A Bittersweet Garden Life

Shall I go water the garden again today...

Water it and sprinkle the soil with special nutrients made with magic!

How should I raise them, so people will say I raised them well?

...Huh?

Again, again! Again!

My sugarcanes! My precious babies I cherished so much!

Last time too, and this time again! They've been cut clean off!

What kind of evil would do such a brutal thing!

Uwaaaah! I'm sorry, sugarcanes! Sorry I couldn't protect you!

*Sob*

*Sob* I can't just cry. I need to solve this! I'll find out what happened!

In the name of sugarcane! I'll catch the culprit!

There were some suspicious characters moving around recently...

I heard those troublemaking werebeasts have been coming and going from the Sprite Kingdom, stealing crops!

Mm... but could Werebeasts make such clean cuts?

To cut my sugarcanes, you'd need to be pretty skilled with your fingers, wouldn't you?

Plus there's no fur left behind. If it were werebeasts, they definitely would have left furballs.

Then... a Sprite?

Could it really be possible that my own kind would act in such a way?

These days there's plenty of factory-made sugar going around, so there's no need to steal sugarcane, right?

Whoever it was wouldn't have gone through the trouble of taking sugarcane.

Elementals and phantoms only eat food for show...

Hmm... Dragons? Witches are obviously out too. They don't eat sweets much.

Then what's left is...

Elves who mass-produce everything with their automated drones?!

Those heartless... cold farmers who don't even talk to their plants?!

They must have felt threatened by my premium organic sugarcane...

I'm sure they're terrorizing small business owners like me this way!

Yeah, it's definitely the elves!

I've heard countless disturbing rumors and stories about them for ages!

Hmm, maybe I should report this to the Sprite Kingdom first... no.

She'll just say "I, Queen Erpin, always work to prevent any trouble for my citizens. I'll forward this suggestion to the right department and work hard to advance Sprite Kingdom," right?

I've never actually seen anything get resolved.

I'm busy working in the garden, but I have no choice but to go confront the elves myself!

Onward to Monatium! I'll avenge my sugarcanes!

Suppression together, warm suppression, reliable suppression, this is the Monatium Suppression Unit Headquarters.

What brings you here, citizen of... huh?

I'm here to report thieves!

A sprite? Why would a sprite file a report here?

Please go to the palace in Sprite Kingdom.

It's definitely the elves' doing, so the elves should take responsibility!

What do you mean? Do you have evidence?

I'm telling you it must have been you lot! Smart me figured it out!

So, you just have some circumstantial evidence? The idea behind an investigation is to hold off on naming a suspect until there's some solid physical evidence to point to!

If you're going to push this onto us, at least bring some physical evidence!

Ugh... this is why you can't reason with civil servants!

I pay my taxes and this is the least you could do!

Ah!! You don't even pay taxes in Monatium!

Tch! You look like you have nothing to do anyway, can't you just help?

I'll grow some good coffee beans later and send them to you...

*Sigh* In any case, we can't right now.

We're busy with something very important!

The police are the long armadillo of the law, no? Something like that! You should help the people!

First of all, you're not a Monatium citizen...

And it's the long ARM. Who are you calling a little armored pests?!

Pest? Hey! Armadillos are precious! You need them for soil aeration and nutrient cycling!

What's this, Canna? Why all the noise? Has the culprit come to confess?

Aaah! Not yet! Just a sprite who wandered in...

Someone walked in on her own two feet. Does that not make her the culprit?

And who are you?

Oh, there's actually a sprite who doesn't know the mayor of Monatium. That's something?

Mayor? Ah, so you're the leader of the elves, since you're in charge!

Hurry up and catch whoever stole my sugarcane! You think being the mayor you can just sit back?

What is this person even saying? Canna, what's going on?

Your elves stole my crops!

Ugh... what? A country-bumpkin farming sprite?

I heard rural complaints were bad, but wow... Take it up with your local office, not here!

Local... office? What's that?

Oh, my head...

Your crops were stolen? Why are you blaming us for that?

Do we elves look like sprites who pick up and eat anything when we're hungry?

Shouldn't you be suspicious of your fellow sprites if you're making circumstantial deductions?

Typical elf, you really do have a way with words.

Mayor, I'll handle this myself.

Kyarot? You can't do this here.

We don't have time to deal with strange complaints like this! We are facing an emergency!

Emergency? What's going on?

We cannot share that information with regular citizens.

But I'm not a Monatium citizen?

...Now you suddenly know this?

Hmm...

Maybe this isn't such a bad thing.

Pardon?

Whenever an incident occurs, if someone from another race gets involved, things tend to get resolved smoothly.

Looking back at the process of all the incidents and accidents that have happened... it's always been that way?

What's going on? Now I'm curious too.

Mayor! You can't! Sharing information with a citizen!

She's not even our citizen?

Ugh, that is true but...

I'll explain just once, so listen carefully, sprite?

Someone is tampering with our food blocks.

The blocks distributed as rations always go through the exact same raw material manufacturing process...

But at some point, "flavored" blocks started getting mixed in.

What's so strange about that? Don't the ones sold in stores have various flavors?

That's because we got paid and issued permits for that.

Ration blocks taste like flavorless erasers.

Selling block seasonings separately makes pretty decent profits.

Kind of like selling chocolate powder separately to mix into white milk?

Hmm... Really? You're making it sound so serious when it doesn't seem like a big deal?

It IS serious enough!

Well... it'd be hard for a sprite brain to understand how Monatium operates as a perfect system.

Monatium is like one perfect cell.

Like a single-celled city?

Paramecium City or something like that?

Hey, not THAT single-celled!

Anyway, we're setting up an investigation headquarters under the mayor's leadership to properly dig into this.

You're investigating something big?

Well, since it's a sudden incident, we're forming a temporary task force but...

We're judging it to be as important as the incident around Christmas time.

You do?

Then just squeeze my case in there too!

Th-that's not how this works!

Anyway, how exactly did the block flavor change?

Sweet.

Huh?

The block turned sweet and tasty!

Sweet...?

My sugarcane is... also sweet...

You think a tiny bit of sugarcane grown in a garden plot could do all that?!

Ugh! My garden is bigger than you think!

I'll have you know I'm the top gardener in the Sprite Kingdom!

The fields I manage are the largest, and my crops grow incredibly big!

The sugarcane I grow has the highest sugar content!

During the last insurgency, they cleaned out all the sugarcane from my garden!

Ah, sure sure... whatever you say.

Grrrr!!

Taste it and judge for yourself!!

Whoa...mmph!! Gwaaah!!!!!

Aah! Mayor!! What do you think you're doing, sprite?!

Don't dismiss me like that!

Mmph... nom... nom nom...

Ugh, sweet...!

So, how is it? This is super-premium sugarcane worth stealing, right?

H-Huh?

This taste ...?

Chief Canna!

E-Excuse me?

Where's the evidence you collected?

H-here it is, but?

Sprite, I just realized something.

What? What did you realize?

Eat this!!!

Whoa!! Wha... mmph!!!!

Mayor!! What do you think you're doing?!

Nom nom nom... nom...

Mmph... huh? It's good?

Wait? This taste is...?

It seems similar to my sugarcane's taste?

Right, right? You feel that way too, don't you?

We'd need to analyze it properly but... it's a very similar aroma.

Huh? Is that really true?

Want to try some too?

Yeah, Chief Canna should try it too.

...Wait a moment.

Hehe!

Come here.

Aah, aaaah!!!

According to component analysis results, the composition excluding the main ingredients of the block matches 95% with the sprite's sugarcane.

As expected, my intuition wasn't wrong?!

Is taste a natural gift? Guess I could be a gourmet, then?

……….

……….

What, why isn't anyone backing me up?!

If Amelia were here at a time like this, she would've said something!

That means it's for sure related to my crop-theft incident, doesn't it?

You're including me in this investigation?

Hmm... Elf and sprite collaborative investigation? Something like that?

Seems like it'd be great for public image too.

Mayor, are you seriously considering this? We can handle it just fine on our own...

Ah... just take her along and chat or whatever!

*Sigh* Understood...

Alright! So now that the sprite has joined, can we get this investigation going?

Chief Canna, should you score a win there might be a bonus waiting for you!

Well, I'm off! Don't cause trouble!

L-leave it to me!

So... what do we start with? What should I do?

*Sigh* Well, I don't have high expectations for a sprite. Just don't cause trouble.

Don't do anything foolish and just follow me.

Ugh... Look at that elf talking so rudely.

Ugh... That sprite is just staring at me with that dumb, empty look.

Well, the mayor said the hospital is the most suspicious, so we should check there first.

Hospital? Shouldn't we go to the factory that makes these blocks first?

We already looked there during our initial investigation, but nothing unusual came up at the factory.

We're certain that the blocks got altered during the distribution process...

The hospital's orders for blocks have increased significantly recently, which is suspicious.

Wow, the owner here seems to be really meticulous?

Medical Officer Hilde? Well, that's her personality. How did you know?

The plants here are in such great condition.

They seem to be watered on time, and they look like they're getting nutrients too!

The owner's attitude shows through!

Hmm... This sprite kiddo makes some pretty perceptive remarks?

Welcome. I heard you're from the suppression unit... What brings you here?

We're investigating the reason for the recent sharp increase in block orders.

Ah, that...

That is a concern of mine too. Would you come over here?

Pardon?

Owwwyeeeeoohahh!

Inspiration strikes! Uhihihi! Firing song ahead!

Uwaaah?! What's wrong with this elf?

She was suddenly brought in a while ago, and she's not in good condition.

What does that patient have to do with the amount of blocks you're ordering?

Uhhh, I'm hungry...

Hot lunch boxes in a cold city... Hwooowowwwyeeee!!

Ugh... I'm hungry. Doctor! When's the block coming? Give me a block!

You've already had 5 days' worth of blocks today...

Creation always makes hungry! I need block, block! Sweet block!

She keeps asking only for blocks to eat like that.

At first I thought she was just hungry and kept giving them to her...

She was acting so strangely that I stopped administering blocks, and this is what she ended up like.

Do you have an issue with block addiction or something?

Is it similar to how we sprites can't resist sugar?

There's nothing wrong with our blocks!

Normally it's just something people force themselves to eat...

Addiction...?

Did Mayor Elena pull something to control the citizens?

No. The mayor ordered an investigation because she found it strange that the taste of the blocks changed.

If it's not Mayor Elena's doing... this sounds like quite a big incident?

Hmm...

*Sob, sob* They say music sounds better on a full stomach than on an empty one...!

I'm hungry!!

Even though we're investigating, seeing her so hungry...

Elves seem too heartless.

Huh?

Ah, what are you doing?!

At least eat this!!

Wowwwaaah!!!!! So much!!!

What are you doing to the patient?! Get away from her right now!

Let her eat at least this! She looked so pitiful I couldn't just stand by!

Ooh... Hehe, it's delicious!

But it's not that sweet.

Not sweet? When I tried it, it was incredibly sweet?

Hmm... It's milder than the candy I had before?

But this subtle taste lingering on the tip of my tongue... it's just like that candy from back then.

The candy I couldn't find no matter how thoroughly I dug through the Monatium convenience store's trash...

After dessert comes the meal! I'm still hungry!

Hey, you! Bum! What candy did you eat?

A while ago when I was busking, someone threw me a bag of candy.

It was crystal-shaped candy that looked like crystals.

I popped one in my mouth whenever I was bored...

Every time I ate it, ideas for new songs would suddenly pop! into my head.

I think I created about 20 original songs!

Did you take some kind of drug?

I don't think so? It was just candy?

Could that candy and sugarcane be somehow related?

It is less sweet, but the flavor seems somewhat similar.

Was the candy made from my sugarcane?

Does that sugarcane have some kind of special effect?

Of course, it's special! It's an ultra-premium, organic sugarcane grown by yours truly!

Medical Officer, could there be... some kind of hallucinogenic component?

Well, I won't know until I properly examine it, but...

Hey! What are you whispering about?! My sugarcane doesn't have any weird effects like that!

May we examine it?

Go ahead! I have nothing to hide! No one who's eaten my sugarcane has ever acted strangely!

So... my garden is close to Yggdrasil.

There's a water source nearby, and the weeds would grow to be both large and lush.

I could tell at a glance that it was the absolute best land for growing plants!

But why did you start a garden?

While praying at the Order, I got this feeling that it was my fate to tend to Yggdrasil.

A feeling?

During the prayer, in a dream, Yggdrasil grew bigger and bigger until it grew so large that Elias couldn't handle it.

It grew so big that whoosh! Yggdrasil launched into the sky.

Wasn't that just a random dream?

Priestesses usually think even random dreams are precious dreams.

Huh? Now that I look at your outfit... Kyarot, are you a priestess?

An honorary priestess, one might say.

I had a dream about Yggdrasil, and they gave me the title!

Still, I prefer tending the garden over praying, so I don't visit the Order that often.

A gardener who received a revelation from Yggdrasil? Is that what you are?

Well, you could think of it that way.

Then your sugarcane might not be ordinary sugarcane.

*Beep* Component analysis complete.

Ah... The results are in. Let me see...

Sucrose, glucose, calcium, magnesium... Hm?

5% of the composition consists of substances that don't exist in our database.

It's probably a unique substance that only exists in Elias, or comes from Yggdrasil.

Really? It's scientifically special too?

But... there's never been anyone who showed strange effects after eating my sugarcane?

Maybe the local denizens are used to it, so there's no effect.

But elven body chemistry is different, and the specific combination of ingredients could cause elven bodies to respond in this highly addictive manner.

When new civilizations collide, it is normal for new diseases to often spread.

Ugh... That sounds complicated. Well, you girls figure it out.

Then, under the assumption that this substance is the problem, let me get this straight...

1. Someone stole sugarcane from Kyarot's garden.

2. They made crystal candy from the sugarcane.

3. They intervened in the block distribution route and injected the candy?

Why did the culprit hand the candy to Festa? That's strange.

And the whole idea of injecting candy into the blocks doesn't really add up either...

How about investigating the truck?

What? The truck?

Don't you Elves transport goods by truck? I've seen them passing by my garden sometimes.

Ah... Well, that's true but... there is more than just one or two trucks... Wait?

A truck that passes by your garden?

Yeah! I see it once a week? It looked interesting, so I asked an elf diplomat what it was.

Wh-when was this?

Why are you so surprised?

The only trucks going to the Sprite Kingdom are the ones delivering sugar!

There are no trucks with routes assigned to areas as remote as where your garden is!

Ugh... I'm tired.

How long do we have to keep doing this?

Stakeouts are basically about lying low and staying hidden until something finally shows up.

Here, have some coffee. I brought it in a thermos.

Ugh... This is just bitter!

That's the whole point. You'll get used to it if you keep drinking.

Ahem! It's quite cold at dawn. Sorry you have to suffer following me around.

I asked to come along in the first place, so no need to apologize.

……….

……….

Um...

I'm sorry about before. I feel like I treated you like an idiot.

Huh?

Without you, there would have been no progress in the investigation.

Thinking about it now, all the major clues sprung from your head.

N-no! I couldn't have gotten this far without you either.

I saw that truck passing by every week and never suspected anything.

And... sorry for being stubborn.

I was really upset about my garden being ruined, so I got worked up and threw a fit.

I would have done the same. Nothing's more infuriating than trespassing.

Mmm...

Um...

Come visit my garden sometime. I'll show you what real coffee tastes like.

Ah. Th-thank you...

Huh? It appeared...! Is that the truck?!

Yes! That's it, that's the one!

Starting pursuit now! Hold on tight!

Attention! Truck ahead! Slow down immediately and turn off your engine!

Whoa?! She's speeding up?! What do we do?

Tsk-! Let's follow for now!

Can you even keep up?!

I can definitely catch up to a truck!

Attention! To the driver of the truck! If you don't stop, I'll open fire!

Whoa! What's that?! She threw something!

Smoke bomb? No, this smell is...?! Sweet potato?

Kyaa!!!

Hweek!!

My bike turned into a sweet potato?! What is this? Magic?!

Sweet potato?

A witch...?

Is there a witch who uses that kind of magic?

She threw something first, right? Maybe it was a potion?

Ah? I think so. Looking at the glass shards nearby, they're shaped like potion bottles.

A potion that turns things into sweet potatoes?

There's only one person who could do something like that!

*Yaaaawn*

It's pretty slow today. No customers either.

Lately, it feels like the witches aren't fighting among themselves as much?

Business isn't doing well.

Since I have time, maybe I should make some new potions?

Huh?

Suppression unit! Open up!

Suppression unit? What? What's that? A new court faction?

What are you doing? Who are you to smash up someone's shop door?!

We know everything, you wicked witch!

You stole my sugarcanes, didn't you?!

You spiked Monatium's rations and turned the bike into junk, right?

What? What are you talking about?!

No more talk, hands up!

What is going on here...?

What do you think you know to be doing this?

Don't lie! Where did you hide my sugarcanes?

Huh? Do I look like a Witch who'd sneak into a farm to steal sugarcanes?

What would I even use something like that for?

Any further false testimony may be used against you.

You have the right to remain silent...

Yeah, sure. Whatever.

So, do you have any evidence...?

Look at this sweet potato!

My bike turned into a sweet potato!

Hmm? This is definitely my handiwork.

See? We got you, don't we? Better prepare to face judicial judgment!

But you know.

I sell all of this stuff?

Huh?

The potion that turns things into sweet potatoes. You can buy it for 200 gold?

If I spray this antidote potion here...

Ta-da! It's back to its original form, right?

Whoa?! It really is?

Just because of a single potion that turns someone into a sweet potato, you think I was plotting something? That's a huge leap.

Ugh... Th-that can't be!

Next time, do your job properly and know what you're doing.

Oh, and the antidote potion is 20,000 gold, so pay up, chop chop!

Urgh?! I, I don't have that kind of money!

The sweet potato potion is 200 gold?! Why is the antidote so expensive?

Well... if you don't have money, there's nothing I can do.

I'll take this bike or whatever it is as payment instead.

Ahhh! No! That's all billed to City Hall!

Anyone can buy the sweet potato potion...?

What on earth is going on?

You... have you never made candy with my sugarcane?

Candy? Ugh! Why would I make something like that?

Even if it were sugarcane with magical properties?

Hmm... Well... If it has magical properties, it might be worth using as a material, but this is the first I'm hearing of it?

And... there's plenty of moss and mushrooms with magical properties growing around the Yggdrasil roots?

You're saying there's no reason to go to the surface?

You've never been to the surface?

Why would I go?

All customers interested in my potions come crawling to my shop anyway?

I don't do that kind of annoying grunt work, scraping around some underground corner like a dragon.

Ugh... Of course we'll have to further investigate but... it doesn't seem like she's lying.

Has anyone bought a sweet potato potion recently?

Why would I remember something like that?

Don't you have a ledger or something?!

That's something only shops with mediocre business use.

When business is good, the shop runs fine even with rough calculations.

Ugh... This carefree attitude...

How can someone live so worry-free...!

Hm? Boss, the shop door is smashed...

Huh?

Hm? What, who are you?

She works for me, my part-timer.

Levi, hurry up and fix the shop door.

Y-Yes... Boss.

And kick out these troublemakers. They came to my shop without any money.

Y-Yes!

Ugh, I smell something sweet! Levi, what other part-time job were you doing? I told you bringing sweet scents into the shop hurts sales!

S-Sorry, Boss!

Wait, a sweet smell...?

This Levi... she can't look us in the eye...

Suspicious.

Really suspicious.

Why is everyone looking at me suspiciously?

Ugh... No one's around, right?

I got a strange feeling. Like someone's following me.

Where is that Levi going?

Can't we just rush her and grab her now?

We need at least some small piece of evidence.

Of course, there's no way Miss Elena would hand down a ruling that puts herself at a disadvantage...

But still... we need to catch solid evidence to end any trial quickly!

Either way, won't it end in a guilty verdict? What kind of trial is that supposed to be?

The mayor finds attending trials bothersome, so if you drag things out, cases often just fizzle out.

If we secure solid evidence and induce a confession, even the mayor won't be able to ignore it.

So what do we do now?

We need evidence to prove the charges for your sugarcane theft and the Monatium block tampering.

Sugarcane theft too? Don't you already have enough proof for the theft?

Might as well see it through and cover every charge.

You've cooperated and helped us this much... it'd be good to handle it all together, right?

Ah...hmm. Th-Thanks.

Elves talk weird... but they seem to get things done when it counts.

Doesn't seem all that bad.

Whoa? Halt, halt!

Target is entering through a back door of some building!

Ugh... this place is kinda scary.

Looks like an abandoned building... why would she come here?

*Sniff, sniff* Huh? Canna! Smell this!

Hmm?

It's that smell! That sweet smell mixed in the blocks!

*Sniff, sniff* Oh? You're right!

I knew we were right! That low-level witch is the culprit!

Perfect! If we catch her red-handed, she won't be able to talk her way out!

Let's go in!

Hehe, now if I drop just one drop of this here...

And add it to the molasses extracted from the sugarcane...

Freeze! This is the Sprite-Elf Joint Investigation Unit!

You're caught red-handed!

Uh, uaaah?! I-I didn't do anything!

Don't give me that! You were making illegal drugs!

There's a pile of stolen sugarcane right next to you!

Ugh... I-I just very coincidentally happened to be holding these tools at this very moment!

I've never seen these things before either, I just picked them up out of curiosity!

Don't tell such an obvious lie!

Eeeek!

Ugh! So frustrating! Just eat this!!!

Wagh! Ugheeeek!!

How's my sugarcane taste?! Huh?! You dare steal the babies I worked so hard to raise?!

Uhuhuk! I'm thorry...!

Give me your hands, criminal! You're coming with us to Monatium, quietly.

Ugh... couldn't you let me off just this once?

I was just trying to work hard...

Working hard? Say something that makes sense!

Why would you need my sugarcane for work?

The molasses extracted from super organic premium sugarcane is the key to my candy!

Without magical sugarcane, I couldn't get THE taste and THAT power!

At first, I just... wanted to make a drink that would keep me from getting tired even after pulling all-nighters...

I've been an intern for years now, and there's no sign of new witches joining.

I have to take every part-time job I can...! And potions are too expensive to buy! *Sob*!

Bad! You're bad! I told you not to lie!

You even mixed drugs into blocks and distributed them!

That was just... at first I was making my stimulant in the truck, that's why!

I was making it in my delivery ride. Can't help some of the drug got on the blocks!

After I started using the abandoned building, I transported the blocks without a hitch!

So all of this just happened by coincidence?

Please believe me! It's true!

Hmm...

Now that she's saying it like that, I kinda feel bad for her...

Kyarot, are you believing a criminal's words?

She had her reasons.

Don't go soft over something like this.

Criminals caught doing bad things always make up excuses.

Can't you let it slide a bit for my sake? She didn't do it on purpose.

Ugh! Really! Don't say it like that...!

Kyarot! Look around you!

Would someone who set up an illegal lab like this have done it just for herself?!

Uh... I guess?

Let's gather everything as evidence and head back quickly.

Ehehe. You're wasting time.

Huh? You planning to destroy the evidence?!

You have one part of it wrong, this... is not evidence!

Eat this!! Learned it straight from my Boss Posher herself—a sweet potato potion!!

Uh, huh?!

*Cough, cough!* Ugh... *Cough*

Whoa?! Canna!!!

Your body...! Your body!!!!!

Heheheh... I can't let this money-making opportunity I worked so hard to get slip away like this!

If I sell just a bit more of the blocks I made, I can say goodbye to the potion shop part-time job.

I won't be a part-timer anymore!!

Well then, see ya? Hehehe!

That darn Levi! She had the truck hidden here too?!

*Sob* Canna, just wait a moment!

I'll turn you back to normal!

Huh?

Aaaah! A rat! A rat is eating Sweet Can-tato!

No! Get away! This isn't a sweet potato, it's Canna!

If I turn her back like this with rat bites all over...?

Aaaah!! How horrible! What do I do? What should I do?!

This is all my fault! I hesitated and gave Levi a chance to attack!

I'm sorry, Canna!

I'll bury you in the ground so new sweet potato flesh can grow!

……….

What are you doing right now?

*Sob* I was burying Sweet Can-tato in the ground... huh?!

What?! You're perfectly fine!

Seems like it didn't work properly since that temp made it half-assed.

You were fine too, no?

Th-then what's this sweet potato?!

I'm guessing that wicked Levi had it here as a snack?

...Really? Well, it is something witches like to eat.

Ugh... Anyway, I'm so glad, Canna!

I thought something terrible happened to you!

Please put down your spear before you rush at me. It's a bit scary.

It's not a spear, it's sugarcane!

Now that we've cleared up this misunderstanding here, shall we follow Levi?

Yeah!

Attention! This is Chief Canna!

Key suspect is fleeing toward Monatium!

Set up a blockade before she gets on the Elftobahn and stop her, over!

Roger. Over.

Whoa! The culprit made a sharp turn! She's U-turning and driving that way!

Maintaining speed and still going! Be careful, over!

She's coming our way?

We don't have bikes and we're on foot, so there's no way we can stop her?!

Could you stop her if you had a bike?

Ah... of course that would be difficult too...

Hmm... leave it to me!

Huh? Kyarot? What are you going to do?

I'm going to do what I'm good at.

Ugh! I just wanna make money, not hurt anyone!

I just need to bring it to that unhoused elf who was carrying that weirdly expensive instrument...!

It's good for both of us! I get money and energy, and she gets energy too!

I just need to sell it once and live comfortably for about a month!

Get out of the way right now!

It'll be dangerous if we wait any longer, Kyarot!

If you're going to do something, do it right now!

*Sigh*...

...Grasses and trees.

Remember the sunlight peeking through the branches of this fresh, living world.

Feel the warmth of the gentle earth, the cool kiss of its waters!

And like that tree rising high into the sky—

Without knowing fear, grow strong, grow free, and grow boundlessly!

Waaaah! What is this-!!!

Is this the ability Kyarot was talking about?

It wasn't a bluff, it was real...?

I've seen magical powers so often since landing in Elias...

But the magical power Kyarot uses feels somehow special.

Is it just my imagination...?

Hooray! Mission accomplished, right?

Good job, Chief Canna! I'll get you vacation time and a bonus this month!

Kyarot was a huge help!

Ah... okay, okay!

I guess I'll just write up a "brave outsider" commendation or something.

I'm glad it ended well.

Ugh... my neck... my dream of scoring big... my farewell gift to poverty... *sob*

Oh? It's the perp! The Perpetrator!

Hey hey, let's take a picture! A photo to commemorate your arrest! We need to keep this and spread it to the media!

Sprite, you come here too! You also played your part, right?

Me?? Wh-what is this?

You don't know what a picture is? Just sit here and smile.

Alright, SMILE, hehe!

Smi... le?

Thank you for your hard work, Kyarot.

Thanks to you, we caught the culprit and I'm getting a bonus...!

I gotta thank you, I think I've gained a new perspective on elves thanks to this opportunity.

Smile some more This time look over there, over there!

Well... I don't know if it applies to all elves or just Canna individually.

Mayor? Why did you bring so many cameras?

Did you expect us to catch the culprit?

Honestly, I was hoping she'd mess up so we could keep a legendary pic of shame.

That would have some effect if spread to the media too.

Ugh...

But what do I do? I'm so sorry...

Huh?

The road can't be used because of the forest I created.

Wha... what?

Forests grown by magical power are protected by magical energy.

How many years would we have to wait for it to become a normal forest?

Uhm... that bike was pawned, so there's a fee if you want to recover it...

Ugh... L-laugh.

Smile, Elena. Just smile... unless you want this to haunt you.

M-mayor? Are you alright? Your expression looks strange?

That's right! Everyone laugh! Like flowers in full bloom!