Chapter 37

As I was leaving the town, I saw the guard by the wall, but Mr. Marius wasn't there today. He wasn't there when I arrived either, so if he's not there next time, I'll ask about it. It's been quite a while since he bought the knife and longsword from us. If there's any problem, I think he would bring it to Camillo's shop, but I'd like to know the situation if possible.

I loaded the cart with salt, barrels of wine, flint, and charcoal and set off down the road. Just before we were about to enter the forest, Sarmya stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"I smell blood."

Sarmya prepared her bow, and tension filled the air.

"Bandits?"

"I don't know. I don't hear any sounds, so if someone was attacked, they're probably gone now, but be careful."

Sarmya said, twitching her round ears. Since we couldn't leave Rike and the cart behind, we decided to proceed cautiously.

Soon, we reached the spot where something must have happened. There were no bodies or remnants, but blood was splattered everywhere, making the scene even more eerie. Multiple blood trails led into the forest.

"Is it wolves?"

"Probably, but it could be a setup by bandits to make it look like wolves. Wolves rarely leave the forest."

When I asked, Sarmya replied. That makes sense. If it looks like wolves, fewer people would come after them.

"Sarmya, be careful. Rike and I will hurry a bit."

"Got it."

"Understood."

In the end, nothing happened until we got home, and thanks to hurrying, we arrived earlier than usual. I was exhausted. Home is such a blessing...

At the same time, even though nothing happened, this incident reminded me that we don't live in a completely safe place. The town guards patrol the road, and the security is quite good, but that doesn't mean we won't be attacked by bandits or wolves. It's better to go to town as a group from now on... I thought about this while unloading the goods, and today's "work" was done.

"So, from tomorrow, we'll start making doors. I'll make the hinges, so you two take care of the door itself."

"Got it."

"Understood."

During dinner, we briefly discussed the work for the next day. First, the door, then the bed. Once these are done, the three of us will each have our own bedroom. Just as we were talking about this,

"Ah!"

I realized and shouted.

"What's wrong, Eizou?"

Sarmya was surprised, and Rike was no less so.

"Well, I forgot about making a guest room..."

I had completely forgotten. As it stands, we don't have a guest room. As I thought about it,

"Can we convert the study?"

Rike suggested.

"The master's... Now, Sarmya and I are using it, but the bedroom still has plenty of space. We can replace the chairs and tables in the study and bring in a shelf. That way, we can fit a bed in the study too."

"Interesting..."

That sounds feasible. We're short one set of bedding, but guests won't come immediately. When Helen came last time, it was unexpected. In the worst case, I can take the bedding from my room.

"Alright, let's do that. We'll need to make an extra bed."

"It's better to get used to making our beds first before making a guest bed."

"Agreed."

With that, our plan for the next day was set. It won't earn us any money, but it's good to do this sometimes.

The next morning, I entered the workshop and heated the sheet metal (the new one) and flattened it. I cut it into appropriate sizes, separated each piece into a shape with two protrusions, and rounded the protrusions to form hollow cylinders. After waiting for it to cool, I combined them, heated a pin, and inserted it through the ends, flattening them to secure the hinge. I tested it by moving it back and forth. There were no issues, so I started mass-producing them. I made a decent number, considering future repairs and additional rooms.

When I went outside, Rike and Sarmya were struggling with the door, but they had already completed more than half of it.

"The hinges are done, so I'll help you."

"Ah, Master, thank you."

I decided to let them finish the door they were working on and started making another one. I combined the cut wood into a rectangular frame, attached horizontal boards, added diagonal beams, and a handle in the center. I didn't make it lock (but added a latch), so the handle just needed to open and close smoothly.

By the time I was done, Rike and Sarmya had completed the door.

"The hinges are in the workshop, so you two can attach them."

"Sure, got it."

Sarmya said with a smile. She doesn't seem to dislike hunting, but she enjoys helping to make things for the house. If there's enough meat, she's eager to help with various tasks. If this continues, she'll be able to do things on her own and be useful as a blacksmith or carpenter. Since one large animal provides enough meat for a while, it's good to encourage her to help more. For example, when I can't make something, I can have Rike help me, like when Helen came.

It took until the evening, but the doors were completed, and I went to install them. When I reached the rooms, Rike and Sarmya were opening and closing the doors.

"How does it look?"

"It's perfect. I didn't expect it to open and close so smoothly."

"It's my custom-made hinge."

"I think that's true, no kidding."

While chatting, I started installing the doors. I need to make some nails soon...

With the doors installed in two rooms, the house finally started to look like a proper home.