After talking things out with Stoneback—and successfully preventing him from bowing himself into early retirement—I decided to take a break from being a ruler.
All this politics, government talk, and building village stuff seemed like a lot of work and it got me drained.
Even though my freaking stamina points are super high.
I padded through the village at a relaxed pace as my tail swayed side to side, and I just observed everything in front of me.
But not as a queen. Just as Keiko.
Frogs were hauling baskets of berries and roots toward a central storage pit. Snakes slithered alongside them, helping carry logs wrapped around their bodies like living cranes.
"...You guys are way too organized." I muttered.
A squirrel zipped past me, stopped abruptly, then zipped back.
"L-Lady Keiko!" It squeaked. "Do you prefer roasted acorns or honey-glazed fruit for tonight's meal?!"
I blinked multiple times, trying to process all of this.
