Do Not Fear the Winter
Energies territory had fully entered the heart of winter.
"Hooo..."
A light snowfall in the dead of night had blanketed the streets, and amid it, a father and son hurried along.
One might wonder where the pair were rushing off to on such a frigid night.
"Dad, hurry up!"
"Don't rush me, kid."
Far from shivering in the cold, both wore faces brimming with anticipation.
As they reached the outskirts of Energies, next to the Ridaside parish of the church,
- Waggle waggle!
a bustling public bathhouse appeared, crowded right from the entrance.
In this world, bathing was encouraged, but winter was the perfect season to freeze to death washing in a stream.
Yet chopping down trees indiscriminately for firewood was frowned upon, and buying it was too expensive.
Thus, it was common sense for people of all ages, genders, and classes to skip baths in winter.
"Ahh, winter doesn't feel cold at all."
"Who could've imagined bathing so warmly in winter."
That had been about a month ago.
Since the public bathhouse opened, everyone in Energies County made it a habit to visit with their families regularly.
"One adult, one child."
"Here's your personal locker key."
Even commoners knew the grimy feeling of skipping baths.
But their lives were too busy and impoverished for that luxury.
Making time meant hauling water from a well or bathing in a distant forest stream.
It was labor-intensive. Commoners figured they'd rather use that time to work more.
But now...
"Waaah─!!"
"Kiddo, wash up first before going in."
Within an hour's walk, a public bathhouse equipped with cheap food stalls and restaurants changed everything.
- Shaaaah─!
"Ahbaaaa."
"Hey now, don't drink it."
Above all, in winter when hot water was a pipe dream, it was available endlessly inside!
And soap too, supplied without limit!!
People regretted not being able to sneak away soap and towels, but...
Returning them beat a trip to the reformatory. Anyway.
"Huuuuh..."
"Hoo, feels refreshing."
For the price of a single meal, they got unbeatable value from the restaurant and a bath fit for a king?
Commoners couldn't resist visiting the public bathhouse at least once a week, even if it cost a bit.
Of course, usage was limited to an hour and a half, but that was plenty to get clean... so no one complained.
And the highlight of this public bathhouse was...!
"Dad, Dad! Hurry! We gotta drink the free milk!"
"No need to rush, I told you. Heh heh."
Up on the second floor loomed a massive heated sauna space.
At the entrance, bathhouse patrons got a complimentary glass of chilled milk.
"Uhaa!! This hits the spot!"
"Kaaak! My eggsss─!!"
Everywhere, people in orange sauna outfits crowded around.
It was meticulously designed by Akion Energies to thriftily reuse boiler residual heat and bathwater afterheat.
"Kuh, this milk is so refreshing!"
"Hyaa! So cool!"
Akion's Korean-style mega jjimjilbang.
*
- Thud!
"Owaaak!! Young master, no cheating!!"
Akion had focused on a few key points when designing this jjimjilbang.
First, lure in commoners—who could only spend in winter anyway—and encourage thrifty consumption.
Bath fee payers got near-free use of the on-site restaurant to keep prices accessible.
Second, induce them to bring their families.
"The Charles kid next door, you know..."
"Oh my!"
They'd idle at home anyway, so why waste firewood? Come here instead.
Akion had village chiefs and garrison soldiers manage their livestock directly, and lockers for valuables.
What about the kids?
"Ughhh... Why no points!"
"Me too, me too!"
Darts and pinball were easy with current tech, and kids went wild for them.
Stocked in bulk at the jjimjilbang, word spread—kids now begged to go first.
And the best part...
"Alright, let's practice pronunciation? Astra!"
"Astra~!"
"Astrra!"
The Ridaside parish priests taught kids for free right next door.
In a world where kids worked and literacy was rare, free lessons from devout priests? Commoners couldn't resist.
How did Akion lure them?
- Thud!
"Phew! Can't keep up with Saint Akion's skill. Must be the age."
Free access for clergy, like the Ridaside bishop in orange next to him.
He brushed it off as tithing equivalent, but...
"Heh heh, bath and sauna after training is the best!"
"Isn't this the Lord's grace too? Of course, thanks to Saint Akion's generosity!"
"Sigh, my aching back feels better. Maybe this is paradise..."
From bishop to priests, nuns, and holy knights— the whole parish staff clocked in daily at the bathhouse and jjimjilbang.
They were human too; cold was tough, and hot baths and saunas were paradise from their grueling lives.
"Hmm... This kid's got good bones... You his father? I'd take him as a squire."
"R-Really? Then can I become a cool holy knight like you...?"
"Kiddo! This is great!!"
A minor side effect: booming squire numbers at Ridaside parish.
But all good!
- Thud!
"I win."
"Oaaak! Young master, seriously no cheating─!!!"
"Heh heh. Impressive. I'm top five in darts at the parish, but no match for the saint."
Akion won four straight dart games.
The bishop joined midway and conceded gracefully, but Goldie Heritage, after four losses, threw a fit.
"Not fair! This is a massacre! Don't bully Goldie!!"
"Goldie, I let you win once per three rounds."
"Owaaak!"
After repeated dart losses to seemingly easy games, she challenged Akion every visit...
"Ugh, Goldie can't even do darts, useless pup..."
"I can't use magic either, but I won, right?"
"Eeeek, I hate young master!!"
"Heh heh. You two get along so well. I'll take my leave..."
Her losses made Goldie snippier lately.
Specifically, louder "gimme" whines for Akion's tea, cute petty revenge like that.
- Pat pat~!
"Cheer up. You can use magic, and you learn what I teach well. Smart Goldie."
"Hmph. Even if... hehe, doesn't mean I'm cheered up, hehe... Not cheered up at aaaall..."
Yet she melted under Akion's pets, a total pushover pup.
Akion didn't see her as easy, though. It was his reward. Petting Goldie was to die for.
"Mm. Akion, Goldie. Come give my back a good stomp..."
"Yay yay."
"Neeeng~!"
Another bathhouse perk: the Tower Master.
She ditched the tower and mansion, camping at the jjimjilbang all day.
- Squish squish~!
"This lady hates the cold. This all-day jjimjilbang is perfect."
"Even so, every day?"
"What can you do, it's good. Mm, Goldie, harder there..."
"Yessir!"
How good was it? She prepaid a year's pass on opening day.
Akion never forgot those gold bars.
"By the way, Akion, wasn't the bathhouse for preventing epidemics?"
"Yeah?"
"But this jjimjilbang..."
She voiced concerns about the saunas.
Built for hygiene and disease prevention, why create crowds?
"Oh, that?"
Local medicine knew contact transmission.
Why build it anyway?
"Clergy live here full-time."
"True... fair point."
Priests were frontline doctors in outbreaks, now stationed here.
Akion asked; they had basic protocols: avoid contact, isolate coughers, wash with soap.
"Cough cough! Sister, I've been coughing... deadly disease?"
"Hmm... Brother, no worries. Holy power says mild cold. Still have that herb I mentioned? Boil and drink, stay warm till cough eases."
Jjimjilbang as hub for quick clergy network alerts across the county.
"Ugh, my arm hurts..."
"Little sister, sprained ligament. Splint will help; wait here."
Slips, twists, etc.—clergy presence boosted county health oddly.
Cost for dozens of parish staff? Cheaper than pandemic fallout.
"But if clergy get sick..."
"No priests died of disease in the empire's millennium history."
"Young master, worrying about priest health is pointless."
Doctors immune first. Diseases no match for holy power.
"No needless worries. Stomp my thigh harder."
"Yessir, elder."
Done with petty concerns.
Big bathhouse project done; Akion planned to relax awhile.
Clothing industry: long-term.
Spiral Spear: Clad Steelbern and Isirel Volkov's project, simple finish.
"Hooah hooah! Goldie stomps Tower Master good!"
"Goldie, wording?"
"Leave her be. It's Goldie."
Rare rest.
* * *
Winter deepened.
Volkov Duchy endured its endless winter too.
"Heh heh heh."
Northern ruler Arctic Volkov held a letter from his steward.
Contents:
"Father, try practicing this new spear art I made?"
Enclosed manual and daughter's greeting.
"Where's that?"
"Here, my lord."
- Clank.
Sent Isirel to charm Akion, but she sends a new spear manual instead!
Old Arctic would've scolded as duke.
"Heh heh... This."
But the pointed triangular spiral drill spear prototype drew his eye.
- Whirr, whoosh!
Blacksmith and Sword Master Clad Steelbern.
His pride, daughter and Sword Master Isirel Volkov, northern monster terror.
Even they learned this new spear easily.
Imperial troops trained spears first, breeding slight contempt.
- Humm...!
- Weeeeng!!!
[With this rotation, it'll drill breathing holes in those ice beasts' tough skulls.]
"Hmm."
But this new spiral spear: blade spirals rotated by motor part.
Base had standard blade for breakage.
Letter noted overkill prototype design.
"Tentatively named Spiral Flow (螺旋). Spear specialized in thrusting, devised with Sir Clad... but imperfect. Requesting aid from father, wiser in martial arts."
Manual's end pages blank.
"Sorry from your lacking daughter."
— Isirel
"...Heh heh. What's lacking?"
Arctic recalled Energies father-son at the banquet.
Their bond blurred parent-child hierarchy too much, but...
- Clank.
"My pride and joy."
"My lord?"
Since then, he'd reflected as father, not just duke.
Great duke, but good father?
Shifting view...
"Steward. I'll stay at the training grounds awhile. Report urgents."
"Yes, my lord. I'll inform the men."
He wanted to complete this manual for her.
- Snort.
Nearing sixty, late bloomer dad?
Chuckling unwittingly, Arctic gripped the prototype and headed out.
*
Winter passed.
- Bang! Baaang!!
Veteran knight Arctic: spear basics ingrained, elder of elders!
Slightly below Clad, but...
- Whoosh! Baaang!!
Unrivaled martial insight. Talent shortfall kept him from Master.
Yet he persisted, training north hardy as instructor.
- Paaang!!
Endlessly thrusting, swinging, refining daughter's incomplete Spiral Flow.
Body honing anew, ecstatic.
'Heh heh, realizing spear talent at this age.'
Spear fit better than lifelong sword.
Warrior's next step wonder... long missed.
"Steward."
As he neared completion, entranced,
"What season now?"
"Spring, my lord."
Time reached spring.
- Whiiiish!!!
North still wintery; winds should've eased by now...
"Knight captain, report."
"Ice beast incursions rising."
"Scouts?"
"Two squads missing; no far patrols. Steady reports of more packs near duchy."
"As suspected......"
- Thud!
Arctic stamped training ground with spear, gazing north of Volkov Line.
"As foretold, that abomination beneath the frozen wastes awakens..."
Reciting old prophecy—one reason he sent Isirel—he ordered steward and captain.
"Special express owl: request reinforcements again. Mobilize army ASAP. The final winter approaches!"
"Yes!"
Prepare for north's fate-deciding war.