House (2)
Thus, the logs were prepared, and Marylia immediately began using them to make roof tiles.
To create clay slabs for the tiles, she dismantled broken wooden boxes to make frames, formed large clay lumps, and then sliced them to a specific thickness using a string.
One golem meticulously shaped the clay lumps, while two others inserted splinters of firewood beneath the slabs and drew strings through them to form the clay boards. Another golem carefully placed these boards onto the logs. Soon, the logs were completely covered with clay boards.
Though it seemed there wasn't quite enough space on the logs, the tiles themselves were thin clay slabs, which dry much faster than bricks. In less than half a day, the slabs could be removed from the logs. Although fewer tiles could be made at a time compared to bricks, the faster drying process made tile production proceed smoothly.
However, the house construction was moving at a slow, step-by-step pace. Since the mortar needed time to set, only one layer of bricks could be stacked per day.
After laying the foundation with bricks, their production began to outpace consumption. The growing pile of bricks led Marylia to consider, “Maybe I should start using these bricks to build something besides the house…”
The slow pace of construction wasn't the only issue—it was also due to a lack of mortar!
Mortar’s main ingredient is ash.
Ash is something that results from burning a large amount of material, leaving behind only a small quantity. As a result, her previous stock of ash was long gone. She was now scraping together the ash produced from baking bricks and daily cooking, and even burning random grass to make up the shortfall.
It was an expected problem. So, Marylia decided…
"… Let’s proceed with salt production as well, for the ash..."
Since the production rate of tiles and bricks would eventually hit a limit due to the size of the furnace and the length of the logs, Marylia allocated the spare golems to work on salt production. This ensured that the firewood wouldn’t go to waste. Additionally, if any new prey happened to come by, the meat could be salted immediately.
Thus, Marylia spent her days stacking bricks, having golems make more bricks and tiles, and starting to tan the hides using lime made from burnt ash and seashells for making Cockatrice leather paper. At the same time, she continued making salt and gathering ash.
And so, on the morning of the 40th day of exile on the island…
"At last, the walls are almost done," Marylia said with a smile as she held a brick inside the house.
The brick walls had grown taller than Marylia herself. But now, it was time to build even higher—specifically, the base for the roof.
Marylia had decided to partially rely on the brick walls for the roof’s framework.
She would stack the bricks on just two opposing sides in a staircase pattern, creating triangular peaks on those walls.
The steps formed by the bricks would serve as supports for the rafters. After cutting beams of appropriate length and thickness, she would secure them with mortar and build notches to prevent the beams from rolling. Once the rafters were in place, the tiles would be laid on top.
“Well, there’s still more bricks to stack, so let’s be careful and safe. Alright, Golem No. 1, may I have a shoulder ride again?”
Marylia climbed onto the shoulders of a Terracotta Golem, which stood up smoothly, allowing her to work on the high places beyond her own reach.
“Ah, thanks, No. 2 and No. 3,” she said as she accepted the bricks and mortar. Then, Marylia calmly laid the first row of staircase bricks atop the brick wall.
Unlike when she was building the four walls, adding bricks for the roof structure on only two sides was much quicker. Even with the high-altitude work, it didn't take much time.
With the remaining time, Marylia decided to… make a door.
Currently, the door area was just a gaping hole. As for the other openings, such as windows and the stove, they were made by leaving bricks uncemented with mortar, so those bricks could be removed later to create holes. But the door was a large opening left intentionally.
… This wasn’t good. Not good at all—the wind and rain could blow right through!
That simply wouldn’t do. It was time to make a door.
A door was essential.
Strength wasn’t the main concern at this point. What mattered most was that it could block the view from outside when monsters came, preventing them from spotting Marylia. Not being seen was surprisingly important.
And so…
"Let's weave it."
Marylia decided to make a door by weaving wood vines!
The method was the same as when she made the bed. First, she built a frame with wood, then wove the vines through it. That was all there was to it.
However, since it was a door, she made sure to weave it as tightly as possible. Even though some gaps would inevitably remain, for now, it would have to do.
"I'll need to come up with a sturdier door before winter."
She hoped that eventually, she could produce her own wooden boards. Alternatively, she needed to find a way to process the boards she had already used for the roof of the firewood drying area.
… Yes, even if Marylia could manage to produce wooden boards, she currently had no way to work with them.
She didn't have a saw, nor any nails. At best, she could drill holes in the boards and tie them to something else with wood vines or rope. But that felt far too unreliable.
"I really need to figure out how to work wood using iron..."
While contemplating her situation, Marylia continued weaving the door, using up plenty of wood vines.
By late afternoon, the door was finished. And once it was done, she immediately wanted to install it.
"Now, for the hinge... I guess mortar will do. It's really handy."
The door's frame had one side that extended slightly beyond the top and bottom of the frame. This was intentional because the protruding parts would serve as the axis. She would create hinges in the floor and the top of the door frame, allowing the door to open and close.
"Oh, the pottery I made to use as cups fits perfectly. Let's just use that."
Using mortar and some leftover pottery, Marylia managed to make the hinges and successfully installed the door.
Though it let in quite a bit of wind, it was still a decent door. At the very least, it created a sense of an enclosed space, forming a proper "room."
After more than a month without a proper "room," Marylia felt a deep sense of comfort.
That night, she ate dinner quickly, took a bath, and went straight to bed. Once the roof was complete, she planned to build a new bed inside the house. But for now, she was still sleeping on the outdoor bed.
The morning of the 41st day on the island began with...
"... Looks like it's raining a little. Ugh, not again..."
A light drizzle was falling. It wasn't ideal, but a little rain wouldn't stop her from building the house. When attaching bricks with mortar, they had to be slightly damp. Otherwise, the mortar would dry too quickly, and the adhesion wouldn't be as strong.
So, Marylia continued stacking bricks for the roof's structure, creating the second row of the roof steps.
… And while she was at it.
"Let's fix this too! Let's see... yeah, just apply, press, smooth... and done!"
She also decided to fix the cracked pottery. Having grown quite adept at working with mortar after building the brick house, Marylia repaired the pottery without much difficulty. Now, once the mortar dried, she'd have a functional large pot again.
"... I wonder if I can make it waterproof... Maybe I could adjust the fire just enough to melt a glaze onto it?"
Thinking about future possibilities, Marylia was content for now. She decided to tackle the glazing process after finishing the leather tanning.
"As for the paper... yeah, let's just leave it like this."
She debated whether to bring in the stretched cockatrice hide paper that was hanging between the trees, but ultimately decided to leave it outside.
Rain wouldn't affect it too much. If she were to take it down now while it was still slightly damp, it wouldn't stretch properly and form a thin sheet of paper.
Even if she messed up the cockatrice hide paper, she could always re-soak the leather and stretch it again. So, leaving it out in the rain was no big deal. In fact, she figured the rain might help remove some of the remaining fats from the hide.
"It's just too much hassle..."
… Plus, re-stretching the hide was simply too much work for her liking!
"And the roof tiles... well, let's just keep at it for today. Thank goodness for the big drying area..."
Meanwhile, tile production continued.
Tiles dried faster than bricks. Even on rainy days with high humidity, her large drying area, equipped with a high roof, allowed for efficient drying. By keeping a fire burning in the center of the area, she could dry the tiles much faster than leaving them to dry naturally. As long as she was careful, there was little risk of the roof catching fire.
With the fire burning, the tiles near it dried quickly. And with little else to do on a rainy day, Marylia kept an eye on the fire while the golems made more tiles. She passed the time by making ropes from the wood vine fibers, weaving mats, and other relaxing tasks.
As she worked quietly...
"... The wind's picking up a bit."
The rain was now accompanied by a stronger wind. The gusts swayed the trees and blew rain into the drying area, making things a bit damp inside.
The pillars of the drying area creaked under the pressure. Her bed was getting soaked, and the bundles of grass on the roof looked like they might be blown away by the wind. Marylia felt a bit uneasy.
She didn't want the drying area roof she had worked so hard to build to blow away, nor did she want her precious supplies from outside the island to get wet. She had things to lose now, and she wasn’t fully prepared for the storm.
Strong wind and rain were certainly frightening. The flimsy grass roof and the not-so-thick wooden pillars swayed under the weather's force...
But despite the worsening weather, Marylia smiled calmly.
"With a storm like this, there might be some interesting flotsam tomorrow."
Even though she had something to lose, some unease, and a bit of fear... Marylia had developed a strong sense of composure.
What do you think about this chapter?
