460-Episode 262 Broken Phenomenon

Brocken phenomenon.

A phenomenon rarely seen in mountainous areas or areas with a lot of fog, in which a round rainbow appears around the shadow of an object due to sunlight shining from behind.

There are many stories about this phenomenon, for example, the shadow of an airplane reflected in the clouds is surrounded by a round rainbow when riding in an airplane, or the shadow of an airplane on the top of a mountain in the morning mist has a halo of rainbow on its back.

There are also stories of people mistaking their own shadow for something else and causing a bit of a commotion.

They are sometimes mistaken for so-called 'ghosts' or ghosts.

'Look, Mr. Yashiro. My shadow is standing in the field.

The forty-second district is filled with haze.

Ginette, her back to the sun, waves her hands at her shadow in the field of Momat.

The shadow follows Ginette's example and waves back in the same pose.

As the wind blows gently and the haze flows, the shadow changes its shape, wavering and waving.

'Oh, that's it. It looked like it was dancing.'

Paula shouts in agreement.

The mysterious figure standing next to Mormat, who was dancing with his hands up in the air, and swaying his body in a state of alertness, was the shadow of Paula, who had raised her hands in greeting, thinking that someone was there, and of Nephrite, who was standing next to her.

They were reflected in the haze and seemed to be dancing and swaying in the wind.

'...... That means I mistook my shadow for Mr. Momat's. ......'

'Mr. Paula, have you gained weight again?

'No, I haven't gained any weight!I do Delia exercises every day!'

The haze is an uncertain entity that changes shape every second.

The image reflected in the haze shimmers and becomes larger or smaller according to the movement of the haze as a screen.

Also, depending on the light exposure, the shadow can be much larger than the real one.

So, just because you mistook her for a mormat does not mean that Paula is small and fat.

I'm sure you had a preconceived notion that the one in the field was a mormat.

'So the reason why it looked like it was moving so fast was because the haze had cleared and the shadow was reflected in the haze behind it?

'I guess that's what it means.

Haze swept by the wind does not spread with the same density.

There are areas of high density and areas of low density.

Where it is dense, shadows appear clearly, and where it is thin, images may not be formed there.

Since the light is coming from the same direction, the farther the screen is, the smaller the shadow will appear and the farther the image will actually be.

This must have made the image appear to move at high speed, as if it were moving instantaneously.

It is the same reason why it looked like it was approaching rapidly.

'I see. That's why Delia, who was going from west to east, thought she was being chased, and I and Paula, who were going from east to west, thought there was someone on the other side of the road.

I guess so. The morning sun shines from the east.

Whether they heard my explanation or not, all the people there were trying hard to create a Brocken phenomenon by reflecting their own shadows in the haze.

They didn't seem to be succeeding, though.

'But I've never seen anything like this before.

'It's been a long time since I've seen anything like it.

I've seen it twice before.

I've only seen it twice before, once when I climbed a mountain with my master and spent the night at the top, and once when I saw it from a domestic airplane on a blizzard day.

'It's difficult to get light from behind. Normally, it's not a phenomenon that can be seen at the bottom of a cliff like this.

'So we're lucky to have seen it this year, aren't we?

'......, I'm going to the church as soon as possible.

'That's right!I want to show this to my children!

'Okay!I'll go with you!

'I'll go with you, since I'm not sure what to expect.

Quickly, the four of them ran at great speed.

You can only see them before the sun rises.

You can't see it when the haze is gone.

That's what I told them.

Magda, Loretta and Delia were going to teach the kids in a hurry.

And Norma, not wanting to let them get away with it, ran at the same speed.

Yeah. I'm glad I called Norma this year.

'Well, shall we go too?

'I haven't had breakfast yet...'

'Then let's bring the food and have it in the church.

'Are we going to donate after all? ......'

The sun was already up, so the church might have already finished their breakfast.

Let's rent the kitchen and common room and let us eat by ourselves.

In return, they can help us shovel the church's snow. Umaro or Becko.

'Well, I'll go and get the sledge.

'Mr. Ginette!I will help you, that I will.'

'You have to go too, don't you?

'If you don't mind if breakfast is late, you can wait for me at the Sunken Pavilion.'

'I'll go. It's boring to stay here alone. However, I'm not very good at walking on snowy roads, so please give me a ride on your sled!

'Sure. I'm sorry if I drop you on the way.

Estella smiles at me.

Wow, this guy's trying to shake us off on purpose.

If you start doing that, Delia and Loretta will start copying you and your meal will get slower and slower. Do it after dinner. ...... is like a mother to me.

'Oh no. All the powerful people have gone before me.'

'It can't be helped. Let's all share the load.'

Nephrite pats me on the shoulder as if to comfort me.

Nephrite and Paula are beastmen, but they are not powerful.

So is Becco, and Masha can't even walk.

Imelda and Jeannette aren't fit to carry the load, and Natalia and Estella are the only ones we can rely on.

'Then Estella, take care of Masha and Imelda.

'No, wait!I want to be the food carrier!

'The Naitchipetan!Hurry up and pull the sled.

'Wow, Estella, you look like a horse in a carriage!

'There's no horse with that name!

Masha and Imelda are good friends with Estella.

They are throwing snow at each other.

...... Now Estella will be willing to pull a heavy sled loaded with food.

If you simply say, 'Help me pull the sled', she will complain, 'What?

But this time, he volunteered to pull the food sled. But this time he volunteered.

Now, he will pull the sled with great enthusiasm.

'Excellent work, Master Yashiro. I will make use of it in the future.

Natalia seems to have understood my intentions.

Use it to your advantage.

'Umaro. Can you modify the sled from a luggage sled to a Masha sled?

'A water tank?

'If you put that in there, no one here will be able to tow it. Just a seat. It's too bad we can't let them sit on the wooden planks, so you can put a little chair on it.'

'Wow~, Yashiro-kun, you're so kind~'

'By the way, do you have any requests?

'I don't want the scales to get damaged, so I'd like a soft seat~'

'Then, I'll bring you a blanket.

'Is it okay if it gets wet?

'No, thank you. We've prepared a lot of blankets this year.

Sure, we bought some at the Sunlit Pavilion, but ......

We'll use the blankets we secretly borrowed from Imelda. Let's do that.

'Imelda. You don't mind if I share, do you?'

'No, thank you.'

'Mm-hmm. A lumberjack lady and her love, Randebu~'

'One of you will be sledding with me.

Even if you elope, you'll have an extra person with you.

'Then, I'll finish it in five minutes!

'Do you want me to help you?

'Yeah!

Umaro scurries away.

Still no luck.

I haven't talked to Paula that much.

'Well, what did she say I should do?

'He said I should work with Masha to adjust the chair. Here, I'll help you do it.'

'I'm sorry, you two...'

'You look so happy...'

'I'm so happy!

Masha is chatting happily with Paula and Nephrite.

Somehow, this is a fresh scene.

Because of the fetters of the water tank cart, Masha has a hard time talking with people who don't approach her from the other side.

This time, because of the unique environment, we'll be able to get closer.

As Umaro announced, the improvement of the sled was finished in five minutes, and Estella began to pull the sled heaped with foodstuffs, one after the other.

Natalia pulls the sled with Masha and Imelda, the "lugging duo".

We are the replacements for the sledders when they get tired.

Ginette is in charge of the food, so we can't let her get tired.

It took us five times longer than usual to reach the church because of the snow.

'Aaah!Look at me!My shadow is really big!

''A huge sister with a big body and attitude!

'''Loretta, you're amazing!

'''Just plain awesome!

'''Who said 'normal' just now?I heard you!

--The front of the church was abuzz with excitement.

Ahhh, I haven't even finished shoveling yet, and I'm covered in snow. ......

'Sister!

'Ginette . Good morning. Good morning, Yashiro-san and everyone.

'''Good morning!

Bertina welcomed us, carrying a pile of food on her sled.

We explained our situation and asked if we could use the kitchen and common room.

'I'm sorry, but I'd like to have my breakfast here.

'Then let's eat together.

'Sister, have you had breakfast yet?

'No, sir. I've just finished.'

'Even though you've eaten?

'Yes. Let's eat together.'

A smiling Bertina and a hungry us.

It wasn't a race, but it was Bertina who ate more.

By the time breakfast was over, the sun was high in the sky and the haze had cleared.

Now we would not be able to see the Brocken phenomenon anymore.

......, I thought.

But then, at the last moment, an extraordinary sight appeared in front of us.

'Big brother, look!We're floating in the sky!

After we left the church, our shadows were floating in the sky.

There were countless of them all over the place.

'...... What does this mean?

I'm not sure what to make of that.

Ginette and Paula stared up at the sky with open mouths, Loretta and Magda moved their arms and legs to find out which shadow was theirs, and Norma puffed on her cigarette as if she had reached a point of discernment.

'It's a bit inconceivable, but if I had to give a reason, it would be ...... diffuse reflection, wouldn't it?

The sun was high in the sky, and the light reflected off the silvery snow, casting our shadows into the sky.

However, since the snow was not smooth, the reflected light diffused in various directions and brought up a number of shadows.

Also, the haze at our eye level has cleared up and our vision is clear, but there is still haze in the sky, and the haze has become a screen on which shadows are floating. ......?

How is that even possible?

If you're in Japan, you're likely to snicker at the idea that it's not that convenient. ...... Since the phenomenon is actually happening right in front of your eyes, it's possible that it's not? But since the phenomenon is actually happening right in front of my eyes, I can't help but think, 'Isn't it possible?

It's not my fault if the theory is out of order, because I'm taking the opposite approach of forcing a reason to the mysterious thing happening in front of my eyes, instead of scientifically reasoning that such a phenomenon can happen.

If you have a complaint, tell it to the spirit gods who did everything in their power to cause such a bizarre phenomenon.

'When I'm with my brother, I encounter all sorts of strange events.

'Don't blame it on me.

It's the first time I've encountered such an insane event too.

'Ah, yes, Jeannette. What do we do now?

'After this, I'm going to take the snow off the roof and shovel the yard and the streets around the store.

Then we'll use the snow we've collected to make a kamakura and a snow sculpture. ......

'You'll help shovel the snow from the church too, right?'

'Yes. A little, but...'

There are no men in the church.

We only have matrons who are skilled in cooking and sewing.

Until last year, Bertina and the kids had shoveled the snow in the minimum necessary places, but after seeing the kamakura at the sunny pavilion last year, they insisted on doing it this year. You kids.

'First of all, we have to finish shoveling the snow at the sunny pavilion, don't we?

If I deal with those kids, my energy will be depleted in no time.

I don't want to come back to the Sun Goddess Pavilion with a tired body and find a pile of snow on .......

'Hey, big brother. My brothers have been working really hard, so you can borrow as much as you want.

'Can't you shovel the snow at your house?It's a big place, right?'

After all, there are three houses in the Hewitt family.

Naturally, the private area of the house is correspondingly large.

That's a lot of work. ......, I thought.

'We've already finished shoveling our snow. I finished it before the sun came up.

'Powerful as ever, your brothers.

'We've got a good stock of snow for the kamakura.

'It looks like we'll be able to make kamakura here and there this year.

Even if we have a kamakura cafe this year, it won't attract that many customers.

I'm sure the main street will be lined with Kamakura, and the customers will be dispersed.

'Well, tell him I'll teach him how to make kamakura if he comes to help shovel snow at the church.

'All right!I'm sure they'll love it!

Loretta gave Hammaro a signal, and Hammaro jumped into the snow with joy.

He dug a hole in the wall of snow and pushed his way through the tunnel of snow until he was no longer visible.

...... Well, they were geniuses at digging holes, weren't they? They're good at shoveling snow.

'It's funny ...... I thought I heard that the heavy snowfall period is when you can't go out in the open because of the tremendous snowfall. ......'

'There are a lot of beastmen in the Forty-Two Wards. It's a bit more powerful than the other districts.

That's a very good interpretation of the Lord of Smiles.

This level of heavy snowfall is a recognized disaster in Japan.

On such a day, 'Kamakura~! Ha-ha-ha! On such a day, walking out in the open with your kids and posting it on the ...... social networking site is sure to cause a firestorm.

Last year, Imelda was almost lost. ............ Oh, this year, too.

'I wonder how Imelda ...... will be displaced next year.'

'I have no intention of creating such an annual event!

No, you'll probably get lost next year too.

Just make it a little more interesting every year.

'Hey, Yashiro. If I help you shovel snow, will you teach anyone how to make a kamakura?'

'What?A maiden wants to make a kamakura?'

'Yes, that's right. She said she only got to enjoy a few last year, and this year she wants to make a kamakura on Hardware Street.

'There'll be lots of them on the main street anyway.

'Are you sure you don't want them to take over the Kamakura on the main street?

'That's not good.

It's nothing but a business obstruction.

If we're not careful, the food and drink guild could be badly damaged.

If rumors spread that the restaurants in the 42nd district have snow cages with maidens in front of their stores, customers from outside will be afraid to come.

At this time of the year when New Road is being built and the number of customers from outside is increasing, we can't overlook that.

'But we don't need that many people to shovel the snow from the church. ......'

'Then let them do something else.

'Then, how about making the road from Hardware Street to the church passable?

'That's a good idea. It would make it easier for them to get back and forth, and it would also make it easier for people to come to the Sunken Pavilion.

Norma winked at me while saying that.

Even Estella looks happy.

She's just saying, 'That's the kind of profit you want, isn't it? That's all she's saying.

Huh, do what you want.

'Well, let's have a kamakura workshop at the church.

'Yes, yes!I'll reserve a special seat!

Paula is more enthusiastic than anyone else.

'It's easy, you know.You just roll it up and dig a hole.

You're the only one who can do that, Delia.

Snowballs aren't light enough to be managed by brute force. Normally, you can't make a hammock big enough for a person to fit in, that way. It's too heavy. Normally!

'So, Yashiro-san. I'll go tell the sisters what we've decided.

'Right. I need to get permission to use the church yard.

'How about some hot oshiruko in return?

'Then I'm sure we can negotiate. Do you want some ...... mochi in it?'

'Let's do it!It's zenzai.

I'm not sure what the difference is between oshiruko and zenzai, but the one with baked rice cake in it sounds like zenzai.

Let's make that one this time.

In any case, there will be a lot of people who have too much time on their hands when we do the Kamakura class.

'Don't expect sales this year.

'Yes, sir. I want to spend this year relaxing with you.'

'Ginette, don't be fooled. The person who says 'don't expect to make a profit' has a face like he's thinking 'how can I make a profit? Since he can't make money from Kamakura, he might do something else.

Hmm.

We've been expecting a drop in profits since last year.

But I think it's better if we can make money in some other way.

Thanks to the large group of people who shoveled the snow along the way, the street was completely walkable even on the first day of the heavy snow season. Thanks to their hard work, the road was completely walkable even on the first day of the heavy snow season.

Next year, we won't need any more preserved food, will we?

During the tour, there were some snow flurries and cold winds that mercilessly took away our body heat, and there were some screams and exclamations, but all the participants happily learned how to make kamakura.

All I did was to teach them the orthodox method of piling up snowballs in a pyramid shape, filling in the gaps with snow and shaping them.

Since it was not possible for all the participants to make a kamakura in the church yard, we just listened to the lecture and practiced it after returning to our respective fields.

Next to such a boring lecture, kids started to make rice cakes happily, and a chorus of 'petan petan' was heard.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. ...... I thought this was a kamakura workshop to teach you guys.

And then, perhaps bored, I noticed that Becco and Imelda were holding a snow sculpture workshop at the same venue.

That one was popular among the girls.

'Hey everyone!Thank you for your hard work in the cold weather~!Please have some hot ozenzai!

Ginette's voice brought a cheer.

Everyone was smiling happily at a time when they would normally be worrying about the long, snowy season ahead.

There was even an impromptu competition to see who could grow the longest baked rice cake, and Loretta, the originator of the idea, took the first prize.

The heavy snow season still continues.

When the sun goes down, it can snow.

We blackmailed those who were about to start drinking, and broke up the party before dark, sending each of us on our way.

Dragging our exhausted bodies, we finally returned to the Sun-dari-tei at a time when the Akane sky seemed to be swallowed up by the dark blue.

'What should we do about the Kamakura in the sunny pavilion?

Delia, who still seemed to have a lot of energy, said, rolling up her arms.

Oh, yes. Even Delia is wearing long sleeves this time of year.

In spite of the fact that Delia is wearing a slightly squishy sweatshirt, she looks more fresh and attractive even though she is less exposed.

Even though it's a loose sweatshirt, the power to push it up from inside is so strong that it already makes you 'pop! And then, 'poof! And!

'Yashiro, you're looking good. Can you go make me some food by yourself?

'You don't understand, Estella. I'm the kind of guy who can get lost in my own yard, you know?

'That's not bragging.

He slaps me on the ass. Just on the butt?

That's not fair.Maybe it's my turn.

I tried to reach out to him, but he just brushed me off.

....... I've got lactic acid buildup in my arms from the kamakura class. I'm all puffed up.

'My arms are limp. I want to take a bath and rub them.'

--And as soon as I said that, most of the girls in the room went 'bah! and covered their breasts.

I said, 'My arms are limp!

What?

What? 'You can recover from your fatigue by rubbing your tits, right? Do they think that?

Then let me verify it!

'Well, since we're going to have kamakura here and there anyway, let's have a snowball fight cafe.

'A snowball fight?What kind of cafe is that?

'If you can hit snowballs at the waitresses who come to take your order or bring you your food, you'll get special service. However, you have to pay for the snowballs. One ball, yes. ......100Rb'

'That sounds interesting!I'll definitely try it!

'...... No one can catch Magda.'

'I'll bounce it all off you!

'I'm counting on you, Delia!...... But you're right about all of that!You're all out!

I'm not sure if you're serious or not.

'Are you serious?

'No, of course not.There's no way our manager would approve a dangerous event where people could get hurt.

''That's right. I'm sure there are people who would prefer to dine in peace at the Sunlit Pavilion, so please leave the snowball fight for another time.

A soft and clear rejection.

In the first place, if you hit a girl with a ball that you can buy for 100Rb (1,000 yen), you'll get a special service.

'I'd like to have a snowball fight, too!

'You're going to be a big target, aren't you?

Masha can't move alone.

She'd probably come under heavy fire.

'I'll be paired with Yashiro-kun~'

'Ask someone like Delia who has a lot of strength to do that.

If I go out on the snow with Masha on my back, I'll be stuck and under fire. It's obvious.

'Well then, manager. Is this year's Sunlit Pavilion going to be the same as last year's?'

Delia said unhappily, but she couldn't keep creating new things like that.

If we wanted, we could drop the kamakura this year and focus on the snow sculptures.

We could decide on some themes, and if you look out from a window seat, you will see a fairy tale world made of snow.

If the view is different depending on the seat, people may visit the restaurant many times during the heavy snow season.

Such an idea suddenly came to my mind, but I swallowed it without saying anything about it.

Because.

'Well, Yashiro-san, ...... actually, there is something I would like to ask you.

This is because Jeannette was looking at me with eager eyes.

It's rare that I've ever heard of someone trying to claim that they want to do something.

I want to ask him what he wants to do.

Because of this and that I brought in on my own, the atmosphere of the restaurant must have changed a lot since Grandfather's time.

No, the manager has changed, so change itself is not a bad thing.

However, even if it is to change, it should be done mainly by Jeannette.

Because Ginette is the manager of the Sunlit Pavilion.

Therefore, I will listen to Ginette's opinion as much as possible.

...... I'll gag you if you start talking about a heroic statue festival or some such nonsense.

'Can't you just hollow out the snowman's belly?

............ Hmm?

'Do you have something against snowmen?

'No, sir!I love it!It's not that, it's a kamakura!

I'm sure there's a wonderful scene unfolding in your mind.

My mind is so far ahead that I don't get the point at all.

'Is it possible to make a snowman-shaped kamakura?

Ah, ......, yes. I'm starting to understand what you're trying to say.

Just put the snowman's face on top of the kamakura?

...... No, I think Ginette might be particular about the shape of the body.

I guess he wants to eat oshiruko in the snowman's belly.

'Oumaro~'

'Yes, sir!

'Do you think you can do it?

'As long as you don't make your head too big, I think you'll be fine.

A kamakura is no different from a building when it is large.

I wondered if it would be structurally sound to put a meaningless heavy snowball in the middle of the top of the dome-shaped structure, but if Umaro said it was okay, I guess it would be okay. ......

'You're going to burn the seven rings inside, aren't you?

'Oh, the heat might build up.

Groaning and twisting his head, Umaro finally answered, 'I can't say for sure until I try it.

That's not an answer.

'The dome supports the weight of the surface, not a point like a pillar, so if you make it vertical instead of horizontal, you can get some load ......'.

'If you beat it hard enough to make it crunchy, it'll be fine, won't it?

Umaro drew up a diagram and started to explain with detailed calculations, but Delia, who hadn't thought about it at all, spoke only with her senses.

Yeah. If we solidify it with Delia's power, we may be able to make a sturdy kamakura that will last until next year's heat wave, but we want peace of mind.

'If we reinforce it with steel, it'll be a sturdy enclosure.

'Norma, that's not the same thing.

Once the framework is built, it's a structure.

The skeleton will be left in the yard after the heavy snowfall.

Then the construction of the Sunken Pavilion Dormitory will become a reality!We can't allow it!

'Well, I'm sure it'll be fine~'

Masha, who doesn't seem to be familiar with snow, says something that seems to have no basis in fact.

'The route to the 42nd district is a cave, but even though there's a cliff on top, there's no sign of it collapsing.

That's because it's a cave.

If it collapsed, the cave wouldn't have been built in the first place.

It's not that the cave doesn't collapse. The cave was formed because it didn't collapse.

'Oh, no!Mr. Umaro is doing a lot of calculations!

Oumaro is writing on a piece of paper on the table at a very high speed.

Loretta, who peeked in, complained of a headache when she saw the difficult equations written there. Is that the kind of formula that gives you a headache just by looking at it?

'Yashiro-san, I think I can manage it!

On the paper that was spread out, there was a snowman with a silly face that Ginette seemed to like, with a cavity in its abdomen and a bunch of equations written around it.

This one calculates the volume, and this one calculates the load. ...... Hmm.

'I think I can manage that.

'Big brother, do you understand those calculations?

Well, I've done a little bit of architecture.

I've learned how much concrete you can use less, how to save rebar, and a little ...... about legal and illegal construction. ...... Well, that was a long time ago.

I'm sure you'll agree that it's a great idea.

Ginette's eyes sparkled as she looked at the painted snowman kamakura.

'Can you make one of these?

'Oh, oh, probably, da, da, da, da ......!

'...... Magda, the assistant manager, asks. 'Umaro, can you make this?

'Of course I can!I'll leave it to you!

The assistant manager is showing his power in an unexpected way.

'Then let's make it together!

'Oh, Paula. I've been wanting to make something for a while now.'

'Because I want to make it while Yashiro is here, and I want your advice.

'Why don't you go home and make it first?

'No, I don't want to!I've decided to stay here today and I want to take a bath.

Paula and Nepheli were having a good time.

Making a kamakura is not that fun.It's only tiring.

'Oh, sir!

Ginette's loud voice echoed in the sunlit pavilion, where the atmosphere was beginning to resemble a trial run.

'Well, why don't you let me make the face?

Ginette was the one who was most enthusiastic about making a snowman.

During last year's heavy snowfall, she created countless snowmen, as if she were making offerings to the dead.

He seems to have an expertise in snowman modeling.

A simple face with only a circle and a stick can be very cute, depending on the balance.

Ginette must have her own particular balance.

'But it's expensive, isn't it?

I look again at the Umaro blueprint.

If the body part is a kamakura, it must have enough space for a person to enter, and it must be big accordingly.

If you put a well-balanced face on top of it, it would reach the roof of the first floor of .......

Ginette making things on the first floor roof: ............

'Okay, let's build a safe scaffold!

'...... A simple scaffold won't do. The manager is stepping off at an unimaginable angle.'

'Make the floor area big!You need to be able to lie down on it!

'We also need a fence to prevent people from falling.

'Ladders for climbing up and down?

'You idiot, Neffery. It's a ginette, remember?You can't get a ladder.'

'That's not true, Mr. Paula!We have a ladder, too!

'But won't you get your tits caught in the gap between the ladders?

'Oh, please repent, Yashiro-san!

Since the work was to be done in the snow, it was decided to build a scaffold for absolute safety.

We'll ask Umaro and Norma to build a sturdy scaffold for us.