落とし穴外伝：女神の教え 雪上 (Part2)
Though I was once a slave, starting with the esteemed figures of Weed, then the kings of other great nations, and even consorting with gods, I feel so nervous I could die.
"I see. Well then, I'm going to go snowboarding right away..."
"Understood. Snowboarding is mine. Skiing and sledding are for Sia."
Luna and Kishua were talking as if they had just come to buy ingredients for dinner, but we were utterly bewildered, having no idea what they were talking about.
"For those new to this, I'll explain properly. If I recall correctly, you are Fiora, Orelia, Hobis, and Yayui, correct?"
"Yes. We apologize for the trouble today."
Fiora offered a greeting on behalf of the group, and we all bowed our heads in unison.
"Not at all. We are the 'staff,' after all. We'll also explain the equipment prepared here. And the basic activity is skiing..."
And so, Sia meticulously explained skiing and snowboarding to us, using visual aids.
"I see. So it's an activity where you slide down the slopes of a snowy mountain."
"Yes. It's fast and enjoyable."
"Um, both of them look incredibly difficult..."
"You all received training from Yuki, didn't you? In that case, while initial practice is certainly required for all of them, I don't think there will be any particular problems. If you're worried, sledding is also an option. That only requires shifting your weight."
Even with that said, I have absolutely no talent for combat, and I only barely managed to raise my skills to the bare minimum required through immense effort. Even now, I can't even dream of defeating Kirue or Kirika; they merely toy with me. I thought perhaps I should quietly opt for sledding, but then...
"If you're hesitating, you should try snowboarding."
"Huh? But, I'm so clumsy..."
"It's fine. It doesn't matter if you can't do it. The important thing is to have fun. If you're worried, you can bring a sled too. In fact, I'll teach you personally."
"Th-that's..."
Just as I was about to say that it would be too presumptuous to be taught directly by Luna, an Upper Goddess, I remembered the purpose of this event...
"P-please teach me."
I managed to squeeze out those words. That seemed to be the right response, and Luna smiled.
"Good. You understand, don't you? First, learn to rely on others. Though being completely dependent isn't good. With your current mindset, you'll be fine."
"Y-yes! Please teach me!"
Now that I thought about it carefully, this was direct instruction from Luna. No, it wasn't just me; Orelia and the others were also being taught skiing and snowboarding directly by the goddesses. Isn't this an incredible opportunity?
Considering it a good opportunity, I followed Luna's instructions, took the snowboard Kishua lent me, and began practicing on a small snowy hill near the shop. Just like in the video from earlier, Luna skillfully maneuvered the snowboard, gliding down with effortless grace. I tried my best to imitate her, but then.
"Whoa!?"
Immediately, I tumbled spectacularly. Oh, but thanks to the snow, it didn't hurt at all. It was just cold.
"Well, that's how it is at first. Just try it a few times, and once you're somewhat used to it, we'll go over there."
Luna stood with her hands on her hips, and grandly pointed towards the top of the snowy mountain everyone else was heading for. That place, I feel, is not somewhere one could possibly go with 'just a little practice,' or rather, it feels like we shouldn't go there at all...
"U-um, do you have any advice?"
"Hmm, let's see. You just lean your body smoothly like this, and when you brake, you make a sharp angle like *this*."
"..."
This is bad. Luna seems to be an intuitive type. W-will I be able to safely descend from that snowy mountain? Just do it. There's nothing more to decide.