Chapter 35

It has been five days since Dolly and Tamamo arrived. Today is the day to plant seeds in the forest space. Recently, we've been raiding the undead nests every day, and I've been feeling a bit rough, so this should be a good change of pace.

"Dolly, are there any points to watch out for when planting seeds?"

"As long as you leave enough space between the trees, it should be fine. If you show the seeds to Tamamo, she should indicate where to plant them."

"Is that so? Thanks, Tamamo."

"Ku!"

Indeed. That's a strong response. It seems promising.

"Alright, Bell, Rain, Tulu. You've heard me. Today's job is to show the seeds to Tamamo and plant them where she indicates. Let's do our best."

"We'll do our best!"

"Kyu kyu"

"We'll do our best!"

Everyone is full of energy. By the way, the Great Spirits are just here to observe. It seems they want the children to do it on their own. I felt like I was one of the children, but I decided to let it go with a broad mind. There's no need for petty anger on a day of dealing with greenery.

Let's get started. First, I take out the packet of seeds and spread them in front of Tamamo. Tamamo is checking the seeds and the space carefully, probably deciding where to plant what.

Bell, Rain, and Tulu are peering over Tamamo's shoulder, nodding in agreement, but I wonder if they really understand. I can only tell that there are seeds of various sizes.

"Ku"

"Oh, is it ready already?"

Tamamo nodded, so I'll give it a try. I pick up a seed and show it to Tamamo, who scurries over and pats the ground with her front paws.

...It's like I'm seeing something rare. Bell, Rain, Tulu, and Tamamo usually fly, so this might be the first time they've moved on the ground.

Or did Tulu walk when she was playing with the soil? I can't remember because I wasn't paying attention to their movement. It's a bit concerning.

"Ku"

"Oh, I see, Tamamo. You want me to plant it there, right?"

I was lost in thought and Tamamo had to prompt me. I shrink the shovel and dig a hole, place the seed, and cover it lightly with soil.

"It seems to be about like this. Can everyone do it?"

I asked, but it should be easy, so there shouldn't be any problems. The only issue is that there are a lot of seeds, so it will take some time.

"We can do it!"

"Kyu kyu"

"We can do it!"

"Alright, let's start."

Bell and the others grab the seeds and rush to Tamamo. This must be the hardest part for Tamamo.

"Hey, you guys. Tamamo is the only one, so take turns. We have plenty of time, so let's take it easy."

When I said that, they obediently decided the order and followed Tamamo's guidance. Good kids.

Watching them, everyone is planting the seeds skillfully. Bell uses the wind to cut the soil, place the seed, and cover it. Rain pushes a water vortex into the ground to dig a hole, which looks like a drill. Tulu, being a spirit of the earth, makes holes appear in the soil and the soil covers the seeds on its own.

I can't just stand here and watch; I need to plant seeds too. By the way, in Japan, I remember planting seeds in a different place and then transplanting them, but that seems impossible here.

The other place doesn't seem much different from this one. That must be possible in a well-equipped facility. I have to rely on the spirits.

Ugh, my back is stiff. My body should be stronger from leveling up, but it seems my level is still not high enough. Even with breaks, the work from morning until well past noon was tiring.

Bell and the others seemed to enjoy the work. I wonder what the spirits' stamina is like. I only know that they can handle at least half a day of gardening.

"Phew, we're done."

I declared the end, stretching my stiff back. Tamamo flew over and chirped, pointing at Rain.

"She wants you to water the plants."

"Ah, right. Thanks, Bell. Rain, follow Tamamo's instructions and water the plants."

"Kyu"

Rain nodded and, following Tamamo's guidance, launched a water ball from the spring. A fox directing a dolphin. That's a rare sight.

"Yuta, good job. It seemed quite challenging."

"Yeah, it would have been faster and easier if Sylph and the others had helped."

"Hehe. If you want the Great Spirits to help without a contract, you need to think of a way to motivate them."

Well, that's true, but it feels embarrassing to ask for help with such a straightforward request.

"I'll think of a way that doesn't feel embarrassing."

"I look forward to it. By the way, you can now make the vegetables in the field grow a little, right? Are you going to try that next?"

"Yeah, but before that, Dolly, I want to ask Tamamo to cast her magic on the vegetables in the field. Is that okay?"

"Yes, I don't think there will be any problems. However, as I said before, don't let the soil lose its strength by growing too quickly. Do it a little at a time every day."

I want to make them grow quickly, but if the soil dies, that would be a problem.

"It's okay. Tamamo understands, and Tulu is here too. If anything goes wrong, Nomos will be angry."

"Hmph. Relax. If I did something foolish in this situation, I would be abandoned, not just scolded."

That's even worse. It seems they are secretly adding things to the soil, so I can't betray them.

"Being abandoned would be a problem. I'll be more careful when I ask Tamamo."

"Let Tulu know, and it will be fine."

I see. If the earth spirit and the forest spirit decide, it should be safe for both.

"Alright, I'll ask Tulu."

"Yuta, we're done."

While we were talking, the watering was finished. Next is the field.

"Thanks for letting me know, Bell."

I picked up Bell, who had flown over, and headed to Rain and the others. Bell seemed to remember where she had planted the seeds and told me which seeds were planted where. Impressive. I can't remember where I planted anything.

"Thanks, everyone. There's one more job in the field, but can you handle it?"

They all nodded enthusiastically, so we headed to the field.

"I want Tamamo to cast her magic, but if the plants grow too much, it will be bad for the soil. Can you discuss it with Tulu and cast the magic?"

"Ku"

"Let's discuss it."

After a bit of chattering, they looked at me.

"If it's decided, we can start."

At my words, Tamamo stood in front of the vegetables and chirped, "Kuuuuu," and the vegetables glowed faintly. A third leaf sprouted from the middle of the two leaves.

"Wow, that's amazing, Tamamo. This brings us one step closer to having vegetables on the table. Thanks."

"Ku!"

She responded energetically, so I patted her head. Bell, Rain, and Tulu gathered, and I petted them all. Lately, I feel happiest when petting children, dolphins, and foxes.

If this continues, I might start feeling like a father, even though I don't have a wife. I came to this world, and while I don't want a harem, I do want a few beautiful wives. Can I suppress this paternal feeling until then?

It seems like I might start saying things like, "The happiness of these kids is my happiness." I need to research whether polygamy is allowed in this world and strengthen my resolve. I'm too young to give up. I need to have ambitions.

"Kyu?"

Oops, I stopped petting. Rain is looking at me with her eyes, asking if I'm done. Of course, I won't stop.

***

After petting Bell and the others, I finished dinner and called Nomos for an important talk.

"What's this important talk? Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, I want to know about the nightlife in this world."

"...What are you saying with such a serious face? Are you okay? There's no church in the Land of Death, so no healing is possible."

I remember that healing magic is monopolized by the church. Even if it wasn't, there's no one in the Land of Death, so healing is impossible.

"No, I'm serious. I've been feeling like a father lately, and I need to ignite some male desires to avoid problems."

"Hmm, what is that? And you want to talk about nightlife with the Great Spirit of the Earth?"

"Well, who else can I ask? Sylph, Dine, or Dolly? What would happen if I asked them?"

"Well, that's true. Sigh. I have no choice. But I only know secondhand. Is that okay?"

"For now, it's fine. I just want to know what kind of places exist."

I don't really think the Great Spirit of the Earth frequents such places.

"The places I know of are the capital and the cities where adventurers gather. The capital has many high-end places. In the cities where adventurers gather, there are many people with money to spare and many who are lonely, so there are areas with many brothels."

So there are adventurers and places like that... It's a dilemma. It doesn't seem like Nomos knows the details of the brothels, so maybe I should ask about the races? No, I'll save that for when I visit the town. But there's one thing I need to ask.

"Hey, Nomos, are there succubi in this world?"

"Hmm? I believe there is a race called succubi among the demons."

Good. I might not meet one, but if there are succubi, meeting one could be a goal.

"Demons... What's the relationship between humans and demons?"

"The relationship is normal. Where there is conflict, there is conflict. Where there is friendship, there is friendship. That's all."

So there's no enmity between humans and demons. If there was, there would be wars everywhere. It seems I can meet a succubus if I try.

"Thanks, Nomos. I feel more motivated now."

"Umm, but don't get too excited."

I won't get too excited. I'll keep this motivation in my heart and live my life to the fullest. Thanks, Nomos.

Thank you for reading.