Fantasy Lord: I Have a Moving Castle

At dawn, Char, enveloped in his warm attire, jumped down from the carriage, his deer leather boots crunching lightly on the pristine snow.

As far as the eye could see, the entire valley was draped in a layer of glistening white snow, and the surrounding hillsides were likewise blanketed in snow.

Except for the tops of the vegetable greenhouses.

Char took a deep breath; the air, mixed with the scent of pine and the chill of the snow, rushed into his chest, instantly sharpening his senses.

"You’ve worked hard, Fierce Sword Firefly and Night Helmeted Owl," Char said to the two Magic Pets.

The Night Helmeted Owl let out a short hoot before flying up to the small attic above, into its own nest.

This was a nest Char and Freyja had made together for it.

Since the beginning, and especially after consuming Dead Soul Jade, the Night Helmeted Owl had undergone noticeable changes.

Firstly, it had grown much larger in size, now half the height of a person.

Then, its eyes and claws had developed a ghostly purple ghost fire, and its feathers were coated with a layer of energy as dark as ink, as if it were wearing a suit of black energy armor, making the name Night Helmeted Owl even more apt.

The transformation of the Night Helmeted Owl wasn’t just physical but also in strength; its Challenge Level had risen to Level 3, and the power of the Dead Soul Jade was evidently not yet fully assimilated.

On the other side, Fierce Sword Firefly, like a faithful guard, gave Char a salute, exchanged greetings, and then went to rest.

The reason there was no snow on the greenhouse was that Char, having noticed the snowfall last night, had tasked Fierce Sword Firefly and Night Helmeted Owl with keeping watch.

He had them keep an eye on the greenhouse, and should the snow pile up even a little on its surface, they were to help brush it off, lest the weight of the snow collapse it.

Entrusting this task to Fierce Sword Firefly and Night Helmeted Owl was most appropriate as the Night Helmeted Owl was nocturnal, and Fierce Sword Firefly’s habits also included night activity. Moreover, it was very reliable, so Char had peace of mind leaving the task to it.

When he got up in the morning and saw the greenhouse’s surface indeed had very little snow on it, Char knew that Fierce Sword Firefly and Night Helmeted Owl had done a good job.

The crunching sound of footsteps in the snow arose as Char walked towards the greenhouse, leaving a trail of footprints behind.

Lifting the curtain door, he was greeted by a wave of mild warm air.

Outside the greenhouse, the world was a frozen wasteland, barren of life, but inside it was a verdant, thriving scene.

The corn had grown very tall, about as tall as Char himself, with hearty potatoes growing at their base.

This side of the greenhouse held a mixed crop of corn and potatoes, while the other side with wheat was also a lush green, a delightful sight.

Although the crops were not yet ready for harvest, the mere fact that such a large batch of wheat, corn, and potatoes could be grown in winter gave Char a considerable sense of accomplishment.

But today’s task wasn’t farming, so after a quick glance at the fields, Char promptly mounted the Frost Deer, beckoning Freyja to set off.

Their mission today remained the capture of boars suitable for domestication.

In this regard, Char somewhat regretted his past decisions.

These days, he and Freyja had been catching boars, but whether they were Demon Beasts or Not, they were all wild and untamable, completely unwilling to settle in a pigpen and lead a life of idle consumption.

As the weather grew colder, animal tracks were fewer, and boars became increasingly rare. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

So Char regretted not beginning the capture when the climate was still not so harsh.

In fact, he had attempted this while he was still in the Florence Forest.

But at that time, his attention was mostly occupied with other matters, and despite catching several kinds of boars sporadically, none were suitable for domestication, amounting to a waste of effort.

However, there was no help for it; to upgrade the Castle, the pigsty had to be built.

That said, his accumulation of Praying Power had slowed down, and gathering enough Praying Power to create the blueprint for the pigsty would take some time, so there was no urgency.

In the sky, the Thunder Night Dragon flew past with a sweep of its wings.

On the ground, Char and Freyja, seated on their mounts, charged through the Forest Sea Snowfield, with the Star Worm comfortably situated on Char, looking content.

Over this period, its Challenge Level had risen again by a level, reaching Level 4, and its combat prowess had surged once more.

Despite its leaps in battle strength, the Star Worm’s personality had not changed much; it remained naive and romantic, kind and clingy to Char, like a sensible and well-behaved child.

The search for boars was left to just a few of them, while the rest, Fierce Sword Firefly, Green Lotus Frog, Praying Light Sword, Betty, Auson and others, stayed to guard the valley.

If they were out hunting, with the Thunder Night Dragon and Frost Deer as their two main guards by their side, they could ensure the safety of Char and Freyja. There was no need for too many Magic Pets to accompany them. Besides, the valley also needed someone in command.

As for Betty?

She had always been lively and active, and Char would bring her along for most adventures that weren’t overly dangerous, just like he did with the Star Worm. However, as the weather grew colder, and Betty, not fond of the cold, grew increasingly reluctant to go out, spending most of her time in the warmth of the greenhouse’s cat bed.

...

From the sky, the Thunder Night Dragon suddenly let out a joyous dragon’s cry, then dived downward, quickly disappearing from Char’s sight.

"The Thunder Night Dragon has found something, let’s catch up," Char immediately said, though his tone was not very excited, as similar incidents had happened many times before.

With the Thunder Night Dragon acting as an "airborne scout," spotting various boars moving on the ground was not difficult. Let alone the larger-bodied boars, even those of small stature, which were the size of a medium-sized dog when fully grown, could be detected by the Thunder Night Dragon.