Lucien, accompanied by two farmers, went out to scout the land surrounding the territory, searching for places suitable for cultivation.
Meanwhile, Elif was left behind with a task he never thought he would be entrusted with, looking after the three "monsters."
The moment Lucien departed, the three Snover lifted their snowy heads to watch him go, their wide eyes gleaming with expectation.
Remembering his lord's calm expression, Elif braced himself. Clearing his throat, he greeted them with a stiff voice.
"You… you're called Snover, right?"
"Mmm!"
The three Pokémon nodded happily in unison.
'They actually responded!'
Even though Elif had seen His Highness interact with them the night before, now that it was his turn, the old butler still felt a strange rush of emotion.
Then, one Snover plucked a round, snow-white fruit from its body and held it out to him.
"Mmm!"
Its cheerful cry seemed to say, 'Human, would you like to taste my fruit?'
Elif froze. More than just one, each Snover offered its own fruit to him.
The old butler's heart quivered. He had lived decades believing beasts were terrifying beasts, yet here they were… offering him food.
"Thank you." Though resistance still lingered deep inside him, Elif gritted his teeth and politely declined. "I'm just not hungry right now."
The Snover didn't seem bothered. They turned away and began looking around the settlement, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Everything here was new to them.
From a distance, the civilians peeked out from their tents, whispering anxiously but not daring to come closer.
Seeing their fear, Elif recalled Lucien's instructions and raised his voice to reassure them.
"Don't be afraid of these three. They aren't like the other monsters we've seen. They won't attack us. Yesterday, Lord Lucien gave them almonds in the forest, so today they've come here to share their fruit with him in return."
The people were stunned.
The adults hesitated, unwilling to believe. They had seen with their own eyes how savage beasts could be.
But the children… the children's curiosity was stronger than fear.
They had just witnessed the Snover give their fruit to Lord Lucien!
So when the adults turned away, three children no older than six or seven lingered. They crept forward, inch by inch, until one boy could no longer hold back his excitement.
He took a few steps closer.
The three Snover turned their heads at once.
The boy's heart pounded. They were looking straight at him!
Panic seized him. He stumbled over a rock and fell with a cry.
"Ah! That hurt…"
Before he could get back up, a snowy arm extended.
The boy looked up, and saw a Snover's face smiling down at him.
"Ugu~"
The Pokémon let out a friendly cry as it helped him to his feet.
The boy froze.
The monster… had helped him.
He stood there, dumbfounded, while the three Snover tilted their heads, watching him with innocent curiosity.
After a long pause, the boy finally summoned his courage.
"You… you really won't hurt me?"
The Snover looked puzzled. 'Why would they hurt him?'
One of them plucked another fruit from its body and gently offered it to him.
The boy took a cautious bite. His eyes widened, then sparkled.
"Delicious!"
In that instant, all his fear melted away. Instead, joy took its place. He laughed and began to play with the three Snover.
By the time Lucien returned from scouting with the farmers, he was greeted by an astonishing sight:
Several children were gathered around the three Pokémon, giggling and climbing over them without fear.
Two particularly bold children were even perched atop one Snover's shoulders, while the Pokémon happily carried them.
Lucien overheard one of the children laughing.
"Snow beasts, your fruit is really delicious!"
Hearing the compliment, the Snover brightened and immediately reached for another fruit to share.
But after patting its snowy body, it realized it had already given all of its fruit away.
"Hmmm…"
Its face fell in disappointment.
But the sadness lasted only a moment.
By tomorrow, the fruit would grow back again!
Seeing this, Lucien let out a small breath of relief.
As he thought, this was a good start.
"Your Highness, how did it go?" The old butler, ever focused on business, stepped forward as soon as Lucien returned.
Lucien nodded. "We found land suitable for farming."
The farmland lay on the western side of the territory, near the riverbank. After surveying the soil, the two experienced farmers had concluded it was fertile, ideal for cultivation.
"They'll begin clearing and preparing the land this afternoon," Lucien continued. "The sooner we sow the seeds, the better."
"Yes, Your Highness." Elif bowed his head.
By noon, thin streams of smoke curled above the camp.
Lunch was ready.
The commoners shared their simple meal: steaming bowls of oatmeal, salted fish grilled to a golden crisp, dense black bread, and mugs of barley beer.
Lucien, as a prince, was served something finer.
Soft white bread, smoked ham faintly sweet with pinewood flavor, rich red wine, and a creamy fish soup still steaming in its bowl.
The maids carried the dishes into the tent one by one.
Outside, parents called their children back from where they had been playing with the Snover.
Some of the children wanted to bring their new friends home to eat with them, but the adults, still hesitant and fearful, firmly refused.
"Mmm."
The three Snover lowered their heads.
They had noticed.
Those humans didn't truly want them here.
Disheartened, the trio turned and began to shuffle away quietly, intending to leave the camp.
Lucien, watching the scene unfold, saw them about to go. He couldn't just let that happen.
"Hey, Snover!" he called.
The three turned in surprise and saw him standing not far away.
The moment they recognized him, their eyes lit up.
"Would you like to join us for lunch?" Lucien asked warmly.
"Mmm!"
At once, the Snover hurried over, their joy plain as day.
Lucien led them into the tent and had them sit at the table with him.
Dratini coiled neatly at his side.
Pokémon all had different eating habits.
Dratini, for example, ignored the bread and ham, happily devouring only the fish.
The Snover hesitated, scanning the spread of human food. In the end, they reached for white bread, almonds, and figs, simple foods that appealed to them.
"Go on, try it," Lucien encouraged.
One Snover took a tentative bite of the bread. Its eyes widened in delight.
"Mmm!"
Delicious!
Lucien patiently waited for the three Snover to finish their meal before speaking.
"By the way, Snover, how about staying in this territory with us? If you live with us, we can play together forever."
As Grass- and Ice-type Pokémon, Snover didn't have large appetites.
In the wild, they survived in the snowy mountains by absorbing sunlight and eating snow.
That was exactly why Lucien was eager to invite them to remain in the territory.
If it had been a Pokémon with an enormous appetite, like a Snorlax, he would never have considered it.
The three Snover blinked at his words.
They didn't fully understand what a "territory" meant, but the idea of being able to play with Lucien made them nod happily.
"Mmm!"
At that moment, a new notification appeared in Lucien's mind.
The number of his subjects increased from seventy-nine to eighty-two.
Almost immediately, the satisfaction meter spiked upward.
+50!
+50!
+50!
In an instant, the total had climbed past 300.
Lucien froze for a moment, stunned at the sudden surge.
Then he glanced at the three Snover in front of him and quickly understood.
Unlike humans, their needs were simple.
They were gentle and innocent by nature, so long as someone was willing to play with them, their happiness soared.
"What simple, pure-hearted Pokémon…" Lucien muttered under his breath.
But in truth, relief warmed him.
Whether it was using their Grass-type energy to nurture crops or producing the sweet fruits that grew on their snowy bodies, the Snover would take a huge burden off the territory's survival.
Of course, in return, Lucien resolved to do everything he could to care for them, whether by providing food suited to their tastes or simply spending time playing with them.