It was decided that the parade would be held outside the village.
Initially, I had thought of it as a mere extension of our own village parade, but I eventually decided to hold it on a separate day. This change was meant to accommodate everyone’s preferences—some might want to participate in the village parade but not the one outside, or vice-versa.
Furthermore, the village parade operated on a system where the marchers and the spectators swapped roles halfway through. Attempting to transition from that into an external procession would have felt disjointed and awkward. The village schedule was already packed, right down to the post-parade banquet, and I hesitated to disrupt that established flow.
Actually, that wasn't just my own decision. I was soundly persuaded.
The Civil Official Girls had caught me, forced me into a chair, and laid out a mountain of documents and wooden boards on the table. They explained the logistical nightmare of the parade step-by-step before firmly requesting that I set a separate date.
Thus, while the external parade would proceed, it would be as its own event. I confirmed this change with the Demon King, and he assured me it wasn't a problem.
As a side note, it seemed the Demon King and Tiselle had also received a lecture. The civil officials working at the Royal Castle had apparently scolded them for underestimating the sheer complexity of parade traffic control. While the smaller villages along the route might not have many people, a parade through the Royal Capital, Shashato City, or Village Five required significant security and safety measures. It wasn't the sort of thing you could just agree to on a whim.
Their words stung me as well, considering how casually I had accepted the proposal. I took a moment to reflect on my lack of foresight.
The reactions of the village residents to the news were varied. Aside from the Civil Official Girls who departed to coordinate with their counterparts in the capital, the Mountain Elves were the ones who made the most dramatic move.
They immediately halted their current projects and began constructing a carriage. Since the Teleportation Gates couldn't accommodate the tall yagura we used in the village, we needed a new transport. Personally, I thought a standard carriage would have been perfectly fine, but they were going all out with an incredibly lavish design.
"Is it alright if we use gold and silver?" they asked.
I didn't mind, but I was the one who was going to use it. Did I really need something that looked like it belonged to the high king of some distant land?
I also tried to tell them that transformation and combination functions were completely unnecessary. I couldn't see any practical reason for three carriages to merge into one giant vehicle.
Wait, it wasn't three? Five units would combine? That wasn't the point...
Persuasion proved futile. I ended up leaving it to them but cautioned them not to overdo it.
The moment I gave them the green light, the spark in their eyes intensified. It was the bad kind of spark. They definitely just added a seven-unit combination to the plans on the spot! It didn't matter if the concept had existed previously; I knew what I saw.
"Hey, absolutely no armaments!" I added. Just because they claimed it was for "safety" didn't mean I would allow it.
The next group to spring into action was Zabuton's Children. I told them they were welcome to participate, but they decided to wait until Zabuton woke up from hibernation before making a final choice. The ones currently active were the members of the non-hibernating group.
Even so, they were incredibly busy manufacturing outfits. While I thought the costumes from the village parade would suffice, they were determined to have a different set of clothing for the external event. They were already hauling massive amounts of fabric from the storehouses in Village Five.
One of them gestured to me. They wanted a finalized list of everyone participating in the outside parade so they could finish making everyone's clothes. I promised I would do my best.
The High Elves, Dwarfs, Lizardmen, and Beastman Race remained as steady as ever. Since they always gave their all to every task, a minor change in plans didn't faze them. They were truly reliable.
Then there was the question of the banquet. While the Demon King would likely host one in the Royal Capital, he had already told me that I didn't need to attend. Any of our residents who wanted to go were free to join the capital's festivities, but the general consensus was that it sounded like too much trouble. There would be too many strangers, and they wanted to avoid potential conflict.
Still, it felt a bit lonely to simply disband after the parade ended. So, I decided that once we finished the external parade, we would hold a banquet back in the village. Even those who didn't participate in the march were invited.
After all, the marchers weren't the only ones who worked hard. Many people would be busy with the preparations or covering for those who were away. I made sure to pass this instruction along to the High Ogre Maids.
Just like with our usual parade, I informed Village One, Village Two, Village Three, and Village Four that they were welcome to join. However, they couldn't leave their homes completely empty, so they were currently in the middle of some very passionate discussions to select their representatives.
I didn't set any specific quotas. Despite being asked several times, I told them each village was free to decide for itself. I even told them it was okay to decline entirely. They answered with such forceful determination to participate that I actually felt a little overwhelmed, but I told them I was looking forward to it.
Village Five was also going to participate, and I left the selection process to Yoko. However, Yoko was far too busy practicing her "cute" apology to Zabuton to handle it personally. She capped the number of participants at fifty and delegated the selection to the Village Council.
The Village Council was apparently experiencing its highest level of excitement since its inception. The selection process had become a white-hot debate.
I didn't think it was a problem until Hii and Roku, who worked in Village Five, came to me and begged me to bring Yoko back as soon as possible. The selection was getting out of hand. Apparently, fifty slots were nowhere near enough for a city that size.
I offered to go in Yoko's place, but Hii and Roku apologized and stopped me. They claimed they couldn't possibly let me witness such an unsightly struggle. Hii and Roku eventually decided to brave the storm and handle it themselves. I hoped they would be alright.
As for the Angel Race, Tia would be riding with me in the carriage. However, the majority of the Angels, including Malbit, were still deliberating their participation.
In the past, the Demon King had been worried about publicizing his close ties with the Angels, but when I checked with him recently, he said it was fine for them to be open about it. Anyone who followed politics already knew the Garlet Kingdom was moving closer to the Demon Kingdom anyway.
I thought that would settle the matter, but the Angels were still worried about what would happen if things took a turn for the worse. Then I suggested they just shouldn't participate, but it turned out they had a very strong desire to show off their majesty.
"We were trying to hide it, but the truth is the Angel Race loves being adored..." Malbit admitted.
I had already noticed that, but I kept the comment to myself and told them to think it over carefully.
"Also, Kudel," I added. "There will be no dive bombing during the outside parade."
No matter how many times she asked me how many "bombs" were permitted, my answer remained the same. I told her to put away the horn-tipped spear she was so diligently polishing.
Kuro, Yuki, and their children didn't make any major moves, but there was a distinct sense of restlessness among them.
The wolves ranked in the top twenty were calm enough, but those around the thirtieth rank were visibly excited. Those around the fortieth rank were fidgeting constantly. Those from the fiftieth rank and below seemed to have accepted that they might not go but were still hoping for a miracle. Once you got down to the hundredth rank, they seemed back to their usual selves.
This was likely because I was the one who decided the number of participants. The Demon King hadn't placed any restrictions on me, but the wolves were feared by the general public. I felt we should stay within the bounds of common sense.
In that case, I thought twenty or thirty wolves would be a safe bet, just as Kuro and the others expected. We also had the security of the various villages to maintain. However, when I crunched the numbers, it turned out we could spare as many as two hundred wolves while still keeping the villages safe.
Should we really take two hundred?
They were just going to be marching, after all. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to prove to the world that Kuro's pack wasn't something to be feared.
"Alright, let's go with two hundred," I announced to the pack.
They were overjoyed, which made me happy in turn. I couldn't help but chuckle as I scolded them for trying to practice their marching inside the house.
Hii & Roku: "Even if you tell us to pick only fifty participants in a city of tens of thousands..." Village Council: "The number of volunteers is staggering." Hii & Roku: "At least the Village Council didn't try to claim all the slots for themselves." Village Council: "We're not that brave. The backlash from the residents would be terrifying." Village Head: "I've decided on two hundred wolves!" Hii & Roku: "Typical... he's exactly the kind of person who would make a decision like that."