Chapter 45

The story of the snow has been something I've been planning for quite a while, so it's fun to write.

Winter. It's the season when the sun sets the earliest of the year. This seems to be the case in this world as well.

It's probably around Christmas in Japan.

Christmas. For those with lovers, it might be the biggest day of the year.

On the 24th is Christmas Eve, and on the 25th is Christmas. Both days involve eating cake, but many people don't really understand the difference, do they?

Originally, Christmas is a celebration that comes from Christian culture.

However, for the Japanese, who are not familiar with it, it has become a day where people, influenced by corporate strategies, start to celebrate without understanding the meaning.

Christmas is actually a celebration of the birthday of Jesus Christ, the savior of Christianity, and it is certainly not a day for couples to be affectionate.

What are the world's couples doing on such a sacred day?

It's truly lamentable.

Despite the bothersome nature of this season, of course, there is no Christmas in the other world.

In other words, it has nothing to do with me, a single person. Wonderful.

So, I spend my days as usual without thinking much about it.

Today's weather is snowy. By tomorrow, the village of Coriatt will likely transform into a white, silver world.

However, perhaps because of this, the temperature has dropped, and it's very cold.

In this cold season, it's not hard to understand why people long for human warmth.

I have no one to cuddle with, and my body and soul are frozen.

"...Al"

Elinora, who is sitting next to me on the living room sofa, calls me with a gentle voice.

Elinora, could it be that she noticed my lonely appearance! ...Perhaps, this is a feeling like, "You're not lonely because you have an older sister. You have a warm family, don't you?"

I go to Elinora with hope in my eyes.

"What is it, Elinora?"

"...Tea..."

"..."

"...Another cup."

"...Okay."

I thought it would be something like that.

× × ×

The snow reflects the pleasant morning sun, making everything sparkle.

It seems that it snowed quite a bit last night, and when I stepped out of the mansion, everything was white.

Wearing snow-specific cold-weather gear, I start walking from the front door. With each breath, white breath is exhaled, and the sound of the snow crunching underfoot is interesting.

I crouch down, take off my gloves once, and pick up some snow.

It's cold. Of course, it is, but the snow in this other world seems no different from that in Japan.

I quickly put my gloves back on and stand up.

Looking up at the roof, I see Baltro diligently using a shovel to remove the snow. He's energetic even early in the morning.

For some reason, I feel mischievous and make a snowball, throwing it at Baltro as a morning greeting.

"Whoa!?"

My snowball hits Baltro's waist with a thud.

"Ha ha ha ha"

"Bastard, you did it!"

Baltro turns around, throws the shovel, and with a warlike smile, starts gathering the surrounding snow. Before long, the snow takes on a round shape, becoming a snowball.

"Hey, Baltro. Isn't that too big!? If you throw it with the height advantage, I'll die!?"

Seeing the snowball, which looks like a cannonball in Baltro's large hand, I quickly hide behind a tree.

If that hits, my face will turn into a popular red bean bun.

And it will come with a red flower blooming as a bonus.

"Oh? I thought you were declaring war knowing the risks?"

Baltro, with a nihilistic smile, continues to compress the cannonball.

That thing is as hard as a rock, right? It's really dangerous.

"Alright! The battle begins!"

"What, getting so hyped up at your age!?"

"Shut up!"

Perhaps he was bothered by my criticism, as a cannonball flew with his angry voice.

"Whoa! A branch broke!"

"That will grow back with the buds in spring!"

You're supposed to be a cook and a servant. Is this okay?

Anyway, it's clear that I'll be hit if this continues. I hurriedly start making snowballs.

However, with my six-year-old body, I can't make powerful snowballs.

They lack strength and size, and most importantly, my throwing power is insufficient.

In contrast, Baltro uses his large hands and powerful strength to mass-produce cannonballs.

Isn't Baltro being a bit childish?

While Baltro is making cannonballs and leaving himself open, I throw snowballs at him.

"It's not working! It's not working!"

Damn, our physiques are too different.

"Here you go!"

From behind the tree, Baltro throws cannonballs at me one after another.

This isn't the snowball fight I know.

I try to run, but each time a snow cannonball hits, the snow that flies up obstructs my vision.

I try to put some distance, but he throws cannonballs without caring, and it seems that the distance has made them faster and heavier.

"What's wrong? Just running away, brat?"

"You bastard. You're too lively. If you're that serious, I'll do it too."

I make up my mind and walk towards Baltro.

"Oh? You're going to face me head-on?"

"Yeah, that's right. From now on, neither of us will move a step. How about not dodging?"

"Hehehe, is that okay?"

"Sure. But if you cry and apologize, I won't forgive you!"

"That's my line!"

"Then, you go first, Baltro."

I smile confidently, and Baltro, with a deeply furrowed face, picks up a snow cannonball and winds up to throw it.

His wind-up is as balanced as a professional pitcher. A beautiful form. This guy is quite experienced.

"Knock you out in one shot!"

The cannonball, using all of Baltro's strength, whistles as it heads straight for me.

I watch it without panicking.

"...Shield"

A colorless, transparent rectangular wall appears with my incantation, blocking the snow cannonball.

"What? Hey! You used magic! That's cheating!"

"I didn't hear any rule against using it!"

"Then it's banned now! Banned!"

"No way. I'll bind you just in case."

I use ice magic to create hands that wrap around Baltro's feet. Yeah, thanks to the snow, the magic consumption is small and easy. It really makes a big difference in magic efficiency whether you create something from scratch or use what's already there.

"Hey, wait. What's this ice wrapped around my feet? I can't get it off!"

"Then it's my turn."

I announce to Baltro and use the non-elemental magic "Psychic" to lift the snowballs I've made and the cannonballs Baltro has thrown into the air.

There are probably over thirty of them.

"Hey, wait. What's with that number!?"

Seeing the snowballs floating one after another, Baltro manages to squeeze out a voice in astonishment.

"Here I go? Don't dodge. Well, I've bound you so you can't dodge, but it's fine, right? We promised not to move a step."

"Hey, Alfrid-sama! I'm sorry! I got carried away because I'm from a snowy country."

That's why you were so hyped up and made snowballs so quickly.

"No way."

I smile and deny Baltro's plea, then release all the snowballs at once!

"Wha-!"

Baltro, bound, couldn't move and was blown backward off the roof.

He fell from the roof, but the snow cushioned his fall, and with his build, he probably won't be injured.

"Damn it!"

There he is, still energetic.

Still, what am I doing in the early morning? I was just going to take a light walk, but I ended up having a snowball fight using magic.

Thanks to Baltro, my body is warmed up.

"Hey, Al! Let's play!"

I hear a voice calling me as I take a breather. Looking over, I see Thor at the gate, which is now white with snow. As I approach, I see another boy I don't know standing next to him.

Who is he?

"Hey, Al! Let's play since it's snowing!"

"Sure, but who's the kid next to you?"

He's a very sturdy kid, or to put it bluntly, he's fat.

A boy with wavy brown hair and a fluffy aura.

He reminds me of someone.

"Ah, let me introduce you. This is Asmo. He's my friend."

"I'm Asmo. Thor and I are neighbors and often hang out."

"I'm Alfrid. Nice to meet you. If you're a neighbor, are you Sheela's brother?"

"Yeah."

I see. That explains why he's so big.

I immediately look at his flat, flat stomach and ask Asmo.

"By the way, how many months pregnant are you?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm already three months pregnant—wait, you're negating the whole conversation? You said you're a brother? Men can't get pregnant!"

Hearing this, Thor's laughter doesn't stop for a while.

Another interesting person has appeared.

This was my first encounter with Asmo.

If you like, please read the story of the evil god's summoning to another world—aren't the goddess and gods summoning too much?

It's a story about the protagonist who hunts couples...or rather, collects negative energy to manage a dungeon.