Snow still clung to the shadows of the trees, but spring had officially arrived. Since the Nyunyu-daphne had declared it so, there was no room for doubt. Zabuton and the majority of her children had finally stirred from their slumber as well.
"Good morning."
I couldn't help but smile; it had been a long winter. The village always felt a bit lonely when the spiders were hibernating, but it was about to get lively again.
I immediately set to work in the fields with my Universal Farming Tool. Between Mettora’s upcoming wedding and the reception, I was in a bit of a hurry, though I made sure to remain thorough. As I worked, the dragons attending the festivities began to arrive. Marksbergark, Suiren, Domaim, Kuon, Kuorun, Sekiren... it was the usual crowd. Those willing to help with village chores headed to their assigned spots, while I ushered the rest into a guest room we had converted into a banquet hall.
Urza and the others were scheduled to return to the Village of the Great Tree for the celebration. Unfortunately, Gol, Sil, and Bron were stuck with work and wouldn't be able to make it. They were coordinating their schedules to at least attend the ceremony in the Royal Capital later.
The three Mixed-Generation Dragons stationed in the capital—Ojes, Hyfryguta, and Kihatroy—were also slated for the capital event. I had invited them to the village wedding as well, but they had declined, claiming they were far too busy. I suspected there was someone here they were desperately trying to avoid.
As I pondered who that might be, the days slipped by until the morning of the wedding arrived.
A group of strangers stepped through the teleportation gate—all of them Mixed-Generation Dragons. And there, being led along by them, were Ojes, Hyfryguta, and Kihatroy. The trio looked utterly resigned to their fate. I scanned the group for any of the dragons who had helped us fight the massive flying whale from another dimension, but I didn't recognize a single soul. They were all new faces.
Before I could step forward to greet them, Hakuren appeared.
Every dragon in the group—save for Ojes’s trio—immediately snapped to attention. They looked like high school baseball players standing before a terrifyingly strict coach.
"Sup!"
Even their greeting fit the part.
In the meantime, Ojes and her companions tried to quietly slip away. A few of the other dragons noticed, but they didn't dare say a word with Hakuren standing right there. The three of them came fleeing straight to me.
"I thought you said you weren't coming?" I asked.
They explained that they had been ordered to act as guides since the others weren't accustomed to using the teleportation gate.
"I see. Well, I understand. Everyone has people they find difficult to deal with, even if they don't necessarily hate them."
Urza and the others owed them a great deal, so I decided to do what I could to help. I promised to adjust the seating arrangements for the reception.
"Since we're already here, we'll attend... but can we work behind the scenes?" they asked. "We'd feel much more at ease that way."
"Fair enough. I'll make the arrangements."
"Actually, could we have work to do right now? If we have an official excuse, we can refuse to let them drag us around."
"In that case, go ahead and report to the High Ogre Maids. If you tell them I sent you, they'll put you to work. I’m counting on you."
I realized Mettora and Urza weren't with them. Apparently, Tiselle had been caught up in work, and Urza, Alfred, and Mettora were staying behind to assist her. I felt bad for Mettora, considering it was her own wedding, but I was the one who had entrusted her with the children's care. I made a mental note to apologize to her later.
Hakuren eventually called me over to introduce the newcomers.
First was Mettora’s husband, Gienel. He was a lean man in his thirties with excellent posture and a dignified air. He looked exactly like a veteran knight you might find in some distant kingdom. Even though I wasn't Mettora’s father, I spoke to him as her employer—or at least a close associate. I asked him to take good care of her, and Gienel gave a firm, sincere nod. He seemed genuinely happy about the marriage. That was a relief.
Next, Hakuren introduced four Mixed-Generation Dragon men: Gurubel, Aidon, Zahazaha, and Judoe. They had rushed here out of concern for Gienel after hearing about the wedding. They were clearly a close-knit group. All four of them carried themselves with the same veteran-knight energy.
Then it was my turn to introduce myself.
"When he said he was Hakuren-sama's husband... did you hear a threat?" one whispered to another.
"How rude!" Hakuren snapped. "It's obviously because he fought me and won."
Technically, I had only repelled her because she had attacked the village. We didn't become close until much later.
"Please, stop calling me a 'hero,'" I told the four men. "And don't look at me with such reverence."
It was true that Hakuren hadn't gone on a rampage since moving here, but that wasn't because of anything I had done. She had simply decided to behave herself on her own... although I did remember Raimeiren crying with joy when it happened. So, Hakuren really had been that wild in the past. Apologizing out loud would have put her in a foul mood, so I sent her a silent apology with my eyes instead.
I decided to change the subject.
These four men apparently held territories in various Human Kingdoms and were respected as "Wise Dragons." I had initially thought they were legendary figures, but it turned out their title mostly came from the fact that they were mild-tempered and easy to talk to. Whenever Marksbergark, Suiren, or Helzernark caused trouble in those human lands, these four were the ones who had to explain the situation and mediate the fallout.
Marksbergark the Evil Dragon, Suiren the Magic Dragon, and Helzernark the Violent Dragon—all fairly ominous names. These "Wise Dragons" were essentially the clean-up crew for the troublemakers.
"There's no need to be so humble," I told them. "If you ever have trouble with those three, please let me know. I'll speak to Dos or Raimeiren myself."
They looked worried, asking if they would be scolded for "snitching." I doubted those three would get angry over something like that, but I checked with Hakuren just in case.
"The old Suiren might have been annoyed, but she's fine now," Hakuren assured them. "She's settled down since her marriage. Helze might get grumpy, but she won't do anything to upset the Village Head as long as she's trying to win over Hikaru. She won't be leaving the village anytime soon."
"I see. And what about Mark?"
"He only acts out when he has a good reason. He won't care about a little reporting."
"There you have it," I said. "Feel free to speak up whenever you need to. And thank you for coming to the wedding."
The four men prepared to follow the High Ogre Maids, but they stopped and hung back. It seemed they were waiting for someone else. I wanted to finish the introductions quickly, but then I saw who was left.
They were currently bowing at a perfect, rigid angle before Giral and Guronde. Getting through this quickly was going to be impossible.