I was staying in Village Five. This was the result of some self-reflection regarding the incident with the Third Princess of the Gozuran Kingdom. Even though she had requested an audience specifically to hand me a letter from Tiselle, I had kept her waiting for a considerable amount of time.
There were certainly excuses—she hadn't introduced herself as royalty, and she hadn't mentioned Tiselle’s name at first—but the fact that I rarely visited Village Five was a major factor as well. Yoko insisted I didn't need to worry about it, but I decided I should show my face here on a more regular basis.
However, as of right now, no one had actually requested to see me. There were plenty of people who wanted to get close to me just to secure some kind of personal profit, but Yoko’s secretaries filtered those out before they ever reached me. When it came to actual business or even just making a name for oneself, people focused their efforts on Yoko, who was working tirelessly in the village, rather than on me, since I so rarely appeared.
It was only natural, really. Even if someone came to the Village Council Hall specifically to see Yoko, some might think to offer me a greeting if they happened to spot me, but it wouldn't end with just a simple hello. We would inevitably end up talking, and that was where the trouble started.
All practical matters were already being handled by Yoko. If a merchant or official brought a business matter to me, they had to consider the risk that I might accidentally overturn an agreement they had already settled with Yoko, or a project they were moving forward with under her permission. No matter how you looked at it, I was Yoko’s superior and the ultimate representative of Village Five. My decisions took precedence over hers.
In other words, if I said something careless—or if someone manipulated me into saying something I shouldn't—it would cause massive headaches for everyone involved. It was dangerous and a hassle. Most people realized that the smartest move was simply to tell Yoko or her secretaries, "Please give my regards to the Village Head," and leave it at that. Yoko must have understood this perfectly, which was likely why she told me not to worry about being absent.
Still, it wasn't a waste of time. I was able to see how Lilius and the others were doing, and I had more opportunities to talk with Gol, Sil, and Bron when they came to the village for work.
The only downside was that whenever I moved to Village Five, I was accompanied by Galf, Daga, Reginleiv, and one representative each from the High Elves, the Angels, the beastmen, and the Civil Official Girls to serve as my maids. It felt a bit awkward to have them all waiting on me while I just wandered around aimlessly or sat in my room staring at the walls. I suspected I’d be heading back to my usual routine before long.
On the bright side, staying in Village Five allowed me to speak more frequently with the Mercury Race staff—Futa, Hii, Roku, and Nana—with whom I usually had little contact. They often joined me for lunch, which I appreciated. Futa and Roku would discuss administrative matters, Hii would talk about defense, and Nana would fill me in on intelligence. Since I already received reports from Yoko, these talks served as a helpful way to confirm the details.
Of course, we didn't just talk about work. We engaged in plenty of idle gossip, too.
"Do you know what Futa’s private room looks like? She’s been straying down some very strange paths lately trying to find herself," Nana informed me one afternoon.
Apparently, Futa was desperately worried that she lacked a distinct personality. I didn't think that was true—she already had the "fortune-telling mage" persona going for her.
"Nobody has ever actually asked me for a fortune, though..." Futa sighed.
Ah, right. I suppose that was an issue.
"And with Lu-sama and Tia-sama around, I can’t exactly hold my head high as a mage. Then there's the Death Mage, too."
I could see her point. That was quite the lineup to compete with.
"Actually, there was a time when I thought about creating a unique identity through my speech patterns," she admitted.
"Is that so? Like what?"
"I tried portraying a relaxed, composed older sister figure... or tried to sound seductive by making the endings of my sentences sound languid."
Apparently, there was a phase where she ended every sentence with cutesy chirps or dragged-out vowels. I asked her if she had found anything that worked.
"They were all universally hated," she said gloomily.
"I see."
"I even consulted with Zabuton-san and the others to try and create a signature look with my clothes, but..."
Hii and Roku both winced at that.
"I have to wonder about throwing away one's sense of primary shame just for the sake of a 'personality,'" Hii muttered.
"It was a bit traumatizing to think that the person wearing those things was one of our own kind," Roku added.
The feedback seemed to have been disastrous across the board, so she only wore those experimental outfits in private now. I was curious to see them, but I figured asking would only lead to trouble, so I kept my mouth shut.
For the record, we were eating at Yoko’s mansion. We had tried eating at the Village Council Hall’s dining hall at first, but it made the other staff too nervous to use the room, so we moved our lunches here. Even Yoko usually ate in her private room or office rather than the public cafeteria.
"By the way, Nana," I said, changing the subject. "How is the Third Princess of the Gozuran Kingdom doing? Is she settling in alright?"
"She’s doing fine. She seems to be quite enjoying her time in Village Five."
"Any complaints?"
"Only that she’s bored. She wants to work, but since she’s still so young, we can only give her minor chores."
"I see. What about her companions? They were always by her side in the palace. They must be used to a life of luxury. Are they satisfied with the living standards here?"
"I don't think you need to worry about that. The princess herself has publicly stated that life in Village Five is superior to life in the Gozuran Royal Castle."
"Is that right?"
"I've spoken to several of her attendants as well, and they all said more or less the same thing."
I supposed that made sense. The Gozuran Kingdom had been constantly teetering on the edge of war. Their national budget had likely been swallowed up by military expenditures. If they were happy here, then there was no issue.
"Though, there is one thing," Nana added. She glanced at Roku, who took over the explanation.
"It seems the majority of the princess’s companions served as civil officials back in the Gozuran Kingdom."
"Well, isn't that good news? Yoko and Miyo should be thrilled to have more help."
"Unfortunately, it isn't that simple," Roku replied. "The economic scale between the Gozuran Kingdom and Village Five is just too vastly different. They can't handle the work here. To turn them into an effective workforce, they’d need to work as low-level assistants in the field for several years just to get up to speed."
"Even so, wouldn't it be worth hiring them with an eye toward the future? They’re surely better than complete amateurs."
"The problem is that low-level assistants don't earn much of a wage..."
Ah, I see. That was the rub. You couldn't pay a full salary to someone who couldn't actually do the job yet. If you did, the morale of the veteran staff who were doing the heavy lifting would plummet.
"Exactly. To help those who want to become officials but can't afford to live on an entry-level wage, we’ve come up with a proposal to provide 'Support Funds' for civil official candidates. Naturally, it would come with the condition that they have to work for Village Five for a certain number of years after their training is complete."
"That sounds like a great idea. I’m sure Yoko will approve it. If that allows us to hire the princess’s companions, then everyone wins."
Hearing that, Hii raised his hand. "I’d like to request support funds for military officer candidates as well. There are many motivated people who give up on a military career because they can't support their families during the training period. I also think we should establish a formal military academy."
"An academy? Isn't the Security Team enough? They seem to be trained quite thoroughly."
"The Security Team is excellent at combat and command, but when it comes to paperwork, they’re worse than the lowest-ranking desk clerks," Hii explained.
"Ah... I suppose that would be a problem."
"There are some who can handle it, of course, but the burden ends up falling entirely on their shoulders. It isn't a sustainable system."
"Understood. I'll consult with Yoko about teaching administrative skills at a training facility."
"Thank you, Village Head."
Lunch finished, and the tea was served.
"Also, on a more personal note..." Nana spoke up softly. "Please give Miyo in Shashato City more opportunities to talk like this, too."
I tried to speak with Miyo whenever she visited the Village of the Great Tree, but I nodded. "I understand. I'll make sure to spend some time with her next time I'm in Shashato."
"She’ll be happy to hear that."
There were certainly things I wanted to ask her about, like how the Kissinlee couple was doing. Oh, and I wondered about the Kingdom Warrior we had sent to Village Four. We had gone through a lot of trouble to win her at the auction; I just hoped she’d be up and running smoothly soon.
Dining Hall Staff: "It’s a nightmare whenever Yoko-sama eats in the hall... literally everyone tries to order the exact same thing she’s having, and the kitchen can't keep up."
Staff Member A: "Futa-san was using a bizarre courtesan dialect today."
Staff Member B: "Really? Yesterday she was using the royal 'We.'"
Staff Member C: "I wonder what she'll try tomorrow. This is becoming the highlight of my day."
Nana: "She’s actually starting to gain a weird cult following..."
Futa (wearing an eccentric outfit): "Well? What do you think?"
Yor: "Absolutely not. Where on earth did you leave your sense of shame!?"
Bell: "...Actually, it’s not half bad."
Yor: "Bell?! Are you serious?!"