All right! After sleeping plenty and eating a good meal, I’m full of energy again, so today too it’s back to woodworking skill for comb-making!
I already made the rotary saw last night!
I couldn’t sleep thinking about it otherwise! I threw a little tantrum at Shion when she tried to put me to bed, so I quickly made it and quickly went to sleep!
Man, the rotary blade really is a wonderful invention!
It’s super convenient, but……
「Kuaaaaah! This is so haaaard!!!」
This time I’m making a finishing comb with very narrow gaps between the teeth.
The spaces are so tight that both sawing the slots and filing them are way too difficult!
I made the rotary saw blade ultra-thin, so cutting the initial slots became easy, but the filing part…… the balance between strength and fineness is incredibly delicate and precise……
「Of course it gets harder the more teeth you add. And you…… yesterday’s had about forty teeth, today’s has over seventy. That alone makes it tougher. And on top of that…… splitting the board for inlaying is still way too early for you.」
「Well, I figured I might as well go for a luxurious feel……」
I wanted to embed a gem as an accent on the handle.
But it just wasn’t working out, so I cut the wood sideways, carved a slot, and sandwiched the gem in so it wouldn’t fall out.
Thanks to the rotary saw magic tool, splitting the wood cleanly into two halves was easy, and clamping the gem in place kept it secure!
Still…… with the teeth so fine and close together it’s already hard, and since it’s an inlay, not even a single strand of hair’s worth of gap is allowed, so it’s insanely difficult!
「Ugh…… I can’t do it as well as the boss……」
「How many years do you think I’ve been doing this? This much is normal. Besides, you’re improving a lot faster than average, so stop aiming so high already.」
Well, yeah, maybe that’s true……
But still, the boss picked up the rotary saw I made for the first time and used it effortlessly, didn’t he?
Hmmm…… the boss really is amazing.
Even the things he casually tosses and catches while working turn out better than what I’m aiming for. Experience really does make the difference, huh.
「The idea itself isn’t bad. Embedding a gem is very alchemist-like for you. But when it comes to skill, there’s no shortcut except steady practice.」
「Yeah…… you’re right……」
「By the way, this thing is really handy. Mind if I keep it?」
The boss tapped the rotary saw magic tool with light pokes.
He had said he had no interest in making combs anymore, but after watching me work with this magic tool, curiosity got the better of him. He started making one himself and, in no time at all, produced a comb far better than anything I had managed.
He worked swiftly, and the result was so much finer than mine that I could only admire his skill.
「Well, all right……」
「Oh. Thanks a lot.」
I can always recreate it later with 『Experience Circle』 anyway. And seeing it made with my own eyes only drove home how incredible a woodworker the boss truly is. If this is repayment for all the teaching he’s given me, then I’m happy to let him have it.
Still…… what should I do now?
I could just accept the one the boss made.
Even though he said it was excellent and I could do whatever I wanted with it, I’ve come this far, and part of me still wants to make it myself.
But…… honestly, after watching him work right in front of me, I don’t feel confident I can surpass what he just produced.
My goal is still to prepare a truly special comb worthy of a nine-tailed fox’s tail……
That said, I have the whole day to keep trying, so I might as well push myself as far as I can…… Hm?
「Hey, boss. What are those for?」
There were thin branches stacked together. At first I thought they might be for making chopsticks because of the length, but next to them were pieces of the same wood, processed much more finely and piled up.
「Hm? Oh, those are brush trees. They’re interesting. You roll the branches between your palms like this, and they unravel into finer strands. They get really delicate yet tough. The suppleness is great, and the strength is impressive too. Plus, just like real animal-hair brushes, the fur doesn’t snag, so they’re easy to use.」
「Huh…… So you can make brushes with those?」
「Yeah. It takes a lot of detailed work, though. No need for sawing teeth, and I think you could manage it now.」
I see. True to the name, they’re for making brushes……
I had actually been thinking that combs alone might not be enough for proper tail care.
Brushing…… there’s even a word for it, so they must be perfect for grooming.
「……Brush-making sounds interesting too.」
「Hm? Then should I handle the comb? This magic tool got me motivated again. Might as well make another one. It’s a great tool, I want to get the hang of it quickly.」
Yeah, I think you’ve already mastered it pretty well, though?
Or rather, if you’re suddenly so motivated, you could just make them all yourself, you know?
Mine isn’t bad, I think…… but compared to the boss’s……
I’ve started to get interested in the woodworking skill itself, but I have to admit I’m still way too lacking in experience right now……
I’ve grasped the basics, so if I keep making things from now on, I’ll probably improve steadily. But this time it’s urgent, so it can’t be helped…… I keep gathering excuses to convince myself, but it’s still frustrating……
「Right. Since we’re making it anyway, I’ll borrow some gems too.」
「Feel free to use whatever you like. If you need processing, just say the word.」
「Got it! All right, things are getting interesting now!」
The inlay work and the magic tool boosted his motivation, huh……
Mine’s dropped a little, though……
No, no. Switch gears, switch gears.
If I can make a good brush, it might even work for grooming Kukuri-sama’s tail.
「Hold on. First, teach me the tricks for making brushes.」
「Sure. I’ll show you once, then do the rest yourself.」
And so, I left the comb-making to the boss and switched to brush-making. I’ll make use of what I learned from comb work and give it my best.
All right. First, unravel the brush trees, then trim them to the right length.
Next, use a comb to remove any broken or short pieces, clean them up, and line them neatly.
Make two identical pieces for the body, and on one of them, drill holes for inserting the brush trees.
Insert the cleaned brush trees halfway into the holes, thread binding wire through the looped ends, and tie them securely to the body so they won’t come loose.
Repeat the process, matching lengths, until every hole has a brush tree tied in place. Then stack the second body piece on top and secure it with short decorative nails.
Finally, use the woodworking skill to smooth everything out and hide the seams where the pieces join…… and it’s done.
『Brush Tree Brush Fur Gloss (Inferior)』
……Well, for a first try, this is about what I expected.
Fur gloss inferior…… it doesn’t mean it degrades over time, right?
It’s probably like potions, just a weaker effect, yeah?
This really is pretty rough work.
It’s definitely not worthy of being used on the fox shrine maiden-sama’s tail.
Combs are probably better suited for smaller tails with less fur volume, while brushes work well for fluffy, thick ones, right? For the final touch, maybe the comb is still better in both cases.
Hmm…… When I tried it, the brush tree’s hardness and sharpness made it sting a little against the skin.
I’ll keep making brush trees too, of course, but next I’ll try changing the approach a bit.
First, I’ll make the pins out of metal and round off the tips.
This should reduce the pain against the skin while still providing just the right stimulation to feel even better.
It might improve blood flow too, helping keep the tail healthy.
「Hou…… So you used metal pins with rounded tips. But if you’re doing the whole thing like that, won’t it take way too much time?」
「When it’s for the tail, I won’t skimp on effort. So, boss, about the gems?」
「Yeah. Sorry to ask, but can you do it? Same shape as this one, two of them.」
「Round brilliant cut on diamonds…… Got it.」
「This shape is incredible. Just changing the cut makes the sparkle so different. Impressive work.」
「It’s something from my original world, though…… All right, this should do……」
「That was fast. As expected of a pro.」
「Well, when it comes to this kind of thing, yeah.」
Gem processing is something I’ve done countless times as an alchemist, after all.
I’m used to it, so I can work at a decent speed.
That said, round brilliant cuts are still one of the more difficult types……
One slight difference in angle, and the brilliance disappears completely.
I process the gems exactly as the boss instructed, showing him my progress along the way.
Polishing each pin carefully and rounding the tips really does take effort, but since the number isn’t as high as a comb’s teeth, it’s manageable.
Still, I can’t make one just for the fox shrine maiden-sama and leave out sets for Sorte and the others, so I’ll need to make a few more.
After that, smooth out the body…… I actually kind of like this part.
Thanks to the woodworking skill, just stroking it acts like a file, which is convenient, but I can’t help wishing I could use 『Experience Circle』 here too.
Ah, wait, pins I can make.
A multi-copy might work fine.
All right, pins are done. Next is the wooden body with woodworking.
The body is simple: make two pieces, drill holes in one of them. This much I should be able to do quickly.
「……Honestly, it’s hard to believe you only started woodworking yesterday. That growth is unreal.」
「Probably because I’ve been training my fine work with alchemy all along. I don’t mind detailed tasks.」
「Maybe so. Yeah, let’s go with that, otherwise the apprentices will get depressed if I don’t say it that way.」
Thanks to the woodworking skill reaching level 3 by the end of yesterday, I can now file with much finer control and adjust my magic power more precisely.
In just one day……!? Everyone was so shocked, and the newest apprentice, who’s only at level 2, looked really down. I feel bad about that.
So yeah, it’s probably better to just say it’s because of my alchemy background. That explanation works out best for everyone.
Maybe the title 『Creationist』 is having some effect too, but I have no idea if it even applies here……
Come to think of it, my alchemy leveled up quickly back then too, and I didn’t have 『Creationist』 at the time. It’s still a mystery……
My cooking skill is completely stuck at level 1 and probably won’t budge anymore, so maybe I just have unusually high aptitude for alchemy and woodworking……
Well, there’s no downside to skills leveling up, so for now I’ll stop worrying and focus on brush-making.
「Master. Boss. How about we take a break for lunch soon?」
「Huh? Already that time?」
I started working first thing in the morning, but yeah, judging by how hungry I am, it really is lunchtime.
The workshop is indoors, so I didn’t notice how late it had gotten.
「Yeah, I’m starving. Perfect timing too. I’ll go eat what the landlady’s group made. Let’s pick back up after we’re done.」
「Right…… See you later then.」
Good stopping point, and breaks are important anyway.
Now then, what’s for lunch today?
「Fufu. I put extra effort into today’s meal, so please eat plenty.」
「Ah, right. Wendy and Aina didn’t have to go anywhere today?」
「Y-Yeah…… We went around and saw a lot yesterday.」
「Yes. Today’s lunch uses some of the ingredients we bought then, so I hope you enjoy it.」
Oh, Wendy’s homemade cooking with Amatsukuni ingredients.
Yes, yes. Wonderful.
Tamagoyaki, grilled fish, dressed vegetables, simmered dishes, pickles…… no miso soup, but there’s clear soup, and best of all, onigiri!
And some of them even have nori wrapped properly!
「All right, itadakimasu!」
What should I start with?
Probably the plain salted onigiri without nori first?
「!」
「Mmm…… The workshop gets hot, so a nice salty onigiri really hits the spot!」
As soon as it entered my mouth, the rice crumbled softly, the saltiness surged and quickened my appetite, and in the end the salt stood out even more while a pleasant sweetness from the rice lingered on my tongue.
The salt soaked right into my sweat-drenched body!
And the way it was gripped was absolutely perfect!
「Delicious!」
「……R-Really? That’s…… good to hear……」
「Hm? Wait, did Aina make these onigiri?」
「Y-Yeah…… Um, Shion taught me yesterday……」
「I see, I see! They’re really tasty! The salt level is just right for how sweaty I am right now!」
「I see. You were sweating a lot yesterday too, so I added just a little extra salt. I’m glad it worked……」
Aina’s tense expression finally softened. She let out a relieved breath and gave a gentle, reassured smile.
Aina’s onigiri, huh…… Yeah. They really are delicious!
I could eat as many as she made!
「Ufufu. Aina-san worked really hard, after all.」
「Yeah. Thanks to Shion and Wendy. Hey, you two should eat too. I made plenty!」
「Yes! Itadakimasu! Chomp…… Mmm. Hehe, Aina-san, these are delicious.」
「Really! Having Wendy’s approval makes me so happy! From now on, please call me whenever you make onigiri!」
「Yes. I’ll be in your care when that time comes.」
Wendy and the others’ portions were in separate containers, probably with normal salt levels.
And the ones wrapped in nori…… oh, bonito flakes and soy sauce…… in other words, okaka!
Of course! Delicious!
This one…… umeboshi! Classic! Love it!!
「Chomp…… Mmm! Ahh, so good! Shion, you should eat soon too, you know?」
「No…… I’m…… ugh. For now, I don’t want to look at rice, so I’ll just have the sides……」
Shion picked up a piece of tamagoyaki as she spoke, but she didn’t bring it to her mouth.
In the end, she only sipped a little of the clear soup, clasped her hands together, and said thank you for the meal.
Did she eat too many snacks while out or something?
Well, I’ve been focused on comb-making, so she can do whatever she wants.
Ahh, the onigiri are delicious. The sides are great too, of course.
With this, I’ll be full of energy and ready to tackle the afternoon work!
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