Her tone shifted slightly, almost like she was explaining something to a particularly slow child. It was something that I didn't appreciate, however, not something I could stop.
Truly, this wasn't my brightest of moments. However, the only person I can confide to and ask for information in this world without sounding anything remotely suspicious was Green.
"And when the system says you can now find it in the Inner System Shop, it most likely means the sapling has been upgraded in some way and is now being sold alongside the crops you've previously purchased, your corn, your apples, and so on."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "…So basically, the system took my very normal sapling, gave it a shiny coat of paint, and is now reselling it to me like it's a luxury item?"
"An improved luxury item," Green corrected primly.
I wasn't sure if I should be impressed or mildly offended.
I tilted my head to the side, trying to make sense of it all. "Wait… why can't the system just convert the other saplings I added too? Wouldn't that be better? That way I wouldn't have to waste coins buying something I already brought in from outside," I said, my tone somewhere between reasonable logic and mild complaint.
Even though I couldn't see her, I could practically feel Green shaking her head at me. In my mind's eye, I imagined her tiny arms crossed, wings fluttering in exasperation.
"You only have yourself to blame for that, Master. Your level is too low, even if the system wanted to help you, it can only do so much," Green said matter-of-factly.
Then her voice softened, almost hesitating. "To be honest… it's actually quite a lucky streak that the system even converted one sapling for you, instead of just listing it in the shop and making you buy it outright. I was certain it was far too ordinary for the system's standards."
I blinked. "…So you're saying it could've just ignored me completely?"
"Mhm," she hummed. "Normally, the system wouldn't bother rewarding something this plain. But it seems like the system still had a little energy to spare, and decided to indulge you. Think of it as a small mercy, Master."
"A mercy," I repeated dryly, "for picking up sticks."
"Exactly," she said brightly, entirely unbothered by my tone.
I sighed at Green's words, narrowing my eyes even though she couldn't see me. "Are you mocking me?" I asked, my voice somewhere between suspicion and mild ire.
She gasped, far too theatrically to be genuine. "No, no, don't misunderstand, Master. I truly am surprised."
I should be the bigger person, but I'm like 8 and I don't know how old this fairy is anyways.
"In any case," she continued smoothly, as if my doubt didn't matter, "you should continue foraging. The Qi of nature here is unusually abundant. I can feel it pulsing through the roots and leaves of this mountain. With such richness, I have no doubt it has already birthed a few spirits of its own."
Her words made me pause, glancing deeper into the forest.
The idea of spirits, hm, how truly intriguing.
In the future, if I have the materials, I should probably keep a notebook for my thoughts. It would probably serve me well.
My eyes roamed the forest floor as I walked, scanning the damp patches where fallen leaves stuck to the soil like wet parchment.
Mushrooms liked those places. Soft, shaded, and rich with decay—so I kept my gaze low, half-hoping to spot a few worth taking.
"What are you even talking about, Green?" I asked absently, nudging a rotting log aside with my foot to peek underneath. "What spirits? Isn't this just a normal mountain?"
I could almost hear her inhale.
Maybe it was because I hadn't gone deep enough into the forest yet (I could still see the shrubs I'd pushed through earlier)that there wasn't anything particularly worthwhile to find.
Fallen leaves, moss, and the occasional stubborn weed, but nothing that made me feel like I'd stumbled across hidden treasure.
"To the people of this world, it is indeed a normal mountain," Green shot back, her voice carrying that faint, knowing lilt she used when she thought I was being short-sighted. "However… for you, it surely isn't."
I raised a brow at her tone, but she didn't elaborate, leaving her words to hang in the air like bait on a hook.
Well alright miss fisher.
I pursed my lips, begrudgingly admitting, though I'd never say it aloud, that she was right.
My mindset needed to adjust to this world, not the other way around. There was no point in clinging to modern sensibilities when magic and monsters were apparently as common here as stray cats in an alley.
Denying the supernatural in a place like this was like insisting rain wasn't wet.
"Alright, enough of that," I muttered, waving a hand as if physically shooing away the thought.
"I promised my mother I'd gather enough sticks for firewood, so I'll do just that.""
I bent down and began collecting whatever looked burnable, branches as long as my arm, twigs as thin as my fingers, and the occasional stubborn stick that seemed determined to stay embedded in the dirt like it had sworn loyalty to the ground.
Some were dry and perfect, others still damp enough to squelch when I picked them up, which I tossed aside with prejudice.
At one point, I even found a stick shaped vaguely like a sword hilt and gave it a dramatic twirl before adding it to the pile. "Behold," I whispered, "the legendary Firewood Blade."
"Master…" Green's voice sounded suspiciously like it was suppressing laughter.
"What?"
She sighed. "At least your creativity is improving."
By the time I had an armful, I smelled faintly of damp bark and forest earth, and my hands were coated with a respectable layer of leaf dust. I tossed it to the system's dimension.