34 – Spirit Equipment
I hung the neatly emptied glass bottle under the sap faucet again.
Judging by the speed at which the sap drops were falling and gathering, it seemed like I would barely get a bottle of sap after waiting a whole day.
Then how much sap would I have to drink to purify all the contaminated mana?
I picked up Pii and put him on my shoulder and asked.
“I drank the sap and it seems like my mana is purified, but how much more do I have to drink to be able to use magic?”
Bii landed on my shoulder with a thud and gave me an answer.
[I think I need to drink at least dozens of bottles. Am I not going to die of dehydration from extracting the sap?]
“Don’t push yourself. I don’t want you to get into trouble because of me.”
[hehehe. I’m kidding. Actually, this is nothing to me.]
He was able to purify the mana contaminated by the sap, and fortunately, it didn’t cause him any trouble.
Of course, it seemed to take a long time, but this was undoubtedly good news.
I felt a bit lighter as I thought I had successfully wrapped up one big task.
I stretched with a pleasant smile and said to Bii.
“Then let’s go back and have lunch. I’m hungry.”
[Okay. Then, don’t forget to take all my branches over there.]
“Ah.”
I turned my head at Bii’s words and looked at the pile of branches.
There were thick branches stacked up to my chest height that I had pruned.
It seemed like I had to use quite a lot of strength to carry them to the village.
I sighed deeply as I saw the hard road ahead.
“Haah… They look really heavy.”
[hehehe. But in return, I’ll make you the best equipment!]
I felt a bit more motivated by Bii’s promise of a reward.
I didn’t know what kind of equipment he was going to make, but I couldn’t help but work hard if he was making it for me.
I nodded with determination and picked up a vine that was rolling around.
“I’m going to take them all at once because I don’t want to work twice.”
[Hey! You’ll hurt your back!]
“Don’t ignore my back.”
He ignored Ppi’s worry and wrapped the branches with vines.
Then he breathed in the mana in the air and raised his physical abilities to the maximum.
His muscles swelled and his veins turned purple.
He lifted the pile of branches over his shoulder with a rough breath.
“Krrrgh!!”
The branches were not as heavy as he thought because they were spirit wood.
But that didn’t mean they were light.
They seemed to collapse at the slightest imbalance.
[Hey! You’ll get hurt if you overdo it!]
“No!!”
But as a man, he had no intention of putting down what he had lifted once.
He clenched his teeth and walked toward the village.
The thumping footsteps. The creaking voice.
When he came to his senses, he had already arrived at the western branch.
* * *
“There’s no crazy bastard like him.”
“Hoo, candidate! What the hell is that?!”
As I entered the village, the high elves gasped and crowded around me.
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Siz seemed to have noticed the situation and was only dumbfounded, but the other high elves were worried about Pii’s well-being and emitted a hostile aura.
It seemed like they had some serious misunderstanding.
I put down the pile of branches to clear up the misunderstanding and took out Pii from the breastplate.
[Uh. What are you doing? Why are you glaring at Gaul?]
“Ah! You’re safe! You scared us to death.”
[Why are you scared? Did something happen?]
“You came back as wood. Wouldn’t you be scared?”
[Ah! This? These are my branches? hehehe~ Scary, right?]
“No. Not scary at all.”
The misunderstanding that surrounded me melted away like snow with Pii’s appearance.
The high elves erased their hostility towards me and started to send me envious looks as soon as they confirmed Pii’s safety.
They were amazed by the fact that the tree spirit had given its own branches.
Anyway, I was glad that the misunderstanding was resolved.
I wiped the sweat off my face and approached Siz.
“I’m hungry. Give me some food.”
“……Are you crazy?”
Siz spoke grumpily but took the lead into the village.
Then he gestured for me to follow and threw a curt word at me.
“Come on. The food will get cold.”
Krrr! I knew it, Shiz is a tsundere!
Bii and I walked behind Shiz with a satisfied smile on our faces.
Somewhere, a delicious smell was wafting.
* * *
“So, what are you going to do with the spirit wood you brought?”
As I was tearing a large piece of meat without mercy, Shiz, who was sitting across from me, casually asked.
I looked at Bii with the meat in my mouth.
Bii, who was sunbathing by the window, answered Shiz’s question with a lazy voice.
[I decided to make some equipment for him. He doesn’t need a weapon, so I’m thinking of making him some sturdy armor.]
“Really? Okay.”
Shiz nodded his head as he chewed on the meat, hearing Bii’s plan.
He didn’t seem to oppose the idea of using the spirit wood.
It was a rather awkward reaction for an elf who cherished trees.
I swallowed the meat in my mouth and asked Shiz.
“You don’t mind? I thought you’d scold me for not being druid-like.”
Shiz looked at me as he sucked the grease off his fingers.
He looked a bit wild.
“We elves also use the wood that the tree spirits willingly give us. It’s rare, but there are cases where there are no spirits roaming around in their avatars.”
“I see. It would be strange to oppose it if the owner is okay with it. Elves have some flexibility, huh?”
“Something like that. But I think you’re misunderstanding something. We also use wood as tools a lot. There’s no spirit in the wood that’s already dead or summoned by magic.”
The elves use the trees that are either dead or summoned by magic without any burden.
It was a fact that I already knew, but the reason was ‘because they don’t have to worry about the spirits living in them’. That was the first time I heard such a story.
The elves cared about the spirits that would be born from nature as their top priority.
I felt like I had taken a step closer to the elf side by understanding their unique culture.
As I nodded my head slightly, Shiz, who had finished his meal, continued.
“Spirit wood equipment is rumored to be the best in the continent. It’s light, sturdy, and resistant to temperature changes. That’s why those human bastards cut down the spirit wood.”
“Isn’t wood weak to fire?”
“Spirit wood doesn’t burn. Unless it’s heated like iron.”
“Oh.”
I exclaimed in admiration and got up from my seat.
I had finished eating, so I was going to make spirit wood equipment right away.
“Since Pii will make it for me, I don’t need any craftsmen.”
[Yes! I’ll make it with magic.]
“You’re a druid candidate, aren’t you? You get all kinds of blessings.”
[hehehe. I like doing it myself the best.]
“Then follow me. The garrison commander must have prepared everything.”
We followed Shiz to the center of the village.
The high elves we met on the way bowed their heads politely to me, or sent me envious glances.
It seemed that spirit wood equipment had a lot of meaning for the elves as well.
It was not a bad feeling, so I couldn’t get rid of the pleasant smile on my way to the destination.
“Ah, you’re here? You can go in this way.”
I entered the giant tree following the guidance of the chief of the western branch tribe, Makia.
The bright interior was full of magical lights and white sand, and on top of it, wooden pieces of Pii were neatly arranged in a circle.
As I quietly admired the mysterious feeling, Makia bowed his head and spoke politely.
“I tried to prepare as best as I could, but I don’t know how it will be. It’s the first time that the tree spirit makes equipment directly.”
[It’s okay, it’s enough!]
“Yes. Then we’ll be outside. Please call us if you need anything.”
[Yeah! Thank you.]
Shizu and Makia left and only Pii and I remained inside.
I couldn’t see any tools, so how would he make equipment?
As I wondered that, Pii, who was sitting on my shoulder, jumped down and said.
[Now. Then take it off.]
He suddenly told me to take it off.
I immediately raised my hand to my waistband and asked.
“How much do I take off? All the way to my underwear?”
[No! I mean, just take off the armor you’re wearing!]
“Oh.”
I followed Pii’s instructions and took off all the armor I was wearing.
The breastplate, shoulder pads, and leg guards fell and buried in the white sand.
[Yeah! That’s it. Now stand still in the center.]
I stood among the round wooden logs, having taken off all my armors.
The atmosphere felt like I was being offered as a sacrifice, which made me uneasy, but I stayed quiet since Pii wouldn’t do such a thing.
[Are you ready?]
“Yeah.”
[Then let’s begin!]
As Pii shouted confidently, a dense natural mana gathered around us.
Then, Trias’s gaze shot at me, and the natural magic filled the room.
The goddess of nature had given her permission. The magic would surely be cast now.
I tensed up and put strength into my whole body, preparing for the magic.
At that moment, the restless wooden logs flew towards me.
– Wooduck! Carduck!
The wooden logs covered my body and began to change their shape.
They carved themselves into the form of an armor, and filled the gaps to tighten around my body.
It was an amazing sight, reminiscent of Iron Man’s transformation scene.
It didn’t look particularly dangerous, so I admired Pii’s magic and entrusted my body to it.
But then,
[Uh? Wait! Kid, wait a minute!]
Pii’s urgent scream pierced my ears, and the natural mana around us started to fluctuate.