123 - - Episode 121 Picnic...

After a leisurely flight, we arrived at Izumi's house.

"Yoo-tah, welcome home!" "Coo-coo!" "Welcome home!" "Coo-coo!"

Bell and his friends, whom I had repatriated earlier, jumped on me.

"I'm home, everyone. I'll put Sarah and the kids to bed in a minute.

He says no to Bell and the others and leaves the mobile base. I ask Sylphy to carry me to the bed while I'm still floating and put me to sleep. You may be surprised to find yourself in bed when you wake up, even though you were flying. Fuchu, Mame, and Uri are watching over Sarah and the others, which makes me smile.

After putting Sara and the others to bed, we go outside to greet everyone for our return. After putting Sarah and the others to bed, I go outside to greet everyone's return. I carefully stroke the belles who are rushing toward me, and say good-bye to Dine, Nomos, and Dolly. ......

By the way, Dine always flies over to me when I come back, but she's kind of quiet. Has she grown up?

"Hey, Nomos, Dory. What's going on with Deanne?"

"It's not a big deal."

Nomos takes a swing at him. What really happened?　As I was wondering, Dolly told me with a wry smile.

"Deanne is a little sulky. She was sad that she wasn't invited to the showdown with the Adventurers' Guild.

You didn't grow up. ...... is that it?　The kind of thing where a good friend leaves you alone and goes off to play in a fun place?　

Well, it's certainly a shock to the system. I've had a similar experience and I understand how you feel. How is that for a great spirit?　I don't think so, but as long as we know how they feel, we should comfort them. It seems like I'm the cause.

"Deanne, the reason I didn't call you is because I was in the forest, there's no special reason. I only asked him to escort me to the confrontation with the Adventurers' Guild, and if I had been in the water, it would have been him. It's a matter of having the right person in the right place.

"Really?"

Dineh asks me with some suspicion. What's wrong with you, big sister?

"Of course, we all know you're reliable and I'm not going to go out of my way to exclude you. I was going to ask her for a favor when I got back here. Right, Sylphy?"

"Yes, that's right. I was thinking a lot about it while I was flying back, and I was talking about asking Dine to help me."

"Oh, yeah?　...... I know, right? Yuta would never exclude you from the group, would he? I'm sorry, I'm just feeling sad.

Deanne says, looking shocked. My heart aches a little.

"No, no. Well, it's lonely when you're left behind. I'm sorry, too. It's just that it's a problem to rely so much on a powerful Great Spirit, so we're just trying to manage as best we can, me and Belle and the others. Don't get me wrong."

"You're right, I can't grow up to be a respectable adult if I have to depend on you. Okay, I'll take good care of you, Yuta.

Dine declares with a big smile on her face, her expression changing from one moment to the next. And I may not be a great guy, but I'm an adult now.

"So, what is it that you want me to do for you, Yuta?　I'll do my best, sis."

I'd like to take a nap too, but under the circumstances it's hard to say I'll explain when I wake up.

"I'm thinking of putting fish and aquatic plants in the canals and ponds. I don't know if I can do it, and I need the cooperation of Dine, who manages this spring, so I was going to ask him if it would be okay."

"Of course. Leave it to my sister!"

Dene gave me a thump on the chest and took me under her wing. Belle, who was listening to the conversation, imitated Deene and tapped her chest with a thump. Belle is learning various gestures like this.

"I'd like to keep the central fountain clean, so I'd prefer not to put any fish or plants in it.

"Uh-huh. It's easy for you. Then, let's get going!

"Wait a minute, it's still dark and I want to take Sarah and the others with me. I'm sleepy too. I'll wake up first. And Dory, do you think the aquatic plants will be okay?　Can aquatic plants grow in these waterways and ponds?"

"There are few places that block the sunlight, so except for the forest and the area with the spirit trees, you have to choose the right kind of trees, but it is manageable. But I don't know what the fish feed on, do you?"

It is true that the sun beating down on the shallow canal seems to be hard to bear unless one chooses the right kind of fish. That and fish bait. .......

"Deanne, do you know of any fish bait insects that would not affect the current land of the dead?"

"Well, if they don't destroy crops as adults or are poisonous, I can make a judgment call, but I don't know if fish will eat them or not."

Hmm. As long as it's not a dangerous bug, it should be fine. Since it's the beginning, let's focus on plants and fish for the pond, if there are small fish like killifish. Eventually, it would be good to expand the spring at the final destination of the channel.

If we catch and release a lot of fish, it could become a fishing pond. We need to start by getting fishing gear from ......, where we can relax and cast a fishing line in our base.

It sounds like a lot of work, but I'd like to give it a try if I can. It's a pity that the belles won't be able to blast through the canals, but I'm sure they'll find new fun with more obstacles, so it's all good. Obstacle races, for example.

"I think we can manage if we stay out of the waterways at first and build an ecosystem in the forest ponds where it is easier to grow. We can go to the river after everyone wakes up. What about Nomos?"

I'm not going. Is that all right?

Maybe it's something to do with the sanctuary. I'll ask him later what's going on. This place is suddenly a sanctuary tomorrow!　I'd be scared.

"If you have something to do, I don't care. But if something happens, can I summon you?"

"Yes, no problem. But I can't imagine why you would need me when you have Sylphy and the others.

"Well, yes, but if something earth-related happens that's beyond Tulu's control, I'll call you."

"Mm, okay."

I wonder what kind of situation, other than soil-related, calls for nomos. A situation that even Sylphy, Dine and Dolly can't handle. Will the continent collapse?　I certainly can't imagine a situation where I would need it.

"Sylphy, I'm going to take a nap, so wake me up when Sara and the others wake up."

I ask Sylphy to wake me up and I go into the bedroom and fall asleep. But as soon as I got home, I had to go out. I had planned to wait until things had calmed down, but seeing Dine's condition, I guess it can't be helped. Well, it's a fun event, so it's all good. I'll rest well and have fun too.

****** I'll be back soon.

In the morning, Sylphy wakes me up and I shake my heavy head to shake off the drowsiness and get ready for breakfast. But all I have to do is pull out the food from my magic bag.

"It's ready, you can eat!

With my words, everyone starts to eat breakfast. I'm going to have fish for the first time in a long time. The Goumu Torque Inn basically serves meat for breakfast. I like meat, but I'd like to eat fish if I had to eat a lot of meat every morning.

"Listen, everyone, let's eat while we eat. I'm going to ask Sylphy to take me to the river, or rather to the pond in the forest today."

"A pond?　Master, is this some kind of new training?"

"No, it's like a picnic, isn't it?　It's a forest, so there will be monsters, but the goal is to catch aquatic plants and fish for the pond. We need to create an environment for the land of the dead."

"Is it a picnic?"

Yes, it's like a leisurely stroll in the woods, catching plants and fish. The demons won't be a problem with Sylphy and the others, so let's just relax and have fun.

"A walk in the woods. How is that different from exploring a labyrinthine forest?"

.................. How is it different?　Yes, we experience nature with demons almost every day. The food we eat is the same as usual because of the food we have bought, so there is no special feeling at all.

This may be an extreme view, but I think picnics are an act that people who are far away from nature do in order to feel it. I wonder what a picnic is like when people are risking their lives to play with nature to the point of disgust.

"Let's see... We don't have to fight today. Sylphy and the others will take care of everything, so I guess we'll just go to the pond in the woods where it's safe."

When I asked them to look at me, they nodded their heads with a wry smile. I'm sorry for bothering you.

"I see, the purpose is to study forest plants and secure fish and plants for the pond at the base. Master, I'll do my best!"

I'll do my best!

Kicka, too!

"......Yes, that's right. Yeah, let's do our best."

It's not what I expected. But I guess that's OK, since I'm feeling so motivated.

"Yuta, you want a Mori?"

Belle came staggering in with a big sandwich in her arms. I thought she was engrossed in her meal, but it seems she was listening to me.

"Yes, we're all going to the pond in the forest. Today we are going to collect little fish and plants. Belle, you're going to help us."

"Okay, Belle, I'll help you."

"Thanks for your help. But don't move too much or you'll lose your meat."

He was so enthusiastic that he was holding the bread with both hands, and the meat between them was about to fall off. At my warning, Bell rushes to cover the meat. He is quite a gourmand.

Childhood experiences will lead to adulthood, but if Belle and her friends become obsessed with food when they grow up, it will be because of me.

I have no problem feeding them while I'm around, but what will they do with their food when they die?　Maybe I'm giving them a bad experience. But I can't go without food now. I'd feel so guilty if someone looked at me greedily while I was eating.

Should we start a culture of paying tribute to the spirits?　I'm starting to feel like I need to do a lot of thinking. I'll talk to Sylphy and the others. After breakfast is over, I wash the dishes and put them away.

"Sylphy, do you know of a pond where creatures live in a place similar to the forest of the base?

Yes, I know. You want me to take him there?

"Yes, please."

The destination is easily determined, and everyone except Nomos sets out. It's going to be a different picnic than we had planned, but we'll enjoy it as much as we can.