--Snowmen are bringing food?"
"What the hell is that crazy rumor?"
Such rumors were exchanged whisperingly in a bar in the downtown of the sole city of Kiwolk Kingdom which is also its Royal Capital.
This Royal Capital has escaped starvation by eating food made of bodies of a monster called Murder Kelp that live in the lake nearby.
It seems the villages and towns near the Royal Capital and along the main road have received that benefit, but there's not enough to distribute them to every villages.
Moreover, since the Murder Kelp frankly tastes bad, it seems the few wealthy people in the Royal Capital are importing food from foreign countries using a large amount of money.
Murder Kelps seem to be a monster as weak as Demi-Goblins, but there is not insignificant number of people who died after getting dragged into cold water.
"Oy, young man."
When I was listening to rumors and drinking sweet potato liquor with the Murder Kelp jerky as the appetizer, the barkeeper jerked his chin, prompting me to look at the entrance.
A small man who showed up from the entrance sits down beside me.
"Sakura"
"Saku (bloom)"
Hearing the secret word, the small man sighs.
This man is a secret agent of Shiga Kingdom, he's been collecting intelligence in Kiwolk Kingdom.
With the information the prime minister taught me, I got in contact with the barkeeper to call this guy.
"It's not good here, come with me."
Guided by the man, we arrived at a storehouse after advancing through a narrow alley outside the bar's back entrance.
There were some hoodlum-looking men but after a glance from the small man, they returned to their foolish talk without paying any attention to me.
Once we've arrived at the man's hideout under the storehouse, I was finally able to gather information.
"What do you want to know?"
"Do you know the reason why the winter continues on in this country?"
"If we're to believe the talk of the downtown bunch, it's because the 『Blizzard Spirit』 and the 『Grim Ice Ghost』 are having a quarrel in the 『Ghost Valley』."
I want to see that for a bit.
"Oy, don't take the joke seriously. In reality, it's because of the queen."
The king of this kingdom lost his life in the war two years ago, so the first queen has taken the throne.
The prince who should be the heir is still 9 year old.
Still, [Because of the queen], that means it's not that she can't do the job well, but she's lowered the atmospheric temperature using the City Core power on purpose?
"You know the reason right?"
"At first it looked like it was to prevent the invasion of Kogeoku Kingdom, but--"
I see, tremendous snowfall should have made the march impossible.
It's quite a fantasy-like battle.
"--But now it seems the purpose has changed to money-making."
The small man loathsomely drink the water with melted Murder Kelp.
"We haven't finished investigating the how, but it seems they're able to artificially create Ice Stones by making the winter continues on. They've made big profit by exporting those, that's the main rumor."
Apparently, it seems he can't contact the secret agent in charge of the infiltration.
Ice Stones are a material needed for refrigerator magic tools and Ice Wand for battles, Shiga Kingdom can only produce it from Selbira Labyrinth and a few mountains.
On top of having little yield, there is no stable source of supply that can satisfy the demand, so it's always priced high.
"And, the main export destinations of that are our Shiga Kingdom and the Weasel Empire at the eastern end."
I see, stopping the winter unilaterally would be bad huh... This is bothersome.
I'll ask merchants that deal with Ice Stones and the people in question in the royal palace.
"Thank you for the information."
As a replenishment for his fund, I put a small bag with small jewels in place of cash and also several sake bottles, smoked beef and cheese for the appetizers as a bonus.
"Ooh, unlike the contact so far, you know the stuff. I'm sick of Murder Kelp and sweet potato liquor you see."
The small man who's pleased gives an additional information.
"If yer' going to meddle with the royal palace, then you should be more careful with the Light Snow Princess and Winter General than the Ice Queen."
What? What are those chuunibyou-like names....