Chapter 51

Oh no, this is bad. I brought out the phoenix without thinking about its food! This is just like buying a bookshelf and then cleaning the room!

“...Hey, are you okay?”

“Ugh, I’m not... going to sleep yet...”

Moreover, it seems I’m running out of magic because I brought out the phoenix. But I can’t. If I fall asleep now, it would be bad. I don’t know how many days I’ll sleep, so it would be bad! If I fall asleep here, the phoenix won’t have any food!

Thinking at least, I started drawing bamboo seeds on the piece of paper where the phoenix had just appeared. ...I’ve seen bamboo seeds in a plant encyclopedia before, so I know their shape. I was surprised to see bamboo bear fruit, so I remember it well.

So, all I have to do is... draw them...

“Ugh...”

“...Hey, if it’s a summoned creature, it can survive on water for a while. I’ve heard that if it stays in a magic stone, it won’t use up much energy.”

“But, it’s not nice to make it wait at home with an empty stomach for a few days after it just appeared...”

My consciousness was getting hazy, but I managed to draw them. Bamboo seeds. About six of them. That was my limit...

I somehow colored them and, while thinking, "Please come out, please come out," I finished... and then saw the bamboo seeds pop out of the paper. Then, I fell asleep. Yeah, good night...

When I woke up, the phoenix was right in front of me. It seemed to be on the hammock with me.

I stared at it drowsily, and the phoenix made a chirping sound, tilting its head... then it narrowed its eyes and rubbed its head against my neck.

“Yeah, good morning...”

When I gently stroked the phoenix’s head, it chirped and nibbled my earlobe with its beak.

The beak looked sharp and hard, but it seemed to control the force well. It didn’t hurt, but it was very ticklish.

“It’s ticklish...”

It was so ticklish that I asked it to stop. The phoenix easily stopped the nibbling... and then started tickling my neck with its feathers.

“Hey, stop it. No, really.”

...It seems this phoenix has a rather mischievous personality. In the end, I ended up being tickled by the phoenix while rolling around on the hammock. Yeah. I hope it doesn’t learn any weird habits.

“Good morning. How many days?”

“Two days.”

Good, safe.

...When I went to see Laocles, I found out that this time, the magic exhaustion only lasted two days. Amazing. When I brought out the Alicorn and the Phoenix, it took six days, but this time it was only two. Maybe I’ve grown? Or maybe because the phoenix was sitting on my stomach, did it share its magic with me?

Anyway, it’s good. If I had slept for too long, the phoenix would have gone hungry.

“Laocles, did the phoenix eat the bamboo seeds?”

“Yeah. The seeds you provided are just fine.”

Laocles showed me the seeds in a basket. ...There were four left. So, it seems to eat one a day.

“...One a day is enough?”

On the contrary, is one a day enough? Bamboo seeds aren’t that big, but the phoenix is about my size... wouldn’t it be hungry?

Maybe bamboo seeds are like snacks for the phoenix.

“Do you want to eat?”

Thinking it might be a snack, I offered a bamboo seed to the phoenix. The phoenix started pecking and eating it from my hand.

It pecked the bamboo seed steadily and, after eating the last piece, chirped happily.

...Then, it stared at the basket next to me. Yeah, the basket with the bamboo seeds...

“...Do you want another one?”

When I offered another one, it ate it too.

...In the end, all the remaining seeds went into the phoenix’s stomach.

Hmm, this... maybe it was holding back and really wanted to eat them?

After eating four bamboo seeds, the phoenix flew away, as if to say, "That’s enough." Then it drank from the spring and started playing with the horses. Yeah, it looks happy.

Seeing the happy phoenix, I felt relieved... but at the same time, I felt very guilty, thinking it must have been holding back and not eating the bamboo seeds.

“What’s wrong? You look so gloomy.”

Laocles came over, so I decided to consult him.

“...If I collapse, this kid will go hungry, you know.”

“But I’ve heard that summoned creatures don’t need much food. They can survive with water and magic, so there’s no need to force yourself to produce the seeds.”

Hmm, so for the phoenix, bamboo seeds are like snacks, right?

But it ate so many... Hmm.

“I called it out for my convenience. It’s not nice to let it go hungry.”

If it wants to eat, I want it to eat a lot. Of course, I want it to take care of its health... but it’s not nice to make it go hungry for my convenience.

“Then, try not to collapse... but that’s a difficult request, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

And I will probably collapse again in the future. I think I’ll run out of magic. After all, I still have to bring out at least one more creature that’s good at hiding. Even if not, I’ll definitely run out of magic if something happens.

...So, I thought of a solution.

To make the phoenix eat bamboo seeds without me having to draw them...

“I want to grow bamboo that bears seeds every day.”

“...What is bamboo? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Well, it’s a plant like this.”

I drew a bit, and Laocles looked at it with interest. It seems he had never seen bamboo before.

“This grows in large numbers and sways in the wind, which is quite beautiful.”

“Hmm.”

I quite like the scenery of a bamboo grove. The way the sunlight filters through the green, the pleasant sound it makes as the wind passes through, and the fact that bamboo shoots are delicious. I really like bamboo...

“Then, you should grow it. You managed to grow fruit trees, right?”

“Yeah, but...”

That’s right. I thought if I could somehow draw and grow bamboo that bears seeds every day, the phoenix could live without going hungry... but there’s a big problem.

“Bamboo has an incredible growth rate.”

“...I see.”

Laocles looked like he didn’t quite understand. Yeah, I think so. So I need to explain the threat of bamboo to him.

“It grows really fast.”

“Grows...?”

“About 30 cm a day.”

When I showed 30 cm with my hands, Laocles fell silent.

“Moreover, it’s strong. If it grows under a house, it can break through the floor.”

...Laocles was speechless.

“And it spreads through underground stems. You have to dig up all the roots to get rid of it.”

He looked like he was thinking, "Is there such a terrifying plant?" But yes, there is. There is a plant that grows 30 cm a day, breaks through floors, and spreads rapidly with strong vitality.

“Would this... turn the entire forest into bamboo?”

“...Yeah, if the forest turned into a bamboo grove, it would be a bit much.”

So, I’m in a dilemma.

It’s sad to see the phoenix go hungry, but it would be a disaster if the forest turned into a bamboo grove.

“It would have been nice if the phoenix could eat bamboo shoots...”

I asked the phoenix, which had just flown over, “Do you eat bamboo shoots?” It chirped and tilted its head. Yeah, that’s right. It only eats the seeds, not the shoots.

...Well, there’s no helping it. Since I brought out the phoenix, I have to take care of the bamboo.

If things get out of hand, I can draw the forest without the bamboo to restore it... Yeah, I’m sorry to the forest spirits, but I’ll grow a little bamboo.

To grow bamboo, I first buried a large stone pot in the ground, about the size of a bath in a public bathhouse.

Then, I decided to grow bamboo in it. This way, it won’t spread too much, I think. I’ll remove the roots as they appear.

And, finally, I started drawing the bamboo...

“It might be harder than drawing the phoenix...”

“Really?”

After all, it’s bamboo that bears seeds every day. In other words, it’s imaginary bamboo. The phoenix is an imaginary bird, so imaginary bamboo is like the bamboo version of the phoenix.

What kind of bamboo is that!

“What should I do? What kind of bamboo would bear seeds every day?”

“Don’t ask me.”

Hmm... This is a problem.

It was good that the image of the phoenix came to me easily, but how do I make bamboo “amazing”...?

...After much deliberation, I started drawing the bamboo.

I drew it very carefully. It can’t just be ordinary bamboo. It has to be amazing bamboo.

For the phoenix, it needs to bear seeds every day, be more beautiful than any other bamboo, and, if possible, not grow excessively. It has to be that kind of bamboo!

...I started drawing with such tension, but as expected, it became fun halfway through.

Yeah, bamboo is really beautiful.

The translucent green color, the cool appearance as it sways in the wind, and the seeds growing all over it.

Drawing imaginary bamboo is as fun as drawing an imaginary bird.

This bamboo is amazing bamboo. So, of course, it’s fun to draw. It’s amazing bamboo, so it can’t be anything but fun to draw.

“I’m done.”

And the bamboo grew.

...It grew. There’s no going back now.

But... the bamboo was surprisingly well-received.

“This is bamboo?”

Laocles looked up at the straight bamboo and let out a small sigh of admiration.

“...I thought it was a terrifying plant, but it’s such an elegant one.”

Yeah, maybe I emphasized the scary part a bit too much earlier.

“It seems the phoenix likes it too.”

Then, the phoenix was happy with the bamboo. It flew around the bamboo and pecked one of the seeds growing on it. ...It looks happy.

“Hey, do the horses like it too?”

Strangely, the horses came over to the bamboo. Why? Maybe it’s rare.

...Well, I’m glad they like it.

But... this bamboo was, as expected, a bit mysterious.

...This was discovered at night.

“Is that fireflies?”

At night, I looked out the window and saw the bamboo area glowing. The floating, dancing light looked like fireflies, but something was off.

Curious, I went outside to take a look.

...And then.

“Light... from the bamboo?”

It was coming from the branches and leaves of the bamboo. The bamboo swayed in the night breeze, and each time, a very faint light spilled and fell.

It was like fireflies dancing, but more ethereal and delicate. ...It’s like moonlight.

That’s it. Maybe it’s moonlight. There’s a big moon in the sky tonight, and maybe the moonlight is gathering on the bamboo, forming small clumps and falling. That’s what it seemed like. Maybe I’m just too immersed in the fantasy world.

...I reached out to the mysterious light. When the floating light touched my fingers, it dissolved and disappeared.

At the same time, my fingertips felt a little warm, as if I had gained some energy.

This... isn’t bad.

As I gained energy from the light, the horses noticed and came over.

The horses bathed in the light falling from the bamboo and seemed happy.

“Do you like it?”

When I asked, the horses chirped in unison. Yeah, I’m glad they like it.

The next morning, I felt good and woke up.

When I went outside, the horses seemed to be in a good mood too. Maybe the moonlight bath was good for them.

“Good morning.”

While greeting the horses, I also checked the bamboo.

Thankfully, it hadn’t spread, as there hadn’t been any rain.

“You’re up early.”

Laocles also came over. He wakes up earlier than me. Maybe he was practicing sword swings today too.

“The bamboo... hasn’t changed?”

“Yeah, probably.”

It seems Laocles was also worried about the bamboo. Yeah, if the forest was at risk of being invaded, it would be concerning...

“It’s a beautiful plant, though.”

“But it grows quickly. I’ll cut it back at a certain point. It’s not good to let it grow too much.”

“Hmm... I feel a bit sad about it.”

As we talked about bamboo, Laocles gently stroked it, looking a bit sad.

Yeah, it’s a bit sad. Indeed. No, it grows really fast, and if not cut, it would cause problems, but...

“Well, there are ways to use the cut bamboo. It can be split straight and used as poles, or as the frame for umbrellas or kites...”

Laocles has a “squid?” look on his face, but yeah, maybe I’ll try making something when I cut the bamboo. Kite flying could be quite fun in this world without power lines.

“Also, if you cut bamboo at the right place, it can form a tube. It was used as a water bottle or to cook rice in the past.”

“I see. The more I hear, the more peculiar this plant seems.”

Indeed, there might not be another plant like this.

...Hmm, since I’m at it, maybe I’ll try using the bamboo tubes for something. It would be fun to use them as a container for washing brushes or as a water bottle. Cooking rice in them might be fun too. Oh, then I’d have to draw rice.

And... maybe I’ll try making a bamboo pen. I remember there was a type of dip pen made from bamboo. Yeah, it would be fun to try making one.

And then...

“But, while the bamboo is good, we should decide on the next summoned creature soon.”

Oh, right. Yeah.

Since one phoenix is not enough... yeah, I want to bring out a creature that’s good at hiding.

“What do you think?”

“A small creature would be good. I’ve heard that Carbuncles are small.”

A Carbuncle, I think, is a creature with a beautiful red gem attached. It looks like a cat or a squirrel.

“Maybe a fairy would be good. They’re good at hiding, but they’re a bit whimsical.”

Fairy... Hmm, the one Carnelian said I resemble. Hmm. That’s a bit...

“Well, as long as it’s not too big, quick, and easy to move, it’s fine. Even a small dragon would do.”

“A small dragon...”

“Yeah. How about a dragon that can fit inside the bamboo tube?”

Laocles laughed. Yeah, it might be cute. A bamboo tube dragon. I think I can draw it and bring it out.

...Oh.

By the way... isn’t there a creature, or a yokai, that likes to go into bamboo tubes?

Hmm, I think it’s called a “pipe fox” or something.