I start cleaning the storage room. There are a lot of excessively heavy and dangerous things.
A number of axes also appeared. This, what does he use it for? From small to big, there were 5 of them. The largest blade reaches up to my waist from the floor. Of course, it’s not a thin blade but a thick one, and it’s crazy heavy.
Although it’s something trivial, the ax’s blade is bare, huh. That’s dangerous.
Making below the window my sleeping place, I made place to put the weapons room on the right side upon entering.
Laying the axes down, I gather the quiver and arrows together. It’s probably dangerous to leave the spear that’s not less than my height standing, isn’t it? It has a blade about the same length as my arm. If that falls while I’m sleeping, I’ll die.
Since the door ended up getting blocked when I rolled the spear, I placed it facing the window by the wall where the door is at. Of course, it’s along the wall. If I left it like this, the spear’s blade can approach the foot of the futon only.
When I cleaned up the rest, something where the spear’s blade can be placed appeared. Is this what’s called a scabbard? It was a perfect fit when I tried putting the blade inside. Good.
There’s no shelf in this room.
A shelf, should I make one? No matter how I think about it, there’s a waste in space. There are also five axes put together, but it will be hard to get when an emergency occurs.
But then, if the Hero’s work is inside the forest, it might have nothing to do with inside the town.
In addition to the weapons, leather gloves, and woven mat, a saucepan and earthenware pot also appeared. There’s also a cloth bag made of firm cloth and a mantle. His traveling outfit, perhaps? There’s also a water canteen made of wood.
As I thought, being a Hero isn’t a job where you leave in the morning and return at night. Many extremely durable-looking cloths appear. They feel like sheeting.
Spreading the woven mat in the garden, I dry the futon together with the sheeting. I’m also going spread the rope in the garden and air the mantle and gloves on it. If I’m going to live together with these, I want each and every one of them to be clean.
Finishing the room’s general cleaning, I go shopping. Because I went without breakfast today, my stomach was grumbling.
While troubled, I eat my lunch at the food stall. Saine, I’m sorry. I apologize in my heart for squandering.
As I thought, instead of buying pepper, it’s cheaper to buy pepper stones. A small bag of pepper is 1 ale, a big bag of pepper stone is 1 ale.
When I asked the store keeper brother, I heard that you can make 10 small bags of pepper with a big bag of pepper stones. It’s extremely cheap!
While apologizing to Saine in my heart, I buy a stone mill for the pepper. This one costs one hundred ale. It’s expensive. But I heard that the mortar for the worm oil won’t do. Apparently there must be an indention in the bowl or the pepper won’t get chaffed.
First break the pepper stone with the stone mill and transfer it to the mortar. All that’s left is to grind it after. Although 100 ales is expensive, ten pouches of pepper is ten ales. If I buy it ten times, I can get the same amount. Even yesterday, I used a third of the pouch.
I will be able to take back the original cost, I put strength in my stomach and buy the stones.
A chicken meal costs ten ales for two portions, the vegetable today looks like a radish and costs three ales, two ales for two portions of white rice, a dinner with a total of fifteen ales.
Because the lunch I ate a while ago was ten ales for one meal, it’s cheaper to make it myself after all. Once I can smoothly do the house chores, let’s cook both in the morning and noon, too.
I go home after my task is completed.
First, let’s engage with the pepper stone. Since it’s before I use up all the current pouch, I will be able to use it the day after tomorrow, but let’s at least break the stones.
Thinking so, I put it inside the mortar and I pound it using the pestle, I pound, and pound, and pound it…. IT’S NOT BREAKING!]
The pepper stone is extremely hard. Even though it’s expensive, I now understand why a lot of people buy the pouch of pepper.
My will almost broke because of its hardness, but I rack my brain with a ‘I won’t lose!’ mindset. Wood won’t work on stone.
I take the stone hammer from the storage. A stone version of the hammer. I go to the garden carrying that heavy object. The wood was indented without the stone breaking. But the indented wood has a stone fit in and is durable. Just at the moment, I strike the stone hammer hard with all my might.
Pounding sounds reverberate through the garden.
Although I was thinking whether I was being a bother to the neighborhood, it’s still early in the afternoon. Most of the people here are out during the day. Is it because it’s a society of men, it seems there aren’t a lot of people who stay at home during daytime. Everyone is working outside.
Even so, as I hit the stone countless times while minding the sound, the stone finally broke. The palm-sized pepper stone broke into two. Alright~, I wield the stone hammer with all my strength. Perhaps the pepper stone becomes easy to break once tit’s broken once, it became gravel easily.
The rest will probably be simple later since I made it this far. Carrying the pepper stones that has become gravel-sized, I go back inside the house. Next is… that.
Placing the gravel pepper inside the opened small bottle, I face the wiggling bag. It’s still the second time. There’s no way I can get used to this. I did think to wait until after Saine returns, but it means nothing if it’s him who does it. I’m just postponing the problem.
I, shall confront this wall! Bravely facing the difficulty is what it means to be a man!
Placing the stone mortar, wooden pestle, and the wiggling bag on the table, I take deep breaths repeatedly.
Alright! As if I will lose!
As I untie the bag, the worms wiggle out. They seemingly look less energetic than yesterday. The freshness of the worm oil is its life. A dead worm can’t be used as an oil. While thinking that I must use these by today, I put 3 of them in the mortar for the time being. Of course, with the spoon.
Inhale~, exhale~, inhale~, exhale~, I repeatedly breathe, I tightly shut my eyes and knock the pestle downwards. Squish.
[Ukyaa]
Feeling a chill run through, I twist my body while still holding the pestle. Crap. I ended up taking my hand off the mortar~. Searching for its whereabout with my fingertips, I finally found it again. I’m absolutely not opening eyes, okay.
I continue to strike while fighting the chills, it finally made the sound that I’m after. I check that there are no bodies inside the mortar.
[A~lright, it’s a beautiful golden color…]
I got 3 worm’s worth of oil. However, When I looked on the table with a lot of it, the worms that have gotten less energetic were creeping about on top of the table.
[Gyoeeh]
I nervously catch them using two spoons and place them in the mortar. I put two of them and squashed them, and yet again another two after. It looked as if night would come just by making oil. But before that, it feels like my strength will run out first.
I’m out of breath inspecting the worm oil. Upon turning all worms into oil, I take a seat on the chair and take a break. I can’t tell the weather outside with the windowless room. Also, I don’t know what time it is either. I would like to have a clock, but even if that’s impossible, I at least want a window.
I wonder if this house having insufficient windows has something to do with Saine. Because I’m scared of offending that guy if I ask him too much, let’s endure it for now. Anyway, it’s not like I’m going to live in this house for the rest of my life. (TN: Cough… you think so?)
Perhaps since I understood that I will be sold once I’ve given birth, the eyes I look at the different men in the market and town has changed.
I don’t want to be hit or yelled at. If possible, I want a man with gentle manners like Allec. Haruka looks like he gets beaten often, even that Kent also has a bruise on his face sometimes. There is a man who can hit Kent. He who has the same physique as Saine gets hit. If it were me, I’ll probably be killed.
Once pregnant, how long does it take to give birth? Was it one year? If I immediately do it with Saine and get pregnant, will I get sold one year later? As expected, I probably won’t get hit once I get pregnant.
Though Saine is scary once he’s angry, I think that he has a gentle side, too. He made worm oil for me, and also taught me how to collect salt. Even the storage room, he lent it to me. It would have been better if he was normal. If every men in this world is like Saine, I think I can tolerate it. Because they’re fine as long as I don’t anger them.
Then, I finally remember.
The sake. I forgot to buy sake.
I hurriedly leave the house. It’s a red world outside. It was already evening. Was I confronting the worms for almost half a day? Bringing gold, I run towards the market.
I buy the brand I heard from Saine yesterday and ran back to the house. It was dimly lit outside, and it looked like it’s also going to be a pitch dark night soon. I take out the key after arriving at the house and notice. The cat hole is blocked. Saine has come back before me.
[Sorry! I forgot to buy the sake…]
There was a nice smell inside the room when I got inside the house. My feet unconsciously stop. Arranged on the table are the freshly cooked stir-fried chicken and vegetables and white rice.
[I’m sorry…. even though it’s my duty to make the food…]
I hang my head and sit on my seat. Without minding such me, he started unceremoniously eating. There are also a plate and chopsticks in front of me. When I turn my eyes to him wondering if it’s okay to start eating, Saine silently looked at me. He’s telling me to eat with his eyes. And as soon as he looked away, he fixed the bottle of the sake I just bought and directly drank from it. His thick throat moves as he gulps. Since it seemed like he liked the brand that I bought, I felt relieved.
Holding the chopsticks, I placed a little on my plate and ate.
[………….]
With the stir-fried vegetables still in my mouth, I unconsciously froze. Saine was eating with gusto, his plate big, he drank up the sake and said.
[You cook. Mine tastes so bad it’s unpalatable.]
He said, stood up, and left the room.
Being alone, I eat the undelicious food. I wonder what it is. The meat is too hard and there’s no salt. He used too much pepper that I’m about to choke. He probably put the ingredients in before placing the oil on the fire. The worm oil must heat up before putting in the ingredients or it’s going to be greasy. The smell is fine, but the savory will disappear.
I eat the unpalatable food while giggling. I’m glad. Saine is bad at cooking. I felt as if I have found my place in this house.