Men are the type of creatures who find a sense of romance in things that are hardly practical.
Take camping cars, for example.
They’re wonderful, but what do you actually do with one on a daily basis? Where do you park it? Do you really intend to live in it? Ignoring all such sensible questions, a man still feels that pull of romance toward a camping car.
Then there are treehouses.
Is a house at the top of a tree easy to live in? Is it structurally sound? Isn't climbing up and down a massive hassle? Disregarding every one of those concerns, a man feels the romance of a treehouse. He simply can’t help it.
That is what it means to be a man.
And so, I built one.
Yes, there are times when a man simply lets his impulses run wild. I have no regrets, however. Since I had already built a camping carriage once before, I decided to skip the camping car this time around.
What I built was a treehouse.
The forest surrounding the village was full of gargantuan trees. I selected one that stood about ten meters tall with a diameter of roughly five meters. The deciding factor was that the crown wasn't pointed; it was flat. It looked easy to build on—or rather, it looked like it was practically begging for a house to be perched upon it.
The most difficult part was figuring out how to scale the tree. Climbing it without any equipment was a feat of high difficulty. Tossing a rope and scrambling up... well, that was impossible. A rope ladder also seemed like a bit much.
In the end, I constructed a wooden ladder. Since a straight ten-meter climb was a bit daunting, I built regular stairs for the first five meters. I had considered the type of steps where you drill holes into the trunk and insert poles, but I worried I’d lose my footing on those. So, I settled on a hybrid design of stairs and a ladder.
Next came the construction of the house itself. It was a tiny thing, only about the size of two tatami mats, but I didn't try to build it directly on the branches. Instead, I built it on the ground first. Once I’d refined the design and worked out the kinks, I disassembled it and hauled the pieces up to reassemble them at the top.
Moving the parts was quite the chore, but Zabuton’s Children were happy to help. I secured the structure firmly to ensure it wouldn’t tip, and I built a sturdy fence around the perimeter of the treetop to prevent anyone from falling off.
Inside, I added a single bed, a small shelf, and a table. I figured I would need lighting as well. Since fire was out of the question in a tree, I planned to borrow something from Lu. Finally, I hauled up some dried meat, fruit, drinks, and tableware to stock the shelves.
And with that, my castle was complete.
It was peaceful. Profoundly peaceful. I wondered if I simply had a natural affinity for small, cozy spaces.
"Fufu."
Oops.
"Zabuton’s Children, thank you for your help. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. Should I put up some small shelves on the walls for you? I’d hate to accidentally step on you if you’re on the floor."
Just as I was looking up at the walls, I felt something soft and fluffy brush against my leg. I looked down to find Kuro standing there.
...Did he actually climb the stairs?
He gave me a look that seemed to say, "Don't mind me," but I couldn't help but wonder. I didn't mind him being there, but could he even get back down? It was a wooden ladder, after all.
Ah, he looked a bit troubled now. Well, given Kuro’s physical prowess, I'm sure he’d manage somehow.
"All right, let's have a drink to celebrate the completion."
I poured Kuro’s portion into a dish. I wondered if cups would suffice for Zabuton’s Children.
...Wait. Why was the Sake Slime here? Had it hitched a ride in the food supplies I carried up?
I didn't even need to see its wheedling expression to know what it wanted.
"I know, I know. Here’s your share."
"Cheers."
My sanctuary lasted all of three days. Or perhaps I should say the village overlooked my project for three days before my castle was besieged by the children.
I surrender. I’ll hand over the keys.
"But don't fall! I won't have any injuries."
I suppose Zabuton’s Children would keep an eye on them, but still... children really were impressive. They went up and down the ropes with total ease.
"Wait... Urza, Gral, Nart! You shouldn't be doing that in skirts. I’ll build the stairs all the way to the top, so use those instead. And you aren't allowed to come here without an adult. We’re in the middle of the forest. It’s fine today because Hakuren is with you, but keep that in mind."
"Hey! Urza! That’s alcohol! No way. You're far too young for that. What if you drank that and fell off the tree? I'm confiscating it."
"Hmm? Alfred, what is it? You want to try building a shack like this yourself?"
The Beastman Boys standing behind Alfred all nodded in unison.
As it turned out, there was a similar tree not far from this spot. It was an unexpected moment of bonding between a father and son—or perhaps more accurately, a shared moment of manly romance.