Chapter 8

It was the morning of the third day after transferring to a different world.

This morning, I was indulging in the luxury of eating grilled meat.

In my previous life, mornings were mostly about rushing to work, being jostled in crowded trains, and making do with a hastily prepared onigiri or bread for breakfast.

But in this different world, the environment has changed so much that I can leisurely enjoy grilled meat in the morning. The change in environment has brought about a significant change in my life.

As I savored the deer's loin, just like last night, I couldn't help but reflect on how much things have changed.

However, it's still too much to eat alone.

Even just a part of the loin is a considerable amount.

If I keep nibbling, the other meats will go bad before I finish. I could preserve them with salt, but I don't have any.

It's clear that I won't be able to finish everything, but I'll try not to waste it for the sake of the deer.

While eating the loin, I boiled water in a pot and added some neck and thigh meat.

Cooking them this way should make them less likely to spoil compared to raw meat.

Still, there's a lot of meat left. There's just too much meat for one person.

"Then, I'll make the rest into jerky."

There was a smokehouse next to the hunter's house.

With my power, I can easily build a smokehouse and grow the wood needed for smoking.

That seems like the best option.

Once I decided, I immediately took action. After finishing breakfast, I went to the back of the house.

I planted a tree a little away from the dismantling shed and built a smokehouse.

It was a simple structure, so it was done in no time.

However, I was a bit worried about using fire in the center, as everything was made of wood.

"Can you get some stones for me?"

When I asked, the golem brought the stones it had cut yesterday.

I placed the stones around the fire area.

This should prevent the fire from spreading if it gets too big.

Normally, I would create tiers like shelves and lay nets, but since I don't have such convenient things, I'll hang the meat from the ceiling.

I grew sturdy vines from above, tied them to the deer meat, and hung them.

Then, I grew the wood for smoking on the center part of the floor.

It seemed to be a type of broadleaf tree with a strong scent, similar to cherry blossoms.

I transformed my divine tool into a hatchet and started cutting the wood into smoking chips.

I couldn't cut them without the hatchet, but the golem could crush them with its fingers.

Your strength is really reliable. I might end up being a freeloader.

Before long, the smoking chips were ready, and I lit the fire in the smokehouse, making sure it wouldn't catch fire.

This time, I won't salt or air-dry the meat. I just need to smoke it for about half a day.

Still, I'm a bit worried about the homemade smokehouse catching fire.

"Can you keep an eye on this smokehouse for a while? If it catches fire, let me know immediately."

To be safe, I asked the golem to watch the smokehouse.

With the smokehouse left to the golem, I moved to the field.

The crops seemed to be growing faster due to the blessing, and weeds were also sprouting.

Weeding is a tedious task, but with the blessing of the plant god, it's easy to interfere with plants.

I waved my staff, and the weeds in the field were pushed out and removed.

All I had to do was collect them in a basket and dispose of them. The tedious and time-consuming task was done in no time.

After weeding, I checked the crops.

The growth of the Gravel Apples and Pink Cherries was slight, probably because they take a long time to grow.

However, even a day's growth is impressive due to the blessing.

The mountain vegetables like Udo, Uryu, Fuki, Kogomi, and Zenmai were visibly growing.

I could see the plants increasing in number and new sprouts appearing.

If I keep increasing them, I can harvest them without hesitation.

The olive fruits, which were just sprouts, were now growing leaves.

If they keep growing, they should bear fruit soon.

After checking the crops, I decided to cultivate a new field.

I'll probably bring back seedlings of mountain vegetables and fruits from the forest, so it's best to prepare now.

I planted a tree at a 5m x 5m location, transformed my divine tool into a hoe, and started plowing.

While plowing, I started to feel hungry.

Is the smokehouse the golem is watching okay?

I interrupted my work and went to check the smokehouse.

The golem was staring intently at the smokehouse, faithfully following my instructions.

The smokehouse seemed to be working fine.

◆

After lunch, I resumed cultivating the field.

I silently worked with the hoe, softening the soil.

Working alone, I realized how much the golem had helped me last time.

It took me almost a whole day to do what the two of us could have done in half a day.

"Well, how's the smoking going?"

With the new row successfully completed, I moved to the smokehouse where the golem was.

After smoking since morning, it should be in good condition.

"Thanks for watching. I'll open the door now."

I opened the door, and heat and smoke came out.

The scent of the wood and the smoked meat filled the air.

After leaving the door open for a while to let the heat escape, I went inside.

The room was filled with the scent of smoked meat. The deer meat hanging from the ceiling had turned brown.

It was well done, thanks to the proper smoking time.

There was a slight smoky smell, but it should settle down after drying.

I made sure to put out the fire inside and, with the golem's help, moved the smoked meat to the house.

I placed the smoked meat in a shady spot. This helps the flavor settle and the scent to mellow.

If I let it dry overnight, it should be delicious by tomorrow.

"A bit smoky."

The smell of smoke had clung to my clothes and body from working in the smokehouse.

I had also sweated a lot from plowing the field, making my skin sticky.

It was the third day in this different world, and I had been so busy setting up my life that I hadn't had a proper bath.

"Alright, time for a bath!"

However, using the bath at home wasn't practical.

With the golem's help, I could store water by sunset, but it would be very time-consuming.

So, I decided to go to the lake.

With the blessing, I could create an instant bathtub and easily fill it with water.

By adding heated stones, I could have a nice hot bath.

With this plan, I immediately headed to the lake with the golem.

I saw mountain vegetables and fruits along the way, but the bath was more important.

After a straight 15-minute walk, we arrived at the lake.

The lake was very calm today.

Seeing no monsters or beasts around, I immediately started making the bathtub.

I quickly completed the wooden bathtub and prepared buckets to fill it with water from the lake with the golem's help.

I made it wide enough to soak comfortably, so it required a lot of water, but it was worth it to relieve my fatigue.

While the golem splashed water into the bathtub, I tried to start a fire.

I usually have the golem do it, but I wanted to learn to do it myself.

I tried my best to start the fire.

"Wow! It's lit!"

Thanks to observing the golem, it lit up relatively quickly this time.

"Huh, it's not that hard."

If the friction is strong enough, it's easy to start a fire.

Feeling a sense of achievement, I noticed the bathtub was filled with enough water.

The golem's work is always fast.

I picked up a suitable stone and heated it with the fire.

Once it was hot enough, I placed it in the bathtub.

A loud sizzle made me jump, but I kept adding more heated stones.

I cautiously tested the water with my finger, and it was the right temperature.

It was a bit too hot, so I added some water to cool it down.

To avoid touching the hot stones by mistake, I laid a board, completing the makeshift bath.

I asked the golem to keep watch and quickly undressed.

Being naked in nature felt different and more refreshing than usual.

No, that might give the wrong impression. I'm not a nudist.

I made a bucket to scoop water and rinse myself.

The bath after three days felt incredibly good, washing away the sweat and dirt that had clung to my skin.

After a thorough rinse, I slowly soaked in the bathtub.

"Ah... so relaxing."

I felt warm from the inside.

The muscles that were tired from field work relaxed, and my blood circulation improved.

No matter how busy I am, taking a bath is important.

To maintain a relaxed life, it's crucial to keep my mind and body healthy.

From now on, I'll try to take a bath every day.

"..."

As I decided this and enjoyed a long bath, I noticed the golem staring at me intently.

It was a different gaze from when it was on guard.

"Maybe you want to join?"

When I asked, the golem nodded.

Do golems take baths? I don't know much about golems in this world.

Since it clearly wanted to bathe, I got out of the bathtub after enjoying it thoroughly.

"Wait, wait. Rinse off first."

I stopped the golem from getting in immediately and decided to help it rinse off, as it was large and difficult to do alone.

"Turn your back to me."

It obediently showed its back, and I rinsed it off.

It always helps me with various tasks, so a little care is necessary.

"Alright, you can get in."

After removing the major dirt, the golem slowly got into the bathtub.

Water splashed out, and its legs stuck out since the bathtub was only big enough for me to soak comfortably.

Still, the golem seemed to be enjoying the warm water, with a comfortable expression.

"Calling you a golem all the time is a bit dull."

This golem seems different from the imaginary golems I know.

It understands my words and makes small gestures.

Most importantly, it's part of my family. It feels wrong to keep calling it a golem.

"Hmm, Kita---bue!"

When I suggested a random name, the water in the bathtub splashed.

Was it angry at my lack of creativity? Its expression didn't change when I looked at it.

Kita doesn't seem right, so I'll think of something else.

"What about Rent?"

In fictional works, tree people or spirits based on trees are often called Trolls.

I took the name from that.

The golem nodded, seemingly pleased.

"Nice to meet you again, Rent."

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