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Volume 3 Prologue 3: New Daily Life

「Cheese~ Cheese~」
「Yukino-chan do your best to make the cheese yummy. Kuro loves cheese.」
「Don’t worry Kuro. Yukino loves cheese too.」

After we finished bottling the milk Yukino and Kurone began making cheese.

We took the left over milk and reheated it to 65 degrees.

「Okay, I’m putting it in.」
「It’s ready to go.」

Once the milk was properly warmed up, Kurone poured a small amount of vinegar into it. After waiting a while some white clumps started rising to the surface of the pot. That was what we would make cheese out of.

Kurone slowly mixed the contents of the pot. After a while the white clumps separated out from the liquid and increased in number.

Once we scooped them out with cloth and let the moisture drip out, this would become our cheese. The milk that had lost these elements was slightly yellow and transparent.

This liquid still had plenty of nutrients and the sourness from the vinegar made it fairly easy to drink. Since the fat and goat smell that was inherent in the milk had been removed it didn’t smell bad either.

If some people hated goat milk so much that they refused to drink it, then I could substitute with this drink.

This time what we made was a version of cottage cheese. This cheese wouldn’t need to mature. It was good quality with plenty of protein and calcium. It had a fluffy soft texture and a gentle flavor that made it easy to eat.

「We did it~」
「Looks delicious.」

We took out the cheese and wrapped it up carefully. It would surely be very popular at mealtime.

「Everyone good job. It’s delivery time now. You’ll be fine without me right?」
「Un」
「I want you to come with…but I’ll hold it in.」

And so Yukino and Kurone took the delivery cart towards Erucy. It could be considered fairly heavy work for such young girls, but I believed they could do it well.

「Really, they freed me up earlier than expected.」

All of them were good girls full of motivation so they learned the job quickly. Even today I just watched as they accomplished their jobs.

Next I needed to check on the turnips.

「Everyone step back from the greenhouse please. I’m starting.」

When I reached the turnip field, Kuu was gathering fire mana to cast magic.

She was using heat magic to melt the snow on top of the greenhouse. If she did not do so, the light wouldn’t reach the turnip sprouts.

We were raising the turnips inside the greenhouse because even if they could grow in snowy conditions, their growth rate would slow dramatically.

「Ah, Cyril-kun you came.」

Kuu noticed me and called out.

「Yup, the goat team is already fine.」
「Things are going fine over here too. Come on and look.」

Kuu pointed and I could see the Fire Foxes going through the field and pulling out plants. Inside the greenhouse we were growing turnips, but we also grew weeds out of season.

「And look, Kemin is doing her best too.」

As Kuu said I looked over and saw Kemin using fire magic inside the greenhouse as well.

The heat retention method I used in there was magic that created a ball of flame. Using a thermometer to maintain ideal temperatures, they would use magic three times to keep the temperature warm using these fire balls. Unlike my magic, if they controlled it well it could last at least half a day.

But, I was truly grateful that thanks to them I wouldn’t have to use Kuiro to cast the magic daily.

Thanks to the greenhouse and heating magic, I thought we could also grow potatoes in winter.

Unfortunately, since the fire magic was quite difficult to cast only Kuu, Kemin, and Yukino were capable of doing it.

「Cyril-niisama you’re here!?」

After she finished deploying the three fire balls, an exhausted looking Kemin trotted over.

「I have to watch over you guys properly.」
「Were Yukino and Kurone okay? Yukino takes things at her pace and Kurone likes to space out…」
「The two of them did their jobs properly.」
「I see, thank goodness.」

Kemin patted her chest looking relieved. She was the leader of the trio so she must have been a bit worried.

「Then I have to do my best too. See you later Cyril-niisama.」

She said and returned to the greenhouse to pull weeds with the other Fire Foxes.

She should have been quite tired after using that magic, but she was moving even faster than some of the other Foxes.

「She’s a good girl.」
「Mm, Kemin is a little sister I can be proud of after all.」

Kuu said as she stuck out her chest pridefully. In truth she probably wanted to go over and work with the rest as well, but since she was in a special position of leadership, if she tried to do so then the other Foxes would probably stop her.

「Kuu, tomorrow we’ll be holding a war council. You’ll need to attend as the representative of the Fire Foxes.」
「Understood. I’ll come after I melt the snow on here. That hateful…empire.」
「That’s right. We have to sharpen our fangs in preparation. If we go on without changing we’ll lose for sure. For the sake of our victory we need to talk and prepare.」

That’s right, the fact that we would be destroyed if we collided head on with an army over two thousand strong had not changed.

However, that was only under the premise that we purposefully allowed for a head on collision. It was unthinkable at this point, I had no intention of doing so.

「Cyril-kun you’ve got an evil look on your face.」
「A bit. I’m thinking of an unfair and mean plan. I think it’ll make the Imperial soldiers feel worse than death. Even if they survive they won’t be able to fight again….a plan to break their hearts and minds.」
「Is that so? ….then…..that’s great. I’d like them to taste even one ten-thousandth of the pain we feel.」

Kuu’s eyes shone with raging hate as if flames dwelt within them. She was usually calm, but the flame of vengeance burned within her.

There were many who said that hatred bred nothing but sadness and did not give joy to the survivors. But that was in the case that you needed to sacrifice something for it. If we didn’t obtain vengeance then we wouldn’t be satisfied.

「The turnips look like their doing well. All that’s left is deciding when to add extra fertilizer and it should work out. I should be able to be at ease with this.」
「If you’re going to say something then go praise those girls. I think it’d make them happy.」
「I think so too.」

I nodded and turned towards the Fire Foxes as they left the greenhouse having finished their work for now. Let’s praise them lots.

I’ve confirmed that both the goat and turnip teams have remembered their jobs properly. With this the Fire Foxes should slowly find their place in the community. The elves should also be able to acknowledge them based on the hard work they were doing.