The evening was even more hectic. Our beloved fireplace had gone out.
We had not realized that the firewood had burned out while we were preoccupied with strawberries, Reikart, and the potato sprouts. Thick raindrops were hitting the window that was opened for ventilation.
“I can’t live like this!”
Bellflower berated me for forgetting to add more firewood. Holding a flint in my hand, I stood there dumbfounded.
“This can’t be…”
How hard I tried to try living in this castle when I first came. The dark energy, which was purified with just a touch of a hand, was no obstacle. What we needed most was fire and food.
The castle had been abandoned for more than 100 years, and there was nothing left to use.
Imagine my delight when I found a flint in the kitchen storeroom after struggling for days to get a stick to light a fire like I had seen in a documentary.
Of course, just because we had flint didn’t mean we could just start a fire; it took skill, and after another few days of struggle, we barely managed to get the embers going.
We decided to keep an eye on the fire, and at first we took turns getting up every two hours to add firewood. We couldn’t go far for fear of it going out.
It was a life worse than a caveman’s.
What a joy it would be if we learned how to keep the embers alive with just the right amount of air!
But neither of us could get the timing right; the embers went out more often. Even arguments about passing responsibilities to one another occurred.
So it was only a few days ago that I loudly announced that I was going to take over while he farmed.
“You’re not doing anything right!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Besides going out and purifying the contamination, what do you know, Miss Hailey? Why do I always do housework alone? You can’t keep a fire, you can’t farm, you can’t cook, you can’t tell what’s edible, you can’t fix the house!”
“I can put it back on. Stop nagging.”
“But the rain soaked it in! What are you going to do?”
“I’ll light it somewhere else! I might bleed from my ears!”
Even as I gathered up the dried leaves and moved on, the bellflower’s nagging didn’t end.
He worried about how I would survive in this harsh world without him, fearing I might starve alone.
I can’t tell if he likes me or hates me.
“Oh, goodness.”
In my opinion, creating sparks with flint was purely luck. Some days it sparked after only a few tries; other days it wouldn’t even if I tried it from morning to night.
I held the flint in both hands and slammed it down on the leaves as hard as I could.
Please spark.
“I’ve heard that when you strike the right spark against well-dried leaves, it can catch embers and produce a puff of smoke.”
Why is it not working again? Is it because it’s raining?
It didn’t work, no matter how many times I tried. At this point, my anger at Hailey and those who had stolen her mana surged.
No, dumping her here was a good thing. Throwing her in the canyon was a good thing, too, because I succeeded in purifying the dark energy.
But this isn’t right. Shouldn’t I at least be able to use my magic to make matches? How can people be so cruel?
It was then.
Reikart approached and asked.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m making a fire. Can’t you see?”
“You’re not trying to start a fire with those two stones, are you?”
“Why? I’ve succeeded sometimes.”
“…….”
He was silent for a moment. He seemed to have something to say, but he didn’t say it at all.
“Get up.”
Reikart knelt down on one knee in front of me and pulled a short knife, about a foot long, from his sword scabbard.
Holding it in his hand, he removed the back of the handle and flicked the blade across the ground, creating an ember.
Pop.
He succeeded in one go.
A crisp ember landed on the leaves I’d gathered, and a wisp of white smoke quickly rose. He made another rough pile of leaves on top of it, covered it, and blew into it with his mouth.
The fire was on.
Reikart looked at me with a face, asking if it was enough. But my eyes were on his knife, not him.
“Where did you get that?”
“This?”
Reikart said, raising an eyebrow.
“A blacksmith shop or general store? I’ve heard they sometimes sell them at traveler’s inns.”
“Is it expensive?”
“No.”
“Magic… is that what it is?”
“It would be expensive if there’s fire magic on it.”
It’s not even magic, but it makes good embers.
I want to have it. I want it.
“If it’s because of that fireplace, why not buy a magic brazier that can keep the embers burning semi-permanently? This is for traveling, not for living.”
“Is there such a thing?”
A magic brazier!
It was a fascinating word, and if I had one, I wouldn’t miss my stove or oven. Yes, this is a world where people live, so there must be civilized things somewhere.
There’s nothing left in this damn old castle, so I’ve been living like a caveman all this time.
When the sun rises, that’s east; when the sun sets, that’s west. I can’t remember when the candles ran out. I woke up at sunrise and went to bed at sunset.
Ha, magic brazier.
What a sexy word.
Before I knew it, Reikart had moved the embers to the old brazier and was stoking the fire. My fairy smiled at him—a benevolent smile that could not be contained.
He asked him.
“Would you like some strawberries?”
Reikart’s arrival has made a huge difference in our lives.
For the past year, we had been solely focused on purification and survival, so someone from the outside showing the advantages of civilization was a tremendous point of interest for both me and Bellflower.
The dried meat that came out of his pocket was surprisingly delicious, unlike anything we had seen. In a place where there was no seasoning except for rock salt and herbs, the meat marinated in sweet seasoning was a delicacy.
There was even powder to mix with water and drink. It wasn’t coffee; it wasn’t tea, but it was delicious nonetheless.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
We needed civilization.
“Whether you came on horseback or in a wagon, you must have come because there’s a road, right? Did you have company? Did you hide a horse or wagon somewhere out there?”
“I came alone.”
“There must be a shortcut somewhere, which is why this human was found not completely contaminated! If we can clean up that shortcut, it’s not impossible for us to go out to the city!”
“There’s no such thing as a shortcut…”
Reikart was of no help to me or Bellflower’s scrubbing. He just stared at us with that expressionless face, repeatedly saying he didn’t know.
I was irritated.
“Do you think I’ll cut you some slack because of memory loss? How many strawberries did you eat earlier? If we starve to death before the potatoes grow because of you, will you take responsibility? I saved your life, and this is how you screw people over?”
“That’s not it.”
“Be quiet, Miss Hailey; you’re the reason he can’t talk properly!”
“Why is it my fault?”
Reikart only stared at me as I and Bellflower bickered and fought.
It seemed like this guy was definitely imprinted on me. As I was thinking that, he pulled something out of his vest pocket and held it out.
“What’s this?”
“A map.”
“A map?”
“Yeah. See this marking here? I think this is the castle you live in….”
What do you mean by a map? My eyes opened wide.
“Give it to me!”
I snatched the map and spread it out on the floor, but Bellflower smacked me on the head, and he apologized to Reikart on my behalf.
“I’m sorry. Hailey hasn’t had any flour in a long time, so she’s out of her mind. Look at her forearms; see how skinny they are?”
“It’s all right.”
“We need seeds so we can start farming, and there’s very little available here. Now that we have a map, we can head in the direction of the city and buy wheat seeds, pepper, and sugar….”
That’s not the point right now.
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“I don’t know how to read a map.”
If I knew this would happen, I’d have taken camping as a hobby. I don’t even drive a car without a navigator.
I took my head off the map, and Reikart blinked his eyes slowly.
“I can read.”
“You know?”
“Yes.”
“Then… do you know how to ride a horse?”
“Of course.”
“Can you drive a carriage?”
“Yes.”
Reikart couldn’t help but laugh. It was a fleeting laugh.
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Slow updates! Very, very slow…
Thank you for translationa!