Building harem town, p.23
Building Harem Town, page 23
“So, how tall do you think the roof should be at its highest point, master?” the blue woman asked me. “I have an idea, but I’m not sure if you want to hear it…”
“Of course, I do,” I urged her on. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“People don’t always trust in my skills in mathematics,” the naiad explained. “I think it’s because of how I look, but numbers have always come easily to me. We didn’t have too much schooling in the orphanage, but I can picture designs inside my mind.”
“You’re so smart,” Aleia praised Penelope. “I was just telling Jack about that earlier.”
“Thank you, sister.” The naiad bowed her head and smiled. “My lord, I think the tallest posts need to be about one-and-a-half times the height of the walls, if not maybe a little more. I believe you will want the pitch of the roof to be steep enough that rain will run off easily, correct?”
I stared at the existing walls for a moment, and I confirmed they were just a small amount taller than Nicola. I tried to mentally crunch some numbers, and then I came up with an answer I wanted to run by the naiad.
“I was thinking if the current walls are around six feet tall, the highest point should reach about ten feet,” I suggested. “And then, how long do the boards for the rafters need to be?”
“How far do you want the roof to hang over the edge of the wall?” the cerulean woman asked as she tapped a delicate blue finger against her lips. “I am thinking the supports will need to be at least twelve feet long, if not more.”
“I think you’re right,” I agreed. “So, I’m not going to lie to you. You’re going to need to cut down a whole lot of really tall trees today.”
I took a minute to picture the rest of the structure, which I envisioned as a wooden frame running around the inside of the stone to support the rafters. If I was counting correctly, they needed to cut at least fifteen big trees.
I wanted to level up again, but the task ahead of the priestesses was certainly daunting. Nonetheless, I didn’t think the game would give me something unachievable, so there was nothing to do but forge ahead with the plans.
“Okay, let’s go get the saw!” I announced in a voice that was slightly more confident than I felt. “Aleia, do you feel comfortable carrying it? Penelope, Nicola, would either of you like to do the honors instead?”
Both the naiad and the human held up their hands.
“No, I’m more than happy to let Aleia take this on,” the blue woman laughed. “She can be in command of the tool if she wants.”
“I am sure I could handle it,” Nicola chimed in as she tilted her chin up into the air, “but I don’t mind if my sister holds it, either.”
“That’s fine,” Aleia giggled. “I’m glad everyone believes in me, but it takes two of us to cut down a tree, so you’re going to have to get used to handling it sooner or later.”
I watched the women as they walked back to the garden, and as they approached the altar, the strawberry-blonde’s expression grew more apprehensive.
“Go ahead,” I urged the fairy. “Bring it over to the forest, and we’ll talk more about how to use it.”
“It’s just so… sharp,” Aleia responded with a grimace, but then she reached out for the handle of the saw, picked it up, and slowly began to walk toward the garden gate.
Nicola and Penelope followed her, and after just a few moments, the women were to the edge of the woods.
I continued to follow their movements with my God Vision as they headed down their usual path, and they kept walking for a few minutes as I looked for the right area. When the women finally reached a small clearing, I called out to them.
“Okay, let’s work here,” I announced, and the priestesses all stopped in their tracks and looked around.
“What trees are we going to be cutting?” Penelope asked with wide eyes as she gazed out at the forest that surrounded her.
“You need to look for pine trees, and let’s aim to cut down ones with trunks around one foot in diameter, and at least twelve feet tall,” I suggested. I was starting to think it was pretty funny the game was having me turn the women into lumberjacks for the day. I pictured the three of them in plaid coats and trapper hats, and I snickered to myself for a moment before I got back onto track. “So, there are some important things to know about cutting down a tree. You may already be aware of this, but you should cut a notch on the side you want the tree to fall, about a third or halfway into the trunk. Then, on the opposite side, start a horizontal cut a few inches above the base of the first notch you made. Now, if the tree already had a natural lean, cut on that side, and the tree will naturally fall in that direction. And as soon as it starts to fall, move quickly away from it diagonally. These trees are going to be incredibly heavy.”
“I’m sure we’ll be able to carry them with no problem,” the fairy said with a grin. The strawberry-blonde looked at the saw in her hands and then up at the other two priestesses. “Well, all three of us can carry them together, at least, but I’ll take the lead, of course. So, I assume I’ll be sawing first. Who wants to try alongside me?”
“I will,” Penelope volunteered. “I’m a little scared, but that’s why I want to get it over with. My lord, which tree should we begin with?”
“I see a pine just to your left with plenty of space around it,” I told the naiad. “Do you know which one I’m talking about?”
“Is it this one, master?” The blue woman walked over and put her hand on the branches of the exact tree I’d been referring to.
“That’s it,” I said. “And we’ll want it to fall away from where you’re standing. Aleia, are you ready to cut the notch?”
“I think so,” the fairy sighed as she walked around the tree, and Penelope followed her. The strawberry-blonde held the saw slightly up in the air, and the naiad gulped and picked up the other handle with two hands. They each stared at the branches for a moment, and then Aleia directed the other priestess. “Penelope, we’re going to start by cutting downward at an angle. My lord, please wish us luck.”
Penelope and Aleia successfully managed to cut the notch in the tree, and then the blue naiad put down the saw for a moment and gasped for breath. I watched as she wiped away a stream of sweat from her forehead, but I noticed the fairy wasn’t breathing heavily in the slightest. I would have to see how Nicola did, but I wasn’t sure it was going to be possible to cut down the timber without the strawberry-blonde being on one end of the saw. That was a lot of work for Aleia, of course, but I thought she could handle it.
Once the notch was complete, the two women moved around to the other side of the tree, and when they began to make their final cut, I found myself trying to hold my breath. I waited and waited until the tree was about to fall, and then I shouted out to them.
“Timber!” I yelled. “Now, run away!”
The two priestesses did exactly what they were supposed to do and hurried away from the tree at a forty-five-degree angle, and, before I knew it, we had our first piece of timber.
“Wow,” Nicola said with her jaw hanging slightly open. “That was incredible. I’m proud to call you my sisters right now.”
“Your turn next, Nicola,” Penelope laughed as she put down the handle again and rubbed at her eyes. “My hands hurt a little…”
“Yeah, this is hard work to do without gloves,” I admitted. “I’m sure you’re going to be incredibly sore.”
“Of course, we will.” Nicola nodded, though her eyes were slightly narrowed. “I suppose I’m just going to have to trust you’re doing the right thing for all of us… Aleia, let’s cut the next one down and get this over with as soon as we possibly can.”
“Yes, sister,” the strawberry-blonde responded with a smile.
The two women repeated the tree-felling process on a second pine, and I was becoming more confident by the minute.
The priestesses cut down tree after tree after tree without complaining. Their cheeks were all bright red, and I could tell they were at least in some pain, but they barely said a word as they worked for hours. Penelope and Nicola took turns getting more water and apples, and they somehow managed to keep their strength up.
The trees all still had the branches on them still, and I hoped the altar would give us an axe tomorrow to help with the clean up. Then I had to figure out what I needed after that, and I wondered if a handsaw or a plane would be better for the task of making the beams. I’d also need a hammer and some nails, but I didn’t know if that counted as two tools. Another option would be to get a drill, and then the women could hammer in wood dowels to join the rafters and the beams.
There was so much to do, and I really wished we had ten more people and plenty of tools for everyone.
By the time the priestesses sawed through the ten trees I’d asked for, golden, early-evening light was beginning to stream down through the forest canopy. The women were all clearly exhausted, and I knew they’d be more than happy to return to the garden.
“So, what happens now?” Aleia sighed as she rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand. “I can see it’s going to be nightfall before too long, and I have to admit I wouldn’t mind a break. But do you think we should move the trees now, my lord?”
“Oh, no,” I assured her. “I think they’ll be fine where they are until morning. Please, go rest, because you’ve definitely earned it.”
They walked slowly in silence through their trees back to the camp, and then Penelope pulled the two other women in for a group hug on either side of her.
“You were incredible, sisters,” the naiad told the other priestesses. “I’m so proud of you-- well, I’m proud of us, really.”
“Aleia was incredible,” Nicola sighed. “But we were pretty good, too.”
“Yeah, you were,” I agreed. “I’ve never seen anyone work harder than the three of you. I’m so proud to call you my… followers.”
I wasn’t sure what I’d really wanted to say. Wives, maybe, but I couldn’t tell them that. They were by far the most impressive people I’d ever seen in my entire life, and I wanted nothing more than for them to be totally mine.
Penelope, Nicola, and Aleia didn’t even want to eat dinner when they returned from the forest because they were so tired. I thought it might be good for them to have some protein, but all they wanted to do was curl up on their blankets and go to sleep, so I decided to let them.
I watched as they all passed out, and then I sighed impatiently. I had no idea what time the next tool was going to arrive, and I didn’t know if it would manifest if I kept staring at the altar. I gazed down at the white stone for a moment, and I almost wished I could really go to sleep myself. Even though I could speed up time, it wasn’t like being completely unconscious, and although my life was better than it had ever been before, sometimes a man just needed a break.
Although, I supposed I wasn’t really a man anymore.
I focused my thoughts to speed up the clock, and I kept my eyes on the altar the whole time. Finally, when pale light began to stream across the grass, I saw a flash of something on the white slab, and it was starting to become apparent one tool appeared every morning.
I got excited, and when I slowed time again and focused downward, I saw it was a large axe with a polished wooden handle, just like I’d wanted.
The new tool had to be at least three feet long, and I was glad this was the next tool in line, because splitting the logs would help us quickly trim the branches off the trees and make it much easier for the priestesses to carry the lumber back over to the building site.
I decided I was going to let them sleep in as long as they wanted, but Penelope rolled over not much later and opened her pale-blue eyes. As the naiad attempted to sit up, it was apparent how sore she was. She rubbed a shoulder and winced, and then she massaged her other arm.
“My lord, are you there?” the cerulean woman croaked. “Everything hurts, but I think there’s a solution.”
“What’s that, Penelope?” I asked.
“My sisters and I need to go bathe in the creek,” she said with a slow smile. “It truly has healing waters, and it may be the only way we can get through this… labor.”
“Of course, you should do that,” I responded. “Take all the time you need, and I’m sure you’re starving, too. But first, would you like to see our latest tool?”
The naiad grimaced as she pushed herself up to her feet, but she smiled brightly when she started to approach the altar.
“Is it an axe, master?” the blue woman asked as she lightly ran a finger across the side of the curved grip. “It is so beautiful!”
“Yeah, so I thought today you could cut the branches off the logs,” I told Penelope. “That’s going to make the wood much easier to handle.”
“Thank you, my lord!” the naiad cheered, but then she yawned and scratched at her head. “I think I’m going to wake up Nicola and Aleia. I want to bathe in the creek now, and the sooner we all do it, the better we’ll feel. And yes, I am very hungry, as you mentioned a moment ago. I thought maybe Nicola could hunt something so we don’t have to have fish again, but if she feels the way I do at the moment, I doubt she will even be able to hold her bow.”
“Makes sense,” I responded, and I felt a wave of sympathy for the women wash over me. There was so much more work to be done, and I wondered if I was rushing them too much. What was really the hurry to build the roof?
Then again, I knew the answer to that question. I couldn’t get my physical form back soon enough, and if it meant I would actually get to touch the women, there was no way I wasn’t going to try to level up as soon as possible.
Penelope went over and shook the other two priestesses, and I could tell Aleia wasn’t happy when she tried to slap the naiad’s hand away. Nicola muttered something that could have been a swear word, but I wasn’t positive. Finally, both of the women dragged themselves out from under their luxurious covers and made it to a standing position.
“We need to get to the creek as soon as possible, and then we won’t be in pain anymore,” the blue woman told Nicola and Aleia in an urgent tone. “Jack sent us an axe, and it looks very powerful, so it’s clear we are going to be working hard again today. The only way to relieve your aching muscles is to bathe in the sacred water.”
“Okayyy, Penelope,” Nicola sighed. “Yes, the magic stream, I understand. If it will make the work easier, I can’t wait.”
The brunette accompanied the other two priestesses down toward the water, and when they all returned in a few minutes, I was shocked at their easy strides and the healthy color in their cheeks.
“Penelope, that was incredible, sister,” Aleia praised the naiad. “It was way better than usual. Did you do something special to the water today?”
“Even I have to admit it was better than before,” Nicola said, and she gently pushed the blue woman on the shoulder. “What’s different?”
“I’m not sure,” Penelope confessed with a shrug. “I can feel my powers getting stronger when I’m in the spring, sisters. It’s like an energy that buzzes through me, and even I have to say I feel particularly well-healed this morning. It’s like we weren’t working yesterday at all.”
“It’s true.” Nicola nodded, and then she walked over to where she kept her bow. “I see the squirrels are active in the apple tree this morning. Give me a few minutes to hunt one, and then we can eat.”
“I can’t wait to have something inside my stomach.” Aleia smiled as she walked over to tidy up the bedding. She folded all the blankets into a neat pile, and then she strolled over to the fire circle and stoked the flames.
The dark-haired woman was quickly able to hunt her prey and butcher it, and then the three priestesses all ate in a hurry. I could tell they were eager to get back to work, and I suspected it was to get it over with as soon as possible.
It was definitely easy to admire people who didn’t procrastinate, and I loved them more and more all the time because of how badass they were.
“Bring your stone chisel today,” I instructed the women, even though the basalt might chip from the force of the blows. “You’re going to use it as a wedge to help split the logs in half.”
Penelope grabbed the tool I’d mentioned, and Nicola carried the sturdy axe as the women hiked over to where they’d been working yesterday. They all stood around and surveyed the huge fallen trees for a moment, and I thought about how to best instruct them on what to do next.
“What’s our next plan, Jack?” Nicola asked as she gently swung the new axe back and forth with both hands. “Cut off these branches, right?”
“Yep,” I agreed. “Start at the bottom of the tree, and make sure the limbs you’re removing are on the other side of the trunk from where you’re standing. Hold the axe with both hands, and then just… chop them off, like you said. You’ve used an axe before, right, Nicola?”
“I used to split firewood all the time,” the brunette replied with a big grin, but then she pursed her lips. “I’ve never done exactly this before, but how hard can it be?”
Before I had a chance to say anything else, the dark-haired woman started to chop. I was impressed at her technique, and I watched the muscles in her golden-skinned shoulders flex as she worked. These women were super toned, and the hard work made them more and more buff all the time.
Nicola, Penelope, and Aleia took approximately fifteen-minute turns with the axe and crosscut saw as they de-limbed the trees, and one of the women would periodically run back for drinks and snacks like they’d done yesterday. The naiad was the slowest using the axe, and the fairy was the quickest, of course, though the human wasn’t far behind.
Regardless of their speed, though, it was still slow going, and I was starting to question whether they’d have time to split all the logs today. It would have been nice if I’d been provided enough tools for each woman to use, though I supposed they couldn’t wield the axe for eight straight hours, either. When they weren’t making supply runs, they sat down and gave each other massages between turns, and that had started to make my imagination run wild. They were all completely covered in dirt, and blackish stripes of mud covered their bodies and faces, but it was still one of the hottest things I’d ever seen.
