Estio Volume 3
- Episode 9
"Leader?"
The thick eyebrows of Brün Botanical Garden drew a steep slope. He looked away from Lina and looked around the other party around him.
The director's sharp eyes caught the young man who exuded the most exotic feeling among them.
"Maybe you... No, are you the recently promoted guild leader?"
Estio showed a slight bow towards the director. Director Brün let out a small sigh and took off the work gloves he was wearing on his hands.
Then, in contrast to his aristocratic, decent appearance, his rough hands were exposed with a lot of calluses.
"This is Brune Jaeger. I'm in charge of taking care of the botanical garden here, although it's lacking. It's an honor to meet the leader."
"......This is Estio."
After hesitating for a moment, Estio agreed to shake hands. The moment his white gloved hands and rough hands met, of course, his opponent's thoughts flowed through him like an electric current.
'You have the ability to read minds. I can't believe it.'
It was a common feeling so far. However, the moment I was about to let go, a feeling full of excitement like a wave was transferred.
'Oh, yes! Great. I'll have to ask my kids to read what they're thinking of me!'
There was a sense of equanimity that I felt when I cried like a storm in the wind a moment ago when the flowers were trampled on.
"......"
"Leader?"
"No, nothing."
Estio decided to pretend that he didn't hear it instead of bringing it out of his mouth.
When asked to look at the cactus, Director Brün was pleased and accepted the request.
Seeing plants was a pleasure for him as a botanist. His heart pounded, especially at the thought of seeing a rare cactus that he could only find in the desert.
In a secluded botanical garden where the only guests were Estio and his party, a strange scene unfolded where people squatted or knelt with pots of tall cactus on the floor.
And after a while.
"Ugh."
Director Brün, who was lying on the ground and looking closer as if he was going to stick his nose in Ahur's stretched branches, lifted his head. Then he took out the glasses he had put in his shirt pocket, put them on, and looked at the cactus again and again.
All eyes were on him.
"Ugh."
The director's expression changed every moment. Then Parker, who was squatting across from him, pulled him out, nervously.
"Hey, Director. How's Ahur?"
"That's a bit difficult."
"Yes?! Is it difficult?"
The situation becomes even more difficult when the word "difficult" comes out of Botanical doctor Brune Jaeger. This is because it is difficult to find a person with more extensive knowledge within the Empire.
Director Brün, who took off his glasses and wiped them off, coughed heavily.
"Is this cactus named Ahur? It has been well taken care of. It has a green body and strong thorns that look like it's covered in armor! It's neither thirsty nor lacking in nutrients. "
"Then, isn't it in good shape?"
"No. For some reason, the child seems strangely powerless."
This was the first time for the manager as well. He looked at Estio, who was quietly beside him, with a look of embarrassment.
"Leader."
There was no expression on the dark-haired young man's face. Director Brün politely asked his intention so as not to hurt his heart as much as possible.
"Can I take this child out of the pot and look at the roots?"
"Hey, hey."
However, just as Estio was about to open her mouth, a strange sound came from the cactus. There was a moment of silence between the party.
A lively voice ripped through the cold air and resounded through the botanical garden.
「Root hey? Who Roots? maybe me Is that just true?"
Unlike Parker and Jen, the wooden doll, who Ahur was used to talking to, Lina was horribly upset and slapped her butt in the back.
"Wumma!"
Like a shy woman, the cactus had crossed branches and covered her body.
"What is it, what is it? Trying to touch my innocent roots while I'm asleep? This pervert!"
"Rice, pyeon......"
Director Brün froze in front of the talking cactus while twisting his body.
"I'm a pervert."
"...Aren't you usually surprised by other things?"
Only after joining the group, who scratched the cheek awkwardly, pointed out, the director quickly inhaled the breath that had been stopped.
"Heo-eok, come to think of it, the cactus speaks!"
"What you looking at. First time seeing a talking cactus?"
Of course I couldn't see it, but Ahur, who was not in good condition, was at the peak of his harshness.
"Mr. Park."
Director Brün, who was sitting on the floor, was hit in the chest without even thinking of avoiding the branch that was swung menacingly. He was still a small cactus, so it didn't hurt that much, but the thorn pierced the hem of his robe.
"Ahur, stop."
「Ugly.」
Even in the midst of being sensitive, Ahur meekly listened to Estio. Seeing Estio stroking the gentle cactus like a puppy, Director Brün once again put on a bewildered expression.
'Thorn! Aren't you going to get thorns in your hands?'
The sharp thorns pinned to the hem of the headmaster's clothes curled softly like the fur of a young animal under his hand. Instead of the director, who was unable to hide his surprise as a doctor of plants, Estio briefly explained the situation to the waking cactus.
"Your condition looked a little different than usual, so I was asking for a test."
"Is he a doctor?"
"This is Dr. Brun Jaeger, the plant doctor."
"Hooh?"
Director Brün thought that if a cactus had eyes, it would have opened in a circle.
Ahur, whose momentum had softened a little, waved his branches in admiration.
"Wow, it was Dr. Class has arrived."
Fortunately, it didn't look bad. Rather, as if he had a crush on the word doctor, Ahur jumped out of his roots and came closer to the director.
"Are you really a plant doctor?"
Despite the long-awaited opportunity to talk directly with the plant, Brune was unable to move.
'Plants walk by roots!'
The director doubted himself that he was dreaming.
In addition, I used to have conversations with plants that could not speak one-sidedly, but this was the first time I had a conversation like this. I had no idea what to answer, what expression to look for, and where to look.
"Hey, hello? Leaves."
"Uh, uh, huh. Yeah."
The director, who had been kneeling dumbly, noticed a cactus branch with thorns waving in front of him and reacted clumsily. Ahur, satisfied with that alone, gently pulled out the roots from the bottom of the flowerpot and shook it.
"ruler! The roots can be seen under the pot. Isn't it too cruel to pick plants?"
Director Brün accidentally touched the root. The roots of the cactus were so strong that you could feel the liveliness even with your fingertips.
"Healthy, very."
"I'm tickled by a child."
As soon as Ahur was examined, the root was pulled from the director's hand.
"Did you see it? I'm strong enough to not catch a cold since I was born. I'm worried."
'...Cactus don't usually catch colds, don't they?'
The cactus, who made everyone present have the same question, was proud of herself.
"I'm just a little sleepy."
"Are you sleepy? Since when?"
"Oh, I don't know."
The director, startled by the reply full of annoyance, opened his mouth again with a cough.
"Heh heh. Honey, I'm just asking, do you know how old you are?"
"It's squishy, squishy. You must have treated me like a bastard who couldn't even count his age!"
"Oh, no, I don't mean that."
Estio, who was looking down at the courageous cactus, suddenly opened his mouth.
"Ahur, how old are you?"
"Heh heh. Two hundred jab."
I pretended to be cute as much as possible, but no one looked cute.
Joining Parker looked up and down Ahur with questionable eyes.
"Hey, that's ridiculous. Cactus lived two hundred years?"
"Oh, why don't you believe me? To be honest, it's even better than that. It has only been two hundred years since I became independent."
Ahur whined, saying that he was the youngest among the people he belonged to, but that he was a high-quality cactus older than most humans.
A word came out of the mouth of Director Brün, who was seriously listening to the cactus's cries.
"'Giant Acuminata'!"
"Yes? What is that?"
"A large and beautiful desert flower that is said to produce seedlings that grow up to a thousand years and bear the fruit of a land fairy after they are fully grown."
Excitedly, the director said that, then turned to Estio and grabbed his shoulder.
"My God. Leader, that child is a known rare plant that has long gone extinct."
「What? why extinction? Are all of your mother and relatives living in your hometown?"
Ahur countered, shaking his branches. Director Brün opened his mouth when he learned the surprising truth about the 'Giant Acuminata', which is said to have been extinct for hundreds of years.
"I can't!"
"I didn't want to be caught by humans, so I just hid in the ground. Ugh, no matter how weak a plant I am. Family swearing is too much. Apologize right now!"
"I'm sorry. No, I'm sorry! Ahur-sama."
The director started being respectful at all. He was much older, and he couldn't treat a cactus with an ego equal to that of a human being.
"It seems that Ahur-sama is not feeling well right now because of the sleeping phase that comes during the growing season. This is the first time I've seen Giant Acuminata in person, so I can't be sure, but uh-huh."
"How long are you sleeping?"
"For more details, we need to look for more data. Perhaps, a giant accuminata that grows over a thousand years as a young tree has a medium-long sleep period..."
It was clear that the young cactus Ahur was staying with Estio and voluntarily refused to sleep. Hearing that, Estio's dark blue eyes darkened slightly.
"Ahur, did you keep getting sleepy while we were together?"
"No."
Ahur obstinately waved the branch, noticing what Estio was trying to say like a ghost.
"This is the botanical garden at the guild headquarters. I will have to move around continuously when I receive a quest, so I ask you to take care of it safely. Please rest well until the sleep period is over."
"Shake."
The cactus was adamant. However, Estio opened his mouth again without any blockage.
"If you're uneasy here, you can ask Hei from Ryong. Mubin is a strong person..."
"Am I uncomfortable?"
"......"
It was indeed an amazing fastball like Ahur. Estio, who was speechless, shook his head.
"No. Just."
"Estio."
Ahur interrupted him again. It was the first rebellion of the cactus, who was always quiet in front of Estio.
"I don't want to sleep. I don't like it. I will never sleep."
The cactus spread its arms towards him like a stinging child.
"Because I'm worried about Estio."
Estio Volume 3
- Episode 9
"Leader?"
The thick eyebrows of Brün Botanical Garden drew a steep slope. He looked away from Lina and looked around the other party around him.
The director's sharp eyes caught the young man who exuded the most exotic feeling among them.
"Maybe you... No, are you the recently promoted guild leader?"
Estio showed a slight bow towards the director. Director Brün let out a small sigh and took off the work gloves he was wearing on his hands.
Then, in contrast to his aristocratic, decent appearance, his rough hands were exposed with a lot of calluses.
"This is Brune Jaeger. I'm in charge of taking care of the botanical garden here, although it's lacking. It's an honor to meet the leader."
"......This is Estio."
After hesitating for a moment, Estio agreed to shake hands. The moment his white gloved hands and rough hands met, of course, his opponent's thoughts flowed through him like an electric current.
'You have the ability to read minds. I can't believe it.'
It was a common feeling so far. However, the moment I was about to let go, a feeling full of excitement like a wave was transferred.
'Oh, yes! Great. I'll have to ask my kids to read what they're thinking of me!'
There was a sense of equanimity that I felt when I cried like a storm in the wind a moment ago when the flowers were trampled on.
"......"
"Leader?"
"No, nothing."
Estio decided to pretend that he didn't hear it instead of bringing it out of his mouth.
When asked to look at the cactus, Director Brün was pleased and accepted the request.
Seeing plants was a pleasure for him as a botanist. His heart pounded, especially at the thought of seeing a rare cactus that he could only find in the desert.
In a secluded botanical garden where the only guests were Estio and his party, a strange scene unfolded where people squatted or knelt with pots of tall cactus on the floor.
And after a while.
"Ugh."
Director Brün, who was lying on the ground and looking closer as if he was going to stick his nose in Ahur's stretched branches, lifted his head. Then he took out the glasses he had put in his shirt pocket, put them on, and looked at the cactus again and again.
All eyes were on him.
"Ugh."
The director's expression changed every moment. Then Parker, who was squatting across from him, pulled him out, nervously.
"Hey, Director. How's Ahur?"
"That's a bit difficult."
"Yes?! Is it difficult?"
The situation becomes even more difficult when the word "difficult" comes out of Botanical doctor Brune Jaeger. This is because it is difficult to find a person with more extensive knowledge within the Empire.
Director Brün, who took off his glasses and wiped them off, coughed heavily.
"Is this cactus named Ahur? It has been well taken care of. It has a green body and strong thorns that look like it's covered in armor! It's neither thirsty nor lacking in nutrients. "
"Then, isn't it in good shape?"
"No. For some reason, the child seems strangely powerless."
This was the first time for the manager as well. He looked at Estio, who was quietly beside him, with a look of embarrassment.
"Leader."
There was no expression on the dark-haired young man's face. Director Brün politely asked his intention so as not to hurt his heart as much as possible.
"Can I take this child out of the pot and look at the roots?"
"Hey, hey."
However, just as Estio was about to open her mouth, a strange sound came from the cactus. There was a moment of silence between the party.
A lively voice ripped through the cold air and resounded through the botanical garden.
「Root hey? Who Roots? maybe me Is that just true?"
Unlike Parker and Jen, the wooden doll, who Ahur was used to talking to, Lina was horribly upset and slapped her butt in the back.
"Wumma!"
Like a shy woman, the cactus had crossed branches and covered her body.
"What is it, what is it? Trying to touch my innocent roots while I'm asleep? This pervert!"
"Rice, pyeon......"
Director Brün froze in front of the talking cactus while twisting his body.
"I'm a pervert."
"...Aren't you usually surprised by other things?"
Only after joining the group, who scratched the cheek awkwardly, pointed out, the director quickly inhaled the breath that had been stopped.
"Heo-eok, come to think of it, the cactus speaks!"
"What you looking at. First time seeing a talking cactus?"
Of course I couldn't see it, but Ahur, who was not in good condition, was at the peak of his harshness.
"Mr. Park."
Director Brün, who was sitting on the floor, was hit in the chest without even thinking of avoiding the branch that was swung menacingly. He was still a small cactus, so it didn't hurt that much, but the thorn pierced the hem of his robe.
"Ahur, stop."
「Ugly.」
Even in the midst of being sensitive, Ahur meekly listened to Estio. Seeing Estio stroking the gentle cactus like a puppy, Director Brün once again put on a bewildered expression.
'Thorn! Aren't you going to get thorns in your hands?'
The sharp thorns pinned to the hem of the headmaster's clothes curled softly like the fur of a young animal under his hand. Instead of the director, who was unable to hide his surprise as a doctor of plants, Estio briefly explained the situation to the waking cactus.
"Your condition looked a little different than usual, so I was asking for a test."
"Is he a doctor?"
"This is Dr. Brun Jaeger, the plant doctor."
"Hooh?"
Director Brün thought that if a cactus had eyes, it would have opened in a circle.
Ahur, whose momentum had softened a little, waved his branches in admiration.
"Wow, it was Dr. Class has arrived."
Fortunately, it didn't look bad. Rather, as if he had a crush on the word doctor, Ahur jumped out of his roots and came closer to the director.
"Are you really a plant doctor?"
Despite the long-awaited opportunity to talk directly with the plant, Brune was unable to move.
'Plants walk by roots!'
The director doubted himself that he was dreaming.
In addition, I used to have conversations with plants that could not speak one-sidedly, but this was the first time I had a conversation like this. I had no idea what to answer, what expression to look for, and where to look.
"Hey, hello? Leaves."
"Uh, uh, huh. Yeah."
The director, who had been kneeling dumbly, noticed a cactus branch with thorns waving in front of him and reacted clumsily. Ahur, satisfied with that alone, gently pulled out the roots from the bottom of the flowerpot and shook it.
"ruler! The roots can be seen under the pot. Isn't it too cruel to pick plants?"
Director Brün accidentally touched the root. The roots of the cactus were so strong that you could feel the liveliness even with your fingertips.
"Healthy, very."
"I'm tickled by a child."
As soon as Ahur was examined, the root was pulled from the director's hand.
"Did you see it? I'm strong enough to not catch a cold since I was born. I'm worried."
'...Cactus don't usually catch colds, don't they?'
The cactus, who made everyone present have the same question, was proud of herself.
"I'm just a little sleepy."
"Are you sleepy? Since when?"
"Oh, I don't know."
The director, startled by the reply full of annoyance, opened his mouth again with a cough.
"Heh heh. Honey, I'm just asking, do you know how old you are?"
"It's squishy, squishy. You must have treated me like a bastard who couldn't even count his age!"
"Oh, no, I don't mean that."
Estio, who was looking down at the courageous cactus, suddenly opened his mouth.
"Ahur, how old are you?"
"Heh heh. Two hundred jab."
I pretended to be cute as much as possible, but no one looked cute.
Joining Parker looked up and down Ahur with questionable eyes.
"Hey, that's ridiculous. Cactus lived two hundred years?"
"Oh, why don't you believe me? To be honest, it's even better than that. It has only been two hundred years since I became independent."
Ahur whined, saying that he was the youngest among the people he belonged to, but that he was a high-quality cactus older than most humans.
A word came out of the mouth of Director Brün, who was seriously listening to the cactus's cries.
"'Giant Acuminata'!"
"Yes? What is that?"
"A large and beautiful desert flower that is said to produce seedlings that grow up to a thousand years and bear the fruit of a land fairy after they are fully grown."
Excitedly, the director said that, then turned to Estio and grabbed his shoulder.
"My God. Leader, that child is a known rare plant that has long gone extinct."
「What? why extinction? Are all of your mother and relatives living in your hometown?"
Ahur countered, shaking his branches. Director Brün opened his mouth when he learned the surprising truth about the 'Giant Acuminata', which is said to have been extinct for hundreds of years.
"I can't!"
"I didn't want to be caught by humans, so I just hid in the ground. Ugh, no matter how weak a plant I am. Family swearing is too much. Apologize right now!"
"I'm sorry. No, I'm sorry! Ahur-sama."
The director started being respectful at all. He was much older, and he couldn't treat a cactus with an ego equal to that of a human being.
"It seems that Ahur-sama is not feeling well right now because of the sleeping phase that comes during the growing season. This is the first time I've seen Giant Acuminata in person, so I can't be sure, but uh-huh."
"How long are you sleeping?"
"For more details, we need to look for more data. Perhaps, a giant accuminata that grows over a thousand years as a young tree has a medium-long sleep period..."
It was clear that the young cactus Ahur was staying with Estio and voluntarily refused to sleep. Hearing that, Estio's dark blue eyes darkened slightly.
"Ahur, did you keep getting sleepy while we were together?"
"No."
Ahur obstinately waved the branch, noticing what Estio was trying to say like a ghost.
"This is the botanical garden at the guild headquarters. I will have to move around continuously when I receive a quest, so I ask you to take care of it safely. Please rest well until the sleep period is over."
"Shake."
The cactus was adamant. However, Estio opened his mouth again without any blockage.
"If you're uneasy here, you can ask Hei from Ryong. Mubin is a strong person..."
"Am I uncomfortable?"
"......"
It was indeed an amazing fastball like Ahur. Estio, who was speechless, shook his head.
"No. Just."
"Estio."
Ahur interrupted him again. It was the first rebellion of the cactus, who was always quiet in front of Estio.
"I don't want to sleep. I don't like it. I will never sleep."
The cactus spread its arms towards him like a stinging child.
"Because I'm worried about Estio."
