5 - Marquis Maron Episode 5
Episode 5
The evening brought even more chaos. The brazier we cherished so much had gone out.
Lost in thought about the strawberries, Reikart, and the sprouting potatoes, we hadn't noticed the firewood had burned out. Thick raindrops were pouring in through the window we'd left open for ventilation.
"I can't live like this!"
Doraji unleashed a storm of nagging at me for forgetting to replenish the firewood, and I stood there dumbfounded, flint in hand.
"This can't be happening…"
I remembered how hard I'd worked to live in this castle when we first arrived. The Magical Energy that purified with a mere touch wasn't an obstacle. All we needed was fire and food.
In a castle abandoned for over a century, nothing useful remained.
I'd spent days trying to start a fire by rubbing sticks together like I'd seen in documentaries, only to discover the flint in the kitchen storage. I was overjoyed.
Of course, having flint didn't mean we could start a fire right away. It required skill, and Doraji and I spent several more days struggling before we finally managed to create a spark.
To protect that spark, we initially took turns waking up every two hours to add firewood. We were too afraid it would go out to venture far.
It was a life worse than that of cavemen.
The joy we felt when we finally learned how to properly block the air to keep the spark alive longer!
But once that became possible, we both failed to time it correctly, causing the spark to go out even more often. We even fought, blaming each other for whose turn it was.
That's why I'd confidently declared just a few days ago that I would take full responsibility for managing the fire while Doraji farmed.
"You can't do anything right!"
"I'm sorry."
"Besides going out to deal with the contamination, what exactly do you do, Hayley? Do I have to do all the housework myself every day? You can't tend the fire, you can't farm, you can't cook, you can't even tell what's edible, and you can't repair the house!"
"We can just relight it. Stop nagging."
"The rain's pouring in! What are you going to do?"
"I'll get a light from somewhere else! You're making my ears bleed!"
Even as I gathered dried leaves and moved to another spot, Doraji's nagging didn't stop.
She went on about how I wouldn't survive alone in this harsh world, how she couldn't bear the thought of me starving to death somewhere.
I can never tell if that girl likes me or hates me.
"Ugh."
In my opinion, creating a spark with flint was pure luck. Some days it would catch with a single strike, and other days it wouldn't work no matter how hard I tried from morning till night.
I held the flint in both hands and struck it against the leaves with all my might.
Please, catch.
They say that well-dried leaves and the powder made from rubbing them together will catch a spark and smolder if the spark is right.
Why isn't it working again? Is it because of the rain?
It was the same no matter how many times I tried. By this point, I was filled with rage toward Hayley and those who had stolen her Mana.
I mean, fine, abandoning a child here is one thing. Throwing her into the canyon, well, I guess it led to the Purification of the Magical Energy, so whatever.
But this is too much. Shouldn't I at least be able to create a match with magic? How could humans be so cruel?
Just then, Reikart approached and asked,
"What are you doing?"
"Starting a fire. Can't you see?"
"You're not seriously trying to start a fire with those two stones, are you?"
"Why? It's worked sometimes."
"……."
He was silent for a moment. He seemed to have something he wanted to say, but he didn't voice it.
"Come here."
Reikart knelt down in front of me. Then, he pulled out a short knife, about a hand span in length, from his belt.
He held it in his hand, detached the back of the handle, and struck the blade against it, creating a spark.
Click.
He succeeded on the first try.
A clear spark landed on the leaves I had gathered, and white smoke quickly began to rise. He roughly piled more leaves on top and blew on them.
The fire was catching.
Reikart looked at me with a "Is that good enough?" expression. But my gaze was fixed not on him but on his knife.
"Where did you buy that?"
"This?"
Reikart frowned and said,
"At a blacksmith or a general store? I've heard they sometimes sell them at traveler's inns."
"Is it expensive?"
"No."
"Is it… magical or something?"
"If it has fire-starting magic, it would be expensive."
So, something without magic can create a spark so easily?
I want it. I want it.
"If it's because of the brazier, why don't you just buy a Magic Brazier that can maintain a spark semi-permanently? This is for travel, not for everyday use."
"There's such a thing?"
Magic Brazier!
It was a mesmerizing phrase. With just one of those, I wouldn't miss a gas stove or an oven. Right, this is still a world where people live, so there must be civilized things somewhere.
Because nothing in this damn old castle is in working order, I've been no better than a caveman.
When the sun rises, that's east; when the sun sets, that's west. I can't even remember when the candles ran out. I wake up when the sun rises and sleep when the sun sets.
Ha, a Magic Brazier.
What a sexy phrase.
Reikart had already moved the spark to the old brazier and was starting a fire. My fairy was giving him an infinitely benevolent smile.
Doraji asked him,
"Do you want some strawberries?"
Reikart's appearance brought a huge change to our lives.
Having been focused solely on Purification and survival for the past year, the conveniences of civilization that this outsider showed us were of great interest to Doraji and me.
The dried meat from his pocket was surprisingly delicious, despite its appearance. In this place where there were no seasonings other than rock salt and herbs, sweet marinated meat was a luxury.
He even had a powder that you could mix with water and drink. It wasn't coffee, and it wasn't tea, but it was delicious.
I couldn't take it anymore.
We needed civilization.
"Whether you came on horseback or by carriage, you came because there's a road, right? Did you have a group with you? You didn't hide a horse or carriage somewhere out there, did you?"
"I came alone."
"There must be a shortcut somewhere. That's why this guy was found in a completely unpolluted state! If we can purify that shortcut, it's not impossible for us to get to the city!"
"I don't think there's a shortcut…"
Reikart was of no help despite Doraji and my badgering. He just stared at me with that same expressionless face and repeated that he didn't know.
I felt a surge of annoyance.
"Don't think I'll be lenient just because you have amnesia! How many strawberries did you eat earlier! If we starve to death before the potatoes ripen because of you, will you take responsibility? I saved you from dying, and this is how you repay me?"
"That's not it."
"Be quiet! You're not letting him talk because of Hayley!"
"Why is it my fault!"
While Doraji and I were bickering, Reikart just stared at me.
I'm sure this guy is imprinted on me. As I was thinking that, he took something out of his vest pocket and held it out to me.
"What's this?"
"A map."
"A map?"
"Yeah, see this mark here? This seems to be the castle you guys live in…"
A map. My eyes widened.
"Give it here!"
I snatched the map and spread it out on the floor, burying my head in it. Doraji apologized to Reikart on my behalf.
"I'm sorry. Hayley hasn't had flour in a long time, so she's not in her right mind. Look at her arms, see how skinny they are?"
"It's okay."
"We could farm if we had seeds, but there's almost nothing we can get here. Now that we have a map, if we clear a path in the direction of the city, we can buy wheat seeds, pepper, and sugar…"
That's not what's important right now.
"I don't know."
"What?"
"I don't know how to read a map."
If I had known this would happen, I would have taken up camping as a hobby. I can't go anywhere without a GPS when I drive.
As I despondently lifted my head from the map, Reikart slowly blinked his eyes and said,
"I know how to read it."
"You do?"
"Yeah."
"Then… can you ride a horse?"
"Of course."
"Can you drive a carriage?"
"Of course."
Reikart couldn't help but chuckle. It was a fleeting smile.
