Ahh… I can see the village again. A lot happened during this trip that I wasn't expecting at all. I feel like maybe I grew a bit as a person? The sun is starting to set, so the light from the dinner fire stands out nicely. I can smell the food from here.

“Looks like we made it,” I smile over my shoulder.

“So this is the village Varoon grew up in,” Irsha murmured.

“No, it changed way too much,” he heard her and immediately countered. “What’s with that wall? And it's twice as big!”

It only took a day of traveling with us, but Varoon and Irsha picked up my group’s way of speaking. I guess by now I could consider it a dialect? They picked up our dialect.

“Yes, I think I mentioned that I had to take in the villagers of a chief I killed, so the village expanded.” I wonder if those guys have settled in yet. “The wall is for protection. Maybe it's unnecessary, but I like the feeling of security. I plan to redo the roads and houses soon. I just haven't had time for it yet.”

“Is there any reason to be making so many changes?” Varoon wondered skeptically.

“Hm? A reason? For progress? … It’s just the common sense I inherited from my previous life.”

Through advances in technology, humans gradually gain control over their world. They try to perfect that control through systems like McDonaldization: unity, efficiency, calculability. Some people are horrified by concepts like that… I advocate them. Because it was terrifying when everything I knew suddenly changed, and I was completely helpless.

I think that's why… I did something radical like becoming the chief. Authority and power are heavy, but I needed to have some control over my life.

The reason I'm going to continue what I started… It isn't about self-preservation anymore. I just want to.

Somehow, realizing that makes me feel very relaxed.

I smile at the guards to the Eastern entrance, offering a little wave.

“Welcome back, Chief Vyra!” they bent their heads down to show respect.

“I'm back. It feels good to be home. Did anything happen while I was away?”

“The hunting groups brought back forty War Monkey corpses. The Goblins have started presenting Zucchini squashes they harvested. Babett found a way to grease the inside of pine baskets with animal fat so they can hold water. And we have three guests currently in the village.”

“Guests?” I furrowed my brow.

“Yeah. Three humans came by to meet you.”

“What?! They came back?!” Those guys have barely been gone for as long as they stayed here. They have their own lives, don't they?

“Ah, sorry, chief. It's actually a different three humans.”

“Eh? Different…?”

It couldn't be… those guys from before told people about this place? If that’s the case, and the people they sent here are hostile…

Before overreacting, we should go meet them. They've been in the village for this long without causing any trouble, so it could be fine.

“... Hm. Alright, seems I'll have to go meet them--... What are you doing?”

The two guards have taken distance, holding their spears in front of themselves in tense defensive postures.

“Eh! Um… It looked like you were gonna get mad.”

…

There are no words for how embarrassed I feel right now. Apparently I've really been behaving like a child before now. I don't remember it though.

“... I’ll be going inside now.”

The guards hurriedly bowed as they stepped aside.

All over the village, people were quickly finishing up their current projects so they wouldn't be late to dinner. Nevertheless, they took their time to greet me. I could hear whispers as I passed by them.

“The chief brought guests again.”

“That one is big, isn't she? Is she an Orc?”

Hmm… it looks like the presence of Varoon and Irsha was easily accepted. I guess it's fine to bring strange people along, “because it's me.” I'm grateful to these guys for putting up with me so well.

And it was by the cooking fires that I saw who our three guests were. One of them, I recognize. He’s the Human who helped drag the others out of my village before. Well, I did give him an ornament and name him our ally. I think I'm obligated to tolerate his presence now. But why is he here?

“Hey, momma. I brought some guests back with me, but it seems we already have a few.”

I called out and momma grinned and waved at me.

“Welcome home, baby! Does you have a good trip?”

“A lot happened. Oh, and I ran into my brother while I was out there.”

“Hm?” Oolga tilted her head. She looked at every single male I'd brought with me before finally resting on Varoon. “Hmm… Oh! Welcome back, Varoon baby~”

… Did I expect more? … I shouldn't have.

Varoon jumped slightly at being acknowledged, and his eyes became slightly moist.

… Are those angry tears?

“I'm back, momma. I didn't become a War Orc… sorry.”

Momma tilted her head and creased her brow, then shook her head with a snort and went back to her usual look. “It fine. Is you staying here tonight? We should catch up later~ Momma want to hear your war stories~”

“Oh… Okay.”

I can't help but smile a little. I want to let these two bond a little, so I think I'll sleep over at Fiara’s house tonight.

“And this girly be a War Orc, right? I is Oolga, nice to meet you.”

“Hello,” Irsha smiled. “I'm Irsha, Varoon’s reserved mate.”

Things are going smoothly on that side, so I turn my head to the three Humans standing off to the side. The one who was here before, Armin, looks fairly relaxed--maybe just a little bit tense. Then there’s a short, black-haired, ninja-like girl who’s full of tension. Also, a gentle-looking, priest-like guy, about as tall as an Orc, who looks shy and excited.

… Another religious one.

So if the priest guy is similar to Elianora, and the ninja girl is close to Rudan… Armin, you’d better not turn out to be a Nostel.

“Hello again, Armin. It's been about two weeks now since we last saw each other? What brings you to my village?”

“Well, there is a proper reason,” he said, scratching the back of his head with lazy eyes.

“My teammates and I accepted a mission from the guild to exterminate the War Monkeys that were coming too close to the villages. Along the way, we bumped into your hunting group. Then I had to explain to the others why I was friendly with a bunch of Orcs.”

“Kirk decided just to go home, but these two refused to leave without meeting you… for different reasons.”

“I wanted to see a Holy Orc with my own eyes,” the priest guy smiled. I swear there’s sparkles in the air around him… Is that magic?

“I think you're a threat,” the ninja girl said bluntly.

“I don't think that’s something you say to someone's face when you want to investigate whether they're a threat or not,” I say, feeling somewhat awkward.

“We promised our other teammate to be back in the city in six days, so we’ll stay here for four at the longest.”

Ah, that’s reassuring.

“Kirk is also going to hand in our completed mission and let the Guild know that the War Monkeys won't be a problem anymore. Your captain told us that you would see to things, so there’s no need for humans to interfere anymore.”

Doubly reassuring. Armin is a practical guy.

“In that case, welcome. I am Vyra, chief of this village. It'll be my pleasure.”

“My name is Samael. Thank you for putting up with us for these four days,” the priest guy smiled.

“Runa. Thank you,” even the ninja girl managed to show some manners. I'll give these guys the benefit of the doubt for now.