When they entered Emma’s house, many villagers were busily preparing for the welcoming party.

“Ara, good morning, young ladies!”

“Oh, the golden-haired Ojou-san seems to be in good spirits, thank goodness.”

“Yes, thank you very much!”

Emma offered the four of them a kotatsu.

“Please wait there until the food is ready.”

“Ah! It’s good to see you again, Warm and Fluffy Orange-kun No.6!”

“It’s Warm Table-kun No. 3.”

Noel pushed up her glasses with interest as she watched Lexia snuggle under the kotatsu.

“Oh, ‘Warm Table-kun No. 3,’ did it spread to this village as well?”

“Ah, you mean this desk? It’s a very comfortable magic tool. Since it came to the village, it has become much easier to live here.”

“I heard it was invented by the first chief of the Magic Development Institute, and I’m very grateful to the chief for making such a useful magic tool.”

“I am honored to hear you say so.”

“Eh?”

Noel’s reply made the villagers stunned.

Then Lexia put her hand on Noel’s shoulder and puffed out her chest proudly.

“She is the chief of the Magic Development Institute!”

“It’s my pleasure to meet you for the first time; my name is Noel Freesia.”

“E-eeeeeeeehhhhhh!?”

A chorus of exclamations echoed through the small house.

“No-Noel-sama, you say, is it that Noel-sama, the most famous genius since the beginning of the Romel Empire?”

“It is rumored that she is a genius inventor who has been causing explosions in the imperial capital after creating a ton of demo magic tools.”

“I didn’t know you were treated that way within the country as well…”

Luna muttered as she looked at Noel’s profile.

The villagers shook their heads.

“B-but, of course, that’s not the only reason! Noel-sama has been working day and night on the development of magic tools so that the people of the empire can live more convenient lives.”

“I hear that there are villages where dangerous monsters have been repelled many times thanks to Noel-sama’s magic tools…! In this village, the magic tools have been introduced little by little, and life has become much easier!”

“Oh, I didn’t know you were Noel-sama; I’m sorry for my rudeness…!”

The villagers were about to change their behavior, but Noel stopped them.

“It is my mission to make sure that all people can live conveniently and abundantly. I am very happy that you are utilizing the magic tools in this way. Please do not hesitate to treat me in that manner.”

Noel’s eyes twinkled with a smile of sincere happiness as she said this.

The villagers nodded their heads in gratitude.

“B-but I heard that the golden-haired lady over there has been cursed by the ice spirit. What in the world is the reason…?”

When Lexia and the others explained that they were going to defeat the ice spirit, the villagers were very surprised.

“No way, it’s dangerous. I hear that the ice spirit is very powerful…”

“No, but Tito might be able to do it…”

The villagers were concerned but also slightly hopeful, remembering the spectacle of Tito’s earlier victory over the monster.

Tito smiled proudly.

“Not only me. Everyone is very strong and dependable. So I’m sure it will be fine!”

“That’s right. After all, we have defeated four legendary chimeras in the Kingdom of Sahar!”

“What?”

“You girls? No way…!”

The villagers were astonished at Lexia’s bragging.

“Ara, it’s true. And here’s the proof──”

As Lexia began rummaging through her backpack, a woman bringing meat to the table muttered.

“Oh no, I have to cut up the meat, but I forgot my knife. I have to go back to the kitchen to get it…”

“Oh, it’s okay. I have the knife right here!”

Lexia dutifully took out a dagger and began to cut up the meat.

The villagers looked at the dagger and peered at it.

“O-O-O-Ojou-chanl! That knife is so gorgeous!”

“I-I’ve never seen such a beautiful dagger before…”

“I mean, isn’t there some jewelry on it? Maybe it’s a national treasure…?”

“Le-Lexia-san, that dagger, could it be…?”

Lexia held up the dagger, which was adorned with dazzling jewelry, and puffed out her chest.

“Yes, yes, isn’t it beautiful? The dagger was given to me by King Braha as a gratitude for saving the Kingdom of Sahar!”

“””””A-a-a-a-a treasured dagger!”””””

The villagers were stunned, and Luna trembled.

“Lexia───! Y-y-you…!”

“What? I mean, this treasure dagger is so sharp and convenient!”

“It’s not convenient! Don’t use a legendary treasure dagger for such a thing! I mean, I haven’t seen it since then; where have you been hiding it all this time?”

“Eh? I threw it in my backpack along with some snacks.”

“Don’t treat the treasured dagger so carelessly!”

“Ah, it’s also good for stirring pots! As expected of a treasured dagger!”

“Awawawa, t-the treasured dagger…! It’s covered in soup…!”

“Awesome, the royal family of Arcelia… everything is so out of the ordinary…!”

Seeing Lexia mixing the soup with the too-gorgeous treasure dagger, the villagers are taken aback.

“W-wow… I’ve never seen a real treasure dagger before…”

“Does that mean these girls really defeated the chimera and saved the Kingdom of Sahar…?”

The villagers often looked at each other in disbelief but eventually relaxed their cheeks.

“…I think you girls might really be able to defeat the ice spirit and clear up this blizzard.”

“It kind of gives me a little bit of hope.”

And then, as the group settled into their kotatsu, hot dishes were brought to them one after the other.

Tito’s eyes widened at the sight of the overflowing table.

“A-amazing…! It’s a feast…!”

“Please enjoy your food.”

Emma beamingly recommended the food, and Lexia’s eyes lit up.

“Thank you, it looks so delicious! …I wonder if it’s this good when even is having a hard time with the cursed blizzard?”

Since entering the Romel Empire, they had only had simple meals, and this was the first time they had ever had a meal as sumptuous as this.

Then the villagers laughed softly.

“Since this is a particularly snowy area, we have always had plenty of preserved food stored here. Besides, we have livestock and crops that are resistant to the cold.”

“Above all, the beastmen have an excellent sense of smell and hearing, thanks to which they can find food in the forests and mountains, even in this snow.”

The beastmen laughed proudly, and Emma smiled as well.

“Besides, I’m sure you all can clear up this blizzard for us.”

Lexia and the others looked at each other and smiled.

“Well then, I’ll take your word for it!”

Lexia’s eyes lit up as she took a bite of the soup.

“Mmm! Delicious!”

“Wow! I miss this taste so much!”

“Mmm, it warms you to the core… I guess stewed dishes are the norm in this part of the world. The flavor of dried vegetables comes out well. I’ll try making it next time.”

The dishes are hearty and delicious, and they are eaten with uncontrollable gusto.

“Everything is so delicious! Hey Tito, what is this? How do you eat it?”

“It’s a bean paste! It’s delicious on bread and vegetables!”

“Really? Then… mmm. Mmm! Smooth and rich! I can eat as much as I want!”

Noel, a resident of the Romel Empire, was also snapping the dish up into her mouth.

“It’s really delicious. Even within the same Romel Empire, each region has its own distinctive flavors and ingredients.”

The guests sat around the dining table, enjoying the northern cuisine.

Lexia exhaled after drinking the after-dinner tea.

“Hah, it was so delicious. I’m so full; I’m so happy.”

“My body feels so warm.”

Noel took out a magic tool from her backpack and offered it to Emma.

“Thank you so much for the food. As a way of repaying you, here’s the magic tool for you.”

“What is this?”

“It’s the ‘Hot Air Pressure No.5.’ If you press here, a warm breeze will come out. It is useful for drying your hair.”

“Amazing! It’s very helpful──”

“However, since this is a prototype, it may run out of control. Be careful; one wrong move and the whole house will blow away.”

“…T-thank you very much…”

“It’s too much of a double-edged sword.”

“Don’t give something so dangerous.”

Lexia and Luna speak for Emma, who has an indescribable look on her face.

“Well, as long as you don’t use it in a reckless manner, such as running it for long periods, it should be fine, so please don’t worry.”

“Ah, I-I’m glad…”

Noel’s additions made Emma’s heart patted down in relief.

The most important thing to remember is that you can use the same kind of magic tools for different purposes. For example, this one is called ‘Knock-knock Absorb-kun No. 3’, and it sucks up dust and dirt. This is ‘Turning Splashing-chan No. 6,” which, if placed in a tub of water, creates a whirlpool and automatically washes clothes. On the other hand, this ‘Body Comfort-kun No. 5’ has a function that rubs the part of the body where it is worn to relieve fatigue──”

“Heh, it’s amazing, isn’t it? I wonder how you came up with such a thing.”

“As expected of the chief of the Magic Development Institute.”

The villagers were amazed at the magic tools that came out of her backpack one after the other.

Lexia also peeked in excitedly.

“It’s really interesting! I’ve never seen these before, but I wonder if Yuuya-sama has seen them before?”

“Hou. What is this rumor about Yuuya-san? Does he have a deep knowledge of magic tools?”

“Not exactly, but he has all sorts of wondrous tools.”

“I would love to hear more about that.”

The children are happily frolicking with the magic tools.

“That’s it; I’ll absorb it!”

“Hahaha! Eat this, hot wind attack!”

“Wow, it’s warm! Amazing!”

Noel narrowed her eyes at the sight and held out the rest of her magic tools.

“If you like the prototype, I’ll give it to you. Please make use of it.”

The villagers laughed happily.

“Thank you. This will be very useful. Everyone will be happy.”

“Besides, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen children laughing. We’ve been having a lot of anxiety lately with this blizzard and the monsters…”

Tito looked out the window.

“That reminds me, the Blizzard Bear is a monster that lives deep in the forest, but it never attacked our village… When I was in the village, that didn’t happen.”

Then the villagers slumped their shoulders with gloomy faces.

“These days, however, the monsters have become extremely ferocious… and it seems that this cursed blizzard has given them strength.”

“The number of monsters has increased dramatically, and rumor has it that they are forming large herds…”

“Everyone is frightened because they don’t know when the rampaging monsters will come to attack the village. But with this blizzard, we can’t escape…”

“The beastmen with good eyes and noses are taking the initiative to stand guard in the forest behind the house. Well, it’s just a comforting thought since there’s no way to fight the monsters when they attack.”

Looking at the frightened villagers, Luna furrowed her brow.

“Does this blizzard even have the power to make the monsters stronger?”

“It’s a bad curse, isn’t it? The ice spirit is a very powerful force.”

Lexia’s cheeks puffed out in exasperation.

At that time, a terrifying roar came from the direction of the forest.

“Gruooooooooooooo!”

“Wha…!”

“What is that voice…?”

The villagers lifted their hips.

The door opened, and the beastmen rushed in.

“I-it’s bad! Monsters are coming!”

“What?”

A murmur of mixed surprise, impatience, and lamentation erupted.

“N-no way, I didn’t think they were really coming…! What are we supposed to do…?”

“We can’t handle it; we have to call in the army now!”

“No, we won’t make it in time! And it’s hard to call for help in this blizzard…!”

In the midst of the panic, an interesting voice interrupted the situation.

“Don’t worry! We’re here!”

Lexia brushed off her dazzling golden hair and stood up.

“That’s right! I will never let them attack this village!”

Tito followed, but the beastman standing guard shook his head in despair.

“B-but I’ve never seen a swarm like that before! And moreover, young girls like you…!”

“Leave it to us. Because my companions are the prettiest and the strongest!”

When I looked back, Luna and the others were already getting ready.

After exchanging glances and nodding to each other, Lexia shouted in a high voice.

“Let’s go, everyone!”