Thanks to all the hard work, we managed to build a pretty big kamakura.
Big enough for the whole family—except for Pochi, of course—to fit inside.
To make the most of it, we decided to have tea inside.
Mother and Grandma brewed tea for everyone, and we brought out some cookies I’d baked earlier. We spread hay from Pochi’s stable on the floor for some added comfort.
「It’s amazing how warm it is, even though it’s a house made of snow.」
Mother said, looking up at the ceiling in awe.
「Hehe…..Mint worked hard with Sui!」
「Mint is such a good girl.」
「Grandma, Karen, Mother, good too! Snow, carried!」
「That’s right. You helped us by carrying away the snow we dug out.」
「Hmm, and it’s impressive that Mint noticed everything. You’re really sharp.」
「Mufuu!」
Mint puffed up proudly, sitting in the middle, basking in everyone’s attention.
「Was there really a culture in your world that built houses like this?」
「Yeah, there were people who lived in places where snow covered the ground year-round. They didn’t build with snow exactly, but with ice. They cut ice into blocks and stacked them up like bricks to make houses.」
I think they were called the Inuit, and their houses, igloos, if I recall correctly.
「People lived in places like that…..?」
「Grandma, it’s possible that even in this world, there are other civilizations beyond the continent. There could be people who live like that out there.」
「Ah, you’re right. As we grow older, our view of the world can become smaller. I should be more open.」
「….Your father used to say something similar.」
Mother said, smiling softly as she sipped her tea.
「He’d talk about how there could be another continent or a new civilization across the sea. Who knows? Maybe in the distant future, as technology advances, the world will become even bigger than we can imagine.」
On this continent, technology for long-distance sea travel hasn’t really developed. The seas are full of monsters after all.
And sea monsters tend to be huge. That SerpentTurtleShark thing I fought once was small compared to what’s out there. The farther you travel from land, the bigger and more terrifying they become. Giant creatures like the Kraken and Leviathan have been sighted—so massive, they could be mistaken for islands.
On top of that, magic doesn’t work well underwater, making it even harder to fight these creatures.
Maybe the dragons, who freely soar across the skies, have seen what lies beyond the sea, but…
「A distant future, huh? It feels like such a far-off dream.」
We’re barely managing to deal with the Void Forest, let alone the rest of the continent.
Just setting up the magic power crucible monitoring system was a monumental task.
「Hmm, I much prefer this cozy little snow house. It’s strange, though….. How is it so warm in here when it’s made of snow? Is it because I’m sticking close to you?」
She snuggled up against me, and while I didn’t mind, having the whole family watching made me feel a bit embarrassed.
「Oh, how sneaky. Maybe mother should cuddle up to Sui-kun too.」
「Group hug! Mint join!」
「Ara ara. I suppose that leaves me out. Mint, would you cuddle with Grandma then?」
As my family started playing and laughing together, I quietly nibbled on a cookie. It had a mild, comforting flavor, thanks to the okara I had mixed in.
「Barkkk… bark!」
「Kyuuru!」
Chocola poked his head into the kamakura, probably tired of playing or maybe just feeling left out. Behind him Pochi stood at the entrance, peering in lazily.
The whole scene was filled with warmth, despite being surrounded by snow.
「Chocola, do you want to come in? It’s getting a bit cramped in here… I can switch out with you.」
As I slipped away from Karen and Mother’s attempts to trap me in their cuddles, they both pouted with lips playfully sticking out. Fine, you two can snuggle with Chocola instead.
「Pochi, did we leave you all by yourself? Are you okay with the snow?」
「Kyuuru!」
I patted Pochi’s snout as he chirped cheerfully.
Tarasque, the subspecies of dragon he belongs to, is a warm-blooded creature. Most dragon species, in fact, are similar in that regard—except for a few.
The thick shells and scales that cover their bodies work to release heat in the summer and conserve it in the winter. They regulate their body temperature with a sort of magical control, and judging from Pochi’s behavior, they’re much more adaptable to extreme temperatures than we might think.
「Maybe living here has strengthened your magic power, too.」
「Kyuuru?」
「Still, we’ll keep using the stove at night. It’s nicer to be warm, isn’t it?」
「Kyuuru!」
Pochi loved being patted from the tip of his snout to his cheeks. His eyes narrowed with contentment as he let out a low purr. Judging by how his feet didn’t seem bothered by the snow, I felt reassured he was comfortable in the cold.
「Haha! Shokola, fur cold!」
Mint’s gleeful voice echoed from inside the kamakura. With all that snow Chocola had been rolling in, I wouldn’t be surprised if his fur got a bit damp.
「Bark, huff!」
「What’s up? Did you get kicked out, or do you just like being outside more?」
「Kuuun… bark!」
After a moment, Chocola lumbered out of the entrance and trotted over, his front paws landing squarely on my stomach as he jumped up to me.
「Still got energy to burn, huh? Alright… let’s run! Come on!」
「Bark! Bark, bark!」
We charged off across the snow-covered fields, our feet leaving imprints in the fresh powder. Though Chocola had been running wild all morning, there were still untouched stretches of snow. I dashed toward them, hearing her joyful panting close behind me. The crisp air, heavy with the silence of snow, made our footsteps and breathing sound sharper, more pronounced.
Before long, Chocola overtook me, blocking my path with a playful spin before diving at me from the side.
「Whoa—!」
「Bark!」
I tumbled into the snow, and Chocola jumped on top, licking my face while I ruffled his now-chilled fur.
It was still morning, and yet I was already having so much fun. I gazed up at the sky, half-blue and half-filled with clouds. Maybe we’d see more snow today.
As I contemplated the weather, a large shadow passed overhead—a massive dragon soaring through the sky.
「It’s Ji Liz.」
「Bark!」
Maybe Ji Liz had come to check on us because of the deep snow.
Still lying in the snow with Chocola sprawled on top of me, I waved up to the dragon soaring above.
——————————————————
TIPS
While it might seem like Alfheim, the floating elven kingdom, could easily traverse the seas, it’s actually quite difficult for them to do so. They lack the ability to be fully self-sustaining during long journeys and have another, yet unrevealed, reason that makes intercontinental flight particularly challenging.
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