---
On White First Snow's hand, Log closed his beak and did not cry.
Jaewon was all the more anxious because of that. How should a parrot normally react in this kind of situation? That was the part that wouldn't come to mind.
The Constellation's Avatar was petting Log. White fingers slowly swept over the colorful feathers. Gently. Very carefully. Like someone touching something precious for the first time.
Log.
Did not move a muscle.
There was no resistance. No protest. Not even a sign of pecking at the fingers with his beak. He simply sat there, being petted.
'Is he passed out, or does he actually like it?'
Jaewon couldn't tell.
He watched the scene while holding onto the door. The outside air was cold. Very fine, white snow was falling. Quietly, as if this weren't an anomaly but had been this way from the very beginning.
The Constellation's Avatar was making it snow.
And the subject of that Avatar was currently petting Jaewon's parrot.
Jaewon lightly tapped the door frame with his finger, then stopped.
"……."
White First Snow raised her gaze. The eyes that had been directed at Log moved toward Jaewon.
It felt as if the wind had stopped. That was just his imagination. The snow continued to fall.
But the moment she looked at Jaewon, the air seemed to change somehow.
Avatar of the Ice Constellation. Highest grade of divine power.
Seeing it in person was certainly different.
'...Was I a bit lacking in fear for my own well-being?'
Jaewon realized that now. Along with the regret that it was slightly too late. Should he have shown a bit more fear befitting a mortal?
White First Snow opened her mouth.
"You."
Her voice was low. Cold. Yet not sharp. Simply— devoid of temperature.
"You do not fear me."
It was a statement. There was no question mark.
"Who are you?"
Jaewon thought for a beat.
He quickly sorted through the options in his head. Pretend to be nothing and end it. Or pretend to be nothing and end up exposing more.
"......I'm just an ordinary person."
He chose the best option.
White First Snow stared at Jaewon blankly.
She had no expression. Neither angry, nor convinced...
Simply empty eyes. Those empty eyes peered at Jaewon for a while.
And.
"Lie."
She said briefly.
"……."
Jaewon stiffened.
On her hand, Log stiffened too.
Silence settled over the front of the hut. Snowflakes filled the space. Between Jaewon and White First Snow. Between Log and those eyes.
'She noticed.'
Jaewon's mind spun quickly.
'No, could it be that she truly knows everything?'
There were two gambles Jaewon could try.
One. Act honestly as the 'Director whose identity was discovered' from now on to avoid incurring wrath.
Two. Assume she only caught the lie in saying "I'm just an ordinary person."
Jaewon wanted to bet on the latter.
It was a Constellation's Avatar. He had to reconsider from there.
An Avatar wasn't simply a Constellation borrowing a body.
It was a divine body constructed by pouring out a tremendous amount of divine power.
If indirectly sponsoring Constellations watched this world from beyond a window, manifesting Constellations jumped in directly to feel the air with their skin.
The depth of sensation that body possessed was different.
So was its powers of observation.
Not those of an ordinary person, no, not even an ordinary NPC.
A Constellation sensing the world in a manifested state could catch the very minute differences emanating from a lie.
The trembling of pupils. The interval of breath. The subtle quiver in one's voice.
When Jaewon said "ordinary person," something had caught somewhere.
Jaewon closed his mouth for a moment.
There was one way.
Don't lie. However, don't tell everything, either.
He squared his shoulders slightly. Straightened his posture from leaning against the door frame. Looked straight at White First Snow.
"I am."
Jaewon said.
"A thief. Scary, right. Rawr!"
A half-hearted threat. Silence followed.
White First Snow's eyes narrowed slightly.
On her hand, Log turned his head. He looked at Jaewon. His eyes were expressionless. Yet in that expressionlessness, there was clearly something.
A sensation of 'What did you just say?'
Jaewon pretended not to see Log.
It wasn't a lie. Since coming to this world, while living like a beggar, Jaewon had stolen quite a bit of bread. Just this month, twice from the bakery. Once from a street stall. Once more from a street stall. Twice from behind the nearby territory's warehouse.
While holed up in a forest hut running Arcana Online alone, he had to take care of meals himself.
That's how it ended up this way.
The word thief was completely accurate. He was a repeat offender. Embarrassing, but true.
And.
'I just need to confuse it with the tension of confessing to being a thief.'
That tension was real. Jaewon knew that too. Even if the Constellation's Avatar detected that tension, it was the tension of a thief being caught, not the tension of a Director being found out.
Might she possess some mind-reading ability? Could she distinguish the nuance of that fear?
Even if she detected it.
Since a confession had been confirmed, there was a possibility she would accept it.
Jaewon relied on that assumption.
White First Snow looked at Jaewon.
For a while.
A truly long while. A silence heavy enough for more snow to pile up several times. Jaewon did not avoid her eyes under that gaze. He felt that if he looked away, he would lose. Though he knew he wasn't winning right now.
White First Snow lightly nodded her head.
"......I see."
That was all.
It was impossible to tell if she was convinced or reserving judgment. She simply nodded. Whether she had little interest in whether Jaewon was a thief or not, or whether she would tentatively accept it.
And her gaze lowered back to her hand.
To Log.
"……."
Jaewon looked at Log too.
While White First Snow stroked his head with her finger, Log sat still. His eyes were half-closed. Those eyes briefly turned toward Jaewon, then looked forward again.
Without raising her head, White First Snow spoke.
"The feathers are soft."
Jaewon replied.
"......Yes."
"Does it have a name?"
"It's Log."
White First Snow's fingers paused for a moment, then moved again.
"Log."
She quietly repeated that name.
Log did not move.
Jaewon did not move either.
Snow was piling up in front of the hut.
---
Jaewon watched the situation for a moment, then felt he ought to do something.
A guest had come.
When a guest came, he had to offer something. That was basic. Whether it was a Constellation's Avatar or whatever, in the world Jaewon knew, not offering something to a guest was impolite.
The problem was.
Jaewon slowly scanned the inside of the hut.
Table. Patch notes. Crystal orb. Perch Log used. Nut crumbs. Stack of parchment. Hole in the ceiling letting in wind.
There was nothing to serve.
Precisely— there was nothing.
"......Excuse me."
Jaewon said.
Without stopping her fingers, White First Snow raised her eyes.
"I've lived here for quite a while."
Jaewon chose his words.
"There's nothing I can properly offer you."
White First Snow said nothing.
"I don't have tea leaves, so would you like some well water? It's snowing, so it should be cool. Ice floating?"
Silence.
White First Snow shook her head.
"I don't need it."
And she petted Log again.
Jaewon closed his mouth.
'Was she made to not need water either?'
It meant she didn't need water. Didn't need food or drink either. Thinking about it, it was obvious. A manifested body didn't have to follow the physical laws of the world. It didn't get hungry, thirsty, or cold.
But from the perspective of the advantages of such a body, it made sense that so much divine power flowed into Arcana Online.
The remaining amount of divine power that gave joy like a hefty bank balance.
That was one thing.
She.
Still.
Did not leave.
---
Jaewon simply stood there for a moment.
White First Snow stood in front of the door exactly as she had from the start. Snow was falling. Log sat on her hand. Time was passing.
Jaewon cautiously opened his mouth.
"......Excuse me, but might I ask when you plan to leave?"
He asked as politely as possible, using a double negative.
White First Snow raised her gaze.
She seemed to think for a moment. No, it seemed she simply found the question itself unfamiliar.
"About a few hours."
She said calmly.
"I will pet him more."
"……."
"You do your work."
Jaewon stiffened.
'A few hours.'
She had said a few hours. Several hours. Right here in this spot. Saying she would pet Log. For hours.
Jaewon replayed those words two more times in his head.
No matter how he looked at it, it was a few hours.
'…….'
He suppressed his shock internally. He wasn't sure if he succeeded.
Jaewon nodded.
And slowly went inside the hut, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
He picked up the crystal orb.
He had to work. The door was open anyway. That Constellation was in that spot anyway. Log was in that spot anyway. Nothing would change just because Jaewon did something.
So he did what he had to do.
He turned on the crystal orb screen. It wasn't strange for a thief to have one even if water was the only drink. It sparkled, and it was a fun object to have.
Adventurer community tab. Recent post list.
Jaewon began scanning the screen.
---
However.
Jaewon's fingers slowed.
```
[Urgent] Sharing First Snow Damage Status in Northwestern Plains Area
— Farmers Alliance Guild
👍 1,204 💬 312 comments
Heavy snowfall outside of season has occurred in the northwestern plains area since this afternoon. Currently, over 30% of wheat farmland is expected to be damaged.
Even areas that have finished autumn harvest have problems with winter storage crops.
What's more serious is the path. Looking at the heavy snowfall movement trajectory, it seems something moved at high speed from somewhere to here—
There's a possibility this isn't a natural phenomenon.
ㄴ Veteran Adventurer: Ah, srsly, I went out in short sleeves today and thought I was gonna die
ㄴ Wheat Field Keeper: Half the village wheat fields froze, the whole year's harvest is totally ruined
ㄴ Farmers Alliance Guild: Currently investigating. It seems to have passed from north to south, and the movement speed is abnormal.
It seems some high-level entity passed through.
ㄴ Newbie Adventurer 77: Dragon? Did a dragon descend?
ㄴ Veteran Adventurer: Dragons are fire though, they don't cause snow unless it's a cold zone
ㄴ Farmers Alliance Guild: Doesn't seem to be a dragon. We're reporting the possibility of it being related to weather spirits or sacred beings.
ㄴ Wheat Field Keeper: Someone mail the Director quickly
ㄴ Farmers Alliance Guild: We've requested the Agriculture Constellation.
```
Jaewon quietly looked down at the screen.
'High-speed movement.'
I see.
From the village where White First Snow petted the wyvern to Jaewon's hut. Snow had fallen along the paths she passed while covering that distance following Log. It was difficult to stop one's attribute from reacting when a Constellation's Avatar moved. Especially if it was of the ice system.
The problem was.
Jaewon quickly ran through his mind.
Northwestern plains wheat farmland.
The board currently in play.
Precious metal cannons were being supplied there too. A justification for dragons to descend had been established. Tension was gradually building between human lords and demon forces. The Dwarf Autonomous Territory was negotiating weapons supply contracts.
For war to break out, there needed to be wheat.
Soldiers needed food. To endure a prolonged war, grain reserves were necessary. The first calculation lords made before declaring war was food. If that wasn't possible—
'...This is bad.'
Jaewon pressed his lips together.
Large-scale war content. Dragon descent. Explosive demand for precious metal cannons. Explosive inflow of Constellations' divine power.
He had designed everything up to that point.
If the wheat fields froze, war wouldn't break out.
If food was insufficient, lords couldn't declare war unless they were insane. If they couldn't declare war, precious metal cannons wouldn't be produced and there'd be no reason for dragons to descend. If dragons didn't descend, precious metal cannons would be even less necessary. If precious metal cannons weren't needed, dwarven workshops would quiet down. If dwarven workshops quieted down, Constellations would get bored.
What good is leveling up if there's nothing to hunt?
It's just bullying newbies.
And rejecting newbies kills the game.
It was a chain reaction.
Jaewon looked down at the crystal orb.
It was the first time the Snow Constellation had manifested. He hadn't considered the variable where ice-system Constellations affected the weather along their movement path. It wasn't in the design logic.
He simply hadn't considered it.
'…….'
The solution was simple. He just needed to patch it. A patch that rolled back the heavy snowfall effect after a set time following manifestation, and if the effects still remained, compensated for the farmland damage. It wasn't difficult. It would cost some divine power, but the current balance after the manifestation was sufficient.
He just needed to open the patch notes and write a few lines, or even one line.
Jaewon reached toward the patch notes on the table.
And looked toward the door.
White First Snow was there.
In front of the open door. Making snow fall. Petting Log. Saying she would stay a few more hours.
Jaewon turned the patch notes over in his hand.
If he wrote in the patch notes, it would immediately reflect upon the world.
That was the Director's ability.
He just had to write.
But if that Constellation saw. If she knew exactly when the patch took place.
It was no different from revealing the Director's identity.
Jaewon slowly set down the patch notes.
Snowflakes were flying into the hut through the open door.
Log sat on her hand, not moving, being petted.
Log noticed his anxious gaze and glanced. At him.
White First Snow looked happy for a moment with her eyes closed.
In that situation, the only conclusion Jaewon could reach was one.
'Patch notes... Should I pretend to take them as toilet paper?'
She wouldn't peek while he was taking a dump, would she?
---