Chapter 408: Various Confirmations
Hello, it’s Jean. I’ve just realized there’s no paint in this world. Sure, there are some coatings, but nothing that can dye timber beautifully. In fact, it’s rare and expensive to find dyes that can color fabrics nicely, which is why it became an industry on the island. I had completely forgotten about that!
My ideal doghouse plan has hit a snag. I was thinking of using the pitch-black pine that Kokuzan-chan gave me for the roof and the four pillars, while the rest could be made from the cedar I got from the Dogu. It won’t be a red and white two-tone anymore, but maybe a black and cedar two-tone would work just fine.
Oh, right! The entrance needs to be easy for the dog to chew on, huh? Maybe I should stick with pine for that too. No, wait, the reason I chose cedar in the first place was that it was commonly used for doghouses back in Japan.
Pine might have a strong scent, so I should let Wanwan sniff it a bit. If it’s ebony, it should be fine since Wanwan specifically requested that.
“So, which timber do you prefer? The ebony pedestal is crafted by skilled artisans, after all.”
On a whim, I decided to visit the Desert Underground Temple.
“Oh? Wanwan prefers it the darker, the better!”
His tail wagged excitedly, swishing back and forth.
“My beloved A-na-ta♡”
“…!?”
“No, I’m just asking about the scent. Is it unpleasant?”
Something rattled behind me, but I chose to ignore it.
“Wanwan can handle any scent! …Well, except for vinegar; I’m not too fond of that, but I can tolerate the smell of oranges!”
So, he dislikes sharp scents.
I had Wanwan sniff the candidate woods, and everything was a-okay. His favorite was the black pine. The pitch-black pine from Kokuzan-chan, treated at high temperatures by the Earth Folk, had lost its moisture and tightened up, resembling obsidian more than wood.
Ebony was glossy and beautiful, but it had a warm impression. Since it’s hot here, maybe the slightly cooler impression of black pine would be better.
By the way, Wanwan, there’s about 2 cm of water pooled on the floor, and you’re completely soaked. Aren’t you worried? Is it okay? Won’t your belly get cold?
“Ufu…”
“…!!”
I also chose to ignore the rattling behind me, pretending I couldn’t hear or see it. Thank goodness I can’t do anything lewd without a lower half, right?
“Shouldn’t we have separate rooms? It’s all wet in here.”
“Wanwan will protect the goddess Es in this room, the one where I’m most vulnerable!”
…Well, if he’s okay with it, then I guess it’s fine. I still don’t get what he sees in Es—maybe it’s because she has that master-servant vibe.
I didn’t want to linger too long, so I decided to move! The destination is the island. It feels like it’s been a while since I experienced anything in Es.
I could hear the voices of children occasionally, but it wasn’t as noisy or chaotic as the City of Es. However, it felt more open than Kanum. The weather is often sunny, and the sunlight is strong. In Kanum, they count it as sunny even when it’s slightly cloudy.
One of the waterways on the side with the castle is dyed blue. The dyeing process is going smoothly. I’ve heard that in other cities, dye houses and tanners are always at odds. Both use water for their work, so if one uses it, the other can’t.
Even among dye houses, there are disputes over water between those who have permission to dye red and those who can dye blue.
Our island doesn’t have any tanners, and dyeing is permitted for all colors by the same artisans. They completely ignore the secrets of dyeing and the routes for obtaining materials.
Red and purple are only dyed when I bring the materials; otherwise, it’s mainly indigo dyeing. If it comes down to it, I can just increase the water supply and the waterways. By the way, it seems Soleil and Kingin are taking precautions to keep their techniques secret.
Even within the fortress, there are plenty of secrets, so ordinary people can’t enter. They might invite people for business discussions, but they don’t let anyone wander around freely. The square on the fortress side seems to allow artisans to move around without restrictions.
You can’t enter the residence without crossing a bridge, and the foot traffic is much less on this side. The walls and plants obscure the view, and even though the work areas should be relatively close, they’re hidden from sight, making them easy to overlook.
I was thinking about how amazing Charlie is as a gardener when I noticed a magic circle on the wall. When I looked closely, trying to see the small spirits, I found magic circles scattered everywhere.
Some were drawn in obvious places, while others were hidden. There were paths that only those with permission could notice, and wards against spirits that had contracts with someone.
‘What is that?’
‘Bricks~’
‘I’ll help you fall in love with those bricks.’
There were some magic circles whose effects I didn’t quite understand, so I asked the spirit assisting with the drawings.
It’s strange how ordinary bricks can be so intriguing without any real purpose. What a trap. Grandfather, is this your doing!?
“Welcome back, my lord.”
As I was wandering around the fortress, I was greeted by Auro’s smiling face.
“I’m back. You’ve been making various improvements, huh?”
“Lord Paorul has generously lent his assistance. It’s quite strange that you can’t see the spirits.”
Auro must have noticed me gazing at the magic circles.
“You seem to know a lot about different magic circles.”
He had a playful tone.
“Indeed. You’ve brought a very talented individual here. It seems the branches are compatible, and everything is thriving. Sir Orlando, my assistant, sometimes shouts, though.”
Ah, yeah. That Haniwa probably causes some trouble regularly. I’m glad Grandfather is enjoying his spirit experience. Keep it up, Orlando!