Winter had arrived.
Once again, food wasn't a concern this year. With that worry out of the way, I decided to focus my energy on handicrafts and studying.
My handicraft work involved carving small items out of wood and stone. My studies, on the other hand, focused on magic and the surrounding geography. Magic was one thing, but I realized I had been far too indifferent toward the layout of the world around us. I’d struggled to keep up during conversations with Beezel from the Demon King’s Castle and Galf from Howlin Village, so I reflected on my ignorance and decided it was time to learn.
As it stands, our village is located almost exactly in the center of a massive basin. The forest spreading across this entire basin is known as the Forest of Death.
As for its actual size... it was hard to say for sure. Ria and the other High Elves said it took them a month to cross, but since they were traveling with all the equipment needed for daily life, they estimated they could probably do it in half that time if they were unburdened.
However, when Galf from the Beastman Race came to the village, he mentioned it took him about a month to reach us from the foot of the eastern mountains. I wasn't quite sure which estimate was the more reliable standard. By the way, Tia and the other Angels who can fly mentioned they could cross the whole thing in half a day.
To the south of the Forest of Death lies a mountain range where Draim has made his nest; consequently, it’s known as the Dragon’s Mountain. Since a dragon lives there, no one dares to start a fight in those peaks, though a fair number of travelers apparently pass through.
If you cross the Dragon’s Mountain and continue south, you’ll find another forest, known as the Iron Forest. Draim told me that if you pass through the Iron Forest and keep heading south, you eventually reach the sea. He mentioned there are human towns along the coast. If I’m ever able to go out for supplies, I’d love to visit them.
Across the mountain range to the west of the Forest of Death lies the Demon King’s Castle and its surrounding town. It’s supposedly quite a lively place, but since Beezel didn't exactly jump to welcome me when I brought it up, I decided to keep my distance for now.
The Demon King’s territory radiates out in a circle from that castle. Apparently, the human towns to the south and east also fall under his domain. It makes sense that the Forest of Death, being immediately east of the castle, is considered part of his sphere of influence. I suppose it was just left untouched all this time because no one lived here.
Currently, the Demon Kingdom is at war with the Fullhart Kingdom, a human nation to the west. Since our village is positioned on the far side of the Demon King’s Castle relative to the front lines, the chances of us getting dragged into the war seem low. For the record, the Demon King’s territory is officially called the Demon Kingdom, or more specifically, the Galgard Demon Kingdom, named after the current ruler.
To the east of the village is the mountain home of Howlin Village. On the far side of those mountains is a human settlement called Talotte Village. Both are part of the Demon King’s territory, though it seems no demons are actually stationed there. There are apparently other small villages around Howlin Village and Talotte Village as well, but the details are hazy. Even when I asked Sena, who used to live in Howlin Village, she didn't know much; they only interacted with the other villages for trade.
The North Mountain doesn't have much of note, and beyond it lies nothing but more mountains. Travel is difficult even in the summer, and in the winter, the passes become completely impassable. There are rumors that something dangerous was sealed away there a long time ago, but no one knows the truth of it. I certainly hope it’s just a rumor.
Incidentally, if someone wanted to go from the Demon King’s Castle to Howlin Village in the east on foot, they would have to head south from the castle, travel along the coastline, and then head back north. It seemed like a massive detour to me, but apparently, normal people don't consider the Forest of Death, the Iron Forest, or the Dragon’s Mountain as viable travel routes.
I personally didn't think people needed to be that cautious. Lu, Tia, and Flora all made it here alone, and even Ann or Daga’s group could have managed if they’d had a guide.
"Where was your old village located, Ria?"
"It was across the mountains to the northwest of here. The forest just north of the current Demon King's Castle."
"And where did you come from, Lu?"
"The Galbart Kingdom. It’s the country north of the Fullhart Kingdom."
"Huh."
"For the record, I was living there first. The humans moved in later."
"...I’ll make sure not to ask about your age."
"That would be wise. Tia and the other Angels are from even further north than the Galbart Kingdom, right?"
"That's correct," Tia replied. "However, most of us act independently, so that place serves more as a collective contact point than a nation."
"The Angel Race is famous, but your ecology is a complete mystery," Ria added.
"Weren't you all objects of worship at one point?" I asked.
"There were just people who chose to worship us on their own. It’s not like we ever asked for it."
"I heard you used to collect offerings, though?"
"Well, that was... we have to make a living somehow."
It sounded like they’d all had their share of struggles.
"Anyway, I have the gist of it now. All that’s left is memorizing the place names."
"Indeed. Please do your best to learn them."
And so, my studies continued throughout the winter.
There was one special event during the cold months. A lone Dwarf arrived in the village despite the freezing weather. Honestly, I really feel like the "Forest of Death" is failing to live up to its intimidating name. People seem to show up whenever they feel like it.
"I heard there was good sake here. Would you let me have a drink?"
"I don't mind, provided you can pay the price," Ria replied, acting as the receptionist.
"I'm sorry, but I have no coin. I do, however, have skills."
"In smithing?"
"No, brewing."
"...You came to drink our good sake, and your payment is making more sake?"
"From what I've heard, the sake here is made from grapes. My people have the technology to make alcohol from things other than grapes."
The Dwarf grinned.
"If the drink here is as good as they say, I might even consider settling down."
"Very well. It’s a challenge, then. Someone, get this man a drink!"
And just like that, our population increased by one.
"Wait, what? No one even asked me?"
"Was it a problem?" Ria asked.
"No, I don't mind, but..."
"Then there's no issue. He’ll stay at the inn for the winter. The welcome party is tonight, and preparations are already underway. Village Head, we’ll need you to give the opening remarks."
"U-Understood."
With so few events during the winter, the residents never missed a chance to throw a party.
Another thing that started during the winter was indoor recreation. While it was warm inside, the biting cold outside made us want to stay indoors as much as possible. Everyone found things to do—usually working away in silence. But eventually, the monotony became too much, and we’d take breaks to play. Reversi and Chess were the main attractions, but I decided to introduce something new: Mini Bowling.
"It’s so hard to make it go straight!"
"Is it even reaching the pins?"
"Guh... three are still standing."
I didn't know the official dimensions for lanes or pins, and since it would take up too much space indoors anyway, I scaled it down. The lane was a ten-meter wooden board about a meter wide, and the pins were made from carved tree branches.
"What's the point of knocking them down?" someone had asked early on.
To give them a goal, I carved faces on the pins and told them they were villains. To keep it interesting, I gave each pin a unique look and personality. The ball was just a stone carved into a sphere. Since drilling finger holes was too difficult, I made it roughly the size of a softball so it would be easy to roll.
I had originally introduced it as a way to get some light exercise, but the villagers took to it with surprising fervor.
"I just can't knock down that serial killer on the far right!"
"Isn't the arsonist on the left harder to hit?"
"For some reason, the swindler—the head pin—always stays standing when it’s my turn!"
The game became so popular that by the end of winter, we had six lanes running.
"We really should build a dedicated space for this."
It was decided then and there that when spring arrived, we would construct a new building for the purpose of a Recreation Hall.
Incidentally, Mini Bowling wasn't my first choice. I had actually tried Darts first. I figured if I had a target and something to throw, that would be enough. I cut some wood, processed it into a board, and the target was done. As for the projectiles... they just ended up being regular knives. It was more like knife-throwing than darts.
I tried throwing them myself, but I only succeeded in gouging the surrounding walls. I kept at it for a while out of sheer stubbornness, but I was hopeless.
During a break, the High Elves asked for a turn and began hitting the bullseye one after another with effortless "thwips."
"We could probably stand to move the line back a bit," they suggested.
Well, they had lived in the forest for centuries. I suppose they wouldn't have survived without those skills. Ann and the other High Ogres were also perfect shots.
"Should we make the target human-shaped? It would make for better practice."
...
The Lizardmen also hit the mark every time.
"I'm actually better with a spear than a knife... Ah, that one was a little off-center."
...
My spirit finally broke when I saw the Dwarf, who was visibly intoxicated, nail the center of the board.
And so, I moved on to Mini Bowling—but I swear it wasn't just to escape my failure at darts. As proof, my scores in Mini Bowling aren't exactly impressive either.
"Village Head, we need more balls."
"Can you make the next set of pins look like bandits?"
"No way, it should be the monster series next!"
Lately, I've been pouring my heart and soul into making tools and equipment for the game. It’s probably just a form of escapism.