It was late in the predawn hours.
“…”
She had layered on every rag she could force onto her body, but there was no way a pauper—a fourth-class citizen—could own even one proper set of clothes.
The young woman, eighteen and newly an adult, fingered a scarf that seemed to be made from animal fur.
“Haa…”
White breath spread through the air.
“…Still, it isn’t terribly cold.”
Christmas would soon arrive. There had barely been any snow lately.
Perhaps spring truly was drawing closer. As the temperature rose day by day, fewer paupers froze to death.
The young woman had nearly died that way too, but a scarf given to her by someone had allowed her to survive the winter.
‘Spring will be here soon.’
It was still very cold.
‘But if I just wait a little longer…’
From the perspective of a fourth-class citizen, the place where she lived was not in particularly bad circumstances. It was a city, for one, so it was safe from the threat of Monsters. The people in this neighborhood were especially kindhearted as well, and she could sometimes receive help.
‘Once spring comes, at least I won’t have to worry about freezing to death. Weeds or something else edible will grow, so I’ll be able to survive somehow. If I’m lucky, I might even get one of the meals the city provides…’
Grrrrr.
She was hungry.
“…”
Should she at least eat some snow?
Winter was truly merciless to the poor. Unlike other seasons, when they could at least…