The cold had returned with a vengeance, proving that the Nyunyu-daphne were right when they claimed it was "still winter." It wasn't quite freezing, but it was certainly chilly enough that I had to put all the heating equipment in the mansion back into operation. The kotatsu in my room was back in full swing as well. I was glad I hadn't been in any rush to pack it away.
I settled into the kotatsu in my private room and enjoyed some mandarins. These had been kept in frozen storage to preserve their freshness. Since spring was nearly here, I figured I needed to finish them off. Incidentally, I had also kept some of the strawberries in the freezer, but those were already gone; they were so popular with the children that the stock had been completely depleted. I decided I would have to increase the harvest volume even more next year.
It wasn't that the mandarins were unpopular, of course. It was just that the mandarin harvest was so large to begin with that we always ended up with leftovers by this time of year. There were quite a few mandarin lovers among Kuro’s children and Zabuton’s children, after all.
Well, it was also true that there were just as many strawberry lovers.
Doing things like this always made me miss television. When I was lying in my hospital bed back in the old world, there was nothing to do but watch TV. But there was no point in wishing for what I didn't have. Even if I wanted to make a television, I didn't really understand how the mechanisms worked. I would just have to hope that Ire’s activities eventually developed into actual broadcasts. I had no idea how many years away that might be, though.
As I was enjoying my mandarins, Kuro and Yuki arrived. It seemed they had come to share the warmth of the kotatsu.
"Sure, come on in," I said.
When I lifted the kotatsu futon to invite them, Kuro and Yuki turned their backs to it and backed inside. A backstep entry? That was surprisingly skillful.
Wait, hadn't they always entered head-first before? Was it to avoid damaging the kotatsu futon with their horns? I did recall a few complaints from the High Ogre Maids about that in the past. Still, Kuro and Yuki were usually too careful to make a mistake like that.
Ah, I see. If the leaders of the pack didn't set the example, the others wouldn't follow. It was tough being in charge.
"Want a mandarin?" I asked.
They seemed to communicate that they would prefer strawberries. Unfortunately, those were out of stock. I offered them dried fruit instead, and they seemed to accept.
The dried fruit was a staple in my room, but it was kept in a spot I couldn't reach without leaving the kotatsu. I leaned out as far as I could and stretched my hand, but I couldn't reach it at all.
Kuh. Was this the end for me? Was I going to be defeated by the distance between the kotatsu and the snack tray?
No, it was too early to give up! I had the Universal Farming Tool!
I envisioned something long and pole-like… not a spear… something with a hooked tip. Not the scythe held by a god of death, either. The blade didn't need to be large. Right, a rake. I wished for a long-handled rake!
…Out of its jurisdiction?
Eh? Was that how it worked? The tool seemed to imply that while it could be used for things like clam digging, it didn't feel right for this. I supposed a rake definitely brought to mind images of the seashore.
"Wait, wait," I argued internally. "Rakes are used as farming tools, too! You know, the kind used for gathering fallen leaves or stirring soil. In other words, a farm implement!"
The tool seemed to counter my logic. It told me to calm down. It pointed out that because rakes were often used as decorative lucky charms, they occupied a complicated position. It wasn't worth forcing the issue. Strictly speaking, it could become a rake if we were actually on farmland, but it refused to transform just so I could drag things toward me while lazying about in a kotatsu. It essentially asked me not to use it for such mundane nonsense.
Ngh, a sound argument! I apologized to the tool and gave up.
Kuro and Yuki looked at me with expressions of confusion. I told them not to worry; I had only given up on using the Universal Farming Tool. I would just have to get out of the kotatsu and fetch the snacks the old-fashioned way. I was aware that Zabuton’s children up on the ceiling beams had been waiting for a chance to help me, but I had already put on such a pathetic display that I felt I had to do this myself.
Of course, I made sure to give some dried fruit to Zabuton’s children as well. We all ate together.
While I was enjoying the snacks with the wolves and the spiders, Kierbit arrived. It was turning into a busy day. To be honest, I was still so unused to her disguised appearance that for a split second, I had panicked, wondering who this stranger was.
"What's the matter?" I asked. "Are you here for a consultation about the preparations for the Royal Capital?"
"There's that too," Kierbit said, spreading a map out on the kotatsu table. "But did you know about this?"
It was a map of the region between the Demon Kingdom’s Royal Capital and the vicinity of Shashaato City. Kierbit pointed to the area between the two locations, specifically at the small dots representing towns and villages. I knew those places existed, of course.
"Not just that they exist," she clarified. "I'm talking about the control ratio of the towns and villages along that route."
"Control ratio?" I asked. "Aren't those places under the control of the Demon Kingdom? I thought they were directly managed territories."
That was the whole reason the short-distance teleportation gates were supposed to be installed smoothly. Well, maybe "smoothly" was an overstatement. Even though Yuri had been making preparations, things had stalled because the local attitudes had suddenly shifted.
"The government was supposed to have strengthened its grip there to ensure the teleportation gates could operate without issues," Kierbit explained. "Tiselle and Miyo were handling it."
"They were?"
"They were. And I just heard this from Tiselle, but the Dalfon Company—which is under her—has a thirty percent control ratio, while the Goroun Company—under Miyo—has ten percent."
"Um, I’m pretty sure the Dalfon Company isn’t 'under' Tiselle," I corrected. "The reports say they just have a friendly relationship. And the Goroun Company isn't under Miyo, either."
"The official stance doesn't matter," Kierbit dismissed. "We're talking about the reality of the situation."
Even if she called it an "official stance," it was the truth. Regardless, I asked her what was bothering her.
"The fact that even though Tiselle and Miyo have been pulling strings for about a year, they haven't even managed to secure fifty percent control between them."
"Eh?"
"Naturally, Tiselle and Miyo are using the influence of the Demon King and Yoko from Village Five. Yuri has been cooperating with Miyo, too. And yet, they haven't even hit the halfway mark. That means there is a clear hostile power at work right here."
"A hostile power?"
"I don't know if they have the martial prowess to fight, but they’re a faction that would be inconvenienced if the Demon Kingdom were to operate smoothly. Their true identity is likely an anti-Demon Kingdom faction supported by human nations—though I don't know if the members themselves are even aware they're being used as pawns."
"Have you told the Demon King and the others about this?" I asked.
"I've told Tiselle, Miyo, Yoko, and Yuri. I think the word has reached the top by now."
I see. If the message had been conveyed to the Demon King, there probably wasn't anything for me to do. Or so I thought, but the fact that Kierbit had gone out of her way to tell me meant she probably wanted something from me. I really didn't want to get dragged into more trouble.
"I think you could at least listen to a request from your future daughter-in-law, don't you?" she teased.
I laughed. "Trials are necessary for members of the Angel Race to get married, aren't they? Should I start preparing some for you?"
Kierbit’s playful demeanor vanished instantly. "Ahahaha… Those are things for the person who takes a bride from the Angel Race to go through…"
"I think they should be done by the person who seeks the marriage," I countered.
"Y-You are absolutely right!" she stammered. "Of course, I am prepared to face any trial! Yes, I certainly am! So, uh, please go easy on me! My previous behavior? Yes, I have reflected deeply upon it! I have reached the firm conviction that one must never, ever interfere with another's path of love! Please excuse me!"
Kierbit rushed out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her. It seemed she realized she was at a major disadvantage if the conversation continued. Her ability to judge a situation was as impressive as ever. Still, as long as two people genuinely wanted to be together, I wouldn't do anything to interfere.
As for Ann… I wondered how she felt about it. I wanted to believe everything was fine.
Just as I was mulling that over, Tiselle and the Demon King arrived.
I understood the situation. I wondered what they wanted me to do. I had been a bit mean to Kierbit, but I truly didn't want any trouble between the Royal Capital and Shashaato City. I had many friends in Shashaato, and any instability there would surely affect Village Five.
I was prepared to help. I told them they could count on me. However, I made sure to add that I wanted to avoid as much trouble as possible—and especially any bloodshed.