Pachiri

I activated the Tree Arrangement (Modified) skill.

‘Actually, I had already prepared a procedure for when we welcomed new villagers.’

Tree Arrangement (Modified) was a skill that let me reposition trees within and around my territory, automatically replanting them.

—The key was in that “around.”

As long as it was within the range that Simurg-san could sanctify, trees could be moved anywhere.

Which meant I could do something like this.

I recalled the road we had traveled and shifted the trees of Tree Village to trace that path.

Like a child laying down pebbles as a trail, I moved the trees to mark the route from Tree Village to this village.

Before my eyes floated a miniature Tree Village.

From it, a slender line began to extend.

What emerged was an impromptu avenue of trees.

A green road connecting Tree Village to this place.

“O-ohhhh!?”

“Amazing… what is this…?”

Ran-san and Chief Jinga could see the road forming too.

Feeling a little proud at their surprise, I kept extending the path.

This time, the trees already in Tree Village would be enough.

But if I wanted to connect Tree Village to somewhere farther, it might be tough.

I would need to increase the number of trees I planted.

That realization alone was a valuable harvest.

I continued using Tree Arrangement half-absentmindedly.

Move, plant.

Move, plant.

Move, plant, move, plant… As the repetitive work went on, I actually began to enjoy myself.

Apparently, I didn’t dislike this kind of simple labor.

Thud!

…Thud!

…Thud!

“Wh-what is that…”

“What’s that sound…?”

As the road of trees stretched, Ran-san and the others noticed something unusual.

Apparently, by planting tree after tree, the sound had grown loud enough to be heard.

The steady rhythm of trunks striking the earth sounded like percussion being beaten with sticks.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Just as the sound grew louder, trees began to come into view.

It was a sight almost like a horror scene.

“The trees…”

“They’re floating in the air…”

Trees lifted from the ground, floated, then slammed into the earth, instantly appearing as if they had always grown there.

As the floating-and-slamming repeated, at last we reached the final stretch—just one more tree to go.

The last one drifted toward us.

It was a World Tree marked in advance as the symbol of the road’s end.

With a thud, the final World Tree struck into the ground before me.

I ended the activation of Tree Arrangement (Modified).

And then—bwoom, bash!

Just as I had once done in Tree Village, a barrier spread over the green road I had created.

Simurg-san had extended the Sanctuary from Tree Village all the way here.

The Sanctuary’s barrier reached the entrance of the village.

Pointing toward it, I gave a quick pachiri wink.

“If you pass through there, you’ll reach Tree Village directly. It also repels monsters, so you can travel in peace. Ah, and if you get hungry along the way… just help yourself to the fruit growing on the trees.”