Chapter 208: Mushroom Season
The next day, I was busy turning the wood I had brought home into planks. The logs were perfectly round, so I thought I might slice them thinly and lay them down on the floor.
The Spirits flitted around the barn, gently caressing the gnarled roots of the wood. It was quite charming to see the logs sticking out from the entrance. Maybe it would have been better to work outside after all.
I decided to try cutting a section of the gnarled root of a tree known as “Karin” or “Shitan,” using the Zanzenken. The cross-section revealed beautiful colors and patterns.
Alright, alright, I’ll polish it up later—
“Ah, you’re really going to do it, thank you!” Rishu said, sniffing the freshly cut surface. As the Spirits danced around, touching the cut surface, a glossy amber sheen began to appear.
…
I had intended to use this for making a waterwheel, but I suddenly felt like I might get scolded for it. I could easily make one or two… no, even ten waterwheels without breaking a sweat.
As planned, I decided to use oak. It’s incredibly hard and durable, a material commonly used around here.
Switching to the new wood, I began processing it. I glanced sideways at Rishu, who was playing with the leftover scraps, while I worked swiftly with the Zanzenken. Honestly, thinking back to when I first arrived and had to struggle with a small folding saw, this felt like heaven.
Speaking of which, furniture near the ongoing conflicts in Nakahara or areas inhabited by monsters tends to be sturdy or lightweight enough to carry when fleeing. It seems Kanum’s furniture was designed with that in mind, while the surroundings of Naruadeid were a bit better off.
For the waterwheel, I couldn’t afford to take up too much space, so I opted for straight-grained boards that would warp less later on.
I decided to try the water-extraction drying technique I learned from the dwarves after cutting the wood. As I cast the spell, the Spirits waved their arms, beckoning me.
The boards trembled slightly, and droplets of water began to seep out, forming into beads that floated gently toward the Spirits’ arms.
Thank you for your help. I feel like I might get scolded for using this oak, but since it’s for the island, I guess it’s fine.
“Rishu, let’s go.” I thanked the Spirits, stored the finished boards and beams in [Storage], and teleported with Rishu to Kanum.
When I’m not entering the forest to gather herbs and materials, I’m usually working inside the house, so I try to do my tasks in Kanum while Lilith and Reed are around.
It’s cooler here than in my mountain house. Either way, the lack of humidity makes it comfortable for me.
I busily crafted the blades that would catch the water and the frame. I planned to assemble them into eight units and then connect them on-site. The angles and sizes of the blades—ideally, I would adjust them based on the water’s flow and the terrain, but since the flowing water is artificial, I can control both the volume and the force.
I intended to attach the watermill to the castle walls; the craftsmen should already be working on it. When I suggested the main building near the fortress’s dock, Kingin opposed it, saying it would leave security thin.
Considering the transportation of food and materials, it would be far on the opposite side of the bridge, but there would also be people coming and going for work. The craftsmen would need it for fabric production as well.
In the end, since we planned to have plenty of water, we decided to add one more to the town and another to the main building of the fortress, making it three in total. I would be in charge of the one for the town, which would also serve as a flour mill and bakery, with the bathhouse next door.
The price of firewood is no joke, so it had to be this way. Having a bakery helps reduce the household consumption of firewood. Fortunately, the island stays warm even in winter.
Oh, I should plant some trees for firewood in the future. Maybe oaks would be good; they burn slowly, though. Fresh oak leaves and wood are less flammable compared to other trees, making them ideal for firebreaks, and they were often planted in old Japan between neighboring houses for soundproofing.
I should plant some near the watermill in town. There’s noise, and since we use fire year-round, even though it’s a stone building, there’s no shortage of space to plant.
Speaking of oaks, they produce acorns, and acorns mean pigs. But I remember that a thirty to fifty-year-old oak tree is needed for each pig, about thirty trees per pig. Well, I guess it’s fine as long as I feed them other things too.
A quarter of the island will be town and fortress, while the rest will be forest and fields. If anything, the fortress might be larger than the town.
It’s fun to think about all these things while I work. Suddenly, I sensed a visitor approaching—probably Dinoss at the back door?
I descended from the third floor where I had been working and opened the door.
“Hey, there you are. Here’s a little something.”
“Have you already been to the forest?”
It was indeed Dinoss, who handed me a basket full of mushrooms.
“Today’s a day off from work! My family and I went mushroom hunting early this morning! My wife makes a delicious mushroom sauce!” He winked at me.
In early summer, delicious mushrooms start to sprout. Different varieties appear in autumn, but summer is a time of enjoyment, and for diligent housewives, it’s also the season for making preserved mushroom dishes. It’s common to rise early to gather mushrooms, fruits, and even ants.
In the basket, there were roughly three types: Puru, Apricot mushrooms, and the blue Piébleu. All of them were rich in flavor and delicious. I gratefully accepted them, recalling that Dean had given me some last year.
Maybe I’ll go mushroom hunting later with the Ex-Staff.
“By the way, I have a message from Note.”
“Yeah?”
Note rarely spoke unless he met with Lilith early in the morning.
“It’s not directly related to you, but it seems there’s someone gathering skilled assassins, and judging by the missing individuals, they might be targeting big names—possibly even the Hero.”
“Oh, really? Well, if someone gets assassinated, that’s fine by me.”
I won’t get involved!
“A red-haired knife user, a black-haired cursed child, an assassin with a viscount’s nickname…”
Huh?
“And there’s also a poison user… There’s quite a lineup, at least from what I know.”
Please don’t tell me that poison user is Pamela? The red-haired and black-haired ones feel familiar, but it must be my imagination, right? The gardener, too?
Do I need to check the employment skills of my staff?
“What’s wrong?”
“Uh, it’s nothing!”