"Fairy Queen, what would you like for today’s snack?"
"Pancakes! Drizzle some of that black stuff over them."
The black stuff? Ah, she must have meant the chocolate.
I had been growing cacao for some time, but since I hadn't known the process for turning it into chocolate, I’d simply left it alone. Recently, however, the Beastman girls had discovered a method.
At first, it was incredibly bitter, but mixing in milk and sugar made it much milder. Still, it was a far cry from the chocolate I remembered from my previous life. That chocolate had been smoother and far sweeter.
However, after watching how much effort went into the chocolate-making process, I kept my mouth shut. Even with its current flavor, the village residents praised it immensely. Since everything was done by hand, producing large quantities was difficult. It was a luxury item.
Because of its rarity, I didn't eat the chocolate on its own but used it as a topping for other treats. The Fairy Queen was certainly unapologetic about demanding such a precious topping. I made it for her anyway, though.
When she answered "pancakes," she had held up three fingers, so I prepared a stack of three. I topped them with whipped cream and bananas, then drizzled over chocolate I had warmed into a liquid state. Finally, I finished it off with a sprinkle of crushed almonds.
I prepared some honey as an optional sweetener just in case, but she poured it on with total abandon. She was going to end up with cavities at this rate. I wondered if fairies even got cavities.
Just then, I heard the footsteps of Alfred, Tiselle, and Urza. It seemed their study session was over. Time to start the next batch.
"Seconds!"
I gave a distracted "yes, yes" to the Fairy Queen’s demand, but the ones I was currently baking were for Alfred and the others. She would have to wait her turn.
The snow was incredible this year. Maintaining each area of the village was a constant struggle. Clearing the roofs was a given, but we also had to dig out paths that had been buried overnight.
Then there were the waterways. The main channels were fine, but the narrower ones were in danger of freezing over. The method for checking them was a bit crude—you simply struck the surface of the water with a wooden sword. Naturally, the children were eager to help.
"Alright, alright. Let's go together. Make sure you dress warmly. Put your hats on, too."
Wait, there were quite a lot of them. If a problem arose, I wouldn't be able to handle this many kids on my own. Lu and Tia were both pregnant, so I couldn't ask them to overexert themselves.
Just as I was looking for help, I saw Hakuren preparing to head out. It seemed she was willing to accompany us.
"You're dressed quite warmly. Is it cold even for a dragon?"
"I’m fine like this, but it would be a problem if the children tried to imitate me, wouldn't it?"
"True. Where’s Hiichiro?"
"His grandmother is watching him, of course."
That was right. Raimeiren was here.
And so, Hakuren, Alfred, Tiselle, Urza, three Beastman boys, and I set out for the waterway patrol. Since everyone except Hakuren and me was armed with a wooden sword, we probably looked like a rather dangerous group to an outsider. Or perhaps just like a bunch of children on their way home from a kendo dojo.
"Urza, stop swinging your sword around. Except for Tiselle’s, all the wooden swords are the same length, so there's no point in comparing them. No wandering off. And don't hit the trees to knock the snow down."
Urza was frolicking in the snow, but Hakuren quickly reined her in.
"Urza, you’re supposed to be a composed older sister, aren't you?"
"..."
I see. That was her motivation.
Behind me, the Beastman boys were whispering to each other about how "impossible" or "reckless" that goal was. I had to remind them that believing in her was important.
The places that froze were usually limited to areas where the water flow was sluggish. By now, we had a good idea of where the trouble spots were.
"It’s only frozen on the surface here!"
The children used their wooden swords to crack the ice and check the depth. Judging by the thickness, it seemed fine for now.
"Over here! It's frozen solid!"
Good find. They had already smashed through the frozen section with their swords. I was impressed, though I had to remind them not to damage the waterway itself.
For the sections that were completely frozen through, I decided to have Hakuren melt them with magic.
"Don't ask me. Let the children practice," Hakuren said.
Since she insisted, I left it to them. They began melting the ice using fire magic.
I watched in silence. Was every child in this village a genius? This was supposed to be the basics, yet they were manipulating the flames with incredible precision to melt the ice perfectly.
That was when I noticed the smug, boastful look on Hakuren's face.
"...Did you teach them this, Hakuren?"
She nodded vigorously. It was a little frustrating, but I suppose I had to praise her.
After finishing the patrol, we returned to the Village Head's Mansion to enjoy some Zenzai. We were all chilled to the bone, and the sweet soup soaked right into our bodies. I was glad I had started the preparation before we left.
"Only one mochi per person! If you eat too many, you won't be able to finish your dinner."
While we were enjoying the Zenzai, I received reports from the various areas. Everything was fine. The snow that had accumulated in the moat surrounding the village had all been melted with magic.
"That’s good. So, what about the snow that hasn't been melted yet?"
It had apparently piled up into a significant amount. In that case, we could build a Kamakura. I wondered where the best spot would be. The courtyard seemed the most convenient.
Also, since Raimeiren was visiting, she would probably build a snow mountain tomorrow if the weather held up. I started thinking about making preparations for that, only to be told that everything was already set.
That was fast. I suppose the snow mountain was just that popular. Everyone was clearly looking forward to it. Well, if Raimeiren didn't end up making one, I would do it myself.
I handed out Zenzai to the High Elves who had brought the reports while I turned these thoughts over in my head.
Wait. Why were there mochi missing?
The children, sensing my suspicion, finished their bowls and bolted from the room.
Fine then. I wasn't going to be the one to help them when Ann got angry because they couldn't finish their dinner.