Chapter 14

"Shall we start by showing you around the house and its surroundings? Are you feeling well enough?"

"I'm fine. Hasira healed my injuries, so there's no problem. I was just curious about the architecture, as I don't see it often."

I thought about postponing the tour until tomorrow if she wasn't feeling well, but it seemed like a short walk wouldn't be an issue.

Leedia was looking around the room with a somewhat restless expression.

This house was modeled after my grandparents' house from my previous life. It might feel unusual in this world.

I took Leedia on a tour of the house, showing her the hearth room, kitchen, bedroom, and closets.

The Japanese-style architecture was new to Leedia, and she looked around with curiosity, even though it was just a regular room.

"Despite being in the forest, you've built such a sturdy house. Are you an architect, Hasira?"

"No, not really. I just built it using my abilities."

"What do you mean?"

Leedia tilted her head in confusion.

In situations like this, it's faster to show rather than explain.

I waved my staff and built a small shed in the courtyard.

"Ah! Trees are growing from the ground and turning into a house on their own!"

"I can build houses like this quickly. I can also grow and move trees."

"…Hasira, you have the Gaianote of the spirits. Could you be a Great Spirit…?"

Leedia asked hesitantly.

Because of Rento's existence, I was also being mistaken for a fantasy race.

"No, I'm just a human. Why are you so formal all of a sudden?"

"We elves are descendants of the spirits, so it's natural to respect such beings."

"I see. But I'm not a spirit or a Great Spirit, so please act normally. The same goes for Rento."

"O-Okay."

Leedia nodded, but she was still glancing back at Rento, who was following behind us.

It might be hard to get used to all at once, but we'll be living together. I hope she can relax and feel at home.

"Shall we take a look around the house's surroundings next?"

With that, I led Leedia outside.

"There's a field around the house!"

Leedia exclaimed in surprise, looking at the field she hadn't expected to see.

"I plant and cultivate seeds from the forest and transplant them here."

"It's impressive that you can grow so much here. There are so many plants I've never seen before."

"Would you like to go into the field and take a look?"

"Yes!"

She must have been curious about the crops, as she nodded eagerly with shining eyes.

Despite knowing about the forest, her curiosity was strong, and she immediately approached the unknown plants.

"What is this round, swollen thing?"

"It's a Mochi fruit. It's chewy and fills you up, so we use it as a staple food."

The moment I said that, Leedia's stomach growled.

"Would you like to try it?"

"…Yes, please."

Leedia's face turned red, and she looked adorable, but I didn't want to tease her too much, as it would be mean.

She probably hadn't eaten much before she was injured, and quite some time had passed, including the time she was unconscious.

"Peel off the outer layer, and you'll find the white fruit inside."

"Ah, it's true. It's soft and elastic."

Leedia peeled the skin and poked it with her finger, then tore off a piece and ate it.

"It's chewy and delicious! It has a subtle sweetness that gets stronger the more you chew! I like it more than the bread sold in the big cities!"

Leedia smiled and gave a very positive review.

It seemed she really enjoyed the Mochi fruit.

Watching her eat with such enjoyment made me hungry too.

I had missed lunch while taking care of her.

I peeled the skin and ate it too.

I usually eat it lightly grilled, but it's delicious even raw.

Ah, right. I want to hear Leedia's opinion on the crops. I need her input to judge the taste, as I can't rely solely on my own palate.

"Leedia, have you tried any of the other crops I'm growing?"

"I've had the Uli from the mountain vegetable field."

"Would you mind trying it? I want you to check if it's growing well."

"Sure, I'll do it."

Leedia agreed with a smile and took on the role of taste tester.

I washed the harvested Uli and gave it to her to eat.

The fresh, crisp sound of her biting into the Uli filled the air.

"What is this? It's much better than what I've had before!"

Leedia's reaction to the harvested Uli was dramatic.

If even she, a resident of this world, found it so good, the crops grown here must indeed taste better.

"That's great. I'm glad they're growing well."

"It must be because of Hasira's excellent cultivation methods."

I was a bit embarrassed by the praise, as I just take care of them and promote their growth. I'm really grateful to Elphira for giving me the basket that helps them grow well.

"Hey, can I have another Mochi fruit?"

"You can have as many as you like, especially the bigger ones."

I chuckled at Leedia's hesitant request.

◆

The morning after Leedia arrived.

I woke up with the sunrise and decided to practice archery, my morning routine.

It was early spring, but the temperature was still a bit low at sunrise.

However, I enjoyed the cool, crisp air.

Taking a deep breath, the cold air refreshed me.

The abundance of nature and the clear air probably contributed to this feeling.

I slung my bow over my shoulder and headed to the shooting range outside with Rento.

It was a wide, open space cleared of trees specifically for shooting arrows.

I positioned myself twenty meters from the target, drew my bow, and nocked an arrow.

I pulled the string taut, making a creaking sound, and carefully aimed before releasing the arrow.

The arrow flew straight and hit the right edge of the target.

In the quiet forest, the sound of the arrow piercing the target was very satisfying.

"Wow, hitting the target on the first try. I'm in good form today."

You might think I'm saying this despite not hitting the center, but for me, missing the target is the default. Hitting it, even if not the center, is a success.

Feeling good about the start, I quickly nocked another arrow and aimed for the center of the target.

However, this time it missed the target and hit the ground.

I thought I could hit the target twice in a row today, but it didn't go as planned.

Still, it's fun to aim and shoot arrows, whether I hit the target or not.

Incidentally, Rento, who was shooting at a different target, hit the center with all her arrows.

The difference in accuracy was so great that I no longer felt like competing.

I just enjoy shooting at my own pace.