Chapter 21: Let’s Purify the Ground.

　Not caring if her clothes got dirty, Hirune buries her arms in the ground.

(Omitting scriptures– Holy magic of detection–!)

　Stardust flew out from Hirune’s entire body.

　The holy magic to grasp the location of the miasma was exercised, and a strong miasma reaction was reflected in Hirune’s brain.

(Wow, ……, there’s a huge chunk of miasma. And there are several of them. If we don’t purify them, the orchard will never recover. ……!)

　The ground is dotted with miasma blocks, about the size of a carriage.

“Ok.”

　Hirune decided to try to purify the nearby miasma core. 

　This was the first time she had ever tried to purify miasma in the ground.

　Hirune thought of the explorers she had seen on TV in her previous life, and formulated her magic power.

(Plunging into the ground with holy magic — purification!)

　An oversized magic circle unfolded around Hirune, and a dazzling light shone like a spotlight on a stage.

“Hirune!”

“Hirune-sama?”

“Hyah!”

　Holly and Jeanne narrowed their eyes, and the old man farmer fell back on his butt in surprise.

(Imagine purification magic for underground–more magic–)

　 Hirune injects magic power with great enthusiasm.

　The stardust erupted into pieces, then it gathered together, and ten mini-hirune wearing safari hats appeared.

　The mini-Hirune’s saluted and disappeared into the earth, leaving behind a residue of stardust.

　About one mini-hirune yawned loudly, sat down on the hoe that the old man had thrown away in surprise, and began to slump down. It looked as if it were about to fall asleep.

“……”

(Is it because It’s the captain that It must get skipped over every time ……?)

　While thinking that, Hirune maintained the magic with her hands still in the soil.

“Hirune? Don’t use holy magic without explanation!”

“Hirune-sama!”

　Holly and Jeanne rushed over to see the glow of the magic circle. 

“Saint, is this ……?”

　　The old man farmer was sitting on his butt with his mouth open.

“There’s a clump of miasma under the ground, and it’s the main cause of the miasma on the ground.”

　 Hirune looked at Holly and Jeanne, they looked at the ground in surprise.

“If we don’t get rid of the main, the miasma will keep coming back. I’m sure it’ll contaminate the area that Holly worked so hard to purify. Let’s eliminate the source of the evil!”

(Crush the roots and we’re good to go, right?)

“underground? No way. ……”

　Holly was shocked and bit her teeth in frustration as she looked at the ground.

　Hirune smiled at Holly.

“You have to help me, Holly. I think the miasma will probably escape from the ground.”

　When Hirune said that much, the ground rose up like an explosion, and sparkling stardust spewed out like a fountain.

“Wow!”

( It’s like a hot spring!)

“Yikes!”

“Hirune-sama!”

　Holly shook her shoulders and Jeanne shielded Hirune from the soil.

　The ground was very wet, and the soil was quite moist.

“Thank you, Jeanne. I’m fine.”

“I’m glad. Do you think you can get rid of the miasma?”

“Yes, I’m still a great saint, so I’m pretty sure I can do it.”

　Jeanne nodded her head with a smile and stood behind Hirune.

　She seemed to be planning to stay close by and watch until the end.

　In the meantime, stardust erupted like a fountain all over the orchard, and the soil jumped up from the impact. It seemed that the miasma was rolling around in the ground, trying to escape from the purification process, like a large fish being caught in a net.

“Holly, the miasma is trying to escape!”

　Hirune shouted with her hands still in the soil.

In the direction she was looking, there was a black haze-like miasma floating in the air.

　The miasma that had failed to be purified was coming out of the ground and trying to gather.

“So that’s what you meant by help!”

　Holly immediately recited a scripture and cast a spell, “Purify!”.

　 The stardust fluttered and the miasma disappeared.

“You did it, Holly!”

“Go ahead and purify the rest! I’ll take care of the ground!”

　Holly took out her wand from the sleeve of her saint’s dress and held it at the ready.

　It was a special wand exclusively for Holly to enhance her magical powers.

“Wow Holly, you want to eat the fruit that badly. ……”

“No, I don’t! Don’t say anything strange.”

　Holly exclaims, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” as she lets her holy magic fly.

“I know.”

　Hirune mumbled with a smile.

(Holly’s a sweet girl. ……)

“Soldiers! Please defend the orchard and the entrance to the village, prevent any miasma from spreading to the village!”

　Holly instructed the soldiers guarding her, and they all nodded, drew their swords, sprinkled holy water, and ran off.

(Hmm …… is this area ok?)

　Hirume pulled her hands out of the soil and turned to face the old man who was on his butt.

“Grandpa, may I have your cooperation with the purification?”

“Help?”

“Yes. Next, I’d like to do the …… purification from that side. Please dig up the soil with a hoe. We’ll get the orchard back together.”

　Hirune pointed to the back of the orchard.

　The old man’s bewildered expression changed to a smile, and he stood up, slapping his knee.

“Leave it to me! Let’s go!”

　The old man gladly picked up the hoe and started running.

　Then, the slacker mini-hirune who was rowing the boat on the hoe was thrown off and fell against the sugar muscat sapling with a plop. The stardust safari hat that she was wearing fell down. The mini-hirune made a stardust nose ring and started to doze off.

“We should go, too.”

　With a bang and a whack of stardust and dirt, the Hirune and the others moved on.

　 The old man dug up the soil with tremendous vigor saying, “Oh, we’re going to revive the orchard!”

“Oh, that’s fine….slow down, You’ll get tired later.”

“Ok!”

　The old man lowered the hoe.

“I think I’m going to take a nap.”

　Hirune yawned and put her hands in the soil.

“I can’t let a speck of dirt get on you. As your personal maid!”

　Jeanne took off her apron and spread it out with both hands.

　She seemed to be trying to guard against the flying dirt.

“It’s not fair that you’re hiding in the soil. How dare you embarrass me. ……!”

　Holly smiles wickedly and holds up her staff.

“Here we go…..purification!”

　As Hirune exercised her holy magic, a magic circle spread out.

　　　　　

　　　　　　()

　After that, they repeated the process of digging a hole and purifying the ground.

　 When they started, Hirune was optimistic that this would be over soon, but by the time they had purified the entire orchard, the sun was about to set.

“I’m hungry …… and sleepy …….”

(I worked on the purification process from before noon till  evening …… black ……)

　 Perhaps it was because of her previous life as a working woman, but Hirune felt like she couldn’t leave until it was over.

(Why didn’t I just take a break or something?)

　It was the first time she had regrets.

　Looking around the orchard, the miasma had disappeared.

　Normal air was flowing.

　Hirune sat down on a fallen tree, which was just the right height.

“I want to eat …… and take a bath …… and sleep …….”

“I agree …… I’m hungry too ……”

　Holly sat down next to Hirune, moving slowly, she was tired too.

“I’m sorry, Hirune-sama. You ended up covered in mud.”

　Jeanne was guarding against the flying soil with her spread apron, but she lost to the quantity of it.

　The three of them were covered in mud like battered croquettes.

“I’ll do my best next time!”

　Jeanne clenched her fists.

“Jeanne is doing just fine. ……”

“Your physical energy is strange.”

“Please share your energy with me, maid. ……”

　Hirune, Holly, and the old man sitting exhausted, said.

　Jeanne blushed and moved her hands in a flurry.

“I don’t think that’s the case. I get tired too …… Huh? not that much actually.”

　Jeanne chuckled as she realized that she was tireless.

“I’m glad you’re doing well. Oh yeah. Could you get me a drink from the village? I’m really thirsty.”

“Got it!”

　Jeanne nodded then ran off.

　A few seconds later, Jeanne came back with something big in her hands, shouting “Hiii-Ruuu-Nee- sama!”