The day after the blizzard finally broke, the sky was clear and bright.
The sun reflected off the fresh snow, making the world blindingly white. Now, however, I was faced with a significant problem: the snow was piled high enough to reach my neck. Until now, the most we’d ever seen was about fifty centimeters, but this storm had shattered that record, dumping triple the usual amount all at once.
I had been startled when I first opened the door on the ground floor, so I was currently assessing the situation from a second-story window. What was I supposed to do with all of this? Usually, we just shoveled the snow into the reservoir or the river, but with this volume, that didn't seem realistic. I wondered if the Universal Farming Tool could handle it.
As I stood there worrying, several of Kuro's children leaped from the windows and dove straight into the drifts. I wasn't entirely sure how they were doing it, but they began tunneling through the white powder, melting the snow as they went.
One after another, more wolves plunged into the deep snow and disappeared beneath the surface. In their wake, they left behind a network of clean, sturdy tunnels. I started to think this might actually solve our snow problem, but just as the thought crossed my mind, a patch of snow a short distance away collapsed with a heavy thud.
Since they were melting the snow at random, the tunnels were prone to caving in.
"Are you guys okay? Just a surprise? I see. Well, try to be a bit more methodical with the melting," I called out.
Even as I spoke, another section of snow collapsed further away. Had they made it that far already? No, that wasn't it. Those were the wolves who had taken shelter in the sheds during the storm. To prove it, the next collapse happened even closer to the mansion.
A few heads popped out of the snow to get their bearings. Noticing me, they climbed onto the surface and came rushing over.
"Ah, wait! The others were just tunneling through there, so—"
Too late. One of them vanished into a hidden tunnel.
"That wasn't a trap, you know. No need to look so embarrassed just because you took a tumble."
Thanks to the hard work of the wolves, the area immediately surrounding the mansion was soon cleared. We could finally move in and out of the first floor.
The next task was knocking down the massive icicles hanging from the eaves and clearing the heavy accumulation from the roofs. Both were dangerous if they fell unexpectedly. Whenever I spotted an icicle, I shattered it with a long pole. It was actually somewhat therapeutic.
Because the roofs were slanted, they hadn't collected as much as the ground, but there was still a good fifty centimeters of snow up there. While I was debating how to tackle it, Aegis, the phoenix chick, hopped forward looking remarkably self-assured.
"If you're telling me to leave it to you, I will... but are you sure? I don't know what you're planning, but please don't damage the building. Also, the eagle looks incredibly worried about this."
Aegis ignored my concerns, his eyes brimming with confidence. He cloaked himself in a shroud of flames and took flight. He clearly intended to use his heat to melt the snow right off the tiles.
However... how should I put this? Comparing his little flickers of flame to the sheer mass of snow on the roof, it felt like the snow had the overwhelming advantage.
Five minutes later, Aegis flew back to me with tears in his eyes.
"It’s alright. You did your best. Eagle, I'm sorry, but could you comfort him?"
I decided I would have to climb up and clear the roofs manually. The problem was getting up there. Normally, I’d have Lu, Tia, or Granmaria carry me, but most of our fliers were still at Village Five.
As for those remaining... Kudel, Corone, and Kierbit were already out on perimeter patrol. Flora was currently nocturnal because of her research and had gone to bed right after breakfast. It would be cruel to wake her. That left Malbit and Ruincia.
The idea of entrusting my physical safety to Malbit while soaring through the air was, frankly, terrifying. And since Ruincia was Tia’s mother, the thought of being carried in her arms was a bit too embarrassing to bear.
I needed another way. Climbing up myself was both dangerous and frightening.
I decided to pivot. I asked Dos to assume his dragon form and sweep the snow off the roofs for me.
"Thanks, Dos. That's a huge help."
While I was overseeing the snow removal and checking the animal sheds for damage, Lu arrived from Village Five. She had come as the representative of the evacuation group to see how the main village was faring.
"I’m sorry for the late check-in," I told her. "I wanted to get the snow under control before I reached out. With the roads like this, it’s not like I could just tell everyone to come home immediately, right? Is everyone at Village Five doing okay?"
"Village Five has had nothing but clear skies, so there were no problems... wait."
"What’s with the hesitation? Why can't you just say there were no problems? Did something happen?"
"Well... the kids got into a scuffle with the local children. Apparently, the locals treated them like outsiders, and it turned into a fight."
"Any injuries? Are they okay? I see, that’s a relief. So Alfred held his ground? That’s my boy."
"The parents of the local children came to apologize, looking absolutely pale," Lu continued.
"Well, it was just a kids' fight, right? There's no need to make a big deal out of it. Is that all?"
"No... there's more. After the fight, Urza and Nart systematically thrashed every single kid in Village Five and forced them into submission."
"…What? Submission?"
"They've formed a group."
"W-well, I'm sure it's fine as long as they're getting along. Like a 'Friendship Group' or a little club. Right?"
"Not exactly."
"Look, they're just kids. Let’s not blow this out of proportion. Just tell them to disband their 'Friendship Group.' It’s dangerous when kids start gathering in large numbers."
"It's too late for that. Their group already clashed with the Village Five Security Team. Urza actually went toe-to-toe with Pirika."
What on earth was going on over there? They’d only been in Village Five for three days!
"I-I understand. I’ll hurry and get things ready so the children can come home. I’ll have the village ready for them by tomorrow."
"That’s too slow," Lu said firmly. "If possible, they need to come back right now."
"Right now? Alright, I’ll prioritize clearing the path between the mansion and the dungeon. Once that's done—"
"I'll handle it."
Before I could finish, Lu unleashed her fire magic, incinerating every trace of snow on the path between the mansion and the dungeon. The bare ground was suddenly visible.
"There. Now the evacuation group can return immediately, right?"
"…Understood."
I truly wondered what had happened at Village Five. I had a feeling I needed to start preparing myself mentally for their return.