CH 48

Towards the Living Earth

———————–

Upon hearing the whisky review from Nomos, the Great Spirits were convinced that humans were very knowledgeable about gourmet food and drink. Most people should know what tastes good or what has a good aroma. It’s not that my senses are dull or anything.

“Yuta-san, this drink is whisky, right? It’s very delicious. You have ice in it, but how does it change the taste? Is it better with ice?” Dolly asked a difficult question. I want to give a cool answer… Was there any cool expression? Oh, I remember, something like a smooth velvet texture… Was that about whisky? Or was it about wine? …I should give up trying to act like I know something. Offering superficial knowledge to someone who has a strong preference for taste is dangerous.

“Well, it’s just my opinion, but the cold ice chills the drink, and when you put it in your mouth and it warms up, the aroma seems to spread out a lot. So whether putting ice in it makes it tastier or not, it depends on the person’s preference. Some people say that drinking it straight is the best, while others say that diluting it with water is the best. Dolly should try different ways and see what she likes.”

“That’s right. I see. Then, I’ll try putting ice in it, too,” Dolly said, asking Sylphy to shave some ice for her. I might feel sorry for Sylphy. She’ll probably be asked to shave the ice several more times.

“Putting ice in it is also good, but as for my preference, I like it straight. I feel like the taste might loosen up as the ice melts,” Dolly said, sharing her opinion. I’ve heard that watering it down is the best way to drink it, but in the end, it depends on the person’s taste.

“You’re making a strange face. Is something wrong?” Dolly asked.

“No, I just felt a little awkward. In my hometown, kids who look about the same age as you aren’t allowed to drink alcohol,” I said.

“Haha. As a Great Spirit, I’m a little older than you, so it’s okay for me to drink. Don’t worry,” Dolly said.

Just a little older… I shouldn’t poke fun at her about that. I understand that much.

“Hahaha, that seems to be the case. Well, as long as it’s okay to drink, then it’s fine. The rules in my world don’t apply to this world,” I replied, trying to change the subject. I felt that continuing this kind of conversation could be dangerous.

“Speaking of which, Dolly, is any kind of forest soil okay? I can’t tell good soil from bad soil,” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“Well, if it’s soil from the forest, it’s better than the soil here. So you don’t have to worry too much about it,” Dolly reassured me.

I thought about it calmly and realized that it made sense. It was just soil from a place where plants grow, so it must be several times better than the soil of the land of death. I wondered what kind of war could destroy nature to such an extent.

“Got it. Then I’ll take as much as I can,” I said.

“I’m looking forward to it. And don’t forget about the insects,” Dolly reminded him.

Right, insects. I couldn’t fit them in my magic bag, so I needed to prepare a bag or something to carry them in. As for collecting soil, it would be best to do it when I return.

“By the way, how much soil and insects do we need to collect?” I asked.

“Well, if you can get a block’s worth of soil from the ground you dug up, that should be enough. But we won´t have a problem if there’s more. The more we have, the smoother the development will go. As for insects… they’re good for the soil, so please collect as many as possible,” Dolly answered.

I was fine with the soil, but I wondered how many insects would be enough. I decided not to think about it too deeply and just collect more if I didn’t have enough.

I feel like I talked to Dolly more than usual thanks to the effects of alcohol. Normally, she just watches over me with a smile. It seems like in another world, occasions for drinking are important.

From there, Sylphy and Dyne, who surprisingly couldn’t handle alcohol well, started making a fuss and the drinking party turned into one that I’m familiar with. It was good that it didn’t end with the atmosphere of a sake-tasting party from the start.

——-

Morning already? It’s inconvenient without windows even if it’s for precaution against monsters. I get up from my sand bed, purify myself, and tidy up my appearance. The drinking party yesterday was fun, but two bottles of sake and whiskey among five people wasn’t enough.

The waking up experience is comfortable, but it’s more interesting to drink until you’re drunk and experience a hangover. Although you’ll definitely think you’ll never drink again. Thinking of silly things like that, I leave the bedroom, store away the rock blocking the door, and head to the kitchen.

“Good morning, Yuta!”

“Kyu kyu!”

“Good morning!”

“Kuuu!”

The Bell Gang greets me cheerfully. While returning their greetings, I pat their heads and prepare breakfast. However, the scene of the young girl, dolphin, boy, and fox cub floating and greeting me while being fluffy doesn’t even feel strange anymore.

It’s scary how quickly I’m getting used to this world even though I haven’t been here for that long. While playing with the Bell gang, I take out the prepared seafood from my magic bag and have breakfast.

“Yuta, good morning. Yesterday was fun.”

“Good morning, Sylphy. I want to drink again, but we don’t have much alcohol. Let’s have another drinking party when we get some of this world’s alcohol.”

“Okay. But promote the alcohol from your world here. It was delicious.”

Nomos conveyed his wishes, adding it without even greeting us in the morning. Hmm, ale and wine seem to be available, so can we make it if we distill it? There should be a difference in the stage of alcohol before distillation, but if it’s similar, we might be able to make it.

“Good morning, Nomos. If I make a contract with you, you can make glass products, right? I think we can make similar alcohol if you make a distiller for me. But it takes time to age, at least twelve years, right?”

“Distiller? I don’t really understand, but if I can make it, I’ll do it. As for aging, it’s nothing for us spirits.”

“But at least three years of aging is needed before drinking. Once we make a contract, I’ll teach you how to make it. But since I am just an amateur with little knowledge, I don’t know if we can make delicious alcohol like yesterday.”

“If I have a general understanding, I’ll somehow make it. I’m looking forward to it.”

…This guy is only thinking about alcohol. It might have something to do with his dwarf-like appearance. I wonder if I can meet a real dwarf when I go to the labyrinth city?

I think of this as I look at the earth spirit, who is showing a sloppy expression and seems to be only thinking about alcohol. If real dwarves are like this, it might be dangerous to talk about alcohol carelessly.

—–

“Yuta, hurry up and call us!”

“Kyuu!”

“We’re waiting!”

“Kuuu!”

“I know. I’ll summon you once we arrive at the labyrinth city and secure our lodging. Be good and wait patiently, okay?”

There was a little trouble before departing for the labyrinth city. The Bell gang seemed to be planning to fly together with us, and when I told them that only Sylphy was going with me, they were shocked and looked betrayed. Apparently, they had enjoyed the previous skywalk and were looking forward to it again today.

Bell clinging onto my head. Rain and Tamamo pleading with their cute meows, while Turu silently looks up at me with watery eyes. I feel so guilty.

I explain to them that it will take some time, but I promise to summon them as soon as I can after I have settled down in the city and that we will continue our flying training there. They seem to understand and agree.

“Yuta, even if you enjoy the labyrinth city, don’t forget to come back here,” Dyne warns me.

“Don’t worry, I plan to come back frequently. And make sure you consider the conditions too,” I reply.

——–

It only takes about four hours one way, so it’s possible to do a day trip if we want. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to alternate between here and the labyrinth city every few days. This is the only villa in the deadly wasteland, and whether it’s good or bad, it has a certain romantic charm.

“Well, don’t get killed,” Dyne says.

“I’ll be careful,” I assured her before turning to Sylphy. “Let’s go.”

“Understood. Let me know if you need anything besides taking breaks,” Sylphy says.

I nod and we take off, my body lifting up lightly. I wave to the spirits before we disappear from sight. We’re so fast, I wonder how fast we can fly. The house by the spring quickly becomes a small speck…oh, I can’t see it anymore. Sylphy is so fast. I was a complete turtle during our last flying lesson.

“Yuta, if it’s okay, I can increase our speed. Are you sure you’re okay with that?” Sylphy asks.

I gave her the go-ahead.

“It’s no problem, but are you sure you won’t get tired, Sylphy?” I ask.

“I’m not tired at all, so let’s increase our speed,” Sylphy says.

The speed picks up…? It’s so fast that I can’t really tell the difference. I’m just lying comfortably in the air, without feeling the wind. It’s so comfortable that I could fall asleep.

“Yuta, are you tired? Shall we take a break soon?” Sylphy asks.

“Oh, Sylphy. I’m not tired at all. If I need a break to go to the bathroom, I’ll let you know,” I reply.

I can change my position freely and even eat or drink from my magic bag if I feel like it. I’m enjoying the scenery right now, but if I get bored of it, it’s comfortable enough to read a book. I wish there were a bookstore in the labyrinth city, but fantasy books are probably expensive in this world.

“Are you sure? You don’t have to push yourself,” Sylphy says.

“No, it’s really comfortable, so I’m not pushing myself at all.”

In fact, I feel like I could sleep better here than on a bed of sand. It’s a little sad because I had a brilliant idea about a bed made of sand.

As Sylphy and I chat and admire the scenery, we begin to see sporadic vegetation appearing in the deadly wasteland.

“Sylphy, is that grass or trees growing?” I ask.

“Yes. We’re approaching the end of the deadly wasteland. From now on, the natural world will become more abundant. Enjoy it,” Sylphy says.

As Sylphy had said, the scenery became more abundant the further they went. Plants began to subtly increase, adding color to the landscape. Grass grew, turning into a grassy plain, which then transformed into a forest. A river flowed, leading to a lake. When I saw a village, I was overjoyed.

“It’s amazing, Sylphy. This is what a living earth looks like,” I said.

“Hehe, do you like it?” she replied.

“Of course. It makes my heart race,” I said.

From a barren wasteland to a nature-filled paradise, it became clear that greenery is essential for humans. When I saw this scenery, I understood that the dead land was truly dead. It wasn’t a place for humans to live.

“We’re almost at the labyrinth city. We’ll stand out if we fly there, so I think it’s better to land and walk the rest of the way. What do you think?” she asked.

… We could appear in the labyrinth city while flying and attract a lot of attention, but given our current situation, it seemed like trouble. We needed to get used to their surroundings first before drawing attention to themselves.

“Let’s land in a less conspicuous place and walk,” she said.

“Understood. We’ll avoid being seen and land in that forest,” he replied.

Without hesitation, we descended into the forest after completing our reconnaissance. My debut into this world was just around the corner, and I was determined to enjoy it to the fullest.