The blizzard had finally stopped, but that didn't mean winter was over.
In other words, it was cold outside. Bitterly cold.
Despite the freezing temperatures, the children rushed outdoors as if to vent the frustration of being cooped up throughout the storm. They were certainly energetic. The High Ogre maids had forced them into thick layers of clothing before they could escape, so I didn't think I had to worry about them catching a cold. They were all properly equipped with mufflers and gloves.
The children of Kuro acted as their escorts, leaping out into the snow without a moment's hesitation to follow them. It was a gallant sight, though one of them immediately doubled back to demand a swap with another wolf. Yuki scolded the shirker, and he hurriedly chased after the children.
As for Yuki, the one who had done the scolding… she immediately crawled into the kotatsu. She gave me a look that seemed to ask, "Is there a problem?" so I simply told her it was fine.
It was still the middle of winter. According to the spring forecast provided by the Nyunyu-daphne in Village One, the cold was expected to linger for quite a while yet. I braced myself for the long haul and pulled on my hanten.
These padded coats had long been popular as winter wear in the village, primarily among the Angel Race. However, because so many new Angels had arrived this year, we were running short. Those among Zabuton's children who were currently awake were working hard to produce additional stock.
I had been worried about our supply of cotton for the padding, but they were either sourcing it from Village Five or pulling from the massive quantities we had bought up previously. We hadn't stopped at cotton, either; we had stockpiled wool, silk, and hemp as well. Each material was stored in its own dedicated, massive storehouse.
Yoko had made these arrangements so we could respond immediately to any of Zabuton's requests. She claimed it was merely part of Village Five's financial management, but I suspected she was just being shy about her thoughtfulness. Regardless, enough fiber had been secured in Village Five to clothe tens of thousands of people. Using a small portion for our needs was no issue at all.
By the way, quite a few of Zabuton's children were secretly stationed as guards in those specialized fiber storehouses. When I mentioned this to the Demon King, he only offered a wry smile. With that much flammable material in one place, fire was a constant worry, so I thought having guards was a sensible move.
As I was reflecting on these matters, I headed to a spot on the second floor of the mansion with a pleasant view of the landscape, intending to settle in with some tea. Before I could sit down, however, I was stopped.
It was Yoko. I was surprised to see her, as I thought she had already returned to Village Five.
"My apologies," she said. "A troublesome matter has landed on our doorstep."
I accompanied Yoko back to her mansion in Village Five. We went to a reception room adjacent to her office, where a man and a woman were waiting.
The man was small-statured with the boyish appearance of a youth, yet he wore a beard that suggested he was older than he looked. The woman was slightly taller than me and possessed beast ears and a tail—likely a member of the Beastman Race.
"Village Head, let me introduce them," Yoko said. "This is Seiten, the Monkey Sacred Beast, and Kon of the Silver Fox Race."
Upon hearing her introduction, Seiten bowed his head politely. "I serve as the Monkey Sacred Beast. I am Seiten."
"It is an honor to meet you. I am Kon of the Silver Fox Race," the woman added, bowing deeply from the waist.
Seiten took a step forward. "I am truly sorry for calling upon you while you were away from your village. Ordinarily, I should have been the one to visit you, but Lady Yoko insisted I wait here, and she prepared this venue for our meeting."
Since Kon remained a step behind, Seiten was clearly the primary speaker.
"I am deeply sorry for involving your son, Gol, and his wives in the dispute between the Monkey Clan and the Goblins. On behalf of the Monkey Clan, I offer my sincerest apologies."
With that, Seiten handed me a document. Yoko took it first and then passed it to me. It appeared to be an inventory—a list of items offered as a token of apology. I had heard about the trouble with the monkeys and the Goblins, and while I didn't think it was necessary for him to seek me out specifically, Niz had been involved, so I wasn't entirely a stranger to the situation.
I had no intention of letting the problem escalate. Furthermore, it seemed he had already visited Gol to settle the matter personally before coming here. Since that was the case, I held no grudge. I accepted the apology, intending for that to be the end of it.
However, Yoko informed me that things couldn't conclude quite so simply. Apparently, it was necessary to host a banquet for Seiten. She had already made a reservation at Niz’s shop.
I agreed to the plan. I thought I would have a bit of time to relax until then, but there was still more to discuss. This time, it was Kon’s turn to speak.
Seiten departed for Niz’s shop ahead of us. It seemed he had to apologize to her as well. When I offered him my sympathies for the busy day he was having, he gave me a weary smile and said it was all part of the job. I decided I would prepare some especially good sake for him to enjoy later.
Once Seiten was gone, I turned my attention to Kon.
"Yes. Once again, I am Kon of the Silver Fox Race," she said.
According to Yoko, the Silver Fox Race weren't beastmen of a fox-like tribe, but true foxes. Kon’s current appearance was merely a human transformation. The Silver Fox Race lived in isolation in various regions, and the name "Kon" was a title passed down to each successive clan leader, much like the title of the Demon King.
"So, you are the leader of your clan?" I asked tentatively.
Yoko had brought me here under the guise of a "troublesome matter." While Seiten's arrival required my presence, it wasn't exactly what I would call a problem. That meant the trouble likely lay with Kon. I braced myself.
"Before I state my business, there is something I would like to confirm, if I may," Kon said.
"What is it?"
"Is it correct that you are Lady Yoko’s superior?"
I was the Village Head of Village Five, and Yoko was the Acting Village Head. In terms of our professional hierarchy, that was accurate.
"I see. Thank you. In that case, Hiraku, I have a request."
"A request?"
"Yes. Including myself, there are ninety-two members of the Silver Fox Race. Twenty-three of us can work perfectly in human form, but if you can overlook a few minor inconveniences, eighty-four of us are capable of labor. We would like you to hire our entire clan."
"You want me to hire you?" I asked. It wasn't a request to migrate or settle in the village?
"The Silver Fox Race is not well-suited to living among other races," she explained.
"But you can work. What sort of work do you intend to do?"
"Assassination."
The room went silent.
"...Assassination," she repeated.
It wasn't that I hadn't heard her the first time; I simply couldn't believe my ears.
"Please leave," I said immediately.
In that same heartbeat, the spear form of the Universal Farming Tool manifested in my hand and ran Kon right through the chest.
I blinked. Why had I done that? Before I could process it, Yoko’s hand was already clamped around Kon’s neck.
"Kon. I believe I told you I would not forgive you if you laid a hand on the Village Head," Yoko growled.
"I don't think I did anything?" Kon replied, seemingly unperturbed by the spear through her torso.
"It is only because he struck you first," Yoko retorted. "If you continue with this nonsense, I will exterminate your entire clan."
"...I understand. However, I am in a position where I cannot simply back down."
"I know that. Village Head, my apologies. Allow me to explain the situation."
"A-Ah, alright. Please do," I stammered. "But is she going to be okay? I've literally impaled her..."
When I retracted the Universal Farming Tool, a gaping hole remained in her chest.
"She is fine," Yoko said. "A wound like this won't kill her."
"Actually, Lady Yoko..." Kon interrupted.
"What?"
"I've actually taken a significant amount of damage... It seems I've reached my limit. Gack."
Kon coughed up a spray of blood and collapsed. As she fell, her body shimmered and transformed into a large silver fox.
Yoko panicked. "She can't even maintain her human form?! This is bad. Village Head, may I use a World Tree leaf?"
"Yes, use it," I said quickly.
After all, I was the one who had stabbed her. It would be a nightmare if she died on my watch.