Giena's Dawn Wood Lecture
The sensation of something prodding my cheek snaps me awake.
"You up?"
"...???"
I open my eyes, and the first thing I see is Siron's mischievous face grinning ear to ear. Looks like she's been poking my cheek with her finger, messing with me.
I glance out the window. The bluish light means it's still dawn. I let out a small yawn, wrap my arms tight around Siron's waist, and nuzzle my face into her soft, pillowy breasts. That sweet floral scent unique to her body mixes with the warm flesh of her chest, making me wanna drift right back to sleep.
"Not a baby anymore, and you still love my tits that much."
"Yeah... they're the best."
Out of all the guys lugging a sword between their legs, how many actually hate a woman's breasts? Definitely not me. Rubbing my cheek against them gives this perfect pressure, that soft squish following my movements—it's straight-up addictive. Can't stop. Wanna grope 'em forever.
"But you idiot."
"...What."
"That chick from yesterday came by. Told her to come back later?"
"Yesterday...?"
I furrow my brow, face still buried in Siron's chest. Someone came yesterday... who was it? Oh. Giena. Yeah, she said she'd drop by in the morning and left.
But she's here now?
"...Siron. Isn't it dawn right now?"
"Well, sun's up, so closer to morning than dawn."
I look up at Siron with a sulky pout. She's smirking. Figures—she loves screwing with me.
"Anyway... Giena's waiting right now?"
"Yeah. Right outside the door."
"..."
Honestly, I don't wanna get up. I wanna bury my face in Siron's soft tits and sleep more. Maybe it's 'cause I spent till late last night spanking her ass and pussy, giving her a good punishment, but I'm wiped.
"Siron. You look full of energy...?"
"'Cause someone drained all my pent-up stress last night. Feels amazing."
"I see..."
Just last night she was whimpering "sorry" while crying out, and now after a short nap, her face is glowing with vitality.
"Nngh..."
"You can sleep more if you want."
"Nah... I'm the student here. Can't do that."
I unwrap my arms from her waist and sit up in bed. Siron's smirking face turns a bit sulky as she watches—probably pictured me staying cuddled up longer. I wanna, but as the learner, I gotta suck it up.
Luckily, Vizelin's scroll cleaned up Siron's pussy juices and mess from yesterday, so I rub my sleepy eyes and fling the door wide open.
"...?"
Just an empty hallway beyond the door. As I'm scratching my head awkwardly, a voice chimes in.
"Good morning."
"Whoa...!"
Giena pokes her head out from the left, greeting me casually. My heart drops for a second.
"G-good morning."
"Yes. Truly a good morning."
Unlike me, Giena looks genuinely chipper. Her orange eyes sparkle like the rising sun.
"May I come in?"
"Ah, yeah. Come on in."
I step aside to let her pass, but she leans left first, rummaging around with some rustling sounds.
"Uh... what's all that?"
"I'll explain inside."
Giena enters my room, loaded with wooden logs thicker than my forearm dangling everywhere. She plops naturally into the chair at the desk from yesterday.
I start to say something, then shut my mouth and quietly perch on the bed where Siron's lying. As I sit, Siron wriggles over and lays her head on my thigh. I stroke her silky hair out of habit.
Hope that's not rude to Giena. But she doesn't bat an eye at us, so I keep going.
I pet Siron's head while waiting for Giena to sort her wood. Doesn't take long. Once the logs are neatly lined up, I ask.
"Those woods?"
"Great ones for bowmaking."
Figured as much. But calling them "great" means different types. To me, they all look identical—same size, bark, everything. C'mon, give a guy some variety.
"You carry these around normally?"
"Of course not. Gathered 'em this morning."
"...This morning? Today?"
Giena nods eagerly, eyes sparkling.
"Heard from guild folks it's a pain to leave the city, so I figured I'd exercise and grab some."
"Uh... th-thanks...?"
"No biggie. Was just a stroll."
"R-right."
She's so casual about it, grinning, that I almost buy it as no big deal. But who the hell doesn't sleep? Sun's not even fully up—gotta be at least an hour away—and she went outside the city, chopped these, and came back? Means she woke up way earlier.
I can only give an awkward smile to her bright-eyed stare.
"Shall we start?"
"Ah, yes. I'll listen hard."
"Mm. Good posture. Perfect. Let's begin."
Giena picks up one log from the floor.
"This is clangwood. Like the name says, tap it..."
Clang clang.
She taps it lightly with her hand, and it rings out like hollow metal—not wood at all.
"Sounds like striking empty iron, right? Wanna try?"
"Ah, yes."
I take the clangwood from her. And whoa—way lighter than it looks.
"Surprisingly light for its size, huh?"
"Yeah. Like it's hollow inside?"
"Most folks think that at first. But it's solid. No worries. Here..."
Giena pulls a dagger from her waist, takes the wood, and stabs the top.
"See? Packed tight."
"Whoa, really. But why so light?"
"Beats me. Artisans and scholars like me have poured time into it, but no real answers yet."
"Huh... neat stuff."
"Right? And get this—despite the weird properties, it's super common across the continent."
"Easy to find, then?"
"Yep. Everywhere... but to woodcutters and loggers, it's basically a pest."
Siron yawns hugely from my thigh, grumbling sleepily.
"Exactly. Super light, hollow-sounding, but without a razor-sharp axe and serious muscle, you can't even scratch it. Insanely tough."
"...This?"
"Yes. Wanna try?"
She offers her dagger. Curiosity hits—I wanna stab it.
"Don't."
"Huh?"
"Don't. You ever held a knife before, dumbass?"
"...Nope."
"You'll slice your wrist. No."
I nod at Siron's warning glare and obediently pet her hair instead.
"Sorry. Got too excited. Here, like this."
Giena nods at Siron, apologizes politely, wedges the dagger between her feet blade-up, and drops the clangwood on it.
Kaang—
Metal-clashing ring, but the wood rolls to my feet unscathed. I pick it up—flawless, no mark.
"...Couldn't you make cheap, durable guards or shields from this?"
"You could. But not cheap."
"Isn't it common?"
"Yes. Common, but a nightmare to fell and process. Takes tons of time and skill. First, to shape it, soak in saltwater for at least two weeks for flexibility. Mess up the concentration even a bit, and it rots. Tons of artisans fail here. Even if you nail that, next steps are..."
Giena unleashes a torrent of words like a burst dam. I pet Siron quietly, listening intently. Halfway through, it's all jargon I barely get, but I nod along.
"That's why it's common but pricey."
"I see."
Yeah. Sounds like if you can process it, you get killer gear, but processing's a bitch, and few can do it, so expensive AF.
"So, bows from clangwood..."
Thought that was it, but nope—she dives straight into bow specifics, pros and cons nonstop.
"That's why every archer wants one."
"Ah, yeah. Got it."
Clangwood bows have insane elasticity—pair with strong string, and arrows fly invisible distances. Plus rock-hard, blocks most knife ambushes without rolling. That's all I caught. She talked forever, too fast, too technical.
"Next..."
Giena sets it down, grabs another. I panic inwardly. Dawn light's gone—warm sun now streams in. Sun's fully up.
Just sitting and listening, but two hours feels like eternity. No joke, starting to think my old army training officer isekai'd with me.
I sneak peeks at Giena while she starts on log two, check Siron on my thigh.
Zzz...
Damn, she conked out during the lecture. I pray my clueless internal clock rings soon, my only escape...
"This one's..."
Waiting.
"And this guy..."
Waiting.
"Then this..."
Wait—
"First time explaining to someone else. Hope I did okay."
"...So, process clangwood right, and it's the ultimate bow?"
"Ah, yes. Exactly."
"...That was. One hell of a lecture."
"Really? Phew, glad. Worried I missed stuff."
Giena beams and stands.
"Ah, these are yours—study 'em visually."
"...Thanks so much."
"No prob. Oh, Smith."
"Y-yes. Smith here."
"Pardon?"
"N-nothing. What's up?"
"When you make a bow, can I see it?"
"Ah, sure. Of course. Gotta show you. Staying at the guild? I'll bring it over. Promise. Definitely."
"Thanks. Anytime's fine—no rush."
"Got it. Yes."
"See you later."
"Yes. Take care."
Giena leaves with the same bright smile she arrived with. I stare blankly at the door, then grope Siron's sleeping breasts.
"Siron."
"...What."
She stirs, squints awake at my prodding. I pinch her sulky cheek lightly.
"Let's grab lunch..."