I'd finally made it back from the Northern Dungeon.
I still wasn't sure why I'd ended up having to sing there. I have zero confidence in my voice... and even if I did, singing while being the absolute center of attention is a harrowing experience. At any rate, I was just glad it had been a day trip. At least for my mental health.
I figured I'd let the kittens heal my weary soul.
Hahaha. I know, I know. I should greet Kuro before the kittens.
Scrub, scrub.
I sat down to eat some simmered pumpkin.
"Hmm..."
Lu, who had brought the dish over, nudged me with her elbow.
Right, focus.
"This pumpkin is delicious."
As soon as the words left my mouth, Urza and Nart—who had been hiding nearby—jumped out, looking delighted. It seemed the two of them had made it. I praised them for their hard work, though the skin was still quite tough. They'd also simmered it with some kind of herb that gave it an incredibly potent aroma.
The real challenge was figuring out how to tell them it needed work before they served it to the other villagers. I didn't want to hurt their feelings.
"Who are you going to feed next?" I asked.
"Um, my Papa!" Nart chirped.
Since Nart's father was Gatto, I decided to leave the difficult feedback to him. However, an offhand comment in a situation like this could potentially cause a family crisis. I definitely wanted to avoid that.
"Before you let him eat it, make sure you tell him very clearly that the two of you made it yourselves."
They both gave a spirited "Okay!" and headed out. They were certainly energetic, considering how cold it was.
"Don't forget to bundle up before you go outside!"
There were six "tasters"—or victims, depending on how you looked at it—including myself. It had truly been a difficult problem to solve.
"Did you teach them how to make that, Lu?"
"It sounds like they just watched and learned on their own," she replied. She puffed out her chest, adding that if she had been the one teaching them, it would have turned out much better.
"I see. Did you not have any?"
"Unfortunately not."
The look on Lu's face told me everything. She was the one who had designated me as the first sacrifice. In contrast, Hakuren had acted like a goddess, eating every last bit to prevent the number of victims from growing. She used her dragon-like strength to simply eliminate the problem on the spot rather than postponing it.
As I was patting Hakuren's head in gratitude, a smiling Urza and Nart reappeared.
"We made more!"
...
Lu bolted. Hakuren's smile began to twitch.
Are you okay? Can you handle it? Hang in there. And, if possible, could you please let go of my arm?
It seemed a High Ogre Maid had stepped in to provide some guidance for the second batch, so it was actually quite tasty compared to the first attempt. Thank goodness.
As for the runaway Lu, I decided she should be the first person to taste the food Alfred and Tiselle were making. They’d likely been inspired by Urza and Nart’s efforts. Several High Ogre Maids were already standing by to supervise them. Since it was winter, we couldn't afford to let ingredients go to waste.
...Actually, not letting them eat the children's cooking would probably be more of a punishment for them. I'd be the first taster myself.
It was a peaceful day.
Then it started to snow. It was freezing. To give you an idea of the temperature, Kuro tried to head out to the outhouse but immediately turned back at the door. I told him that holding it in was bad for his health and that he needed to go properly.
He gave me a look that suggested he wanted an indoor toilet for the Inferno Wolves. We had them for the cats, after all, so why not? I understood the sentiment, but...
Ann, the head High Ogre Maid, shook her head. When you considered the average size of an Inferno Wolf’s "contributions," it was easy to see her point. It was in a completely different league than a cat's.
"I'm sorry, Kuro. The best I can do is build one right next to the mansion, and even that will have to wait until spring."
Kuro looked dejected as he dashed out to the outdoor latrine. Once he returned, he refused to budge from the kotatsu. It had become that cold.
Kuro's children, however, were still running around outside with plenty of energy. The horses, cows, and goats were also doing fine. The chickens were huddled together inside their coop, but since our snow countermeasures were solid, they should be alright.
"Ah... Urza, Alfred, the snow hasn't even piled up yet!"
They were currently turning themselves into mud snowmen. Their clothes were absolutely filthy. Ann was going to be furious. I told them both to get in the bath and change every stitch of clothing.
"Hakuren, I'm leaving them to you. And Tia, block Tiselle before she tries to follow them out."
I tried to grab Gral myself... but that was a mistake. I should have asked Hakuren to handle her. Gral was still a dragon, after all. She tackled me with such force that I was pushed right out into the yard.
Cold!
"Come on, we're going back inside. If you want to play, wait for a day with better weather."
I scooped Gral up and made a dash for the mansion. Having felt the cold for myself, I gained a new appreciation for Kuro's plight. I'd have to see if there was some way to manage an indoor wolf toilet.
A bath on a cold day truly is the best. I ended up getting in with Alfred. I hadn't planned on it, but he insisted on joining me. I wondered if he'd reached the age where he was embarrassed to bathe with Hakuren or Urza... but no, he was still just a child. Hahaha.
We soaked in the tub together.
...Wait, why was Draim sitting next to us?
"I went to see my grandchild, but my daughter just gave me the cold shoulder," he lamented.
I see. By all means, please warm yourself up.
After Draim and Alfred finished, I thought about washing Kuro while I was still there, but he wouldn't leave the kotatsu. Yuki came instead. This was technically the men's bath, but... well, I didn't mind. I gave her a thorough scrubbing. She usually kept herself quite clean, so there wasn't much dirt. Once I finished, she climbed into the tub to soak.
Hahaha. Feels good, doesn't it?
Hmm? Kuro finally showed up. Did he get lonely, or was he just jealous? I didn't hold back as I gave him his turn. Seeing Kuro and Yuki lined up in the bathtub together was a very relaxing sight.
...Though I was also using it as a way to escape reality.
Kuroichi, Kuroni, Kurosan, and Kuroyon were all watching me, waiting for their turn. Since they spent so much time outside, they were actually quite dirty. I wiped their paws whenever they entered the mansion, but a full wash was definitely needed. They were polite enough to stay out of the kotatsu when they were dirty, so I decided to give them a real deep clean.
I spent nearly that entire cold winter day in the bathroom. I suppose the reason I didn't catch a cold was entirely thanks to my Healthy Body.