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The second half of our visit to the village of Tazy is now underway.
We went around from the north to the west of the village.
"There are so many trees around here.
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Trees over 100 years old make up the forest. From what Jin saw, the timber is of high quality.
There is one disappointment. <
"But ......"
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"<
It's been a long time since I've seen a yew tree, but the leaves are familiar and the fruit is still there.
It looked just like the tree that used to be used as a hedge in the institution where Jin grew up.
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"There are a lot of trees growing here, aren't there?
Jin-san?
Sorry. Helga, what do you know about these trees?
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Alagi. The red part is edible, but the seeds are poisonous.
It's like a yew in that way too.
Have you ever used this tree for lumber?
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"Well, I don't think they use it for building material because it doesn't yield very long lumber. Other than that, I don't know. I'm sorry.
"Oh, no, that's okay. You've been very helpful.
Jin followed up by saying that he didn't expect Helga to know everything, so he hoped she wouldn't mind.
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"Do you mind if I cut down one of these trees?"
"Yes, I don't mind at all.
With the approval of the chief's daughter, Jin picks out a suitable tree.
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It is a tree that grows alongside the vacant lot. He decides that it will be easy to clear the branches and saw the wood after cutting it down,
"Reiko, please.
Reiko, please", he instructs. Then he asked Helga and Kačea to leave for a moment.
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"Father, I will go."
Reiko nodded, and when she was sure that Helga, Katya, and Jin were far enough away, she unusually used her magic.
"<
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"Kyah!"
"Kyah!"
Helga and Katya were surprised by the wind magic that was suddenly released, even though they were far enough away.
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More than that, their eyes widened at the sight of an aragi tree that had a diameter of about 50 centimeters being cut down.
No, it was not exactly cut down. Reiko had held the trunk and laid it down gently in the clearing before it fell.
Jin lightly clasped his hands together in front of the tree. Somehow, he wanted to do that.
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"Thank you, Jin-san."
Helga suddenly thanked him, and Jin was surprised. And he did it in honorific form.
What?"
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The lumberjacks in Tazi Village traditionally pay respect to the trees they cut down.
Ka-cea explained.
"No, not only trees, but also birds, fish, beasts, and all ...... crops.
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"That's right."
"So you saw Mr. Jin paying respect to the tree you cut down, so you thought he didn't ignore your traditions."
Helga nodded yes, yes, yes.
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"I didn't know that. But not because I knew, but because I wanted to."
Jin explained honestly.
"Well, ...... Jin-san, is that the kind of person you are?"
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Helga nodded her head.
She remembered the short time Jin had stayed with them.
"......You didn't cut down any trees, and you weren't hunting."
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"Yes."
In addition, he did not have the mental capacity, he confided honestly.
"...... Well, that's okay. It's good to know that Jin-san feels the same way as we do.
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Helga looked a little happy.
"Well then, let's get rid of the branches here..."
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Since engineering magic works on the cut down tree, he and Reiko work together to remove the branches.
The thicker branches can be used for carving, so they are reserved for that purpose.
"What should we do with the thin branches ......?
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Reiko says to Hitoshi, who is pondering what to do with the thin branches,
"Father, we can make spoons and chopsticks," she said.
and gathered up some suitable branches for us.
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The twigs and leaves were useless, so they were left there in the hope that they would return to the soil.
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Hitoshi took the big branches and Reiko took the trunks.
And Helga and Caciea gave us a thin branch .
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"Heavy ......"
The thick branches must have weighed about 50 kilos in total. It's quite heavy.
Still, it was only a 15-minute walk to the village, so Jin managed to bring them back home.
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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"Hey, hey, what the heck is that?
Reiko was carrying the cut down aragi trunk in an upright position, so it stood out from a distance.
The log, which was about 7 meters long, was moving.
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"......This is ......"
"Wow, this is amazing."
I was surprised twice because the log was being carried by a slender girl ...... dressed in a samurai costume, Reiko.
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The villagers are surprised three times when she lays it down in the clearing almost noiselessly.
"Jin-kun, what's this?"
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Sergei, the village chief, heard the commotion and came over.
"Ah, Mr. Mayor, you're in the right place. Actually, it's ......."
Jin explains the use of this tree.
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"This wood is dense and strong, so I think it's good for making carvings, tableware, and small furniture.
"I see."
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Jin decides to use his engineering magic to saw a thicker branch as a sample.
"<
The moisture content must be reduced to about 20 percent, because if there is too much moisture, the wood will deform as it dries (called
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However, rapid drying can cause <
<
The bark is removed and the tree is cut into pieces of appropriate size.
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In this case, since it is a large branch and will be used for carving, three pieces of approximately 10 cm square and 30 cm long were made.
The rest of the wood can be used as scrap wood, so I will try to save as much as possible.
"Oh ......"
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The village chief is muttering something, but Jin, who has entered into the manufacturing mode, does not care and proceeds with the work.
"<
After drying again, the moisture content is reduced to 15%.
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"That should do it."
When Jin finished, he turned around to see the villagers frozen in surprise, the village chief and Helga looking amazed and dismayed, and Ka-cea smiling at him.
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