The Exquisite Tool Storage Bag

—I spent the entire afternoon repeating this work.

I opened my eyes against the wall I was leaning on, and the celestial river outside the right window came into view once more. It was almost a joke; I had originally intended to take a good rest after finishing the maintenance of the village tools…

“But I can’t help it…”

I carefully stroked the leather pulled from the cylinder; on its back, a layer of sandpaper had been sewn.

“Who told this cylinder to be designed so precisely…”

You really can’t blame me for getting obsessed.

Turning a hidden knob at the top of the cylinder, a small window opened. Under the moonlight, little wooden sticks with red caps were neatly lined up.

To have even designed a space for matches considering the need for fire—the designer of this storage bag is truly an angel to us craftsmen.

Of course, I was the one who put those matches in there. My suitcase had been tempered to guarantee airtightness; even after being soaked in seawater with me for so long, the matches were still usable. I really have to thank my past self for repeatedly testing and modifying that suitcase.

Well, anyway.

“That’s it, the last piece.”

I snapped the top of the cylinder back tight. Just as my eyes confirmed, I had reassembled the disassembled tool storage bag exactly as it was. I had basically figured out the internal structure; now, if the materials were sufficient, modification wouldn’t be a difficult task.

Studying the storage bag in my hands, a shopping list for modifications already surfaced in my mind. Although I was somewhat worried about whether the things I wanted existed in this world, those doubts had vanished after my time on the pirate ship and in this village. The Demon Realm is not backward; perhaps, in some ways, it is more developed than my world.

“The rest will have to wait until I reach Hansha.”

Leaning back against the wall again, clutching the storage bag, I gazed at the starry sky once more. Now, whether it was this poor village willing to accept me, the Goblin caravan the day after tomorrow, or the upcoming Kingdom of Hansha, everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

The only thing left to worry about, perhaps, was the fact that I had no money.

“Well… once I actually get to Hansha, I’ll find a way.”

I still have my skills. I can manufacture, maintain, and appraise, and my mind is filled with knowledge that has yet to be put to use. Even if I truly have no money, living alone in the forest wouldn’t be a problem. After all… it wouldn’t be my first time surviving.

However.

I lifted the storage bag, watching it swing back and forth before my eyes, and I couldn’t help but knit my brows.

I feel like I’ve missed something.

I faintly sensed a hint of inconsistency… no, I wasn’t actually sure if there was a real problem, or if I was simply feeling uneasy because things were going too smoothly.

Because it was the same in the past; less than a month after officially becoming a hero, something went wrong at the final, most critical moment.

“Hmm…”

Even as I frowned in deep thought, I still couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong. In fact, everything was proceeding without a hitch. It was a headache; I hoped I was just being paranoid, perhaps because my previous failure had left such a shadow on me.

My consciousness slowly drifted back to reality from my thoughts. Within my sight, in another corner of the stable, there were some wooden barrels that seemed to have once held wine, along with some usable wooden boards—all things I had scavenged from the storage shed.

This was no time for ambiguity; I had a lot to do tomorrow.

“Nnn…”

Thinking about what those tools were going to be used to create, certain parts of my body began to feel itchy. Although it was winter, I hadn’t bathed in a month, and the environment on the pirate ship had been what it was; my body simply couldn’t take it anymore regardless.

The work is done, let’s go to sleep early.

Just as I picked up the storage bag in my arms to put it away, my attention was once again caught by it.

Even without modifications, transferring the tools to this storage bag would be much more convenient than what I had now, wouldn’t it?

“What are you thinking? You’re already exhausted.”

I should sleep; it’s getting late…

My heavy eyelids were drooping, and my body was craving sleep. Yet, knowing this, my gaze still couldn’t move away from the storage bag.

Gulp.

I swallowed hard.

“Just… for a little while…”

As I spoke, my hand gradually reached toward my suitcase.

“I have to move them sooner or later, I’ll just put some in now…”

In the end, in order to move every single tool into the storage bag, I stayed up all night again.