CH 127

Relaxed and Laid-back – i novels

()x10-12 minutes

Everyone covered the area around the Spirit Tree with a lawn. The sparkling Spirit Tree under the strong sunlight, the green carpet, and the flowing waterway in between… It’s quite a splendid place, don’t you think?

The spot under the shade of the Spirit Tree seems very comfortable, especially. I wonder if there’s a similar place with intriguing trees in Hawaii?

…I’ve never been to Hawaii, but as a Japanese person, I feel like I should have gone. How many Japanese people have actually been to Hawaii? I wonder what percentage it is.

Celebrities often seem to go to Hawaii, and it used to be a popular destination for overseas trips… Or is that an outdated notion? But I often hear about weddings in Hawaii, too.

In my imagination, when you arrive in Hawaii, beautiful hula girls greet you at the airport, right? They put leis, flower garlands, around your neck and give you a kiss on the cheek. What’s it really like, though?

I suddenly became curious about it. Am I going to live in this parallel world with such trivial questions for the rest of my life?… Let’s forget about it. Let’s forcefully forget about it. I don’t want to carry such worries with me forever.

Alright, next on the agenda is creating a forest, but after seeing this scenery, I feel like taking it easy for a while. Let’s have a relaxing break with Bell and the others.

“Everyone, let’s take a short break. I’ll bring out some light snacks and drinks, so let’s relax for a bit.”

I set up a table and arranged sandwiches, tea, and juice that can be easily enjoyed.

“Yuta, don’t you have any alcohol?”

“No, I don’t.”

If I were to serve alcohol here, I can already see that this short break would turn into a night-long party. I pretend not to notice the slightly disappointed Dyne and gather everyone, starting a simple tea party-like event.

While munching on my sandwich, I feed kebabs to Bell, give Rain an extra thick sandwich to eat, pour a drink for Turu, and give Tamamo a fluffy pat.

“Master, should I help?”

“Hmm? No, it’s alright. Don’t worry about me. It’s important for Sara and the others to communicate well with Fuku-chan and share their experiences. Building a stronger bond with their contracted spirits is the most important thing.”

“Understood. I’ll do my best to get closer to them too.” “I’ll do my best too!” “Me too!”

Phew, that was close. I just wanted a change of pace, so I was doting on Bell and the others, but as their mentor, I can’t say things like that.

While watching Sara and the others diligently taking care of Fuku-chan, I feel relieved. Communication is truly important, and I wasn’t lying about that. So, there shouldn’t be any problems.

After the lively tea party, I enter the shade of the Spirit Tree and lie down on the newly grown lawn. It’s been a while since I’ve lied down on the grass like this, probably since my college days. Since coming here, I’ve been forcefully experiencing the harshness of nature, so I prefer places like this, where human hands have intervened a little.

I eat my sandwich and feel warm seeing the satisfied children playing on the grass. I’m completely in a fatherly mood. Sara and the others are also showing more childish sides, and they’ve been eating a lot, so they’re starting to fill out. They’re going to grow rapidly from now on, I suppose.

Even though I came to a different world, I haven’t had any decent encounters. Maybe I should just let those kids call me dad and spend the rest of my days leisurely raising them. Rather than causing trouble by forcibly going into human settlements, a relaxed slow life in the land of death seems to make me and others happier.

…Wait. That’s probably not a good idea. I am not asking for a harem or anything extravagant anymore, but I at least want a wife. I want to catch a very beautiful wife and enjoy a leisurely lovey-dovey slow life in the land of death.

Without any reason, I was suddenly thrown into this harsh land. I can’t die without experiencing something good. I’ll create an ideal living environment in the land of death and live life with a smile.

“Yuta, your expression keeps changing from gloomy to happy. Is something wrong?”

Lost in thought about a happy future, I suddenly noticed Silphy peering into my face. It’s a little embarrassing.

“I was just reminiscing about what happened since coming here. I never imagined I’d be able to lie down on the grass like this. I’ve actually worked quite hard, haven’t I?”

It’s self-praise, but I think it’s okay to praise oneself. Taking a nap on the lawn under the shade of the Spirit Tree in the barren land of death is already a winning situation if I had a wife.

“Hehe, you’re right. Yuta, I think you’ve worked quite hard.”

I was praised. In reality, not much time has passed since I started remembering the past, but because it has been quite an intense and fulfilling life, I genuinely feel happy when praised.

While watching Sara and the others playing and Bell and the others happily frolicking in the greenery, I spend a relaxed time. The more comfortable the spring house becomes, the more enjoyable moments like this I can have, and it motivates me. It’s about time to create a forest.

“Dolly, I’m going to expand the forest by one more block. Where do you think would be good?”

“Well, if it’s closer to the Spirit Tree, it will have a positive impact on the forest. So, I think adjacent areas would be good.”

As time passes and the Spirit Tree becomes more rooted in the soil, it seems that it doesn’t matter where the forest is created in the base. But for now, it’s better to choose an adjacent area.

“Then let’s create the forest deeper into the Spirit Tree. Please provide the seeds. Eventually, I plan to release small animals into the forest, so it would be nice if there are trees bearing fruits that can serve as their food.”

“Understood. I will prepare them for you.”

I thank Dolly with a smile and everyone moves to the deeper block of the Spirit Tree.

“Well then, while planting, listen to Tamamo about the seeds she has prepared. It’s the first time for Sara and the others, but if you bring the seeds you want to plant in front of Tamao, she will guide you.”

After I finish explaining, everyone except for the Great Spirit lines up in front of Tamamo. Today, Tamamo is playing a major role. She seems happy, as she flies in the air, not only wagging her tail but also shaking her whole bottom.

Actually, if I relied on Dolly, she could make them grow instantly. For a moment, I thought that might be convenient and good, but I chose to involve everyone in the forest creation because it would create a stronger sense of attachment. The children seem to be having fun, so I think I made the right choice. Well then, should I plant some seeds too?

I join in and receive guidance from Tamamo on where to plant the seeds, and one by one, I plant them. It’s strange how it strains my lower back. It’s unfair that even if I become a man capable of defeating a dragon, my back still gets sore.

Or maybe it’s just my misconception that this kind of work causes back pain. When I do agricultural work next time, I’ll try to believe that there’s no way my back would hurt.

“We’ve planted all the seeds now. Dolly, I’ll leave it to you. Everyone, please step back behind me.”

Dolly nods in response to my request, takes a step forward, and waves her hand. Suddenly, sprouts start popping up from the seeds we planted, one after another.

Apparently, the hand-waving action isn’t necessary at all, but she’s doing it to make it easier for me to understand. Silphy told me about it when we were having drinks after I consulted with the Great Spirit. I’m really grateful for her thoughtfulness.

Last time, when I had trees grown, they had already grown to a considerable size. So, this sight is the first time I’m witnessing it. While Tamamo had been growing them in sections, Dolly can easily make an entire block grow at once. Sara and the others express their astonishment and are captivated by the scene before them.

And then, with another wave of the hand, the sprouts grow rapidly, turning into a magnificent forest. I thought the same last time, but with this ability, I could become a lumber merchant. However, adventurers earn more money, so I won’t pursue that path.

“We’re done. Now, as before, please ask Nomos.”

“Thank you, Dolly. It was nutritious soil, right? Nomos, I’ll bring it out now, so can you take care of it?”

Since the rapid growth has depleted the soil’s nutrients, it seems necessary to add nutritious soil to the forest.

“Well, it’d be better to do it sooner rather than later. Bring out the forest soil there.”

As Nomos says, I bring out the new soil from my magic bag, pouring it out generously. The fluffy soil mixes with the depleted soil, blending together. The exhausted soil will be carried to another block and gradually recover over time under Nomos’s care. Healthy soil will continue to spread around the base, making the dream of a large forest not far off.

However, we haven’t really utilized most of the blocks we’ve developed. With the continuous increase of healthy soil, we need to think about how to use the available blocks.

After finishing mixing the soil, I thank Nomos and have a slightly late lunch. Since I had sandwiches as a light snack, it’s just right.

Once lunch is over, what should I do? Sara and the others went to conquer the nest yesterday, so today we can focus on training here. As for me… I don’t have anything specific to do.

It’s still too early to secure small animals since the forest needs some more time to bear fruits, and we haven’t decided what to do with the other blocks. For now, I guess I’ll process the wood to make it easier to use until I come up with something.

Even if it’s not possible to build a house, I could make a simple storage or furniture… I have money, so buying something would be quicker and get me better quality. Besides, we already have storage and magic bags, so they’re not necessary. Seriously, what should I do?

Well, that’s it… Since I can’t find a clear task, I should think carefully about the plans going forward. There are plenty of things missing at the spring house. If I think about it for a bit, I should be able to find a mountain of things that need to be done.

Hmm?… Come to think of it, Dolly can create seeds, right? Something very important to me… I feel like I can do it. Sharpen your senses. If it goes well, a feeling of happiness will come… Rice?