It felt as though winter was short this year.
Perhaps that was because Lu was with me.
In any case, spring had arrived.
My goal for this year: The completion of the Waterway.
I would do my best.
I got started on the first field work of the season.
I prepped the fields as usual, and as a new project for the year, I decided to establish a Fruit Area on the north side of the property.
I laid out sixteen plots in a four-by-four grid, with each plot measuring fifty square meters.
The fruit trees I had originally planted hadn’t yielded anything yet, but since they were growing steadily, I figured it would be fine.
Besides, fruit trees didn't require much maintenance.
Zabuton’s children were working hard on pest control, so the bulk of my effort was only required during the initial planting.
Zabuton’s children were getting bigger, too, and I thought it might be nice if these trees became their new nesting grounds.
The trees I was cultivating included the original experimental lineup: Apple, Pear, Mandarin, Orange, Persimmon, and Peach.
On top of those, I decided to try growing Grapes, Pineapples, Bananas, Cherries, and Chestnuts.
I also planted a large amount of Tea.
Between Lu and me, our supply had been disappearing at a surprising rate.
Harvesting the leaves would be a pain later, but that was a problem for future me.
Kuro and his pack started venturing into the Forest here and there to hunt.
Their first catch of the year was a Giant Boar.
As usual, they couldn't carry the carcass back themselves, so they came to fetch me.
I suppose if they were still in the wild, they would simply eat it on the spot, so it wasn't really an issue.
Still, we were securing meat at quite a pace.
I started to wonder if the prey in this part of the Forest might eventually vanish if we kept this up.
Perhaps I should have them dial it back a bit? It was something I worried about.
While I was mulling it over, Kuro’s pack began to shed their horns. I gathered the fallen antlers and used them to decorate their individual huts.
I wondered if Kuroichi’s pups would head out to find partners of their own once their horns grew in and shed.
I hoped they would return safely... though I also worried about the population growing too quickly.
Well, I’d cross that bridge when I got to it.
In any case, as I went about my days prepared for the eventual departure of the pups, I found Zabuton’s children gathered in front of the hut Lu and I shared.
What was going on?
The atmosphere felt... significant.
After each raised a leg to greet me, they began to spin silk from their abdomens, letting the wind catch the threads as they took flight one by one.
So you’re heading out to find partners too, I thought.
...It felt so sudden.
One of the reasons I’d built that Fruit Area was for them, after all.
Unlike Kuro’s pack, I had a feeling these spiders wouldn't be coming back. The thought brought tears to my eyes.
Zabuton approached me while I was tearing up and raised a leg as if to tell me it was okay.
Behind her, several young spiders remained, having chosen not to depart.
You guys...
I see.
You’re staying here.
And... further back still, there were countless new spiderlings, each about the size of a fist.
...Right.
It was spring, after all.
Shortly after the spiders left, Kuroichi’s children finally set out to find their own partners, just as I’d expected.
What I hadn't expected was that a few of them stayed behind.
Looking closer, it seemed couples had already formed among those who remained.
I see.
Since Kuro’s newest children—Kurogo, Kuroroku, Kuronana, and Kurohachi—had all departed, it seemed they instinctively understood how to avoid inbreeding.
Kuro and his kin were remarkably intelligent.
Fubuki, the pup of Elis I’d personally named, had "captured" one of Alice’s children and joined the stay-at-home group.
Alice’s pup looked a bit worse for wear, but... well, I hoped they’d be happy together.
Building huts in the Dog Area for the new couples and the pups I expected to return became my daily routine.
However, looking at our long-term growth, building a separate hut for every single pair was going to be impossible.
Instead, I tried my hand at constructing a large, longhouse-style building.
The finished product looked a bit like a stable, but I liked to think it wasn't a bad job.
I built several of these blocks, keeping in mind the number of pups who had gone out to find mates.
The weather had turned comfortably warm, so I changed into the new clothes Zabuton had made for me.
As always, her fashion sense far exceeded my own.
I spent some time experimenting with various fashion-related items to give her as a thank-you gift, and a wooden mannequin turned out to be a huge hit.
A mannequin, huh?
I carved one in my size and another in Lu’s and presented them to her.
I looked forward to our continued collaboration.
I’d also made quite a few wooden hangers already, which were proving very useful for organizing the wardrobe.
It seemed the young spiders who stayed behind had learned how to weave simple sacks, even if complex shapes were still beyond them.
After I stuffed their sacks with grass to create cushions, they caught on and began weaving them in shapes better suited for that purpose from then on.
Lu took a particular liking to them.
Since we’d been sitting on bare wood or stone until now, it was only natural to prefer something soft.
Lu even tried her hand at making a cushion for the Outhouse, but she struggled to get the size of the O-shaped hole right.
I suggested a U-shaped design instead, which she absolutely loved.
Zabuton’s children looked at me with pure awe and admiration.
It was just basic knowledge from my previous world, so their reverence was actually a bit embarrassing.
I got a bit carried away after that and started making things like sofas.
Then Lu pointed out, "Shouldn't you make a proper bed first?"
I see.
A nightly invitation.
I’ll certainly do my best.
One plot: Approximately 50 x 50 meters.
□□□□□□□□ Fruit Fruit □□□□□□□□ Fruit Fruit □□□□□□□□ Fruit Fruit □□□□□□□□ Fruit Fruit □□□□□□□□ Field Field Field Field ○○○○ ━Construction━ Pond Pond □ Field ◇◇ Field ○ Dog ○○ ━Drainage━ Pond Pond □ Field House ◇ Field ○○○○ □□□□□□□□ Field Field Field Field ○○○○ □□□□□□□□ △△△△ □□□□□□□□ △New Field△ □□□□□□□□ △△△△ □□□□□□□□ △△△△
← River located roughly 5km in this direction.