Chapter 2
Preparations for the Harvest Festival
The next morning, once Rit, Ruti, Tisse, Habotan, and I finished breakfast, we started talking about our plans for the festival.
“Ruti and Habotan, you two have already decided on what you’re going to sell?”
Habotan was planning to sell some of the gear she’d brought with her from the Far East, so she didn’t need to prepare anything.
Ruti had talked about selling the sort of medicinal herbs that people could use in their daily lives, so it sounded like she already knew what she was planning to sell as well.
Yet neither of them nodded. They looked unsure about something.
“This one does not know what the people of Zoltan might wish to buy.”
“I see. There aren’t any other stores here selling Eastern gear, so there’s nothing to use for reference, either.”
“Indeed… Since your store is closed tomorrow, I was hoping to ask your opinion.”
So she’s got the goods but isn’t sure about what to put out.
If Habotan had bigger pieces of gear, she wouldn’t be able to display everything at once. That meant it was important to know what to focus on.
“There’s one thing I’m not sure about, too.”
“What’s that, Ruti?”
“We’ve decided on all the products we’re going to sell. We’ve got medicinal herbs for animals, and bath salts…”
“Nice. Sounds like you and Tisse are all set.”
“But we’re still working on the menu for dishes using medicinal herbs.”
“Cooking, huh? …I bet it’s hard to balance the flavors right.”
“I was hoping to ask you about it when you’re off tomorrow.”
“Was that the original reason you came by yesterday?”
In Ruti’s case, she always stopped by, so maybe the festival had nothing to do with it.
“But you have your own preparations to make, Big Brother,” Ruti murmured dejectedly.
I smiled and patted her on the head.
“Don’t let that bother you. It’s a festival, so we should all enjoy ourselves. And you can give Rit and me some advice on the containers we’re making, in return.”
“Okay, I’ll do my best…!”
Ruti held my hand resting on her head and nodded, a determined look in her eyes.
It was a very peaceful sort of resolve.
“Isn’t that nice, Ms. Ruti?”
“Mhm.”
Tisse also looked relieved.
“Are you making the food, Tisse?”
“Yes. Mister Crawly Wawly and I have the Cooking skill, so we will be the ones preparing the food.”
Oh yeah, he can make food, too.
Thinking back, I remembered eating the spaghetti Mister Crawly Wawly had made. Summer this year had been a blast, so we had to make sure fall was fun, too.
We’re serious about enjoying our quiet life here.
“But there’s still so much for you and Rit to do,” Tisse said.
“True. I mean, we only got the idea to take part in the festival yesterday.”
“Yeah, we haven’t gotten anything ready so far.” Rit crossed her arms and let out a groan. “Mrgh, at this rate, maybe we should split up tomorrow, and I can go look for a craftsman.”
““No!”” Ruti, Tisse, and Habotan all cried out at once.
“You should enjoy the festival with Big Brother,” said Ruti.
“I mean, yeah, but…”
“I have an idea,” Ruti said firmly. “I’ll watch the store today, and you and Big Brother can go look for a craftsman.”
“I-in that case, this one will assist as well!” Habotan volunteered.
“That is an excellent idea. I will take care of the work at the plantation, so why not let Ms. Ruti and Habotan hold down the fort here?”
The three of them were all willing to help out so Rit and I could enjoy the festival together.
“All right, as long as you don’t mind,” I replied with a smile.
Just as I wanted to help the three of them make fun memories of the festival, Ruti, Tisse, and Habotan all wanted me and Rit to enjoy it.
It was a peaceful, happy time in Zoltan.
It was just after nine in the morning, and Rit and I were walking through the town.
“Glass or ceramic…?”
We were thinking about what to use for the bottles’ material.
“What about wood?”
“That could work, too… Some medicines can start to eat away at wood, but the ones we’re planning to sell for the festival are pretty normal, so any container that can keep them dry should be fine.”
“What about a nice autumn leaf design painted on a wooden bottle?”
Even in the middle of town, there were still traces of nature. Looking to the side of the road, I could see trees full of red leaves swaying in the breeze. As I gazed at them, the image Rit had described appeared in my mind.
“Yeah, that might be nice.”
“Right?!”
In which case, of the people we know…
“He’s the only one.”
“I can only think of one person, too.”
A friend we could rely on.
“Storm!”
“Stormy!”
The furniture craftsman Stormthunder.
No one in Zoltan knew lumber better than he did.
“You here, Stormy?” Rit called out as we stepped into his shop.
“…Hm?”
Ordinarily, he would have come flying out, but today the place was quiet.
“I can sense someone inside, though.”
“Yeah, Storm’s definitely here…”
It wasn’t normally like this. Something was weird.
We headed to the workroom in the back.
I opened the magnificent walnut door and peered in…
“Storm?!”
The half-orc craftsman was lying on the ground in front of a mostly built vanity.
Rit and I quickly ran over.
“Red, is he all right?” Rit asked, sounding worried.
But then…
“Hrk… Haah…”
“…Seems like he just wore himself out and fell asleep.”
Rit breathed a sigh of relief.
“If you’re tired, shouldn’t you just sleep in a bed?” I asked.
“I’ve still got work to do,” Storm said, shaking his head. “I have to get this vanity finished for the festival.”
“Oh, that’s a level of motivation you don’t often see in Zoltan.”
“Zoltan’s seeped into my bones, but I am still an immigrant… I might slack off at work, but I ain’t gonna slack off for a festival!”
“Zoltan really has gotten hold of you, then.”
I knew he made a piece of furniture every year to exhibit and sell at the Harvest Festival, but I hadn’t realized he was so insistent about it.
“People generally already know where they’re gonna shop for the furniture they want, particularly those who procure goods for nobles. Making a big impression at a festival like this is the only way to find new clients.”
“I see.”
Storm had lots to consider, since he was running his own business. Business owners like us had it rough.
“Come to think of it, you were always hanging out and drinking with Gonz at other festivals, but it seems like you’re really busy for the Harvest Festival.”
“That damn Gonz… Despite how he is, he’s Zoltan’s top carpenter. Jobs just roll in for him even if he doesn’t do anything.”
“He’s lazy, but he’s definitely skilled.”
Starting a sentence with “They’re lazy, but…” could apply to pretty much anyone in Zoltan, but even with that disclaimer, Gonz’s skills really were exceptional. Despite his personality, he never had to worry about work.
And in truth, he was actually pretty well-off.
“He’s a far cry from you, Storm.”
“Who asked you?! I make more than your apothecary!”
“What’s that? Well, the three of us are all first-class at our jobs.”
“Oh, uh, yeah…”
Storm’s bald head turned red. There was no point in dwelling on a middle-aged man blushing, though.
“But I see. So you’re busy, then?”
“Yeah. Can’t say the same for you, but I can’t be sleeping if Ms. Rit is stopping by!”
Storm quickly switched to his ingratiating salesman’s smile. It was a side of him that only VIP clients like Rit and nobles from central Zoltan saw.
Storm wasn’t just a craftsman but a salesman.
At first, I’d sort of averted my eyes to it, thinking it was just the unpleasant reality for the neighborhood craftsman who was usually so feisty. But now, having spent more than a year running my own shop, I’d started to think of it as a warrior fighting for the sake of his shop and the products he made.
I should practice it myself.
“Mm, since we’re here, why don’t we get a shelf for tableware?” Rit said.
“I am as ever grateful for your continued patronage!”
“Do we even have a place for it…?” I murmured.
Storm glared at me upon hearing that.
“Isn’t it about time you considered expanding your house?”
“It was just built last year! It’s practically new!”
“Last time, you had to buy some bigger furniture for Ms. Rit! It’s the same as before—how dependable are you?!”
“Ghhh.”
Storm and I started our usual back-and-forth. It was a familiar exchange by now.
“Okay, okay, we’re all short on time, so let’s leave it there. We’ll take the shelf home ourselves, but there’s something we want to discuss with you, Stormy.”
“There is? Of course, whatever you’d like, Ms. Rit!”
“Thank you, but this time it isn’t about furniture.”
“What do you mean…?” Storm asked, cocking his head.
“The truth is, we’re planning on setting up a stall for the Harvest Festival.”
“What?! That’s rather sudden.”
“We wanted to do something seasonal, and the festival was a nice fit.”
“Ahh, yet another wonderful idea from Ms. Rit.”
“That’s kind of you to say. So we wanted to ask if you would make us some nice autumnal wooden containers for medicine!”
“Oh?!”
“Coming up with a new medicine on such short notice isn’t really possible, but making new containers is something that can be done a lot faster, right?”
“Ah, Ms. Rit, you’ll be a wonderful wife and a wise mother.”
Rit blushed a bit at Storm’s obsequious compliments. She hid her mouth behind the red bandana around her neck.
“So, Storm,” I switched in. “You’re an expert at woodworking, right? We were hoping you could help us out, but…” We’d been planning on asking him to make them, but seeing Storm sleeping in the workshop like that, it was clear he didn’t have any time to spare. “It looks like you’re busy with your own festival preparations, so do you know any other good craftsmen who might be able to do it?”
“…”
Storm crossed his arms and sank deep into thought.
“Or is everyone else also busy right now?” I asked.
Maybe the other craftsmen were all busy making display pieces for the festival, just like he was. If that was the case, it would be hard to get the containers made…
“Did you really think I’d turned down a request from Ms. Rit?” Storm grinned fearlessly.
“But you’re so busy, you collapsed!”
“I’ve only shown a hundred percent of my full strength.”
“That’s all of it.”
“I haven’t done this in a decade, but really going all out and breaking my limits for once’ll be fun.”
“You don’t have to force yourself!” Rit immediately responded. “I just thought of it yesterday, so don’t push yourself too hard! I love the furniture you make, so it’s not like I’ll stop buying from you just because you said no to one request.”
“Hehe, that makes me happy to hear…but this is one of the joys of being a craftsman.”
The exhaustion was clear on his face, but his eyes were brimming with life.
There were times like that for knights and adventurers, too—setting out on an adventure where your survival was in jeopardy still brought a sense of euphoria, and the sights you could only see after overcoming such perils were a great reward.
Enjoying life doesn’t just mean taking everything easy. It means finding joy by living the way you want.
“And the vanity I’m making is mostly finished already.”
“Really? You seem pretty stressed over it, though.”
“The final bit is the hard part. I can’t quite picture how it all comes together…but making bottles for medicine isn’t a job I’ve done before, and I might just get an idea for this in the process.”
“I get that. When you hit a wall, sometimes a change of perspective can bring things into focus.”
“Right? So I’ll take the job.”
““Thank you!””
“Do you have any plans for later?” Storm asked me.
“No, my sister’s watching the store, so we’ve got time today. But tomorrow, we’re going to be helping out her and Habotan.”
“In that case, we should get the design meeting done today.”
“Yeah, that would be a real help.”
“All right, then let’s get to it!”
Storm stood up and moved to his work desk, which was raised at an angle so he could draw schematics on it. The desk currently held a sketch of the vanity and a more detailed schematic showing it from the front, back, and side.
It was interesting getting a look into Storm’s work process.
He put the sketches away in a drawer and pulled out a new piece of paper.
“I’ll finish the sketch today,” Storm said, picking up a pencil. “I always start with a rough sketch, then a cleaner sketch, and then the schematic. I start the rough one just by doodling, so you two start talking through your ideas.”
“Got it,” I said.
Rit and I both nodded.
Instead of the usual cheerful half-orc we knew, Storm looked like a first-rate craftsman.
We really do have reliable friends.
“The concept is a medicine container that has an autumn feel to it. The medicines will be everyday sorts of things, so they probably won’t last more than one or two months.”
Storm’s pencil started moving as he listened to Rit’s explanation. He had a quick but delicate touch.
“The basic shape is something like the usual bottles at your place, but I can change that if you think of a good design.”
“It’ll feel different when it’s made out of wood.”
“Right. The goal here is to catch the eye and feel comfortable in your hand.”
“So it’s sort of like making a hilt for a sword,” I said.
“Yeah, that is like a hilt!” added Rit. “You need both of those factors.”
“I guess it’s probably like that. Not that I’ve ever made a hilt, though.”
Storm smiled wryly as Rit and I both connected with that analogy.
“You two really are well matched.”
“Ehehe.” Rit blushed and laughed.
“When Red said he was living with you, I wondered what sort of miracle had happened, or if God was just rolling dice and got some sort of crazy result.”
“You really thought that?” I asked.
I could remember how shocked he’d looked when I’d come into his shop with Rit.
“Of course I’d be surprised. At the time, you were just a friend who’d bought a cheap bed after haggling half an hour for a discount!”
“Sorry about that. That was right after I moved to Zoltan when I was saving up money to get my apothecary started.”
“I knew that, which is why I gave you a bit of a discount.”
That brought back memories. At the time, I’d been renting a room in a cheap little townhouse, and I’d mostly just eaten potatoes and eggs. Those two foods had all the nutrients needed to maintain my body, and I’d changed it up occasionally with greens I picked in the mountains or fish I caught in the river.
“You knew I was in Zoltan, so you should have come to meet me right away,” Rit said with a pout.
Back then, I’d been scared of seeing her. I hadn’t wanted to disappoint anyone else after getting kicked out of my party…
“But I’m glad you came to find me, Rit.”
“Red…”
“Hey, don’t forget I’m here.”
Storm gave us another wry smile. His hands hadn’t stopped moving at all during the conversation.
“Oh?”
Looking at the design on the white paper, I saw that Storm had drawn the silhouette of a bottle with a bit of a bulge at the middle. It had a red leaf in the center, with two birds around it, balancing out the overall design.
“That’s really good. Did you think of that while we were talking?”
“Listening to the two of you, I thought it might be nice to carve in a pair of animals. And for the leaf here, I’d use a lacquer on top of the wood.”
“That’s great! It’s really close to what I’d imagined!” exclaimed Rit.
“In that case, I’ll come up with a few different patterns based on this. What do you think about making the birds a bit more abstract?”
“Abstract…? You mean like incorporating them more into the bottle’s design?”
“Yeah, you get it. Furniture and household items are there to be used. Same goes for a medicine bottle, right? The most important thing is that it’s easy to use, so the form and function need to work together.”
“Just like the ornamentation on swords and armor,” remarked Rit.
“Though nobles’ helmets prioritize appearance, so they’re hard to use,” I added.
“Again with the armor examples. But you’re right; it’s the same way with furniture. That said, when people buy things for someone other than themselves, they tend to buy pieces that look nice but are hard to use,” Storm said with a shrug.
Armor and furniture were both tools used by people, so they were fairly similar in that way.
“How about this?!”
““Oooh!””
Rit and I simultaneously reacted to the finished sketch.
“It’s cute, and it looks like it would fit well in your hand!”
“I know, right?” Storm was in a good mood.
“It really is a nice design,” I said. “Still a bit subdued, so it’d fit in just fine on a table or a shelf.”
“Medicine is something you always need to have on hand, so I made sure it wouldn’t stick out in a room. And with a design like this, it should look good lined up at your stall or on the shelf in your store.”
Rit and I both agreed, completely satisfied.
“In that case, I’ll work off this.”
“Yeah, please do.”
“Seeing as I’m the one making it, if I have this sketch, I won’t even need a schematic. I’ll make a sample, so come by the day after tomorrow to take a look at it.”
We’d have something we liked in no time at all.
Rit and I smiled; we were glad we’d come to Storm with this.
It was already evening by the time we walked home.
We’d been so focused on the container design that we’d forgotten to eat any lunch.
“Should we stop by the market to get ingredients for dinner?” I asked.
“Yeah. We do have company, after all,” replied Rit.
“Want to go by the plantation to invite Tisse, too?”
“That’s a nice idea! We’re all going to get together tomorrow, but I’d still like to talk today as well.”
“Me too. I wonder how they’ll react when they hear about what happened with Storm today.”
“I bet Tisse will be surprised.”
“Why Tisse?”
“She’s been getting all the furniture together for where she and Ruti are living. She’s been to see Stormy about the bath and surroundings, in particular.”
“Ahh.”
Only some liquids could be placed in the containers we were having made this time, but Storm really knew his stuff when it came to water-resistant lacquer. That made sense, since he also made chairs and tables for outdoor use.
“Tisse said his work was reliable but that he has a tendency to miss delivery dates. I’ve never really minded that myself, since I was just buying items he already had on display.”
“He’s quite serious by Zoltan standards, but the mood here’s still gotten to him.”
“And Tisse is the type to carefully plan things out, too.”
That said, even Tisse had gotten pretty acclimated to Zoltan this past year. She could smile and enjoy herself even if things didn’t all go smoothly.
“Today’s been a fun day,” I said.
“Yeah!”
Even without the results to show for it, I’d really enjoyed the process of preparing for the festival together with my friends. That’s why this was a battle we were certain to win. Whether or not we succeeded, we would never forget the fun fall memories we’d made.
It was a type of victory I’d never known as a knight.
“Zoltan is such a nice place,” Rit said.
“Yeah, it really is.”
And with that brief exchange, we walked toward the market.
“What do you mean there are no ships?!” a traveler’s voice echoed in the room.
They were in the town of Ryugan, in a small hut on the harbor.
Standing on the large Kronogan River, Ryugan was the only town where you could get a ship from here heading east.
“Like I said, the oarsmen are exhausted, so I can’t send out any more ferries today.”
“Huh? You’d do that even with guests waiting?!”
“We don’t have enough oarsmen ’cause of the war. People will start to gather here now there’s peace…but that’s just how it is, so come back tomorrow.”
The group of travelers stepped forward, about to erupt, unwilling to accept the worker’s explanation.
“In that case, what if we take an oar?”
A tall swordsman spoke up from behind them, and the travelers let out a small noise of surprise.
“As you can see, I have confidence in my strength.”
The worker shrank back upon seeing the swordsman’s burly body.
“We’re happy to pay the usual fare. If you can spare us just one ferryman, my comrade and I will row the boat. That’s not such a bad deal, is it?”
“Well, in that case…”
The travelers all cheered, and the swordsman flashed a big, bright smile. There was a charisma to it that drew people to him.
But even if the swordsman Taraxon hid his identity and changed his appearance, he was still the demon lord.
“You’re a lifesaver,” one man said to Taraxon. He had an arrow scar on his forehead and wore lightweight traveling armor, but the bastard sword at his hip was a bit heavier and longer than a simple sword for traveling. It could be wielded in one hand or two and was the type of sword preferred by many soldiers.
“The name’s Harmon. Harmon Pearlman, from Zoltan. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Taraxon. Nice to meet you, Harmon.”
“Eh?! T-Taraxon…?”
Harmon’s voice trailed off when he heard the man’s name.
“Sorry for surprising you. I have the same name as the demon lord.”
“N-no, just having the same name doesn’t make you evil or anything…but it is unusual.”
“Yes, I believe it comes from the dark continent’s language. It might surprise people, but it’s the name I was given by my parents, so I’m not ashamed of it.”
“Y-yeah, you’re right! Sorry for saying something strange!”
“Don’t worry about it. You’re a good guy to apologize like that to someone you don’t even know.”
“Ha-ha… Let me buy you a drink once we reach the other side. I’ve got a bit of money to spare as a reward from the war.”
Harmon let his guard down with Taraxon and started talking about all sorts of different things. Taraxon listened with interest as Harmon told him about the state of the war and described his memories from his hometown.
“So I volunteered for the war. Now that it’s over, I can finally go back to Zoltan.”
“You did well to survive.”
“I was just a grunt. All I had to do was hold a spear and shield, line up with my buddies, and move forward or back depending on what they said. My friends were all stronger than me, and I thought they were all heroes…but they were cut down by the demon lord’s army like nothing.”
“Heroes can stand on the battlefield because there are soldiers holding the line. The reason humanity won is because you and your comrades were there.”
“Heh, hehe, you’re gonna make me blush… I’m sure your battles were even more impressive than mine, though.”
“I wasn’t on the front lines.”
“Really? You seem so strong, so I just assumed.”
“In that sense, you could be called more of a hero than me, since you set foot on the battlefield of your own volition to save the world.”
“It doesn’t sound so bad when you put it like that… I feel like we’ll get along. All right, we’re drinking when we reach the other side! I’ll cover the second round, too!”
Once they got the signal that preparations were ready, Harmon headed to where the ferryman waited.
Watching him from behind, the demon lord wore on his face…a relaxed smile bereft of any malice.
Taraxon simply felt that he’d met a pleasant young man.
The next day.
It was a holiday in Zoltan, so Red & Rit’s Apothecary was closed for the day.
“Hm-hmm. ”
I hummed to myself as I took care of the breakfast preparations.
Today’s menu was a fall vegetable soup and a pasta with artichokes and small fish, easy on the cheese for the pasta.
“This should be enough for the morning.”
Ruti, Tisse, and Habotan would be arriving soon.
Today, I would be talking with Ruti about cooking with medicinal herbs, and with Habotan about her ninja tools. It was hard to judge flavors accurately on an empty stomach, though, so it was better to have some food first. At the festival, most of the people stopping by would probably have already had some food from other stalls, so they wouldn’t be coming in on an empty stomach, either.
“I wonder what sort of food Ruti and the others will make.”
I’d bought a lot of different ingredients at the market last night, in case they wanted to try a few different things.
It was shaping up to be another fun day.
After we’d finished breakfast, we all gathered in the living room.
“Now then, this one shall begin.”
Habotan laid down a cloth and set out a variety of gear from the Jade Kingdom.
“Shuriken, kunai, caltrops, katana, wakizashi, grappling hook, woven hat, hand towel, medicine, ink brush, smoke bombs, spirit ash, light powder, demon moss, demonic killer mushroom, devil’s claw, improvised siege cannon…”
“…Pretty much half of those aren’t ninja tools but demon lord items, aren’t they?”
“Ahh, this one made a mistake! Please forget that!”
Habotan had dangerous stuff like that hidden away, too?
Rit’s smile, like mine, twitched a bit.
“Oh, I saw this while we were traveling.”
“Yeah, it takes me back.”
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login