Following the end of the banquet, the Progenitor spent three days trying to recall his past. In the end, there was no doubt: he had indeed created the Coastal Dungeon. However, the specifics remained hazy, leaving us in the dark about its layout or what kind of traps might be waiting inside.
I wondered if this qualified as good news. Probably not, considering Lu and Flora were already busy issuing warnings to everyone about how dangerous the place likely was. Personally, knowing the Progenitor’s current personality, I found it hard to believe he would have installed anything truly lethal, but...
"He might be a different person now, but in his younger days, he was quite dreadful," Reginleiv remarked. Having known him back then, she shared the consensus that the Coastal Dungeon was a serious threat.
I tried to ask her exactly how "dreadful" he used to be, but the Progenitor himself stepped in to block the conversation. That was a shame.
In any case, challenging the Coastal Dungeon was a matter for the future. For now, I had to focus on finishing our winter preparations.
With that in mind, I hauled the grape pomace—the leftover skins and seeds from winemaking—into the Ranch Area. The goats and sheep were incredibly fond of it. In fact, they loved it so much that just the sight of the pomace was enough to make even the rowdiest goats turn on their best behavior. It was a useful trick to have.
The Dwarves were also working hard to see if they could brew more alcohol from the leftovers, so I couldn't give it all away. I settled on giving the animals half. Even that was a substantial amount, so it should have been plenty. The goats and sheep eating the pomace had already grown their thick, fluffy winter coats. They looked quite cozy.
Kuro’s pack and the Fenrirs had also transitioned to their winter fur, though the change wasn't as obvious at a glance. You really had to look closely to notice the difference. One of the Fenrirs nudged me, wordlessly appealing for me to take a good look. I gave her a pat, laughing. She was adorable.
That reminded me to check on the Orthrus Ol. I wondered if he would grow a winter coat as well. I found him near the cows, but I couldn't really tell if his fur had changed. He was still just a puppy and hadn't been with us for very long, so I suppose I hadn't observed him enough yet.
With hibernation approaching, Zabuton was busy giving meticulous instructions to the children who would stay awake through the season. She seemed to have particularly high expectations for Red Armor and White Armor, our mansion's gatekeepers. Sensing the weight of her instructions, the two spiders responded with spirited, gallant gestures. They looked quite reliable.
Zabuton also gave instructions to the Arachne, Arako. I told Zabuton she didn't need to worry so much because Arako was responsible, but she countered by saying even Arako made blunders sometimes. Seeing Arako blush and look away told me everything I needed to know. I hadn't realized she had a clumsy side. Still, I didn't mind the occasional mistake; the important thing was learning not to repeat them.
I intended for that to sound cool and encouraging, but the words stung me a bit. I was someone who made the same mistakes over and over, after all.
Before she left, Zabuton handed me several sets of winter clothes. I thanked her and promised I would make sure to wear them during the cold months. I had a parting gift for her as well: a wooden statue of Urza I had carved. I’d modeled it after Urza’s gentler, kinder side rather than her usual rowdiness, though I might have beautified her a bit too much in the process.
Since I didn't know exactly how Zabuton hibernated, I tried to keep the statue small so it wouldn't get in the way. Even so, it ended up being about fifteen centimeters tall. I was worried it might be an inconvenience, but she seemed genuinely happy with it, so it worked out. I promised her that when Urza and the others returned, I would tell them all about her. I knew the children would likely head back to the Academy eventually, but I hoped they would stay in the village until Zabuton woke up in the spring.
Incidentally, while I was working on the Statue of Urza, Lu and the other wives caught me. At first, they suspected I was having an affair with a mysterious woman, but once they realized the model was Urza, their suspicion turned into demands for statues of Alfred and Tiselle. I was currently in the middle of fulfilling those requests.
The temperature plummeted soon after, and winter arrived in earnest. Most of the outdoor work was already finished, so there were no major issues. Looking around the Village Head's Mansion, I saw that the Orthrus Ol had already surrendered to the cold and was huddling deep inside a kotatsu. He was still small, so he likely struggled to keep his body temperature up.
The cows came by to check on him and looked relieved to see him so warm and cozy. Apparently, they were worried he would stubbornly push himself to come out to the Ranch Area despite the freezing weather. He had actually bolted outside once, only to come scrambling back in an instant. The way he barked at Guronde, seemingly complaining that something was wrong with the world outside, had given us all a good laugh.
I made sure to tell the cows not to overdo it either. The Cow Shed was heated, so they needed to sleep there at night. I didn't mind if they visited the hot springs, but I insisted they go with someone from the village. At this time of year, if they went into the water carelessly, they might find themselves unable to leave the warmth of the spring. If someone was with them, they could at least use magic to help them out.
They seemed to communicate that they’d spent many winters here and understood the risks, but there was always at least one incident every year. Usually, it involved the goats. When I pointed that out, the cows seemed to concede the point. They also seemed touched that I was worried about them.
Eventually, Beezel arrived, escorting Alfred and the rest of the children back to the village. Urza, Tiselle, Gol, Sil, and Bron were all there. They had all grown noticeably taller.
However, there was one girl among them I didn't recognize. Urza introduced her as a friend, so I gave her a polite greeting.
"Urza, Urza," I whispered, pulling my daughter aside. "Is your friend going to be okay? She's suddenly introducing herself as an assassin whose specialty is hitting vital points."
I figured she might just be at that age where she wanted to say things that sounded cool, but I thought it was probably bad form to introduce yourself like that to someone you were meeting for the first time. I wondered if I should give her a gentle warning. Before I could decide, the girl suddenly curled into a ball on the floor and burst into tears.
I was at a loss. I told Urza to take her to a room so she could rest for a while, leaving the girl's care to her.
"Alfred, Tiselle. Welcome back," I said, turning to my other children. "I’ve heard... quite a lot about what you've been up to. We'll talk about the details later. You've both grown so much."
Lu and Tia were waiting for them, so I tried to keep the reunion brief, but there was one thing I had to ask. "What happened to Asa, Earth, and Mettora? Weren't they supposed to be looking after you?"
They explained that the three of them were currently working in the Royal Capital. Apparently, their current jobs were the direct result of looking after the children. I wasn't going to scold them; if anything, I needed to make sure I thanked them for their hard work. I let the children go so they could greet Lu and Tia.
That left Gol, Sil, and Bron.
"I have completely secured the Gagoroku Territory!" Gol announced with a crisp, professional salute. "We can mobilize seven hundred elite heavy-infantry at a moment's notice!"
It was an impressive salute, even if I didn't understand a single word of the report.
"I have completely secured the Shaiban Territory!" Sil added, saluting in a slightly different style—perhaps a regional variation. "I can mobilize two thousand light-armored troops!"
"I have unified the various Multi-arm Race settlements in the Balgo Region!" Bron said, using a third type of salute. "I can mobilize one hundred and twelve warriors of the Multi-arm Race!"
The three of them remained frozen in their salutes, their eyes sparkling as they waited for my reaction. I didn't know what else to do, so I simply read the cue card that Rasshashi of the Civil Official Girls held up for me.
"Excellent work. Truly magnificent."
The three of them responded in perfect unison. "When you invade the Demon Kingdom, let us lead the vanguard!"
We weren't invading anything. Beezel was standing right there, so I didn't want them saying such inflammatory things. I turned to apologize to him, figuring he would understand that they were just being kids despite their growth.
Instead, Beezel stepped up next to Bron and snapped into a salute of his own. "Chrome Territory! Seventeen hundred and sixty thousand provincial troops! Please call upon us at any time!"
Gol and the others looked genuinely frustrated by Beezel's numbers. I assumed he was just playing along with them—at least, I really hoped he was. As expected of Beezel, he knew how to match the children's energy.
"From the Demon Kingdom Army First to the Seventh, the total strength of one million, six hundred and ten thousand..."
Tiselle stepped up next to Beezel to add her own report, but Tia immediately blocked her. I didn't catch the rest of what she was saying, but it was probably for the best.
In any case, there was only one thing left to say.
"Welcome home."