Chapter 493

The mountain village where night falls early has already welcomed the season. When the arduous and violent task of pulling out all the roots of the trees in the forest that had finished logging was over, early winter had arrived in the mountain village. Time had passed, and Linehart had become accustomed to spending his days maintaining magical power. Even when he slept, he could maintain magical power without realizing it. With the task of pulling out the tree roots finished, he began digging up the ground and removing the remaining roots and stones. Unsatisfied with that stage, Linehart struck the ground with a shovel and pickaxe, but the frozen ground made it difficult. Despite the heavy snowfall, Linehart continued to work in the forest without using any relics or the flame of the fire. Luna appeared and held Linehart's shoulder, surprised at his determination to work even in the winter. Linehart's head and shoulders were not covered in snow even in heavy snowfall. Luna admires Linehart's determination to work in harsh winter conditions without using any relics or fire. Linehart has become so accustomed to maintaining magical power that he can do it even in his sleep. Luna tells Linehart to rest for the day as per the village chief's orders. Linehart persists in his work even though it is not suitable for winter. Luna worries about Linehart's external affairs, but Linehart assures her to trust him and that he will take responsibility if anything goes wrong. Translation: "Isn't it just about going the way you have to go, even if it's a difficult path? It's easier on the mind to think that way."

"Sigh...."

"If things go wrong later, you'll blame your mother for the rest of your life. You know that, right?"

"I can tell from the way you're working that you've been in Rizai for a long time."

Linehart chuckled at Luna's words.

"I have been here for a long time."

Linehart watched as the snow on the tree branches fell off.

He stayed in Rizai until the season changed twice.

"I hope you make something warm for dinner tonight."

"...You're getting more and more arrogant, you must have gotten too used to it."

-Snap!

"Ow!"

Luna's tongue clicked as she was caught off guard by Linehart's words.

"Don't get too used to Rizai."

Luna added as she walked quietly.

"You'll have to leave someday."

He had to leave.

Linehart's expression stiffened at Luna's words that drew a line.

He had to leave Rizai as soon as possible.

But the feeling that he didn't want to leave Rizai had been stuck in a corner of his heart.

He realized this from Luna's words just now.

* * *

I don't know much about rural life, but I learned that winter in the mountains freezes not only the ground but also the lives of the residents.

Therefore, living in the countryside in a place with four seasons means living to endure the winter, which is a season where everything freezes.

All actions to make preserved food and store grain are preparations to endure the winter when food cannot be obtained.

So, the activity level of the residents is greatly reduced during this time.

There is no one like me who is doing something with obsession.

Winter is a long rest period and a restless time waiting for it to end.

Of course, Rizai is not an ordinary rural area, and there was no food shortage at all because the residents' vitality was very strong.

Firewood during the winter?

I've made enough to last until next year this summer.

The village's firewood warehouse is piled high with firewood that I cut and the residents dried well during the last season.

People light fires with the firewood they made during the last season and gradually eat up the stored food, waiting for the land to thaw and the new spring to come.

But now, with heavy snowfall, people were busy clearing the snow.

"Go up to the roof in a little while and clear the snow."

"You told me to rest."

"...."

No.

That's right!

You told me to rest, but now you're asking me to work as soon as I come back?

Luna's mouth began to twitch.

Look at this.

Honestly, there's nothing to say, so you're trying to be petty.

"Okay, rest. If the roof collapses because of the snow that has fallen too much overnight, you, who sleep on the second floor, will be the one who gets hurt the most."

"Do you know that, Mom? You're pretending not to know and being so petty."

"I know very well."

The way she casually admits it is the pettiest thing. "I used to think that you looked the most like your mother and Ellen, but do you know that your personalities are more similar?" "Personality?" Luna cocked her head as if she had never heard of it before. "Yes. When you have nothing to say, you get annoyed and say whatever comes to mind." "I don't want to admit it, but if we go by your usual behavior, you're insulting both your mother-in-law and your wife at the same time. You're a truly amazing son-in-law." "That's just how I get annoyed." "Yeah, you have a great talent for making people angry. Admit you were wrong." In the casual way we were having this conversation, I realized anew that I had been in Rizai for a long time. We walked along the path that people had cleared of snow. Since it was still snowing, the snow that had piled up had to be cleared again. When will this blizzard stop? "Do we really look alike?" Luna suddenly asked. "Yes, we do." People probably knew that we looked alike. Maybe she was thinking of the time when someone said we had similar personalities. Looking at Luna's expression, she seemed pleased to hear that she looked like Ellen. "Isn't it not that surprising that parents and children look alike?" "Hmm. I guess not." Luna keeps smiling. "But isn't it more mysterious because of that?" "A being that resembles me, who was born from me but cannot be me, lives on." "How beautiful it is." "Sometimes I find it so amazing and lovely." I didn't quite understand what Luna was saying. Maybe it was because I didn't have children, or maybe Luna was thinking of something completely different. "Why do you like Ellen?" It was a sudden question. Maybe it was because of the snow, but Luna and I talked more than usual today. Why she liked Ellen. I had been in Rizai for quite some time, but it was a story she had never brought up before. I had been avoiding this topic because I knew I would have to confront Ellen someday, and so had Ellen's father, Ronan. Why do you like Ellen? I had thought about it for a long time, and it was something I sometimes thought about alone, but there was only one thing I could say. "I don't know." I honestly couldn't say that there was a decisive moment or event that made it so. I didn't know either. I just couldn't say anything other than that it had become that way at some point. "That's a satisfying answer." "I don't know if it was a good answer, but I'm glad if you think so." "After spending so much time together, it's hard to explain properly." "Is that so?" Luna walks quietly with a smile. What will happen in the future, and how will it happen? It's not okay to just have a good past without a good future. -Whack! Help! People were busy clearing the snow, but the children who didn't know anything were just playing, making snowmen and throwing snowballs. Snowball fights and snowmen. As they talked about it, Luna remembered a time when they made a snowman with Ellen. Luna smiled as she recalled the memory. The protagonist felt regret for bringing up the memory. Luna walked quietly and thanked the protagonist, making him feel like he was recognized as family. He couldn't remember when it happened, but it just did. He imagined what it would have been like if Ellen were there. On a snowy day in winter, he could only imagine an impossible picture and let out a bitter laugh.