Chapter 33: Feathers
Feathers. Waterfowl. It’s cold.
Man, I really need a down coat in front of my futon. I came back to the winter lake again, thinking about gifting Ash and the others a feather duvet as a housewarming present. It’s freezing out here!
The colder it gets, the better the down must be, I tell myself. Just like dogs and cats grow thicker fur in winter, birds must fluff up in the cold too. Probably.
I nock an arrow, take aim, and release. The arrow, tied with a thin string, glides toward one of the waterfowl floating on the lake. In reality, there’s no sound of whooshing because I’ve cast [Silence].
At first, it was tough to hit anything. But within half a day, I started landing shots—such is the power of my Martial Talent. Even when I got the hang of it, the sound of the arrow still made it tricky.
The bow is a strong one, so even with the string attached to the arrow, it doesn’t waver in its flight path. Pulling it back isn’t a problem, thanks to my enhanced physical abilities from my Martial Talent.
I had intended to take them down with magic, but I couldn’t think of a way to retrieve them from the lake, so I switched to using my bow. If I don’t collect them quickly, the scent of blood will drive the beasts mad, and they’ll start devouring each other in no time… typical demon beasts.
It might be easier to throw a net where they’re gathered. However, they seem wary and are keeping their distance from the shore, clustering far away.
When they’re grouped together, both the demon beasts and the regular waterfowl float peacefully. But the sudden shift to cannibalism is jarring. I’m the cause of it, though.
As I hurriedly reel in the thin string, I recall how a horned waterfowl, drawn by the scent of blood, is chasing after the bird I shot. There are some without horns, but they’re probably just demon beasts that don’t have visible horns—on the outside, they just look like lumps, but if you were to cut them open, you’d find small horns hidden beneath the skin.
It would be convenient if they would just come to the shore, but they always turn back after getting a certain distance. Well, the thin ice is starting to form near the shore, so it’s understandable. It would be nice to have a spell that draws in prey, or to be able to fly or walk on water.
Unfortunately, the game I used to play didn’t have such spells. They might exist, but it’s difficult to replicate them without seeing them once or knowing how they work. With [All Magic], it’s different from my ingredient appraisal or [All Cooking]; if I think, “I want to draw them in,” the magic recorded in any book or tablet in this world that fits that purpose might just come to mind, even if I don’t know it.
I have Magic Talent, and the Spirits are backing me up. If I could learn properly, I’d get closer to [All Magic], but first, it’s hard to even find books about magic.
—My [All Cooking] is similarly limited due to the lack of cookbooks that detail how to make dishes in this world. However, since I have plenty of opportunities to see food here, it’s not a problem. I can recreate dishes just by tasting them or looking at the finished product, which is more convenient than mere “talent.”
Some Spirits offered to catch prey for me, but I declined. It’s dangerous for them to touch demon beasts, even if they’re just ordinary animals. Some of them actively seek to eat.
So, I keep repeating the cycle of [Teleportation] back home to warm up by the fireplace, then returning to the lake to hunt waterfowl with my bow.
The waterfowl are called White Geese. They’re white, with only the tips of their wings and their beaks being black. —Since they’re demon beasts, their eyes are black, but that’s because their feathers have fallen out, revealing wrinkled, bumpy skin underneath, so it’s not a big deal.
I drop their heads right there for the demon beasts to eat and plunge the bodies into the icy river. Birds have high body temperatures, so once they die, their blood starts to spoil quickly due to the remaining warmth. That’s why I need to cool them down as fast as possible. Ideally, I’d like to drain the blood too, so I want to put them in running water. It might be better to cool them down and then gut them while washing them by hand, but it’s too cold for that. This part is tougher than the hunting itself.
I’m hunting at the spot where the lake flows into the river for this reason. I could store them in [Storage], but I don’t want to do this kind of work at home, and it’s better to keep them cool.
After taking a break, my thinking ability starts to decline, so I call it a day. I’ve probably caught enough. I’ll store them in [Storage] and then relax before starting the next task.
Back home, I fill the bath. With an endless supply of firewood, I keep the fireplace lit all the time. The room is warm, but I feel like it’ll take a while to warm up my core, so I decide to jump into the bath quickly.
I didn’t even notice that the edge of my robe had frozen from touching the water! Unable to wait, I step into the bath even though it’s not fully filled yet. The warmth of the water makes my limbs feel painfully hot, almost like they’re burning. And itchy.
It’s just the sudden improvement in circulation; it’s definitely not athlete’s foot. Oh, but I might get chilblains. Well, I have [Healing], so I should be fine.
After warming up in the bath, I relax by the fireplace with a steaming iron pot. Home is nice! Rishu, who had been sprawled out right next to the fireplace, is now curled up at my feet.
I sip coffee while reading a book. It’s a new one I bought while I was in the Royal Capital to get fabric for the feather duvet. It’s about waterwheels.
The waterwheel at my house has wooden blades that resemble a fan, and it spins when water falls on it, but there are also types like the Japanese waterwheel that are attached to the side of a building.
Waterwheels are used to soften thread, for felting, and for processing leather. I finally understand the mechanisms of our waterwheel beyond just grinding flour.
Felting is a finishing process for woolen fabrics that tightens the weave. It can also create felt-like materials, so I want to make a warm coat. By the time I finish, it’ll probably be spring, so I can take my time.
Interestingly, in some places, waterwheels and bread ovens are owned by the lord, and there are warnings that using them incurs a fee, and baking bread at home could lead to punishment, which is a bit off-putting.
The White Geese I hunted earlier have their feathers turned into cushions, and the down is used for the duvet. I’ve even lined Rishu’s basket with it.
I also want a kettle and a lamp, and instead of ceramic dishes, I’d prefer porcelain. A leather-upholstered sofa would be nice too. It’s fun to think about how much more comfortable it’ll be once I make those additions.