――a house in Koryatt village.

  Wearing thick leather shoes, my husband and child stand up.

  「Well then I’m going!」


  「I’m leaving mom!」


  「Yes, have a safe trip. I’m going to Lena-san’s house after I’m done knitting this, please warm the stew for your lunch. 」


  I waved as I smiled while looking at my child’s lively appearance as I send them off.

  「Yeeーs!」


  「Okay, thanks.」


  Answering cheerfully, my child rush out to the world of snow, followed by my husband.

  And then I close the door.

  Only the sound of burning firewood could be heard, in order to warm up the room.

  Approaching the fireplace, I adjust the firewood’s position to let it burn even more, then I sit by the side and start knitting.

  「Haaー, it’s cold.」


  It’s not possible to do any farm work, so we made clothes and wicker basket made of wood to pay the tax. We can also decide how many we would like to make among those.

  Our family decided to pay using clothes and wooden basket.

  But there are people among the other household who seems to be using bowls, cups, and wooden carvings. Since there’s no one with dexterous hands in my family, so we just do some common work.

  The three of us have been doing this together lately, but since the snow has especially piled up today, I decided to let my child to go out and play.

  Actually, I really wanted to go with them, but I’ll endure today.

  That’s because today is that day.

  As a matter of fact, the quota for today is over already.

  Until I get called, I shall continue knitting.

  Maybe because it’s snowing today, it has been cold since morning, and my hands are cold.

  I work on the clothes as I moved the knitting needle while somehow managing to keep my hands grew numb from cold, as I warmed my fingers lightly by the fire.

  Until a while ago, my child is making noises that it’s snowing, making the inside of the room right now feels excessively quiet.

  As I’m working silently with no one else to talk to, I hear the sound of the front door being knocked in a rhythm.

  「It’s alright, come in.」


  When I answered so, the door opened with a creak (*gara~)2 as my best friend Lita (リタ) enter.

  「Hannah (ハンナ), since it’s snowing today, so the meeting will be held outside.」


  「Just what on earth are we going to do today?」


  「Today is, umm, na, nanana, oh whatever! We’re making Ice Statue!」


  I can hear the excitement from Lita’s voice. By any chance, is this probably the thing I’m going to do? The wild ideas inside my head is increasing.

  「Could it be you’re talking about……」


  「「Syl × Al!」」


  「Wait a minute! I’m coming right away!」


  「Please be quick.」


  After extinguishing the fire without further ado, I put on some clothes and start running toward the world of snow together with Lita.

  「Saa, Let’s join the others. 」


  「I wonder what should I do.」


  「「Gufufufu, let’s get wet.」」


  ×　　　　　　×　　　　　　×

  ――back in Koryatt village.

  Owing to the snow piled up in the village, many children are running around energetically outside.

  They’re accompanied by adult men to look after them, but many of them must have gotten tired of doing the side job inside their house. Since the children wanted to play outside, the men use that as a reason and jump at the chance to escape together with their children.

  Roland made a snowman in the village, and that mouth of his.

  「Look!　Westa!　Look at my snowman!　Bumpy (*bokoboko)3 just like my abs isn’t it!?」


  「Hmph, Roland. What’s so fun in bragging about such two-headed thing? Look at mine! It’s a proper humanoid form!」


  「What’da ya say!　Just you wait!　I’m going to make an Ice Statue that look just like me!」


  「Psaw. Careful you don’t make a bear or a yeti for a snowman at the most.」


  Then they turn their back against each other to make their snowman.

  「Here it is Westa!」


  Roland looks confidence with his work.

  The body of the snowman is in the shape of inverted triangle, and the muscles down to the fine detail are expressed splendidly. Especially the abdominal muscles and the biceps where one can feel the extraordinary commitment of the maker.

  And when he thought that Westa will cry out in astonishment if he just look his way,

  「What’s with the lower body?」


  「Aah?　The lower body will support my splendid upper body isn’t it.」


  Looking at Roland’s face that seemed to say,「You don’t even understand something like that?」, Westa’s vein pop out.

  「Could it be, you want to surpass yeti and a bear to create a monster?　I mean, that’s with that unshapely body? It looks just like an Orc right?」


  「Haa!? 　Then what about yours?」


  While Roland come closer and about to lose his temper, Westa gave a snort and reveal his Ice Statue.

  「Take a good look!　This is the Ice Statue that represent my beautiful sense of elegance!」


  Turning both of his arms toward his back, it was a statue of Westa that emphasizes abdominal and pectoral muscles.

  That was the first thing Roland notice.

  「Hoーu? But it’s you isn’t it. 」


  Roland send a doubtful gaze and narrowed his eyes. However, Westa stick his chest out as if having no qualms about it.

  「There’s no way you have this amount of muscles!」


  「Oi, what what are you do……Aaaaaahhh!?　My abdominal and pectoral muscles!?」


  Westa scream as he threw a snow at Roland as if it would make him stop.

  And the snow hit Roland perfectly on his face.

  「Youuuu, what are you doing all of a sudden.」


  「It’s a punishment for touching my Ice Statue. But it’s good right, Roland. You’re twice as cool than usual now.　Hahahahahaha……kaggh!?」


  A snowball is thrown toward Westa’s mouth as he laugh with his mouth open.

  「You, bas, tardー. Wanna fight it out?」


  「Come on you sonuvabitch!」


  「You muscle-brained bastard, Imma pinch you in ma’ hands and crush you!」


  And then a fierce snowball fight begun on the roadside of the village.

  The villagers who watch that got interested and gather around.

  「Oi, Elman, lend me a hand!　We’re gonna beat that bastard up!」


  「E, eh?　You’re asking me?」


  「Lardo give me a hand!　Let’s teach that muscle daruma a lesson!」


  「Hah!?　Me?」


  Hearing Westa and Roland’s ask for support, the villagers around came up and said 「Please let me in too!」, 「It’s a true snowball fight!」in succession.

  And then the team split into two groups, as Koryatt village became a battleground.