Gladesbale Grove [druid, litrpg, town building, slice of life, cozy]

Rud sipped his tea in the longhouse the next morning. Taz was excited about his new business idea, even if he wasn't getting paid. The mortals never left donations of coin, so the grove never actually made money. Only when the druid went to town did they ever offer to give him money for his wares. But money was useless to them, as the grove provided everything they needed. Major sauntered in just as he was finishing his breakfast, doing that creepy bear-smile thing again.

"Good news, Rud," Major said, sitting on his butt near the table. The only adventurer in the longhouse winced as the bear approached, but let out a sigh of relief. To them, it only sounded like the bear was growling, rather than talking.

"Did you find the source of the biters?" Rud asked.

"No. But we have an idea of what's going on."

Rud narrowed his gaze. If it was too difficult for the spirit animals to figure out within a day, there was something magical afoot. "Cursed items or dungeons," he said.

Major's brow furrowed. "How did you know?"

"Isn't it always cursed items or dungeons?" Rud asked. "But please, tell me."

"Nulsa helped us pinpoint a shroud of magical energy outside of the grove's boundaries. There was another colony of insects influenced by a cursed item. They grew far larger than normal, eventually becoming monsterized."

"Do you need me to seal the cursed item?" Rud asked.

"Yes, if you don't mind. It isn't urgent as the item only gives off a magical field. But we suspect there are more of them littering the area outside of the grove."

So cursed items were coming back to bite Rud in the butt. Well, the insects they were generating were biting the other animals in the grove all over the place. Not just the butt. When he had approached the problem at the start, it seemed like a linear series of events. Looking at it now, it was clear to him the problem had at least two sides. Disease and bugs. It was hard not to wonder if the diseases were also being influenced by cursed items.

Rud finished his tea, feeling the energizing effects flooding through his body. "I've gotta run a bath, then I can seal the object away. Meet ya there."

Major agreed, allowing Rud to head off and start a bath. The lone human adventurer had requested one. That adventurer wasn't alone, but had been sent by his party to request a bath. No one else in the party had the courage to ask something of the Great Spirits. That always made the druid laugh. Filling the bath was easy enough, and he got some more work done on the interconnected springwater delivery system on his way to the logging camp to the east. A few more days of light work and he would have enough of the sprinklers set to install his lightbulb plants.

"Mira!" Rud shouted, bounding over the open field. The cat-woman was standing with her logging crews, directing them on which trees to cut for the day.

The woman smiled back at him, offering a hearty wave. "How are you, little forest spirit?"

Since Rud had improved his magic and skills, the trees were growing larger than ever. When he first arrived, the loggers were content with cutting down smaller trees. That meant they ended up clearcutting a lot of the forested area outside of Gladesbale. The trees the druid now grew were massive, towering into the sky and presenting a challenge for the loggers. That also meant they had to take less trees from the area, making everyone's job easier.

"I'm great. Just sealing away a cursed object," Rud said with a wink. He leaned against his staff. "You know how it goes."

Mira shivered, looking over at her workers. She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. "Keep it down. You're going to scare the loggers."

"Oh. Right. Forgot you guys were afraid of the cursed objects."

"With good reason," Mira said, looking between Rud and her workers nervously. "They're dangerous."

"Not when I seal them away. Okay. My giant bear is here," Rud said, waving at Mira again. "See ya."

With the technique to seal the cursed objects away down pat, Rud only had to go through the motions. The spell, Purification Ritual, required a jug of enchanted river water, a leaf imbued with druidic magic, and twelve acorns or beans. Why beans? Who knows. Mint brought the water and acorns, leaving him to enchant a random leaf from a nearby tree. The druid created a containment building out of a nearby tree, creating all the markings on the outside to warn away curious mortals.

Thankfully, the ritual was under the umbrella of Healing Magic. Rud had been intimidated by ritual magic from the start, but once he got into it, he found it was very easy. It was just like casting any other spell, only he had to create the magical circles that sealed away the cursed item. Once the item was sealed, he enclosed the tree and hardened the bark so no curious adventurers would pry inside. He relied on their innate fear of the objects and their respect for the grove to keep them out.

"We may have more objects," Major said. "Once we locate where the biters are being enhanced."

"That means the biters we found aren't normal," Rud said with a sigh. "A fact I'm thankful for. Those things are nasty."

"And it can get worse," Major said. "If we don't control their population and purify these objects, we could have wolf-sized biters before long."

Well, it was a good thing they were being so proactive. "Can we get Nulsa on the job today?"

"He already is. No need to worry, little druid," Major said.

Rud breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I've got some work to do, but you know how to find me."

"Absolutely."

"See ya later, Mira!" Rud shouted, waving at the woman before dashing back to the forest. When he shifted into his squirrel form again, he was delighted to see his Shapeshifting Magic skill reach Level 7. That warranted a small dance before he moved on to his next goal for the day.

Today was a day Rud planned to spend expanding the network of tree roots that carried his enchanted spring water. He split his attention and mana between creating planters for his lightbulb plants and expanding the root network. Instead of making the trip on foot, he shifted between his squirrel form and true form, taking the Thicket Travel to reduce travel times. Walking at a mortal's pace would cause this job to take weeks, and his attention was already waning. But it was hard to keep himself from pushing forward, thanks to the inspiring view in Basil's grove.

"I guess we have enough to plant starting at Ban's clearing," Rud said, looking over the long stretch of straight road. It reminded him of the highways back on Earth. Well, except that this road was made from wood and magic.

Heading back to the clearing after a few good hours of making planters and extending his root network, Rud shoved some lightbulb plants into his bag. With a bucket of soil, he attended to the planters closest to Ban. Shaking off the old dirt, he placed the new plants into the pots, pressing the surface down before sprinkling enchanted springwater on top. The plant straightened up in an instant, reaching for the sunlight peeking through the boughs. It then recoiled, sinking down slightly to await the fall of night.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Rud walked along the path, shifting and planting as he went. There was also the matter of the diseased animals and ponds. Instructions had been relayed to the deer to avoid standing water, but it was hard to tell if the other creatures would follow their example. This strained his mana further, even considering the regenerative effects of his staff. It was a battle of planting, growing, healing, and resting. The effect would be worth it, despite the incredible amount of work he was putting in.

Somewhere in the distance, he felt the power of Ban gathering. Although she was constructing a building to help him care for the animals, she hadn't gone to sleep. The effects of her new energy gathering methods were vast, putting into perspective the amount of energy required to maintain a portal to the other groves. Perhaps if the other trees were aware of their efforts, they could stretch their roots out to form a connection. But it was hard to complain when Ban herself had made much progress. Although Rud hadn't made as much headway into his class, he was happy to see her growing by the day.

And Ban wasn't the only one growing. Taz had made amazing strides into his future, as had Dean, Sarya, and Major. Even the mortal adventurers were discovering the fruits of a well-maintained grove. They could now travel to the west, exploring places that were too dangerous before. All because the druid was a dungeon watcher for the area—a dungeon watcher was a profession similar to a fire lookout, of course. Well, that and the roads. Everyone loved a good road.

Returning to the clearing once again, Rud decided on a tea break before figuring out the rest of his day. He was most excited about seeing the lightbulb plants in action tonight. Entering the longhouse, he heated his water and poured himself some delicious tea. The aromatic scent of the brewing tea overpowered the smell of the burning Fairy Peat. With his nose above the freshly poured cup, he inhaled deeply.

"That's the stuff," Rud said with a contented sigh.

"Hey little spirit," a familiar voice said.

Rud turned, realizing he had missed the adventurers sitting at the table. He blinked a few times before he recognized the human man and elven woman.

"Barrow! Oak!" Rud shouted, jumping up onto the table. He nearly spilled his tea.

Barrow was a massive human man with wide shoulders and heavy plate armor. He was scarred from his years as an adventurer, his shaven head displaying more scars. Likely from his most recent adventure to the west. Oak was a lithe elven priestess of some mortal god. She had long red hair and a thin scar on her left cheek. She didn't smile as much as Barrow, but always had an infectiously bubbly personality that always put Rud in a good mood. She was already bouncing in her seat.

"Did you guys go west—again?" Rud asked, jumping on the table. "Or wait, are you heading back? How is Elm doing and what scent are you wearing, Oak. Smells good."

Oak laughed, politely placing her hand over her mouth. "I don't think he realizes we were the one to take advantage of his new bath…"

"He certainly doesn't," Barrow said, nodding in agreement. "We're heading back out."

Rud hopped back, landing in his seat. He placed his elbows onto the counter and leaned in. "Okay. Ya gotta tell me what's in the west. Everyone's always talking about the west like I should care."

Oak and Barrow shared a look. The fighter cleared his throat, trying not to laugh. "Adventuring is about collecting monster parts and selling them, right?"

"Adventuring is about defending the weak," Oak said, narrowing her eyes at the man.

"Well, sure… But we can't defend the weak if we're broke, right?"

"Rud does just fine."

"Ruh-roh. Marital dispute," Rud said, pushing away from the table. "I just remembered I left my… goldfish on fire."

"I'll answer your question, you silly spirit," Barrows said. "Keeping dungeons at bay is our job. We make money doing the job. In this area, the dungeons can be claimed by the local town, meaning we have trouble getting in."

"Also, when a dungeon overflows, the monsters go all over the place," Oak said, nodding along to both Barrow's words and her own. "The west is untouched, giving us access to both. Not only do we help people and make money, but we also increase our skills. Which increases our level and rank."

"I mean, that's fair," Rud said, finally returning to his seat. "Guess you have to go where you can get skills, huh?"

"Most people wouldn't make the trip without a healer," Barrow said, patting Oak on the shoulder. "Which is why we have her."

"Even if you're lacking Elm," Rud pointed out.

"I blame you for that, you know," Oak said, pointing an accusatory finger at Rud. "She's been buried so deep in her research after you gave her the enchanted ingots."

"You're not wrong," Rud said, doing a less-impressive pose than normal. But Elm was a big girl. She could make her own decisions. The druid didn't see the point of doing so much adventuring, but only because he didn't have the constitution for it. "Any feedback on the road?"

"The road has a boon," Barrow said. He let out a contented sigh. "When we leave the road, it is misery afterwards. But when coming back from the field, nothing brings me greater comfort than entering the grove."

Once the mortals ducked into the grove, they were safe. Mint alone was enough to deal with almost any threat. Combined with Ban, the adventurers were very safe after they were within the boundaries. And the road was almost completely level, not on a grade, and had minimal turns. It was far better than walking on the ground. If only the adventures would bring along their beasts of burden. Rud was close to getting his animal husbandry building. He would be happy to take care of some giant badgers.

"Hey! What do you guys use to draw your carts?" Rud asked, leaning in over the table again. He calmed down, sitting back to sip his tea. As casual as possible.

"Horses," Barrow said.

"Oh. Lame." Rud folded his arms.

"And donkeys," Oak said as though that would make things better.

"Well, donkeys are cute… I heard the dwarves use giant badgers."

"Of course they do. But badgers don't like being above ground." Oak tilted her head to one side. "I think the elven empire uses something else. I've never been and you can't trust the stories."

"Unicorns?" Rud asked.

"Uni-what?" Barrow asked.

"Lame again. Anyway, we got some goats now. Want some milk?" Rud asked. "We can't figure out how to make cheese."

"I have sampled the milk already," Oak said with eager nodding. She raised her cup of tea. "Very delicious."

"Hmmm, yes. Cheese would be nice…" Barrow trailed off, lost in cheesy thoughts.

But there would be no cheese today or tomorrow. Not until Rud figured out how to turn their goat milk into cheese. Barrow and Oak had some lighter stuff to chat about, and the druid wouldn't deny he had fun engaging. While it was faint, he could feel his Custodianship skill growing. They were guests in the grove, after all. No matter how small the contribution, he was helping them feel comfortable. Taz came to eat dinner eventually, dishing out bowls of soup for everyone. Rud barely noticed the time passing from mid-afternoon to evening.

"Oh!" Rud jumped up from his chair, knocking his bowl of soup over. Sarya was there to lap it up from the ground. "We gotta go see this stuff!"

Rud didn't wait for the others to follow him. He dashed out into Ban's clearing, scampering off toward the path heading to the east. The sun was dropping onto the horizon, casting the forest in shades of pale orange. The light that filtered through the trees was rendered as specks of light on the ground, dancing as though bright stars on a dirt-strewn sky. He waited with anticipation as the others caught up, all waiting to see what he was talking about. They asked their questions, and he refused to answer.

"Just watch," Rud said, bouncing up and down with excitement. "Gonna be worth it. I promise."

Those orange dots faded until the night insects came out to sing. The stars shone in the sky above—barely visible through the dense boughs overhead. An errant breeze blew from the north, bringing with it the scent of fires from the rental houses.

"I think our little spirit has lost it," Barrow said, patting Rud on the head.

"Maybe they need a few days to expand their roots or something," Rud said, scratching his head. But the lightbulb plants looked fine.

"What is it?" Oak asked, bending low to match his eyeline. "I just don't see it."

Rud gasped, watching as the nearest of the plants opened up. Oak's mouth fell open when the orb of light rose into the air, hovering a few feet from the plant itself. After the first plant bloomed, the others followed suit. Before long the road's border was lined with many glowing lights, all bobbing up and down in the air. They shone with different colors, casting long shadows across the walkway.

"Wow. That's magical," Barrow said, looking on in bewilderment. "I've never seen a plant like that."

"Elm would kill to see such a plant," Oak said. "Best if we don't tell her."

The light of the plants glittered in Rud's eyes. Yeah, the project wasn't done by a longshot. He didn't even have all of the eastern path done, and he still had the three other cardinal directions to do. But from where he stood near the start of that road, it looked pretty good.