Zabuton and her children have officially entered hibernation.
It’s goodbye until spring.
The cold-resistant spiderlings who don't hibernate were looking especially motivated to take over. I made sure to tell them not to overexert themselves, though I’m certainly counting on them. I also reminded the ones who can't handle the cold without a Heat Retention Stone to make sure they always had one on hand. Even the ones who are naturally hardy shouldn't be careless. It gets freezing out there.
"You wouldn't want to freeze solid outdoors like the slimes and stay stuck that way until spring, would you?"
The slimes got annoyed when they heard me say that. But let's be honest—it’s the truth, isn’t it? Even if the number of slimes getting stuck like that has decreased lately, it still happens. Before they get mad at me, they really should be more careful as a species.
Following Zabuton's lead, the Pond Turtles in the reservoir have also gone into hibernation. We’ll meet again in the spring.
...Actually, Lu.
I was in the middle of a sentimental farewell here. Could you please stop dancing while clutching that Pond Turtle shell skin? Besides, we get a decent amount of it every single year. It’s hardly rare enough to warrant a victory dance, is it?
"I don't care what you say, this is precious! It’s a legendary material! It has so many uses that I honestly couldn't have enough of it."
She stopped dancing, but her gait remained remarkably light. She must be truly delighted. Well, Pond Turtle shell skin isn't just used for medicine; it’s a magical catalyst and a component for magic tools as well. For Lu, it probably feels like she just secured a fresh stock of research materials to last the winter.
Still, hogging it all isn't right. I told her that if Flora or Tia wanted some, she had to share.
"I-I know. I'll give them some if they ask."
Good.
By the way, the dragons’ scales are also valuable. Does she get this excited about those?
"Those are precious too, of course, but processing them is such a chore."
Apparently, working with dragon scales requires using other rare minerals, making it a major hassle.
"Besides, it’s hard to get excited when you see enough of them to be thrown away."
People usually stop me with desperate looks if I even mention throwing them away, though. I suppose I’ll have to build more scale storehouses next year.
And then, winter truly arrived.
A sudden blizzard hit the village. It took me by surprise, but our preparations were perfect. There was nothing to worry about. I sat there thinking to myself that a blizzard of this level couldn't even make us flinch... or so I thought.
The next day.
Once the storm died down and I went to check on the village's status, I found that part of the cow shed wall had been smashed.
Ridiculous! The cow shed had never broken before. I’d even performed maintenance on it recently. I couldn't believe a simple blizzard could do that.
"Actually, it looks like the cows were the ones who broke it."
It turned out a young cow had been spooked by the howling wind and went on a rampage. Well, that couldn't be helped. Fortunately, the only damage was to the wall; the cows themselves were perfectly fine.
I worried if they had been cold, since they were all huddling together inside the shed. But then, several of Zabuton's children emerged from the herd, each clutching a Hot Stone. Oh, so they had been keeping the cows warm? Thank you. That was a huge help.
The spiderlings seemed to be reflecting on their inability to contact me sooner, but I told them not to worry. It was a blizzard, after all. Going outside would have been reckless. Staying put was the right call.
Still, there were a lot of spiderlings in the shed. I knew a few of them lived there in shifts to guard the place, but I didn't think there were this many. I wondered if they had moved through the blizzard to get there, but that wasn't it. Apparently, because the cows sometimes head for the hot springs on a whim, they had increased their numbers in advance for monitoring duty.
Because they had extra hands on deck, they were able to keep the cows sufficiently warm. We were lucky. No, the cows and I were lucky because Zabuton's children were prepared, and that preparation brought us that luck. I thanked them again. They really saved us.
The cow that broke the wall seemed to be reflecting on its actions as well. As long as it doesn't happen again, I won't make an issue of it. Since there was no damage elsewhere in the village, we focused on repairing the shed immediately.
First, we cleared out the snow that had blown inside and exposed the broken section to assess the damage. The foundation and pillars seemed fine. Since it was just the wall planks that had given way, I figured we could fix it quickly... hopefully.
Just as I was starting to feel a bit uneasy about the workload, the High Elves, Mountain Elves, and Beastkin girls arrived to help. What a relief. Even the spiderlings pitched in. I left the high spots to them and we got to work, hoping to finish before the next storm.
Four hours later, the repairs were successfully completed. Once the cows saw everything was back in order, they started getting ready to leave.
Where were they going? The hot springs? If that was the case, they could have left without waiting for the repairs to finish. I wouldn't have slacked off just because they weren't watching.
But apparently, that wasn't the reason. They felt they couldn't just go relax at the hot springs while we were all working so hard. I appreciated the sentiment. I gave them some pats and told them to go enjoy the soak.
I’m always impressed by how the cows are clever enough to open and close the doors themselves. I’ve installed improved locks several times to prevent it, but they always find a way. The horses and goats are the same. All the animals here are remarkably intelligent.
If they ever tried to go somewhere dangerous, the spiderlings would step in to manage the doors, but for this trip, several of the children decided to accompany the cows. It was a safety measure in case anything happened on the road. I left it in their hands. I also asked them to give my regards to the Death Knights at the hot springs. I’ll probably head over there myself a few times this winter. Nothing beats a hot spring in the middle of winter.
By the time I got back to the mansion, the sun had completely set. Dinner was going to be a little while longer, though. It wasn't that Ann and the High Ogre maids were slacking; the days were just getting much shorter. I offered to help in the kitchen, but they turned me down, so I went to my room to wait.
Inside my room, Kuro and the others were already tucked into the kotatsu, looking completely relaxed.
Kuro and Yuki were there, along with Kuroichi and Alice, Kuroni and Iris, Uno and Kurosan, and Kuroyon and Elis. The entire first-generation pack was gathered together. Since the Fenrir family takes over the bulk of the village security during the winter, the old guard gets to take it easy.
That was fine and all, but...
"How come not a single one of you was by my side today?"
Only a few had even bothered to see me off when I left the mansion. At my question, the wolves looked thoughtful for a moment before they all simultaneously ducked their heads inside the kotatsu. They really are a tight-knit family.
Well, it is cold out. I'm not actually angry. I told them I was getting in too and asked them to stop hiding and make some room.
Phew, it’s warm.
Since Zabuton's children were such a big help today, I think I'll make a potato dish for them tomorrow. I wonder what they’d like. Mashed potatoes? No, it’s winter, so something hot would be better. Maybe steamed potatoes with a generous slab of butter melting on top. That sounds perfect.
Or perhaps they’d be happier with something more unusual?
While pondering the menu, I sat back and leisurely waited for dinner.