The Snow Elf Feast (Toward The Finale, Part 3)

We moved in various ways to invite the snow elves to the mansion.

Then, a few days later.

Unbelievably, everything went well.

Kou, who had become a World Core, had become able to create a direct passage all the way to the Yamata Kingdom.

Red Shadow used that passage to return home and report to King Mikoto, and as a result, all 120 snow elves living in Emi Province were brought over first. There were also many families with children.

However, when I saw them emerging from the dungeon passage and muttered, “Isn’t this a bit small for one settlement?” those words apparently reached King Mikoto.

The next day, the remaining seventy were sent over. They were snow elves who had been made into mistresses, prostitutes, or male prostitutes because of debts or in place of taxes. Apparently, he had threatened to abolish the houses of anyone who did not release the elves of the Emi Clan and gathered every last one of them.

Thanks to that, the snow elves were having tearful reunions in Kou’s dungeon.

I felt that the first 120 immigrants were somehow putting up a wall against me and Teti.

In particular, some people complained about being placed under Teti, who was still so young.

However, because we had also brought the seventy who had been separated from them while still alive, they thanked us grandly, and both Teti and I were worshiped like gods.

Good grief, the truly amazing one was King Mikoto.

To think he would exercise such strong authority for the sake of the snow elves.

As expected of a wise ruler called “the most beautiful noble ruler in the East.”

“I’d like to thank King Mikoto personally.”

When I muttered that, Edgar gave a wry smile for some reason.

Apparently, Heroes and former Heroes were absolutely forbidden from entering the Yamata Kingdom, so maybe he was laughing at that?

I did not really understand, but well, all’s well that ends well.

As their place to live, we installed a vast snowfield area on the second underground floor of the dungeon.

From the mansion garden, entering the passage led to a T-junction, with Kou’s hall on the right and the stairs on the left.

We also installed stairs leading down to the second underground floor in the passage on the Royal Capital side.

Deep within the snowfield area, Kou’s power built many houses and created a village.

Of course, while listening to the requests of the 190 snow elves in total.

For now, their work would be shop-sitting and gathering medicinal herbs. Since each of them was strong, we would also have them hunt rabbits and boars.

Also, they apparently could make a special food called ruibe, made from half-frozen meat and fish, so we decided to have them make that too.

Eventually, we planned to have them deliver Puchi Elixirs to the branch stores as well.

Well, since Puchi Eli was making money, we could just buy whatever food was lacking.

Maybe we should turn the third underground floor into a farm area and have them do fieldwork too.

We could discuss that eventually as well.

One day, after the migration had settled down.

I came to the snow elf village with Liricia, Teti, and Fenrir.

The snow elves, adults and children alike, lined both sides of the village’s main street and welcomed us grandly.

“Thank you, Alec-sama!”

“It’s the best place to live!”

“Thank you!”

“I got to see my big brother again! Thank you!”

Everyone was crying tears of joy.

I thought it was good that we had been able to help them.

I had not done anything, so it was a little embarrassing, though.

A speech platform had been set up in the plaza in front of the mansion.

The snow elves gathered in the plaza.

Teti and I went up as representatives.

“Uh, I’m glad all of you are now able to live comfortably. If you have any problems or requests, tell me, Teti, or Kou. Everyone, please live freely and happily. That is all.”

After I finished speaking, I stepped back.

I did not know what I should say, so it ended up as a speech that was almost like a set of announcements.

Even so, it seemed to be fine, and the snow elves applauded grandly.

“Alec-sama!”

“You’re wonderful!”

“Hold me!”

“Meow.”

Some woman had blurted out something outrageous, but I ignored it. As long as I had Liricia, that was enough.

Next, Teti stepped forward and spoke.

“The reason I’m alive right now, and the reason all of you are alive too, is all thanks to Alec-sama! Everyone, let’s be grateful to Alec-sama!”

“Yes!”

“Alec-sama!”

“Teti-sama!”

“Our Lady!”

“Meow.”

“Long live Alec-sama!”

Grand cheers rang out affirmatively.

Teti nodded with a smile and continued speaking.

“Also, I’m the chief, but I don’t know anything about snow elf life, so it’s okay if we choose the previous chief’s son as acting chief, right!?”

There was a slight stir, but voices of agreement could be heard from here and there.

Well, it was probably the reasonable decision.

After that, things flowed into a feast.

Several large tables were set out in the plaza, and dishes piled high on large plates were lined up.

Alcohol was also brought out in barrels.

I tried the snow elves’ proud local dish called ruibe.

It was eaten by dipping frozen meat into a black liquid—soy sauce.

The instant I put it in my mouth, the coldness was stronger, but with each bite, it warmed, then melted on my tongue as if coming apart.

“Mm! This is good!”

“It is amazing! It melts in my mouth!”

Liricia covered her mouth with her palm and widened her eyes in surprise.

Apparently, half-freezing it broke apart the connections in the meat, increasing its tenderness.

Also, ruibe went well with alcohol.

I brought two slices, then three slices, to my mouth. Then I drank.

Not only the meat, but the fish ruibe was delicious too.

I enjoyed the ruibe and alcohol for a while, but when I looked around, I saw women and children happily eating round things in small bowls.

Wondering what they were, I received one too.

Inside the bowl was a pink sphere.

When I put a spoon into it, it sank in more softly than cheese.

Wondering at it, I took one bite, and the moment I did, I involuntarily let out a “Mm!”

“What is this!? It’s cold! But it’s sweet! Delicious!”

The thing that melted smoothly on my tongue had a fruit flavor.

When I asked, I was told it was a food called sherbet.

It was an ice sweet made by freezing fruit juice a little, mixing it, then freezing it a little again and mixing it, over and over.

It was not just me who praised this first experience; Liricia also praised it with an angelic smile.

“It is delicious! What a refined sweetness!”

Every time Liricia took a bite, she held her cheeks and trembled.

The texture and sweetness were shocking enough that my head was taken over by the word delicious.

The snow elves were also happy to see how delighted we were.

There were also other local dishes I had seen in the Yamata Kingdom.

—This might be popular if we opened a restaurant in the Royal Capital.

Even a sherbet stall alone looked like it could make enormous profits.

As I was thinking that, a man spoke to me.

He was a handsome man who looked around thirty, with white hair tinged faintly blue.

I was sure he was the former chief’s son. He should have elven blood, but his ears were not long.

He thanked me with a polite attitude.

“Thank you very much for fundamentally saving us snow elves this time.”

“I only did it while helping Teti and Fenrir, so don’t worry about it. Rather, I think King Mikoto’s efforts were amazing.”

“It was entirely because of Alec-sama’s prestige that Mikoto-sama acted to such an extent.”

“Is that so? I’m glad someone like me was useful.”

Something suddenly bothered me, so I asked.

“Is everyone here? Is there anyone still being used or going through hardship?”

The acting chief looked around at everyone as he spoke.

“Let me see… Aside from a few who left the country and became adventurers, everyone is here. Even the Garden Guard, who were supposed to have been employed by the state, are here.”

“The Garden Guard?”

“Ah, how should I put it? Secret agents—no, that might not make sense. They are spies who conduct intelligence activities in other countries.”

“That one, huh?”

I also looked in the direction the acting chief was looking.

There was a girl who had been bothering me the whole time.

She had bothered me ever since I met the group of snow elves.

Her appearance was completely different from that of ordinary snow elves.

All the snow elves had hair colors that were almost as pale as snow, whether gold, silver, white, blue, or red.

However, that girl had pitch-black hair like charcoal. Moreover, pointed triangular ears stood on top of her head.

—Rather than an elf, wasn’t she a cat beastkin?

As I watched her, the girl seemed to notice my gaze.

While swaying her long black tail, she came over.

She had well-arranged features, but she asked me with an expressionless face.

“Alec-sama, do you need something?”

“No, I just thought you were a snow elf despite that appearance.”

“Mm. My mother is a cat beastkin.”

“I see. Is your job spying?”

She swayed her shoulder-length black hair and nodded.

“Yes. I was doing intelligence work in the Isfahan Kingdom.”

I was pretty sure that was a country located from the center of the continent toward the west. Apparently, there were many beastkin there, but I had never gone.

“A beastkin country, huh. I’d like to go there.”

When I murmured that, Liricia, who was beside me, reacted.

“There should have been ships leaving from the Aragon Kingdom west of Fortis.”

“I see… That sounds good too.”

I thought about our future plans.

—After that, going over there might be good too. Just Liricia and me.

The cat beastkin murmured with an expressionless face.

“Ask me anything about Isfahan. I’ll tell you all the good restaurants.”

I thought that sounded reliable.

The feast continued.

However, it really was getting cold, so Liricia and I decided to leave partway through.

We left the village while being seen off grandly by the snow elves.

We walked through the pure-white snowfield, where snow was fluttering down here and there, leaving two sets of footprints behind us.

When the village had become far smaller in the distance, Liricia nestled close to me with a happy expression.

“It was wonderful.”

“Yeah. Delicious food and happy smiles. It was very heartwarming.”

“No, I meant you, Alec-sa—n. Reuniting families separated while still alive… as expected of you.”

“No, no, I barely did anything.”

“Hehe, that is amazing in its own way. I am sure everyone realized how wonderful you are.”

“I hope so.”

In the chilly snowfield area, we walked toward the stairs.

The warmth of Liricia nestling close to me felt so pleasant that it made me happy.