Spending a few days doing absolutely nothing seems to have reset something inside me.
The world crisis in the Elf Nation of Alfheim, the situations with Alice-san, Color-san, and the others, father’s first death anniversary, and the whole mess with Karen and Dolce-san’s forced engagement—it seems I was more mentally drained from it all than I had realized.
It felt like my mind had been stuck in “serious mode,” unconsciously tightening some string of tension within me.
But now, after returning home, enjoying the “snowmelt” festival in Sidera, and settling into a calm daily routine, both my mind and heart feel unwound. It’s as if I’ve finally moved past the “finally, it’s all over” feeling, and everything inside has returned to neutral.
So, with this newly neutral state of mind, I decided to give it a little boost by taking Chocola and Mint out for some spring foraging.
「Spring’s all about wild vegetables, right?」
「Bark!」
「Uuuu!」
They both responded enthusiastically, though I doubted either of them really understood. Especially Chocola.
We ventured into the forest, carefully scanning the ground for plants. Alongside wild vegetables, I also gathered any edible wild herbs I spotted.
In a sunny patch of grass, I found a cluster of young shoots, their tips curled and bearing a familiar appearance reminiscent of ferns back in Japan.
「Oh, could these be warabi? They don’t have the fine hairs of zenmai, so it’s probably not that… Mint, does this have any poison?」
「Hmm… poison, yep! Don’t eat lots of it!」
「Alright, let’s pick some.」
「But poisonous?」
Mint gave me a puzzled look.
「Young warabi shoots are naturally toxic. In Japan, we’d process them to remove the toxins before eating. If this is a similar species, I’d like to give it a try. Once we get home and process it, could you check for poison again?」
「Uuuuu… poison disappears? Like butterbur flower stalks last time?」
「Exactly. You remembered that, huh? Well, we won’t know for sure until we try.」
Mint’s fascination with the idea of neutralizing poison was clear on her face, her curiosity brimming as we continued gathering the plants. Chocola, meanwhile, was more interested in chasing bugs, his tail wagging furiously as he darted about.
Spring had truly arrived, and with it, the quiet joys of days spent reconnecting with nature.
The flora and fauna of this other world are incredibly diverse.
There are species almost identical to those on Earth, ones that look slightly different but are fundamentally similar, ones that appear similar but are entirely different, and those that don’t exist on Earth at all. In total, it’s not such a chaotic mishmash as to make no sense, but it’s enough to make you immediately realize, “This definitely isn’t Earth.”
This environment is likely influenced by the Boundary Fusion Phenomenon. That’s what Four Seasons-san once told me.
According to him:
“In the past, during repeated instances of boundary fusion, Earth’s flora and fauna likely flowed into this world, intermingled, and eventually settled here. Additionally, during the great world alteration two thousand years ago, species resembling those on Earth may have been reshaped to align even more closely with Earth’s counterparts.”
Take the cows raised in Sidera, for example. They’re nearly indistinguishable from Earth’s cattle. Of course, there are also “wild cows” with bizarre appearances or even classified as magical beasts.
This resemblance is even more pronounced in plants. Tomatoes, oranges, and other species are so similar that you could confidently declare, “This is exactly the same.”
「Oh, is this…」
The shrub I just stumbled upon might be one of those.
Its trunk is covered with sharp thorns.
The leaves have all fallen, but at the tips of its branches, clusters of green buds peek out. Once they grow, the branches should develop pointed, rounded leaves that align symmetrically, giving the whole thing the silhouette of a tengu fan—similar to lamprey leaf.
I’m pretty sure this is the same as what we have on Earth:
「Cod sprouts.」
「Cod?」
「It’s called the king of wild vegetables. Mint, does this have any poison?」
「Hmm…little poison! When you eat, throat feels scratchy and tight!」
「Oxalic acid. Like with warabi, I think we can remove it by soaking it to get rid of the bitterness.」
「Scratchy feeling goes away?」
「Some of the bitterness might stay, but… let’s process it first and have you check it again, just to be safe.」
「Uuuu! Sui, amazing! Can take away poison, and fun to walk forest with you because know all sorts of interesting things!」
Mint’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, her enthusiasm as vivid as the budding greenery around us.
I gently patted Mint’s head, wrapped snugly around my waist, and held her small hand. Walking side by side with her, her face brimming with excitement, we ventured deeper into the forest, gathering a variety of wild vegetables along the way.
Before long, as we walked—
「Bark!」
Chocola barked sharply and dashed into the underbrush.
「What is it? Did you find a rabbit or something…?」
「Bark! Bark…」
For a few seconds, Chocola rustled around in the leaves, and then he poked his head out, something clutched in his mouth. It was a deer antler.
「Wow… antler!」
「Impressive. This one’s from a fully grown deer.」
「Bark! Grrrrr!」
The antler, long and branched, had a kind of sculptural beauty. It was the kind of object to stir the imagination of any boy, resembling something like the legendary Seven-Branched Sword.
「It’s not from a corpse… is it? Could be a shed antler. Spring is when they’re supposed to molt.」
「Shed antler? What’s that?」
「Deer shed their antlers periodically. Maybe the deer here have a longer cycle, but if it’s lying around in this season, it’s probably the same as back on Earth—about once a year.」
「Shed them… deer right now don’t antlers?」
「Exactly. The bucks should be without antlers for now. If we ever catch one while hunting, let’s take a closer look. Antler size and shape change with the seasons, so it’d be fun to compare them every time we find one.」
「Cool! Wanna try!」
Mint’s curiosity seemed thoroughly piqued. She eagerly patted and tugged at the antler Chocola was holding.
「That’s your treat, isn’t it, Chocola?」
「Bark, snuff.」
Unlike the sticks he usually picked up on walks, which he carried proudly in his mouth, Chocola placed the antler on the ground and began gnawing on it enthusiastically. The texture must have been just right to satisfy him.
「They don’t sell bone chews in this world, after all… Once we’re home, I’ll cut it into a more manageable length for you. Hand it over for now.」
「Growl… bark!」
Chocola resisted, whining that he wasn’t done yet, but I managed to talk him into surrendering the antler. I tossed it into the basket I was carrying on my back.
「There might be another one nearby. Why don’t you look around?」
「Bark!」
「I search too!」
Mint and Chocola were already off, brimming with energy.
「Alright, I’ll wait here. Don’t wander too far, okay? I’ll call you back when it’s time.」
「Okay!」
「Bark!」
As I watched their backs disappear into the brush, their tails (or in Mint’s case, her lively steps) wagging, I couldn’t help but smile.
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