vrdant

'We don't hire the Infected as typists. Oh, you can work from home? You promise your efficiency won't be affected? Dream on!'

'Hey, you, keep away from my shop! Don't let me catch you around here again! The quarantine, that's where you belong!'

'Sorry, we can't hire you.'

Alright. I'll leave, then.

'All these straw hats and sandals. You haven't sold a single one?'

'Trust me, I've asked around! No buyers are willing to take them! Tsk... Even the village head is avoiding us now.'

'Maybe we can try at a nomadic city next...'

'That's quite a good idea, actually. I'll head to the market tomorrow and bring with me the premium cotton cloth Mother left behind. Maybe we can get a second-hand cart with it!'

'And take my silver bracelet too! There has to be a way... We have to let him stay. No matter what, he's still our son...'

Maybe I should go. Even if there's no turning back to my old life, I have to pull myself together.

But... where can I go?

Huh?

...God, what a racket.

Fine, I'll go. Stop trying to kick me out! I can survive without you!

'Verdant—'

I know what to do! Just shut up!

Was it a dream...

The grass... is still there.

Eh? There seems to be a new bud sprouting here.

I know some plants will experience a growth spurt when they sense a drastic change in their environment.

Little grass, do you feel safe inside this specimen case?

Hey, Verdant!

Open up! Don't tell me you're still sleeping!

Tucker? Why are you here?

...WHY AM I HERE?!

Oh, please. Didn't you promise to take me to experience plant hunting yesterday?

Wasn't that a joke?

Let's move! Many hands make light work!

We can hit the botanical institute sooner too, right?

Can't believe you're still thinking about that... It doesn't harm to do the identification, I guess.

...Fine, let's do this together.

You aren't helping by leaving your footprints everywhere we've passed by.

Yahoo—

How's that? I can easily jump to the other roof—whoawhoawhoaaahh ohgodhelpmeMum!

Careful!

Phew, that was close. Luckily, it was the tile that fell and not me.

Thanks for catching me, Verdant...? Wait, why is the 'Scarecrow' here?

Unlike you, I'll climb up from the ground.

Don't need to thank the 'Scarecrow'. It probably just didn't want you to cause a ruckus that would alert all the villagers.

Nice work! That's the Verdant I know from school.

You are a working adult now. Can't you be more tolerant of your friend? How immature!

No dilly-dallying, Tucker. Jump in through that chimney.

What? The chimney?

Yeah.

Wait, shouldn't we knock before going in? Waitwaitwaitwait, why is your 'Scarecrow's' pushing me—

Total silence.

Well?

The 'Scarecrow' caught me. I guess it was a safe landing?

...I didn't scream out loud. That took me a lot of effort, you know!

Good for you. Coming down.

Phew... Can you hear it? My heart's pounding like a sledgehammer!

Can't believe I just reached the 'final chamber' with a plant hunter and had my hands on a 'mysterious ancient seed'!

We just took the target object from an empty hut... Don't exaggerate things.

Well, this isn't as exciting as I imagined it would be!

I mean, where was the sleuthing part? We went in, we grabbed it, we got out... Is that it? Way too easy!

This seed doesn't look rare either...

I think it was left here by the previous agent.

Agent?

Yeah.

Plant hunters don't just handle dangerous missinos There's simple work like this too, which involves collecting an object at a designated location.

...Like a Messenger?

I heard the very first batch of plant hunters were Messengers specializing in international spice trade.

Being a plant hunter doesn't sound cool anymore...

Time to head back to base. I need to debrief with my boss. I hope he won't give me any more assignments.

Tucker, I reminded you to clean your shoes after we stepped through the mud.

Eh? I did. Look, they are as clean as a whistle.

Then, whose footprints are these... Why do they look so similar to the ones near the base?

Can't be...

Eh? Excuse me? Why are you running—

Move! We're running out of time!

From a distance, Verdant spots thick smoke rising from the base.

With all the strength he has, he sprints. The pungent smell of the smoke makes it hard for him to breathe.

The uneasy feelings before have taken form in the fire before his eyes.

Ugh...

Well, look what he's brought us... A surprise!

We've got a packet of square sunflower seeds here! That'll make us a pretty penny!

Enough. Shut it.

Damage all the emergency communicators in the base. Take whatever's useful.

We must get out of here before he wakes up.

Don't...

Why...

Why...

Mum, should we clear the weeds in the field?

'Yes. They'll impede the growth of the crops.'

Can we just move them away from the crops? Like, our courtyard?

I want to know what they look like when they grow up.

'Hmm... Good idea.'

'They might grow into wheat, or maybe corn.'

'I hear a very long time ago, weeds were no different from the grains.'

...What if we can't eat them?

What if they grow ugly flowers and turn really smelly? That'd be awful!

'Haha! Have you become old enough to be bothered by these things? Don't worry—'

'They'll still have their own worth.'

Verdant! Were the two guys that ran off holding the thormbloom incubator?

...Are you injured?

Little...

What?

Should I go after them?

Check on... the grass...

T—The grass? Please tell me you won't go inside...