shinsori
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The Island-Banished Noblewoman - Chapter 6
🕑 Added 2024-08-03 09:54:08 +0000 UTCFirst Comes Food (4)
"Good day to you! Oh, it's ready! Thank you!"
First, I collected the stone that the mud golems had been sharpening.
The two golems had been grinding the stone all night, and it had taken on a decent edge. It could now be used as a stone axe.
"Then, next, I need you to do this!"
I replaced the collected stone with another one for the golems to hold. The golems, unaware of the switch, quietly resumed sharpening the new stone.
If these had been iron golems, they might have given a knightly bow, but these were mud golems. They were simple machines meant for repetitive tasks, lacking intelligence, making interactions dull and unremarkable. It was a bit lonely.
"... I wonder if everyone is doing well. Cyril was crying a lot... but I hope they made it back to Fractalia."
Feeling lonely, I thought of the knights I had parted with. It was hard to imagine them meeting with a shipwreck... Concerned, I offered a brief prayer for their safety and for the continued peace of my homeland, Fractalia.
For breakfast, I had some leftover berries from last night and shrimp and fish from this morning. It didn't fill me up. I really wanted to eat until I was full soon.
Right after breakfast, I grabbed the stone that would become the blade of the stone axe and wrestled with some suitable wood.
To turn this stone tool into a stone axe, it needed a handle. I made an appropriate hole in the wood, inserted the opposite side of the stone blade into it, and secured it with wood vines... but.
"Without a knife, this part would have been really tough..."
Patiently using a steel knife, I carved a hole in the handle. This knife, meant for self-defense, was proving useful. Without it, this task would have been immensely difficult.
Once the hole was made, I charred the area around it with fire to strengthen the wood. Burning off unnecessary splinters and hardening the wood made it less likely to crack.
"Alright... this should do it."
And thus, the stone axe was completed. This stone axe was a kind of insurance for hunting Man-Eaters. The handle was made longer. Since there was another stone sharpened by the golems, I planned to make a shorter axe as well... but this would do for now.
"Now then. I need to make more golems. Those two can continue making stone tools... I need about three more? Ideally five... oh, this is going to be tough..."
While grumbling about the inefficiency, I realized that food was needed. I had no choice but to do it.
Muttering “food, food,” I started making mud and began to enjoy the process a bit. Hunger was painful, but it also motivated the current task. Humming cheerfully, I dug into the ground.
By noon, I managed to create six mud golems. Making the mud and gathering it was hard work. So, after creating the first golem, I commanded it to “dig the ground,” engaging it in mud-making. I wanted to command the second golem to “carry the mud,” but specifying “from where to where” was too difficult of a command for this one, so it was aborted.
As a result, the second and subsequent mud golems were commanded to “step here,” making them knead the crushed earth and water together. The mud dolls stepping with a squish-squish sound were somewhat endearing. Feeling a bit happy, I thought, “Oh my, they are kind of cute!”
Thanks to the golems making mud in my place, creating more mud golems was much easier this time.
Next,
"Let's rewrite the commands... um, move north... oh, you don't know where north is, right!? Hmm, it would have been nice to put some lodestone inside them... no choice, let's have you 'stand' up, then adjust your direction... and now 'move forward.' Phew, there we go."
After some struggle, I managed to get the mud golems moving. Commanding mud golems was very troublesome. Having them perform repetitive tasks like sharpening stones was fine, but moving them around was very complicated.
"Well, it can't be helped... oh, let's change it to 'pick up stones while moving.'"
Additionally, giving them other tasks was equally troublesome.
"Oh no, you don't know what to do with the stones you picked up!? Mm, 'pick up and carry stones while moving' might be better..."
It was very troublesome. Extremely troublesome.
But I had no choice. Currently, the easiest golem to create was the mud golem. They were almost disposable, but necessary for now.
"Numbers matter, after all. Hehehehe..."
This was the only safe way for me to fight the Man-Eaters right now.
Now then.
Accompanied by the golems, I approached the Man-Eater.
The Man-Eater was still in the same spot as when I first saw it, writhing its vines. It looked healthy, fresh, and appetizing. My driving force now was hunger.
"Then, let's rewrite the commands... there we go."
I didn't want the golems to advance too close, so I rewrote their commands to just “pick up stones.” The golems then dropped the stones at their feet and began picking them up again.
"Alright, this is good."
Finally, I rewrote the commands to “throw.”
The Man-Eater, despite being a plant, could move its vines freely to attack people and other creatures. Its flowers had a luring effect, and the buds had thorny teeth for catching prey.
Most importantly, “it didn't move.”
The Man-Eater lured prey with its scent and captured those that came close. It moved its vines and flowers, but didn't walk.
In other words.
"I just need to bombard it from a distance with numbers. Hehehe."
Exactly.
The immobile Man-Eater noticed the stones being thrown at it, but couldn't do much about it. Even if it tried to deflect the stones with its vines, the stones kept coming.
With six golems and myself, seven stones were hurled at the Man-Eater. The stones I threw were particularly strong and accurate, hitting the Man-Eater hard.
Smiling, I continued throwing stones. With the shoulder strength trained during my days of leading the army, I threw relentlessly. Just kept throwing. And as I continued, the Man-Eater weakened.
"We are not done with you yet~ Heheh."
Even as it weakened, I didn't stop. Neither did the golems.
Eventually, the Man-Eater weakened completely and died. There was no need for the axe. Indeed, against an immobile target, this was the best strategy.
The power of numbers was indeed wonderful!
"Ah, fantastic! Now I can eat to my heart's content! Hehehe."
With this, I obtained a lot of food.
The Man-Eater's buds, each capable of biting off a human head, numbered six. Holding them, I felt like I was carrying huge pumpkins or cabbages, smiling.
The edible parts of the Man-Eater weren't just the buds. The vines were also edible. I cut the softer parts into appropriate lengths, bundled them with wood vines, and carried them back.
I also dug up as much of the roots as possible. The Man-Eater stored nutrients in its roots. This meant...
"Hehehehe. Now I have a staple food!"
The Man-Eater's roots were quite starchy! Starchy means they could fill me up!
Commanding the mad golems to “carry the load,” I adjusted their direction and commands occasionally to ensure they reached the base.
"Bringing mud golems around is inefficient... but it can't be helped."
Once at the base, I received the load from the golems and had them disassemble at a suitable spot. I'd rework them when needed.
"Well, it's fine. Anyhow, my meal, food. Hehehe."
I'd like to make terracotta golems soon, but for now, it's all about the food!
"Hehe, let's get cooking~"
Today, I would eat until I was full! I immediately started preparing dinner!
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