Chapter 6: Furnish (1)

"Get the wood!"

"Hand over the spare nails we have."

"But we don't have nails anymore!"

"Just polish a rock sharp that will do."

"But teacher, I'm just a kid."

The loud noises of several people struck the peace in my ears. I went outside the cabin, just woken up by the noise. I looked at everyone and everyone was walking back and forth while doing a lot of tasks.

Some had boxes of rope in both of their hands. Some paired to carry a trunk of wood. While some were in charge of the craft.

"What is happening?" I asked Kaian who had just passed before me.

"Oh, Exi, you're awake?" He said. "The teacher is actually planning to build a hall where he can teach us." He joyously expressed.

"I'm still on an errand, bye!" He swiftly ran to the wooden cabin finding something.

I stood still, watching them, still completely confused as to why they are doing such tasks early in the morning. It felt surreal to see everyone working.

I walked to the teacher and patted his shoulder two times.

"Hey, teacher, isn't this child labor?" I teased him. He looked back at me grumpily with a slight hint of guilt on his face.

"Just help! I know you want this too! Hmph." His face was funny that I chuckled while looking at him. He looked irritated and I calmed him down saying it was a joke.

"What can I help with?"

"Ah." He looked at me, checking my body.

"What are you looking at?" I gasped teasing him.

"Idiot. I'm checking if your body is in the condition."

"I'm completely fine, as you can see." I almost raised my right arm to exhibit my slightly visible muscle but quickly discarded it and raised my left arm. 'The mark. I almost forgot.' I thought stupidly.

"What's there to see?" He said mockingly while grinning.

"Just find nails if you can, somewhere, anywhere, or everywhere, up to you."

"Okay. That's it?" I said. "That's too easy."

"Just get it done, I'm busy you know. See!"

"Okay, okay, I'll get going now." I walked out of the grass grounds and jovially hummed while walking. "Oh. Where can I find it?" I stupidly stared.

I forwardly raised my palm and called for help.

"Scier?" I whispered. "Can you find nails? I'm lost."

The book flipped several pages until it stopped. The empty paper was then marked with black ink, slowly resembling an image of an island. It had two points, one was a steady point and one had arrows moving. I tried to examine what the two points were, I moved right and left, and the arrow in the book did too. Like it was controlled.

I walked while not letting a glimpse out of the book. Observably, one point still didn't move but the other one was moving. The two points got closer as I walk.

'It's a map?!' I gasped in surprise. 'So that means, I am the moving point… then, are the nails the steady point?'

"I should get going then!"

The distance was short, but the route I traveled was hectic. Vines in the forest attached to my cloth, gooey texture moss stuck in my hands, and point rocks that almost pierced my skin.

"Ha… ha… ha, finally?" I looked at the book and it looked like the two circles merged. "That means I am close to the nails." I looked up while closing the book a little. There, in front of me, appeared several metals. Like it was all junked.

"Is this place a dump site?" I remarked while pinching my nose. "It smells awful."

I searched through the pile of junked metals and without a doubt, there were nails. But fascinatingly, there were things that were unfamiliar objects. One that I have not seen on the island before.

But I disregarded it and proceeded to collect several nails.

"Ah, I forgot the sack!" I smacked my head in stupidity.

Luckily, there were sacks in the junk too. I picked it up and put the nails inside. I looked at the unusual objects again back and forth.

'It's tempting me. I'm really curious.'

'Forget it, I'll get some.' I put the little things only to be able to carry the things out before night unfolds, there were thick rings and bracelets.

'I should get going now, or else, I'll get scolded again.' I worriedly thought while thinking of the days that the teacher scolded me.

For every step I take back home, the sun moves along. The shadows that were lurking in fear of the light slowly unfolded themselves as the sun loses its shine.

"I'm back. Sorry, I took so long." I greeted everyone at the table while they are having dinner in the incompletely built hall. I took down the sack that I have from my back and the nails started to fall out of the stack.

"That's a lot!" Everyone said astonished.

"Where did you get that lots?" The teacher asked while dropping the spoon he had just raised.

"Somewhere." I did not look at him straight but I smirked to amaze him.

He stood up from his chair and proceeded to check the nails I brought. He searched the sack I brought.

"Ah, teacher. I didn't just pick up nails. I found lots of metals somewhere so I picked it up." I scratched my head while smiling at him. "Uhm. I think I picked up rings. Accessories?"

"Where did you find this?" He said with a deep voice.

"Somewhere, I got lost while finding for one. So ah, you see."

"These are artifacts."

"Vestiges…"

I looked at the teacher with confusion. "What are you saying, teacher?"

"Artifacts shouldn't be here… Only the major monarchies have artifacts."

He picked up the sack and claimed it himself. "I'll take this for now. Let's talk tomorrow. Sit for dinner." He said, leaving the room while carrying the sack of nails and rings.

I sat by the chair, zoning out. "Exi, where have you been?!" Ei whispered.

"I was out in the woods," I whispered back.

"The teacher's hair will grow white worrying about you all the time." She scolded me in a soft voice. I chuckled at what she had said, trying to imagine the teacher with white hair.

After a few minutes, the teacher came back in the table and ate without questioning me.

I looked at him and he looked back at me.

"Did I do anything wrong?" I asked. He just looked at me and fed himself again.

"He's worried about you, Exi." Phoenia uttered while covering her chuckle. "As I said." Ei suppressed her laugh too.

The teacher blushed a bit, shaking while raising the spoon up to his mouth. "I don't."

"I'm just not feeling well, that's all."

Everyone looked at the teacher teasingly with a smirk, questioning his words.

"Fine!" He shouted shyly. "I'm worried because you got home this late again. I thought something happened to you again!"

"But you told me to find it anywhere right?" I teased him.

"R-right." He replied. "B-but you should have gone back earlier." A hot steam showed up in his head his face blushed in reluctance.

"You're like our parent, teacher." I laughed.

His face calmed down, but he looked at me expressionlessly. Like he was surprised or bothered by something.

"Teacher?" I looked at him. "Are you okay?" Everyone looked at him too.

"Repeat what you said?" He requested.

"You're like our parent…" I reiterated.

His face went soft, his cheeks widened, and his smile faced us.

"Really?" He scratched his head while looking down. He laughed a bit.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. I looked at Ei and she was smiling like she has funny plans to pull.

"Oh. The teacher is like our parent, we love him so much!" Ei said while chuckling. She pointed her index finger to the teacher. Everyone looked at the teacher and realized he won't look at us.

"He's fluttered."

"Eh?!" Everyone gasped in shock.

"S-stop."

"Teacher, you're blushing now right?" Everyone asked teasingly.

"N-n-no, why would I be?!"

"Teacher is our parent. Our parent." The children chanted together at the table.

"Just eat your dinner!" The teacher stood up and left the table in a hurry. Everyone laughed because of the teacher.

"So, he likes to be called 'parent' huh," I said while planning something. "Everyone, we should call the teacher 'papa' starting tomorrow."

"Yes! Let's look at his face every time we call him 'Papa'" The children laughed like maniacs.

After the situation has calmed down, everyone continued eating their dinner while telling stories to each other, everyone chuckled at that moment. After everyone left, I grabbed the wooden plates with their leftovers. I cleaned the messy table with a wet cloth and cleaned up the rest.

I checked both cabins and everyone was asleep. Really, it is indeed an enjoyable yet hectic day. After finishing everything, I went back to the wooden cabin too and rested.