Hideout in Another World: I Tried Building a Secret Base in the Middle of Nowhere

Chapter 28: Relaxation

Today, it’s been a while since we had yakiniku.

“…………!”

“Delicious~ delicious~”

“Gyagyagya!”

Shiro, despite her appearance as a big eater, surprisingly enjoys her meals leisurely. When she eats something delicious, her face becomes relaxed, which is heartwarming to watch. She seems to really like the yakiniku, slowly but continuously eating.

Shiro not only enjoys meat but also eats a variety of vegetables.

Pink seems to favor roasted sweet potatoes lately. His preferences change quite often.

But it’s been a while since we grilled meat. At the inn, we were reluctant to grill because of the smoke and smell, so we mostly boiled the food. I grill potatoes and vegetables as well.

Usually, I season everything with only salt and a mysterious spice mix I bought at a stall, and it’s sufficient for now. Maybe I’ll try making my own original yakiniku sauce someday. Surprisingly, chocolate might also work.

After the meal, we all enjoyed chocolate and coffee together. After feeling full and lounging around, Kuro started brushing herself and then began brushing Shiro’s head.

Although Kuro often speaks gibberish to Shiro, could it be that they’re actually communicating? Well, it’s probably more about understanding each other’s feelings…

However, sometimes when I look closely at Shiro, she seems to be whispering something. When I listen closely, it’s probably not a language used in the city. Next time, I’ll ask Menas; she’s the most knowledgeable among my acquaintances and has a wide range of activities.

Once Kuro finished with Shiro’s hair, she started teaching Shiro how to grind cocoa. Shiro obediently learned. For now, we use a bowl made of granite to grind cocoa and coffee, but when Shiro does the work, it looks like a play set.

I need to prepare a proper mortar soon. It might be difficult to transport if I ask someone in the city to make it. With effort, Shiro could probably carry it, but large items would be challenging.

I wonder if mortars exist in this world. If not, I’ll have to make one myself. Mortars for grinding flour were in the barn of my old house, so I’m familiar with them. As a child, I watched my grandpa grind buckwheat flour and even made soba noodles with it.

Since then, I found it quite interesting, so I tried turning it myself and observed how it worked. So, while I can’t carry heavy stones or do the processing myself, I can probably draw up a plan. Shiro can carry the stones, and with tools, Kuro can probably do the processing.

But where can I get the processing tools? Obviously, there are no electric grinders or drills. Maybe I’ll consult with the master carpenter. Kuro now has four knives at her disposal.

Using two large knives as weapons, one medium-sized knife for cooking and daily use, and one for detailed tasks like cutting hair and shaving, they’re all lined up and sharpened quickly and meticulously.

Kuro sings a mysterious tune as she finishes sharpening all four knives in no time.

Now it seems she’s going to maintain Shiro’s as well. Shiro’s machete was in pretty bad shape, but can it be fixed by sharpening…? I thought, but it quickly became clean and sharp. This… could be a business opportunity.

By the way, I have only one knife, the same size as the medium one Kuro has, which I also get her to sharpen. Its sharpness is honestly frightening.

As I vaguely watch the two work, I start feeling a bit idle, so I think about what else I can do.

Maybe expand the sleeping area. We’re still living in the crevices of the rock wall, but surprisingly, the space is quite large, so it doesn’t feel cramped even with more people. However, the naturally occurring rock shelves where we can store things are limited, so ideally, I’d like to use a chisel to increase the storage space.

Since Shiro, who is physically capable, has also joined us, I’d like to try cutting rocks and making rooms too. The rock shelf we’ve been using as a bed is quite spacious, so Kuro continues to sleep beside me.

Will Shiro be able to sleep…? Well, it’s about 3 meters deep, so there should be plenty of space.

What’s important is what to put on it. For now, the bedding consists of a thick blanket filled with the wool of a cow-like animal and a thick cloth.

Should I make a bedding for Shiro? Sewing the fabric together is surprisingly troublesome. And Shiro’s would need to be even larger…

For now, I need a bedding that’s about 2.5 meters long. First, I’ll mark it with a pen and go borrow a knife from Kuro.

“Gyagya? Gya-gyagya-gya.”

Since she had already finished sharpening the knives, she ended up helping me cut and sew the fabric. Kuro works at about twice my speed.

Being with her, I feel like she’s taking over more and more of the work. I might end up becoming useless. I might end up calling her mom eventually.

Working on these tasks little by little, before I know it, the day has tilted. I prepare dinner early and eat with the three of them and one animal.

Maybe because of the exhaustion from earlier, I quickly fall asleep. It’s been a while since I could relax without worrying about anything, and I feel truly relaxed from the bottom of my heart.