While Mika handled the giant snake with brilliant skill and properly processed the at, we decided to split up and search for sothing specific. Accompanying were Chirik, Lappy, Acht, and Woodsorrel.
Ideally, only Chiriks presence was necessary, but Lappy decided to tag along out of boredom. Acht who was always perched on Lappys hair as an ornant naturally ended up joining us. Although I had never witnessed their verbal exchanges, Acht seed to share a close bond with Lappy.
Gardenia also said that she wanted to co along when she heard Chirik was going, but unfortunately for her we couldnt take her with us. The reason was her fur, which made her susceptible to the high heat in the desert.
Pupupu! Im so glad to be able to use transformation technique!
Dont tease her like that. She must have been genuinely upset.
Woodsorrel who was also a mber of the demon fox race like Gardenia had long since transford into a human form using her transformation technique. This effectively rid her of her fur and allowed her a certain level of comfort even in the scorching desert heat.
Well, a significant factor was that I had conjured a canopy of sand above us to shield us from the sunlight. Without it, even Woodsorrel wouldnt have said that she wanted to accompany us. Such is the intense heat of this desert.
What are we doing, big brother?
Yes, tell us.
Hey, hey, did you follow without knowing?
Mhmm.
Lappy and Woodsorrel simultaneously nodded their heads at my question. It seed that, seeing the adults gathered and doing sothing, the relatively lively Lappy and Woodsorrel decided on a whim to follow. Im glad they beca good friends, but they were overly energetic. There were many children suffering from the heat.
As I sighed in exasperation, Chirik too let out a sigh at the exact sa mont. I guess because hes such a smart kid that he can understand my feelings Im really sorry for putting you through so much trouble.
Chirik, explain it to them.
Yes, teacher. We ca here to investigate whether theres an underground water vein in this area.
Since we settled in the desert, the first thing we had to secure was a water source. While it was possible to procure water through spiritual art, relying solely on those skilled in water spiritual arts, like Chris, wasnt a good thing. Finding a water source capable of sustaining our many comrades was an absolute necessity.
To do this, we would check for underground water veins in several directions from where we first landed. Chirik and I could analyze the ground with our sand spiritual arts, and Mika could detect the presence of water through sound. Others in the group also had their own ans of investigation.
Water, huh? There really isnt any around here.
Yeah, water is important.
It seems you understand. Now, Chirik, give it a try.
Yes!
Once they understood, I encouraged Chirik to use his spiritual arts. After responding energetically, he thrust his staff into the ground and channeled his spiritual power into it. The power flowed straight down and penetrated deep into the earth.
Chirik was indeed a child prodigy. In terms of skill and detailed control, he had already surpassed , although his young age ant that his power output was still a weakness. However, he was gradually overcoming this limitation. The diligent training bore fruit, and his growth rate was beyond what anyone could have expected.
But Chiriks expression beca worried and I understood why only too well. This was because I also lightly tapped the ground with my foot, using the sound to probe the earth beneath.
Teacher theres absolutely no water here.
True to Chiriks words, within the range of my vibrational sensing, there was not even a trace of flowing water. I had never encountered a place so devoid of water. How did the plants growing in this region get their moisture from?
With our objective to locate water effectively concluded, I thought it best to head back. Thats when I noticed Lappy crouched at my feet while intently examining a plant. Then, she slowly grabbed the leaf and pulled it out with great force.
Hey, what are you doing?
Look. This is a sweet potato.
The plant Lappy had pulled out was indeed a sweet potato. It was black on the surface and shaped like a distorted ball. Clusters of them hung together, with around twenty in total.
Each was about the size of Chiriks fist, not particularly large, but their quantity ant that a single plant could easily fill a stomach. Whether they were edible remained to be seen, but finding potential food was indeed an achievent. I patted Lappy on the head and praised her for her find.
Youve done well to notice. Good job.
Hmm. The leaves looked similar.
Lappys expression remained the sa as usual, but her voice carried a hint of pride. It seed she was pleased to be praised. This trait of hers hadnt changed since we first t.
In the past, she would often coax to carry her on my shoulder. Recently, however, this had stopped entirely. I understood the reason though. She wanted to appear more mature in front of Chirik.
Personally, I wouldnt mind her being more clingy, but the rest of our comrades seed to think the current distance was just right. Perhaps I should be happy that she was growing, but I couldnt help but feel a bit lonely.
We then collected as many of the sa type of sweet potatoes as we could before returning to our landing site. The other mbers of our group had already returned, so we were the last to arrive.
The reason we were the last to return was undoubtedly because we had been collecting sweet potatoes, but in doing so, we had acquired what might be an edible source of food. Upon sharing this reason, everyone was delighted, and it was quickly decided to cook and try them for lunch.
Interestingly enough, even Lorenz who was probably the most knowledgeable of us was unfamiliar with this type of sweet potato. It may be a variety not found in the northern regions of the Shumie Mountains, which ans we wouldnt know if it was poisonous without tasting it.
Please, enjoy. Ive kept it simple. Just stead and sprinkled with a bit of salt.
Hoo.
Doesnt it sll wonderful?
Mika had stead half of the sweet potatoes we had brought. Since Im immune to poison and can safely eat raw food, and demons are generally resistant to poison, it seed wed be fine. The real test, however, was whether it would be edible when cooked since thats how it would normally be consud. Raw sweet potato wouldnt be a reliable indicator.
Still, considering the possibility of poison, I decided to be the first to taste it. Even though poison doesnt affect , I can detect its presence by its unique unpleasant taste. I was essentially the perfect poison taster.
As the potato was served before , I realized at that mont that it was a jackpot. The faintly sweet aroma wafting from the steam convinced that I would eat it, poison or not. I was certain of it.
While entertaining thoughts that would probably earn a silent punch from Chris sitting next to , I decided to split the potato in two. Mika had stead it with the skin on and he said that it tasted better that way, so its interior was still a mystery to . I wondered what color it might be.
The skin of the potato was thick, and splitting it required more strength than I had anticipated. While soone as trained as Magna might find it easier, it seed like a difficult task for a child.
However, what deserved special ntion was the color of the split potato. To my surprise, the inside was a brilliant red. While the color was surprising, what mattered most was whether it was edible. Without hesitation, I took a bite of the potato.
Mmm, delicious. And it seems to be poison-free too.
Then Ill have so too! Munch Mmm~! Sweet and tasty~!
Having had experiences where sothing slled wonderful but tasted bland, I was relieved to find that this was not the case. And since the most important part was the taste, it turned out to be quite pleasant.
While it wasnt as sweet as fruit, the moist and smooth texture was quite good. I was confident that everyone could eat it and gave my heartfelt approval.
Woodsorrel, who had been waiting for to say it was good to eat, followed and popped the potato into her mouth. She had picked the largest one from the stash she had dug up and insisted it be her share. Chris was amazed at how greedy she was.
Lets save the other half. If we find suitable land, it might be a good idea to cultivate it.
Its going to be more fun.
Chris smiled while eating the sweet potato. Apparently, she noticed that I quite liked this potato. Noticing this, I felt a bit embarrassed and quickly finished the rest of mine.
After the al, we shared updates on the investigation of the water veins. The results were the sa for everyone; there was hardly any sign of water. This ant that there were no water veins in the vicinity.
It could be due to the terrain, or perhaps the ancient battles of the gods weve heard about. Either way, settling in this vicinity seems impossible.
Right. So, what do we do?
We cant just wander aimlessly
If living here proved difficult, we needed to find another place. However, wandering blindly would only lead to exhaustion. There was a real risk of dehydrating while searching for a water vein.
Amidst this, there were those who seed to have sothing to say but hesitated to voice it. I believed I knew what was on their minds and decided to speak up.
Well head south. Aim for the oasis we saw during our descent.
Haah~. Guess thats our only option.
While we were descending from the sky, my compound eyes caught sight of an oasis amidst the desert. However, when I recalled the view from above, I knew the distance to it was very big. The journey would surely be difficult.
But it was a safer option than wandering aimlessly across this dry land. So we decided to head south and brave the vast desert in search of a water source.
Reviews
All reviews (0)