I harvested the peaches. Naturally, I only picked those that were at the peak of ripeness. Even with that restriction, the haul was quite substantial. While I was tempted to dig in immediately, my first priority was setting aside the portions intended for gifts.
First was Michael’s share. Peaches have a notoriously short shelf life, so I wasn't selling them commercially. Instead, I sent over enough for his family to enjoy.
Next were the portions for the Demon King, Beezel, Randan, Gratz, and Hou. I sent a similar amount to each of their households.
As for the dragons, I figured it would be enough to send some to Mark, Domaim, and Kuorun. Dos, Giral, and Draim would likely eat their fill whenever they were here in the village. Then again, if I didn't send any to Draim’s Nest, Gucci and the others wouldn't get a taste. I added a share for Draim’s Nest as well. Once I did that, I realized I should probably secure some for Dos and Giral’s homes too. Dragons usually had plenty of people they wanted to share with, so I set aside a bit extra for them.
After that, I made sure to send portions to Howlin Village, the Lamia Race in the Southern Dungeon, the Giant Race in the Northern Dungeon, and the Gorlock Race in the Eastern Dungeon. I calculated that I could manage enough so that everyone would receive at least one.
I couldn’t forget Progenitor-san’s share, of course. I set some aside for Fouche as well, even though I hadn't seen her lately. Whether or not she actually got them depended on when Progenitor-san showed up to collect them. I couldn't exactly let them rot while waiting.
As I worked, I noticed Yoko watching me intently. I knew that look—she wanted a share for the influential people in Village Five. I assured her I would secure those portions too, but I asked her to handle the actual delivery. If the gifts came directly from me, the social obligations and return gifts would turn into a massive headache.
If they were being distributed to the elites of Village Five, word would inevitably reach Miyo in Shashato City. I secured a share for her as well, and I planned to have her deliver the portion meant for Magistrate Ifuls.
That seemed to cover everyone.
Since we had the short-distance teleportation gate, I decided to send a shipment to the Demon Kingdom Academy as well. Gol, Sil, Bron, Urza, Alfred, and Tiselle were all in their care, after all. I didn't know the exact number of faculty members, but I figured sending a large amount addressed to the Academy Director would be appropriate.
I wondered if Gol, Sil, and Bron’s wives would want some too. Even if they didn't, the boys themselves certainly would. They used to eat them constantly back when they lived in the village. I decided to send their shares along with the children's delivery and let them handle the distribution. Urza was generous and would probably give away her own portion, but with Asa, Earth, and Mettora looking over her shoulder, I expected they would keep her in check.
Finally, I set aside a reserve stock in case I had accidentally overlooked anyone. I was well aware of my own capacity for forgetfulness.
With the gifts sorted, I surveyed what was left. The stock had dwindled significantly, yet there was still more than enough for us to eat. The High Elves, Mountain Elves, High Ogre Maids, Dwarves, Beastman girls, Civil Official Girls, and both Kuro’s and Zabuton’s children were all waiting with bated breath. I felt a little guilty for making them wait so long. My own children were also watching me with expectant eyes. They had helped with the harvest, so they certainly earned their share.
"Alright, let's eat," I announced.
At my signal, Zabuton’s children used their threads with expert precision to peel the peaches, slice the fruit, and remove the pits. I made sure to thank them.
Naturally, I was expected to take the first bite. It was wonderfully sweet. Once the others saw me eat, the feast began in earnest. The slices cut by the spiderlings vanished from the plates almost the instant they were laid down. It was an impressive sight.
"Remember, these are just snacks," I reminded them. "If you fill up now, you won't be able to eat dinner, and Ann will be furious."
One of the spiderlings approached me to ask what should be done with the pits. Since the Dwarves used them to scent their sake, I had the spiderling put them into a specific barrel. They weren't brewing the alcohol from the pits itself, but rather using them to infuse the drink with a peach aroma.
The spiderling then asked if they could take some for the fairies in the flower garden. I chuckled. "If you're going to give them something, take them the actual fruit. Just the scraps left on a pit would be a bit lonely, wouldn't it?"
I quickly secured a few whole peaches for the fairies before they were all devoured. The remaining fruit would be served as dessert after dinner. I cautioned everyone to make sure they left enough for those who weren't present.
Someone asked about Lu’s share. Since Lu loved peaches, I had set her portion aside right at the start. The same went for my other wives, of course.
Shortly after, word reached us from the Royal Capital regarding the peaches. While the messages were filled with gratitude, the core sentiment could be summarized as: "We want more." I personally felt that things like this held more value because they were rare, but apparently, the recipients disagreed. I had told them not to brag, as I didn't want people I couldn't refuse pestering me for more.
As it turned out, Tiselle was partly responsible for the commotion. Rather than eating her share, she had sold it to the Dalfon Company. While I didn't mind her earning a bit of spending money, the company had apparently appraised the peaches at an astronomical value. That price, combined with the quality of the fruit, led to rumors of a "phantom fruit" sweeping through the capital's nobility.
The nobles immediately mobilized their connections to track down the source. Once they discovered who in the capital actually possessed the fruit, they descended upon them. The Demon King and the Four Heavenly Kings were unable to turn them away due to their various social ties.
The Academy Director seemed to have suffered the most. She was besieged by noble visitors daily, and every conversation inevitably turned toward the phantom fruit. In that high-pressure environment, she felt she had no choice but to serve them. While she likely gained some political capital in exchange, a report from Mettora made it clear just how exhausting the ordeal had been.
On the bright side, the short-distance teleportation gate meant these reports arrived almost in real-time.
I also heard that Urza and Alfred had sliced their peaches and shared them with their classmates. I found myself wishing Tiselle would take a page out of their book.
Earth sent a request as well, asking if he could serve peach-based sweets at his shop. It wasn't a bad idea, but the supply was limited. Furthermore, with the rumors of the phantom fruit still circulating, it would likely cause a riot. I decided to write back and tell him to wait until the fervor died down.
Finally, I received a letter of explanation from Tiselle. She claimed she hadn't intended to sell them for profit, but had simply given them to a friend at the company. The recipient had apparently calculated the value as a gesture of thanks, and that figure had taken on a life of its own. Since Tiselle wasn't the type to lie about such things, I believed her. She was clearly distressed by the scandal she had inadvertently caused and was now asking for additional peaches to help smooth things over with the disgruntled parties.
I would have liked to help her, but I was one step too late. Michael was already shaking hands with the Civil Official Girls. Having heard the rumors of the phantom fruit in the capital, he had immediately swooped in to negotiate a trade deal. The contract for the village's entire surplus had just been signed.
"I'm sorry, Tiselle," I thought. The remaining peaches were now officially promised to the Goroun Company. I decided I would send her more as soon as the next batch was ready for harvest, but for now, she would just have to wait.