During dinner, the conversation revolved around the newly completed water area. Everyone was amazed, not expecting it to be finished in just one day.

The athletic equipment that Lil had requested for Kohaku had been approved, and they planned to buy materials the next day and start construction the day after.

According to Ian, the country had given permission to modify the base freely, which left Maynard extremely excited. He even mentioned wanting to build something for the divine beasts and requested a large order of lumber.

Ian granted permission, thinking it would be fine, but later regretted it. Maynard’s creative energy knew no bounds.

The next morning, as Lil washed her face, Rosaline called out to her. Following Rosaline to her room, Lil was greeted by a sea of fabric.

Lil was stunned by the overwhelming sight. Rosaline, looking unfazed, pulled something out from the fabric pile and handed it to Lil. It was a collection of ribbons and mysterious pieces of cloth. Lil stared curiously into the bag she was handed.

“Those are matching ribbons for you and Kohaku. I prepared plenty, so please use them.”

Surprised, Lil took one out. Sure enough, there was a ribbon perfectly sized for Kohaku. It was adorned with lace and looked incredibly cute.

Kohaku wagged his tail eagerly, asking to wear it. His ribbon was adjustable and designed to fasten with a hook.

“Michiru-chan” commented that it was a common type seen on school uniforms.

Once tied around Kohaku’s neck, the large ribbon looked adorable. Kohaku happily rubbed his face against Rosaline as a sign of gratitude.

Lil then pulled out a matching ribbon for herself. This one was a regular ribbon, and she wondered how best to wear it.

“Come here, I’ll tie your hair for you.”

At Rosaline’s urging, Lil sat on the vanity chair, and in no time, her hair was beautifully styled.

“It’s like magic, just like Cinderella’s fairy godmother,” Michiru-chan remarked.

To finish it off, Rosaline added the matching ribbon, making Lil feel truly delighted. There were still five more matching ribbons remaining.

Lil asked Rosaline if making them had been difficult.

“I have a ‘Sewing’ skill, so it wasn’t hard at all. In fact, I feel most at peace when I’m making something.”

Lil thought Rosaline and Maynard would probably get along well.

Grateful for the thoughtful gesture, Lil gladly accepted the ribbons and thanked Rosaline before heading outside.

Outside, the knights were stacking a massive pile of lumber. Apparently, the order had already arrived. Wasn’t that too fast?

“Dad, did the lumber arrive already?”

“Yeah, I sent a magical bird last night to notify them. They said they’d go pick it up, but they ended up delivering it first thing in the morning.”

It seemed the shop owner was quite considerate.

Facing the mountain of wood, Maynard was buzzing with excitement, brainstorming his plans. Ian, noticing this, stepped in to warn him.

“You’re on patrol duty today. I can’t have you skipping out with Gloria two days in a row.”

Maynard slumped in disappointment. Lil thought that work was important too.

“By the way, you two look adorable today. Did Rosaline give you those?”

Ian patted both Lil and Kohaku on the head. Lil, feeling cheerful, told him that Rosaline had also done her hair. Ian smiled warmly and said, “That’s nice.”

Looking toward the forest, Lil noticed the divine beasts peeking out from the shadows. Curious as to why they hadn’t come closer, Lil tilted her head.

“They’re probably being cautious since the lumber delivery workers were here earlier.”

That made sense. Lil called out to them, “It’s safe now, everyone!”

Hearing this, the divine beasts emerged from the trees.

Today, there was a bear, a squirrel, a rabbit, a tanuki, and a fox.

“I heard from the tanuki that the water area was finished. Thank you,” the bear said, presenting a leaf plate filled with nuts.

“Maynard and Gloria built it. I’ll let them know you said thanks.”

“That would be wonderful,” the bear replied.

The bear watched the other young ones playing with a gentle gaze. Lil thought the bear seemed like a mother to them all.

“Hey, Lil, what’s this?”

It was a swing that Maynard had built earlier. When Lil demonstrated how to use it, all the young ones eagerly wanted to try.

Lil helped them climb on, giving the swing a push. The sound of their joyful giggles filled the air, making Lil smile as well.

Later, the bear gave Lil a shoulder ride. Compared to when Hayden had done it before, the view was much higher and even more thrilling. The bear even ran and leaped around, making it an exhilarating experience.

Ian and the others watched the scene with anxious expressions, but Lil didn’t notice.

“Tomorrow, we’re building the athletic equipment!”

When Lil told everyone this, they all promised to come again. Watching the water area being built the day before had been a lot of fun.

“The forest can be boring,” the fox muttered discontentedly. Understandable — living in the forest all the time might feel dull.

“Come play anytime,” Lil said, patting the fox’s head.