Chapter 28 – Magic Wand and Lumbering

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Shijiyo’s Elemental Magic was superb as a means to attack. But, the water and fire would vanish a short time after being cast, making them unusable for bonfires and drinking water.

So you can only use it for combat?

Personally I think that’s wrong.

“Lumbering?”

Shijiyo cocked her head in confusion.

“Yea, it’s not like you can only hit living beings with your magic, right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s correct.”

“I need to separate materials from the ground to store them. If it’s ocean water or sand, I have to go through the process of putting them into a container, and if it’s a tree, I need to cut them.”

“I understand. So you can’t store it as long as the trees are still rooted to the ground. In other words, it will be possible to store them as wood as long as I fell the trees with my magic.”

“Indeed.”

Come to think of it, I haven’t explained that part yet.”

“Of course, I’m going to do it. It’s great that my magic seems like it will be useful.”

It sounds like her inability to hit the boar has a lasting effect on her confidence.

With that said, every one of us set out to do what they planned to do.

Upon Chiyu and Shouko’s request, I made a big basket by knitting ivies after processing them. Then I hung it around Mashiro’s torso.

Seeing how I wouldn’t be able to go with them, they had to collect as much as possible, so we were planning to enable the transport of big quantities by lending Mashiro’s power.

“Okay, we’re off.”

“I’ll become the Queen of Materials.”

I watched the two leave our base together with Mashiro.

“Shion, let us go as well. We’ll be close-by, so call for us if something happens.”

“Okay, see you later.” Shion waved a hand after having tied her hair.

She was apparently focused on coming up with today’s food menu. She planned to use grilled meat as the main dish.

“So far as it goes, I’ll give you a spear.”

Shion accepted it while smiling awkwardly.

“I’ll somehow hold out until you and Shijiyo-san come running.”

“Even just holding it will already serve as a restraint.”

“Yep, thanks.”

Shijiyo and I left through the gate in the fence. It was a pitiful railing as we didn’t use it much, but instead relied on Mashiro.

“Oh, right. Shijiyo.”

“What is it?”

“Is there anything special about the wand you brandish whenever using your magic?”

During her battle against the wild boar, she had swung something like a twig.

“No, it’s just the branch of a tree, which I picked up. At first I couldn’t quite target things, but when I pointed at my target with a wand, it got somewhat better.”

“I see. If you aren’t all that attached to your current wand, how about something like this?”

I imagined a wand as it’s used by magicians with my Crafting Ability. It became more narrow towards the tips, was made out of wood, and possessed a profound color.

After deploying it into my hand, I handed it to Shijiyo.

“――――”

“If you’re going to use one anyway, we might as well go with something that raises your tension. How about this?”

“Y-You sure?”

“Of course. I used wood while thinking about the ease of use and such, but I can also make one out of stone, so please tell me once you decide on a material composition.”

“No, it’s something you made for me, Kuno-kun. Please allow me to use this.”

“I-I see.”

Once I told her so with a happy expression, she got embarrassed for some reason.

“Thanks. Umm, I don’t think it suits me, but I have always yearned for something like this, so I’m quite happy.”

“I feel you. I also think that a magician’s robe is pretty cool.”

“Hehe, it’s lovely, isn’t it? During my childhood I also wanted to wear a magic hat and such.”

If you talk to her like this, she’s a very normal girl. No, she was just a serious girl at school. It’s only natural for her to have various preferences and hobbies.

“Alright. I think this area will do.”

After advancing for a while, we stopped. It was a distance where we’d hear Shion’s yelling while not influencing our base with the lumbering.

“What tree should I target?”

“Any is okay. Ah, if the tree bounces or rolls around, I’d be delighted if it could happen in a place where it won’t hit us.”

“I understand. A-Alright, I’m going to cast my spell.”

Shijiyo readied her wand like a teacher and took a deep breath.

“Wind Blade.”

As soon as her hair was whirled upwards, I could hear the sound of something cutting through the air. Immediately following, I heard thunderous roaring from the tree.

Once I looked in its direction, the tree got dislodged and slid down to the ground.

“Yahoo! I hit it! Did you see, Kuno-kun!?”

Shijiyo jumped around like a little girl, frolicking. Her skirt, which was somewhat longer than that of the other three, fluttered while allowing occasional peeks at the area below.

“I saw, I saw. You did a great job.”

Given that she was being praised so much, she got ready for a high-five. With her usually cold character, she wouldn’t hesitate with such things.

“Oki!”

Shijiyo looked so happy that I thought she might actually high-five with me.

“If you practice with a stationary target, your accuracy will go up as well, I think.”

“True! Can I cut down another!?”

“Please keep it to a moderate level. We still want to have a forest around us.”

“I will work on that one next!”

Shijiyo pointed her wand at a nearby tree. Wait…

“Shijiyo, wait. That one is too clos――”

“Wind Blade!”

Her spell was unleashed. It’s nice that she managed to sever the tree, but the angle was bad. It tilted in our direction and came crashing down. Moreover, we would be very likely crushed underneath because it grew quite close to our current location. It was somewhat like a light pole falling down in the middle of a city.

“Ah――”

“Shijiyo!”

I stepped forward to protect her and immediately activated Itemization. Just before touching us, the tree was stored away in my Inventory. The leaves, which were separated from their branches due to that, rained down around us.

As far as I was concerned, my heart was beating like crazy.”

“U-Umm, I..sorr――”

“Hah, Shijiyo, are you unhurt?”

I turned around to check on her.

“Y-Yes, I’m fine. Kuno-kun, how about you? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

My heart was still thumping, but I smiled so as to not make Shijiyo worried.

She bowed her head with a ghastly pale face.

“I’m truly sorry. For me to cause such troubles by getting too carried away is really the worst. Even though you had taught me to keep the distance in mind first of all things.”

“Well, we’re doing fine, so that’s all that matters. Rather than that, let us cut down a few more trees.”

“…Yes, of course. I will pay attention to not make such a mistake again.”

Hmm, the mood has clearly taken a nosedive.

“I plan to rely on your magic in the future, Shijiyo, so please don’t lose your heart over this.”

She apparently worried quite a bit about the matter with the boar, so I tried to put on a light-hearted mood so as to not turn this into a trauma.

“Oki.”

There are some people you have to scold strictly, but Shijiyo is more like the type who can adjust her own actions without being told by others since she reprimands herself whenever she makes mistakes.

And as might be expected, Shijiyo was able to use her magic calmly and precisely after this event. With all the trees she felled, I think I can build a small house.

“Alright, let us go back.”

“Okay.”

Both of us headed back towards our base.

“H-Hey, Kuno-kun.”

“Mmh?”

“I know I’m late in saying this, but thanks for saving me earlier.”

I guess she’s talking about the tree that was suddenly coming down in our direction.

“Ahaha, it’s no biggie.”

“Kuno-kun, you rushed forward to protect me, didn’t you?”

I think I’m only imagining it, but I feel like Shijiyo’s voice is somewhat tinged with passion.

“It was rather meaningless, though.”

“That’s not true. Not true…at all.”

“I see.”

“Yes.”

We went back to the base while being enveloped in a somewhat vague atmosphere.

“Welcome back. I heard a lot of trees falling,” Shion greeted us with a smile.

“Yeah, we got a big haul.”

“Haha, I guess us sleeping together yesterday will have been the last time then.”

Shijiyo froze upon hearing Shion’s remark.

“W-What did you say j-just n-now…?”

“Well, of course I was sleeping at the edge and Chiyu was lying next to me, so I didn’t do anything weird…”

“Sleeping together with three girls is s-so indecent…!”

Ah, she’s gone back to being the usual Shijiyo.

“Hehe, I see. We haven’t talked about it with Shijiyo-san yet. Once the other two come back, we must have a secret girls meeting,” Shion mumbled under her breath.

I think it’s going to be a conversation about the harem thing, but I wonder whether Shijiyo will actually go along with that.

“F-For the time being, I’m going to build a house. I will use the trees, which you cut down for me, Shijiyo, to build a new base for us.”

“…I-I see. Make sure that there’s separate rooms for girls and boys, okay?”

“Of course.”

Well, even if I make my own room, I’m pretty sure Chiyu and so on will drop in without batting an eyelid either way.

I immediately began to craft the new house.

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