I was finally back in the village.
It felt good to be home. It wasn’t as if anything particularly bad had happened in the Royal Capital, but I definitely felt like I’d just finished a major undertaking.
Alfred, Tiselle, Urza, and Torain had stayed behind at the capital since they had classes at the academy, but everyone else had made it back. Their safety was the most important thing. For now, we were planning a banquet tonight to celebrate everyone’s hard work, with the intention of returning to our normal routine tomorrow.
The Angel Race and the Dwarves seemed to have started their own little party a bit early, but I decided to look the other way. They were tucked away in a corner of the square to stay out of the way of the official preparations, so I didn't mind.
While I wasn't part of their early gathering, I spotted Guronde in the square, fussing over Ol, the Orthros. Ol had stayed behind to watch the house while we were away. Initially, we’d planned for him to join us, but there was no way he could have marched with the Dragons due to his size, and he didn't fit in with Kuro’s pack because of the stature difference. We’d considered having him ride on Guronde’s back or in my carriage, but he’d refused both ideas.
He had eventually accepted that he had to stay home, but it seemed he hadn't been happy about it. He was currently acting incredibly clingy toward Guronde, making up for the days they’d spent apart. Yeah, Ol was definitely a member of Guronde’s family now.
That being said, I thought he could afford to be a bit kinder to Giral. When Guronde and the others returned, Ol had specifically dodged Giral, who was leading the group, just to rush straight to Guronde. Giral had even been poised to welcome him with open arms. Thinking about their future relationship, I really thought Ol should try to show him a little more affection.
The reason this was on my mind was that Giral was currently standing right in front of me, staring forlornly at Guronde and Ol. I didn't quite know what to do. I was currently surrounded by Kuro’s children—the ones who had also stayed behind—so it was hard for me to call out to him.
Thankfully, Dos noticed the situation and came over to invite Giral elsewhere. That was a relief. After watching Dos lead Giral away, I went back to playing ball with Kuro’s children. Since I’d made them stay behind to guard the village, this was the least I could do for them. At least until the banquet started tonight.
I’d gotten used to throwing the ball, so that wasn't an issue. The real struggle was trying to pet and praise every single one of them when they brought the ball back. The wolves who had stayed behind were mostly mid-to-lower rank members of the pack. They usually didn't get many chances to interact with me directly, so they were absolutely bursting with energy. They were so excited it was actually a little frightening.
Still, it just went to show how lonely they must have been. While I wanted to treat every wolf in the pack equally, I knew better than to disrupt Kuro’s established hierarchy. It was a tricky balance. Maybe creating specific roles for them to earn direct attention, like I had this time, was the best way forward.
Oops, my hand had stopped moving because I was lost in thought.
"Sorry about that. Let’s think later and focus on the wolves now. Here comes the next one!"
By the time I finished, the fatigue in my shoulders was incredible. I’d thought I was used to it, but I guess not. If I’d used the Universal Farming Tool as a ball, I probably wouldn't have gotten tired, but then it would have just snapped back to my hand before they could catch it. Besides, the tool couldn't actually turn into a ball. Could it? No, that seemed unlikely. A ball isn't a farming tool.
A spear? Well, if it’s a tool used to protect the fields, then maybe... but let's not go there.
The banquet began that evening. It wasn't a raucous affair, just a lively gathering to celebrate a job well done. We’d already finished our official debriefing about the Outside Parade before returning to the village. Now, the main event was sharing stories of the trip with those who had stayed behind.
Regarding the incident where Zabuton's Children had emerged from their costumes, I personally reported the details to Zabuton and secured her forgiveness. It had been an emergency, after all. Still, we wouldn't let ourselves get complacent and would be more careful in the future.
Also, I made sure to enshrine the whale bone Aegis had found during the parade at the Village Five Shrine. I figured if I put it off, I’d end up forgetting. It hadn't felt strange since the moment I picked it up, but I wanted to take precautions just in case. I’d have to go check on it soon.
The banquet wasn't quite like our usual ones; the staff had put a lot of thought into the presentation. The dishes lined up on the long table in the center of the venue were arranged to mimic the parade.
A salad with prominent cucumber slices represented the Beastman Race group. Eggplant dishes stood in for the High Elves. Kuro’s pack was represented by Daikon dishes. You needed a little imagination, but it was clear enough. The Dragons were rendered in intricate Candy Craft, so no imagination was required there. However, they must have run out of time or sugar, because only Dos, Giral, and Hiichiro were represented. Ah, wait—I saw some High Ogre Maids working on a Raimeiren sculpture over there, so they probably just hadn't finished yet.
Steamed potatoes were used for Zabuton's Children, and the carriages the children and I had ridden were made from pumpkin. The scale was a bit inconsistent due to the natural sizes of the vegetables, but it didn't take away from the atmosphere. It really captured the feeling of the parade.
Still, I noticed that while there were plenty of other dishes, no one was touching the food on the long table. Was it just for display? I felt like food was meant to be eaten, regardless of how artistic it was. After checking with the High Ogre Maids, I reached for the pumpkin dish that was supposed to be me. Apparently, everyone had just been waiting for me to take the first bite.
Once I did, the food on the long table began to disappear. The Angel Race, Mountain Elves, Dwarves, and the groups from Village One through Village Five were all represented. The fruit-based displays for Village Three and Village Four were incredibly popular and vanished in an instant. Meanwhile, the broccoli-heavy display for Village One was... struggling. I liked broccoli, personally.
"Fairy Queen, I don't mind you eating the Candy Craft, but please don't shatter the sculptures right in front of the people they’re modeled after," I chided. "It makes things awkward."
I didn't think giving the broken pieces to the children really solved the problem, either. And handing the Candy Craft Giral’s head to Gral was just cruel; the poor girl didn't know how to react. The Queen really needed to think these things through.
Then there was Raimeiren. She was currently hovering over the Candy Craft Hiichiro.
"Raimeiren, you shouldn't hog the Hiichiro sculpture."
"I'm not doing anything," she insisted.
"You're literally casting a magical barrier around it. I can see it."
No wonder the Fairy Queen and the children couldn't get anywhere near it.
The Dwarves were represented by palm-sized sake barrels. I wondered if there was actually anything inside them.
"There isn't," one of the Dwarves told me. Apparently, they’d argued over which sake to fill them with and ended up drinking all the options before anything could be bottled. Typical. They were just decorations now.
Speaking of decorations, there were three Ice Sculptures of birds set slightly apart from the main table: the White Swan, the Black Swan, and the Phoenix Chick Aegis. At first, I thought they were Candy Craft like the dragons, but they were definitely ice. Even though the two swans were both made of clear ice, the sculptor had used different levels of coarseness to make it obvious which was which. It was impressive work.
I asked around and found out they’d been made by the Mountain Elves who had gone to the academy with Torain. They’d carved them before leaving for the Outside Parade and had kept them preserved with magic until today. I made a mental note to send them a letter with my thanks.
"Wait, there’s more?" I asked.
Apparently, Aegis was the highlight. I’d thought the Ice Sculpture Aegis looked a little plain, but then it suddenly burst into flames. The Mountain Elves had coated the surface with a flammable chemical. It was a clever trick, and the automatic ignition was exactly the kind of thing they loved to do.
However, I quickly realized a flaw.
"Wait, won't the fire melt the ice?"
It did. Immediately. And because it was a chemical fire, the flames didn't go out even as the ice turned to water.
"Firefighting detail, over here!"
I decided right then that when I sent that letter to the Mountain Elves, I’d be sure to include a formal complaint. As I watched the chaos, I felt a familiar sense of relief. I was definitely back home.
Angel Race: "We are dissatisfied with being represented by green peppers."
High Ogre: "There was no ulterior motive."
Angel Race: "Candy Craft would have been fine! It should have been Candy Craft!"