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Chapter Text

"This is strange. I feel like it's abnormally quiet around here," N-pacer said, leaning against a tree.

After the festival, N-pacer had accompanied her family to the winter vacation home. N-pacer's mother and Emperor's mother were old acquaintances, so they always went together. Naturally, N-pacer found herself seeing Emperor again.

The journey from Splatsville to the mountain estate was excessively long; even a jet plane took hours to get there. In the car from the airport to the manor, Emperor grumbled about why they had to dig out such an old vehicle and ride for hours when the plot of land in the back hills was more than enough to build a helipad—it would take less than an hour. "Oh, my dear boy, the back hills? Do you want the house your mother put her heart into building to get blown down?" Emperor's mother retorted. N-pacer's mother chuckled lightly beside her and added, "We're here on vacation, what's the rush? Besides, Emperor, your mother loves the snow scenery along this road the most. She never tires of it, year after year. She almost considered taking the train just to enjoy the view a little longer." Before Emperor could say, "Then let's just build a house in that forest," Prince and Squidkid Jr. steered the conversation elsewhere. Meanwhile, N-pacer rested her head in her hand and watched the snow-laden, drooping branches of the conifers along the road, which seemed to be bowing in welcome. She quite liked riding in this old hunting car; there was no suffocating smell of leather inside, just a faint woody scent that was relaxing. It would have been better if she weren't being dragged there as if trapped, even though the house sat on high ground, overlooking everything. Perhaps it was because she was still young and unused to ordering people around.

So when Emperor grew tired of listening to the performance by the hired musicians and suggested taking a walk around the estate grounds, she spoke up to go with him. "It's indeed unsafe for one person alone in the woods," Emperor's mother said, while Squidkid Jr. leaned forward, looking like he wanted to join them. "But three is a bit too many. You two go ahead. N-pacer, make sure he doesn't get up to anything. Hear that, Emperor? If she tries to stop you, it's the same as me stopping you." Squidkid Jr. whispered to N-pacer, "Put in a word for me, I don't want to sit here either," only to receive N-pacer's reply: "You want me to talk back to Emperor's mother? Besides, she asked me to keep an eye on Emperor precisely because you two always cause trouble when you're together." Prince, meanwhile, told Squidkid Jr., "The piece scheduled for today sounds quite nice too."

The moment they stepped outside, Emperor stretched. "I heard before coming, isn't there a hot spring near the volcano here? Seems it's ended its dormant period recently, and the geyser is erupting again. Come on, let's go take a look," he said, turning his head to N-pacer. Ignoring the butler's muttering, Emperor mounted the snowmobile. N-pacer silently took the rear seat and pulled out a map. "How long will it take?" Emperor glanced at the route and shoved the map back to N-pacer. "About three hours, if you drive faster." "Is that so? Then let's take it slow; I don't want to head back too early." N-pacer checked the annotations on the map; a watchhouse was marked along the way to the geyser. I won't tell him that skipping lunch will definitely get him scolded, N-pacer thought. We can manage a meal at the watchhouse, I'll send a message later. Since I'm with him, I should be prepared to get scolded too. N-pacer fastened her helmet strap.

Passing through the spruce forest near the estate, white began to show through the suffocating deep green and burnt umber. It was the sky light filtering through gaps between the pines and firs, the distant snow-capped mountains, and the birch trees. The scenery here was truly beautiful, N-pacer thought, looking down at the path ahead, but they were in too much of a hurry to see anything but the shadows of trees. She had intended to suggest to Emperor that they just take a stroll nearby before setting off, but the moment he spoke, she knew it was useless. No one could change his mind, or at least, she couldn't.

They had been riding for two hours already. The unkempt, un-cultivated, yellowish-brown fir leaves remained dazzling under the covering snow, arguably even more prominent. Emperor's mother called—on N-pacer's phone. "What did she say?" "She asked you not to stay out too long." N-pacer omitted the scolding from Emperor's mother and relayed only the most crucial information. "Did she scold me again?" "Do you believe you wouldn't be scolded?" The slowed speed made the branches of the nearby birch trees easier to see. Many literary works mentioned that birch patterns resembled eyes. "Alright, alright, I'll speed up so we can head back earlier." Emperor's words and the roar of the accelerating motor were swallowed by the spray of snow kicked up by the vehicle.

The increased speed made it even harder for N-pacer to appreciate the untrimmed pines and firs or the sparsely scattered reindeer lichen and pipsissewa. She had quite wanted to observe the pipsissewa, having only read about it in books. She was rather fond of things related to mammals. Their extinction added a layer of mystery; no amount of reading could clear the thick fog separating her from them. After an hour and a half, they reached that watchhouse. In the distance, rocks exposed by the geothermal heat were visible, with old man's beard moss hanging from the arctic willows. "How much longer?" Emperor stopped the vehicle and asked. "About half an hour at this speed." "Got it." He took a sip of water. "Then let's keep going, no need to stop."

The geyser was indeed worth seeing. The spring water burst forth, condensing rapidly into a large, exaggerated plume of steam. Ice crystals glittered faintly, forming small mounds on the ground. It's a bit like a stalactite, N-pacer thought, but the translucent one is definitely prettier. A north wind blew, carving out some gaps between the clouds. Emperor walked closer to the geyser, while N-pacer remained where she was. Minerals from the spring had stained the exposed rocks rust-red and sulfur-yellow, with some siliceous white that one only noticed upon closer inspection was different from the snow. It resembles him, she thought, gazing at this scenery and Emperor ahead. She glanced at the sky; the earlier wind had allowed her a glimpse of the sun—a huge halo surrounded it. Is that normal? She suddenly couldn't remember and felt a sense of unease. "Something's not right..." she muttered.

Emperor happened to be walking back. She should tell him. "It's strange, I feel this silence isn't normal," N-pacer said, leaning on the tree. "We haven't seen any animals the whole way either." "This spring isn't drinkable, right? Isn't it normal for there to be no animals?" Emperor was dismissive. "With the motor so loud, it'd be stranger if they were here. They're hiding." A gale swept in from the west. "This wind direction is different from before..." Prompted by N-pacer's words, Emperor began paying attention to their surroundings. Having removed his hat to get closer to the spring, the strands of hair near his temples blew about, making the wind shift very noticeable.

Eerily silent. He started to feel it too—not a single birdcall, not even the sound of insects. He scanned the area. The distant mountains seemed smaller—no, a wall of snow was advancing. N-pacer noticed it too. Almost simultaneously, they said to each other: "The blizzard is coming."

They mounted the snowmobile. Emperor reached out to start the engine, and N-pacer fastened his helmet strap for him. The hot spring's steam couldn't hold back the approaching cold. The wind wormed its way into the gaps in their clothing.This wasn't the damp chill they felt when they first set out, but a knife-like, dry, painful cold. The snowmobile was set to its highest speed. Because of the hot spring, the watchhouse was built upwind to the west. The head-on gale slowed their progress. How annoying, Emperor thought, gripping the handles tighter. The snow grew chunky, pelting their helmets. Snow from the ground was swept up by the fierce wind, as if attacking from both above and below, covering their vision in white.

The howling wind seemed determined to devour them whole. Icicle fangs formed by the cold scratched at their skin. It felt less like seeking refuge and more like advancing deep into the maw of this white beast. Past three rows of teeth, would we find that little table made of ship's planks? Turbulent currents scraped and wailed like a monstrous beast. The sound of the snowmobile engine was drowned out, like a fading heartbeat. The wind and snow cracked sharply against them and the vehicle, a stinging, arrow-like downpour. A dark wooden wall emerged from the terrifying, stark whiteness. They had arrived.

After dismounting, the parked snowmobile scraped against the ground with a mechanical whine. No time to worry about it. The heavy wooden door was opened; with a creak, pitch blackness greeted them. The watchman was probably off on a shift change. N-pacer fumbled for the switch on the wall; light illuminated the cramped space of less than thirty square meters. They fastened the windproof supports on the two closed windows and locked them. Emperor turned on the electric heater, while N-pacer grabbed matches and threw one into the fireplace, which still had some embers. She pulled out her phone and sent a short message to her parents: Arrived at the watchhouse. Safe for now. Before the indoor temperature could rise, a loud crash of something collapsing and a crackle of electricity brought darkness once more. The power was out. The signal tower was far away; it might fail too. Seeing the power outage, Emperor grabbed stacked firewood to help build the fire, nearly smothering the fledgling flames. And N-pacer hurriedly added what might be the last message they could send: Power out. Signal might be lost. Come as soon as you can. The 'sent' indicator appeared on the screen, accompanied by the stark words: No Service.

The fire grew stronger, bringing a measure of warmth to the air. Emperor leaned against the countertop next to the fireplace and tried to turn the faucet to wash the wood chips from his hands. No water came out, only the metal's weeping, sob-like gasp. It wasn't surprising that the water had stopped under these circumstances. "Where's the water?" he said. N-pacer scanned the room. At least the small space made things easy to find. There was an old water vat by the door. "We need to move this," she said, walking towards the vat that came up to her thighs. "Otherwise the water will freeze."

The plastic vat had two pull-rings on its side. N-pacer and Emperor pulled with great effort, finally shifting it from the wall. Once it was a person's width away from the wall, Emperor moved to the other side to push while N-pacer pulled with both hands—it was somewhat cramped and hard to exert force. The old wooden floor had many cracks; N-pacer periodically lifted the vat with force to prevent it from catching in a fissure, and more importantly, to keep the lidless vat from tilting. That would have been disastrous. After dragging it roughly four or five meters, they finally got the vat near the fireplace. N-pacer squatted down, exhausted, while Emperor sat directly on the floor. It was far too heavy. The sound of their panting, the crackle of burning matches, and the wind and snow beating against the windows and walls mingled together, yet it still felt eerily quiet. Emperor recovered first and began rummaging through the storage locker, actually managing to find a radio. "How does this work?" N-pacer stood up and walked over to him. She took the radio from him, simultaneously catching a glimpse of the small generator on the lower shelf of the locker.

Pulling out the radio's antenna and switching it on, she said, "This generator is too small. It probably won't last long if we use it for heating." After a burst of static, sound came from the radio. They were in luck; it tuned directly to the meteorological service broadcast: "...We are currently experiencing a historic blizzard event. Blizzard conditions are expected to persist for multiple days, with total snowfall projections reaching unprecedented levels, potentially exceeding 90 centimeters." The two listened in silence. "...Widespread disruptions to infrastructure, including power and communications, are anticipated. Restoration efforts may require several days..." Emperor held his head, frowning, while N-pacer reached out and brushed the wood chips from his hair. "We can only rely on the fireplace for warmth. This generator can charge the phones directly. Your phone should be turned off for now. I'll set mine to the lowest power mode. We'll have to wait for the signal to return." Noting Emperor's expression, N-pacer added reassuringly, "The radio has a hand crank, so at least we don't need to charge it, and we can listen to something."

N-pacer threw another handful of wood into the fireplace. Emperor pulled a stool closer to the fireplace to let his jacket dry faster. "At least the food and water here are enough to last us over a week," N-pacer said, searching through the storage locker as if looking for a reason to comfort and encourage him. "Will a week be enough?" "'Multiple days' means about a week." She also pulled out some books. "What do you want to eat? Instant pasta, canned stew, or canned rice gratin?" Emperor initially wanted to say he had no appetite, but everything that had happened had consumed a great deal of his energy. "Whatever," he replied.

The radio continued its tedious report on the blizzard. The metallic sound of N-pacer using a can opener on a can came from behind Emperor. She walked over to the vat in front of him, seeming lost in thought. "What is it?" he asked, seeing her stand still. "This water looks like maybe fifty or sixty liters? I'm not sure. If that's the case, we should still conserve water." "Can't we just melt snow?" "There are hot springs nearby, with toxins. Even though we're upwind, there might be contamination." Right, there were also the hot springs, Emperor thought, annoyed. Why did everything have to work against him? "Let's use a double boiler. We'll use this pot for water and put the opened cans directly in it. Washing the pot every time is too much of a luxury." She scooped water into the pot, placed the opened can inside, and hung the pot on a hook above the fireplace.

"Change the station, it's annoying to listen to," Emperor said, leaning on the chair. "In that case, why don't you go move the bed over? I saw it's a metal frame; one person should be able to drag it," N-pacer said, stirring the contents of the can. Emperor got up and dragged the single bed from the corner. The scraping noise drowned out the sound of the radio. By the time he stopped, N-pacer had already tuned the radio to a music station. "I tried a few; this is the only one I can get." The tune he hadn't wanted to hear before leaving became the only sound in the cabin capable of easing the tension. "This is a single bed. It'll be a bit of a squeeze for two people, won't it?" Emperor said to N-pacer, who was washing the dishes. "Oh, we have to take shifts adding firewood. You don't want to freeze to death in the middle of the night, do you?" "Can't we just add more wood at once?" He genuinely didn't know. "No, that just increases the intensity, not the duration significantly," N-pacer said, pulling a can from the pot. "The nearest respawn point around here is this cabin. Even if we respawn, we wouldn't have the clothes to make it back to the mansion. And even with a respawn point, it's best not to die. It consumes too much energy, and we don't have that much food anyway." Not a single thing she said was what he wanted to hear. N-pacer handed the can to Emperor. "Shall I take the first watch?" she asked. "I'll do it," he said, too agitated to feel sleepy. "There are some books over there. The radio has a time signal; remember to wake me for my shift." The watch cabin was furnished for only one person, so the two had to make do, sitting separately on the stool and the bed.

N-pacer reached out her hand to Emperor after he finished eating. He looked at her, puzzled. "To wash the can? Otherwise, it will mold." Emperor made an "oh" sound and handed her the empty can. Being trapped made every little thing feel magnified. N-pacer scooped a little water to clean the empty can, then poured the dirty water into another one. She found a lid, covered the can containing the wastewater, and placed it in the trash bin. She closed the bin's lid and placed the cleaned can beside the pile of firewood indoors. "I'll throw it outside when the snow lets up a bit," she added, since Emperor kept watching her. She returned to the fireplace, took off her heavy coat and spread it over the blankets, then slipped under the covers wearing her high-quality flannel thermal underwear, turning on her side with her back to the fireplace and the Emperor beside her.

Chapter Text

There was no sunlight or birdsong, only the radio's time signal announced the arrival of morning. Emperor did not wake the sleeping N-pacer; he wasn't tired yet. He had picked up a novel about an old fisherman battling a large fish and had just reached the page where the marlin was devoured by sharks. Not wanting to read further, Emperor closed the book. And just then, N-pacer woke up. She yawned, instinctively stretched, and her hand poked into the cold air outside the blankets, jolting her fully awake. "...Did you finish it?" Still groggy, N-pacer could only make small talk. "No, couldn't concentrate. I wasn't reading carefully." "...Is it already daytime?" She realized she had woken naturally. "Yeah. Six o'clock. You woke up quite early." He sounded somewhat surprised. "The bed is too hard," N-pacer said as she put on her coat. She got up and tuned the radio on the table to the weather station.

"As of 6 AM this morning, across the region..." The sound of N-pacer tearing open a plastic bag created a brief gap in the broadcast. "...In the past 24 hours, this region has recorded 8 millimeters of new snowfall..." She instinctively moved towards the toaster, then remembered the power was out. "There's jam. Do you want some?" She turned towards the storage locker instead. "Sure." Some flavor was indeed needed to break the monotony. "...We repeat, the historic blizzard impacting the region shows no signs of abating..." N-pacer handed Emperor a piece of toast slathered with strawberry jam. It was spread unevenly, probably because she didn't want to wash another spoon and had just dipped the toast directly into the jar. "...Power outage areas are expanding. Restoration efforts are not expected to commence until at least 72 hours after the storm subsides..." Emperor looked up at N-pacer and asked, "Will the power be back in three days then?" As if she knew everything. "How could that be? The snow isn't stopping today. And even if it stopped today, it would take time for repairs to reach us here." Oh. He'd forgotten the snow was supposed to last about a week, even though it had been bothering him. Had the sweetness distracted him? "...We once again urgently advise all residents to shelter in place. Do not attempt to travel under any circumstances."

"Change the station. Nothing more to hear," Emperor said to her. "Let me try a bit more. I only tested it briefly yesterday; maybe we can find something else." She began repeatedly pressing the radio's buttons. Most emitted harsh static. "You can turn it off for now. You can tune it later when I'm sleepy," Emperor said, waving a hand. "Shall we chat for a bit?" N-pacer put down the radio and responded.

She nudged Emperor, urging him off the chair. "You should lie down first. You haven't slept all night. Even if you're not tired, just rest for a while." He was pushed towards the bed. There's really no reason to refuse, he thought. As Emperor took off his jacket, N-pacer glanced at the fire and sat down. No need to add wood yet; he must have added some not long ago. The whoosh of the flames mingled with the crackle of splitting wood. Once he lay down, his head on the insufficiently soft pillow, N-pacer rested her chin in her hands, looked at him, and started thinking of a topic. Now that it came to it, she couldn't think of anything specific to talk about. Bringing up the others would just make them worry, and since they couldn't contact them anyway, why mention it? N-pacer thought.

"They should be fine, right?" But Emperor hadn't overthought it that far. "They'll definitely be fine. The mansion has protective measures, and its location isn't as dangerous as here." Worrying about others in this situation... is he kind-hearted or just carefree? "Hmm..." he replied vaguely. He probably knew the others would be okay too. Maybe he just wanted confirmation. Maybe there really was nothing else to talk about. "The geyser was quite beautiful. I'd never seen a geyser in the snow before. I didn't know they could form such large clouds." Why is she bringing that up? Isn't this situation precisely because we went to see it? "I was the one who suggested going to see it," Emperor thought again. "I'm not really that scared... The food is sufficient, the water is sufficient, and the firewood seems like it should be enough too. I'm not actually sure about that; I've never burned wood before. But I think it's enough. Most importantly, you're with me. I'm not alone." Her words were soft, so soft that for a moment it seemed like she might be saying them deliberately to comfort him. "You're good at being alone, though. You didn't come the last few times we asked." "I am good at being alone, but those times you mentioned, weren't you planning to do things that were absolutely guaranteed to get you scolded?" She had indeed later seen Emperor and Squidkid Jr. getting lectured, though neither of them seemed to care. "Maybe if you'd come along, we wouldn't have gotten caught," Emperor retorted defensively, crossing his arms. "Please, don't talk nonsense," N-pacer replied. "Remember later, when you dragged me into it, didn't I get scolded right along with you?"

She was referring to when they were younger and Emperor wanted to sneak out. He was agile and hadn't been spotted by the butler, but was eventually caught by his mother personally. Although being made to stand in the corner had no real effect on Emperor, being caught made him start planning routes. Later, Emperor and Squidkid Jr. joined forces, deciding to climb out, convinced that with two people coordinating, it would be fine. Then both of them got caught and had to stand in the corner together. So after that, they dragged N-pacer along with them. Emperor said things like, "You're very observant, you can keep watch for us." Squidkid Jr. added, "His mother really likes you," followed by, "Even if all three of us get caught, we won't be punished. Or at least, only we two will." "Don't say we'll get caught," Emperor said to Squidkid Jr. N-pacer initially refused, but finally, having no other choice, went along with them. In the end, all three were punished, and Emperor got extra time, with the reason being: "Leading N-pacer astray."

"How do you think my mom always caught us?" Emperor lay on the bed, reminiscing. He truly thought his plans had been flawless. "...Your mother was a former champion." She swallowed the retort she initially thought of and stuck to the facts. "Oh... oh! Right, that's true. Yeah." Emperor's mother was in charge of the sport equipment division at Enperry; the Dualies were the result of her discussions with the designers. Emperor had completely forgotten about that. "But Mom never agreed to have a single battle with me. I don't know how good she is." "Really? You've never battled Madam Elyrienne? My mother often mentioned they used to go battling frequently when they were young. I thought she would have trained you personally." "Not at all." Emperor almost sat up but shrank back from the cold. "She never mentioned a word about it. I didn't even find out until later that the Dualies were her idea." "It seems she really was very busy," N-pacer said, a note of concern in her voice.

"They used to go battling often back then." This topic had genuinely piqued Emperor's interest. "Yes. My mother's health isn't very good. My mother always says that Madam Elyrienne would tell her, 'Even if you just stand there, Patricia, you're coming with me.' My mother couldn't refuse her." N-pacer chuckled lightly, her happiness evident in her tone. "Also, because my mother is frail, she wanted me to exercise more. She said health is the most important thing; other things aren't for teenagers to worry about." Patricia hadn't told Emperor these things.

Emperor lay on his back, looking at the watchhouse ceiling. The interwoven tree trunks forming the roof were rough, unbarked lumber, just left exposed. It felt more like a forest than building material. They seemed to emit faint groans, as if still alive, though it was probably the sound of the wind and snow battering the roof, causing the structure to strain.

Seeing that she hadn't managed to lull him to sleep, N-pacer spoke again, with a sigh-like tone. "I'll worry if you don't rest soon." At least he seemed more relaxed. N-pacer picked up the novel Emperor had put down. "Where did you get to?" "...Where the marlin gets eaten by the sharks." Good thing she had read this book, or who could guess the page? "'He's taken about a quarter of him, and the best meat too,'" N-pacer read, finding the page. "Is this where you were?" "Yeah, about there." "No wonder you didn't want to keep reading." Was that meant to be comforting? "'I wish it were a dream and that I had never hooked him. I'm sorry, fish. It all went wrong.' He stopped..." If she was going to read aloud, he couldn't skim. Oh well, he'd listen. "...The blood was all drained from the fish now, and washed by the sea, it looked like the mirror backing of a shell, but the stripes still showed..."

By the time N-pacer snapped out of her focus, Emperor was already asleep beside her. She closed the book, got up, tucked the blankets around Emperor, and added a little more firewood. This is becoming second nature, even though it's only the second day. Maybe I'm just worried the fire might go out. It really was a good book, never boring no matter how many times one read it, she thought. She returned the book to the storage shelf. The story in the book was moving. "The sea... How long have we been living on land now? Inklings seem to have lost their adaptation to the marine environment." She recalled knowledge from textbooks, but without review, some specific figures were forgotten. "Can we still be considered fish or shellfish? Or are we closer to the humans mentioned in the books?" Annaki had a cold-shoulder shirt with a print merging a squid and an Inkling image; its product name was the Annaki Evolution Tee. She picked up the radio and started tuning it, hoping to find a station they'd both enjoy listening to before Emperor woke up.

The firewood emitted a low groan as it heated. She finally managed to tune into a literature station. She placed the radio back on the room's only table, which was fixed against the wall due to monitoring equipment. Those devices were now just dark, blank screens. It would be nice to see the situation outside. What to eat today? Only those few choices remained. She looked at the pile of cans. Look at something else first. She rummaged and found some candy and biscuits. They weren't expired yet. Their wildly varying flavors gave a sense that the regular watchkeepers here were people with different tastes. This was also evident from the books. A leather-bound plant guide sat next to military magazines, and in one corner, a few fairy tale books were stacked. Quite romantic. On a winter day like this in a secluded place like this, reading a few fairy tales would have been quite atmospheric back when the power was fine. I wonder if there's any black tea, then? She enjoyed tasting tea; without it, she felt a bit listless.

Emperor was woken by the smell of tea—N-pacer was dealing with used tea leaves. There were unused cups on the storage locker, and deep inside the cupboard, N-pacer had finally found a few bricks of sealed, unopened tea. The brewed leaves were placed in that clean empty can to dry by the fireplace, then tossed into the one stained with grease; the leaves absorbed the grime. Finally, she threw the tea leaves into the fireplace. A burst of crackling, different from burning wood, and the scent of scorched tea leaves rushed out, wrapped in caffeine, rousing the supine Emperor nearby. "You're awake. The food is still warming," she said, her tone as casual as on an ordinary afternoon. She handed Emperor a cup of hot tea; its color looked pale. "We're quite lucky, there's honey here." It did taste sweet, but somehow felt more bitter than her usual brew. "I found a literature station. You can just turn it on if you want to listen. The pile on the table is the candy and salted biscuits I found." His gaze followed her words, but more noticeable than the radio and candy were several books stacked neatly beside them. "You read all that while I was asleep?" Because she loved reading so much, that was his first thought. "Of course not. I just put them there to read later." Her voice sounded much more spirited. Was it because of the black tea? "When did I fall asleep…" He wasn't really asking her for the time, so N-pacer took a sip of tea and watched him, waiting for him to continue. "What was the ending? I fell asleep before I heard it." "The sharks were defeated." Emperor hurriedly pulled on his coat, truly unaccustomed to this cold. "Oh. I'll finish it next time then."

Quiet settled in after the meal, though the atmosphere was somewhat relaxed by the aroma of black tea. Emperor didn't turn on the radio; he intended to finish reading the book, while N-pacer continued slowly drying the used tea leaves. A faint groaning sound... Was that what burning firewood sounded like? Emperor stood up from the bed and paced around the small room. N-pacer's gaze followed him and stopped at the back door. He communicated to her with very brief words: "Listen." N-pacer set down what she was holding and focused, discerning the subtle noise as he asked. There was indeed a sound different from the cracking of kindling. It was coming from the back door. This small house had been partially renovated after Elyrienne acquired the land; the back door was noticeably older than the front door. N-pacer followed him to the back entrance.

Emperor tried turning the handle to open the door—it opened outwards—but his attempt was blocked. It wouldn't open. The chilly wind seeping through the cracks made them both shiver. Simultaneously, they noticed that light only penetrated halfway through the door gap, blocked by snow piled waist-high. "This much?" Emperor exclaimed. He let go of the handle, shook his hand, took a deep breath, braced his arm against the door panel, and pushed with his whole body's strength. N-pacer reached out to help, and after the door was finally pushed open a small angle, she grabbed hold of Emperor, though he wouldn't have fallen. Emperor calculated the size of the gap and said offhandedly to N-pacer without turning around, "Find a shovel." As if she were very familiar with the place. "I'll try to find one," N-pacer said without extra words.“You can find it.” She ought to be the one to look for it, he thought. The door panel had pushed out a small mound of snow. She did, in fact, find one—a long, large, flat-headed snow pusher and an iron shovel.

Emperor took the shovel, gauged its width—too wide—handed it back to N-pacer, picked up the spade, and started shoveling the snow outside. The cold wind outside poured directly into the room. Fortunately, the lean-to built against the back wall sheltered the area, so not much blowing snow made it inside. "Don't stay out too long. Come back in five minutes, and we'll take turns. We're made of ink; we're more susceptible to frostbite than other creatures." The cramped space prevented N-pacer from working alongside Emperor, only allowing her words to reach his ear. "How do you know all this?" "The weather service said so. You weren't listening." No wonder she felt the need to remind him specifically.

Once there was more space to move the wooden door, they could use the long-headed snow pusher, which improved efficiency considerably. Just clearing the snow away from the doorway exhausted both of them. Emperor stood on the small, cleared patch of ground, about the size of an entryway anti-slip mat, and looked outside. It was still a white shroud of mist, nothing but snow, the tree shadows indistinct. Only the top of the woodpile under the lean-to remained visible above the snowdrifts. Time to go inside. It's too cold.

With the fatigue of the entire afternoon and the knife-like cold, the little cabin trapping them finally gave him a tangible sense of being a refuge. It was the blizzard that had trapped them. The shovel and spade were left casually by the back door; the snow that had blown in and the snow on the tools were slowly melting. The fire, which had been burning all night, allowed them to remove their snow-covered coats in the small space near the fireplace. The coats were draped over chairs, warmed by the fire. Emperor sat on the single bed, holding the tea N-pacer had refreshed for him and some chocolate he'd taken from the table. Meanwhile, N-pacer, after opening the cans and setting them in the pot by the cupboard, also came and sat on the single bed, next to him. "Pour me a stronger cup of tea later. I'll take the night watch," N-pacer said after taking a sip of her own tea. "Is it alright for you to do two nights in a row?" Emperor didn't answer; he knew it was just concern. N-pacer leaned her head against Emperor's side, probably because she was still a bit cold. The flickering fire made time pass easily. The aroma of food slowly spread, and she got up again to retrieve the cans from the pot.

"Is she really so busy that she has no time for battles at all?" The topic from after waking was picked up again before sleep. "A Regular Battle only takes three minutes. Surely one could find the time," N-pacer said, carefully washing the empty cans and utensils. "But if you need to guarantee a win, there's probably no time to practice." Before Emperor could interject, N-pacer continued, "When you're in certain positions, you can't afford to lose. I think you understand that well." He withdrew his expression, the one that seemed about to speak. It seemed she had answered him. "Besides, if you're truly very busy, even battling can feel tiring." This last part was more like her muttering to herself.

Once the tea leaves were tossed into the fire and the cans were stacked, she finally finished her tasks. N-pacer pulled up the covers and lay down, turning her back to Emperor, who was holding the novel. "Good night," she said.

Chapter Text

The book was finished. Emperor placed the novel back on the storage shelf; he didn't remember where he had pulled it from, so he just laid it flat inside. N-pacer wasn't awake yet. Should he wake her? He followed the wall, lightening his footsteps to avoid disturbing N-pacer, who was facing his direction, and moved towards the back door. He wanted to push it open to see the sky outside. The hip-high snow slowed the process. How did it pile up this high again? But this time the snow was looser than yesterday's, and the door still opened a crack. The sky was very dark, probably still early morning. The cold wind flying into the room made N-pacer on the bed frown, shrink her body, and clutch the blankets tighter. The cold wind was also hard for Emperor to bear. He closed the door and tossed some firewood into the fireplace.

He sat back down by the fireplace, moving the chair closer to the flames. The firelight reflected on his face with a burning heat. At least I'm awake now. Once warmed up, he got up to get his cup. She had placed the tea brick and tea knife next to the counter. He just needed to break off some leaves, put them in the cup, and add water, right? Or add water first? How did she do it? He gripped the tea knife and stabbed down; the brick was much harder than expected, and he almost couldn't pull the knife out. After scraping off a little tea, he dropped it into the cup, scooped in some water, and placed the cup by the fire to heat.

Is this the color black tea should be?... Although it's called black tea, she said that's because of the color of the leaves. In its place of origin, they call it red tea, referring to the color of the brewed tea.The color in the cup was somewhat pale, with a yellowish-brown tint. It didn't smell very strong either. Emperor thought to himself: "Maybe it's because I used so little tea. Then I won't add honey." He picked up the iron cup, so hot he could feel the heat through his gloves, blew on the steaming liquid for a long time, and took a small sip.

So bitter. So bitter! Is this even tea? Emperor set the cup aside casually, glanced at the sleeping N-pacer, and had to endure making no noise. Is this the bitter taste brewed from tea leaves? It has a moldy, fermented plant fiber taste, but she brews the same tea. Emperor got up and looked at N-pacer, unsure if she happened to wake up or if he had disturbed her. In any case, when she opened her eyes, she got a huge fright.

With N-pacer's startled exclamation, Emperor took a step back. The shadow cast by his sideburns conveniently kept N-pacer from seeing his expression clearly. She could only speak hesitantly: "...Are you tired?" Tired? He was wide awake now, Emperor thought but didn't say it out loud; it was a bit embarrassing. "Just checking if you were awake." N-pacer was sure that the grimace she'd just seen on his face wasn't a dream and took this as him offering her a way to save face. Saying, "I just woke up, we're in sync," she put on her coat. Emperor stood aside, arms crossed, thinking gloomily: "Why did she have to wake up just then? Couldn't she have kept sleeping?" But at least it wouldn't be boring now.

N-pacer, upon waking, instinctively went to boil water for tea, heading straight for the firewood they had placed by the door for convenience. That spot originally held the water vat. Because a large window was opened there, nothing else was stored, and the nearby gas stove was unusable. It happened to be closer than the back door, so they had also placed some wood there. Emperor, who had been standing by the chair, moved to sit on the single bed to make way for her. She took the wood, threw it into the fire, and took down the small, long-handled pot with an eagle-beak spout hanging above the fireplace. Just as she was about to heat water, she caught sight of that cup of... black tea... that hadn't been discarded yet.

By the time Emperor got up to stop her, it was too late. She looked at the yellowish-brown liquid, looked at Emperor's expression—a mix of embarrassment and irritation—and understood everything. She turned her head away, raising a hand to cover her face, stifling her laughter, her shoulders shaking, causing ripples in the water in the milk pan. Once she had calmed down enough to regain her composure, she pretended not to have seen anything and started heating the water. Emperor, seeing she didn't mention it, didn't bring it up either, just stood nearby, perhaps wanting a chance to dispose of that failed brew. While the pot was heating on the fire, she pried off some tea leaves and put them in a cup. Once the water boiled, she poured it into the cup, then transferred the resulting dark red brew into the cleaned can that already had some tea residue—the color was too dark, and the can was in the shadows, so Emperor hadn't noticed it before. "You have to boil the water first," Emperor couldn't help muttering beside her. N-pacer let out a sudden, choked-sounding laugh before realizing she should have pretended not to hear.

"...Could you tell me how you did it just now?" Emperor gestured, "Just, scraped off some tea like this, put it in the cup, added water, and then heated it." "The first infusion?" "Uh, yeah." N-pacer burst out laughing in a way quite unlike her usual self. "Don't just laugh, where did I go wrong?" Emperor nudged her with his elbow. Since they were already at this point, there was no need to be too reserved. "Guess which step was correct."

"Huh?" He was so puzzled he barely had time to get annoyed. "...Putting the tea in before the water must be right, at least." "You're very clever." Don't say things like that. "You just... didn't know. You'd grasp it at a glance, you always do." As she spoke, she picked up the tea brick and moved it into the light. "For tea compressed into bricks, you need to follow the grain, peel off the leaves whole without breaking the structure, otherwise it becomes bitter." Then she casually poured his failed brew into the waste tea can. "Good black tea brews at around 85°C, but this tea is very ordinary, and it's been compressed for transport and storage, so you need boiling water to 'awaken' the tea." Awaken the tea—probably literally means waking the tea up. Quite vivid. "The first infusion is to rinse the tea, to wash away the bitter taste. The tea we usually drink is higher quality and doesn't need this step." "How can you tell?" "Fermented teas like black tea aren't usually compressed, so those made into bricks generally aren't good tea. There are many transport methods now." "After the first infusion, wait for the water to cool slightly before brewing. This tea is quite bitter for you, so I added some honey." She handed him the teacup. The liquid was bright, the aroma overflowing, mixed with the faint sweetness of honey. It was indeed much better. "How do you know all this? Is there an instruction manual?" He was asking why they didn't usually brew this quality of tea. "I like different teas from various places, and I occasionally buy some brick tea. If I can't find new tea, I have to buy old stock. Besides, tea is three parts leaf, seven parts brewing. If you know how to brew it, it won't taste too bad. Tea leaves also need someone to understand them." She certainly talked more when it came to black tea. "Ah, but someone like you, you don't need to bother with such trivial matters. It's normal not to know these things."

N-pacer turned on the radio. The weather broadcast brought good news: the snowfall showed signs of weakening. What's intense often doesn't last. This blizzard might end in less than a week. She asked Emperor if he wanted to switch to the literature station, and he nodded in agreement. Breakfast was warmed up, and the radio began playing the story about the child from another planet who appeared in the desert, now at the chapter about meeting the fox.

"You cannot play with me," the fox said. "I am not tamed."

"Oh, this chapter." N-pacer sounded pleased. "I like this chapter very much." "It's a fairy tale, right? You quite like fairy tales?" The implication was probably that it seemed a bit childish and didn't suit her. "I don't refuse to read them. And they are beautiful."

"But he thought about it, and asked:"
"What does 'tame' mean?"
"It is something too often neglected," said the fox. "It means 'to establish ties'."
"To establish ties?"

"You like mammals, don't you?" Although the talking animals in such fictional stories probably couldn't be equated with the extinct ones. "Yes, I like mammals very much." She set down her teacup. "I like horses. Horses are completely domesticated animals, you know? They stand on four fingers. I was very surprised when I first read that." She refilled her cup with water.

"But if you tame me, we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world…"

"Knights all have horses. I'd like one too." She chuckled lightly, glancing at Emperor's expression, which hadn't changed. "You don't like that joke?" "No, I'm listening." The fire roared. This refuge was starting to feel somewhat cozy. Could they relax? "I just think, even if they only exist in books, I find them powerful and free. Even though it seems they can't really return to the wild." Emperor got up and helped clear the bowls and dishes, cleaning up together. "I read that many human luxury brands started out making horse gear. So those decorations I never quite understood before were actually for horses." She had things she didn't understand before too? Well, of course, she's just an ordinary person. "I actually half-jokingly suggested to my mother that she should make something like horse gear, since our family business is also in luxury goods. She said she'd like to, but my uncles and aunts wouldn't agree." "Patricia is wary of those people?" Finally, something he could respond to. "Not all relatives are as amiable as yours." The used tea leaves let out a sound like a low moan as they were scorched by the flames.

"But later I received a very exquisite chess set, so fine it was unsuitable for actual play, a bit garish. I placed a white N piece on my desk. Did you know, the knight can also cover the entire board?" The only ones that can't are the bishops and pawns, he thought to himself. They both knew how to play chess; he just usually preferred doing other things. "You should rest now. Should I turn off the radio?" "No need, just turn it down."

"Then you have gained nothing!"
"No," said the fox. "I have gained something, because of the color of the wheat."

A bit sentimental, Emperor thought. Perhaps it was because he hadn't experienced separation. Partings where you say goodbye probably shouldn't be called true separations. "Wake me up later. The snow has piled up again," he said to her as he took off his coat. After Emperor fell asleep, N-pacer turned off the radio; he probably found the story boring, hence falling asleep so quickly. She took stock of their supplies, charged the hand-crank generator, checked the phone's remaining battery—still plenty. She took out the leather-bound plant guide. If not for this blizzard, she might have seen these plants that only grow in cold regions. But without this blizzard, they probably wouldn't have had the chance to talk in an environment like this. If it's the suspension bridge effect, then let it sway a little more, like a cradle, so it's easier for me to whisper some persuasive words.

N-pacer shook Emperor's shoulder to wake him. He rubbed his eyes, yawned, and sat on the bed, not fully awake yet. Worried he might catch a chill, N-pacer quickly picked up his coat and draped it over him. "You can sleep a bit longer if you want." "No, let's shovel the snow early." His voice was still low and hoarse from waking. Knowing he would say that, she had already brewed tea for him before waking him, without honey. "Here, moisten your throat."

Once dressed and ready, the two took the spade and shovel and opened the back door. "It looks about the same as yesterday," N-pacer couldn't help but remark at the sight of the accumulated snow. "I checked the supplies inside. Most canned goods are pure meat, and the staple cans don't contain vegetables either. While it might be due to the process, I think there might be a cellar behind the house." "That? There's a note about it. I finished reading it and put it on the table somewhere." "You knew? And you didn't say anything?" "Well, you guessed it too, didn't you?"

Perhaps because shoveling snow was too repetitive and tedious, or because the cold wind was sharp, making them want to find something to talk about. Or maybe these words didn't need a special moment. "Why didn't Patricia ever tell me those things? Not the stuff about Elyrienne from before." N-pacer, thinking she might not have heard him clearly through the clothes, stopped working and asked: "What… Are you asking why your mother never said similar things, or…?" "No, I mean Patricia. She usually tells me everything she tells you. Elyrienne even said I should remember it all properly." How am I supposed to answer that? N-pacer thought. Say something to keep the atmosphere from souring. "...Because saying such things would seem like interfering with Madam Elyrienne's educational approach. She's just your mother's friend; she doesn't have the standing to say such things."

"Is that so? I wouldn't have minded." He shoveled a large pile of snow forward. He didn't notice N-pacer's expression, and even if he had, he wouldn't have seen a difference; she was used to not showing preference when thinking. "Of course, those words were meant for me. Did you expect me to say that her point was that me joining your team was just for physical exercise? Would you want to hear that?" she thought to herself, her movements carrying a hint of vexation. Fortunately, snow doesn't complain. "A bit enviable." She didn't voice it.

They did find the buried cellar, containing some cabbage, corn, potatoes, and radishes. It wasn't very large, so there wasn't much. "You take some vegetables; I'll carry some firewood inside," he said, aware that N-pacer struggled with the pointed shovel. "Let's throw a couple of potatoes into the fire. I read in that note that adding some ham makes them taste good." The firewood was moved to the space by the back door, frost hanging on it like icing sugar. I'd love some cake suitable for tea, N-pacer thought, following behind Emperor with the vegetables. She put down her load and checked the water vat. It was being used less than expected, so they could afford to be a bit less frugal with water. Emperor took two potatoes and placed them in the fireplace, then sat down and turned on the radio. N-pacer silently washed the knife, chopped the vegetables, took a larger pot and two bowls from the cupboard, poured rice into the pot, added water about one knuckle's height above the rice, hung the pot up, and started cooking the rice. As she headed towards the storage locker, Emperor followed and asked her, "Looking for something? I'll find it." "Cheese, eggs, and ham." Then she took the chocolate from the table and returned to the counter. "Nothing else?" "Everything else is in the cupboard."

Seasonings and oil were placed on the countertop. The ham was stored pre-sliced, only needing the package torn open and diced. She shucked the corn kernels and set them aside. "Since you're roasting potatoes, I won't add any." Once the rice was cooked, she poured oil into the pot, cracked two eggs, waited for the egg whites to set, then transferred them to a bowl. In the same pot, she added the diced ham, corn kernels, and shredded cabbage. She stir-fried until the ham was slightly crispy and the cabbage wilted. Then, she combined everything with the set eggs, pouring the mixture over the rice, stirred it, sprinkled cheese on top, and let the residual heat melt the cheese. N-pacer scooped a small portion into a bowl and handed it to Emperor first. "I'm not sure how salty this ham is. You try it first." He blew on the gratin and tasted it. "Could use a bit more salt."

The freshly brewed tea balanced the creaminess of the cheese. The freshly cooked rice tasted better than canned food—perhaps it was psychological. While washing the dishes, Emperor noticed the chocolate placed near the tea leaves and asked her why she'd put a few pieces there. "To heat up and drink tomorrow morning. Can't have you always drinking tea with me." It might have been a joke. "I'll take the night watch tonight. You rest properly," she added. He didn't refuse.