Chapter 40

Lying in a hammock is really comfortable, isn't it?

"……And?"

Standing in front of the boys who had bumps on their heads, Allie was standing tall. The bumps on their heads were from being hit by Allie. Not only the four apprentices were sitting quietly in a row, but Yurii, Coolesh, and even Jake were there. Moreover, Lelai, who had tried to escape, was pulled down by the collar by Allie and was now lying at her feet. ...Basically, whenever Yurii was at the center of something, it was always the apprentices + Coolesh and Lelai. Today, for some reason, Jake was also involved.

No one could defy an angry Allie. She demanded an explanation in silence, but no one answered. Rather, they were all wondering who should answer. Normally, in such a situation, the eldest would speak on behalf of the group, but Jake was useless. The next eldest was Lelai, but he was lying at Allie's feet, so that was impossible. Therefore, it would be Coolesh.

Without anyone saying a word, this conclusion was reached. While looking up at the quietly angry Allie in a kneeling position, Coolesh began to speak. ...He felt that if he explained the reason, he would be scolded even more.

"We learned about hammocks from Yurii and made one in the yard. We were fighting over who gets to use it first."

Coolesh explained as concisely as possible. Everyone thought he had summarized it quite well. The chaotic scene before Allie's fist came down was summarized very accurately. However, only those being scolded thought so; Allie, who was angry, became even more irritated.

"How did it come to this? And Yurii! What did you do?"

"I'm sorry."

"First of all, what is a hammock?"

"It's a bed hung between trees."

Yurii apologized sincerely when scolded by Allie. Being able to admit his mistake and apologize immediately is one of Yurii's good points. The hammock he pointed to was indeed swaying gently in the wind. It was a piece of fabric large enough for one person to sleep on, with ropes attached to both ends, which were tied to tree trunks.

The reason they made such a thing was due to the leftover items in the hideout.

The "Crimson Lynx" goes on various adventures every day, exploring dungeons and slaying monsters on the plains. Of course, they also take on guild quests. Therefore, items they obtain but don't need immediately are stored in the warehouse. If someone needs something for a quest, they can take it from there.

Ideally, they should obtain items themselves, but in emergencies, taking items from the warehouse is allowed. In the hideout's warehouse, there was a rope that had been left unused. This rope was made from the silk of a Silk Tarantula, a not-so-strong monster whose silk is as fine as the best silk. The important part is that, despite looking and feeling like silk, the Silk Tarantula's silk was incredibly strong. A single, thin strand could hold a child.

So, there was this incredibly strong Silk Tarantula rope in the warehouse. It was a leftover from a time when they had captured a large number of Silk Tarantulas and made the rope to learn a new skill. However, they had no use for it.

...If Yurii hadn't seen the strong thread and the sturdy fabric and said, "We can make a hammock," nothing would have happened.

Those who didn't know what a hammock was naturally asked Yurii. Yurii explained it normally. It was a pleasant day with a gentle breeze, perfect for a nap. Everyone was eager to try it. There was no way they wouldn't be.

While Yurii was sewing loops on the ends of the fabric for the ropes, the others were cutting the ropes to equal lengths. ...Logically, Yurii's task should have taken longer, but thanks to his sewing skill level 50, it progressed quickly, and both tasks were completed almost simultaneously.

The apprentices joyfully tied the ropes to the trees in the yard. They adjusted the height to make it easy to get in and out. The smallest and lightest, Mag, tried it first to ensure it was secure. After confirming it wouldn't slip, they took turns lying in it.

It was incredibly comfortable. The gentle swaying in the wind almost made them sleepy. After everyone had a turn, the commotion began. Coolesh and Lelai, who had joined in, also liked the hammock, and a fight for it broke out.

It would have been fine if that was all, but Jake also joined in. Normally a bookworm who never leaves his room, his appearance surprised everyone. During this time, Jake was enthusiastically observing the hammock, checking the material and comfort, and then started writing about it on the hammock.

Realizing Jake was in a writing frenzy, everyone tried to pull him off the hammock. Once Jake starts writing, he doesn't stop easily. If he stayed on the hammock, they wouldn't be able to use it.

While they were making a fuss, Allie passed by and gave everyone a knuckle sandwich.

"...So, the root of all this trouble is you, Jake."

"..."

"Listen to me! Put down the pen!"

"..."

"I said, listen, Jake!"

"...! It hurts, it hurts, Allie! Hey, my head, my head is splitting...!"

Allie grabbed Jake's head, who was so focused that he wasn't listening at all. The sound of his head being squeezed was audible, but no one helped. Clearly, Jake was in the wrong. Allie was already furious, and Jake was still writing about the hammock, so getting scolded was inevitable. Everyone thought Jake was a hopeless adult, as usual.

"If you hadn't gotten in the way, they would have been fine on their own."

"But Allie, this hammock is amazing!"

"That's not the point! How could you interfere with the kids, even as an adult?"

"I wasn't interfering."

"You were!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Being lectured, Jake tried to explain the hammock's greatness and got scolded even more. He tilted his head, as if to say he didn't understand why he was being scolded. Lelai, who had been sitting quietly and was now back in the row, shouted in unison with everyone else, with all his heart.

Jake might not have had any ill intentions, but for those who had been waiting their turn, he had caused a lot of trouble. Moreover, because of the commotion, they were now being scolded by Allie. No matter how you looked at it, Jake was to blame.

"...For now, I'll take this idiot. You guys, no fighting."

"Yes!"

"Also, Yurii, come explain the basics of this hammock later."

"...Huh?"

"...Since Jake is writing about it, he must intend to submit it somewhere. Take responsibility for it until the end."

"...I understand?"

Yurii nodded obediently, though he didn't understand at all. He had seen Jake get excited about the hammock and write a lot. He also understood that Jake, being a scholar, would submit it somewhere. However, he didn't understand what it meant to take responsibility for it until the end.

Allie only wanted Yurii to explain how to make the hammock and its basic uses. Jake was an excellent scholar, but when his passion reached a critical point, he went into overdrive. Allie wanted to ensure that the content written in his overdrive was not too far from the actual hammock Yurii knew. ...Mainly to prevent strange documents from being spread.

"Let's take turns using it."

After Allie and Jake left, Yurii, regaining his composure, suggested they take turns. Everyone was delighted and swarmed the hammock. They weren't necessarily trying to nap; they just found the hammock's gentle swaying in the wind incredibly comfortable. ...Like children swarming a new attraction at an amusement park.

While everyone was enjoying the hammock, Yurii was quietly sewing loops on the fabric for the ropes. Yack, noticing this, ran over and helped cut the ropes to equal lengths. Yurii was trying to make another hammock because the waiting time was too long, and having another one would be more convenient.

Everyone knew that the hammock wasn't a necessary piece of equipment for the hideout. However, it was a dream come true to be able to nap in the yard on a sunny day. It wouldn't be useful on rainy days, but on a day like today, it was worth fighting over.

The second hammock was also set up in the yard. In the end, everyone took turns relaxing in the hammocks until dinner time, and even those who returned from outings joined in, making the area around the hammocks very lively.

Additionally, the report Jake submitted and the method Yurii explained eventually led to the hammock being mass-produced as a travel bed. However, both were indifferent to this outcome and had nothing to do with it.

Jake, like Yurii, is not interested in money or fame. He is satisfied with documenting his interests. No matter how widely it spreads, he doesn't care.

I look forward to your comments and feedback.