Aiming for a Cozy Life in a Dangerous Forest in Another World! - Chapter 36
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- Chapter 36 - Let's Study ②-1
Chapter 36: Let’s Study ②-1
The 『Amaju Fruit』 juice was well-received, and I thought it was delicious too, so I decided to make some extra to keep on hand.
I made enough juice to fill ten small containers, using the same method as before.
I stored the juice containers in a corner of the pantry.
Surrounding them with ice slabs should keep them cold.
I was a firm believer that cold juice was infinitely better than room temperature juice.
While we were eating dinner, which Label had prepared, I asked about mana.
I asked Kaito, but he said he didn’t know anything more than what he had already explained about the relationship between mana and magic power.
After thinking for a bit, Label replied,
“Mana is the source of everything. The bodies of all living creatures are, to a greater or lesser extent, composed of mana. It is also present in air, water, earth, and fire. But beyond that, I do not know much else.”
“Even you, Label?”
“Indeed. We, the Demon Tribe, have a high percentage of mana in our body composition compared to most other creatures. Second only to the ancient Dragon Tribe and Kotoha-sama’s Dragon Demon Tribe, I believe. Among extant creatures, we’re probably about the same as the Dragon Species. However, or rather, precisely because of this, mana is something that exists so close to us that we never really give it much thought. Which is perhaps why we haven’t been able to gain a deeper understanding of it.”
“…I see. And are Dragon Species different from the Dragon Tribe?”
“Dragon Species is a general term for the various types of dragons that still exist. They appeared shortly after the extinction of the Dragon Tribe. The Dragon Tribe was never that numerous, but the Dragon Species is fairly common. And the relationship between the two is unknown. There are theories that they were born from the magic power released when the Dragon Tribe died, or that they are the result of the Dragon Tribe interbreeding with other species, but no one knows for sure. Either way, they are undoubtedly at the top of the food chain among extant creatures.”
“I see.”
“But having seen both, I believe there is a difference in, shall we say, ‘class’, between the Dragon Tribe and the Dragon Species.”
“Class,” huh.
If I was a descendant of the Dragon Tribe, then did that mean I could become even stronger?
I was already relying on brute force in combat, and I didn’t want to become even more of a musclehead…
I really wanted to see a dragon.
Part of my body could transform into a dragon, but I wanted to see a real, live dragon, now that I was in another world!
“Um, all the races you just mentioned, including Onee-chan’s, they’re all really strong, but… are races with higher mana content stronger?”
“You can’t generalize it like that. Races with a high percentage of mana in their bodies consume and circulate mana for everything they do. Breathing, walking, eating, everything. Therefore, in areas with low mana concentration, they are unable to circulate mana properly, and to put it simply, they become weaker. On the other hand, races like humans, with low mana content, require very little mana to function, almost none at all. So, in areas with low mana concentration, humans can actually be stronger, since they aren’t affected by the lack of mana.”
“…So, does that mean I can only live in areas with high mana concentration?”
“In a nutshell, yes, but Kotoha-sama is a special case. As I mentioned before, when there isn’t enough mana to circulate, the body first uses up its magic power reserves. Magic power is created by converting mana, but this process can be reversed, converting magic power back into mana. Your magic power reserves, Kotoha-sama, are on par with the ancient Dragon Tribe. So, even if you were to stay in an area with low mana concentration for several years, I doubt you would experience any weakening.”
“……Onee-chan really is amazing.”
“…Yeah.”
Kaito and Pola said, but it didn’t feel like a compliment.
Even Pola had switched sides, joining Kaito in being dumbfounded by me…
Now that they mentioned it, my status did say that Dragon Demons possessed extremely high mana affinity.
Apparently, areas with low mana concentration were mainly human towns and villages.
Areas with high mana concentration included forests, like this one, oceans, and mountains.
“So, about those 『Amaju Fruits』…”
“The 『Amaju Fruit』, or rather the 『Amaju』 tree, only grows in the Great Forest of Chrys, the area with the highest mana concentration in the world. The precise mechanism is unknown, but there have been no confirmed sightings of it growing elsewhere. Plants also contain mana, and just like humanoids, the affinity for mana differs depending on the species. The 『Amaju』 is probably the plant with the highest affinity for mana. And because it grows in an area with abundant mana, the fruit it bears naturally contains a large amount of mana. It is said that a single fruit contains more mana than a demon or an elf.”
…That much?! But is it okay to eat all that fruit?
And we’ve been eating them without a care… was that really okay?
“We’ve been eating those 『Amaju Fruits』 for over a month, is that really okay?”
“Yes. First, Kotoha-sama, you have a high mana capacity to begin with, so it is not a problem for you. As for Kaito-sama and Pola-sama, normally, if humans consume that much mana, their bodies would not be able to process it, and they would simply expel it. Essentially, it would be a waste. But for some reason, they have been able to process that excessive amount of mana.”
“…Huh?”
“I was surprised at first, but their mana content has already far surpassed that of humans and even exceeds that of demons and elves. While they may not be on the level of Demon Tribe members or Dragon Species, they are likely the closest to Kotoha-sama in terms of mana content among humanoids. Considering the circumstances that led them here, they were likely malnourished from their life in the village, and their bodies were not fully developed when they arrived in this forest. As a result of consuming 『Amaju Fruits』 and the meat of Fangrabbits, which naturally contain a lot of mana, the percentage of mana in their bodies has increased. That is my humble hypothesis.”
“…So… it’s my fault?”
Because I asked them to live with me? Because I had been feeding them 『Amaju Fruits』 and Fangrabbits? Because of that, they…
“No! It’s thanks to Onee-chan!”
“Huh?”
“It’s because of Onee-chan that we get to eat such amazing food, and it’s because of that food, the mana, that we got stronger! So it’s all thanks to Onee-chan!”
“But! Having a lot of mana makes it harder to live in areas with low mana concentration! What if you want to leave this forest someday?!”
“…Huh? Leave? Why? When we grow up, can’t we live with Onee-chan? I don’t want to leave…”
“Pola wants to stay with Kotoha-nee-chan forever!”
“You two…”
They said, on the verge of tears.
I had assumed that, eventually, they would want to return to human society.
That they wouldn’t want to live in this dangerous forest forever.
But it seemed like they wanted to stay with me.
I was so happy.
I fought back tears and said,
“Thank you. Both of you. Let’s stay together forever.”
“Okay!”
“Uh huh!”
I was overcome with emotion, and then Label,
“If I may, Kaito-sama and Pola-sama should be able to function in areas with low mana concentration for several months without any issues. And they can always replenish their mana by eating 『Amaju Fruits』…”
He added, a little hesitantly.
…Well, I was relieved to hear that they would be okay.
Come to think of it, now that he mentioned that their mana content had increased, something clicked.
“So, is that why they can use chantless magic? And why their magic is so powerful?”
“That is likely the case. Due to their increased mana content and their body’s enhanced affinity for mana, their conversion efficiency from mana to magic power, and their mana accumulation capacity, now exceed those of demons and elves. So they can use magic without worrying too much about waste. And as for Kaito-sama’s 『Physical Enhancement』, it’s a skill that improves physical abilities using magic power. The higher the conversion efficiency and accumulation capacity, the greater the enhancement and the longer it lasts. Even at his current level, Kaito-sama would be a formidable opponent, not just for humans, but even for most demons and elves.”
“…Kaito and Pola really are amazing.”
“Don’t say that, coming from you, Onee-chan!”
“Kotoha-nee-chan is more amazing!”
Well, it seemed like they were still on my side.