Miel, the Older Sister Cat, was racing through the mansion’s hallway at a full sprint. It was a rare sight—not just to see her running so frantically, but to see her alone. Usually, she was glued to Sougetsu the tiger or one of the other cats.
I quickly discovered the reason for her haste: Fracia was hot on her heels. Fracia had a certain fondness for things that were "robust"—which was a polite way of saying she liked fat animals. It was ironic, considering how slender she was herself. Despite being only eight years old, Fracia’s running form was impeccable. She looked like a professional sprinter.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before she caught her prey. Miel seemed to realize this, and in a moment of panic, she changed course. I thought she was making a feint, but instead, she charged straight at me. She nimbly scrambled up my body and took a stand on top of my head. Apparently, she considered the top of my skull a designated safety zone. From her perch, she hissed menacingly down at her pursuer. She then began to pat the top of my head frantically, urging me to do something about the approaching child.
Fracia stopped in front of me and silently held out both hands, her eyes fixed on the cat.
I reached up, grabbed Miel with both hands, and lowered her into Fracia’s waiting arms. Miel gave me a look of pure, unadulterated betrayal, but I ignored her. For one thing, she had dug her claws into my skin while climbing me, which hurt. For another, being that overweight wasn't good for her health. She could stand to have that "robust" belly of hers kneaded by Fracia for a while.
Fortunately, while Miel wasn't above scratching me, she never laid a claw on the children. She clearly understood who she was and wasn't allowed to retaliate against. Letting out a pathetic, high-pitched wail, Miel resigned herself to being pampered by Fracia.
A heavy snow began to fall, signaling the arrival of a true winter. Despite the change in season, there was no sign of Alfred and the others returning from the Demon Kingdom's Royal Capital. Tiselle was buried in her nation-building work, and Alfred, Urza, and Torain were all helping her, so none of them would be coming home for the holidays.
It was a shame. Since the children were staying, their attendants—Asa, Earth, and Mettora—would be remaining in the capital as well. I sent a message telling them all not to overwork themselves. Furthermore, since Urza wasn't coming back, her friend Isree wouldn't be visiting either. This news deeply disappointed the village gamblers, starting with Dos. Over time, they had grown quite fond of the girl. I could certainly sympathize with their loss.
As for Gol, Sil, and Bron, it seemed they wouldn't be returning either. There were several reasons, but the biggest one was that Gol’s wives, Enderi and Kirisana, were both pregnant. It was a reason I could certainly respect. I hadn't heard that Sil or Bron's wives were expecting, but the two of them decided to stay behind to keep Gol company. Of course, this wasn't a total separation; they could visit or return at any time using the Teleportation Gate. I wasn't particularly worried. I’d seen them several times recently in Village Five anyway.
Gol had grown quite dignified. Sil had lost a bit of weight—perhaps he had been too busy? Bron, on the other hand, had become a bit plumper. I assumed his wife’s cooking was just that delicious. It was a good thing, though I warned him to be careful, lest he become Fracia’s next target.
Thinking about people getting fat reminded me of food. Just past noon, I decided to roast some sweet potatoes. I went with a pot-roasting style, placing lit charcoal at the bottom of a deep vessel and leaning the potatoes against the inner walls. With the snow falling outside, I wanted a way to roast them indoors.
I needed a pot with enough depth to keep the potatoes away from the direct heat of the coals, and a rim wide enough to move them in and out easily. In my mind, I’d pictured something shaped like ancient Jomon earthenware, but I couldn't find anything like that. I did, however, find a large brazier. Its shape was actually perfect for roasting.
Technically, since it was a bowl-shaped brazier, the result wouldn't be "pot-roasted," but "bowl-roasted." I’d wanted to be specific about the name, but ultimately, the goal was to eat potatoes, not to satisfy a linguistic whim. I resolved the conflict in my heart by deciding that, for today, the brazier was a type of pot. Thus, I insisted to myself that I was putting them into a "pot." There was no real need to be so obsessed with the terminology, but once I’d set my mind on pot-roasting, I wanted to see it through.
Since I was using fire indoors, I made sure to stay in a well-ventilated area. Naturally, the aroma of roasting sweet potatoes began to drift through the mansion. I knew exactly what was coming. Just as it had happened at the start of autumn, the residents began to gather, waiting for the food to finish.
I was prepared this time. Before I started my own project, I’d already asked the High Ogre Maids to roast a large batch of potatoes. So, when the children arrived led by the Fairy Queen, I wasn't worried. We wouldn't run out.
To my surprise, the High Ogre Maids hadn't just roasted potatoes; they were steaming pumpkins as well. The children immediately asked if I was going to steam some, too. I suspected those pumpkins were meant for dinner and told the kids they shouldn't pester the maids.
It turned out they had already tried and been turned down because the pumpkins weren't finished yet. They looked quite dejected.
"Alright, alright," I sighed. "I'll steam some pumpkins over here, too. Someone go get a few from the larder."
The large pots were heavy and the knives were sharp, so I went to fetch the ingredients myself. I left the Fairy Queen in charge of the roasting pot. She gave me a wide smile and a sharp nod, promising to tell exactly when they were ready to eat. The sweet potatoes she watched over turned out sweet and delicious—a triumph for the pot-roasting method.
Meanwhile, the training for Lilius, Rigul, and Ratte continued. They were desperate to gain the strength needed to go out into the world. They had worked incredibly hard, but unfortunately, they had lost every single match during the martial arts tournament. Because of that, their mothers—Ria and the other High Elves—maintained that it was still too early for them to leave the village.
Personally, I thought they’d just had bad luck with their bracket. Lilius and his brothers had been pitted against the dwarves who were in a frenzy to win the carbonated water device. Even an amateur like me could see they were overwhelmed by the dwarves’ sheer intensity before the matches even started. There was no winning against that kind of pressure.
However, I’d watched them train day after day. On the other hand, I understood the mothers' perspective that results mattered. Losing a fight in the outside world didn't just mean a bruised ego; it could mean death. I understood their desire for the boys to have more than enough strength to survive.
As a compromise, while I didn't grant them permission to leave the village entirely, I allowed them to go to Village Five for "social studies" under Yoko’s supervision starting this winter. They were now free to travel to Village Five at will. Furthermore, if Yoko permitted it, they could join the Security Team’s combat drills. Of course, they would have escorts within the village, and several High Elves would accompany them to the training sessions as supervisors. I’d strictly forbidden them from leaving the boundaries of Village Five on their own, so I didn't expect any major trouble.
The mothers had been reluctant at first, questioning the logic of letting the boys train "outside" when the whole point was a trial to earn the right to go out. However, Lu and Tia eventually convinced them, arguing that it was better to have them somewhere nearby than to have them suddenly vanish to some unreachable place. This was as much a lesson for the boys as it was a lesson for the mothers in letting go of their children.
If they wanted to stay in the village forever, I’d be happy to have them, but if they wanted to see the world, I wanted to help them do so safely. It was a difficult balance to strike as a parent.
Recently, Yoko had begun dropping hints about wanting the boys to work permanently in Village Five in the future, which made Miyo quite cross.
"I want the children born after Lilius’s group to come to Shashato City," Miyo insisted.
I told her I’d consider it if the children themselves were interested. The next one in line after that group was Hiichiro. If he went, Gural and Raimeiren would almost certainly follow. I wondered if Miyo was truly prepared to handle that particular trio.
Watching Miel continue to flee from Fracia, I couldn't help but mutter, "Is this a game of The Great Escape?"
Miel, currently being handed over to her hunter, gave me one final look. "You’ve got to be kidding me!"