Chapter 22 - The Flower Fields of Lauresia
After leaving Lulusena Village and heading northeast for just over an hour, the GPS notified me that I was nearing my destination.
As I leisurely made my way through the hilly terrain, the landscape ahead suddenly transformed. A vast flower field stretched out, filling my vision.
I rolled down the window, and the sweet fragrance from outside immediately filled the driver's seat.
"So this is the flower fields of Lauresia!"
"It’s quite a beautiful place."
Haku, curled up in the passenger seat, murmured as he stretched and looked out at the stunning scenery through the windshield.
"Should we stop here?"
Beyond the flower fields was a lakeside, where we were planning to camp, but it felt like a waste not to take in this beautiful sight. There was a small hill in the middle of the flowers, with some trees growing there, so I decided to park the camper van there.
Once the engine turned off, Haku and I got out of the van and began walking through the flower fields.
My eyes were greeted with a kaleidoscope of colors—red, yellow, purple, white, pink, and blue flowers, all blooming together.
It was as though paint had been splattered across nature’s vast canvas.
[Lauresia Flowers]
These flowers grow in areas rich in magic power and fertile soil. They thrive in warm temperatures and gentle spring climates.
The color of their petals changes depending on the concentration of magic absorbed from the air.
The magical concentration increases in this order: red, yellow, purple, white, pink, blue. Drinking the nectar contained within can slightly restore magical energy. The higher the concentration, the more effective it is, and it can even be used as an alchemical ingredient.
I checked the flower's information using my Appraisal.
"Huh, I thought the colors were pretty vibrant, but it seems the petals change color based on how much magic they absorb from the air."
"Really?"
When I looked closer at one of the red petals, I noticed it was gradually turning yellow.
That was a sign of it absorbing more magic.
Haku stopped walking, leaned in to sniff a Lauresia flower, and let out a little sniffing sound.
For once, his sharp eyes looked a little softer.
It seemed this wolf, too, had an appreciation for flowers.
"I’ll take a few of these."
They seemed useful as materials for making magic recovery potions and alchemy, so it was best to collect them.
I decided to only pick flowers with a high magic concentration.
I was mainly aiming for white, pink, and blue flowers.
At first, I thought they’d be easy to find, but when I focused solely on these three, they weren’t as easy to come by as I’d thought.
Red, yellow, and purple ones were abundant everywhere, but they didn’t hold much value, and I figured they wouldn't sell well in the town.
"Would this color be good?"
While I was searching, Haku came over with a bundle of blue-petaled Lauresia flowers in his mouth.
"ooh, nice job finding them! But wait, weren't you bad at sniffing out plants?"
When we were gathering kirik herbs, Haku’s nose had been almost useless.
Yet, this time, he’d managed to find the flowers perfectly. It was a bit of a mystery.
"I was able to sense the magic this time. I wasn’t searching by scent."
So it was because of the Lauresia flowers' ability to store magical energy that he was able to find them.
I gratefully stored the Lauresia flowers Haku had gathered in my Item Box.
"That’s amazing, being able to sense magic like that."
"You have magic too, right? If you focus, you should be able to do it too."
"Wait, really? How do I do it?"
"First, you need to be aware of the magic inside your body."
"How do you even become aware of it?"
"...Are you a child? Try thinking for yourself a little."
As I asked more questions, Haku spoke in a slightly irritated tone.
Well, even if he said that, I had never dealt with magic before...
That being said, there was some truth to what Haku said, so I decided to try sensing my own magic power.
"Hmm, I can’t tell."
"Seriously? You’re an adult among humans, right? And you can’t sense your magic at your age? What have you been doing all this time?"
"Wait, is it normal here for everyone to sense and control magic?"
"Yeah, while there’s a difference in talent, everyone should be able to at least sense their own magic. That little girl we met the other day was using magic to create fire too."
"R-really?"
Aina was still around eight years old, right? So even at her age, she could sense magic and use it to cast spells.
If it was normal for people to do that, then yeah, it made sense that someone my age should at least know the basics. It wasn’t strange for Haku to ask what I had been doing up until now.
"I'll offer an excuse here: where I came from, there was no magic."
"Impossible. In this world, everyone who is born is supposed to have magic, and everyone receives its blessings."
"Well, the thing is, I'm not from this world."
"??"
Haku stared at me, dumbfounded. I frankly explained that I had been summoned from another world by the royal family of the Kingdom of Othelonia through a hero summoning ceremony.
"I see. So that’s why you use unique skills I’ve never seen and handle tools that defy logic without using magic..."
Upon learning that I was from another world, Haku wasn’t shocked, but seemed to understand.
Well, the camper van and the electrical appliances were clearly items that surpassed the level of civilization in this world. It wasn’t surprising that someone as knowledgeable as Haku would have questions.
"So, that means the ingredients you’re summoning are..."
"They’re ingredients from another world."
"Oh! Ingredients from another world!"
When I nodded in agreement, Haku’s excitement visibly grew as he spoke with a heightened tone.
"Now that you know the truth, are you okay with it?"
"Okay with what?"
"Well, I'm an otherworlder, and we’ve made a familiar contract..."
"There’s no problem. In fact, it’s made me even less likely to break the contract. As long as I’m contracted with you, Tohru, I’ll always be able to eat food from another world."
When I hesitantly asked, Haku responded, matter-of-factly.
The fierce grin he gave me as he looked up was one that said he’d never let go of his prey.
"I-I see. Well, that’s a relief."
The way the contract was formed had been a bit forceful, but the truth was, I’d be in trouble without Haku by my side.
It was a relief that the contract wouldn’t be dissolved.
●
After spending about an hour admiring the flower fields of Lauresia, we got back into the camper and decided to head toward the lakeside.
Checking the GPS, it confirmed that a large lake was just beyond the flower fields, so there was no need for the navigation to guide us any further.
As we passed through the flower fields, we reached a forest road.
The sound of the tires crunching on the dirt and small stones echoed through the quiet forest path as we made our way through the soft green curtain. Gradually, the light filtering through the trees grew brighter, and the view began to open up.
At the end of the forest road, a vast lake appeared before us.
I checked the GPS again, and it was marked as Lake Lenore.
"Whoaaa! That's a huge lake!"
Just from what I could see through the windshield, it was obvious how large it was.
I had never seen a lake this big before.
We parked the camper on the gravel path by the lakeside, and I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt.
Turning off the engine, I stepped out of the driver’s seat, and the faint scent of damp earth and grass filled my nostrils.
I took a step forward, feeling the soft earth beneath my feet as I walked toward the shore.
"The water's really clear."
I dipped my hand into the lake and scooped up some water, which was remarkably transparent.
"Yeah. It’s nice and cold."
Haku plunged his face into the surface of the lake and started drinking the water directly.
He gulped down the water loudly, clearly enjoying it.
"Why don't you try drinking some too, Tohru?"
"Nah, if I drink it straight, I might get an upset stomach, so I’ll pass."
When I Appraised the water, it indicated that drinking it without boiling was not good for humans, so I shook my head.
"Such beautiful water, and still, it’ll upset your stomach? Humans really are fragile."
Haku murmured in disbelief, his gaze a bit pitying.
Shut up. Humans had to live as best they could, you know?
"Mind if I take a walk along the shore for a bit?"
"Go ahead. I feel like walking a little too."
I cast a barrier around the camper, and Haku and I walked along the shoreline.
A soft breeze brushed against my cheek.
Each time the wind blew, ripples spread across the water, creating and dissolving in a continuous cycle.
Now and then, the distant calls of wild birds could be heard, but the lakeside was otherwise very peaceful.
As we walked, a large creature with huge tusks appeared from the side.
It was about two meters tall, with tusks that reminded me of a mammoth.
"Whoa! A monster?!"
"That's a Popotas. They're gentle by nature, so unless we provoke them, they won’t attack."
"I-I see."
True to Haku’s words, the Popotas just gave us a quick glance before heading toward the water without any signs of aggression.
One large Popotas was still keeping an eye on us, but when it saw Haku yawning casually and scratching his ear with his foot, it seemed to relax.
Even Haku didn't seem interested in hunting monsters in this peaceful situation.
The relieved Popotases waded into the lake and began using their long trunks to spray water on their bodies.
It wasn’t just about drinking; it seemed like they were taking a bath too.
It was charming to see them spraying each other in places they couldn't reach, almost like elephants.
"Oh, a rainbow."
As the sunlight reflected off the droplets of water, a seven-colored bridge appeared in the sky.
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of awe at the unexpectedly beautiful sight.
Even in another world, the rainbow’s colors remained the same.
There were things that were completely different, but also some things that were the same.
In the vastness of nature, I found a commonality, and it made me feel warm inside.
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