CH 280

I became a woodcutter because Lana fainted.

Hmm? You say you didn't understand what I mean? Fret not, even I didn't understand what I'm saying.

However, if anything was sure, then that was I had become a «Hexa-Thunder Tree» cutting machine and gathered a lot of materials in the due time.

Though I had to chug down «Aura Heal» in between to recover the HP I lost from slip damage every time I felled a «Hexa-Thunder Tree».

The students from ‹Collection Department› like ‹Colmar› had the skill to negate the slip damage but ‹Brave› doesn't have such a convenient feature unfortunately.

Well I become one of another woodcutter among other upperclassmen who were felling the trees similarly. Though the sound of ‘Plonk’ coming from here and there each time a tree was felled was quite entertaining.

It was like a BGM that was not available in the ‹Dungeon Activity› during game.

As the saying goes, «It's always easy to lose track of time when you're absorbed into something you like», I had been so addicted to it that I had gathered around 300 ‹Hexa-Thunder Wood› logs by the time I realized what I was doing.

That was way too much, and I know we don't need even more than half of it.

Ah well, things like this do happen sometimes. (It doesn't happen just 'sometime' in your case though......)

Lana was back on her feet once again when I turned to glance at the girl's group. I'm glad she's fine and recovered.

I also quit woodcutting and returned to where they were while waving my hand to them.

"Listen Zephyr, I declare that I will stop getting flustered anymore!"

"Hmm? Ah, I got it?"

I didn't get what Lana said and my reply turned into a question mark in the end. Well that's just Lana-like so I guess there's no need to worry about it.

"Stop there, where are you going! We still haven't done with logging here!"

Lana tightly grabbed my shoulder just as I was about to resume our dungeon exploratory considering we had already wasted quite some time.

I didn't get it at first but then I understood from her last words.

It seemed like she still wanted to learn about logging.

Her appearance and determination in her voice didn't allow me to tell her that I had already gathered around 300 pieces and we wouldn't need them anymore.

In the end, I decided to let her give it a try.

"Well, why don't you take out the axe? And teach me like how you were before."

"A, Ahh. Yes, be careful, okay?"

I took out ‹Gentle Axe› again from the bag and handed it to Lana. I had almost forgotten to take it out as I was slightly bewildered at Lana's sudden reserved demeanor.

"Um, thank you."

Lana turned her back after receiving the axe and moved in front of a ‹Hexa-Thunder Tree›.

"Come, Zephyr. Teach me how to do it properly like before. I, I'm not going to faint this time..."

"Ah. Right......? Excuse me?"

"Why the questioning tone?"

I couldn't quite catch up with the situation. It seemed like Lana wanted to replicate the scenario from earlier and was waiting for me to support her arms that were holding an axe from behind which was almost a hugging posture like before.

"一一ugh, so close, so close, so close....... but I'm not going to lose..."

I think Lana just muttered something but I couldn't hear it well since she was facing downward. I wonder if I'm looking nervous?

The scene from earlier flashed past my mind.

Her irresistible blue eyes. A distance so close a single movement and our lips might have overlapped.

A pity. I strangely felt a pang of regret recalling it.

As for what was regrettable, it was the three people who were closely paying attention to our situation from the sideline.

"You can do it, Lana-sama!"

"Get more close, Zephyr. Glue your waist."

"It's fine even if you take it easy. Lana-dono would be able to handle it that way."

If that wasn't enough, then they're even cheering on us. I could clearly hear them.

What's going on? Just what's with this situation? And I'm not going to glue our waist, Karua. It would be awful in many ways if I straightened my back in this posture.

"L, let's start, Zephyr. Hurry up."

Even Lana was getting embarrassed as her face turned red and quickly urged me to continue. Her face was totally beat red. Even her ears were red.

Her flushed face was clearly visible from the side even though her eyes never left ‹Hexa-Wood Tree› from sight, and didn't even turn back.

I wondered if my face was red too.

I quickly shook my head to shake off any unnecessary thoughts and focused on my explanation.

"Y, Yes. Try to hold the Axe so that its blade part is horizontal. Skill would activate automatically as long as you hold it decently and will turn it into material. Swing it like that."

I lightly held Lana's hand, slightly adjusted her right hand so that the blade was horizontal and hit the ‹Hexa-Thunder Tree›.

A faint numbing shock ran through hand at the same time and slightly reduced the HP.

"Hiii! S, something like lightning just came out!"

"That's the fun part about ‹Hexa-Thunder Tree›. Though I wonder how these trees all sound despite possessing lightning."

"I don't know. A, anyway just focus. Like this?"

"That's right."

It wouldn't work properly if the axe is swung suddenly and strongly, so a not so strong swung where eyes can follow trajectory is recommended.

The axe was swung again, reducing a bit of HP simultaneously.

However she swung it a bit too lightly as the tree didn't turn into material and was still rooted there.

"I got it. I think I can do it this time."

"Oh? Then I think you should be okay on your own."

"Stop. I'm not sure if I will be able to do it correctly yet, so support me till the end."

"Eh? Yes. I see?"

I was stopped by Lana when I tried to take distance from her thinking she should be able to do it on her own.

Lana today was awfully honest, just what's going on?

It was a rare sight that her tsundere side wasn't pushing back her honest side today which wasn't something you get to see usually in her tsun & dere mode combined.

This contrast slightly makes my heart skip a beat.

Thankfully we're not alone else it would have been awful. Though I can't exactly spell how it would have been awful.

My restless heart calmed down as I glanced at the three people who were cheering us on the side.

It was enough to bring me out of my thoughts. Good grief.

"Alright, we're starting."

"Okay. One, two and一一!"

"Go!

I supported Lana and also corrected her swing trajectory at the same time we raised our voice."

The swung axe neatly get sucked up to the trunk who made a nice Plonk sound.

The ‹Hexa-Thunder Tree› instantly disappeared into the effect and left behind the wood on our feet.

"Amazing! It really turned into material!"

"That's it, you did it!"

"That was splendid, Lana-sama!"

"Hn, congratulations, Lana."

"You were so wonderful, Lana-dono. You were also wonderful, Zephyr."

I understand Ester's “Splendid” remark. But Karua's remark “Congratulation” after her puzzled me. And I didn't get at all what was wonderful in Rika's “You were also wonderful” remarks.

Though the strange inkling vanished into nothingness after I did a high-five with Lana who was holding material and put the axe into the bag. Everything was incomprehensible to me but it seemed like there was some significant meaning in it from the girl's perspective as they highly praised Lana.

And Lana too was making a Triumph expression.

Only I stood there alone facing this incomprehensible scene.