Tsuki – Chapter 382: Serious Face

“WE DID IT!!” 

At lunch time.

I asked for a slight adjustment on the inappropriate item displays in the store (planned to be), and then we just sat around the dining table in Asora with everyone.

I had them take out the railroad and the combine transformation device, and had it just be a diorama of a city and a miniature battle golem. The eldwas were pretty vexed by this, but I gave them the compromise that it would be okay if it is in Asora, and safely resolved it.

It was just as I was about to put my spoon into what Mio calls dry curry omelet rice that this happened.

“Hm?” (Makoto)

The window that provided illumination to the dining room darkened, and I heard unexpected excitement from a familiar voice.

When I look outside the window, I see someone.

I was hanging up on my seat wondering if they would crash in from the window.

But the owner of the voice had succeeded in their teleportation magic a few meters before crashing into it and nailed a splendid landing.

“Finally! I have finally done it, Waka!!” 

“You…Eris…that’s on top of the dining table, you know?” (Makoto)

Eris shouted with quite the excitement within this dumbfounded atmosphere.

We are currently having lunch here.

There’s food lined up.

It is true that Eris hasn’t messed up any of the dishes here. 

But that’s not the problem here.

Akua intruded on the dining room a little bit later from the actual proper route while out of breath.

It is rare for the current Akua to be unable to stop the rampage of Eris despite having been together with her.

“…Eris, just where do you think you are putting your feet at?!!” (Mio)

Aah, as expected.

Mio’s punishment rained down on Eris —is what I thought, but it stopped midway.

Eh?

Now that I look closely, Eris pushed out a potted plant right in the course of Mio’s punishment. 

Mio’s hand stopped right before that.

Or more like, this girl…

She ran up the wall with a potted plant in hand, teleported right before the window, and dived at the dining table?

She really is hard to read as always.

“Ah, no, wait! Please forgive the rudeness as this is an emergency! Waka! We Forest Onis have finally reached it-de gozaru!” (Eris)

…She is already teetering into the realm where I don’t understand what language she is talking in. 

The only thing I can tell is that her face is pretty flushed from the excitement. 

The potted plant that she showed to me with swirling eyes was a white flower.

A white flower of decent size that cleanly grew up with no leaves…wait, this is…

“A white equinox flower? No, a crimson lotus, huh. By finally, does it mean…you were continuing the breeding improvements this whole time?!” (Makoto)

“Of course!! It has been several years since the time Waka told us about the crimson lotus selective breeding! It is only one flower right now, but it is as you see!! Ah, thanks for matching our way of calling it, Waka.” (Eris)

Ooh, this is certainly impressive. 

The crimson lotus is a flower similar to the equinox flower, and it is an extremely rare medicinal plant. 

It is an ingredient for famous potions, and it should be known between hyumans as ambrosia. 

It is a flower that I have deep memories of when I came to Tsige.

They have properly taken root in Asora, and they are being looked after by the Forest Onis as they have before.

But well, there’s obviously equinox flowers here as well that are similar to the crimson lotus, and despite being dangerous, they are also helping us out in the livelihood here.

We would try to plant them at the ridges of the fields, or at the boundaries of the roads.

The red lotus may be toxic, as long as you have a certain degree of knowledge about it, so it has been accepted by the orcs and lizards.

…As for me, I had the image of an equinox flower at first, so it was a flower that despite being close, it felt faraway. 

In the past they would be planted close to graves in order ward off animals, right?

Right now it is not used in that way.

It is just that in Asora it is not just your regular red equinox flowers, there’s also white ones that are rarely seen aside from horticulture and in residences of Kyushu, and frill-like orange petal ones. There’s even blue ones contrasting the red ones. There’s quite the variety blooming.

I tried planting some according to my memories as a test, and equinox flowers of many colors bloomed beautifully.

In part because they resembled each other, I showed the Forest Onis the many varieties of equinox flowers and asked them if there’s any other varieties of crimson lotus, and there certainly are.

It was just a topic I threw in for casual talk, but the Forest Onis were completely nailed to it.

They said that they will definitely succeed in selective breeding.

It is just that the talks about it stopped completely since then, so I have forgotten about it until now.

I see, so they succeeded, huh.

Yeah, it truly is a flashy way of blooming from that crimson lotus.

It is like the equinox flowers. Just changing the color to white gives out a completely different look.

Even though the way it blooms is so flashy, it gives out a neat and clean image.

“Well done, Eris. Akua, too. Also everyone of the Forest Onis.” (Makoto)

I congratulate them from the bottom of my heart.

It is impressive.

It is just like the blue rose that was said in the past to not exist but does exist now. This kind of steady but continuous effort to challenge the unknown in Asora honestly makes me happy.

Just that, I think it would be best for you to get down the table already.

“Yay! Yay!” (Eris)

The voice in my heart didn’t reach Eris who was in delight with her arms raised in the air. 

I have been trying to communicate that to her through my eyes for a while now though…

“…Oh my.” (Mio)

Mio, who had stopped her hand for a moment, had her nose slightly twitch at the flower.

It was just that slight movement of hers, yet I could clearly tell that Mio was angry.

“I am really sorry everyone! Eris is a bit too elated at finally succeeding and her reins are a bit loose for that and…!” (Akua)

Akua was apologizing profusely at us, but I could tell happiness was overflowing from her too.

Looks like the Forest Onis will be having a party tonight.

“It certainly does give out an interesting scent. Can I have a taste of that bulb?” (Mio)

The bulb of the crimson lotus is poisonous but also has medicinal properties. 

However, for Mio, it is simply one more ingredient even if eaten as it is.

She is the type of person that resolves everything with her mouth on a different meaning.

As for Eris, she has hidden the potted plant in her back and has taken refuge at my back.

“Well, she has gotten down from the table already. Eris, I understand that you are happy, but you have to properly keep in mind your surroundings.” (Makoto)

“W-Waka has reprimanded me in TPO?!” (Eris) 

“There are times when you would just diss someone as if natural!” (Makoto) 

“But he covered for me. The Ruler Lvl of Waka has increased to 1.2!” (Eris)

“…That’s not a level up but a version up.” (Makoto)

“Eris…I am seriously going to eat you, you know?” (Mio)

“I am sorry!” (Eris)

I don’t know if this is lunch or a comedy routine anymore.

I don’t hate a lively meal though.

“We will be investigating what kind of medicinal plant it has become, but…what about the name? Have you already decided on one?” (Makoto)

Akua has come to the side as well, and I try asking the two as usual.

Well, there’s also the choice of using my Sakai to investigate it, but this is the result of the many attempts of the Forest Onis, so they probably want to investigate it themselves.

A white crimson lotus, huh.

If they have already decided on a name, I should ask them.

“Hmph! I have been waiting for you to ask! As expected of Waka!” (Eris)

“…It seems like Eris has been thinking about a name from way before. She said that if she were to tell Waka first before our brethren were to discuss a name themselves, she would be able to make it official, thus she is here.” (Akua)

“T-That’s such shallow wicked thinking.” (Makoto)

It sounds calculating but feels like she has some screws loose.

She seems like she plays the fool, but she properly does her job.

A mysteriously two sided Forest Oni; that’s Eris.

“It is okay to mercilessly reject it if it is an outrageous name.” (Akua)

Akua must hold doubts about the name Eris is about to say, so she said beforehand that it is okay to cut it down.

“The deserving name of this newly born white crimson lotus is…!” (Eris)

““…””

We all at least wait for the next words of Eris.

I hope she doesn’t say something like banana lotus.

“Lycoris!!” (Eris)

““……””

…

Eh?

How to say it…it sounds decent. 

It is true that the lycoris is another name for the equinox flower. 

Did I talk to Eris about that?

There must have been. There’s no way there would be a coincidence like this.

She seems to be super confident about it. 

I think the reason for the silence of everyone’s the same as mine.

“So it wasn’t banalotus, huh.” (Mio)

“I thought she would say something like banana rush.” (Shiki)

Ah, even Shiki.

I thought he was silently watching over the situation, but he is merciless too.

“That’s a relief… I was sure she was going to say akuaeriswhite…” (Akua)

Akua…

Looks like she has a trauma with Eris because of the magic girl cosplays and dancing.

“How is it? This is a result that we reached thanks to Waka telling us about the possibilities of the crimson lotus. That’s why I had a feeling that the different name for the equinox flower that Waka taught us should be the name this little one deserves!” (Eris)

Ah, so I really was the one who told her.

I feel like she will name a new variety of it as hell flower.

“W-Waka-sama, Eris is saying something decent-sounding…!” (Akua)

“Yeah, I hope this is not a sign for darker times.” (Mio)

“W-Waka-sama, isn’t that new species glowing slightly?” (Shiki)

“Aah, I am already tired of retorting, so isn’t something like glowing okay?” (Makoto)

This is Asora, you know?

A glowing plant isn’t that rare.

“…It may have been in the form of an approval, but this plant has been blessed with the godsend of receiving a name from Waka.” (Eris) 

“Or more like, in terms of the amount of time it took to get a name, I feel like it wins against Tomoe-dono and Mio-dono.” (Shiki)

“Alright, let’s eat it.” (Mio)

“Akua, we are retreating full speed!!” (Eris)

Hearing the exchange of Mio and Shiki, Eris felt danger once again. She placed the potted plant on her head, and this time she ran away using the normal route. 

Akua was lowering her head over and over as she retreated at the same speed as Eris, moreover, in reverse. Despite everything, Akua has also gotten stronger.

“…Now, Mio, I will have a taste of your new creation.” (Makoto)

“I would like a bit of a topping for it…” (Shiki)

“It is proper etiquette to take a bite first before doing that, you know, Shiki?” (Mio)

“Right! A verbal slip!” (Shiki)

The Kuzunoha Company and Asora passed a decently peaceful lunch break.

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