In any case, there was a specific task that had to be handled now that spring had arrived.
That task was putting away every kotatsu in the mansion.
If I didn't make a clean break of it at this seasonal turning point, they would end up staying out indefinitely. And so, with Reginleiv and the High Ogre Maids in tow, I began my rounds through the mansion's rooms.
Resistance was fierce, but we dismantled the kotatsu one by one.
The banquet hall, where Dos and his group were still going strong, had been flagged as a major hurdle. We breached their defenses by using Hikaru and Himiko as decoys. Malbit tried to fight us off by burrowing deep inside her kotatsu, but since I had Reginleiv on my side, we proceeded with a forced removal.
Forgive me, Malbit. You’ll be reunited with your kotatsu next winter.
An unexpectedly formidable opponent was the kotatsu Gronde used in the mansion. Ol, the Orthrus, put up a desperate fight. Apparently, Ol viewed that kotatsu as the ultimate symbol of family harmony for Gronde, Giral, Gral, and himself.
To him, I must have looked like a heartless villain for trying to take it away. He barked at me without restraint.
Listen, Ol. I don't really care much for hierarchy, but I am the master of this house. Besides, if I left a kotatsu in just this one room, it would cause all sorts of headaches. Everyone else looking for a kotatsu would inevitably swarm this spot. If that happened, your family harmony would be impossible to protect anyway, wouldn't it?
Furthermore, there was a kotatsu in the house we built for Gral in the village. Putting that one away was Gronde’s call, not mine—even if she had been spending all her time here at the mansion lately.
My attempts at persuasion failed. Ultimately, Gronde had to soothe Ol herself before we could finally move in to collect it... except then Gronde and Giral both gripped the futon and refused to let go.
"Giral? Oh, you mean that dragon who’s been off at the banquet this entire time?"
...
Giral, Gronde was absolutely livid. What happened? I thought the spat over the food had been settled? Was it still going on? No?
In that case... Giral, you didn't keep attending that banquet without asking Gronde first, did you? Surely not. Please, tell me I'm wrong. Don't look away! And let go of that futon!
They wanted one more day of family harmony under the kotatsu? They wanted me to wait?
...I ended up agreeing to give them just one more day. I really hoped they would make up. Ol, I knew you were on Gronde’s side, but try to go easy on the barking when it comes to Giral. I'm sure he's reflecting on what he did. ...He is reflecting, right?
With Gronde’s room excluded for the moment, the only one left was the kotatsu in my own room. That, at least, shouldn't have been an issue. Even Kuro and Yuki, who usually occupied it, stepped out as soon as we arrived. We moved to pack it up quickly.
...Kuro, Yuki. Could you please stop letting out those tiny, mournful whimpers every time we move a piece of it? No, looking at me with those eyes won't change anything.
However, well... fine. I suppose I could leave it out until we put away the one in Gronde’s room. I promised myself I'd definitely pack it away tomorrow.
The High Ogre Maids assisting me looked like they had something on their minds. What was it?
"You are far too soft on Kuro and Yuki, Village Head."
...Yeah, I was well aware.
Versa was sitting in a chair, staring blankly into space with a cat on her lap. Her reactions were sluggish even when I spoke to her. Was it because she had completely sealed away her secret hobby? She looked like a withered flower.
I wanted to consult Progenitor-san, but I had received word that he couldn't come to the village for a while. Work had piled up during the time he spent talking with Versa in the Coastal Dungeon, to the point where I'd had to take over showing her around the village halfway through. Since we had decided to welcome her into the village, I couldn't just leave her in this state.
So, what to do?
Why did she feel the need to hide her identity as one of the thirty-seven Legion Commanders—the Legatus Legionis—who served the God of Magic, even to the point of suppressing a hobby that clearly meant so much to her? Especially from Zabuton.
Could her claim of being a Legion Commander be a lie? No, that didn't seem likely. I hadn't known her long, but I couldn't imagine Versa maintaining a lie like that to Progenitor-san.
Then what was the reason? I patiently coaxed the details out of the slow-to-respond Versa.
Before a certain ancient battle, the God of Magic, Raigiel, had a premonition of his own defeat. He left his thirty-seven Legion Commanders with orders that served as a final testament. Some were told to "unite the small factions of the north," others were told to "defend the southern fortress and let no one take it," or to "lurk in the west and wait for the right time."
Perhaps because time had been short, the orders were all quite simple. Among them, the command given to Versa was: "Forget you were a Legion Commander and live freely."
...I see. So, identifying herself as one of the thirty-seven who served him would technically be a violation of her orders. Yet Versa hadn't been able to forget her master or her comrades, so she continued to call herself a Legion Commander while staying in hiding.
But just to be clear, why keep it a secret from Zabuton? Was it possible that Zabuton was also one of the Legion Commanders?
She wasn't? Right, of course. I couldn't imagine Zabuton being part of such a turbulent group.
According to Versa, the ones here who were actually Legion Commanders were Aegis the phoenix chick and the Fairy Queen.
...
Aegis was a bird who, until very recently, was faster at walking than flying. As for the Fairy Queen, she was a total free spirit who did nothing but play with children and eat pancakes. Those two were Legion Commanders? You had to be joking.
Aegis was only weak because he was still a chick? Well, I suppose that made sense, but... his past memories hadn't returned yet because of his age? She claimed that once he reached adulthood and his memories returned, he would become the Sky King Who Burns Down Nations.
Memories... wait, would his personality—or rather, his bird-ality—completely change once he grew up? Would Aegis stop being the Aegis we knew? Versa assured me he would be fine; apparently, even in his past adult life, he had been a bird with a similar temperament. Besides, those memories returning was a story for the very distant future... five or six hundred years away, to be precise.
That was a relief. ...Was it? I felt a little uneasy. I'd have to make sure to give Aegis some extra pettings later.
And the Fairy Queen? She supposedly tormented her enemies by leading the elusive fairies in unpredictable maneuvers across the battlefield. I suppose that would be possible if she put her mind to it. Versa claimed she was the fifth or sixth most terrifying member of the Legion Commanders.
I honestly couldn't picture it. Here, I only ever saw her playing or lounging around in a daze. Still, I didn't think Versa was lying.
But if the Fairy Queen was a Legion Commander, didn't Versa have to keep her identity secret from her as well? Versa explained that the Fairy Queen was the type who never cared about the other commanders, and she was still that way now; as long as no one brought up unnecessary stories from the past, there wouldn't be a problem.
I see. Hmm. Aegis and the Fairy Queen as Legion Commanders... Everyone has their history, I suppose. Or rather, every phoenix and fairy has theirs.
I had gotten off track. Why did she need to keep it a secret from Zabuton specifically?
She couldn't say? Well, I wouldn't try to force it out of her, but let me just confirm one thing. ...Is Zabuton secretly the God of Magic?
She isn't? Thank goodness.
By the way, Raigiel—the cat on Versa's lap—had been making quite a fuss for a while. What was wrong? When we said "Raigiel," we were talking about the God of Magic, not you. If you threw a tantrum every time you heard the name, Versa would start calling you a "God Cat," so try to settle down.
"A cat is just a cat. There, there," Versa murmured.
I know, I was joking. Ah, Raigiel doesn't like being rubbed under the chin. If you're going to pet him, go for the back. Or the back of the head. Wait, the forehead is only for experts. If you pet him there carelessly, he'll scratch—
No way! Raigiel was actually enjoying it! Even for me, it took a long time before he'd let me touch him there!
Versa, that was an incredible feat! Try to look a little happier while you're petting him! Well? Do you feel any better?
...No? Hmm. I wondered what it would take to cheer her up. I knew that letting her resume her hobby would do the trick, but I was certain that would be a disastrous move. I’d have to think about this some more.
The following afternoon.
I found Malbit tucked away inside the kotatsu in my room.
Yeah, I knew it would come to this. Once the kotatsu in Gronde’s room was dealt with, I was packing this one up too. It didn't matter if you brought Aurora and Rosemaria along as your shield, Malbit.
Aurora: Tia’s second daughter. (Three years old) Rosemaria: Granmaria’s daughter. (One year old) Malbit: Angel Race Leader.