NOVEL NEXT ch8 - Inspection of the Winter Forest
8: Inspection of the Winter Forest
At the mountain peak, I reflected on the sensation of using magic while enjoying the view of the pristine snowy landscape. I took a bite of the blue fruit I had grown. It looked like a whimsical Christmas tree ornament, but its taste was like a honeyed apple.
It was delicious.
Fenrir and Grea were also enjoying their share!
“Feel free to thank me, you know?”
When I joked, Fenrir replied:
“Ah, thank you. Thanks to El, my magic energy is flowing well, and my throat feels as if the pain was never there.”
It did seem like Fenrir’s voice had become clearer. Could this fruit really have a throat-soothing effect?
“My headache is gone as well. The healing effect is astonishing, even for a unicorn…”
So it works like headache medicine too! Seriously?
“Is it like a miracle apple? Haha.”
Neither of them laughed along with me. Why are they looking at me so seriously?
“Very impressive,” they said in unison.
I received their praise.
“Oh, um, you’re welcome.”
As I awkwardly thanked them, a small whirlwind started swirling around me. Powdery snow was kicked up. Whoa, whoa!
“El seems to be loved by winter. Your emotions make even winter flutter with excitement. Truly, my beloved daughter.”
“You’re making me blush, Fenrir… By the way, Fenrir is a species name, right? Like Grea, doesn’t that mean there isn’t a personal name?”
“Yes, the name Fenrir is inherited through generations. There is only one Fenrir per era, so this name suffices.”
“I see… Wait a minute. Since I became a half-beast, does that mean Fenrir will disappear!?”
My heart froze in shock. As my emotions surged, the ground beneath me began to crack with ice.
“No, please don’t disappear…!”
My words came out surprisingly sincere.
“Don’t worry, I won’t disappear. Thanks to everything you’ve done, my condition is completely restored. I feel rejuvenated. I still have a long way to go.”
“R-really?”
“How could I die leaving behind a beloved daughter who cares for me so much?”
Fenrir nuzzled his fluffy cheek against me, and I reveled in the comforting sensation.
“Are you okay with me being so affectionate…?”
I asked while looking up at Fenrir.
“Mm, of course.”
Fenrir cleared his throat and responded. It was the answer I wanted the most. I’m so happy!
As I snuggled up to Fenrir, gently petting him, I noticed Grea looking a bit restless.
“Hmm?”
“Do you want to join in?”
“Please, no more playing around.”
So blunt as always!
“Fenrir-sama, El-sama. Shall we start patrolling the forest soon? With winter having arrived, we need to check how the forest has recovered. The creatures of the forest must be surprised as well, so let’s go around and speak to them.”
“Hmm…”
“Fenrir-sama?”
Fenrir seems reluctant about the suggestion, huh?
“I’d like to keep pampering El like this…”
Oh, parental indulgence! I’m happy, but Grea looks really troubled. Sorry about that.
“I want to keep you away from work for a while and let you rest. You’ve already done enough by bringing winter. Isn’t that enough work for now?”
“…!!”
Oh, I see. Fenrir is looking out for me. He’s concerned because I was scared of calling winter. I ended up recalling my trauma of failing at work…
Sure, it’s tempting to relax and just nibble on apples all day, and Fenrir’s fur is super, super, super tempting too! But,
“Fenrir, I really want to see the forest you’ve been protecting.”
It sounds like it will be enjoyable too. I’m okay. Thank you.
“Let’s go!!”
Fenrir is up and ready to go! He immediately accepted my opinion. I think I’ve been pampered enough.
“It’s the first time I’m seeing such a beautiful view… It’s so soothing and exciting. I feel like I want to go for a walk, like my instincts are saying so?”
“So be it.”
Fenrir seems satisfied and eager to move. It’s cute!
“Inspecting while taking a walk!”
Grea is getting flustered again. Didn’t your headache get better earlier? Hope it doesn’t come back. Should I pick one of those tree fruits for you?
“I want to ride Grea!”
When I ask, Grea reluctantly lowers its head.
I press the pearl bracelet from my other hand against Grea’s neck. Let’s see… the key is to imagine with my senses! Here we go!
The pearl transforms into a pure white saddle and reins. Success! I imagined a merry-go-round’s equipment. It looks like ice decorations that suit Grea. But the ice isn’t cold—it’s a bit warm, a visual trick. Impressive, right? I also subtly added a transformation of my work bag to the gear.
“What in the world is this!?”
“My special saddle! Yay! It’s so easy to ride Grea now!”
“Your behavior is too outrageous!”
“Is this amount of outrageousness within what you can tolerate?”
I asked, hoping that this is acceptable. After all, it’s more about whether Grea minds. I figured Grea might actually prefer being well-cared for with a warm and comfortable saddle rather than being annoyed by my constant presence.
“… Only this time.”
Grea has forgiven me. Thanks! It seems it’s okay to keep the saddle on. If I’m not riding, I’ll just have the pearl wrapped around Grea’s neck. It’ll look great on you. The full extent of the effects might be revealed later when Grea’s eyes roll back in surprise.
“Let’s go then!”
“I’ll accompany you.”
We leapt from the mountaintop with enthusiasm and headed towards the forest! Whee!
As we advanced, we crunched through the snow. Well, it wasn’t quite like that. The soft, fluffy snow proved challenging to move through, so Fenrir and Grea created ice beneath their feet to help them along.
“You’ve summoned an extraordinary winter, haven’t you…”
“It’s an unknown kind of snow.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know what kind of winter was expected, so maybe my imagination was off.”
I felt like I might have failed in what was expected of me. I felt a bit down.
“There’s nothing wrong with it. Your sense is wonderful. The brilliance of this snow is beautiful. We’ll just need to get used to it.”
Fenrir’s kindness was touching.
“Indeed. But other animals are likely confused and struggling, so we should offer them advice.”
“You’re so serious, Grea. I want to help with anything I can too. … Is everything okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m worried you might be the type to easily accumulate stress.”
Grea was showing signs of being too serious, which made me worried. I had just gone through a tough experience myself, so I felt even more concerned.
“I’ve already received plenty of stress from you, Lady El. … What are you doing to me?”
“I hope this helps heal you (physically).”
I shoved a piece of the tree fruit into Grea’s mouth mid-sentence. He still spoke in his usual prickle-filled way. Fenrir was laughing heartily.
“Thanks to you, I’m healed!”
Grea swallowed the fruit and said with a bit of irritation.
“Yeah, yeah, you’ve got to keep your beautiful fur healthy. Take care of yourself.”
As I patted his mane, Grea shivered and quieted down. Heh, look at that! My patting skills, honed from building a stray cat harem, are as effective as ever!
While I was lost in these silly thoughts and continued patting, Grea and Fenrir moved forward. They walked slowly, taking in their surroundings.
From the shadows of the trees, an Ezo squirrel appeared—or rather, fell down.