CH 89

Waterway opening

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After a few days of contracting with Nomos, various things were made, and my life has quietly improved. Nomos took charge of managing the entire land, so even the land of the makeshift fields and planned forest areas that I somehow put together has transformed into a state that is not inferior to the thriving earth.

Turu is working hard with Nomos to manage the land, and Tamamo is diligently managing the fields while asking Dolly, “Ku ku,” something. It seems like a good flow has been created around the spring house, and everyone is lively.

“Well then, Dolly, I’m counting on you.”

We are all gathered in the planned forest area. Since the soil has improved overall, today we are finally planning to make the planned forest area grow into a forest.

Thanks to Tamamo’s hard work in taking care of the planned forest area, the trees have grown to a size that can hardly be called saplings. I felt a little sorry for Tamamo’s efforts, but she seems excited about Dolly’s magic, wagging her tail happily, so it should be fine.

“Understood. Here I go.”

When Dolly waves her hand, the trees that had been growing at a faster pace than normal thanks to Tamamo’s help until now suddenly started growing at an accelerated pace, as if in fast forward.

“We’re done.”

Dolly says with a smile. Behind her are splendid trees that could be called a forest without any problem. Great spirits are amazing.

“Thank you, Dolly. Does the fact that they have grown mean that there are already trees bearing fruit?”

It would be fun to have a fruit picking event or something.

“No, that will take a little more time. We have achieved years to decades of growth in an instant, so the trees are under strain. Please give them time to recover and replenish the soil nutrients.”

I see. Fruit picking is still not possible. And it seems that the nutrients are lacking as well. I’ll ask Nomos to replace the soil later.

While it will take a bit more time for the fruits, I’m genuinely happy that we can enjoy forest bathing in the land that was once lifeless. We’re planning to finish the construction of the waterway by the end of today, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a little stroll in the forest.

“Well then, let’s take a walk in the forest for a bit.”

I call out to Sara and the others who are slightly dumbfounded by the creation of the forest, and we enter the newly formed forest, taking a leisurely walk.

…Something feels off. There are no plants other than the trees. I felt the discomfort because there were no grass or shrubs that should be there. It’s easy to walk, but maybe we should consider adding some grass and such? I’ll discuss it with Dolly and Tamamo.

We walk through the forest, enjoying the comfortable shade. Bell and the others slip through the gaps between the trees, playing chase. They said it’s more fun to jump when there are obstacles.

As we walk, we come across the pond I made as per Dyne’s request. It was a bit challenging to make it round as she requested. But seeing it in the forest, it looks nice, just as Dyne said.

Passing through the dimly lit gaps between the trees, we come to a small round pond sparkling in the sunlight. It feels like a fairy tale world… Or rather, a fantasy world, so I guess it’s not wrong?

I would like to enjoy the forest a little longer, but it’s time to return to the construction of the waterway. I’ll take a leisurely walk in the forest later. I go back to the partially dug waterway and resume the work, aiming for its completion.

As I’m fitting the processed rocks into the ground, I think about how to utilize the blocks we have developed. The development is progressing smoothly, but for now, most of the developed blocks are just vacant land with improved soil.

I could increase the forest like before, or grow some grass. It might also be a good idea to relocate and expand the fields. I’ve already planted tomato seedlings I bought, and the current fields are getting cramped.

At this point, I’m tempted to do it all, but Nomos is working hard to designate the area as a sanctuary, so I have to be careful about making any major changes.

If the sanctuary is successfully designated, the Great Spirits can materialize and live there, and they are expressing their desire for a home. Even Nomos seems to be considering building a sake brewery.

When Dyne asked, “Onee-chan wants a home when it becomes a sanctuary,” I couldn’t believe my ears.

I never expected to be in a situation where a rich person would give their lover an apartment. And it’s even more awkward because there’s no romance involved at all.

Upon hearing the details, I learned that despite being Great Spirits, they lived in nature just like any other spirits, except for the Spirit King. So, if they can materialize without any issues, they want to experience human life.

They’re not seeking a mansion; they seem content with something like the mobile base I carved out of rocks. That’s a relief, to be honest.

However, I realize that becoming a sanctuary will bring about more changes in their living environment than I initially thought. I’m slightly concerned about whether the Great Spirits will be able to adapt to a life similar to humans.

Lost in various thoughts, I suddenly realize that the construction of the waterway has reached its final block. I’ve connected the waterway through all twenty-five blocks to create a square spiral pattern.

In the end, Dyne will clean the water and return it to the ground from the last block. Since it’s an opportunity, I plan to create a large reservoir on the last block, secretly thinking if it could be turned into a fishing spot.

We have the nearby sea for fishing, but I think it would be nice to have aquatic plants in the waterway, the intermediate ponds, and the final reservoir so that river fish can thrive while keeping the central spring pristine.

“All right! Once we create a large spring here, it will be complete.”

“Hehe. It would be so easy if we asked Nomos, but you’re working hard.”

“Well, that’s true, but there are things I want to do on my own. Besides, after putting in so much effort, it feels a bit sad to leave everything to the spirits.”

Actually, there’s another reason. If things continue like this, the role of the development tools will diminish… There are still many tools I haven’t used, but with the Great Spirits capable of doing so much, my presence is fading considerably.

I should make the most of my cheat skills and find something that can only be done with exploration tools. It would be a waste if I couldn’t shine in anything other than the magic bag and attacks.

“Well, it’s good not to rely too much on spirits and do things you can do on your own. I’m really happy with your mindset, Yuta.”

I’ve been hearing Silphy’s response over and over again. It must be an important thing. It’s fine to cooperate with spirits and rely on difficult tasks, but depending too much on spirits is not good, I think.

Well, I’m being quite spoiled, so it’s not a problem for me, but if Silphy is happy, there must be quite a few people who have angered the spirits. I wonder what happened to those who angered the spirits… It takes some courage to ask about that.

“Hey, Silphy. I think there have been people who contracted with spirits and angered them. What happened to them?”

“Hehe. You want to know about that? It’s not a very pleasant story, you know?”

Silphy, the cool beauty, looks at me suspiciously with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Hmm, I’ll refrain from asking then.”

Silphy smiled, but her eyes didn’t. Did something unpleasant happen to Silphy herself? Let’s just seal this topic for now. There’s no need to feel unnecessary fear.

“Is that so? Well, I’m sure Yuta will be fine, and maybe it’s better that way.”

Even among close friends, there should be manners. Yeah, I’ll engrave those words in my heart.

“Yuta!”

After finishing digging the hole and arranging the rocks, I tapped my stiff waist when Bell came flying and plopped into my chest.

“Are you done with work?”

Bell looked up at me with sparkling eyes. She must be excited because I had told her that we would release the water once we finished digging the pond, and she couldn’t wait.

“Yeah, I’m done. We’ll be releasing the water soon, so gather Rain and the others and wait by the spring.”

While stroking Bell’s head, I informed her about the completed task.

“We did it! Let’s go!”

With a flurry of fluttering limbs, Bell left with a cheerful “Kyafu!” She’s full of energy, ready to play.

“Well then, Silphy. Shall we head back?”

“Yes, shall we fly?”

“Nah, it’s not that far, so let’s walk and loosen up our bodies.”

I leisurely walked, rotating my hips, towards the spring at the center of our base. Calling it the “center spring” sounds bland. I should come up with a name for it.

Hmm, I can’t think of a good name right now. For now, let’s just call it the Fountain Spring. We strolled lazily and met up with Sara along the way, eventually arriving at the Fountain Spring.

All the spirits have gathered, and it looks like we can release the water soon. Dyne is excited, and Nomos, who usually run away when there are children around, are staying put. It seems like they’re watching over the completion of the waterway.

“Dyne, we’re going to release the water now.”

“Hehe, Yuta-chan, thank you! Onee-chan is so happy!”

Dyne, with a smiling face, patted my head with joy. She’s so happy that she doesn’t stop petting me, no matter how much time passes.

It’s getting a bit too long, and it’s starting to irritate me, but even among close friends, there should be manners. Isn’t it strange to handle this situation so casually, even though it’s only been half a day since we last saw each other?

“…………Dyne, how long are you going to keep petting me? Shouldn’t we release the water soon?”

I spoke gently, trying not to let my irritation show in my voice. …Maybe Dyne should be in a different category? I feel like my stomach would suffer if I tried to endure it any longer. I wonder if stomach holes can be healed in this world. Oh, right, Dolly said that if you have a Spirit Tree Fruit, you can heal almost anything as long as you’re not dead. A hole in the stomach would probably heal quickly.

“Oh, right, I forgot! I was so happy that I forgot about the waterway.”

She really should remember considering the effort we put into it.

“Haha. Well then, let’s release the water soon.”

We all faced the pond we created in the forest and removed the rocks that were damming the water.

“It’s flowing!” “Kyu!” “Splendid!” “Kuuuu!”

Bell and the others flew after the water flowing in the waterway. Oh, Dyne is leading the way. When did she move up front? For a moment, I considered chasing after them, but then I remembered how far they had already traveled and decided to stop.

“Master, can I go after them too?”

Marco asked with an eager expression, and I nodded in response. He dashed off after the water with the enthusiasm of a released hunting dog. Uri happily followed Marco. Marco is a werewolf beastman, so even though he’s supposed to be a magic user, a spirit mage, he seems to have an abundance of physical strength. Maybe I should look for a weapons teacher for him at some point.

“Sara and Kika can go too.”

When I called out to them, Sara and Kika shook their heads. They seem to be the type who conserves their energy. Fukuchan seems curious about where the water is going, but she doesn’t leave Sarah’s side. They seem to have become quite close.

Speaking of which, it might be time to let Kika form a contract with a floating spirit. She could have formed the contract magically a few days ago, but I haven’t done it yet to leave a safety margin.

Since she has leveled up several times since the first ime, it should be fine now. I’ll ask Sylphy to bring a good spirit.

“Well, let’s head to the new reservoir.”

With the Great Spirits (excluding Dyne), Sara, and Kika, we arrived at the newly built reservoir. As we waited for the water to flow in, Sarah spoke up.

“Master, what are we going to do after the reservoir is completed?”

“Well, I’m thinking of finishing Kika’s contract and then heading to the Labyrinth City.”

“Really?”

Oh, I was a little surprised. Maybe because we’ve been leveling up together every day, Kika has gotten used to me, but it was unexpected for her to speak up in such a loud voice. Besides when she cried, it’s the first time she’s done it.

“Yeah, it’s true. At first, I think it would be good to have a wind spirit or an earth spirit that makes exploration easier, so think about which one you prefer.”

Kika nodded excitedly. Her animal ears were twitching, and she looked very cute.

“Yuta, the water is coming.”

When I raised my head at Sylphy’s voice, Bell and the others flew in with Dyne leading the way. Marco was a bit behind, running to catch up. The water is about to arrive.

“Sara, Kika, the water is coming.”

I urged the two of them as I looked at the waterway, and they jumped in with the spirits and Marco. It feels like a youthful scene.

Beautiful water flowed into the newly built reservoir, gradually filling it up. At this rate, it looks like it will be full by tomorrow. As I savored the joy of completing the waterway and reservoir, I gazed at the slowly accumulating water.