We walk around near the house while checking the roadside trees, and I see Ririi up ahead hopping while looking up at a tree and yelling.
“Daddy! Ririh doesn’t see any berries in this tree!”
“I see. Then on to the next one.”
“Yes!”
She says as she runs to the next tree, and when she gets there, she also checks it by looking up. And this one…
“Ah! Something’s there!”
“Oh…”
Ririi hugs the tree and points up. This tree looks to be decades old and is pretty big, so it doesn’t budge when Ririi holds it. I walk towards her while wondering what she’s up to, and see her trying to climb the tree by using the gaps in the tree bark.
“Wai… Ririi wait wait!”
She can’t quite hang on, so she’s basically just kicking the tree. And more importantly, even if she could find good footing, she doesn’t have anywhere to hang on to with her hands, so it’s dangerous.
As soon as I see what she’s doing, I start running.
“…Ririh can’t climb…! Ohyo?”
She’s spreading her arms and legs as wide as she can to try to hang on to the tree, until I hold her from behind and put her on my shoulders. She’s excited about sitting on my shoulders for the first time in a while, and lets out a triumphant yell.
“Uoh! Up up!”
“Can you get the berries like this?”
If I jump as high as I can, she should be able to get them from drooping branches. Well, it doesn’t look like the height will be a problem, but…
“Ho! Yah!”
I feel an impact on my shoulders, but the position we’re in means I can’t see what’s happening up there. I can hear the sound of branches moving, so I guess she’s touching them.
After relaxing for a bit with this spontaneous shoulder massage, I hear a noise, and Ririi pitches back. I immediately hold her legs to stop her from falling.
“Got the berry! Daddy look!”
Ririi brings her hand close to my face, and I see a thin branch in her tiny hand, with a green berry on its tip.
“Ooh, good one Ririi.”
I reach up to pat her head, and she realizes what I’m doing, so she brings her head closer to it. I pat it without hesitation, and hear a pleased sound coming from her.
“Hehehe… Did Ririh do good?”
“Of course. Good girl, Ririi.”
“Hihihih…”
She waves the branch around, sounding happy. I’m just glad she’s growing up full of energy.
We go around to a few more trees, and by the time the sun is setting, her pockets and hands are full of berries. I don’t know how much a slime eats, but this should last at least a week.
“Lots~ Of berries~~ Lots of berries~♪”
I head home with the sun setting behind me, and a happy Ririi on my shoulders holding a lot of berries. She’s singing a weird song with the only lyrics being ‘berries’ and ‘lots’.
And then…
“Weiss. And Ririi too. What are you up to?”
We happen by Sieglinde on the side of the road. She has a quizzical look on her face, as she sees Ririi with branches on both hands.
Judging by what she’s wearing, I’d say Sieglinde just got off work. She has her heavy ministry of magic uniform on, and looks tired.
“Miss Sieglinde!”
“What are you doing, Sieglinde?”
I ask, but I can guess. She’s walking in the same direction as us, and the Floyd mansion is in the opposite direction, so…
“I was on my way to your place.”
“That’s what I figured.”
Her visits are pretty much part of our daily routine now. It makes me feel like it’d be easier if she just lived there at this point, but it’d probably be hard, because of her strict family. Apparently there was a time when she wanted to live on her own, and they were fiercely against it.
“So, what are you two doing? You seem to be in a very good mood.”
“Hum, harvesting berries!”
“Berries… Is that a school assignment or something?”
“Kind of. Apparently Miss Esmeralda hasn’t changed a bit.”
“Miss Esmeralda? Did she do something already?”
I can see her eyes are oozing with worry. Every employee in the magic school is affiliated with the ministry of magic, so if a teacher does something, the responsibility could very well fall on them. No wonder she feels uneasy.
“Don’t worry, no one’s going after you for that. For now at least…”
“That way of talking just makes me more worried…”
“M-Miss Esmeralda’s not bad! Ririh said she wanted to keep it!”
Ririi starts talking loudly above my head, and the branches she’s slapping on it prickle.
“Wanted to keep it…? How about you tell me more about it inside?”
We put that conversation on hold, because we’ve just reached our home. I can’t wait to see how Sieglinde reacts when she hears about it.
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