Chapter 51

The development of the forest clearing has taken an unexpected turn.

I never thought Shuri would carry away all the stumps.

What could she possibly use them for?

I look at the hole Shuri goes in and out of.

I could probably fit in there.

Out of curiosity, I peek in... it looks like I might fall in.

It’s just a hole, but I feel a chill for some reason. Is it just me?

...

Koren and the others have brought back prey again today.

They are dissecting it, but there are so many.

It would be a real problem if we couldn’t use magic.

The skins go to the young ogres.

When I try to dissect the last prey, it’s gone.

?

There was one left, but there’s a trail leading from where it was... to Shuri’s hole.

Do ants eat meat?

As I watch the hole, the young ants come out covered in blood.

...Too surreal.

I quietly shift my gaze.

The stumps are gone, leaving a bumpy ground.

I wonder what to do next.

The young ants keep coming out of the hole and burrowing into the soil.

??

I watch to see what they are doing, and they seem to be moving through the soil.

??

I keep watching.

So, ants can till the soil. That’s impressive.

Thank you.

Now that the soil is tilled, what should I do with it?

In Japan, planting vegetables is standard, but there’s nothing here.

Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any root vegetables here.

"Is there any vegetable that grows in the soil around here?"

In my mind, I recall potatoes, sweet potatoes, and radishes.

Seeds or the vegetables themselves would be fine.

Vegetables are originally wild plants that have been cultivated.

I think there must be some wild varieties in the forest somewhere.

Shuri tilts her head slightly... is it impossible?

She suddenly takes the young ants out.

Huh? The young spiders are with them too?

You don’t have to push yourself.

...

Karen has returned.

I was worried because she hadn’t come back in three days...

She seems to have grown during that time.

But, that growth is strange!

Why is she three times her original size?

Three days ago, she was still the size of a small bird.

This size change is the most dramatic, even surpassing the queen.

The queen grows a little each day and is now the same size as Koren.

I’m worried about how much more she will grow.

The young spiders are also growing secretly.

Could Shuri grow too?

I’m anxious.

Karen has returned with a round body and wings... a 【mysterious creature?】

It’s like a ball of yarn with wings, such a strange... what is it?

It has wings but doesn’t fly with them; it just floats.

What’s the purpose of those wings?

For now, I feel a curse, so I use “Purification.”

The body, which was dark and murky, turned into a beautiful deep blue.

So, what is this creature?

We have a new companion, a type that is impossible to identify: “fluffy.”