Chapter 160

Let’s Go Check Things Out
I’ve turned nine.
This past year has been hectic—what with the whole White Dragon incident, I suppose it couldn’t be helped—but it completely threw off my slow-life rhythm.
From now on, I plan to get back to that peaceful life.

And now that I’m nine, I’ve switched from using “boku” to “watashi,” and changed how I refer to my parents.
I originally planned to make the switch at my tenth birthday, but seeing that Raphael used “watashi” made me feel oddly immature by comparison.

I didn’t want to get teased for being influenced just because he uses “watashi,” so I made the change on my ninth birthday instead.
Mother looked a bit disappointed...
But now that I’m using “watashi,” I actually feel a little more grown-up, so I think it was the right choice.

The other day, I went to check on the Vaash after they’d been relocated.
It seemed they liked the new pasture, and their mana blockage condition had already improved a lot.
At this rate, they might fully recover soon.

When I asked Bale if there had been any issues, he said that a slime used for purifying water had escaped and was now drinking the spilled water near the Vaash’s drinking trough.

Apparently, no matter how many times they brought it back, it always somehow ended up back by the trough.
Another escapee slime, huh?

They kept a close watch at first, wondering if the Vaash would react to the slime, but it seemed they didn’t mind it being there. So now the slime is allowed to stay.

As they continued to observe the slime, they noticed that after it drank the water dripping from the trough and puffed up, it would bounce off happily and begin circling the pasture.
The grass along its trail would be faintly damp, so they suspected the slime might actually be watering the grass.

And since the slime's purifying liquid could act like a fertilizer, it seemed to be helping the grass grow better—which, in turn, would benefit the Vaash.
So for now, they’ve decided to let the slime do as it pleases.

If the slime’s behavior really is creating the kind of pasture the Vaash like, Bale and the others want to build a tank near the trough just for the slime and try sprinkling that water over the pasture themselves.
So they asked if I could check with the Vaash and see what they think of the grass.

When I asked, the Vaash said the places where the slime sprinkled water became rich in mana and were very comfortable to be in.
Unfortunately, that effect only lasted two or three days.

But since a single slime can only cover so much ground, on a pasture this large, it would only affect a small portion.
When I relayed Bale’s idea, the Vaash seemed pleased.

However, they did ask that the grass be only lightly damp, not soaked—according to Atre’s interpretation.

Is this a new discovery about slime behavior?
Still, the fact that the mana concentration rises… I feel like I should keep that to myself.
Yeah, better not to get involved in anything troublesome. Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.

Also, I started wondering—do they have things like spray bottles or larger mist sprayers in this world?
If not, I’ll have to ask Maria to make one.

I told Bale what the Vaash thought of the grass and how they seemed happy with his idea.
Then I asked if they had any tools like a mist sprayer to lightly water plants, but he said no.
Though he added that he might just not know about them.

I told him I’d look into it and let him know if I found anything, then returned from the pasture.

I got Father’s approval to ask Maria to make one, since a mist sprayer would be useful.

At Maria’s workshop, I asked about sprayers and was told they don’t exist here.
So I drew a diagram of the mist sprayers I remembered from my previous life.

“A tank carried on the shoulder or back, with water misted out as you walk? And to make the spray fine, the nozzle has many tiny holes?”

Yes.
Ideally, I wanted it to be automatic—press a button and it sucks up the water and sprays it.
But if that was too difficult, I asked her to make a manual pump-type version.

While I was at it, I also requested a spray bottle.

“This drawing looks like a smaller version of the sprayer. Will this also be used for plants?”

I explained that it could be used for indoor potted plants that don’t need much water, or even for misting clothes before ironing to help remove wrinkles faster.

“In that case, we should definitely make it. No—we will make it!!”

… Maybe I got a little too carried away.
Still, it will be useful, so I guess it’s fine.

What do you think about this chapter?