YOAW 18

Chapter – 18

 The Blessing of the Earth and the Joy of Creation.

After returning from the depths of the forest, a sense of excitement and anticipation filled the air around Akio and his family’s cabin. The chunks of high-quality clay and the reddish-black stones that seemed to be ore held the potential to greatly change their future.

“Wow, this clay is amazing, Akio-san! What are you going to make with it?” Kenta asked, his eyes sparkling. The children buzzed around the new materials like they were precious treasures.

“Alright,” Akio said with a determined nod, “let’s use this clay to make some of the things we need for daily life. To start with… dishes. The wooden bowls we have aren’t bad, but for hot food or soups, properly fired earthenware will be much better.”

Everyone agreed with the idea. Silvia examined a lump of the clay with her fingertips and said thoughtfully, “The particles are fine, and it seems resistant to heat. This is good-quality potter’s clay. The old elven records mention vessels made from soil like this.”

They began with simple tests to check the clay’s properties. Akio kneaded some with water, shaped it into small lumps, and left them to dry in the sun, observing their strength and how they hardened. Silvia occasionally offered precise advice: “You’ve added a bit too much water,” or “Knead it more thoroughly, or it will crack when fired.”

After several days of testing, it was confirmed that the clay was indeed excellent, and the real pottery-making began. Akio explained the basic steps—kneading the clay well, removing air bubbles, shaping it evenly by coiling or pressing—and demonstrated the process.

The children, thrilled as if they were just playing with clay, eagerly got to work, but soon found that shaping things the way they wanted was not so easy.

“Waaah, my cup got all squishy!” Yume cried, almost in tears.
“Haha, no one gets it right on the first try. Come on, let’s try again,” Akio said kindly.

Ayane and Miko turned out to be surprisingly dexterous, and using Akio’s examples as reference, they crafted charming little bowls and plates—slightly misshapen, but full of character. Alto and Kenta struggled to make larger jars and pots, but they seemed to enjoy the challenge nonetheless.

At first, Silvia only watched from a distance. But when Akio made a simple hand-turned wheel, she grew interested and joined in. She suggested decorating Ayane’s small plate with a leaf imprint, adding beautiful patterns with her delicate touch.

Over the course of several days, they created dozens of clay pieces in various shapes and sizes. After drying them carefully under the eaves of the cabin for a few more days, the time came for the firing.

Akio dug a shallow pit a short distance from the cabin for safety, lined it with stones, and built an improvised kiln. They carefully arranged the dried pieces inside, surrounded and covered them with firewood, and lit the fire.

The crackling of the burning wood filled the air as the flames roared to life, enveloping the pottery in their heat. Akio and Silvia took turns watching over the fire through day and night, adjusting it carefully. The children waited nearby, their faces a mix of excitement and anxiety, wondering how their creations would turn out.

After more than a full day of firing, the kiln was left to cool. Finally, the moment of truth arrived.

“Alright, let’s see how they turned out…” Akio murmured, brushing away the ashes and bits of charcoal. One by one, the fired pots appeared. Most were covered in the dark soot typical of open-fire pottery, and some were uneven or cracked. A few had even broken during the process.

But among them were several that were perfectly usable—sturdy, rustic, and warm to the touch.

“We did it…! We made our own pottery!” Akio exclaimed, lifting one of the bowls high into the air. The children cheered loudly, their faces glowing with pride. Silvia watched them with a satisfied and quietly proud expression.

That night, the dinner table was set with their newly made earthenware bowls and plates. Ayane’s vegetable-filled soup was served in the warm clay vessels, and somehow, it tasted richer than ever before.

“Akio-san, this is the plate I made!” Miko said happily, pointing at her dish.
“Oh? You did a great job. Food tastes even better when it’s served on something you made yourself,” Akio replied.

Miko beamed with pride.

They could make their lives better with their own hands, through ingenuity and effort. That feeling of accomplishment filled the entire family with warmth and joy.

As Akio felt the solid weight of the pottery in his hands, his thoughts turned to what might come next. With this clay, maybe they could make bricks. And one day, perhaps they could even work with those reddish-black stones… and make iron.

Silvia, too, was deeply moved by Akio’s boundless creativity and the family’s unity in facing challenges together. She felt a quiet but unshakable hope for the future they would continue to build side by side.