Character Introductions:
Bell: The representative of the Mercury Race. She dresses in a style reminiscent of a shrine maiden.
Gou: A member of the Mercury Race in charge of operations for Village Four (the Sun Castle). He has the appearance of a middle-aged butler.
Kuzuden: A member of the Devil Race and the Acting Village Head of Village Four.
I traveled to Village Four.
There, I saw it.
A Giant Wheel.
It was a human-sized version of the kind of exercise wheel a hamster runs in.
Inside that Giant Wheel, I could see the Kingdom Warrior running.
...
"Wait, is she actually able to move now?"
I turned to Bell, who had been accompanying me since my arrival at Village Four, and asked for clarification.
"We haven't performed the consciousness transfer from the Crystal Pillar yet. It appears she was in a state of dormancy for emergency evacuation, so she is currently undergoing treatment."
"Then who’s the one moving right now?"
"That would be Gou. He's operating it via remote control. We managed to repair the body to a certain extent, so he’s currently performing a functional check."
"I see."
So, the Kingdom Warrior wasn't exactly imitating a hamster; the wheel was acting as a treadmill.
"Yes. They are currently verifying the movement of the leg joints."
"That makes sense."
Hmm?
As I looked closer, I noticed the Kingdom Warrior only had two arms.
Didn't she have four before?
"Four arms are mechanically complex and offer very few benefits, so we modified her to have two instead."
"Is it really all right to do that?"
"Adding limbs might be a problem, but there are no issues with reducing them."
"If you say so."
"Indeed. Furthermore, since the Kingdom Warrior's original gender was female, we are currently adjusting the body to a female type."
So it seemed.
I hadn't mentioned it, but the Kingdom Warrior's body now possessed a noticeably large chest.
...
"Won't that get in the way of her fighting as a warrior?"
"It was her own request."
"Is she able to talk already?"
"Only for a few brief conversations a day."
"I see. I'm glad to hear she's recovering."
Also, if she had requested to have a larger chest, did that mean the body I was looking at wasn't the original one belonging to the warrior inside the pillar?
"No, it is her own body."
"Eh? But the chest size..."
"The very first thing she said after grasping the situation was that if we were going to repair her, she wanted her chest to be larger."
"Ah... well, I suppose that’s an important matter for a woman."
"In an Advanced Commander Type, facial features and physique are emphasized, but in a general-purpose Squad Leader Type, they are intentionally made to be inconspicuous. If you find it unacceptable, Village Head, we can stop the modifications at their current state."
"Is she asking for anything else?"
"Yes, she has been quite specific about the details of her figure."
"I thought she could only manage a few brief conversations a day?"
"She uses those precious opportunities solely to convey her demands regarding her physique."
"She sounds like quite a handful."
"She is. However, that obsession seems to be aiding her recovery in some ways, so we cannot simply dismiss her..."
"That's true. Hope is an important thing. Just listen to her requests within reason, Bell."
"Understood. I will keep a record of her demands and her subsequent performance."
"I'm counting on you. Oh, but don't feel like you have to force yourself to agree to impossible demands. You and Gou are working hard, and you're much more important to me than a newcomer."
"I understand. Thank you very much."
While I was visiting, I took the time to speak with Kuzuden, the Devil Race Acting Village Head.
Thanks to the land gained from the Floating Garden, it seemed the residents of Village Four finally had plenty of breathing room in their living spaces.
"There are some who claim they feel more relaxed in a cramped room... but I expect things will get crowded soon anyway, as it looks like our population is about to boom."
"Are the numbers increasing that much?"
"Yes. In the past, we had to restrict such things due to food shortages and other concerns, but those worries have vanished. As far as I've been told, eight Devil Race women and twelve Dream Demon women are currently pregnant."
"I-I see."
If all of them were born safely, that would be twenty new residents. That was wonderful news.
"Is everyone well-informed about pregnancy and childbirth?"
"Of course. We have veterans on hand, and the Ancient Devil Midwife has been visiting for regular checkups."
"Good. If there’s anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you, Village Head."
"Aside from that, do you have any other requests for me or the Village of the Great Tree?"
"Ah, let's see... There are no problems with our daily life. Food is plentiful, and more people have learned how to cook properly. Plus, we have more entertainment now, like Mahjong, Reversi, and Bowling."
It felt like they had leeway not just in terms of space, but in their quality of life as well.
"So, no requests then?"
"None regarding the village itself."
"The way you phrased that makes it sound like you have a request regarding something else."
"It's about Lady Bell."
"Something about Bell? She was just guiding me earlier, but she didn't seem any different than usual."
"Well, as Village Four has stabilized, Lady Bell’s workload has been steadily decreasing."
Kuzuden was the official representative, but Gou handled the core operations. Bell’s role was to support them both. Now that the village was running smoothly, her support was no longer needed as often.
"There are still minor tasks, but Lady Bell finishes them in the blink of an eye."
"I see."
"She went out on the Airship with Lady Yor a while back, didn't she? Even though she grumbled about it at the time, she seemed to be having quite a bit of fun."
"Hmm."
"So, I was hoping you might be able to grant Lady Bell some kind of duty outside the village."
"...I understand. I'll give it some thought. Though, I should probably consult with her first. Her own wishes are the most important part."
"Please do."
Actually, I had been indebted to Bell in many ways. On top of that, she was the one who kept the Fougma Family organized. I needed to do something for her.
"Rather than a job, it would be a huge help if I could have my own room or a house in the Village of the Great Tree."
When I asked Bell about it directly, that was her response.
"I see. In that case, I'll prepare a house in the Village of the Great Tree that the Fougma Family can use as a base."
I was halfway through my reply when she cut me off.
"I misspoke. What I really want is my own room inside the Village Head's mansion."
............
"W-well, we have spare rooms. It’s fine for you to use one."
"Thank you very much."
Truth be told, Bell already stayed in those rooms whenever she visited the village. But without a dedicated room, she couldn't leave her personal belongings there. Once I got back to the Village of the Great Tree, I’d have to ask Ann to get one ready.
Oh, before I left, I needed to have a word with Gou. He should have been finishing up the functional check for the Kingdom Warrior by now.
...
I found Gou near the Crystal Pillar housing the Kingdom Warrior. He appeared to be in the middle of a heated conversation with the pillar itself.
"That’s exactly why I'm telling you the chest is too large! Think about the overall balance! Realistically, fighting in a body like that would be agonizing!"
...
"I don't care if you say you were dumped because of your chest size... Anyone who would say something like that is a pathetic excuse for a man. Just forget about him already!"
...
"Yes, chest size is a trivial matter!"
...
"I'm glad you finally understand... However, the thighs must be crafted with the utmost care!"
...
"The most important part is the thickness of the thighs! And then comes the leg line, following the curve from the hips down to the calves! Blast it, are you telling me you don't understand that!?"
........................
It felt like it would be rude to interrupt, so I decided to slip away quietly. I’d have plenty of other chances to talk to Gou later.
Yeah.
Bell: "Kuzuden-san."
Kuzuden: "Y-yes! What is it!?"
Bell: "You did well."
Kuzuden: "Eh? Ah, yes! I'm just glad the Village Head was pleased!"
Gou: "Wait, he heard me? Eh? A-that was just caught up in the heat of the moment! Those weren't my true feelings, I swear!"