The New Fluffy Cold-Weather Gear

Thanks to the wood-burning stove, they spent a wonderfully warm night.

It might have been the best sleep he'd gotten since they set out.

He'd attached a bell to the door as a precaution, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

Not being able to fully trust people's goodwill was a bad habit of his.

The firewood in the stove had burned down completely to ash.

There was an ash bin, so he scooped the ashes into it.

As he swept the remaining bits off the floor with a broom, Azu stirred awake.

Normally Azu woke before Yohane, but all the fighting must have worn her out.

"Good morning…"

She greeted him with a sleepy face.

"I'll do it."

"Don't worry about it. Go wash your face and tidy yourself up."

He pointed to where their things were gathered. There were towels and canteens.

Azu was still in her nightclothes.

"Okaaay."

Rubbing her eyes, she shuffled off.

By the time he finished cleaning the stove, the room had started to cool down.

It was apparently quite cold outside.

The chill seeping in woke Alexia and Elza.

"Good morninggg."

"Good morning. It's freezing."

He told the two of them to tidy up the blankets, then called over Azu, who had washed up and changed.

Azu, now dressed in the new cold-weather gear they'd bought yesterday, was, how to put it, incredibly fluffy.

Adorably so. And she looked warm.

The earmuffs suited her perfectly.

She came over and, looking a bit shy, pinched the fabric and held it out. She apparently wanted to know how she looked.

"What do you think?"

"I think you look cute. All fluffy."

"That's a relief."

She seemed genuinely pleased to hear it.

"Azu, take the potatoes we bought yesterday and roast them with Alexia. It should be fine to use fire magic inside the fireplace."

"Got it. These potatoes are a little different from the usual ones, though."

"Different regions grow different varieties. The taste might be different too."

"Really?"

Azu had immediately picked up the potatoes and was examining them curiously, so he explained.

She took the potatoes over to Alexia, leading her to the fireplace.

Alexia's eyes were starting to look more alert after putting away the blankets and changing.

They conjured fire magic inside the fireplace and the two of them took turns roasting the skewered potatoes.

"Looks fun, count me in!"

Elza joined them as well. She probably just wanted to warm up by the fire magic, but whatever. He left it to the three of them.

Unfortunately, he hadn't obtained a map, so going too deep into the region wasn't an option.

He was keenly aware that exploring Highrise in this season required serious preparation.

Once the potatoes were done, they ate them for breakfast.

The cooked potatoes were fluffy and, above all, sweet.

"So sweet!"

"These are quite good."

"Master, try adding a pinch of salt. It's delicious."

"Let me see."

Sure enough, as Azu suggested, a bit of salt brought out the potato's sweetness even more.

There were sweet potatoes back in the Kingdom too, but nothing like this.

Could this level of sweetness be a product of the extreme cold?

Or was it simply the variety?

A seed potato had been attached, so it might be worth trying to grow them once they got back.

After finishing the meal, Yohane suited up in his own cold-weather gear.

"Oh, this is impressive."

"It really is warm. We should be fine even in the cold with these."

Rather than merely softening the cold, it practically blocked it out entirely.

The fluffy material must have had exceptional insulating properties.

If he could reproduce this, it could be a product worth selling. The Kingdom had advanced textile technology, so it shouldn't be impossible to replicate.

Winters in the Kingdom were milder than here, but he'd experienced firsthand that the northern regions got quite cold.

And there were labyrinths that were cold year-round, too.

Those labyrinths tended to see fewer adventurers, which meant the materials and items found there fetched higher prices.

This cold-weather gear might turn out to be a key item for tackling those.

Magical cold protection was difficult to maintain even for a mage as skilled as Alexia.

If he had Azu and the others clear such a labyrinth, spread the word about its profitability, and then sold reproductions of this gear, that would be killing two birds with one stone.

He'd heard there were labyrinths like that within the Kingdom.

Cold-weather gear made from Fire Elementals or magic stones could handle even blizzards, but those were luxury items.

A single piece cost at least a hundred gold coins. Outfitting an entire party for a labyrinth run would be a hefty expense.

Upper-rank adventurers apparently owned sets. Something they might need to acquire eventually.

Alexia and Elza were also bundled up in the new gear.

Even Alexia, who was particularly sensitive to the cold, seemed comfortable.

Elza looked the same as ever. Even wrapped in cold-weather gear, her figure was unmistakable.

"Well then, let's head out."

They left the warehouse.

He thanked the shopkeeper, who was clearing snow from around the building, and returned the key.

Just coming here had yielded finds with the potatoes and the cold-weather gear.

Admittedly, this impromptu Highrise visit had been far too sudden. They'd poke into the mountains a bit and call it done.

According to the shopkeeper, this village was called Noph. Named after nearby Mount Noph, apparently.

The sun came into view and the thin layer of snow on the ground caught and reflected its light.

The air was crisp and clear, offering views far into the distance. A beautiful landscape.

He'd also bought cold-weather gear for the mules.

Technically it was designed for horses, but it fit well enough. Good enough.

As they left the village, he noticed vegetables hanging out to dry.

Apparently, the villagers dehydrated them to extend their shelf life and prepare for winter.

Similar concept to smoking meat, maybe.

Some of the vegetables they'd bought yesterday had been dried the same way. Might be interesting to try them in cooking.

"We'll go into the mountains a little this morning, then head back to the Kingdom."

"Finally going home."

"Mountains?"

"Got ittt!"

Alexia wore a look of weary relief.

Azu's expression clouded slightly at the mention of mountains. Right, she'd been born and raised in a poor mountain village before she was sold.

The mountains, unlike the flatlands, were blanketed in blizzard conditions.

Going too far in would mean risking getting lost.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the mountain shook with a thunderous roar.

Then came a massive bellow.

Not human. Something far larger.

And close.

"Let's go check it out."

Azu and the others nodded.