At the Northern Fort

Nicolai is a man who lives in a village so close to Mount Snowlea. It's only as distinctive as wearing glasses on black hair, but it has often been said that it seems kind.

And now, with his newborn son and wife and his wife's parents, he lives happily ever after in a small house in this rural village.

Nicolai was a botanist in the capital when he was young, but he came to the village to examine the plants in the cold areas, met his wife, married her and decided to live permanently in the land.

And after marrying his wife, so much less, Nicolai began to gather the children of the village to give classes. There are no schools in the village, so they gather children in the square and teach them everything from reading and writing letters to counting money, the history of this country, and about plants that are specialties.

During the long winter, the square will be filled with snow and too cold for classes, but now in the summer, children can learn without freezing.

"Morning, guys"

"Doctor, thank you!

"You're in a lot today."

Nicolai looked at the children sitting on the lawn and said. Some kids can't come when they have help with the house because the classes are free to participate, but almost all of the village's young children - about fifteen people - participate today.

The top is twelve and the bottom is two, but the two-year-old will still not understand the content of the class properly just because he asked about his sister.

"Then I'll get started. We've been talking about kings of the past lately, shall we talk about His Majesty the King of the present day"

"Yes."

Explain in as simple a language as possible the people of the king, the policies and what has been accomplished so far. Some children fall asleep occasionally, but Nikolai's classes were generally well received by the children. Everyone looks at me with a sparkling eye like I enjoy knowing something new.

(She's cute)

Nicolai liked children. The children of this village are not soaked, and I feel particularly pure.

As I was in class smiling, I noticed a white shadow hidden in the grass behind the children. It's a little far from here so I don't know exactly what it is, but I think it would be an animal.

(Is it a cat? Or dogs? Big for itachis and rabbits, and they should be brown now that they have summer hair)

It's still like a dog from the shape of an ear I saw for a moment. If I were a dangerous wild dog, I'd have to evacuate the children, but to see a face peeking softly from between the grasses, apparently a puppy. He has a peaceful face that is very unlikely to be a threat.

(Is it some breeding dog?

Keep up the classes, but make that prediction. That face is a face that people know they will love. Because wild dogs have sharper eyes.

I thought the puppy would go somewhere soon, but I wouldn't move with half my face out of the grass shade and a peek at this one. It's like we're listening to classes with the kids.

(white puppy......)

I've been thinking about it, but I don't hear any stories in the village about a dog recently having a child.

(Are you from the neighbouring village? But I don't even think he's still away from his parents... I guess he's lost)

Nikolai was thinking about it as she told the children, for the record, that the king and queen were a friendly couple.

But then...

"Ah!"

A puppy, who at first had only half his face, gradually rode himself out of the grass shade. It's like I'm at a glance trying to listen to my classes a lot. But thanks to that, Nicolai could see the puppy's face properly.

"Seisei, what's wrong?

"Oh, no, it's nothing. Sorry, let's go on."

While giving that back to the child, Nicolai glanced slightly behind the square again. The puppy is back in the grass shade again and is invisible.

(That was a fox, not a dog. It's a white fox...)

A cold sweat drips down Nicolai's temples. With tension and excitement.

(There are a lot of foxes around here, but even in winter, it's the kind of thing that doesn't get whitened by hair, and I've never heard of a sighting of a white variant. But earlier it was definitely bright white... a beautiful silver fox. I mean, that's -)

- There's a good chance that the fox is the snow spirit that lives in Mount Snowlea.

The people of this village value the presence of the Spirit very much. You can say that you believe as a closer being than God, and at the foot of Mount Snowlea, an altar is created that dedicates liquor and food to the Spirit of Snow.

Nicolai has also come to weigh the presence of the Spirit since he came to this village. The inhabitants of the village have told us that we should not climb Mount Snowlea, so even if we want to investigate the plants, we are protecting them, and when entering the mountains connected with Mount Snowlea, we are also offering alcohol to the altar to ask you.

In some parts of the beginning I really suspected that there were spirits, but the offerings I offered are usually gone, and Nicolai had to believe me because there are large footprints of foxes and women around the altar - plus footprints of little girl foxes and children over the past few years.

Besides, these days, I also hear stories of a child, a fox, coming to visit in a fort near here. It's an incredible story, but apparently he misses the knights.

Nicolai thought he was envious to hear it and see a child of the Spirit, but he could finally see the child himself.

(What luck. I'll tell my wife when I get home)

At the end of the day's class, Nicolai returned home excited.

And the next day, again at the same time, Nicolai was teaching classes in the square. I saw a Snow Spirit child yesterday, so I was deciding to talk about it today.

"Let's talk about the North Fort today"

Nicolai begins the class with a serene voice, as usual.

"You know about the fort near the village? What kind of people are there?

"Yes, knights!

One child raised his hand vigorously and answered. Nicolai nods contentedly.

"Right. There are many knights in the fort."

"The knight is fine!

"And I have a sword!

"My face is frightening, but it's sweet. It'll snow in the village."

"Haha, you're right"

Kids seem to be happy to learn what they know in class, and mouth after mouth with the information they have.

"Do you know what the knights do?

"Snowflake!"

"Other than snowflakes?

When Nicolai asked, he saw another white shadow in the grass shade behind the square.

She's still here today. Half-faced and peeking this way, ears flashing and listening to class.

Nicolai was as excited as he was yesterday, and continued ahead with a little nervousness. There is a desire to show the spirits to the children as well, but they will make a fuss when they notice the child fox, and then the child fox may not come here anymore, so pretend to be as calm as possible so that the children don't notice.

"A knight's job is to protect his country. They're protecting us and our lives."

"If there was a bad guy, you'd catch me, wouldn't you?

"That's right. So we can live in peace. Besides, they also protect the spirits. Have you ever seen the knights look around Mount Snowlea?

"Nah."

"I do!

Between the stories, Nicolai turned for a moment the gaze that was directed at the children into the grass shade. The white fox came out of the shade of the grass at some point, and even a big tail could be seen.

"Doctor! I've been to Mount Snowlea with my grandfather. I went to the altar."

"I've been there too!

"But I saw the Spirit's feet!

"I've seen it too!

While Nicolai was distracted by the child fox, the children's story was moving in a different direction. So Nicolai decided to put aside the knight's story and talk about the Spirit. "I was a little nervous to talk about the Spirit before he came...

"What spirits were those in Mount Snowlea?

"Snow!"

Most of the children raised their voices at the same time.

And in the rear, I felt the white shadow creeping closer, so when Nicolai turned to you gently, Gitsune, the child who was walking this way, stops pitterly. It's as if there's a unique rule that if it stops, it's not visible.

Nicolai followed that rule and immediately took his gaze off by pretending he hadn't noticed.

"Er... so do you know what the Snow Spirit looks like?

"It's a fox!

"White fox!

"But you can be a person too!

Children seem to be familiar with the snow spirits. I guess my parents teach me.

"Right, sometimes you're looking like a white fox, sometimes you're looking like a person. She looks like a very beautiful woman when she looks like a person. And children of the Spirit..."

Nikolai shook his shoulder vividly when he talked that far and saw the little girl Gitsune again for a moment.

Because the child fox was closer than just now.

(gradually approaching...)

The child fox was approaching about two metres behind the children. I thought the Spirit didn't make much contact with humans, but what are you going to do? Are you less alert because you're still a child?

Nicolai continues his classes thrilled with that in mind.

"Uh, spiritual children can also be human children."

"Doctor, have you seen it?

"I don't."

If you are a spiritual child in a child fox, though you are there now.

"But that's what the mayor told me from the knight."

"Phew."

Nikolai tries to concentrate on her classes while worrying about her little fox.

"Does everyone know how long Snowlea the Snow Spirit is alive?

When asked that question, the children said at the same time, "Yes!" "Yes, I know!," he raised his hand vigorously.

"Yeah, well, then who should I ask to answer"

Nicolai, who saw the children in turn, does his eyes a little to the far end.

Because there was a little fox sitting there.

Even more like human children, he raises his hand hard.

(yeah ~!?)

Nicolai was very upset. I didn't think the Spirit would take the class. Because it was a question of my own mother's age, "I know!" Did I raise my hand just by accident?

The girl next to the fox at the far end is a two-year-old girl named Mailla. She is sleeping in a rowing boat, so she has not noticed that a white hairball appears next to herself. The other kids are looking at Nikolai too, and no one is doing their gaze on the child fox.

You can't even hit a child fox, so Nicolai hit a boy far from the child fox.

"Yeah, yeah... then Henrik, can you answer me?

The child fox unfortunately lowers his hand and looks at Henrik.

Henrik answered out loud.

"A thousand years!

"A thousand years, I guess that's too long to live. Maybe that's how the Spirit lives, but Snowlea seems younger."

When Nicolai said so, the children said again in unison, "Yes!" "Yes!" Raise your hand. And, of course, child foxes.

Besides, you think Nicolai hasn't noticed herself, with an adorable voice that says, "Shh!," he calls it small and appeals. Apparently, people can speak the language too.

Fortunately, however, the voice did not stand out mixed with the voices of human children.

"Uh... well, Anya"

When Nicolai hits a girl named Anya, the child Gitsune again unfortunately lowers her hand and turns to you to hear Anja's answer.

"Yes! I think a hundred years!

Unfortunately, Anja's answer was different, so Nicolai decided to say the right answer already. Because I thought if I kept letting the children answer, in time, they'd all realize the presence of a little fox with his hands up.

"Unfortunately, Snowlea is said to be alive for about 300 years."

In the words of Nicolai, the child fox nodded small and twice. Apparently, the answer was the right one.

Potatoes and rain grains descended from the sky when Nicolai was somewhat horrified.

"Oh, it's raining. The sky over there is darkening."

I don't think the kids should catch a cold and maybe give it back to the house before they get out in earnest.

The child fox also cared about the air pattern with his nose tip pointed towards heaven.

"Shall we get that far for class today? The big one can give the little one a lift home. Hold hands and go home."

When Nicolai instructs him to do so, a large child, whether brother or not, joins hands with a small child and leaves the square with him.

"Goodbye, Doctor!

"Yes, I'll see you tomorrow"

Nikolai also waves to respond to the waving children.

And in the square, only Nicolai and the son Gitsune remained, who would drop off the children's hindsight.

The child fox sits down and looks with envy at the children who return with their hands in friendly hands.

(I wonder if the Spirit has a brother or something...)

I have certainly read in some book a story about spirits having only one child. Perhaps the only child here, Gitsune, is also his only child.

(Speaking of which, does this kid have a name?

Think about it. Nikolai is a weak man of literature, so even though he knew he was a kind people, he couldn't easily speak to the formidable knights of the fort, and he didn't know what they called this girl Gitsune.

Nikolai and the villagers call it The Son of the Snow Spirit, etc., but do the knights too? I hope you have some pretty name......

When I thought about it and looked at the round back of the fox, the fox looked back.

"Ah."

It was Nicolai who leaked his voice.

When the child fox swells his hair slightly as Nicolai is surprised at what is happening right behind him, he returns to me and regains his vigilance, hurrying to run into the grass shade.

"Oh, wait...!

Nicolai followed the child Gitsune, wondering if it would be too late to rush away even though he had attended the class and raised his hand.

I wanted to see some more of that fluffy, moffy fox.

When Gitsune realized that Nicolai was coming after her, she ran to jump through the grass and jumped out to the path that was passing through the middle of the village. Take this road to the right to reach the northern fortifications and Mount Snowlea.

"I wonder if I can get back properly..."

Nicolai stopped without leaving the square, wondering if he would scare me if I chased him too much. I feel a little relieved that the child fox made a proper right turn and ran.

And, at the end of that road, I saw the knights of the fort who had apparently come to look around, riding their horses and approaching us.

In the long run, the knights are big and strong. That's why I look stronger than the bandits around here and can rely on them very much, but I still feel a little intimidated.

(Is it true that the child fox is nostalgic for the knights of the fort?

Nikolai was harassed as he saw two sets of distances approaching, which differed greatly as organisms: "The Greatest Knights" and "The Little Gitney".

Although I had heard rumors that the Spirit Child was coming to visit the fort, I had never actually seen them get along.

But there seemed to be no need to worry about Nicolai, and the child Gitsune did not escape when he realized that the knights were at the end of the road, and ran as they were. What a shake of a tail.

And the knights also said as they were surprised to notice the son, the fox.

"Mill! What are you doing here?

An eyed knight who was in the lead descends the horse and holds up a patterned and tail-wielding child, a fox. Rude to the Spirit, but seeing a child fox from this distance a little further away, it just looks like a really white hairball already. Overall round.

"of the village......, Shisei...... Jiju......"

The little voice of the child Gitsune did not reach Nicolai, but it sounded interruptive.

"Mille..."

Nicolai shrugged remembering that the knight had called his son Gitsune that. The Spirit Child also seemed to have a proper name.

"Good. I miss you without a name."

Nicolai laughed and said, looking at the friendly knights and the son Gitsune.

Hopefully, Gitsune, a child named Mill, will come back to class.