chapter 53

「Please make sure no one gets injured today as well . Also, to those who raised their hands earlier, please stay behind for a bit because I’ll be teaching you the way to make the fire signal」

「Maou-sama~ . Can we tell you something~?」

「Nn? What is it?」

I crouched to look them in the eye as I listened .

「We have decided on the doggies’ names」

「Ohー, that’s great . You made sure to properly discuss it with everyone right?」

「Yup! The grown-ups told us that the two doggies were girls so we’re going to give them names for girls」

「How clever of you~ . So, what name are you going to give them?」

「Tanya and Sonia desu」

Russian names, huh . Moreover, aren’t those two names incredibly popular?1 What? Should I make Yakisoba bread? Should I also make a red suzuran-shaped goblet? I wonder if I should change Wulf’s name to something Russian . 2

「Those are lovely names, aren’t they?」

「Un!」

「Then, so that everyone will get along, you should introduce them to the adult humans later okay?」

「Yes~ . We’re going to go and play today as well okay~?」

「Just be careful Tanya, Sonya, I’ll leave the kids to you」

「Waon!」「Wafun」

Together with that cry, they started running around the vicinity of the bay together with the kids .

「Well then, Wulf, I guess you’re coming with me」

After I said that, he stood from a sitting position and followed me . He’s incredibly clever, isn’t he?

「The signal that I’m talking about is simple . If you burn the leaves of live trees, white smoke comes out . In order to make it burn efficiently, you should first create a base by using three long branches and forming it into a small tent . Next, you create a platform by the center using smaller branches then you stack up wood and leaves on it with the dried ones at the bottom and the ones from live trees up top . You can just wrap larger leaves around it to protect it from the rain . After setting the dried leaves at the bottom on fire, since they’re that close to the source, the strong heat will naturally set the live leaves on top on fire . I will demonstrate it to your right now so please try to remember the process」3

After saying that, I began collecting some driftwood and palm leaves lying around on the beach as well as some branches with leaves from shrubs growing near the coast in order to make the fire signal . Once I was done, I produced a small 【Fire】 on my fingertip then lit it up . The fire gradually spread and caused a cloud of thick white smoke to come out from the top .

「Please increase the number of live leaves if you aren’t getting enough smoke . Don’t add any more dried leaves since it would end up being just a regular fire instead of a signal fire」

「Understood」

「I’m sure you’re going to have a lot of free time from now on so you’ll have to fight against boredom but please stay vigilant . Well then, I’ll leave it to you guys to look out for the cargo ship」

With that finished, I returned to my exploration .

Today, instead of going back to the Demon Lord’s castle site, I decided to explore the coastline . As we walked along the coastline, I tried talking with Wulf .

「Hey Wulf, do you want a similar sounding name to Tanya and Sonya?」

「Ku~n」

「Is Wulf better?」

「Waon!」

「I see, I see . Then, I’ll continue calling you Wulfー」

As I said that, he started rubbing his body against my leg so I patted his head . He’s really cute, isn’t he?

After walking for a while, I discovered an unknown variety of palm trees that have fruits . I just found nature’s sports drink .

I can come here to pick some if someone catches a cold I guess . I can even try making sugar by boiling the sap or use the leaves to make a Ryuuka-style saltpan prototype . 4

Two hours after discovering the palm trees, I decided to take a break and started staring at the horizon from the water’s edge where nothing that’s particularly interesting was happening .

「Hmmー, it doesn’t seem like any large sized ship will be able to dock here . If we’re going to build a harbor, we can only do it by the concave bay area I guess……」

While I was murmuring that to myself, I found a palm tree with plenty of fruits growing on it so I decided to grab one . I used a nata to cut the top, drink half of its contents then gave the rest to Wulf as I nibbled on an unripe banana that I got from a tree that was also growing in that area . 5

There doesn’t seem to be anything that can be used to float around here . Well, I guess I did find somewhere to harvest coconut milk and coconut oil from but those are different kinds of materials . I wonder if I would find some if I continue searching…

While I was thinking about that, I felt like I heard someone calling me out from a distance . I tried looking around but I couldn’t find anyone .

「Oiー!」

It doesn’t seem like I was just imagining it . I noticed that a certain tree at a distance that was shaking unnaturally . Well, it was actually waving at me . Because of that, I decided to jog towards that tree to have a look .

「Heyyoー . Nice to meet you . It sure has been a while since the last time I’ve talked」

Once I got there, a s.e.xy daikon6…… I mean, a s.e.xy tree started talking to me . There was a cloth that’s covering her waist area but that just makes her look even lewder .

「Ahー, nice to meet you . I see that you speak the continent’s common language」

「Of course, I have family in the areas that use that language after all . Plus, it’s a language you can use to communicate with humans and demonkin you know?」

It seems like I’ve come across a slightly pretentious tree .

「Ah, sorry for not introducing myself . I’m Palma」

「I’m called Caam」

「You…… You’re a new Demon Lord that was sent here right?」

「Well…… I guess」

「What a relief~ . It seems like this time’s Demon Lord is nice . The last one was terrible so I didn’t talk to him at all」

「Haa……」

「You were even nice to the humans so I thought that it would be fine to talk if it was with you」

「Haa…… Uhm, what is it exactly that you want to say?」

「It looked interesting so let me join your group as well」

「I don’t mean to be blunt but how exactly will you do that? It doesn’t look like you can move from there at all」

「Hmmー, I want you to to take the fruit that’s coming out of that tiny sprout over there and plant it somewhere close to Caam-kun . If you do that, I’ll be able to give you all kinds of advice regarding the soil and trees」

「You mean this?」

While saying that, I pointed at the 20 cm tall sprout that’s lifting up a coconut .

「That’s right . Try walking away for a bitー」

I heard a bossy reply coming from the sprout .

「This is what I meant when I said family . So? What do you think? Amazing, right?」

「Well, I’ve already met with another dryad called Birke back in my village . She was teaching magic there though」

「You know Birke? That makes things easier . You can find that girl in different places even though she can’t move right?」

「Yeah . She would pop out of a potted plant in random places and just start talking all of a sudden」

「It’s the same for me . However, in my case, I use this fruit and that tree . I have the entire island covered you know? As for Birke, she needs to cut a part of her branches then plant it somewhere in order to move around」

It’s the first time I’ve heard of that . Does that mean she increases her numbers through cutting?

「If one has a lot of mana, it’s possible to do parallel thought processing so you’ll be able to move in two places at the same time . Look」

After saying that, I looked at the s.e.xy tree back in the distance who then shouted, 「Oi~!」

「See?」

「……yes」

「That’s why you should let me join in on your group . Pretty please~」7

「It won’t have any effect if you say that while you’re in that body」

「Then go back to my main body and I’m sure you’ll get enticed!」

「No thanks . I already have wives and children」

While we were having that exchange, I was walking back with her fruit body in hand when she suddenly asked me to stop .

「What is it?」

「You can see that conspicuous red flower that’s inside the forest from here, right?」

Is she talking about that one that looks like a hibiscus plant?

「Ahー, yes . I see it」

「You see, that one is an Alraune」

「Haa…… So is that your friend?」

「That’s right . That’s why I want to go over there so I can talk to her」

「Yeah yeah」

With that said, we took a slight detour through the forest and when we reached the flower, a girls upper body appeared from the center of the petals and started talking .

「Well well, if it isn’t Palma . What are you doing with this guy over here?」

「He’s the new Demon Lord who came to this island . 」

「Oh my, they sent out a normal one this time, didn’t they?」

「……h.e.l.lo」

「You see, I’m currently under this child’s care」

「Why? It doesn’t seem like it would lead to anything worthwhile」

「He’s a nice Demonkin you know? I can tell since I’ve been observing him from a distance . Does Fleur want to come too?」

「Hmmー」

While she was thinking, Wulf approached her, sniffed around and started marking her .

「Kya~! What are you doing you wolf! Get away from meー!」8

Ahー, I guess I’m the only one who thinks they’re dogs……

「Uhm, are you coming with us?」

「Take responsibility!」

「Ahー, yes . I apologize for what Wulf has done . What should I do here?」

「Let’s see…… This child is still young so dig the surrounding soil while making sure the roots don’t get damaged then quickly move her somewhere with well-draining soil . I’ll just warn you ahead of time that this child may start to weaken after you take her out so just make sure you treat her gently okay?」

「Okay」

With that, the number of plants I have to carry has increased by two . One is a spirit and the other a Demonkin .