Chapter 282

Clael and his delightful companions had made it through the first round of snowball fights... and the matches that followed were so easy they felt like mere formalities.

It seemed there were no other hardcore teams like 'Snow Phoenix', and most teams were just playing around and participating for fun.

Clael's team, made up of plushies, fired up the venue and livened up the snow festival, ultimately winning the championship.

"Congratulations, Lord Clael!"

"There were a few tense moments... but somehow, we managed to win."

Holding the championship cup, Clael reunited with Reina, who had been cheering for him.

Though it was called a championship cup... it was a charming, handmade-looking item.

The prize voucher they received could only be used at the snow festival stalls.

"Shall we get something to eat at the stalls? Since we're here, it's on me."

"Wow, thank you so much!"

"Thanks for the treat."

Reina and her friends expressed their gratitude.

The voucher was enough to feed all five of them.

Clael and the others browsed the stalls one by one, buying and snacking on whatever looked good.

"Lord Clael, these skewers are delicious."

"They really are. Spicy and warming to the body."

"They're selling a mysterious soup over there. It's pitch black—what could it be?"

"Ah... that's oshiruko. I'm surprised to see it exists in this country too."

The stalls also featured dishes from foreign lands.

Reina kept devouring dish after dish, astonishing the other customers nearby.

"Come one, come all! The endurance contest is about to begin!"

In the midst of all this, another event was about to start.

It was an endurance contest—participants would jump into cold water and swim in this freezing weather.

"Cold water swimming, huh... I definitely don't feel like joining that."

"Th-That takes real courage... It looks freezing."

Seeing the men in swimsuits in the falling snow, even Reina seemed a bit taken aback.

"Lady Reina, let's go over there!"

"Yes, indeed. Watching men swim in swimsuits isn't something Lady Reina needs to see."

Her friends tried to lead Reina elsewhere.

Deeply admiring the Saint, they didn't want Reina to see naked men swimming in cold water.

"Well, I get how they feel... Still, it's impressive how they can endure it. Men from snowy countries sure are tough."

"Alright! I'm taking the win!"

"Ah..."

She spotted someone she knew among the participants.

Vincent Flame. The cocky pretty boy and one of the main characters was taking part.

Vincent was boldly showing off his muscular body, drawing squeals of delight from the young women in the crowd.

"So it's not just men from snowy countries who are tough, huh..."

"Ah, it's big sister Reina! Reina o... GYAAAH!"

"Bear!"

Another familiar face appeared.

A boy spotted Reina in the crowd and ran toward her, but just before he could hug her from behind, he was kicked away by a Bear plushie.

"Huh? Did someone call out to me?"

When Reina turned around, there was no one there.

The boy who had tried to hug Reina rolled away from the impact and plunged straight into the cold water of the endurance contest.

"C-Cold!"

The boy flailed in the ice-covered water, but Clael quietly averted his eyes and walked away.

"...Well, it's good for young people to have that much energy, right? Yeah."

"Lord Clael, is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. Reina doesn't need to see any of that."

"............?"

Tilting her head in confusion, Reina was gently guided by Clael toward another attraction.

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A new series, "The Mage of Frozen Stars", has started on Kakuyomu Next!

It will be updated daily up to Chapter 20, so please check it out too!

https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093086823614778