A Dog's Life (2)
Ant carefully took the sliced meat placed in front of him into his mouth, chewing and swallowing it. Unlike Monia, who had practically fed him by hand, Chester had placed the sliced meat a short distance away from Ant, save for the very first bite.
Whine. When no new meat appeared despite his waiting, Ant sniffed the air, located the sliced meat a short distance away, and began to crawl toward it.
"Ahhh..." As Monia watched the scene with an anxious expression, Chester grabbed her firmly, holding her back so she couldn't help the pup.
"Ah." While Monia blushed at being held, Chester reiterated that she must not help him.
"Coddle him with food, and he'll grow up weak. If you want to see him grow up healthy, just watch."
He was teaching the pup that food wasn't something that just fell into his lap if he stayed still. He was engraving the lesson that he had to find food with his own nose and chase it with his own feet. He was shaping both instinct and experience to mold him into a proper hunting dog.
Chester gradually placed the sliced meat further and further away, occasionally flicking the meat to a different spot just as Ant managed to reach it.
"Stop teasing him so much!"
"Even plants grow weak if you coddle them. What do you think happens to animals?"
Plants grew stronger by fighting off pests and diseases. A plant with no experience fighting for survival would wither and die from a single minor illness. Chester smiled as he watched Ant quickly locate the relocated meat and crawl toward it.
"When I was born, my father said a hunter's son couldn't afford to be ignorant of nature, so he took me straight into the forest."
"What? When you were a baby? No, right after you were born?"
"Yeah."
"...Your father had a lot of issues too, it seems."
"Hahaha. He sneaked out with me, but my mother caught him and beat him black and blue."
"But how on earth do you remember things from when you were a baby?"
"The villagers used to bring it up all the time to tease my dad."
Especially during village festivals, the drunken older men would bring up the story whenever they got bored. Since his father spent most of his time in the forest, there weren't many opportunities to bond with him. So, when the alcohol loosened them up, they would use that foolish, humanizing story to bridge the gap.
"My father would always grumble about how sick of it he was, though."
"Fufu." A soft smile played on Monia's lips whenever she listened to Chester's stories about his past.
Was it because his life was so vastly different from her own, or was it because of the people who frequently populated his tales?
Stories of the rebel kids who rose up against Chester, the little boss who ruled the village. The crude yet astonishing and wondrous exploits of Chester's father, which she could hear about whenever she pleased. The way that formidable father would be utterly helpless and meekly scolded by Chester's mother. The tales of the villagers working together to overcome crises whenever their small village fell into danger.
It was wonderful to hear these colorful stories, things she would never have known or experienced living as a noble. After all, the story of Monia's own life had been a monotonous repetition of the same daily routine.
Receiving lessons, having tea time, occasionally enjoying the opera. It was the same even after she entered the Academy. Receiving lessons, having tea time, meeting Jordy out of obligation, and occasionally enjoying the opera. It was a life that simply flowed along without a single ripple.
Though things that could be called 'crises' surely occurred from time to time, just like the story of the carriage in the pouring rain, as long as Monia stayed still, those around her would resolve the crisis on their own. Crisis, hardship, struggle—these were words that had absolutely nothing to do with Monia.
Yet, upon arriving on the Floating Island, she had nearly died of dehydration, suffered immensely to secure water, and had to endure grueling nights in a dreadful bed.
Thinking about it like this, I'm actually amazing! I'm so proud of myself!
Surviving on an island like this! Wasn't this an achievement that no other noble in the kingdom had ever accomplished?
Jordy is truly a fool! Sending me here with Chester of all people, only to ensure my survival!
"Alright." Just then, Chester stood up. As he rose, he picked up Ant and slipped him into his vest pocket.
"We've rested, so back to work."
"Ah, right."
Before the two, who had finished a simple lunch, stood three thorn trees with the earth dug up around them, nearly exposing their roots.
Because they had to dig carefully and deeply to expose the roots intact, working on just three trees had made the time fly by. They had been so focused on the task that they ended up eating lunch late, pushing their mealtime back by about two hours.
"We're making a fence out of these, right? Can we really do it?"
"Let's take it slow. Today, we're only doing these three."
Chester and Monia weren't planning to simply build a fence out of thorn branches; they intended to transplant the thorn trees themselves around the field. There were several reasons for transplanting them. First, living trees provided far more structural support and durability than a fence made of severed branches. Second, although small, the thorn trees bore fruit, providing them with a source of food. Third, they could easily prune the continuously growing branches to use as firewood. If they put in the effort to transplant them, they would have a steady supply of fruit and firewood right in front of their house. Thus, even if it was a bit of a struggle, they decided to move the entire trees rather than just the branches.
"But how do we move them? Should we tie them with ropes and drag them?"
"That's probably the best way. They'll get a bit damaged, but as long as the roots are fine, they should recover quickly, right?"
Since plants grew so rapidly on this island, a little damage would likely heal in no time. After tying ropes to the thorn trees, the two began to drag the three trees along.
"They're catching on the ground, so they're much heavier than I thought!"
"Tell me about it." Chester looked back. Dragging the thorn trees tore up the earth, and grass, dirt, and stones kept getting tangled in the branches, making them heavier. Because of this, even when they were making good progress, they had to stop occasionally to clear the debris caught in the trees. They would take a stick, tap the thorn trees to shake off the dirt and stones, strip away the tangled grass, and then start walking again. Naturally, this made the journey take much longer than usual.
"Moving these to make a fence is going to be an absolute nightmare."
"Things in life rarely go as planned, but at times like this, I really wish they would."
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, right?" Chester burst into laughter at Monia's words.
"Haha, yeah. There's nothing we can do. You've learned well."
"Of course. Look who my teacher is." The two worked diligently to move the thorn trees.
"It's over!" Monia cheered, throwing her arms high into the air. With the long, grueling task of moving the trees finally finished, the two returned home.
"I'm resting for the rest of the day! I'm not doing a single thing besides eating!"
"Sure, sure. Just look after Ant." When Chester handed Ant over, Monia cheered, taking the pup and rolling around on the bed with him.
Watching her, Chester took the moss he had found while moving the thorn trees and placed it near the fire to dry. All over their shelter, moss they had steadily gathered day by day lay spread out, thoroughly dried and sanitized. Once the weather grew colder, he planned to line the walls with this moss to keep out the chill.
The problem is how to attach the moss to the walls. But that was a problem for later; for now, he just needed to keep gathering it.
Should I carve wooden pegs to use as nails? While Chester pondered winter preparations, Monia played happily with Ant. After spending some time resting, they began preparing dinner. Today, Monia had volunteered to cook.
"I want to try cooking with the chili peppers."
"Chili peppers?"
"Yes. Do you think Ant would eat chili peppers too?"
"Hmm." Chester grabbed a chili pepper, sliced off a tiny piece, and held it out to Ant. The moment Ant instinctively sniffed the object presented to him—
Yiiiiip?! Hit by a powerful shock, Ant began to writhe and twist his entire body.
"Oh my gosh! Ant?!"
"Yeah, looks like chili peppers are a no-go."
Yeeeeelps! Whine! While Monia tearfully watched the struggling pup, Chester figured out the reason behind Ant's extreme reaction.
It's a toxin. The spicy component in chili peppers was a weapon the plant had developed to protect itself.
It's the same with mint. Nobles go crazy over mint, but in reality, that scent was created to repel insects.
The scent of mint could also be considered a type of poison. That was why no insects approached mint, except for a select few that were highly resistant to its toxins. Nobles adored it, calling it a 'clean and noble plant that insects dare not touch,' but that was simply because the insects living near the capital didn't eat mint. When Chester was young, he had actually seen a certain bug munching away on mint leaves.
"This is great." When Chester muttered this while staring at the chili pepper, Monia smacked him on the head in shock.
"What was that for?"
"How can you say it's great when the baby is in so much pain! How could you be so heartless!"
"Hey, I wasn't talking about Ant."
"Why are you ignoring him?! He's hurting, so you should be paying attention!"
"Ugh." Chester shook his head as a headache began to form. "If you ever have kids, you're going to be an incredibly overbearing mother."
"H-Have... k-kids?!" At Chester's casual remark, Monia instantly shut her mouth.
Which means... he sees me as a woman! He sees me as a woman! Wow! Oh my gosh!
While Monia's mood soared with those thoughts, Chester quietly stared at the chili pepper. I should grow more of these. I can turn this into a decent weapon. Chester smiled to himself, already plotting what kind of weapon he could craft from the chilies.