Diana had mentioned that I could help them finalize Camilo’s order if I wanted to and had the time. However, I honestly wanted to take it easy for a bit.
I went to her the day after I’d finished making the Divine Dragon’s Claw and asked for her permission to kick back. But it didn’t feel right to just do nothing while I sat on a chair on the terrace, watching time pass.
“The wind’s starting to feel nice,” I murmured.
I began to do some stretches. Patches of sunbeams trickled through the canopy, shedding light onto the dark forest. Every now and then, I spotted some flower buds basking in the sunshine. Flora whistled in the breeze, fluttering ever so slightly, like the leaves were bowing for a performance, and the wind that blew throughout the forest tickled my cheeks, refreshing my body and mind.
Because magical energy was so thick in the air, plants that usually didn’t bear fruit during this season did, making it difficult for one to learn what exactly was in season at any given time. Also, trees that kept their leaves were generally darker in color. This year-round gloomy atmosphere presented the illusion that the forest didn’t really experience the changing of seasons, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There were actually quite a few signs of the seasons changing.
The easiest way to tell was the breeze within the Black Forest—it had a different personality for every season. In the summer, it was sweltering and passionate; in the fall, the wind was more gentle and refreshing. In the winter, it grew fierce and icy, ready to bite one’s skin; in the spring, the breeze was like a breath of fresh air, pouring new life into the forest and its inhabitants.
This was the first time I was getting to experience the early spring breeze—I was nearing a whole year since I’d come to this world.
To commemorate the new season, my family and I decided to go for a little expedition within the forest—one that would welcome spring. We weren’t out hunting this time, so our group was surrounded by lively chatter as we walked along.
“I’ve never done stuff like this before!” Maribel squealed, clearly the most excited of the bunch.
She first arrived at our cabin during the winter, and that wasn’t exactly strolling-in-the-forest-for-leisure kinda weather. The moment she’d returned, I’d forced her into orichalcum duty with me. I noticed everyone gazing at her with soft eyes, Hayate included—the wyvern was perched on Krul’s back, and the excited Maribel sat atop Lucy’s back. Our pup was acting a bit like an older sister today.
She’s grown so much—about as big as an adult Siberian husky, I think... Siberian huskies take a year to a year and a half to fully mature, right? If Lucy follows the same timeline, she isn’t quite an adult just yet.
Lucy was also acting a bit calmer and more intelligent than she had a few months ago. Needless to say, she was still adorable above anything else, but if I were to put her in human years, she was at a difficult age. Luckily, she hadn’t had a rebellious phase (yet), and she eagerly joined me on my water runs every morning. Since Lucy was very much a magical beast, it was more likely than not that she had a bit more growing to do. Since we’ve got Hayate and Maribel now, maybe I should expand or remodel their hut.
“Huh? What’s that?” Maribel asked, pointing to something that seemed almost glued to a tree. It looked like a fold or a gill of sorts.
Thanks to my knowledge from Earth, I had a vague idea of what it was but didn’t have any specifics. A type of Polyporaceae, right? Or, in layman’s terms, a type of mushroom.
“Oh, I think that’s a mushroom,” Samya said.
“What?! Seriously?!” Maribel asked.
Samya nodded back. These types of fungi weren’t common here, but they stood out and were eye-catching.
“You can’t eat those,” Samya said. “I think my gramps said that they’re used as medicine, but I’ve never seen him use one.”
She glanced at Lidy, who was focused in a different direction (probably searching for medicinal herbs of her own). Lidy turned to Samya to offer her expertise. “Back in the elf village, I’d say opinions were divided,” Lidy explained, gazing into the distance, her eyes glossed over with nostalgia. “Half of them said these mushrooms could be used as medicine, and the other half said they couldn’t.”
Does Samya notice that wistful look in Lidy’s eyes?
“Why the difference of opinion?” Samya asked.
“Well, the mushroom’s effects aren’t surefire,” Lidy replied. “I think it’s said that these fungi are useful for soothing coughs, but when people brewed and drank the mushroom tea, some were cured while others weren’t.”
“Huh,” Samya said thoughtfully. “Fair enough. Guess we shouldn’t bring these guys back, then.”
Samya looked a bit reluctant to leave as she gazed at the mushrooms, but Lidy just smiled and said, “I think that’s for the best.”
“The expert has spoken,” Samya said, turning to Maribel.
My youngest daughter, possibly figuring that these mushrooms were no longer intriguing, had already been seduced by some other sight.
“Hmm... Oh! What’s that?” Maribel asked.
Someone else answered with a strained smile. As we walked along, the gentle breeze brushing against our cheeks, we proceeded deeper into the Black Forest.
The Black Forest was also home to a massive lake and a river that flowed from it. The lake didn’t border on the ocean, so I couldn’t enjoy the springtime sea. Since leaving Japan, I haven’t had any opportunities to recall that one iconic song—the one that often played at supermarkets or on loop during New Year’s TV specials.
As we wandered around the forest, enjoying our stroll, we all decided to head to the river. Maribel claimed to have never seen one for herself, and we wanted to give her new experiences. However, Samya’s casual remark was the thing that really pushed us to go.
“The fish in this season are the best. Never had one tastier.”
Maribel and the rest of our family were all in, and we had Krul carry our fishing poles for us (if we hadn’t had any prepared, we could’ve made some at the river). We hoped to secure tonight’s dinner. Instead of going to the riverbank we usually visited, we headed for a spot where the river was wider, and the bank was larger too. Back on Earth, this would’ve been a perfect camping spot.
“Camping, huh...” I muttered.
As long as I stayed in the Black Forest, in an area thick with magical energy, I could help out the fairies if they needed me—I could create magical jewelstones that could combat their illnesses and save them when time was of the essence. But it doesn’t matter where in the Black Forest I am... Why not tour around? I’ve heard it’s huge. Maybe I could camp out for three nights and enjoy what this place has to offer. I didn’t feel like I could take that much time off in the near future, but maybe I could make some preparations to do camp in autumn.
While I was lost in my thoughts, the ladies laid out a blanket by the riverbank—they set down several baskets containing our lunches on top. Our other stuff was lined up beside the blanket, and we kept our weapons on us as we lit a little fire a short distance away. We’d all picnicked many times before, and it wasn’t long before we all got comfortable. In minutes, a perfect area for a picnic had appeared right before my eyes. The only difference from our past picnics was how easy it was to start a fire, all thanks to Maribel.
“Is this good?” she asked.
“Perfect. You’re amazing—such a big help,” I said.
She puffed out her chest proudly, and I petted her head roughly before she looked satisfied and headed over to Rike.
After we were all ready, we each went out to gather bugs for bait. We skewered the bugs on our hooks and flung the lines into the water. The river was limpid and allowed a clear view of the fish, but they weren’t stupid—they could see us too, and they knew that we were out to get them. Even if we threw our fishing line near them, they didn’t readily bite.
Diana gave me a crash course on fishing in this world. Apparently, she’d used the same tactics as me as a child, and when she’d thrown a tantrum, Marius had taught her a few tricks. And so, we all threw our hooks a good distance away from the fish, allowing the gentle flow of the spring water to manipulate our fishing lines as it pleased.
That reminds me... Not long after I came here, I went fishing with Samya and Rike. I think that was during the spring too. I never really thought about the changing seasons back then. I’d figured it was normal for the three of us to spend our lives together, but now, my family’s grown to eleven members. Seriously, how in the world did my household grow so large?
Is it fate? Or a prank played by the Watchdog?
Suddenly, I realized that a fish had stolen my bait and darted off. I reeled in my line and then placed another insect onto the hook. Gently, I cast my line once more amid the flowing stream.
Time ticked by slowly as I relaxed in nature. Every now and then, I’d hear a whoop of joy as someone caught a fish—we piled our catches near the edge of the river.
“Whoa! Awesome!” Maribel yelped.
She’d hooked a whopper. Her small body wasn’t strong enough to fully use a fishing pole, so Rike helped her hold it and cast her line. Still, it was more than enough for Maribel to enjoy the thrill and the feeling of her line being tugged by the fish. After they reeled in her catch, Maribel proudly presented a trout that was as large as she was. She chattered excitedly with Rike.