The night spent in the igloo was utterly blissful. A bonfire was lit in the center of the room, and wind magic was used to create a path for the smoke to escape. Everyone went to bed with content faces in the warm room.
In the morning, they ate refreshing perilla seed soup made with vegetable broth. The hot yet refreshing soup was bland but perfect for warming up inside.
Sylvia kept making snacks for the mercenary group, who were idly maintaining their equipment.
She cooked a thin flour batter like pancakes, filled them with sweet red bean paste, folded them in half, and served. Additionally, she made whipped cream with plenty of sugar, served it in a separate bowl, and also served a variety of berries.
People, who had stopped maintaining their equipment, slowly got up from the floor and gathered around the table, drawn by curiosity. As they looked at the steaming surface, Allen asked with curiosity.
“Miss Sylvia, what on earth is this?”
The food she made was always novel, but this time, their curiosity was piqued even more.
“Ah, this is…”
Sylvia had wanted to make fish-shaped buns that reminded her of winter, but realizing it might be too difficult, she opted for a makeshift solution that resembled the taste.
Thus, what she made was somewhat difficult to categorize as fish-shaped buns.
“Umm… Half-moon buns? …I suppose…”
She casually named them on the spot and continued.
“They taste great with cream and fruit on the side.”
Encouraging everyone to dig in, people simultaneously picked up their forks and knives.
Felix also took his place, appreciating the unique appearance.
“Half-moon buns…”
He really liked the name. He first tasted it as it was. Cutting a small piece and putting it in his mouth, the soft bread and sweet filling melted delightfully.
“Mm.”
Next, he tried it with a proper amount of cream.
“Mm…”
He added strawberries and blueberries, his eyes widening with surprise.
“Mm… It’s really good…”
The filling inside the bun was very sweet but unique, complementing well with the cream and fruit.
“It’s delicious, Miss Sylvia!”
“Sweet and soft… I’ve never tasted anything like this before.”
“Same here, this is a first for me.”
The dessert was entirely different from what was typically enjoyed in noble houses. The Croban mercenary group consisted of individuals from knightly families to commoners, without any high nobility.
Yet, being part of the royal knight order, they had their share of tasting desserts. Compared to those, this was incomparably delicious. Despite its simple appearance, the flavor was rich.
“It’s really tasty.”
Hubert marveled, his eyes sparkling. Proudly, Sylvia laughed heartily, grabbing a large piece with her hands and taking a big bite. Everyone fixed their gaze on Sylvia as she chewed enthusiastically.
Since it was a substitute for fish-shaped buns, naturally, Sylvia thought it should be eaten with hands.
Of course, if you’re adding cream and fruit, using a knife and fork is unavoidable, but the half-moon buns themselves were more flavorful when simply picked up and eaten by hand.
“Mmm.”
She enjoyed the fluffier texture compared to fish-shaped buns.
Quickly finishing one, she started on another, pairing the buns with milk with ice floated in it. Watching her eat, everyone put down their forks and knives and picked up their own buns with their hands.
Felix followed her example and bit into the half-moon bun.
Not using a fork felt strange. The warm, soft touch in his hand seemed to enhance the taste of the food.
“Mm, delicious.”
He muttered unconsciously as he picked up another half-moon bun. Would the taste be even better once his sense of taste fully returned?
Holding a half-moon bun, Felix pondered.
It’s already this sweet and delicious even though my sense of taste hasn’t fully returned…
Staring pensively at the half-moon bun, Felix tried putting the whole small bun in his mouth, as if that would allow him to taste it more fully.
Only the sounds of crackling firewood and eating resonated within the igloo.
***
The custom here of spending winter indoors seemed somewhat dull to Sylvia.
The first winter had passed in a blur without her realizing much, but this second winter felt somewhat tedious as she sat in the shared space, yawning widely.
Having just eaten breakfast, her stomach was full, and her body was warm and relaxed.
“Ugh, ha-ahm.”
Sylvia yawned widely as she stretched. After cleaning the equipment thoroughly, she put it into the subspace, and Felix asked her.
“If you’re sleepy, go in and take a nap.”
Unlike them, who had nothing to do at all in winter, Sylvia had to cook from morning till evening, so he thought she looked tired.
He looked at Sylvia with a face full of concern.
Sylvia, who had been sitting on a wooden chair and resting her chin on her hands, clapped once and stood up briskly.
“Felix, do you want to go outside with me?”
Felix responded with a slightly sulky expression because she didn’t use a nickname for him.
“Why go outside.”
To him, it was common sense not to go out in winter, so he didn’t understand her suggestion. However, if Sylvia wanted to, he wanted to agree.
“Well, there’s no reason we can’t go out.”
With his permission, Sylvia hopped towards her room, put on a robe, and came out. Felix naturally put on his robe and headed outside.
“Captain, Miss Sylvia. Where are you going?”
Dennis asked with a curious voice.
“We’ll just be out for a moment. Please rest.”
“Isn’t it snowing a lot?”
“It’s just for a moment.”
After finishing her answer, Sylvia hurried her steps. Eryngium, Daisy, Poppy, Clover, and Asta followed behind Sylvia and Felix.
[Where are you going?]
[Asta is cold.]
[What, where are you going?]
[Sylvia, Felix. Where are you going?]
[Sylvia!]
Sylvia melted the snow blocking the entrance with fire magic and went outside.
“Wow!”
It was all snow outside.
The forest, which was oddly full of trees, was densely filled with snow between the trees.
Sylvia, floating in the air, let out a long breath in the mist and laughed.
“Felix, this robe… it’s really warm.”
The biting wind was painful, but the robe made it bearable. Since they had come outside, they wanted to explore more.
“Let’s go up higher.”
Felix nodded in response to her cheerful smile, cuter than a fairy’s. Holding Felix’s hand tightly, they flew higher. The fairies lined up and followed behind them.
The forest seen from the sky had lost its usual gloomy atmosphere and shone dazzlingly white. Snowdrifts that rose endlessly high came into view.
Suddenly, an interesting idea came to mind.
“Let’s go there.”
Sylvia gently pulled the hand she was holding. Felix moved as she wished and flew to that place.
Sylvia landed on a path where the snow had piled up between the trees, forming curves, and created a long board using plant magic. The front part of the wooden board was sharply tapered, looking very unfamiliar.
“What’s that?”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Felix asked.
“This is called a sled. I’ll make one for you too.”
Sylvia made another sled of the same design and handed it to him. He accepted it hesitantly, but, not knowing what it was for, Felix just stared blankly at her.
Sylvia, as if she had been waiting, sat down on the sled first and began to explain.
“You just put your hips here and bring your legs to the front like this. Now, you try.”
Following her instructions, Felix sat on the sled. As soon as he was ready, Sylvia pushed her sled forcefully with wind magic.
“Then, follow me!”
Felix was surprised by the quick descent while Sylvia shouted “Yahoo” excitedly and rushed forward before he could stop her.
Felix followed her for the time being. He sped through the narrow gaps between trees with large curves, using wind magic.
Despite the biting wind against her face, Sylvia was thrilled.
It was just like the snow sleds she had ridden on country slopes when she was young. The feeling of racing down a snowy path with snow piled softly on the bumpy ground was indescribably exhilarating.
“Kyaaahahahahaha.”
As Sylvia turned the corner with wind magic, her body floated up and then down, it was chaotic.
[Sylvia!]
The fairies closely followed Sylvia and Felix, worried.
[Are you okay?]
[Why are you suddenly doing this!]
[Asta is really worried about Sylvia.]
[Felix, try to stop her. Sylvia might be hurt.]
[Sylvia―!]
Eryngium caught up to her, trying to grab her turquoise hair that was wildly fluttering in the wind. Struggling against the descending speed, Eryngium who grabbed the end of her tied-up hair, swayed along.
[Syl, Sylvia!]
“Kyaaaah.”
Her laughter, sounding almost like a scream, echoed as Felix floated up with wind magic and fell in front of her.
“Siri.”
Worried, he looked back. Sylvia, with a beaming smile, said,
“Feri!”
Sylvia fixed them together with wind magic so that both could move as one. Then, she increased their speed.
Whooosh.
The sled, now so fast that it made a sound, shot forward uncontrollably, zigzagging endlessly down the path and enjoying the speed.
Felix then finally noticed his surroundings.
Until just a moment ago, he had been worriedly focusing only on her turquoise head, but seeing Sylvia laugh, he finally relaxed.
Furthermore, she called him by his nickname, which made him unwittingly grin and enjoy the sled. The fluffy snowy path, untouched by human tracks, now had sled marks on it. Passing by an igloo quickly, he turned his head.
In winter, even magical beasts enter hibernation. Thus, the surroundings were very quiet. Only the sound of the wind moving and her laughter moistened his ears like snowflakes blooming.
At this moment, when even the desperate voices of the fairies who had lost track of them were inaudible, Felix smiled brightly.
It was pure laughter, as untainted as the accumulated snow.
The night spent in the igloo was utterly blissful. A bonfire was lit in the center of the room, and wind magic was used to create a path for the smoke to escape. Everyone went to bed with content faces in the warm room.
In the morning, they ate refreshing perilla seed soup made with vegetable broth. The hot yet refreshing soup was bland but perfect for warming up inside.
Sylvia kept making snacks for the mercenary group, who were idly maintaining their equipment.
She cooked a thin flour batter like pancakes, filled them with sweet red bean paste, folded them in half, and served. Additionally, she made whipped cream with plenty of sugar, served it in a separate bowl, and also served a variety of berries.
People, who had stopped maintaining their equipment, slowly got up from the floor and gathered around the table, drawn by curiosity. As they looked at the steaming surface, Allen asked with curiosity.
“Miss Sylvia, what on earth is this?”
The food she made was always novel, but this time, their curiosity was piqued even more.
“Ah, this is…”
Sylvia had wanted to make fish-shaped buns that reminded her of winter, but realizing it might be too difficult, she opted for a makeshift solution that resembled the taste.
Thus, what she made was somewhat difficult to categorize as fish-shaped buns.
“Umm… Half-moon buns? …I suppose…”
She casually named them on the spot and continued.
“They taste great with cream and fruit on the side.”
Encouraging everyone to dig in, people simultaneously picked up their forks and knives.
Felix also took his place, appreciating the unique appearance.
“Half-moon buns…”
He really liked the name. He first tasted it as it was. Cutting a small piece and putting it in his mouth, the soft bread and sweet filling melted delightfully.
“Mm.”
Next, he tried it with a proper amount of cream.
“Mm…”
He added strawberries and blueberries, his eyes widening with surprise.
“Mm… It’s really good…”
The filling inside the bun was very sweet but unique, complementing well with the cream and fruit.
“It’s delicious, Miss Sylvia!”
“Sweet and soft… I’ve never tasted anything like this before.”
“Same here, this is a first for me.”
The dessert was entirely different from what was typically enjoyed in noble houses. The Croban mercenary group consisted of individuals from knightly families to commoners, without any high nobility.
Yet, being part of the royal knight order, they had their share of tasting desserts. Compared to those, this was incomparably delicious. Despite its simple appearance, the flavor was rich.
“It’s really tasty.”
Hubert marveled, his eyes sparkling. Proudly, Sylvia laughed heartily, grabbing a large piece with her hands and taking a big bite. Everyone fixed their gaze on Sylvia as she chewed enthusiastically.
Since it was a substitute for fish-shaped buns, naturally, Sylvia thought it should be eaten with hands.
Of course, if you’re adding cream and fruit, using a knife and fork is unavoidable, but the half-moon buns themselves were more flavorful when simply picked up and eaten by hand.
“Mmm.”
She enjoyed the fluffier texture compared to fish-shaped buns.
Quickly finishing one, she started on another, pairing the buns with milk with ice floated in it. Watching her eat, everyone put down their forks and knives and picked up their own buns with their hands.
Felix followed her example and bit into the half-moon bun.
Not using a fork felt strange. The warm, soft touch in his hand seemed to enhance the taste of the food.
“Mm, delicious.”
He muttered unconsciously as he picked up another half-moon bun. Would the taste be even better once his sense of taste fully returned?
Holding a half-moon bun, Felix pondered.
It’s already this sweet and delicious even though my sense of taste hasn’t fully returned…
Staring pensively at the half-moon bun, Felix tried putting the whole small bun in his mouth, as if that would allow him to taste it more fully.
Only the sounds of crackling firewood and eating resonated within the igloo.
***
The custom here of spending winter indoors seemed somewhat dull to Sylvia.
The first winter had passed in a blur without her realizing much, but this second winter felt somewhat tedious as she sat in the shared space, yawning widely.
Having just eaten breakfast, her stomach was full, and her body was warm and relaxed.
“Ugh, ha-ahm.”
Sylvia yawned widely as she stretched. After cleaning the equipment thoroughly, she put it into the subspace, and Felix asked her.
“If you’re sleepy, go in and take a nap.”
Unlike them, who had nothing to do at all in winter, Sylvia had to cook from morning till evening, so he thought she looked tired.
He looked at Sylvia with a face full of concern.
Sylvia, who had been sitting on a wooden chair and resting her chin on her hands, clapped once and stood up briskly.
“Felix, do you want to go outside with me?”
Felix responded with a slightly sulky expression because she didn’t use a nickname for him.
“Why go outside.”
To him, it was common sense not to go out in winter, so he didn’t understand her suggestion. However, if Sylvia wanted to, he wanted to agree.
“Well, there’s no reason we can’t go out.”
With his permission, Sylvia hopped towards her room, put on a robe, and came out. Felix naturally put on his robe and headed outside.
“Captain, Miss Sylvia. Where are you going?”
Dennis asked with a curious voice.
“We’ll just be out for a moment. Please rest.”
“Isn’t it snowing a lot?”
“It’s just for a moment.”
After finishing her answer, Sylvia hurried her steps. Eryngium, Daisy, Poppy, Clover, and Asta followed behind Sylvia and Felix.
[Where are you going?]
[Asta is cold.]
[What, where are you going?]
[Sylvia, Felix. Where are you going?]
[Sylvia!]
Sylvia melted the snow blocking the entrance with fire magic and went outside.
“Wow!”
It was all snow outside.
The forest, which was oddly full of trees, was densely filled with snow between the trees.
Sylvia, floating in the air, let out a long breath in the mist and laughed.
“Felix, this robe… it’s really warm.”
The biting wind was painful, but the robe made it bearable. Since they had come outside, they wanted to explore more.
“Let’s go up higher.”
Felix nodded in response to her cheerful smile, cuter than a fairy’s. Holding Felix’s hand tightly, they flew higher. The fairies lined up and followed behind them.
The forest seen from the sky had lost its usual gloomy atmosphere and shone dazzlingly white. Snowdrifts that rose endlessly high came into view.
Suddenly, an interesting idea came to mind.
“Let’s go there.”
Sylvia gently pulled the hand she was holding. Felix moved as she wished and flew to that place.
Sylvia landed on a path where the snow had piled up between the trees, forming curves, and created a long board using plant magic. The front part of the wooden board was sharply tapered, looking very unfamiliar.
“What’s that?”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Felix asked.
“This is called a sled. I’ll make one for you too.”
Sylvia made another sled of the same design and handed it to him. He accepted it hesitantly, but, not knowing what it was for, Felix just stared blankly at her.
Sylvia, as if she had been waiting, sat down on the sled first and began to explain.
“You just put your hips here and bring your legs to the front like this. Now, you try.”
Following her instructions, Felix sat on the sled. As soon as he was ready, Sylvia pushed her sled forcefully with wind magic.
“Then, follow me!”
Felix was surprised by the quick descent while Sylvia shouted “Yahoo” excitedly and rushed forward before he could stop her.
Felix followed her for the time being. He sped through the narrow gaps between trees with large curves, using wind magic.
Despite the biting wind against her face, Sylvia was thrilled.
It was just like the snow sleds she had ridden on country slopes when she was young. The feeling of racing down a snowy path with snow piled softly on the bumpy ground was indescribably exhilarating.
“Kyaaahahahahaha.”
As Sylvia turned the corner with wind magic, her body floated up and then down, it was chaotic.
[Sylvia!]
The fairies closely followed Sylvia and Felix, worried.
[Are you okay?]
[Why are you suddenly doing this!]
[Asta is really worried about Sylvia.]
[Felix, try to stop her. Sylvia might be hurt.]
[Sylvia―!]
Eryngium caught up to her, trying to grab her turquoise hair that was wildly fluttering in the wind. Struggling against the descending speed, Eryngium who grabbed the end of her tied-up hair, swayed along.
[Syl, Sylvia!]
“Kyaaaah.”
Her laughter, sounding almost like a scream, echoed as Felix floated up with wind magic and fell in front of her.
“Siri.”
Worried, he looked back. Sylvia, with a beaming smile, said,
“Feri!”
Sylvia fixed them together with wind magic so that both could move as one. Then, she increased their speed.
Whooosh.
The sled, now so fast that it made a sound, shot forward uncontrollably, zigzagging endlessly down the path and enjoying the speed.
Felix then finally noticed his surroundings.
Until just a moment ago, he had been worriedly focusing only on her turquoise head, but seeing Sylvia laugh, he finally relaxed.
Furthermore, she called him by his nickname, which made him unwittingly grin and enjoy the sled. The fluffy snowy path, untouched by human tracks, now had sled marks on it. Passing by an igloo quickly, he turned his head.
In winter, even magical beasts enter hibernation. Thus, the surroundings were very quiet. Only the sound of the wind moving and her laughter moistened his ears like snowflakes blooming.
At this moment, when even the desperate voices of the fairies who had lost track of them were inaudible, Felix smiled brightly.
It was pure laughter, as untainted as the accumulated snow.
