Chapter 454 - Backyard of Stray Priest Extra Edition (Actually the forgotten Chapter 6)
This is an episode that should originally have been posted as Chapter 18, Episode 6.
Whether the broken-horns are sufficient as combat power for the Northeastern Forest recovery operation. I have to confirm that. After the monthly recovery operation in the Northeastern Forest ended, I brought two of the gentle ones to Serena's forest.
Renata's forest, centered on Renata's tree, forms a mottled pattern with clumps of young oak trees and clumps of black trees. Usually, in order to prevent others from identifying the forest's location, it's covered with illusions, and mist is freely produced to drive away intruders. Since the recovery operation is currently underway, the center of the forest can be immediately understood and Renata's tree can also be identified.
The surrounding black trees that were originally there were jumped to the highway connecting Regnentes and Engrio, so the area around Renata's tree has a considerable range where black trees are gone. However, if it were made completely bare, the soil would wash away, so I made clumps of several dozen trees each and jumped them. Young trees are planted after that. In places where there are young trees, mature trees that were jumped during the highway construction of the Northeastern Forest are growing here and there.
Renata's tree in the middle itself remains monsterized, and its trunk, branches, and leaves are black, but the acorns falling around it are sprouting fresh green young leaves. When I illuminate Renata's tree, the tree works hard to drop acorns and sprout young leaves. Serena gives power to the young leaves to make them about the size of one-year-old trees.
There are still many black trees that haven't been jumped. Or rather, those that were jumped are overwhelmingly fewer. I illuminate about a thousand trees a month with Light and turn them into stumps that produce sprouts. The process of turning is quite a sight, with the trunks splitting and cracking all at once as they fall, but at least one splendid sprout can be taken per stump. The fallen trees and stumps are crushed by the Elves and mixed with soil to make compost. Half of that is bagged and jumped to the Flatlands. Serena uses her power to grow the sprouts into about one-year-old trees.
As a result of continuing the recovery operation like that for nearly two years, it became a spiral.
Fortunately, the soil is not contaminated with magical power, so we sow seeds of low-growing weeds and grow them, and when seeds are produced, the Elves reap them and use them as green manure. Besides weeds, we increase shrubs, wrap vines, and devise various ways to prevent the soil from being washed away by rain. As the trees grow larger, we move them to create distance between the oak trees, and in that amount, we increase low trees, shrubs, weeds, and other plants. It's possible because they are Elves called forest spirits, and humans could never do it.
Renata and Serena are calling, "come here, come here."
When I went over, I was pulled to Renata's tree.
"Look, Jeanne. Look at this part."
Looking at where she pointed, there is a branch of a black tree. It's the thickest branch coming directly from the trunk. The branches of the monsterized tree are twisted as if twisted by some great force.
"This part was bent, you see. But, look, it's become straight, hasn't it?"
Even if told that, I don't remember. I can neither affirm nor deny.
"Jeanne. Compare it with other branches. As thick as possible... look, like that branch."
The branch Serena pointed to is also thick, no less than the other. it's grandly twisted.
Wait? Now that she mentions it, the branch Renata showed me has less bending.
"The other branches too, little by little, the bending is becoming less."
"It's the result of Jeanne continuing to illuminate it over time so the tree doesn't weaken. Look, look around the tree."
Serena points around the roots. There, several black leaves have fallen. Since they are dry, they look like fallen leaves of a deciduous tree. The color also looks somewhat different.
"Our oak trees don't shed leaves, you see. That turned red and fell. And in the place where it fell, young branches are growing."
"Sister's tree is being reborn."
"Could it be, a resurrection?"
Renata and Serena both nodded together.
I unintentionally jumped at Renata.
"I'm so glad! Until now, even though I illuminated it many times, there was no change in the tree itself, so I was worried about what to do if it was weakening."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know I was making you worry that much."
"Sister, surely, Jeanne's feelings like that reached the tree."
The three of us rejoiced with tears. I've been doing the recovery using Light steadily every month for about two years. Even as my magic control increased, I devised ways not to change the intensity. Honestly, I had given up on the resurrection of the main body. Now, the possibility of resurrection has emerged.
"Right now, I can't make acorns that can be fed to animals, but eventually, it would be nice if we could feed them safe acorns made by this tree."
"I'm sure we can."
For now, the only animals are goats for milking for the Black Dragon Child. Since it doesn't yet have the appearance of a forest, we can't have them live there. We'll let pigs roam free there and have the broken-horns look after them. Thinking about it, it might become a big challenge.
First, we'll make a ranch. It's also the home of the broken-horns.
First is the selection of land.
The important thing is securing water. One well would be enough. In Renata's forest, many springs are gushing out. That water creates a stream, gathers more water, and finally connects to a large river flowing through the Northeastern Forest. If it's just to maintain the forest, that's enough. It's not just springs; it snows and rains, so it seems the trees can be maintained. However, if we're going to keep animals, even if it's a testing ground, it's better to have a water source within the site. We'll dig a well. So, we had Dune look at the water veins and decided. We chose a place with a guarantee that water would come out if dug.
Once the location was decided, the work of making the ranch progressed.
I illuminate black trees to create new land and sprouts. The sprouts were planted on the outer edge of the planned ranch site.
Next is the well.
Speaking of well-digging magic, it's Clump Sand... in other words, earth magic. Eleanor-sama draws a circle the same as the well's diameter at the planned well site and digs the soil there. Since Dune has already appraised the approximate depth, we just dig single-mindedly until reaching that depth. On the way, it seems we hit bedrock, and Wilson-san hollowed it out with Curve.
The side walls of the well are coated with special Elf clay so they don't collapse and are fixed with bricks fired by the Elves. After making the shape like that, when the final digging was done, it seems water came out. A signal came from Eleanor-sama, who was digging while illuminating with Fireflies.
"As expected of Dune. It's exactly the depth you said."
"Ufufu. Under here, the underground water of that mountain is flowing."
When the bottom of the well is illuminated with Fireflies, water is pooling at the bottom of the well. Perhaps the water vein is abundant, as the water level rose rapidly.
"You should make a wider hole."
"Eh? Could it be..."
"Yes, probably, it'll become a spring, so you should also make a pond and a stream."
Weren't we digging a well?
"It's the same wherever you dig. There was bedrock on the way, right? Because of that, the water didn't come out to the surface. But, judging from the water pressure, it's not enough to gush out, so it should become a modest, just-right spring."
Looking at the digging team, they hurriedly widened the well and dug a trench for the stream.
"Yes, yes, that's about right. It's just right for a lovely spring."
Dune is laughing, koro-koro. Honestly, she's such a playful person.
A spring successfully gushed out. The size is about three or four times the diameter of the original well, so it's not quite a pond. In a sense, it's just right. I've told Dune the whole plan. Perhaps she looked for a place that would become a spring from the start.
Next is the ground side.
Since we can't feed the pigs acorns from monsterized trees, we move and plant a certain number of mature trees to create a place where many acorns fall. We move trees as if thinning them out from around the highway extending from the front of the Eastern Plains Corps fortress through the two Eastern Plains Paratroop Jaeger Unit positions to the Royal Capital area, and create a grove of about a hundred oak trees. Of course, we keep them away from the surroundings. We also put some distance from the spring. Alex, ordered by Dune, jumped about twenty times and it was finished. We make stakes by cutting the black trees that were torn and fell as a result of being illuminated with Wind Cutter, and drive them around the grove. And we connect them with fences woven from vines. When Flora inserted several briar cuttings and gave them power, the fence was covered in briars in no time. The inside of this fence will be, so to speak, the testing ground. First, we'll have them spend one winter.
We also have to make homes for the pigs and Ogres. The location is already decided. In the center of the grove, there is a small clearing where only four trees grow. That is the planned site for the hut.
Violet sets up a net using the four trees as pillars and attaches stakes to the front and back of that net. When clay like glue made by the Elves is smeared in, a mud wall with windows on the east and south and an entrance on the west side was completed. The windows can be opened and closed by supporting the wooden boards with props. The word 'Manager' is carved on the door.
Using the mud walls as support, wooden branches are lined up to make a ceiling. Violet sets up a net on top of that. Tree bark is attached to make a roof. Although simple, a hut that can provide shelter from rain and dew was made.
A farm surrounded by a fence was made. There's a hut and a watering hole. Although it's modest, it's a fine thing.
When Serena and Renata gave power to each of the oak trees they moved and planted, large acorns ripened and fell with a thud, thud.
There, when we put in two newly bought pigs, they were eating while going oink, oink.
When we put in two broken-horns, they started eating acorns along with the pigs. Sometimes they give the acorns they picked up to the pigs. Perhaps because the gentle ones are the partners, the pigs aren't showing any signs of wariness either.
Keira has also brought a squirrel couple she manipulated with Charm. Since a nest box made by Bonnie is fixed to a tree branch, they climbed the tree and entered the nest box. On the farm, unlike rabbits, we don't raise squirrels. Instead, we make nest boxes and fix them to trees in the forest near the farm, so they come and live there on their own. We brought one pair of those squirrels along with their nest box. At first they were wary, but when we all watched from a distance, they came down to the ground. When the broken-horns called, they approached and started gnawing on the acorns handed to them. Since they're large, one each should be enough.
"It looks like it'll be alright."
"They are getting along well."
Renata and Serena are laughing together. Serena, who used to call the horned ones 'that thing,' seems to have had her impression change considerably.
"Grazing will be eventually, so let's start with the pig ranch as practice. Please let those two spend the winter. Since Serena and Renata gave power to the trees, there shouldn't be any trouble with food. When spring comes, we'll buy piglets at our farm, so please take care of them. That way, we'll let the broken-horns gradually gain experience in pig farming."
The full-scale catching of Ogres to turn them into broken-horns will start from next spring. We'll build the foundation by then. We have to make sure not to burden the Elves as much as possible. Otherwise, we can't keep many. Renata is here, and Lyudmila, Flora, and Keira are also here. They should be able to teach the broken-horns and Elves how to keep pigs.
"I'm sorry for everything, Jeanne."
"No, we're in this together."
The Elf Prince thanked me. Honestly, he probably has never done pig farming. However, if they want to start an industry, they have no choice but to start from where they can.
Eventually, if we bring a sow and have her give birth to piglets, an independent ranch will be made. It can't be done at our farm. Instead, if we do it here, Lyudmila's eyes will reach. Until many acorns can be taken in Renata's forest, much more time will be needed. We'll take our time and grow the whole farm. Though, I don't know how many years it will be before it's fully operational...
Well, humans aside, spirits and monsters live long, so it'll be alright.
While we were all watching the state of the broken-horn ranch, the Elf Elder came with two Elves. They were looking after the sprouts made today, but the work must have ended. All three are holding hemp bags in their hands.
"Oh, a splendid ranch has been made. It's late, but let me thank you again."
After thanking Serena and Renata, he also thanks the others.
"What's that in your hands?"
"It is this, Renata-sama."
What the Elder took out from the bag was something like a tub with soil and plants planted in it.
"I brought apple and strawberry seedlings. Since they bear fruit in winter, I thought they would be a good enjoyment for the broken-horns."
He's doing quite well. The broken-horns would also get bored with just acorns.
"Then, I'll take them. I'll make them a bit larger for you."
"Sister, let's have a simple celebration with mead."
She's suddenly intending to start a banquet. Spirits aside, if humans go in, I don't know if the squirrels will get wary and run away.
"If it's Jeanne, it'll be alright."
It's Keira.
"Those squirrels are near the farm, right?"
Far from being near, they sometimes pilfer large acorns for the pigs. Since there's no impact, everyone leaves them alone, and perhaps because of that, they are becoming bolder day by day.
"Jeanne knows too, right? They're coming quite close."
"That's true. I wonder if they're not scared?"
"Other humans aside, they thought Jeanne looked like someone who would give them food."
Keira occasionally possesses squirrels too. That's why she understands the squirrels' feelings.
However, I didn't think I was certified as a person who gives food by wild animals.
In the end, those celebrating at the farm became Dune, Mel, Flora, Serena, Renata, Keira, the Elf Elder and Prince, and me. Henry-sama's group, Lyudmila, and Alex started a banquet outside the ranch.
"Look, Jeanne, the pigs and squirrels came."
In the direction of Serena's gaze are four animals of two kinds.
Perhaps because I'm certified as a person who gives food, they came two by two. The pigs, well, I understand. They must have been given food by humans since they were piglets. However, I don't understand the squirrels. Maybe I threw an acorn once.
"Jeanne is that kind of girl. Our black bird was like that too, right?"
It's Dune. Now that she mentions it, there was such a thing.
"Yes, yes, the only one who can release Chururi as an aerial scout is Jeanne, right?"
It's Mel. Indeed, that's true.
"The rabbits we keep at home are like that too."
It's Keira. I didn't know that.
Come to think of it, when I went to the Goblin nest with Robinson-san, I was also begged for food by a wolf I met on the way.
I wonder if there's something. Could it be a foreshadowing for learning Subordination? If so, I'd be happy.
"Is there some reason?"
It's the Elf Prince. I wish he wouldn't ask me.
"Reason? That's because it's Jeanne."
Dune strokes my head.
I don't understand the reason at all, though.