Chapter 96
「Tak.u.mi, we will take a break there」
「Okay, I understand」
The second day after leaving Bailey. We have been riding the horses since the morning today as well, it’s almost time for the lunch.
The place Wald-sama designated as our resting place was an empty open plain with a large tree growing in the center.
「That’s a big tree, isn’t it~」
「That’s a Majesta tree. Oh my, how rare. It’s bearing fruit」
Majesta tree is considerably thick, large tree with thick green leaves bearing many yellow fruits. Erm――Yeah~ Majesta tree’s fruit season is irregular, so the times the fruit grows seems to be unpredictable.
While looking up at the Majesta tree, I fumbled about the imprinted knowledge and knowledge related to that.
「「Is delish~?」」
「It seems to be tasty」
In fact, Majesta seems to be very delicious. However, it’s a very rare fruit.
Since the fruit grows irregularly then it’s only given that it’s rare, but to happen to pa.s.s by just as the fruit is ripe…… what a terrifying coincidence.
Seeing rare fruit makes me want to try eating it in a mountain of ways, but the bark of Majesta tree is hard and slippery, the whole trunk is covered in branches and b.u.mps, so it would be difficult to collect the fruit which grows at the top.
It might be possible to collect them if we had a long ladder prepared, but Majesta apparently bears fruit just for half a day then it rots and falls. That’s why there’s no opportunity to return to the town as it’s necessary to gather the fruit immediately after seeing it or you will lose the chance to gather them.
Moreover, while the fruit is quick to rot on the tree, it’s a mysterious fruit that is storable for a very long time after it’s harvested.
『Piii~』
「N? ――Oopsy」
When I looked up after hearing Bolt’s cry, Bolt who flew over at the top of the tree poked a branch with a fruit and dropped it down. It was a fruit that was slightly larger than my fist.
「Thank you, Bolt」
『Pii』
Bolt continued and dropped a few more fruits.
「Here, Bolt got it for you」
「「Muu~」」
「N? What’s the matter, Allen, Elena?」
When I handed over the Majesta fruit to Allen and Elena who were greatly interested in it, they were sulking for some reason.
「Allen will get it~」
「Elena will too~」
「Eh? I understand your feelings of wanting to get it, but you can’t reach it, right?」
Allen and Elena said that they want to get it themselves. But, Majesta fruit is at the very top. Bolt was able to get the fruit because of flying.
Because of the unevenness and branches that are in the way of climbing, even Allen and Elena wouldn’t be able to climb this tree.
「「Make us po~n」」
「Po~n?」
「「Un!」」
Po~n, huh…… hey!
「Eh!? Do you perhaps mean to throw you up!?」
「「Un!」」
Shockingly, Allen and Elena demand me to throw them up into the thick leaves and branches. As expected, throwing you two is impossible――…… it actually isn’t. I can do it, surely.
Certainly, using this method they would arrive at the top without the struggle of climbing. But, however――
「No, no! Even the branches at the top seem to be slippery, so it’s dangerous, you know? Bolt will get the fruit for us, so there’s no need to recklessly pick them yourself, okay?」
「「Will
The two seem to be determined. Rather, there’s not much I can say once the two speak up.
Not being able to help it, I decided to let the two do as they want and ready myself under the tree in case they fall.
「Let’s start with Allen」
「Un!」
「Oy, Tak.u.mi. What are you planning to do!?」
「Ah, Wald-sama. The two are saying they want to pick the Majesta fruit, so……――up you go」
I lifted Allen and vigorously flung him up.
The flung Allen skillfully grasped a branch and landed without a difficulty.
「Are you okay~?」
「Okay~」
When I called him, he returned a lively reply.
「Elena too~」
「Yes, yes. It’s Elena’s turn next」
「Un!」
「Up you go!」
Next, I lifted the urging Elena and flung her up just like Allen.
Elena skillfully grasped a branch too and made a landing on top of it.
「You two, be careful not to fall down, okay~」
「「Yess~」」
While cautioning them not to fall, Allen and Elena replied while jumping from one branch to another and started picking up the Majesta fruit.
「What an outside the norm thing……」
「Well~ The two are the type who won’t listen once they decide on something……――oh」
As soon as my hands were empty, Bolt dropped a fruit.
「Joule, Feat, Vector. I will give you baskets, so help me collecting the fruit, okay~」
『Kyan』
『Nnaa~』
『Garu』
Feat grabbed the basket in her mouth, flew up and started receiving the fruit from Allen and Elena directly. Joule and Vector started skillfully catching the fruit Bolt dropped into their baskets.
The harvesting continued for a while and the Majesta fruit in sight has nearly disappeared.
「「Onii~chan!」」
「Are you done? Then, descend one by one. Let’s start with Allen, okay?」
「Un」
Saying such, Allen jumped down from the branch without a hesitation.
I toned down the force of Allen’s falling by a little with wind magic and caught him.
「Welcome back」
「I’m back~」
I lower Allen whom I safely caught on the ground and prompt Elena to jump next.
「Elena, you can go~」
「Un」
Elena jumped down without any hesitation as well.
I toned down the force of Elena’s fall just like with Allen and caught her.
「Welcome back」
「I’m here~」
When I lowered Elena on the ground, the two started taking out the Majesta fruit from the magic pouches on their waists.
「「Got many~」」
「Wai, wait a moment……――you two, put it in here」
It seems they harvested fruit besides the fruit they gave to Feat.
Panicking, I retrieved a new basket from the《Inifnite Storage》and told the two to place the fruit in it. Allen and Elena started taking out the fruit one by one and filling up the basket.
「Wow~ you two worked hard~」
The Majesta fruit piled up in the basket in no time.
Adding everything up, we got quite a lot. It’s a considerably large tree, so it seems to bear a lot of fruit.
「Why don’t we try eating it?」
「「Un!」」
Majesta fruit is delicious on its own, so I decided to try a taste.
After I used《Was.h.i.+ng》on the fruits and handed them to Allen and Elena, the two turned towards the four knights which accompanied us.
「「Here!」」
Saying such, they held out the fruits in their hands.
「You will give us too?」
「「Un!」」
「Thank you very much」
Isaac-san dropped to his knees to match Allen’s and Elena’s line of sight and received the Majesta fruit from the two with a smile. Following after him, Wald-sama, Oswald-san, and Mars-kun received the fruit as well.
「Tak.u.mi, is that really fine? You can make quite a lot by selling this fruit, ya know?」
「I don’t mind. Even if you say quite a lot…… we have this much, after all~」
「……」
Although Wald-sama and others received the Majesta fruit, they seemed to be hesitant. Mars-kun was so nervous I found him pitiable.
However, when I pointed at the baskets full of the fruit we harvested, everyone made shocked expressions.
「Here, it’s everyone’s share~」
「「Yess~」」
『Kyan《Yaa~y》』
『Nnaa~《Niisama, thank you》』
『Pii』
『Garu~』
I handed the Majesta fruit to Allen, Elena, Joule, and others who tried it immediately.
「「It’s delish~」」
「Un, it’s tasty. Allen, Elena, thank you for getting them for us」
「「Ehehe~」」
「Bolt too, thank you」
『Pyururu~』
Actually, the Majesta fruit was juicy and crunchy similarly to a j.a.panese pear, it’s a delicious and quite sweet fruit. All of the children seem to like it.
Wald-sama and others also started eating and they were quite impressed.
「「Will go one more time~」」
When we finished eating, Allen and Elena said that they wanted to go up one more time. But――
「No, no, didn’t you guys take as much as you could?」
「「There’s many, you know~?」」
「Eh!?」
When I looked up where Allen and Elena were pointing, a ridiculous spectacle entered my sight.
「Eh! How!?」
The Majesta fruit that was supposed to be harvested was there once again. Mysterious vegetation is really full of mysteries……