Chapter 333: (Cursed Child) In the Small Flower Garden

* * *

The afternoon of a beautiful day, the day before the 'Dawn Day'.

I stepped out of the back door of Numbri Fresh Flower Shop and came to Grandma's small flower garden.

......It's a truly small flower garden surrounded by building walls on all four sides.

The sunlight doesn't reach that well either.

But, various kinds of plants are planted here, and for some reason, even though it's autumn, colorful flowers are blooming in profusion.

Roses, pansies, crocuses, sunflowers, morning glories......

Flowers even I know the name of... Of course, this is a different world, so they could be different species that only resemble those of Earth...... But those flowers, basking in the little sunlight that reaches them, are shining brightly and releasing a strong fragrance.

Somehow, it feels like there's no sense of season for the blooming flowers...... but this is a different world, yeah.

I'm trying not to mind it.

Now, I came here to help Grandma Numbri.

The things I do to help are watering and catching bugs.

Weeding is something I was forbidden to do by Grandma after trying it once, apparently because I pulled out flowers that shouldn't be pulled out.

......You see, there were these small, blue flowers growing in clusters, not just in this flower garden but even on the roadside.

I was pulling them out, and I got scolded.

When I asked if they weren't weeds, she said, "They're weeds, but don't pull them out."

<Ah, there it is, Emi...... It's a Jumping Caterpillar.>

Now, while bending over and flipping through the leaves to check the back, Extra-sama said that.

I quickly confirmed the location of the target too.

Quietly enjoying its meal on the back of a leaf was a plump caterpillar.

It's about the size of my pinky finger.

This caterpillar, which appears from somewhere, is a glutton and the natural enemy of farmers who appears regardless of the season.

Its damage is so severe that it has been designated as a monster.

Naturally, it's also an enemy for flower shops.

The Jumping Caterpillar, sensing the vibration and the change in light from the leaf being flipped, seemed to instinctively understand that it was caught by an enemy.

It curled its plump body to its limit, and then...... with all its might...... it jumped!

Yes, this caterpillar!

Living up to its name, it boasts mobility befitting of a caterpillar and tries to escape from enemies by jumping!

Its force is so great that it can even knock down small animals like birds by colliding with them at high speed.

And apparently, it eats the animals it knocks down.

This caterpillar is actually...... omnivorous.

It's pretty scary.

Furthermore, although I don't know the principle, it can also jump in the air dozens of times.

So, once it starts jumping, it's incredibly difficult to catch.

That's why it seems the usual way to exterminate it is to spray insecticide before it starts jumping and kill it......

Well, no matter how fast it is, it's still just a caterpillar.

Its speed is nothing that can escape my physical abilities and dynamic vision.

Pin g ! Pin g ! Pin g !

The Jumping Caterpillar repeatedly jumped in the air, trying to escape from me, but you picked the wrong opponent.

I quickly moved my right hand and caught it.

Pin g ! Pin g ! Pin g !

The Jumping Caterpillar struggles in my right hand, but unfortunately, this is the end for you.

"............"

I quietly gaze at my right hand and activate [Ignition].

I directly burn the Jumping Caterpillar in my hand and kill it.

Then I pop the nicely browned caterpillar into my mouth and enjoy the soft texture and the intensely sweet flavor.

This is my style of exterminating Jumping Caterpillars.

It's the whole flow.

<Isn't this just snack time?>

It's extermination.

I won't deny that it's among the top-class tasty caterpillars I've eaten so far, but it's extermination.

Grandma Numbri is also happy, you know.

After that, I enjoyed hunting Jumping Caterpillars for a while.

<You're enjoying it, aren't you? It's just snack time, right?>

It's extermination.

* * *

"Good work, Emi."

"............"

Now, as I was enjoying snacks for a while, Grandma Numbri came to the flower garden, creaking the old back door.

"Oof......"

Grandma sat down on the bench placed at the edge of the flower garden, looking exhausted, and then leaned her body against the backrest.

She's gazing at the flower garden with a smile.

But......

But, no matter how you look at it, her body looks painful.

"............ Are you okay?"

I stopped hunting Jumping Caterpillars, walked up to Grandma, and asked that.

"Ah, I'm fine. I'm a bit tired, but...... I'm old, you know. It can't be helped. Don't worry."

Grandma just says "Don't worry."

And she continues to stare at the flower garden with a smile.

"............ I see."

I just said that and sat down next to Grandma.

And we quietly gazed at the flower garden together.

The flower garden surrounded by walls on all sides has almost no wind blowing.

The noise from the street doesn't reach either, so it's quiet.

A peaceful time flows.

"............ Hey."

"What is it?"

A little while later.

I finally opened my mouth.

"Thank you, Grandma."

"Hahaha, what's this all of a sudden, Emi?"

"Thank you for the food and bed...... I haven't said it properly yet."

"Hahaha...... It's fine, don't worry about such things...... I still have savings from my younger days...... and no one to inherit them anyway."

Saying that, Grandma exhaled slowly and deeply.

"............"

And again, silence.

I silently gazed at Grandma's profile.

Her peaceful smile.

But her eyes look sad.

Her deep wrinkles.

Her bad complexion.

Furthermore, I focused my consciousness on [Magic Perception] and stared intently.

"............"

The mana leaking from Grandma was feebler than usual.

"Hey, Grandma. Is there anything you want me to do?"

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"I'll repay you. Just tell me anything."

"Repay, you say? Hahaha...... that's right......"

Grandma made a mischievous face for a moment, then pondered.

And after a while, she opened her mouth.

"Tomorrow is...... the 'Dawn Day'. So...... flowers."

She spoke up to that point.

Just at that moment.

"Cough."

Grandma coughed.

She instinctively covered her mouth with both hands.

"Cough, cough......"

She kept coughing violently and repeatedly.

Red liquid seeped from between the gaps of her hands covering her mouth.

"Ugh, guh......"

And just like that, Grandma lost consciousness and fell forward.

"Grandma!"

I embraced her, checking her condition.

Her pulse is there.

She's still breathing.

But this is......

This is really bad.

<......For now, let's carry her to bed.>

Without even responding to Extra-sama's advice, I carried Grandma and headed for her bedroom, opening the back door.