My name was Langhor, and I was a demon.
In the village where I was born, I was a third son. Since third sons were never permitted to marry, I spent my youth being used by my older brothers however they saw fit. Eventually, I grew tired of it and left. I drifted through several different villages before finally migrating to Village Five during its earliest days.
At first, I was riddled with anxiety. I wondered if they would even accept me, or if I would be able to work properly even if they did. I lived in fear of whether I would have a place to sleep or if I would simply be used until I broke. As it turned out, all of those concerns were entirely foolish. Reality exceeded my expectations in every way.
Several years passed since I became a resident of Village Five. I eventually bought a large house in the foothills of the village. It was a spacious place, large enough for three families of four to live in comfort. It even came with a massive garden. Between fulfilling my lifelong dream of getting married and a stroke of incredible luck with a high payout from the White Swan Races, I suppose I let it all go to my head. Managing such a huge property was a monumental task, but I had no regrets. I had always yearned for a large house.
I figured the family would grow soon enough anyway, and the place would start to feel cramped before I knew it. My suspicions were correct; we recently discovered that my wife was pregnant. Nothing in the world could have made me happier.
However, a problem arose. Managing a house of that size was far too much for a woman in her condition. I wanted to do my best to take up the slack, but my work kept me away during the day. By the time I returned at night, I could barely keep up with the basic cleaning. My coworkers and neighbors offered to help, but their kindness only extended to the essentials of daily life. I couldn’t very well ask them to clean a vast garden or rooms we weren't even using, nor would it have been right to do so.
Things were manageable for the time being, but I knew it would become painful for my wife once her belly grew larger. After discussing it with her, I decided to hire some help. We had the money for it. And no, I don't mean the winnings from the races—that money had already been sunk into the house. I had the funds because I worked as a carpenter.
There was a chronic shortage of carpenters in Village Five, meaning there was never a lack of work. On top of that, I had gained a reputation as a fairly skilled craftsman, which provided me with a respectable income. I could easily afford to hire someone competent.
Just as I was about to start the hiring process in earnest, I remembered my younger sister back in my old village. Her name was Lucidel. She was an exceptionally bright girl who could master almost any task after seeing it done once. I wondered if I should call for her instead. It didn't seem like a bad idea at all. In fact, it was perfect.
I had already decided that a woman would be the best choice for the job. It wasn't out of some lecherous intent; I was entirely devoted to my wife. I simply thought it would be better for her comfort. A woman would be a more suitable companion for her to talk to, especially regarding the upcoming birth. While my sister might not have had direct experience with childbirth, she would at least be someone my wife could talk to.
The only remaining question was how the two of them would get along. My wife told me she couldn't judge until they actually met, so I decided not to overthink it. Some relationships worked out, and some didn't. That was just the way of the world.
For the time being, I sent a letter explaining the situation and asking if she had any interest in coming. It was important to confirm. My sister had her own life, after all. She might have been entrusted with an important job, or perhaps she had run away to become an adventurer. I assumed she was still living at home with our parents, but there was always the chance she had married into another family. If that was the case, I would simply give up on the idea and hire someone locally.
My wife was the one who actually wrote the letter. My own literacy wasn't quite at the level where I could compose a formal message. I used to find time to study whenever I could, but between my work and managing the house, I had been slacking off lately. My sister, on the other hand, was quite literate. She had spent a great deal of her childhood at the home of an old woman in our village who knew how to read and write. It was a rare skill to have back home; usually, only the village head had any need for it.
A few months passed after I sent the letter. My wife's pregnancy was beginning to show, and I was starting to worry that I needed to hire someone immediately, yet no reply had come. Given my sister’s personality, I knew she would have at least sent a response even if she couldn't make it. I began to fear that the letter hadn't arrived, or that she was no longer in the village. I even wondered if she was so destitute she couldn't afford the postage for a reply, though that seemed unlikely.
I was still mulling over what to do when she suddenly appeared at our door.
"Big brother! I'm here to work!"
My sister was standing under the eaves of the entrance, dressed in traveling clothes. I was stunned. It had been nearly ten years since I last saw her.
"What's with that look? It's been a decade, but I haven't changed that much, have I? Well, my chest got a bit bigger, I suppose."
"No, that's not it," I stammered. "Who is the person behind you?"
A timid-looking man in traveling clothes stood behind her. He offered a polite smile, but he wasn't a face I recognized from my old village. He didn't seem to be an escort, as he carried no weapons—just a great deal more luggage than my sister.
"Oh, him? This is Horlan. He’s my husband."
I was speechless. "You were married?"
"We wanted to be, but both sets of parents were against it. So, when we read your letter, we decided to run away together."
I stared at them in silence for a long moment.
"Do you remember the workshop with the blue roof in the neighboring village?" my sister asked.
I did. It belonged to a man named Igarsock who had helped me out many times in the past.
"Horlan is his fifth son."
A fifth son. That explained why the marriage was opposed. The customs in the neighboring village were the same as my own. Anyone from the third son downward was forbidden from marrying. The logic was simple: assets were kept whole and passed to the eldest son to maintain the family’s status. The eldest son was the only one expected to marry and carry on the line. The second son might be allowed to marry as a "spare," but anyone born after him was out of luck. It was a matter of survival; they simply couldn't afford to feed more children.
And yet, extra hands were always useful. So families kept having children, knowing full well the younger ones would never have families of their own. Unless a fifth son possessed some incredible, life-changing skill, he was nothing more than manual labor.
"That's why we came here with Horlan," she continued. "Once you leave the village, you're free to marry whoever you want. We're going to the church tomorrow to report it."
"I see," I said. "Well, that is certainly something to celebrate. I'll have to prepare a feast."
"Horlan's going to be living here too, so I hope you two get along."
I looked at the man again. If he was my sister’s husband, that made him my brother-in-law. I didn't think my sister would be foolish enough to tie herself to a bad man, and he didn't look like the type to cause trouble.
"Understood," I said, stepping aside. "Come in. I’ll introduce you to my wife and show you around. Don't be too surprised by the size of the place."
"The letter said we'd get a room, right?"
"Yeah, I was planning on giving you one. But since there are two of you, I'll give you a more secluded one. The sunlight isn't great, but it's big."
"How big? As big as this entrance hall?"
I laughed. "If it were that big, it would be larger than the room I share with my wife. It's about half the size of this hall."
"Half?" she whispered, her eyes wide. "Really? We get a room half the size of this whole entrance?"
"I told you in the letter, didn't I? I bought this place and realized I was in over my head because it was too big."
"Big brother... I love you!" she cried.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I already have a wife," I joked.
"Haha! Well, I have a husband too!"
I had intended to use this opportunity to introduce the various facilities and people of Village Five from a resident's perspective, but it seems I've spent the entire time talking about my own family. My apologies. Regardless, this is how we established ourselves here.