A few days later.
A large wolf with white fur appeared in the village in broad daylight.
It stood about as tall as an adult's chest.
The village alarm bell rang out, causing a brief commotion, and men and women alike rushed out from all directions, weapons in hand.
I was one of them.
"Fuck, wait! Hold your damn horses! Before I shove arrows in its eyeballs, just wait, you idiots!!"
Elias leaped across rooftops with the elves' signature agility, blocking the path of the armed villagers in the shortest possible route.
"Hey, Kirgil! That's probably the wolf from that pack we talked about—the lone one."
It must be the wolf that split off from the pack and started wandering alone.
With the moon dark for the past two or three days, it hadn't gone hunting, so I'd momentarily forgotten. If that was the case...
"I'll be right back."
The message I'd left before must have had some effect.
I ran home, grabbed the leftover meat, and brought it back.
Looks like I was right. The wolf was watching me from afar. It was hungry.
Elias took the meat from me.
"You stay back."
Elias approached the wolf with the meat. Even if language didn't work across species, the wolf would understand the gesture of reconciliation.
As he got close, Elias set the meat down and lay on the ground like he was taking a nap.
"What the hell is that elf doing?"
If things went south and the wolf lunged, I rested my hand on an arrow, ready to draw.
But Elias waved from afar for me not to.
The wolf stood still for a moment, then tucked its tail and cautiously approached Elias.
And then...
It licked him.
"Haa..."
Not just me—everyone watching let out a sigh. They lowered their weapons at the same time.
With the tension broken, I approached the wolf too. It sniffed me and gave a light wag of its tail.
True to a wolf, not some yappy pet dog—it wagged with dignity.
"Look at that belly on her. All alone and she went and got herself knocked up."
"Yeah. Must've been hard to hunt like that."
"That's why she swallowed her pride and came here. Even without the pack, surviving solo's tough."
"What now?"
"I'll take her to my place. Gotta let her have the pups before sending her off in this cold winter."
Elias picked up the meat and headed off; the wolf followed.
She glanced at me briefly, but who could resist someone carrying food?
There was a bit of a stir, but the wolf seemed to recognize the villagers as allies now. Every time someone came to gawk, she'd sniff them one by one.
Elias said pregnant wolves don't usually leave their packs. This one's pack was probably wiped out in some accident or hunted down.
Her family must've held off the end to let her escape.
No choice in this freezing winter, but come spring thaw, we'd need to investigate.
But seriously, Elias named the wolf Belly.
Goddamn it, that old man's naming sense deserves a smack.
Of all things, Belly! Belly!
Hey, don't wag your tail at that name. Please...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇A few days passed, and interest in Belly the wolf had faded, when the real cold blast hit.
My little hearth and body heat weren't cutting it anymore, so I evacuated to the village chief's house.
Though newly built, my small place whistled with drafts in strong winds. The chief's house—built from the village's early days, reinforced and maintained over years—was far warmer.
Even stoking the fire big to avoid freeloading, my firewood stock had limits.
Parasitizing was the natural play in times like these. Several villagers were already bunking in sturdier homes against the cold snap.
Above all, Ferio had insisted. She didn't want me getting sick over her selfishness.
Then she returned to the garrison with her soldiers.
Because Lord Prosek had told the chief to take special care, she treated Agnes like a VIP or superior.
Sticking around without cause felt burdensome, she said.
I fucking hate this cold. Someday, I'll make ondol heating all the rage in this world.
Coming from a land averaging 23°C indoors in winter, living with icicles forming inside was unbearable!
And...
"Kirgil, Kirgil, Kirgil~ Take a look at this book too, dear."
The chief's thirst for knowledge was downright terrifying.
I'd planned to crash at Reshi's, but the chief—who hadn't even shown during the wolf fiasco—appeared and kidnapped me.
I tried resisting the top dog's unreasonable tyranny, but her dark-circled glare made everyone quietly look away.
What had made her so fierce?
"With this, come spring 'academy,' I'll thoroughly debunk those arrogant old fools!"
Aah... Is this how science—no, magic studies—advances?
'God doesn't play dice' was just scientists throwing a tantrum after fighting, right?
Anyway, back home, broadcasts, YouTube, podcasts explained new tech all the time.
Conferences and academies still existed for experts, but the internet's reach was insane.
Here, the academy was the sole stage for officially debuting new research under your name.
Maximum attention, ultimate importance. Like a world debut.
"Those arrogant old fools see magic and tricks as one. That's why they can't interpret this incantation!
Wood burning has laws! It happens in nature!
But curses, transfers, enhancements—those don't happen naturally!"
They must be distinguished! Those geezers nitpick how I'd explain dropping fireballs from the sky!
Wonder how this world's mages would take my home's thermodynamics.
They say advanced science is indistinguishable from magic. Not here.
Too advanced—or complex—magic just becomes 'tricks'?
"Why not explain it to them?"
"There's reasons. Didn't this sis tell you? Adventurers must know when to hide their skills.
Can't just reveal my ace to those types."
"To normal folk, a starfall's power from the sky ain't natural either.
You can't gauge its might?"
"I know the power well, that's why... I..."
Suddenly, the chief trailed off, her face darkening. Bad memory surfacing?
"Chief..."
Huh, no response. She got way too serious.
Then.
"Agnes sis~"
"What? It's big sis, not sis.
You, Kirgil.
You finally called my name properly—don't tack on titles again."
Finally, she pouted back. Good, emerging from the gloom.
"Agnes. Vil-lage. Chief."
"Ugh, you tease this big sis so slyly sometimes."
"Sleep early tonight. Those under-eye spots are too dark.
Fatigue breeds dark thoughts. Agnes sis~"
Finally, she chuckled. Tension broken.
"Kirgil, this time I'll use the knowledge you shared for a new presentation.
You must help."
She saw my aid as a limited resource.
Like kids rationed game time, hooked once they start.
The chief was exactly that kid now.
"Got it. I'll help all winter. For real."
"Even debunk that one-eared guy's presentation."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll do it."
"Good. Now I can sleep easy."
Only then did she rise from her desk.
"Whoa..."
She immediately staggered, losing balance.
No wonder. At least two all-nighters since I arrived. Probably more.
I scooped her up. Strong enough now to lift an adult woman easily.
Ferio's steady training paid off.
"See? Pushing too hard does this."
"...This big sis showed such incompetence."
I carried her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed.
Huge bed. But books everywhere—finding space was a chore.
Looked like a bookshelf toppled. Not laziness or messiness.
Internet generations wouldn't get books splayed everywhere.
Here, knowledge meant pulling books, flipping pages manually.
A scholar's tidy study would be weirder. Or need a capable assistant.
Like a walking ancient-language dictionary from a knowledge-hungry nation—me.
"No nagging about tidying books today."
"Thanks to learning about this world and you."
She meekly lay down.
I went to snuff the candle.
"Kirgil."
She grabbed my collar.
"Sorry, but... won't you sleep with this big sis tonight?"
Normally I'd quip 'Overtime again?', but her voice was too plaintive.
"That thought won't leave me.
Since earlier... it keeps coming..."
Did my dumb question trigger it?
Not mere displeasure—a trauma scary enough to dread solitude.
But casual cuddling with anyone? Instinctively no, and awkward facing Ferio or Reshi daily.
What to do. Leaving her alone felt too pitiful.
"Not like with Ferio. Just stay by my side.
Even I crave someone's warmth sometimes."
Her saying that first...
I overthought, sexualized it.
"Okay. But first, sort this mess. No room to lie down."
I tidied books while chatting to keep her from sleep.
"So, chief. Who told you about me and Ferio?"
"No one. Ferio came asking for medicine—that's how."
I knew she acted as the village apothecary.
But Ferio asking for meds? Special kind??
"Before you two got close, she never sought it.
After? Frequently."
"Ah... no way!?"
"Contraceptives. Common here.
Your world lacks them?"
Got it. Birth control. Explains Ferio's carefree advances.
In a world where women match men in activity, such meds were essential.
Reason female soldiers and adventurers thrived.
"We have them, but some see them as shameful—kept secret."
Not being a woman, I wasn't sure, but probably.
No one bragged like her.
"Taking them isn't shameful, but for Ferio, starting after not... embarrassing."
Aah.
Now I get why Ferio struggled facing the chief.
Each visit confessed our intimacy progress...
Mortifying.
She might gauge villagers' night lives roughly.
Hmm, boosts her charisma another level.
"Like her father, she's rigid—bowed and came herself.
Commendable diligence, but if so shy, could ask others."
Uwaa, Ferio. Sorry. Next time, I'll stock up from chief.
If Ferio bunked here too, with her overzealous honesty requesting meds...
Chief's face then? Dizzying thought.
Amid chit-chat, bed was book-free at least.
I lay down; she immediately nestled into my chest.
Minutes after extinguishing the light.
"...Sob. Hic."
For some reason, the chief was crying.
Fatigue weakened her resolve. Rare vulnerability.
When mental strength dips, suppressed emotions leak.
Worse: rage explosions, deep depression, extremes.
Seen plenty in terminal wards.
Best: someone to hold you.
Curious about her bad memory, but no dredging it up.
Pretend not to notice, embrace quietly.
She'll share someday.
I lightly held the chief, curled fetal in my arms.
Cold winter.
But first winter warmed in body and soul, thanks to everyone.
Hope Agnes sis spends tonight warm too.
Only hearing her steady breaths did I finally relax into sleep.
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