Chapter 78: The Phantom Monster, Apparently
“Three hundred kilometers? Seriously?”
“Absolutely, Master.”
“And that’s… thanks to your Gift?”
“Y-Yes. Um, it’s a rather convenient ability that allows instant travel from one home garden to another, no matter how far apart they are…”
“Wait a minute—that’s basically full-on teleportation magic!”
“I couldn’t just leave it over there, so I brought it here.”
Anii, of course, had argued that I should just leave it be, insisting it was “serves them right.”
“‘Home garden’ hardly does it justice… but, well, I’ve never seen a Gift like this before,” I muttered to myself, glancing over the odd setup. “Still, sometimes Gifts come along that are just… baffling.”
“Baffling…?”
“Don’t worry, I actually grow vegetables and stuff properly,” I added defensively.
To make it easier to understand, I led her to the first garden. Here, mostly ordinary vegetables were growing, giving it the appearance of a normal, domestic garden.
“Huh… surprisingly normal,” she commented. “Based on what you’ve told me, I expected something way more outrageous.”
“But the taste is incredible! Want to try some?”
Just then, Milk and Pippi came bounding from the back of the garden.
“Meow!”
“Pee!”
“Whoa!? What the hell are those!? Aren’t they monsters!?”
Miranda shouted, startled by their sudden appearance.
“Oh, don’t worry! They’re our pets!” I reassured her.
“Pets!? That’s a Snow Panther! Those are extremely rare monsters that only live in the far north! How on earth is one here?”
“Meow?”
Wait… Snow Panthers only exist in the far north?
I froze, astonished by this new revelation about Milk. But just as I was processing that, Miranda’s next words far outstripped even that revelation.
“Wait… is that… a Kobochou chick!? That’s a legendary divine bird! How is it even here!?”
“Piii?”
A legendary divine bird…?
Apparently, Pippi was an utterly extraordinary creatur
“Kobochou…?” I repeated hesitantly.
“Yes. A legendary divine bird said to bring luck to those who see it. Despite its delicate appearance, it’s incredibly fast on its feet, and capturing one is nearly impossible. This one is still a chick… but why on earth is it here?”
Miranda’s gaze pierced me like a hawk circling prey.
“Uh, well… you see…”
“Don’t stammer! If you’re a man, speak clearly!”
“Eeek!”
Her intimidating presence left me completely overwhelmed. I understood instinctively: resisting her would be a very bad idea.
She wasn’t just some drunken troublemaker.
“…I… cultivated monster eggs,” I confessed in a voice barely above a whisper.
“Monster eggs… cultivated…?”
I then led Miranda to the second garden. At this point, I figured there was no point in holding anything back.
“What the hell is this!? There’s beef growing here!? And pork there!? Eggs and fish too!?”
“…Yes. Basically, I can cultivate things that a normal garden couldn’t. There’s also water, milk, and even alcohol…”
“Wait. Did you just say…?”
“Eek!? W-water, milk…”
“And then?”
“A-alcohol…?”
In an instant, Miranda moved with terrifying speed, grabbing my shoulders firmly.
“Wait—are you telling me you can actually brew alcohol?”
“Uh… y-yes…”
“And… it’s good?”
“I-I think so… I haven’t tasted it myself, but everyone who’s drunk it says they’ve never had anything like it…”
Then, without warning, Miranda dropped to her knees right there. She lowered her head, pressing her forehead toward the ground.
“Eh!?”
Flustered, I watched as she desperately pleaded.
“Please… let me taste that alcohol! No—please, let me drink it!”
“Uh, uh, please lift your head! I understand, okay?”
“Really!? Alcohol… hehehe… delicious alcohol…”
When I hastily nodded, she visibly relaxed, her face melting into sheer joy. The same person who had just intimidated me was now acting like a completely different individual.
…This person is far more dangerous than I thought.
“But didn’t you already drink last night? Are you okay?”
“Last night? I drink every morning, noon, and night, without fail.”
“That’s not a medicine…”
“Idiot, alcohol is like medicine to me.”
Still slightly worried, I returned to the first garden and retrieved some alcohol I had preserved with my harvest storage skill. Usually, it came in small wooden barrel-like containers.
“Sniff sniff… this smell, that’s beer!”
Even though it was still in the barrel, she could tell immediately. What kind of sense of smell is that?
“Pour it into this!”
From nowhere, she produced a sturdy ceramic beer mug.
“Woohoo! Alcohol, alcohol!”
As the beer poured into the mug, her excitement skyrocketed. Then, for reasons unknown, she began casting magic.
“Gold Air!”
A cool wind swirled around her—apparently a spell to chill things.
“Beer’s gotta be ice-cold to drink properly!”
With gleeful enthusiasm, she grabbed the mug and began drinking with abandon.
“Gulp gulp gulp gulp gulp—ahhh!”
So fast! She downed it all in one go!?
“This beer… is insanely good!”
Wiping foam from her lips with the back of her hand, she shouted in delight.
“What is this!? Fine, frothy bubbles! Perfect bitterness! And this refreshing aftertaste! I’ve never had anything like it! Another one!”
And just like that, Miranda continued drinking cup after cup.
…And all I could feel was a deep sense of impending doom.