Chapter 349: The Golden Tree bears fruit

“Trapdoll?”

Naturally, it was my first time hearing about that monster.

I could tell that it was an uncommon monster since it was categorized as a rare monster.

“Trapdoll is a doll-type monster that sets up traps here and there in the dungeon. Furthermore, the traps remain even after the Trapdoll is dead. About 10 years ago, an Advanced Dungeon was discovered and because it was not cleared for such a long time, there were thousands of traps laid in the dungeon and it took many long years to remove them all.”

Carol explained regarding the Trapdoll.

In other words, it was quite a troublesome foe.

“If it’s about traps, a person with the Trapper job will be able to discover and disarm them right? Anybody can become a Trapper after taking the course at the Adventurers Guild.”

“But receiving training now is a little …”

“In that case, maybe we could bring along a Dark Elf who has the skills of a Trapper?”

Haru unexpectedly made a suggestion.

But that would be bad. Dark Elves are supposed to have been completely wiped out by the Church.

It will become a troublesome issue if somebody comes across them and it’s discovered that they are still alive.

I wanted to say that but,

“That would be good.”

Carol agreed with Haru’s opinion.

“Eh? It will be fine?”

“Yes. Of course, we should not leave their characteristic ears visible to others but it will be quite hard to realize that they are Dark Elves if they wear a hat. Also, not many people enter the Advanced Dungeon and we would rarely encounter other adventurers.”

“Now that you mention it, I have never met anyone else in a dungeon.”

I see, so there’s no issue with that.

Walking around with a large group of Dark Elves would obviously be conspicuous so I’ll request one of them to come along.

I returned to My World from a small room in the dungeon.

I transferred from a dimly lit dungeon to the dazzlingly bright My World so I squinted my eyes.

It felt like a driver entering a snowy country through a tunnel.

I thought nobody was around but the desert runner Nanawat was the first to approach me.

It lowered its head in front of me so I pat its head and took out good meat from my item bag.

Nanawat consumed that meat in an instant and then bent down sideways as though asking me to ride.

I hopped on and Nanawat slowly stood up.

“For now, bring me to somewhere there are people.”

After I said that, Nanawat set off energetically.

After running for a while, we came across Sugyu and Fuyun grazing in a meadow and Sheena No.3 who had regrown her hair to semi-long length holding a pitchfork and carrying hay to the stables.

She seemed to be working hard.

When she saw me, she tossed away her pitchfork and ran over.

“Master, welcome back desu! Please replenish my magical power desu.”

“Didn’t I already replenish your magical power the other time?”

“I spent most of it to grow my hair desu.”

“You can grow hair using magical power?”

Well, plants could be induced to grow too so I guess it wasn’t strange that it could apply to hair as well.

I was responsible for bringing Centaur here so I promised her that I would replenish her magical power that night.

I didn’t have any intention of showing my back right there and letting her massage me.

I asked Sheena No.3 where the Dark Elves were and she replied that they were having a break today and were praying in front of the Golden Tree. Incidentally, Pionia was at the brewery making sake.

I rode Nanawat and headed toward the forest where the Golden Tree was planted.

Usually, there would be patrols in front of the forest to prevent Sugyu, chickens or the Jewel Turtles from accidentally entering the forest but there was nobody there today.

I figured that it was a special day today and I came across a mysterious scene as I headed toward the Golden Tree.

The usually shining Golden Tree was giving off an even brighter radiance today.

The Dark Elves were dancing as they surrounded the Golden Tree.

“Is it a festival?”

The Dark-Elves all looked over when I muttered that.

They all had tensed expressions but their facial expressions broke when they saw my face.

“Sorry, I guess I interrupted something.”

“It’s all right if it’s Ichino-sama.”

Rarael smiled and looked up at the Golden Tree.

“Please take a look, the Golden Tree is bearing fruit.”

Just like she said, the Golden Tree had a giant watermelon-sized shining fruit.

The weight of the fruit caused the tree branch to bend sharply. It seemed like it would snap at any time.

“So that’s the fruit of the Golden Tree – – Rarael and girls will get pregnant once you eat that fruit? But you mentioned it would be some time before it would bear fruit.”

Rarael and the others were a female-only race that gets pregnant by eating the fruit of the Golden Tree.

Without the Golden Tree, their race would be destined to perish.

Because of that, the Golden Tree was both a parent as well as a God to them.

“No, that fruit is called the Fruit of the Earth and is a mass of magical power that is born before the Golden Tree matures. When that fruit drops, it will fill the soil with magical power for the growth of the next generation of Golden Tree. The fruit has no seed in it.”

Voices came from the Dark Elves just as Rarael was saying that.

The branch could no longer bear the weight of the Fruit of the Earth and snapped.

The Dark Elves gathered in the direction of the fruit and a couple of them caught the fallen fruit and branch.

“Will the tree be all right?”

“Yes, this may be the first time I’ve seen it in person but the Fruit of the Earth is meant to snap the branch like so. The nutrients are sucked out from the branch and it becomes brittle.”

“That’s an amazing mechanism – – but I am worried about the region where the snap happened. Should I use the Plant Healing skill?”

“Thank you for your concern. But there are Dark Elves who have nurtured their Farmer skills so you don’t have to worry.”

The Farmer job was a beginner job so there will be many capable of it.

Since caring for the Golden Tree was a necessary job, I guess it was obvious that they would have people who can use the Plant Healing skill.

In fact, the young Dark Elves touched the Golden Tree trunk and utilized their skills.

It seemed that the ceremony ended when the fruit dropped.

“Nevertheless, I am glad that the Fruit of the Earth came at this timing. If it was any earlier, Centaur might have eaten it.”

“No, this is a strange story but at the same time that Slow Donkey stood in front of the Golden Tree, the Fruit of the Earth formed. Even though there were no signs of it happening until that moment.”

“Eh? Seriously?”

Or rather, that Centaur actually came up to the Golden Tree?

I didn’t get any reports on that.

“After that Slow Donkey saw that the fruit had formed, it silently left and there was no real harm. If that Slow Donkey took another step, Haurvatat-sama’s sword would have sliced through the Slow Donkey’s neck.”

Hey, that reached quite a dangerous stage.

“Rarael-sama, the Fruit of the Earth.”

One Dark Elf – – Yurisla handed over the Fruit of the Earth that they cut off from the branch.

It was no longer shining as before but it had a sparkle that resembled gold.

Maybe it contains gold components?

“Ichinojo-sama, please have this.”

“Eh? But isn’t this an important item to your race?”

“No, this Fruit of the Earth is meant to create an environment for the growth of the next generation of Golden Tree but any place in this world has the nutrients needed for the growth of a Golden Tree.”

She was right now that she pointed it out.

That said, I wondered if it was tasty.

It was a precious item so rather than eat it, I should discuss it with Miri after I help her.

I kept the Fruit of the Earth in my item bag after deciding on that.

“Ichinojo-sama. Did you have any business with us?”

“Ah, right. I wanted the help of a person who had mastered their Trapper job if possible.”

I explained the situation to Rarael.

And apparently, there were five Dark Elves who had mastered the Trapper job.

It seemed that they needed trapping knowledge to catch poachers.

Rarael was one of the five.

“In that case, I’ll accompany you.”

“Will that be fine?”

“Yes, the ceremony had ended after all.”

Yeah, I was grateful that Rarael would be the one coming.

Since we were at it, I asked Rurina to add Rarael into my party.

With that, she would receive experience points as well.