Plant Mage 41
I’m Going to Accept Residents (1)
Deep in the mountains to the east, I never thought there would be a settlement.
A hidden village of the flowerkins.
Deep in the mountains, there is a gigantic, dead tree that is so old that it is irreverent to even imagine how old it was. The flowerkin village was tree houses built in the hollow part of the tree or its branches whose diameter is as big as the height of a normal tree.
The giant tree had long reached its lifespan but it supported the life of the flowerkin without falling over or rotting away.
At Frau’s house, I listened to her story.
I can only be patient while repeatedly asking questions as she can only answer in simple words.
「Frau, you mean, you’re always taking water medicine made from these spring berries?」
「Yes」
「However, you’ve had poor spring berry harvest since the year before the last. Moreover, this season, the seedlings are even withering away as soon as they are planted….like, all of them?」
「Yeah.」
「So, if you can drink spring berry water medicine….by the way, we humans call it potion, you flowerkin will be weakened and die starting from the old ones and children?」
「Yah!」
In the corner of the village, Frau tearfully answered all of my questions.
(Hmmm, it seems like the water shortage is quite serious. The mountain is moist so there should be groundwater or something passing through them….)
Anyway, it doesn’t rain.
The circumstances that Frau conveyed in her broken language seem to be more serious than I thought.
(Perhaps the healing property of spring berries suppressed diseases that occur in this poor environment. In short, we have to do something about the spring berries first….)
There were many sick people in the village.
All were limp and unenergetic.
Frau, the daughter of the village chief, was apparently frantically running around trying to somehow cultivate spring berries. Then, I showed up and plowed a beautiful field so she snuck in and planted spring berries.
「Question, is master going to help them?」
「Yeah, that’s the plan.」
I nod to Navi’s question.
Aside from the feeling of wanting to help others, I’m very very interested with the flowerkins.
What is that leaf growing on their heads?
「eeehto, hello everyone!」
「---!」
The flowerkins are basically mute.
Frau can speak a few words but the others can’t. Instead, they are very expressive.
「From now on, how about planting spring berries in my field?」
「---!?」
「I can pump out groundwater. As long as the land is moist and iron is replenished, the rest will be taken care of my “life growth”.」
「Re, a, lly?」
「Yes. However, watering and taking care of them will take a lot of manpower---」
Frau stood up immediately.
Her pretty cheeks are dyed red with excitement and she clenches both of her fists.
She seemed to be telling something to the flowerkins who were looking at her and the others from afar with gestures that I don’t understand.
She’s telling them what I told her.
And maybe, she’s trying to persuade them to cooperate with me.
「…..this is the first time I’ve met her, how can she believe in me that much?」
She doesn’t even know my title of brave.
It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone who sees me for who I am and not my title.
Soon after, Frau returned to me with the flowerkin who can still move.
「….if it’s this many flowerkin will help me, that field will definitely be fine.」
「….Re, ally?」
「Yeah. You, the flowerkin, are people that live with the earth. I’m sure you’re a lot better in tending earth compared to me.」
Frau straightened her back and nodded.
Spring berries also have another meaning in flowerkin language.
---“Nobility overcoming disgrace”
Three days later.
I was greeted with a warm welcome by the whole village.
「A, ano…..there’s no way I can eat all of this.」
「Thanks! Thanks!」
「This crown is a little….」
「Thanks! Thanks!」
「And please, don’t send your little daughters to my room. It reeks of crime.」
「Thanks! Thanks!」
「…..no, you don’t get it.」
It seems like only Frau can understand people's language in this village. The flowerkins, who spend dancing all night while repeatedly saying “thanks” that Frau had thought them are all looking at me with sparkling eyes of respect.
I can only put my hand on my hand and think of their situation from their perspective.
I was treated as if I were their king, sage, or savior.
That’s because I revived their spring berries.
The groundwater was pumped out by a faucet made of handy grass.