Chapter 80: The Day the Unicorn Came to Dinner

Poof!

Puu poked its head out onto the surface.

Chirp chirp.

“Puu?”

It tilted its head at the clear birdsong coming from somewhere.

Small birds were chirping in the trees above.

Around this time of year, the number of visitors to the Floating Island increased significantly.

It was because flying creatures migrating south for the winter stopped by the Floating Island for a brief rest.

“Puu!”

Puu, who had been looking around, spotted a wild carrot and quickly hopped over.

Boing boing!

The moment it tried to grab the carrot.

Swoosh.

A huge shadow appeared from above, pulled out the carrot, and started crunching it in its mouth.

A pure white horse. 

With a twisted, silver single horn on its head.

It was a unicorn, a mythical creature that runs across the clouds.

It was the size of a pony, but compared to Puu, it was enormous.

“Puu! Puu!”

Puu jumped up and down, protesting to the unicorn.

Flinch.

“Corn?”

Only then did the unicorn notice Puu and step back in surprise.

Puu wouldn’t be a threat to the unicorn, but it was startled by the unfamiliar creature.

“Puu! Puu!”

“Cooon.”

The unicorn calmed its startled heart and turned away.

Puu jumped up and down, angry about the stolen carrot, but the unicorn didn’t care.

“Corn!”

The unicorn spotted another carrot and quickly ran over.

Crunch crunch.

The unicorn inhabits areas where it runs across the clouds and crosses high mountain peaks.

Today, it had wandered into the Floating Island by chance.

The Floating Island was originally a barren land with nothing to eat, but this year was different.

The fields were lush and green, and a massive tree stood tall.

Especially the wild carrots visible everywhere were to its liking. 

They were among the tastiest it had ever eaten.

“Cooon.”

It had already roamed the Floating Island and eaten over ten carrots, but it wasn’t enough.

It hurried its steps to eat more carrots.

“Corn!”

Sparkle sparkle.

The unicorn’s glistening eyes fixed on one spot.

It was a vegetable garden.

The garden was packed with various crops, including fresh carrots.

Step step.

As the unicorn approached the field.

Creak—

Suddenly, the scarecrow in the field moved.

Hesitate.

The unicorn stopped at the sight of the scarecrow shaped just like a human.

“Cooon?”

The unicorn stepped back. Why was there a trace of humans on the Floating Island?

The unicorn was wary of humans. 

Because they always charged at it upon sight.

Drool.

But saliva dripped down.

It felt a great regret to turn away from the bountiful field.

To the unicorn, the field was no different from a feast laid out.

Step step.

As it turned away with reluctant steps.

“Corn!”

The unicorn’s eyes caught sight of the Ice Cave. Because a fresh vegetable scent wafted strongly from there.

Dash dash dash.

The unicorn ran toward the Ice Cave.

The entrance was a bit narrow, but it wasn’t difficult for the small-bodied unicorn to pass through.

Shiver.

Its body trembled from the cold air inside the cave.

“Coooorn!”

But upon seeing the abundant vegetables filling the cave, it completely forgot about the cold.

Crunch crunch.

The unicorn began devouring the vegetables greedily.

***

“Yaaawn! I slept well.”

I stretched out long.

Today, I woke up a bit leisurely to greet the morning.

With the weather getting colder, I feel sleepier.

“Maybe I should hibernate this time around?”

With the scales I received from Chief Balbo, I bought goods at the beastkin village market. 

Thanks to that, the house became even more comfortable.

I changed to a cozy carpet and blanket, and there’s plenty of food.

It seems fine to roll around in bed all winter.

“Puu! Puu!”

Puu was knocking on the door in front of the house.

“What’s going on?”

I got up from the bed and opened the door.

“Puu, what’s the matter so early in the morning?”

“Puu! Puu!”

Puu jumped up and down, pointing to the Ice Cave with its short hand.

“What’s with the Ice Cave?”

Step step.

I walked to the Ice Cave.

What on earth happened in the Ice Cave?

I casually ducked my head to look inside the cave.

Flinch.

My eyes met something flinching inside the cave.

“Wh-what?”

Bang!

I was so startled that I hit my head on the cave entrance as I lifted it.

“Ow, my head!”

I quickly came out and clutched my head with both hands. 

It was throbbing.

As the pain subsided a bit, I was enveloped in fear again.

“Wh-what the heck is that?”

“Why are you making such a fuss?”

Elenia flew over to me.

“S-something’s in the cave!”

“Hmm? Isn’t it a new creature of the Floating Island, like Puu?”

“I-is it?”

Ding.

[It is not a creature of the Floating Island.]

“What? It’s not a creature of the Floating Island?”

If it’s not a creature of the Floating Island, I can’t access the ‘Floating Island Creature Guide.’

“Huh? Then it means it came from outside.”

“Outside? Then shouldn’t you have known in advance?”

“Ahem, it’s migratory bird season lately, so I turned off the alerts.”

“What? Isn’t that neglecting your duties? You’re the guardian.”

“I need to sleep too, don’t I? I can’t sleep with it constantly ding dinging.”

“Anyway, so this guy came from outside the Floating Island?”

I slightly poked my head into the Ice Cave.

Flinch.

Something flinched in the darkness. It seemed like something was sparkling.

It was hard to make out because the inside of the cave was much darker than outside.

“It doesn’t seem like a bird.”

“Puu. Do you know anything?”

“Puu! Puu!”

“Carrot? It ate your carrot?”

“Puu!”

Puu stomped the ground angrily.

Only then did I understand why it went into the Ice Cave.

“If it’s an animal that eats vegetables, it probably isn’t that dangerous.”

I poked my face into the Ice Cave again.

Flinch.

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay in the cave too long.”

I tried talking, but there was no response.

It seemed very wary.

“Puu, can you go in instead?”

“Puu!”

“I understand you’re angry. Instead, I’ll make you vegetable stir-fry today.”

“Puu?”

Puu’s eyes sparkled. Vegetable stir-fry, Puu’s favorite.

“Puu!”

“Then, I’m counting on you.”

Boing boing.

Puu boldly entered the Ice Cave.

I waited quietly outside for the situation.

“Puu!”

“…Cooon?”

“Puu puu!”

“Co, cooon?”

Something like a heated discussion was happening inside the cave. 

The sounds echoed, so it wasn’t clear.

“Puu!”

“Corn.”

It seemed the talk went well.

Boing boing.

Puu came out of the cave first.

“Did the talk go well?”

“Puu!”

Step step.

Soon after, a white object walked out from inside the cave.

“…Th-that’s?!”

“It’s a unicorn! A unicorn came to the Floating Island!”

Elenia seemed surprised too.

“Wow….”

To think I’d see a unicorn, which I’d only heard about in childhood fairy tales, right in front of me.

The pure white fur and the silver-shining horn exuded a noble elegance.

But its belly was plump. 

How many vegetables did it eat inside?

“It’s smaller than I thought? Is it a young horse?”

“You can’t judge mythical creatures by appearance.”

“That’s true.”

After all, Elenia looks like that but is a whopping five hundred years old.

“A unicorn.”

There’s almost no known information about unicorns.

However, their horns are powerful magic amplifiers, so mages particularly covet them.

“Hmm?”

Sparkle sparkle.

But from earlier, the unicorn was staring at me intently. 

As if expecting something.

…Why is it doing that?

It was full of wariness earlier.

“Puu, what did you say to the unicorn?”

“Puu!”

“Ah… Ve-vegetable stir-fry?”

Drool.

The unicorn was salivating. It must have been convinced by the mention of vegetable stir-fry.

Since it tasted various vegetables in the cave, it would be easy to persuade with talk of vegetable stir-fry.

Elenia sat on my shoulder and poked my cheek.

“I want vegetable stir-fry too.”

She seemed hungry.

It was past breakfast time.

“Alright. Shall I show off my skills properly?”

Fresh vegetables would be best anyway.

I harvested vegetables from the garden.

Chop chop chop chop.

I chopped carrots, onions, potatoes, broccoli, paprika, and other vegetables into bite-sized pieces,

Sizzle—

Put garlic and soy sauce in a large frying pan and quickly stir-fry the vegetables.

Then, sprinkle some sesame seeds and sesame oil.

“Vegetable stir-fry complete!”

I divided the vegetable stir-fry onto plates.

“Come on, everyone, come and eat.”

“I’ll enjoy it!”

Tweet!

“Puu!”

“Mmmuuu!”

They rushed over greedily.

The unicorn was watching from a distance, as if the dining spot was awkward.

“You come here too. No need to be scared.”

“Co, cooon?”

“Come on, hurry.”

I held out the plate to the unicorn.

Step step.

The hesitant unicorn slowly approached.

Then, it sniffed the vegetable stir-fry on the plate,

Crunch crunch.

Grabbed a mouthful and ate it deliciously.

“Cooooorn!”

“There’s more, so tell me if it’s not enough.”

Its belly was already full to bursting, yet it ate well.

It won’t get sick from that, right?

“Then, shall I eat too?”

Munch munch smack smack.

Before I knew it, all that vegetable stir-fry was cleanly eaten.

“Ah, I’m full.”

“…Co, cooon.”

But the unicorn’s complexion didn’t look good.

“Unicorn? Are you okay?”

Fidgety.

The unicorn, who had been looking around, suddenly ran into the forest.

“Oh no….”

I worried if it got sick from the food I made.

At that moment.

Ding.

[The Floating Island’s fertility has greatly increased.]

“Ah….”

It had a good bowel movement? No wonder it ate so much.

Apparently, unicorn dung is also useful fertilizer.

“Pfft!”

I’m relieved it wasn’t sick from the food.

As I sighed in relief.

Ding.

[A new plant has taken root on the Floating Island.]

[The Floating Island’s ecosystem has become even richer.]

“What?!”

I hurriedly moved toward the direction the unicorn ran.

“Huh?”

There, a rainbow-colored, sparkling poop was visible. 

It was clearly the unicorn’s.

But looking around, the unicorn was nowhere to be seen.

“…Did it leave?”

With a full belly, it might have gone back home.

I felt a bit regretful. 

I hope I can see it again someday.

Step step.

I approached the rainbow poop.

Two sprouts were peeking out from between the poop.

“This is….”

Ding.

[Undetermined. It is a plant not registered in the Floating Island Creature Guide.]

“Elenia, take a look at this.”

“It seems the seed from the unicorn’s stomach came out.”

“I don’t know what it is?”

“Hmm… Strange. If it’s a plant I don’t know, it’s not an ordinary one.”

“I can’t recklessly grow it.”

If I grow it carelessly, it might harm the Floating Island.

“Shall we observe it a bit for now?”

I looked at the plant closely.

Perhaps because it was a seed brought by the mythical creature unicorn, the aura it emitted seemed quite extraordinary.

My heart swelled with an inexplicable anticipation.

The Floating Island’s ecosystem was sure to become even more diverse in the future.