CH 135

Forest Creatures – i novels

()x10-13 minutes

I came to the forest to search for small animals. Turu and Tamamo caught a mysterious and adorable rabbit unique to the otherworld called Tamatora and brought it back for me.

Hmm, maybe I should dedicate a block specifically for small animals. I’ll gather these soothing little creatures and create a Fluff Kingdom. I will reign as its king and collect healing and comfort every day. It feels like a pretty good plan.

In this otherworld, I will become the Mutsurou-san!!

“Yuta-chan, why are you clenching your fist and looking up at the sky? Are you okay?”

Lost in my new ambition, I ended up worrying Dene.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just getting myself pumped up. I need to find small animals too, so I won’t lose to Turu and the others.”

I pumped myself up and searched through the forest. I paid careful attention to the holes in the ground, especially because I wanted to find more Tamatora.

————-

I can’t find them. I can’t find any small animals. All that comes near me are monsters. I’m tired of goblins and orcs.

“Hey, Sylphy, it feels like there are no small animals around. Is it just my imagination?”

“It’s your imagination. Yuta, you’re skillfully avoiding the small animals while searching. In a way, I think it’s an amazing talent.”

Sylphy said it casually with a cool expression. It stings a bit when she says it so casually. But I never realized I had such a talent.

It’s too heartbreaking that I’m useless both on Earth and in this otherworld. I’m starting to feel a dark cloud looming over the construction of the Fluff Kingdom. Should I just ask Sylphy for help?

When I looked at Sylphy, she tilted her head as if asking what’s wrong, so I shook my head. …I didn’t want to ask the Great Spirit for help in finding small animals because I thought it would be too easy. They would probably lend their power easily, but it would be quite pathetic. I’ll keep that as a last resort. For now, I’ll do my best on my own.

“Oh, now Bell and Rain are coming this way.”

Bell and Rain have also caught small animals. If I don’t catch them faster than Sara and the others, my dignity as their master… I’m starting to feel rushed.

“Yuta, I caught one!” “Kyukyu!”

Even though they’re still a distance away, Bell and Rain loudly announce their catch. They’re full of energy. Bell and Rain, who flew over with a soft flutter, show me the small animals they proudly caught.

They’re… adorable. Why are small animals so cute? But sadly, they’re looking at me with fear. If this continues, all the small animals brought by everyone will end up being afraid of me. Is the Fluff Kingdom going to be okay?

“Yuta?” “Kyu?”

As I’m lost in my thoughts, Bell and Rain tilt their heads, wondering what’s wrong. First, I should praise Bell and Rain.

“It’s nothing. Thank you for catching these cute creatures. Do you know what kind of animal this is?”

I feel like I’ve seen them before, but I can’t remember. They’re about fifteen centimeters in size with round, pretty eyes. They look like squirrels, but a little different.

“It’s a flying squirrel.” “Kyukyu!”

I see, so it’s a flying squirrel. That’s what I heard, but I guess it has a different name. Well, if it’s understandable, “flying squirrel” is easy to grasp.

“Flying squirrel, huh? It’s cute.”

“So adorable!” “Kyukyu!”

“It’s amazing, right?” Bell and Rain proudly puff out their chests. Yeah, Bell and Rain are also incredibly cute. I can’t help but pet them.

“They are so tiny, yet you managed to find them so well. Where were they?”

Information gathering is important to keep up with Sara and the others.

“Well, they were in tree hollows. They were sleeping,” Bell explains while showing me the flying squirrel. Next to her, Rain nods in agreement. So the flying squirrels were in tree hollows. It’s strange that I couldn’t find them even though I searched those hollows many times. It’s quite mysterious.

“Thank you for telling me.”

I express my gratitude and continue petting Bell and Rain. I accidentally almost let the flying squirrel escape, so I hurriedly ask Sylphy to put it to sleep.

“Let’s catch more!” “Kyukyu!”

After thoroughly petting them, I bid farewell to the enthusiastic Bell and Rain as they fly off with renewed motivation. I also focus and search for small animals.

Searching the tree hollows and holes in the ground is the right approach. Using the increased physical abilities I’ve gained from leveling up, I swiftly check one hole after another. It feels good when my body moves exactly as I want it to. But I still can’t find any small animals…

I’m doing my best, but for some reason, I can’t find any small animals. It’s making me a bit sad. Maybe there’s a strange curse on me, or is it the Guild Master’s doing?

————–

“Oh, Sara and the others have also caught small animals. Let’s go there and guide them.”

Oh no! I couldn’t make it in time. Well, it’s not like Sara and the others would make fun of me for not catching small animals. But it’s something I’d rather avoid to maintain my dignity as their master.

“…………Sylphy, please tell me where the small animals are. Please!”

I clasped my hands together and pleaded with Sylphy.

“Well, I guess that’s fine, but is that okay? You’ve been trying so hard until now, haven’t you?”

Compared to the appearance I put on in front of the children, my efforts seem like garbage. Well, I can’t make a good impression this time, so I’ll just maintain the minimum level.

“It’s not a problem! Please, I’m begging you!”

“Yuta-chan, in a way, you’re quite straightforward.”

Dyne, you’re so noisy.

“Phew, alright, stop bowing your head like that. Try looking at the base of that tree,” Sylphy finally relents.

“Thank you, Sylphy.”

I immediately run toward the tree that Sylphy pointed to. Looking at the base, I see a hole. Peering into the hole, there’s a round object. That’s Tamatora. Thanks to my dark vision, I can clearly perceive its form. I get a little excited because I’ve only seen empty holes until now.

Tamatora is at the back of the hole. Hmm, it seems a bit out of reach. I take out my magic shovel and quickly dig a hole. The completely terrified Tamatora looks at me. I’m sorry, but you’ll be caught for my ambition. I’ll make the Fluff Kingdom a good country, I promise.

After successfully capturing Tamatora, it struggles with its short limbs, resisting with “poo, poo.” I feel guilty, but it’s so cute. This one is white. A snow Tamatora, perhaps? Although it doesn’t snow on this continent, it stands out, I suppose.

To prevent it from being pitiable, I quickly take it to Sylphy and ask her to put it to sleep. This is just self-satisfaction, but at least I’ve preserved my honor as their master. However, I feel like the evaluation from Sylphy and Dyne has dropped a bit. Well, let’s resolve that with some alcohol.

But I started to feel a bit anxious. I calmed my mind and waited for Sara and the others to return. They came back with Kikka holding a black rabbit in both hands. Ah, so not all of them are round. There are normal rabbits too. It seems they come in a variety of colors, but the Fluff Kingdom might turn into a Rabbit Kingdom.

“Master, we caught one!”

Marco reported, and Kikka showed me the rabbit she caught. Even though the normal rabbit is struggling, Kikka, with her increased level and strength, holds it firmly.

“Oh, that’s amazing. Thank you, everyone. First, to prevent the rabbits from being pitiable, let’s have Sylphy put it to sleep. Kikka, keep holding the rabbit because it will fall asleep suddenly, so don’t be startled.”

Sylphy flicked the rabbit with her finger, and it instantly fell asleep. As always, it’s a brief moment. I entrust the sleeping rabbit to Sylphy and listen to what Sara and the others have to say.

“I see, so you managed to handle the wolves calmly. There shouldn’t be any problems in this forest, but be careful not to let your guard down.”

It seems they were attacked by monsters several times, but they handled it carefully. Dolly also nods with a smile, so I guess they were able to watch over them with peace of mind.

“Understood.” “Got it.” “Yeah.”

“Then, let’s take a short break.”

I take out apple juice, which is Kika’s favorite, and hand it to Sara and the others. I also provide them with water. After exploring in this heat, they should be happy to have a cold juice. As I expected, Sara and the others drink the juice with smiles.

I thought about making sports drinks, but don’t you just add salt and sugar to water?… It doesn’t seem like it would taste good, so let’s not do it.

————–

We took a lunch break and continued searching for small animals until evening. The onigiri we ate in the forest tasted quite good. Everyone seemed happy while eating, so I’m satisfied.

However, I still can’t find any small animals when I search. I’m starting to feel like I’m genuinely cursed. Should I perform a purification ritual? There’s no shrine around, so maybe a church… But as someone without any religious affiliation, or rather, as a Buddhist, is it okay for me to go to a church?

I’m unreliable, but Bell, Sara, and the others did their best. I also managed to catch about five small animals with Sylphy’s help, but I can’t be proud of myself.

By evening, we had gathered thirty small animals. Ten Tamatora, six normal rabbits, six flying squirrels, and eight small monkeys. The small monkeys apparently don’t grow much even when they’re adults, staying around thirty centimeters. They primarily eat fruits and nuts, so we decided to take them with us.

We also caught a tiny frog and a mouse, among other things, but we released the animals that didn’t seem suitable for bringing back. It would be a problem if the mice multiplied or if the tiny frogs turned into giant frogs.

I look at the animals that I caught and entrusted to Sylphy. There are many rabbits, and their colorful appearance creates a lively atmosphere.

“Alright, let’s quickly have dinner here and head back. Sylphy, please make sure no monsters approach.”

“Understood.”

I can rely on Sylphy for that. It will become late if we eat after returning home. I set up tables and chairs, and we have rice dishes and street food for dinner. We can’t leave the animals asleep forever; we need to eat quickly and hurry back.

Some of them woke up along the way, but since they didn’t eat the fruit I gave them, I should take them to a more suitable place to settle down. Oh, before we arrive, I need to cast a thorough cleansing spell.

Wild animals can be difficult, they say, but I’m not planning to keep them as pets. I wonder how it will be when we move them from one forest to another. I have some concerns.