Elatrium (2)
Thick forest scent and the aura of life.
A place where green waves rippled.
The forest of life and prosperity, Elatrium.
“Chu!”
A dazzling golden-furred being, Chuchu, had arrived there.
『You have come... servant of the great being....』
『We waited... waited so long....』
『Clear Spiritweed... Lunadria....』
『Seeds' Breath... we prepared... so many....』
Countless gazes poured down on Chuchu!
“Chuchu.”
Chuchu crossed his arms and nodded firmly.
The special Clear Spiritweed and Lunadria cultivated by his master.
They were already captives, enchanted by that irresistible flavor.
“Chu!”
No more words were needed.
He immediately exchanged the brought Clear Spiritweed and Lunadria for Seeds' Breath.
“Chuu!”
He slapped his right palm down!
It meant he'd trade with the Elatria offering the most Seeds' Breath this time too.
『Trade with me....』
『I have more... trade with me....』
『I pulled them roots and all... to make them....』
The winner was the Elatria who had uprooted them to craft the Seeds' Breath.
Plop, plop, plop!
Dozens of Seeds' Breath.
He stuffed every last one into his belly pouch without dropping a single piece.
“Chuuu—!”
Chuchu folded his right arm across his belly and bowed at the waist.
A gesture of thanks for the fine deal.
『Regrettable... if we'd had more time... we could've made even more....』
『The soil isn't fertile anymore... so hard to make as much as before....』
Sighs rose from the other Elatria.
Then, Chuchu's eyes gleamed.
His second proposal to the Elatria.
Now was the perfect moment to bring it up.
“Chu!”
As Chuchu stepped forward and called out,
『Oh... more Clear Spiritweed... Lunadria...?』
『Next time... I'll have the most... Seeds' Breath....』
The Elatria gazed at Chuchu, their voices brimming with eager anticipation.
“Chuu!”
Chuchu shook his head.
No more Clear Spiritweed or Lunadria.
The Elatria visibly deflated in disappointment.
“Chuchu!”
But it was too early for that.
Chuchu's second proposal was ready.
A proposal that would perk up the Elatria's ears.
『Fertile... land... offered...?』
“Chu! Chuchu!”
『As fertile as in our days... of former prosperity....』
Of course, the Elatria couldn't readily believe it.
How could they?
At Elatrium's peak,
The land they claimed had been the Land of Abundance, blessed by Gaia.
Now that Gaia's blessing was gone, no land could surpass it.
But...
If it truly was that fertile...?
『Proof... we need proof....』
“Chu!”
Chuchu nodded, as if to say I knew it.
He pulled out his pre-prepared item from his belly pouch.
Swish!
A handful of fine soil particles.
Soil tilled by Popo, scooped up from the lair.
『This... this is...!』
『Ah... ah...!』
The Elatria were stunned.
How could they not be?
Because this soil...
『Bears Mother's... blessing....』
It held Gaia's long-lost blessing.
『Where... is this place...?』
『Please... tell us... we'll provide as much Seeds' Breath... as needed....』
『We beg you... servant of the great being....』
The Elatria wept in unison.
Elatrium, treading the path of decline from past glory.
Before the chance to reclaim that radiant era, their bodies trembled with excitement.
“Chu.”
Chuchu curled his lips at their sight.
Just as he'd planned.
“Chuchu!”
Chuchu straightened his back.
Slapped his palm down!
It meant one thing.
Seeds' Breath—all of it, right now!
“Chuchu!!”
Chuchu raced back to the lair like a shooting star.
His belly pouch felt heavy.In fact, he'd hauled back a seriously hefty harvest.
‘Chu.’
At the same time, one thought crossed Chuchu's mind.
At first, he'd only planned to restore the old Elatrium site to fertility.
But did he really need to?
‘Chuchu—!’
Even mid-run, Chuchu shook his head.
Chuchu remembered.
The recent incident with uninvited guests at the lair.
What if...
Elatria surrounded the lair?
They'd be blocked by Elatrium's defenses, unable to even approach.
‘Chu!’
So.
Make the land around the lair fertile with Popo's power.
Rebuild Elatrium around the lair.
The lair would become an even safer haven.
‘Chuchu!’
A brilliant idea, even by his own standards!
If it succeeded, his master would pet him endlessly!
And give even more tasty treats!
“Chuuuuwuuu!!”
Chuchu's steps toward the lair quickened even more.
While Chuchu negotiated with the Elatria,
A new wave of change began to stir in the quiet Dania.
Wuuung!!
Absorbing the last remnants of mana in the egg and slumbering peacefully, a hazy yet vivid scene bloomed before Dania's eyes.
‘Kkyu...?’
Dania gazed at it through her drowsy mind.
Kwaaaaah!!
A colossal mountain range.
Dragons gathered atop it.
Light energy flowed from each like rippling waves.
Red Dragon bearing crimson flames—the Red Dragon.
Embracing earth's power—the Green Dragon.
Whipping up whirlwinds—the Gold Dragon.
Enveloped in clear blue waves—the Silver Dragon.
Enshrouded in massive lightning—the Blue Dragon.
Clutching frigid glacial chill—the White Dragon.
Corrupting all with decay—the Black Dragon.
Their varied energies converged, forming a bright, warm vortex of light.
The light solidified into a single egg.
All dragons exhaled wearily, gazing at the egg with awe.
『Now, a new hope shall be born.』
That wish echoed like a refrain, uniting their hearts and infusing the egg.
‘Kkyu—’
Watching the scene, Dania realized she wasn't just any life—but a 'special dragon' imbued with all dragons' power.
‘Kkyuuuuwuu—’
The light and energy writhed, as if life itself was awakening, enveloping Dania intensely.
Soon, Dania's heart began to thump faster and faster.
Wuuuuung!!
Dania began emitting mana more intensely than usual.
“Whoa!”
Was she finally hatching?
Or had something gone wrong?
Half excitement, half worry.
I rushed to Dania in one bound.
“Dania!”
I called her name, but
Wuuung!!
Dania only pulsed with mana, no response.
‘Doesn't seem like trouble.’
The mana flow I saw around Dania.
Passionate, yet steadily stable.
And the mana in the egg was fading.
Dania had absorbed nearly all of it.
Hatching was imminent.
“Finally, Dania...!”
“Popo!”
As I gazed at Dania with moved eyes, Popo hopped beside me, eyes sparkling +_+. +_+.
“Heh. Popo, looks like Dania's about to come out.”
“Popo!”
We watched Dania with bated breath and eager faces.
Maybe today, latest tomorrow.
‘Huh?’
But something odd caught my eye.
The mana flowing from Dania's egg.
‘Not just one color?’
Various hues blended organically, like a rainbow aurora.
Warm yet cool, flashy yet profound.
Do dragons normally have mana like this?
I couldn't say, but one thing was clear: Dania's mana was extraordinary.
‘Wow. Incredible density.’
If ambient mana density was 1, mine was 10.
But Dania's...?
‘100.’
Even I, trained in Draconic Basic Mana Circulation, felt daunted by that density.
“Amazing, our Dania.”
Is this what it's like having a straight-A kid?
I grinned proudly without thinking.
“Popo!”
Popo hopped beside me, staring up.
Just a glance at Popo's face, and I knew what it meant.
@_@ Pet me too!
“Yeah, yeah. Our Popo is pretty too!”
I stroked Popo's head.
Popo squeezed its eyes shut >_< and bounced happily.
Expressing joy with its whole body.
“Our Popo... huh?”
As I went to hug Popo,
“Chuchu!”
Chuchu poked his head from the tunnel.
“Oh, back already?”
“Chu!”
Chuchu scurried straight to me.
Aigoo, our Chuchu works so hard.
“Good work, Sergeant Chu!”
“Chuuu!”
At my words, Chuchu stood tall and saluted, right hand to forehead.
“Any success?”
How much Seeds' Breath did he snag this time?
Last time it was about 20; with plenty of Clear Spiritweed and Lunadria, at least 50, right?
“Chuchu!”
As if reading my mind, Chuchu dumped Seeds' Breath from his belly pouch.
Clatter-rattle-pour!
“Uh...”
I was speechless at the sight, speechless.
speechless.
What the—how many did he rip off?
Easily over a hundred.
“Whoa, Chuchu! What's this?”
“Chuchu!”
Chuchu puffed out his chest proudly, then closed his eyes U_U and patted his chest with his palm!
Trust me, right?
“Sergeant Chu, you magnificent beast!”
I stroked Chuchu's head vigorously,
“Churrr—!”
Chuchu melted into blissful squeaks.
“Chu!”
Suddenly, Chuchu gestured wildly at me and Popo, explaining something.
“...Use Popo to make the land around the lair fertile... and relocate the Elatria here?”
“Chu!!”
Chuchu nodded vigorously at my words.
Nice—I nailed Chuchu's words again... wait, no.
What? Bringing the Elatria here?
“Is that possible?”
“Chuchu!”
Those Elatria... aren't they trees?
Besides Mandragora, moving plants exist.
Well, tree spirits, not ordinary plants.
“Chuchu! Chuchu-chu!”
Chuchu added fervent details to my reaction.
“Relocate here, lair gets safer... and Elatrium boosts mana density inside too?”
“Chu!”
Oh. Not bad?
No, fantastic.
“Heh. Good job, Chuchu. How'd you think of that?”
“Chuchu!”
Chuchu shrugged smugly.
His signature I did great, huh? face.
“Haha, yeah, you did. Our Chuchu.”
Stroke, stroke.
I petted Chuchu's head again in praise.
“Alright, let's do it!”
“Chuchu!”
“Popo!”
Chuchu and Popo replied in sync.
Thus began the great Elatria relocation project!
First, fertilize the land around the lair.
How?
Popo spits fluids diligently.
Chuchu carries it out and scatters on surrounding soil.
Me?
“Alright, Popo, cherry tomatoes this time!”
“Popo!”
I'm on food supply.
Popo tires spitting fluids, so I fed it nonstop.
Soon, we blanketed the area in Popo's fluids.
Now the land around the lair was the most fertile anywhere.
“Chuchu!”
Chuchu came out.
Swish.
A small twig from his belly pouch.
Poked it straight into the soil.
This twig was part of the connected Elatria.
Plant it in blessed soil, and they'd know if Chuchu's words rang true.
And the result?
『It's true... truly....』
『The time to reclaim lost glory... has come....』
『Groooaaar—!』
Rumble-rumble-roar!!
The earth shook violently.
And far off,
A wave of green surged in.