I traveled by carriage from Yoko’s mansion toward the Village Five Adventurer’s Guild. My companions for the trip were Galf, Daga, and Reginleiv. We also had one of Yoko’s secretaries acting as our guide—Messer, I believed his name was.
I wasn't visiting the guild because of any particular trouble. It was just a routine social call. My main goal was simply a PR mission to show that Village Five still cared about the Adventurer’s Guild. Yoko had requested it, insisting that these sorts of public appearances were vital. Since it was winter and I had a bit of free time, I didn't see any reason to refuse. It was just a matter of showing up and having a short chat with the guild’s leadership.
Because my visit had been announced in advance, the guild staff was fully prepared to receive me. However, the rank-and-file adventurers hadn't been told, which caused quite a commotion when we arrived.
"It’s the War God Galf! Amazing! It’s my first time seeing him in person!"
"Look, Daga the Lizardman is here too! I heard he’s even stronger than Galf!"
"The Angel Race Big Sister! Hey, Big Sister’s in the house!"
Galf, Daga, and Reginleiv were so popular that I was practically invisible behind them.
"It’s the Village Head! The Village Head is here! He’s the one even Yoko-sama answers to!"
Messer... I appreciated the sentiment, but you didn't have to go that far. I just wanted to hurry into the back of the building. But just as I reached the door, an adventurer caught sight of me and whispered.
"Wait... that’s the manager of the Phantom Ramen Stall..."
It was a quiet murmur, but everyone else seemed to hear it. Suddenly, every eye in the room was fixed on me.
"He’s right! That’s the guy from the ramen stall!"
"Manager! That ramen was incredible!"
"Please do the Mochi Stewed Ramen again!"
"The Vegetable Ramen was great too!"
"And that white one! The white broth was the best!"
I assumed he meant the Paitan Ramen. In any case, the cheers for the "Manager" soon rivaled the shouts for Galf, Daga, and Reginleiv. It seemed the stall was even more popular than I’d realized. Even the meeting inside the guild consisted almost entirely of talk about ramen. I suppose I’ll have to try and set up the stall a bit more often.
Once my duties at the guild were finished, the rest of my time was my own. Galf and the others stayed with me as escorts, while Messer was supposed to head back to the Village Council Hall.
Except he didn't. He insisted on staying with me until the very end. I didn't mind, but I told him I was planning to visit the Swan Racetrack and then the shrine. I even planned to hit the Art Museum if there was time. He assured me it was no problem at all. We kept the carriage and headed for the racetrack.
I hadn't come to the track to gamble. My goal was to deliver snacks to Odette the White Swan and Odile the Black Swan, and to check on the status of Kugui, the shop that sold Village Five merchandise.
To my surprise, Odette and Odile were actually working quite diligently. I’d expected them to be slacking off or causing some sort of trouble, but they’d proven me wrong in the best way. Since they were doing so well, I felt the snacks were well-deserved.
I’d brought cakes made by the High Ogre maids—some with fresh whipped cream and others like stollen that would keep for a while. There were cookies as well. I’d made sure they were being transported via a separate route, and since there were enough for the track staff too, I told the swans to share.
I hadn't forgotten the others, either. I’d arranged for water plants and small fish to be delivered for the rest of the swans, the ducks, the domestic ducks, and the Pond Turtles that managed the water quality.
However, even in the short time since my last visit, the population of waterfowl had grown significantly. I’d already heard requests for a new pond. I planned to build one further north around spring, though we were still in the survey phase. We couldn't just dig a hole anywhere; we had to consider the location, drive off any Magic Beasts or monsters, and consult with the Pond Turtles. While the turtles here were active, the ones back in the Village of the Great Tree were still hibernating. I told the staff not to rush us; Yoko and I were both working on it. Messer puffed out his chest and assured them they could leave everything to him.
As for the merchandise shop, Kugui, sales seemed steady. Lately, the best-selling item was the wooden sword. I checked twice, but there was no mistake—wooden swords were the top seller.
They weren't just plain sticks, though. The hilts were engraved with phrases like "Village Five Visit Commemoration," "Prayer for Certain Victory," or "Praise of Swans." Since they were made from high-quality, hard lumber, they were actually sturdy enough for practical use. Apparently, carrying one for self-defense didn't draw as much scrutiny as a real blade.
I understood that a wooden sword could appeal to a person's sense of adventure, but I still couldn't fathom why they were number one. I’d thought something like a swan stuffed toy would be the hit item. Messer explained that most households had already bought about three of those. I suppose that made sense. Regardless, I’d have to brainstorm some new products.
After the racetrack, we headed to the shrine. I only intended to offer a quick prayer, so I didn't think it would take long. I also wanted to see how Echid, Niz’s friend, was settling in, provided our paths crossed.
When we arrived, Kon and the Silver Fox Race were already lined up to welcome me. I hadn't sent word ahead, but Messer must have passed the message along. I thanked him and Kon’s group for the warm reception.
Echid was there too. I asked her if she’d run into any trouble, and she told me she was doing fine with Kon’s support. Yoko had mentioned that Kon and Echid were old acquaintances; apparently, they’d been allies or enemies depending on the job in the past. As long as they didn't start any fights here, it was fine by me. I told them to come to me or Yoko—or even Messer—if anything happened.
Then Kon mentioned they’d prepared a banquet and insisted I join them. Well, I couldn't really say no to that. It looked like the Art Museum would have to wait for another day.
The banquet was pleasant enough, though there were occasionally intense, blinding flashes of light. Partway through, Niz, Yoko, and the swans arrived. I thought they were joining the party, but they headed straight for the sanctuary and started moving about busily. It looked like they were dealing with something difficult.
Yoko eventually caught me and told me to stop sitting around and go present offerings to Each God's Room. For some reason, she insisted it had to be me. I gave in and helped out. It wasn't hard work; I just had to take the food and sake Kon’s group had prepared, place them in the designated spots, and offer a prayer.
The Whale Skeleton seemed calm, which was a relief. I made sure to leave an offering there as well. The Statue of a Dragon was radiating an aura of annoyance, as if telling me to hurry up, but I made sure to go in order. I promised the statue its turn was coming and to just be patient.
I’d written before that since I’d crossed a major mountain, the future would just be a series of smaller ones. But as it turns out, even a small mountain is still a mountain.