Kammi!
Ku!

　Just after crossing the log bridge, I saw a tree with red berries.
　The berries were about the size of a ping-pong ball, and their red rind was shiny and shiny, and looked quite delicious.

　Yoru and Kuu seemed to have learned that the round ones on the branch were sweeter, probably because of the green tangerine. 　
　Their eyes changed color, and before they could stop themselves, they jumped on the tree.

　They jumped up and plucked the fruit, and nibbled on it while drooling.
　Then, after moving their mouths, they squeezed their eyes shut and squeezed their mouths cutely.

"Mmm!
"Yuck!

　Apparently, it was sour.
　They flailed their arms and legs for a while, but when they seemed to calm down, they took another bite of the fruit.
　Yoru and Kuu frowned again.
　But if you look closely, you can see that their mouths are wide open.

"You like it? ......

　The two of them, unconcerned about me rushing over to them in concern, began to chew the fruit with great effort, making a crunching sound.
　Their cheeks are puffed up like a squirrel's after storing nuts.
　They seem to have been so engrossed in the fruit that they have taken the whole thing into their mouths.

Don't be too hasty. Don't panic, you'll choke on it.

　I called out to him, but he didn't seem to hear me.
　The two animals sat on the ground with happy faces, biting into the fruit mindlessly.

This is a bean apple tree, isn't it? This is a bean apple tree. The only fruit that grows at this time of year is .......

　I looked up at the tree swaying with its red fruit, as Mr. Etan, who had been standing nearby, said.
　If you ask me, each fruit looks just like a small apple.

　In the previous world, I think they were called club apples or small apples.
　The fruits are smaller and more acidic than normal apples, but they are also popular here for processing into jams and juices.

I remember when we used to go to the forest to pick apples. Yes, it tastes so good!

　Mia reached out and plucked a red berry, and without hesitation, put it in her mouth.
　Then she pursed her lips happily.

　Just to be sure, I picked one myself and collected it in the item list.
　It is labeled only as a bean apple, without any suspicious adjectives such as poisonous or rotten.

　I also take a bite.
　After a good elasticity that pushes back my teeth, a sourness with a sweetness spreads in my mouth at once.
　My lips reflexively tense up, but upon closer inspection, the sourness is not that strong.

　When I chewed the pulp, I felt a gentle sweetness.
　The sour but fresh juice and the slightly sweet pulp seem to complement each other.
　After all the walking, it's really good.

Yes, it's a bean apple. But then, ......


Yeah, that's a lot of trees. ......

　On the north side, there is a gentle slope toward the back wall, and here and there on the hill are trees bearing red fruits.
　At a quick glance, there are probably about fifty of them.

...... is a treasure trove.
But you'd have to be pretty determined to get close to them.

　As Mr. Etan pointed out, there were a lot of demons flying around among the lush green apple trees.
　They were so far away that I couldn't say for sure, but they looked to be about twenty or thirty centimeters long.
　Its thorax, with its four quivering wings, and its abdomen, with its sharp needles, were painted in the warning colors of yellow and black.

　The hills of the tenth floor were home to a swarm of army bees.
　Their venomous stingers are a nuisance, but a single bee is not so powerful.

　However, like the big-eyed moth, the violence of numbers is not to be underestimated. 　
　Just imagining being attacked by them with their special is terrifying.

"Well, if you have a demon repellent, I don't think they'll come near you.

　As I said this, I touched the branch of the bean apple.
　I had been tearing off the fruit one by one and handing it to Yoru and Kuu, but it was becoming too much trouble.
　Just as he was about to collect them all, a voice sharply stopped him.

"Sir, please wait!

　Paula's voice was a step too late.
　In an instant, the red fruit covering the bean apple tree disappeared and was stored in a special space.

　At the same time, the black and yellow stripes clinging to the branches emerged from the gap between the treetops.
　Apparently, a bee was secretly taking a rest.

　The bee moved its head this way and that, as if startled by the sudden disappearance of the bean apple fruit.
　Then, for some reason, it saw me as the culprit and jumped up in the air, lifted its abdomen and shot out its poisonous stinger.
　Perhaps it was the fact that I was wearing a black robe that made me look bad.

　Before I could blink, a sharp white shape came at me.
　But just before it hits me, something black extends and brushes it off in the nick of time.
　A second later, a dumb voice escaped from my mouth.

"What?

　Just as I realized that it was Paula's whip that had saved me, the bee stinger that had been flicked came spinning down.
　It stung the back of my hand.

"Yes!
"You!

　In the next moment, Yoru and Kuu jumped up several meters high and punched and kicked the bee's body with all their might.
　In the next instant, Yeol and Kuu jumped up several meters high and punched and kicked the bee with all their might. In addition, Etan's arrow pierced the joint between its head and chest.

　I watched in pain as the bee was quickly torn apart.

"Are you okay, Sensei?　You're stinging me so bad!
Sir, get the poison out of here!

　While the two of us panicked, Mr. Etan quickly removed the needle from the back of my hand.
　He then removed my leather gloves as if he were plucking them off.

First, let's cool it down. The bee venom will cause swelling, but it shouldn't be too strong.


Does it hurt?　I'm sorry. If only I'd known a little sooner. ......
No, you've done enough. If I hadn't, I would have stabbed myself roughly in the chest.

　Reassuring Paula, he slowly closed and extended his finger several times.
　It seems to move normally and there is no sign of swelling.
　Well, the part that got stuck is still bleeding and hurts.

"Ta-da!
Ow!

　The dull silver glow of my fingers made me realize the reason why the poison hadn't worked.

"I see. So it's because of the poison resistance ring.

　The tension in Paula's face disappears, as if relieved by my words.
　But her face instantly turned stern again.

"You, take that!

　I pointed to the sight of a large number of black and yellow stripes coming towards me.
　I turned my back to them and shouted at the top of my lungs, "Run!

"Run!