#1213 Crafting Workshop 

This year’s Orkubo’s Castle wrapped up without a hitch. 

Every year brings some new twist, and although this year’s challenge was a little different in flavor, I’m really glad it all worked out.  

Dalkish and I celebrate the event’s success, and we agree we’ll gradually hand the castle festival over to the locals in the following years. 

With that settled, winter’s chill really starts to bite. 

The farm itself is crucial, of course, but we also have to keep an eye on our (planned) Farm Kingdom this year. 
Looks like the cold is really closing in up there, too. 

But the Farm Kingdom’s site still has no arid land, so frost won’t ruin any crops. 

That’s why we can go full-tilt, felling trees and carving out more livable land even in mid-winter, but securing food becomes a real headache.  

For now, we can rely on supplies from other kingdoms, but I want us to be self-sufficient on next year’s fields. 

All that means we’re not exactly bustling with activity these days.  

So… why not launch a special winter program on the development site? 

A vocational workshop. 

Up till now, our pioneers have focused on cutting trees and leveling land.  

With everyone cooped up indoors through the frost, it’s the perfect chance to master some finer skills.  

If they can craft their own dishes, clothes, and tools, life will run smoother. 

So, on one crisp winter morning... 
I gather the settlers for the big reveal.  

Four elves step forward in a triumphant lineup: 

“Maelga, master of leather!” 
“Mieral, queen of the woodshop!” 
“Poel, artisan of glass!” 
“And… Aileron, porcelain prodigy!” 
“TOGETHER, WE ARE THE FOUR ELVEN ARTISANS!!!” 

It's an absurdly literal team name, but it works. 
Putting that aside, these four are the pride of our farm, the cream of the crop. 

The various goods they produce enrich life on the farm, sturdy, long-lasting, and treasured by everyone who lives there. 

Not only that, their work holds artistic value too, fetching high prices from merchants who come from outside the farm to buy them. 

In short, they’re first-rate craftsmen. 

Today, they’ll teach our pioneers the secrets of creation.  

We won’t be turning out gallery-worthy art… but if everyone can whip up a bowl or a satchel in a pinch, their quality of life shoots through the roof, right?  

Think of it as winter’s little hobby. 

I explain the plan, and the settlers murmur uncertainly... 

 “Well… if Lord Saint says so…” 
“I’m hardly bored just because it’s winter.” 
“We’ve got to keep the fires stoked, so need more firewood...!” 

Sorry about that. I’ll send over extra charcoal from the farm. 

“Actually, isn’t this a great chance, guys?” 

One of the pioneers speaks up. 

“Living out here, we’ve all felt the pinch of not having what we need, haven’t we?” 
“Urk...!” 
“Well, that’s...!” 

The pioneers all fall silent. They clearly have something in mind. 

Sorry, the place is still a work in progress!!! 

“A lot of what we call ‘inconvenience’ really just comes down to not having what you need when you need it, right? In the city, you can just run to the nearest store. But out here? That’s not an option. So if you can’t buy it... you make it!” 

I like that way of thinking. 

Back when the farm was still growing, I used to say: ‘Buying things just doesn’t occur to us!’ That mindset really mattered. 

Especially now, with winter biting hard. 
If they could make fur coats and the like, it would be a huge help. 

Hm? 
That’s too late for this year? 

Well, winter clothes have been brought in from elsewhere, so they’re doing okay for now. 

But having a stable supply of their own is always better. 

“We’ve always had hides piling up with nothing to do with them, so if we learn how to process them properly, we won’t just let them rot in the shed anymore. It’s a win all around. So come on, let’s all learn together!” 

With just that one speech, the pioneers warm up to the idea of the workshop. 
Nice. 

All right then, Aileron and crew, take it away! 

“Hm? Oh, are you done talking now?” 

During the discussion, Aileron and the others had been casually enjoying a forest bath between the trees. 
Elves will take any excuse to soak up some forest time. 

*** 

And so, at last, the elves’ crafting lessons begin. 

First up: Aileron’s pottery class. 
She’s been a dedicated elven potter, always working the kiln, cranking out ceramics like there’s no tomorrow. 

She wasn’t that into it at first, but when I went through a pottery phase and asked for help, she got totally hooked. Now, she’s the one obsessed and proudly calls herself a master potter. 
...Actually, forget “master.” At this point, she’s practically a national treasure. 

Apparently, the ceramics she makes have actual artistic value and sell for astronomical prices. And they really do sell for that much. 

She now has a rabid fanbase and is practically worshipped like a cult leader. 
If word got out that she was personally giving pottery lessons today, fans would probably swarm from every corner of the globe. 
Unfortunately, this one’s a surprise pop-up workshop, so no one knows it’s happening. 

All right then, Aileron, share with us the sacred wisdom of pottery-making! 

“Listen well… Pottery is the universe!” 

Ah… no...! 
This is bad. We’ve gone full abstract, full artisan mysticism right off the bat. 

“Pottery is a mirror of the soul... Like water, it absorbs and transforms. It reflects the heart of its maker without distortion!” 

Um… Aileron...?! 
Would it be possible to get… some more down-to-earth, practical advice? 

These people still have a long way to go before they reach that level of enlightenment. 

“Nonsense! Pottery accepts all! Without spirit, there can be no worthy vessel! Aim high, or you’ll never advance!!!” 

Aileron is in full artisan-overdrive. 

And it’s not just her, the other instructors are just as far gone... 

“Through leathercraft, one peels away the excess from one’s soul…!” 
“Let the glow of red-hot glass carry your vision into form!” 
“You do not carve the wood, you liberate the shape that sleeps within!” 

All the elves are drifting straight into spiritual territory. 

At this point, I realized that I may have made a serious mistake in choosing the instructors. 
Trying to get elves to teach humans might’ve been doomed from the start! 

Maybe I should’ve hired dwarves instead?! 
Though, being professionals, they’d probably ask for hefty compensation... 

In the end, Aileron and her crew were my only option. 

To all the pioneers, my deepest apologies... 
If only I had a broader network, I could’ve found you better teachers. 

But for now, you’ll just have to grasp what you can with your own two hands under these mystical masters!!! 

“Umm… so the vessel is… a mirror of the self…?” 

No! They’re starting to take the elf-speak seriously! 

“Okay, so I’ll just visualize my life so far… express that in the form… add color like this… and… done!” 
“OOOOOOOOOH! Absolutely stunning! A masterpiece!!!” 

Huh? 

“Hey, hey, hey, Lord Saint! Look at this! This pioneer just made a piece so rich, it could be sold on the market right now! It’s still a little rough around the edges, but that rawness only adds to the charm!!!” 

They actually made something good enough to impress Aileron? 
Which one of the pioneers pulled that off?