Published at 27th of March 2023 9:23 am

Chapter 306: Red Wine Shaved Ice 

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

After eating breakfast and resting in the living room, I return to my room.

「Torr and Asmo are going to come rushing into the mansion if I don’t go to their place to give them their souvenirs」

It’s been three days since I returned to Koryatt village. Our carriage is too conspicuous and it is a small village community. So everyone in the village should have already known that our family had returned.

So the two of them - who have a convenient-to-themselves way of thinking and thought of me as their friends - must have thought that I have bought them some souvenirs and are looking forward to them.

And they must have guessed from my personality that I won’t leave the mansion for the first and second day after I returned, so they would be looking forward to their souvenirs - thinking that I will find them today. And then, if I betray their expectations, they will probably barge into the mansion.

And when they are in the mansion they won’t readily go home since I guess they will be able to relax inside.

It’s hot outside so I don’t want to go outside and walk, but I also want to enjoy the landscape of Koryatt village that I hadn’t seen for some time.

Still, shall I bring them their souvenirs today?

Well then, what would be good souvenirs for Torr and Asmo?

First of all, I got seashells and magic core fragments I gathered from the beach. They are the best choice to give them the impression of the sea other than foodstuff.

Then next will be food. For now, I will it’ll be enough to give them the dried fish and dried small crab that I froze with Ice magic.

Anything more than these will be too excessive and will only make them get carried away.

I take out my bag and put the seashells and magic core fragments inside a wooden box.

I can just put the frozen fish and dried fish into a jar and later take them out from my Space magic. Carrying every single one of them around in a bag is heavy after all.

With the preparation for the souvenirs done, I left my room and headed for the entrance on the first floor.

And as I change into my outside shoes, Elna-kaasan called out to me from behind.

「Al, where are you going?」

「I’m going to Torr’s house to give them their souvenirsー」

「Torr-kun’s house? Can you just call them and give them their souvenirs here?」

「Hm? It’s unusual for Elna-kaasan to try to invite guests」

I think Elna-kaasan wants to spend her days peacefully in the mansion, so if I had to say, she doesn’t like to invite others into the mansion.

She’ll get distracted if her children’s friends were to come over and make a lot of noise when it is time for her to enjoy her time at home, so the people who invited them also have to be considerate.

I also usually want to spend my time peacefully inside, so I understand that feeling painfully well, and I basically don’t invite Torr and the others to the mansion that often.

And thus, I - who also feels the same as Elna-kaasan - don’t understand the reason why she’s willing to invite them even though it’s not necessary to do that.

「I mean, it will be hot and inconvenient if Al is not here. Who will use Ice magic if Al is not here, then?」

Just when I think she will say something unusual, that’s the reason for that, huh?

「We have Ice magic tools, do we not? You can just use that to make ice and place them inside the room」

「That will make the room cool, but still it will be no good if Al is not home」

「It’s useless even if you cooly say that with a serious expression. Well then, I’m going」

I know how you feel but I want to see Koryatt village for the first time in a while. I broke away and head outside before Elna-kaasan can talk me into staying inside.

Immediately after, warm air welcomes me outside.

A great difference between the cold air scattered around inside the mansion from the Ice magic. It makes me feel like I’m disheartened already.

「See, the outside is hot, right? Let’s just relax inside the cool mansion, all right?」

The devil’s whisper comes from Elna-kaasan in the back, but I don’t listen to her.

「It’s fine. I can wrap cold air around my body with magic」

I cast Ice magic and make them drift around my surrounding. Just doing that alone completely pushed the warm air away.

「Kuh, this is why Al is so..」

Elna-kaasan looks so envious seeing me being able to use Ice magic.

Fufufu, my position is higher than usual since it’s summer, and the fact that I’m able to use Ice magic.

Although, I know very well the reason that the house will become hot if I’m not around, so I perform some stop-gap measures.

I make a lot of buckets made of Earth magic and throw ice on them.

「This should release cold air and make the room cool if you just put it inside」

「Ara, thank you. Take care outside. Don’t forget to drink water just because you can use Ice magic, all right?」

And when she realizes that she can cope with the heat without me, Elna-kaasan sent me off while smiling sweetly.

◆

Leaving the mansion, I walk down the straight path to the village while being wrapped in cold air.

It is currently summer. The mountains in the distance are green. The wide sky is bright, and the clouds floating in the sky are very white.

Such colorful scenery really is a summer-ish landscape.

Wrapped in the cold air, I leisurely walk on the road while enjoying the scenery, without losing to the hot temperature outside.

The grass growing on the roadside are fresh and green, they’re facing the sky impressively without losing to the heat. Flowers are also blooming in places, not withering, and blossoming beautifully.

「Plants are amazing. Not withering even after being exposed to such a blazing sun」

Of course, I know that they receive water from the rain that falls regularly, but humans would definitely collapse if they were to stay exposed to the sun without drinking water for a whole day like them.

I clearly can hear the sound of water flowing coming from the stream nearby while I enjoy the colors of the flowers. And I guess there is a big frog close to the stream since I can hear something like a bullfrog croaking.

It felt kinda nostalgic hearing the sound and seeing the scenery that can't be found in Sylford’s territory.

After walking down the road while enjoying the landscape more so than usual for some time, I arrived near Koryatt village before I know it.

After reaching this far, I can occasionally see the figures of the villagers on the fields

Maybe because it’s almost time to harvest the wheat it seems like all the villagers are devoting themselves to taking care of the wheat. Picking up the bugs, or pulling out weeds.

「Ahh! Alfried-sama, welcome back!」

「Un, I’m backー」

I reply to the villagers who greet me after noticing me, and as I wave my hand at them, I saw Roomba, Gates, and Roland-ossan in front.

Just seeing them alone makes me think that the temperature around me rises and feels unpleasant, and perhaps they have also noticed me as they wave their hand at me.

「Ooh, isn’t it Al. Been a while, eh! You were visiting another noble house, right?」

「Well, something like that. What are you doing?」

「I’m helping Gates and Roland weed the fields!」

「Fuh, it took the three of us to pull out the weeds on the fields. We finished it all in half a day」

「Still, my back hurtss」

Roomba and Gates laugh 「Gahahaha」, while ossan taps his lower back.

The three of them are getting along well weeding the fields.

「And so, what is Al going to do.....」

And, Roomba suddenly closed his mouth when he was about to say something.

「Hm? What’s wrong Roomba?」

「……y’know, somehow only the area around Al is cool, doesn’t it?」

I was shocked to hear Roomba saying that while frowning. How sharp.

「Huh? You’re right. It’s strangely cool for some reason....」

「Why is it only around Alfried-sama?」

Gates and ossan come closer while saying that.

Being in the center of the dirty ossan as he moves around me is not a happy thing at all. Or rather, it feels like a herbivore being pestered by a carnivore.

「Ah! Al, it’s that isn’t it! You're using Ice magic, right! If that can cool you down, do that to us too!」

As I’m having mixed feelings, Roomba said that as though he remembered it

Roomba knows that I can use Ice magic after all.

「Hmm, please, by all means, use it on us too if you can use such convenient magic」

「Otherwise, we all will end up hugging Alfried-sama.....」

「Yeah, that’s right. I’m confident in my stamina, y’know」

The three of them are making outrageous threats while spreading both of their arms and sidling up to me.

It’s my win if I just hide from view since I have Space magic, but there are only wheat fields around us. Since there is no place for cover, I will also have no place to Teleport.

Even if I start to run as fast as I can, I’ll just get caught by Roomba - who boasts an astounding physical ability -, and I will only receive strong hugs from these ossans.

「I, I‘ll cast the magic on you, so please don’t do that」

I decided to give them the bait so they can peacefully let me off, then I obediently cast Ice magic at them and make cold air drift around them.

「「「Hyaahooーuu!」」」

Immediately after that, the three of them yell in a shrill voice and jumping in joy.

It’s like the joy of having rain fall on a land that had experienced drought after a long time.

「Uohhー! So cool! No wonder Al walks around with a nonchalant look on his face!」

「Amazingー! Magic is mighty!」

Right, right, magic is a power to reverse the unreasonable near us. Whether it's heat or cold, you can blow them all away with magic.

「Al, I want to eat shaved ice! Make that too!」

「「What’s shaved ice!?」」

Gates and ossan immediately show an interest in it when Roomba makes that kind of request.

「Mou, can’t be helped then. I’ll make it so just wait a minute」

If I leave them as it is, there’s the possibility that they will keep following me for cold air.

Let’s just give them the shaved ice and say goodbye to them.

Thinking like that, I make bowls made of Earth magic, then put finely crushed ice into the bowls.

Immediately after that, shaved ice quickly piled up in the bowls.

The white shaved ice is sparkling as it reflects the sunlight, a very pretty sight.

「They look like rice somehow」

「Hm, so you finely crushed ice, huh? They are sparkling and pretty」

Ossan and Gates - who sees shaved ice for the first time - look curious and exclaimed in wonder.

After I finish making the shaved ice, I also make spoons using Earth magic.

「Here, it’s done」

「Hey, do you have something tasty like, the time when you pour grape juice on it just like before?」

When I present him with the finished product, Roomba said that while looking wistful at my bag.

「Naturally, I don’t bring any with me. I just brought some souvenirs for Torr and the others today」

I open the bag to appeal to him that there are no such foodstuffs inside.

Immediately after, Roomna looks disappointed.

Well, I know the feeling of wanting to experience the taste again once you know the taste of shaved ice.

「Hmm, it’s great just eating ice alone, but it will be tastier if you put something on it?」

「Ou, that’s right. It’d be great if we have honey, jam, or fruit juice with us now」

「If so, I have something nice here」

Saying that, Gates takes out the canteen from his hip.

「Hm? It won’t become tasty if you add water to it, y’know?」

When ossan raises a voice of doubt at his action, Gates shakes his finger as though to put on airs.

「Wrong. This is red wine」

「O, ohh? That kinda looks like it’s going to match this」

Just as Roomba say, red wine is going to match quite well with shaved ice. Speaking of red wine, it was originally made from grapes and is generally delicious.

「Then, let’s try a little」

Saying that, Gates removes the stopper of his canteen and pours the content into the shaved ice.

The pure white ice is dyed in the color of red wine.

However, I guess it’s due to the red wine being warm that the shaved ice is making a *pakipaki* sounds as it melts.

「Nuuaaaaa! Darn it! The ice melted because the red wine is warm!」

「No, it has become a sherbet that hasn’t completely melted! It probably can be savored now!」

The warm red wine made the shaved ice reduce in size quickly, but it didn't completely melt. It had turned into a sherbet-like and melted at just the right time.

When I advise Gates - who holds his head due to the shaved ice melting -, he comes to his senses and scoops up the ice with a spoon.

After that, he put the scooped-up red sherbet into his mouth.

「……indeed. Although it has less texture than before, this is also nice in its own way」

He closes his eyes and has a look of ecstasy on his face. And maybe because he slightly lifted his face that his long chin looks more emphasized than usual.

「Ooh, that looks delicious! Let me pour some red wine on it!」

「Me too!」

Seeing Gates eating the shaved ice so deliciously like that, Roomba and ossan also pour some red wine on their shaved ice.

「Having sweet grape juice is tasty, but eating it with red wine is also nice!」

「I, I want to eat this every day before going to bed!」

Hot summer nights make you want to eat something cold like ice before going to bed, after all. I can empathize with what ossan said very well. As for me, I recently eat ice before going to sleep almost every day. It’s not an exaggeration to can say that my day hasn’t come to an end yet if I don’t have some ice before sleeping.

「Say, I also want to eat shaved ice with red wine」

Seeing them eating the shaved ice so deliciously like this makes me also want to try it too. Not only as a sherbet, but it can also be enjoyed as a cocktail of red wine.

「Hmー, but Al is still a kid」

「Wouldn’t it be okay if it’s just a little?」

Roomba said with a difficult look on his face, but ossan says that to me with a

grin.

「We can’t take any responsibility if something were to happen, so let’s not do that」

Well, I guess it’s just as Gates said. I’m still seven years old, so it’s hard to say that I’m at an age that let me drink a little just because we got into it. As expected, it’s impossible if I’m not around ten years old.

「That’s right. I don’t know what they would say if it gets found out that we let the lord’s son drink. It’s unfortunate Alfried-sama. Give up on the red wine shaved ice! Hahahaha!」

Though even if I also understood the reasoning behind it, being teased like this still feels a little annoying.

「Ah, come to think of it Roomba. You, still haven’t taught ossan about the best way of eating shaved ice yet, right?」

「Ah, you’re right!」

Roomba - who immediately understood what I want to convey - has a smile like a mischievous kid――no, it’s a smile that went beyond villainous level on his face.

「What’s that now! You’re saying there is a more delicious manner of eating than this?」

Gates decided to stand back and watch after sensing something from our smiles, but ossan still ate the shaved ice without noticing that.

After Roomba and I taught him about the best way of eating shaved ice to him, ossan was so happy that he held his head and screamed.

here

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