Chapter 1: Our Days in the Black Forest
There weren’t a lot of trees growing in the clearing around the cabin. According to Lidy, our resident elf, it was because the place was thick with magical energy.
Curious, I went to check out the stumps of the trees we’d cut down. Basal shoots (buds that normally surrounded the stump to signify new foliage) hadn’t grown on the ones near our cabin.
But that didn’t mean that our garden, where the trees didn’t grow, was devoid of wildlife or was full of only rock chunks. Mysteriously, some plants and flowers were alive and well. The crops on our farming plot were also growing splendidly—the elves’ seeds had a special property that allowed us to immediately replant seeds once the crops were harvested. There was no need to let our fields rest for a season, and we were using that ability to our benefit.
On the open land around the cabin, our resident mercenary, Helen, was training with Diana, the daughter of House Eimoor, and Anne, an imperial princess. Their energetic voices echoed throughout the forest under the orange sky. Soon enough, night would fall upon us.
Shunk. A crisp sound rang out from a ways away, where Lidy and a tiger beastfolk named Samya were practicing with their bows. Rike the dwarf had also joined them. She claimed that if she needed to stay back during combat, she at least wanted some proficiency with ranged weapons—this would allow her to offer some sort of support. Samya and Lidy were teaching her.
Then there was Krul, our beloved drake; Lucy, our wolf (who was actually a magical beast); and Hayate, a petite wyvern who helped us communicate with Camilo—they were scampering around in a funny game of tag. Hayate had a slight advantage because she could fly in the air, but it seemed like flying took quite a bit of stamina. Every now and then, she would rest her wings as she perched atop Krul’s back.
In the lively evening air, I sat in the corner of the garden and placed a knife under the light of the magic lantern.
“Yeah, it’s beautiful,” I muttered.
I’d recently visited Camilo with a delivery for the first time since entering into a contract with Miss Karen of the Nordic region. While at his store, Camilo had handed me a set of three knives. Each had been carefully wrapped in a piece of cloth, and all three were engraved with names, though they were a bit hard to read: Boris, Martin, and Sandro. These men worked at Sandro’s diner, the Gold-Tusked Boar, which was located in the capital. (Sandro was also called “Pops.”) I’d promised to sharpen and adjust their knives if they entrusted them to Camilo.
I set down the three knives in front of me, and I could practically envision their faces within the steel. The employees of that diner were all brawny, but they treated their knives with the utmost care. Without my cheats, I doubt I would’ve noticed the barely warped blade or how the edge was chipped ever so slightly.
Repairs of this degree didn’t require me to heat up the steel. I didn’t even need my usual anvil; a smaller one would do. I’d brought out my polishing set and taken the knives outside, choosing to work under the cool breeze. I put the blades under the light to confirm the tiny bit of warping, then placed one on the anvil before gently hammering away. It was easy to crack or break a knife, even during simple tasks like this, but I had my cheats on my side.
Small clangs of steel rang out as I ensured that I didn’t imbue my swings with too much magical energy (if I let my guard down, I could easily forge a knife that would slice through everything), and slowly fixed the imperfections. Swish. Swish. After I finished hammering, I went right to polishing the knife to restore it to its former glory. Once that was complete, I placed it under the light. The shiny blade dazzled as it reflected the lantern’s glow.
I finished the first and second knives, then reached for the third. Only then did I notice that my three daughters, who’d been frolicking around, were gazing at me curiously. It was rare for them to see me working since I was usually in the forge. I thought it was a good idea to sometimes show them how their father worked.
“This is dangerous work, so don’t come too close,” I warned.
Lucy, Krul, and Hayate cried out in understanding as I slowly and carefully polished the blade. Could you blame me for being a bit fired up to show off in front of them? This is Sandro’s knife, so I don’t think it hurts to put in a little more effort anyway, I thought. I glided the blade over the whetstone several times and finished it off by cleaning it under water and drying it with a cloth. As the sky grew dark, I placed the knife under the lantern, and it glimmered spectacularly. My daughters called out their praise. I felt proud when I heard their cheers, and I headed back inside.
I could tell that the footsteps of winter were creeping closer. It was the end of another usual day.
We ate a leisurely breakfast. It wasn’t cold just yet, but we’d talked about how the temperature had noticeably dropped in the early mornings. Fall was departing, and winter was creeping closer by the day. I’d been told by Samya and Diana that we didn’t get much snowfall here, but it was still best to prepare ourselves for the oncoming colder months. We were lucky enough to have a hot spring, a wonderful facility that warmed our bodies. It was a walk away (a short one) because of the location of the hot spring vein and the convenience of building there. In any case, we couldn’t constantly be in the warm water. I’d need something to warm up the entire cabin before winter was in full swing.
“The newly made rooms are a bit farther away,” Diana said as she gazed down the corridor in that direction.
There were rooms along the corridor before it bent at a ninety-degree angle to form a block U-shape. That bend was the farthest away, and it contained a few rooms. The living room, where we were currently enjoying our meal, was toasty thanks to the warm air that flowed in from the forge and furnace, but the rest of the rooms, which were positioned closer to the exterior of the cabin, weren’t adequately warm. Since we’ve got a forge that needs to be hot enough to melt steel, it’d be great if we could utilize that heat somehow, but...
“This issue is that the forge is out when we’re not working,” I said, placing a hand over my chin.
We didn’t work at night, of course, but there were other occasions where the forge wasn’t used. Oftentimes, the firebed was ablaze while the forge wasn’t, but the firebed couldn’t provide nearly as much heat as the forge.
“It gets cold in the middle of the night, and that’s when we’d need heat the most,” Diana said as she also placed a hand on her chin.
Samya and Helen looked like they were holding back laughter at the scene.
“Right... This cabin doesn’t have a fireplace,” Anne realized as she gazed around.
I wasn’t sure if the Watchdog had purposely deprived me of one, but the princess’s words were true. Is it a test of some sort? Like surely I would’ve built a heating unit by winter or something.
I turned to Samya. “How do beastfolk brave the winter? Do you guys keep a fire?”
“Nah, we just wear layers,” Samya replied.
Her answer was very simple and straightforward. I see... Since we don’t get much snow, I guess that might be enough for the colder months.
“I can endure the cold because my body’s built a bit differently. The same can’t be said for you guys,” Samya added.
I nodded. “Makes sense.”
Fair enough. Beastfolk come naturally(?) equipped with animal fur on their limbs. Samya’s a tiger—she must feel like she’s wearing warm gloves and socks at all times. I was sure people like the rest of us, who lacked this fur, could brave the winter with an extra layer or two. However, even if people said there wasn’t much snowfall, that still implied that there would be some snow.
“House Eimoor had a fireplace,” I recalled.
“Of course,” Diana replied.
The fireplace served as a central heating unit of sorts—it could send warm air to various rooms using chimney vents.
“We had a fireplace too,” Anne said before I could even ask her. She was a princess who’d lived in an imperial palace. “Each room actually had its own personal fireplace.”
“It didn’t get that cold for me!” Rike exclaimed proudly with her chest puffed out.
I’d heard that the dwarf had lived near the mines, and perhaps geothermal energy or something like that had kept her warm. She added that she’d lived in a small space with her large family and hinted that they only might have produced enough warmth to go around.
Yeah, compared to dwarven warmth, human warmth is nothing to sneeze at...
Lidy, who’d lived in a forest like Samya, claimed that she’d had a simple fireplace that’d resembled a hearth. That had helped her get through the winters. Helen was a mercenary who’d traveled around. When asked, she chuckled and said that she’d usually just sat by a fire—sometimes she’d even huddled for warmth with friends when needed.
“I guess we’ve got three choices,” I said as I raised my fingers. “One, we build a fireplace. Two, we use warm blankets to make it through the winter. Or three, we choose a hybrid method of the first two.”
“It’ll probably take time to build a fireplace,” Rike said languidly.
I nodded in response. We’d recently devoted most of our time to building a hot spring facility, and now I wanted to focus on smithing for a while. But it would be too late if we started building after we felt the cold. After all, we couldn’t easily buy something like a heat stove and install it the same day.
Wait... A stove?
An idea was starting to hit me.
That’s it!
I was hesitant to introduce culture and technological advancements from Earth, but the item I had in mind was awfully simple and didn’t require much technology. I heard that the first one on Earth was developed over two thousand years ago, and I think something similar would be invented sooner or later in this world, just like the leaf-spring suspensions I once made.
“What if we use an oil ba—I-I mean, a...cylindrical tube and make a fire inside of it?” I suggested. “We can keep warm with the heat. The smoke will go through a steel tube and will be expelled into the air. I think we’d be able to get quite toasty.”
In short, I wanted to make a wood-burning stove. It was very simple to make. All I needed was an area to start a fire and then a chimney to let the smoke out. We were swimming in charcoal and had enough wood to sell, so this seemed like an optimal solution.
“We can make it easy to dismantle and transport,” I went on. “During seasons where it won’t be used, we’ll just toss it into storage.”
“Sounds good,” Samya said.
Everyone else nodded along.
“Then we can begin making it bit by bit,” I said. “Let’s work as we usually do today.”
The ladies all voiced their assent, and I decided to spend today focusing solely on work.
That evening, the topic of this stove came up over dinner.
“Is it from the Nordic region?” Helen asked as she sipped on a steaming cup of tea poured by Lidy.
“No,” I replied.
“So it’s another invention of yours—like that cart.”
“Huh? W-Well... Yeah, I guess so...”
I tilted my head quizzically but ultimately agreed. Samya looked at me suspiciously. Well, I didn’t tell the whole truth, after all...
It went without saying that I wasn’t the inventor of the wood-burning stove back on Earth. I think some dude in America’s credited with making a certain type of wood-burning stove. But in this world, I guess I’ll be the pioneer, which will make me the inventor of this stove. If I were to make it, this stove would be technology akin to the suspensions—something that could be released to the world. There’s no big “if” to this, or so the Watchdog told me.
I wondered if this meant that I could do as I pleased and that I would be reined in if I got out of line. Since I had no idea what would occur if I ever did go overboard, I found it best to not risk it. I chose the safer route in providing the bare minimum of knowledge and technology from Earth.
“And we already have almost enough for our next smithing order,” I remarked.
Rike leaned forward excitedly. “Shall we get to making that new item of yours?”
“Hmm, after all that’s happened, I’d like to let loose for a bit, but we’re gonna need that stove sooner or later. Since we don’t have any large orders on the way, it’s probably best to get to work while we’ve got some free time.”
Rike clapped her hands in agreement. No one else seemed as excited as her, but they didn’t seem to dissent either. My plans became clear. The stove wouldn’t take as much manpower as the hot spring, and at most, it would require some support when digging a hole to insert the chimney into, or when creating a contraption for the chimney’s opening. I was sure that I could get it done in the blink of an eye. Indeed, the issue wasn’t the stove itself, but...
“How many should I make, and where should I put them?” I wondered.
The living room that we were currently in was pretty warm, but I couldn’t guarantee that it would remain that way throughout the winter. I felt like one was needed here. Next, I had to worry about the bedrooms.
“I don’t mind building one for each room,” I said.
Not everyone was equally fortified against the cold. For example, Samya handled chilly weather quite well, but Rike couldn’t. If I was to take temperature control into account, I thought it was best to place one stove per room and have each person adjust the warmth to their liking. The only issue now was the number that I had to make. I want to build quite a few, and we’ve got the guest room to worry about too...
“Maybe I should place a stove every two or three rooms—specifically in the rooms of people who can’t handle cold air well,” I suggested. “And I need to put one in my room.”
This wasn’t because I gave myself special treatment—if the stove was in my room, I could send warm air into the guest room, and I thought that it would overall be much safer. As we discussed the stove locations, ventilation, and the chimney, Lidy turned to me.
“What kind of heating systems are used in the Nordic region?” she asked.
“Uh, let’s see...” I muttered. “I’m not sure how Miss Karen keeps warm at her household, but I’m familiar with a small table that’s covered with a blanket. Inside, a small brazier of sorts generates heat.”
Of course, I was talking about a kotatsu, a devil’s item—once I slipped inside one, I could never crawl out of it. It had almost a gravitational pull that kept me sucked inside, indulging in the warmth.
“Why not make that?” Lidy asked.
“Well, we’ll need to use charcoal in a sealed off space,” I said. “And if Lucy wriggled inside, that situation might turn into a horrific accident.”
While electric heaters and warmth from the hot spring left me with very few worries, I wanted to be cautious when handling fire. One careless move, and we’d all run into the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Back on Earth, my grandma had told me that she’d had a kotatsu that’d used a charcoal briquette, and some unsuspecting animal had snuck inside only to be found...later...
Well, that’s just how accidents happen. I spoke vaguely about this experience to the rest of my family and explained how Lucy could fall victim.
“Then we won’t have that! And that’s final!” Diana declared loudly.
I laughed along but vehemently agreed with her.
After I gathered the tools needed to build these stoves, I expected the project itself to be a cinch. I wouldn’t be focusing too much on making them look cool or sleek, of course.
“And...” I trailed off as I thought about a few more things that I wanted to forge. “Rike, you’ve been practicing using a bow recently, haven’t you?”
She nodded. “I have.”
I had no idea if her skillful hands would translate to superb archery skills, but seeing how she received much praise from Samya and Lidy, it seemed the dwarf was quite precise with her aim.
“I don’t mind, of course, but I thought that I could make a crossbow for you,” I said.
Back on Earth, this weapon had been banned by the pope, but I’d heard that it was partly due to the fact that killing off people would prevent kidnappers from collecting ransom. That aside, crossbows weren’t known for rapid-fire attacks, but they were very powerful. It seemed logical to have a few on standby, just in case. Since Rike was a dwarf, she possessed quite a bit of power and could pull on tougher bowstrings. When I watched her forge, I’d noticed that she had some back muscles too, and I felt like she could pull the powerful strings on a crossbow—that weapon required some oomph.
“Bows are useful in their own way, like for firing multiple times in succession, but I don’t think it hurts to have a new weapon in case we’re asked to fight against something in the future,” I said.
I wasn’t just talking about the time we’d been asked to subjugate a troll. If, for some reason, we had to hole ourselves up in our cabin, I felt that this new weapon would come in handy. And I need to think of a way to combat a barrage of fire arrows in case such an occasion arises.
“Crossbows, huh?” Helen asked as she gazed up at the sky, seemingly recalling her mercenary days. “Yeah, those things are kinda more troublesome than I expected.”
“Even with your speed?” I asked incredulously.
“I mean, I can handle them.”
So they’re not really an issue for you. I refrained from speaking my thoughts.
“Those things are quick, and if you get hit, it’s pretty bad,” she said. “Keeps me on my toes, y’know? And if we attack in a group, someone’s probably gonna get hurt by one of those bolts.”
“Which means that crossbows are most effective when you don’t have many places to flee,” I said.
“Like in this forest,” she said as she folded her arms behind her head and turned to me.
I grinned back.
Helen nodded along. “Some of these paths are wide enough for a cart, but most of the routes are pretty narrow.”
“You think I should consider having a ballista too?” I asked.
“Well, if we’re talking about self-defense, it wouldn’t hurt to have a ballista,” she replied with a strained smile. “If we get our hands on one, this place’ll become a fortress.”
“A fortress in the Black Forest,” Diana said with an excited twinkle in her eye.
Right, she likes stuff like this. I sighed.
“First, we should consider never putting ourselves in a situation where a ballista would be required,” Anne chimed in.
She had a point.
Lidy drank a sip of her tea, then said, “Why don’t we make a few crossbows for now that are easy to carry around? I’m not sure if I can use one, but I’m quite sure that Samya, Helen, and Anne are powerful enough to pull the strings.”
Judging from Anne’s height and muscle, I was confident that she could blow back an ogre if she wished. In a sense, any bow she handles would become a ballista in its own right.
“Oh, and...” I started.
“There’s more?” Samya replied wearily.
“I feel like it’s best if we have some weapons that are easy to wield within the forest.”
“We’ve got the knives,” Rike said.
“Yeah, enough to sell to others,” Diana quipped.
We all enjoyed a chuckle.
“That’s pretty effective, but I was thinking of a mace or something,” I said.
Helen clapped her hands together. “Oh, so weapons that are simple to use. One you can just swing around wildly—it’ll become pretty dangerous.”
“And weapons that aren’t meant for killing.”
“Like a net?”
“Yeah.”
That would be meant to restrain people or beasts. It could be woven from thin ropes or chains to capture our foe. But I feel like chains might become fatal if some unfortunate circumstances align.
“I also think bolas are nice,” I added.
“Why a bola?” Helen asked.
“We can use them in situations where we can’t kill our enemies. Though I can’t guarantee that they’ll make our enemies any more pliant.”
“Fair enough.” She gazed up once more, seemingly uninterested in nonlethal weapons.
“But it’s not like we can make all of these weapons, right?” Anne asked with a large sigh.
I nodded. “I’ll start with the stove, since it’s essential to our life, and then work on the crossbows. I’ll make them in my free time, and if they come out well, maybe we can have Camilo sell some of them for us.”
“I feel like my brother would want a crossbow,” Diana said, sounding a touch tired.
Helen chuckled. “I’ll say.”
Another round of laughter filled our living room.
I’d been making the knives for our order as usual, and I decided to take a break.
“I know that we talked about crossbows before, but do you only forge weapons here?” Anne asked.
“Nope, we make other things too,” I replied. I ladled some drinking water from the forge’s water jug and chugged my full cup.
“When we first went to the city, you made a few sickles, didn’t you?” Samya asked, reminiscing about the past.
That had been over half a year ago. Since then, I’d decided to focus on making weapons, Rike had joined our family, and I’d begun to sell my products to Camilo.
“Y’know the axe and the hoe that we’ve been using? I made them after I came here,” I confessed.
“They’re easy to use,” Anne said. “I think they’d sell well.”
Yeah, I thought so too, and I confidently went out to the city with all these tools. And yet...
“Well, things weren’t so simple,” I said.
The city had the lord’s—that is, House Eimoor’s—personal blacksmith, and they were in charge of forging and repairing farming tools. That was honestly good enough for most people, and they had no need for my tools. That didn’t mean that I couldn’t sell my tools if I tried, but there was very little demand for them. The knives I’d been making had been purchased by those in the city who weren’t engaged in agriculture. I’d just barely managed to sell my goods in the Open Market.
“And the other items didn’t sell much either,” I muttered.
“Like pots?” Anne asked.
“Yeah.”
Perhaps people were willing to buy a new one if their old one was incredibly beat up, but usually, small holes and the like could be solved by a resident tinkerer. Many opted to repair and continue to use their items instead of buying new ones. Thus, pots didn’t sell very often; it wasn’t a cheap purchase for those in the Open Market either. I don’t mind keeping some on hand so people can buy one when they feel like it, but pots take up a lot of space.
“Small items take more time and effort, but produce very little profit in return...” I mumbled.
There was no demand from commoners for large tableware sets that were metallic. The soup spoons and other cutlery in our house were all wooden. While Marius’s house mostly had metallic spoons, they were made of silver—needless to say, no commoner could just casually afford literally silver spoons. It seemed nails and wood staples were a bit in demand, but I was required to make quite a few, which took a lot of work. The profits just weren’t worth it. Ultimately, I’d ended up making weapons—they took some time to make, but the profits were well worth my time.
“Sure, but I think Camilo would buy most things from you,” Anne said.
“Well, yeah...” I said with a shrug.
I could’ve probably sold Camilo anything, and he would’ve claimed that he had a buyer lined up. He’d probably even buy silver cutlery from me. I wonder if my cheats would be activated in this scenario. And it was his competence that allowed him to make those sales. It wasn’t good to be too arrogant, though; even some of my items wouldn’t sell if there was no demand, as I’d mentioned earlier.
Camilo also wasn’t the type to hold on to inventory for too long. This had enabled him to branch out to the empire and the Nordic region.
“Once I get to a point where I don’t have to work so much, I wouldn’t mind making tools and stuff more often,” I said.
For some reason, Anne smiled at me.
“But of course, I don’t want to trouble Camilo,” I added with a chuckle.
Everyone laughed along with me.
“All right, let’s get back to work,” I said.
The ladies agreed as the roars of the fire filled our forge, and we returned to our usual workday.
“All’s right with the world,” I said.
Camilo stroked his mustache and nodded. “You’re right.”
Before I started building the stove for the winter, we decided to head to the city to deliver our order to Camilo. Of course, I’d sent Hayate first to give a bit of warning about my arrival. At first, the wyvern had seemed confused when she’d seen that Miss Karen had remained in the capital while the Nordic delegation had returned home, but Hayate had soon gotten used to the quiet life. She preferred to fly every now and then, and I didn’t mind sending her to Camilo even if I didn’t have much to talk about, but it seemed that was unnecessary. I was relieved to hear it.
In any case, as I turned in my wares, I sat down to speak with Camilo and exchange information. The capital was quiet, and he’d received no word from the Nordic region either. We chatted about how Miss Karen might send us some of her products soon, and there weren’t any issues in Marius’s land—this city included. There was no need for any sort of expedition to solve problems.
It seemed expeditions had been launched every now and then, but Marius had quickly produced excellent results after taking over the title of count—there weren’t any more flashy incidents for him to resolve. The margrave also seemed to have his hands full, but there were no signs of any work being passed onto me.
“He’s considerate of you in his own way,” Camilo mentioned.
“Well, don’t hesitate to reach out if anything happens,” I said. “My next order will be in three weeks, as we discussed.”
I could fulfill the order in a bit more than a week, and I’d delivered this one now so that I could take an extended break until my next order. I planned on using that time to prepare for the winter. My schedule was to spend the first two weeks preparing for the winter, spend the last week on our order, then head out to the city again.
If we finished work early, I considered going for a bit of an outing before winter was in full swing. But if it became really cold, I doubted that we’d be eager to head outside.
Once we dropped off our wares, we returned to our cart with three weeks’ worth of coal and ore for our work, along with another large item—fabric. Specifically, wool. The pile of wool was enough for ten people, and weight aside, it was an impressive sight to behold.
“We might be warm in the house, but it will be cold if we venture outside,” I’d said on our way to the city as I’d felt the cold breeze.
“Yeah,” Diana had agreed. “We all have coats and stuff—does the Nordic region have anything like that?”
“Hmm, yeah, we do. Made to order. They’re not really suitable for going out, but they’re good enough for sticking close to home.”
I’d decided that if Camilo had the material, I wanted to purchase it. Rike and I would primarily be making the stove. We might need some help here and there, but everyone else would be bored and have some time on their hands. I thought that this plan would give them something to do.
After we dropped off the order, I gave the usual apprentice a tip, and our family headed out onto the city streets. I greeted the guards as we passed through the gates onto the road out of the city. The cart was a bit more cramped than usual—Lidy gazed at the small mountain of wool that was taking up most of the space.
“A dotera, was it?” she asked. “Is it like the clothing that Miss Karen’s uncle wore?”
“Yep, something like that,” I replied.
Kanzaburo had actually been wearing a haori, but it was close enough. A dotera was a coat that resembled it—something that only covered the upper body. It was usually filled with cotton or wool to make it fluffy and warm. My vague explanation had seemingly gotten my point across.
“Oh, like a gambeson,” Helen said.
Her words were spot-on, and while maybe Rike, who’d been raised in a forge, would be lost at that comparison, Diana and Anne nodded their heads with an expression of understanding. It’s kinda funny to me, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
In short, a gambeson was a type of clothing. The ladies (everyone except me) didn’t touch much upon the design, but were excitedly chattering about adding some decorations so that each person could be identified from afar. The idea of making them for Krul and Lucy was kicked around too.
As I gazed at the cheery sight, Krul pulled the cart ahead. We entered the forest, and an exceptionally icy breeze brushed against us. Was it encouraging us to hastily prepare for the winter?
We focused upon the upcoming frosty months.
The flames in the firebed roared loudly as I clanged away at a sheet of metal, stretching it out. My goal was a thin, long sheet. Across the forge, Samya and Rike were also hammering away.
Samya had agreed to help Rike and me build the stove. She wasn’t great at sewing, though she could do it if she really needed to. I suspected that this was partly due to how different beastfolk hands were, and I found it cruel to push that task onto her.
“We can sew her share too,” Diana had assured us.
And so, Samya had taken that kind offer and joined us on stove-building duty. I’d already explained to her and Rike the general shape of what I had in mind. I wasn’t planning on making anything complicated—nothing like a stove from Earth that produced a secondary burn. Besides, there was no heat-resistant glass here. My vision was of something simpler, like a fireplace made of steel or a rocket mass heater with a larger opening.
The two ladies were currently building the main frame of the stove, and I was making a pipe for ventilation. There were several ways to forge pipes. One was to create a cylindrical pillar and then stretch it out while creating a hollow inside. This method was fast, and it produced very few seams. The issue was that I couldn’t make a pipe longer than the item used to make the inside hollow. Multiple pipes would thus need to be welded together to create length.
Another method was to spiral a thin sheet of metal around something and then weld the seams together. This would mean there’d be seams along the entire length of the pipe, but I could easily make whatever length I desired. These long seams weren’t well suited for pipes that were used to expel smoke, but I had my cheats on my side, so I could make pipes that wouldn’t allow even a single drop of water to leak through. My skills meant I was perfectly suited for this job.
And so, I’d placed a heated sheet of metal onto the anvil and hammered away to create a thin, long sheet. Thin sheets of metal seemed to be in demand around our forge—I certainly found them useful. So much so that I considered making a rolling mill of sorts one day. Unfortunately, we didn’t have access to a water wheel, and we didn’t have an energy source, but our hot spring vein was flowing freely. Maybe I could temporarily move my forging operation to beside the hot spring to take advantage of the flowing water... Or, on the rare occasion, I could ask Krul to help out, since she’s so strong
But a rolling mill could reliably create a ton of uniform sheets of metal. If such a technological advancement escaped my forge, I worried that it would heavily tip the scales of military power. On the other hand, if the option was to give both the hero and the Demon Lord the same weapons, I’d probably agree to that. But I wanna believe that such an opportunity will never arise. And so, I continued to thin these sheets of metal by hand.
I sighed. “Phew.”
I wrapped the thin sheet of steel around a wooden stick. Kind of reminds me of a spring... Back on Earth, I’d seen videos of a noodle machine that wrapped thin dough around a stick and slid it off. That’s exactly what this feels like, and I think the basic premise is the same.
“How’s it going over there?” I called out as I took a breather.
“We’re getting there!” Rike replied cheerfully.
As I turned her way, I saw the beginnings of a large metallic box. Samya swung her hammer nearby, shaping the metal. It was probably unfair to compare her to Rike, who was an exceptional smith; without that comparison, Samya was doing quite well.
“She’s got talent,” I remarked.
“I agree.” Rike nodded. “Maybe it’s because she’s been helping me out.”
Every now and then, Samya aided Rike with minor work, just as she’d been doing today.
“You know, it feels like it’s been a while since just the three of us worked in the forge together,” I remarked.
Rike nodded. “You’re right.”
Samya stopped her hammering and glanced around. “Yeah, it really seems like such a long time ago.”
The firebed was quiet but scorching hot. The three of us hadn’t been alone together since Diana had arrived at our cabin.
“Slowly but surely, this family grew, leading to what we’ve got today,” Rike murmured.
“You sound like my granny,” Samya pointed out.
“What?! Hey, Samya!”
The dwarf feigned anger, and Samya and I laughed along. Rike eventually joined us with a smile. All right, just a little more to go for our growing family.
“Speaking of, do animals around here hibernate in the winter?” I asked Samya over dinner. I casually sipped on my tea. While I couldn’t deny that I was interested in the ecology of this forest, my chief concern was actually something else.
“I was wondering if securing food will become a problem,” I added.
Currently, we had more than enough food stored away. If we were forced into a situation where we had to hole up in the cabin, we could, by my tally, survive for at least a month without any outside help. We even had facilities to repair and forge new weapons. Though I suspect that our forge wouldn’t remain so pretty under those circumstances...
While we had enough food to go around for now, we were a large family of ten, so we depleted resources rather quickly. Surprisingly, Krul had a small appetite, and Lucy didn’t eat as much as I’d expected either—perhaps she was utilizing magical energy as a part of her diet. Still, they both ate in accordance with their size. Rike, Helen, and Anne had hearty appetites too, only increasing our consumption. I had no real complaints about their eating habits, though.
“Hmm...” Samya said. “It gets cold around this area, but it rarely snows, and the grass doesn’t get buried by frost either.”
“Which means you can still hunt,” I replied.
“Yeah. But the animals don’t move around as much, so it might be a bit of a pain to find them. I didn’t worry too much when I was alone, but now that you mention it, we might need a bit more food for our growing family. Probably a good plan to hunt down more than usual, just to be safe.”
It seemed the animals didn’t hibernate, but they weren’t as active either. That made sense—moving around consumed quite a bit of calories. If memory serves, I think Earth’s military rations were a lot more calorie dense for those in the cold north. If a person in cold weather had to traverse the same distance as a person in warm weather, the one in the cold would need more calories to do so. And finding calories required burning calories, so it was all terribly inefficient. This was a useful tactic for humans on a diet (a concept that was quite foreign to this world), but for wild animals, it was a matter of survival.
“What about wolves?” I asked.
“I see ’em around every now and then, but they don’t roam much,” Samya replied. “I usually spot a pack all huddled up and sleeping.”
Just then, I heard a loud clatter from Diana. Clearly, she’d overheard us talking about the huddling wolves and wanted to see such an adorable sight for herself. I remembered seeing a skulk of fluffy foxes all clumped up and sleeping near one another in a fox village back on Earth.
“Maybe you guys can see the wolves if you’re lucky,” I said. “Also, we’ve got room in storage for extra meat, right?”
“I believe so,” Lidy answered. “I stored some potatoes just the other day, and there was still plenty of room left.”
Her immediate reply was assuring—she was in charge of the farm, and she often harvested the crops we grew from the elves’ seeds to add to our food storage. The beastfolk had a custom of not hunting two days in a row, which was likely some kind of practice to prevent overhunting. Even in the vast Black Forest, if the beastfolk were to go out hunting every day, the animals would be wiped out. This custom was to prevent that situation.
Still, we could hunt again after a short break. When I asked Samya about it, she claimed that there was no explicit rule that prevented hunting twice a week. It didn’t mean that I wanted her to go that often, but we agreed that she should go during the little breaks while we made the stoves and crossbows. While she was out, Rike and I would take over doing a majority of the building. I didn’t think it would affect our production speed too much...hopefully.
“The deer and boars are probably pretty fatty too,” I said.
“Yeah, probably,” Samya replied. “That’s partly the reason they move so slowly.”
Storing fat was the best way to preserve one’s life. Obviously, it was unwise to be too fat, but I was pretty sure that the deer and boars of the forest had good enough metabolisms to prevent that, so there was no need for them to worry. The image of a smoker flashed across my mind. I’m making stoves anyway, and I would just need a few more minor tweaks to create a smoker. But I’ll only consider making one if Team Forge gets some free time...
“In any case, I’ll leave hunting to you,” I said. “Just let me know if it seems like the perfect day to go.”
“Got it.” Samya nodded.
I gulped down the rest of my tea, and as usual, I was the first to say that I was headed for bed. I retired to my bedroom and went to sleep.
The morning chill was growing harsher by the day. The sun rose just a bit sooner, signifying the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. It was still too soon to add deer hide to the blankets of our beds, but that day was quickly approaching.
Our cabin, which stood in the middle of the forest, wasn’t airtight. There weren’t any large gaps, but there was space for cold drafts to creep inside. To put a positive spin on this, we probably had no worries about lacking oxygen for our stoves, but we wouldn’t be able to warm our house very efficiently.
Today, we continued to build stoves. Samya and Rike were in charge of the main stove body, and I made the chimneys. I wanted to make a prototype and test it out in the living room, where we usually ate. Clangs and clinks rang out in the forge as metal struck metal.
“Boss, could I ask you about this bit?” Rike inquired.
Aside from her occasional queries, we all worked silently. I noticed Samya firmly nodding along as I explained my thoughts to Rike, but she didn’t speak. The fire roared away, and the sounds of metal rang in the air.
Just then, the door connecting the forge and the cabin slammed open. I turned around and looked up to see Diana. Wait, she’s not alone. Next to her was Lucy, who’d grown quite a bit since we’d first rescued her.
“Look, look!” Diana exclaimed.
She gently encouraged Lucy forward. Our pup was wearing a bright pink dotera as her tail wagged furiously. It seemed her clothes were complete.
“You started with Lucy’s?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Diana nodded. “She’s small and doesn’t have wings like Hayate, so it was a perfect way to practice.”
“Fair enough. It’s sweltering in here, so let’s change locations. I want a better look.”
“What about your work?”
“It’s about time we took a break. Let’s have some lunch.”
Samya and Rike nodded, and we set down our tools. We made sure to not let the fire go completely out as we closed the door to our forge. I was told that Lucy’s outfit should be shown off to Krul and Hayate, and so I decided to serve lunch outside. We ate under sunny skies while a chilly breeze brushed past. Lunch today was dried, grilled meat, freshly baked unleavened bread, some soup, and tea. These hot meals would warm us up and shield us from the cold—Team Forge had been kept warm by the flames of the firebed until now anyway.
Lucy wagged her tail eagerly as she polished off her meat and ran around. She could put her legs through the loop of the dotera’s string, preventing the clothing from falling off as she frolicked. Krul and Hayate chased after her. Krul charged at her from the ground while Hayate was in hot pursuit from the sky. Lucy unleashed a few feints of her own to skillfully dodge her sisters. Her clothing was adorned with a floral-designed fabric on one side, accentuating her adorableness, though her agility made her anything but.
“Have they been playing around like this in the evenings?” I asked.
The workday was now over, and I was preparing dinner while the rest of my family either sat outside to cool off or trained with the sword or bow. All the while, my daughters were playing tag and other games. I’d been watching their games, and they resembled children running around—they didn’t used to play around using feints or other sneaky techniques, but now that they were older, their games of tag had gotten more complex.
“I played tag with them just the other day, and I caught Lucy,” Helen said.
The Lightning Strike was incredibly quick on her feet, and I felt like she’d become a renowned track-and-field athlete if she’d been on Earth. No doubt she would’ve broken record after record—she might’ve been an untouchable star. Even Lucy, who boasted one of the fastest speeds within the Black Forest, didn’t stand a chance against Helen. I’d seen them play around numerous times.
“Then she suddenly began to play exclusively with Krul and Hayate,” Helen continued with a slight frown. “Lucy seems more interested in playing with them—she won’t give us the time of day.”
I offered a strained smile; I didn’t know who the parent was in this scenario. “I’m sure she’ll play with you again when she gains some more confidence.”
“And what if Lucy loses?” Helen asked.
“Then back to her training she goes.”
“Hmm... Maybe I should lose on purpose.”
“Lucy’s a clever girl. I think she’d see right through your ploy.”
“Grrr...”
Helen gritted her teeth in frustration, but this was part of life. A child was trying to grow, and for a parent, it was important to watch over her.
“One day, you’ll lose to her fair and square,” I said.
What would Lucy do then? Will she choose to leave our house in search of a stronger opponent? I’ll be very lonely, but at the same time, it’s something I should celebrate. I gazed at Lucy, who raced around like a gust of pink wind.
After dinner, we gathered in the corner of our living room. A square box of steel proudly stood there, supported by four legs. A pipe ran from the box and led to a hole in the roof, which served to expel smoke outside. Of course, this was our stove—I didn’t really consider radiant heating from the pipe. I’d engraved the sitting fat cat insignia of Forge Eizo onto the stove along with a few decorative etchings. I’d also piled wood around the stove as a sort of defensive measure—this would keep my daughters from getting too close to it. Krul was too big to fit in our house, but I didn’t want Lucy or Hayate to touch the stove and get burned. They were both smart enough to know about the dangers, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
For a moment, I recalled something from Earth: Kids were encouraged to touch a hot stove while it was heating up—their skin would make contact with the heat at a temperature where they wouldn’t get burned too badly, and this served as a lesson. I immediately waved that thought away; I didn’t want to expose anyone to danger. The chopped wood by the stove took up some space and made the room a tiny bit more cramped, but it wouldn’t affect our daily lives. This room is pretty spacious anyway...
Our wood, or this wood in particular, dried very quickly. Only recently had I realized that it dried much faster than regular bits of lumber. When the stove had been in the forge still, I’d burned a few bits of firewood inside to test it out.
Rike casually pointed out, “I’ve been thinking this for a while, but the wood from the Black Forest dries very quickly.”
Samya and I looked at her in shock. I’d always assumed that it was normal for wood to dry in a month or so. The bits of wood that were tossed around in our yard (including the wood that came from dismantling the carts we used to drag game back from the lake), dried in a month or less. We used these pieces as fuel or to build new things. In fact, the wood we’d used when building additions to the cabin and constructing our daughters’ hut had all come from the forest.
“Wait... Really?” Samya asked gingerly with surprise in her voice.
I didn’t know what to say.
“Wait, you didn’t know?” Rike asked.
Samya and I shook our heads.
“It takes about six months minimum for wood to completely dry out,” Diana chimed in with a sigh. “But it usually takes around a year.”
“That’s about right,” Lidy agreed.
Where did Diana learn that? And if Lidy knows about it too, then...
“I thought you knew that already,” Helen added with her own sigh.
Anne nodded. “Same here.”
It seemed only Samya and I had been kept in the dark about it. Our family added that they assumed the wood here was special because it belonged to the Black Forest. Samya and I only knew about wood in this forest, and we’d assumed that its drying rate was normal for all other wood. In my case, I just thought that was how wood worked in this world, but because I’d made no previous mention about the drying speed, everyone had assumed it was just common sense that wasn’t worth mentioning. What a huge misunderstanding on both ends.
I tossed some firewood into the stove and used magic to ignite it. As the quiet crackles filled the room, we began to discuss why the wood here dried so quickly. The wood didn’t bend or twist because it dried too fast, and it didn’t turn particularly sooty when it burned. There were no downsides, but without a proper explanation, it was still a bothersome conundrum. We were all puzzled.
Is it because of the lack of rain? No, we experience the same weather as the city. As we discussed some other places where wood dried quickly, the empire was mentioned. But none could match the speed of the Black Forest.
“The trees of this forest might be using magical energy to stimulate growth,” Lidy said.
“Like Krul and Lucy,” Diana agreed. “With magical energy, they can still grow big and strong, even without excessive eating and drinking.”
“So the trees don’t contain much water, and that’s why the wood dries quickly,” Anne added.
Lidy nodded. While there was a mountain in the distance, I did think that it was odd for there to be a large forest right in the middle of a rolling plain. The biggest issue was that, even during rainy seasons, there wasn’t nearly enough rainfall to support the ecosystem of this massive forest. Until now, I’d thought that there must’ve been some underground water welling up—just like a lake beneath the surface—that provided a constant source of water for the trees.
With a bit of digging, we’d built a well, and hell, we even had a hot spring vein now. We also had that small pond that would get rid of the overflow, so I didn’t think that my assumptions were too out of the ordinary. And yet, the magical energy around here is so thick that creatures avoid it. Huh? Wait a sec...
“The crops on our farm don’t wilt normally—or normal within the means of elves’ crops—do they?” I asked. “I wonder why.”
The farming plot was in our courtyard. This was where the magical energy was the thickest, and the crops grew fast thanks to that energy, producing multiple harvests throughout the year. But Lidy had mentioned that the seeds grew like any other outside of the elf forest because of the lack of magical energy.
“Just like us elves, the plants may not be absorbing magical energy infinitely,” Lidy guessed.
The main reason elves didn’t regularly visit the city or capital was because magical energy was vital to maintaining their life force. When Lidy had been chased out of her home forest, she’d come here instead of the capital chiefly because of the magical energy here. The Black Forest was especially thick with it, but Lidy didn’t experience any magical energy sickness because she wasn’t infinitely sapping up energy. I didn’t think that the elven crops had a will of some sort, but if they operated on some sort of mechanism where there was a limit to the amount of magical energy they could absorb, they’d grow normally. That made sense to me.
“Hmm...” I said as I placed a hand on my chin.
Huh? This is weird. It feels like I’m back in the forge. I glanced at my surroundings and noticed that the stove was announcing its existence by emanating heat. The warm air reached me, and for a moment, it felt like the flames from the firebed.
“Oooh, it’s warm,” I said.
Diana smiled. “This is quite nice.”
She was sensitive to the cold—she stood next to me while she placed her hands close to it.
“Don’t get too close,” I warned.
“I know,” she replied with a forced chuckle. She grabbed some pieces of logs and hurled them into the mouth of the stove, feeding it more fuel.
“All right, we’re off,” Samya said.
“Be careful,” I replied.
I watched Samya and the other members of the hunting party leave the cabin. Everyone, barring Rike and me, were off to catch some prey in the forest. Krul, Lucy, and Hayate would tag along as well. Hayate had seemed hesitant at first to leave, but I didn’t need to communicate with anyone right now. I told them to send her back with or without a letter if anything happened.
Should Hayate return without a letter, she would take me (and Rike) straight to the place where she’d last been. So, even if the group had moved from that area, I’d be able to narrow down the search radius, and it was better than having no hints at all. Worst case, I’d probably ask Lluisa to lend us a hand, but that would be an absolute last resort.
I didn’t think that we were enemies with the dryad. In fact, we were probably pretty high up there on her friendship list, but she was an existence who wielded power beyond the realms of mortal imagination. It was best not to owe her one. I felt like she owed us a bit more for now, so if needed, I planned to use that as my defense.
But honestly, in terms of danger, we’re probably more at risk here in the cabin than Samya and her team are in the forest. I mean, the sheer difference in power is astounding.
Maybe I should build a fortress or something. I won’t make any traps that might cause friendly fire, but you know, maybe something that serves as a warning for unwary intruders. Maybe something that’ll ring the alarm in this house. I’ll think about it later.
Hayate apparently sat perched atop of Krul for a majority of the hunt. Our drake was a huge help when dragging back the prey that was killed. Everyone had their own set of hunting gear, and there was no need for Krul to lug everyone’s stuff around. And so, Hayate’s favorite place during walks became the top of the drake’s back; the wyvern relaxed as she was rocked by Krul’s footsteps. In human years, I think Hayate’s the oldest, but that doesn’t mean that she shouldn’t act spoiled toward her younger sister every now and then. Krul boasts the largest size among her sisters anyway.
I’d heard that Hayate would often land on Anne’s head and shoulder as well; maybe it was because Anne was so tall. When I asked her if the wyvern was heavy, the princess replied that Hayate had some heft, but it was nothing to be bothered about. Since Anne seemed pretty happy about it, I felt like I shouldn’t say anything more.
Krul’s speed apparently made her an excellent beater, and during this time, Hayate didn’t rest. She flew high up above and gave out cries as a signal. While we couldn’t understand what she was saying, Samya believed that the sisters shared some kind of communication, and Hayate was likely giving out some sort of order.
Lucy had also grown quite a bit and was a huge help during hunting. Perhaps thanks to her abilities as a magical beast, she was very smart. At times, hunting hounds would literally devour their prey, but Lucy never did—she focused on restraining her prey and made no further movements unless she received direct orders from someone.
Diana would often tell me stories of Lucy’s heroic hunting excursions with a smile on her face. Animals rarely approached our place. It was thick with magical energy, and they intuitively understood that they would run the risk of turning into magical beasts like Lucy if they lingered. In exchange—though I wasn’t sure if I could call it that—animals often visited the hot spring, where the magical energy was much thinner in the air. To be precise, they didn’t use our facilities but the pond the excess water flowed into. Wolves, bears, deer, raccoons, and even tigers would all drop by to take a dip. Squirrels and small birds also waded in the shallow parts of the pond, and I felt like we’d seen most of the common animals other than bears.
Back on Earth, I’d watched a TV show where people had set up camp in a cabin in the jungle to catch a glimpse of nature. They would often shriek that a tiger was close, only to run into a deer. But in this world, I didn’t have to venture into the jungle; I could see all sorts of wildlife enjoying a dip, even in the middle of the day. And just to be clear, I’m checking whether the pond is overflowing or not. I’m not just there to enjoy the wholesome scene of animals enjoying a bath. I swear.
Our family had an unspoken rule that we wouldn’t target any of the animals that visited the pond. Sure, we hunted down animals, but I wasn’t keen on killing them while they enjoyed a nice rest.
And so, Rike and I waved our hunting team goodbye. My three daughters would occasionally turn around and glance at us, and we waved back at them until they were out of sight within the forest.
⌗⌗⌗
A few days later, I carried a table from the terrace to the yard—I’d decided to have dinner under the skies for a change. It was about to be too cold to enjoy an evening dinner outside, and the season would turn harsh, so I wanted to enjoy this as a last hurrah of sorts.
Today, I cooked plenty of vegetables that we’d plucked from the farm. I couldn’t serve them raw, but I’d steamed them and poured a wine vinaigrette dressing (made with some remnants left over; I didn’t open a whole new bottle for this) on top. I plated some sautéed boar meat and venison with a side of some boiled potatoes and a vegetable that resembled a carrot.
Usually, there was only a magic light and a bonfire illuminating our table, but tonight, I had two fires. I wasn’t all fired up (no pun intended) or anything, but I also prepared some skewered raw meat that was only seasoned with salt and pepper. I thought it’d be a fun idea to grill and eat them on the spot. I served some wine and other liquor, adding the finishing touches to a humble but satisfying feast.
It was our version of a harvest festival. Our cheers rang out clearly under the twinkling stars that filled the night sky. Usually, our numbers were few—if a family of ten could be called that—but for tonight’s party, we had several special guests.
“I’ve never had Nordic food before, but this is delicious! Wow!” Lluisa cried.
She stuffed her face with meat and gulped down wine as she chattered away happily. As a dryad who was connected to the Dragon of the Land, one of the cores of this world, she served as the master of the Black Forest.
“I’m happy to see you in such high spirits, but...are you all right with this?” I asked.
She was the ruler of nature within this forest, and I wasn’t sure if she was allowed to taste the foods and blessings of this land (wine aside).
Lluisa stared at me blankly. “All right with that?”
“Er, I know I’m the one serving you the food, but this meat comes from the animals we hunted in this forest,” I said. “I’m not sure if you feel awkward eating it.”
“Ah, I see.” She flashed a gentle smile that was fitting for a painting titled The Smile of a Mother. Her kind expression would serve as the perfect model. “Capturing and eating prey is one of the acts of nature. There’s nothing for you to be so concerned about, Eizo.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
I gave an awkward smile. She hadn’t totally answered my question, but if she was fine with it, then I was in no position to question her.
“Wow...” a small voice cried out.
The owner of the voice was small like a doll—she was Gizelle, the chief of the fairies. Diana had cut up the grilled meat into smaller pieces, and the fairy had also stuffed her cheeks with a dainty morsel.
“We don’t usually get to eat food like this,” Gizelle murmured sheepishly as she saw Diana smile at her.
Fairies were small, and they could, at most, trap a rabbit or something. It was no wonder that she rarely ate boar or deer meat. I’d served it to her before in a different dish when she’d visited us, and I was happy to see her enjoying her meal—it made it all worth the effort.
So, why were these two ladies here? Lluisa had dropped by before taking a dip in the hot spring, and Gizelle had come to check and see if we’d tried to contact her. We’d been right in the middle of prepping for dinner, so we’d invited them to join us. At first, Gizelle had held herself back, claiming that she felt bad for intruding on us, but when I’d pointed out that we had plenty of food and her tiny body ate so very little, she’d immediately accepted. Maybe she was actually interested in joining the festivities.
Lluisa, on the other hand, had already made up her mind to join as I’d been explaining that we were preparing for a feast. I’d hardly needed to invite her. Not that I’m complaining, though; she did help us out with some prep work.
The animals were all preparing for the winter. Lluisa had said that she’d come to patrol the area and decided to take a dip in the hot spring along the way. So she claims... Gizelle had also been keeping tabs on the foliage of the forest, and she’d stopped by to see if we’d written anything on the signboard. The odd disease that plagued the fairies hadn’t occurred in a while—Reeja and Deepika were living healthily.
“It’d be best if living creatures didn’t need to take the lives of others to survive, but that’s simply not how nature works,” Gizelle said, smiling like a beautiful doll. “I think it’s quite splendid to see everyone expressing their gratitude to the food that they’re consuming.”
I felt like Gizelle was more fitting to be the master of the Black Forest, but I dared not vocalize such rude remarks. And so, our harvest festival, which included two unexpected and special guests, continued until the flames of the bonfire died down.
⌗⌗⌗
A few days passed, and the stove’s simple design had worked in our favor—we’d finished making all the ones we needed. I’d even managed to line the pipes up so that warm air could be delivered throughout our cabin. A large one sat in the living room (the prototype that we’d made first), and we had one in my room to heat up the guest room. I wasn’t going to subject our guests to the danger of being near fire, of course.
Diana had one in her room that could send warm air to the others—she was the least resilient to the cold. That stove would warm Diana’s, Samya’s, and Rike’s rooms. The other three ladies were used to colder weather, and we’d decided to place one in Anne’s room. Lidy was used to the forest’s climate, and Helen had lived through harsh environments as a mercenary that had toughened her up (not her exact words, but close enough). The empire was colder than this forest, but Anne was a princess, and we agreed that she should enjoy the luxuries. She claimed that she really didn’t mind, but she did have a fireplace back at home. It was best if she used the stove.
Unexpectedly, the stoves all went to people with high ranks, including me since that was my backstory, and one sat in the living room. Diana and Anne seemed quite excited to use their stoves, and I was glad to see it.
However, we couldn’t come to an agreement about providing a stove for Krul and her sisters. Some said that a stove would be too dangerous for them, while others felt bad for subjecting my adorable daughters to the cold. I could understand both sides, but in the end, we decided to not place a stove in their hut. Safety first.
And so, Forge Eizo busily prepared for the upcoming winter. I had to think of a safer way to allow Krul and the others to keep warm, but I was a bit curious and anxious about the winter of this world. As the days passed and the cold drew near, I was excited to welcome a new season.
