The blizzard finally subsided.
It was a dazzling morning. When I opened the front door, a world of shimmering silver stretched out before me. Of course, it had been a world of silver even before the blizzard hit, but the sheer volume of the new snowfall was incredible. In some places, the drifts piled up to heights of over two meters.
Clearing all this was going to be an ordeal. I looked up at the roof and realized it was likely buried under an equal amount of weight; we needed to clear it off immediately before the structure was compromised.
Just as I was worrying about the logistics, the dragons—or more specifically, Raimeiren—took action. Using her magic, she compressed the snow into dense blocks and cleared them away in one swift motion. So that was how she had constructed those snow mountains for the kids. Even if her primary motivation was simply to look impressive in front of her grandson, Hiichiro, I was immensely grateful for the help.
"Wait a moment!" I called out. "Please leave the snow in the plaza as it is."
Apparently, they were planning to use it for a snowball fight. The Demon King and Gratz had already mapped out the layout, using Heat Retention Stones to ensure the snow piled up into the specific shapes of defensive fortifications. Because the blizzard had been so fierce, the structures hadn't formed perfectly, but the faint outlines of their trenches and walls were clearly visible.
It wasn't a bad use for the stones. I made a mental note to consider installing Heat Retention Stones along the roads and roofs starting next winter. Then again, I would have to figure out where all that meltwater would go. Without proper drainage, I’d just be creating a different kind of mess. I decided to revisit the idea later after consulting with the residents.
For now, there was work to be done. Leaving the heavy lifting to the dragons, the able-bodied adults divided into teams to patrol the village. Our priority was confirming the safety of the residents and animals living outside the main mansion. Once that was done, we began checking the buildings for structural damage.
"Whoops, you kids shouldn't go too far yet!" I warned.
It was fine for them to play where the dragons had already cleared the ground, but wandering into the deep drifts was dangerous; they could easily get stuck or buried. I encouraged them to watch the dragons work from a safe distance. Their enthusiasm was clearly infectious, as the dragons seemed to be working with renewed vigor under the children's gaze.
"Guronde, could you keep an eye on Dos and Giral? I don't want them getting too carried away."
I also assigned Ol, the Orthros, to act as Guronde's escort. Ol was wearing a remarkably warm-looking outfit. It seemed Zabuton’s children had been busy tailoring again; he even had custom-made boots. While it felt a little overprotective to dress a magical beast in shoes, I suppose the snow was quite cold.
Next, I headed to the fruit tree area to check on the bee sheds. We reinforced them every year before the first snow, but I wanted to be sure. Fortunately, they were all still standing. However, the snow-laden branches overhead were a hazard, and long icicles had already begun to form. I broke off the ones within my reach. As for the icicles higher up, I decided to leave those to the Angel Race.
"Kuro's children! I’m going to ask the Angels to handle those, so you don't need to go tackling the trees!"
The falling snow and ice were dangerous, and though the wolves dodged them nimbly, watching them was bad for my heart. Sure enough, a massive clump of snow fell and flattened one of them.
"Are you okay? There, there."
I understood their desire to run around after being cooped up indoors for so long, but they needed to be cautious. The snow could hide all sorts of holes. Even if it was a place they frequented before the blizzard, this village was full of people who could create pitfalls with magic on a whim. Once the wolves seemed to understand, I turned back toward the mansion.
Glancing upward, I saw the Universal Ship from Village Four hovering overhead. Tou, the ship's captain, reported that there were no issues at Village Four, nor with the Lamia Race in the Southern Dungeon or the Giant Race in the Northern Dungeon. He had taken the initiative to check on them before reporting to me, which was a huge relief. I had been worried since I hadn't been able to warn the dungeon dwellers about the severity of the storm.
"It seems both the Lamias and the Giants sensed the blizzard coming through years of intuition," Tou explained.
I suppose that was to be expected of them. I was approaching my nineteenth year in this world, yet I still couldn't predict a blizzard to save my life. I could vaguely tell when the weather was turning sour, but for anything specific, it was always more accurate to ask Kuro or the other animals.
Since Village Four didn't require any urgent supplies, I directed the Universal Ship toward Howlin Village. It was a mountain settlement, and both Sena and Gatto were concerned about how their kin had fared. As neighbors, it was only right to check in.
Reports soon arrived from the Centaur Race as well. Their scheduled update confirmed that Village One, Village Two, and Village Three had all weathered the storm without incident. That left only Village Five.
Yoko, the Acting Village Head of Village Five, had moved there just before the blizzard to ensure her administrative duties wouldn't be interrupted by travel delays. She had left her daughter, Hitoe, behind in the Village of the Great Tree, claiming the child was more relaxed here than in the crowded city. While I appreciated the trust, it was a fair bit of pressure to look after her. Hitoe, however, didn't seem to mind her mother's absence at all, spending her days playing with the High Ogre Maids and the beastman girls.
As I entered the Great Tree Dungeon while carrying Hitoe, I ran into Yoko, who had just returned from the city via the teleportation gate. She had already received word that the blizzard had stopped. I was glad we didn't miss each other. After reuniting Hitoe with her mother, I finally made my way back to the mansion.
That night, we held a small banquet to celebrate the end of the storm. While the main focus was expressing gratitude for the village’s safety, we also took the time to celebrate the winners of Gratz's multi-day board game.
It turned out the faction led by Draim and supported by Zabuton’s children had claimed ultimate victory. However, even though they officially lost the game, I couldn't help but feel the Angels were the true winners. They had spent the entire week using "diplomatic bribes" to secure a massive hoard of fruit from the other teams.
"That is exactly the problem with the Angel Race," Gratz grumbled, though the Angels themselves were too busy eating to care.
The main course for the evening was nabeyaki udon, served in the small iron pots Gatto and his blacksmiths had recently crafted. To keep the food warm, each pot was placed on a specialized trivet with a heat retention stone embedded inside.
"These little pots are quite the luxury," one of the Angels remarked.
I had to agree. Since they were really only useful for individual servings of specific dishes, they were a bit of a specialty item.
"Oh, really?" Lu chimed in. "A size like this would be perfect for brewing small batches of medicine. I'd like to have a few for my workshop."
"I agree," Flora added. "I could use several for my own research as well."
I told them that was fine, but warned them not to walk off with the ones currently holding our dinner. I promised to put in a bulk order with Gatto later.
"Thank you," Lu said. "And I'll take some of those trivets, too."
"Me too!" Flora added.
I nodded. I’d have to place an order with the Mountain Elves for those.
Just then, the High Ogre Maids arrived with a fresh round of udon and mochi. If anyone wanted seconds, they had to speak up fast. It was a lively, warm conclusion to a week spent hiding from the cold.