"Phew... It really is freezing again today."
It was a day late in the year, with less than a week remaining until the new year began.
A massive cold wave had descended upon the town of Gimul—no, across the entire Jamil Duchy. Thanks to the relentless snow, I was forced to head toward the town while it was still pitch black outside. I was incredibly grateful that I had mastered Long-distance Teleportation Magic using Stone Slimes as my beacons. Trudging through snow piled as high as a child’s waist, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for that magic with every step of my handmade snowshoes.
Before long, the familiar gates of Gimul came into view. Two members of the Guard Force were stationed at the entrance, and they waved as soon as they spotted me.
"Good morning!" I called out.
"Morning!"
"Another cold one today!"
My pace was slow because of the deep powder, and I was shouting my greetings by the time I finally reached the gate.
"Good work out there," one said.
"It must be rough, doing this every day."
"The snow and this cold are really something else," I replied.
While we made small talk, I presented my identification and finished the verification process.
"Alright, you're clear. By the way, you're doing that again today, right? We'll help you get ready."
"Thank you. That would be a huge help."
"Haha, don't mention it. We're the ones being helped here," he said with a laugh.
"Besides, if we pitch in, it’ll help us stay warm for a bit."
They were joking, but I suspect wanting to warm up was their honest motivation. For my part, I was happy for the assistance. I immediately began pulling the necessary tools out of my Dimension Home.
"It’s been so cold lately that some of my Aqua Slimes actually evolved into Ice Slimes," I remarked.
"Aqua Slimes? Those are the ones with bodies made of water, right? I'm no expert, but didn't they just... freeze?"
"Everyone says that, but it seems to be something else entirely."
In the experiments I had conducted, I found that while Aqua Slimes were generally resistant to temperature changes, they had differing preferences when it came to air cold enough to turn them to ice. The individuals that liked the cold invariably favored ice-attribute mana. Furthermore, since only those specific individuals changed into Ice Slimes despite being in the same environment, I concluded they hadn't simply frozen.
"Oh, speaking of ice," the guard said, "those shoe anti-slip attachments you donated... is there any way to get more? The rubber ones?"
"Oh, those? I've outsourced the distribution to the Morgan Company."
"Well, word spread among the Guard Force that those rubber grips were top-notch. Now they sell out the moment they hit the shelves."
"Most accidents lately have been caused by the snow, or the ice and mud it leaves behind," the other guard added. "Some adventurers use mountain gear, but ordinary folks don't have that kind of equipment ready to go."
"I see..."
It was a classic case of a sudden market boom. Until now, this region had enjoyed a relatively temperate climate even in winter. To the residents, this cold wave was an extreme weather event. With their usual winter preparations, they hadn't been equipped for snow this deep. Shops wouldn't have kept large stocks of items that didn't usually sell, and even if they had, they would have been the exception.
On the other hand, I had happened to learn about the cold wave’s arrival through my conversations with the gods. I had passed that information along to relevant parties to begin preparations, and the Morgan Company had been the swiftest to act. Perhaps Chairman Serge had obtained information from elsewhere as well, but he had started moving immediately after I told him about the possibility of a freeze.
Thanks to that, the development of cold-weather goods—starting with those rubber anti-slip attachments—had progressed rapidly. They had even moved into mass production by running new factories at full capacity, and the products were already being sold in stores.
The "small boat" currently being assembled in front of me was another such product.
I had built it based on the boat I rode in the Fatma Territory. I installed a stove, the kind used for camping, onto the rear. Above that, I set up a device that looked like a large stockpot with a metal pipe coiled around it. If I had to describe this boat in one word, it would be a "Pop-pop boat." Specifically, not the kind powered by old engines, but the kind seen in science experiments or as toy boats.
Next, I placed Filter Slimes inside the two metal pipes extending to the rear. Inside the stove, I laid down a bed of Ash Slimes, placed charcoal on top, and lit it. Finally, I used magic to fill the stockpot with Aqua Slimes and enough water to fill the pipes. My preparations were complete.
"Could you set this up as well?" I asked.
"You got it."
While the guards set up a yellow flag with red lettering that read "Road Cleaning and Snow Removal in Progress," I got to work. I checked in with the Aqua Slimes inside the pot, which were growing warm from the fire. They seemed raring to go. I confirmed that no one was in sight further down the street, and then I began.
"Here we go."
I sent mana and a clear mental image to the slimes that had assimilated with the water. Immediately, the contents of the pot rippled and swirled, leaping out of the vessel to form a sphere on the road. The mass of hot water gently approached the ground and made contact with the surface of the fallen snow.
The sphere collapsed, spreading out like a wave and melting the snow instantly. The melted snow turned into water, merging with the hot water and the Aqua Slimes to increase their volume. Caught in the flow created by the magic, even more snow on the road was consumed.
This was my recent morning routine: city snow removal using Water Slime Magic.
I had heard people say that you should never melt snow with water because it would re-freeze into dangerous ice. However, that only happened if the water was left to sit in freezing temperatures. In my previous life’s understanding of physics, once you poured water, there was no taking it back. But in this world, there was magic. With the assistance of assimilated slimes allowing for ultra-precise control, I could collect every last drop of water—including the melted snow. It wouldn't re-freeze because it wouldn't be left on the road.
As I ran through that internal monologue, the Aqua Slimes had grown quite large from all the gathered moisture. They looked like a giant, hemispherical slime sitting in the middle of the street. This volume of water would be enough.
"Alright, I'm heading off."
I called out to the guards, who had been warming themselves by the fire, and hopped onto the small boat. They moved away quickly, though they looked a little sad to leave the warmth behind. In their place, the giant water sphere enveloped the boat. Passing through the metal pipes and the Filter Slimes, the Aqua Slimes boarded the pot section, while the remaining water lifted the boat off the ground.
"I'm off!"
With a wave from the guards, the boat began to glide toward the center of town. By using Water Slime Magic, I could perform snow removal, cleaning, and travel all at once. It was the most efficient solution I had found.
Truthfully, I didn't have to do this; the Town Office or the Adventurer Guild would eventually get around to it. But it was an emergency, and everyone was shorthanded. I had mana to spare, and the gods seemed delighted whenever I used Slime Magic. It was a simple bit of volunteer work. Besides, traveling through the early morning town on a boat wrapped in water wasn't a bad way to spend the time.
Not many people were out at this hour, but I frequently passed those whose jobs forced them to be active early despite the snow. I had gained quite a few acquaintances this way. At first, people were dumbfounded or thought they were seeing a ghost, but they had grown used to me. Now, people I saw every morning would wave or call out, even if we didn't know each other's names.
"Hey! Magic boy! Over here!"
The voice belonged to a woman who ran a food stand I passed often. I manipulated the water to bring the boat alongside her stall.
"Good morning," I said. "Is something wrong?"
"Here, take this. On the house."
"Oh, it's warm! Thank you so much."
She handed me a wooden bowl and a spoon filled with a hot soup of sausages and root vegetables.
"And don't forget the bread. Keep up the good work today."
"Thank you. I will!"
With the warm encouragement and a piece of crusty bread, I floated the boat back up and returned to the snow. I took a spoonful of the soup, and the heat and flavor bloomed in my mouth. As I swallowed, the warmth spread to my very core.
Since I started this snow removal work, I had found many people like her who offered provisions or a kind word. Under the pre-dawn sky, with the world beginning to grow faint and bright, I savored my breakfast while my boat carved a path through the silver landscape.
Financially, this activity didn't yield a single cent of profit, but my heart was more than satisfied. Something like this wasn't bad once in a while.