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nChapter 320: Preparing for the Journey Back

nThe next day.

nWith my inheritance retrieved and the souls liberated, most of my objectives here in the Great Forest have already been completed. We still need to wait for the rhino leader, but until then, I’m free.

nGlen-san was pleased with the goblins’ dressing of his spoils, so he’s out happily hunting. I considered accompanying him, but I couldn’t leave the village for too long in case the rhinos leader appeared.

nI’ve been thinking about it hard since this morning, and in the end, I clean up the ruins in the village and do some landscaping.

n“You sure about this?” Ryouma

n“Yep.” Cormi

nThe village around the mansion had served as a stage to comfort the souls of the residents taken in by Cormi, but now that the undead have been liberated, it’s no longer needed.

nThere’s a chance for undead to spawn again on their own even without Cormi doing anything, so I’ve been instructed to clean things up nicely to prevent any problems.

nCormi is the one most attached to the village here, so if he’s okay with it, then I’ll go ahead and dismantle the ruins.

nI’ve done this before already, but the environment is different, so I’ll start with the small stuff.

n“Then I’ll start by removing the weed and debris.” Ryouma

nI brought out my Sand Slimes from my Dimension Home and had them turn a portion of the ground into sand, then through slime magic, we summoned a swirling mass of sand to carve away at a corner of the village. It was just like when I dismantled children’s homes in the city of Gimuru.

nLike this, I should be able to quickly clear all the debris, as well as the weeds and timber.

n“Next, let’s do away with the sand and the remaining structures.” Ryouma

nI worked together with the soil slime to cover up the remaining sand and pulverized debris. In the process, I made sure to remove any embedded objects such as iron fences. I also removed the roots of weeds and entrusted them to the Huge Bush Slime for disposal.

nJust like that we’ve already mostly cleared the place, but to keep the Heat-Emitting Trees from falling onto the mansion, we also made sure to refill the soil without damaging their roots.

nFor the finishing touches, I got the Huge Bush Slime to cover the ground, and just like that, all traces of the old buildings were gone.

n“That was fast!” Cormi

n“Oh, we’re just getting started. That’s just one part, after all.” Ryouma

nCormi had been watching from inside the mansion’s fence, and when he saw how fast we cleared that one area, he exclaimed in admiration very much like a kindergartener gleefully watching construction vehicles at work.

nAnyway, the buildings were mostly made of natural stone and wood, so given the environment, this method should allow them to return nature completely

nLet’s do the same for the other buildings too.

nLike that I continued to work on the buildings, progressing clockwise around the mansion, until noon came, and Glen-san returned.

n“Good job out there. Something the matter?” Ryouma

n“I didn’t see the Cannonball Rhino you’re looking for, but the hunting grounds here are great. Tons of monsters you won’t find in shallower parts pop up here. I caught quite a bit, so I’ll have to count on you to dress them again. You can have the meat, organs, and the Hotel Rafflesia.” Glen

n“The flower too?” Ryouma

n“Yeah, it’s not really something I look for normally, so I don’t even know who to sell it to. I’m sure someone will show up if I look for a buyer, but I can’t be bothered with the negotiations. There’s a good hunting place here, so right now, I’d rather just get more of the usual stuff.” Glen

nI see, that makes sense. It’s not a bad deal for me, and he’s happy, so let’s go with that.

n“We’re in agreement then?” Ryouma

n“Yep. I’ll count on you for lunch too.” Glen

n“Alright.” Ryouma

nAnd so, I started preparations for lunch, but there was something that got my attention.

n“What’s the matter? You’re making a strange face.” Glen

n“Try this.” Ryouma

n“Isn’t this the usual snake meat? Hmm? Did I get it wrong?” Glen

n“No, it’s definitely immortal snake meat, but despite handling it properly, and despite Identify saying that it isn’t rotten, it’s clearly worse than before.” Ryouma

n“I wouldn’t call it bad, though. Rather, the meat from yesterday was just too good. It’s decent in its own right, but it doesn’t compare to yesterday’s.” Glen

nThe meat was slightly tougher and drier. If the meat itself hasn’t gone bad, it’s probably due to the regenerative abilities of the Immortal Snake.

nThere are two types of meat from the Immortal Snake: one taken from its body in almost pristine condition and another from its regenerated body after being severed.

nUntil yesterday, I was using the one with its head already removed, as that was easier to process. But after eating so much, we ate it all up already, so I turned to the regenerated body.

nPerhaps it’s because the regenerated meat has already depleted its stored energy and nutrients in the process of regeneration affecting the taste.

n“So, in other words, if we want to eat that delicious meat, we need to kill the snake in one blow without inflicting unnecessary wounds?” Glen

n“I think it’s fine so long as you’re able to cut its head off. That’s how we got the meat yesterday, after all. Of course, I can’t say for sure since it’s my first time hunting the immortal snake too. Given the difficulty of acquiring it, I think it’s a taste most people won’t be able to taste.” Ryouma

n“Most people won’t even be able to kill that snake, and they won’t come this deep into the Great Forest too.” Glen

nThat’s true. I laughed and asked what we’ll do about the meat, but it was edible, so we decided to just eat it. He also asked me to hunt more of those delicious meat in case I came across one. Well, I also want to bring them back as a souvenir so that the people at the shop and the duke’s household can have a taste, so yeah, I’ll make sure to hunt the snake down properly if I do come across it.

nDay 2 of preparations.

nAs I continued the dismantling of the village in the morning, I stumbled upon a corner of the village that resembled a field. It seemed neglected like the rest of the village, swallowed by the plants of the Great Forest, leaving behind only ruins of its once former glory. Amidst the weeds, I noticed grape-like fruits growing on branches extending from the vines entwined around the support pillars. Hopeful, I decided to return to the mansion.

n“Cormi.” Ryouma

n“What’s the matter?” Cormi

n“I found a place that resembled a farm. Oh, maybe it would be faster if you just read my memories.” Ryouma

n“…That’s a pepper field.” Cormi

nSo it really was pepper. Then perhaps it might be better to harvest from there instead of demolishing it all at once. Despite the lack of maintenance, there seemed to be some natural growth already. As I pondered the idea, Cormi came up with an unexpected suggestion.

n“We can raise some pepper if you want.” Cormi

n“You know how?” Ryouma

n“Yeah. Those fields have been abandoned for awhile now, but someone did cultivate it before. That’s why there’s a garden in the courtyard too. We can do other spices too on top of peppers.” Cormi

nApparently, among the former villagers was someone who couldn’t forget their heyday from cultivating spices, so even after being bound by Cormi, they continued to farm in a corner of the mansion. Cormi, who could read memories and thoughts, gave them the illusion they desired as he watched their work. Naturally, he came to understand how to farm pepper and other spices that grew here in the Great Forest.

nMoreover, Cormi could take advantage of his illusions to demonstrate the process of obtaining suitable branches for cuttings from pepper trees.

n“I could teach your goblins too since they seem to be free.” Cormi

nEager for the opportunity to interact with the new residents, Cormi left right away. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but think about how convenient his powers were. He was just like a house that managed itself.

nHe knows how to farm pepper, he can read minds and create illusions, and he can even communicate with monsters. And the fact that he could use his illusions to teach feels very modern Earth. In fact, it’s a step above it, venturing into the realms of AR.

nCormi may have gone off track due to loneliness, but I think he’s a really diligent child.

nI’m also starting to realize again that he’s someone with power that the gods are wary of. He didn’t know how to use his powers before, but if he puts his mind to it, there are plenty of ways to use it.

n“Ryouma!” Cormi

n“Hmm!? You scared me. Did something happen?” Ryoumap

nCormi suddenly came back. Well, the mansion is really his actual body, so technically, he’s always been next to me, but let’s not sweat the small details.

n“What’s the matter? I thought you went over to the goblins’?” Ryouma

n“Do you want to grow Hotel Rafflesias too?” Cormi

n“…Huh? You can grow those things? Is that alright?” Ryouma

n“As long as the flower part remains intact, it’s not difficult to grow them. Just place them next to something suitable for support. It’s just that people won’t be able to live nearby, and attempting to harvest them would require risking one’s life.” Cormi

n“That sounds plenty problematic to me.” Ryouma

n“The last villagers went that far. ’Let’s make a living from this and live a decent life!’ Or so they said.” Cormi

n“Sounds like the beginning of a terrible pattern.” Ryouma

nCould it be that the “Hotel Rafflesia” habitat that Glen mentioned is that farm I found? It might have ended up like that due to being pushed too hard, but the way Cormi put it makes it sound like something only those desperate for a miraculous turnaround would attempt. Of course, those sort of ventures rarely ever succeed.

n“Hotel Rafflesia certainly sells for a high price, but it would be a waste not to be able to live here anymore.” Ryouma

n“I can pacify the gluttony flies with my illusion magic.” Cormi

n“I still don’t want those things nearby. I’m not struggling for money, so let’s not do that for the time being. If necessary, I can just get it elsewhere. Oh, did you get the materials for the Hotel Rafflesia from Glen-san? Along with the other materials he didn’t need?” Ryouma

nHe mentioned that yesterday when I agreed to dress his spoils.

n“They’re all in the storage room.” Cormi

n“Okay.” Ryouma

nThere’s no need to rush the dismantling of the village, so let’s collect the dismantled materials for now. I also want to check if there are any slimes that prefer materials from the Great Forest since there’s plenty of them available.

nWith that in mind, I went to the warehouse and checked…

n“Ohh…!! I guess I should’ve expected it given these are materials from the Great Forest, but it looks like I might be able to get a plant type slime.” Ryouma

nEven with just the stuff I had on hand, there were weed slimes that already reacted. They reacted to the branch of the Heat Emitting Tree that I picked up before, the seeds I found from inside monsters, and even the petals of the Hotel Raflesia. Robelia-san, the researcher, once spoke of Tree Slimes that could become trees when they consumed plant-based materials. Could this be related?

nAre the seeds the common point, or is it something else? The only way to know is to evolve them.

nSimilarly, are they only able to eat the Hotel Raflesia’s petals? This too will have to wait until they evolve to be understood. However, Hotel Raflesia is precious, so maybe I should consider growing them, after all. Well, for now, let’s just prioritize the Heat-Emitting trees that are easy to procure. We’ll find out if they can evolve into tree slimes just yet.

nSpeaking of readily available materials, there’s an excess of Raptor meat.

nSimilar to the Tree Slime, I heard from Caulkin-san before that there was a slime that evolved by feeding it lots of monster meat.

nHe apparently went bankrupt from it, but I can provide it myself, so let’s try this evolutionary path too.

n“I’m already looking forward to the results. Since that’s been decided, I better start gathering ingredients now.” Ryouma

n“Ryouma! Hurry up and deal with these two!” Glen

n“Glen-san? What is it all of the sudden!?” Ryouma

nAs I was planning in the warehouse, Glen-san arrived in a hurry. Wondering what was so urgent, I looked over to find him holding the head of a green snake on each armpit. Moreover, the snakes’ bodies were coiled around his torso multiple times, constricting him!

n“You found an Immortal Snake!?” Ryouma

n“I found them some ways farther than usual from the village! There was a bigger one too! I’ll keep them coming, so hurry up and kill these two!” Glen

n“Alright. Cormi!” Ryouma

n“Yes?” Cormi

nHe must have already understood the situation, and as if on cue, Cormi appeared out of nowhere, and the two snakes slid away from Glen-san’s body, falling asleep peacefully on the floor of the warehouse.

n“This should make it easier to kill it.” Ryouma

n“Alright, I’ll leave it to you then!” Glen

nSince there are more snakes, then that must mean there’s a nest of Immortal Snakes not far from here. That makes this place that much more dangerous, but also that much more superior for gathering materials. How wonderful.

nAs I prepared to deal with the large snakes, I naturally began to think about the material gathering plan for the afternoon.

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