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They are planning to go to Village One today and there will be escorted by the kuros, a lot of them.

Don’t fall in the river on your way there.

Be careful on the road.

And their high elf escorts are following them a little further behind.

…..

Their sticks are longer than before, is this okay?

Their steps are really wide…..

And they are also wearing thicker winter clothes making them look like some kind of creature.

No, I guess the correct way to describe it is camouflage.

Take care of the boys.

-0-

After seeing Alfred group’s off, I went to the playroom of the mansion.

In one corner of the playroom, there’s a crowd of people.

In the center of the crowd is a mahjong table occupied by E3, Ursa, Nutt, and Torain.

Is this the children’s tournament?

「No, this is a match to determine the best of the best.」

Doraim, who’s watching them, told me.

It seems that the table has all the present top mahjong players.

Heh.

I was surprised that Ursa, Nutt, and Torain were strong players though E3 is expected.

After watching the game for a while, I noticed that there were many matches where no one wins.

And even when someone wins, it’s only by a small margin.

There isn’t much to see.

「What are you talking about? Those are basically high-level battles. Look, once someone gets something, the other three will crush it. This time, it was Ursa. Sensing that, Nutt and Torain immediately made their move to attack Ursa while E3 is trying to take advantage of it.」

Wouldn’t that make E3 win in the end?

「If E3 makes a big move while Nutt and Torain are on offense, E3 will be targeted by the three starting there. And as expected, E3 would refrain from doing so. She’s doing the cheap tactic of deliberately destroying everyone slowly in order to go up.」

Heh.

Then, how will this tournament be settled?

「Now way it can. At some point, they’ll get tired of it. Those around them are watching to see when it will be.」

It looks like it needs skill to watch them.

I don’t even know what’s happening.

-0-

By the way, Doraim.

What’s with the table over there?

Dors and Girar, Domain and Kworun, are they teaching each other mahjong?

「That’s the weakest king tournament. Father was chosen as the weakest king but he resisted. He brought in those who were not that familiar with mahjong to transfer the title.」

Ah, yeah, okay.

So, I guess Doraim doesn’t deserve to sit there.

「I’ve been in this village for the longest time. I have played more mahjong matches than anyone of them.」

That’s good to hear.

「By the way, I have a question. What are Alfred and the others trying to do?」

What are they trying to do?

Ah, they’re going around teaching the residents about life in the capital.

Not all villagers live in the mansion after all.

「All that trouble just to talk about it?」

That’s what he wants to do.

「Fumu. A king in the making.」

Do you think so?

「Yes, I’m happy for you. I will spare no effort in cooperating with you. Just tell me when you need it.」

I-I understand.

「And don’t hold back. Ahahahaha」

T-thank you very much.

I’ll let Alfred know.

I watched E3 and the others’ match a little longer.

-0-

In one of the guest rooms of my mansion, there was a rare cat meeting.

The father cat, Raigel, the mother cat, Jewel, the anenekos Miel, Rael, Uel, Gal, and the imoutonekos Ael, Hael, Zeel, and Sael.

There was no sign of the tiger Sougetsu.

Thus, this should be a cat-only meeting.

….

This was not a meeting.

It was just the mother cat, Jewel, scolding the anenekos and imoutonekos.

The father cat, Raigel, seems to want to leave the scene but stays put thinking that Jewel will scold him too once he shows any sign of leaving.

Ah, he noticed me.

Don’t send me help signals.

See, the anenekos and imoutonekos noticed me too so they all ran and hid behind me…..or not.

They are pushing and offering me to Jewel.

Don’t drag me into this.

So, why are you scolding them?

Check outside the window?

What should I check?

The courtyard is full of snow….I don’t think there’s anything particularly noteworthy.

The ground?

There are lumps of snow….

Ah, I see.

Snowman.

There must have been more than one snowman but they were all destroyed.

The cats destroyed them?

They used them as magic targets?

Haa.

I don’t know who made them but they must have worked hard to do so.

It’s not very nice to destroy them.

You really need to be scolded.

Hey, hey, don’t protest.

Just pose as if you’re reflecting to Jewel.

Hnn?

What’s the matter, Raigel?

It was the angels who made the snowmen?

He said they worked really hard to show it off to the children in the village especially Tiselle, Aurora, Rose Maria, Laladel, and Tormaneh.

They already showed them off to the children but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to break them.

Should I do something about it?

Yes, of course.

Fix them.

I should fix those snowmen.

I don’t know what they looked like before so I’ll just have to talk to the angels.

Ah, you’re going with me to apologize?

Okay.

-0-

When I told her what happened to the snowmen, Tier quickly fixed them with magic.

Amazing.

「It’s an application of golem control magic desu.」

Heh.

「But those cats can do it too.」

Hnn?

What do you mean?

「Those snowmen must have had defensive magic to prevent them from breaking. If it breaks, there are traces of mechanism to make it explode. The cats broke through the defensive magic and avoided the trap so they should be aware of it.」

……

Wh-what the heck are you building in this village!

Don’t build something dangerous!

「No, no, they are just basic defensive magic so that the snowmen can last through the winter desu.」

What about the explosion?

「That’s our policy. When you go, it must have an impact desu ne. Also, even if you’re hugging it when it explodes, it won’t kill you desu yo.」

Are you telling the truth?

「I won’t lie to you. Also, there are chickens and children walking in the courtyard.」

I see.

However, aside from that defensive magic, I forbid that explosion trap.

Make sure everyone knows that.

「Okay.」

-0-

The circumstances around the anenekos and imoutonekos have changed.

It is possible that they attacked them in order to remove that strange trap.

The anenekos and imoutonekos had attacked the snowmen for the safety of the village.

While I was thinking so, Raigel, who was being held by me, shook his head saying “No way that’s true”.

Is that so?

-0-

Shortly before sunset.

Alfred’s group returned.

The high elf escorts are walking normally.

Did something happen?

The residents of Village One mistook the high elves as monsters and attacked them?

Ah, they are guarding Alfred and the others but from their perspective, they thought that they were chasing after Alfred’s group.

Is anyone injured?

None?

Alfred and the others stopped them immediately.

Good.

Let’s apologize to Village One later.

That must have startled them.

-0-

Torain: Tsumo! 3600!

Village Chief: That’s a big gain. Do you think this match will go to Torain?

Doraim: No. That rude move won’t go anywhere.

Village Chief: What do you mean by rude?

Doraim: It’s like he’s telling everyone his plan. Not good! Torain’s going haywire!

Village Chief: Eh? Why? Eh? What the….

Ursa: You’ve been exposed, I’ll take this one….chi!

Doraim: Ursa has started! This is a big move!

Village Chief: So, what’s going on!

Doraim: You’ll know if you watch!

Nutt: It’s time for me to join, pon! I’ll cut your cheap tiles starting now!

E3: Dare toss cheap tiles….ron desu. 1300.

Ursa: Kuh, I’m crushed.

Torain: That was close….at least I did not go haywire.

The matches continued like that.

-0-

Angel A: So this is a snowman desu!

Angel B: Oh! Awesome!

Angel C: How about we make lots of big snowmen to show off to the children!

Angel D: I agree! Let’s do it!

Angel E: However, won’t they be fragile since they are made of snow desu wa?

Angel F: We can just use defensive magic, right?

Angel G; Right.

Angel H: Done! Amazing! They are our masterpieces!

Angel I: However, they will melt in spring, right?

Angel J: They are snow after all desu.

Angel K: It would be unbecoming of us if we leave it like that desu. Let’s make it explode once it melts halfway!

Angel L: Agree desu ne! Like this desu!

Angel M: Perfect desu! Let’s show it to Tiselle-sama and the others!

-0-

Rose Maria, Laladel, and Tormaneh: Kyaa kyaa kyaa (Overjoyed)

Tiselle: Amazing! What beautiful defensive magic! (Overjoyed)

Aurora: There’s even something complex inside! (Overjoyed)