Ducks are inhabiting this island.
Well, it’s not mallard, nor domestic duck, but a cross between them.
「 Capture those that are behind, Amane 」
「 Why? 」
「 If the one in front is gone, they will be surprised 」
We arrived at the lake near the Washimine cave.
Washimine cave is where Sofia and Amene woke up.
The ducks are swimming in the lake.
The parent takes the lead and the chicks follow behind.
There are a few groups present.
In total, there are nearly dozens of ducks.
We don’t need to capture them all so we took just one group.
I lured them with a bait and Amane captured them quietly.
The captured ducks are placed in the bamboo cage I’m carrying.
Sorry that you have to cramp yourselves in such a small space. I apologized in my heart.
「 This should be enough 」
We secured 17 ducks including two parents.
「 Should we eat the parent bird? 」
Amane asks.
I shook my head.
「 We’re going to test breeding. If it goes smoothly, we can get eggs. If that happens, we don’t have to take the trouble to capture them again 」
「 I see. That’s smart 」
When our work is over, we quickly went back to the hideout.
I want to free the screaming ducks from their cage as soon as possible.
It’s not good to stress people, but it also applies to animals.
It’s essential to pay attention to stress management.
Things went well while on our way home.
We moved forward while talking about boring things.
It’s when we were approaching the Asakura cave that something strange happened.
「 !! 」
Amane paused, her face is grim.
I’m an amateur in combat but I also sensed it.
She’s on alert because she sensed something
「 What’s up? 」
I stopped my tracks.
「 Did you not hear that? 」
Amane whispers.
「 All I can hear are the ducks quacking at my back 」
The ducks chorused without a break.
They’re begging to be free as soon as possible.
「 What did you hear? 」
I asked Amane, then Amane replied calmly.
「 A gunshot 」
「 ?! 」
The impact crashes in.
There are three people on this island who owns guns.
Sofia, and the Sumeragi siblings.
I don’t think Sofia’s going to pull the trigger.
Amane’s holding her gun in this place.
Then, there’s one answer.
「 One of the Sumeragi brothers made the shot 」
「 I’m sure it’s in the direction we’re heading 」
The gunfire seems to be coming from the direction of the hill where the Sumeragi brothers are based in.
I didn’t hear it but since Amane said it, then it must be true.
「 Shinomiya Hokage, should we scout it? 」
I nodded, saying “Of course”
「 But, don’t take off your mask. There’s still the risk of colds 」
「 It’s okay, I have it 」
Amana put on a mask on her mouth.
Then, she said “I’ll return by dinner,” and disappeared the next moment.
Looking around, it seems that Amane’s moving through the trees.
She’s jumping from branch to branch like a monkey.
I’d say that she’s faster than monkeys.
「 Those moves… 」
I’m surprised and also relieved from seeing Amane’s inhuman movements.
There’s one in a million chance that she would be at a disadvantage.
She should act alone with no baggage in her mind.
「 I should do what I have to do 」
I let Amane take care of the gunshot and go back to the hideout.
◇
When I returned, the farmland is already complete.
The whole five areas are tilled.
By that, I meant a 100 square meter area.
「 Ooh, nice duck! Let’s eat! 」
Arisa got lively as she saw the ducks in the cage.
I smiled wryly, saying, “We’re not eating them”
Then, I sent a glance to Karin and asked.
「 Have you finished spreading the calcium carbonate 」
「 Yeah, done. What’s left is for the rice group to be finished. Mana and the girls were on their way to the hideout earlier 」
「 Okay 」
As expected, I knew it was the right decision to leave this to Karin.
I appreciate the small attention to detail where she let me know what the rice group is up to.
「 By the way, Hokage, where’s Amane? 」
「 Amane went to the scout team Sumeragi. She heard a gunshot from them. So she wanted to check on their situation 」
「 「 「 「 Gunshot? 」 」 」 」
「 I didn’t hear it but Amane did. Well, it should be okay. 」
Saying “putting that aside,” I looked at Tanaka.
「 Let the water in 」
Tanaka goes to the bamboo pipe, saying “Roger!”
Then.
「 I’m opening the watergate! 」
-He removes the bronze disc between the bamboo tubes.
Water from the river flows through the bamboo tube.
It’s filling the paddy field we made.
「 Karin, take these guys to the lake at the hideout 」
I put the ducks back in the bamboo basket and handed them to Karin.
「 Should we just let them run on the lake? 」
「 They’re easier to manage and keep there 」
「 Okay 」
Karin took the bamboo basket to her back and head back to the hideout ahead of others.
「 Kageyama, Tanaka, make sure the ducklings don’t escape to the rice paddies. If they head out to the rice field, then block their road with your hand and legs to make them U-turn. Do that until the rice paddies are filled with water 」
「 Roger that! 」「 Okay 」
「 Muscle and Arisa will take care of the other fields. Make an arable field a little further from the rice field the same way you did here. We’ll finish at dinner time 」
「 Okay! 」「 Got it Muscle!! 」
After updating my instructions, I head back to the hideout where the rice group is waiting for me
◇
Huge amounts of rice were prepared at the hideout.
「 Is this okay? 」
Mana asks.
「 That’s enough 」
「 We’re going to thresh this, right? 」 Eri asks.
I nodded.
「 I wasn’t sure what I should do first but we waited just in case. Should we have done it already? 」
「 You could’ve done it if you do know how to use the tools, but it was the right choice to wait 」
「 Then it’s right. Nobody knew how to use those 」
Eri mentioned “those,” and we all gathered our gaze there.
Meiko and Sofia were working on their crafts watched from the distance.
「 Haven’t you been making those little by little for a while now? 」
Mana said. I shook my head saying “no way”
「 I made it during lunch yesterday. I already had the materials I need after all 」
「 Wow! As expected of Hokage-san 」
Hinako clapped her hands and cheered.
She’s calling me “Hokage-san” now that I’ve noticed.
If I recall, she calls me “Shinomiya-san” before
I feel an increase in intimacy.
「 Well, it’s a primitive way, but it’s pretty much what you see 」
I stood next to the thing and called it by its name.
「 This is how you use a thousand teeth thresh 」
The threshing machine I built on the spur of the moment, the thousand tooth thresher.