Chapter 584 - Sandwiched, and Doing the Sandwiching
[Character Level Up!]
After cleanly severing the stem of the Schennepentes at its base, I finally leveled up.
My character level was now 20. I'd received the bonus BP for every 10 levels, and I still had SP left over, so I decided to allocate everything to my stats.
"Mion. I defeated it, so could you come here and help me?"
"Yes!"
I'll have to dig up the roots and dispose of them.
And just in case, I should dismantle it. It might turn into medicine...
"Kururu~♪"
"Raz! I'm glad you seem to have recovered."
Raz, who had flown from Mion's shoulder to mine, rubbed her cheek against me.
It seems there was no damage to HP or MP, so she was likely just charmed.
Given her small body, perhaps even a small amount absorbed had an effect?
"Um, Shou-kun. This is..."
"..."
Mion and Sweee were surprised by the surrounding situation.
Char and Kuro looked a little chilly.
"It's thanks to Rigel. Freezing them seems more efficient than burning them."
"Bururun♪"
Explaining what had happened, I used [Excavation Magic] to pull out the roots.
"Um, you defeated it just by freezing it? Plants can usually tolerate cold places, right?"
"It depends on the plant, I guess. Schennepentes are originally bad with cold. Even cold-resistant plants are usually fine only if it gets cold gradually; many can't handle sudden drops."
This knowledge was passed down from my grandpa and grandma. The logic is that tolerating cold increases sweetness, but sudden cold is often impossible. I think it's called frost damage?
"That's amazing!"
"Ahaha..."
I had Char and Kuro retrieve the other remnants, and then I [Appraised] each one individually...
The vines seemed like they could be made into rope, but the rest was questionable. The liquid spilled from the pot was frozen thanks to Rigel... but I definitely wouldn't want to take that home.
"This should do it."
I gathered the remnants onto a layer of stone walls, then covered them with more stone walls, effectively "sandwiching" them.
I'll mark it on the map so we can incinerate them if they're dry next time we come.
"We took more time than I thought, so let's hurry on ahead."
"Yes."
...
...
...
Following the lake, we reached the northernmost point of a gentle slope, realizing we were actually higher than the [Divine Tree] on the lakeside.
"You really can't tell from a distance, can you?"
"Right? But it's a really great view."
"~~~♪"
It was just past 9:30 PM.
We had a little over an hour left, so we decided to continue north from here.
Our formation remained mostly the same, but we had Raz stay on Mion's shoulder as a precaution.
Along the way, a fox monster called a Dirt Fox appeared, but Lupi, Leda, and Roy easily took it down.
The fur looked good, so I'll look forward to Mion making something with it.
"Woof~"
"Oh..."
"Wow..."
After about fifteen minutes, the forest ended, giving way to a vast grassland.
It wasn't a perfectly flat grassland; there were small hills in sight, giving it the atmosphere of a ranch I'd visited with my grandparents long ago.
"Bururu~"
"Woof~"
"Mion. Rigel and the others want to run, so can you let them off?"
"Ah, yes."
"I'm going to scout the visible area for a bit, so Mion and the others can rest here."
Mion and Kuro seemed keen to explore the area, so I asked them not to overdo it.
If anything happens, we'll contact each other via [Guild Card].
"Alright, I'll just go as far as that hill, lightly."
"Bururun!" "Woof!" "Bow!" "Bow!"
Rigel, who had started walking slowly, gradually picked up speed.
Lupi and the others were keeping up without any problems, looking quite relaxed, but I wonder which of them is faster at top speed?
"We'll stop up there!"
"Woof!"
By the time I'd said the words, we were already there.
I lightly pulled on the reins, and Rigel slowed down.
"Oh, it's vast..."
To the north, the grassland stretched even further, and beyond that, another forest, perhaps?
What caught my attention more was the sight of cow-like animals in the distance.
Three of them, perhaps? They seem to be moving as a group...
"Hmm, I wonder if those are pop-up monsters."
I could see them, but either they couldn't see me, or they were just leisurely grazing.
Well, for today, a wait-and-see approach should be fine...
"Woof."
"Right. A little further, let's head towards the sea."
"Bururun."
From the top of the hill, we rode west. As we ran at a moderate speed, the grassland gave way to a cliff.
The sea was dark, and the atmosphere was different from where True and the others were, but more than that,
"That's an island, isn't it..."
Trees were visible, so it didn't seem to be just a reef.
If we had a [Small Magic Boat], we could probably land, but having to sail all the way around would be a hassle.
"Mion, got a moment?"
"Yes. What is it?"
"Uh, I saw another small island to the northwest."
"Eh!?"
As expected, she didn't know.
She had mentioned going out to sea during her exploration of the Ghillie Dhu Forest before, so I wondered if she might have discovered it then.
Well, if she had found it, she surely would have reported it.
"We're also heading west, so why don't we meet up?"
"Roger."
And so, we headed south.
Lupi guided us towards Mion's location,
"Ah, there you are. Mion!"
"Shou-kun!"
We successfully reunited.
As we intended to leisurely proceed to where the small island was visible,
"~~~?"
"Ah... Rigel, is it okay if Mion rides too?"
"Bururun♪"
Apparently, no problem at all.
"Alright, Mion, want to ride?"
"Y-yes!"
I took her hand, pulled her up, and had her sit in front of me.
Since we planned to walk slowly, Char and the others should be able to follow without any issues.
"Was there anything beyond the hill?"
"Oh, right, there were some cow-like creatures."
I recounted the view from the top of the hill, how we then headed west, and how the small island I mentioned became visible from the cliff's edge.
"It wasn't there during the [Uninhabited Island Start]?"
"It wasn't that it wasn't there, but it might have been too small to be displayed."
"I see."
When she turned to answer, her face was so close it made my heart skip a beat.
I'm riding a horse, I need to stay calm...
"Woof!"
"Oh, there it is. That."
"Ah, it's smaller than I expected."
I wasn't sure of the exact distance, but it was probably smaller than the basin where the [Mountain Cabin] was.
We continued north along the cliff, and... yeah, time's up.
"Alright, let's head back soon."
"You're going to try the [Transfer], right?"
"Yeah. It would be bad if something happened, so let's get off."
"Yes."
The [Transfer] destination was the mansion's backyard. The last time I tried it, it was the hall, but that would be too narrow, so I'd reset the destination. Plus, it'd be bad to go inside the house while still dirty.
"Alright, everyone gather 'round."
According to Azure-san, the MP consumption for [Transfer] or [Teleportation] seems to depend on the volume of the affected area, so I had everyone huddle as closely as possible.
Kuro and the others rode on Rigel, Lupi and her pack were at our feet, and Raz was in my hood.
Mion, holding Char and with Sweee on her shoulder, pressed tightly against me.
"Alright, here we go. ...
Returning to the mansion's backyard in an instant was amazing, but my MP had plummeted dangerously low. I involuntarily dropped to both knees...
"Shou-kun!?"
"Woof!"
"It's fine, it's fine. Thanks for the [Mana Aid], Lupi."
I managed to recover, but Mion, if you hug me like that, Char, who's sandwiched in between, looks like she's struggling...
"Nyaa..."