Winter had arrived.
A relaxing air settled over the village. That wasn't to say we were just being lazy and sleeping all day, of course. It was simply that we spent more of our time working indoors. When the weather was clear enough to move, I tried to go outside as much as possible, though there wasn't much to do beyond moving food stores from the outer warehouses to the mansion.
When I built a greenhouse-style hut using the heat retention stones we’d brought back from the hot spring investigation, it was immediately occupied by Zabuton’s children. Since the whole point was to put those stones to good use, I didn't mind.
I decided to try my hand at my real goal: a kotatsu.
I made one powered by heat retention stones. Since it didn't use a charcoal brazier, it was both safe and warm.
...
It seemed Kuro and Yuki were spending significantly more time burrowed inside it than I was. Seeing them relax with only their heads poking out, they didn't look like wild animals at all. A crowd of their children stood at a distance, waiting for their turn, but Kuro and Yuki showed no intention of moving.
I really wished they wouldn't look at me with such pitiful eyes. Building enough kotatsu for all of Kuro's offspring would be a problem for space, and I didn't have enough heat retention stones or futons to go around. I had to ask them to settle for just two more units.
"You have to take turns, alright?"
Construction on the temple for the statue of the Creator God hadn't started yet. Progenitor-san had traveled elsewhere on some business. He was an important man, after all, so he must have been busy.
"Village Head. Shall we make mochi again this year?" one of the High Ogre Maids asked.
She was holding a bag of mochi rice, looking more than ready to get to pounding.
"Yeah, that's the plan. Should we start now?"
"Yes!"
As the High Ogre Maid gave a cheerful reply, High Elves, Dwarves, and Lizardmen appeared out of nowhere, clattering about as they began the preparations. The sugar soy sauce and sugar kinako that were so popular last time were already finished, and they were already boiling adzuki beans for the zenzai.
I wondered if mochi pounding really came down to raw power. To me, the batches pounded by the Minotaur residents always seemed to taste the best. By comparison, mine were... well, not great. My only saving grace was that we had so many hungry mouths that nothing ever went to waste.
"Eat it in small bites, now. You don’t want to choke."
"Okaay!"
Hakuren and Urza were getting along famously. When Urza first arrived at the village, I’d planned to give her a room near the High Ogre Maids in my mansion. However, at her own request, we’d prepared a room for her right next to Hakuren's. Lately, they were almost always together.
It was a heartening trend. Perhaps because she’d started looking after Urza, Hakuren had even begun helping out with the household chores. Her skills were still quite rough, but it was a positive change. I hoped she would keep at it.
During the winter, the most relaxed people in the village were likely Frau and the Civil Official Girls. They spent their days just lounging around. But no one complained. They had worked themselves to the bone during the autumn harvest.
Their primary duties had been recording the yields, creating consumption plans, and then overseeing the execution of those plans. The plans involved allocating supplies for sales, processing, and gifts. I’d left the thinking to them, and they had followed through. They had apparently engaged in some fierce negotiations with Donovan regarding the alcohol, Sena of the Beastman Race regarding the processing, and Michael regarding the sales.
I was truly grateful for their hard work. That was why their current loafing was permitted. Besides, I trusted that they would eventually get bored of doing nothing and start moving again on their own.
"Eating ice cream in a warm room is a special kind of luxury, isn't it?"
"Mandarins... so good."
"...Two... three... four. Guh, a financial crisis... my funds are halved. My life is nothing but a series of hardships. It's your turn next."
"Taking a bath is a pain... changing clothes is a pain... I'm just gonna sleep..."
"I wonder if they'll bring our food here, too..."
...
I really hoped they would start moving again soon.
Rusty was currently away, having been summoned by Dos. Apparently, the reason Draim had visited earlier was to deliver that summons to both Rusty and Hakuren. Hakuren, however, had refused, using "taking care of Urza" as an excuse. I’d worried if that was really okay, but she assured me it was fine.
"If it were actually important, he wouldn't have sent my younger brother as the messenger."
Who would come if it were important, then?
"Father would have come in person to talk."
Fair enough.
Bulga and Stifano had accompanied Rusty. They planned to spend the winter at their family homes, which were located near Dos's nest. I’d sent them off with plenty of souvenirs.
Perhaps not as replacements, but Beezel and Gratz of the Four Heavenly Kings arrived in the village just as the others left. Beezel had a brief talk with Frau and then settled in to relax alone. He must have been swamped with work for the Demon Kingdom; he looked like a man who’d just been liberated from prison.
Gratz, meanwhile, was acting all sweet and innocent with Ronana. They weren't causing anyone any trouble, so it was fine. I wondered if the countdown to them needing a new house was already in the single digits. I decided to watch over them patiently.
Once I finished my mochi, I moved to the workshop. I began carving wood to make new tableware. First, for the children born this year. Next, for the now-grown Alfred and Tiselle. And then, for Urza.
...
I also made sets for guests. I ended up getting a bit carried away with the designs. The fact that someone like me—neither clumsy nor particularly skilled—could produce such high-quality work was entirely thanks to the Universal Farming Tool. I felt a fresh wave of gratitude for it.
...
Before the temple construction began with Progenitor-san, I considered renovating the small shrine beneath the Great Tree. On second thought, the wood from the Forest of Death was incredibly durable, and it didn't look damaged at all. If anything, it had gained a sense of dignity that looked quite nice. Replacing it didn't feel right.
Instead...
The statue of the Creator God had started glowing at night, making it quite bright. How about replacing the blackout curtains I’d put up with some sturdy doors?
Come to think of it, I wondered how long it would keep shining. It certainly felt divine, but it made the statue of the Farming God next to it look plain by comparison. I almost wished the Farming God would glow as well... no, wait, doubling the brightness would be a problem.
...
I briefly considered making a new Farming God statue out of iron instead of wood, but I stopped myself. A simple, rustic look suited the Farming God better.
Regardless, I decided to make the doors. For a shrine, they had to be double doors. I wasn't going for the complex folding style found in Buddhist altars, so it wasn't too difficult.
They were soon finished.
...
I took them to the shrine for a test fitting. There were no issues, but the fact that the doors were purely functional bothered me. To put it bluntly, they looked like a blank face. I took them back to the workshop.
For door decorations... normally, you'd use decorative studs made of metal. But iron was precious. It wouldn't necessarily be a waste, but I wanted to avoid squandering it. In that case, I would just carve them.
What should the design be? I considered Kuro, Zabuton, dragons, or even Progenitor-san... but in the end, it had to be the Great Tree. I carved the image of the Great Tree across the center of the two doors.
Yeah, that looked good.
Since I was at it, I should put something on the back, too. That was the side that would be visible when the doors were open. I decided on flowers. What kind of flower would suit both the Creator God and the Farming God?
...
When in doubt, I left it to the Universal Farming Tool. I focused on the image of a "flower"... and it carved cherry blossoms. Perhaps my own preferences were influencing it too much, but it wasn't a bad choice.
The doors were complete. I took them back to the shrine and installed them properly. I tested them a few times. No problems. I cleaned the area around the shrine until it was spotless. Grateful for the hard work the High Ogre Maids did in keeping the place tidy, I pressed my hands together in prayer to the gods of the shrine.
...
If the statue was still glowing even after it got warm, it might be fun to hold a banquet here. A cherry blossom viewing party. Japanese people love holding banquets in front of the gods.
...I should probably check with Progenitor-san before I plan any parties, though.
"Village Heaaad!"
Urza came running toward me.
"What's wrong?"
"Hakuren’s gonna be maaaad! Save meee!"
"Hahaha. That’s because you went outside without enough clothes on. Let’s get you back inside before you catch a cold."
"Okay!"
Urza reached up to be carried, so I scooped her up. She was getting quite heavy. Along with Hakuren, who came running after her with a blanket in hand, the three of us returned to the mansion.