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The Island-Banished Noblewoman - Chapter 62, 63, 64
🕑 Added 2024-12-21 07:48:23 +0000 UTCDay 127 of Banishment: Winter Clothes (3)
Thus, the coat was completed.
The coat, made by stitching together the hides of horned rabbits, resembled more of a robe than a traditional coat, but it was warm when worn.
“Ehee, it’s surprisingly warm.”
Marylia immediately tried on the fur coat, spinning around on the spot. It was a bit difficult to move in, but that was to be expected of a coat, so she didn’t mind.
“Next... for the neckline and shoulders, I’ll make a cape... and then, hands. I’d like to make gloves if I can. Mittens should be manageable, right?”
To prepare for the cold, Marylia began brainstorming items she wanted. Luckily, she had a good supply of materials. After all, they came to her! With some ideas and effort, she could make as many things as she needed. Thinking, "What else would be nice to have?", Marylia started making plans.
“Oh, that’s right.”
An idea came to her, so she decided to leave instructions for the Iron Golem upon its return.
“If you find any plants with straight stems, gather as many as you can and cut them down. Vines will do as well.”
The next day. Day 128 of banishment.
“Today, I’ll make a cape.”
Marylia began working on the cape.
As with the coat, she started by stitching the fur pieces together, cutting them to size, and sewing them again to complete the garment.
The cape was designed to warm only the neck and shoulders. Its construction wasn’t too complicated, so it was finished quickly.
She designed it to tie at the neck with leather straps, making it easy to put on and take off. However, the throat felt a bit chilly, so she considered adding a linen scarf or something similar underneath.
Following the cape, she began making mittens.
Creating gloves with separate fingers was difficult due to material and tool limitations, but mittens with a simpler shape were easy enough to craft.
The inner lining was made from soft, tanned leather with the fur removed, while the outer layer was furred. This way, the mittens were both warm and functional, allowing her to grip objects without slipping.
“Well, this should do. I’m not planning on marching through the snow in winter. The most I’ll do outside is gather firewood, fetch water, go to the bath, or check on the golems.”
Marylia didn’t intend to push herself during winter. She had built the Iron Golem precisely to avoid overexertion in the cold season.
Thus, her winter wear prioritized warmth over mobility. Satisfied with her new cape and mittens, she paired them with the coat she made the day before and smiled, feeling cozy. Being warm was a good thing.
While she was basking in her success, the Iron Golem knocked on the door. Marylia responded, “Coming!” and stepped outside, where she found a large pile of harvested plant stems and vines.
“Oh my, that’s quite a lot.”
She sighed in admiration and smiled, pleased with the golem's excellent work.
“With this much, I can do quite a bit.”
Marylia began transporting the plant stems toward the bathhouse.
“After my bath, I’ll boil these!”
That evening.
After bathing, Marylia added a few more hot stones to the water.
When the water became warm enough to slightly discomfort the slime serving as the bath’s stopper, she started placing the plant stems into the bath.
“Let’s leave them soaking like this.”
The temperature was slightly lower than ideal for boiling the plants. It was just enough to leave the fibers intact.
Yes, Marylia planned to extract fibers by boiling the plant stems and vines at a temperature that would soften only the tender parts, leaving the fibers behind. She intended to let them soak and decay to make the process quicker.
“The outside temperature is low enough now, so if I leave them in the pond, they might not rot completely, but they should hold up.”
In summer, soaking the plants in pond water to decay their structure would have been an option. However, with the mornings and evenings growing colder, the decay process would take longer.
That’s why she decided to boil them in the bath. Today, she would leave the stems and vines soaking and attempt to extract the fibers by the next evening.
The following day. Day 129 of banishment.
"A hat would be nice to have. Keeping your head warm is essential."
Marylia decided to make a fur hat.
Head protection against the cold is surprisingly important. Since so much blood flows through the head, cooling it down can chill the entire body quickly!
So, a hat it is. The plan was to sew fur into a simple cylindrical shape to cover the head and keep it warm. Nothing too elaborate for now, though perhaps in the future, she might try creating something more intricate—if she has the luxury of time and resources.
By midday, the hat was completed. And so, Marylia turned her attention away from fur to begin working with plant fibers!
Heading to the bathhouse, Marylia found the slime happily devouring the dissolved plant matter in the water.
"Well, go ahead and eat. But don’t touch the fibers, okay?"
It seemed the slime had suffered some damage from acting as a plug for the overly hot bath the previous day. To help it recover, Marylia didn’t begrudge its hearty meal, cheering it on instead.
While the slime feasted, Marylia busily extracted the plant fibers from the bathwater. She rubbed and cleaned them in water-filled earthenware pots.
"Hmm... it might be better to leave this soaking for another day."
The plant tissues had dissolved and softened beautifully, breaking down into a manageable state. However, some dirt still clung to the fibers, necessitating another day of soaking before she could spin them into thread.
"That’s fine. I’ll need to build a loom anyway, so I wouldn’t start weaving until tomorrow or later."
Smiling, Marylia carefully removed the fibers from the bath, washed them, and left them to soak in clean water.
And, most importantly...
"So, take your time and enjoy your meal. You’ve earned it."
In the bathwater, the slime continued to feast energetically. Interrupting it now would feel too cruel!
That afternoon, Marylia set about constructing a loom.
A loom, in this case, meant a very simple tool. It was nothing more than a basic contraption reminiscent of those she had used as a child for craft projects.
"All I need to do is nail some pegs into a board. Easy enough."
The process was straightforward. She hammered two parallel rows of nails into a wooden board. Long nails were ideal for this purpose.
Strings would be stretched between the two rows of nails to form the warp threads, while the weft threads would be passed through these to weave fabric.
This setup wouldn’t produce fine or large pieces of cloth. But for small items, like hand or face cloths, it was perfectly adequate.
Yes, Marylia wanted "something to wipe with."
In winter, staying dry is essential for warmth. Marylia had even designed her bathhouse with an adjoining heated drying room to ensure she could warm up while drying off.
Wetness quickly saps body heat—not just for the whole body, but even for parts like the hands and face. Wet hands, exposed to the cold, dry winter air, lose dexterity and become susceptible to cracks and irritation.
Thus, Marylia needed cloth for wiping. But the remaining scraps of her petticoat fabric were running low. Since she needed these for filtering and straining tasks, it was time to turn to plant fiber cloth, even if it was rough.
Hence her focus on extracting fibers and creating a simple loom.
Plant fibers, once spun, are highly absorbent and dry quickly.
"Okay, the two rows of nails need to be parallel... and the spacing between the nails must be even to ensure the warp threads are aligned..."
Marylia drew guide lines with charcoal on the wooden board and carefully hammered in nails along these lines. And so, a simple loom was completed!
The next day, on the 130th day of her banishment:
"Great, this looks good!"
Marylia smiled as she retrieved the soaked plant fibers. They had turned a pale white, reduced almost entirely to clean fibers. These could now be spun into thread and eventually woven into cloth!
However...
"Spinning thread by hand is starting to get painful..."
After an hour of spinning, Marylia’s shoulders and eyes were aching. Days of needlework and spinning were taking a toll!
"This isn’t going to work."
Deciding quickly, Marylia made up her mind.
"I’ll build a spinning wheel."
----------
Day 130 of Banishment: Winter Clothes (4)
The spinning wheel, even though it wouldn’t be too complex, would still end up being a rather simple design, much like the loom she had just constructed.
With that in mind, Marylia began contemplating the scale of the spinning wheel she would create.
The simplest tool for spinning thread is a spindle. By attaching a disk-shaped weight to the end of the thread, you can spin it to help twist the fibers together.
This is undoubtedly a simple tool to make, as well as to use.
However, if she wanted something a bit more efficient, then… a spinning wheel would certainly be desirable!
The mechanism of a spinning wheel is straightforward.
A large rotating wheel is constructed, which is then connected by a belt to a smaller spindle. When the large wheel completes one rotation, the smaller spindle spins dozens of times, enabling the fibers to twist into thread efficiently.
In short, a spinning wheel is essentially two wheels of different sizes that are mounted on axles and connected by a belt to transmit motion.
That level of simplicity seemed feasible, so Marylia decided to start making a spinning wheel immediately!
“As for materials… in the past, I might have made the wheels by molding two plates from pottery and cementing them together. But now, I can just use wooden boards. Hehe.”
With that, Marylia set out to make the wooden boards.
She began by slicing a log into thick, circular discs. She then shaped them more precisely into proper circular disks and carved a hole in the center using a chisel.
“Umm, let’s carve a groove into the edge of the disk to prevent the thread from slipping. Let’s see…”
At this point, Marylia considered asking the Iron Golem for help, but it was currently busy supervising the Terracotta Golems, who were working hard to gather food supplies.
As food was just as important as textiles, Marylia decided to proceed on her own.
In less than an hour, she had managed to carve a groove all around the edge of the disk. This groove would hold the belt and allow the wheel to rotate smoothly.
“Now, pass an axle through the center hole… as for the bearings, let’s just use some branches to make a simple frame.”
Using three branches tied together like a tripod, she made two frames to support the axle. She placed the disk on the axle and then secured the setup with a small rod across the top of the tripods, tying it all in place.
“Alright… okay. Looks good!”
Marylia spun the wheel experimentally. It rotated smoothly, bringing a delighted smile to her face.
Resting for a moment, she then began constructing the smaller spindle and its bearings, which would spin rapidly thanks to the large wheel.
“For the spindle, it’d be best if it were detachable… I should use hollow plant stems. There’s probably some grass with suitable stems growing nearby…”
And so, Marylia ventured slightly away from her base, stepping into a patch of tall grass.
“Yes, this looks perfect~”
The plants were as tall as Marylia herself and had already withered at the end of autumn. She broke off one of the stalks, and its cross-section revealed a hollow interior—just what she needed.
Many plants have hollow stems, like wheat, though this was a species unfamiliar to her. The hydrangea she knew from her homeland also had hollow stems, but there was no chance of finding such cultivated plants on this deserted island.
Instead, she would use these nameless plants.
“Alright, let’s wrap some leather around the center and secure it with leather cords at both ends. That should stop the belt from slipping off.”
Marylia returned with the plant stalks and wrapped leather around their centers as a makeshift grip for the belt. This would ensure that the large wheel’s motion transferred smoothly to the spindle without slipping.
She thought to herself, “If it does slip, I can always coat it with glue later~”
“Now to secure it in place, insert a thin rod into the hollow stem… and done!”
Marylia attached the spindle to the bearing, fixed a thin rod to serve as a spool for the thread, and connected the large wheel and spindle with a leather belt. She gave the large wheel a spin, confirming that the motion transferred smoothly to the spindle.
“Great, just great. With one turn of the large wheel, the small spindle spins dozens of times… This should make spinning thread much easier~”
Smiling with satisfaction at her simple spinning wheel, Marylia suddenly paused.
"... By the way, how should I spin this spinning wheel?"
Though the wheel was made to spin when turned, it wouldn’t move unless someone physically turned it. That was the simplicity of Marylia's spinning wheel!
Thus, a Terracotta Golem was recruited as the power source for the spinning wheel. Marylia had informed the Iron Golem with a casual "I'm borrowing one~," so it should be fine. Or at least, she decided it would be.
"Alright, you’ll be in charge of spinning this wheel. Start when I give the signal, and stop when I signal again, okay?"
After giving instructions to the Terracotta Golem, Marylia began making thread using freshly gathered plant fibers.
The initial step involved spinning by hand. She twisted the fluffy clump of fibers into a form where a single thread emerged from the bundle. This thread was carefully wound around a stick meant for holding the thread.
"Alright, start spinning, please!"
With that, the large wheel began to turn. As it did, the connected axle spun at high speed, transmitting that rotation to the thread and the clump of fibers from which the thread was drawn.
Marylia skillfully adjusted the amount of fiber she pulled out, ensuring just the right amount was twisted into thread. Simply controlling the fiber's quantity allowed the spinning wheel to twist and produce thread almost effortlessly. What a magnificent invention!
"Ehehe, this is so fun~"
With a beaming smile, Marylia happily continued creating thread.
The fibers she extracted from the island's plants were similar to flax, somewhere between linen and ramie in texture. While slightly rough, they were serviceable for wiping things or absorbing moisture.
Marylia eagerly continued to spin thin and sturdy thread, thinking, "I can’t wait to turn this into fabric!"
By slightly past lunchtime, she had finished spinning thread. Despite seeming to have spun a large quantity, the fibers compacted into thread appeared much less voluminous. Still, it was enough to weave a small piece of cloth. After enjoying a meal of rehydrated salted meat, Marylia moved on to setting up the loom she had made the previous day.
Setting the warp threads on a loom is typically an incredibly tedious task. Creating large cloth requires even longer and more numerous warp threads. However, since she was making only a small piece of cloth, the task was relatively easy.
"This should do for now."
She used a single long thread, zigzagging it from nail to nail to create the warp threads, which was far simpler than tying each warp thread individually.
"Now then… hehe, it’s been a while since I’ve done this."
Marylia began weaving, passing the weft threads through the warp threads alternately. She had wound the weft threads around a thin, small board serving as a makeshift shuttle. Passing it through the warp threads in this way, she created a plain weave fabric.
"This kind of work is perfect for a rainy day, listening to the sound of raindrops…"
As she worked, Marylia reminisced about the times she spent in the attic of the Odeil family mansion, enjoying embroidery and reading. The sweetness of those quiet moments, focused on her hands while listening to the sounds outside, filled her with nostalgia. Marylia found unexpected joy in such activities, especially doing them alone, accompanied by the sounds of rain or wind.
"I wonder if it will rain… hehe."
Of course, rain now would inconvenience the golems gathering food and delay the drying of salted meat. Deciding not to seriously hope for rain, Marylia cheerfully hummed a tune as she wove her fabric.
By evening, a small piece of fabric was completed.
"It's softer than burlap… good!"
The fabric was still somewhat rough, not quite the quality of fine linen for a petticoat. However, thanks to her effort in spinning thin threads, it was the best fabric she could produce with her current resources. For now, it would suffice.
"Maybe I should research textiles during the winter… hehe."
Smiling, Marylia resolved to add textile-making to her winter preparations. Food was nearly taken care of, thanks to the abundance of meat that had "come to her" earlier. At the very least, there was enough meat to last through the winter.
So, it was time to shift focus to preparing for an enjoyable winter. With the season fast approaching, she decided to allocate her time to "extras." Alternatively, she could involve the golems in fiber production once she was confined to the house during the colder months.
"Winter’s starting to sound exciting!"
Marylia beamed as she pondered plans for the upcoming season.
Winter would be long and harsh, so making it enjoyable was essential. Creating practical items in the process would be an added bonus.
"I’ll probably spend most of winter cooking and doing crafts."
That evening, as she ate her dinner, Marylia began jotting notes on parchment about her plans for winter.
Cooking would undoubtedly take up much of her time. Preserved foods were often dried to a crisp or heavily salted, requiring rehydration, desalting, and lengthy cooking to make them palatable.
But of course, she didn’t intend to spend her entire day cooking.
"I’d like to work on leathercraft… bags and shoes, for instance! I need warm winter boots, and sandals made from plant vines won’t cut it forever."
There was no end to the things she wanted. Fortunately, she had plenty of leather, thanks to both earlier tanning efforts and the recent influx of materials. Winter would be the perfect time to craft leather goods.
"And… well, it doesn’t have to be during winter, but I’d really like some glass."
Marylia’s thoughts drifted to other creations.
"Windows, vases, little decorative items… oh, and porcelain would be lovely, though that might be trickier."
Contemplating various ideas, Marylia gazed at her parchment-covered window, muttering, "I want window glass~"
At that moment, something caught her eye on the window.
"Oh?"
Stepping outside, she saw tiny snowflakes gently fluttering down.
"Is this… the first snow?"
It seemed winter was closer than she had realized.
----------
Intermission 2: At Sea
"Snow..."
On the ship, Cyril Eregian frowned as he watched the faint flakes drifting in the sky.
"It’s early."
"Indeed. Normally, the first snow wouldn’t come for another week or two," replied one of his fellow knights, exchanging words with him. Cyril sighed, his breath visible in the cold air.
"... I wonder if Lady Marylia is safe."
"Hard to say... If winter is coming early here, it’s likely the same on that island. That would mean her preparations for winter are a week or two behind."
Cyril's unease was shared by his fellow knights. All of their concerns pointed to one person—Marylia, the exiled savior of their nation.
"Surviving the winter... it’ll be harsh, won’t it?"
"Undoubtedly. We don’t know much about that uninhabited island, but even through a telescope, I can sometimes spot shadows of dragons or wyverns flying overhead... Just surviving there must already be unimaginably difficult."
One knight held a telescope, gazing in the direction of the island where Marylia resided. Of course, he couldn’t see much—only the silhouette of the island and the faint shapes of creatures flying above it.
"If there are dragons or wyverns, there must be smaller monsters they prey on, and plants for those monsters to eat... But still..."
"I wish we could be closer to help her, but getting any nearer... It’s not just us we’re risking. If Lady Marylia's reputation is sullied by association with us, it would be catastrophic."
The knights all shared a strong desire to know more about Marylia’s circumstances, but they couldn’t act on it. Above all, it was for her honor and protection.
"If anyone suspects us of being in contact with Lady Marylia, they may question her innocence and link her to us. Her reputation must remain untarnished."
"Exactly. It must appear as though we and Lady Marylia have no connection. That’s the only way."
The knights were bound by their loyalty. They could not approach Marylia, nor could they set foot on the island. Marylia had accepted her banishment and had told them, "Wait for me." Betraying that wish was unthinkable to the knights.
They could only wait. It was her will, and fulfilling it was their duty.
"Damn it... I should go to that island, even if it’s just me..."
"Stop it, Cyril! Don’t act rashly!"
Despite this understanding, Cyril’s impatience got the better of him. He moved to dive into the sea, only to be held back by his comrades for the third time this month.
"If we don’t trust Lady Marylia, who will?"
"I know... I know that. But this early winter... I can’t help worrying how she’s holding up!"
Cyril clenched his teeth, his thoughts consumed by Marylia, alone on the desolate island. The biting cold, the looming hunger—he could scarcely imagine how they might be affecting her without feeling as though he might lose his mind.
"Focus. Our duty is... this, isn’t it?"
One of the knights pointed to the opposite direction, away from the sea.
"There, the royal flag."
In the distance, a ship came into view—a grand merchant vessel bearing the emblem of the royal family. It was likely one of the royal household’s trusted trading ships.
"Right... Let’s do this."
Cyril refocused, his eyes fixed on the approaching vessel.
"All for Lady Marylia’s sake—or rather, for our own cause!"
The knights, Cyril included, tightened their grip on the scimitars in their hands—blades quite different from their usual knightly swords.
"Hard to starboard! We’ve got the wind on our side! Don’t let them escape—take them down!"
With this rallying cry, the knights sprang into action.
Indeed! These knights, in this very sea, had taken to piracy!
The truth was that the kingdom of Fractalia had only worsened in recent years. Since the peace treaty with Baltoria, the kingdom's governance had faltered, and under the guise of "building a government that doesn’t rely on military strength," much of the nation's armed forces had been disbanded—including these knights.
"The era of knights is over."
Those who had once existed to protect the kingdom found themselves in a precarious position.
The nation issued a proclamation to its knights: "Return your swords and relinquish your duties, and we will provide retirement funds for you and your family. We will also assist in finding new employment." The message was clear—knights were no longer needed.
This pressure came not only from the state but also from their own noble families and the looming uncertainty of their futures.
Most knights were second or third sons of lower nobility, born into families with no land or prospects to inherit. For them, knighthood was both a calling and a means of survival.
The ultimatum from the kingdom—abandon their swords and positions—sparked anger and anguish.
They had served the nation loyally. Many had fought to the death in the war against Baltoria. They had lost comrades. Yet the kingdom now declared, "You are no longer necessary."
Furthermore, the king’s statement, "We must build a nation that does not rely on military strength. Resolving matters through force is a mistake," only added fuel to the fire.
To the knights, this was tantamount to being told that their sacrifices were in vain.
And, the betrayal extended even to Marylia.
The kingdom she had saved through her efforts now banished her to a desolate island, dismissing her actions as mistakes. The recent pressure on the knights seemed aimed not only at presenting an image of a peaceful nation to the world but also at dismantling any unified loyalty to Marylia.
What drove the king to such measures was unclear. Perhaps he viewed Marylia's enduring popularity among the people as a threat, or perhaps the situation necessitated her erasure.
Regardless, many still revered Marylia. The knights, above all, refused to stand by as she was scorned and disregarded.
Despite this betrayal, Cyril and the other knights continued to be pressured by their families and the state.
Finally, Cyril decided to return his sword to the kingdom.
However, he returned it broken in two—a blatant act of rebellion.
Breaking a sword bestowed by the king and returning it was a grave act of disrespect, akin to declaring treason. Yet, it had become impossible for Cyril to continue serving a kingdom so altered, let alone continue loving it.
Instead, what sustained Cyril and the others was their unwavering love for Marylia and the kindness she had once shown them. If she were here, she would surely navigate this storm with grace. They clung to the hope that her return would restore order and harmony to their broken land. This hope became their guiding light, a slender ray piercing the stormy skies.
“For Lady Marylia’s return!”
Moved by this conviction, Cyril and dozens of knights followed his lead, breaking their swords, severing ties with their families, and taking to the seas as pirates.
Those who chose to remain knights—or returned their swords without breaking them—still harbored the same loyalty and pride. They quietly worked within the capital, attempting to stabilize the kingdom while searching for ways to save Marylia.
The knights knew the kingdom could not crumble before her return.
Those remaining near the king sought to rebuild the nation from within, while Cyril and his comrades plundered ships—be they merchant vessels of the kingdom or even those from Baltoria.
The presence of pirates inevitably forced the kingdom to act. Some of their former comrades, who had refused to surrender their swords, were reassigned as knights and ordered to patrol the seas and combat piracy. Yet, those knights, sharing the same ideals, had no intention of truly suppressing their former brothers. After all, pirates and knights alike fought for Marylia.
Everything was for her.
With this shared resolve, the knights continued their raids. Today, they sank another ship bearing the royal crest. They plundered some cargo, leaving other goods to drift at sea, hoping by some miracle it might reach Marylia’s isolated island. Realistically, the chances were slim, but the effort continued.
"Hey! Come look at this! The cargo this time is something strange!"
Cyril responded to the call and joined the others. Opening one of the wooden crates, they found an unusual substance—white, crystalline fragments. It wasn’t salt. The crystals were finer and sharper.
“This shipment was imported from Baltoria, but…what is it?”
The crystalline material puzzled the knights.
… Could it be poison? If so, what was its intended purpose?
They exchanged uncertain glances, their curiosity piqued by the mysterious cargo.
