The blizzard arrived with a vengeance.
It was intense—the kind of storm that made it impossible to even step outside the mansion. However, the building didn’t budge an inch, and life inside remained perfectly comfortable. Perhaps I had worried too much. Then again, it was never wise to let one's guard down, especially when there was no telling how long the whiteout would last.
Still, there was no point in psyching myself up while sitting tucked into the warmth of the kotatsu. I decided to take it easy.
On the second day of the blizzard, I spent my time creating new seasonings with the High Ogre maids.
The catalyst for this project was the yuzu pepper. I had developed that particular condiment with the High Elves, but originally, the High Ogre maids were supposed to have been involved as well. However, Ann and Ramurias—the leaders of the maids—were currently pregnant. Their sense of taste had become inconsistent, and they had grown so sensitive to smells that they decided seasoning development would be too difficult for them. Consequently, the rest of the maids had opted out in solidarity.
The yuzu pepper turned out to be a success. Normally, that wouldn't have been an issue, but its high reputation ended up stinging the professional pride of the High Ogre maids. Finding themselves with nothing but free time due to the blizzard, they decided it was time to create a new seasoning of their own.
Naturally, Ann and Ramurias didn't participate, but their absence meant there was no one left to act as a "brake" for the rest of the maids. I did my best to supervise, cautioning them not to waste ingredients as they worked with fervor.
The result was quite impressive. Taking a cue from the yuzu pepper, they decided to focus on chili peppers. They produced a chili oil by infusing sesame oil with the heat of the peppers. Then, as a "plus-alpha" addition, they created a secondary version by soaking minced garlic, more peppers, and green onions in the oil, seasoning it all with sugar, salt, and soy sauce.
What should I call this chunky version? I suppose it was "solid chili oil," or perhaps "eating chili oil." In any case, it was incredibly convenient for anyone looking to add a kick to their meal. The added texture was a nice touch, too. I planned to gather feedback from the villagers over the course of the winter and keep refining the recipe.
On the third day of the blizzard, a group of adults who were bored out of their minds started a game in one corner of the mansion, dragging the children into the fray. It looked like some sort of massive board game. They had spread a map across a large table and placed markers on it; it seemed each player or team took charge of a faction and aimed to expand their territory.
Instead of using dice, every faction simultaneously declared their intended moves for the turn and then executed them all at once. Because of this, armies might pass right by each other without a fight, or collide in unexpected places to trigger a battle. Predicting the moves of other factions was the core of the game.
Gratz was acting as the moderator. It looked like an exhausting job... and wasn't the number of participants a bit high? At a glance, there were about forty people involved. I wondered if he could actually manage them all. Apparently, it worked because they were playing in teams.
The teams seemed to be divided mostly by race. That meant the Vampire team led by Alfred was at a numerical disadvantage. Wait—I spotted a one-man team. It was Draim. Oh, I spoke too soon; several of Zabuton's children were part of Draim’s team. My apologies.
The game took a significant amount of time because players were allowed to negotiate with other factions during the strategy phase. They could form alliances or strike trade deals, though they were also free to uphold or betray those agreements as they saw fit. Each team even used separate rooms to ensure their private negotiations and national policies remained secret.
In other words, whenever it was time to plan their next move, the factions would retreat into their respective rooms. However, some teams were assigning members to act as lookouts, watching who entered which room to deduce which powers were colluding. It wasn't against the rules, but it made for a very intense atmosphere.
With the need for spies and lookouts, the Angel race team with their superior numbers and Draim’s team with the spiderlings seemed to have a distinct advantage. Of course, I doubted numbers alone would decide the victor. I spent the rest of the day leisurely spectating from the sidelines.
The fourth day of the blizzard came, and Gratz’s board game was still going strong.
"You... you betrayed me!"
"Ho ho ho! It's your own fault for being so trusting. The first legion of my Kingdom of Cabbage shall invade and occupy the capital of the Holy State of Tomato! Surrender now. If you accept our terms, I guarantee you'll be treated with leniency."
"Grrr..."
"Ah, hate to rain on your parade while you're feeling so smug, but my Potato Knights are officially rescinding our alliance with the Kingdom of Cabbage. Furthermore, our first and second legions are currently marching into Cabbage territory."
"Wait—what?! Why?!"
"And now, we formally announce a military alliance between the Potato Knights, the Carrot Family, and the Onion Union! The naval battle off the coast is as good as won."
"Not so fast. Allow the Daikon Empire to intervene in that naval engagement. I can't have the maritime balance of power shifting so drastically. We shall support the Kingdom of Cabbage."
"The Daikon Empire is on the move! We have to stop them or we're all finished! This is no time for the New State of Pumpkin and the Onion Union to be bickering! We need to build a joint defense line immediately!"
"I won't be fooled by your sweet talk again! My New State of Pumpkin is going its own way. We're seizing the undefended cities of the Carrot Family!"
The situation on the board was absolute chaos. Since the children were also playing, I wished they could have kept it a little more civil.
"Other factions are just stepping stones for our own growth, right?"
"Lies told for diplomacy aren't really lies at all."
"The moment you show a single opening, you get devoured. So this is what it means to live..."
See? It was starting to feel like a terrible influence on their upbringing. I knew it was just a game, but still.
On the fifth day of the blizzard, I found an unfamiliar woman standing before me. She had sheep-like horns growing from the sides of her head, but she didn't look like a beastman; she seemed to be a demon. Based on her attire, she looked like a daughter from a fairly wealthy noble family.
"Well? What do you think?"
The moment I heard her voice, the mystery was solved. The unfamiliar woman was Kierbit.
"I think as long as no one recognizes your voice, they'd never suspect a thing," I replied.
Of course, I already knew it was her. If I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have doubted her identity even after hearing her speak.
"In that case, it's fine for me to go to the Royal Capital with him like this, right?"
I hesitated. Kierbit’s goal was to accompany Torain on his trip to the Academy in the capital. I had consulted the Demon King about it, and he had told me that while her being an Angel wasn't the issue, the fact that she was specifically Kierbit was a major problem.
People often forgot that Kierbit was the former Heavenly Wing Shrine Maiden of the Garlet Kingdom—a position of extreme importance. Even as a "former" official, she still carried immense political weight. Furthermore, the Garlet Kingdom was currently in the midst of a chaotic civil war that had erupted just as the Demon Kingdom was trying to finalize a peace treaty with the human nations. If it were discovered that Kierbit was in the Demon King’s capital, people would suspect that the chaos in the Garlet Kingdom had been orchestrated by the Demon King, which would jeopardize the peace process.
In short, the Demon King had asked her to stay away because it would be a diplomatic nightmare. When I relayed that to Kierbit, this disguise was her response. Her passion and initiative were impressive, if a bit intimidating. I suppose I couldn't really refuse her now.
"So, I have permission to go?"
"Just... make sure you don't cause any trouble."
"Of course! Leave everything to me!"
It was a confident answer. While I chose to trust her, I made a mental note to inform the Demon King later.
As for the Demon King himself... he was currently fully immersed in Gratz’s game.
"A surrender demand? The Carrot Family shall never yield! Send them a reply: 'Nuts!'"
He was enjoying himself with incredible gusto. It seemed they could keep the game going indefinitely by rotating people out for meals and sleep. Well, as long as the children were having fun, I suppose it was fine. I wondered how they would ever reach a conclusion. Usually, these things had a time limit, right? They’d decide the winner based on the state of the board when the time ran out.
Apparently, it was scheduled to end tonight. I see. Just a little longer, then. Good luck to everyone.
If you're wondering which faction I was rooting for... it was Gratz. He seemed to have the most exhausting job of all, even if he did look like he was having the time of his life.
On the morning of the sixth day, the blizzard finally stopped.
The Factions of the Great Board Game:
- Holy State of Tomato: The Vampire team led by Alfred.
- Kingdom of Cabbage: The Angel team led by Tiselle.
- Potato Knights: The Dragon team (Hakuren, Rusty, Hiichiro) led by Urza.
- Carrot Family: The Demon team consisting of Fraciabel, Beezel, the Demon King, and the Civil Official Girls.
- New State of Pumpkin: A mixed team of Beastmen and Lizardmen led by Sette and Sena.
- Onion Union: The team of High Ogre maids and Torain.
- Daikon Empire: Draim and Zabuton’s children.