Chapter 147: Dancing Cherry Blossoms

The scouting is done. But I must say, it was a really big haul this time!

As expected, even I'm not that much of a brute that I'd tell them to head to our base by themselves after recruiting them.

Now! With everyone! Back to the base!!

*

As the dwarven boy Sahad said that he'd like to collect clay and stones along the way, and as the pretty elf Plana mentioned that she wanted to gather ores if she was going to use ores for the magic tools I wanted, we headed to the base while stopping over in the mountains.

In order to artistically upgrade Plana's dancing confetti device, I first cut paper in the shape of petals.

"Whoaa! That alone makes it already very lovely!"

"Kukuku, it's only the beginning!"

Plana praised me with her beautiful face flushed, but I still hadn't achieved what I was aiming for.

"Wait a sec, your not plannin' to build some bug again, are you? As someone not used to seein' your bugs, Plana would cry, wouldn't she?"

Someone said such rude things, but Plana answered, "Ah, I grew up in the forest, so I've got no problem with bugs. I think Char and the Ryokus are very cute, you know?"

Hearing that, Sword dropped his shoulders in disappointment.

Aren't you the only one here who isn't good with bugs?

*

I continued with a dyeing of the petals. And after that was done, I built a foundation. I got Sahad to help me out with this. Or rather, disregarding Sword, the three of us gathered and kept making things all the time.

"It's done!!!"

"Whaa-! Amazing!"

"Lady Indra, you're incredible! Even a skilled dwarf wouldn't be able to make something like this!!"

When I was praised by the two fairies, Sword came closer as well.

"What did you fini.............. This is damn awesome!"

I made a cherry tree, looking like a mini-bonsai. I added petals to it and even created blossoms. I properly affixed delicate petals, which were pasted together lightly, and solidified the ground with soil before spreading petals on it.

"Now, it's tiiiime! Switch, on!"

A wind started to blow with a quiet howl, causing the petals to flutter. Petals also whirled up from the cherry tree.

————It was a sight just as it existed in my memories. The very image of spring, blossoming cherry trees, and cherry petals dancing through the air thanks to spring gusts.

"You...were also able to make something like this...huh...?" Looking at me, Sword swallowed his words.

Probably because I'm crying right now.

——Yep. This scenery, this sight moved me deeply.

It wasn't as though my current self had actually seen that scene. I just knew of it as a memory. And yet, it deeply moved me emotionally. The regret of being unable to enjoy this scenery in reality and the beauty of it had touched me so much that I cried.

*

......Before I knew it, I was being hugged by Sword.

".........I want to show...this to Amato. I'm sure he will cry just like me."

"I see. ...Is this a scenery out of your memory?"

I nodded.

"...It was a place where you would rarely find trees and forests as one huge house made out of stone and glass would line up next to another, but even so, this tree called ［Cherry］ was special. They would all blossom simultaneously once the warm season arrived. And their petals would scatter due to the strong winds characteristic of that season. Each year many people would admire those petals as a local attraction while drinking liquor and having parties under these trees, or taking walks in order to simply admire the beauty.

I don't know whether Mr. Amato was able to watch them every years since he was being worked like a slave, but he must have memories of it from the time before he started working.

...Spring's cherry blossoms, summer's fireworks, autumn's colors, and winter's snow. The country of my memories developed rapidly and foreigners said it was but a shadow of its former self, and yet, despite that, it was very pretty."

Sword caressed me gently.

"......This sight might exist somewhere in this world as well, no? Let's go take a look together. Since we might find it if we search, let's go look for it together, 'kay?"

"Oki. ...Let's look for it since I want you to see it as well. And because I'm going to brew liquor that fits for being drunk under this tree, we'll go back to the base, and I'll try to make it out of the grain Bennyboy procured for me."

"Thanks."

*

Yep, I want to show it Sword. And then we'll spread out a red carpet under one of those trees, and while admiring the falling cherry petals with the Ryokus, Sword will drink sake and I'll drink rose juice as well.

I'll make Inari-zushi and other sushi in a box. And I'll also make a multi-tiered food box.