As I went about my daily life, I eventually began to feel a chill in the air.
While Kuro and Kuroichi’s pups still retained their puppy-like charm, they had grown significantly and were already bringing back kills like fanged rabbits. A hint of gloom settled over me at the thought of the approaching winter. The fruit trees hadn't borne any fruit yet, so I was pinning my hopes on next year.
Fortunately, I had stockpiled a considerable amount of food—enough that I’d even had to expand the cellar. I could safely say I was well-prepared. Once I finished harvesting the crops currently in the fields, the stores would be even more impressive.
Of course, there was room for reflection. I hadn't managed to finish the waterway, and more importantly, I still hadn't secured a source of salt. Am I going to be alright? Come to think of it, I don't believe I've had a single grain of salt since arriving in this world. My diet consisted of hunted game, harvested crops, and the occasional fish. I wondered if I was getting enough sodium from the animal meat. I wasn't entirely sure, especially since I always cooked it. I certainly wasn't about to start eating raw meat, even if it meant risking my health. It would be too late once my condition deteriorated, but there was nothing I could do about it now.
I decided to make it my top priority for next year. Building the waterway would come second.
And then... I really wanted a wife. Sleeping alone every night was getting lonely, especially when I watched Kuro and the others enjoying such a happy family life. Whenever I felt down like that, Zabuton was there to comfort me. I really appreciated her.
As for my plans for the winter, I’d decided to spend the season crafting various items from wood and stone again, so I began gathering materials.
One of my recent successes was learning how to build a water-tight measuring box using joinery. I had been able to make them for a while if I reinforced the joints with resin, but my goal was to create a box using nothing but woodworking. By refining the angles of the joints and carving grooves for connecting splines, I finally managed to prevent any leaks.
Once I solved the leaking issue, I tried building a larger version, but it burst apart under the water pressure. I went back to the drawing board and refined the cuts of the joints to make them more resistant to internal force. Now, they were perfect. Currently, I was using them as water troughs in the Dog Area. This brought me one step closer to finally having a proper bath.
The fruit trees were doing well too, so I started thinking seriously about growing cypress specifically for the bath.
With the exception of one, I hadn't given names to Kuroichi’s litter. There were simply too many of them to keep track of, and telling them apart was nearly impossible. I might reconsider if I could get Zabuton to weave some name-tag scarves, but for now, they remained nameless.
However, I did name four of Kuro’s newest pups: Kurogo, Kuroroku, Kuronana, and Kurohachi. Kurogo and Kuroroku were male, while Kuronana and Kurohachi were female. It wasn't a matter of playing favorites; they just happened to stay near my sleeping quarters, so I had more opportunities to interact with them.
Among the litter born to Elis and Kuroyon, there was one puppy born entirely white. Since she was so easy to distinguish, I gave her a name: Fubuki. It was a name I’d considered back when I named Yuki, and I thought it suited her perfectly. She was a female, after all.
Just as the horns on the puppies' foreheads were beginning to distinctly sprout, Zabuton alerted me to an anomaly to the north. The sense of urgency was far greater than usual, giving me a sinking feeling in my gut. My suspicions were confirmed when the dogs suddenly bristled with murderous intent and bolted toward the north in unison. Even the puppies joined in.
What was happening? Was something dangerous approaching? I grabbed the Universal Farming Tool and gave chase.
When I reached the pack, what met my eyes was a naked young girl. She looked to be about the age of a primary school student. Her most striking features were her silver hair and her undeniable beauty—the kind of face that practically guaranteed she would grow up to be a stunning woman.
However, her body was covered in wounds—likely from the dogs—and she stood trapped against a large tree, facing the pack. The dogs were using hit-and-run tactics; one would lunge forward to draw her attention while another attacked from the flank. Despite the obvious difference in size, why were the dogs refraining from simply pinning her down?
No, wait. Why was I being so calm?
I clapped my hands to announce my arrival, but the dogs didn't lower their guard. However, the cornered girl noticed me.
"H-help..." she pleaded.
Thank goodness. We could communicate. I realized it had been a very long time since I'd heard another human voice.
"I’ve got you," I said.
I wove through the pack and stepped out in front of the girl.