A Rainy Day (1)
On their third day on the deserted island, Chester decided it was time to start working in earnest. Early in the morning, he headed into the forest carrying his sling, a stone knife, and a stone axe. He navigated back to the bamboo grove he had found on the first day and swung his stone axe at the nearest stalk.
As he chopped away, Chester's mind drifted to the rumors surrounding the Floating Island. I heard the Floating Island was an extreme, uninhabitable wasteland. Yet, having experienced it firsthand for three days, it didn't seem quite that extreme. The scorching heat and biting cold were difficult to endure, but not impossible to overcome. Moreover, nature here was bountiful, making it relatively easy to forage for food.
Though, looking at Monia, I suppose it would be hell for a noble.
Chester tossed the felled bamboo aside and began hacking at another stalk. Maybe those rumors spread because this place is traditionally an execution ground reserved for high-ranking nobles?
The rumors about the Floating Island were vast and varied. Some called it a demonic realm from which no one returned alive; others claimed it was where a legendary adventurer had hidden vast treasures, or even the land where the gods resided before departing this world. With so many wild tales, Chester had naturally been on his guard, but surviving here wasn't proving to be as monumental a challenge as he had anticipated. They had a reliable source of fresh water, and he had already crafted basic tools. Now, all they needed was a steady supply of food.
Is this enough bamboo?
Deciding it was, Chester cut the felled stalks into manageable lengths, bound them together with vines, and began hauling them back.
When he returned to their shelter, he found Monia striking large stones together, practicing how to make tools. It seemed she was testing out the basic knapping techniques he had briefly shown her before leaving this morning.
"It... it's not breaking as easily as I thought... I'm sure Chester made it look so effortless."
Hearing her mutter to herself, Chester was mildly impressed. Wait, she actually knows my name?
Having been addressed only as "you there," "hey," "servant," "slave," or even "dog" for as long as he could remember, Chester was genuinely surprised. In truth, Monia had discovered his name simply because "Chester" was embroidered in silver thread on the inside of his butler uniform. It wasn't just him; everyone who worked for the Duke's household had their names embroidered somewhere on their attire. Remembering this, Monia had secretly inspected his discarded coat last night while he was asleep under a blanket of leaves. She had been too embarrassed to ask him directly.
Instead of approaching her, Chester stood back and quietly watched her progress.
"Ah! Ah! It broke! It finally broke!" Monia cheered, her face lighting up as the stone split.
"Now, for the other side... Ouch!" She whimpered, having accidentally struck her own finger.
"You insolent rock! How dare you! Who do you think I am?!" Monia threw the offending stone in a fit of childish pique.
"I will absolutely succeed this time!" She declared, picking up a fresh stone with renewed determination.
"Kyaah?! How long have you been standing there!" Monia shrieked upon finally noticing him, hastily chucking her practice stone into the bushes.
It's like watching a monkey slowly discover civilization. It was actually quite entertaining to watch.
"Shouldn't you focus on mastering how to make rope first?"
"Hmph, who do you take me for? I've already done that!" Monia smirked confidently, pulling out a length of rope she had hidden in the folds of her dress and presenting it to him.
Why on earth was she hiding it? Chester took the rope and examined it. ...Not bad. It was braided surprisingly tight and sturdy. Since it was actually usable, Chester nodded in approval and tossed her rope onto their main pile.
"What do you think you're doing with my rope! I made that with my own hands!"
"Tonight, I'll teach you how to knap stones properly."
"Oh. Hehehe. Fine! I shall master that in a single day as well! Every precious skill you possess! Every bit of your experience! Dedicate them all to me!"
Monia's motivation for working so hard was a quest for vengeance that had a near-one-hundred-percent chance of being utterly impossible. Still, Chester didn't think it was a bad thing. Having drive, no matter how delusional, was a hundred times better than having none at all.
"Are you making water canteens with those?"
"Yeah. Though calling it 'making' is a bit of an overstatement. It's nothing special."
Chester picked up a stalk of bamboo and began scoring a line slightly below one of the nodes with his stone knife. After scraping the groove deep enough to weaken the wood, he wedged the knife in and split it clean. Having severed a single hollow section, Chester held it up for Monia to see.
"Oh, it's completely hollow inside?" Suddenly, Monia remembered drinking the water that had been trapped inside the bamboo. "Ah, so that's why there was water inside them."
"Exactly. And the nodes act as natural seals. So, if you cut them at the right spots, they instantly become canteens."
"That's wonderful!"
"It is. Plus, depending on how you cut them, you can easily make bowls and all sorts of other things. They're incredibly versatile."
"Ooh." Monia's eyes sparkled with fascination as she watched Chester carve out canteen after canteen.
"And since they're lightweight, even you can carry them easily."
After fashioning about ten bamboo canteens, Chester bored two opposing holes near the rim of each one. He threaded a length of rope through the holes and knotted the ends, securing them. Just like that, he had a set of easily portable water containers.
"Now you try."
"Stop ordering me around!" Monia snapped, though she immediately grabbed a piece of bamboo anyway. "But how do I make the holes?"
Chester selected a branch of suitable thickness, shaved the tip into a sharp point, and handed it to her. Monia began vigorously stabbing and twisting the stick against the bamboo to bore the holes.
Meanwhile, Chester finished attaching rope handles to all the canteens, then threaded a longer rope through the handles so he could lift them all at once.
"I'm going to fetch water."
"Work hard for my sake!"
"Just make sure you get some work done while I'm gone."
Chester walked through the forest at a slower pace than usual. With both hands full of heavy canteens, his movement was restricted, forcing him to watch his step with extra care. Reaching the river, he submerged the canteens until they were completely full. Because they were all strung together on a single rope, a fair amount of water sloshed out when he hoisted them up, but even the tilted ones on the outer edges remained at least half-full.
This is a bit heavy. Chester swayed slightly as he navigated the forest path. It was a delicate balancing act; the slightest misstep would send water spilling everywhere. Maybe I'll bring fewer canteens at a time tomorrow. Even so, the weight of the abundant water in his hands brought a deep sense of security.
As he walked back, Chester didn't even bother looking at the trail markers he had carved into the trees on his first day. He navigated the dense foliage with ease. Because he always paid close attention to his surroundings, the subtle details of the forest had naturally etched themselves into his memory. Finding his way along a familiar path was second nature now.
I don't see any fallen fruit on the ground. Did other animals eat them all? Chester felt a pang of disappointment. Windfallen fruit was an excellent food source since it required no climbing. Now that they were gone, he would have to scale the trees to harvest more. And Monia already polished off our entire stockpile back at the shelter. Was it because she lacked the concept of rationing, or was it a psychological reaction to the severe hunger she had suffered when they first arrived? Whatever the reason, if there was food in sight, Monia insisted on eating every last bite.
I'll have to break her of that habit, too. Arriving back at the shelter, Chester set the canteens down and untied the carrying rope.
"Wow! Water!" Having survived solely on coconut water the previous day, Monia beamed at the sight of the sloshing liquid. She immediately snatched up a canteen and began chugging.
"Ahhh!" After draining the canteen in one go, she shuddered with delight, letting out a blissful sigh.
"Anyone watching would think you're a laborer knocking back a cold beer after a hard day's work."
"Excuse me?!"
"How's your ankle?"
"Don't change the subject! Apologize for insulting me this instant!"
"Did you actually do any work while I was fetching water?"
"..." Monia quickly averted her eyes.
"Hey."
"I—I was going to! I was just about to start! Look!" Monia pointed defensively at the pile of bark fibers beside her, trying to look proud.
"So, did you actually do it?" Chester's flat question completely deflated her.
"No more water for you until you finish."
"...! How cruel! You villain! You absolute piece of trash!" Ignoring her protests, Chester picked up a canteen of his own and took a drink. "..." The water had a very faint, refreshing hint of bamboo.
"Not bad." Quenching his thirst, Chester smiled at the sight of the filled canteens. Having a secure stockpile of water brought a natural peace of mind.
"Your ankle should be mostly healed by now, shouldn't it?"
"My ankle?" At his question, Monia stood up with a triumphant grin. "Ta-da! It doesn't hurt at all when I stand! Hmph, as expected of me! To think such a horrific injury would heal so quickly!"
"It was just a mild sprain." The sharp pain might be gone, but her ankle would still be stiff and difficult to move. Chester decided to let her rest for one more day and take her into the forest starting tomorrow.
"Rest up today. Tomorrow, you're coming into the forest with me."
"!" Monia gasped, her face tensing as she swallowed hard. "F-finally!"
"I'm going to forage for some food, so make sure you actually get some work done this time. Seriously."
"I—I get it! I said I understand! I was going to do it! I really was! If you had just come back one minute later, you would have seen me hard at work!"
As Chester headed back into the forest with his sling, stone knife, and stone axe, Monia grumbled about his lack of trust while picking up a strip of bark.
"...Huh?" Suddenly, she paused and tilted her head, looking out toward the sea. "Is it raining?" Tiny, gentle ripples were continuously forming and vanishing on the surface of the ocean.