Tree Planting

Father sentenced me to exile from the Conrad domain.

Two days later, when I finished preparing and left the house by carriage, no one came to see me off.

I was no longer Woody Conrad—just Woody. A person of no value.

It felt like that was what they were telling me, and I couldn’t help but feel a little sad.

And yet here I was, arriving in the desert wastelands.

I didn’t collapse in despair or run away from life—thanks to two girls.

One was my fiancée, Nadja, who encouraged me.

And the other was the girl who stayed by my side even after I was driven out of my home—

“Whoa… there really is nothing here…”

Seeing the girl squinting at the empty horizon, I steeled myself.

Her beautiful silver hair was hidden under a hood. Her name was Aira.

She was my personal maid, three years older than me.

Just before departure she had proudly declared, “I slammed my resignation into that shitty boss’s face!”—and for some reason, she was still my maid.

Her mouth was a bit foul, but she was very capable, and unlike me, her aptitude was strong and useful.

Even when I told her I couldn’t pay her a proper wage, Aira said she didn’t mind.

I didn’t know why she chose to stay with someone like me, but at the very least, I didn’t want her to suffer.

“This desert is as barren as Woody-sama’s hair will be ten years from now.”

“――My hair will still be nice and thick ten years from now!”

True, the barber had once warned me that my fine hair might mean I’d go bald one day, but at twenty-five there shouldn’t be a problem… I hoped.

Father’s hair was starting to thin too, but it should be fine.

…Right? Really?

The thought made me uneasy—but no, that wasn’t the point.

“Can we really live here…?”

Before us stretched withered trees and tiered dunes of sand.

North in the Conrad dukedom lay the Batten Wastelands.

Beyond that was this nameless desert land—unclaimed by anyone, truly untouched.

Since I was officially exiled, I couldn’t stay in the Batten Wastelands.

If I didn’t live outside the duke’s territory, I could be punished for disobeying the lord’s orders.

Or perhaps… that was their plan all along.

If so, I refused to play into Ashid’s scheme.

“Whatever the case, let’s keep moving for now.”

“…Yes. At least while our rations last, we need to secure food sources in the desert.”

Together we took our first step beyond the lord’s domain.

We pressed on into the desert.

Having returned the carriage, of course we traveled on foot.

No matter how far we walked, the scenery didn’t change.

The unending monotony gnawed at the spirit.

The heat was intense, and without frequent water breaks, we’d dry out in no time.

And at night, the temperature supposedly dropped enough to freeze water. It was no wonder that past lords had given up on this land.

They said there were natives here, but… what kind of people could they be?

“Woody-sama.”

“What is it?”

“There’s no spring or oasis nearby. We should look for shelter and sleep there tonight.”

“Alright, understood.”

Trusting Aira, who claimed some survival experience, we began searching for a campsite.

Fortunately, we found a giant rock not too far away that could shield us from the sand.

After checking it carefully to ensure it wouldn’t topple, I nodded.

Good—tonight, we’d sleep in its shadow.

I set down my pack and breathed out.

My cloak was streaked with white lines of salt from dried sweat.

We hadn’t even walked two hours today, but the weariness of the journey weighed on me.

Time to rest here for the night.

――Incidentally, thanks to the money I saved before exile, we had stockpiled rations, water, cloaks, and other daily necessities.

Barring unforeseen trouble, we could survive for about a month.

“I don’t want to think about what it would’ve been like without the ‘Storage Bag.’”

“I can provide water, so don’t hesitate to use as much as you need. You could even take a bath if you like.”

The pack I carried was a ‘Storage Bag,’ a shabby-looking but precious magic tool.

In simple terms, it was a bag with enormous capacity.

Apparently it used spatial magic to create a subspace inside the bag or something, but the details were beyond me.

It was crafted with long-lost ancient technology, making it outrageously valuable.

When I was exiled, my room was handed to Ashid, and almost all my belongings left behind were never returned.

I had managed to bring only a handful of magic tools.

This ‘Storage Bag’ was one of the few survivors.

On an uncertain desert journey, it was truly invaluable.

“…Aira, your mana isn’t infinite either. Let’s conserve water.”

“Come on, there’s no need to worry. ― Want me to bathe instead? My hot body might just be too much stimulation for a young man like you.”

“Wha—why would you even say that!?”

“I’m joking, it’s a joke.”

Aira was enigmatic, a mysterious woman whose actions were unpredictable.

She was always teasing me like this.

Brilliantly capable, but… a little strange.

My fiancée was eccentric too. Maybe talent and oddness went hand in hand.

“Luckily the wind isn’t strong, so our tent won’t get blown away.”

Before I knew it, Aira had already set up the tent.

She had also unfolded a table and laid out our dinner.

Heated jerky, baked bread, and soup.

The teapot contained herbs.

“Let’s make it mild tonight.”

Aira pointed at the pot, and water trickled out.

――Yes, she was a water mage.

Her aptitude was ‘Water Magus.’

Among the aptitudes related to water magic, it was a particularly powerful one.

Strong magical aptitudes included the character magus.

In terms of water magic, Aira’s talent rivaled that of Father and Ashid.

She had enough power to be a court magus, even a first-class adventurer.

…Truly, why did she choose to stay with me?

“…Yeah, this is delicious.”

“Today I used Ordana leaves. They help with sleep, so you’ll rest well.”

“Aira, thank you for everything. Truly, thank you.”

When I smiled at her over a cup of herbal tea, her face turned red like a boiled octopus.

“(That smile is cheating! It’s unfair!)”

She mumbled something under her breath, but I couldn’t hear it.

When I asked what she said, she changed the subject outright.

“Woody-sama, may I ask something? I might risk offending you…”

“Go ahead, ask me anything.”

Aira fidgeted nervously, glancing at me with unease.

“Woody-sama, your aptitude ‘Tree Planting’… what exactly is it?”

“…Ah, right. I’ve never shown you before, have I?”

Now I understood her hesitation.

It was awkward to ask about the aptitude that had led to my exile.

The official reason for my coming here was to transform the desert into a lush, green land.

If I could plant trees, I might as well.

Since this was unclaimed land, no one could complain.

When I activated ‘Tree Planting,’ a shining panel appeared in the corner of my vision.

In beautiful lettering, it read:

I chose “Yes,” and the next prompt instructed me to select the location.

I designated a spot near the tent.

I chose “Yes” again.

At once, a dazzling light filled the area.

“Wah—so bright!”

“Yeah, it’s blinding.”

Shielding our eyes with our hands, Aira and I waited until the glow faded.

Where I had designated… stood a tree, about as tall as my knees.

“I’ve only used it once before, but it looks like it worked.”

“This is… a tree…”

Aira fell silent.

Well, of course—because it really was just a tree.

…Sorry, it’s an aptitude that leaves people at a loss for words.

――What the heck just popped up!?