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Chapter 9 – Life in Winter
Winter has come.
It’s cold.
And it’s smoky.
The reason why it was so smoky was because we had a fire in the house.
When the top of the table in the largest room I had ever called the dining room was removed, a huge fireplace appeared from inside.
It seems that the top of the table was placed on top of the stone enclosure.
That way it could serve as a table in the summer and a hearth in the winter.
When you lit a fire in the hearth, the smoke went all over the place.
For the time being, it seems that the smoke is being exhausted from the ceiling, but it’s not catching up at all.
…why the hearth…? The rest of the restaurant is Western-style, but why is this particular part Japanese-style?
Tanaka Varian didn’t know this, but it is said that fireplaces were invented in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Moreover, since chimneys were quite hard to make, it was necessary to wait until the 18th century before they became common in ordinary houses.
There are no fireplaces in the Amoros Kingdom yet.
And, probably due to the cost of heating, in winter the retainers would gather around the hearth of the mansion’s dining room to eat.
…it feels like home.
I absentmindedly gazed at the dining room, which had become a place for the servants to rest.
My mother, Rushieno, didn’t look displeased either, so I’m convinced that’s what she’s talking about.
…..although this looks like what primitive men would come up with…
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I was astonished when I first saw the retainers gathering in the dining room.
Burping and farting sounds were natural.
The servants scrambled for food, grabbed and munched on whatever their hands could reach, and threw away the bones and other leftovers without hesitation.
Someone’s dog ate it and ran away.
At least, it’s a dog I’ve never seen in this mansion before.
In addition to eating manners, there are some people who play unkind pranks on our female slaves, but they are unexpectedly easy-going, and with a certain amount of consent, it doesn’t seem to be a problem.
And here I thought their religion preaches about “Faithfulness”.
[Somehow, it’s amazing.]
I called out to my father, Rudolph, who happened to be by my side.
[Umu, Dekos is a brave man, and he once ate up the thigh meat of a wild boar.]
It seemed that Rudolph interpreted my “amazing” as a compliment.
But, I don’t understand why eating a wild boar’s leg is a heroic act.
Dekos is a stout servant who deftly grabbed the soup in the middle of the table and slurped at it.
I don’t understand why they don’t use spoons, but maybe that’s what heroes are like in here.
By the way, the squire’s meals are the same as ours.
I didn’t know if this is normal or Rudolph’s policy, but I understand that my father treats his squire with great care.
Tired of the noise and smoke, I headed to the kitchen.
The kitchen doesn’t have a smoke exhaust system, so it’s smoky, but it’s better because it’s not noisy.
Rona and her mother were there.
[Eh, Rona, you’re here?]
[Varian-sama.]
Rona happily invited me to sit next to her.
[Where is Rolo?]
[Rolo should have gone out to fetch firewood with Giroude-san.]
Rona answered my question.
Recently, Rona’s mother no longer tries to scold us even if we’re getting along well, but what’s going on with the change of heart?
[Rona, have you been living in the royal capital all this time?]
[Yes, we have been in this mansion ever since the old man started working here.]
I let out an impressed [ehh] voice.
To think that the loyalty has been passed down to three generations.
After chatting for a while, I brought up the main subject.
[…Actually, I will be returning to the territory come spring…]
When I muttered, Rona made a sad face.
[Yes, I understand. Master goes back and forth between the territory and the mansion every few years.]
[…..I see.]
After a short silence, Rona sang a song.
The people of the Amoros Kingdom love to sing.
Even though there is no alcohol in the lively cafeteria, there are always people singing loudly.
Rona’s singing voice today had a melancholic tone.
She must be reluctant to part with me.
Rona likes me…as expected, I’m not so insensitive that I can’t understand this.
She is probably about 10 years old, two or three years older than Varian, but perhaps she thinks that I was kind and dependable because of my high mental age.
However, as expected, I just can’t invoke any romantic feelings as a 10-year-old child, and I’m not even a romantic enough to throw my life away with a love that overcomes social differences.
It’s impossible for me to respond to her feelings.
I also sang along with Rona.
I learned this song from Rona.
Before my voice changed, there was no reason for my body to match Rona’s voice.
And if I use the chorus tips I learned in music class when I was Tanaka, it seems that you can achieve a certain level of singing ability in this world.
In other words, straighten your back, open your mouth wide, and sing without embarrassment…this alone makes a big difference.
Before I knew it, Rolo and Giroude had returned, and even Rudolph and the servants who were making noise in the dining room were listening.
…That’s right, let’s teach Rona not only letters but also simple calculations, so that she can find a better marriage partner…..
After our chorus ended, the servants cheered.
I couldn’t see Rona’s expression.
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The year had changed.
The calendar in the Kingdom of Amoros has 30 days in a month and 360 days in a year.
There may be a leap month, but I’m not sure about that.
The winter in the Kingdom of Amoros is snowy and cold, and I think it’s even colder since the heaters and clothes are underdeveloped.
It’s so cold that even wearing a fur jacket and arm covers can’t keep the cold out.
Unable to endure the harsh winter, the poor districts naturally overflow with starvation and freezing deaths.
Although it is a matter of course, there is a hierarchy even among the poor.
Even if you say poor people, there are those who have citizenship and have some income, and there are sick people who huddle in the corner and had to scavenge for garbage dump for food.
In general, people without a place to live will die in the winter by the order of 1,000, and with the melting of the snow, new peasants will gather in the city.
It seems that the population of the city is maintained in a perfect balance.
By the way, the population of the Royal Capital is about 5,500 households, approximately 30,000 people.
And about 60% of them are commoners with citizenship.
Due to the fact that this is the “King’s home”, the Royal Capital seems to be of a higher standard than a normal city.
…..Public hygiene and nutritional value are important, but the cold is the worst…
If you can’t withstand the cold, you’ll die.
In the face of this reality, sanitation and nutritional value will come second.
I was thinking of a way to warm myself while feeling the bitter cold.
An idea crossed my mind.
It’s a 『Rocket Stove』.
This is a highly efficient wood-burning stove originally created to improve living standards in developing countries.
It’s very simple to make, just pass a J-shaped pipe inside the outer frame and fill the gap with heat insulating material.
If you want to make one, you can make it with just an 18-liter can and an L-shaped chimney sold at a home depot.
I knew pretty well how to make it since I already did with my own children back on earth.
For the insulation, light stones such as naan sold at home depots are used, but if you don’t mind the weight, it seems that sand will work as well.
A rocket stove has a simple structure, and even a blacksmith in the Kingdom of Amoros should be able to make one.
Since it was originally invented for a poor country with a low level of technology, it is a perfect fit.
As the structure is simple, the size can be freely adjusted.
If it were made larger and a chimney was placed around the room, the radiant heat would provide excellent heating.
There must have been people in the world who made a strange seat called a “heating bench” by applying the radiant heat from the chimney.
If rocket stoves that can be miniaturized and carried around become widespread, the number of people who freeze to death should decrease at once.
The rocket stove emits little smoke, so it should be able to eliminate the problem of smoke inside the mansion.
Personally, it’s quite disturbing to inhale the smoke every time.
However, there is one problem…the only way to tell people that this is good is to show them the actual product, but as a 7-year-old kid, I can’t make it with my financial strength and personal connections.
When I desperately explained, they would probably get away with saying ‘brat bullshit’.
…I want to become an adult as soon as possible…
I can’t help but think about the same things that other 7-year-olds often do.
Well, that’s fine. Now is the time to stock up on ideas.
I can try it out when the time comes.
I decided to think things through.
A rocket stove would be a groundbreaking invention.
Perhaps, that itself would be an achievement.
It’ll be a bit of a shame if it’s stolen by someone else.
Let’s keep the idea warm until I earn some kind of achievement and gain myself a territory.
While I was idly looking at the snow and thinking, Rudolph went out with several squires.
He went to the Royal Palace to say our new year’s greetings.
Even though I refer to it as a Royal Palace, it’s a fortress-like building with unglazed roof tiles on rough stone walls.
[It’s warm this winter, it’s a good thing.]
Giroude suddenly called out to me.
According to him, it’s pretty warm compared to the preceding winters… he’s wearing a barbarian-like outfit with short sleeves and fur.
[What? Didn’t you go to the Royal Palace?]
During the winter, everything is blocked by snow and there’s not much you can do…it’s boring.
The other squires should have made a fuss about going to see the Royal Palace to beat their boredom.
[Hehe, this Giroude-sama can boast that I’m a squire when I’m in the Lioncoeur mansion. But in the Royal Palace, I’m just a vassal and a retainer… a retainer of a retainer even.]
Giroude muttered [and that’s boring].
I see, he seems to have some kind of obsession.
However, there really isn’t much you can do during the winter.
There is barely any entertainment in the Amoros Kingdom.
Even hunting, which was a pleasure in autumn, can’t be done because of the snow.
Everyone was so bored that they had to entertain themselves by singing children’s songs.
The lack of entertainment is probably one of the reasons why people make a fuss about their meals and are open-minded about sex.
It took me a while to realize this fact because I go to the church library whenever I have time.
[Let’s think of something we can do in our room.]
[That’s fine, I’d like to ask for a lively guy.]
Giroude laughed happily.
There’s nothing that I take for granted in this land.
Entertainment must have been a luxury in human history.
…Shogi, playing cards, reversi, sugoroku… what else was there?
I tried to recall my vague memories about tabletop games.
The snow kept piling up.
It won’t thaw until a long while later.
Nega Translations 