The march toward the Royal Capital had been postponed, but that didn't mean the parade itself had ground to a halt.
Even if we weren't advancing toward the capital, the city and its outskirts remained in a state of constant celebration. The most popular attraction—or at least the one creating the most buzz—was likely the Mountain Elves' transforming-carriage experiments. Crowds cheered whether the transformation succeeded or failed. I had wondered why their success rate had suddenly spiked, but apparently, the instructors from Ifrus Academy were providing technical assistance. I wanted to believe there wouldn't be any issues since Lu was supposed to be supervising the academy, but Miyo had warned me that the place was full of suspicious individuals from top to bottom. I felt a pang of unease; I could only hope the Mountain Elves wouldn't be led in some bizarre direction.
The next most crowded spot was the waiting area for Kuro and his pack. Since the rehearsal had been held within Shashato City, the residents were already familiar with the wolves. However, it seemed they hadn't gotten a good enough look at them then, as spectators were now flocking just to catch a glimpse. Kuro and the others didn't seem to mind the attention. A few of them were even walking around with children on their backs. Since the wolves remained at their full size, adults could have easily ridden them as well, but none seemed to step forward. Of course, the children weren't just left to ride alone; the High Elves were acting as handlers, walking alongside them. I wondered if the adults were simply too embarrassed to be assisted by High Elves.
Then there was the Angels' waiting area, though it wasn't quite as crowded. Regrettably, it seemed some people had attempted to attack the Angels during the parades in Village Five and Shashato City. About thirty of those former attackers had gathered there, supposedly to apologize...
"You're still alive, you damn Angel! I’ll definitely kill you this time!"
"The same to you. I see you’re still drawing breath... demons certainly are tenacious."
Instead of an apology, they were issuing a fresh challenge. I expected them to settle things with swords or magic, but they were competing in arm-wrestling and drinking contests. I wasn't sure if that was appropriate, but I certainly wasn't going to tell them to start using lethal force instead.
"For the record, we are technically allies this time... Ah, no, throwing that spear was more of a reflex. If we leave that fellow to fly around as he pleases, nothing but trouble follows."
"It was merely reconnaissance. I wasn't doing anything strange. Well, the information I provide is so accurate that it might indeed be 'trouble' for the enemy... But since we’re allies this time, it shouldn't be a problem."
Well, since they were competing without creating a hostile atmosphere, I wasn't going to stop them. In situations like this, stopping them halfway usually only causes grudges to fester. I didn't tell them to hold back or go easy; I told them to give it their all. I only asked that they didn't let the alcohol affect them the next day. To be clear, I didn't mean they should drink it all so that nothing was left for the morning.
Zabuton's Children were being displayed while remaining inside their kigurumi costumes. I had asked if it wouldn't be better for them to come out during the exhibition, but they intended to follow Zabuton's instructions to the letter. Since the comfort inside the suits had been improved, staying in them for long periods wasn't an issue. However, the clothing artisans of Shashato City were staring at them quite intently. I worried about them. If the existence of the spiderlings was exposed, Zabuton would never hear the end of it. I made a mental note to warn the artisans again not to touch them.
"Eh? Ah, no, I suppose you could say I'm the owner... but they aren't for sale. They are strictly not for sale. You want to see the base of the legs? You want me to lift one up? O-okay... is this good? No, turning it upside down is a bit much! Even if you say you want to see the underside... Wait, the pressure, the pressure is too much! Someone, someone help me!"
I had a terrible time. Artisans who are truly passionate about their craft really do lose sight of their surroundings. If the employees of the Goroun Company hadn't come to my rescue, things would have turned ugly. Once they were restrained and calmed down, the artisans apologized, but they still couldn't hide their burning desire to see the underside of those costumes. I suppose one could call it a paragon of craftsmanship, but they shouldn't cause trouble for everyone else. I needed to issue a formal warning... but to whom? Magistrate Ifuls? Or perhaps an Artisan Guild, if one existed? I decided to ask Miyo.
Dos and the other dragons were nowhere to be seen in Shashato City. They were currently on standby at Draim's Nest. In truth, the plan was for Dos and his family to skip all the towns and villages between Shashato City and the Royal Capital after the parade here, rejoining the main group at the very end. This was because they traveled by flight instead of using Teleportation Gates, making it nearly impossible to coordinate their timing. If they arrived too early or too late, it would cause chaos. Since we couldn't fine-tune their schedule, we decided to have them skip the intermediate stops. The main parade unit was going to be rushing through those areas anyway, so it couldn't be helped. I worried whether the Demon King's "decoy" plan would even work like this, but at any rate, Dos and the others had no role to play tomorrow. They were to relax at Draim's Nest for the time being. It certainly wasn't a measure taken solely to avoid further trouble.
The Wyverns, much like Dos and his group, were also free the next day. I suggested they wait at Draim's Nest as well, but they refused, claiming that area was far too dangerous. As a result, they headed for the Royal Capital ahead of us to wait at their designated standby location. A Civil Official from the Demon Kingdom had gone ahead via Teleportation Gate to notify the capital, so hopefully the Wyvern swarm wouldn't be mistaken for an invasion.
Shortly after noon, I was guided to a private room partitioned by screens inside Maruura at Big Roof Shashato. In the center of the room was a large round table surrounded by chairs. Magistrate Ifuls sat in the chair directly opposite mine. Miyo had arranged this meeting. As expected, since the parade had been delayed, she had secured the appointment immediately. She was a truly capable girl. I had wanted more time to double-check my business etiquette—things like seating order and formal greetings—and table manners, but she had pushed me through, insisting it would work out.
Actually, the tables used in Maruura were usually square, so this round table must have been prepared specifically for this meal. Was this Miyo's handiwork? Once again, I was struck by how impressive she was.
The dinner with Magistrate Ifuls began with an apology. He wished to apologize for the delay in the parade's progress, which had been caused by his own imprudence in accepting the challenge from the dragons. Personally, I didn't think the Magistrate had anything to apologize for; if anything, the problem wouldn't have occurred if Dos and the others hadn't started it. If anything, we were the ones who owed him an apology. Furthermore, I didn't think any apology should be directed at me. However, I couldn't imagine Magistrate Ifuls making a mistake in such matters, so there was likely a reason he was addressing me.
I thought about it and realized that from an outside perspective, I appeared to be the superior of the Civil Official Girls managing the logistics. In reality, their superior was Frau, but an outsider wouldn't know that. If he placed great importance on the delay, it made sense to apologize to the person he perceived as the one in charge. Besides, he had likely already apologized to the Demon King, the capital officials, the girls, and everyone else who deserved one. That was just the kind of man he was.
Once I understood his reasoning, I didn't reject the apology. I accepted it graciously and told him we should focus on making the rest of the parade a success. A look of visible relief spread across his face. Good; it seemed I had handled that correctly.
With the main business concluded, we enjoyed Maruura's curry together. It was a spiced curry with plenty of vegetables—absolutely delicious. I had to remind myself not to get too absorbed in the food and maintain the conversation.
"By the way, were you not afraid of Dos and the others?" I asked.
"No. I met them previously during the search for Count Pugyal, after all."
Oh, that's right.
"Furthermore, I felt an aura from that dragon that suggested he was giving his all for the sake of his grandchild... I found myself eager to respond to that passion in kind."
Dos certainly did dote on his grandchildren, but wait—did that mean Magistrate Ifuls had grandchildren as well? I knew his son, Gilspark, had married the Bakery Girl, but I hadn't heard anything about a child.
"Hahaha, unfortunately, not yet. However, I am making preparations so that I am ready the moment a grandchild might be born."
From there, the Magistrate spent the rest of the meal talking about his desire for grandchildren. Behind him, I could almost see the images of Dos and Raimeiren doting on Hiichiro, Draim and Graffaloon with Lananon and Kukulkan, and Beezel with Fracia. Were grandchildren really that precious? Someday, Alfred, Tiselle, and Urza would also... No, it was too early to be thinking about that.
Once we finished eating, the Magistrate's expression turned serious. Had I made a mistake in my responses?
"Village Head. Actually, there is something I wish to tell you..."
Was it something that could only be said in a private setting? I braced myself, but the topic wasn't as difficult as I'd feared.
"Are you aware that the position of Demon King is not hereditary?"
"Yes, I know." That was why Yuri wouldn't necessarily succeed her father.
"Indeed. Regarding that status, if a new Demon King were to challenge and defeat the current one, the transition is simple. However, if the Demon King were to fall in war, for example, there is a period of vacancy until a new ruler is decided."
"I see."
"During that vacancy, there are those who lead the Demon Kingdom and decide upon the new King. They are called the Selection Council."
"I suppose such a group is necessary."
"Those who belong to the Council are expected to be immune to greed and to solemnly work toward choosing the next leader."
"They sound quite strict."
"Yes, they are. However, that is only when the throne is vacant. At other times, they are merely ordinary nobles... or rather, quite carefree nobles."
Certainly, no one can stay tense when there's no work to be done. But if that was the case, why had he arranged this meeting to tell me?
"The main point is this: those dissatisfied with the current regime have swayed the Head of the Selection Council."
"Swayed them? Even though the Demon King is still alive?" I wondered if they had the power to dismiss him.
"No, the Selection Council cannot dismiss the King. Once a Demon King is decided, he remains in power until he is defeated or steps down. However, the Head of the Selection Council is the current Demon King's maternal grandfather."
Meaning he was a close relative.
"Yes. He is someone even the current Demon King must be mindful of. And I spotted that gentleman in this city a few days ago... three days ago, to be precise."
"Maybe he just came to see the parade?"
"It would be nice if that were the case. At any rate, I thought it best to convey this information to you."
"I understand. Thank you." I assumed he'd already told the Demon King.
"Yes, he is already on his guard. Please be careful as well, Village Head."
And with that, the dinner ended.
But wait—even if the Head of the Selection Council was in town, why did I need to be careful? I'd have to check with Miyo later. Actually, if it was just a piece of information like that, shouldn't Miyo have been the one to tell me? Maybe he just shared it as an aside, or perhaps there was some special significance in the information coming directly from Magistrate Ifuls.
I really wasn't sure. I'd definitely have to ask Miyo.