Chapter 189: A Winter Day ~ Let's Relax

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I sit up in bed. Did I oversleep a little? Lately, I’ve been taking it easy, sleeping until I wake up naturally.

Even after fighting the massive monster horde, I was busy with the reconstruction of the Woodpole territory and the victory ceremony. When I returned to Northernford after the ceremony, I realized just how tired I actually was.

Father told me, “You must be tired, so just rest.” It is our family custom to eat breakfast together, but Mother also told me, “For a while, we won’t wake you up even if you oversleep, Will-chan.”

I zoned out in bed for a while after waking up, and once I felt more awake, I sluggishly got up and changed my clothes. Since I have no plans to go out, I put on loose-fitting loungewear.

Ah, a lazy morning like this is nice too. Since it’s winter, the wooden floor is cold. Putting on warm fleece-lined slippers, I head to the window of my room.

When I opened the curtains, it was a silver world outside. Snow is falling silently. Since it didn’t snow at all last winter due to the drought, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen snow.

I recall the exchange I had with the Elder when I went to the Elf Forest after the ceremony. “Good work, William-sama. Intercepting the massive monster horde and subjugating the high-ranking Magic Tiger is a wonderful result.”

“I believe the power of Darkness will weaken a little because of this. Although the World Tree is still slender, it is regaining its power little by little by being connected to the earth’s ley lines.” The Elder wore a relieved, gentle expression.

“Surely the drought will ease as well.” In any case, I worked hard with my companions thinking only of protecting the Woodpole territory. If that also resulted in weakening the influence of Darkness, I’m happy.

To think it’s snowing… just as the Elder said. I gaze at the scenery from the window for a while. In the distance, it looks like children are having a snowball fight. I hope I can protect this kind of ordinary life.

After going to the dining hall to have a late breakfast, I returned to my room, sat in a reclining chair in front of the fireplace, and spent time reading a book. I turn the pages while drinking the hot tea the maid brought me.

Before I knew it, I must have dozed off. When I woke up with a start, a blanket had been draped over me. The maids are also being considerate so I can relax. I’m grateful.

I felt like getting some fresh air, so I’ll go out for a bit. Putting on a wool coat, I walk to the workshop. Maybe I’ll have lunch at the workshop.

When I arrived at the workshop cafe, firewood was burning brightly in the large fireplace. “Baker-san, what is today’s lunch?” “Since it’s cold today, I made a soup that is a traditional dish of this area.”

That’s something to look forward to. As I sat on the sofa in the cafe and stared blankly at the fire in the fireplace, Theo and Carpenter arrived as well.

“Master, it’s been a while since we’ve had snow.” “Yeah. I heard from the Elder that the drought would ease, but I’m happy it actually snowed.”

“It doesn’t feel like winter if it doesn’t snow, after all.” “That’s right, Carpenter.” Children playing in the snow is a winter tradition in Northernford.

As we chatted about nothing in particular, Baker-san brought a large, deep bowl. Inside the bowl were simmering lamb meat, onions, and carrots. Visible between the meat and vegetables was rolled barley.

It looks very similar to Scotch Broth, which I ate once in my previous life. As the name suggests, Scotch Broth is a traditional Scottish dish. In Japan, it seems chicken is sometimes used instead of lamb.

The culture of the Albion Kingdom is similar to that of the UK in my previous life. The culture of the West seems particularly close to Wales, but it’s influenced by the cultures of other regions as well.

“Here, this is the best thing for a cold day. Please, enjoy.” “Thank you for the meal.” We picked up our spoons.

Watching the red flames of the firewood in the fireplace, I ate the hot soup while blowing on it to cool it down. The popping texture of the rolled barley is fun too.

Doing this, I feel like not just my body but my heart is warming up too. “On a cold day, this is the stuff.” The craftsmen gathering in the cafe are getting excited too.

But once you step out of the cafe, it’s cold even inside the building. It would be more comfortable if there were an air conditioner. I like the atmosphere of a fireplace, but it doesn’t provide whole-building heating.

That’s right, maybe I should make a heater using Magic Stones. His Majesty has given me permission to use Magic Stones to make items for daily life.

But today, let’s just rest. Thinking that, I walked leisurely back home again.