Sangetsu, the Tiger Sacred Beast, lay resting in one of the mansion’s guest rooms. He was fully healed now, thanks to a World Tree leaf. I had practically forced him to take it, despite his protests that such a precious item was unnecessary for wounds that weren't life-threatening. Even so, he had been badly hurt, and I felt I owed him an apology.
When I told him I would strictly caution Miel and the other cats for their behavior, Sangetsu ended up apologizing to me instead.
"It is I who should ask for forgiveness," he said. "I became so overcome with emotion at discovering the descendant of the son I thought I had lost that I inadvertently frightened the cats. Pray, do not be hard on them."
Well, he might have looked like a massive tiger, but he certainly conducted himself like a Sacred Beast. There was no point in a never-ending cycle of apologies, so I accepted his words on the condition that he accepted mine, and we finally let the matter rest.
Once things had settled, I arranged for Sangetsu and the tiger to have a proper face-to-face meeting in the room. I made sure it was just the two of them. Miel and the other sisters were kept strictly outside. I had to work quite hard to keep them away, as they were still incredibly riled up.
However, Sangetsu was the tiger’s actual blood relative, and he was genuinely overjoyed that his kin was alive. I told the cats they had to respect that and let the two talk in peace.
...Did you understand? Good, good. Now, please stop biting my hand.
After their long discussion, the tiger decided he wanted to remain in the village. Sangetsu looked a bit disappointed by the news, but he didn't seem inclined to force the matter. Instead, he formally entrusted the tiger’s care to me. I told him he could count on it.
Sangetsu also gave the tiger a name: Sougetsu. Apparently, it was the name of the child who had been kidnapped so long ago. He felt strongly about the name being passed down, and the tiger—now Sougetsu—happily accepted. It was a fine name.
Currently, Sougetsu was busy giving walking tours of the mansion with Miel and the other sisters perched on his back. The cats refused to go outside because they hated the winter cold, so they used him as a warm, mobile platform to navigate the hallways. Since the High Ogre maids had also taken a shine to Sougetsu, there was no risk of any trouble there.
The only real problem was the Demon King, who spent his time glaring at Sougetsu. He was clearly green with envy that the older cats had completely abandoned him for their new, larger feline friend.
While the older sisters were sticking to Sougetsu like glue, the kittens, including Ariel, were still around. In fact, they were quite attached to the Demon King. They were constantly weaving through his legs, looking like they wanted some attention.
If the Demon King wasn't going to play with them, I figured I would—but then he suddenly scooped them all up and retreated into his room. He was probably planning to vent all his complaints about Miel and the others to the poor kittens. I really thought he should stop before Ariel and her siblings lost their patience with him.
After staying in the village for a few days, Sangetsu prepared to move on to Village Five. He wanted to pay his respects to Niz, the Messenger of the Snake God. I didn't mind, of course, but I was worried that a giant tiger wandering through the streets would cause a massive uproar. I suggested calling Niz here instead.
In response, Sangetsu simply transformed into a human. He took the form of a dignified, white-haired old man. His posture was perfectly straight, and he looked quite distinguished in a sharp, suit-style outfit. Since Yoko could take human form, I suppose it wasn't that strange for Sangetsu to do the same. I kept the thought that he could have done this from the start to myself, however.
Sangetsu mentioned that after greeting Niz, he would head straight back to his homeland. It was a shame to see him go so soon after we’d met, but I figured if fate allowed, we would see him again. We held a simple farewell party and saw him off.
...He certainly didn't linger. I fully expected him to spend hours lounging at Sake & Meat Niz or taking in the sights of Village Five, but it seemed Sacred Beasts were a disciplined lot. I was actually quite impressed.
That was, until I heard about his shopping trip. On his way out of Village Five, he had purchased a staggering mountain of souvenirs. While the local shopkeepers were thrilled, his bulk-buying had caused an immediate supply crisis in several stores.
A shortage in the middle of winter is a serious problem because restocking is nearly impossible. The situation with soy sauce and miso was particularly dire. Because of the sudden lack of stock, prices had already begun to skyrocket. Even if I ordered an increase in production, those things take time to ferment; they can't be made overnight.
Yoko was currently holding her head in her hands. If the prices continued to climb, she would have to release the village’s emergency stockpiles of soy sauce and miso to stabilize the market. It was hard to blame the merchants for selling so much—after all, selling things is their entire job. It was the administrator’s job to ensure the residents' lives weren't ruined by a sudden shortage.
"Do your best, Yoko," I muttered.
Of course, I planned to help her. However, the most I could do was ask the Goroun Company to release some of their inventory.
Wait, what? Even the Goroun Company is running low? A "distinguished old man" bought out their stock too?
...The next time I see Sangetsu, I'm definitely giving him a piece of my mind.