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Chapter 149 - Man of Bone and Shell 2. Netsuke

A quick look revealed that a considerable number of the bones could be used as ingredients for potions and the like. No wonder Adon had shrieked when Yuri said he was using them for broth.

"...So the pharmacological effects change depending on the element of the original monster... This is an otherworld, all right..."

In any case, if they could be used as ingredients for medicine, he had no objection to making some. He wanted to be as prepared as possible with potions and similar items for unforeseen circumstances.

"What else could I make... I wonder? ...Oh, there was something called bone china, wasn't there..."

It was a type of pottery made by mixing bone ash with clay, characterized by its translucent, milky-white, and lustrous finish. It was said to have been developed in England as a sort of alternative technology when they could not obtain the clay for white porcelain.

"...I feel like I'd get dragged into something troublesome... and besides, I don't have a kiln for pottery, so that's out."

It was Yuri's policy to avoid trouble as much as possible. ...Not that he was always successful.

"Other than that... I guess it could be a material for carving. Like netsuke... Did they have hanko in this country?"

Netsuke were a type of accessory from the Edo period, used when hanging an inrō or tobacco pouch from one's waist. A cord with a netsuke on the end was passed under the obi, and the netsuke acted as a stopper to prevent it from slipping off. Many were made of wood, ivory, horn, or metal, but of course, some were also made of bone. They were actively produced as miniature craftworks, and there were many collectors in his past life in Japan as well. It was not as if he had no experience with wood carving, he had just recently obtained the titles of Buddhist Sculptor and Doll Maker, and he felt that if he softened the bone with Alchemy (Strange)'s Material Deformation, he could probably shape it with a spatula or something, just like a figurine. It might be nice to try making one as a pastime.

"...Yeah. Even if it doesn't have a use, having a hobby is important."

He seemed to have completely forgotten that his current circumstances were the result of asking God for an agricultural life driven entirely by his hobbies. In any case, thinking there was no harm in trying, he began to carve a nearby bone fragment with his knife. Eventually, he switched the knife for a carving tool, and for the finer details, he softened the material with Material Deformation and then shaped it with a spatula. The process was the same as when he made figurines with stone powder clay. He kept the use of Material Deformation to a minimum so as not to spoil the material's texture.

"Whoa... I remember more than I thought... the feel of it..."

A stylized boar design popped into existence from Yuri's fingertips. He smoothed out the roughness with Material Deformation, which acted as a polishing agent, and it was complete. Pleased that his skills had not dulled, Yuri began to make a series of zodiac animals one after another. When all twelve were complete, he used Appraisal on them...

"...There's... some kind of weird effect attached to it... ?"

What had been just a bone before processing now had a charm-like effect as a netsuke. Moreover, the effect was not consistent...

"...Ah, could it be that the effect changes according to the material's element?"

Even though Yuri could use magic, he was not a mage. So he was completely ignorant of this kind of knowledge, but he could somehow guess that the material's element was involved. However, the reason why such an effect was added remained unknown. Wondering if it was possible, he checked his own status, but no skills like Enchanting had been unlocked. Instead, Artisan had been added, but he had reached a state of half-resignation about that. He had wished for agriculture, so why was it that only these kinds of skills were being unlocked.

"...This will be shelved for the time being, too. No... if I can get an introduction to an enchanter in Laurenzen, maybe I can learn about enchanting?"