The Kingdom of Shumuria is an elongated country located in the southeast of the continent of Albac.

　It is similar to the Japanese archipelago, and is banana shaped.

　The Tet Teteto Confederacy, which we are aiming for, is located in the northern part of the Shumurian Kingdom and is made up of 20 small countries.

So it seems that there are quite a few cultural differences between the regions.

　is the word of Solstice, the erudite girl.

　The language is the common language of Albac, but depending on the place, they have different accents.

　The land area is about half the size of the Shumurian Kingdom.

　It's really a small country.

　By the way, the Arun Kingdom covers 70% of Albac continent.

　The Shumurian Kingdom is 20%.

　The Teteto Confederacy is 10%.

　........Arun God's Empire is really big......

　Well, 10 days have passed since we left the capital of Shumuria.

　Our carriage is now in a huge tunnel built into the mountain range.

　In fact, this is the border.

　The lights of the magic lanterns dot the tunnel and shine in the distance.

　In the middle of the tunnel, a huge fort was built, and this was the border checkpoint between the two countries.

　First, we went to the Shumurian side of the border.

　This one will not take long.

　The next step was the Tet Tet Tet side.

　This is the first time I've seen the Tet Tetes.

(...it's furry.)

　Whereas the Shumurian side were soldiers in armor, these were soldiers clad in thick furs.

　How fuzzy they were.

　They all had deeply sculpted faces and rugged beards.

　They didn't have an expression on their faces, perhaps from the heavy responsibility of guarding the border.

　They looked like statues.

'You may pass,'

　Permission is granted and our carriage begins to move.

　I followed them out the window for a while with my eyes.　

'The people of Tetet don't talk much.

　Mr. Kilt told me so.

'Really?'
Hmm. I'm not unfeeling. But I thought you weren't very good at talking.

　Hmm?

Well, it's all about the environment.

　said Illtimina.

'Environment?'
Go through the tunnel and you'll see.

　Mr. Illtimina has a kind of mischievous look on his face.

(Huh, what does that mean?)

　By the way, Solstice had been reading Mr. Colontude's new magic material throughout that conversation.

　Half an hour later, our carriage finally went through a long, long tunnel.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


Wow ... it's snowing!

　I was stunned by the view outside the window.

　A silver world all around.

　On the other side of the tunnel, the plain was covered in pure white snow.

　The mountains in the distance were also covered in white.

　The two adults laughed at me in amazement.

"Is this your first time to see this?
Yes.

　This is the first time in my previous life, but not since I became Marl.

　Iltimina smiled and nodded.

'This is the snow.'
..........
The moisture in the atmosphere freezes and falls from the sky when it's cold. It's strange.
..........
You see?　

　Huh.

　An exhale blew onto the window from between Illtimina's cherry-red lips.

　The window immediately turned white.

'Right?'

　It's kind of fun to teach me.

　His fingers stroke the whitened window, leaving a single line.

'This way, you can draw a lot of the pictures you like, Merle.
Yes.

　I nodded and pressed my little fingers against the window, my own little fingers against the window.

　Squeak, squeak.

　The picture of the bird was completed.

　It just looked like it was flying out the window.

Well done.

　Illtimina complimented me, and Kilt said, "Ho? And that's an impressed face.

(Kind of fun.)

　I couldn't help but laugh, too.

It's getting a little cold, isn't it?

　Solstice looked up from her materials and muttered to herself.

　Speaking of which.

(I feel like it's gotten a lot cooler since we went through the tunnel.)

　I feel like I'm in the car, so I'm late to notice.

　Illtimina nodded, "Right," and pulled out a thick robe from her luggage.

　Other items include a scarf, gloves and socks.

''While we're at it, let's put them on.
No.
Yes.
Hey, hey.

　Then we rig up our winter clothes.

　We're all kind of fuzzy now.

Oh, I see.

　At the border, I finally understood why the Tet Teteto Confederates were wearing furs.

　The Teteto Confederacy is a cold country.

(Well, it's like a pretty high latitude country to the north.)

　Considering the geography, it makes sense.

　Is it because I get the impression he doesn't talk much, or is it because he doesn't open his mouth long enough in the cold?

　In a past life, that's why I've heard that conversations with a northeastern accent are short on characters....

　No, I don't know if that's true.

(But at least in the Tet Tetet Confederacy, is that true?)

　That's what I thought.

It should be only a couple of hours before we reach the city where we will be staying. It's going to be cold, but you just have to hang on a little longer.
Yes.

　I nodded at Kilt's encouragement.

'If you're cold, I'll carry you in my arms.

　Iltimina-san said that, but she rather looked like she couldn't bear to do so.
　Haha.........

''It's hard to turn the pages when you wear gloves~''

　Solstice, as usual.

　Squeak, squeak.

　I rubbed my hand over the fogging of the window and looked out again.

　A never-ending world of silver.

(...so this is the Tet Teteto Confederacy...)

　In the midst of the falling snow, the carriage with us in it ran straight ahead, leaving ruts in the white earth.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　I arrived in my first city in the Tet Tetet Confederacy.

(Heh~)

　It's a magnificent city, wrapped in a stone exterior.

　It is smaller than Medis, the first city I visited in this other world.

　I went through the entry procedure and entered the city.

　The structure of the buildings is not so different from that of the Kingdom of Shumuria.

We're still close to the Shumurian border, you know.

　Soltis told me that.

'I wonder if it's a bit lower culturally as you go further north.
Really?

　We arrived at the inn in about 15 minutes while having this conversation.

(Wha?)

　A large skull with antlers like a moose was displayed in the doorway of the inn.

'It's a snow deer, an animal that lives in Tetet, isn't it?

　I was surprised, and Illtimina laughed at me.

'Well, aren't you a demon?
No, sir. It's just an animal.

　Unbelievable.

　The skull alone is one medal.

　If you count the horns, it's over three medals.

(Isn't the whole body over five medals?)

　I can't believe it's a common animal....

'The snow deer is often hunted by the Tetet people. Their meat, fur and oil are valuable resources for them to live on.
"Hmm.
Though I don't think there are many of this fine size.
Oh, yeah?

　While we were having this conversation, Mr. Kilt finished checking us in.

　We were shown to a room with a fireplace.

(It's kind of hot.)

　We took off our warm clothes and equipment.

　The room temperature was like early summer compared to the snow outside.

'Alright, let's go have lunch then.'
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Let's go!

　We headed to the inn's dining room.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　What came out was the snow deer steak that we had been talking about.

　Tender and very juicy.

(Yeah, yum!)

　It's a bit of a habitual smell, but I didn't mind it so much.

　I was satisfied and ate up that steak.

　Before long, we were enjoying our after-dinner tea.

'In the Tet Tetet Confederacy, you see, we still don't recognize the human rights of the 'demon blood people'.

　And Solstice told me a horrible truth.

'Really?'
Yes. But I've been granted one, too.

(...??)

　I was a bit confused.

'Sorry, what do you mean?'
The bottom line is that, for better or worse, Tetet is a 'confederacy'.

　And here's what was explained to the erudite girl

The human rights of the 'Demon Blood People' were announced thirty years ago in a joint statement by the Kingdom of Shumuria and the Arun Divine Kingdom, and were recognized in both countries.

　Regardless of the actual situation, it's a matter of construction.

　That's where the Tet Tetet Confederacy was actually supposed to join in.

　But the Tet Teteto Confederacy was a confederacy of 20 small states.

　The countries whose borders bordered Shumuria and Arun were in agreement with the joint statement.

　But in the countries farther away from the borders, there was still a strong sense of discrimination, so they couldn't endorse it as a 'confederation'.

There are complicated reasons for this, though, like the conflicts between the smaller countries.

　The erudite girl added as well.

　They became a confederacy to counter Shumuria and Arun, but before that, there were also wars between the smaller nations.

(I see.)

　The more people we have, the harder it is to be a monolith,

　I mutter.

'The Teteto Confederacy may be a small country, but it's probably the most diverse in terms of values.

　Solstice said, "You say it so well, don't you? I laughed.

　Mr. Kilt stirred up a small glass of liquor.

'Tetet, the further north-east you go, the more discrimination there is. Shumuria, because it is away from Arun.

　Puh-uh!

　Then he let out a very hot breath.

　Perhaps it's because of the cold weather, the Tet Tetet Confederacy seems to have a high alcohol content in their drinks.

''That's right.''

　I nodded.

So what's this place we're headed to?
No problem.

　She laughed, trying to reassure me.

She smiled to reassure me, "I heard that you have an acquaintance of Benas's who wrote me a letter of introduction in a town called Tupet, which is not far from here, about two days' ride away. It's not far from here, just a couple of days' ride away.
Okay.

(Good.)

　I'm relieved too.

　Solstice cowered her tiny shoulders.

'Well, you can't say there's no discrimination at all. But even if there was, I think it would be on the same level as in Shumuria.

　I said.

　So, that means it would be acceptable.

(I see.)

　There are so many different ways of thinking in the world, I thought to myself.

　And so we finished our lunch.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　As the sun went down, the temperature got a lot colder.

(Even though it was still fall in Shumuria.)

I hear it's rare for it to get this cold this time of year, even in Tetet.

　Mr. Illtimina told me what the employee told me earlier.

(Really?)

　Outside the window, the snow was still flickering.

I should probably go to bed.
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Yeah.

　We decided to go to bed a little early.

　..........
　..........
　......

　I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night.

(Ugh..............cold)

　I try to sleep again, but the ends of my hands and feet are cold and I can't sleep well.

　After a while of moping around.

"Merle.

　Crimson eyes shone in the darkness.

　Before I knew it, Illtimina-san, who was sleeping on the futon next to me, had woken up and was looking at me.

'Come here,'

　He lifts the bedding with one hand and laughs.

(............)

　I obediently obeyed.

　Pfft. Geez.

　It's a hug, as usual.

(Oh, it's warm...)

　Illtimina's body is so warm, and she lays her white limbs on top of mine.

　She presses her face into my hair.

'Hmmm ... good night, my Merle.
Yes.

　His breath tickled me a little.

'Good night, Miss Illtimina.

　I replied, loosening my mind.

　It was a snowy first night in the Teteto Confederacy.

　And so I fell into the darkness of sleep, reassured by her warmth, like a puppy sleeping in its mother's belly.