On Noa's side, he returned to Great Tree Village with the girls after a satisfying day of outing.
The barbecue picnic, the monster test, and the relaxed atmosphere all made the day feel unexpectedly fulfilling. Everyone went their separate ways once they returned, each attending to their own matters as usual.
However, the calm did not last long.
Almost immediately after returning, they received news.
Another individual had appeared near Great Tree Village.
Not through the dimensional gate.
But from the Forest of Death.
"Go back and handle your own things," Noa said casually. "I'll go take a look."
The girls nodded without objection and dispersed, returning to their respective duties.
Noa then made his way toward the village gate.
When he arrived, he saw a figure that was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
Silver hair. Blue eyes. Twin ponytails.
A presence he had been thinking about for quite some time.
Rurushi Ru
The eldest daughter of the younger generation of the vampire race in this world.
According to original expectations, she was supposed to be one of the key figures who would eventually join his side—and, in a sense, his "first wife candidate." Although she had arrived earlier than expected due to unforeseen circumstances, she was not the first outsider to enter Great Tree Village. Others, including the elf group, had already settled in ahead of her, so her early appearance was not entirely unexpected.
However, the situation she was in now was far worse than in the original storyline.
In the original timeline, she would have only faced Kuro, second-generation hell wolves, and the children of Zabuton.
But now…
Things were very different.
Kuro, Shiro, the first-generation hell wolves, the elf girls who had already mastered teleportation magic, and even Zabuton's "divine spider forces" were all present. The level of coordination and power was on an entirely different scale compared to the original.
Against such a lineup, Rurushi Ru had been subdued far more decisively than before.
She had been wrapped tightly in spider silk, reduced to a helpless "dumpling" form, unable to move.
Noa raised an eyebrow slightly.
"…What exactly happened here?"
From a logical standpoint, the situation shouldn't have escalated like this. With the beasts having gained intelligence and communication ability, misunderstandings like this should have been avoidable.
"W-We were attacked first!" Kuro immediately defended himself.
"I panicked when I saw her suddenly appear from the forest. I thought she was some kind of hostile monster!"
"I tried to explain afterward!" Rurushi Ru shouted, clearly distressed. "But you didn't give me any chance to speak!"
Noa turned his gaze toward Rurushi Ru, then slowly shifted it to the elf girls.
Their eyes immediately drifted away in unison.
Then to Kuro and Zabuton's group.
Same reaction.
The silence was… telling.
In reality, everyone knew what had happened.
It wasn't a serious misunderstanding.
It was simply a case of everyone being too excited.
Great Tree Village had been unusually peaceful for a long time. The patrol groups had grown bored from inactivity, and the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar figure from the Forest of Death triggered instinctive reaction rather than careful judgment.
And once one side moved, the rest naturally followed.
A chain reaction of overreaction.
Noa sighed lightly, looking at the tightly wrapped "cocoon" that was Rurushi Ru.
"…Alright, I understand the situation."
He didn't sound particularly angry.
If anything, it felt more like mild resignation.
The village had become too peaceful—and when that happened, even a harmless arrival could turn into an unnecessary incident.
Still…
He looked at Rurushi Ru again.
At least the timing of her arrival was… interesting.