It was a morning where the summer heat was already palpable.
I rode the Flying Carpet as I went on my rounds of the village fields. I could have easily walked, but the carpet was so insistent about me riding it that I eventually gave in. Unfortunately, the Sake Slime had hitched a ride and brought its own stash along. To anyone watching, it looked like I was touring the fields with a drink in hand first thing in the morning... Donovan and the others were watching me with such gentle, understanding eyes.
You've got it all wrong. The slime is the only one drinking.
At lunch, the table was laid with dishes featuring rich, heavy flavors—exactly the kind of food that paired perfectly with alcohol. I appreciated the sentiment, but did they really think I'd been drinking since sunrise and was ready for more at noon? Well, I suppose there were times when I was in that kind of mood, but...
"Donovan, don't start preparing for a banquet."
After our banquet-like lunch, the Demon King arrived at the mansion. He was surrounded by the tiger and the cats, both old and young. As always, they seemed to get along famously. When I appeared, the tiger tried to approach me, only to be blocked by the older sister cats. They weren't being mean, though; they were likely just wary because Aegis was perched on top of my head. Aegis didn't seem inclined to fly away even with the cats staring him down, so we remained at a standstill.
Jewel, the mother cat, eventually came over and settled in my lap. That was a rarity for her. I suppose she was there to supervise and make sure the older sister cats didn't do anything foolish. I thanked her for her trouble.
After speaking with the Demon King, I sat down to read a letter that had arrived from Alfred at the Royal Capital Academy. He seemed to be doing well. He mentioned that Frau and the others’ visit for the festival had been quite stimulating for him. Wait—did he say there was someone there stronger than Urza? It wasn't because of a fight, was it? Thank goodness. The world is a big place, and there are bound to be mountains of people stronger than oneself. I wrote back a reply, warning him not to let it go to his head.
Kuro and Yuki stopped by in the evening. Kuro was still maintaining his weight loss. I’d worried he might rebound immediately, but since he was being careful himself, he seemed to be doing fine. Apparently, he'd spent the day at the pool with Kuroichi and the others. I'm sure they were happy to have him. He'd even taken a bath before coming back, which explained why he looked so clean.
"Hmm? Do I smell like sake? Well, just a little at noon. I get it, I get it. Let's drink together after dinner."
I gave them both a good pat.
I asked if Fracia had been causing them any trouble lately. After Kuro successfully slimmed down, Fracia had gone looking for a replacement—specifically, the plump, soft belly Kuro used to be so proud of. For his children, being singled out by her was a disaster. Those confident in their physiques weren't too bothered, but the ones who weren't as fit tended to bolt the moment they saw her. They'd even taken to dieting in secret. While a fit body is healthier, I didn't want them overdoing it. Personally, I didn't mind a little extra weight, though I suppose that attitude was why the original Kuro's belly ended up the way it did.
Apparently, Fracia hadn't been visiting them as much lately. I felt bad for her, but it probably gave the wolves some peace of mind. Although, it seemed the newborn pups were still carrying out their "courage tests" by walking right past her. I asked Kuro to tell them to stop if he saw it; whenever they did that, Fracia would get overly insistent about trying to feed them.
Dinner turned into yet another banquet since so many people had missed out on the one at noon. The High Ogre Maids must have seen it coming, given the spread they'd prepared. It was fine once in a while, but I wasn't about to make this a daily occurrence.
"Cheers!"
During the toast, I noticed the fried food. Apparently, The Boxes had handled the battering. They were certainly working hard. Then there were the drinks—beautiful, layered cocktails served in glasses. The Boxes had made those too. Their skill was so impressive that the Dwarves were already asking to borrow them. If the Boxes were willing, I didn't mind lending them out. If I didn't, I suspected they'd just spend all their time in the kitchen researching new recipes anyway.
As the banquet roared on, I slipped away to the courtyard once the children were done eating. Kuro and Yuki followed me. While we'd already shared a drink at the party, it was a bit too rowdy for my taste. I spread a cloth in a quiet corner and we sat under the stars for a small, private toast. I had a low-alcohol cocktail mixed with juice, while Kuro and Yuki had wine from flat plates.
For a snack, I’d brought along some edamame. They wouldn't eat them with the shells on, so I had to peel them one by one. I told them to stay calm—first Kuro, then Yuki, then me. We took our turns.
The next morning, after breakfast, the Flying Carpet was waiting for me, hovering about fifty centimeters off the ground. Lu was sitting on it. I was surprised—it was actually letting her ride?
"Fufu, well, yes," she said with a beaming, adorable smile.
But then I noticed she had her bat wings out. Looking closer, Lu wasn't actually touching the carpet at all. She was hovering a hair's breadth above it. As if to prove the point, the moment she lowered herself to make contact, the carpet violently dropped that section all the way to the floor with all its might.
I really wished they could just learn to get along.
Unknown Civil Official Girl: "Lady Fracia’s been visiting us a lot lately. I think she’s really taken a liking to me!"
Known Civil Official Girl: "Ah... yeah... well, about that..."