CH 169

A new resident has arrived in our forest garden.

「The water has become so clean」

The effect can be seen immediately not long after the turtle arrived.

The pond, which was basically just a puddle, began to look like a profound pond.

It’s no longer letting out a stench that drifts when I skip cleaning it.

「Somehow, the grass and trees also looks more lively」

Imosuke who’s on top of my head and Dangorou who’s walking ahead of me. Wave of agreement coming from both of them.

They brought me to the forest garden to show me the summer plant.

It was the one that grew at the place where Dangorou guided me. But the aforementioned thing was different from what I had expected.

「Vegetables huh…」

I thought it was going to be some kind of fruit. Something like watermelon or a peach.

But by no means it was a waste. I think summer vegetables are also good.

「Wonderful」

One of them is a cucumber.

It has a splendid bulging shape and warps like Japanese sword.

I’m envious just by looking at it.

「This one seems to have quite the destructive power」

Eggplant with a fat, rounded tip. I feel like it could take one’s consciousness with a single blow.

Why did these two shaped like this? Well, I’m probably the cause of that.

「So they remembered the talk about obon」

My familiars nodded in unison.

Summer vegetables and spirit horses. I’ve completely forgotten that I had told them about it.

At that time, summer fruits are cucumber and eggplants, is what they’re probably thinking. And that image might have ended up implanted in their heads.

「But this is…. There’s quite a lot huh」

Both of them have grown in large quantities. If I were to eat all of it alone, it would probably last until next season.

「Let’s share it with Lightning」

A young pilot from the Black Locust country who recently moved downstairs.

He came with his family, so I’m sure he will be happy.

「Don’t you think so, you two?」

My familiars also seem to agree.

Imosuke and Dangorou have been treated worse than neglected because the elves don’t see any worth in them.

But Lightning, which does not lack respect for these guys, is very popular among my familiars.

After harvesting enough to sell, I went down the stairs carrying a big sack.

***

The following day.

At the knight order’s headquarters on the northside of the Royal castle.

In the room where the sunlight shines through, there are two people facing each other across the table. They were Corneal and Lightning.

「I think it’s better to not mention Tauro-san’s name」

Corneal groans with a half-written report in his hand.

(That’s good and all but… the problem is about the battle)

He called Lightning over because there’s a part where he was unsure about in the report when he revised it again.

「Tauro-dono never showed up in the end. I think he doesn’t want to reveal himself for a reason」

Corneal has no choice but to nod at Lightning’s words.

Rather than not wanting to stand out, he doesn’t want to be involved with the knight order or the country. That’s how it feels.

It’s not that unreasonable, considering how he was treated in the pilot school and in the heavy lancers subjugation battle.

(Even though he stood on the podium in the practical test, they didn’t let him take the knight order enrollment test)

A bitter memory resurfaced.

The right that should have been given to the top performers. He didn’t receive it.

Fortunately, he was scouted by the Merchant Guild, and his best friend could continue on pursuing his dream to become a Knight’s pilot.

(And now that Tauro-san began his career as the pilot of the merchant guild’s Knight, it’s the knight order that has become jealous of his reputation)

And because of that, the knight order forced him to participate in the subjugation battle. They tried to make him as disposable bait for the heavy lancers.

(Just what were they thinking)

He held his head as he recalled those events.

Although it was because of the discretion of the former knight commander, he came to hate the knight order.

It seemed like it would take a tremendous amount of time and effort to get his trust from here on out.

「Right. Let’s make up a suitable story that matches the report then」

It’s not his field of expertise, but there’s no other choice.

While being helped by Lightning, he starts to finish his work.

「Something like this, I guess」

A report written with hard work. Words such as,『Coincidentally』 and 『Accidentally』was written here and there in the report, to the point it became the words that stood out the most.

(All that’s left is just to deceive them somehow)

With a pen between his lips and nose, Corneal’s face turned serious.

After Lightning left the room, he stroked his chin and felt the sensation of his beard when a knocking sound was heard.

After giving the permission to enter, the noble kid came in with coffee on a tray.

「Thanks」

He probably worried for his boss that stayed up working all night.

I’m thankful he brewed such strong coffee. Corneal thought.

「Um, if it’s okay, can I read it as well?」

Written report that Corneal threw on the table.

He was looking at it.

「Thank you very much」

Seeing Corneal nodded, the noble kid picked it up and began to trace each letter with his eyes.

An ultra-long-range magic attack that continuously blocks the self-proclaimed sage’s magic.

He wanted to read the report because he wanted to know the truth about it.

(This is… there’s no way this could have…)

The noble kid who finished reading raised his face. His eyes that were gazing at Corneal were harsh.

「That was a support fire from a Knight. There’s no way it came from a magician!」

The noble kid had an idea of who the shooter was.

(Don’t tell me, Corneal-san is trying to make that person’s meritorious deed as if it never happened?)

So he thought for a moment, but he revised his thinking.

(No, the knight order now is different from the past. Moreover, senpai should’ve been his best friend)

Puzzlement clearly reflected in the young boy’s eyes.

Corneal made an unpleasant face as he stood up from his seat and stood beside him.

「There are various circumstances, you see? You don’t need to know about it」

He said as he put his hand on the boy’s butt and stuck out his middle finger.

Through the thin cloth summer trouser, the thick finger makes his rear mouth sealed up. The noble kid gasped at the sweet electric current running through his body.

A young boy with a pretty face desperately holding down his voice. Seeing it up close, an urge to do it after pulling an all-nighter springs up in Corneal’s lower body.

「You’re too serious for your own good. Just relax a little bit would you?」

Corneal made him sit on his lap and remove his belt. Then, after seeing that he has become more relaxed, the sofa began letting out squeaking sounds.

***

That evening.

The locker room of the Kingdom’s knight order.

After the training is over, the pilots are preparing to go home by going to the shower room and changing their clothes.

「Hey, have you read it, that report?」

The former adventurer’s old man calls out to Ponytail who was drinking fruit water in the corner.

She’s alone right now. Her best friend, Braided-chan was still in the bathroom.

「That thing about when we went out to the east?」

The old man nods.

「Don’t you think it was strange?」

However, Ponytail’s reaction is plain. She just looked back at him with a puzzled face.

The old man who saw that let out a small sigh.

「That support magic. The story goes as a group of magicians who happened to be nearby intervened after seeing that we’re in a crisis」

Ponytail’s expression didn’t change even after hearing that.

「But that’s true wasn’t it? Magics did in fact come flying at that time」

The old man knitted his eyebrows. He sits down on the chair in front of him and opens his mouth with an exasperated face.

「With that range and rate of fire? Even if it was the doing of a high-ranking magician, there’s no way it could happen unless there were a bunch of them together in that area. Can you really believe such a story?」

「That’s why in the report it was also said that we’re blessed with luck, right?」

Ponytail pouted.

The old man holds his head with his hands at Ponytail’s simple mindedness.

「…..We’re talking about a group of national-level magicians who came to our aid and disappeared after, without even showing their figures, you know?」

「Did you properly read the report? Or you just forgot?」

A little frustrated, Ponytail recited a sentence from the report.

『There is a chance that they’re a very famous group of magicians. And it could become troublesome if their names are out. Thus, we decided not to look into them』

The old man sent an indescribable gaze at Ponytail. But he doesn’t say anything.

He just looks down and scratches his head.

There, another old man came.

「What’s wrong?」

「No, I just thought that my heart had become stained」

「…..? You just realized now?」

Ponytail squinted her eyes and looked at the old men.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, she was called from behind.

「Sorry for the wait」

When she looked behind, Braided-chan was waving at her.

Her wet hair is covered with a towel.

「Oh? Everyone’s here huh?」

The old man who came before her saw her and put an inflated sack on the desk.

「Lightning-san gave this. Please share this with the others, he said」

「Lightning-sama did!?」

Braided-chan’s eyes were shining.

The old man took out the cucumber and eggplant from the sack.

「He said that one of his neighbors has a vegetables garden」

Vegetables are pushed in front of Ponytail, who seems to be not interested.

When she took a look, it was the old man who had been with her since the beginning.

「But I live in the dorm so…」

There is no kitchen, breakfast and dinner was done at the cafeteria. For lunch, she always eats outside.

The old man pushes the summer vegetables further with a compassionate look.

「Then all the more so. You might need it for something」

(Does he mean I shouldn’t be picky about food and take the vegetables already?)

Having pressed to take the vegetables, she decided to take one each of cucumber and eggplant.

(Cucumber aside, just what am I supposed to do with raw eggplant?)

So she thought, but this is something given by Lightning, a pilot she respects.

It’s not good to stubbornly refuse it like this.

(I don’t get it)

She returned to the dorm with wrinkles on her face.

And at night.

After diving into the bed and turning off the lights in her room. The old man’s compassion bears fruit.

As expected from an old man with a daughter slightly younger than her. It can also be said that he had a lot of life experience.

(I think it’s wrong to use food this way though)

Just a bit.

She couldn’t hold it anymore and used it as a tool for solo play.

(This thing is not just quite long, but it also has a good curve)

And its whole body is covered with gentle protrusions.

A sweet electric current running through her spine when it rubs the upper part of her inside.

(Not bad, even though it’s just a vegetable)

Ponytail’s legs stretched out and trembled as she thought so.

(….What should I do with this?)

Lightly pickled cucumber that she ended up making. She looked at it with a hot sigh.

(Hm?)

Her lower abdomen throbbed as the eggplant entered her field of vision.

Her young body is demanding more midnight snacks.

(Let’s eat it while it’s still fresh)

She carried it to her lower mouth while making random excuses.

(So big–)

It’s unexpectedly large volume made her consciousness shake for a moment. But still, her hand unknowingly pushes the eggplant.

(J-Just a bit, I think I’ll take a part-time work again on my holiday for just a bit)

Such was Ponytail’s thought that began to turn in a weird direction as she pickled and tightened the grip on the eggplant.

By the way, in the next room to hers.

(LIGHTNING-SAMAAAA!!)

There is a young woman who shakes her cannonball-shaped breasts while holding her voice.

She was lying in bed, but her hips were raised in the air and she was enjoying purple from the front and green from behind her at the same time.

(This is… No way… This is impossible for me, Lightning-sama!)

She’s shaking her hips while growing vegetables from her front and rear. However, one of her legs slipped on the sheet at that time.

Her butt that was raised in the air fell on the bed, shoving the green ones deeply, and then the part that can’t fit is bent greatly.

That instant, a crisp sound proving the freshness rang in the room.

「~~~~!!!」

Braided-chan’s eyes were wide opened for a moment. And then her eyes rolled to the back of her head before she lost her consciousness.

As a result, the eggplant was pickled overnight and the cucumber was pickled in rice bran.

***

The summer night sky where the stars spread dazzlingly in the sky.

Lying down in the forest garden, I was looking up at the sky while surrounded by my familiars.

「Lightning, you see, he said that he shared some of the vegetables to the guys at knight order since he received so many of it」

Imosuke comes crawling onto my chest and let out a wave of uneasiness. It seems he’s concerned about the fact that it was vegetables instead of fruits.

「It’s alright. There’s no vegetables as delicious as this one, so I’m sure they’re happy with it」

I took a bit of the cucumber raw, but it was delicious. I’m sure it will suit any dish.

By the way, I brought the eggplants to the stall and had it transformed into a spicy eggplant. It was the best dinner in the hot summer.

「Hmm? You want me to eat it with a smile?」

Dangorou climbed on my belly. I unintentionally smiled at that thought.

Seeds sown by Imosuke. Dangorou plant it and adjust the ground.

After the buds have sprouted, what came out is a proud vegetable that the two have worked together to maintain.

If it was either one alone, the end result would not have been as fruitful as this.

「Producing something sure is nice, huh?」

By the way, that was my motivation to pursue the construction industry.

When I was little, I used to look at a house under construction in my neighborhood all day long.

「Field work also feels the same」

Since I came to this world, I have been able to look back on various things.

My field of view would have been somewhat wider.

「To think that I would realize how much I’ve grown in my thirties」

I deeply thanked the mysterious stone statue as I was fascinated by the starry sky.