CH 148

It’s been five days since I refused drinking with the guys and had lunch with Ash and Butler.

「… 」

Amidst the trees that stretched ice branches, I avoided an owl monster that looked like it had a collection of ice pillars on its head and back.

With that momentum, I slashed a monster that looked like a seahorse that sprouted butterfly wings, then cut down two owls that attacked, before taking a breather.

Both of them were small,only around 40cm, but they camouflaged well with their snow white feathers, so I would probably get hurt if I walked around without a care, putting my guard down.

The seahorse monster was slower, but the foam spell it used was a pain in the neck, so I slay it first. The butterfly wings have a slightly metallic, or should I say kind crystalline texture, so it’s a bit mesmerizing.

I can keenly feel that ‘fantasy’ vibes since coming here, you know? The animals here must be really in the form of mythical creatures!

The woods here are extremely brittle, and they easily crumble with tiny rustling sounds. Each tree has a tiny, round , furball looking spirit; I’m not sure if it’s the spirit of the tree itself, or if it is simply living inside that tree.

When the tree crumbles, this furball spirit is left exposed, attracting monsters that would come to eat it.

It’s extremely hard fighting while making sure the surrounding ice and the trees that look like brittle sugar candy filling don’t get destroyed. I’ve been sorely tempted to just go all out and destroy everything — both monsters and woods — but it feels as if I’m destroying their home, so I endure it, moving forward as carefully as I can.

Crying would be far from enough if the house that the deities gifted me got destroyed, after all. It’s just that more than just being a pain in the neck, walking so cautiously feels terrible because of the bitter cold.

The first time I cut a tree, I tried to take responsibility by naming the spirit and bringing it with me, but it didn’t work. I couldn’t name it, but it still floated around me without leaving. I heard that there were spirits that would lend a hand on a whim, checking whether the contractor was a worthy one; is this one just like that, I wonder?

Even if I 【Teleport】 with it to my house, it will only get lost. If we have the contract, then it’ll be fine, but there are also spirits that promptly disintegrate as soon as the surroundings change. Just picture taking an ice spirit to a volcano — well, it probably won’t affect them if they’re strong enough.

And so, I couldn’t go back home, couldn’t do anything drastic to tide the cold, so I just relied on Dan-chan, (Dan from danbou, Japanese for heater) to work hard. I’m also doing my best regulating my mana, so the whole day was spent accomplishing little and just doing some delicate stuff.

***

There’s a blue fountain in the white forest.

Ah! There’s a unicorn, a unicorn!! I saw a mythical creature that I know!!

If I’m not mistaken, it’s an extremely wary, woman-loving creature, and only a maiden with the purest of hearts can approach it. Quick, somebody get a maiden, bring a maiden here!!

I observed it from a distance. I got this feeling that the horn of unicorns is a precious medicinal ingredient, but since no one is sick among the people around me and I’m not that deprived of money, I decided to enjoy the scenery with the unicorn in it to my heart’s content.

After having my fill, I continued walking in the midst of lactescent fog for a while. Even the ground is white now, so everything looks the same; I will probably get lost at this rate.

There’s the map, but this is a wide field, so it’s difficult to finely coordinate the directions. I brought the compass I bought in Nalluahdid, but it was totally useless ever since I’ve stepped into that brittle forest.

If I saw something, I would make that my target and walk towards it, but I can’t see anything. There’s no helping it, so I decided to use the tip of my sword to draw a line on the ground while I’m walking, but when I looked back, only a meter or so was left, the rest disappeared…

Just when I was worried about what to do, furball seemed to be guiding me? I’m not sure if the destination is the place I wanted to go to, but since I’m just going aimlessly, and there’s not even a plan, I decided to follow it.

Following furball led me to an ordinary forest. No, rather than ordinary, it’s a forest of fresh verdure, reminiscent of early summer, brimming with life. The green leaves of the trees looked fresh, glossy and soft, and the branches were pliable.

Furball happily floated forward as if infected with spring fever. It’s starting to look like it’s made of fuzzy down.

After passing through the road lined with huge trees, there was a small lake, and in the middle of that lake stood a dead tree without a single leaf. It was about half the size of the surrounding trees.

The moment furball crossed over the lake and entered the tree, the plant sprouted young branches and white blossoms with a tinge of gold bloomed. Water bubbled out of the flowers, and after the drops calmed down into a steady stream, creating countless ripples in the lake and making it shine.

「You who have proven yourself worthy, what is it that you desire? 」

Something came out!

A woman with flowing white hair longer than the roots of the tree and clad in clothes the color of milk came out the tree trunk. Her eyes and lips were closed, even so, her voice resounded from her beautiful figure. It’s a spirit; wouldn’t be strange if she turned out to be a deity too.

Is this time for ‘Clang Clang Stick EX’?

「Diameter 4cm, length 3 meters! 」

「… 」

「It’s super hard and not easily broken by default, right? 」

「… 」

She turned quiet when I stated my request, so I decided to meekly wait for a bit.

「 — You have crossed the Lands of Illusion without any wounds, and you also reached this place without slaying any of the white spirits. I will grant you the bough, not according to your words, but your actions that you have shown. 」

Eh? But I’ll be troubled with that.

The supposedly withered tree was now glowing white. One of its branches broke off without a sound, then it floated in front of me before it transformed.

It had turned into a stick that was shorter than I requested, and its length was similar to that of a wooden sword. There’s a hard bud and a young leaf that looks like it just sprouted on one end.

「Whoaaa!! 」

It turned longer when I gripped it!

Then it shrunk!

「Hey, my Master! Thanks for earlier! Hurry up and name me! 」

‘Earlier’, it said — is it that furball spirit? The name’s already decided.

「Clang Clang Stick EX! 」

「Ou! I’m Clang Clang Stick EX from now on, let’s get along from now on! 」

This mischievous-looking sprite grinned.

「You who have the potential to be the king, and the person who has the ability to select the king — Never let this bough wither as you go forth with your spirit. 」

I was so caught up in the excitement that I didn’t hear what the true spirit mumbled before she disappeared. The entire landscape had become shrouded in mist.