Snowlake is a town far to the north.
From Blue Island, it’s a long journey of about a month by carriage.
We made sure to prepare properly...
Said our goodbyes to Lyra...
And then, we boarded the carriage bound for Snowlake and left Blue Island behind.
――――――――――
The wheels clattered as they turned, and the scenery slowly flowed past us.
"Ohhh!"
Aisha watched with excitement, her tail swishing back and forth.
She had ridden in carriages many times before, but she still seemed to enjoy watching the passing scenery.
Yeah, I get it.
I was the same way when I was a kid.
Seeing the world from a different perspective, at a different speed, felt fresh and exciting.
"...Mmm."
Sofia, who had been napping with her sword in her arms, suddenly opened her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Monsters."
"Then I'll—"
"Fate, please take care of Aisha. Besides, it's my turn now. I'll be back soon."
Before I could stop her, Sofia hopped off the carriage.
...A short while later, the sound of monsters screaming reached our ears.
I almost felt sorry for them.
Trying to attack a carriage with Sofia in it—what terrible luck.
"Man, that's a relief."
The coachman's voice drifted in from the small door connecting the driver's seat to the wagon.
"With the Sword Saint here, I don't have to worry about monsters at all. I haven't had such a safe journey in a long time."
"Thanks to you as well. Letting us ride in your carriage has been a huge help."
Snowlake was far away, and there were no regular carriage services to the town.
We needed to hire a private one, but most drivers refused because the trip was too long.
Even when we found someone willing, the price was outrageous.
Just when we were out of options, we met a merchant headed to Snowlake.
In exchange for guarding his carriage, he agreed to take us there.
That was the deal we made.
"By the way, Stuart, why are you heading to Snowlake?"
The coachman, seemingly bored, struck up a conversation.
I was also bored, so I decided to humor him.
"Well... Snowlake is my hometown."
Explaining everything would take too long, so I kept quiet about the Snow Crystal Sword repair.
"Oh, you're from Snowlake? Then, you're in for a rough time."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Oh? You don’t know?"
Judging from his tone, something was happening in Snowlake.
I had a bad feeling.
"I'm a merchant who travels between Snowlake and other towns, but lately, something strange has been happening."
"Something strange?"
Could it be something like what happened in Blue Island…?
"There have been continuous good harvests."
"...Huh?"
Good harvests?
As in... an abundance of crops and fruit?
"You see, Snowlake is a snowy town, right? Normally, only a limited variety of crops can grow there. But lately, they can grow all kinds of vegetables and fruits, and on top of that, the harvests keep getting better."
"That’s... unbelievable."
"It is. But they don’t have enough workers, so they’re overwhelmed. Does your family farm?"
"No… we're blacksmiths."
"Then you probably won’t be roped into helping... though, if you have farmer friends, you might still get asked to pitch in. Right now, even kids are helping with the harvest."
"...I see."
"Well, it's a good problem to have. Thanks to the surplus, I have more goods to trade and am making a good profit. That’s why I travel back and forth so often."
At first, I was on edge, thinking something bad had happened, like in Blue Island.
But now, I felt a little let down.
"...Still."
It was a curious situation.
Snowlake was a snowy town, not suited for agriculture.
Of course, there were crops that could grow in the cold, but only a limited variety.
It was a tough place for farming.
That was why my father became a blacksmith instead of a farmer.
And yet, they were having abundant harvests?
Growing all kinds of fruits and vegetables?
If it was true, it should be something to celebrate.
But if no one knew why it was happening…
It felt unsettling.
Honestly, I didn’t know how to feel about it.
"I'm back."
Sofia returned to the carriage, having apparently wiped out the monsters.
"Mom, good job!"
"Thank you. I did my best to protect Fate and Aisha."
"Hey, what about me? Are you not going to protect me too?"
"Well... Fate? What's so funny?"
"Nothing, really."
Something might be happening in Snowlake.
But as long as we were together, I knew we’d be fine.
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