第３４１堀：色々な繋がり (Part1)
**Chapter 341: Various Connections**
**Side: Tori**
Everything is white.
My field of vision is completely white.
It’s because of the snow.
Our caravan has halted its journey, waiting for the blizzard to subside. Yuki-san, who is in the lead vehicle, is currently confirming whether there are any discrepancies between the information we heard from Runou-san regarding the White Forest and the accounts given by Claudia and Kaya.
We are riding in the same vehicle as Claudia and Kaya, double-checking that we haven't taken a wrong turn. We explained to Runou-san that we had rescued these two from slavery during our travels and were simply dropping them off at the White Forest on our way, and he seemed satisfied with that.
Well, Yuki-san warned us that if we told anyone these two were actually the current King’s sister and the Chancellor’s sister, no one would believe us—and if they did, it would turn into a massive diplomatic incident. So, we are strictly forbidden from mentioning it.
*Whoosh...*
The sound brings me back to reality; it’s the wind battering the glass of the car.
Outside, it is truly a world of white. If we didn’t have Yuki-san’s vehicle, we would have been traveling on foot...
...Oh, my ears are going to fall off.
My trauma from my days as an adventurer is acting up. I once went to a mountain peak to gather herbs that only grow there, and I nearly ended up with frostbite so severe I would have had to cut my animal ears off.
Because of that, unless it’s the safe, controlled snow Yuki-san provides, the natural, terrifying snow of the wild is my natural enemy. No, for the sake of Yuki-san, who says he loves my ears, I must protect them at all costs.
That’s why, for this trip, I asked Narjia-san to make me a "Perfect Animal Ear Guard." It’s a type of headgear woven with wool that covers the ears completely. It uses the alloy thread from the special armor Firia gifted to Yuki-san, and it’s perfectly enchanted—temperature-controlled, high-defense, and so on. It is, quite literally, a perfect guard. It was a complete custom order, and the price was... well, let’s just say it was fine because I’m part of Yuki-san’s family. He’s such a kind husband; he allows me such luxuries.
"Whoa, that’s amazing. Is a blizzard like this normal?"
Riel, who had initially intended to face this blizzard without an ear guard, is now peering through the glass without wearing hers, just because we’re inside the car. She hates wearing the guard because it muffles her hearing. Well, I understand that, so I won’t nag her for now.
"Hmm. I’m not sure about now, but in the past, blizzards of this magnitude were quite common. Right?"
"Yes. During the winter season, this level of snow was normal. It’s nothing particularly rare."
Kaya and Claudia answer Riel’s question earnestly. After that incident, the two of them spoke with the other Holy Sword Users, who graciously allowed them to return home. With no regrets left behind, they chose to accompany us.
...Honestly, I think it’s incredible.
I, too, fled my village with Riel, but I still don’t want to go back. Because it’s terrifying. The people of the village I thought were kind—my own family—tried to kill Riel without a moment’s hesitation.
I’m sure that with our current strength, we wouldn’t be killed. But just because we wouldn’t be killed doesn’t mean anything has changed. Riel would just be subjected to unreasonable abuse and bullying again. And if that happened, I don’t know if I could stop myself from using violence against the villagers.
...That’s why I’m scared.
Will there ever come a day when Riel and I return to our home village? And if that day comes, what will happen to me?
"So this blizzard is normal? I don’t know how you manage to live safely in such an environment."
Ratz’s reply pulls me back to the present.
*Stop it.* I should just think about that when the time comes. For now, I need to listen to the talk about the White Forest. There might be some useful information I haven’t heard yet.
"...That is thanks to Comet-sama."
"Yes. Because of Comet-sama, we demi-humans were able to survive in these northern lands."
Kaya and Claudia say this with somewhat pained expressions.
"Ah, come to think of it, Comet did say she helped found a demi-human nation, didn't she?"
"She did. But I hadn't heard that it was the White Forest."
"As you can see, Comet-sama was a person dedicated entirely to her research; she didn't have much interest in the concept of a 'nation'."
"However, to protect the demi-humans—who were deeply connected to the depletion of magical power—from being ostracized or caught in conflicts caused by the growing discriminatory consciousness of other races, she laid the foundations for a demi-human nation here in the north. There were other demi-human nations at the time, but now, they have either been annexed or have perished."
"I see. So it survived precisely because it’s in the harsh north."
"That’s right. It’s too difficult for normal people to live here. Even if they tried to invade, the land is covered in snow for more than half the year, making it extremely difficult to march an army."
"It’s like a natural fortress."
"Yes. We were provided with food that could be grown in the freezing cold, and Dungeon Cores that could produce food by pouring DP into them. The small village... after Comet-sama passed away and during the ten years of conflict with Peace, it instantly grew into a nation. And the one who stood up and said they would protect everyone at that time was..."
"You mean Claudia’s older brother?"
"Yes."
"That is why the people of the White Forest are deeply grateful to Comet-sama. Also, some of the orphans Comet-sama took in back then continued to live in the White Forest, so there isn't much hostility toward humans there."
"Conversely, that is actually the reason why a faction that advocates only for demi-human supremacy has split off from us now..."
"That, too, is part of why we acknowledged that the world wasn't worth saving... After being shown something like that, I lost track of why we even defeated Comet-sama and Peace in the first place."
...I can understand that feeling.
In my work with the police, I often have to mediate conflicts between races, and I can never understand why these things happen. After all, Weed was created with the wish that various races could live happily and enjoyably together. When I’m shown the petty, mutual denigration of races, I want to banish them from Weed. If they are going to destroy peace, I think they should just disappear.
...But Yuki-san says that these kinds of clashes are necessary for mutual understanding, so I endure it.
...Yeah. I’m sure that if it weren't for Yuki-san, I might have ended up just like those Holy Sword Users.
"I see. Well, your hearts must be complicated, but thinking about such difficult things now is just a hassle. Could you tell us about any interesting specialties or things in the White Forest?"
"That’s right. I’m more interested in that, too. Yuki-san is here, so we don’t need to worry about the difficult stuff."
Riel’s comment was basically dumping the responsibility on Yuki-san, and I couldn't help but laugh as I caught eyes with Ratz and Kaya.
"...If we leave it to Yuki, there won't be any problems."
"Yes, no problems at all."
"Hahaha. I apologize to the young man, but I have to agree with that."
"Right? So, what kind of things does the White Forest have?"
At that, the two of them look at each other and smile wryly.
"...*Sigh*. I can’t win against Riel."
"Indeed. Let’s leave the worries to Riel’s husband and just chat."
Both of them give in to Riel’s smile and begin to talk about more pleasant topics. I think this side of Riel is truly amazing. I understand why Yuki-san leaves so much to her. As expected, Riel is the best friend I could ever be proud of.
"So, what should we talk about first?"
"Hmm, how about the cheese cream stew?"
"Oh, we definitely had that."