Chapter 27

I can't help but feel uneasy. Ever since Bell and Rain set off on their errand, I can't seem to calm down. I never thought I'd be this worried. It's quite a surprising discovery.

"Hey, Dine. Everything's okay, right?"

"About Bell and Rain? If they're just delivering seeds, they won't get too tired, and Sylph is with them, so they'll be fine."

"Right. That's true. Thanks, Dine."

"Hehe. You're welcome!"

Dine's gentle, supportive gaze is a bit bothersome, but since she's been so helpful, I'll let it slide.

"Ah! This is annoying. Instead of wandering around, why don't you do some work?"

"Ah, sorry, Nomus. But I've already finished watering the plants, and I can't find anything else to do right now."

"Since you're planning to get seeds and eventually call forest spirits, why don't you prepare the area where you'll create the forest?"

...Create a forest? Me? Oh right, Tur said we need the cooperation of forest spirits. I see. We're going to create a forest... I just wanted to improve our living environment, but it feels like things are getting more and more grandiose.

Thinking about it the other way, maybe we can't improve our living environment in the Land of Death without doing something grand. Why did my destination have to be such a hell? I can't accept it.

"Creating a forest... Is this place too small?"

The space, which is now a hundred meters square, already has a large spring, a pool, an expanded field, and a mobile house. I want to plant edible plants in the field, and creating a forest might make it feel cramped.

"It's small. It's good that you found something to do. Expand it quickly."

"Having a forest would make me happy too. Yuta, do your best!"

It feels like the life in this different world is different from what I imagined. Maybe going to the town will make it more like what I expected? Well, it's fine. It will keep me busy and take my mind off things. I'll give it a try.

First, I'll create a space the same size as our base outside the base, surrounded by rocks. Since I'm creating a forest, I'll need to dig holes and lay rocks, just like when I made the field... It's going to be a big project.

First, I need more rocks. I'll have to go out and break down a rock mountain. It's risky to go out alone even during the day. I'll ask Tur to come with me, and either Dine or Nomus to replace Sylph.

...I'll ask Nomus. I've been helped by Dine, and she's not a bad person, but I'm a bit scared of her unpredictable nature.

"Nomus, I need to go out to get rocks. Will you come with me?"

"Mmm. Yuta, why are you asking Nomus? If Sylph isn't available, it's my turn, right?"

The water spirit, whom I'd rather avoid, is involved. And Nomus is using honorifics. This is a shock.

"Hmm? It's my first time going out with Tur, and since Nomus is of the same type, it will be easier for Tur, right?"

"Leave it to me! I was asked by Sylph, so I'll go."

I don't understand what she means by "it's fine," but she doesn't seem to be backing down. Since we don't have a contract, I can only get advice from her. Entrusting this to her unpredictable nature makes me very uneasy... But it's just about cutting rocks, so it should be fine.

"Is it okay for Tur to go with Dine?"

"...It's fine."

Since we made a contract, Tur talks to me more, but she's still very quiet. However, she seems to be willing, so that's good.

"Let's go then. Dine, Tur, thanks for coming."

We leave the base and head towards the rock mountain. The inconvenient thing about this base is that there are no rock mountains nearby due to the influence of the wetlands from long ago. It's a one-time inconvenience, but it's frustrating when I have to go out to cut rocks.

As we walk towards the rock mountain, a Death Lizard appears in front of us.

"Hey, Dine. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Huh?"

I'll ignore Dine's confused face. I quickly enlarge my hammer and get ready. Fortunately, it doesn't charge at us immediately but approaches slowly, warning us. This gives me some leeway.

"I want to see what magic Tur can use. Can you defeat it?"

Tur nods and puts her hands forward.

"Burial"

As Tur mutters, the earth around the Death Lizard rises and quickly swallows it.

"Wow, Tur's magic is amazing. But Tur, if you can, try to leave the monster's corpse intact when you defeat it. I want to secure the magic stones. If I'm in danger, just defeat it without worrying about the magic stones."

"...Understood. I'll do better next time."

Tur repeats what I said to make sure she doesn't forget. She's a serious kid.

"So, Dine, why didn't you tell me the monster was approaching? I was careless, but it would be helpful if you could warn me before it gets close."

"I can't detect approaching monsters?"

Dine tilts her head. She's beautiful, so it's a bit of a shock, but I need to confirm something.

"Um, Dine. Can you not detect anything?"

"Umm. I can if there's water, but not on the ground. I'm a water spirit, after all."

I understand, but I don't want to.

"Then, why did you come?"

"Because Sylph asked me?"

This is no good. She came without thinking about what she can do. She just thought, "Since Sylph asked me, I have to do my best."

"Right. I understand, thanks."

I can really understand how Sylph felt when she gave up on lecturing. Well, since Dine can't detect anything, I need to pay attention to my surroundings while cutting rocks. It will slow me down, but safety is the priority. I need to focus. Suddenly, my sleeve is pulled, and I look down to see Tur.

"Is something wrong?"

"If it's on the ground, I can detect it."

"Wow, Tur can detect things. There are only a few flying monsters in the Land of Death, like ghosts and wraiths, so it shouldn't be a problem during the day. If a monster comes, let me know. Thanks, Tur."

I instinctively pet her head, as I do with Bell and Rain. Tur flinched for a moment but then relaxed and let me pet her. It seems she doesn't mind being petted.

"Understood."

After that, we spent half a day cutting six rock mountains. I wonder if this is enough? If not, I'll come back and cut more.

By the way, the magic Tur showed me is:

- Ore Bullet: Shoots minerals from the ground at high speed.

- Ore Spear: Shoots mineral spears from the ground to pierce enemies.

- Burial: Raises the ground to swallow enemies.

It seems the ground itself, not just soil, is the target of her magic. I asked if she could separate minerals to use as materials, but apparently, she can't do that yet. The ore spears also disappear after defeating the enemy... It's a waste.

Apparently, the ability to extract materials comes at the intermediate spirit level. However, Tur can apparently detect the location of ore veins, so it might be worth going to collect them in the future. For now, I'll put it on hold since I can't process them.

***

Phew. I only took a nap yesterday, so I fell asleep immediately at night, and my life has returned to normal. I was stuck in leveling up at night, and it was a good opportunity since the earth spirit also arrived.

I invited Nomus and Tur to breakfast, but Nomus declined. Maybe high-level spirits like her are tired of eating cooked seafood.

Tur, though quiet, ate with an occasional smile, which made me feel warm. It would be more lively with Bell and Rain here. It's a bit lonely without them.

Since Rain isn't here, I watered the field and then started expanding the base. I'll expand the south side first. I'll create a square space the same size as the current base on the south side.

If the space becomes insufficient, I can add more squares to eventually form a large square centered around the spring. I hope to reach the town before that. First, I need to set up walls to prevent monster invasions. I'll go outside with Tur.

"Hey, Tur. I didn't think about it before because of the ground subsidence, but is there a way to prevent it with earth magic?"

"I can harden the soil under the rocks."

If the hardened soil doesn't sink... It might still sink like a domino effect, but it's better to do something than nothing.

"Then, I'll place the rocks, and you harden the soil underneath. I won't get tired just placing rocks, but you'll be using magic. If you get tired, take a break, okay?"

"Understood."

Tur nods. I'm a bit worried. She's very quiet and very serious. Yeah, she's the type who will push herself. I'll check on her frequently to make sure she's not overworking.

I quickly place the rocks to create a space the same size as the base. Tur seems to have no problems. Let's move on. Since we're creating a forest, I'll dig down five meters and fifty centimeters in the newly created space.

Even with the tools, it will take a while. I dig the ground, and Tur hardens the soil I've dug. It's helpful that she levels the ground to make it easier to place the rocks.

I get tired mentally first and take a break. Tur doesn't seem tired at all. Even a low-level spirit has amazing abilities. By the time it gets dark, we manage to dig and place the rocks in the space.

We'll discuss with Nomus about filling it with soil. She says we should wait until the field is well-established with microorganisms before adding the soil, so it doesn't get overwhelmed by the soil of the Land of Death. The Land of Death is still scary.

Thank you for reading.