Chapter 2: Getting a house

I slowly lost my consciousness after telling my preferred age. Then, when I wake up, I was already in this forest.

I slowly got up.

I’m worried I’ll get lightheadedness but there was none. I don’t know if that was because I got younger. I looked at my hands, but I can’t confirm if I’m at the age that I said or not. In the first place, hands are not the part of the body that changes suddenly when you reach a certain age.

Haa-, when I sighed, my head ached.

“So this is it huh…”

Until I completely lost my consciousness, the woman (feels like it) explains things continuously to me. One of them is about this headache.

『The moment your existence fits into that world, your head will likely ache. That is the proof that the skills, knowledge and experiences that I gave you matched to your brain and body so you don’t need to worry.』

The woman said so.

“It’s not that great of an ability so shouldn’t it be nice if she goes easy on me a little more?”

I looked around while being alone like this. Hmm, there’s nothing particularly noticeable.

『I will prepare a place where you can live and do blacksmithing for the mean time. I will also add foods and minimal ingredients.』

The woman also said that but…, is it not here? Preparing the place somewhere far away from the transfer point doesn’t seem necessary, but if it is, that will spell trouble for me. At worst, I won’t be able to find it.

The moment I thought that, I caught something at the end of my sight. I’m certain it is not there when I looked around before. I got surprised and look over there intently. Then, I found a building that is a little too big to be called hut.

“W-What the heck is that…?”

From the woman’s explanation, that was probably meant for me to live there. It’s not there a while ago but I’m not sure whether that is “really not there” or “I just couldn’t see it”. But given this situation, I think it’s safe either way.

However, I still approach the building carefully. I don’t know if it is because of the ability I got but I’m certain that no one’s inside. I also don’t feel any hostility or vigilance towards me from the surrounding area. I look inside through the grid window. No one’s here.

Just in case, I bend down under the window and head towards the door so I won’t be seen from the inside. The door has a simple handle and key, and there’s no knob to be turned.

When I pulled the handle gently, the door opened without resistance. It is not particularly locked. I peer inside through the opened door. There is no presence or smell. It looks safe for now.

I completely open the door and stand normally. Immediately after, I heard a muffled “Clang Clong” sound. I got startled and unintentionally crouched down again but there’s no other particular reaction afterwards.

Feeling relieved, I gently stroke my chest. I look around only to see that the inside is like the cottage I used to stay at when I went skiing in the previous world. What differs from that time is that there is no 2nd floor and a counter kitchen, instead, there is a shelf that holds a furnace and tableware, like a dirt floor in a Japanese house where the kitchen is.

Furthermore, there is a door behind it. I noticed that the string stretched unitl there. Apparently, the “Clang Clong” sound a while ago came from behind that door.

When I closed the door (I heard another “Clang Clong” sound), I noticed that there is a “Kannuki”. I bolted the “Kannuki” and look inside. There is a large room with a pretty large table and several chairs. (TLYN: Kannuki is a heavy, usually wooden, crossbar used to lock across double doors or gates of an entrance to a building)

I look up and the ceiling is quite high. There is something like a clapper there but I don’t think that the muffled sound earlier came from those. In that case, there must be something else that made that sound. I’m curious but I leave it at that and look around more. I found 3 doors in the corner of the room. I opened one of them – it’s a toilet.

I didn’t see any beddings when I looked at it so one of the other two must be the bedroom. I tried opening another door. There is a reasonably large desk and something like a bookshelf. Looks like this is the study room. Then I opened and checked the last door, as expected, this is the bedroom. There’s a reasonably large bed, a side table, and a small round chair just like in a business hotel.

Now, next will be my most favorite.

『I will prepare a place where you can do blacksmithing.』

Since she said that, I want to expect that there are already some facilities installed there. Even if I say that, I will probably operate it by myself for a long time (I have no intention of taking a disciple for now). Handling equipment like a charcoal blast furnace for raw material production will be difficult but I would like to have something like that.

Hooo-, I opened the door at the back with half expectation and half anxiety.

Will it be granted?

In addition to anvils and hammers, there are furnaces, not only for heating crucibles but also a fire bed and Rheem furnace for making steel. All the so-called iron (steel) weapons, including western swords, Japanese swords, and, to a lesser extent, arrowheads, can be made here.

I somehow understand how to use these tools and devices because of the “installed” knowledge given to me when I came to this world. Surely, with this much knowledge, that kind of headache makes sense. The smithy has a small counter with a little space behind it, and a door that seems to lead outside, where the “Kannuki” is hanging.

“I see, sales will be done here.”

In other words, over there is the living space while this area is the workshop and sales area. In case I forgot to remove the “Kannuki” on the door in the living space while I’m at this workshop, even if customers came, the clappers here will produce such sounds to inform me that there’s a visitor –that’s the kind of mechanism it is.

When I look at the door, the string connects up to the living space. When I enter here, it rings over there so I’m quite grateful for this function.

After checking the room like that, I returned to the living room. I still don’t feel like living here completely. Well, even if I say that, there is no way I can go back “there” so I need to be firm. I was all by myself over there anyway, and even if I die, only my boss in the company will be troubled I guess.

Well, all he have to do is practice the saying “there are many alternatives”, so he might not be actually in trouble. I shook my head to drive away those thoughts and concentrate on the future.

Immediately after that, my stomach made a “Guuu” sound, prompting me to eat. The body doesn’t lie huh. I’m amazed even though it is my body. Sigh~, there might be some kind of food in the kitchen.

I then head to the kitchen behind the door.