NOVEL NEXT 9: Winter is Relaxing
The climate in Radcliffe territory is similar to the cold regions of my past life.
There is little rain, so there’s no rainy season, the summer heat is not extreme, and winter brings snow and a sharp chill. It’s an inland area.
The seasons flew by, and now it’s winter.
In the morning, I struggle with not wanting to get out of bed, but if I’m late, Martha’s scolding will come down, so I reluctantly crawl out of bed.
I quickly put on my fluffy pants and jacket and head out into the hallway.
Even inside the house, my breath is visible.
“Brrr, it’s cold.”
Shivering, I head to the well area.
To avoid having to go outside in this season, a water jar and washing area have been set up in front of the door leading outside.
The water source is Kuu.
“Good morning, Kuu. Please help again today.”
As I greeted and gave her my magic power, she swayed happily.
In winter, Kuu works indoors, helping Martha.
She provides water for cooking, assists with dishwashing, fills the bathtub, and makes water for laundry, staying busy.
Kuu’s water is the same temperature all year round, so Martha appreciates it, saying, “It really helps in winter.” Winter water is piercingly cold, making household chores hard.
Speaking of otherworldly issues, there’s always the bath problem.
As expected, baths are a luxury.
Our house, being a noble house, has a small bathhouse.
Currently, Kuu provides the water, but before, several people had to fetch water from the well. We don’t have a water magic user.
To heat the water, we either burn firewood, use fire attribute magic stones, or have a fire magic user heat it.
Being on the frontier, firewood is the main fuel and inexpensive, but it requires constant attention and is time-consuming.
Magic stones come from defeated magical beasts, but they are valuable resources for the territory, so they are not wasted. They are used for guests, though.
As for fire magic users, only Riol can help, and he occasionally does, but just occasionally.
So, we take baths every few days. Even so, being able to soak in hot water is a blessing. It’s better than not being able to bathe at all.
Usually, we use “Purification Stones.”
“Purification Stones” are stones engraved with special magic circles. By placing your hand on them and giving a little magic power, purification magic activates, refreshing your whole body.
You feel like shouting “Refresh!”—it’s amusing.
They are made by enchanters or alchemists and can be bought at magic tool workshops or guilds.
Surprisingly, people in this world are quite clean.
By the way, there are two toilets on each floor, and the waste is detoxified and decomposed in a magical purification tank underground, returning to the earth.
I don’t know the details.
Magic is convenient!
Let’s just blame everything on magic when in doubt.
Laundry is done with water, and although there’s no washing machine, there’s a magic tool that does something similar.
You put water in, and it spins around.
I was amazed when I first saw it! Then Martha scolded me, saying, “You mustn’t go into the laundry area.”
It was a splurge for our poor household to make Martha’s chores easier.
All that’s left is wringing and drying, which has made Martha’s work much easier.
“Good morning.”
When I enter the dining room, Father and Riol are already there. I greet them and take my seat.
Today’s breakfast, already served, consists of black bread, root vegetable soup, and bacon and eggs.
The homemade onion, carrot, and chickpea soup is delicious.
Oh, and we have livestock in the village, so we get fresh eggs and milk.
We also buy bacon and sausages from the village.
The main bread is black bread made from rye.
Black bread is nutritious and long-lasting, making it the staple food of commoners.
It’s also used as preserved food by adventurers.
Though it’s hard and sour, making it hard to eat at first.
But living in this world for five years, I’ve gotten used to it.
The vegetables I grew with my skill during the summer have been quietly placed in the storage shed now that we’re in a time when food is scarce.
Tom loads them onto the carriage and takes them to the two villages.
I think Father and the others realize the source of the large amounts of vegetables being placed there is me, but they take them without saying anything.
I hope no one goes hungry this year and we all get through the winter.
That’s all I want.
Oh, and from summer to winter, something else changed.
Besides Kuu and Pikka, green and brown poncho-clad little people appeared.
They were the first spirits who were working inside the skill screen.
Around the end of summer, as I was looking at the skill screen, it suddenly glowed, and the two little people jumped out!
I was utterly shocked!
They hugged me with huge smiles.
The moment we touched, I realized these kids were the source of my magic.
I felt they were a precious part of me and immediately grew to love them.
The green one is Guri, the plant spirit, and the brown one is Poko, the earth spirit.
I named Guri from “green,” and Poko from the popping movements of earth magic.
By the way, the little people in the botanical garden are two-headed, but the real little spirits are three-headed.
I’m glad about that.
It would be hard to walk if they were two-headed in the real world!
The little spirits are about 50 centimeters tall.
They are very light and usually float in the air.
They are delighted when I give them magic power.
They are all super cute!
At first, Guri and Poko couldn’t be seen by anyone but me.
After spending some time with me, they first became visible to Martha and Barton, then Father and Riol noticed them, and eventually, Tom and the squires recognized them too.
“I thought there was a ghost floating behind Haku,” Riol said rudely!
When Guri, Poko, and I protested, Riol apologized, saying, “I’m sorry,” and patted our heads one by one.
Wait, I’m being treated the same way?
What…?
Guri and Poko’s work is related to cultivation, so in winter, they don’t have much to do. They mostly hang out with me and relax!
The remaining one is Fuu, the wind spirit.
Fuu is a spirit of plant cultivation and wind magic, and the name is quite straightforward.
The wind spirit’s job involves grass cutting, ventilation, and air circulation.
I know Fuu is there, but they still haven’t shown themselves.
Is Fuu shy?
They quietly help with drying the laundry and are very helpful.
With the addition of Kuu and Pikka, I now have five spirit friends.
Now, from summer to winter.
My skill level has risen to seven, and the cultivation area has increased to fifteen plots.
Onions and Chinese cabbage are now available, and the cultivation time is down to seventeen hours.
It’s still a bit tricky.
I increased the number of legumes with creation magic.
I plan to use them as seeds for cultivation in the village fields next year.
As the son of a lord, I want to improve the diet of the people.
I have to do what I can!
I’m going to ask Father to lend me some farmland.
Now, I can’t wait for spring!