In the Village of the Great Tree, we had a visitor who was, in the strictest sense of the word, an actual guest: Urza's friend.
People like the Demon King or Dos didn't really count as guests; they fell more into the category of friends or relatives. I certainly didn't treat them like guests, and if they were, I’d expect them to be at least a little more reserved. To be blunt, a proper guest wouldn't shut themselves in a room to play with kittens all day, nor would they use the excuse of brainstorming names for unborn children to keep a banquet running indefinitely. You’d think they’d show a bit more consideration for me, the master of the Village Head’s Mansion.
Was it really appropriate for them to constantly beg for kitten brushes or special dishes for their parties? Well, I made the food and prepared the brushes anyway, so I suppose I was partly to blame. I also knew that if I didn't make something for Miel and her sisters, they’d be furious, so I had to prepare a portion for Sougetsu as well. I already gave Ann and the maids the instructions for the banquet food, so the guests would just have to tide themselves over with mochi for now. As for the sake, I told them to take it up with Donovan. It wasn't like they were strangers to the dwarves.
But back to the topic at hand: Urza's friend was a perfectly normal girl. She was a bit of a handful because she insisted on calling herself an assassin, but considering her age, I supposed that sort of phase was only natural. Alfred went through moments like that too, after all. Actually, it wasn't just him; Tiselle and Nart occasionally said rather grand things as well. Urza, strangely enough, never really did.
In any case, it was generally better not to lead with that sort of thing when meeting someone for the first time. I thought Alfred and the others understood that social boundary, but Urza's friend clearly hadn't grasped it yet. I’d initially worried she might be a troubled child, but by her second greeting, she was perfectly polite. Maybe she’d just been nervous during our first encounter. She’d even claimed her specialty was a Vital Point Strike.
After the introductions, the girl spent most of her time with the other children. It might have been my imagination, but she seemed to have taken a greater liking to Nart than to Urza. That was probably because Urza had been neglecting her friend to cling to Hakuren at every opportunity.
During our village snowball fight, Urza's friend had been a star player, performing exceptionally well while guarding the Demon King. Even the Demon King had praised her efforts, though she’d reacted with a rather complicated expression. Perhaps she felt a bit silly being praised so highly for a game of snowballs.
She also seemed to be quite fond of the bath, going in multiple times a day. However, the hot spring didn't seem to suit her. Urza had taken her there once, but the girl had come back shivering and apparently hadn't even set foot in the water. I’d even received messages from the Death Knights expressing their concern for her. I wondered if she had some sort of bad memory associated with hot springs. She’d seemed so excited before she left... It was all a mystery to me.
She was a diligent eater, showing up for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’d worried she might find our lunch customs confusing, but since Urza and the others had recommended the academy’s style of lunching, she seemed to adjust just fine. She wasn't picky either and always cleared her plate, though her eating speed was incredibly fast. I wondered if she was used to eating in a large group where you had to scramble for food, or perhaps she’d spent too much time eating alone. I wanted to tell her that no one was going to snatch her plate away and that she was free to take her time.
We couldn't let her go into the forest, as both Urza and Alfred had strictly forbidden it. Instead, she joined Nart and the others to learn swordsmanship from Galf and Daga. While her skills weren't quite there yet, I was told she had great potential. Even Pirika had praised her, though the girl had looked troubled by the compliment. Perhaps it was because she’d just lost a sparring match against Galf and Daga right before Pirika spoke up. Even if she couldn't beat them, I expected she’d be able to recognize that Pirika’s own skill level was world-class.
"Hm? Ah, no, I won't be joining in. I’m weak, after all."
...I really wish people wouldn't make such baffled faces when I said that.
In the evenings, Urza's friend often sought out Saint Seles, who frequently traveled back to the village from Village Five. Seles was usually in her work-finished mode by then and looked a bit put out by the attention, but she never turned the girl away.
Looking at them now, it was hard to believe they’d tried to kill each other the first time they met. Urza's friend had lunged with short swords in both hands while Seles was completely unarmed. I’d feared for Seles, but she’d lightly dodged the blades and countered with a lightning-fast triple left hook to the ribs. When the girl’s movements slowed, Seles drove a right straight into her solar plexus—she’d likely been aiming for the stomach. That had ended the fight instantly. I hadn't even had time to intervene.
They’d been on good terms ever since. I still had no idea what that fight had been about. I was, however, the one who’d had to clean the stomach acid off the floor afterward.
Since she was a guest, I’d provided her with a room in the mansion. She’d initially asked to stay at an inn, but Alfred had insisted she stay with us, pointing out that the winter cold made traveling back and forth to see Urza a hassle. I didn't mind. The only odd thing was that she slept under the bed instead of on top of it. I’d only found out because Kuro's children and Zabuton's children had reported it to me, but there wasn't much I could do. I didn't want to ask her about it and have her think I was making some sort of untoward advance. We had carpets on the floor, so she shouldn't have been cold. I figured it was just a personal habit and decided to keep my mouth shut.
When Sangetsu was visiting, Urza's friend had naturally crossed paths with him. She’d stood there with her mouth hanging open in pure shock. I couldn't help but chuckle. To be fair, Sangetsu was currently the size of a three-story building, so her surprise was justified. Still, since he could change his size at will, I really wished he’d stuck to a normal tiger size—or better yet, his human form. Apparently, he’d stayed human until he reached Village Five, but he’d shifted into his serious mode to break through the Great Tree Dungeon and had stayed that way. Yoko could grow that large too, so perhaps being massive was simply the default state for Sacred Beasts.
By the way, the merchants were currently transporting the mountain of souvenirs Sangetsu had purchased in Village Five. It looked like it was costing him a fortune. I wondered if Sacred Beasts were naturally wealthy, but Yoko informed me that Sangetsu actually owned a massive trading company back in his homeland. Our recent dealings had established a formal connection with them, which meant we might be looking at regular trade in the future.
Thinking about that, I realized I needed to fast-track the Soy Sauce and Miso Production Increase Plan. There were other things to consider too, like spices. Given how much Sake & Meat Niz used for their dishes, it was no wonder the seasonings had caught a merchant’s eye.
Urza's friend also seemed to have a genuine interest in art. She often stood perfectly still, gazing intently at the sculptures I’d carved. It was a nice feeling to have my work appreciated. Progenitor-san usually stepped in to give her a lecture whenever she looked at the Statue of God, and I’d told her she was free to tell him if he was being a nuisance.
Even Zabuton's children were getting in on the act. I knew they wanted to show off their mother’s work, but they didn't need to drag the truly massive pieces into the hallway.
"Hm? Kuro's children, too...? Ah, you want to show her the Statue of Yuki you were hiding? Sure, I don't mind. I’ll give you a hand."
...Wait. Where did she go?
Ah, there she was. She was crouching on the floor again. Had she dropped something under the table?
Actually, considering the bed situation, maybe she just really liked being on the floor. Urza’s friend was certainly an unusual girl.