502 Snow Saw (1/2)

The day after finishing a lesson on table manners. I'm walking outside.

The snow is sinking as I walk, making a sizzling sound.

White breath escapes when I breathe, and the chilly air caresses my skin.

No matter how much you wear winter clothes, there are parts of your face that are exposed, and it's cold because the wind is coming in through the gaps in your clothes. It's warmer and more comfortable inside the mansion.

However, if you stay in the mansion for a long time, you might have to take instruction in manners from Erna's mother again.

I'm not going to be able to get a good deal more than a few hours of sleep.

It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.

That's why I'm taking a walk to get some light exercise. The destination is the village of Coriat.

If I see Thor or Asmo there, I may as well poke him or her in the eye.

The air is cold outside, and my lungs get cold just by breathing in. However, I like it because it gives me a sensation that the chilly air is circulating inside my body and makes me feel refreshed and clear-headed.

I look up at the sky and see clouds that look as if they have been filled with gray paint.

Unlike in the spring or summer, there is no breath of life around me.

The air is silent and serene. All I can hear is my breathing and the sound of my feet.

There is a different kind of pleasure in this walk.

I enjoy the feel of the snow as I go along, and I arrive at the village of Koliat.

I was worried that there would be another loud snowball fight today, but today, there was no such thing and life was quiet.

The villagers are not busy enough to have a snowball fight every day.

Although they can't farm in winter, they have a lot of domestic work to do.

They make baskets out of vines and leather, shoes, and clothes.

Everyone is trying hard to make up for the lack of harvest. It's quiet walking through the village like this.

I guess that's because they're all focused on the inside job.

Zashsa Zashsa Zashsa Zashsa: ......

”What's that sound?

While walking through the quieter-than-usual village of Koliat, I heard a strange sound.

It sounded as if the wood was being cut with a saw.

However, the sound was subtle and soft, and soon the sound disappeared.

The sound was soon resumed again, but soon the sound was gone. It just kept repeating itself.

Are you cutting wood in this cold weather?　The sound sensation is very short for a sound that uses a saw.

Curious, I walked up to the source of the sound and saw the familiar guys there.

'Oh, it's Al,'

”Oh!　ain't that Al!

There were Asmo and Thor, the two bad boys from the village of Koliat.

What are Thor's tools?

Asmo has a shovel and I think he is doing normal snow removal work, but I don't recognize Thor's long thin stick. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's not.

'Huh?　Don't you know?　It's called a snow saw. It gets rid of the snow that's in your way.

”Snow Saw?　How does it work?

I understood that's what they use in snow removal work, but I don't know how to use it.

Let me show you something.

As I tilted my head, Thor went to the pile of snow with a snow saw.

Will he slice through the snow in one fell swoop with a cleaver-like blade?

No, I don't care if you are a martial artist like sister Elinora or father Nord, but Thor, a mere villager, would not be able to do such a thing.

As I stared at him questioningly, Thor swung the snow saw down and crisply dug it into the snow.

Then he slid the blade down and sliced through the snow vertically like a saw.

Zashuza Zashuza, the sound you heard earlier, rang out.

'Ooh, sounds like fun!'

”What do you want to try?

Yes!

I receive a snow saw from Thor.

It's quite long and a bit heavy, but I was able to hold it normally, thanks to the fact that I've been training my body in sword practice.

'Cut me a bit of space,'

Okay.

Swing the snow saw down to the area designated by Thor.

Then the blade stuck into the soft snow with a crunch. The feel of the blade is very pleasant.

Once the blade is stuck, all you have to do is move it the same way you would a saw.

Slide the blade as told by Thor. Then, with a zash-zash, the snow is scraped away and a vertical line is formed.

It's like putting a knife in a big cake.

'Oh, fun!'

When you're done there, cut it again about the same distance apart.

Completely enchanted by the fun of the snow saw, I continued to cut through the snow just like Thor told me to.

After making the fifth cut in this way, I suddenly wondered.

”Hey, you're not plowing just by cutting into the snow, are you?

Although there were deep gaps in the snow, the pile of snow had not collapsed at all.

Just playing with the snow doesn't mean you've plowed it at all.

That's why I'm going to put the blade in from the side at the end. Here.

Taking the snow saw from my hand, I cut into it from the side this time.

Then part of the pile of snow separates and a large, shortcake-like snowflake falls with a thud.

”Ooh, wow!　Let me do it too!