Winter lingered, and snow still blanketed the ground.
I finished my patrol of the village and returned to the front gates of the mansion. Lu was there to greet me, which was a rare sight. I wondered if something had happened, but as if reading my mind, Lu simply pointed behind me.
Ria and six other High Elves stood there. They certainly hadn't been there a second ago. Ah, the transparency cloaks. They had been tailing me the whole time, and I hadn't noticed them at all.
"Heh. Kuro and Yuki realized you were there, though," Lu said with a chuckle.
Kuro and Yuki, sitting on either side of me, puffed out their chests with pride as if to say it was only natural. They really were adorable.
Wait... were there two more up in the trees?
At Kuro's silent signal, two more High Elves wearing cloaks dropped down from the branches. As expected of Kuro. I made sure to give them both a good scratch behind the ears.
"So, what's the verdict after wearing them?" Lu asked Ria and her team.
"Losing track of our own allies is the biggest issue," Ria reported. "Also, since they don't hide footprints in snow or mud, we have to be very careful about where we step."
That made sense. The cloaks only made the wearer blend into the background; they didn't make them intangible.
"I also feel like the concealment is less effective inside buildings," Ria continued. "Quite a few people managed to spot us."
I wondered if that was a flaw in the cloaks or if the village residents were just that observant. Or perhaps it was a racial intuition.
"That might be it, but they seem to clash with man-made structures. I think it’s best to consider these strictly for outdoor use."
"I see," I replied.
"One more thing regarding the quality—if they were a bit thicker to ward off the cold, we’d appreciate it. Perhaps having summer and winter versions would be ideal."
As Lu listened to Ria’s feedback, she began mulling over potential improvements. Of course, we still had to decide if we were even going to mass-produce these.
"Even if we do make more, we'll keep the numbers limited to village use," Lu decided. "These are far too dangerous to let out into the world."
"Agreed," Ria said. "It would be a nightmare if they fell into the hands of an assassin."
She wasn't wrong. We would have to be extremely strict about their management. The last thing I wanted was for one to vanish. I kept it to myself that the faces of Urza and Tiselle were the first ones that sprang to mind when I thought about people likely to smuggle them out.
Frau’s mother, Silkyne, arrived at the village shortly after. I assumed it was regarding the Meleocarn, the chameleon-like monster. I was happy she could make the trip, though she had arrived much faster than I anticipated. I had only mentioned the matter to Frau last night, and she had relayed it to Beezel this morning. It wasn't even past noon.
Didn't she have a territory to manage?
"I heard from Bee-kun that you were looking for a mate for a Meleo," she said. "I would set everything else aside to come running for news like that."
Well, everyone has their own set of priorities, I suppose. According to Frau and Beezel, Silkyne cherished her Meleocarns so much that even her own husband and daughter were rarely allowed near them.
"They're the lifeblood of my business, after all. Oh, you can just call the creature a 'Meleo.' The full name is a bit of a mouthful, isn't it?"
"It is," I agreed.
"Now then, are we certain the Meleo at your village is a male?"
The monster itself had claimed as much, so I believed it was true.
"Shall we go see him? It'll be faster if you check for yourself."
"I'd appreciate that. Would you mind if my companion joined us?"
Silkyne had arrived via Beezel’s teleportation magic, accompanied by a woman who was currently waiting a short distance away.
"She’s my head caretaker for the Meleo."
I had no reason to refuse, so I gave my permission. Wait—would she be all right after her bath? The caretaker had collapsed the moment she arrived in the village, only to revive instantly through sheer willpower. Claiming she had worked up a "strange sweat" from the ordeal, she had requested a bath and had been soaking until just a few minutes ago. Silkyne assured me she was fine.
We decided to travel to Village Four via the Universal Ship.
For the record, Beezel’s teleportation magic couldn't reach Village Four. The place was equipped with a ward that prevented unauthorized teleportation. It wasn't surprising, given that the castle was originally a royal villa, though apparently, the ward had only started functioning properly quite recently.
While we were in transit on the Universal Ship, I asked about Silkyne’s business. Her primary firm was the Bubble Company, which she managed directly. Under that umbrella, she ran the Aphrodite Cosmetics Shop for the nobility, the Apollo Cosmetics Shop for commoners, and the Athenes Cosmetics Shop, which handled exports.
So the Apollo shop I’d seen advertised on the carriages in Shashato was her commoner-tier line. Thinking about it, advertising to the masses made the most sense.
"That's right," Silkyne explained. "Nobles value the status of owning something exclusive, so they aren't interested in anything that's widely advertised. At the same time, they can't stand being the only ones who don't have something. It’s a delicate balance."
It sounded like a lot of work. I realized then just how much I’d been leaning on Michael to handle those kinds of headaches for me.
Once we reached Village Four, Silkyne and the caretaker went straight to Meleo.
"Look at this rugged frame! This pebbled skin! This prominent head! And the male reproductive organs! He's a male, without a doubt!"
"He really is! He really is!" the caretaker echoed excitedly.
They seemed overjoyed. Now, as for the matter of finding him a partner...
"I would be more than happy to cooperate," Silkyne said.
That was a relief.
"However, there are a few points I’d like to negotiate."
That was to be expected. I assumed we’d be discussing things like the ownership of any offspring.
"That, certainly, but I also want to talk about the sale of products derived from the creature’s secretions."
Ah, right. If the conversation was going to involve business on that scale, I couldn't make the call alone. I wasn't even sure if the village wanted to get into the cosmetics industry yet. I considered leaving it to Lu. Or maybe Frau? She was her daughter, after all.
...Then again, that might actually make things more complicated.
I decided we should head back to the Village of the Great Tree to consult with everyone first. The schedule was hectic, but we made the return trip. The caretaker stayed behind at the castle to inspect the rearing conditions and provide guidance to the local staff. I left Meleo in her capable hands.
Back at the village, the discussion regarding the negotiations quickly moved beyond me. The women took over, and it was decided that Malbit, the Angel Leader, would take the lead. In other words, they were going to play hardball. I kept my mouth shut. I would leave everything to Malbit and only step in to nod for the final confirmation.
The formal negotiations with Silkyne began.
"I'll be upfront with you because I don't want any accusations of deception later," Silkyne said. "I currently have twelve Meleo in my care. Every single one of them is female."
"Pardon?" I blurted out.
"You've heard the stories about them being hunted to the brink of extinction, haven't you? We tried to protect them when we saw what was happening, but we only managed to secure one male. He was already quite old at the time and wasn't fit for breeding."
"I see."
"He passed away from natural causes about thirty years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that," I said. Though, if it was old age, at least he lived a full life.
"This arrangement benefits my side immensely, so I'm willing to make certain concessions," she continued. "However, there is one thing I must ask of you above all else."
"And what's that?"
"Female Meleo maintain small territories. It's within those territories that they lure males for breeding. To make matters more difficult, it takes several years for a female to establish a proper territory."
"Which means...?"
"Your Meleo will need to travel to my facility... to Bee-kun’s territory."
Ah, that made sense. If we could use Beezel’s teleportation, moving him from Village Four to the main village would be simple enough.
"But with a Meleo’s size, even Bee-kun might find teleporting him to be a struggle," Silkyne added.
Right. Well, we had other options. We could use the Universal Ship, have a dragon carry him, or ask Progenitor-san to use his teleportation magic. Getting him there wouldn't be the issue.
"I'd like him to stay for about thirty days, depending on how things go."
Apparently, males aren't always so easily swayed by a female's charms, even in her territory. Furthermore, Silkyne wanted to maximize the chances of successful breeding with as many females as possible.
Ultimately, that decision would rest with the Devil Race girls who cared for him. They had given me their proxy, but they had been adamant about not losing him forever. I wondered if they would be okay with him being away for a full month.
"I'll go check with them immediately," I said.
I had to head back to Village Four anyway to pick up the caretaker. While I was gone, Silkyne and Malbit would hammer out the details of the beauty product contract.
"Is it all right if I'm not here?"
"It’s fine," Malbit said with a bright smile. "Even if you take your time, we won't be finished by the time you get back."
Silkyne looked like she was psyching herself up for a battle of wits, asking Malbit to go easy on her with a serious glint in her eyes.
I glanced over at Beezel, who was still watching from the shadows. If he wanted to cheer her on, he should probably just stand by her side. I asked him if he wanted to come with me to Village Four, but he refused. He was too worried about her to leave.
Now that was true love.