Chapter 53: Char Cloth and a Quill Pen

The next morning, Ren was searching for a book in the study. He had remembered that there was one with a title something like “Camping.”

“If it’s about camping, it should cover fire-starting…”

He had struggled to start a fire the day before. While thinking about whether there was a more efficient way, he suddenly remembered seeing a book about camping in the study. When making the basic healing potion, he had paid attention to herbal knowledge, but he hadn’t really thought much about fire-making. Since he could now create a spark with fire magic, he had taken it too lightly.

“Found it! ‘Field Notes for Squires’! What a serious-sounding title!”

Rather than dusty, the book looked downright grimy. Ren carefully reached out and touched it. It felt sticky under his fingertips.

“I wonder if I can do something like ‘Clean Shoes’ but for books… ‘Clean Book’ or something. But I don’t want to risk tearing it…”

For a moment, he considered cleaning it with magic, but stopped himself, worried he might damage it.

“Now that I think about it, I didn’t read it much because it was so dirty…”

He remembered picking it up once before, only to put it back immediately because of the sticky, grimy feel.

He chose the softest cloth he could find and gently wiped the spine to remove the surface dust. Then he lightly dabbed it with a damp cloth to clean off the grime.

“…This should be good enough…”

The spine was still dirty, but what mattered was the content inside.

Riiip…

When he opened the cover, it made a sound like something stuck together being peeled apart. Careful not to tear it, he opened the book.

▪️How to Identify and Obtain Flint

Good stones for making fire are hard and break to form sharp, blade-like edges.

They are often black, gray, or cloudy white.

At riverbanks, pick up rounded stones and break them open.

Those with a glossy interior and shell-like fractures are suitable.

Soft stones that crumble like sand are useless.

Strike them firmly against steel—if they produce sparks, they are good.

▪️How to Make Char Cloth

In rain, strong winds, or extreme cold, being unable to make fire means death.

The sparks from flint are fleeting, but with this “char cloth,” even a single spark can be turned into a glowing ember.

Materials:

Cut worn-out hemp or cotton cloth into strips about the width of a finger.

Clean and dry them thoroughly.

Carbonization:

Pack the cloth into a small container, cover it, and throw it into a campfire.

Observation:

The moment white smoke stops escaping from the hole is the signal of completion.

Remove it from the fire immediately and let it cool without exposing it to air.

Usage:

If sparks land on the finished black cloth, it will immediately begin to smolder red.

Wrap it in dry grass and blow on it to easily produce a flame.

“Char cloth… huh.”

Ren found himself intrigued. Flint was somewhat interesting too, but since he could create fire with magic, he was more interested in tools that helped maintain fire.

“Maybe I should try making some…”

Thinking about how to obtain the container needed for making char cloth, he turned the page.

▪️Making Writing Tools

A knight must never lose the ability to accurately record battlefield conditions.

If you lack a brush in the field, use a bird’s feather as a substitute.

Selection:

Pick up flight feathers—the second or third from the outside—from geese or large wild birds.

Degreasing:

Insert the shaft into warm ash from a campfire or heated sand and leave it for a while.

This removes excess oils and hardens the shaft, making it translucent.

Shaping:

Cut the tip of the shaft at an angle and make a fine slit down the center.

This slit holds the ink.

Tip:

If the sand is too hot, the shaft will become brittle.

The ideal temperature is one you can comfortably touch with your skin.

“Oh, this is how to make a quill pen? Wow… you ‘harden’ it, huh?”

Ren looked at the quill pen in his hand. Lately, he had just been cutting large feathers into shape and using them—but the tips would quickly become crushed. Seeing the note about “hardening,” he realized he had skipped that step entirely.

“Whoa—I want to make a proper quill! I’m getting sick of it going all floppy.”

He was jotting down notes from the book using his homemade quill, but every time the tip touched the board, it bent slightly, which frustrated him.

Staring at the flattened tip, Ren began thinking about where he might find large bird-type monsters.