Volume 10 - CH 4

‘Yuuji-nii, Riese wrote lots of sign boards!’

‘Oh, you’re doing great Riese! Okay then, will it be difficult to put the signboards today~?’

A certain clear winter day.

The elven girl Riese called out to Yuuji who was thinking about today’s plans in the living room.

Receiving the advice of the bulletin board residents, the woodworker team created sign boards out of wooden boards.

In elven words, Riese wrote that she was safe, that she was protected by humans, that she intended to return to the village together with the elf in the capital in spring and the general location of the pioneer land.

“I wonder if we should start with nearby locations. That’s right! There’s quite a lot of snow on the ground, so would the sleigh be useful?”

Who reacted to such loud monologue of Yuuji was Alice, Kotarou and Riese.

Or rather, it was everyone in the living room except for Yuuji.

“Yuuji-nii! The sleigh, you’re going to ride the sleigh? Alice wants to ride it too!”

Alice rushed over to Yuuji and asserted as if to badger him.

Kotarou went round and round at Yuuji and Alice’s legs, appealing with I, I will pull the sleigh.

Riese did not move from the sofa, but she was grinning. Even if she was behaving like a lady, she was still twelve years old.

“Okay then, how about we all go outside today! Alice and Riese, put on some clothes so you won’t get cold”

“Okaay~” Alice replied cheerfully at Yuuji’s words.

Prim faced Riese’s movements were prompt as well

Kotarou ignored Yuuji’s words. No, it wasn’t that she was ignoring them. My fur is plenty enough for me, quickly, quickly, is what she seemed to be saying.

On a side note.

Even when they showed the letters when they had lessons in Japanese, local language and elven language, Kotarou did not respond. Were they understood or not? It seems like they were understood, but Kotarou had no means to express her complex intentions. Yuuji, even while carrying frustration, first taught Kotarou the signals of yes and no. Although he said so, it was something terribly simple where she would bark once when saying yes to his question and twice when saying no.

“Eh? The sleigh -su? Yes well, there’s no problem if there’s this much snow lying around -su”

Alice and Riese wearing bulky clothes, and the uncovered Kotarou approached woodworker Thomas.

Yuuji stood behind them, holding many sign boards with elven words written on it.

“Yay!” said Alice to Thomas’s words, and threw up her hands in delight.

Seeing her state, Riese smiled grinningly without waiting for Yuuji’s interpretation. Such easy to understand Alice was helpful in communication even without communicating with words.

Kotarou immediately moved in front of the sleigh. She was brimming with motivation to pull it. But the sleigh was still placed indoors. She was hasty. Perhaps happy about something; her tail was already swinging buzzingly.

Yuuji caught Kotarou who was unusually too far ahead and the woodworker team carried the sleigh outside. The sleigh was made of wood, so it looked like a wooden box was added on skis. It was relatively heavy.

Yuuji placed the wooden signboards he was holding in the carrying tray of the sleigh.

Thomas, being urged by Kotarou, immediately tied the sleigh and Kotarou. She was at the lead.

But here Yuuji finally noticed.

“Huh? Can we pull this with just me and Kotarou?”

“Yeah, there’s no problem-su. It would work even on your own if it’s just about this much luggage and two children-su. It won’t be quick though-su”

Yuuji naturally remarked on the pulling side. He was a pioneer leader, village head and the defense captain, but physical work was Yuuji’s responsibilities. Due to the former adventurer team being here nowadays, there was no such things as on your own however.

Alice, Riese and Kotarou looked disappointed by the words of Thomas saying that there won’t be much speed. 

The two girls were already in the sleigh’s carrier. Riese sat in the back and Alice was at the front so that she would be embraced by Riese. Similarly, Kotarou was already set up in front of the sleigh; they were hasty.

Is that so. Well, I wonder if I could get some speed out of it if we do our best, Yuuji muttered.

Before the two girls who dropped their shoulders, saviors appeared.

“Master Yuuji! Is it the sleigh? Will you be pulling the sleigh? Me, me too!”

Who appeared before the group who prepared the sleigh was Yuuji’s slave, the dogkin Marcel. Behind him stood Marcel’s son Mark, with shining eyes. Both dogs were shaking their tails buzzingly. No, they were not dogs, but people though.

“Eh? Are you fine with that? Then, I hope I can leave it to you~”

“Alright! We’re doing this, Mark!” “Yes dad!” While the eyes of the two were sparkling, they tied the rope that was tied to the sleigh to their bodies immediately. The lead being Kotarou was something they could not concede however.

“Ah, wai- wait for a bit please!”

Yuuji stopped Team Dog family, Kotarou, Marcel and Mark, who tried to begin running immediately.

Yuuji stared at them starting with Kotarou who stopped in her tracks. Perhaps due to being stopped at a time of crisis, Kotarou was ill-humored. As if to say what is it now, jeez.

“We’re pretty much going outside, so we have to have weapons, and also nails and hammer for the signboards”

It appears that the correct one was Yuuji. It was unusual.

Kotarou hung her head in embarrassment. I’m sorry, I was too much in high spirits, she seemingly wanted to say with that behavior.

“Okay, preparations are OK! Now everyone, first to the fence that is the border between the pioneer land and the forest, okay!? Depaart!”

Yuuji raised his voice and declared.

“Depaart!” Riese and Alice’s voice resounded as if to respond to Yuuji’s voice.

It appears that Riese was learned the word “Depart” from Alice. The two girls sat in the sleigh’s carrier, giggling and making merry.

The sleigh began to move slowly with Riese, Alice and the signboards written in elven words riding in the carrier.

Running in the lead was Kotarou. Her tail was greatly swinging buzzingly. Oh wind, I’m becoming the wind, is what she seemingly said in high spirits.

Pulling the sleigh next to Kotarou was Yuuji. He stepped firmly wearing trekking shoes and a rope around his waist. Incidentally, it was not specified for snowy roads. Now he was on snow so it would do well, but it would be useless on ice.

Following him and the dog were the dogkins Marcel and Mark. The two eagerly announced candidacy for the role of towing for some reason. Just like Kotarou, their tails were greatly swinging buzzingly. They were in a good mood. On a side note, Marcel’s wife, the catkin Nina seemed to be doing domestic chores in the beastkin tent. It was not that she was skipping out and curling up in the cosy space. She was doing housework today. Once in a while.

The sleigh that was pulled by three people and one dog gradually gained speed.

Team dog family and Alice&Riese’s excitement rose as well.

By the time they arrived at the entrance to the pioneer land, the front of the fence, they were in a gleeful mood.

“Okay, first up to here!”

Yuuji dropped his running speed and stopped the sleigh.

Due to the distance being short, the pullers and the passengers were dissatisfied, but it was not that they were coming to play.

‘Riese, I’m thinking about putting up one around here, but which one is for nearby?’

‘Ah, that was right! … No, you see, it’s not that Riese forgot the signboards! This one, Yuuji-nii!’

Being asked by Yuuji, Riese was a little flustered. It appears that she was taken by the fun of the sleigh and forgot the sign boards which were their objective. She was still a child. No, Yuuji and Marcel, who were supposed to be adults, were making merry as well though.

Yuuji took the signboard that Riese showed and nailed it on the fence of the pioneer land entrance with the hammer and nails he brought. He had no assistance. Marcel, Mark, Alice and Riese were just watching over him without separating from the sleigh. Of course, Kotarou as well.

Kotarou barked “Wan!” towards Yuuji who installed the signboard where elven words were nimbly written. Hey, we’re going quickly, she seems to be saying.

Hearing Kotarou’s cry, Yuuji tilted his head, thinking was that now a yes? But I didn’t ask a question though. Even now, Kotarou’s language problem was not solved, but they were able to create a mutual understanding for the time being. They seem to be tackling it patiently.

“Aalright, next let’s do those along the animal trails! Kotarou, don’t forget to watch out for any enemies, okay! Depaart!”

In the quiet forest, Yuuji’s voice resounded.

“Wan” Kotarou barked. Leave it to me; she seemed to be expressing an affirmative.

“Depaart” Alice and Riese said and raised their tiny hands. They were completely intimate friends.

Thus.

On a clear winter day, wooden signboards written with elven words had been installed around the pioneer land.

Incidentally, They have yet to install any at the ruins of the monster village or the location where Kotarou could not follow her scent. They were not at a distance that was possible with a day trip. There would be yet another opportunity for the signboard installation and camp on the snow.