A sidegrade neither I nor even Heavenly Demon and Sword Masta had seen coming. It wasn't bad, but it had evolved in such a strange direction that I wasn't sure what to make of it.

'Would condensing it make things a little better?'

In the end, I had no choice but to change my approach to training: compress the aura before trying to reach the aura blade stage. I'd keep forcing it into a smaller shape until I got the hang of it, then give it cutting power.

When I asked the forum, everyone said even that process would be difficult. As had been mentioned time and again, aura blade and beyond were a matter of talent. There was nothing to be done about that.

'It won't explode, will it?'

Even condensing it wouldn't put my mind at ease. This was something even Sword Masta had never seen before. What sort of aura would my future self be manifesting? Would I swing an aura that towered into the sky, or wield an ordinary(?) aura blade?

'...Getting strong in a dumb-as-sht way isn't so bad.' *

Stronger was still stronger. I wasn't in a position to be picky. Besides, I intended to keep consuming inner cores. Smart Demonic Cultist's storage container didn't stop them from shrinking altogether. All I could do was keep training. I had to get stronger somehow.

"Kyuuu..."

"Roundfur. You're up?"

Some time later, Roundfur tottered out of the cave. Those sleepy eyes were adorable. The speed-sloth was riding on his back, wearing the same expression as always.

After that, we enjoyed breakfast. There had been three fish in the trap. I'd planned to train after eating, but took care of something else first: messaging the dwarf. I asked him why Mithricon, the mithril-orichalcum alloy, glowed.

It looked beautiful with mana running through it, but before that it was a dull silver. I could have simply accepted a good thing, but this was an entirely new material. It needed to be handled with care.

So, figured out why it glows?

Passing Dwarf

How would I know after one day?

Research doesn't happen overnight, you know;;

It's not dangerous, right?

Passing Dwarf

Haven't found anything particularly dangerous.

The problem is that it's too good.

Nothing dangerous, but too good for its own good. That was the dwarf's conclusion. After some thought, I asked for his opinion on something else, related to his earlier advice.

You told me to be careful about giving out Mithricon, right?

Passing Dwarf

Yep. The world will go nuts the moment it hears about this alloy.

Then what if I just make it common?

Hand it out left and right.

Passing Dwarf

Wow. You bastard, you know how to start a war.

You said you were a soldier. You're one fucking scary guy.

I'm kidding.

Seriously.

I'd only been joking, but the dwarf seemed to have taken me seriously. That was just how valuable and powerful this alloy was, I supposed. I barely managed to clear up the misunderstanding before getting to what I really wanted to say.

There's someone besides you I'd like to give some alloy to.

Know Allfather?

Passing Dwarf

Oh. Yeah, I know that mage.

Some registered user says the Undying King is locked in his fridge.

I have a pretty good idea who said that.

Anyway, I want to give Allfather some alloy and ask him to study it. Sound good?

Passing Dwarf

Yeah, not a bad idea. Hurry up and give it to him.

So I can have a drink.

You really couldn't be fucked to research it, huh?

Passing Dwarf

I love booze more than minerals lol

Sigh;;

At this rate, he really would die of liver cancer. Anyway, I had his opinion. It wasn't just Allfather; I wanted to give the other registered users some alloy as gifts too.

'Would giving Slutty Princess a glow stick made of this... be weird?'

Even I thought it was a shitty idea. But who could resist a glow stick? For now, I'd give Allfather some alloy for research.

Allfather

Ooh. A mithril-orichalcum alloy?

This time you didn't discover something. You actually made it...!

Yes.

I gave some to another registered user, but he seems busy drinking.

Could you check it for potential hazards and such?

Allfather

Of course.

Is there anything you would like in return?

Nothing in particular.

I'm giving it to you for research purposes, after all.

Allfather

Thank you.

My, my. I'm getting hard rather often these days.

Would you like a mature mandrake?;;

Allfather

No need.

I'm still quite vigorous.

Oh.

Also, preferably don't put up a proof post.

It's so distinctive that posting it could easily identify you in real life.

Allfather

I'll bear that in mind.

I gave Allfather some alloy too. In ingot form, of course. As for Slutty Princess's glow stick... I left that alone. The idea seemed absurd no matter how I looked at it, so I put it on hold. If possible, I'd just make tools for myself. That would be enough.

'Time for an inner core.'

Afterward, I consumed an inner core while training. As I'd said before, it was best to eat them as soon as possible. I'd worried that I might fall asleep as though passing out again, like yesterday, but that turned out to be needless. I ate the core, recited the formula, and that was it. Nothing special happened.

'Apart from feeling energized, everything seems the same.'

Had my body already adapted to the inner cores? I hoped so. Morning training passed, and lunchtime soon approached. As I headed up to the river to catch fish, yesterday's dream suddenly came to mind.

'Come to think of it, there was a huge tree yesterday, wasn't there?'

Not a dream, but an out-of-body experience, as Necromancy Is Love had said. If that was really what had happened, the enormous tree I'd seen probably existed too. But it was much too far away for a quick trip. Reaching it would take at least six hours of nonstop walking. Given how the Forest of Four Seasons wrecked your sense of direction, it could take even longer.

'And considering I was floating in the sky... I might need to allow more than a day.'

I thought it over as I retrieved the fish from the trap. If that was the case, it was far too dangerous. The reality was that even my shelter wasn't safe. Besides, I could end up running into monsters like the gorilla chief.

It would be better to at least master aura blade before setting out to explore. I didn't know how long that would take, but safety came first. I'd already decided to stay here for a long time anyway. There was no need to rush.

'I just have to keep my curiosity in check.'

Curiosity killed the cat, and in this forest, indulging it meant putting your life on the line. I hadn't even secured my own shelter yet. The gorilla troop was unlikely to invade again, but who knew when they might change their minds?

"..."

Maybe it was because I'd been thinking about that tree. As soon as I returned to the shelter, I looked toward the corner. The sapling Let's Grow Trees had given me was doing well.

'A little too well, which is the problem.'

It had barely reached my knees at first, but now it was chest-high. That much growth in less than a week. How big would it get after a month?

Wondering whether this was normal, I posted on the forum instead of sending a private message. Unlike the other registered users, we weren't particularly close. It felt a little awkward.

Let's Grow Trees, Could You Take a Look at This?

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the thriving sapling)

It's only been a few days, but it's already this big. Is that normal?

└Heavenly Demon It's growing well. I would like to grow one myself.

└Don't accept saplings from those pointy-ears. They're seriously bad news.

└Wild Grylls Why are they bad?

└Alvenheim is a mana-rich country to begin with. Plants growing near the World Tree are especially rich in it.

└Because of that, they suck way too many nutrients out of the soil. To the point that planting a tree causes desertification.

└Grow Big and Tall An elf came and planted a tree in our village too. Ruined the entire harvest that year. First time I ever saw my dad cry.

└Let's Grow Trees Hmm! It's growing far better than I expected! Normally that takes half a year!

└Wild Grylls I see. But is what they're saying above true?

└Let's Grow Trees You could say it's true. It was something we hadn't anticipated either. That's why we're focusing on planting in mana-rich areas!

└You fucking knife-ear. Just stop planting them, for fuck's sake.

└You pointy-ears are destroying nature;;

└Seriously, can't something be done about these bastards? What's the government doing?

└They're issuing statements already, but the elf queen is ignoring every last one. That's why people are talking about war.

└Let's Grow Trees As I keep telling you, Alvenheim doesn't want war! We simply want to plant trees around the world!

└That's asking for war, you crazy bastard;;

└If I punch you in the face and leave a bruise, can I say I just did your makeup for you?

└Let's Grow Trees That's violence!

└That's what you're doing;;

└These guys just lol. They've lost it ever since the queen took the throne.

└What was it? Alvenheim is the greatest nation in the world, and the elves at its heart are the center of the world?

└Yep. Apparently the elves all got high on national pride after the queen said that in her speech lmao

└Honestly, she delivered one hell of a speech lol

I couldn't tell whether this was trolling or sincere. From the sound of it, the sapling was a kind of invasive species... but seeing it thrive, that didn't really hit home.

'Could it be because there's so much mana in the soil?'

I touched the soil with my hand. It looked ordinary enough, but it would hold the dense mana unique to the Forest of Four Seasons. That made me curious. What would happen if I planted crops in this soil?

'Even a sapling grows in no time. Would ordinary crops grow even faster?'

Most trees grew slowly. You generally had to measure their growth in years. But looking at this sapling, its growth rate was clearly abnormal.

'I hadn't planned on farming...'

Seeing how fast the sapling was growing, it might be worth considering. I'd have to choose a site first, though, rather than scattering seeds at random. Space was already getting tight. Finding room for farmland too would complicate things.

'So that's why people in the old days cut down trees to farm?'

I nodded, newly appreciating their reasoning. Find some land to farm, or send the soil outside the forest. I could choose either option. Conveniently, a registered user who seemed to be a farmer had just left a comment. With that in mind, I planned to post a question and strike up a conversation naturally, but...

Breaking: Holy Kingdom of Eldorado Rushes Paladins to the Forest of Four Seasons LMAO [34]

Something I couldn't simply scroll past caught my eye. It might have been mere clickbait, except the comments were pouring in despite how recently it had been posted.

'Isn't this country getting hammered by public opinion right now?'

I couldn't understand it. Making a bad move in their current situation was a terrible idea. After a brief moment of bewilderment, I opened the post.

Breaking: Holy Kingdom of Eldorado Rushes Paladins to the Forest of Four Seasons LMAO

The actual "pope" gave the order himself. Says he'll bring down God's hammer on the one wagging his wicked tongue lmao

So apparently the paladins have formed an investigation team and are heading to the Forest of Four Seasons right now lmao

└For real? Looks like they're shooting themselves in the foot.

└Maybe they're taking a hard line because they feel wronged?

└Nah, it's a distraction. Kadir even released a statement the other day. They heard it, realized they were fucked, and now they're stalling.

└Where do they get the confidence to send paladins into the Forest of Four Seasons?

└Apparently the pope says if Grylls can even use the forum in there, they should be able to as well. That's why he's sending them.

└What a lunatic;; But it's not actually going to work, is it?

└If they can use the forum, has Grylls been suffering for nothing all this time? lol

Who was it who said the young suffer for the old? I'd thought that was a problem limited to my own world. Nope. It was all the same.

'... Will they really be able to use the forum?'

But to me, this was something close to "hope." It didn't change the fact that this pope fellow had done something wrong, but regardless, he'd sent people here.

'I hope they at least make it to where I am.'

People really were selfish creatures.