CH 236

Chapter 236 – Don’t Do That

“Don’t do that.”

“Yes~?”

Since I couldn’t operate the magic sparkling stone bomb on my own, I contacted Merinesburg with the large golem communicator installed in the lord’s mansion, but it was instantly rejected by Isla, Sylphy, and even Melty. I can’t believe my brilliant strategy was rejected…

“Kosuke. Magic sparkling stone bombs are certainly effective in getting rid of Gluttonous Grasshopper. But you shouldn’t use that bomb to blow up the whole forest.”

“And why is that?”

“With that destructive power, it would blow the whole tree by its roots. I confirmed this with maps and documents, but the forest where the Gluttonous Grasshopper is currently occurring is located close to the town of Curéon, and the town of Curéon procures and gathers timber from that forest. A forest eaten by the Gluttonous Grasshopper will recover to some extent in a few years, but if it is uprooted by the magic sparkling stone bomb, there is no way for it to recover, is there?”

“Also, it seems that the source of the Valerius River, which is the source of water not only for the town of Curéon but also for the surrounding towns and villages, is located deep in that forest. If the magic sparkling stone bomb blows up the forest and affects the water source, there could be a water shortage over a wide area.”

“I see, from an economic point of view and various other considerations, it is problematic to uproot the forests.”

“Also, the magic sparkling stone bomb has not been completely confirmed to be safe. In the place where the bombing test was carried out, so far, not a single grass has grown. The soil’s concentration of magic power has also increased compared to immediately after the bombing test. We need to continue to monitor the situation.”

“In other words, it cannot be used as easily as before. The problem will be even bigger if we use it easily and the forest is blown away, leaving behind only a patch of land where not a single blade of grass grows.”

“I see… So what do we do with it?”

Since Danan was wondering what to do about it, I think it was probably impossible for us to deal with it with our own strength alone. That’s why I thought of using magic sparkling stone bombs, but if it’s not a good idea to use them, there seems to be nothing more we can do.

“It’s probably okay. I’ll have Grande go over there.”

“Grande, huh? I see… I wonder if that will work?”

Grande is a Grand Dragon with mighty power. She is now transformed into a dragon girl through a ritual using a magic sparkling stone, but she used to be a dragon with a large physique that you could look up at. After the magic sparkling stone ceremony, her originally strong ability is said to have been further improved, and Grande may be able to handle the Gluttonous Grasshoppers.

“I’ll thank Grande well for coming over here.”

“Oh, please do give her a hand. At least until the Gluttonous Grasshopper extermination is over, you should take care of Grande more than Ellen and the others.”

“I will.”

Grande has no obligation to wield her power for the people of the Merinard Kingdom. That said, she is a good girl, so I am sure she will do what Sylphy or I ask her to do. So, instead of taking advantage of her unilaterally, I should treat her with a certain amount of civility, or rather, gratitude.

☆★☆

“That’s why Grande will be coming from Merinesburg.”

“Grande-sama…? I see. I guess we can make it work then.”

Danan, who had heard my report, looked relieved. I wonder if it’s a good idea to address Grande with ‘sama’ when you’re calling me by my first name? Well, it’s just weird to be called like that by Danan after all these times, so I don’t mind.

“Is it Grande-sama…?”

On the contrary to Danan’s relieved expression, Ellen’s difficult expression… hasn’t changed much. Her voice sounded serious, and she seemed to be thinking about something.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, not so much as a problem. But since neither I nor Amalie nor Bertha have had much contact with Grande-sama, I’m not sure how I should treat her.”

“I don’t think you need to do anything special. She may be a bit arrogant, but she is a good and honest girl, so you should treat her normally.”

“Normal, is it…?”

Ellen’s brow wrinkles slightly. She seems to be in trouble. 

“You don’t have to worry――”

Just when I was about to say that, I heard a burst of sound from outside, and at the same time, a tremor struck me. I guessed it was about level 1 at the Japanese earthquake level.

“She’s here already… Isn’t it early?”

It had been less than an hour since I ended the call with Sylphy and the others. I wondered if she flew as fast as she could.

When I stopped talking and went outside, I found that there was a great commotion in front of the lord’s mansion. A large crater-like hole had formed at the center point of the commotion, and Grande, covered in dirt, had just emerged from it.

“Grande! You did it spectacularly, didn’t you?”

“Umu, I went all out and missed a little. It was all well and good until I landed here.”

As she shook her head while saying that, the dirt fell clean off her face and body. For a Grande Dragon, who excels in earth-attribute magic, dirt and dust seem to be nothing for her.

“No, I failed, I failed. I made a fuss.”

The crater-shaped hole was quickly closed with a wave of Grande’s hand, and the shattered cobblestone pavement returned to normal.

“When did you become so dexterous?”

“Even I’m not just lazily coasting along, you know.”

“Right. As expected of Grande.”

“I know, right? I know, right?”

I patted Grande’s head as she rubbed up against me. Her tail is banging against the cobblestones, but the cobblestone is not harmed, thanks to the elastic tail cover that Lime and the others made for her. The lives of innocent cobblestones were saved by Lime and the others…

“So, I hear you have a favor to ask me.”

“Yeah, that’s the thing…”

“Well, I’ve been told it’s a grasshopper extermination.”

“Hey.”

“That’s all right. They’re rather tasty.”

“They’re tasty?”

“Well, the legs get stuck in your throat if you don’t chew them properly, but the belly is tender and quite tasty.”

“Tasty, is it…?”

If you say it’s tasty, it makes me want to eat it a little bit. No, but it’s an insect… and speaking of that, so is Gizma, so it’s a little late for that now. I’ll try it when I get a chance.

“When it comes to controlling the damage they do, it’s best to act quickly. So let’s get going.”

“Alri―Eh, now?”

“That’s right. If we don’t, the damage will spread.”

Eehh… I didn’t even prepare anything, but when I looked at Danan, he shrugged his shoulders and said.

“We can probably handle the carcass with just Kosuke. I’ll head out after we’ve prepared, so you go ahead.”

“Seriously.”

“It’s a good thing we’re moving so fast. Come on, Kosuke. Get that thing out, that gondola or whatever it’s called.”

“O-okay.”

It was understandable that there was not a moment to lose. I thought about it and pulled out a one-seater gondola from my inventory. It looked like a streamlined toy rocket.

“Kosuke.”

I was about to get into the gondola when Ellen called out to me. As usual, her expression is emotionless, but I get the feeling that she is concerned about me.

“I’m fine. I’m probably more stubborn than you think.”

“…I see. The Basilisk’s poison is so strong that even if you are stabbed in the heart, you won’t die instantly.”

“Eh? Basilisk is that thing that gives you a stomach ache when you eat it, right? It would kill a human being, normally.”

“I’m more surprised at the life force of a dragon, which is limited to a stomach ache.”

I mean, have you ever tried it, Grande? I don’t think putting everything in your mouth is a good idea.

“Let’s have a long talk next time if you don’t mind. It’s all quite amusing.”

“Hmm… I see. After we’ve killed the grasshoppers, then.”

Grande looked at Ellen for a moment and then nodded. Did she feel something?

“Well then, I’m going ahead.”

“Yeah, be careful. We will be on our way as soon as we are ready.”

“Good luck.”

Danan and Ellen saw me off as I boarded the gondola.