I Want to Burn Bricks (5)
With the help of the golems, Marylia transported the bricks into the furnace.
The furnace was specifically designed from the beginning to fire bricks. It was large enough to fire about 200 bricks at once.
While standing the bricks up to ensure airflow, she continued packing them into the furnace. Once the furnace was filled with plenty of bricks, it was finally time to light the fire.
The process was similar to firing pottery. At first, the furnace and its contents were gradually heated up, and once warmed, the airflow was significantly increased. This method reduced the likelihood of cracking.
After stoking the fire for about an hour, the two golems began blowing air into the furnace. So...
"Then, this will serve as a lid..."
To further increase the temperature inside the furnace, Marylia gently placed some pottery plates over the top. These plates were initially made as parts for Terracotta Golems, but they cracked and became unusable. While she considered crushing them and mixing them into clay for pottery, she decided to keep the larger plates since they could be useful.
"Alright... With this, the bricks will finally be done. Hehehe..."
Once the ash lumps were completely dry, she planned to fire them tomorrow and then immediately start building the brick house the next day.
Marylia smiled broadly and decided to pick the site for the house construction.
Despite some hesitation, Marylia chose the site for the house.
"Alright, let’s go with this spot."
The construction site was next to the roof shelter. Once the brick house was completed, the roof shelter could be dismantled, or it could be used as a shed for a while. Alternatively, she could modify the roof shelter to lift it off the ground, creating an outdoor space for cooking.
However, regardless of the plan, the thatched roof wasn’t very reliable as it might rot due to summer rains and heat...
After deciding on the construction site, she promptly began the foundational work.
Leaving two brick golems and two golems in charge of managing the furnace, she used the remaining six golems to dig up the ground.
"The foundation is crucial. I must properly construct the floor. Hehehe..."
They dug up the ground to embed the bricks for the foundation of the floor and walls. To conserve resources, she could have dug only the parts for the walls, leaving the floor as dirt. However, since they planned to fire all the bricks as scheduled, there would be plenty of bricks to use, so she decided to use them generously.
"Come on, we must tamp it down firmly~"
The excavated soil was compacted with the golems, pressing and stepping it down together. For a while, Marylia and the golems ended up looking like they were dancing!
Once the foundation was complete, she took a lunch break and went to set up a fish trap. The trap in the pond was already deteriorating, which wasn’t ideal. It seemed the traps needed regular replacement.
However, even in the dilapidated trap, a fish had been caught, so she had grilled fish for lunch. Meat is delicious, but fish is tasty too!
Next, she smoked the baskets, bags, and mats she had woven yesterday. The method was roughly the same as when making smoked food. The only difference was that this time, she was smoking vines instead of meat.
"This will help to repel insects."
There were several reasons for smoking them, one of which was to deter insects.
Baskets and bags made from wooden vines could get holes or tears from insects if left untreated. However, smoking them repels insects due to the odor, so it’s good to smoke items you want to last longer.
"Hehe, it’s got a nice shine to it now."
After smoking, the wood fibers that were once plain in color transformed into a shiny amber hue. It became lustrous and even more water-resistant. Similarly, smoking furs added a waterproof finish, so there’s no harm in smoking them either... though it does give them a distinctive smoky aroma.
"... While we’re at it, let’s smoke the roof too."
Since she had already started, she sent smoke towards the roof shelter. Thatch roofs attract insects, so they needed to be smoked regularly to drive the bugs away and protect the roof from rotting. Marylia cheerfully continued smoking the baskets and roof, saying, "Please get smoked, everyone!"
Then, as evening arrived, it was time to take out the bricks.
"Alright, let’s see if they’re baked properly..."
She nervously removed the lid from the furnace, taking out the completely cooled bricks.
… And then.
"Wah, they turned out perfect!"
Inside, the bricks had been thoroughly baked, turning a bright terracotta red!
"Yay~ I’m so glad~ They came out great~”
Marylia danced around in joy as she took the bricks out and stacked them neatly. The golems helped her, resulting in over 200 bricks being piled up.
"Ahh... Now we can start building the house tomorrow."
Smiling brightly, Marylia immediately had the bricks transported near the construction site.
… It’s finally happening.
She was finally about to have a proper house! Thrilled, Marylia continued to dance under the twilight sky of the forest.
When some slimes came hopping over to join her dance, it became even more fun...
"... By the way, it seems there are even more now."
Incidentally, there were now six slimes.
… Perhaps the long rain had caused them to multiply. Or maybe it was because they had eaten various things like the remnants of the Peryton bones or the snake parts of the Cockatrice.
When Marylia told the slimes, who all vibrated in unison, "Well, as long as you work hard, it’s okay if you multiply," they either understood or didn’t, but they all wobbled again in response.
The next day.
As soon as Marylia woke up, she started firing the second batch of bricks. Since the furnace was outside, bricks could only be fired on sunny days. Building the brick house could proceed even in light rain, but brick firing required good weather. Therefore, Marylia wanted to make as many bricks as possible and fire them while the sun was shining.
… And so, while she continued firing the bricks, Marylia started baking lumps of ash on top of the furnace.
"Mortar, mortar—hum hum hum..."
Humming an unrecognizable tune, she lined up the lumps of ash and baked them one after another. The ash lumps that had been left out for two days were somewhat dry and seemed to bake without any problems. Well, since it wouldn't be an issue if they cracked or broke, it was best to handle them carelessly.
The ash lumps started glowing red-hot from the furnace's flames. Seeing this, Marylia removed them and placed them in jars.
"... That's quite a lot, isn't it? Whew."
Since she had used all the accumulated ash up to this point, there were quite a few ash lumps. There was no way they'd fit into just one jar, so she filled a second, then a third jar.
"Okay, Numbers 1 and 2, you'll take care of the brick furnace. Numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6 will be producing more bricks. Numbers 7, 8, 9, and 10 will help me prepare for the house construction. Follow me."
Holding one of the jars filled with ash lumps, Marylia led four golems to the construction site.
The time to build a house had finally come!
"Alright, let's get started... hehe, they crumble apart so easily, don't they?"
Now.
Marylia immediately began crushing the ash lumps inside the jar.
When first mixed with water and left to dry, the ash lumps had become quite hard, but after being fired, they became so brittle that they crumbled almost effortlessly.
Once she had broken the ash lumps into powder using a wooden stick, she added sand and water.
"And that's how you make mortar. Oh, better be careful not to touch it directly..."
Ash that had been fired and then rehydrated could cause burns on contact. Cautiously reminding herself of this, Marylia dumped the contents of the jar onto the compacted ground at the construction site!
The mortar spread out over the ground they had packed down the day before. The contents of a large jar slowly spread... but naturally, not all the way.
"I'll spread this around, and you all will lay the bricks. Make sure to put mortar on the sides of each brick, okay?"
Marylia instructed the golems, who nodded in understanding. They picked up bricks, lightly touched them to the poured mortar, and began lining them up on the ground.
Marylia spread the mortar using a wooden stick, trying not to fall behind the golems' pace… She needed a trowel. She should fire that clay trowel she made as soon as possible!
But well, as long as the mortar was spread somewhat evenly across the floor, it would be fine. The golems laid down the bricks and smoothed things out as they went. Marylia checked the floor's progress before the mortar set, fixing any uneven spots and adding more mortar where needed...
By noon, the floor was finished.
… That's right. The floor.
In this desolate, deserted island, a floor had finally been created!
"Wow... It really feels like a building, doesn't it…?"
Unlike the thatched roof or bed, this was a clear, man-made structure. A brick floor created with fire, water, earth, and human ingenuity.
… This was quite nice. Feeling a strong sense of satisfaction, Marylia gazed at the brick-laid floor for a while.
After finishing her lunch of "Aged Cockatrice Roast with Berry Sauce"—a bit of dried meat grilled and topped with a makeshift berry jam diluted with water—she immediately started on the first layer of the wall.
"Let's see, the entrance will be here, so I'll leave this open..."
Using a shell she had baked, Marylia scratched marks into the brick floor, and the golems, seeing these marks, nodded and began laying bricks according to her indications.
The second jar of mortar was quickly put to use as well. The golems touched the bricks to the mortar and diligently lined them up along the planned wall's location.
"... If the golems are doing the work, I don't have to worry about burns or needing a trowel, do I..."
… Earlier, Marylia thought, "A trowel is urgent!" but once she started building the wall, it seemed like she didn’t need one after all. Still, it felt a bit sad not to be able to participate in the work herself, so she still wanted to make a trowel.
As Marylia continued directing the golems, the first layer of the wall was completed, and just at that moment, they ran out of bricks.
"Either way, we can't move on to the next layer until the mortar sets. Let's do this one layer at a time, day by day."
Marylia smiled and, grinning, said, "Looks like the house will be done in about ten days."
But there was no time to keep smiling.
From here on, she had to fire things other than bricks as well.
Aside from bricks, what other ceramics were needed for the house? That would be... tiles!
What do you think about this chapter?
