Gardening Life With Plant Magic: Haku and the Spirits’ Botanical Garden

A few days after I had fallen asleep, shivering under my blankets, the incident was easily resolved.

Not a single person died!

I’m really glad!!

After we requested the Adventurers Guild to stop selling the magic repellent plants, the guild went into a bit of a panic. The guild master of the Camille Village branch visited our mansion and begged us, bowing deeply, “Please forgive us for the halt in sales! We are investigating with all our might!” We settled the matter by asking them to “conduct a strict investigation and ensure the proper handling of the magic repellent plants.”

The investigation revealed that the highway leading to Coral Village had been affected. The damage was minimal on the Camille Village side, but it was clear that the thefts were gradually moving in this direction. Naturally, the crimes took place in the dead of night, making it difficult to search for the culprits. As a minor baronial family, we couldn’t allocate many people for the search, and once they hid in the forest, they weren’t easy to find.

One morning, six thieves were found collapsed on the winding road over the hills within the Radcliffe territory. There were many uprooted and withered magic repellent plants scattered around. The traces of the stolen plants were also clearly visible. The thieves, laughing hysterically, pleaded, “Help us,” while gasping for breath.

The adventurer party that reported the incident, along with several members of the Camille Village vigilante group and Hugo and Kevin who went to capture the thieves, were left feeling quite conflicted about the sight.

Kevin later commented, “That was a kind of torture…”

Since it was Grandpa who concocted the potion, I’m not to blame! And neither are the small spirits who scattered the powder using the wind! The thieves who stole the magic repellent plants are the ones at fault!!

Grie, Poco, and Yue nodded vigorously to reassure me as I trembled. Thank you, spirits.

“No one died, and the culprits were caught, so it’s all resolved,” Mee-Mee and Yue patted my head as I hung it in shame.

Grandpa Al was thrilled to test the efficacy of the potion and dashed off with excitement. Indeed, wise researchers are eccentric…

According to the thieves’ confessions, they had been instigated by a major trading company based in the capital. Presented with the antidote, they confessed without hesitation.

They tearfully cursed, “It’s not worth it…!” They seemed quite weakened…

That trading company had heard rumors about the successful cultivation of the magic repellent plants in the Ragnard and Radcliffe territories and had planned to steal the plants to grow them themselves. However, even when they stole the plants along with the soil, the plants withered immediately. The withered plants had no magic repellent effect. No matter how many times they repeated the process, the result was the same, and they eventually ran out of the magic repellent plants.

If the perpetrators had been a bit smarter in their theft, they might not have been caught so easily. Nevertheless, it was difficult for the Radcliffe family to confront the trading company based on the thieves’ confessions alone, so we decided to investigate the matter together with the Ragnard family.

When in trouble, rely on the Ragnard Margrave family!

Grandpa will figure something out!

A few days later, Father and the others left for the capital, escorting the captured thieves. He reminded Barton to remain vigilant.

I was also warned, “Do not provide dangerous substances to Arsheleed.”

I will remember that!

Grandpa Al is a dangerous person!

I will not give him any herbs disguised as carrots!

If anything gets stolen, Mee-Mee will be responsible!

Mee-Mee, as the manager, is responsible!!

I was bombarded by Mee-Mee’s fluffy attacks!

In mid-June, after things had calmed down, Riol-nii was supposed to be coming back soon. Maybe any day now~♪

I was feeling a bit excited.

“Your level has reached 40. Would you like to hear the details?” Mee-Mee informed me expressionlessly. Out of nowhere!

Why is she being so secretive about my skill?

Why?

Mee-Mee sighed and stared at me intently. Her black eyes seemed impenetrable, like the darkness itself.

Scary, pitch-black darkness.

“Due to the recent incident, the small spirits have been promoted from lower spirits to intermediate spirits, and they have officially become your familiars. As a result, mapping within the Radcliffe territory is now possible.”

“Huh?”

I stared in confusion.

What is Mee-Mee talking about?

“Your level has reached 40.

New intermediate spirits have joined you.

A new mapping function has been added.

With the mapping function, you can now accurately grasp the terrain around Luke Village.

The areas recognized by the intermediate spirits can be reflected on the map.”

Mee-Mee repeated herself mechanically.

Huh?

So, what does that mean?

“Please open the skill screen. There, you will see an icon for Luke Village. Tap it.”

When I followed her instructions and opened the skill screen, instead of just the botanical garden, there were now two icons on the screen. I tapped the Luke Village icon next to the botanical garden icon. The screen changed, and a three-dimensional map centered around our house appeared!

“Oh! High-tech!”

“Your phrasing is outdated… The view can be switched between a perspective view and an overhead view. Places you have visited will be mapped automatically, so you won’t get lost.”

It feels like she’s assuming I will get lost, right?

And she made a little jab at me earlier too, didn’t she?

“Furthermore, the locations seen by the intermediate spirits in Luke Village will also be mapped. You can also link the places reached by the intermediate spirits with the botanical garden through gates.”

“……..”

So, does that mean I can travel a few steps through a gate from here to the linked location?

“That’s the gist of it.”

Mee-Mee, Mee-Mee.

My skill is making me useless, isn’t it?