Yoko, the Nine-tailed Fox, served as the acting head of Village Five.
Futa, a member of the Mercury Race from Village Four, also known as the Sun Castle, managed the teleportation gate between the Village of the Great Tree and Village Five.
With the autumn harvest finally winding down and my schedule clearing up, I decided to build a new tea room in the courtyard. I made sure to have Ann notify the chickens in advance this time, which successfully prevented them from occupying the structure before it was even finished. It was a relief to finally have the space to myself. I stretched out on the tatami mats, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.
Of course, I hadn't just focused on the interior; I had been quite particular about the view this time around as well. I slid open the shoji screens to look out at the courtyard. My latest project sat there—a pseudo-Karesansui dry garden meant to evoke the sea, complete with meticulously leveled white sand and carefully arranged rocks.
And it was currently swarming with chickens.
The look in the lead chicken's eyes seemed to say: We followed Ann's orders and didn't go inside the building, so hanging out here should be perfectly fine.
"I see," I muttered. "I see how it is."
The lead chicken and I engaged in a silent staring contest. I decided the first one to blink would lose. However, before a winner could be declared, Ann arrived and drove them off without a second thought.
"I'll see that they're properly re-disciplined later," she said.
"Try to be gentle," I replied. Honestly, seeing the chickens act too submissive was almost creepier than them being mischievous.
The following day, I spent my time in the courtyard crushing oyster shells into a fine powder to mix into the chickens' feed. Apparently, the extra calcium makes for stronger eggshells. Oysters seemed to be a popular staple among the Sea Race; when I had asked for some, they arrived immediately, and we enjoyed a feast of them for dinner the previous night. They were large, plump, and delicious. The shells I was currently pulverizing were the leftovers from that meal.
The chickens made it clear they would have preferred the meat over the shells, but I ignored their complaints. After all, they had managed to sneak an entire box of oysters during the harvest celebration barbecue. I had let my guard down during the festivities, and since Ann also enjoyed oysters, she had scolded them quite severely. Seeing them act so nonchalant today, as if nothing had happened, was almost impressive. Then again, maybe that was just how birds were.
Aegis, on the other hand, refused to touch the shells. He only wanted the meat. Just yesterday, he had even grilled some for himself. I was genuinely impressed by the dexterity he showed while squeezing a lemon over his food.
"What is it, Aegis? Still hungry?" I asked as he approached.
He chirped, making it clear he wanted more oysters.
"I suppose I can't say no. I'll order some more."
As I spoke, both Aegis and the rest of the chickens erupted in joy. Good grief... I supposed I would have to order enough for the chickens, too.
It was later that night, during my post-bath relaxation time, that an emergency letter arrived from Village Five. Since Yoko was still bathing with our daughter, Hitoe, I took it upon myself to read it. The message was from Bron, and it was an urgent plea for assistance: Count Pugyal had gone missing in Shashato City.
Pugyal was Gol’s father-in-law, wasn't he? Beyond that connection, one of our Civil Official Girls was his daughter. This wasn't something I could ignore. I decided right then and there to go help with the search.
As I prepared to set out, I was stopped by one of the Civil Official Girls—the count's daughter herself.
"There is no need to worry about my father," she insisted calmly. "He is the sort of man who can survive any situation."
While her words clearly stemmed from deep trust, I didn't think that was an excuse to abandon the search. After I explained that I simply couldn't sit still now that I knew, I began recruiting volunteers. Even though it was already late, the high elves and lizardmen quickly joined the effort. In a search like this, raw numbers were vital, and their help was much appreciated.
"Wait, Dos? Draim? You’re coming too?"
"I have to show my grandchildren and great-grandchildren that I’ve still got it," Dos declared.
"And it’s a perfect opportunity to promote the flavor of our daikon," Draim added.
I gave them a skeptical look. "What exactly are you planning to do? Our goal is to find a missing person, you know."
"Don't worry about it. Things will be much less troublesome if you have us along."
Was that true? Regardless, if they were offering their strength, I would take it. Lu, Tia, and Ann also wanted to help, but since they needed time to prepare before traveling, they would be coming later. I decided to head out ahead of them.
"I'll leave the reporting to Yoko and the gathering of gate logs to you all, then," I said. "I'm counting on you."
When I stepped outside the mansion, I found a group of Kuro’s children and Zabuton’s children waiting, fully prepared. I hesitated. Village Five was one thing, but taking them into Shashato City might be a problem. The Demon King and Beezel would likely be overwhelmed by the potential for public alarm. On the other hand, the tracking abilities of the wolves would be invaluable, and the spiders would be equally reliable for searching an urban environment like Shashato.
Saving a life was the priority. If we were too late because we held back, I would never forgive myself. I decided to take them, figuring I would just have to apologize to the Demon King and Beezel later.
"Try to stay out of sight of the locals as much as possible," I cautioned them.
Our arrival at Village Five went smoothly, though I was a bit taken aback when Futa, the gatekeeper, asked me, "Where exactly are you planning to invade?"
As we neared the teleportation gate at the foot of the mountain that led to Shashato City, we were met by Gucci.
"Where exactly are we invading?" he asked as his opening remark. I wondered if he and Futa had coordinated that joke beforehand, or perhaps they were just worried because I looked far more serious than usual.
Hearing the word "missing" always made me jump to the worst-case scenarios—kidnappings, accidents, or worse. If you dwell on misfortune, you tend to attract it, so I tried to lighten my mood. For all I knew, he might just be out shopping.
Gucci offered his help, and we moved together toward the city. However, we ran into an immediate issue at the gate. While the wolves and spiders were experts at moving through shadows and over rooftops, they had no way to hide while actually passing through the teleportation gate. Consequently, the guards and nearby travelers caught sight of them and fainted in droves.
They really aren't that scary, I thought. I wished people wouldn't just drop like flies at the sight of them. I pushed my irritation aside; getting angry could wait. In a way, it was lucky that almost everyone fainted, as it meant no one was left to raise a panicked alarm. Unfortunately, it also meant some of the high elves and lizardmen had to stay behind to tend to the unconscious people.
"No time for regrets," I muttered. "We have to find the count."
At that moment, the wolves and spiders signaled that they wanted to split off and search on their own. I was curious if they even knew what Count Pugyal looked like or how he smelled. Apparently, they remembered his face from a movie he’d appeared in. As for his scent, they planned to track anything unusual, suspicious, or malicious. They claimed they could even distinguish the smell of ill intent.
"Fine," I said. "I'll leave it to you. Use your best judgment if an emergency arises. You have permission to attack if necessary."
I trusted them enough to know they wouldn't go on a rampage without cause. "But if it gets dangerous, run. Don't die, and don't push yourselves if you're going to get hurt."
I was worried they might overwork themselves out of loyalty. Finding the count was important, but their safety mattered more to me. The wolves and spiders nodded and took off, vanishing into the night like shadows.
"Right, time for me to move, too."
First, I needed to rendezvous with Bron and get the latest update. It would be a bit of an anticlimax if the count had already been found, but honestly, that was the outcome I was hoping for. I just wanted him to be safe. Dos, Draim, Gucci, and the rest of the team followed as we set off into the heart of the city.