TNZKMA Chapter 17

If you find any mistakes, please do kindly and gently tell me. ^_^

 

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It’s wonderful to wake up in the morning sun. It’s great that I cleaned up the storage room. I breathe in a chest-full of the refreshing early morning air and stretch myself.

 

Putting off the folding of the futon for later, I go out to the garden bringing the wooden spatula and small plate. It’s so nice leaving the futon like that and not getting stepped on. Truly, cleaning is something that should be done.

 

I woke up earlier than Saine this morning. Squatting in front of the perspiring rock, I collect the salt.

 

It’s probably unnecessary to collect it everyday, but as I thought, I want to sun-dry it for one day and it’s not an assurance that I collect some everyday.What if rain falls? Well, there are a lot of circumstances that could happen so it’s best to collect it whenever I can.

 

As I innocently scrubbed the the stone’s surface, Saine woke up. He stared intently at me then washed his face. I tried saying good morning, but he replied a short ‘M’ comment. For once, he replied. Well, whatever.

 

I took as much as I can so it can make a small mountain on the small plate and stretch my waist. It hurts a little. While making a crackling sound, I look up towards the sky.

 

In here, although it’s pitch dark in the evening because there are no stars or moon, the sun is bright during the day. Usually, we can’t see the moon and stars hidden by the clouds, but the sky during the day is so clear that not even a single cloud can be seen, that’s how the weather always is.

 

I wonder if there are no stars and moon from the start. Somehow, that’s a bit disappointing. I feel like I liked watching the stars in the night sky.

 

I transfer the salt I dried yesterday from the platter to the small bottle. In its place, I spread today’s portion to the platter.

 

Although the freshly taken salt stinks, its smell disappeared once it’s dried. Or rather, it became fragrant. It’s a savory, or rather, a sweet smell.

 

I’m so glad I sun-dried it.

 

Saine already went out when I returned to the room.

 

I wonder where he goes every single day? I also feel like asking him, but I don’t want to step on a landmine. I don’t know where Saine’s bottom line is.

 

At times that I don’t understand, I must sound out the other party’s attitude and move with caution.

 

I add a pinch of salt to 1 egg, and scramble it with a fork. I place 2 worms in the stone mortar and crush them. I still can’t open my eyes. I grind my molars while crushing them.

 

Should I make a memorial for the worms? Even though we’re eating bird meat everyday, my apologies for the worms is strong. As I thought, it’s different when I kill them with my own hands.

 

Putting the worm oil in the sauce pan on the stove, I will put in the scrambled egg once it’s heated up. Stir it with a wooden spoon and breakfast is ready. I’m at the point where I am wanting bread for breakfast, but I will not ask for a luxury.

 

I eat the pseudo-scrambled egg while drinking water.

 

Although I wanted to clean the house today, there was no broom in this house. I didn’t find one when I finished with the storage room either, so we probably don’t have it. Let’s look for a broom in the market.

 

In the intersection of the Go board, I heard that there’s a public square at center. I have never been there. The center’s square is pretty wide and the grannies said that there’s a water fountain in the middle. The roads start from there.

 

The roads first extend in every direction. This road has a wide breadth. That makes it the main road, so to speak. If the width of the roads other than the main roads are 1, then these main roads’ width will be 3.

 

The road’s width was strictly decided, and every road has the same width everywhere.

 

By the way, it’s also the same in the dwelling areas. The closer you approach the square, the dwellings become richer. I heard that it’s about 5 times the area of Saine’s house.

 

The town is divided by 4 main roads and split into east, west, north, and south.

 

On top of being divided by the main roads, it was sectioned into east, west, north, and south. The place I live in is in the east-east section.

 

Where the Reincarnators Association is at is the north-east section. The Men’s Club is at the south-east section. The markets in the east are in the north-east and south-east sections.

 

There are 2 markets in the east section, but I always go to the north-east side. The Men’s Club may be in the south-east section, but the location is closer to the center of the east section.

 

From Allec’s house which the Men’s Club is at, the north-east market is closer than the south-east one.

 

But today, I’m going to the south-east market.

 

 

There are lots of stalls in the north-east section. Of course there are also greengrocers and meat stores, but the foundations are stalls. Similar-looking young men and uncles are selling similar-looking dishes. In other words, similar restaurants are lined up continuously.

 

I heard that there are a lot of miscellaneous goods in the south-east section. Such as pots and rice bowls, things like that. It would be nice if they have brooms, but it’s probably better to make it depending on the price. I wonder if I make it, a broom.

 

A small space to leave the town and going to the fields is a vacant land. I don’t know why but a vacant land that looks like a buffer appears. Because weeds grow thickly in this plot of land, I may just be able to get my hands on the broom’s materials.

 

It was a 1 hour walk from the house towards the south-east market. As long as my biological clock is not mistaken, however. When you only have one egg for breakfast, you’re going to get tired. I look at the shops while my stomach grumbles.

 

Just as the grannies were saying, there are a lot of miscellaneous goods. Stone mortars and wooden pestles, plates, and spoons, there are also things like axes, swords, bows and spears.

 

There was also a casting pot that looked heavy. I want it. If I had this, I can boil rice. Perhaps, even the stove. The pot is worth 1000 ale. It’s too expensive that I give up.

 

I can’t quite find a broom. Do the people here don’t clean?

 

I also want a scoop if possible, but there are only sizes used by professionals. If I’m going to cultivate the garden then such size may be enough, but it’s expensive. It’s the same 1000 ale as the pot.

 

I wonder if I can use the ax at home as a substitute.

 

Wandering aimlessly, I finally found a broom. But, it’s 700 ale. It’s expensive, the broom. Isn’t it just the same as the pot?

 

I asked if there’s a cheaper one but the young man only silently scowled at me.

 

I continuously worry in front of the 700 ale broom.

 

It’s too expensive. As eating out once that costs 10 ale, that’s 70 servings. Uhmmm. As I thought, let’s just make it.

 

Don’t you just have to collect a bundle of silver grass-look-a-like and tie them together with a rope? It’s also fine for the handle to be a wooden stick. If it’s rope then I have one at home. As for the stick, let’s try asking Allec. Allec’s husband is a lumberjack.

 

Saying my farewell to the 700 ale broom, I head to the outskirts of the town.

 

Unlike the north-east section’s market, this market doesn’t smell like food. There are probably only a few food stalls. But there are lots of people. Is it because there are many curio shops, people crowd despite the time.

The closest vacant land from here was the south-east section’s outskirts.

 

The one I went to before was the north-east section’s outskirts past the ranches. Although the place is different, the town’s structures are mostly the same. I don’t know who decided that, but the town was made with clear rules.

 

So maybe, I will probably reach the same vacant land when I leave from here.

 

My stomach rumbled.

 

In reality, I was thinking that I will return to the house and eat the remaining egg for lunch after buying the broom in the market, but I head towards the vacant land alone. Let’s eat the egg for dinner.

 

It’s saving up a little.

 

The market is crowded. I can’t walk straight.

 

As for the professions that need to use tools like these, it will be most of the men in this town . In other words, almost all people come to this market to buy the tools they need for their job.

 

There was also a blacksmith inside the market. It seems this place will fix things that can be easily fixed. Beside the blacksmith was the  grinder. Should I bring our kitchen knife here?

 

The men in this world are huge. Their arms are also thick. Whether they’re haggling or attracting customers, high-spirited shouting can be heard everywhere.

 

Since my height only reaches up to their chest, I’m literally being jostled. It smells too much  like men and that it’s suffocating, I can’t move forward with just a little squeeze.

 

I’m so glad there’s an ingredients store on the other side. If I had been coming to this market everyday, I would have probably gotten crushed to death.

 

‘Ugigii’, ‘muguguu’, I slip between men after men and move on forward. Somehow, it’s weird. Even though I’m also a man, why do I have to struggle like this?

 

By the time my breath is in disarray, thick arms entered close to my field of vision. Soon after I thought, ‘Huh?’, a log-like arm approaches my face.

 

Over there, although he just swung it a bit, it will be as if a club is flying towards me. I tried to evade it but there are only men who wouldn’t even budge an inch on my sides and behind me.

 

As I can’t even crouch, I tightly close my eyes and prepare for the impact.

 

[……. gh!]

 

I couldn’t even raise my arms due to the large number of people and only closed my eyes while waiting for the crash, but there was nothing. When I slowly opened my eyes, an arm from behind me was holding the club in front of me.