Let's Raise the Spirit Tree!
Recently, so much has happened, but is this really okay just because I've been a bit neglectful with the care? I did tend to the fields, but honestly, I'm more of an expert at raising livestock in a barn, so Wiyu Witchcraft was pretty flustered.
The mushrooms sprouting around the spirit tree like dewdrops had multiplied enormously in that short time.
"It's because of my racial traits—I can't help it," said Kaoru-senpai, tapping the mushroom cap on her head that looked like a hat and shaking off spores, asking me to understand with an apologetic look.
With so many different races attending, everyone speaks different languages, has different cultures and customs... That's probably why it's a required course.
Anyway, our graduating class clubroom had turned into a space overgrown with mushrooms everywhere instead of mold.
"Oh, these are pine mushrooms," the greatsword dummy sniffed around, already fully adapted to the situation as she picked edible ones and grilled them with fire magic.
I felt like mushrooms might sprout in my lungs, so I threw open the windows for some ventilation first.
In the meantime, Kaoru-senpai had pulled out a spray bottle from who-knows-where and was spritzing her face. She said keeping moisture on her skin was a must for a beauty, but with mushrooms sprouting vigorously around her neck, it seemed like a different meaning from what I knew.
"We have to deal with them since mushrooms can steal nutrients..."
"Yeah... kid... yeah... kid..."
"Hmm, if you don't wanna take responsibility, just eat some."
"What, that's some novel abortion pitch..."
"It's a racial difference thing. Don't use such scary words."
But telling me to eat a mushroom with eyes and a mouth was physiologically repulsive, and getting rid of a talking mushroom felt extreme too!
As I stared at her with a pitiful expression, Kaoru-senpai grumbled that I was being such a whiny girl and yanked off the mushrooms, tore them up, and tossed them in the trash.
Then she casually threw in a match to start a fire, causing a minor incident, but our graduating class room had sprinklers, so it wasn't a big deal.
Sprinkle...
"What about all this humidity filling the space?"
"It's comfy for me."
I decided to check on the spirit tree instead of staring at Kaoru-senpai showing off her taut, smooth skin.
I'd succeeded in making it grow somehow, but I had no idea if just watering it from here on was enough.
I wanted to ask the spirit itself, but I hadn't seen it even once since it apologized to me.
The [Divination] professor was an elf, so I thought she'd know how to raise it, but after hearing her say trees grow big if you patiently tend them for about 1,000 years, I gave up.
I'd learned for sure not to ask long-lived species.
I had to find a way to grow it quickly somehow... at least within 1-2 years.
'Finding what I want to do while attending the academy can wait.'
For now, I needed to figure out how to rip off the shackle around my ankle called
[Repeat Year Confirmed]
first.
Just like a real professor, I pondered ways to do it without regard for means or methods.
"Can't you just use your power and tell it to grow big?"
"Ah~ that's kinda~ difficult."
I had no idea what form it would take when fully grown, so "thinking" it wouldn't work.
As the greatsword dummy said, if I just commanded 'grow big!', it would grow, but it might turn into something other than a spirit tree.
No joke—with my abilities, I could even turn the tree in this flowerpot into a cat.
There are no limits, so common sense and imagination become the constraints and brakes instead.
"Times like this call for a real expert in raising things... but I don't know anyone."
"Hmm~ maybe one of the seniors."
Kiduna-senpai or Yungmei-senpai might know about farming, but growing trees is a different story.
Come to think of it, Kaoru-senpai seemed pretty good at it too—first-rate, judging by the mushrooms everywhere.
"Ah! There is one! I just remembered!"
I picked up the classroom phone and called Multrenung.
"Thought you were a professor. Are you the only one without a cell phone?"
"Sorry, I'm just a country bumpkin! Hey, if it's okay, could you come to the graduating class clubroom?"
"Huhu... if a commoner with nowhere to go calls, I have to, right?"
"Yeah, thanks."
His voice sounded off somehow, but since he was coming, I thanked him and told him to bring the God of Nurture too.
After all, it's a god, and "nurture" implies raising, caring for, and tending to things, right?
So maybe as a god, it would know how to raise a tree like the spirit tree. I pinned my faint hopes on that.
"You're not holding a grudge over that thing you abandoned last time, are you?"
"Nah. More importantly, God-sama, you forcibly contracted, but surprisingly you're getting along great."
"Of course—we stick to suckers who give us ether. Sorry, but don't misunderstand?"
"What were you expecting from Multrenung anyway?"
"Some heart-fluttering interaction with a noble lady..."
"Ex.cuse.me."
Who was it that got barbell plates dropped on their head because of whom? Hard to get close after that.
She's a pretty goddess, and at an age to dream, but I'm a guy.
I advised him to remember that cold reality straight, then showed the goddess the spirit tree.
"Hee~ so this is the tree?"
"Yeah, can you raise it?"
"Ahahaha!! What do you take me for? I'm the God of Nurture~ I'm a pro at tending and raising~"
She said to leave it with her for an hour and she'd show results, then took the flowerpot.
"Speaking of which, you're failing divine magic too—want me to teach you while I'm here?"
Meanwhile, Multrenung, whose only role was bringing the goddess, had nothing to do, so he offered to tutor me.
"...You switched jobs to cleric, so aren't you learning from scratch?"
"A black mage countering as a cleric—studying weaknesses is common sense, right?"
Logical...
How could a guy who talks so sensibly make such an absurd mistake back then?
Does gaining power unfit for a person lower your IQ or something?
Greed is truly terrifying, I thought, and since he was here anyway, I opened the textbook and asked him to teach me.
Just like that, the hour the nurturing goddess requested passed.
For some reason, the God of Nurture entered the classroom in surgical scrubs, face solemn, and spoke.
With those words, the now-empty rotten flowerpot returned to my arms.
"Step aside. Time to job-change to godslayer."
"Calm down—it's too early to unleash the hunting dog..."
We should give her a chance to explain first.
"No, what I raise are kids, not plants. Even a mediocre mortal wouldn't mistake a person for a plant—that was impossible."
Dee-heot- ☆ The God of Nurture giggled girlishly, saying she'd tried her best as a god but it was no use.
I briefly considered sending the greatsword dummy, who was growling that she'd slice her if I gave the signal.
But maybe because it was raised with my blood? I felt a faint connection and approached the god.
"Kyaa! Self-proclaimed guy sexually harassing a goddess!"
I shoved my hand into her butt pocket, and it went in scarily deep.
Pulling out what I grabbed, it was the spirit tree, neatly transplanted to another flowerpot.
It had even grown much bigger than before, and we all turned to stare at the God of Nurture.
"Phew, gods never work for free. You overcame the trial I set well, kiddo."
"Can I stab her?"
"Well, at least I know she sees me as a sucker for sure."
"Huhu, forgive me just once... Guys are weak to beautiful big-breasted beauties! Beauties get forgiven no matter what?!"
"Urk...!"
"No, junior. You think that actually works? Like the underground blackie calling you a chick?"
"I'm a guy, I said!"
I ignored Kaoru-senpai saying she'd watch how far that concept went.
I was already bummed from paying upfront in the underground and getting screwed over, and now being treated like a sucker here too ignited my rage.
As I grabbed her collar and shook her down, the brazen God of Nurture lied that it wasn't her idea—Multrenung wanted it and ordered her.
Multrenung trembled in terror beside the growling greatsword dummy, insisting he'd only taught divine studies.
"Wait!! Before you get mad or stab me!! I prepared a devilishly good excuse knowing I'd get caught—give me a chance to use it?"
"Cuteness and shameless deflection didn't work, so out comes the negotiation card."
"Life's all about minimizing losses, dear."
How thick is her face to say that so calmly without twitching?
Is this a real con artist? The gravitas of a god who's lived eons...?
"I'm just worried about a naive kid like you with so much to lose, so I'm teaching you! It's the maternal love of the God of Nurture!"
"Greatsword dummy, I'll hold her—wanna stab?"
"I'll teach you how to handle water elements, so forgive me just once, witch."
"Kuh...!"
I can barely handle fire, and even that's too dangerous for most to teach me!!
If this was a chance to learn, I had no choice and felt downcast.
"Remember, getting caught is crime... but if you don't, it's art itself."
With that, she taught me how to handle water, then said summoning time was up and left—holding a fruit in her hand.
"What's that?"
"It grew while I was raising it."
Leaving those words, she said to give it "special nutrients" if I wanted more growth, and poof—scammed again!!
The God of Nurture vanished cackling.
Our heads turned to Multrenung, but...
"Couldn't pick a better god for possession?"
With that one line, I drooped my head in gloom.
I had so much I wanted to say, but I held back...
Who knew writing a name in red pen would nearly kill me...!!
"Anyway, special nutrients... for a tree, water's the only thing that comes to mind. What could it be?"
"Looks like it's time you learned the purpose of those needlessly huge udders."
"No, senpai..! I told you they don't produce!"
"Sorry, but potion ingredients include stuff like [Virgin's Milk]. It's valuable for pure, innocent effects. Pop a pill and it'll produce for days—why not? They say you're amazing at milking."
"No one's milked my milk!"
"Not just any virgin—you're a Witchcraft witch. [Virgin's Milk of Witch Witchcraft] would be insanely valuable..."
Kaoru-senpai poked the monstrous things on my body.
The greatsword dummy eyed me with collector's greed, wanting some.
They're talking easy because we all look like girls on the outside... but I'm a guy inside!!
No, even if I weren't, that's not an easy choice!!
"...Wait... any special liquid would do, right?"
Didn't Minji-senpai have a way to contact the outside?
Mom wasn't answering, so I was curious how things were, and I'd asked the neighbor lady, but I worried about the cows too.
Our family's cows were all special, huge milk cows just looking at them.
"I'll try with some really good milk I know how to squeeze!!"
"Weren't you just pressing them with your hands thinking about it?"
"No, I wasn't!!"