23 Iris

"Ah...." I should've thought about this matter a little bit more seriously...

"Hmm? whats the problem?"

"No... really, Its just that I realized I haven't prepared the house yet for any visitor..." I can only put on a forced smile, hehe~ theres no way that's even true. Aside from the unfixed comfort room and food source, even the light was a problem... I got too used on night vision

Don't even think about unprepared, its on the level of unavailable

'A perfect habitat for a hikikomori'

"Well I'm not really troubled by anything. Also I was the one asking for help so it should be fine by me"

Seriously this girl, you just hurt my pride even more "Well... you know... just stay here for abit and I'll tidy things in the meantime"

"Err... Here?"

"Hmm? ah well not stay here... 'as in' outside literally the whole time, I'll just clean up the house a bit"

"o-okay"

Dropping off the bag right in the front of door with a thud, it seems that she has been eyeing out what I did. But well... before I delve deeper into that topic I just continued to enter inside

Well its not like it was messy, it was more of a newly built house... It lacked everything that could make you think it was actually a house

Picking out the fire crystal, I made it light. I can see either way but this time I gotta fix light in one place, a place where it will lit the whole place. One choice for that is the center, but I need even more light sources... something more reliable than magic, since it run off quickly

Thinking about it deeply the fire crystal's fire did actually last a lot longer, perhaps I could use that as an advantage

I tried to remember a few more memories from the past, well it was the first time I ran out of idea. A plan to avoid torches inside, or a way to avoid suffocation inside a contained cave

But then the old ventilation plan came to mind, and also a few more ideas about metal and smithing that I've been thinking last time, its like some kind of flashbacks, it happens from time to time but it never did when you needed them

Arranging the thoughts and giving them some realism, there is this wall candles design that I got from last last time, it came from a movie

It wasn't special, just some fire on the wall, ehe... a mini fire pit created by fire crystal with something like a small chimney on top of it so that the smoke wont spread out. I built one on 3 sides of the house... the wall on the door and 2 more on each sides, while letting the fire crystal stuck on the ceiling for the area on the bed, its like a hanging light bulb..., as for the lights on the Forging room since there was a separation to it already and a proper ventilation, I just made an open lamp out of rock... I want to do something later before I sleep...

Stupidly convenient rocks... and its surprisingly eco-friendly... one of the perks of the other worlds

"I'm done, so you can go in now" calling out to the girl outside, she was just crouching in there staring at the woods as if eyeing out for dangers... It was awfully cold there so... 'I apologize' I said so to myself

"Ah, okay"

She entered the house with a 'woah', pretty cool right? I rushed it but I still got carried away...

I took her to sit on the chair that was on 'living room' while I... who didn't actually have any other furnitures... just sat on the floor. She felt slightly apologetic in a moment, but then I took the bag from earlier in front of me

"Umm, Xylene was it? miss Xylene"

"Hmm? just Xylene is fine, sorry I wasn't that talkative"

"...Xylene, its okay... I was trying to think about it for a bit. Are you living alone in this place?"

"Ah... about that... yeah... I was living here alone"

"Isnt that dangerous? for someone to live at this place alone..."

"Well I can't deny that..., how do I say this. I just got used to it, and it wasn't that long since I got here"

Well yes, technically it wasnt that long since I got into this world... somehow she got a bit quieter after I said that

I heard the a rumble on her belly, which she just hid off with both her hands. I can't deny that its pretty late already so I should prepare the food now. Taking a stretch and standing up I stood and faced her

"Ah well... ready hungry huh. By the way I only had deer jerkys, well... it wasn't seasoned"

"J-jerky?"

"Hmm something like... dried meat?"

"Ah I see!"

Picking it up and bringing them into the 'kitchen' I begin unwrapping them

And then she approached me "Can I help with cooking?" its like she was eyeing me just for this

"Well... sure..." actually I was like that as well back in the days, feeling indebted when visiting other people's house, but well she was actually indebted after all, so maybe I'll just let her

Setting the firewood inside, I lit it using fire magic "huu~ that should do it, you can help me by cooking these" I just cut the meat for a bit, and put them on a double stick, so that it would be easy for her to flip it later, it ended in 2 non-seasoned BBQ...

She just stood there watching me demo a bit before taking my place to cook the meat and ask "You lit it with Magic?"

"Ah yes magic, why did you asked?"

"Ah well it was new for me to see other people do it that fast"

"Fast?" I thought it was just a simple confirmation, but I didn't expect it to be different

"I mean skipping the chant"

"Oh chanting... you say. But I don't know of it"

"Eh? then how do you cast magic?" She just then flip the meat, shes surprisingly able to cook

"Ah well..."

"Ah wait! sorry that I asked something personal" she lowered her head in front of me "I just got reminded by my past, there was this same person who was able to do that in our village but even that person keep shut about it"

"Well... you had a point there, rather... now that I remember, Where do you plan to go now?"

"Ah, I plan to head into the capital next-" she opened her mouth next but then the words were just stopped, looks like she had something in her mind

"Well... I see" seing that she was kinda troubled at what to reply to me, I urged her that the food was ready

I still feel slightly apologetic about the food, she eats it like it was a tasty food after all. It was the last of the stocks so it should be better if I find a more better food early tomorrow

"Mnn, It taste good!" she says while still munching on it, somehow I feel like it really is, she's like a kid happily eating their food

Ah I somehow anticipated that by her looks but I more or less wanted to question her even more. She wore a hooded cloth yet it doesn't have a feel of anything hidden in it, more of a tight fitted, as I closely observe her along with night vision, her face was rather too young... and it was my first time seing someone that beautiful

"By the way, what is your age Xylene?"

I gulped. Umm I should be 18, but I can't say that, my look is much more of a 10 years old right now... I can't even say that I was only a weeks old and I'm even younger than what she might be thinking... like an infant

"10 years old..." muttered as I cast my glance downwards, it was rather embarrassing for a 18 years old to act like 10

"10?" she looks just as surprised

"Ah by the way you said you are going to the capital, can I ask you something?" I was avoiding her curious gaze so I picked up the map that was on the table

"Eh ah... okay"

She said that she doesn't have much knowledge regarding maps, and that she only has known her hometown

Somehow she began to get a little bit open after a few more minutes of talking, her hometown wasn't listed on the map however there is this kingdom on the east that was listed which she recognize. She roughly pointed out where she lived, it was also when I noticed that she was evasive at the topic of her family

I heard to her what actually happen as to why she was abandoned, it was on a way near the outside trenches just outside the northern part of the forest, she was on a carriage which was on the way to that eastern kingdom, they where planning to take a break on a river just beside the road, and just after she was about to step down the carriage a very loud explosion was heard that then startled the horses sending them on a frenzy and begun running wild... making her outbalanced and fall down before leaving her all alone there on the spot unable to follow them, it was then... when she encountered monsters and she panicked

Ah... I guess I was on fault here but... well I can't just bring trouble after she finally got open to me, I guess I should just urge her to sleep so that it wont come to point where she'll suspect me

"Ah... It was already this late, I guess you were tired after all that happens, you can use that bed right over there"

"Then how about you Xylene?"

"I'm not yet sleepy, plus I have some things left to do"

"If you say so, but I can't possibly take the bed, I can't trouble you any further, plus you are still young, its probbably bad for you to stay late,

. I see... how about I help you?"

But then I just simply glare at her, you talk too much *sigh* "Just take it and sleep"

"b-but"

"take it..."

I can feel her still wanting to retort, but then again I just took the materials and brought it to the other room, leaving her alone at the place

I heard her walk into the bed 'room' after probbably a few glances on where I was

I just felt a nostalgic vibe into her which somehow resembles me in the past, that personality somehow tickles me as I can already read her. And ofcourse I know that I should push it to her with a bit of force so that she can't disagree

Now that the problem is over. About the forgery that I planned since last time, probbably I should proceed with casting process, its the easiest way as of now and I still had enough materials at hand, rocks should have enough heat resistant for casting... so I just washed the scrap Iron that I have, both the 2 chest plates and broken spear heads to remove the already sticking rust and dry them for tomorrow

Molding one piece of rock to imitate the Iron spear head that was broken, and using another more flattened rock with its surface softened by magic, I pressed the shape into it

Then a few new addition to its design, I wanted it to be a halberd so that I no longer have to stay near the target like when it was a sword

Making it solid again before putting another layer just on top of it to copy the shape and finally for the other side, repeat the process till it was identical

My control over magic was visibly much more stronger, evident to the maxed out skills

I finally made it, but its already late so I better sleep now...