Chapter 356: Things I Want to Know
“Rishu, I’m back. Sorry, I probably smell like alcohol, so I’m going to take a bath first.”
I returned to the House nestled in the mountains.
Usually, when I come home, I play with Rishu, who’s been waiting for me, but today I definitely need to bathe first.
Rishu is sniffing me more intently than usual. I can’t tell if it’s because I smell like alcohol or if it’s because I was with a lot of people today.
After taking a bath, I drink some milk and brush my teeth. Here, toothbrushes come in various forms—some have handles made of silver or animal bones, and the bristles are made from horsehair or pig bristles. Mine is crafted from the fang of a Demon Beast, with pig bristles that I bleached myself.
The toothbrushes for the wealthy are made of gold, silver, ivory, or even Demon Beast fangs—ridiculously expensive. When the bristle part wears down, they replant the bristles. Even toothpicks are decorated; the idea of disposables is utterly absurd! It’s quite impressive.
For those who can’t afford toothbrushes, they use their fingers or cloth with toothpaste, or they chew on one end of a twig to fray it into a brush. Frayed toothpicks existed even in the Edo period.
Toothpaste ranges from extremely expensive ones in ceramic vessels to plain salt. The pricey ones can sometimes contain glass powder or even the urine of boys and girls from specific regions as a trap.
I guess the ammonia in urine whitens teeth, but that’s definitely a hard pass for me. That’s why I’ve started mixing my own toothpaste lately.
“Rishu, thanks for waiting.”
Rishu, who had been lying under the table, comes running over.
“Today, I brought back an unbreakable rope!”
After all, the rope that Gamri brought was cut twice with the Zanzenken. I was surprised it didn’t cut through in one go, but maybe it was because it wasn’t taut.
It seems more about my technique than the Zanzenken’s performance. I need to focus on the angle of the blade when I cut.
Though it was called a cut piece, it was quite long, and I couldn’t imagine how long it originally was. I heard it was passed down from my ancestors, so I felt bad taking the whole thing. I had them cut off about two meters, including a spare.
“…”
Rishu is staring intently at the rope.
When he’s happy, he usually crouches and nibbles or makes a big gulping sound, but this reaction was unexpected. He seemed unusually solemn.
When I handed it over, he started chewing on it with incredible seriousness. He tried to bite through it while holding it down with his front paws and pulling hard. He was more enthusiastic than when digging in the field!
I decided to give up on tug-of-war and let Rishu keep the rope for his tooth brushing. I thought it best to let him have his fun.
—When I woke up in the morning, Rishu was still chewing on the rope.
“Rishu, good morning. Didn’t you sleep?”
When I called out, he looked up at me with a surprised expression. He hadn’t noticed me.
He carried it in his mouth during our walk and was trying to tear it apart while I worked in the field. It felt like some sort of training, but it’s good that he has a toy he’s so absorbed in.
And then I spotted Mishto.
“Mishto, good morning. I have something I want to ask you—”
“Sorry! But if it’s about something you haven’t seen in this place, you don’t need to worry!”
He clasped his hands together, tightly closed his eyes, and apologized into the air.
“Ah. Did you have a fight?”
That’s not what I wanted to ask, but I wanted to confirm it too. It’s about the cause of the earthquake, right?
“Not exactly… Rishu and Van were competing, Rudil stirred things up, Kadal intervened and got caught up in it, while Ish and Pal gave up early and were preparing to disperse their power, but Haralfa and I ended up egging them on while helping. In the end, everyone got involved.”
I could have sworn I heard a sound like “teehee☆” at the end of that.
“…Well, as long as this place doesn’t get exposed. But please keep it moderate.”
“Okay! I’ll take care of the field, orchard, and mountain. I’ll do my best!”
Is this some sort of atonement? The newly planted vegetables and fruit trees are thriving because of that. The water flowing through the irrigation channels is sparkling unusually.
“By the way, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
Mishto smiled brightly and tilted his head.
“The cold wind plate that Rudil made seems comfortable for Rishu, but for me, the wind is too cold. I’m thinking of building a structure like a fireplace and installing the plate so the wind can flow through. If you have any better ideas, could you let me know?”
Mishto governs light and wind, in addition to love and whimsy. What I wanted to ask was more about dealing with the freezing wind than just cold air.
Mishto, who had been looking puzzled, suddenly burst into laughter and began to explain. Rather than just explaining, he created a sample for me. It was a pair of magic circles that suck in wind and expel it elsewhere. It resembled the magic circle we set up at the island’s well to draw out water.
This morning, I’ll build a doghouse and install this magic circle in the ceiling. Finally, the room will transition from frigid cold to spring…! Now, where should I place the other one? If it’s hot, it has to be the island, either in the kitchen of my tower or the hidden dining hall.
It’s almost time for my appointment with Soleil and the others. Feeling cheerful, I used [Teleportation] to head to the island. They should be waiting under the sunshade outside.
“Wait, what are you doing?”
When I opened the front door, Soleil was already prostrating himself on the ground.