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TL: ALT
Chapter 21 – The Results of The Storing Grass
They are pursuing additional charges, so the details of the motive will likely come to light.
For now, Wataru, the victim, hurriedly left the scene.
“…We’re way behind schedule due to this ridiculous trouble, but we’ll finish checking the storing grass today.”
“Understood. Perhaps it would be best to speak with Lord Moye again at a later date?”
“I was going to thank him for mediating with the general anyway. I might as well handle it all at once…”
Thinking this has caused more trouble, Wataru heads toward the capital’s gate, his slight irritation showing.
Suddenly, he looked at Stella.
While they were dealing with the seller, Stella had been guarding Wataru, but she wasn’t carrying any weapons.
Her skill was undoubtedly formidable, earning her respect from Aire and Cloche, especially since General Thomas’s army, renowned for its strength, was struggling.
Still, making her fight barehanded seemed questionable.
“Come to think of it, Stella is a mage, right? Do you need a staff or something?”
“I suppose I could fight without one, but it would be better to have it. However, since it’s a magical artifact, acquiring one is difficult. They’re expensive and hard to come by, so I don’t think you need to go out of your way for a slave like me.”
“No, that’s not right. If everyone is properly equipped and works hard, that helps me more. If I were struggling with poverty and had no leeway, it would be different. Thankfully, though, I have a reliable source of income.”
“…Understood. Thank you for your consideration. Since this is the royal capital, are there many shops that cater to mages?”
“I don’t know, but probably.”
He had done some sightseeing in the royal capital before, but Mariel had guided him then.
Mariel, who had once lived in the royal capital, seemed to know something and immediately shared what she knew.
“Ah, I haven’t been there before, but I know where it is. Which should we prioritize?”
“That’s a tough call. But let’s finish the business I already planned first. I don’t want to leave any tasks undone. Even if it means more work, I want to finish them one by one!”
“Fufufu, understood.”
Mariel chuckled as if amused, but nothing about it was funny to Wataru.
Wataru suppressed the words surging in his mind and walked through the gate.
◯◯◯
Beyond the gate, the area wasn’t exactly clean — perhaps because it had been swept recently — but it looked much the same as ever.
A thin layer of dust had settled, suggesting that no one had come here since then.
Looking up from inside the shrine at the forest covering the ancient ruins, Stella gasped in awe.
“So these are the ancient ruins you mentioned? The magic concentration here is truly terrifying. It’s not just dense; it’s in this bizarre, mottled pattern that’s downright creepy. The trees are growing strangely, too. Poor things.”
“Be careful with the magic. Coming from me, who tried to bolt last time, that’s an easy thing to say.”
“Ufufufu, I am still an elf, after all. I’m quite skilled at handling my own magic and the magic around me.”
“Whoa, what an incredibly intricate barrier! As expected of an elf.”
“Ufufu. It’s my main job, so I have to be able to do this much.”
“O-Onee-sama isn’t falling behind either!”
“I have a treasured sword that has been passed down through generations. Cloche doesn’t need to counter every single one for me.”
“While the forest is our home, this one seems rather different. I’m curious about the legendary magical artifact said to exist only in ancient cities. Perhaps we should give it up, though.”
“I think there might be a magic sword, too. But there are some seriously dangerous monsters, and if there are traps, it’d be a real pain. It seems pretty impossible, huh?”
Unaffected by the magical disaster, Stella emerged from the shrine, followed by Aire and Cloche.
What on earth was happening inside the plastic greenhouse that had been set up right before their eyes?
If everything were growing safely, that would be perfect.
But what if another commotion like the one with Cloche last time happened again?
Wataru waited anxiously for the first report.
Then, Aire returned immediately.
“Master!”
“Wh-what was it like?”
“It’s perfect! There’s no problem!”
“Great! I see, I see. You did a great job assembling the plastic greenhouse in such a dangerous place, Aire!”
“Haha, I’m glad I could help. I’m glad I could be of use to you, Master.”
Aire broke into a big grin, her tail wagging wildly.
As he tickled her soft, floppy ears and rubbed her head, she rubbed her head against his hand.
This little sweetheart. Mmm.
Aire beamed with genuine happiness, her face lighting up.
“Nishishi. Make sure to praise Cloche later, too. She seems to be dwelling on that mistake she made the other day.”
“Hm, right. I punished her thoroughly enough, so she shouldn’t worry about it.”
“Oh, Master just doesn’t get it. That’s not the issue at all.”
She probably wants to wash away the shame of her failure with the glory of success.
True to her claim of being from the Wolf Clan, she might be a far prouder girl than Wataru imagined.
“Master, stand beside me. Don’t leave me; it’s dangerous.”
“All right, all right. Thanks for all your suggestions and support, Mariel.”
“You flatter me.”
Not only did he not leave, but her arms were also wrapped around him.
Wataru gave a wry smile but didn’t point it out.
Assuming she was just happy things were going so well, he decided to let her do as she pleased.
Mariel was doing the same thing on the other side. He wondered what they were competing about, but didn’t point it out.
Inside the vinyl greenhouse made from magic-blocking material, the storing grass had grown to Wataru’s thigh height.
The growing conditions must have been exceptionally good.
A stem as thick as a thumb had shot up from the pot and branched out multiple times, sprouting lush foliage.
Its growth rate was astonishing, and its leaves were larger than those sent by his grandfather, Toru. Still, it remained within reasonable bounds.
“Stella, can this be used as material?”
“Yes, my lord. It’s rare to find something storing magic so abundantly. If you plant it in the thinly magic-infused soil of the medicinal herb garden, it should produce herbs suitable for potions.”
“I barely gave it any care, yet it grew so well.”
“While the storing grass needs some nutrients from the soil, magic power is its primary nourishment. In this space saturated with ample magic power, even with the use of barrier materials, it likely found an ideal growing environment.”
Since it’s deep in the forest, the air is moist, keeping things pleasantly humid.
It probably secured sufficient moisture through morning dew and the like.
“The gate seems to be functioning a bit better than before. Moving forward, it’d be great if we could expand this greenhouse and gradually reduce the ambient magical power, even if just a little.”
“It’ll probably take thousands of years for this magical power accumulation to dissipate…”
“Better to try than not! All right, end of discussion!”
This was a dragon vein region boasting an eruption volume unlike the mountain Wataru had purchased.
The amount of magical power that the storing grass secured was like trying to scoop water from a great river with a plastic bottle.
Water flows endlessly. How could the river’s volume possibly change?
Nevertheless, it was undoubtedly better than doing nothing.
Besides, for Wataru, the fact that it could become medicinal herb material was significant.
Feeling a sense of accomplishment at taking another step forward, his fatigue eased a little.
Incidentally, that night, Cloche was showered with praise. “I-I don’t need any more rewards. I’ve been praised enough already❤ H-honestly, I really don’t need any more!” or something like that.
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Don’t tell me MC uses the same act for giving prizes and punishments… 😅
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