Chapter 163
A towering snowy mountain stood before me!
I've been waiting for this!
Somehow, I'm getting excited.
In Japan, there were places where snow piled up, but where I lived, it only happened once every few years.
And even then, only a few centimeters.
Since I wasn't used to it, I always pictured snowy mountains as fun!
Skiing and snowboarding... but I don't have any equipment!
And there's a snowy mountain right in front of me!
No, if I modified a wooden board a little, I might be able to slide down it.
I could make one myself! ...No, maybe I'll ask the one-eyed ones instead.
If I made it myself, there'd be a good chance it'd turn out unusable.
The one-eyed ones should be able to make one for sure.
All right, for today I'll go home and ask the one-eyed ones to make me some equipment...
Just as I thought that, a snow amoeba carried me off against my will.
My feet suddenly started wobbling, and before I knew it, I was riding on an amoeba.
What?!
Wait, the clothes I'm wearing today aren't suited for a snowy mountain.
...I'll ask the three-eyed ones about that later.
I've been asking them for help a lot lately.
Hmm... Are the rock golems just too capable, or am I... Ah, this is something I shouldn't think about!
I can see this ending in utter depression.
I'm useful in my own way, too!
...Though lately, I haven't had any chance to prove it.
The summit is... colder than I imagined!
Ugh, I should've worn more layers... Oh, right, I can do something with magic.
What was it... It's too cold to think straight.
For now, I'll add some warmth to my clothes.
"Warm up my clothes."
Ah... I just said exactly what I wanted.
Hm? Did it work?
I'm getting warm.
...I'd like just a little more warmth.
"Add warmth."
Ooh, that's warm.
I was picturing the cozy warmth of a down comforter. Nailed it.
"It's a marshmallow."
A marshmallow comes diving toward me from the cloud that's snowing.
...Diving?
Wait, it'll stop, right?
You'll stop, right?
This is giving me a bad feeling...
It stopped, right above the snow.
...A gust of wind kicked up, and the snow came raining down on me.
"Whoa, snow's getting inside my clothes!"
A huge amount of snow had dumped over my head.
It ran down my body and got inside my clothes.
As I hurriedly brushed the snow off, Marshmallow happily pattered around on the snow.
"Marshmallow, stop! Stay still!"
Did it think I was playing?
Marshmallow thrashed around, and I ended up soaked from head to toe.
I quickly used magic to dry myself so I wouldn't catch a cold.
Marshmallow tilted its head beside me. It was cute, but...
I'd rather not get covered in snow.
As my clothes dried, I was wrapped in the warm coziness from the earlier spell.
Well, I should be fine.
Marshmallow kept looking concerned about something.
As I watched Marshmallow, puzzled, something began wriggling around at my feet.
Looking down, I saw something moving beneath the snow.
Did a snow amoeba come to play?
As I watched...
"Eek!"
That thing with all the legs, crawling along the ground, poked its head out of the snow.
Its body was white, and I could see a silvery gleam near its rear.
It was huge, big enough to carry me around.
But no matter how I looked at it, no matter how I looked...
"A centipede!"
It's one of the bugs I hate.
I was so shocked that my legs wouldn't move. If they had, I would've run away immediately.
Marshmallow poked the centipede.
The centipede looked at me and raised its body.
...I want to faint. No, I can't. If I just tough it out... no, I can't.
My mind was in a complete panic.
The centipede lowered its body and tilted its head as it looked at me.
Marshmallow tilted its head beside it.
What?
What was Marshmallow trying to do?
Uh... I tilted my head, too.
Marshmallow poked the centipede again.
The centipede raised its body... Could this be a greeting?
Wait, is Marshmallow introducing the centipede to me?
I looked at Marshmallow... It seemed somehow happy.
Was it happy to introduce it to me?
...I looked at the centipede.
It wasn't black, but white, so it was different from that one.
Its size was completely different, too... It was different from that one.
That's right, it was different from Japanese centipedes!
Even if its shape was exactly the same, there were plenty of differences, so it was different!
...No, it really was a giant centipede, no matter how you looked at it.
I looked down at the giant centipede's feet... Yep, there were little ones there, too.
"Hahaha, nice to meet you."
For now, I'd just smile.