Monsters in the Night

"I'm fairly confident when it comes to blacksmithing and knife sharpening," Shirou said with a light laugh.

"That's perfect. My axe for chopping wood is really dull, and I can't sharpen it. Why don't you give it a try?" The woodcutter, who was in charge of chopping wood, stood up and said.

"Sure, could you lend me your whetstone?" Shirou readily agreed.

"Alright! Great! I have a whetstone, I'll go get it right now!" the woodcutter agreed, turning and running off.

After that, Shirou found some tools, placed the whetstone on the ground, took the axe handed to him by the woodcutter, examined the woodcutter's arm, and then began to study the blade of the axe.

A professional knife sharpener can extend the life of a knife by several years while maintaining its sharpness.

Shirou, who has a unique understanding of weapons, also has a deep mastery of this skill.

He applied some water, placed the axe on the whetstone, positioned it, and began rubbing it up and down, adjusting the angle to sharpen the blade to a perfectly even edge. In Shirou's hands, the old axe was transformed into something magical. In just a few minutes, the axe blade became smooth and shiny, leaving the onlookers amazed.

"Alright!" Shirou handed the axe to the woodcutter.

"Wait!" the woodcutter shouted as he ran off. When he returned, he carried a large tree stump to the ground with a thud. He took the modified axe, raised it above his head, and with a powerful swing of his arms, chopped it down. With a snap, the heavy, round tree stump split in half as easily as cutting tofu.

"What's going on?! This axe! Amazing!" the woodcutter exclaimed in surprise. "It's so easy! I didn't even use half the strength I used before, and I split this thick tree stump in half."

Shirou chuckled. He observed the grip marks on the handle, the wear on the axe, and examined the woodcutter's muscles. Knowing where he was putting his strength, he adjusted the blade of the axe to the most suitable angle and landing point for him, so that the woodcutter's strength was fully applied to the tree stump, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

"Even if I encounter a bear in the future, I can kill it with one swing of my axe," the woodcutter said proudly, holding up his axe.

"Shirou, could you sharpen my scissors too?" Just then, a quick-thinking woman ran home and brought over her own knives.

"Wow! Amazing! These scissors are even sharper than new ones!" The woman held the brand-new scissors, which Shirou had adjusted, and they were even better than brand new ones.

"Please take care of my kitchen knife too!"

"My family is the same!"

Shirou readily agreed, saying, "If any tools break, like the wooden cart or the loom, and need repair, I can help."

Upon hearing this, the people around became even more animated.

"Wait! Everyone, don't panic!" the old village chief said.

"Of course! With this skill, he could support a family in the city. It's a waste of his talent to come to the village," the woodcutter said.

"It would be such a great thing if you could help us sharpen a knife and fix something," the woman who received the scissors chimed in.

"Yes, yes, Shirou- kun, stay! We have absolutely no objections." Even those who had previously expressed their objections changed their minds and agreed.

"Shirou, no, sir! Welcome to our village! Please settle down here." The old village chief grasped Shirou's hands with both of his and said excitedly.

"Alright, thank you everyone. I'll be troubling you all once I've chosen a location in the next few days," Shirou replied with a smile.

"Very good!"

"No problem, no problem."

The banquet thus concluded in a joyful atmosphere.

However, the problem was that afterwards, the couple, Cowherd and Weaver Girl, led Shirou and Kiyohime to a small hut next to the cowshed. This was a small hut that Cowherd would use when taking care of the cows, and now they were to use it.

Shirou went inside and found that the space was very small, with only a bed and a small table, clearly indicating that they were being treated as a young couple.

Shirou turned around to call out to his older brother and sister, but found that they had already disappeared.

At this time, Afeng and Tian Zhu had already been taken to her home by the very considerate older sister, where they lay down on the bed with her children and fell asleep.

So, Shirou and the girl were left alone in the cabin, isolated from each other.

"What do we do? Now we're the only ones left," Kiyohime asked Shirou, feigning ignorance.

"Isn't this the result of all those unnecessary things you said?!" Shirou cursed.

"Yes, then there's nothing we can do but go to bed." Kiyohime ignored Shirou's words and said to herself.

"Then you sleep here, I'll go outside." Shirou was furious, his anger building up inside him, and he turned around and said.

"If the villagers see this, who knows what they'll say," Kiyohime said, stopping Shirou and advising him.

"You're a girl, can't you have a little more self-respect?" Shirou said to the girl. Even if he's love-struck, he should still have some self-love.

"The most important thing now is to find a place for Afeng and Tanabu to stay. You and I will eventually leave this place. If the villagers know that they have relatives in a wealthy family in the city, they will take better care of them. So even if there are some misunderstandings, it doesn't matter, right?" Kiyohime shook her head and analyzed for Shirou.

"I understand. I didn't expect you to think so much about Afeng Kiyohime Tsuke. Thank you so much. Anyway, Kiyohime, you can sleep in the bed." Shirou was convinced by the girl's understanding words. He nodded with some emotion. As expected, the Princess is not just a love-struck person.

Just then, Kiyohime changed the subject, cupping her face in her hands and saying, "But even if we're just in the same room, by tomorrow morning everyone will recognize our relationship. Even if nothing happens, that's still the case. Of course... even if I were to be taken advantage of, I wouldn't mind~!"

"..." Shirou's expression changed. He realized he had been mistaken about being moved earlier, and now he felt quite angry.

Kiyohime covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "Hehehe, starting tomorrow we'll be calling each other husband and wife, my dear..."

"Yes..." Shirou raised an eyebrow in anger. The anger that had been building up in his heart since earlier had reached its maximum. He could no longer hold back and took action.

"Kiyohime, could you close your eyes and lie here? And please don't speak for now?" Shirou spread a quilt on the bed and asked the girl with a smile.

"Eh? Shirou-kun? You're suddenly being so bold. You don't have to be in such a hurry, but it's okay..." Kiyohime smiled shyly, lay down on the quilt, placed her hands on her chest, closed her eyes, and said expectantly.

Shirou straightened Kiyohime's arms and placed them on either side, then pulled up the blanket and covered Kiyohime completely from head to toe.

"Is Shirou-kun still not ready? Why does it feel like it's gotten dark outside? Did you turn off the lights?"

Without a word, Shirou pushed Kiyohime away. The girl rolled around in the quilt, completely trapped inside. Before she could react, Shirou tied her up with a rope, leaving only a small gap for her to breathe, and pushed her to the corner of the bed.

"Eek! So rough, I hate it! Hmm...? Hmm...? Shirou-kun?" The person inside the blanket made a confused sound, but found that he couldn't move at all.

"Goodnight." Shirou Projection a blanket onto the floor, then chuckled and lay down.

He ignored Kiyohime's protests and slept soundly through the night afterward!

The next morning.

"Waaaaah..." Kiyohime, now released, covered her face with the long sleeves of her kimono, feigning tears as if deeply hurt. "A young girl's innocence, so cruelly toyed with. Shirou-kun is nothing but a snake among beasts..."

Chapter 365 Monster in the Night

In the village surrounded by lush greenery, outside the cowshed, at a stove set up on the fire, Shirou is stirring a ceramic pot over the flames, where fragrant white rice porridge is simmering.

In the village's cowshed, there were cows that had given birth. Fresh milk was squeezed out, cooked, and mixed with white rice porridge to make it Tianzhu's breakfast.

"Yay!" The baby ate bite after bite, laughing happily.

Afeng drank the extra bowl as well, leaving a white beard mark on her lips.

"Ah! Grandpa, the milk is so delicious~!" The little girl looked up at Shirou and said with a smile.

"Wipe your mouth clean before you speak," Shirou said with amusement, wiping away the milk curds from Afeng.

"By the way, doesn't Your Princess drink porridge?" Afeng asked, puzzled.

Shirou sprinkled chopped green onions into the porridge he served to the adults, and the aroma filled the air.

However, the girl with a keen sense of smell remained unmoved, still huddled in the corner, drawing circles and doing nothing, seemingly still reeling from the blow.

"What's wrong, Your Princess?"

"Oh dear?"

Afeng and Tanabe looked at Kiyohime with concern and asked.

"Could it be that your stomach is upset?"

"Ugh... no." Kiyohime hid in the corner and shook her head, but she didn't look like she was alright at all.

"Alright, stop cowering in the corner, come on, have some porridge." Shirou ladled out a bowl of porridge and handed it to Kiyohime, along with some side dishes: vegetables picked from his eldest sister's house and a small jar of pickled radishes he'd gotten from the other villagers. These were gifts from the villagers in return for the things Shirou had helped repair the previous night.

Because he had indeed gone a bit too far last night, Shirou felt somewhat guilty, so he was thinking about whether to make something delicious to appease the girl.

Kiyohime smelled the aroma and looked up. She hesitated for a moment, but when she thought of the loving breakfast Shirou had made for her, she instinctively took the bowl. The warm porridge soothed her body, making her feel as warm as if she were being held in a man's arms.

Being cared for so gently, the girl immediately stopped crying and smiled, replying, "Thank you~!"

"Your Princess, you're smiling!"

"Yay!"

"Is your stomach pain gone now?" Afeng asked kindly.

Kiyohime, holding the bowl, smiled and replied, "It's all alright now, little Afeng, little Odanobu. It's just that my Happy Family Plan has encountered unexpected difficulties! But! Kiyohime will not give up!" Kiyohime clenched her small fist, igniting her fighting spirit, and flames seemed to materialize behind her, burning fiercely.

After having breakfast and a good night's sleep, Shirou, feeling refreshed, went out to find a place to build a house. He found a clearing in a small grove of trees a few hundred meters from the village, which was perfect for building a house. As long as a barrier was set up, the monsters outside would not be able to enter.

With the help of the villagers, they cut down trees and built a two-story wooden house. Thick thatch was laid on the eaves to provide shade and shelter from the rain. Then, they applied mud and mortar to the gaps between the wood to repel insects and protect against the wind, and coated it with tree oil, making it ready for immediate occupancy.

Next to the house, a small hut was built as a forging workshop for Shirou to make tools.

Inside the house, use a saw to cut suitable pieces of wood and make various furniture, chairs, and tables.

After everything was done, we cleaned up.

In less than three days, Shirou officially moved into the house.

That evening, the villagers came here to celebrate.

After a hearty meal and seeing the villagers off, Shirou began to draw strange patterns and magic circles around the path leading into the area.

"Shirou, what are you doing?" Kiyohime asked curiously.

"I've set up Magecraft barrier. If it's not someone from the village, someone with considerable strength, they won't be able to find this path," Shirou said. Although he wasn't an expert, after studying and training at the Clock Tower, he was considered a qualified Magus.

After combining his memories with those of his other self, he mastered a considerable number of Magecraft that allowed him to perform.

This forge, in particular, was like Magecraft's workshop to him.

Thus, a two-story wooden hut and a blacksmith's workshop became the safest protection Shirou could provide for his children, and also their warmest home.

Of course, Kiyohime was also there, following closely behind. The extra rooms in the two-story wooden house were prepared for her.

Life here was a bit poor, but it was peaceful. Children in this era were easy to please; as long as they had rice porridge and milk, Afeng and Tian Zhu would always have smiles on their faces.

Kiyohime sometimes goes berserk, but Shirou always manages to subdue her without hesitation. When she's free, she helps her older sister with weaving, exchanging her needlework for goods to supplement the family income.

Shirou settled down in the village with his children. Shirou worked as a blacksmith, repairing and mending things for the villagers, sharpening scissors and knives, and making pots, pans, and kitchen utensils. In return, the villagers would bring him dried vegetables like pickled radishes, vegetables from their fields, and fish caught from the streams in exchange.

The cows and ewes in the village, providing nutritious milk for their young, have recently developed a rosier complexion.

Shirou was quite satisfied with this. Even in this era, children still needed to have adequate nutrition for their growth.

Shirou would ask Afeng to do whatever he could, while he would only supervise and teach from the sidelines.

Although the requirements were strict, Afeng was very obedient and did everything as instructed. The skillful Afeng quickly learned how to wash clothes and cook, although they were just simple country dishes, which were indeed not up to some people's standards.

However, under Shirou's guidance, he has gradually improved. Although simple, his dishes are not simplistic, and his rustic cuisine has begun to receive unanimous praise from his family.

She can make simple dishes like porridge and fried eggs very well. Of course, for more complicated dishes, such as frying fish or grilling meat, Shirou has to control the heat to prevent them from burning or becoming too tough.

There's a saying that goes, "If a girl knows how to cook miso soup, she'll always find a way to survive."

Under Shirou's tutelage, Afeng is also developing in the direction of becoming a capable and virtuous wife who can handle all household chores.

As for making money, he would trade with merchants who would occasionally come to the village. Shirou would invite them to his home for tea and casually inquire about news from the surrounding cities.

"Yes, I accept the custom-made knives. Here is the remaining commission fee." The merchant bowed, held the small money bag high above his head with both hands, and handed it to Shirou.

"Thank you." Shirou bowed in return and took the small cloth bag containing the Oban Koban. He then stood up, glanced at it casually to make sure it was correct, and put it away.

The merchant was a middle-aged man with squinty eyes. He was a traveling merchant who used a donkey cart to buy goods in the city, then sell them in various small villages. He also collected some mountain products and medicinal herbs, and then resold them back to the city. Basically, he did simple business of buying low and selling high.

Introduced by the old village chief, Shirou began a sword-forging business with this merchant, initially dealing only in small items such as kitchen knives, daggers, Wakizashi.

"Mr. Shirou is truly a promising young man. The knives you forge are highly praised, and some people even want to commission an Uchigatana. Next time I come, I'd like to double the quantity, adding two Uchigatana. I'll use the steel ingots and fine charcoal I brought this time to pay the deposit, is that alright?" the merchant said with a smile, his eyes narrowed.

"I understand, let's do it that way." Shirou nodded and agreed. If possible, it would be a good thing for him. After all, he needed to save up a lot of money for his two children.

Although his initial intention was simply to raise the children, Shirou changed his mind as things progressed, eventually including Afeng's dowry money and the money for Tadasuke's wedding and house construction in his plan.

"Alright, alright, now that the transaction is complete, sit down and have a cup of tea," the old village chief said.

"Okay, brother." The merchant replied with a smile, then pulled Shirou into the house and sat him down.

"Has anything major happened outside recently?" the old village chief asked.

"I heard the Shimabara Rebellion was quelled quickly. Compared to the previous crushing defeat, it makes one wonder if there was even any fighting at all," the merchant said.

"Well, even that Yagyu Dan no Kami led his troops there, so the outcome was probably predetermined from the start," the old village chief said.

"Grandpa, have any strange things happened outside lately?" Shirou asked.

"Ah, young man, about what you told me to keep an eye on... Hmm, several more villages in the east have indeed disappeared overnight. Osaka Province, Sagami Province, and perhaps even Kyoto is no longer safe." The merchant seemed to recall some unpleasant scene, frowned, then sighed and shook his head as he spoke.

"I knew it." Shirou frowned.

"It used to be southeast, now it's east. Isn't it getting closer and closer to here?" the old village chief said worriedly.