Chapter 22

On a sweltering late summer evening, how are you doing? It's me, Hermann. Well, I'm quite deep in the Lala swamp right now. And you know what? The water is rising as high as a tree. Seriously, what's up with the underground water source here? Is the water pressure too high? Or is it magic? Or spiritual power? I don't know what's causing it, but it's a pretty mysterious sight. Let's put that aside for now. It's pretty strange, but there's something even more mysterious right in front of me. There's this huge flower that looks like a giant lotus. What is this? I've never seen it in any field guide. Can it be used as a material? Actually, it looks like I could ride it.

I found this thing, but what should I do with it? Is there an alchemist in this village? Maybe this is the time to use the spare directional magic stone pendant I made. I left it there just in case. If there's an alchemist here tomorrow, I'll bring them. That's what I'll do. I'll leave the pendant there and retreat for today. I've been in here for about two hours, so it's pretty deep. It seems shallow from the outside, but I can't handle it.

It took me three and a half hours to get back. I didn't realize I had gone so deep. I was thinking it was a pleasant walk, but so much time had passed. First, I'll wash off the mud and then go to the village chief's house. My boots... I've been wearing tight boots all the time except when I sleep. I change into straw boots when I sleep, but I think tight boots are fine for walking around the village. They're comfortable to walk in.

So, I went to the village chief's house. I didn't forget to knock. That's the adventurer's way.

"Excuse me."

"Yes, yes, I'm coming. -- Oh, hello, is it the toilet?"

"No, I was wondering if there's an alchemist in this village."

"If you go in that direction, you'll find an alchemist's shop. It's the only one that's separate, so it should be easy to find."

"Thank you. I'll go check it out."

I found out where the alchemist's house was from the village chief and headed there. I wonder if this village is mostly made up of farmers like my hometown, Darling Village. There are no hunters, right? It's a swamp, so there are probably no animals to hunt. I don't know about other professions, but...

After walking a bit, I found a building that looked like an alchemist's shop. It's called "looked like" because it's the only one that's separate, but there's no sign, so it's just a guess. But it's probably the right place, so I knocked.

"Excuse me."

"Yes, yes, just a moment. -- Welcome, are you here for potions?"

"No, I came because I have a question."

"? What is it?"

"I want to know about the large flower in the Lala swamp. It's not in any book."

"Could it be the 'Floating Giant Water Lily'? Did you find it?"

"Yes, but I didn't know which part to collect, so I came back. How should I collect it?"

"I don't think it can be used as a material. No one has ever collected it, so we don't know, but it's known to have a strong water attribute. And it's a waste of time to go back to the same place. It's not called the 'Floating Giant Water Lily' for nothing. It moves, you see."

"? ...!! ...Do you mean the trees in the swamp move?"

"Yes. They move about 2 to 10 meters a day. Have you ever seen water overflowing from a place where there shouldn't be any underground water?"

"Yes, I've been wondering about that. The water level would have to be higher than the well to overflow, right?"

"You're knowledgeable. Yes, it's impossible under normal circumstances. It's a unique phenomenon of this sacred site. The location where the water overflows changes over time. So the trees move between each other, and the flower is no longer there. The trees move, and the gaps between them change, which is why it's called the 'Floating Giant Water Lily.'"

"I think I can find the 'Floating Giant Water Lily' I found. I'm not sure if it's at the same time as yesterday."

"Why? I just explained that it moves. No one knows where it goes, which is why it's called the 'Floating Giant Water Lily.' If we knew where it was, it wouldn't be a problem."

"I hung a directional magic stone pendant on the flower's petals. So even though I don't know how far it has moved, I should be able to find the 'Floating Giant Water Lily.'"

"!! That's it! I never thought of that! Boy, we'll head to that location early tomorrow morning. Come to my place before sunrise, and we'll leave immediately."

"!! Understood. I'll come early tomorrow."

"Yes, I'll be waiting. ...It seems my luck is finally turning."

I don't really understand, but I have a feeling something is about to happen. In situations like this, it's best to go with the flow. This is it. If I don't get there before sunrise, I'll be late. I left the alchemist's shop. I'll go to bed early today. And I'll make breakfast and go to bed. I need to do that much. I'll hurry and prepare for tomorrow and go to bed. That's the way to go.

It was still early in the morning, or rather, it was still the middle of the night. I got up early and ate the breakfast I had prepared the day before, then headed to the alchemist's shop. It felt quite early, but the enthusiasm from yesterday was extraordinary. This is just right. I used to think that way. When I got to the shop, there was already a figure waiting by the door, full of enthusiasm.

"Good morning."

"Yes, good morning, boy. I'll need you to guide me today."

"Yes, let's go."

So, we headed into the swamp before the sun came up. Neither of us had any trouble with the darkness because we both wore glasses that allowed us to see in the dark. We walked in the direction the directional magic stone pendant pointed. We were walking a bit faster, but the killing intent made it feel like we were too slow. Phew! It smelled dangerous. I'll let the boy guide me quickly.

After 4 and a half hours in the Lala swamp, we finally found our target. We came deeper than yesterday, relying on the pendant's reaction, but it was a good thing we found it. If we hadn't, it would have been a wasted trip. I'm glad we found it.

"The boy was right. The 'Floating Giant Water Lily' was where the pendant pointed."

"Exactly as I said. It seems to have moved a bit deeper than yesterday."

"Yes, just knowing the destination of the 'Floating Giant Water Lily' is a big gain. Thank you, boy. Ah, the reward will be paid separately. Don't worry."

"Ah, thank you."

"Now, there are four 'Floating Giant Water Lilies' here. To be safe, I'll hang directional magic stone pendants on all of them. Please take off the boy's pendant. It will be more useful for other things. I'll hang mine on all of them."

"I see. I'm relieved. So, it really can't be used as a material, can it?"

"Yes, I think it can, but if you put it in a preservation bottle, you'll only get a few petals. That's not enough. Dragon Palace Fruit is sufficient for that."

"I see. I understand. ...Why were you chasing the 'Floating Giant Water Lily'?"

"Yes, the幻兽Tartarandran comes to drink its nectar. Studying Tartarandran is my research topic. Look, there it is. That's Tartarandran."

In front of us, there were several blue and rainbow-colored swallowtail butterflies, probably about 50 cm in size. While the Marumateru Nurof had a gold and white striped pattern, this one had a color scheme that hurt the eyes. Fantasy creatures are truly mysterious. Well, just being able to see the fantasy creatures of this sacred site is a good thing.

"And, I'm going to attach this to the 'Floating Giant Water Lily' and pull it."

What he took out from the 'Extend Space' was a considerable amount of thread. I was wondering what he was going to use it for, but he started connecting the four 'Floating Giant Water Lilies.' Then, with a long piece in hand, he looked ready to go. ...You can't be serious.

"You're not planning to take the 'Floating Giant Water Lily' with you, are you?"

"Yes, I plan to take it to the outer edge. It might take a while, but with this thread, I can pull it continuously. I said the trees move about 2 to 10 meters a day, right? I'll pull it to the outer edge over a long period. This thread is a custom-made item from yesterday, with earth and water attributes to give it hardness and durability. I used a lot of materials, but compared to taking the 'Floating Giant Water Lily,' it's a small price. Let's go back now."

No way, he's really going to bring this flower. And he was working on it after that, with this high energy, he probably didn't sleep. We went back to the alchemist's shop, threading the thread as we went. I'm not in the mood for collecting materials today. ...I'm really tired. I washed my feet at the well in front of the alchemist's house and went inside. The thread was tied to the well's support. Is that place okay?

"Thanks to the boy, I had a good harvest today. With this, I can write a paper in a few years. -- Here's your reward for this time."

"Thank you...!! Five large magic gold coins?!!"

"Yes, it's that valuable to me. Researching Tartarandran is so difficult that even long-lived species don't do it. Finding the 'Floating Giant Water Lily' is the first step. Not many people would think of transporting four of them to the outer edge like this. I even prepared the thread after hearing the boy's story yesterday. Moreover, securing four relatively outer ones. This means I can start the groundwork for my paper. If I get some results, I can share them with other Tartarandran researchers and get ahead of them. My luck is finally turning. I can't just sit around!"

"I understand!"

I don't fully understand, but I'll pretend I do. I thought I should listen to the alchemist's story, but he's getting more and more heated. I want to leave before it gets worse. I've already been paid, and I feel a bit guilty, but this person is probably always sleep-deprived. The high energy reminds me of my past self. If he stays up all night, he'll be a mess. Damn it.

"Right? But I'm grateful to the boy. This will advance my research! I'll show those who said short-lived species couldn't study Tartarandran. Watch this! 'Thank you!'"

The conversation was heating up again, so I forced a stop and left the shop. Yeah, I shouldn't have gone along with that. ...Judy said that the Alchemy Academy is full of people who are obsessed, people who are consumed by arrogance and other things. This person is probably one of those obsessed types. They don't seem to be consumed by the seven deadly sins, but