Chapter 143 - Aesthetic of Rain and Clear Skies
Thursday
"Ah~, I'm sleepy~."
"Mhm, mhm..."
The two came down well past nine. They must have been playing IRO quite late.
It was a long weekend, and it had been a while, so it couldn't be helped.
"What about breakfast?"
"I'll eat."
"Mhm..."
"Okay, I'll prepare it, so why don't you wash your faces and wake up?"
Saying that, I sent them off and quickly prepared breakfast.
It was a classic Japanese breakfast: rice, grilled salmon fillet, seasoned nori, pickled daikon, and wakame and tofu miso soup.
The salmon was just reheated in the microwave, as I'd grilled it all together for my own breakfast.
""Itadakimasu.""
The two, fully awake after washing their faces, began to eat heartily.
Judging by this, a light lunch and a substantial dinner would be best.
"Delicious! As expected, Japanese food for breakfast is the best! The dorm breakfast is always just bread, you know!"
"Brother! I want natto!"
"Alright, alright."
Big Sis Mashiro also wanted some, so I took two portions out of the fridge.
Hmm, I should probably go grocery shopping soon. For two, Saturday would have been fine, but for three, tomorrow's dinner might not be enough.
"I'm planning to go grocery shopping in the morning, what about you two?"
"I'll leave it to you. I'm continuing my game!"
"I shall accompany my sister!"
Well then, I guess I'll go shopping alone, at my leisure.
I feel like I haven't been out much during the long weekend, so I'll stretch my legs a bit...
"So, Big Sis is fighting bare-handed?"
We were chatting while walking through the [Ancient Ruins].
When I asked Big Sis Mashiro about the character she created during lunch, she said:
"I'm obviously making a punching character."
I figured magic was out, and she probably wouldn't do production skills either.
That's fine, but then there was this exchange:
"Weapon?"
"My fists."
"Huh?"
Miki then explained it to me.
Apparently, there's a [Martial Arts] skill for close-quarters combat. Well, of course there would be.
"So, she'll be punching and kicking monsters...?"
"Yeah. She's always liked martial arts and stuff. Besides, swords and things... I just can't imagine her with them. Punching and kicking really suits her best..."
It makes me wonder if she'll be putting goblins and orcs in headlocks.
Anyway, for a while, she'll apparently be training with the guards from that merchant guild, along with Seth (Miki)...
"She sounds like she'll get strong very quickly."
"I think so too. All her physical abilities went to... Marie (Mashiro) Onee-san."
Her height is almost 180cm, and she has incredible athletic ability. She did quite well in basketball in middle school.
She quit, though, saying, "Turns out, team play isn't for me."
"Woof!"
I saw the light from outside, and as usual, Lupi dashed ahead.
The weather was a bit cloudy. I don't think it'll rain immediately, but mountain weather is fickle.
To Lupi, who was waiting patiently at the top of the stairs:
"Go on, go play."
"Woof."
As I said that, she dashed into the forest with the speed of wind.
She's grown quite a bit, gotten faster, and stronger, too.
"Are you starting with the doors and windows today?"
"That was the plan, but adding more lumber might be first. It might rain, after all."
I want to cut two large trees and have them ready for use at any time.
We also talked about placing a mini-chest above that [Transfer Magic Circle] in the basement.
"Alright, then, shall we begin?"
"Please be careful."
"I will."
…
"How's it look?"
"It's perfect!"
I finished making two wooden windows, the back door, and the front door, and installed them securely.
The hinges, which were troublesome to make at first, turned out quite durable because I didn't try to make them too small; I made them reasonably large and sturdy.
My [Axe] skill, [Logging] skill, and [Woodcraft] skill all leveled up. It felt like I suddenly received the full benefit of the previous upward adjustment.
"Now then..."
I asked the light spirit for illumination and stepped inside.
The back door and wooden windows were closed; all that was left was to close the front door.
"Woof!"
"Whoa, sorry, sorry."
Just as the door was about to close, Lupi slid in, carrying a [Fairy] on her back.
Once they were fully inside, I closed the door, and...
"Nothing's happening."
"Hmm, I guess we really need something bed-like, don't we?"
Making and placing a bed quickly might be the fastest way.
I have plenty of wood...
"Woof woof."
"Hm?"
Lupi tapped her front paw... Ah, I see what she means.
"What happened?"
"No, I think she wants me to try this."
I took out some unprocessed [Greydeer] hide from my inventory, spread it out, and sat on it...
[Safe Zone added]
[Residence Added: No SP gained]
[My Home setting available. Would you like to set it?]
"It worked!"
"Woofun!"
"Lupi-chan, that's amazing!"
The faint light emanating from where I placed the hide gradually spread, filling the house, then its glow weakened...
"Huh? Did it disappear?"
No, it just became harder to see?
"Shou-kun, isn't it on your status screen?"
"Eh? There's something like that?"
"Yes. Apparently, you can tell when you're in a [Safe Zone]."
I didn't know that... No, I should have known.
I hastily opened my status from the menu, and an unfamiliar green dot appeared before my name.
"Is this it?"
"I think so."
Though it was hard to see, having it constantly glow would also feel strange.
Maybe the [Safe Zone] in the southeast cave and the [Safe Zone] in the southwest grassland glow brightly because they're outdoors.
"Well, whatever. Anyway, I'll set this as my My Home."
"Woof."
Lupi curled up on the [Greydeer] hide I laid next to me, looking adorable.
And next to her, a [Fairy] sprawled out... It's fine, but aren't those transparent wings on its back bothering it?
"Shall we make a bed first?"
"Yeah. Using the old one as a reference, I guess. Oh, and I need to [Appraise] the desk and chairs."
Since the two seemed to be napping, I asked the light to dim a little and headed outside.
To the left of the storehouse were piled old roof planks, wall boards, and the front door, with the desk, chairs, and a broken bed next to them. The newly procured lumber was on the right.
"Is it raining a little?"
"Ah, you're right."
The scattered rain began to fall steadily, then softly.
It slowly wet the grassy slope, making the green look darker.
A slight mist began to hang over the forest in the distance, creating a truly fantastical atmosphere.
"How picturesque..."
"Yes..."
I placed an old chair facing out from the storehouse and sat down, watching the scene for a while.
If only I had coffee with this...