Craft
We had arrived at a small village near the forest.
I figured we’d use this little village as our first base. Once we were prepared, we’d head into the forest to live the slow life I’d always dreamed of—living surrounded by nature.
It was right after we got to the village.
We decided to head to the village chief’s house and explain our situation.
Knock, knock, knock!!!
When I rapped on the door, a kindly-looking old man came out.
After we explained our circumstances, the chief welcomed us warmly. He even lent us a small, shabby hut. At least now we had a place to stay.
But to live in it as-is… it was cramped, full of holes, hardly livable.
The first thing we had to do was secure a proper place to sleep. Looking around inside, there was a back room with a bed and a desk, but everything was covered in dust. A good cleaning was in order.
We opened the windows to air it out, borrowed some cleaning tools, and started wiping everything down. The bed sheets were filthy and needed washing. But we had no water—meant a trip to the river. Ah, forgot to ask where the village well was…
Guess I’ll ask the chief tomorrow. For now, we were too tired… so we decided to eat something first.
We had some food stored up already—herbs and wild fruits we’d gathered in the forest—so at least starvation wasn’t a concern.
After filling our stomachs with a light meal of forest fruit, we settled in the tiny hut for the night.
That was when Shiraishi-san asked about my skill.
Fair enough—anyone would be curious.
“Hey, Kurose? What’s your skill?”
“Well… mine’s called [Craft].”
“Craft?”
“Put simply, it lets me make things. Pretty much anything.”
“Whoa!! That’s amazing! You’ve got such a crazy skill!”
“Yeah, well… there’s a problem.”
“A problem?”
“I’ve never actually made anything with it. Honestly, I don’t even know how to use it yet.”
“Oh… I see.”
“But hey, I’ll figure it out. I’ve got a good feeling about it.”
“Yeah, me too!”
We chatted lightly after that, spending a cheerful evening.
Since we planned to start early the next morning, we went to bed early.
---
The next day, after breakfast, we visited the chief again and learned where the well was. Then we helped with chopping firewood. By the time we finished, it was nearly noon, so we took a short rest.
In the afternoon, we lent a hand in the fields—using hoes to turn the soil. It was hard work for us, unfamiliar as we were, but we pushed through and got it done.
At dinner time, we ate with the villagers. Simple food—bread and soup—but it tasted great.
As payment for our help, we received some lumber.
Tomorrow, I decided, we’d repair that run-down hut. For now, rest and prepare for tomorrow.
---
The next morning…
I rose early, got ready, and stepped outside with the lumber from yesterday, intent on repairing the house.
“Since it’s my first time, let’s start with patching the holes.”
With borrowed tools, I cut the wood. Though I’d never done this sort of thing before, the [Craft] skill seemed to be helping—I could cut the boards smoothly and easily.
I placed a finished board over a hole in the floor and hammered in nails. With a few firm strikes, it fit neatly into place. I repeated this several times until all the holes were filled.
Then I turned to the wall gaps and began filling those. The work was going to take quite a while, so I asked Shiraishi-san to help. Together we kept at it, so focused we didn’t notice the sun setting.
We stopped short of finishing, deciding to eat dinner and continue afterward. But in the end, we fell asleep instead.
---
The next morning…
After breakfast, I immediately got back to work. Carefully, little by little, I patched the remaining spots. With Shiraishi-san helping again, it went smoothly.
Before long, we were done.
Admiring the finished house, I was stunned.
Shiraishi-san spoke first.
“Hey, doesn’t this already look totally usable?”
“Yeah… you’re right. Let’s give it a try…”
I carefully turned the doorknob. Creak… The door opened.
We stepped inside, and both of us gasped.
Yesterday it had been nothing but a shabby hut—yet now the interior was like a proper little house. Clean, spacious, completely transformed.
“Wow… it changed this much!”
Shiraishi-san’s happy voice rang out.
“Seriously… amazing. I didn’t think it’d turn out this well.”
“It’s thanks to you, Kurose!”
Her praise embarrassed me, but also filled me with joy. At the same time, though, I had to wonder—why was the work so easy? Surely, it was the [Craft] skill, but even then, it felt almost unnatural.
I asked Shiraishi-san about it. She looked startled, thought for a moment, then answered.
“At first, I didn’t get it either… But I think you can probably make more than you realize, Kurose.”
“I see… so it’s about imagination. If I picture it, I can make it.”
“Yeah… I think so.”
If that’s true, then this skill could let me accomplish all sorts of things.
This [Craft] skill… it might actually be a far more useful ability than I first thought.
What do you think about this chapter?
