Chapter 45: Bartolo of the Snow Country
Chapter 45: Bartolo of the Snow Country
Winter. And it is also the time of the year when the sun sets earliest. It seems to be the same in this world.
If it’s Japan, now should be about the time for Christmas day isn’t it.
Christmas. For those who have a lover, it may be the best and big day of the year for them.
The Christmas Eve is on the 24th. Many people eat cake on those two days, but there might be many people who don’t understand the difference between the two.
To begin with, Christmas came from Christian culture.
For the Japanese not familiar with it, however, it has become a day where people are swept by those corporates strategy of how to be riajuu without understanding the meaning and make a fuss and praise others.
After all, Christmas is about celebrating Christian’s messiah, the birthday of Jesus Christ, it’s absolutely not a day for couples to flirt.
My god, I mean, what are couples doing on sacred day like that, huh.
Really, it’s truly deplorable.
It’s such an annoying season, but of course, there is no Christmas in this other world.
In other words, for those single, and me, it’s got nothing to do with us. Truly wonderful.
And so, I spend my days as usual without thinking of anything.
It’s snowing today. And as a result, tomorrow Koryatt village will turn into a pure white silver world.
But, I think the temperature will drop because of that and it became too cold.
In this cold season, I don’t know that people will yearn for body warmth.
I don’t have someone to snuggle up to, both my mind and body are frozen.
「……Al.」
Sitting on the sofa in the living room next to me, Eleonora-neesan called out to me with a gentle voice.
There’s no way, Eleonora-neesan. Guessing about my seemingly lonely appearance! …perhaps, I am not lonely since I have an older sister here. Does this is what it feels like being in a typical warm family I wonder.
I turn my gaze with expectation, and I go to Eleonora-neesan’s side.
「What is it Eleonora-neesan.」
「……tea……」
「…………」
「……refill it.」
「……yes」
I suppose it would be like that.
× × ×
The snow are sparkling here and there, reflecting the pleasant morning sun.
It seems that the snow falls quite considerably yesterday, when I went out of the mansion the ground is blanketed by a layer of snow.
Wearing heavy outfit for the cold, I walked out of the entrance. Everytime I took a breath, white breath is exhaled.
I bend over, and take off my gloves, then I took the snow in my hands.
It’s cold. Though it’s obvious, but I think the snow in this different world and Japan doesn’t seem to be that different.
I quickly put on my gloves again, and get up.
When I look toward the roof, I can see Bartolo assiduously using shovel to clear the snow on the roof. He seems to be so energetic early in the morning.
For some reason I feel like I want to do a little prank on him, so instead of a morning greeting Bartolo, I made a snowball and threw it at him.
「Nuooh!?」
The snowball splendidly hit Bartolo in the waist with a ‘bass’-sound.
「Ahahaha」
「Oi kid, now you’ve done it huh.」
Bartolo turns around and threw his shovel away, and then he gathered up the snow around him with a belligerent smile. Then in the blink of an eye, the snow takes a round shape, it became a snowball.
「Wait, wait a second Bartolo-san. Don’t you think that’s too big!? I’ll die if you use that and throw it at me from such height!?」
Looking at the shell-like snowball on Bartolo’s big hand, I hide behind a tree in a hurry.
If one were to get hit by something like that, then one face will turn like those Anpan1 guy that is very popular with the kids.
You will also get a bonus of a red flower blooming.
「Ooh? I thought you were declaring war before?」
With skeptical smile, Bartolo compressing the shell in his hands even more.
That’s already as hard as stone, isn’t it? That’s seriously dangerous.
「Saa! Begin the war!」
「How old do you think you are, to raise the tension like that!?」
「Leave me alone!」
He doesn’t seem to care about my tsukkomi I guess, and along with his angry voice, the shell flew.
「Uwa! It’s breaking the branches! 」
「It’ll grow and bloom again in spring!」
Tentatively, you are a chef in addition of being a servant. Is that fine doing something like that.
Anyhow, as things stay as it is, it’s obvious what should be done. I made snowballs in a hurry.
But, this body of a six years old can not make a powerful snowball.
The strength and the size are somewhat lacking. Above all, my throwing power is also lacking.
In comparison, Bartolo has such a big hands and can exert more power, so he can mass-produce more shells one after another.
Hey, don’t you think you’re kinda childish.
While Bartolo create a shell, I took the opportunity as he expose himself to throw a snowball to him.
「It’s pointless! Pointless! 」
Darn, to begin with, this physique is too different.
「Hora!」
Bartolo then throws one shell after another towards me who jumped out from the shadow of the tree.
Thi, this is ridiculous. This is not the snowball fight that I know of.
I managed to somehow run around and dodge, but each time Bartolo’s snow-shell hit the ground, the impact blew up the snow around it and blocks the visibility.
I tried to take some distance, but the shell keep flying towards me disregarding anything I’ve tried. Rather, it feels like the speed and the weight of the shells are increasing because of the increased distance.
「What happen to you, huh! Why did you keep running away kid!」
「That brute. Him being so lively is so pointless. If you want to play like that, then I’ll keep you company. 」
I made a decision, then walked in front of Bartolo.
「Ooh? You’re going to face me from the front? 」
「Aah, that’s right. From now on, I won’t move even a step. How about the both of us does not avoid the snowball?」
「Hehehe, that’s fine by me, it’s a promise then.」
「That’s fine. But in exchange, I won’t forgive you even if you cry and apologize!」
「That’s my line!」
「Well then, Bartolo can go ahead first.」
When I urge him with a smile full of composure, Bartolo got this deep wrinkled face full of smiles as he made a large swing with his hand that is holding the shell.
That swing is enough to put a pro pitcher’s sense of balance to shame. Such excellent form. This guy, seems he’s quite used to it.
「Don’t collapse from just one shot!」
The shell that use Bartolo’s whole body’s strength without sparing even a bit of it, drew near me in a straight line with a roar.
I look at it without panicking.
「………shield.」
At the same time I recite my incantation, a transparent, colorless, and rectangular-shaped wall appear to protect me from the snowballs.
「Ha!? Wait! Why are you using magic! That’s unfair!」
「I hadn’t heard any rules that I can’t use it!」
「Then it’s banned from now on! Banned I said!」
「No, way. I’ll restrict your movement just in case, okay.」
I use Ice Magic, I manipulate it with the image of Bartolo’s feet entangled by the Ice Magic. Un, thanks to the snow around us, the mana consumption is small, and it’s easy to use Ice Magic. As expected, the efficiency is greatly different when making things with magic from scratch and using things right there and then.
「Oi wait! What’s this ice doing with my leg! Remove it, hey.」
「Well then, next is my turn okay.」
I sentenced Bartolo, I made snowballs with the non-attribute magic 『Psychic』, then I also pick up the shell from Bartolo and set them floating.
It’s about thirty or more in number perhaps.
「Oi, wait a minute. What’s with that number!」
Looking at the snowball that appear one after another in midair, Bartolo managed to somehow squeeze out his voice while he’s still dumbfounded.
「Well then, shall we start? You can’t avoid it. Oh well, you’re being restrained currently, so you won’t be able to avoid it anyway. We’ve promised to never step a single step away after all.」
「Please wait Alfried-sama!? I’m truly sorry! I get too carried away since I came from the snow country!」
Since the tension is high, I quickly make a lot of snowballs.
「Noー」
I denied Bartolos’s pleading with a smile, and I simultaneously throw the snowballs!
「Hoeeeeehhh!」
Bartolo, who has been restrained and unable to move, was blown away from the roof.
Though he fell from the roof, the snow piled up beneath him became a cushion for him, and with that guy’s physique, it’s impossible for him to get hurt with this kind of thing.
「Daaaaaammmmnnnn!」
See, he’s fine.
Nevertheless, what am I doing so early in the morning. Even though I should be taking a light walk, I unintentionally has snowball fight using magic.
Although my body has warmed up thanks to Bartolo.
× × ×
「Oーi, Alー!Let’s playー!」
I can hear a voice calling me when I just take a breath. When I look, I can see Torr’s figure at the other side of the gate which was turned white due to the snow. And when I look closer, there is another boy I don’t recognize beside him.
Just who the heck is he?
「Yoo Al! Since the snow has piled up, let’s play!」
「Fine by me, but who is that kid beside you?」
How to say this, he’s kinda solidly built, but to put it bluntly, he’s a fat boy. Giving the air of frivolousness somehow or other, a boy wearing a habit of sort with a light brown hair.
Somehow he resemble someone for some reason.
「Aah, I’ll introduce him. This is Asmo (アスモ). He’s my friend.」
「My name is Asmo. I often hangs out with Torr since both of us are neighbors.」
「My name is Alfried, Nice to meet you. You said neighbors, you mean you’re Sheila-san’s younger brother?」
「That’s right.」
O, ooh I see. No wonder there are all sorts of big one out there.
As soon as I saw him, my stomach feels kinda tight, so I asked Asmo.
「By the way, that, how long have you been pregnant?」
「Right, right. It’s already in the third month of pregnanc―― hey where the heck is the flow of conversation earlier? You also said I’m Sheila’s younger brother right? There’s no way for a man to get pregnant! 」
Hearing that, Torr laughter didn’t stop for quite some time.
Another dense guy shows up.
This was my first encounter with Asmo.