Published: July 26, 2025
After leaving Benno’s room, Lutz and I were guided by Mark to a warehouse near the South Gate. That area was known as Artisan Street and apparently had quite a few warehouses. Since artisans often used water, there were more wells there than in residential areas.
The warehouse Mark showed us was right next to a well. It wasn’t very large—just about the size of a six-mat room at first glance. It used to be a storage space for artisans to keep their materials, and some shelves nailed to the walls still remained.
Inside, it looked roughly cleaned up, a bit dusty but not in need of a major cleanup. Looking around, I noticed a pot and some bags already placed in the corner.
“The ordered items first arrive at the shop, and then the staff deliver them here. Yesterday, we brought the pot and ash here. That’s what that is. Today, we’re expecting a larger basin and some weights. Please stay here until the items arrive.”
I looked at the black pot Mark pointed to and sincerely thanked Benno for his help. There was no way Lutz and I could have obtained that pot on our own.
“Wow, a pot! Lutz, do you think you can carry this pot?”
“Yeah, this size should be fine. I can even tie it onto the backpack frame.”
“Alright, then let’s measure it right away. We need to decide the size of the steamer.”
In my tote bag, I had the set of order forms borrowed from Benno’s shop. I quickly pulled out the measuring tape, only for Lutz to snatch it up with a flick.
“…Measuring is fine, but calm down first. If you get too excited, you’ll get a fever again.”
“Ugh…”
Mark, who had been watching our exchange, let out a wry smile.
“If this warehouse suits your needs, I’ll head back to the shop. I’m planning to go to the lumberyard tomorrow morning, so please be sure to prepare what you need to measure and order… Right, I’ll leave the shop at the 3rd bell, so I should arrive at the Central Plaza a little later.”
“Understood. Thank you for everything.”
Mark then took out a key attached to a chain to be worn around the neck.
“I’m entrusting this key to both of you. It’s the key to this warehouse. Don’t forget to lock up. Also, even if Lutz is alone, after locking up, please be sure to return the key to the shop. Understand?”
“Yes.”
Lutz took the heavy keys with a jingle, and Mark turned on his heel and left.
“Lutz, where shall we start?”
The warehouse, which hadn’t been used until now, had no chairs or boxes to sit on. It wasn’t a place to rest.
“Let’s bring in the supplies—beams we made, bamboo, nails…”
“That’s right. What we have to do today is decide the steamer size and write down the wood sizes, right? Check the previous order forms to make sure we didn’t forget anything… and then make some actual bamboo skewers?”
“If we’re cutting and shaving bamboo, we’ll need tools too.”
I wrote down the day’s tasks on a slate and placed it by the wall in the warehouse so we wouldn’t forget.
Lutz and I went back home and brought the supplies to the warehouse. I had no sense of direction, but Lutz seemed to know exactly where to go, skillfully turning down narrow alleys.
Apparently, the warehouse was between the South Gate and our home. Before I could even wonder where we were, we arrived home. Thankfully, it was quite close, which was good for my limited stamina.
“Okay, put the supplies in the basket and come down.”
“Got it.”
At home, the only supply was nails. Since Lutz’s family worked in construction and woodworking, bringing nails home ran the risk of them being mistaken for their own or taken.
Conversely, beams or bamboo that might be mistaken for firewood were kept at Lutz’s house to avoid being burned.
I put the bag of nails and a knife into the basket, then added a rag and broom that caught my eye. Since there was nothing to sit on, at least I wanted to clean up and spread the rag to secure a place to sit.
When I came downstairs, Lutz was already waiting, and various wooden creations were poking out of his basket.