CH 122

Taking a Walk – i novels

()x10-13 minutes

After returning to the spring house, we quickly decided to go out together.

“Everyone, let’s go together!”

“Yeaaaa!” “Kyu!” “How fun!” “Kuu!”

Silphy wrapped us in a cocoon of wind and we flew through the air, but Bell and the others were filled with excitement. It must be because this was a different mode of transportation than usual, making it more enjoyable for them. Bell, Fuku-chan, and the others playfully frolicked around, flying around us.

Normally, it’s just Silphy, Sara’s group, and me traveling together, prioritizing speed. However, this time, Dyne, Dolly, Bell, Rain, Turu, Tamamo, Fuku-chan, Uri, and Mame-chan also joined us for a big expedition. It’s understandable that they are all excited.

However, it seems a bit challenging for Silphy to support Bell and the others while flying at a faster speed than usual. The group’s enthusiasm seems to contribute to Silphy’s ability to fly at an even higher speed.

According to Silphy’s boost, thanks to which we are keeping pace with Uri, the slowest floating spirit, the estimated travel time to our destination is about three hours. It’s nice to have such a journey once in a while.

While efficiency can be pursued through summoning and teleportation, it’s important not to prioritize efficiency alone. In games, I’m the type who tends to prioritize efficiency, but for an outing like this, it’s crucial to enjoy the journey as well.

“Master, I’ve thought this before, but the land of death is really vast, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. It’s so vast that it’s hard to imagine the entire land of death was once teeming with nature.”

It’s an excessive amount of environmental destruction—a barren land that would take over a hundred days to traverse. It’s not something to laugh about.

“Nature used to flourish there. It must have been an amazing place. Oh, and Master, you’re reclaiming the land of death and restoring it to its former state, right? I’ve always wondered why you chose to live in the land of death, but you’re incredible, Master! I’ll do my best to be of assistance to you!”

“Is that so? Master is amazing. I’ll do my best too!”

“Me too!”

Wait a minute. No, it’s not like that. I don’t have such grand aspirations. I’m the kind of person who only cares about my own well-being. So please don’t look at me with such hopeful eyes. I need to come up with an excuse without compromising the dignity of a master.

“Well, the land of death is incredibly vast, so what I can do is just a small part of the overall process. It will take a long time, so we should take it slow. If we push ourselves too hard, we’ll get tired.”

“Is that so?”

“Y-Yeah, restoring nature is a challenging task. Rushing it won’t yield good results. That’s why it will take several generations to accomplish.”

While the power of the Great Spirits might be able to solve it, I’m content with slowly developing the surrounding areas. I’ll leave the rest to others.

“Master, you’ll be the cornerstone of the land of death’s revival!”

Sarah, I won’t become a cornerstone. Where did you learn such complex words? You seem really happy and excited. I’m a bit bewildered.

While gently urging them to calm down, I listened to their words. It seemed they were delighted that I, their master, was doing something amazing. They even said they were happy to become my disciples.

I unexpectedly gained their respect in an unexpected way. It wasn’t my intention, but now I feel like I have to try a little harder. Well, I had always planned to develop the area. If I take it easy, I should be able to cover it up. Probably.

While talking with Sara and playing around with Bell and the others, avoiding Dyne’s mischief, we arrived at our destination in no time.

As we slowly descended towards the dense forest, we could see sparkling reflections of light.

“Silphy, is that sparkling place a pond?”

“Yes, it’s more of a spring than a pond, but it has a similar environment to our base’s pond, so I chose this place. Is there a problem?”

“No, there’s no problem. I was just curious.”

As expected of the wind Great Spirit, she knows many places. As we descended slowly, the spring became clearly visible. It’s quite large.

“It’s incredibly beautiful.” “Yeah, it’s beautiful.” “Beautiful.”

Just as Sara and the others remarked, it’s an astonishingly beautiful spring. Without the reflection of light, you might not even realize there’s water. Green thread-like aquatic plants sway at the bottom, creating a mysterious sight.

“Water!” “Kyu!”

Ah, Bell and Rain plunged into the water. Are they trying to experience how it feels to swim?

“Splash!” “Kyu!”

Suddenly, Bell and Rain were engulfed by the wind and snugly held by Silphy’s arms.

“Bell, Rain, remember we came here today to catch fish. Don’t make a fuss.”

Silphy gently admonished Bell and Rain.

“We understand!” “Kyu!”

Bell and Rain raised their hands energetically in response. They are such good kids. But maybe they found it amusing to be carried away by the wind, rather than trying to experience how it feels to swim. They started asking Silphy if they could do it again. Perhaps they just found something fun to do.

“Well, I can’t help it. Just once.”

Silphy said that, and Bell and Rain were once again carried away by the wind and launched high into the sky. This time, it seemed stronger than before.

“Wheee!” “Kyu!”

For a moment, I thought if they might not be okay, but they are spirits, so I guess it’s fine since they sounded like they were having fun. Ah, Turu, Tamamo, Fuku-chan, Uri, and Mame-chan have also gathered around Silphy.

“Well, there’s no helping it.”

Silphy said that, and Turul and the others were launched high into the sky with joyful voices. I guess it turned out that way after all.

“Um, Master. Fuku-chan and the others…”

Sara, Marco, and Kikka are looking at me with concern. Ah, I see. It’s natural to feel anxious when your contracted spirits suddenly get launched high up into the sky.

“Oh, don’t worry. I just asked Silphy for a favor to take them up and they’ll come back soon.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yeah, so don’t worry.”

As we were talking, Bell and Rain, who were in the first wave, returned. Their overflowing smiles are probably proof of how much fun it was. Fuku-chan and the others who were launched also came back, finally easing Sara and the others’ worries.

“Now, we got a bit off track with the conversation, but this is our destination for today. It’s even more beautiful than I imagined.”

I brought the conversation back on track. We need to accomplish today’s goal. I gently stroke Bell and the others, who come back excitedly to report how much fun they had, to calm them down.

“Dyne, Dolly, do you think the plants and creatures in this spring would be fine in the land of death’s pond?”

When I asked, Dyne and Dolly checked the spring and came to a conclusion.

“They’ll be fine. The water circulates through the spring, so it’s not particularly rich in nutrients. And the creatures here are all suitable for transfer to the pond.”

“That’s right. The plants here are not particularly delicate either, so I don’t think there would be any issues with transferring them.”

As expected of Silphy. Even though water and plants are not her specialty, she still brings us to places with a similar atmosphere.

“If there’s no problem, let’s collect samples from this spring. Any precautions we should take?”

“There’s nothing in particular. But it would be better to collect them before we head back. Since the return trip will take some time, it’s best to minimize the stressful situation for the plants and creatures.”

I see, that makes sense. Although I initially planned for everyone to fly back together cheerfully, considering the captured creatures, it seems better to send everyone back and return as quickly as possible.

“Understood. Then let’s take a leisurely stroll around, have lunch, and then start collecting.”

It wouldn’t be exciting to collect samples right away without even having lunch. This time, the Great Spirits will ensure our safety, so let’s enjoy a relaxing forest bath.

“Master, are you sure we don’t have to do anything? I can’t imagine just spending time leisurely,” Marco asks, nodding his head. He’s like a workaholic salaryman. It’s not good for him to be like this from childhood.

However, even if I tell them to just play, I don’t know what they should do. Hmm, maybe we can treat it like a treasure hunt and search for medicinal herbs. It’s still work, but if we make it enjoyable, it should be better.

Should I give a reward if they come in first? …But I have no idea what kind of reward to give. Maybe a dragon steak would be fine, but Bell and the others might be interested in it too, and if Kikka is the one who can’t eat it, then I… Ugh, being an educator is tough. It’s impossible for me.

“Alright, let’s search for medicinal herbs while taking a walk in the forest.”

Just giving them a safe and simple goal should be enough.

“Great! We’ll find lots of them!”

Marco is getting fired up. It’s slightly different from my original intention, but as long as they’re having fun, it’s fine.

“But let’s not overdo it. Alright, let’s get going.”

For now, we’ll take a stroll around the spring… Sara and the others start walking towards the forest. That’s right, medicinal herbs are more likely to be found in the forest than in sunny areas.

While watching Sara’s group energetically searching for medicinal herbs and Bell and the others flying around the forest, I walk through the woods. Occasionally, I see animal-like spirits floating around. Are they spirits of the forest?

“Hey, Silphy, it’s not very common to see humanoid spirits, right?”

“Well, it’s not particularly rare, but there aren’t many. Spirits naturally exist alongside nature, so it’s true that there are overwhelmingly more animal-like spirits.”

I see, for me, it’s helpful that there are more animal-like spirits. Honestly, if I see human-shaped spirits floating around while walking in the forest, I would be startled.

“I see. So there are spirits like elves, demons, or dragons?”

“They exist. I’ve seen most types of creatures, to be honest.”

While they can be grouped together as spirits, their appearances are diverse. It would be like having an amazing zoo if I contracted with various types of spirits… but I’m the only one who can see them, so it’s impossible. A zoo with dragons would definitely be popular.

“Master, medicinal herb!”

“Hmm? Oh, thank you.”

Marco quickly found a medicinal herb and brought it to me. As soon as I take it, he runs off to search for the next one. He’s full of energy.

If we move around plenty, lunch will taste better, and it’s a good thing that they’re full of energy. Sara, Kikka, Bell, and the others all seem to be having fun. I consider this forest walk a success.