-Is it about how the trail of smoke gathering into a cloud and is very far yet Lupa could still see it?-
[Yes, I have two ideas. A large campfire of a substantial platoon of soldiers... or the forest is burning.]
-That also counts out the idea of a road in this forest. So it should be a river that caused the trees not to grow in a linear order.-
[Is your body still itching for a fight?]
-N-no... next time I feel an impulse of curiosity to fight and endanger myself and those around me, I will slap my face until it subsides.-
[Then walking along the river path will be our destination until we walk around the fire. It's the safest route to take.]
-What about encountering another Adult Mudcrab?-
[Didn't Overheat become stronger and give more power? You also know their weakness as well, so don't worry. I'm sure you can end the fight in less than five minutes now.]
-Then I need to retrieve the horn and short sword to do that. An Adult Mudcrab is weak compared to the Nok Ape Demonic Beast.-
"Big sisters, is something wrong with big brother Vincent?" Tula asked. She felt concerned seeing Vincent with his hand on his chin while mumbling to himself all alone.
"Don't worry, Tula. Vincent is like that when he enters a deep thought. He is talking to Kazumi, and next time he moves, he will have our next plan." Ester said with a chuckle while lifting her hand and placing it on Tula's shoulder to ease her worry.
"Who is Kazumi?" Tula asked as she looked around to spot the mysterious Kazumi.
"Uhmm... let's say she's like a guardian angel living inside Vincent's body. You will stay with us for some time so you can ask him later." Ester quickly ended the subject by calling Kazumi a guardian angel and using Vincent's tactic. To deal with this in the future.
"Really!" Tula excitedly exclaimed. She wanted to ask, yet she wanted to listed to Ester's words and wait for Vincent to think alone.
Vincent and Kazumi finished with their planning. He approached, attracting their attention, and started explaining what he wanted to do next.
"Ok, listen up. We will stay here for a few days to gather as many bananas as we possibly can. Storage isn't an issue."
"We will form two teams. Ester and I will bury the soldiers, while Tula and Lupa will collect the bananas. Are you fine with that, Tula?"
Tula gazed at Lupa. Their eyes met, and soon a smile raised on the excited wolf girl's face. Her stomach was excited to collect and eat the tempting bananas where no eyes could see her, hidden from sight by the branches.
"I will try because I'm a good girl. " Tula replied after witnessing an infectious cheerful smile.
"I'm a good girl too, hehe. " Lupa added with a chuckle.
"Good, good. This is what you will need to do. Lupa, you will carefully drop the bananas one by one to Tula on the pelt." Vincent said to Lupa. Then he turned his gaze to Tula while continuing, "Tula will catch the dropped bananas with the pelt, then place the fruit in the cart on every interval."
Lupa understood, but Tula stared at him with a puzzled frown. Vincent forgot Tula had infantile amnesia. That she needed to be shown what to do and that she couldn't determine her full adult strength.
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"Ahhh... I understand. Then this big brother will show you how to catch the fruit, ok?" Vincent said as if talking to a child. He picked up two pelts and continued, "Hold this while Lupa climbs the tree."
Lupa understood his intention. She hurriedly climbed the tree, causing Vincent to worry about her safety. She appeared as if wings supporting her climb while excitedly climbed the tree to eat bananas.
"We're not in a hurry, so take care. I don't want you to get hurt." Vincent said with worry.
Lupa was going to be in a high place. A mistake could cost her life. Paying attention and resting when needed, were the keys to safety.
"Okey. " Lupa shouted. She could hear his words without the need to shout because of her enhanced hearing, but Vincent, Ester, and Tula had normal hearing, forcing Lupa the need to shout to communicate.
"You can whistle when starting to drop bananas and taking a break. That will be the signal for Tula to prepare." Vincent added.
*Whistle
Shortly a banana accurately fell on the pelt in Vincent's hands.
*Whistle
"Is that what you wanted?" Lupa shouted.
"Yes, now drop one to Tula. " Vincent said. He went beside Tula and noticed she was holding the pelt with a firm grip.
*Whistle
Shortly a banana accurately fell on the pelt in Tula's hands.
*Whistle
"Yey, I did it! I caught the yellow fruit!" Tula excitedly exclaimed.
Vincent held the two bananas in his hand and decided to use Inspection on them.
[Name] Ani Banana
[Condition] Fresh
[Effect]
*Earth element nutrition
*Helps animals grow larger and age faster
"Hmm... This banana is called an Ani Banana. It helps animals grow, and Ester, it's also as you said. This fruit is of the Earth element." Vincent informed.
Its effect seems great at first, but it has now shown how it was the cause for turning the Noc Ape into a Demonic Beast, as Ester previously presumed.
"Ani Banana... I think I read it in a book my father once had. I believe it's a scarce wild fruit similar to the Sage Apple. The Golden Acorn is much rarer, though." Ester remembered reading a book containing information of much sought and scarce wild fruits.
However, soon a gloomy frown appeared on her face while uttering in a sad tone, "A single Golden Acorn probably costs more than a mansion... I feel bad to have eaten it."
"Your life is more important to me than money. " Vincent placed his hand on her shoulder and gently pressed it to display no worrying of the past was needed. He would do it again in a heartbeat.
Ester turned her gaze at the tree and tried not to show her lightly blushing cheeks. The words recently uttered caused her heart to flutter with joy.
"T-the book said how many refer to these kinds of trees as demonic trees. Some magical fruit trees like this one and probably the Sage Apple one could become this huge after absorbing a lot of blood along with mana for nutrition."
"Demonic trees would produce fruits that attract animals to fight for its fruit and grow on their blood. However, the book mentioned how unknown mysterious factors cause a normal tree into a demonic tree."
"This tree might have been here for many decades and feasted on too much blood to reach this size. The book said how a tree such as this becomes known as an elder demonic tree. It absorbs the nutrition of other trees and the spilled blood from attracting animals to fight."
Ester felt a bit strange as she explained this in great detail. Vincent and Tula stared at her, surprised by much she knew.
Vincent turned his head and decided to use Inspection on the tree.
[Name] Elder Demonic Ani Banana Tree
[Condition] Fresh, Undamaged
[Description]
A demonic elder tree that seeks to absorb any form of nutrition, both blood and mana particles. It uses its roots to expand the absorption reach when the mana particles become scarce, increasing its produced fruit fragrance.
[Effect]
*Allows any connected fruit to emit a sweet alluring aroma
*Blood Growth
[It not dangerous or poisonous, but this tree attracts animals and slowly deforests its surroundings. We were lucky the Sage Apple tree wasn't a demonic tree as well. We didn't have Kass to help, nor you had Overheat at that time.]
-I feel that we should cut this dangerous tree down... -
[I feel the same way, but with what can we chop such a vast and thick tree trunk? Burning the tree without burning the forest is impossible too.]
*Growl
Vincent's stomach suddenly growled from hunger to eat something interrupting the current mood. Only Ester and Tula ate a fish each in the morning.
"I'm going to try them." Vincent quickly peeled both bananas and wolfed them down like a hungry beast. Not only he felt famished as the recent events caused him to neglect his empty belly, but the Ani Banana tasted delicious. Too delicious to stop eating.
"So good. These taste better than Earth's banana and fifty percent bigger. It's covered with the right amount of sugary sweetness that makes you want another bite. No wonder this tree caused the Ape to remain here, even after losing its reason." Vincent said with a cheerful face.
Vincent enjoyed the delicious taste. Not only it tasted fresh and sweet, but it also left a pleasantly sweet aftertaste. He would think it was human-made with added ingredients if he didn't directly unpeel the Ani Banana himself.
Lupa caught the sound of Vincent merrily munching the two fruits. She couldn't resist the urge any longer and plucked one. Shortly, her cheerful face and exited apatite caused her to pluck a few more and wolf them down.
"Isn't Earth the ground or soil?" Tula inquisitively asked.
"Ahem... I come from a distant island called Earth. I lived in a town where many people loved to eat fruits." Vincent quickly responded to stop this subject from going any further.
[That was a close call. We don't know what would happen if Tula finds out you are from a different world or if she becomes your retainer.]
"Big brother Vincent, I want one too. " Tula asked. She became curious about the taste of the Ani Banana that made Vincent so excited after eating it.
"Hey Lupa, drop four more on Tula's pelt. " Vincent ordered. He wanted to see if he could leave this job to her while he dug graves and looted the Demonic Beast.
*Whistle
*Thud
*Whistle
Tula caught four Ani Bananas with ease thanks to the pinpoint accuracy of the drop. As if a master sniper sat on a brach, high above their heads.
"Take two each. " Vincent wanted to witness their reactions. He wanted to know if the Ani Banana had a superior taste or if the fruits of this world are mostly different than Earth's.
"It's quite sweet and good. I never thought a banana could taste this good." Ester reviewed with a delighted smile on her face.
"Wow, this is really really delicious big brother! " Tula reviewed with a bright smile and a pair of cute dimples showing.
[At least common fruits should be similar to Earth, or at least taste the same. I hope they will not have different names like in many games or stories you played and read.]