NOVEL NEXT Episode 12: I want to make furniture
We decided to have breakfast at the river.
“
When you hit a rock in the river with a hammer, a fish, stunned by the impact, comes to the surface. Just pick it up.
The method is called stone fishing, but it is illegal in Japan. Let’s make some traps and fishing gear someday.
Fortunately, something that looked like a char instead of a member of the carp family came to mind. That’s big too.
Is it okay to catch a large number of shaku char? A forest that has remained untouched for a thousand years.
It would take 1 to 2 hours to cook slowly over a charcoal fire, so I decided to save time today.
If you cut three pieces down and grill them on a stone plate, you’ll have salt-grilled fillets. If you put something like that on a wooden plate and add some wild flowers, it somehow looks like a camping gourmet meal.
Use the logs as chairs and tables, and eat breakfast alongside Mystia.
“What will Soujiro do today?”
“For now, I’m planning on making this place more comfortable to live in. For now, I’d like to cut down the trees around the hut, make windows, and make some furniture. …If you don’t mind leaving the hunting to Mystia.”
“Hehe, of course. Leave it to me. I have to train Matsukaze to hunt.”
Matsukaze snorts heavily and looks at the face of the person eating it.
No. I won’t do it.
“What are you going to make?”
“That’s right. There are various things, but the first thing is decided.”
Matsukaze was slowly creeping towards the grilled fish placed on a log that was only as tall as a low table.
“It’s a table and chairs. Something tall enough that Matsukaze can’t play with it.”
“Ahaha”
Mystia laughed funny at my answer.
First, cut down a large tree.
Normally, there is nothing you can do about cutting down a tree that is too big to carry by yourself.
However, it would be different if you have
Cutting down a tree or removing branches from a tree is at most as time-consuming as shaping clay with a knife. It cuts easily without any jerkiness.
Once it becomes a log, use a tool called a tobiguchi. It’s a long stick with a tip that looks like a kite’s beak. It can be rolled or pulled by hooking its mouth on a tree.
When you pull a log with this, you won’t feel the weight due to the power of the
Next, cut out a board from the log.
The result was a beautiful board that I couldn’t believe was cut by hand.
What I want is a large board like a control panel, but the size of the log makes it a bit difficult work.
So, “fix” the sides of the board together.
When cutting, you only need to release the part where the saw will pass.
I was planning to give up on this method if it didn’t work, but I tried it and it worked. Now I know that I can make boards of any size.
So, I decided to start making the table.
First, let’s create a table.
“This is the first one after all.”
Cross stand.
It’s the leg part of the table where I do my craft work.
It’s easy to make; make two thin plates with a thin cut in the center.
If you cut another board into the upright board and interlock them so that they form an X shape when viewed from above, it will stand on its own.
So, if you place a top plate there, you’ll already have a table.
When you disassemble the top and legs of the cross stand, it’s just a board, so you don’t have to worry about where to put it.
The ground surface of the legs has been slightly reshaped to make it easier to stand on, and the weight has been cut out to make it easier to disassemble and carry.
“Okay, okay, it feels good.”
Satisfied with the workmanship and work pace, I start working on the table.
“After the table, maybe some chairs? Then there’s the window, bed, and door. If there’s room, there’s a kitchen area, and dishes. I’d like some shelves or boxes to store things…”
Well, to be honest, what I want most is a pen and paper to write things down.
With that in mind, I started work.
By the time I finished making the table and chairs for the dining table, it was almost noon.
“This is fine. I can eat like a civilized person.”
“Soujiro! Look, look!”
When I heard that voice, I turned around and saw Mystia holding a huge moth in her arms with a happy smile on her face.
“Silky Moth came! She wants to live here!”
“What is that giant moth!?”
It was a surprisingly large moth.
It was covered in white and fluffy fur, and even its feathers were pure white. Only the comb-like antennae and large compound eyes are pitch black, giving it a two-tone appearance.
Overall, it was a sparkling white creature that looked like a fluffy stuffed animal in the shape of a moth.
However, the size is larger than a puppy matsukaze.
“Please excuse the precious spirit beast, Soujirou.”
“S-Spirit beast?”
“Spirit beasts are said to be creatures of the fairy world. They are a little different from normal creatures. They are usually nowhere to be seen, but they seem to appear out of nowhere.”
It’s a rare beast, or rather a mythical beast.
“I-I see? What do you mean you want to live there?”
“He came flying over and was riding in Soujiro’s hut. When I said hello, he said he wanted to live there.”
“…Can we have a conversation?”
“Because I’m an elf. —I can’t have what you would call a ‘conversation,’ but I can somehow convey my intentions.”
“Huh… Come to think of it, is that what you said about liking living things?”
“That’s right. I wouldn’t say that these elf special skills are unrelated.”
Silky Moth flew gently and landed on the table.
He looks up at me and somehow lifts his arm.
Then, a magic circle appeared around the antennae.
“Magic… you can use it. I’m jealous.”
“There are quite a lot of creatures that use it.”
“That’s right”
I’d like to use it too.
While they were talking about this, Silky Moth shot out a large amount of white thread from the magic circle and grabbed it in her hand.
That large amount of thread, which looked like a white mass, instantly gathered into a certain shape when it swung its forelimbs.
It’s a piece of cloth.
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
I’m honestly impressed.
Then, the moth held it out to me.
“…I’m going to make cloth, so does that mean I can live here?”
“That’s right! Please, Soujiro. Can Silky Moth come with me?”
That’s what Mystia says.
“I can’t even hope. Cloth is very difficult to make, so I’d given up on it for the time being. I welcome you.”
Moth shakes his forelimbs.
“Hmm, I understand too. I feel like you’re saying hello.”
When I say this, Mystia looks into my face.
“Well, the idea of communicating with a spirit beast is not a gesture in the elf sense, but something that just clicks with me…”
“…So, are you adjusting this to me? That’s smart.”
Mystia pats Moth.
“Nice to meet you. Hiya, fluffy~”
Matsukaze is barking. When I look at his face, he seems to be in a bad mood.
“Please be nice to me, Matsukaze.”
Silky Moth raised her hand.
“…Sojiro, it seems like Moth wants you to give it a name as well?”
“Let me see……”
When I saw that fluffy white figure, I suddenly remembered something.
“Then, something like Musubi.”
“Does that really have an origin?”
“It’s the name of the god of sericulture in my world. …Well, it looks similar to a silkworm.”
Adult silkworms are white moths.
It also spits out threads, and when I thought about how Mothra-like it was, I suddenly remembered the silkworm moth that I learned about after watching a monster movie when I was little.
“Well then, good luck from now on. Musubi.”
When I said this, Musubi waved its antennae up and down.