Chapter 22

"Hey, what's with the creepy look? You look disappointed just by seeing my face. I came because you asked me to. I'm going back now."

"Ah, wait a moment. I expected a beautiful spirit to come, and I was disappointed. It's all my fault. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Please forgive me, I beg of you."

He bowed his head at a right angle. This isn't good. Iruka came, but I assumed the spirit would be a beautiful woman and got disappointed. It's understandable that she's angry.

"Are you Yuta? You were expecting a beautiful spirit, weren't you? This is a spirit, you know?"

The dwarf asked with a genuinely surprised expression.

"When you say spirit, I've only ever met spirits in this world, and to me, they look and feel normal. I can only perceive them as beautiful women of the spirit race."

"Hahaha, beautiful, beautiful. That's good, Sylph. Dine, maybe spring will come to you too. Hahaha."

Oh no. I said something embarrassing, like calling them beautiful. Sylph looks a bit embarrassed and angry. Dine is wriggling and saying, "Big sister, I'm in trouble," but I think she's a bit different. If I say that, it might be dangerous, so I'll keep quiet.

"No, no, that's not what I meant... Anyway, I'm very sorry."

"Hmm. If you were expecting a beautiful spirit, it can't be helped. You were disappointed because an old bearded man came. Haha, well, you made me laugh, so I'll forgive you. I am the Great Earth Spirit, Nomos. This one is a lesser spirit and has no name. Just be nice to him."

I don't know what tickled his funny bone, but he forgave me. And they're not related. They're both short and stocky, and their faces look similar.

Nomos is a stocky, barrel-shaped figure, about 1.2 meters tall, with a fluffy beard. The lesser earth spirit is about 80 centimeters tall, also stocky, but gives a young impression.

"My name is Yuta Morinaga. Nice to meet you, Nomos. And the lesser earth spirit. Nice to meet you."

"I don't need formalities. It's just a hassle. I heard your story. First, let's see the field you improved."

It's a relief that I don't have to be formal, but spirits really don't like formalities.

"Got it. Just call me Yuta. The field is this way."

I led them to the field I made yesterday, and Nomos and the lesser earth spirit entered to inspect it. Bell and Rain were very interested in the new lesser spirit and were trying to poke it, so I called them over. Behave yourselves.

"Yuta, you're doing something interesting. But as it is, we can't stay here."

That's a shame. I was hoping it would work out. It seems I failed.

"I see. That's a shame. Can you tell me what went wrong?"

"Hmm. I can explain that much. This soil has various things mixed in, and indeed, there are things that enrich the soil. However, there are no beneficial insects, not even microorganisms. Without microorganisms, the soil is too poor. If we stay here, we'll lose our power."

... The Dead Land is terrifying. Even microorganisms have died. There's nothing we can do.

"Is there no solution?"

"If you mix in living soil, it might work. The nutrients are unbalanced, but if there are microorganisms, they can adjust it within a certain range."

The balance was also bad. Living soil... If soil can be brought, I can bring plants too. I'm stuck. I need to focus on leveling up.

"If there's living soil, it might work. But I don't know how to get living soil."

"Yuta, I just remembered, but the soil near the bottom of the well seemed to be alive. Didn't you store it?"

Unexpected advice from Sylph... I did store it. That soil seemed to be living soil.

"Nomos, take a look at this."

I showed him the living soil I got from digging the well. If this soil was good, I wouldn't have needed small fish or seaweed. I could have just brought the living soil and mixed it into the field. I wasted a lot.

"Hmm. There's not much, but there are indeed microorganisms. If we mix this soil in and let it rest, it might work."

What? I thought it was a failure, but it somehow turned around? Living things shouldn't be able to enter a magic bag, but microorganisms seem to be able to. Maybe microorganisms and extremely small living things can bypass the bag's restrictions.

"Is this amount enough?"

I took out the living soil I got from near the bottom of the well. It only formed a small hill because it turned to sand immediately.

"Hmm. It should be enough. Mix this soil into the field and keep it moist every day, but don't let it dry out. I'll come back in ten days."

Nomos and the lesser spirit were about to leave. The situation is moving quickly.

"Right. So you'll come back in ten days for a re-evaluation?"

"Yes. Since he's coming back, it's best to do as he said."

Sylph seems a bit skeptical, but I hope it will be okay.

"Mix the living soil with the field soil and keep it moist every day. Rain, can you help keep the soil moist every day?"

"Kyu"

Rain chirped, raising her fin high. I think it's a sign that she's willing to help.

"Thanks. But that lesser spirit didn't say a word. Did he dislike it here?"

"From what I can tell, he's just quiet. He was observing his surroundings with interest, so I don't think he disliked it."

"That's a relief. First, let's mix the soil."

I dug up the field soil and stored it. Then I mixed it with the living soil in a mortar and gently mixed it with a shovel.

I thought about using a hammer to mix it thoroughly, but I was afraid the microorganisms would die. I have no idea what microorganisms can handle or what is dangerous for them, which makes me anxious. I repeated the process of mixing the living soil with the field soil and storing it.

"Finally, all the soil is mixed. Now, let's put it back in the field."

The soil was uniformly mixed. I worked hard to make the top layer of the field rich in fertilizer yesterday... It's a bit heartbreaking.

As I approached the hole to return the soil, Bell and Rain were playing tag inside. They seemed to be having fun in the small space.

"Bell, Rain, I'm going to put the soil back, so come up."

"Okay."

"Kyu"

They're so well-behaved. They're very good kids. I poured the mixed soil directly from the magic bag into the hole they left.

The soil piled up like a small hill because of the living soil. I'll surround it with rocks. Rain is already sprinkling water. The Dead Land has strong sunlight, so I need to keep it moist frequently. It's a big help.

Oh, I need to dry the fish. I arranged the fish on the drying rack I made yesterday, separating them by time.

"Are you drying them?"

Bell asked, looking excited. Her eyes were sparkling.

"Bell, these fish don't need to be dried. I plan to dry them in the sun slowly."

Oh. She looks very disappointed. It hurts my heart. I need to give her something to do.

"Ah, it's so hot. It's really hot and difficult. It would be a great help if someone could blow a gentle wind."

I glanced at Bell.

"Bel can do it!"

"Ah, right. Bell is a wind spirit. Can I ask you to do it?"

"Sure!"

Bell smiled and blew a gentle wind at me. She's so cute. Sylph and Dine are looking at us with a warm, amused expression, but if I complain, it will ruin everything. I'll endure.

However, it's a good wind. If I combine this wind with Rain's mist, it will be quite cool. The question is whether my conscience can handle using a young spirit and a dolphin spirit to cool myself... I'll try to endure as much as possible.

"Phew. It's much cooler now. If I get hot again, can I ask you to do it?"

"Sure thing!"

Satisfied with her help, she happily flew over to Rain.

"Yuta, you're such a good boy. I'm touched."

"You have the makings of a good father."

I feel incredibly embarrassed. But I can sense that Dine and Sylph are praising me with good intentions, so I can't complain. My heart must be dirty for not accepting it openly.

"Hehe... Thank you. Next, I need to expand the field, so I'll go now."

Let's see, he said four times the current size. Length, 15 meters. Width, 10 meters. Depth, 5 meters. That will be six times the current area, which should be enough. I need to dig 50 centimeters extra to surround it with rocks.

I decided the area and dug with the magic shovel. It's a task I'm completely used to. I can already imagine the completed form. Maybe I've had an epiphany.

I checked my status, thinking a new skill might have appeared, but nothing did. Maybe digging holes and placing rocks isn't enough. Do I need construction or civil engineering skills?

I continued digging and placing rocks, making drainage holes with a hand auger. Two hours later, it was a masterful job. I've completed what Nomos asked. Now, I just need to keep the soil from drying out.

Thank you for reading.