Side: Yuki

Today is my day off.

Unfortunately, since we're in the middle of an invasion on the new continent, it's hard to take consecutive days off, so it's just one day.

Normally I'd hole up at home playing games and sleeping, but in Weed that's not possible.

Since my responsibilities are strictly tethered to the military sector, I usually only observe Weed's civilian developments through formal written reports. I rarely get the chance to witness the streets with my own two eyes.

That's why on days off like this to go into town and check things out.

And also to pursue one of my hobbies.

"Well then, I'm heading into town.

"Oya? Is it finally 'that' day again?"

The moment those words left my mouth, Ratz spoke up as if a memory had suddenly been triggered.

"Ah, Ratz is totally right! Today is 'that' day! Hey, Tori, Kaya, we absolutely have to head over there later, okay?"

"Yeah! We're definitely going!"

"...Naturally."

The working group, led by Riel, immediately reacted to those words.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll make sure to save plenty of portions for everyone, so make sure you work hard and finish your duties."

"""Okaay~"""

And with that, the work group headed out.

Now then, what should the rest of us do?"

"Let's see... My belly has grown quite large by this point, so if I were to tag along with Danna-sama, I would likely just cause him unnecessary worry instead."

"Rurua is exactly right. Seraria, behave yourself."

Seraria looked desperately eager to tag along, but considering the child currently resting in her womb, she reluctantly abandoned the idea with a deeply dissatisfied pout.

Seraria clearly wanted to come along, but considering the child she was carrying, she reluctantly gave up.

"Oh, come now. It's not as if Yuki would actually forbid us from showing up for that, right?"

"Indeed. Let's all head over together once the time comes."

Derieu and Eris stepped forward to offer Seraria some comforting words.

"...Right. Can I come to 'that'?"

"Just don't push yourself too hard. If Killue gives you the medical clearance, it's a green light."

"Understood. Please leave Seraria-sama's well-being entirely to me."

Leaving another pregnant woman in charge might seem questionable, but Killue was Shella's super-maid. She excelled at this sort of thing.

"By the way, where did Aslin and the rest of the girls go? They're supposed to have the day off just like me, right?"

"Ah, the four of them went to the school dorm for the first time in a while. Since they've been going to the new continent with Yuki-san, they haven't had much time to play with their school friends."

"I see. So, what about you, Milly? What are your plans for today?"

"I'll be heading to the guild and city hall in a little while. Delivering documents and collecting ones waiting for approval. But I'll definitely come to 'that'."

"Good. You're in charge of Weed matters and supporting the pregnant wives, so I'll prepare the best one for you."

"Really!? Yay!!"

Of course, the "best one" means alcohol.

She's on a monthly salary and earns far more than an ordinary person, but she's been holding back on alcohol in consideration of the pregnant wives.

I have to let her drink on days like this.

"Alright, Ria, Jessica. Let's move."

"Yes."

"...I understand I'm your escort, but somehow this feels different..."

"Just give up."

With my usual two companions, I headed out to inspect the town.

"Ara? Yuki-chan, Ria-chan. Out for a walk?"

"You bet, Grandma."

"Yes. It brings us immense joy to see you looking so healthy."

"......"

As we made our way through town, the residential district was quiet due to it being midday on a weekday. The only people we occasionally saw were elderly folks heading toward the park.

Even so, seeing these elderly folk actively choose to relocate and settle in Weed makes me both happy and a little sad. It means they have consciously chosen this city as their final resting place.

"Ara? Jessica-chan, why the complicated face?"

"Ah, um... I apologize. May I ask you something?"

"Go right ahead, dear. It's not as if my old bones can handle proper labor anymore anyway. I spend my entire day lounging in the park, and then I simply head home to sleep."

With a soft chuckle, the old grandmother settled herself onto a nearby bench. The three of us took our seats right beside her, waiting for Jessica to formulate her thoughts.

"Why did you choose to live here in Weed? I heard that you had been living quite normally in another town before..."

"You're wondering why an old lady would move here when she isn't even a refugee, aren't you?"

"Yes. Would you mind telling me why you came all the way to Weed despite having your own hometown?"

"Well now. The fact that it doesn't cost much money is nice."

"......"

Jessica froze at Grandma's joke.

"A ha ha ha! Well, that's not entirely a joke, but I suppose it wasn't the answer you were looking for, Jessica-chan."

"...I'd appreciate a serious answer if possible."

"Fair enough, dear. Let's see... In the town I lived in, once you couldn't work anymore, you might as well be dead. Of course, rich people or those with savings are different, but most ordinary people die before reaching my age. Even if you live to old age, once you can't earn your own food, you become a burden on your family."

"That's..."

"It's just the way of the world, dear. My family was lucky to live long. I also had my grandmother. She lived quite long and worked every day. But one day she hurt her back and couldn't move. My family and I owed her a lot, so we supported her and took care of her for a while, but one person's food is still a heavy burden. Taking care of an elderly person also takes up manpower… I guess my grandmother understood that. One day she suddenly disappeared. With that body, she went somewhere. She left a note, but since not many people could read, it took time to read it."

"...Did you ever find her?"

"We did. At the water's edge on the outskirts of town, killed by beasts."

"......"

"And in the note she wrote this: 'I'll take care of myself, so you all forget about me and live your lives.'"

Jessica fell completely silent, unable to find any words.

Honestly, it was a tragically common reality in this world.

"And then, just as Grandma was about to die too, she found Weed."

I decided to step in and cut straight to the core of what Jessica was desperately trying to grasp.

"That's rather rude, Yuki-chan. I wasn't looking for a place to die. I came because someone told me there was still a place where I could keep living. Even if my body no longer works, I can still offer my wisdom—that's what you told me, right, Yuki-chan?"

"You bet. A lifetime of accumulated knowledge is an irreplaceable asset, after all."

"Honestly, when you first approached me with those words, I thought you were trying to court an old lady! I never would have imagined you genuinely just wanted a grandma's wisdom."

"Hey, it worked out perfectly, didn't it? Thanks to that, you get to eat hot meals every day and spend your time lounging in total comfort."

"It truly is a blessing, dear. I am deeply grateful. Goodness, if only the rest of the world could become a place like this."

"Fulfilling that immediately is entirely impossible, unfortunately."

The moment those words left my mouth, Grandma's eyes widened in brief astonishment before her face instantly softened into a warm, crinkling smile.

"'Immediately,' he says. You really are something special, Yuki-chan. Normal rulers wouldn't even dream of trying to expand a sanctuary like this to the rest of the world. I've lived a long life; I know firsthand just how agonizingly difficult it is to extend your reach to foreign territories. I don't understand the finer details of politics, mind you... but even so, you truly intend to extend your reach to the rest of the world eventually, don't you?"

"Yeah. It's vastly more entertaining that way, don't you think? Meeting all kinds of different people, laughing together, fighting, playing the fool, and then pooling our strength to build something even grander."

"....That's right. That's how this Weed and the town I used to live in were built. Oh, we got off topic. Does that answer your question, Jessica-chan?"

Pulled back to reality, Jessica immediately snapped out of her thoughtful expression.

"Ah, yes... This was a place where you could continue living."

"Indeed it does, dear. Though I suppose my own clock is finally drawing close to its limit."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"Call it an old woman's intuition. I can simply feel that the time remaining to me is growing short."

"That's..."

"Being permitted to pass away peacefully from sheer old age is the absolute highest luxury this world has to offer. Don't make such a tragic face, Jessica-chan. Aren't you actively working to assist Yuki-chan in running this city?"

"Yes."

"Then look upon me with absolute pride. Boast about the fact that I am an old woman capable of dying peacefully of old age. And hold your head high, knowing that you are actively building a city where people can fully live out their natural lifespans."

Jessica didn't reply with words, just nodded deeply.

"Good, good. That's enough of the heavy talk. Now it's my turn. So, Yuki-chan, since you're out checking on the city today, you're planning to do 'that' as well, right?"

Grandma smoothly changed the subject with a smile, completely clearing away the previous mood.

She really has lived a long time.

"Yeah, that's the plan. Checking on the town is just a side task."

"Fufu, you say that, yet you still make sure to diligently check on the citizens. You truly are a hardworking boy, Yuki-chan. Just make sure you don't overexert yourself to the point where your lovely wives start worrying."

"I know, I know. Hey, Grandma, why don't you tag along for that while you're at it? It's just about time for me to begin the setup anyway."

"Ara? I'd be absolutely delighted, but surely an old woman like me would be nothing but a hindrance during the preparations?"

"It's not about helping with the labor. I need someone to act as my official taste-tester for the freshly prepared batches. Usually, that job gets monopolized by Gakki, that old dwarf craftsman."

"That old rogue Gakki was keeping such a delicious luxury all to himself?! Right then, I gladly accept the position!"

Ah, Gakki's going to get complaints from Grandma later.

Well, it's partly his own fault, so he can take responsibility.

With that, we headed to the outskirts of the city and took out a certain collapsible item from my item box.

Yes, 'that'.

"Alright, Grandma, just make yourself comfortable in that chair over there for the time being."

"Understood, dear. My word, when you see it up and running on the streets, you don't realize just how incredibly compact the whole thing is when it's folded down."

"Well, yeah. It's a food stall, after all."

Indeed, 'that' refers to a traditional Japanese food cart—a mobile food stall.

While they were an absolute staple during Weed's seasonal festivals, my specific mobile, instant-deployment variant was a completely unique anomaly. Due to stringent fire hazards and public safety regulations, operating mobile food carts was strictly prohibited for the general public within Weed.

In other words, I was the sole exception to the rule. It was a legendary hidden gem known only to a select few inner circles.

"Alright, Ria, Jessica, let's get everything prepped!"

"Okay~"

"...I feel like treating running a stall on your day off as normal is strange..."

"It's the perfect way to hear what everyone in town is saying. Now hurry up and help with prep."

"Do your best~"

Encouraged by Grandma's cheer, we got to work.

"Haaay~! Onii-san, your beloved Ratz has officially arrived on the scene! Give me one bowl of ramen, noodles firm!"

"Coming right up."

Ratz arrived at the counter before anyone else, immediately firing off her order. Since the rush hadn't started yet, I whipped it up in a flash.

"Here you go."

"Thanks a bunch~! Man, it looks absolutely spectacular as always. Well, it tastes spectacular too, so..."

Muttering happily to herself, Lutz snapped her disposable chopsticks apart and began digging into the steaming noodles.

"Yaho~! Yuki-san, we're here! Give us three bowls of ramen! Standard noodles, and two plates of gyoza!"

"Riel, let's at least take our seats properly before yelling out our orders."

"...Hm? Grandma is the first customer? That's rare, usually it's Gakki-ojisan sitting there."

"That's right, Kaya-chan. Letting Gakki have all the good stuff isn't fair."

"Mm. Completely understandable."

The three sat down while chatting with Grandma.

With a sudden influx of orders arriving simultaneously, I gestured for Ria and Jessica to start moving. Having handled this routine numerous times before, they smoothly executed their tasks without needing a single explicit command.

"Here are your three bowls of ramen."

"And two plates of gyoza."

Working in perfect tandem, we completed the preparations and slid the dishes in front of Riel and her group.

"Man, there's just something extra magical about the flavor when you eat it straight from a street stall like this~"

"I completely agree."

"...nom, munch, slurp... Eating fast so I can order a second helping of noodles."

As the three of them began enthusiastically devouring their food, even more customers began trickling in.

"Well, well, it seems We were not the first to arrive after all. Oh? Is our dear elder serving as the opening vanguard today?"

"Grandma, how are you feeling today?"

"Oh my, it seems Gakki is nowhere to be found. But Granny, please let us know if you're feeling unwell."

"Ka ha ha ha! Derieu-chan, I have absolutely no intention of surrendering such a delicious spot to Gakki so easily. Rurua-chan, you need to focus entirely on looking after your own well-being right now. And Seraria-chan, as you can see, my old bones are still bursting with vitality!"

"Umu, that is precisely as it should be."

"I am properly looking after the little one inside me, don't worry. Grandma, if you ever feel under the weather, please let me know immediately, okay?"

"My, you truly are bursting with energy as always. Ah, three bowls of ramen. Extra-firm noodles."

"Coming right up."

It seemed these three wives frequently had opportunities to converse with Grandma; they naturally slid into comfortable banter with her as they took their seats.

"Honestly, it gave me quite the shock initially. I was simply enjoying a peaceful afternoon in the park when the absolute highest authorities of Weed's upper echelon came waddling into the plaza, looking around entirely lost."

"It could not be helped! It was Our very first time trying to casually lounge about a public park while dealing with pregnancy, after all."

"Indeed. We were deeply rescued by Grandma stepping in to serve as our conversation partner."

"Yes, learning about Grandmother's own experiences with pregnancy and raising children back in her day provided us with an immense degree of invaluable knowledge."

Ah, so that's how they formed a connection.

"We have arrived~! One serving of your finest, most delicious alcohol, please!"

"Ah! Milly-neechan, you explicitly promised you were going to restrain yourself a bit today!"

"Now, now, Aslin-sama. Milly-sama has been working exceptionally hard up to this point, so let us overlook a minor indulgence."

"Killue, you genuinely need to learn how to relax a bit more. Scheera is going to start worrying about you."

"Just as Eris-san said. Please be more aware that you have Yuki-san's child in your belly and behave yourself." (Sheila)

"...There are quite a few people here. What should I order, Filia?"

"First and foremost is ramen, nano desu! We require seven bowls of ramen! Standard noodles!"

"Got it."

"Hey, hold on just a damn minute, Yuki-danna! Why on earth wasn't I notified about this!?"

Gakki, the old dwarf craftsman, came storming up to the stall, dragging a massive crowd of local residents right behind him.

"Oh, look who it is, Gakki. You certainly enjoyed keeping this wonderful secret all to yourself for quite some time, didn't you?"

"Geh—!? Grandmother!?"

"I'm putting today's meal on Gakki's tab."

"What kind of nonsense is that!?"

It was a perfectly ordinary, beautiful day.

The citizens enjoyed their peaceful afternoon without a single care, while my lovely wives spent their time lounging by the street stall, sharing laughs and idle gossip with the people of the town.