Published at 5th of August 2023 5:53 pm

Chapter 357: Laughing and Having Fun With Bartolo

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Deciding to go with Bartolo to draw spring water, I walked past the straight open road from the mansion and into the mountain beyond the lake at the Eastern forest.

Of course, this place is a mountain, so there are no kind of guideposts like roads.

There are countless trees and shrubs growing close together in a disordered way around, including fallen trees and roots sticking out from the ground.

Since people seldom step foot here, you can see that nature is thriving unchecked.

Looking around, there are only trees, trees, and more trees that suddenly make us lose sight of the direction where we came from.

There are thick, tall trees dozens of meters tall, casting their shadows in the mountain.

It’s definitely cooler than when we walk through the plain and forest, thanks to the fact that the sunlight can’t shine through the trees.

Bartolo and I continue our journey on the rough path while feeling the cool air on our skin.

「It’s pretty quiet here」

「That’s right. There don’t seem to be many animals like birds today」

There’s no shadow of any creatures around us at the moment.

It’s very quiet. The occasional wind only shakes the foliage slightly.

The scenery around us also looks somewhat mysterious, I guess it’s due to the quiet mountain scenery coupled with the natural scenery around us.

It’s nice to walk in a quiet place like this. You can calm your mind without thinking about anything at all.

As I was walking forward while enjoying the stillness of the mountain, Bartolo - who is in front of me - stopped walking.

「What’s wrong?」

「I’m just thinking of gathering some sap for a bit」

After saying that, Bartolo looked around and touched the nearby trees to check their condition.

「Heeー, so you can get the sap from the trees around here, huh」

「Yeah, you can get syrup when you boil the sap, it’s sweet y’know」

Right. It can also become something like maple syrup when you boil the sap.

If this were to be compared to shaved ice, it would surely be able to be used on various occasions like breakfast bread or sweets.

「Yosh, I’ll get it from this tree」

Bartolo stoop down and lowered the pack basket on his back to the ground while I was thinking about such a thing.

After taking out a sharp screw-like thing from the basket, he sticks it into the tree and uses a lever-like tool to make a hole.

After doing that for a while, he manages to make a hole and then Bartolo takes a lick of his wet finger.

「Ohh, we got it in one try」

Apparently, he managed to reach the tube of the tree that contains the sap.

Then Bartolo puts away the drilling tool and takes out a tube-like tool.

It looks like a tap, but it should be a tool remodeled to gather sap.

Bartolo uses that tool and stabs it into the hole, then sap-like fluid drips down from it.

「Can I try it?」

「Un」

I reach out and catch the sap with the palm of my hand.

It’s unexpectedly not sticky or dirty and there is almost no smell.

After checking those, I try to lick it.

「It’s not that sweet」

「Hahaha, that’s understandable. It is still not concentrated ‘fter all」

I’ve tasted concentrated maple syrup before but, this was my first time tasting the undiluted sap

It’s faintly sweet but, there is neither the surprising sweetness nor smell.

I know the taste of maple syrup and so I imagined the taste to be like that but I guess it’s different.

It’s amazing enough when you think about the natural sweetness extracted from a tree.

After I’m done having a taste of the sap, Bartolo takes out a jar and starts wrapping it with a rope from his basket.

It’s a method to make the sap dripping from the tube flow into the jar.

「You put a lot of stuff inside your basket, huh」

There are all sorts of stuff he took out, like a jar, rope, and tools.

「It’s a rare chance as we went to the mountain! Besides, I have you with me this time boy, so I can work without worrying too much about my luggage」

I have Space magic and am able to store things away so I don’t need to bring tools with me. But, that’s a secret so I substitute it with Psychic, but it looks like just doing this is convenient enough.

And I’m just making a barrel float next to me like this and I guess it’s amazing enough when one thinks about the efficiency.

After fastening the jar onto the tree, Bartolo repeated the same thing in three more places.

I also made a hole halfway but I ended up veering off from the sap tube.

Although I asked Bartolo to tell me the general location, it’s difficult to find it in one try.

「Yosh, we can collect them on our way back」

「Once you boil the sap, then I can cool it with Ice magic, and then we can make a syrup ice cream or something」

「Ooh, that sounds nice!」

Bartolo and I walked while discussing how to use maple syrup.

◆

The path we walk on is gently sloping, but it starts to become steeper when we reach the inner part of the mountain.

Right, the path has become a real slope this time.

Weeds are growing in abundance and it’s hard to climb with the poor footing of the slope.

However, maybe Bartolo has climbed this mountain many times and it is as though he is walking in his own garden seeing how easily he walks ahead.

「Boy, are you alright?」

「Un, the slope is a little harsh, but I’m just following the path Bartolo chose」

Climbing a mountain is surely tough, but it’s surprisingly easy thanks to following his lead and the easy-to-walk route Bartolo chose.

It may become quite a difficult journey if I were to climb this mountain alone and without knowing anything.

Which reminds me, even when I climbed the mountain with Eleonora-neesan, Ema-oneesama, and Sheila-san, Eleonora-neesan took the initiative to take the lead.

Now that I think about it, that might also be Eleonora-neesan’s act of kindness toward me.

As I was recollecting that event, Bartolo asks me a serious expression on his face.

「You’re also using magic at the same time, please tell honestly tell me if it’s becoming too tough for you, okay?」

「Un, I’m fine. I’m the type that will take a break before it becomes tough for me」

It will be too late if you rest after things started getting tough. So you have to take a break before your body screams since it is at its limit.

I overworked myself in my previous life due to failing to notice that, then I died because I couldn’t even avoid a truck.

I will have a break without hesitation when I feel tired.

「Hahahaha, you’re really that type of a person, boy. Then, we’re going to reach the waterside now hang on for a bit more, alright」

A said while laughing, then he start to slowly walk forward while treading the ground.

Ohh, we will be able to see the rive soon? In that case, I’ll just hold on for a bit longer.

After climbing the slope for some time, I suddenly heard the sound of water.

That cool-sounding sound seems like it’s inviting me to take a break.

And after increasing my walking pace and climbing the slope without stopping, all of a sudden the ground become a gentle slope, and there was a beautiful place of running water.

「Ooh, is this the spring water?」

「It’s not a spring, but it’s the water that flows from the spring water source」

What, so it’s not the spring? But, it’s so beautiful that you won’t mind that fact.

Approaching the river and peering in, the water is extremely clear I could see fish swimming in the water.

It’s as though the fish is swimming right in front of me and feels like tempting people to reach out with their hands and touch them due to the optical illusion-like scene it creates. And when I try to reach out with my hand, sure enough, they escaped.

Well, you can see them clearly but it doesn’t mean that they will stop moving.

「The water here is safe to drink, right?」

「It’s alright, but we almost reached the spring y’know」

Bartolo crosses his arms with a sour look on his face when I ask him that.

Kuhh, that’s true I guess. We’ve come all this way to look for the exquisite spring water after all.

「You’re right. If possible, drinking the spring water at the depths of the mountain will be the best, I will endure it」

Whether it was located at the deeper part of the mountain or before the depths, the taste won’t change that much but the sense of accomplishment you get will be different. Your feelings at the time will also largely affect the taste after all.

I should savor the water in the most delicious condition possible.

「Yeah, right now you have to endure it by eating fruits with a lot of moisture or something」

After I decide to do that, Bartolo nodded looking satisfied, and give me some small fruits

Just when did he gather these fruits anyway?

I wonder if it was when I was having trouble climbing the slope back there.

As I chew on the fruits I put into my mouth, it split open and the juice leaked out from the inside with a snap.

Ooh, the slight sourness and sweetness in the juice are just right. They spread inside my tired body.

It’s only one fruit so it’s not enough for me so I took several of them and put them into my mouth, and when I chew on them the fruit juice bursts inside my mouth.

It’s a nice substitute for supplying my body with water.

My legs are a bit tired so I sit on a rock as if to let them rest and I took off my shoes and socks, then I dip my foot into the water.

My feet which were exhausted and going numb from fatigue were wrapped by the cold water, which felt pleasantly cool.

「Aahhー, this feels good」

「Oh, I will also take a break then」

When I let out a voice of astonishment, Bartolo sit down on the rock opposite of me, and then he also dipped his feet into the water just like me.

「Ooohー, this is nice」

Bartolo has an ecstatic expression on his face.

It’s as though he just entered a bath.

「As expected from an ossan. What a unique voice」

「Aahー well, it’s not that unique compared to yours, boy. It was something unthinkable coming from a kid」

We enjoy the cold water while laughing at each other.

Seriously, at this rate, I feel like I want to just take off my clothes and swim, but still, it’s not that deep or wider to swim in it.

Besides, there’s still a bit of a distance to the spring water source, so I have to be patient.

I dip my feet into the water and look up at the sky.

There are only tall trees in my field of vision, but almost no sunlight shines on this place.

However being surrounded by nature, trees, and water, the atmosphere makes me feel very relaxed.

And as I close my eyes and shut out my vision, I only hear the sound of flowing water.

The sound of water is so comfortable despite being irregular.

「Oi, don’t you sleep on me, ya’ hear?」

I was feeling tired and just when I was thinking of leaving myself to the feeling and going to sleep like this, Bartolo shook my body.

「What are you saying now. As expected sleeping here is.....」

「And what are you saying now with such a sleepy voice? Come on, sit straight」

「Uwaa!?」

As I was feeling light and comfortable, a cold sensation suddenly attacked my face and my consciousness is forcibly awakened.

「Hehe, you got a fresher look now, don’t you」

As I wipe my eyes and opened them, I saw Bartolo grinning at me.

It looks like Bartolo splashed me with water.

I feel kinda irritated seeing Bartolo laughing foolishly like that so I scoop up some water and splash it on his face.

「Buhaa!......you’ve done it now boy!」

After immediately wiping his face, Bartolo fiercely smiles at me and kicked up the water toward me with all of his strength.

Due to his big leg, the amount of water spraying wets my whole body ……

「Hagbhagbhaaー, don’t say things like being sneaky and boorish, okay? Our body size is also a weapon, yeah? Get soaked with――naa!? You’re not soaked!?」

I’m not wet, I managed to completely protect myself with the non-attribute magic Shield.

Setting aside the fact that I let down my guard due to almost falling asleep, the battle had already started.

I’m already flawlessly protected.

「Ahahaha, it’s my turn next, right?」

I control the flowing water with Water magic while grinning at him.

An incomparable mass of water from when you use your hands and feet leisurely floats in midair.

「O, oi, we're just splashing water to each other, using magic is――」

「――the one who said ‘don’t say things like being sneaky and boorish’ was Bartolo, right? I mean, magic is also one of the greatest weapons, y’see」

「……err, but let me tell you something, boy. That is cowa――kubeegh!?」

I didn’t let Bartolo finish his words to the end as he was swallowed by the water.

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