'Bukshaw!　Buechsho!

　Thor's sneeze echoed through the forest.

'It's awful, Al. You're going to have to help me too, anyway.

No, there was nothing I could do about that one.

　Thor says while giving me a somewhat resentful look.

''Hmmm, does being exposed to al mushroom spores cause you to sneeze like this?''

'I'd like to thank Master Alfried for blowing me away with wind magic.

　As a result, Thor, who was holding an alkino mushroom, was hit by the spores of the alkino mushroom as well. I didn't want to get caught up in the spores, so I used wind magic to get rid of them, but everyone else is safe except for Thor.

It's Thor's fault for not stabbing them in the back.

　Asmo was right. If I had stabbed the Alkinozoa earlier, it wouldn't have spat out the spores.

　By the way, it's in Thor's basket now because it was stopped.

'That's true, but ... heh, heh, heh!　Heck!

　Thor tried to make some kind of excuse, but he couldn't stop sneezing, probably due to being exposed to the al mushroom spores.

'Oh, the sneezing is so depressing!

I'm pretty sure there's an herb that helps alleviate the sneezing of albacore mushrooms?

Really?!

　Thor's face lights up when he hears my words.

　'I remember hearing Mother Erna's lesson on demons as a way to deal with being exposed to alkynia spores and not being able to stop sneezing.

'But I don't remember it well because I learned it so long ago. Do you remember that, Asmo?

Yes, you can grind up some Kirkweed and drink it to alleviate the situation.

Well, let's find out!

You don't have to. I've got it.

　When Thor was so enthusiastic, Asmo took out a Kirkweed from the basket.

　The medicinal herb, with its multiple branches of oval leaves, was indeed a Kirkweed that he had vaguely seen in an illustrated book.

'Grandma the medicine man asked me to pick it, so I picked it.

"I thought you were picking all kinds of medicinal herbs and stuff like that...!　Give me that!

　Thor bites into the Kirkweed as soon as possible, but Asmo quickly moves his hand to reject it.

''Well what do you think you're doing?''

When you want something, there's a certain amount of attitude that goes with it, right?

　Thor blurted out with a bitter expression on his face as Asmo grinned and said with a smirk.

''d*mn, you fat bastard,''

Hmm?　I can hear the insults now. Let's give this Kirkweed to Grandma the Medicine Man in one piece. Thor should suffer from sneezing all day long.

'Oh, I'm sorry, Master Asmo!　Please, I apologize, so please bless me with the Kirkweed!

Ummm, what do I do now?

　Asmo looks at Thor crawling in front of him and pretends to be troubled for the rest of the day.

　I think he has a really good character.

　His reluctance here means that he wants something in the ingredients that Thor has, and that he wants something in the ingredients. You can see the thoughts of a bad friend in your hands when you've known him for years.

'What do you want, sir?

'Do you want a libra?　And I couldn't find my libra.

　Speaking of libra, I've gone to pick it before with my sister Elinora. It is a skin-colored fruit that tastes like mixed juice when eaten.

　It's a rare find growing high up in the mountains, and because it rots so quickly, it's considered a precious commodity in the village.

But when someone takes that kind of precious cargo from you, it makes us feel... heck!

'Yes, if the Kirkweed isn't worth that much to Thor, I don't mind.

Oh, d*mn it!　Let's trade for a libra!　So hand me the Kirkweed!

'Oh well. I'll trade you for it if you ask so much of Thor.

　Thor offered Libra in frustration, and Asmo offered Kirkweed in happiness.

　The expressions on both sides were very contrasting.

　But I don't think Thor, being a bad friend, is going to end up getting beaten up like this either.

''Yes, Kirkusa.''

Thanks. Buechsho!

　My guess seemed to be correct, and Thor received the Kirkweed and sneezed loudly in front of Asmo.

'Ughhhh!　Spit in your face?

Oh, bad, bad. I'm sorry. I get all these albinoid mushroom spores and I have to sneeze. I didn't do it on purpose, so please forgive me.

　Thor looks at Asmo, who is desperately wiping his face, and tells him with a clear smile.

　He played nice, but it's like he sneezed his face off with all his might and his pent-up energy went down.

''Hahahaha, life of a villager is a fun thing to do!　It's a real fun exchange.

Yes.

　One was a nobleman who was unfamiliar with the life of the villagers, and the other was a shy girl who often played with dolls due to her frail body.

　These two watched the somewhat ugly altercation with an amused expression.

　No, maybe normal villagers wouldn't have this kind of exchange.



　◆



　Thor's sneezing eased considerably as he ground up some Kirkweed and drank it with water.

　Thor and Asmo showed him around a place full of animals, with some resentment.

　Every time he saw the flora and fauna living in the forest, Viscount Doll's eyes lit up and he observed them. And many times he would meditate on it and dive into his fantasy world again and again.

　He didn't know if his current experience would help the script, but he hoped it would help his imagination a little.

'And the only other place I can think of that's beautiful and likely to have animals is a lake?'

Yeah. Maybe that's how it works in the East Woods.

　The eastern forest is basically flat and has a large area. The distance from the mountains is also far, so there are fewer interesting places to visit compared to the western forest near the village.

　You might say that the West Woods is better then, but the West Woods is farther away, and if you're not used to walking, it's a tiring place. As expected, it would be tough to take Viscount Doll around as a guest.

''Well, let's take a break at the lake one last time and then go home.

Mm, I wouldn't argue with that.

　Viscount Doll nodded at my words.

　So we headed to a nearby lake.



　We took a path through the forest and ducked down a little beast path and arrived at an open area.

　There was an expanse of water that was tens or hundreds of meters wide.

　It was as if a hole had been made in the forest and a lot of water had been poured into it. The lake here stood so naturally in the middle of the forest that it seemed as if it was a hole in the forest and a lot of water was poured into it.

'Oh, this is a beautiful sight!

It's like a rest stop made by the forest.

　As Tickle put it, numerous herbivores and other animals had come to drink the water at the lakeside.

　Since it was relatively difficult for demons to appear in this forest, they would be able to drink the water in peace.

　If there were many dangerous monsters in this forest, they would not be able to relax like that.

　Long live the demon-free forest. Thanks to my Nordic father and mother Erna for creating such a peaceful place.

　Looking at this beautiful scene, I think I understand a little bit more about how proud I am of my territory.

　I take a deep breath and the clean air seems to clear my throat and purify my lungs.

'Master Gregor, there's a frog here,'

Nunu!　Where is it!

　Tickle said as he peered into the water, and Viscount Doll rushed over and crouched down next to him.

''Ah, um........''

Tickle, where's the frog?

There it is!

Oh, it's true. There's a fish swimming about!

　I'm tempted to take a peek, too, but Tickle and Viscount Doll seem to be really enjoying themselves, so I leave them alone.

　Instead, I tech my way to a remote location and peer into the water.

　Then I felt two malicious intentions flying in from behind.

　There was another way to intercept them, but it was going to be a boggy fight if I did that, and it would ruin Viscount Doll and Tickle's peace and quiet time.

　Disgusted by my bad friend's behavior as usual, I walk away with my shield floating on the surface of the water.

''Ugh!''

　As I walk out of the water, Thor and Asmo lose their balance in a pinch.

'd*mn it!　Falling into the water--gggg!

　But with my shield on the surface of the water, Thor and Asmo slammed their faces into the shield.

　Normally, it wouldn't hurt so much with a bang in the water, but I'll let them get what they deserve.

'Oh, that?　I didn't fall in the water!

There's some kind of clear board...

The shields provide a foothold, so they won't fall off.

　When I say this, Thor and Asmo tap their shields as if to make sure, and then stand up.

'Wow, it's true!　We're on the water and we're not falling!

It's like walking on water.

　Just as Asmo said, we are walking on the water by magic.