Chapter 566: The Man Who Loves Nature
When Nero returned, we decided to make it a proper tea break.
If I didn’t enforce it like this, he would never take time to rest on his own. After all, Fabienne had only just scolded me last night for overworking myself. I had no right to demand moderation from others while ignoring it myself. From now on, I would make a conscious effort to schedule moments like this.
“Good work, Nero.”
“You give me too much credit,” he replied calmly. “Sophia-sama already seemed to be aware of the situation. When I handed her the letter, she nodded repeatedly as she read it.”
“So she wasn’t surprised, then. That probably makes it easier for her to report everything to His Majesty and the others.”
“That may be so,” Fabienne added thoughtfully. “She might even come to see the tree herself.”
I wouldn’t put it past her.
The gardeners at the testing grounds would likely be the ones explaining everything. I could only hope they didn’t embellish the story with too many dramatic flourishes. Please, I silently prayed, go easy on me.
After finishing our tea, we resumed preparations. The compounding room inside this building was far too cramped for what we intended to do. If we were going to produce fertilizer in larger quantities, we would have to borrow part of the garden.
As we carried tubs and tools outside, gardeners began returning in groups—only to grab equipment and hurry back out again. They were clearly working at a faster pace than usual.
Guilt pricked at me.
If I had measured the fertilizer more carefully when feeding that sapling, none of this frantic energy would have been necessary.
“Julius-sama, are you feeling unwell?” Fabienne asked gently, studying my expression. “You look troubled.”
“I’m fine. I was just thinking… I may have caused the gardeners some trouble.”
“That isn’t so at all,” she said firmly. “Look at their faces. They’re positively radiant. Yesterday was entirely different.”
When she pointed it out, I realized she was right. Yesterday, there had been a heaviness in the air—a quiet despair clinging to the grounds like mist. But now, that oppressive atmosphere had lifted. There was brightness, urgency, hope.
They could see the possibility of green returning to the land.
If that was the case, I couldn’t be the only one wearing a gloomy expression.
“Alright. Preparations for fertilizer production look good. Until the gardeners finish their duties, let’s investigate the accelerated sapling. Rapid growth might have caused unforeseen issues.”
After informing the hut’s caretaker that we would be heading out, we made our way to the testing grounds.
A few people remained, though they seemed focused on their assigned work. They were likely the staff permanently stationed at the site.
The cedarwood tree towered before us.
It was magnificent.
Too magnificent.
“It’s grown splendidly,” I murmured, craning my neck upward. “But… isn’t this a bit too splendid? Do they normally grow this large?”
“Indeed,” Fabienne replied. “If someone claimed this tree was a thousand years old, I might believe them.”
The problem was, I didn’t know enough about cedarwood in this world. When in doubt, one must ask. Better to endure a moment’s embarrassment than lifelong ignorance.
“Excuse me,” I called to one of the staff. “Does cedarwood usually grow this large?”
“Ah, Julius-sama. Yes, we heard you were here. To answer your question—ordinarily, cedarwood is harvested long before reaching this size. So, to be honest… we do not know how large it might grow if left untouched.”
“In other words,” I said slowly, “this tree is currently… uncharted territory?”
“That would be accurate. We’ve been observing it since earlier, and it still appears to be growing—little by little.”
“….”
That was bad.
Very bad.
If this continued, the tree would become a national landmark of the Raven Kingdom. We needed to stop it immediately.
In a panic, I began collecting the remaining fertilizer I had spread.
This was dangerous.
The fertilizer was dangerous.
It wasn’t something to use casually. If it were to be used again, it would require extreme caution. Fabienne’s face had turned pale—she had clearly imagined the same disastrous scenario I had.
“That was close,” I muttered.
“Far too close,” she agreed. “At this rate, it would have become a sacred tree.”
“What do we do? Should we cut it down immediately? Do you think we’d be forgiven?”
Nero and Lionel joined us in anxious deliberation, all of us quietly flustered.
Then the testing grounds grew noisy.
I turned toward the commotion—and there they were.
Sophia-sama and Erwin-sama were approaching, their expressions positively radiant.
Blindingly radiant.
“My goodness!” Sophia-sama called brightly. “After reading your letter, I simply couldn’t remain seated. I had to come at once.”
“This is extraordinary,” Erwin-sama declared, gazing up at the towering cedarwood. “It is as though a goddess herself performed a miracle. I have never seen such a magnificent cedarwood in my life.”
The two of them stood beneath the massive tree, awe written plainly across their faces.
Yes, it was impressive. But this had not gone according to plan at all. It was supposed to grow gradually, over time. Why did things never proceed in moderation? Its growth efficiency far surpassed even the plant nutrient solution I had created before.
“That would be because I lent it my power.”
“Eh? Forest Spirit?!”
We spun around.
There stood a bipedal turtle wearing a green mask.
There was no mistaking that peculiar appearance.
The Forest Spirit.
I hadn’t even summoned him. It seemed he had sensed something and come of his own accord.
“F-Forest Spirit?” Sophia-sama stammered. “So this is the being we have heard about…”
“As divine as the rumors claim,” Erwin-sama added reverently.
Divine?
To me, he still looked like a suspicious turtle in a mask.
But while I wrestled with that private assessment, Sophia-sama and Erwin-sama bowed respectfully in greeting.
So the excessive growth rate had been the Forest Spirit’s doing.
Which meant—
He was willing to lend his power to the restoration of greenery.
That was a tremendous relief.
“I have heard from the lake, the river, and the soil,” the Forest Spirit declared solemnly. “Of course I shall lend my strength as well. Julius truly loves nature. I am deeply, profoundly moved.”
Well… when he put it like that…
Perhaps it was true.
I was Julius Heine—the man who loved nature!
The Forest Spirit began trembling faintly.
Under that mask, perhaps tears were flowing freely.