Chapter 16

It's not related to the main plot.

We need to let him have some fun once in a while.

The number of favorites has exceeded 6000.

"Is everything prepared as I asked?"

In the winter garden where snowflakes gently fall, a young voice echoes.

Following the small footprints in the snow-covered garden, there stands Sora, the owner of the voice.

Beside him, Razette holds an umbrella.

"Of course, everything is arranged without the person knowing."

Razette smiles with a hint of mischief.

"You're a bad one, aren't you?"

"Not at all, not at all."

The origin of this is a certain promise made before the creation of the Ogarite.

"Finally, I'll touch the animal ears, no, the tail too! I'll touch the tail too!"

Raising both fists to the snowfall sky, Sora declares.

Sora's wish, a modest dream to touch the ears and tail of the beastgirl Sania, has become his primary goal and is set to be fulfilled today.

Usually, Razette would prevent it, but since there's a promise, she won't interfere this time.

Razette has already arranged things with the other children.

"The outer defenses are secured. Only the main fortress remains..."

Sora mutters with an expression that might seem lecherous to some.

While making a snow rabbit to pass the time, the children appear.

"Here they come!"

Sora, who lets out a cheer, runs towards the children with a mad dance step and trips.

The children instinctively close their eyes at the painful sound, a mix between a thud and a crunch.

"..."

Silence dominates the scene.

Even if the snow acts as a cushion, the ground is hard and thickly frozen from the continuous cold.

"...It really hurts."

It's no wonder Sora, holding his nose, speaks in a tearful voice.

Razette rushes over to check if he's injured.

Among the bewildered children, Sharina steps forward, pulling Sania's hand.

"Are you okay, Sora-sama?"

"For the sake of the animal ears..."

Sania, who is mentioned, jumps in surprise.

Sania looks at Sora, who stands up like a ghost, with a frightened gaze.

"That's right, the animal ears, the tail. I've endured so much to touch them. I won't be discouraged by just a fall. So, let me touch them."

"No way."

Sania quickly backs away from Sora's outstretched hand.

Sora stiffens.

He turns to Razette with a puzzled look.

"Hey, Razette, isn't this different from what we agreed?"

"I'm not interfering."

Realizing it's futile to appeal to Razette, Sora turns to Sharina and the others.

"Hey, isn't this—"

"I'm not interfering."

Interrupted by the bystander's words, Sora looks like he's about to cry.

Sania, taking a step back, maintains her distance.

"I'll run with all my might, so give up."

Sania, who is five years old, tries to persuade Sora, who is two.

Even though Sora usually practices walking to avoid looking clumsy, he would fall just as spectacularly if he ran.

Moreover, Sania is a beastgirl with exceptional physical abilities.

In a serious chase, Sora has no chance of winning.

"Sania... "

"Give up."

Sania, avoiding Sora's gaze, insists.

"Do you really think I'll give up? Me!"

With eyes as bright as the sun hidden behind the snow clouds, Sora stares at Sania.

"I was planning to be satisfied with just the ears this time, but now, no, no! If you run, I have no choice. I might accidentally touch your tail while chasing you, and that would be an act of God, right?"

Muttering excuses, Sora grabs the snow at his feet.

Sania, puzzled, gets ready to run.

However, Sora swings his hand, holding a snowball.

"Razette, prepare the bath."

Smirking, Sora calls to Razette behind him.

"I'll have you join me, Sania!"

Sora throws the snowball at Sania.

The first ball of his plan to enjoy mixed bathing, aimed at Soria, seems to be a direct hit, but Sania dodges by pulling her shoulder back.

"Still got it!"

Sora throws snowballs one after another. Not just straight throws, but time-delay snowballs falling from the sky, scatter-shot snowballs breaking in mid-air, and tree-under bombardment snowballs that stimulate branches when Soria is cornered under a tree.

"You really think of everything, don't you?"

"You're bad at throwing, but you're good at cornering people."

Despite the children's exasperated faces, Sora continues to hit Soria with snowballs.

"Hey, lend me that cloth!"

Sora points to the cloth a boy is wearing on his head.

"Sure, but what for?"

"I'm going to make a sling."

A sling is a primitive slingshot that uses centrifugal force to launch objects.

Sora's determination is evident.

"Sania, this is it. Ultimate technique, Snow Flower Meteor Shower!"

"What a grand name!"

Despite the children's collective snark, the snowballs Sora throws scatter in a radial pattern, creating a carpet bombing effect. Soria is helpless.

"You're soaked."

Sora rolls the snowball with an inappropriate smile.

On the other side, Soria is panting heavily.

The snow makes movement difficult, and Soria's stamina is almost depleted.

If this were a simple snowball fight, Soria would have easily won by dodging and counterattacking.

However, Sora doesn't mind getting wet; in fact, he's happy because it gives him a reason to take a bath.

This isn't even a competition; it's just a game to get Soria soaked.

"Your body must be cold, right? Let's take a bath to avoid catching a cold. Together, okay?"

Sora invites her with an incredibly good smile.

The bath seems to be ready.

However, Sora had miscalculated.

"Agreed."

"I'll join too!"

The children all speak up at once.

Sora, hearing this, is momentarily stunned but quickly realizes his mistake.

Unlike Razette, the children don't have umbrellas. As former street children, this is to be expected.

The snow, which was just flurrying, has turned into a heavy fall, and the children, without umbrellas, are covered in snow, with melting snow dripping from their hair.

"Everyone, let's go to the bath."

Razette issues the final ultimatum, and Sora gives a weak, bitter laugh.

"Separate the boys and girls. Give the waiting group dry towels to wipe their bodies. Also, ask the kitchen to bring warm food."

Issuing orders briskly, Sora scratches his head.

Realizing he's likely to be denied again, Sora sighs.

The servants, though unhappy about the children joining, reluctantly comply with Sora's request.

The children enter the bath in groups of two or three.

"You made it through."

Sharina, who has just doused herself in hot water, pats Soria's shoulder.

Despite Sora's unexpected persistence, Soria managed to protect her ears and tail.

"You don't want your tail touched, do you?"

Sharina casts a mischievous glance at Soria's tail, which is black on the outside and white on the inside, a distinctive two-tone color.

"Stop staring."

Soria pouts and hides her tail with both hands.

Indeed, it's short enough to be hidden by her hands.

"Beastgirls with bear traits have short tails. Soria's is about the size of a fist, so touching the tail means touching the—"

"Stop it!"

"Okay, okay."

Soria glares at the giggling Sharina.

At this age, Soria is becoming self-conscious, and the topic of her tail is not pleasant for her.

"Well, when will Sora-sama finally touch Soria's tail?"

"Never."

Soria, pouting, makes Sharina smile even more.