Chapter 1
「How big is a big tree-nyaa?」
Nemu, who is driving the carriage, asks in a muffled voice.
Then she yawned and wiped her teary eyes with her hand.
Mars almost yawned too.
The carriage ride is fun at first, but if the road is the same for a long time, you get tired of it. It felt as if the same road would go on forever.
The next destination was Lilia's hometown, the Forest of the World Tree, where the Elven Kingdom once existed.
The World Tree contains one of the Seven Great Dungeons, but even Lilia, who was on the ruling side, does not know much about the inside. It is a kind of sacred tree, so to speak, and it seems that they did not want to get involved with it too much. Therefore, there is no other way but to go there and check it out.
Mars and co have already collected the basic supplies―food, clothing, consumables, and entertainment― so now all that remains is to get something locally specific to the World Tree dungeon, and their preparations are complete.
The top priority is still the acquisition of the "Forbidden Book," which extends one's life, but the situation is a little different now: the objective has been added to obtain land around the World Tree.
This is due to Lilia's desire to reclaim her land.
In reality, it would be impossible to get everything back. Lilia knows that.
Mars is rich on a personal level, but not on a national level, so it is difficult for him to buy up the national lands of other countries.
Moreover, the World Tree Forest has been developed by humans and people are living there, so it would not be easy to make them give it up even if Mars and co piled up money. It has been more than a hundred years since the land belonged to the Elves, after all.
If everything went well, it would be a good deal if they could buy a plot of land for the tomb of an Elven clan.
The plants, as well as the water sources that nurture them, have attracted the interest of humans.
The fact that the World Tree supports nature and produces abundant resources is the reason why it was targeted.
Since the situation is the same as that of an oil field, so to speak, it is unlikely that anyone will sell it off.
「I hear it extends above the clouds. I don't know the exact height, though ......」
Mars replied vaguely as well. In the first place, the two of them had no intention of having a proper conversation. They were bored with being silent, so they just uttered random topics.
It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the sun was shining in a pleasant, drowsiness-inducing way.
The fact that it was after lunch also made them sleepy. If they didn't have something to talk about, they would fall asleep.
Lilia and Hazuki in the back of the cart were taking a small sleep in the swaying carriage.
「Shall we take a little nap too?」
「Don't we need to hurry-nyaa?」
「It's okay, we still have a lot of time.」
Nemu must be quite tired after driving the carriage for half a day. Even in Mars's previous life, driving a car for half a day was hard, even with rest and relaxation. A horse-drawn carriage with unstable power would be even more tiring. Even horses get tired.
「It's not a journey where anything changes in a day or two. I'll watch the horses, so you can sleep a little too.」
「Then can Nemu sleep up there-nyaa? Nemu like it up there-nyaa.」
What Nemu refers to is the top of the carriage.
It is very comfortable to sleep on a blanket there, exposed to the sunlight and wind.
As expected, Mars could not ride on it with his weight, but Nemu, who was small and light, could do so.
Mars lifted Nemu up and put her on the top of the blanket, and then decided to take a rest himself.
◇
Mars got off the carriage and sat down on a chair he had taken out of the 【Treasury of Dreams】. [TLN: Changed from Treasury House of Dreams]
Since everyone else had taken a nap, he decided to look at the map and do some thinking.
He was sleepy, but not so sleepy that he could sleep right away.
He was thinking about what route they should take to get to the World Tree.
They were lost because they could reach the tree no matter what route they took.
The World Tree is so large that it belongs to every region of the world.
From a topographical point of view, it is more like an alpine area than a vegetation area.
If the world were a single flowerpot, it would be a huge plant planted in the center of the pot. Its roots extended to all kinds of places.
――Since we're here, there's a route along the ocean. I have never seen the ocean in this world, and neither has anyone else. After all, half of us were born and raised in the desert.
I would like to do some leisurely fishing once in a while.
Fishing in the river in the village was my hobby as a child in this world. I haven't done it for a while because I couldn't afford to bring fishing gear with me when I went on a journey. I recently bought a lot of stuff on impulse and would love to use it.
There are probably safe places where you can go swimming if you look for them.
A seafood barbecue there would be a rare treat. Fresh seafood is precious in this world.
Above all, we should try out the submarine we acquired the other day.
It would be too much of a waste of time and effort if, when we decided to head for the bottom of the ocean, we found out that we couldn't use the submarine after we got there.
「 That sounds like a plan.」
Hazuki gets out of the carriage as Mars mumbles something.
In the beginning, Hazuki used to get drunk every time she rode in the carriage, but now she is so used to it that she can even sleep there.
「Good morning. ...... *Yaawwnn*! I feel like I slept a lot! It's refreshing!」
Hazuki stretches out with her whole body and comes over to the chair where Mars is sitting.
She seemed to be curious about the map in his hand, so she crouched down and looked at it.
「Good morning. I was just trying to figure out which road to take. So, you know, I was thinking of stopping at the sea.」
「By sea, you mean that sea!? That legendary ...... that is said to be full of salt water!」
「Yep, that sea. Not exactly a legend, though. Since we're out there exploring the world, so I thought we'd have some fun while we can」
「It's legendary for those born in the desert, you know!?」
「I-I see. ......」
Hazuki clapped her hands together as if she had an idea, her eyes blazing, and she leaned forward and said,
「Then it's a swimsuit, isn't it!? I'll make it as soon as possible! I've been interested in this for a long time! I've been thinking about it for a while!」
「W-Well, worst-case scenario, you can wear underwear, or nothing, you know? I'm gonna wear pants, though」
「No! Because I can expose myself in public, you know!? If I'm going to be seen, I want it to be cute or naughty!」
「What is with that perverted idea ......! Why couldn't you have just gone for the cute ones!?」
Hazuki, with the face of a well-informed person, delivers an impassioned speech.
Hazuki may look quiet on the outside, but underneath her face lives one of the world's most perverted individuals.
She seemed to be completely absorbed in creating the blueprints for the swimsuit in her brain.
「Lilia-san's is going to be like a string, and Nemu-chan's is going to be a one-piece...... about the color is ...... I'm so troubled!」
「Just for reference, what kind of swimsuit are you planning to make, Hazuki-chan?」
「Let's see,...... I'm thinking of trying to look as completely naked as much as possible, but......」
「Does that count as "cute" by Hazuki-chan's standards......!?」
「I love to be seen in embarrassing figures by you, Mars-san!」
「I'm sure there's someone else out there, you know!?」
Mars was horrified by this 18-year-old girl who said such dreadful things with an innocent smile on her face.
Hazuki is a masochist who likes to show off her body and has a strong sexual appetite that would make even a rabbit turn pale.
「Honestly, you are really a pervert. ......」
Lilia also comes from the carriage.
This one was not sleepy but had a bitter look on her face at Hazuki.
She must have been awakened by their conversation through the long ears of the elves and listened until her face tightened up. You could see in her words that she understood the flow of the conversation.
「I don't wear indecent things in front of anyone but the master. I have no taste for pleasing strangers.」
Hazuki looked at Lilia with a disappointed look in her eyes when she said she would not wear it, and Lilia looked at Hazuki with the same look.
However, from Mars' point of view, the clothes Lilia chooses for herself seem to be rather suggestive.
The fabrics are thin, few, and revealing.
This is because she is a formal royalty, so she is accustomed to wearing dresses and rags, and other clothing that shows her skin.
「But still, the sea, huh? I didn't think I would be going anywhere other than an undersea dungeon.」
「After all, we haven't done much sightseeing, have we? We've only been to the city at the most. Hazuki-chan and Nemu-chan don't know much about the outside world, and Lilia and I only have knowledge. I think there are a lot of things you don't understand until you actually touch it. I didn't realize that long sleeves are better to wear in the desert until I tried them.」
「That's true. Well, I don't want to go to the desert again, though. ......」
In the desert, Lilia was unusually weak and whined a lot.
She probably didn't want to be there because it was tiring just to be there, but her personality is such that Lilia didn't want to show her weak or shabby side.
That is why she would never want to go to the desert again. However, Mars and Co will be going there several times in the future when Hazuki returns to her hometown. Though, Mars did not mention it.
In the end, they decided to call it a day and lounge around until the evening.
Once they sit down, they don't feel like moving on.
Lilia and Hazuki were gathering wild vegetables in the forest, and Nemu was sleeping again with the horses.
There wasn't much to do as long as the horses had a place to sleep, they were fed and watered, and their hooves were checked.
Horseshoes made in the land of the dwarves are light and of high quality.
In addition, the daily necessities such as swords and knives, which are Mars' equipment, have also been changed to high-quality ones.
The skill of the Dwarves in iron-making is unparalleled in the world.
Mars is particularly fond of their cooking utensils.
Although they are not stainless steel or Teflon-coated, He is convinced that it will not be long before they reach the level he knew in his previous lives.
For Mars, who spends a large half of his time camping, the gadgets are a joy to behold.
「Master, I picked a lot of things in the forest there. There were a lot of mushrooms. And they are all high quality!」
Lilia brings a basket with a bit of pride.
Inside was a basket full of mushrooms and other wild vegetables.
But what Mars was more concerned was about Hazuki, who was crying behind Lilia.
「W-What happened to you?」
「I-I was raped by something so slippery. ......! Even though I've decided that Mars-san is the only one for me, i-it's so humiliating ......!」
Hazuki comes to Mars' side with a half-crying look on her face.
If you look closely, you'll see that her clothes are slightly scorched.
「You were raped!? By a monster!? Or by human!?」
「It's just a leech. It's neither a person nor a monster. This pervert woman said, "It's a swamp!" and went up near it. ...... I don't want to say too much, but all I can say is that it's stupid」
"This size", said Lilia, indicating the size with her finger. It was about two or three centimeters at most.
「Oh, so it's like that ...... Hazuki-chan approaching a danger herself, doesn't she? If Lilia was with Hazuki-chan, you got the disinfection done, didn't you?」
"Yes," Lilia nodded.
They are blood-sucking creatures and the swamp is dirty, so disinfection and treatment is a necessity.
「Furthermore, when I told her that fire is for leeches, she used magic on herself and this is what she got. Pervert women are pervert women and seem to be surprised by leeches, but I was much more surprised when I was shown the sight of my friends suddenly turning into fireballs......」
Good grief,...... and Lilia were seriously stunned.
「...... Hazuki-chan, are swamps really that interesting to you? Earlier you called the sea a legend.」
「D-Don't you get happy when you see water......? Or is it limited to those born in the desert ......?」
「Next time, let's just stick to clean water. Swamps are really not good for your health. Also, you really can't use magic on yourself. If you do that, you'll just burn yourself to death.」
「Okay, ...... I was surprised to learn that such a creature exists for the first time. ......」
Hazuki was quite shocked and unusually depressed.
Relieved to know that everything was okay for the time being, Mars patted Hazuki's head. Her hair was a little burnt and frizzy.
――I don't know if she's amazing or not. ...... Is this what genius is like?
Her level of magic, mathematics, and sewing is quite high, but on the other hand, Hazuki is sometimes no good when it comes to general fields. She specializes unusually only in specific fields.
Overall, Lilia has a high standard.
「Nyaa...... there's a lot of bitterness in it-nyaa...... Is this all the meal we're having today-nyaa ......?」
Nemu, who had awakened from sleep, was standing soundlessly behind, looking down into the basket with a sullen expression on her face.
You can tell by the way her tension is lowered by the heaving of her ears and tail.
Nemu and Hazuki both have a childlike tongue――so Mars is also a little bit like that――and they look disappointed when Mars makes vegetables as the main ingredients.
「No, I'm going to make hamburgers today. I asked Lilia to make this for a side dish. And also for preservation.」
「Something like tasty clay-nya!?」
Nemu's ears perked up and she jumped with joy.
The process of cooking seemed to be interesting.
Mars set the table for everyone to get back on track and cook together.
「After all, it's most delicious (umami) when it's made in a normal round shape. ――Hazuki-chan, remake that. It's too big to cook all the way through. I mean, what is that? A ball?」
「Eeehhhh!? Even though you've touched them so much, you still can't figure out what shape Lilia's boobs are!?」
「Are you a junior high school boy!? ――Wait, you don't get this tsukkomi, huh. Then, what's that flat thing over there ......?」
「...... These are my regrettable boobs, though!」
The hamburgers that Hazuki had laid out were roughly shaped.
The sensitivity is so middle-school boy-like that Mars can't help but retort it(?).
As a reincarnated person, such metaphors come naturally to Mars, but they do not work in this world.
Therefore, all of them look as if they don't understand it and quickly pass it off.
Only Lilia always had a somewhat questioning look on her face.
「――Are you sure you're not exaggerating a little? You don't have this much, do you?」
「......it feels like I've even put meat under my boobs!」(?)
Like gouging! (?) Hazuki was defending herself.
「Hazuki-chan's shape is the ideal hamburger steak. And then, like this.......make a dent in the middle」
「It's not even dented! It's rather puffy, isn't it? Puffy! Look at this!」
「The problem with grilling! (?焼くうえでの問題) Come on, the fat from the meat will melt in your hands, so let's get on with it!」
Although usually gentle, Mars had a stubbornness when it came to cooking, and he wanted to make sure that they followed the proper procedures.
「Sea-nyaa. A big puddle? Nemu read that in a book. Nemu can't wait-nyaa」
「Actually, I'm looking forward to it too. I've always wanted to go there at least once. I used to live in the forest before I became a slave, and when I was a slave, I longed for freedom. The sea and the sky were connected everywhere, and I thought of them as symbols of freedom.」
Lilia and Nemu were having such a conversation while eating the finished hamburger steak.
――Surely one cannot be free, no matter how far one essentially goes.
Mars thought such a thing in response to Lilia's wishes.
Even he, who had come to another world, could not completely detach himself from his previous life.
As one would expect, many of his memories and sensibilities have faded, and his body's age and the values of his life here have pulled at his spirit in many areas, but at the base of his heart is the memory of when he was Japanese.
He interprets the common sense of this world based on the knowledge of his previous life.
He has no intention of saying anything that might dampen the excitement, so he continues to listen while adjusting the fire on the bonfire.
「It will be a precious memory, so please don't make too strange a swimsuit.」
「Huh? I, in Lilia's mind, feel like if I'm not careful, I'll definitely make something weird. ......?」
「Am I wrong? Extending all the skill you have only in an obscene direction. ......」
Even Hazuki herself didn't seem to be able to say anything back about this, and she awkwardly fell silent with an awkward smile.
By all accounts, it was a waste of all her skills.
「W-Well, I'm going to try to make a lot of things, so ...... A color change? Wouldn't it be great if you could wear a lot of clothes like that!?」
「If it's indoors, well, ...... I'm not reluctant to do it, though」
Glancing at Mars, Lilia said shyly with a slightly embarrassed face.
Mars, who wanted to see it honestly, nodded with a smile.
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