I consulted everyone in the village about Alfred.
The consensus was that the situation would be resolved if we simply sent in Hakuren to put on a display of the village's power.
...
Well, I certainly came to understand the struggles of fathers and mothers everywhere. I also learned the value of experienced grandparents. Having someone you can talk to really is vital.
Yes.
Oh, and Ria—just because I don't seem like I'm going to send Hakuren doesn't mean I'm sending you all instead. Stop preparing.
The Angel Race too. Don't start warming up just because you haven't had a good rampage in a while. Kudel, put those horns away and keep them safe.
Yor? Neither Daedalus nor Siegfried will be making an appearance. For one, Siegfried doesn't even move. And how do you plan to transport Daedalus? I'm not letting you take the Universal Ship. It's too far. Go back to being a gatekeeper.
To reiterate: I have no intention of sending Hakuren. Honestly, what do you people think she is?
Still, I’ve realized that my common sense and the world's common sense aren't exactly aligned. Is "showing off power" really considered a valid solution? Lu seemed to have some reservations. She pointed out that even if it was for our son's sake, she has too many acquaintances over there to go raising the signal fire for a total war.
Fair point.
...Wait, showing off our power would lead to a total war? That’s definitely no good!
And yet, the reasoning was precisely that we should use Hakuren to establish the hierarchy with a single opening move? They insisted the first strike was everything.
I wondered if I had been tainted by this world, because for a moment, it didn't sound like such a bad idea. No, no, absolutely not. If we did that, Hakuren's reputation would go down the drain.
At the same time, I thought: what if it wasn't just Hakuren? What if Dos or Giral went along too?
Wait, I wasn't trying to conquer human nations or exterminate mankind. I only brought it up because they said the first strike was important...
Do Dos and Giral really go that far when they cut loose? I usually only picture them arm-wrestling. Ah, but they did go pretty wild at the martial arts tournament. I suppose so.
Raimeiren, stop trying to volunteer Dos. Guronde, Orthros Ol—you don't need to volunteer Giral either. Giral looks distressed. I appreciate the sentiment, but I was joking.
Anyway, thank you for the advice.
Alfred hadn't stopped going over there entirely; he was just coming home much more frequently. I spent a few days worrying about the situation until Alfred returned again. This time, he said he’d only come to pick up some seasonings and would be leaving immediately.
I decided to take the opportunity to consult Progenitor-san, who handles Alfred’s transport, about the boy’s circumstances.
"Ah, well... my apologies," he said.
"No, no, I'm not asking for an apology..."
"Well, I had noticed he was finding it harder to spend time over there, but I didn't think of it as a problem."
Progenitor-san explained why he hadn't seen it as an issue.
"First, the root of the matter started when I tried to provide Alfred-kun with a social status so he could live in those lands."
I’d heard about that. They needed to give him some kind of standing, otherwise even renting a house would be a nightmare.
"I left his room and board to Fouche, so there was no need to rent a house. However, standing is required for everything one does. Initially, I intended to pass him off as my great-grandson, but that only carries weight with the upper management of the Church."
Progenitor-san was the Sovereign of the Korin Religion, but he didn't handle the public-facing duties anymore. His work was mostly behind the scenes. Therefore, claiming Alfred was his great-grandson didn't offer a direct guarantee of status. Specifically, every time Alfred gave his name, the local authorities would have to send an inquiry to the Korin Religion Headquarters. It would take several days for that message to reach Progenitor-san as a dignitary.
That would certainly be a hassle.
"Next, I thought of making him Fouche's son, but Fouche's family situation is common knowledge, so I couldn't claim he was her direct offspring."
Fouche was a high-ranking official in the Church, and her background was apparently quite famous. They couldn't suddenly claim she had a son. If they did, her political enemies would have a field day.
"So, I tried to prepare a position for him as the child of some unremarkable noble... but..."
Alfred had refused. He insisted that being my son was enough.
...My eyes started sweating.
"But that creates a problem. Nobody would believe him if he claimed to be the son of a Village Head from some village in the middle of the Forest of Death. It’s the same in Village Five. Since no one can confirm exactly where or who that is within the Demon Kingdom, the title is meaningless."
I see.
"But his desire to remain the 'Village Head's son' couldn't be ignored. Thus, I decided to have the kings of the Related Kingdoms guarantee his status."
"The kings?"
"Essentially, a guarantee from the highest authority in the land. If a king recognizes Alfred-kun as the son of the Village Head of a village in the heart of the Forest of Death, then at the very least, no one in that country can breathe a word against him."
Certainly. A royal guarantee was powerful indeed.
"However, the location of the Korin Religion Headquarters is a bit complex, as it involves three separate nations. If I only asked one king for a guarantee, the other two would get suspicious, so I had the kings of all three nations provide the guarantee."
"I... I see. Thank you for going to all that trouble."
"Not at all. I thought we were finally in the clear, but then people started getting jealous of Alfred-kun for having his status guaranteed by three nations."
"Jealous? Are they dangerous?"
"It was the princes of those three kingdoms. They’re a bit older or younger than Alfred-kun..."
Why would they be jealous? It was just a status guarantee, not a proclamation of his excellence, right?
"I thought it was strange too, but according to my subordinates, it’s only natural. Someone whose status is personally guaranteed by three kings at the request of the Church’s upper management? People are going to treat him like a Very Important Person. When a boy their own age receives that kind of treatment, it’s bound to rub the princes the wrong way. They mocked him for wanting to be 'just a Village Head,' but they’re just immature."
That was true. Alfred was still immature too.
"In the midst of this, a party was held to introduce Alfred-kun. During a conversation with one of the kings, he apparently declared that his ambition was to become a Village Head."
Oh, Alfred...
"When the princes heard that, they burst out laughing. They said aiming to be a Village Head showed a pathetic lack of ambition. Naturally, Fouche choked them. Tightly. Physically."
"Wait, what?"
I never pictured Fouche as someone who would resort to violence so easily.
"Fouche feels a deep debt to Lu. If Lu's son is mocked, she doesn't take it lightly. Apparently, she told the kings that if they intended to shield their sons, they should be prepared to abdicate. My subordinates, Fouche's subordinates, and even her own son had to step in and stop her before anything disastrous happened. The princes did eventually apologize to him properly."
"I... I see."
"After that commotion, Alfred-kun’s importance skyrocketed even further. The kings and their retainers began pushing their daughters and sisters toward him to establish a connection. If he were the type of boy who enjoyed that, it would have been fine, but he isn't. Between the clashes with the princes and the relentless tea parties with strangers, he’s found it harder to go back. I didn't think of it as a problem before; I just thought he was being modest. My apologies."
I understood now. From their perspective, it probably looked like Alfred was just being reserved.
But was Fouche okay? She’d choked royalty.
"She's fine. The Church ranks higher than the royal houses."
"It does?"
"It does. Well, that doesn't mean they can do whatever they want, but the Church guides the three royal families and their kingdoms."
"Guides them?" I asked. "But aren't you the highest authority there?"
"It happened while I was asleep. It wasn't my doing."
Right. That sounded like him.
"Let's save the talk of Fouche and the Church for another time. We should focus on Alfred-kun."
"Yes, you're right."
"In addition to what I said, I feel like Alfred-kun is carrying the burden of being your son too heavily over there. He’s afraid his actions might tarnish your reputation. If you’re that tense in an unfamiliar place, you can’t exactly spread your wings, can you? I believe that’s the real reason he’s hesitant."
He was probably right.
"With that in mind... there's something I’ve wanted you to say to him for a while."
"Me? What should I say?"
"Oh, nothing too difficult. It might not solve everything, but I think it will help him move forward."
The next day at noon, in front of the mansion.
I stood before Alfred as we prepared to see him off.
"Alfred. There's something I need to tell you before you go."
"What is it, Father?"
"I heard about how you've been doing from Progenitor-san. It sounds like you're suppressing your true self."
"No, that's..."
"Alfred! You can't suppress who you are. If you do that, there's no meaning in you going there at all."
"But..."
"It doesn't matter if you cause a little trouble! What matters is that you act like yourself!"
"...Is that really alright?"
"It's more than alright!"
"Truly?"
"I said it's fine!"
"Oh...!"
Alfred’s appearance shifted, growing older. He looked like a university student—no, perhaps a high schooler.
"This form! Is this form acceptable? Even if you told me to be myself, is it alright to wear this false appearance?"
"I don't see why not. Being yourself isn't about how you look. It's about your heart!"
"Then... is it alright if I laugh loudly in this form?"
"As long as you mind your surroundings. Don't go laughing like a maniac everywhere; you'll scare people."
"And can I strike poses?"
"Again, mind your surroundings. Don't suddenly jump into a pose that takes up half the room. You'll startle people. Just use your best judgment."
"Can I say what's on my mind?"
"Say it."
"Even if pointing it out would be a breach of etiquette?"
"I don't care. But if you have to correct someone, do it discreetly afterward. If you shame them in public, they'll hold a grudge."
"Can I punch someone who makes me angry?"
"Let's try to avoid violence. Talk first. Discussions are important. Rude people are unlikely to admit they were wrong just because they got hit; they'll just resent you for it."
"I see. So if I do punch them, I should make sure to finish them off."
"Well, technically... no, the point is not to punch them at all! However, if your life is in danger, don't hold back. Knock them senseless with everything you've got. According to Lu, the first strike is what matters."
"Father... you have my gratitude. I, Alfred, shall not set foot on this soil again until my studies are complete!"
"Wait, that’s a bit too lonely. Try to come back at least once every six months. Or a year. Look, Lu is nodding like crazy. Come home once in a while."
"But Urza and Tiselle haven't returned. For only me to..."
"Alfred is Alfred. Don't worry about that."
"I understand! Then I shall return periodically!"
"Do your best. No, wait—don't do your best. Just be yourself."
Alfred gave a powerful nod and vanished through Progenitor-san's teleportation magic.
I wonder if that was okay?
Progenitor-san had asked me to tell him not to hold back, so that was the result of my encouragement... but now that he’s gone, I’m starting to feel incredibly anxious.
No, no. I have to believe in my son. It’ll be fine.
The next day, Alfred returned via teleportation magic.
"Wait, what? What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"I've decided to open a restaurant over there! Please sell me the ingredients!"
"Uh, if this is an official business transaction, you'll need to talk to the Civil Official Girls. But I'll give you a family discount. Do you have enough help? You can't run a restaurant with just cooks."
"It's fine! I've already secured subordinates!"
...I wonder who exactly he made his subordinates? It’s not those princes, is it?
I was a little too afraid to ask.
But I was glad to see him looking so full of life.
Village Head: "I feel bad asking Progenitor-san to shuttle Alfred back and forth every time."
Lu: "Should we just set up a teleportation gate?"
Progenitor-san: "I’d really rather you didn't... If people find out it exists, it’ll be chaos."
Alfred: "Fuhahahaha!"
Fouche: "So you're sticking with that persona?"
Alfred: "Exactly!"
Fouche: "What about the 'honor student' act you were putting on?"
Alfred: "A mere false appearance! Now that I have my father's permission, I'm going at full power!"
Fouche: "...I see. Then allow me to join you."
Fouche's Son: "M-Mom is striking a weird pose!"