Chapter 80.1 - The First Year at the Academy - Contract for Protection (1)
As we approach the latter half of November, the world is prepared for the autumn season.
Autumn in the world.
I visited Helena and found that she had forgotten about me.
I spent my busy days visiting Helena and being forgotten, training to master offensive skills, working hard to learn new magic, and getting the cold shoulder from Rebecca when I went to the Adventurers' Guild.
Then one early morning, just before the second-semester exams, Lambert and Felix came tumbling into the house with a stack of parchments.
Without even saying hello, they settled down at the table.
Who was the one who had been so proud, saying, "I'll be fine this time."
I promised to help them, but haven't taken any academic courses. I could teach, but without a textbook, I had to judge the questions from the parchment they had written. I was worried about the correctness of the description.
I was in trouble and then came the "fire and burn" situation.
It was Elphimia and Lola, who were visiting for the first time.
They saw Lambert and his friends rushing off, and although it was easy to guess where they were going, they said they had come to visit while killing time. They were the same two people, but this one had more time on his hands.
I welcomed them with a big smile.
After a while, I said to them.
"Why do you do that!"
Elfimia was yelling in the living room.
Is it Lambert who is desperately trying to make excuses?
His fiery words made Ted and the others shudder, "Elves are scary!"
After one night, it's finished.
I carefully remove it with a wooden stick and spread it out on the roof – aka, the shingle – that I removed from the roof and carried to the backyard. In the sunlight, it's raw and a little uncomfortable.
Wearing leather gloves, I pull at the edges.
The outer skin flakes off.
It's still weird, but I'm starting to enjoy it a little.
I use a knife to cut off the parts that are hard to peel off and remove the remaining flesh and fat.
Incidentally, the skin is said to get divided into two pieces, the front, and the back. After removing the outer skin and hair, the skin is cut into thinner pieces. The difference between the front and back may be why leather products have different tastes.
After removing the outer skin, I beat the leather with a wooden stick.
The soaking purpose in lime is to loosen the skin's fibers, so beating should make it even softer.
When I was satisfied with the results of my pounding, I soaked them in lime again.
This is said to soften the skin more. Then the procedure varied depending on the type of skins and their purpose. We were entering the world of craftsmanship.
It's difficult to learn a technique that's not a skill – well, let's see what happens.
Looking up at the clear late-autumn sky, I relax from the fatigue of my labor.
As I relax, a door suddenly opens behind me.
The one who peeked out was Lambert.
"What are you doing here when I thought you disappeared?"
"Working."
Lambert peeked into the basin suspiciously.
