Chapter 31

After about an hour of hunting, something bumped into Seiki's back as he was about to move on to the next spot.

"Ow!?"

"Kuuhoshi-san, let's take a break."

"Um... no, I can still go on—"

"Let's take a break, shall we?"

"......Okay."

Seiki shrank back under the gaze of Karin, who wore a smile like a demon's.

It seemed that due to collapsing during hunting yesterday, Seiki had lost all of Karin's trust in controlling hunting time.

Could the shock just now have been magic?

A friendly fire, perhaps.

To suddenly resort to force was quite intimidating.

The power was minimal, just a shock with no injury or pain.

Still, magic was scary.

Karin was even scarier.

Seiki leaned against the wall and sat down.

He summoned the skill board in a position where Karin couldn't see and touched the screen.

It should look like he was writing on the ground to Karin.

He might seem a bit sulky, but as long as she didn't notice the skill board, it was fine.

Kuuhoshi Seiki (27) Gender: Male

Skill Points: 3

Evaluation: Swordsman

- Vitality

Stamina 0 → 1

Natural Recovery 0

- Strength

Strength 1

- Agility

Burst 1

Dexterity 1

- Technique

Weapon Proficiency

One-handed Sword 1

Throwing 1

Light Armor 0

Stealth 1

Mimicry 1

Seiki had been hunting at a very fast pace.

Thanks to that, his Stamina had increased by one.

However, despite his desperate efforts, none of the skills he had previously invested in had improved.

Moreover, even though his attacks were hitting, his Light Armor remained at 0.

Seiki had been using the skill board for about one to two weeks.

He didn't expect it to rise quickly, but it felt a bit difficult.

Initially, Seiki had imagined the strength of skill levels like this:

For one-handed swords, for example—

0 = Beginner

1 = Slightly familiar

2 = Around the level of a first-degree black belt in kendo

...

5 = Professional, experienced

...

10 = God

But if this was the case, Seiki, who could defeat a Silver Wolf, would be below a first-degree black belt in kendo.

Of course, there were other factors, but it didn't quite sit right.

The evaluation of skills was probably stricter than he had imagined.

For technical proficiency, the maximum is 10, so it's clear.

But for physical skills, the maximum is 30, so he wanted them to rise a bit faster.

While thinking about this, Seiki opened the Intuition and Special trees.

There,

"---!?"

Seiki almost let out a cry.

- Special

Growth Acceleration 3

Tame 0 NEW

...Is that it?

Because I brought that thing along!?

There was no other explanation.

The acquisition conditions were too obvious to doubt.

Just reading the name, he could guess the content, but he checked the description just in case.

Tame 0 (Tame a monster. Mutual dependence is required) MAX 5

Seiki had been dependent on the potatoes that could be obtained from Rare, and Rare would wither without Seiki.

...I see.

Indeed, what Seiki had done was taming.

He had tamed a monster without even realizing it.

Moreover, it was a plant-type taming, not an animal type...

What a shadowy thing I've done...!!

Seiki held his head.

"Does it sound like a druid or elf?"

Thinking about it differently, it felt a bit cooler.

...But even so, plant taming is still quite shadowy, no matter how you interpret it.

I wish I had a more prominent monster.

But since he had named it, Seiki had decided to take care of Rare.

He had no intention of abandoning it, and now that it had adapted to the planter, he intended to treat it like a child.

It can't produce baby potatoes, though...

Today's harvest was 276 Silver Wolves.

Despite taking breaks, he had managed to defeat more than yesterday.

Probably because he didn't collapse. He wanted to reach 300 by tomorrow.

When he went to the store to sell the materials, Shuon came crying and begging for forgiveness.

Yeah, it was a really good day.

"Um, Kuuhoshi-san, would you like to eat the meat from the wolves we hunted today together?"

"Ah, sorry. I'm busy today."

Seiki apologized lightly and returned home with a light step.

Seeing this, Karin puffed out her cheeks.

Ever since the stampede ended?

Seiki had stopped making meals for her.

Before, he would make meals without being asked...

"Could it be!?"

An unpleasant thought crossed her mind, and her spine froze.

(Could Kuuhoshi-san have a girlfriend!?)

But Karin had no way to confirm it directly.

How could she ask, "Does Kuuhoshi-san have a girlfriend?"

She could never say such a terrifying thing!

If she asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?" and he replied, "Yes, I'm in a relationship," she would faint!

After thinking for a while, Karin came up with a plan and immediately put it into action.

This plan should reduce the risk of major damage...

***

When he got home, Rare was withered.

"Rareeeeee!?"

What had happened?

Seiki's eyes moistened at the cruel reality.

He rushed over and touched Rare's leaves.

Rare's leaves were wrinkled, as if all the moisture had been drained.

"What happened..."

Seiki's voice seemed to wake Rare, who, despite being wilted, pointed the tip of its leaf towards the soil.

"......Water?"

Rare nodded.

Indeed, the soil, which had been moist in the morning, was now completely dry.

It was early summer.

The temperature wasn't high yet, but the sunlight was getting stronger.

The planter had a low water retention capacity, so the sunlight that entered the room had quickly evaporated the moisture in the soil.

Damn.

He hadn't thought that far.

Seiki hurriedly took out his water bottle from his bag, which he used for adventures, and poured the water into the soil.

Finally, Rare seemed to come back to life.

It lifted its body slowly, as if taking a deep breath.

When the water had thoroughly soaked into every corner of the leaves, it patted Seiki's cheek several times.

"Sorry. I'll be more careful from now on. Really, I'm sorry."

"Absolutely!" Rare crossed its arms and turned away.

...That was close.

The thought of losing Rare right after deciding to take care of it made him shudder.

Seiki drew water from the well, filled a bucket, and placed it next to the planter.

He showed Rare a lightweight cup inside the bucket.

"From now on, when the soil... or your throat is dry, lift this up and water it."

"Ah, I see," Rare nodded slowly.

With this, it wouldn't collapse from excessive dryness.

"Is there anything else you want? I don't know what Rare eats."

"Hmm," Rare twisted its body and pointed to the bag with its leaves.

"Potato stone?"

Rare shook its body.

It pointed in the direction of the garage and moved its body significantly.

"Hmm. You want an item like the potato stone found in the dungeon?"

Rare nodded.

Rare's body language was advanced, but even so, it felt like more of its intentions were coming through.

He could understand this much because the Tame skill had appeared.

But to be able to do this at level 0.

Maybe he could hear its voice when it maxed out.

"Right. Rare, I have some fertilizer I haven't used yet. Want to try it?"

"Eh."

Rare wasn't very enthusiastic.

It was painful to waste the fertilizer he had paid for (it was quite expensive).

Seiki took out the bag and showed it to Rare, starting his presentation.

***

After parting ways with Seiki, Karin broke into his house.

Seiki might be living with a girlfriend.

But she couldn't ask him directly.

Then, it was simple.

She would secretly check.

It was a bad thing to do.

But it would cause less damage this way.

Karin didn't want her mental breakdown.

Once she had the idea, Karin couldn't stop.

She took off her shoes and tiptoed across the floor.

She heard a voice from the upper floor.

It was Seiki's voice.

She quietly climbed the stairs and arrived at the door where Seiki's voice was coming from.

One deep breath.

No matter what happens, I mustn't lose my composure.

I'll stay calm, give up, and leave quietly...

Karin pressed her ear to the door, determined.

But,

"Hey, no?"

"---!?"

"Just a little. Okay?"

"~!!!!"

Karin couldn't contain her shock at the words she heard.

***

"Y-You can't, Kuuhoshi-san!"

Just as Seiki was holding the fertilizer, Karin burst in, her face red.

Oh no.

I've been caught!

What do I do!

Seiki panicked.

"Huh?"

"Hmm?"

He braced himself for a scolding, but for some reason, Karin looked puzzled.

What's going on?

He couldn't read Karin's thoughts.

Next to Seiki, who was holding the fertilizer, Rare became hostile.

Who is this woman? it seemed to think.

Pointing its thickest stem at Karin—

"Wait! Rare, she's a member of my team. Don't attack."

Seiki quickly intervened.

There were still some potatoes in the soil, clearly visible on the stem.

If he had been a few seconds slower, the potatoes would have been launched.

They probably wouldn't have caused any injury because they were wrinkled...

"Kuuhoshi-san, what is Rare?"

"Ah, that's its name."

"Is it a monster?"

"Yes, I guess..."

"What!? How did a monster end up here!"

"Calm down, okay?"

Karin's agitation made Rare hostile, so Seiki wanted her to calm down.

When Seiki calmed her down, Karin took a deep breath and sat on the floor.

A silent voice seemed to say, "Let's hear your excuse. You're going to be executed anyway."

"So, why is there a monster here?"

"Well, I brought it from the dungeon—"

"You brought it!?"

"And it took root when I planted it here."

"Why did you plant it!?"

"Well, you said something about growing potatoes."

"I meant regular potatoes, not a monster!"

Huh?

I thought you were upset because you couldn't harvest monster potatoes, so I thought, why not grow (monster) potatoes in a home garden...

"......I see the reason."

Karin opened her mouth, looking completely puzzled.

"But it's a monster, right? What if it attacks you?"

"It won't attack."

"What if it attacks you in your sleep?"

"No, it's fine. Planting it here has almost eliminated its lethality."

"Lethality eliminated?"

"Yeah. Sorry, Rare, show her."

With that, Rare expelled a potato somewhat roughly.

It hit Seiki's palm with a thud.

But it didn't hurt at all.

"As you can see, the potatoes become wrinkled when taken out of the dungeon."

Rare couldn't hurt Seiki.

Even if it hit a bad spot, it would only cause a bruise at most.

"Hmm..."

Karin took the wrinkled potato and repeatedly felt it, grunting.

She frowned, but her eyes gradually lit up with a strange light.

...It seems she liked the squishy feeling.

"Lethality is eliminated, I see. But it's still a monster, right? An enemy of humanity."

"Yes, but Rare is—"

"Let's pull it out right now!"

"Wait, wait!"

Seiki held down Karin's shoulder as she tried to stand.

No good. Her eyes are set...

Behind Seiki, Rare, thinking it was about to be pulled out, arched its body as if to say, "Try it if you dare."

Don't provoke her, Rare.

"Rare is indeed a monster, but it's a good monster."

"It doesn't look good to me."

"Do the stems of a potato plant look evil?"

"Um... no, but it's still a monster."

"Karin."

Seiki grabbed Karin's shoulder and looked straight into her eyes.

Karin's eyes wavered slightly, and her white cheeks turned a light shade of red.

Thud! A wrinkled potato hit Seiki's back.

Hey, Rare... Don't interfere now.

Seiki glared, and Rare turned away with a "Hmph!"

"Monsters can be enemies or friends, depending on how they are treated, just like wolves and dogs."

"But..."

"Then, how is Rare different from the adventurers and monsters on the first floor of 'Chikaho'?"

"......"

Karin closed her mouth with a bitter expression when Seiki pointed this out.

On the first and second floors of 'Chikaho,' adventurers swarm and lynch monsters as soon as they spawn.

The newly spawned monsters haven't killed anyone important.

They might have individual sins, but not as a species.

Yet, they are killed like enemies of their parents.

Even after they die, they are beaten, carved, and crushed multiple times.

"Who is the real monster?"

Any adventurer who saw this for the first time would think that.

Seiki thought so.

Karin must have thought so too.

"Of course, I'm not saying we should leave monsters alone. I think they should be defeated when encountered. What I'm saying is that the judgment of friend or foe should be based on behavior, not species.

Rare is definitely a friend. It won't attack even with its back turned. If it were an enemy, it would definitely attack, right?"

"...A potato hit your back, didn't it?"

Sharp!

Karin's observation of the slight contradiction made Seiki's face stiffen.

"Don't worry. It's just a sign of affection!"

As he tried to cover it up, another potato hit his back.

Hey, that one hurt a bit?

Glancing sideways, Seiki saw Rare poking him, as if to say, "It's not like that!"

He couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

Funny.

Very funny.

"What do you think, Karin? Does this thing have any hostility?"

"It doesn't seem to, but I feel like it's something I shouldn't tolerate. In a rival sense."

Rival?

Seiki tilted his head.

...Ah, because Rare is a ranged attacker.

"It's fine. You're a mage, and Rare uses physical attacks with potatoes. Besides, Rare can only launch potatoes, not produce new ones. I don't think it will be a rival."

"That's true... No, that's not what I meant... Well, it seems the worst scenario has been avoided."

Worst...?

Karin let out a dramatic sigh.

It wasn't clear what she was worried about.

But in any case, Seiki had managed to get Karin to overlook his mistake.

Potato.

Heroine takeover successful.

The next update will be on Tuesday.