The Demon King, bare-chested and blindfolded, lowered himself into a push-up position. I stepped forward and set a randomly selected cat on his back.
"Samael!" he called out.
Correct.
Next.
"Uriel!"
Correct again.
I decided to try two at once.
"Ariel and Miel!"
Correct.
Then, I tried a feint.
"Wait... it’s Miel, Rael, Uriel, and Gael... and they're all riding on Sougetsu!"
I was stunned. He was perfect. Truly, he was the Demon King. Despite my own efforts, I hadn't managed to get a single one right. Was this the power of love? Also, the fact that he could do push-ups with a full-grown tiger on his back was nothing short of incredible.
You might be wondering what we were doing. It was just a little breather between tasks. I had been quite busy lately, so I needed a distraction. I knew, of course, that this was the wrong way to go about it. If I wanted a real break, I should have chosen something else entirely.
Outside the room, countless children of Kuro were stretching their backs and shaking out their limbs to warm up. When I looked up, I saw Zabuton's children watching me with expectant eyes.
I wasn't just playing with the cats; I was playing with the Demon King. I had an important meeting with the Civil Official Girls coming up soon. If I told the wolves and spiders that, they would probably back down. But they would do so with such lonely eyes... and I couldn't bear to see them look at me like that.
It seemed my work for the day was over. Leading the children of Kuro and Zabuton, I headed into the forest.
Hunting was the perfect solution. It allowed both groups to play and burn off energy at the same time. The only real downside was the risk of injury, but with the older, more experienced individuals watching over the pack, serious accidents were rare.
Zabuton's children would flush out the prey, and Kuro's children would drive them toward me. Honestly, I didn't feel like I strictly needed to be the one to finish them off, but I did it anyway. Fanged Rabbits, Giant Boars, Thick Weasels—they were all vital food sources, so I made sure to dispatch them properly.
On a side note, the pack of Bloody Vipers that had taken up residence in the Eastern Dungeon, where the Gorock race lived, had apparently moved on. Hakuren had rushed off to deal with them, but she came back disappointed, having only managed to catch one. While the Gorock were safe, the dungeon itself had sustained some damage, so our planned visit had to be postponed. I had considered going just to offer a quick greeting, but the Gorock insisted it would be disrespectful to host us in such a state, so I couldn't exactly force the issue. It was a shame.
Before I knew it, the High Elves had gathered around me to handle the bloodletting. Since hunting was their specialty, they were remarkably efficient. Urza, Alfred, and Tiselle were there as well, helping with the finishing blows.
Since it was spring, the three of them were supposed to head back to the Academy, but Hakuren, Lu, and Tia had insisted there was no need to rush, so they were taking it easy. If the Demon King's plan to connect the Royal Capital and Shashato City with Short-distance Teleportation Gates succeeded, they’d be able to walk to school anyway. I didn't push them to leave either, though I did have to tell them to stop putting themselves on the front lines during the hunt. They were working hard, but watching them made my heart race with anxiety.
"And Tiselle," I added, "this is food. Please don't crush it with a Golem. We won't be able to eat it."
Meanwhile, Urza's friend Isree was still staying in the village, helping out with the cows and horses. For some reason, the goats never tried to mess with her. When I asked if there was a trick to it, she told me it was all about projecting killing intent.
"Just think about putting them on the dinner table if they get in your way," she explained. "If you do that, they won't come near you."
I see. That was definitely beyond my capabilities. Still, I warned her not to underestimate the goats or let her guard down. They would surely try something eventually.
A short distance away, a small yelp echoed through the trees. One of Kuro’s children had fallen into a hole and hurt itself.
"Are you okay?" I asked, rushing over. It didn't look like a fracture, but amateur medical judgment was dangerous. There might have been a hairline crack. "I know, I know. You got excited and stopped paying attention. I'm not going to scold you, so just don't try to force yourself to move."
We could use Lu or Flora's healing magic once we got back to the village, or even a World Tree Leaf if it came to that. Just as I was about to call off the hunt, another of Kuro’s children trotted over.
A pure white Holy Slime emerged from the wolf's back and immediately applied healing magic to the injured wolf. Had they brought it along just in case? That was impressive. It was a huge help.
I praised the wolf that had carried the Holy Slime, and the injured wolf walked around firmly to show me it was all better. Good, good.
"By the way, where’s the Sake Slime?" I asked.
Was it acting as the Holy Slime's guard? Because the forest was dangerous? I suppose that made sense. I told it to make sure it protected the Holy Slime well. The Sake Slime bounced as if to say "leave it to me," only to fall right off the wolf's back.
It quickly scrambled back up the wolf's leg and onto its back, pretending the fall had never happened. It seemed more motivated than ever. I appreciated the fact that it didn't try to bounce again and risk a second mistake.
We returned to the village hauling a massive amount of game. It had been a great change of pace.
"So, everyone from the Civil Official Girls, please don't be angry," I pleaded. I knew I was late. I promised I would attend the meeting. "And I'll also take your holiday requests into consideration... once the work is finished, of course."
As I was apologizing to the girls, Isree arrived, covered from head to toe in mud. She didn't seem hurt, but she looked exhausted.
"What happened?" I asked.
"The goats surrounded me in a Crane Wing Formation—a V-shape—and lured me into a muddy pond," she muttered.
Wait... do those goats actually know how to use tactical formations? Apparently, they do. And once Isree had fallen into the mud and truly lost her temper, the goats had scattered and fled at top speed.
"I need to make an example of one of them," she said, her voice cold. "May I have permission?"
"I'm sorry," I said, bowing my head. "I'll apologize for them, so please forgive them this once."
I wasn't sure if the goats had meant any harm... actually, they probably meant nothing but harm. But they were still providing plenty of milk. As long as they were residents of the village, I had to protect them. I promised her I would give them a stern scolding.
And if that didn't work, I’d have the cows do it for me.