defeats me, Lord Dos and Lady Raimeiren stand far above me. It is not something to be particularly proud of, yet there are many who are captivated by the ring of the word 'Strongest'..."
Dandaji looked a bit troubled. No, she was Mettora now.
I didn't care what name she used. I thought it was fine to call her whatever she preferred.
The real question was whether it was truly alright to entrust the children to the Strongest of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race. Since she served Raimeiren, I didn't doubt her abilities. I just worried it might be disrespectful...
Draim sensed my anxiety. Then, he laughed and told me my fears were entirely groundless.
Mettora felt no aversion to serving others, and if she had truly been unwilling, she wouldn't have come here even if Raimeiren had ordered it. Furthermore, one of the three she would be looking after, Urza, was treated as the daughter of Hakuren and myself. Hakuren's daughter was Raimeiren's granddaughter. Mettora also laughed, saying there was absolutely no issue with her serving them.
I wondered if that was really how it worked. I decided to take his word for it.
"By the way, Lord Hiraku."
Mettora suddenly took on a serious expression.
"What is it?"
"Are those three over there the ones I am to look after?"
Mettora's gaze was fixed on Urza, Alfred, and Tiselle.
"That's right. I'm sorry to trouble you, but I'm counting on you."
"I was informed that my duties involved attending to the personal needs of the young master and young ladies while they attend the Demon Kingdom Academy. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
That was correct, right? There shouldn't be any problem with that.
"My apologies. It is just... it looked as though preparations were being made to invade the Demon Kingdom."
What a morbid thought. What on earth did she see that made her think that?
"When they are accompanied by such a large number of Inferno Wolves, one cannot help but think..."
...
Kuro's children were simply reluctant to say their goodbyes.
Since Alfred and the others were departing tomorrow, I had individual meetings with the three of them to offer words of caution. They probably thought I was being naggy, but as a father worried about his children, I couldn't help myself. Well, if they could remember even one of my ten cautions, that would be enough.
Aside from that... I told them not to forget to enjoy the world outside the village. I probably shouldn't have said this, but I told them they were welcome to come home if things got too difficult. They mustn't think of running away as a source of shame. The important thing was to survive.
I wanted to talk more, but Lu and Tia stopped me, so I cut it short. Ugh...
Urza was thirteen this year. Alfred and Tiselle were ten. While I didn't mind them attending the Academy, I felt it was a bit early for them to be living in a dormitory.
That night, we held a grand banquet as a farewell party. Though I don't usually drink much, I ended up consuming quite a lot.
The next day, the six of them—Urza, Alfred, Tiselle, Soil Doll Earth, Asa, and Mettora—departed via Beezel's teleportation magic.
It was all quite simple. I suppose they weren't very anxious because they were going to a place where many acquaintances like Gol, Sil, and Bron, as well as the Demon King, Beezel, and Gratz, would be present.
As for me, I was so worried I couldn't focus on work. I spent my time spacing out in my room in the Village Head's Mansion.
Lu and Tia were likely worried about the children as well, but they didn't let it show. They acted as they always did. I thought they could afford to be a bit more lonely... but perhaps it was because Lupumirina and Aurora were still here?
The one who shared my loneliness was Zabuton. She was quite dejected. Zabuton had doted on Urza in particular, after all. One could also say she was the child who required the most care.
Ah, this is no good. I feel like I'm going to cry just remembering it. No, no, what good will it do to be this anxious? I have to believe in the children.
Alongside Zabuton, I managed to recover by early afternoon. Now, back to business as usual.
Or so I thought.
There was someone who had remained holed up in her room since the children were seen off. It was Hakuren.
Hakuren hadn't wanted to be apart from Urza. Yet, she had continued to act as though she were fine. She had even said some harsh things. Perhaps as a reaction to that, she had been crying ever since.
I visited her room several times to encourage her, but it was no use.
"Raimeiren was just like that when Hakuren ran away from home."
During dinner, Dos murmured as if recollecting the past.
"Please forgive her for today. If she is still in that state tomorrow or beyond, I will not stand for it."
Raimeiren spoke to me with an embarrassed look.
Forgive her? I wasn't angry in the least. If anything, I wanted to praise her for doing her best.
"Raimeiren. When Hakuren ran away, you didn't stop crying for an entire year—"
Dos was punched by Raimeiren and tumbled out of his seat.
Are you alright? That was a punch with incredible force...
He's alive, right? Good.
Dos returned to his seat and tried to reason with Raimeiren.
"Hakuren is crying out of love for her child. Is that not a joyous thing?"
"However, the one she actually gave birth to was Hiichiro. I am dissatisfied because I feel she may have forgotten that."
"That is only because you dote on Hiichiro far too much... Ah, no, it's nothing. Er... well, even you required time to recover. Is it right to be so strict just because she is your daughter?"
"Is Urza not simply going to the Academy? When that girl ran away, her whereabouts were completely unknown!"
"That may be true, but Hakuren was of a reasonable age when she ran away. Besides, we did receive reports—or rather, complaints—from various regions..."
"Even so..."
Since Dos did his best to keep Raimeiren in check, we decided to just keep an eye on Hakuren for the time being. Knowing Hakuren, surely she wouldn't keep crying for a whole year. She should be back on her feet in a few days. Probably.
I believed in Hakuren.
Hakuren recovered five days later. The trigger for her recovery was a letter from Urza.
...
Well, I'd like to believe my encouragement helped as well.