Tomatoes and Elf*2
The elf-like lady spotted me and stopped. I also froze in place, basket of tomatoes in hand.
Meanwhile, the slimes bounced away at their own pace, not caring about anything at all. Man, those guys are really freedom itself!
“Um… you’re not… a child from the village, are you?”
… In the elf lady’s hand was a bow. On her back, a quiver of arrows.
Wait, if I give the wrong answer here, am I going to get killed…?
How the hell am I supposed to answer? This is bad, really bad. I slowly shuffled backward, eyes locked with hers.
But in this elementary-school-sized body, there’s no way I can outrun her. She’s got a bow, she could shoot me down at range. I’m unarmed!
“You, perhaps…”
She said, tilting her head slightly, narrowing her eyes at me.
“… Are you the god of this dungeon?”
“Uh, ah, I-I don’t know…”
… Hey! Me? A god!? Of the dungeon!? What the hell’s a dungeon god supposed to be!?
What am I supposed to do here!? Seriously, what do I do!?
“I see. Then you must be the new god of this dungeon.”
… And so, that’s how things turned out.
I honestly didn’t know how to answer, so I ended up blurting out something like: “I don’t really know, but when I came to, I was at the back of this cave. I know everything about what goes on inside the cave. And this bracelet just appeared on me.”
And she just nodded like, “Ah, I see, then you’re the god of the dungeon!” Totally convinced.
Meanwhile, my brain is spinning in circles like, “God…? Me, a god…?” But hey, no need to correct her. If I make her think I’m an enemy, I might be in danger here. So I just decided: screw it, I’ll roll with this!
I mean, come on. I’ve already been called the “master” of this dungeon. If that changes to “god of the dungeon,” that’s just splitting hairs, right? Totally negligible. Let’s call it negligible!
So I decided to carry myself with dignity, as a so-called dungeon god.
Anyway, since the elf lady seemed satisfied with that explanation, I tried to strike up a conversation.
After all, this is the first actual “person” I’ve met in this world. Slimes don’t count as people. Yeah.
And honestly, I don’t know a thing about this world. I’ve slowly learned bits about the dungeon, but it’s not nearly enough.
I need information. Whatever happens, information is vital. And this chance just fell into my lap, so I’m not about to waste it.
But then—
“I felt the stirrings of a dungeon that had been dormant, so I came to investigate… I never thought I’d find such a cute god here!”
“Wha—!? H-hey, wait a second, lady! What’re you—!?”
Squeeze
The elf lady suddenly hugged me tight!
Hey, what about talking!? Negotiation!? You can’t just jump to hugging! Do you realize how shocking this is for a college-age guy trapped in a grade-school body!?
… Ah.
“Oh, sorry, that was rude of me. I just… treated you like I do the village children without thinking.”
… Yeah.
Right now, I do pretty much look like an elementary schooler.
From her perspective, she probably just feels like she’s talking to a kid. Makes sense. Communication hiccups are bound to happen.
Judging by appearance, she looks like she’s in her early twenties—about my real age. But to her, I’m just a kid now. A surprise hug isn’t strange…
Still, if this keeps happening, my heart won’t survive it. I’m a young man, after all.
And really, it feels kind of dishonest. She thinks she’s hugging a cute kid, when in reality, she’s hugging a plain old college guy. Poor lady, if she knew the truth.
So, wracked with guilt, I decided to just come clean.
“Um, my name’s Asuma Takuya. I may look like this, but I’m actually nineteen…”
I can’t drink yet, but I’m an adult. At least not a “cute little boy,” but an un-cute man.
I said it with that feeling behind it. But then—she blinked once, smiled brightly, and said:
“I’m Mishisia. Mishisia Plantita. I’m 101 years old! Nice to meet you!”
… Right.
Correction. Compared to this lady, I am a kid. Whether I’m cute or not, I’m just a brat in her eyes. She’s five times my age!
What the hell, 101!? Who’s the real fraud here!?
I was shocked, but I’m fine. So, Mishisia here is apparently 101 years old. I’m a lively 19. Which means being treated like a much younger child is something I just have to accept. She’s an elf, after all. It comes with the territory. Classic fantasy!
“Asuma-sama, have you ever left the dungeon?”
“No, not once. I’ve only wandered around here a bit…”
Mishisia didn’t seem fazed and kept chatting, so I gave up worrying about age and just focused on talking. That’s a trivial matter. My real goal is to get information out of her!
“I see. Well, you’re a newborn god, after all. Um, if you go that way for a while, there’s a small village. It’s called Panis Village. I’ve been staying there lately.”
Oh, so there is a settlement. Good to know. And maybe it’s lucky I didn’t run into it right away. I’ve got Mishisia to thank.
“But… the village is struggling. That’s why I came to the forest—to search for food or treasure. If the dungeon has awakened, maybe it holds something…”
Hmm.
So Panis Village is in trouble. If she’s looking for food or valuables, that means…
“They don’t have enough to eat?”
A famine, most likely.
When I asked, Mishisia nodded gravely.
“Yes. Last year’s harvest failed… so the tribute couldn’t be paid in full. Because of that, the ‘blessing’ wasn’t given… and this year is expected to be even worse…”
Some interesting terms slipped out, but I’ll ask about them later.
Because right now—Mishisia pulled something out of her belt pouch. Something very familiar.
“I found this. Do you know what it is, Asuma-sama!?”
… She was holding up a shiny red fruit.
A tomato.
I know it. That’s a tomato. Totally know it.
“This grew out of a slime’s head, ripened, and when I ate it—it was delicious!”
Well, good for you. Yep.
“The ones in your basket are the same, right? Hey, are those slimes your familiars?”
“Uh, no, not really familiars… they just sort of… do their own thing…”
Explaining this is hard.
Even I don’t get those slimes.
I planted seeds in them, and I guess they thought, Well, what’s planted is planted, and went along with it. They probably appreciate the water and fertilizer, but who knows. They’re a mystery.
“I-I see… Well, um, if there are more of those slimes, would it be possible to share some of those fruits? The village is in dire need of food…”
Okay, now I get her side of things.
Mishisia’s village is in famine. Last year’s bad harvest is still dragging them down. With no money for tribute, no blessing, things are worsening.
So she came here to find food or something of value.
Which means, for me, there’s only one move to make.
“If you’re looking for food, I’ve got some stored. I can share some. These fruits—called tomatoes. And some bread, too.”
“R-really…!?”
I pushed the tomato basket toward her. Heavy for my child body, but Mishisia should have no trouble carrying it—and even another basket of bread besides.
“But—”
Of course, not for free.
Mishisia looked at me nervously, waiting for the “catch.”
“In return, I want bean seeds. Well, seeds in general. Or maybe farming tools… Also, I’d like you to teach me more about this world.”
“Eh…?”
She blinked in surprise.
But hey, that’s not a bad deal, right? It’s fair, isn’t it? Right?
I’m desperate on my side too, you know! So let’s help each other out! Yeah! Yeah!
What do you think about this chapter?
