Sousetsuka

9-20. The Spriggan's Training Site

 

Satou's here. Relative to the number of people who play the nonobligatory tutorial parts of games, it's hard to make them you know.
In real world, they are training or OJT, but I wonder if it's effective~


◇


When we were tidying up after the training was over, a [Telephone] came up.

It's from Arisa.

"Umm, hello, is this the house of Pendragon-san?"

I can hear Arisa speaking with slightly higher voice, I desperately try to endure my exhaustion.
You think this is a landline of old?

"Heffo, hooissit?"
<TLN: Yes, it's just as incorrigible in the raw.>
"Ah, I'm sorry, I got the number wrong."

I felt slightly mischievous, so I pretended to be someone else. I thought that Arisa would immediately booed, but she plainly apologized and cut off the telephone.
I was just joking, but was Arisa the type who's not good with phone calls?　While feeling slightly apologetic, I call Arisa back with [Telephone].

"Y, yes, this is Arisa Pendragon speaking!"

I want to retort, but I'll endure it. There's no doubt that something is happening, so I look there with [Clairvoyance].

"Arisa, it's Satou, did anything happen?"
"Ah, I'm glad, some old man I don't know received the telephone just now, I was surprised."

I saw Arisa who was flustered.
She doesn't seem to be injured, but it sure is awful.

"And so, we've screwed up for a bit, won't you come save us?"
"OK, I'll go immediately."

I reply Arisa with two words, and ask Aialize-san to get Dryad teleport us to the attraction where Arisa and the others are. The place seemed to be famous as we immediately departed when I told them the name of the attraction I had heard from Arisa.


◇


"This is the training place for the third fairy."

The black building that looks like a deformed bat seems to be the entrance. I enter to the red mouth that opens. It's really attraction-like.

This attraction has a lot of silly traps, and has become the playground for the elf children.
It seem to be play where children have to clear the eight attractions that are appropriate to their ages. Children who don't have very bad reflexes can clear them easily, but there are exceptions in everything-- and one of them is Aialize-san. She wanted to follow me, but she stopped with the frantic look of Lua-san.

She looks to be the clumsy element, so let's make her wait.
Just in case, I ask Lua-san to call for other help if I'm too slow in returning.

When I went inside, there's a living doll with torn neck lying on the floor. Judging from the state of its neck, the cause is probably Liza's spear. She really shouldn't break the attractions.

I use [All Map Exploration] and check the internal structure of this place.
It's quite wide, about 6-stories building big.

Everyone seems to have been divided into three groups.
Liza, Lulu and Pochi are the closest to me. Arisa and Mia are in the middle. The farthest ones are Tama, Nana, and the tour guide this time, Shagnig-shi, the leprechaun.

Huh? Did Lulu and Mia come along too.

I make use of quick dressing skill to change, from the borrowed kariginu, into work clothes that are okay even if they get dirtied.

I set marker on the shortest route, and run with sky drive. Among the innumerable traps that I've found with trap discovery skill, I only cancel the ones that are unavoidable by using [Magic Hand] remotely.

Every trap seems to have been made with concern as to not injure.
Instead of poison gas, it spews strange irritant gas, there's knee-deep water in the bottom of the pit holes, the arrows shot from the trap have shock absorbed leather on its pointed end that even if you're hurt by it, it won't be serious.

When I avoid the traps, living dolls that are made to look like monsters attack from the back. There are colors painted on the place that seem to be its weakness, and it's made to stop if you hit that place with a wooden sword or your fist.

However, the layout is quite unpleasant.
Like having another trap right after you've avoided a trap, or getting attacked by the fake monsters just when you think that you've reached the safety zone, it reminds me of the consumers trap surprise.

I arrive at the room where Liza and the others are, in one minute. I had passed through some corridors and stairs, it seemed to be quite deep underground.
Liza has been caught in a web trap that has been lifted about 6 meters high to the ceiling while looking very unwilling.

There's a wall modeled after a monster's face right beside Liza. And then, Pochi has been eaten to half of her body on the monster's gaping mouth. I see her feet hanging full of discontent. Of course Pochi is unhurt since it's an attraction.

However, how did she even get stuck being eaten like that. No, when I look closer, there's a protrusion that seem usable as a scaffold near Pochi. The trap is probably made to eat someone who's climbing to save their friend.

And also, where is Lulu?
I turn my head, and she seems to have been caught on a wire trap with both her leg and an arm lifted, and cannot move nearby the place where the floor has disappeared near the door on the other end of the room. All the wires only go to the height of her back. It's probably made as to prevent blood from going up to the victim's head.

However, Lulu's legs seems to have stepped on the trap as both are lifted to different directions. Her posture looks embarrassing for a maiden. I have to secretly fix her rolled up skirt with [Magic Hand] while being unseen before I call them out.

"I've come to help."
"Ah, master!"
"I'm very sorry, master."
"Master, Pochi is over here~ heelp~"

I quickly rush to Lulu, and cut the hemp ropes with a dagger.
Next, I go up beside Pochi with sky drive, and press the release button right next to the trap to save her. I quickly catch her on my arms since she was going to slide and fall.

"Thank you nanodesu. Mia's said that there's a button to save Liza on the other side of this wall nodesu."

I see.
I use [Magic Hand] to press the button since it's clearly there. I hear some rattling nearby, and then the rope that lifts Liza lowers. It's quite particular about the detail as it's lowering slowly to prevent serious injuries.

"Master, please save Arisa and Mia. The two have fallen into this hole."

Lulu points to a caved in floor that has created a deep hole. Looks like Arisa and Mia are over there.

"I understand."
"Those two must be alright aren't they."

Lulu joins her hands together and asks as if praying.

"Yeah, they're alright of course. Arisa was the one who had called me here after all."

When I confirm on the map, consecutive cave-ins don't seem like it'll happen, so I evacuate the three to take a refuge in a relatively structurally-safe place. Liza, and Pochi wanted to come along, but since they had just shown their shameful sights, they meekly withdrew.
I intended to go back quickly, but I took out a bag with some canteens and baked sweets from the Item Box and gave it to Lulu.

I jump into the collapsed place while waving to the three.

I check the collapse while regulating my speed with sky drive.
Apparently, somethings are advancing through the underground, and have created crevices on many floors around this area. That somethings are the level 20 worm monsters which seem to be the cause. According to the map, they have made a nest underground 2-3 kilometers ahead. I'll take care of them later.


◇


At the end of the descent, the two are there being wrapped by feelers from a living doll posing as a plant monster.

"Thank you for waiting."
"Fast. What kind of cheat did you use this time."
"Satou."

I think Arisa misunderstands the meaning of cheat sometimes.

"The Dryad helped me come here."
"Wa, by Dryad, do you mean that green little girl? Don't tell me, she robbed your lips again~~."
"That didn't happen."

She's energetic even though she's being wrapped.
I looked for the release device, but I couldn't reach it since it had been buried by the collapsed floor stones. Since it can't be helped, I cut the feeler and release them. I might be destroying the attractions, but it's already half-destroyed anyway.

"Thank you."

I release Arisa who's nearby. She should have just cut the feelers with space magic and escaped. When I told her so while freeing Mia, surging wave of protests came from Arisa.

"The power of space magic is great you know. I would cut my own body if I used it to cut feelers that were so close. A maiden won't be able to become a bride if she's hurt before it right--no, I can get some injuries here, and force him to make me her bride can't I?!"

The latter part of Arisa's scheme was said in whisper, but I could clearly hear it with straining ears skill. I warn her, "Be moderate with your scheme okay."

"Thanks."

Mia hugs me when I've finished saving her, so I put her down. I pick up a long wand that has been dropped on the ground and pass it to Mia. Mia probably couldn't escape with magic because she didn't have the wand. Feel like I've heard that she's said her aim is off without a wand.

Now then, it seems there's no exit here.

"How about the other three?"
"Liza is caught on the trap above this room right, they're operating separately to release her."
"Nn."

I carry the two back to the above room for the time being. Since they're light, I carry them together at once.

"Don't carry me on your shoulder~"
"Objecting luggage."

Their maidens' hearts would be hurt if I treat them like luggage I guess?
Well, forgive me.

When I get back to the upper room, I see Tama waving on the opposite room from the mouth of the monster that had caught Pochi. I can see Nana and Shagnig-shi behind her.

Apparently, Tama and the others were going ahead to save Liza and the others who had been caught by traps, but the floor where Arisa and Mia were standing collapsed right after they entered the next room. Tama and Shagnig tried to go back in a hurry, but the door seemed to have been warped, and they couldn't go back. Since they couldn't help it, they advanced through the maze to the room where the button to release Liza was, that is the other side of the monster mouth that had caught Pochi and rejoined.

Arisa seemed to have contacted me first thing after thinking the possibility of other members getting injured from another collapsing accidents. GJ, Arisa.

"I am truly ashamed. Letting such dangerous situation to happen during my tour."

Shagnig-shi gets down on his knees to apologize, but the unexpected accidents aren't really his responsibility. He doesn't seem to be a monster parent too. Since he had checked the place many times three days ago, the worms probably made the holes around 1-2 days ago.

Today's exploration has ended since the facility is going to be reinspected.

Tonight's prey are... seven Metal Worms.




Previous Chapter

9-19. Ishibutai Training (2)

 

Satou's here. ECO thing had spread on various things, but I guess the closest one to me was the solar power for home. We have magic in the other world, I wonder if that can be considered as ECO?　Where does that mana come from in the first place anyway.


◇


"Here I go, ■ Wind."

First, Aialize-san shows an example.

Since I've activated the spirit seer skill, I can clearly see what Aialize-san's done.
With just one word she had chanted the spell that made the colorless spirits gather around her, which then turned into the green colored wind elemental spirits without a pause, and invoked the magic to create the [Wind] phenomenon.

The strength is only around (Air Hammer), but the chant is terribly short.

"See? The manifested magic is no different than normal magic, but the chanting is short and the required mana is very much less as the advantages."
"On the other hand, it's powerless at places without spirits."

Lua-san added the disadvantages that Aialize-san had forgotten to say.
It's unclear as to what she means by places without spirits, but it seems that there aren't many spirits in man-made places, and monsters' dwellings. I understand the latter. They probably become the fodders for monsters like the armor newts back then.

When I activated the spirit seer skill, I was treated to the view of precious metal colored light centered on gold color emitted from Aialize-san. Lua-san has faint flickering light of cold color type. From what can I see on the two, spirit light doesn't seem to have fixed color, it can change to a degree. I can also see it on the flying birds above the waterfall, but the light is quite faint, it's hard to make it up.

The light that leaks out from my body is of pale white.
When I try to release the restrained spirit light, light so intense, it makes you think your eyes have stopped functioning, dye the surrounding. The spirits around the waterfall have gathered with terrible speed. I can't see quite well since the spirits are obstructing the view, but the light emitted by me is primarily of warm color, it's crude rich color.
Mia has commented that it's [Beautiful], but aesthetically speaking, I think the light emitted by Aialize-san is far more beautiful.

Oops, I can't see the surrounding like this.
I converge the spirit light in a hurry, and make it stop leaking outside. The spirits who have lost their goal scatter unsteadily. The only spirits remaining are mostly the ones who are attracted to the spirit light emitted from Lua-san, and Aialize-san, the world is back to normal. They're slow compared to when they're gathering.

"You've already been able to control it at will haven't you. Your adaptability is amazing isn't it. Right, Aze-sama."
"Y, yeah."

Aialize-san seems to have been dazzled as she answers Lua-san half-heartedly while blinking repeatedly.

"I'm sorry Aialize-sama. I relaxed the control since I wanted to confirm something for a bit."
"I, it's your first time, so it can't be helped."

Huh?　Aialize-san's shyness has been activated. Even though she was able to talk straight to me a while ago, she turned toward Lua-san again when she talked to me. It might have been too dazzling.

"R, rather than that! Try it."
"Yes, ◆ Wind."

Oh? Slight breeze blows even though I've failed the chanting. I wonder if the spirits are being considerate?

"Ara? Are you not good with chanting?"
"Yes, I can't do it well no matter what I do."
"Yet, didn't the wind blow just now?"
"The spirits might be being considerate."

I reply Lua-san with my hunch, but she denies it readily.

"That's not happening. With the exception of something like Dryad, spirits don't have ego, or rather, intelligence. Their only roles are to mechanically take mana from the earth veins, and deliver the mana to creatures that need it."

Hee.
Then, I won't get to meet something like a sexy Undine onee-san huh. That's unfortunate.

"Is that really so? They're saying something when a lot of them gather sometimes you know."

Oh, Aialize-san presents a dissenting opinion.

"Aze-sama is the only one who says something like that. The other high elves aren't saying that right?"
"Uu, that's true but. I really feel that they're saying something."

Aialize-san who have been denied by Lua-san puffs her cheeks and turn away. Her reaction is like Mia.
There's a high possibility that she's just imagining it, but it's not necessarily good to decide that it has to be a misunderstanding. Even during game development, when we deemed that it was, "Just your imagination," during the debugging process, most of it got found by the market instead.

"May I test it once?"
"Mou, even you Satou-san."
"Try it! You'll absolutely hear it!"

I test it after the two approve.
When the light dazzles, I endure the spirits' assaults, and wait for the wild dance of the spirits to end. After about 10 minutes, the spirits has surrounded me like a cocoon. When I look closer, they don't seem to be still, but they're circling around from a distance relaxedly.

Fumu, I don't hear anything though.
I guess it's just Aialize-san's imagination?

Right then, I receive some microscopic amount of mana from the spirits.
I wonder if this is the signal of intent?　The moment I recognize it, I can hear little little commotion together with a sense as if something has clicked.

They were certainly trying to communicate something, but unfortunately I couldn't understand more. It feels like trying to listen to hustle and bustle 100 meters ahead. I didn't get any skill too, so there might be some kind of condition to hear the spirits' voices.

"They seem to be trying to say something, but I can't understand what is it."
"That's right! I want to hear it at least once."
"Satou-san, you're not kidding aren't you?"

I told the perplexed Lua-san that it was not a joke.


◇


Now then, unfortunately I couldn't employ the spirits at all.
I had expected it already, just like with magic, I couldn't chant the spirit employment well too.

Due to careless mistake of Aialize-san who tried to show an example, I had gotten soaked together with Lua-san, but I didn't have any complaint since I obtained spirit magic skill at that time. Aialize-san who was disheartened from Lua-san's scolding was adorable.

"That reminds me, how do the changing of spirit light strength work?"
"I wonder?"
"Wait, Aze-sama."

Lua-san makes a retort to Aialize-san who tilts her head while putting her finger on her cheek. Lua-san explained.

"In case with people, it's not because of the difference in mana pools, in truth, we don't know much about it. In case with the earth veins, the location with thick flow emits stronger light. The area around the source especially shines intensely."
"That's right. If I'm not mistaken, yes, there's a source on the basin of the waterfall here."

Eh?!
I involuntarily drop my line of sight after hearing Aialize-san's words. When I activate spirit seer skill, there's really light leaking from the waterfall basin.
The light isn't that strong even though the water isn't muddy.

"There are all sort of sources after all."

Lua-san came out with follow-up-like words as she seemingly saw my disappointed expression.

"Now that you mention it, what are sources?"
"I guess they're the holes where the earth veins gush out?"
"That's right, there are more than 100 of them on this continent, and among them, the scale of the one on the dragon valley is extraordinary. We don't quite know the total number of sources that are as small as this waterfall basin one."

The source of dragon valley huh, I'm positive that I've ruled over it. The cause of my spirit light might have been that unexpectedly. According to Lua-san, there are many things that are built on top of sources, like cities or labyrinths. The small sources become the dwellings of monsters or mythical beasts, or get to have some magician build a tower on it.
Fumu, judging from this story, the maze of Trazayuya should have been built on top of a source, but I didn't get to rule it like with the dragon valley. I wonder if there's a limit of being only able to rule one source?

I watched the world tree behind me with spirit seer since It caught my attention.
The body of the tree is shining dazzlingly. Moreover, when I strain my eyes, I can see concentric circles of light rings spreading like ripples around the tree branches.

"Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yes, very much so. Is that world tree a source too?"
"No, it's different--"
"Aze-sama."
"--, that's not from the earth veins, but from the void, err, I wasn't supposed to say it was I?"
"Well, I don't mind if it's Satou-san, but please don't spread it to the outside world okay."

I nod to Lua-san. Aialize-san who has confirmed that continues speaking.

"Do you know that there are ether flowing in the void?"
"I'm sorry, I'm ignorant."
"Ara, you can just study if you don't know. Ether is--"

Aialize-san proudly explained about ether, but when she was explaining the fifth element after the four primary, earth, water, fire and wind elements, she cut the complicated talk in one stroke, and so, in short, the intermediary substances in the outer space are massive amount of mana that have been blown.
<TLN: The author use 'mana' not the 'maryoku', or magic power here. I dunno if they're the same at this point.>

"--and then you see, the world tree use its foliages, or rather its root, or rather, terminals to suck mana from the flow of ether. And then, the released mana are sent deep into the ground which activate earth veins of the earth. The light of that spirit tree is the figures of the spirits who have gathered on the leak of the mana flow that's going from the sky to the earth."

I see~
It's a gigantic magic device I guess. However, Aialize-san. She's explaining very fluently, completely unlike before.

"If such thing was to be known to greedy people, there would be a lot of countries that would aim for the world tree starting from Boruenan, so please keep this a secret. "

It's the so-called solar power unit with large output after all. They can do something great if they can monopolize it. I promised the two that I would absolutely never reveal it. I said to them that I wouldn't mind to be binded with [Geass] or [Contract], but she smiled wryly while saying, "You don't have to go that far."

I was quite serious, but I wonder if the elves don't have much sense of crisis?
I confirm it to Lua-san.

"If the world is going to be destroyed because of the mismanagement of the world tree, divine punishments will fall from the gods, so I think the worst won't happen."

That reminds me, this is a world where gods exist huh.

But, well, I will be careful as to not reveal it to anyone. I carved so in my heart.






Previous Chapter

9-17. Daily Life of the Elves

 

Satou's here. I have often failed in game developments by only being able to imitate the outward appearance (of other game) without actually understanding the structure. I think you have to understand the structure if you want to develop and put it into practical use.
However, there are also some rare people who jump over the understanding and create new ideas. That's what you call genius huh~


◇


"""HEY BOY, there's a visitor for ya"""

Suddenly, several masks hanging on the wall were talking at the same time.
Tama seems to have been completely surprised as she puts down the gomoku stone, curls her body, and raises her tail. Pochi also almost fell from her chair, but she survived thanks to Liza who supported her from where she was sitting beside her.

These masks seem to be something like intercoms. It wasn't working yesterday, so there must be someone who activated them last night. It might be the mischievous leprechauns that Tama's talked about.
I thought that the masks hanging on the wall would project the visitor's figure like a monitor, but it seems there's no function like that.

When I stand up the masks stop talking.

"I'll go see the visitor."

Lulu goes downstairs in pitter-patter to meet the visitors.
We're currently staying in the tree house that we visited on the first day. We were invited to stay in Mia's house underground, but since I didn't want to intrude upon the reunion of parents and child, we stayed here instead.

It's already been five days since we arrive at the elves hometown.

There was no need for us to stay for long since we had finished the goal of escorting Mia back home, but since we were here already I wanted to tour the elves hometown, and they easily agreed to it when I asked. Rather, they reacted with, "What are you saying? Of course you will stay here for a while right?" Elves perceive time differently than humans more than I've thought, by [For a while] they seem to mean several years.

I've planned to stay for half a month at the longest, but I'm worried being rude if we leave too fast.

"Master, Nea-san has come bringing the dishes that she's talked yesterday."

Nea-san is a 500 years old mrs elf. Her hobby is cooking, and trying to bring back the dishes that the hero Daisaku's left behind seems to be her life work. As I'm told, the hero Daisaku couldn't cook so he only orally imparted the ambiances of the dishes. She said that she couldn't reproduce it well.

Today we're going to feast on Nea-style hamburg steaks.
"Grilled kneaded meat dish" is the only information she's learned from the words left behind by the hero.

Nea-san proudly lines up five dishes on the table.
Meatball like small balls, roasted meat pasta, noddles meat that are knitted in koban-size and grilled, something that looks like nothing but a lump of meat, and the last one looks like a hamburg steak from the outside, they're on the plates that are lined on the table.

"Beside this one, nothing look like a hamburg steak, but they're delicious without a doubt."
"Yup, that's true. Particularly this second type, the Nea-style pasta, and the third type, the knitted noddles, they're tasty."

They're not hamburg steak, but I've never seen such dishes on earth. I guess it's like the dishes in the shop of a creative chef.
The reason why the Nea-style hamburg steak isn't like the real one is because it's only made from meat. Since Nea-san said that it was, "100% beef", there seems to be some problem from what the hero Daisaku's conveyed.

It's easy for a hamburg steak to become dried out, if it's only composed of meat, but it seems she's done something about it after several hundreds years of trials and errors. How patient. If asked, it would seem that she had created many derivations. I'll ask her to teach me some next time.

After Arisa and me have sampled them, the hamburg steak critics, Pochi and Tama also eat them.

"Nyu~? The hamburg isn't right~"
"Hamburg is softer, and elastic, and like juwatt when you eat it nanodesu! You eat it like, munch, and then happiness nanodesu."

I take the fork away from Pochi's hands that are swinging around passionately in front of Nea-san. That's dangerous.

Liza is nodding every time she eats a mouthful. Since the corner of her eyes have slackened, it seems to suit her taste.
Nana also curiously puts some into her mouth. She quietly only comments, "Delicious", but it doesn't seem to be a compliment.

Right at then, Lulu carries in a grilled hamburg steak.
The hamburg steak is put on a plate like the one in a family restaurant--A heated black iron plate put on top of a wooden plate type. I made them by Arisa's request when we were staying at the duchy capital.

Nea-san enjoys the aroma while seemingly being filled with emotion, and confirms the hamburg steak as if she's searing it into her memory. She should eat it soon.

"Itadakimasu."

She cuts one small piece with a knife and a fork, and puts it into her mouth.
Pochi and Tama are following that fork's movement while drooling. You two, haven't you just had breakfast two hours ago. I glance at Liza on the side, she's only slightly opening her mouth, there's no drool. Let's not talk about her gazes.

Er~rr, please don't cry while eating it.
Nea-san is eating while flooding tears. It might be inevitable since it's like a phantom dish from her point of view. Someone with skill like her should be able to reproduce it after she eats if once.

I carry Pochi and Tama under my arms and bring them to the kitchen to let Nea-san savors the taste calmly.
Let's make a Japanese-style hamburg steak, a stewed hamburg steak, and a tomato burger for the occasion. Of course I also haven't forgotten to make the shares for the hungry children.


◇


The visitors have increased when I return to the dining room.

"Wait Aze-sama, how long are you going to keep eating after saying that you'd only try a bite."
"But, it's delicious da mon."
"Da mon, not."

Lua-san, the miko, is scolding Aialize-san, the high elf, as she's eating beside Nea-san. This person really is like a child.

The afternoon on the day after our first meeting, Aialize-san came, led by Lua-san, to apologize for the prank. Since I honestly didn't mind about it at all, I accepted it frankly. I also apologized for Arisa.
It's fine and all with these two, but in fact, one of the elf elder actually also came as the representative to apologize the morning of that day. To be frank, I was troubled when he was apologizing so seriously, so I told him to not mind it in a light tone. By the way, he was the one who gave permission for me to tour the elf hometown.

"Welcome, Aialize-sama, Lua-san. Nea-san, please taste these hamburg steaks too."

After greeting the two, I present the dish to Nea-san.

I ask Liza and Lulu to help me bring the prepared dishes on the kitchen here.
I offer Aialize-san and Lua-san the dishes for the occasion. The pixies who have always been hanging around the kitchen, and the elves with free times are also helping to carry the dishes while coming here, no problem since I've made extra.

These pixies can only speak elf language, so the elves and me were going to act as interpreters, but Lua-san tactfully settled it with the translation rings that she took out out of nowhere to solve the problem. What a fantasy-like equipment. Even though it's a rare thing that isn't even among the loot from dragon's valley, Lua-san lets everyone to borrow the rings indefinitely. Apparently, there was an elf who zealously made translations rings a long time ago, so it's not something that unusual in Boruenan.

When the three are eating, some pixies who have enticed by the scents gather. And then, the elves begin to gather when they see those pixies, the pattern that I've gotten used to see for a few days is reproduced.
Apparently, the impact from, "The reproduction of the hero's will, hamburg", is really strong as more people have gathered than usual, and I'm made to replenish the dishes several times at the kitchen together with Lulu.

Lulu and me are looking at people who are enjoying the meal as if competing over it at the dining hall while we're eating fruits and presents on the small bowls that the elves who have come to eat have brought. I've used up a lot of meat I have in stock, but since there are still quite a lot even while excluding the whale meat, it's probably alright for the time being.
Besides, I've acquired a lot of cattle and goats from the elves. I keep the acquired cattle together with the horses in a giant hole beside the root of the arbor. I leave the care to the living dolls the elves have deployed.

Of course, Mia and her parents have also come. She wanted some tofu hamburg steak, so I put not only soybeans on it but also fat-less meat that made 30% of the steak. I couldn't taste the meat when I sampled it, so Mia ate it without problem too.

Let's tell Mia about it after I've increased the meat ratio a bit more.


◇


I'm exchanging hamburg steak recipes with Nea-san while drinking the green tea that Lulu's made. Nea-san usually talks with single words, but she becomes talkative when it's about cooking methods and ingredients. I've already given her the recipe itself that I've written on the paper earlier.

I can see Lua-san, the miko, pestering Aialize-san from the edge of my view.
Looks like they have some kind of business.

I entrust Lulu and Arisa to accompany Nea-san, and invite Lua-san and Aialize-san to another room.

"I'm really sorry, we've made you to attend us..."

I encourage them to sit while telling Lua-san to not mind about it.
Aialize-san seems to be shy of strangers as she's only fidgeting around without talking, so I'm mainly conversing with Lua-san. Then, the irritated Lua-san begins to press on Aialize-san.

"Go on, Aze-sama."
"Um, yes, that."

Aialize-san talks while facing Lua-san, not me, but Lua-san forcefully twists her head toward me. Err, I understand how you feel, but her neck will be hurt you know?
Aialize-san who crosses views with me and looks like she's on her wit's end speaks bombshell remarks at extreme pace.

"You're getting along well with the black dragon! Today you're not Kuro the hero are you!"
"Wait, Aze-sama."

Lua-san calms Aialize-san down in a hurry.

"Err, what are you talking about?"
"I'm sorry. Please allow me to talk about it."

I was playing dumb, but it seemed they had found out about me being the hero Kuro from the spirit light back then. People that let out spirit light seem to be abnormal even from Lua-san's memory, "There is no way there are two of them in the same time period." she smiles wryly.

It seems that Lua-san's familiar was watching the latter half of the rampage between the black dragon Heiron and me, and the party after that from afar. I surely felt a lot of frightened gazes at that time, it must have slipped among them.
Looks like they think I'm using an advanced nature magic spell, [Fake Patch], to make my name and title become different from that time.

"And now, as for the main subject--"

Normally, I expect them to demand, "Do this and that if you want us to not talk.", but somehow, I can't imagine the elves here to utter such words. Even if they wish something, they look like the type who will ask for help instead of bargaining for it.

"I will! Teach you!"

Aialize-san grasps her fists tightly and declares so as she stands up. I don't know what she's going to teach me, but I wait for her next words.

She seems to be embarrassed with my stare as she crouches down while turning red. She's the delicately troublesome type isn't she.

"So, that, like the way to suppress the spirit light! Or the way to prevent the spirits from gathering."

She continues her words as she hides herself behind Lua-san.
How do I say this, she looks like a timid teacher who's hiding behind her middle school student's back when she's doing that with the petite Lua-san like that.

Thus, I'm going to be taught by the extremely unreliable Aialize-sensei.






Previous Chapter

9-16. High Elf

 

Satou's here. There's this phrase, 'clumsy beauty', but I think that's more favorable than a perfect beauty. Although, they only exist behind the TV or the net in my former world.


◇


The elder council hall that Mia's father has lead me to is located inside a block of the world tree, deep in the Boruenan forest.

We came over from the [Fairy Rings] on the underground town-like place at the surface town. I don't really know since Mia's father is too silent, but probably the block can only be entered via teleportation.

Of course, I had used [All Map Exploration] when I entered this block, but it couldn't map the layer above certain stratum, and the lowermost layer, maybe because they were in different blocks. Or maybe, there is some kind of system that can resist [All Map Exploration].

What I can gather from the known map is that this block is about five kilometers deep underground. I don't remember the thickness of earth's crust, but isn't this quite deep? The roots of world tree expands to the outside of the block structures, and even outside the edges of the whole Boruenan forest. The place with Mia's house yesterday is about 10 kilometers away from the this world tree block. I've mistakenly thought that it was quite close because the world tree is too bizarrely big.

Going back to the topic, there are a lot of elves in this world tree block.
There are about ten times as many as the elves above. However, nearly everyone has [Sleeping] status. They're comparatively high leveled and older than the surface elves. Some of the younger elves are around one millennium old, but most of them are more than ten thousands years old. However, in contrast to their long life, there isn't any elf who is beyond level 50.

I'd like to hear just what kind of circumstances that the sleeping elves have, but I'm not asking Mia's father since he will likely retort back with, "How did you know?"

Now then, as for the long-awaited high elves, there are only eight of them. Moreover, seven of them are in [Sleeping] states like the other elves. The high elves are around level 50-70. Their longevities are wondrous even compared to the elves.

And, the only awake high elf is waiting in the elder council hall ahead.

I arrive at the destination while checking the world tree block like such.
The boards that I've been riding disappears as it's sucked into the ground. The door in front of me is a three meters wide octagonal wood door. The corridors I'm coming from so far are all made of resin, it seems only the ones here are different.
The door opens like an automatic door when Mia's father takes a step forward. It opens by splitting to the left and right, and then there is another thin door immediately inside, that then opens by splitting to the top and bottom.
There's a 20 meters long passage inside with another door structure like just now at the end. It's like an air lock.

"Satou."

Oops, I've been thinking the structure of the automatic door too much.
I quickly go toward Mia's father who has entered the room earlier and is calling me.


◇


"Satou of Shiga kingdom. We wish to express our gratitudes for your assistance."
"Satou of Shiga kingdom. We won't forget the favor of saving the baby from the wicked magician."
"Satou of Shiga kingdom. We want to repay you for bringing back the baby to us from the distant land."
"Satou of Shiga kingdom. You have--"

This here is an auditorium with an open space that looks like it can hold more than 1000 people inside.
There are around 20 dignitaries of the elder council who are sitting on the front row inside.

And one by one, they're saying thank you for having brought Mia back, but why are they using, "Satou of Shiga kingdom" at the beginning of the sentences. I wonder if that kind of phrase is a rule. They seem to know the fact that I understand elf language as they speak in elf language.

These elders look about as young as Mia's father.

However, their eyes are different.

How do I say this, their eyes look like aged turtles, calm, or rather stillness that are bordering on apathy. If you look closer, their eyes are steadily immobile as if they're about to doze off. As expected of people who have lived thousands of years. I'd like to get along with them and listen to their tales from ages past.

However, even though the black dragon Heiron is far older than these elder elves, I feel that he's much younger than them. I'm interested if this is due to the racial difference, or individual difference.

And then, as if waiting for when everyone has finished saying their thanks, the thick curtain on the interior of the room rises, and then people come out while riding on the only light board in the room.

The long-awaited high elf-san is on the center of that board, and four elves miko-san are standing on all four sides as if protecting the high elf.
These four miko-san aren't wearing western style miko outfits like Sera and the others in the duchy capital, but Japanese-styles clothes. And it's even the miko clothing with excessive ornaments that's usually used during Kagura dances. Miko has to wear white quilt silk garment with red hakama after all.

Unfortunately, I still can't see the high elf.
That's because bamboo blinds immediately float between the four standing miko elves-san.  Yes, they're floating. There is no props, and the miko-san aren't holding them either. It's probably magic.

The light board that the high elf-san and the elves are riding passes through between the elders, and stops before me.

""""Be silent~""""

The scepters of miko-san rung matching to their voices.
No one was talking, but it would be boorish of me to retort that.

""""Holy tree-sama will honorably speak.""""

The high elf-san is called holy tree huh. Since her real name is Aialize, I wonder if holy tree is her nickname or an abbreviation of her position. From the AR, her title is [Pure Maiden], and her occupation is [World Tree: Ground Administrator].

The bamboo blinds that are hiding her smoothly open, and the high elf shows up.

Another little girl huh.

The one beyond the bamboo blinds is a little girl who's even younger than Arisa of around 5-8 years old. Her face looks a bit like Mia, but with her silver hair and red eyes, she's a bit different than other elves who have green hair and green eyes. Out of curiosity, I tried verifying her age, but I couldn't. This is the first time I've seen age with hundreds of millions units. I felt dizzy when I was halfway counting the digits.

However, her appearance is that of a little girl huh.

"Satou of Shiga kingdom. You've done well escorting Misanalia back to Boruenan forest, noja."

Hmm?

"Wacchi? Wa, thank you very much, noja."
<TLN: 'Wacchi' is cutesy form of 'washi', which means 'I', used mostly by elderly.>

I wonder why I feel that her way of speaking isn't natural.
She was speaking fluently halfway through it, but her words clogged when she was about to call herself, and she ended up speaking in monotone. When her word was fluent, her voice was calm and gentle, but when it was clogging, it became like some strange anime voice. It's like when a person who isn't a voice actress tries to mimic one.

The elders are steadfast like always even when they see such high elf. But, although I can't see the faces of the four miko-san since they're covering it, their shoulders are trembling.

"What's wrong, ka ya?"

The little girl tilts her head to one side.

I've noticed that illusions don't work on me ever since I saw through Pochi's human form at Muno city back then.

I can see the figure of a woman in her 20s who's sitting, overlapping the standing little girl. Blue eyes and light blond hair, thin lips and nose that isn't too high, even though it's not at Lulu's degree, she's a beautiful woman without a doubt. It's hard to make out her body due to her white silk garment and miko shirt (chihaya), but her breasts look to be about C cup. I don't know her height since she's sitting, but I'm guessing it's around mine.

Nice, truly nice!
You have to meet such beauty in the other world or else it's not enough after all. Ah, I'm glad that I visit Boruenan forest.

"What do you wish for--rewards, noja?"

The little illusion girl pridefully says so full of confidence, but the real girl has her face a bit red.
It seems she's not doing this farce out of her own will. I'm slightly charmed at her timid troubled expression.

"Then, Satou of Shiga kingdom. I shall grant you a kiss as your reward, noja."

Oops, I didn't listen to the beginning and the end of the talk.
I see an illusion of the little girl spreading her arm and pushing her lips that become like an octopus' forward. The real form of the beauty seems to be embarrassed as she's closed her eyes.

I would have immediately declined if it was a kiss from a little girl, but there's no way I refuse if it's from such beauty.

Mia is also readily willing to kiss, so it must be like how Western people treat it like a greeting.

I step forward as if gliding through the ground, spontaneously put my hands on the beauty's cheeks, and lightly kiss her. I actually want to kiss the lips, but she's still the representative of elf hometown, so I restrain myself.
I've gotten used to the kiss on the forehead after I helped Mia, so I kiss the high elf on her forehead.

Since there's no reaction I drop my gaze, the high elf has fainted with red face that looks like a boiled octopus. She seemed to have been so stunned she fainted.

Perhaps, it was bad?


◇


"Lua, give me water please."

The beauty-san who's sleeping on a bed that's shining transparent light, the high elf Aialize-san rises while being half-asleep.

Lua-san who has been waiting for Aialize-san to wake up together with me gives her some water poured from the pitcher. The water cup looks like it's made of glass, but it feels like plastic, such mysterious material. The AR says that it's called Alua Goblet. Alua is probably the material's name.

"Uu, what Daisaku's said must be a mistake. He said that high elf appears as a silver haired girl who uses [Noja] end word."
"Aze-sama."

Lua-san is trying to tell her that I'm here, but since she's frantically talking to herself, she doesn't notice me at all.
Daisaku-san is the hero from 400 years ago who has created the town back I guess?

"I know already, you're telling me not to speak ill of the deceased right?"
"Aze-sama."

Aialize-san is pouting with inflated cheeks like Mia.
That's cute.

"Mou, isn't it alright just for a bit. He must be thinking that I'm a weird woman. Even though he's the benefactor who has saved Mia, I wonder if he thinks that elf hometown is the worst now."
"Aze-sama."

That can't be helped. It is weird after all.

"Even though I went to the surface town to tell Mia [Welcome back] yesterday, she wasn't there. That's right, that Arisa girl was also saying, [High elf has to be silver haired little girl, it's the basic.], or, [Master will definitely refuse if he's given a kiss from a little girl as a reward.], but it's totally different."
"Aze-sama."

I see, so Arisa took part in this too.

"Mou, this is why I can't let my guard down against Japanese people. They're treating people like toys since a long time ago."
"Aze-sama."

There should be several Japanese people from successive generations, but maybe she's only ever met people like Arisa?　There should be normal one like me among them, what an unlucky person she is.
However, she knows that Arisa is a Japanese huh?　She probably notices it from the purple hair. I had put on a blond hair wig on Arisa.

"Mou, Lua, what is it."

Lua-san points her finger with a little gesture at me.
I thought that it would be a problem to let a man enter her room, but since Lua-san didn't mind, I followed along. I don't really understand the hierarchy of this elf hometown. I guess it's more like democracy than monarchy. Or rather, it should be more like a big family.

Aialize-san turns her head mechanically like an unoiled tin doll.

Our eyes meet.

Aialize-san becomes flustered while going, 'au au'.
She's a clumsy person, but let's send her a life boat here. Feel like she'd think bad of me like Arisa otherwise.

"I've heard from Lua-san that you've been in fever since morning. I'm sorry that you had to overdo it for my sake."
"That's right Aialize-sama. Your fever still hasn't subsided, so please get some rest without overworking yourself today."

I quickly make eyes contact to Lua-san.
She's quickly ridden on my made-up story, [Her odd behaviors were because of her high fever that made her hazy.]

After Aialize-san had calmed down, I made a promise with Lua-san to visit them again, and decided to go back. According to Lua-san, seems that they have something to talk about. I feel that it's something troublesome, but it's fine just hearing it right.

When I returned to Mia's house, I was somehow told to [Seiza].
The leak doesn't seem to come from Mia's father. Behind Arisa and Mia, three of the miko are eating baked sweets while laughing happily. I'll slip in some extremely spicy cookies next time.





Previous Chapter

9-15. Secret of Boruenan

 

Satou's here. When I went to the Huis Ten Bosch in Sasebo, I was surprised with the overflowing exotic atmosphere of that theme park. I was slightly shocked when I happened to catch a sight of the women who had been wearing Holland national costumes in the daytime wearing t-shirts and jeans at the pub during the night.


◇


How far are we going?

"Just ahead."

While looking at the town scape that the elves have adapted naturally, I follow Mia from behind.

"Here."

Mia is beckoning from an open space that's encircled with multi-colored mushrooms. There are two layers of the circles.
The AR indicates that it's called [Fairy Ring].

"What is this?"
"Ring."

Is this a place for holding some kind of ceremony? Let's pray that it has nothing to do with something like marriage.

"Teleport (Relocate)."

With Mia's signal, the two mushrooms rings are flashing reciprocally. I don't know where we're teleporting to, but since it's Mia who's doing it, it shouldn't be anything bad.
As the rate of the blinking light rise, intense light burst out from the floor. When the reciprocal blinking ends, the teleport begins.

The next moment, we're on top of a hill that overlook a town with systematically built bungalows.
When I look up, there's transparent canopy supported by what seem to be tree branches. The size is such that it covers the entire town.

It's underground huh?

"The true town."

Mia parts her hand, and goes toward a place slightly away that looks like a tram platform. There's <<Floating Boards>> of nature magic floating at that station-like place. The boards are transparent, but they have color so it's probably different than the one from nature magic.
A bit later after we arrive at the platform, a young man who's riding the board arrives. His appearance looks like a boy, but since he has beard that doesn't suit him, he should be a young man. M, my past trauma-- It's fine even if it doesn't suit him isn't it.

"Welcome back, Mia. You've already brought him haven't you?　Heya, I'm Tsutoleiya. Please call me Tsuya. I had studied in humans country about 100 years ago."

That young man candidly speaks to me.
According to him, the place where we've been just now is something that's been built to look like a [Genuine] elf town play for visitors.

That said, the elves are not doing it out of ill-will, it's all for entertaining guests. I am told that the Saga hero from 400 years ago, who had grown tired of fighting and lived here for the rest of the hero's life, made it.

Since the young man's story is long, the sulking Mia pulls my sleeves, and so I promise the young man to meet again and leave that place.

Mia skillfully jumps over the place that looks like a platform. The board floats back to its former height after sinking a bit. I jump to the board beside her board as she's advised. The board receives series of number that seem to be house number she's announced, and it starts running. Even though I don't say anything to the board I'm riding, it follows after her afterward.

Every house is about 200 tsubo wide with walls that look like they're made from white resin-like material, and slates roofs. The walls are overran with ivies though so I can see the color only slightly. The houses are divided not with fences, but with hedges and flower beds. If I have to say, the flower beds seem to be more dominant.
<TLN: Tsubo= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_units_of_measurement#Area >

However, there's no one here.
I wonder if everyone is participating the banquet at the town above?

The boards we're riding at 20 Km/H flies through the town as if gliding. The road is asphalt, or rather it looks like tennis court's ground, or rather it's made from pebbles that look like small light brown beads put together.
I asked Mia about it, but since she didn't seem like she had interest with it, she replied, "Don't know". Let's ask that seemingly well-informed young man if I meet him again.

And then, we're stopping slowly in front of a house. The boards gently descend to the ground, and disappear into it as if sucked.


◇


The house where Mia leads me to looks more like a modern building than a fantasy one.
What makes me think that is quickly apparent.

It's the windows.

Windows in this world are relatively small, all of them are holes made from woods for the purpose of ventilations or lighting.

However, Mia's house before me are adorned with big glass windows and glass doors with high degree of transparency. Back at the duchy capital, there were some mansions that used oak glass for windows, but there were none that used them as many as this, and most were fixed fittings. Since the ones here are fitted on windows frames that have rails, they probably can be slided for opening and closing like on modern constructions.

When Mia touch the front door, I can hear a sound like air escaping, and the automatic door opens. After I enter as leads by her, the automatic door closes behind. This is quite SF sthick. Might as well have multi-layered airlock doors, probably would have been more interesting.

The ceiling on the corridor is transparent, and the light of the sun from beyond the canopy shines here.
Yet, the light is gentle since it has penetrated two layers of glasses.

Mia leads me by hands as we walk through the corridor.
As expected, seems there's no magical structures on the corridor.

"Here."

It seems that this is Mia's room.
There are one bed and one desk. Dolls with the shape of penguin-like deformed birds are lined up in the fixed-fitting shelf beside the bed. The room is generally dyed in pink color. There's nothing like houseplants.

So she wanted to show me her room.
How do I say this, it looks like the room of a junior high school girl from modern time.

"Don't look."

Mia enters a clothing room that looks like a walk-in closet.
I won't peep even if you don't say it.

Since it's become quiet, I use [Telephone] magic to contact Arisa.

"Yesh, the common Arisa-chanspeaking~."
"Sorry, wrong number."

Since Arisa is clearly drunk judging from her words, I cancel the [Telephone] magic. This time I invoke [Telephone] toward Liza, but there's no reply. Looks like she's sleeping. It connects to Mia's mother in the end, so I tell her that I'm visiting her house.

That day I accompanied Mia on her fashion show until late at night. Genuine elf native dress complete with green tricorne, one-piece-like clothes, and three-quarter length pants with short skirt, there were plenty more variations than I had thought.

I put Mia, who had become sleepy after she was tired, on the bed and let her sleep, and then I also slept together beside her.

As for my excuse, it was because I was tired from the confrontation with the black dragon, and the all-night drinking bout yesterday.

I fell deep in sleep like mud without even dreaming.


◇


"Guilty, or not guilty!"
"Guilty~"
"Guilty, nano desu!"
"Master, guilty desu."

Before my eyes who has woken up, there are Arisa who's lifting the corners of her eyes, Pochi and Tama who are happily diving to the bed, and Lulu who looks like she's about to cry. Nana and Liza are here too, but the two keep silence. No, Nana steps forward and put a hand toward Arisa.

"Arisa. The lower official me will advocate for master."

Oh, a defense lawyer has appeared.
No wait, I'm innocent in the first place.

"What, does Nana approve affair?"
"Arisa, listen well."
"Go on and say it."

Arisa edges back slightly from Nana who presses on calmly.
I wonder why, I can't help but feel that Nana will say some unnecessary things.

"Master and Mia are from different races. Descendants will not born even if they try to mate. Therefore, it is not affair."

Nana is making a proud expression that I haven't seen for awhile, but as expected, her advocacy is off-the-mark. And, didn't she imply that I've done the mistake with Mia?

"Mia!"

Uwa, Mia's father has come.

"Ara ara, you're getting along well."
"Nn, mutual love."

Like I said, there's no romance.
Mia's mother seems to have understood while enjoying the scene, but Mia's father is misunderstanding it.

Mia's father misunderstanding wasn't cleared until after Mia's mother assisted. No, rather than clearing the misunderstanding, I feel that it's left hanging after the machine gun talks of Mia's mother drowned it.

Mia's mother gets down to business after she has talked aplenty.
You should have cut in faster if you have business.

"Now then, Satou-san, we'd like to hear about what happen with Mia step by step, so would you be willing to meet with the elders council?"

I may be able to meet the rumored high elf.
Looking at the elves here, I can't expect dynamite body, but since normally I shouldn't have been able to meet them, I'm slightly looking forward to it.






Previous Chapter

9-14. Mia's Secret

 

Satou's here. During the times when food allergy was a minor problem, looking for things that can be eaten seemed to be hard. Even longer ago, there was also time where people that were very picky with their food were stopped being treated like humans.
I wonder if food allergy exist in the other world...


◇


"Sweet melons~?"
"Lots are growing nodesu!"
"Pochi, Tama. They're fruits the elves have raised, so you can't take them without permissions okay."

Those are on the trees around Mia's houses that create the spiral staircase we're currently climbing. Pochi and Tama are in high spirits when they see the sweet melons and crimson oranges grown along the way.

"Nn."

Mia plucks one of the fruit, cuts it into two with a knife, and gives them to Pochi and Tama.

"When you're hungry, you can pluck and eat them as you like you know?　You don't need to be reserved--"

I see, rather than being raised by someone, it might be more like ginkgo trees on the roadside.

Or so I've thought, not only on the trees along the roadside, but fruits and flowers are growing even inside the houses. I think the sunlight don't reach to the inside, how are they growing them.

We're guided to a big living room with very tall ceiling.
We leave Mia behind who's being jostled, and head toward the room with a table that looks like a tree stump guided by Mia's parents.
When Mia's father says, "Chairs", ivies rise from the ground to become chairs. This is quite fantasy-like.

When Mia's father snaps his fingers, some pixies bring several goblets and line them up on the table.
Mia's father snaps his fingers once again, and this time pitcher plant-like plants descend from above which then pour transparent liquid with sweet smell into the goblets.

Is it fine to drink this?
But, Pochi and Tama drink them without hesitation and raise voices of praises. Is that so, it's tasty huh.

We were captivated with the fantasy scenes that was unfolding in front of our eyes that we neglected to monitor one dangerous person.

We notice that after we've heard small voices of protests.

"'Let go of me.'"
"'Hey you, let go.'"
"'Halp, Laya, halp.'"

When I turn around, there are three pixies who have been caught by Nana begging for Mia's father help with faces that are about to cry. Nana is holding two of them on both her hands, while the last one is outrageously crammed on her breasts. Change with me.

Mia's father keeps staring at the pixie who's struggling on Nana's cleavage, not helping them. Since my eyes meet with Mia's father's somehow, we nod.

Ow.
Arisa beats my head from behind. The pixies seem to have been rescued by Lulu.

"Good grief, you oppai planet people."
"That's a misunderstanding."
"Nn, misunderstanding."

I avert my face from the condemning looks of Arisa and Lulu, and instead, drift my view to Mia who's being jostled. Elves are all slender after all huh. It seems there's no chubby elf. Either partially, or wholly.


◇


"'Geez, ya' gone and done it now.'"
"'That was bothersome.'"
"'Here, cozy.'"

For some reason, the pixies who have ran away from Nana are nesting on my head and shoulders. The one who's said peeved remark is pulling my hair while saying that. Since it's painful in itself, I put them on the table with my hands.

Pochi splits some baked sweets and feed it to the complaining pixies.

"'Ou! This is some good stuff.'"
"'It's true.'"
"'More, give me.'"

The crumbs from the baked sweets are spilling, but I guess I can just use life magic later.
The pixies from the town have gathered due to the praising voices of the pixies here.

"'Hey, give me?'"
"'Won't you, give me too?'"
"Au, au, wait nanodesu, there's, there's no more nodesu."

The pixies are talking in elf language so their words shouldn't connect, but somehow the conversations are established.
It's fun to look at panicking Pochi, but let's send her a lifeboat.

I take out a basket full of baked sweets through Item Box onto the table.

The pixies attack the baked sweets in high spirits.

...Uwah.
They're too vigorous that there are those who bury themselves on the basket showing only their legs, and there are also some who are falling from the table on the opposite side while carrying the sweets.

The elves who are coming with Mia seem to be interested with the baked sweets too, I've already lined up two basket of sweets on the table.

"Yum." "Umu." "Good." "Delicious."

They generally talk in short speech like Mia, but there are also some who talk long, although not as bad as Mia's mother.

"My, it's delicious. Really delicious. Hey, hey, are these made by Satou-san?　It's not, is it?"
"It's true, this is delicious."
"Hey, although it's different from honey, the sweetness is wonderful isn't it."

Most of the elves are friendly, but not all of them it seems.
One elf boy points at me while glaring in front of me.

"Mutual love?"

Who with whom?
Mia clings on my neck from behind, and show it to the boy. "Of course!", she said, but I think that's groundless.
I understand that he has problems from his expression, but please tell that to the person in question.

Apparently, that boy likes Mia. Although I've been referring him as a boy, he looks like Mia's father. He's also 250 years old, so he's quite older than Mia.

"What's good about him?"
"Beautiful."

Ha?　Beautiful?
The reply for the boy's question is incomprehensible. In fact, the elves around us are looking puzzled too.

"'Beautifull.'" "'Yup, it's beautiful.'" "'Isn't it.'"

Some pixies are agreeing with Mia.
The eyes color of Mia's mother who's tilting her neck in puzzlement change from blue to silver and then she looks at me.

"My, oh Mia! It's certainly beautiful, I've never seen this before. I wonder how many spirits are there, it's hard to see since there are too many of them, but it's a beautiful light."
"It's true."
"You're well liked by the spirits."

The people who call me beautiful have the [Spirit Seer] skill in common.
Apparently, spirits are gathering around me. Looks like I'm letting out an aura called Spirit Light that the spirits like, and it looks beautiful.
They tell me that it's rare for spirits to gather besides on place where the earth vein is gushing out.

The reason why Mia can find me wherever I am seems to be this mass of spirits that act as a landmark.


◇


There was another secret of Mia that had become clear.

It's about meat.

"My, oh Mia! You won't become an adult if you're picky with food you know?　Now, don't avoid it, eat the meat. You'll eat it right?"
"Mwuu, unnecessary."
"Eat."

Mia is sandwiched between her parents as they tell her to eat meat.
It was our misunderstanding that elves couldn't eat meat. In truth, other elves eat meat dishes just fine.
They're not like Liza who regards meat as supreme, but among them, there's no one who only eats vegetables.

I understand from seeing Mia that elves are relatively hearty eaters, so I go with Lulu to help elf madams to prepare the meal. I let the madams to taste the whale karage and kabayaki from yesterday, and after I get the OK, the mass production begins.

There are some cookwares with quite bad taste like stoves with a person face design, but it seems they're basically some kinds of magic tools. All the cookwares here are organic-like.

The difference with humans magic tools are how they don't need to consume mana of the person using them. The stove lights up when I just breath on it, and the oven heats up when I just knock it. Water comes out of the fish mouth-shaped faucet when I just hold my hands before it.

I'll ask the elves about the mechanisms later.

I serve the mass produced whale karage, fried rice and skewers on the platter. Elves who have come to help, and simple Pinocchio-like living dolls carry the plates to the banquet hall.

While I soothe myself as I look at the competition between Liza who's guarding the [Mountain of Karaage] like an impregnable fortress against Pochi, Tama and the pixies, I go out to the terrace and gaze at the town scape. I listen to the song that the elves are playing while putting the cherry-like fruit that the pixies have given me in my mouth.

"Satou."
"What's wrong Mia. Is it fine for the guest of honor to leave her seat?"
"Nn."

Mia leads me by hand as we walk the town of the elves.
Everyone seem to have gone to the banquet, there are only living dolls, and carriages without the auto-motion horses around.

And then, the place where Mia leads me to is--






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9-13. Bornean Forest (2)

 

Satou's here. In anime and manga, I've seen a lot of scenes where the character mistakes the mother for the child, but I've never encountered it in reality. You can't deceive the wrinkles and the skin gloss after all.
However, in a different world with long life species, it seems to be a relatively common scene.


◇


"■■　■……■　■　■　■■■■■ Forest Maiden Summon (Summon Dryad)"

Mia father sure is fluent when he's chanting.
His summon calls out a little girl with bare skin and long green hair that appears from the trunk of a tree. She looks exactly like the dryad near the maze of Trazayuya. Since she's level 30, she's probably a different one.

However, the dryad talks to me candidly when our eyes meet.

"Boy! It's been awhile."
"Are you perhaps the dryad I've met on the withered mountain?"

If that's true, she's leveled up very fast.

"I guess you could say that, or not like that at all. This body's status will change depending on the tree used as the cost, but the inside is the same."

Is it something similar to how the running software is the same even though the PCs are different?

"Dryad."
"Wait a minute."

Mia's father calls the dryad, but she treats him irresponsibly, and gives priority to talking with me. Oh?　She can defy her summoner huh.
The dryad floats a bit above the ground, clings her arms on my neck, and presses her body. Your face is close. Close I said.
I push back the body of the dryad who's being overly close.

"That time was delicious. I want to taste it again."
"W, wait, are you cheating? You're cheating right!"
"M, master."
"Mwuu."

The dryad most likely deliberately leaves out the word, "Mana", and Arisa who's heard it approaches me while howling, "Ugaa."
Even though it's groundless, Lulu looks at me while looking very sad, and Mia who's hiding behind is scratching my back.

That dryad goes under my armpit as if peeking to see Mia's face.

"Oh~? Oh oh oh~?　The one over there is baby-chan right?"
"You're mistaken."
"I'm not you know~? It's about time you pay the compensation I wonder~?"

The dryad chases Mia like a cat who has found the rat. Please stop running in circle around me you two. You'll soon become like melted butter y'know?
Even Mia's parent begin to question her when they heard 'compensation' word from Dryad.

"Mia!"
"Wait, Mia! Don't tell me you asked something from dryad?　You did didn't you?　Even though I've warned you so much!　I've warned you right?　--"
"Mwuu, emergency."

While Mia's mother is having a long talk, Liza is supplementing, and it seems that Mia had borrowed the dryad's power for making a shortcut on the forest during the Muno city incident. Mia's mother tries to negotiate with the dryad, but it seem they're not reaching an agreement.
As it is now, the dryad will suck Mia's mana and life force, turning her dry. I don't want to see that.

"Dryad, is mana fine as the compensation?"
"Of course, it's alright~ I'm only going to drain the stamina since the mana isn't enough. If it's the boy's mana, I will gladly take it."
"I understand. Then you can absorb it."

When the dryad is coming for my lips, the voices of Mia's parents and Arisa stop her.

"Wait."
"That's right, wait Satou-san. Dryad is a glutton, she can eat no matter how much you know?　She will absorb, sip sip.　Do you want to become dried thing even though you're so young?　You don't do you--"
"Gyaa, nonono! Those lips are mineee~~~"
"Mwuu."

My lips are mine.
Mia thrusts herself between the dryad and me. It looks like she's trying to protect me, but looking at her trembling body, she seems to fear the dryad's going to drain her.

I ask the dryad a question while slowly avoiding Mia's side.

"Dryad, can you absorb besides from the lips?"
"I can you know?　You like the lewd one better?"

The instant Arisa hears dryad's "lewd", she's boiling. Since the talk didn't progress, I quickly blocked her mouth with my hand.

"Without the lewd one."
"Then, how about I drain it by kissing on above your heart?"

When I picture it, it looks like a crime, but it's alright if it's just that I guess.
I take off the knight-style coat and my shirt. I feel that Arisa and Lulu are staring at me, but it's probably just my imagination. Why would they look now when I've always changed clothes beside them.

Since Mia's parents are worried, I tell them that I've transfered my mana to the dryad once before, putting them at ease.

"Then, thanks for the me~al."

Mia's parents are right to describe her as a [Glutton].
My mana are being drained at an amazing rate. Due to me having mana sensing now unlike before, I understand the flow of mana. Moreover, since I've grown accustomed with mana operation, I understand that the dryad is adjusting the flow of the flowing mana to eliminate the waste. In fact, I feel that the efficiency of the dryad's absorption has improved compared to when she started to drain.
It seems the mana that the dryad has drained go toward the forest, it's spreading through the roots of all kinds of trees.

However, just how much she's going to drain.
I feel that she'll really drain it all if I leave her alone, so I stop her when she's drained 1500MP in total.

"Aahn, more."
"Stuff it."

All the trees around the surrounding have become in full bloom. Depending on the type of the trees, there are also some which have its branches bending due to the fruits that have ripened. They shouldn't have been there just now. There are no overgrown weeds, I wonder if the dryad has controlled it.

"Well~ It's been awhile since I eat this much. Just say if you want some helps in the forest. I'll save you 2-3 times for free."
"Thanks for that."

I'd have liked her help with the weeds highway.

>Title [Guest of the Forest] Acquired
>Title [Lover of the Forest Maiden] Acquired

Who's the lover of whom.


◇


I leave Lulu to wipe my breast with a wet towel, though it's not like it's dirty. You don't have to rub it so strongly you know? Although I think so, I'm not saying anything since I'm overawed by Lulu's serious expression.
Nana was going to imitate the dryad, but Arisa stopped her. That's rare, usually it's Arisa who would to try to imitate such thing.

Looks like Mia's and Mia's parent's surprised expressions have settled when I've finished wearing clothes.
I thought Pochi and Tama were quiet since a while ago, turned out they were being held on Liza's armpits while she put her hands on their mouths. Since they ask for help with their glances, I tell Liza to release them.

"The gate."
"Right, right, I've forgotten haven't I. It's only for a bit you know? You've called the dryad in order to create the road to Bornean hometown. Isn't it?"
"That's right."
"Understoo~d. Forest Lead (Alf Road)."

With Mia's father's urge, the dryad uses a magic.
A road has opened between the forest, countless firefly lights appear from the ground, and the space is dyed with the golden color from it.

It's quite beautiful.

"Now, go~ It won't open for long."
"Let's go."

We tread upon the golden road with the guidance of Mia's father.

>[Forest Magic Skill Acquired]

Looks like it's a road made in subspace as the map only shows, [Area without Map].

"You can't look back okay~ you would become a lost child."

Please don't say such thing from behind. Pochi and Tama catch my hands, looking uneasy. Forbidden from looking behind, it's like Orpheus' and Izanagi's road to hell huh.
Later, I learned that looking behind was no problem. However, you could stray off the path if you do, thus they warned so.

When we come out of the road, we are near the center of Bornean forest.


◇


"Fuhaaa, TRU-LY, a town where elf lives right!"

Usually I would have stopped Arisa's shrieks, but it's impossible this time.

Houses where people lives made in the interior of gigantic trees are spread in front of our eyes. There's a fountain made from blue crystal in geometrical shape at the center of the open space, and around that fountain, small palm-sized fairies, and pixies are flying.

Since Nana has begun to walk there unsteadily when she sees the pixies, I exchange looks with Liza and pin her together from both sides.

The tree houses are built around the water fountain as the center. One of the houses can be as big as a 20-story building. Passages made from ivies and leaves are hung between the tree houses, connecting them.

I can see a super gigantic tree veiled between clouds behind those houses.

That is the world tree.
The bottom of the tree is properly of trees and shrubs. I'm glad, it's not really something like an orbital elevator.

The elves who are appearing from the tree houses are calling Mia's name while waving their hands. Mia waves her hand back while she faithfully calls each of their names. The corners of her eyes have become slightly moist.

Welcome home, Mia.





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