Chapter 87

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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Sakura petals danced in the wind as Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written inside.

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Sylph led me to the top of the spirit tree, and while enveloped in its pleasant fragrance, I thoroughly enjoyed the forest bath. Afterward, since we were there, I set up a table in the shade of the spirit tree and had lunch. The large shade made the place feel more livable.

"Sarah and the others, based on yesterday's practice, train with Fukuchan and Uri. If you have any questions, come and ask. Then take a nap. We'll practice again tonight, so make sure to get plenty of rest."

I watched Sarah and the others run off, full of determination. Am I being too hands-off? But there's not much else to teach them, and it's more efficient for me to do my work. I wonder if I should be there with them; it's a bit of a dilemma.

"Yuta-san, should I stay with the children?"

Dolly offered to accompany them, as if she could read my thoughts.

"It would be a big help if you could watch over them, but are you sure?"

"It's fine. I've made a contract with you, so I'll help."

She smiled and took on the task, which was very soothing.

"Thank you. I'll leave it to you."

Saying "Understood," Dolly flew over to Sarah and the others. With Dolly there, they should be safe.

"Alright, Bell and the others, I'll leave the management of the fields and the forest site to you."

By the way, I also got tomato seedlings. I should plant them later. It would be nice to have Sarah and the others help with the field work, but since they're training now, I'll do it next time.

However, thinking about it, the tomato seedlings were stored normally, but... how much of a plant can be stored? Maybe I should do an experiment next time.

"Okay," "Kyukyu," "I'll work hard on the soil," "Kuuu."

I watched Bell and the others enthusiastically head off to work... Should I have Dolly help the forest site grow? The soil there is artificial, so rapid growth might be dangerous. Nomos said he would mix the soil after we make a contract, so I'll let it grow after that.

"Yuta-kun, I'll help too!"

Dine declared enthusiastically. Hmm, is there something for her to do? I asked Dolly to accompany them, so it would be a shame if she had nothing to do here.

"Hmm, can you accompany Bell and the others? Rain will water the plants, so give them advice."

"Got it. I'll keep a close eye on them, so don't worry."

"Okay, thanks."

Maybe because they just made a contract, both Dolly and Dine are very enthusiastic. It might be fun to use their powers freely.

"Yuta, what are you going to do next? Clearing?"

"Hmm? Before clearing, I thought I'd process the wood. I need to prepare a place to dry the logs and remove the branches. By the way, can Sylph dry the wood with her power?"

"Hot air will speed up the drying, but it would be faster if Dine could remove the moisture."

Oh, if the moisture can be removed, it will definitely dry faster. That's very convenient.

"Then I don't need a place to dry it. I'll just remove the branches and get it ready to dry."

The branches can be dried and used as fuel, but since I have a lot of charcoal, it might be better to use them for something else. I saw on TV that if you dig a hole, put leaves in it, and water it, it makes good fertilizer, but I already collected a lot of leaf mold from the forest, so I'm not sure what to do with them.

I guess I'm a bit frugal. I was afraid of running out of fuel when the driftwood was gone, so I can't easily throw away branches. I'll dry them and keep them as kindling.

"Didn't you cut down a lot of trees? I'll help, so let's get it done quickly."

"Okay, thanks."

I took out all the green logs we had cut down. ...Since I had been cutting them down bit by bit while moving, I didn't really realize how much there was, but seeing it all at once, it's a lot.

If we use this to build a house, it would be better to use the same type of wood as much as possible. Dolly and Tamamo can probably identify the best type of wood for building a house.

I took out my magic saw and started cutting off the branches. It's a great tool. The first log was processed easily and without any trouble. At this rate, it won't take long. Thinking that, I looked at Sylph...

Many logs were floating in the air, and the branches were being cut off with a "swoosh" sound. I'm happy it's going smoothly, but... my cheat skill, the clearing tool, seems a bit overshadowed.

I can't lose! I ignited a meaningless sense of competition and started cutting the branches with all my might.

...I burned out. I burned out.

"Yuta, why are you so tired?"

That's because I ignited a meaningless sense of competition and worked hard, but Sylph finished the job twice as easily. I feel like even my magic saw is a bit weak now.

I see. Even a cheat like you is nothing in front of a real cheat. Sorry. If I could use it better...

"What are you mumbling about? Is something wrong?"

Sylph asked, looking worried. People can unintentionally hurt others this way. Talent is scary.

"No, nothing. I just overdid it a bit. Thanks for helping."

"Okay? Don't overdo it."

"Okay, thanks. I'm fine. I'll leave the wood here and have Dine remove the moisture later. Next, we'll start clearing."

After a short rest, Sylph was worried, but it was just mental fatigue. I actually felt like moving my body. I checked on Sarah and the others and Bell and the others, then headed to the clearing site.

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"Dine, can you remove the moisture from the wood you're arranging?"

After finishing the planned area of clearing, I called Dine. By the way, Sarah and the others were napping, and Bell and the others were playing with the newly grown spirit tree.

According to Bell, it "stretches and squishes," which sounds very fun. I'm not sure what "stretch" and "squish" mean, though.

"Hehe, it's easy for me."

Dine declared confidently. Since it seems easy, I'll ask her to do it.

"Thanks. Remove the moisture without changing the quality of the wood."

"Got it," Dine said, whistling a tune as she approached the wood. Dine can produce ice, remove moisture from wood, and handle water, so she's very capable.

It's a shame that her whimsical and childlike personality hides the dignity and excellence of a great spirit.

"Okay!"

When Dine said this, misty steam came out of the wood.

...

"Phew. Yuta-kun, I'm done."

Dine wiped her forehead and told me the drying was finished. Hmm, do spirits sweat? Where did she learn that gesture? I have a lot of questions.

"Thanks. You saved me."

"Leave it to me. Hehe."

Looking at Dine, who seemed to have completed the task, I wondered where the Dine I first met had gone.

I collected the wood in my magic bag. When I touched it, it definitely felt dry. However, while straight logs are easy to use, I'm not sure what to do with the curved ones.

Hmm. Since the magic bag has infinite capacity, I'll store them. They might be useful someday. Probably.

After collecting everything, I stretched my back. Hmm, there's a lot of time left until dinner. Since I have the time, should I make dragon steak instead of pre-made food?

I want to start with Assault Dragon, not Fire Dragon. According to Marie, it's a super high-end meat, so it should be delicious. Fire Dragon is supposed to be even better, but I'm the type to save the best for last.

"Hey, Sylph, Dine. I'm thinking of making Assault Dragon steak tonight. Do you want to eat it?"

"Speaking of which, you brought the meat first. I'll have some."

"Me too. Is there going to be wine tonight?"

Oh, I promised to serve wine after making a contract with Dolly last night.

"I'll serve wine, but we have to level up Sarah and the others afterward. For dinner, we'll have dragon steak, bread, and salad."

"Can I have red wine only?"

Gah, Dine is looking up at me with those puppy eyes. Where did she learn that technique...? She was flying just now, so her head should have been higher than mine.

"One glass is fine."

"Hehe, thank you, Yuta-kun. I'm so happy."

Dine and Sylph were happy. Are they more excited about the red wine than the dragon steak? I feel like I could buy a barrel of wine with dragon steak.

Feeling a bit unsatisfied, I started preparing dinner. I set up a grill, laid out some twigs and charcoal, and placed a grilling rack on top. I lit the twigs with a spark from a life magic spell and called Bell.

"Yuta, what is it? Help?"

Bell flew over and tilted her head.

"Yes, help. I want you to gently blow on this charcoal to get the fire going. Can you do it?"

"I can do it."

Bell confidently moved in front of the grill and started blowing seriously. She seemed to understand what to do, and the right amount of air was sent to the charcoal, making the fire from the twigs spread to the charcoal. Perfect job.

"Sylph, by the way, what about the fire spirit? Can they only stay here if there's always a fire?"

It feels off that I haven't made a contract with a fire spirit yet, even though earth, water, wind, and fire are the four major elements.

"Hmm, it's difficult right now. It might be possible with a contract, but I think the Dead Land would still be tough. I'll bring one when we have the right facilities to make it comfortable."

Hmm, as expected. It would be better to have a place where a fire can burn all day. Blacksmiths' fires go out at night, so it's a bit of a challenge.

"I'll think about it. Let me know when the time comes."

"Got it."

I'll start cooking soon. Oh, Sarah and the others are waking up. ...By the way, is it okay to eat dragon steak right after waking up? I'm fine, and Marco should be fine, but I should check with Sarah and Kikka.

I want them to enjoy the delicious dragon steak. Thank you for reading.