Chapter 16

I decided to explore the western side after leaving home.

Usually, it's just Rent and me, so we proceed silently and monotonously. But today, Leidia is with us.

"Truly, the Sea of Death. The height of the trees lined up is unbelievable. I wonder how many years old they are?"

Perhaps because she hadn't had a chance to observe the forest properly, Leidia was marveling at the scenery around her.

Her expression was very lively, like a child visiting a zoo for the first time.

"Leidia, do you like nature?"

"Maybe it's more accurate to say that elves do. We elves instinctively prefer living in nature."

I remember Elphira saying that elves often spend time in lush forests. It might be due to the influence of the blood of nature-loving spirits.

"Where did you live before?"

"In a rather large and rich forest, though not as grand as this one. But I got tired of the monotonous life and traveled to various places for a while."

Well, given her active nature, it would be difficult for her to stay in one place for long.

"Where were you before you came here, Hashira?"

"Hmm, a place with a lot of people, where everyone was busy working."

There were other ways to describe it, but that's the image I have of my past life. It was prosperous, yet not truly prosperous. Such a contradictory world.

"What kind of hell is that... Is it fun to be there?"

"It wasn't very fun, but I managed because I had family to spend time with. Now, there's no one like that anymore..."

"Um, I'm sorry."

As I was lost in thought, recalling various memories, Leidia apologized, looking apologetic.

The way I said it made it seem like I had lost my family and become lonely.

I wasn't wrong, but I was the one who died. However, I can't explain that.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. What was life like in the great forest?"

To avoid an awkward conversation, I changed the topic to something lighter.

Understanding my intention, Leidia told me about life in the great forest.

There were many houses made of wood, like my home, and some lived inside large trees that had been hollowed out. They weren't vegetarians, contrary to common game settings.

I found the culture of different races interesting, but this was the first time I had spoken so much since coming to this world, and I enjoyed the conversation.

"Oh, there's a rabbit over there."

As we were chatting amicably, Leidia said this.

Following her gaze, I saw a rabbit hopping in the bushes.

Her eyesight must be very good, having lived in a natural environment.

"If it's just an animal, I can hunt it. Is it okay to hunt?"

"Sure. I welcome more meat on the table."

I would stop her if it were a monster, but since it's just a herbivore, I'll let her do as she pleases.

Leidia smoothly drew her bow and, with a fluid motion, released an arrow.

The arrow, which whizzed through the air, pierced the head of the rabbit that was sniffing the ground.

"Excellent shot."

"Thank you."

There were many trees around, and the distance was over thirty meters.

Still, Leidia managed it effortlessly. Impressive.

"I couldn't do that in this environment."

"How do you usually hunt, Hashira?"

"Hmm, like this. I often use wood to restrain them."

Looking up, I saw a bird resting on a branch, so I manipulated the wood to create a birdcage and restrained it.

The trapped bird squawked and struggled, but it couldn't escape the wooden cage. Lowering the wooden birdcage to the ground, I completed the capture.

Watching me, Leidia had a distant look in her eyes.

"...Yeah, you're the strongest here, Hashira."

Indeed, in the forest where I can manipulate many things, I might have an advantage, but calling me the strongest is an exaggeration.

◆

After processing the rabbit and the bird, we continued our exploration and smelled a sweet fragrance.

"I smell something sweet."

"Really? Maybe there are flowers that produce high-quality nectar!"

Nectar from flowers. That would be helpful for us.

Amaguki is only mildly sweet. With nectar, we might be able to eat it with the chewy fruit.

With the hope of a new sweet treat, Leidia and I followed the scent.

There, a large plant was growing.

It had sharp thorns like a rose and bloomed beautiful pink flowers.

The only closed, large bud in the center looked strangely like a mouth.

It was so large and poisonous that it looked more like a giant snake.

This was clearly not an ordinary plant.

【Kira Plant】

A carnivorous plant monster that grows naturally in the depths of nature. It lures humans and animals with beautiful flowers and a sweet fragrance, then captures and eats them with its feeding organ.

"Wait, it's a Kira Plant!"

As information from my knowledge came to me, Leidia shouted.

It seems Leidia also knows about this plant-type monster.

"Seems so."

"Bad! We need to get away quickly, or it will attack us!"

"No, I'm fine with this one."

"What do you mean, 'fine'!?"

The Kira Plant's central bud, reacting to our voices, began to open and move.

The opened bud turned into a giant mouth with teeth and extended thorny vines from the ground toward us.

If this were a regular monster, the correct response would be to have Rent take the front and keep our distance.

However, it's a plant. That's a very advantageous opponent for me.

"Stay still."

As I said this and waved my staff, the Kira Plant, which had become my control target, stopped moving.

The Kira Plant seemed confused, realizing its body couldn't move at all.

"The Kira Plant stopped moving?"

"I can manipulate plants freely. It doesn't matter if it's a carnivorous plant."

"...If you could do that, you should have said so earlier. I looked like a fool."

No matter how strong it is, if it can't move, it's no threat.

Leidia and I observed the immobilized Kira Plant.

Approaching the beautiful flowers, we noticed a very sweet fragrance.

"The pink flowers release a sweet fragrance to lure prey and eat them. What a nasty creature."

"Some individuals release a hypnotic fragrance or a paralyzing poison. There are also plants that pierce with thorns and suck blood."

"That's scary."

"Well, in front of Hashira, they're powerless just by being plants."

It's a good thing I received Elphira's blessing as a plant deity.

I don't want to end my life encountering such terrifying plants.

Still, a plant that lures animals with a sweet fragrance and eats them.

In a sense, it would automatically eat any monsters that come close.

"If I plant this near the fields, it could protect them from animals automatically."

With the abundance of crops, more beasts and monsters have been lurking around my home recently.

I haven't had any damage yet because Rent is keeping watch, but it's annoying to have them around. I also felt bad about tying Rent down just to guard the fields.

I want the Kira Plant to take over as the guardian of the fields for Rent.

"Are you really saying you want to plant a Kira Plant? It's a carnivorous plant, not an animal. It won't listen to you."

"I want to try to persuade it."

"...Hmm, it's not impossible for Hashira, who can manipulate plants..."

"Well, if it doesn't work, I'll give up."

"Okay, then."

I hope it works, but if not, I'll try another method.

"How about it? Do you want to come live where I live? If you do, I'll take care of you."

Speaking to the Kira Plant, I lightly cast a growth promotion spell.

For a plant, being promoted to grow is the strongest food to make itself stronger.

When I tried to release the plant manipulation, the Kira Plant quickly shrunk and turned into a seed.

I picked up the black seed, about the size of an egg.

"Did you turn into a seed to be moved?"

"I've never seen this before, but that's probably what it means, right?"

The Kira Plant didn't say anything, but I somehow felt it was saying that.

I put the seed of the Kira Plant, which seemed to want to become my new companion, in my pocket.