Did snow accumulate on the World Tree?
The answer was yes.
However, I had never once seen snow actually piled up on it. I had wondered if the Giant Silkworms living there brushed it off, but they spent the winter hibernating inside their cocoons. They weren't in any state to be clearing snow.
As I pondered this, the Eagle—who acted as the guardian for the phoenix chick, Aegis—let out a proud, sharp cry.
I see. So the Eagle was the one taking care of it.
Wait. What did "taking care of it" actually mean? How did he do it?
"Watch this," he seemed to say.
The Eagle perched upon the highest point of the World Tree and gave a single branch a small shake. In response, every single branch across the entire World Tree shuddered violently.
It was impressive. So that was how he brushed the snow away. I wasn't sure if that was a specific technique of the Eagle or simply a natural property of the World Tree. Perhaps it was both. Either way, it was a convenient feature.
I checked to make sure the Giant Silkworms were alright, but apparently, that level of vibration didn't bother them at all. They weren't going to fall off. That was a relief.
"By the way, Eagle, where's Aegis?"
The bird chirped an answer. Apparently, he was napping. He had been fast asleep since the night before.
I suspected he was simply sleeping in because of the cold. Well, it wasn't as if I had any urgent business for him, so I didn't mind if he slept the day away. As long as he was healthy, that was all that mattered.
Winter was a season where people tended to hole up indoors. Part of it was the cold, but the snow also made it difficult to travel. However, staying cooped up all day was unhealthy. I didn't mean that people would lack exercise—the mansion was certainly large enough to walk around in—but everyone needed to breathe fresh air.
That was why I made an effort to go outside whenever the weather was good, and I encouraged the other residents to do the same.
Of course, there were some who absolutely refused to budge.
Another thing that couldn't be overlooked was airing out the rooms. This was vital regardless of the season, but in winter, people tended to keep the windows shut unless they made a conscious effort to open them. Unless it was pouring rain, I wanted the windows opened at least once a day.
The High Ogre maids were quite diligent about this. However, they faced a faction that resisted the daily ventilation routine.
"If we open the windows, the room will get cold." "Not right now. Tomorrow. Let's do it tomorrow."
The ones offering this "immovable defense" from the depths of the kotatsu were the Civil Official Girls and the members of the Angel Race.
Naturally, the High Ogre maids were not deterred by such resistance. Without a word, they threw the windows wide and let the fresh air circulate. They completely ignored the screams and complaints of the girls and the Angels as they moved methodically to the next room.
Kuro and the other wolves were far more cooperative. They had already learned that resistance was futile, so they understood that the best move was to simply relocate to a room where the airing had already been completed.
The cats followed the same logic. Raigiel, Jewel, the older sisters, and the younger kittens didn't bother with useless struggles. Sougetsu the tiger, who usually hung out with the older sister cats, showed a bit of reluctance to give up his favorite spot, but he eventually yielded to the chill and moved.
I had always had the impression that tigers were resistant to the cold. Then again, I supposed it depended on the breed, like the Amur or Bengal tiger. Amur tigers had long fur and were built for the cold. As for Sougetsu... I wasn't enough of an expert to tell the difference. He might have been a species I’d never even heard of.
Regardless, after spending so much time indoors, he had grown soft. Or rather, everyone simply preferred to stay in a comfortable environment.
The ones who resisted with all their might were the dragons. Neither Hakuren nor Rusty were particularly sensitive to the cold, and yet they complained the loudest.
"It’s a matter of principle," Hakuren argued.
"She's right," Rusty added. "It's cruel to suddenly throw open the windows when we're finally feeling warm."
They said "suddenly," but this happened at almost the exact same time every single day.
"Hmph. If you're going to be like that, then the Village Head will just have to warm us up himself."
"Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea."
I let them cling to me, playing along to distract them while the High Ogre maids finished airing out their quarters.
Interestingly, Dos and the other male dragons were much more proactive about the ventilation.
"Hiichiro and the others might come to visit," Dos explained. "If I don't clear the air and keep the room warm, Raimeiren will have my head."
That made sense.
"I’ve also prepared some sweets the children will like," he added.
They looked like the sort of treats that would keep for a while. I asked if they were handmade.
"These ones are. Giral and I made them together. The others over there were made by the High Ogres here."
They were better than I expected.
"Indeed. But when I bragged about them, Raimeiren got pouting and jealous."
"..."
"I had no choice but to suggest she try making some with Hiichiro and the others."
"Is that why she isn't here?"
"She whisked them away before the children could even look at the sweets we had here..."
I sighed. "Well... shall we have some tea then?"
"Let's."
The sweets Dos had made were quite delicious.
Later, I received a report that there had been a minor explosion in the kitchen. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
The "hard-earned" sweets that resulted from that explosive cooking session—a collaboration between Raimeiren, Hiichiro, and Gural—were... well, let's just say they tasted of effort.
They were fine. They were edible. But it was painfully obvious that they hadn't listened to a single word of the High Ogre maids' instructions. If you didn't follow the directions, it was the same as not listening at all. I made a mental note to tell them to be more attentive next time.
Seeing Raimeiren puffing out her cheeks in a pout, I couldn't help but think she truly was Hakuren's mother. They looked exactly alike.