Day 151 of Banishment: Gems (1)
Marylia’s banishment on the island had reached its 150th day.
And now, the uninhabited island was in the midst of winter.
“Wow~ it’s all white!”
Marylia stepped outside, letting out a voice that was somewhere between delight and despair.
“Snowfall came early this year... The first snow was already quite early, but this...”
Her gaze drifted into the distance as she surveyed the silver-white landscape. Snow had accumulated heavily, covering everything in pristine white, far exceeding Marylia’s expectations.
“I wish it had been a mild winter... Ugh, it’s so cold.”
This year was certainly an anomaly compared to the norm. In an ordinary year, the first snow would only now begin to appear. For some reason, however, this year had seen early and abundant snowfall.
“This... it’s not just this island, is it? It must be the entirety of Fractalia... or even Baltoria. If that’s the case, some crops might have been ruined by frost or snow before harvest. This winter is going to be harsh.”
The early arrival of winter posed significant challenges for Marylia and, undoubtedly, for the Fractalia Kingdom as well. The neighboring Baltoria was likely facing similar struggles.
“I hope they don’t use poor harvests as an excuse to invade again... The thought of returning home only to find my country gone is just unbearable.”
Marylia sighed softly. Her breath floated in the air as a white mist before disappearing.
“Well, they’ll have to manage somehow. There’s nothing I can do now that I’ve been banished.”
Brushing off her concerns, Marylia began her daily routine, determined to make it through another day on the island.
Winter mornings for Marylia began with an inspection of the surroundings.
The cold demanded that she wear a full set of fur clothing before venturing outside. Neglecting this precaution and losing body heat could prove disastrous in such a harsh winter. Every small effort counted.
Fortunately, once she donned her fur coat, cape, boots, mittens, and hat, she felt reasonably warm. Though the chill still seeped in, it was not enough to hinder her activities entirely.
Once outside, Marylia checked on the golems.
The golems guarded the food storage, gathered firewood, fetched water, and carried out other tasks near the base. Without them, Marylia would have had to perform these chores herself in the freezing cold. The thought brought a smile to her face.
But the golems weren’t limited to working around the base.
“Alright, it’s about time.”
As Marylia waited, a sound came from near the center of the island: the chime of a small bell. It was a ship’s signal bell she had salvaged and repurposed.
After the bell stopped ringing, the water level in the river near the base began to rise.
“Good. Everything’s working as planned.”
Satisfied, Marylia smiled and headed to the food storage to prepare breakfast. Recently, her routine involved retrieving food for both breakfast and lunch and then staying indoors.
Meanwhile, upstream, the Iron Golem was overseeing an operation to extract iron sand.
This process, known as "iron sand washing," involved damming the river to store a large volume of water. Rocks were crushed, and soil was mixed in before being released in a rush. The lighter sediments were carried away, while the heavier iron sand settled in collection ponds downstream.
The operation had begun only yesterday, after the ponds constructed by the Iron Golem were completed. A few trial runs were being conducted to gauge efficiency.
“I’ll wait for the afternoon report to see how much iron sand was collected. Let’s focus on breakfast first~”
Marylia gazed upstream one last time before entering the food storage. Winter made cooking an essential part of survival. While the golems handled resource collection, Marylia devoted herself to sustaining her own life.
Back at her house, she removed her coat and boots and checked the clay pot near the hearth.
“The chestnuts soaked overnight are ready. Perfect.”
The pot contained chestnuts soaked in water. Once dried, the chestnuts were crushed and boiled into a porridge, which had become Marylia’s staple breakfast.
The fire in the hearth never went out. Though it had dwindled to embers, it could be rekindled with a bit of fiber and small twigs. Marylia quickly revived the flames.
She hung a pot over the fire, added the chestnuts and water, and began cooking. Once the contents reached a boil, she adjusted the pot’s position to let it simmer gently.
While the porridge cooked, she prepared lunch. Salted and smoked meat was rehydrated for roasting later. A Man-Eater root, still in her storage, was dampened, wrapped in large leaves, and set aside. During a morning break, she would bury it in the hearth's ashes to steam and roast it to perfection.
The chestnut porridge was seasoned with a pinch of salt and served with dried jujubes.
“Yeah! Delicious!”
The naturally sweet chestnuts, further enhanced by drying, became even richer when cooked into a porridge. The warmth and consistency were ideal for the winter cold.
After a satisfying meal, Marylia quickly cleaned up and resumed her latest project: making a backpack.
She was crafting a simple rucksack by threading thin leather strips through holes in leather pieces, then tightening them securely. Though the design was basic, it would be sturdy if done carefully.
She also planned to make a shoulder bag and a small pouch to attach to her belt. Winter was long, and even with these projects, she’d have time to spare.
Marylia worked steadily on the backpack until noon, finding joy in seeing her efforts take shape. There was something deeply fulfilling about work that produced tangible results.
"Well then... let's call it a day for now."
Smiling warmly, Marylia decided it was time for lunch.
Her meal consisted of rehydrated smoked meat, grilled again, and the soft, baked root of a man-eater plant. After finishing her meal, she sipped on a cup of tea.
"Haha, this feels a bit civilized."
The tea was quite simple. She had dried some grass growing nearby, roasted it, and brewed it in hot water.
Yet, even something so basic turned out surprisingly tasty. Its roasted aroma and a gentle sweetness made it quite pleasant. Moreover, a warm cup of tea did wonders to warm her body. During the winter, when she tended to stay indoors, Marylia found joy in these tea breaks.
"Alright, time to head out before it gets too late in the afternoon."
Having finished her meal and tea, Marylia put on her coat and boots and stepped outside.
"Brr, it's freezing~"
The cold hit her immediately, unsurprising with the snow blanketing everything. However, she couldn't afford to complain about the chill. On the contrary, Marylia was feeling a bit excited.
"Let's bring a few golems along. Hmm, three should be enough to carry the load."
Marylia called out to some golems to accompany her. Even with the arrival of the Iron Golem, the value of the Terracotta Golems hadn't diminished. They remained excellent helpers, capable of tasks Marylia couldn't handle alone.
"And... let's see if there’s any food buried under the snow. I’ll need to bring a slime for that."
On a whim, Marylia grabbed a slime from its nest.
"... You guys don’t turn into sherbet, do you?"
Even in winter, the slime was soft and squishy. Marylia found it amusing and spent a moment stretching, shrinking, and rolling the slime around, marveling at its texture.
Squishing the slime in her hands, Marylia set off toward the shore.
Since early autumn, she had noticed an intriguing trend—valuable flotsam washing ashore. Recently, there seemed to be an increase in shipwrecks.
Thanks to this, various items, likely from ships, had been drifting in: sailcloth, straight masts, lanterns, small bells, ropes, and more.
"Oh my, plenty of sailcloth again today! How wonderful~"
Today, the tide had brought in sailcloth tangled with ropes and even a stray oar. Marylia, delighted, rinsed them in seawater and had the golems carry them.
"Oh, a crate~ Let’s see what’s inside... Ah~ it’s empty! What a shame. I wonder what used to be in it…"
Of course, not everything went perfectly. What she needed most—non-perishable food—rarely showed up. Today was no exception, as an empty wooden crate was all she found. Slightly disappointed, Marylia inspected the crate’s contents.
Inside, she found burlap sacks. They might once have held salt or something similar, but the contents had likely dissolved into the sea. If it had been sugar, that would’ve been a tragedy!
Still, wooden crates were always useful. She decided to have the golems carry this as well.
"Now then... let’s check this bag... Oh! It’s not empty~"
Upon examining the burlap sacks, she found one with contents still intact—grain. Although it had been processed and couldn’t be planted, it was still a valuable find.
"How fortunate. Even just this one bag should last quite a while."
Smiling brightly, Marylia handed the bag of grain to the golems. She also began collecting polished glass shards, seashells, and other small treasures washed ashore. Especially rounded pieces of glass, ceramic fragments, quartz, and agate—these were her favorites.
These items weren’t particularly useful. It’s not like she needed to burn seashells into lime. But Marylia picked them up simply because it was fun.
"It feels like my treasure collection is growing—how delightful."
She considered that someday she might find a use for the glass. For now, though, gathering beautiful items was an enjoyable pastime. Life on a deserted island should be more than just surviving—it should also be fun.
"Oh, coral! How pretty... If I polish this and shape it nicely, it could make a lovely accessory. Hehe... When I return from my banishment, wouldn’t it be fun to wear flashy accessories I made here? Especially since I’ll be leaving with a hundred Iron Golems..."
As she mused, Marylia added "polishing collected gems" to her list of winter pastimes.
Beautiful gems were symbols of power and authority. At the same time... they also served as conduits for magic.
What do you think about this chapter?
