Sōzoku Shita Sofu no Ie no Urayama ni Danjon ga Dekimashita - Chapter 151

Chapter: The Dryad, Yomogi

Thanks to Bach’s transfer gate, we returned in an instant to the Sky Castle on the first basement floor of the dungeon.

It really was convenient—moving between places so effortlessly.

Misuzu and I decided to take a short break and made our way to the dining hall.

As we sat down, Bach quietly began preparing tea.

A polite knock came at the door, and Aria, one of the castle maids, stepped inside.

Trailing behind her was a small girl.

It was Yomogi—the dryad I had contracted with.

She wore sandals and a sunflower-patterned dress, her green hair swaying as she walked.

It looked like Aria had chosen the outfit for her.

“Yomogi, that looks wonderful on you!” I said with a smile.

Yomogi’s face lit up with delight.

“Aria, thank you,” I added.

Aria bowed gracefully. “We went to a boutique through the transfer gate and selected a few outfits for her.”

“Yomogi-chan! You’re absolutely adorable!” Misuzu chimed in, eyes sparkling.

“T–Thank you very much…”

“Oh! Yomogi, you can talk now?”

Her speech was still halting, but she managed words nonetheless.

Aria stepped forward. “Master Takaya, may I look after Yomogi for a while?”

That would be a huge help.

I lived alone, after all. When I went to school, Yomogi would have no one to keep her company.

And unlike the other spirits, she could be seen by ordinary people, so bringing her to school wasn’t an option either.

“I’d appreciate that, Aria. Please take care of her.”

“Leave it to me, sir. I’ll raise her into a fine maid yet!” she declared with enthusiasm.

Apparently, in Aria’s mind, Yomogi’s future occupation had already been decided.

Well, if Aria was handling things, I had nothing to worry about.

“Then, I’ll bring some tea cakes,” Aria said, leading Yomogi out of the room.

Bach poured tea into our cups, and a few minutes later, the two returned.

Yomogi was now wearing an apron.

“Yomogi-chan! That’s so cute!” Misuzu gushed.

Yomogi blushed shyly.

On the tray she carried sat a neat stack of pancakes.

Aria served Misuzu first, while Yomogi carefully placed a plate before me and drizzled it generously with honey.

Come to think of it, hadn’t we picked up some honey as dungeon loot the other day?
Maybe this was it.

We enjoyed our tea together, savoring the pancakes.

Mmm—soft, fluffy, and delicious.

As I ate, a question crossed my mind.

“What does Yomogi eat, anyway?”

Spirits absorbed ambient mana, so they didn’t need to eat. But Yomogi…?

Bach set down his cup and answered, “Within the dungeon, she draws energy from the surrounding mana, just like the other spirits. So, food is unnecessary.”

“However, on the surface world where mana is thinner, she must supplement that energy.”

“In what way?” I asked.

“She absorbs nutrients through her feet when in contact with the ground,” he explained. “And by exposing her green hair to sunlight, she can generate her own magical power.”

“I see… like photosynthesis,” I murmured.

A perfect blend of spirit and plant.

Bach added that Yomogi also possessed basic self-defense abilities, so I didn’t need to worry too much.

Aria would take her later to the guild branch to register her as a magical beast under my care.

As for the report on our recent expedition, Bach said he would handle that for me as well.

Aria had returned early with Yomogi, so she hadn’t been able to open a transfer gate to that stalactite cavern we’d explored.

Come to think of it, with Bach and the others handling everything lately, I hadn’t seen the branch manager in quite some time.

I smiled to myself at the thought.

And with that, Misuzu and I used the transfer gate to return home.

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