TNZKMA 23

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Thus, all I can do is save, I guess. But, I can’t just keep mentioning money to Saine.

 

 

I ask the insect stall uncle in the market.

Can I raise worms at home?

 

It wasn’t possible. I couldn’t raise the worms at home. First of all, raising worms requires a well-ventilated and spacious area. I was told that one worm needs space as wide as our kitchen desk. That’s why the worms I bought immediately weaken. It was too cramped inside the pouch. Worms appear to be raised by beast farmers. 

And here I thought that once I finish raising the worms, the bill for oil would float. It can’t be helped. Let’s buy it normally and cook.

 

Today’s vegetable is nari, a cucumber look-alike, and ras (bird meat).

I ended up buying it again, ras. This bird meat is really delicious. On my vegetable dishes, I’ve eaten other meats like pork, beef, and lamb, but I choose ras in the end.

The market price for bird meat ranges from 7 ales to 12 ales. This ras is 10 ales for a portion for two people. The pork is cheaper and even if I don’t buy that, there is also another bird meat worth 7 ales. This one is a bird called roupe*. If I’m going to economize then it’s definitely the pork. But the ras’ deliciousness is hard to resist. (TN: * – silent ‘e’)

I feel a bit guilty so I bought ras for 1.5 persons. With this, it’s 8 ales. I saved 2 ales more than usual.

 

I decided to go home and cut some firewood. It’s for today’s and tomorrow’s kindling for the bath.

After making two day’s worth of firewood, there would be no more logs to turn into kindling. Let’s buy some tomorrow. Because I went to the Reincarnators Association and Men’s Club successively, I no longer had any time to buy logs. The logs are apparently in the South-East section’s market.

It’s that market. Will I be able to walk while carrying some logs in that market? In the first place, how many pieces of logs can I carry?

I can’t do anything even if I worry about it. If I wasn’t able to carry it all at once, I could just divide it into 2-3 times. It takes around 1 hour to walk from the house to the South-East Section’s market. A round trip is 2 hours. Although it seems to be far, I don’t mind doing it every day.

 

I swing the ax to cut the firewood. The firewood makes a nice *plonk* sound and gets divided…… that would have been an ideal scenario, but the reality isn’t that sweet. Every time, the only thing that rips off is the bark. Hmm, it’s difficult. I always miss my aim. 

I switched into a small ax and split the firewood. But without splitting, the ax got stuck into the wood with a *kosu* sound. I affix the ax’s blade on the log and, *kosu kosu kosu kosu*, I swing downward. 

But the log is so heavy that even if I hold the handle of the ax with both hands, I can only lift it around 5 cm. Ahh, this is hopeless. I couldn’t make a decent firewood today as well.

I couldn’t even pull out the ax that was still stuck on the wood so I just blankly sat down on the ground. Ugh, I’m tired. Even though I haven’t finished one yet. I should have stripped of the husk without being greedy. It would have been better if I peeled it off the edge.

 

[Move.]

 

A voice suddenly came down and Saine was standing there when I looked up surprised.

This guy is always so abrupt. There’s no presence at all. Or rather, aren’t you early today, sir?

 

[Y, You’re back?]

 

The sky’s still blue. There is no sign of sunset, nor the time to prepare dinner. What’s going on, you’re early. I was about to say so and hurriedly covered my mouth. This sentence is dangerous. I don’t know why, but an alarm rings in the corner of my mind.

When Saine grabbed the ax that’s still stuck on the wood and raised it over his head with one hand, he split the firewood immediately. Ohh, amazing~. Then he switched to the big ax that I persistently tried to lift and swiftly and efficiently produced firewood.

In an instant, all the logs at home transformed into firewood. Their thickness is also the same, making it easy to pile up.

 

[Wow! Amazing!]

 

The work was so skillful that I was honestly impressed. I clap my hands and praise him. When Saine turned back to look at me in such a state, he only humphed and returned to the house. I piled up the firewood Saine split in the usual houseroom. 

Saine, who I thought went back inside the house, came out to the garden again. He’s holding several logs from who knows where. And then, he swings the ax again. They also split swiftly and easily this time as well. I was moved and clapped again. Splitting all the new logs, Saine swung the ax.

 

[You’re amazing! I used both hands and still wasn’t able to properly lift that ax up, you know?]

 

My arms were trembling while I was holding it with both hands, and I couldn’t lift it up as Saine did. Saine was lightly handling that heavy ax, with just a hand.

In chopping firewood, I think it’s better to have good muscles in the back and arms. If I do it every day then I will probably learn to do it properly, and I should also gain some muscles. I also got used to drawing water, after all.

When I also tried to pile up the firewood Saine newly chopped, I was stopped by a big hand.

 

[You don’t need to do those. They’re for the elder next door.]

 

Upon saying that, Saine carried the firewood and left the garden.

Elder? Who is that elder? By next door, does he mean our neighbor? So our neighbor was an elder?

Or should I say, why is he chopping woods for the neighbor? Is it out of kindness? Makes sense, I was staggering and couldn’t chop them, an elder even more so. Saine might be a taciturn guy but he’s quite kind.

When I return to the house after drawing water for cooking, Saine has already come back.

 

[So our neighbor was an elder? I had no idea.]

 

I’ve been living here for a few days, but I haven’t seen anyone when I went to both sides for a greeting.

 

[Yeah.]

 

Saine replied with a word. Even if it’s just a single word, he used his mouth to reply. (TN: Dude… I’m really getting sad for this guy. Just how lonely has he been?)

 

[Saine, you’re so kind. You don’t talk much but you keep an eye on a lot of things. Yeah, you’re amazing. I couldn’t even cut a single log yet you managed to do it so swiftly and easily. To top it off, you even chop some for the neighbor. You’re really awesome.]

 

It would have taken me many days to make that amount. Besides, with how I currently am, I will only be stacking up wooden husks instead of firewood. Even if I were given flimsy woods, it would probably inconvenience the elderly next door.

Even if he easily made it, strength was still there. Each time Saine swung the ax, his muscles would shift fittingly. Despite him making it so simple, it may not be physically easy. Also, there are people who always procrastinate. In that respect, Saine is amazing. Because he makes ours and the neighbor’s share as well. 

 

Although I was only summoned through the ceremony, I think I hit the jackpot. Saine is quite a nice guy.

 

I’ve come to know Saine a bit, and I’ve slightly gotten used to him as well. I know that I don’t have to be unnecessarily scared of him. He’s quiet and may look a bit scary, but I think he’s amiable as long as you don’t step on his landmine. 

Looking at Saine, I giggled. Saine was looking at me, who was preparing our meal with a smile, with a complicated and seemingly angry face.

I was scared for a moment thinking that he’d scold me, but Saine didn’t say anything and left the room. He walks through the corridor and out to the garden. I could hear the sound of water from the door that was left open.

When I went to peek, he was washing his face. Speaking of which, I did think that his face was red earlier. Saine is easily sunburnt. That reddish-brown face suddenly turned red.

 

Does he have a fever? I’m worried but Saine doesn’t seem to want to be fussed about so I’ll just secretly wait and see. 

He’s washing his face so vigorously that it made me want to ask if he’s watering the garden with how much splashing he’s making. Hmm. He looks energetic, oh well, whatever. A bit relieved, I returned to the house.