The story of how I, who became the beloved child of Winter Fenrir, was healed from despair

42: The Grand Parade on the Main Street

The city of Fellsnow Kingdom isn’t surrounded by walls. It’s designed that way to make snow clearing easier.

The pointed roofs of the houses can be seen from the entrance, giving the town a charming appearance. There are welcoming wreaths, snowmen, and residents dressed in vividly embroidered clothes visible from the entrance. Amidst the white, natural landscape, the city alone bursts with color.

“Entering the country is nerve-wracking, isn’t it, Grea?”

“Right, Grea, you’ve been to the kingdom a year ago. You’re my senior, so teach me proper etiquette, okay?”

“Ugh, so unreliable.”

I stroked Grea’s mane, and he muttered, Yeah, I guess I am a little tense. To be honest, I’ve never been good at making friends. I was always buried in my studies. And these past two and a half years, it’s been nothing but work… Ugh! Forget about it!!!

I buried my face in Grea’s mane, rubbing my head back and forth. he cried in surprise. Well, yeah, of course.

I heard laughter from behind, followed by Fenrir’s cold breath wrapping around my hair. Eeek!

… Oh, my messed-up hair is now neat again. Thanks.

The prince had just trimmed my ends earlier, and it was such a perfect cut, like something from a salon. Honestly, he’s just too skilled at everything.

“Fenrir, you’re always so kind.”

When I turned around with a smile, there was the beautiful, gentle-faced beast behind me.

… Wait, are we really going to walk through the gates with that face? Oh, boy. Kingdom citizens, brace yourselves…

“We’re back!”

“We’ve brought Lord Fenrir with us!”

The prince and Michelle called out, standing confidently on the sled and waving their hands.

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!”

Cheers! Screams! Shouts! People fainting! It’s a whole scene!

Everyone, calm down! Is that even possible!?

The noise level is so intense it hurts my ears. The people are covering their mouths, trying to stifle their excitement, but their emotions are just overwhelming them! I bet Grea and Fenrir’s ears hurt too… Oh, they’re both grimacing. I don’t want to leave a bad impression, so… here goes!

I raised my right hand sharply!

All eyes focused on me.

Here we go!

I channeled magic into my hand… A blue light shot into the sky and burst! Pa-pow!!

A blue firework exploded above, transforming into snow that shimmered in the sunlight like a daytime illumination display.

“Thank you all so much for your warm welcome!”

I spoke in a calm voice to the crowd, who were now staring up at the sky in awe.

Smiling gently, I watched the crowd, but—oh no—they’re inhaling again, ready to scream! Was my move a mistake!?

“Quietly, everyone,” said the prince, smiling wryly and placing his finger on his lips in a “shhh” gesture.

The people snapped to attention and held their breath.

Phew.

He’s so used to handling situations like this. I’ll have to thank him later. It seems he’s much better at these little gestures than Michelle is.

Fenrir, the Winter Princess, and the unicorn slowly walked down the main street. Of course, we drew a lot of attention. When I waved slightly, the townspeople responded with muted cheers.

The main street had been meticulously cleared of snow, revealing cobblestones beneath, though the rest of the area was still buried under several centimeters of snow.

Snowmen lined the path, and when a child waved at me, on a whim, I infused one with a little magic, bringing it to life. The child was ecstatic and started dancing with the snowman. Cute!

“This is nice, isn’t it?”

Everyone here, including Michelle and Prince Christopher, has such a gentle aura. I feel so at ease in this country.

The prince, overhearing me, dramatically slipped inside the sled. He’s really both graceful and clumsy at the same time. Michelle, I can see you doing that little victory pose from here, you know. Sorry for ruining the moment.

Looks like Fenrir’s fired up!

Grea and I quickly turned to look behind us.

Fenrir’s eyes gleamed with a mischievous idea, and Grea’s tail wagged enthusiastically—calm down, Grea.

Fenrir suddenly stopped and stomped his paw on the ground—BANG!

The snowmen all around us sparkled and began to dance. The leafless street trees bloomed with ice flowers, forming arches overhead. The icy vines intertwined, creating a patterned canopy over us.

“An ice arcade… And the sunlight filtering through… scattering light across the ground—it’s so beautiful.”

That’s about all I can muster with my vocabulary.

I bet the prince could come up with some high-quality poetry, though.

The kingdom’s people were either admiring the ice art, dancing with the snowmen, or worshiping Fenrir, filling the air with lively joy.

What a gentle winter.

The prince’s murmur reached our ears.

Grea, Fenrir, and I exchanged smiles.

We slowly paraded down the long street and finally arrived in front of the castle.

Wow! It looks like something out of a fairy tale—white walls and blue roofs. It’s the epitome of a fantasy world.

“Oh. Is that the fairytale tree I sent?”

I spotted the extravagant tree I had gifted by the entrance. It stood out with a powerful presence.

“Indeed, Lady Elle. Thank you so much for the wonderful gift. We’ll move the fruits indoors later.”

“Thanks, Michelle.”

I was tempted to sample the fruits, but I decided to wait since that wouldn’t be very polite…

However, as we passed between the trees while riding on Grea, the fruits jingled and swayed, falling gently onto the snow.

“…”

“…”

Both the kingdom’s side and our snowy mountain group fell into silence. What should we do about this mess?

“We’ll eat them later, so hang tight until they’re ripe.”

As I spoke, the fruits began to wiggle slightly. They’re ripening…?

It’s like they’re saying, “Eat me!” Oh my gosh, I can’t.

“You truly have a gift for enchanting all creatures of winter, Lady Elle.”

The prince graciously covered for me.

These peculiar, whimsical moments are so warmly embraced here. The people of this world are just so kind.

The awkward atmosphere softened into a cozy one.

Guards, could you please gather the fruits?

In front of the castle’s massive doors, the prince and Michelle gracefully dismounted from the sled and handed the reins of the reindeer to the knights.

We stopped as well.

With everyone waiting in eager anticipation… Fenrir transformed into his human form.

“EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!”

The citizens let out inaudible screams, overwhelmed by the sight of the magnificent Fenrir. Some even shed tears. As expected, their composure was utterly shattered… All of them were basically Grea at this point. Speaking of Grea, he too transformed into his human form and properly worshiped Fenrir.

I was about to follow suit, but Fenrir seemed troubled, so I approached him and took his hand.

“Elle.”

Fenrir smiled, looking relieved.

He’s so stunning that I can understand why people’s hearts are racing!! Hold on, me! I’m probably the only one who can keep my cool!

“Everyone really loves you, Fenrir.”

I said this with a smile.

Fenrir’s grip tightened slightly.

I’m sure he feels reassured now. His ears twitched, and his tail swayed.

“Uhh…!”

“Oh my…!”

“Whoa…!”

Even voices were leaking out from behind the heavy doors. Wait, are the people inside peeking through the cracks to greet us!? In snowy countries, doors are opened just a crack to prevent the warm inside air from melting the snow.

Seems like my guess about what’s happening inside was right.

Just then, the grand entrance doors swung open.