Chapter 92

"Haah, haah... ."

Alru's second eye is amazing. From a small hole just big enough for my arm to fit through, it keeps discovering larger and larger holes, eventually big enough for my head to fit inside.

However, if I keep wandering around without a break, I won't be able to catch my breath.

Ah, I've encountered the Quagga family (tentative name) with their big, round eyes again.

"Alru"

"Haai!"

"I gave you bad instructions. I'm sorry."

I collapsed on the spot, sitting cross-legged, and looked up at Alru, who had a cat-like smile. She tilted her head, as if a question mark had appeared above it. Then, as if she had an idea, flowers seemed to float behind her, and she clapped her hands.

"Master Joshua!"

"Hmm?"

"Carry me."

"Really?"

That's sudden. But, it's fine. I can probably carry Alru.

If I were to piggyback her, it would be more secure, but it should be fine.

I tried to stand up and reach for her waist, but she picked me up instead.

"Alru..."

"Haai!"

"It's a bit embarrassing... put me down."

"Haai..."

I'm at a loss when she looks so dejected. I can tell she's trying to make up for my bad instructions, so I should be grateful and not point it out.

"What I thought of is something else. Can you, for example, narrow down the size and shape of the cave?"

"Sure. What kind of shape?"

"Preferably, one big enough for us to enter. And, well, jagged... I can't express it well. Wait a moment."

I drew a rough sketch of the cave I imagined on a piece of paper and showed it to Alru. When she saw the drawing, her ears perked up, and her large almond-shaped eyes widened. She stretched out her hands to my waist—

"Ah, I said no carrying, Alru."

"Alru doesn't like it. I guess I need someone as strong as Elly."

"No, no. Being carried by Elly was more like an act of force. Alright, Alru. Then, I'll carry you."

"Master Joshua will?"

"Sure. I'll show you I'm still full of energy."

"...Master Joshua, don't overdo it. I prefer it when you're energetic."

I'm at a loss when she says that with a shy look. If someone saw me being carried princess-style by the petite and frail Alru, who is probably only about 150 cm tall, they might mock me as a "pervert." Besides, I would find it both visually and emotionally unpleasant.

"Alright, Alru."

"Haai!"

I couldn't carry her princess-style, so I decided to piggyback her instead. I need to get directions, right? It's not because my arms were trembling or anything. Piggybacking was more efficient. That's all.

Alru reached back from behind and pointed with her right hand. Okay, right it is. I started walking, leaving the Quagga family, who were munching on weeds, behind.

◇◇◇

—Three minutes later.

"Haah, haah... ."

"Master Joshua. Alru is heavy."

"No, no! Alru is super light. Haha. Anyway, which way is it?"

"Ah, I got it. Alru!"

"Hmm?"

I felt a breeze in my hair. Then, the Alru who was on my back was suddenly floating above my head and landed in front of me. Her skirt and short hair fluttered gently.

Oh, oh.

Before I knew it, I was being carried by her again.

"Eh, eh?"

"Because you showed me an example."

Even if she turns her head and smiles at me, our cheeks would almost touch, but that wouldn't change anything. Elly would react, but Alru would probably be unresponsive...

Ah, whatever. It's comfortable, so it's fine.

Oh, those distinctive orange fruits. Could they be...? And those leaves over there are also interesting.

As I was getting absorbed in the natural surroundings, Alru stopped and pointed ahead.

Oh, a cave. It's impressive.

The entrance is wide enough for three people to stand side by side, and the height is a bit taller than me. The depth is extensive, with light not reaching the back.

"I'll put you down!"

"Oh, okay?"

"Master Joshua?"

"Ah, right. You were looking for a cave."

I almost forgot the original purpose. I didn't come here for a nature walk; I came to look for minerals. But before that—

"Alru, wait a moment. I want to identify some plants."

"Haai!"

Let's see.

I took a step back and collected the orange fruit and the leaves, then performed the "Plant Identification."

It feels like I haven't done this in a while. With Plant Identification, I can usually find edible plants wherever I am. It's a pretty handy ability, even though I haven't had much use for it recently.

"Oh, this fruit is indeed a 'Pumpkin.' The leaves are Yerba Mate leaves."

"Can we eat them?"

"Sure. Both are edible. Yerba Mate can be boiled and drunk as a tea. It's the main ingredient in mate tea. The pumpkin, when boiled, is soft and delicious."

"Yay!"

"Let's gather some and take them back."

"Haai!"

I think there might be green pumpkins too. The orange ones I collected are the ones you often see at Halloween, but they're small, about the size of my palm. There might be larger ones if we look for them. Since they're so noticeable, they should be easy to find.

"Wait a moment, Alru."

"Haai!"

I almost got carried away with collecting, but I need to remember the original plan. The power of food is strong.

"Let's explore the cave first."

"But, Master Joshua, it's dark."

"It's fine. I'm prepared."

Ta-da!

I always carry a compact lantern for exploring dark places. It's a magic item, so it doesn't burn with fire to produce light. It's a small lantern, about the size of a fist, and it lights up when a magic stone is inserted into it.

This makes it easy to carry. Magic items are convenient. In this world, magic items are essential, replacing various industrial products on Earth. The technology for developing magic items is quite advanced, and they exist in almost every aspect of life. The energy source for these magic items is magic stones, which is why we've been working on developing artificial magic stones with penguins and sequoias. There are still many challenges, though...

The book version will be published by Kadokawa BOOKS! Thank you to everyone who has read this far. I hope you will continue to enjoy the story!