The Goddess Granted Me the [Hatching] Skill and Somehow I Became the Strongest Tamer, Commanding Mythical and Divine Beasts - 6

From the next day onwards, I started wearing a sword and armor every day and headed towards the forest.

For the first few days, finding just one herb per day was enough, and I only earned an income comparable to regular work. But by the end of the week, I began to recognize places where herbs were likely to grow, and could collect several pieces.

Upon returning home, I always picked up eggs from the chicken farm, and upon arriving home, I would hatch them before going to bed.

By repeating this routine, I gradually grew accustomed to it and felt less fatigued.

Although there was a risk of encountering monsters, unlike my previous jobs, I began to earn a higher income. If things continued like this, with a bit more work, I could accumulate a substantial amount.

With that in mind, I could show that money to my parents, tell them I was becoming an adventurer, and persuade them to send Celia to study in the capital.

While pondering such things as I walked through the forest…

“Oh, it’s you again…”

I discovered a magic worm eating herbs. It was the first encounter since the first day.

Since then, I casually asked Celia during dinner about it, who was knowledgeable, but apparently magic worms aren’t monsters that multiply much. They move slowly, get eaten by other monsters, and because their eggs also contain magic, they end up as a source of nutrition for insects and small animals, making reproduction difficult.

Thinking this was somewhat pitiful, I quickly picked the herbs before the magic worm could eat them.

Once the magic worm finished eating the available herbs due to lack of food, it disappeared into the grass and trees.

“Oh, laying eggs again?”

Dozens of small purple grains were scattered where the magic worm had been.

There was no need to crush them this time.

Even though the magic worm must have worked hard to lay them, ants or something similar would probably carry them away and eat them…

“Wait a minute?”

Suddenly, I had an idea.

What would happen if I hatched these eggs?

I had been hatching chicken eggs every day because I thought it could provide food for the household. Since my skill was ‘Hatching,’ wouldn’t these eggs qualify too?

Furthermore, according to what I heard from Celia, magic worms apparently weaken under stress caused by changes in their living environment. There were even stories about successfully hatching and raising magic worm eggs in the past.

Thinking this through, I carefully placed the purple eggs in a hemp sack to bring them home without crushing them.

“For now, let’s take these back.”

I carefully placed the purple eggs in a hemp sack without crushing them and returned home.

“Now, should I get started for today?”

When midnight came, I began my activity. Tonight, I would hatch magic worm eggs.

After repeating hatching for about a week, I felt less tired. Initially, hatching just one egg left me completely exhausted, but now I felt I could manage two or three.

Feeling my abilities gradually growing, I decided to try something new today.

I took out one magic worm egg and immediately tried hatching it.

“Ugh, it’s been a while since I felt this strain…”

I thought hatching a small egg would be easier, but it wasn’t. It drained much more energy than hatching a chicken egg.

Still, I could sense that the hatching process was nearing completion.

The egg expanded, and finally, the magic worm broke out of the shell.

“…!”

The newly born magic worm was just a normal, small magic worm.

Crawling out of the egg, it started moving around and began eating the herbs it found. I had kept them just in case they would be needed after a successful hatching.

“Nevertheless, I’m tired…”

I hadn’t expected to be so exhausted from just one egg.

“For now, I’ll raise this one and observe it for a while.”

Feeling sleepy to the point of exhaustion, I put the magic worm in a cage and rested.

“Recently, big brother, you smell.”

“Huh?”

As I woke up and ate breakfast as usual, Celia started saying such words.

“I take a bath every day, though. Could it be that I didn’t wash enough?”

I sniff myself, but I don’t notice anything particular.

Maybe it’s because of her rebellious phase, I’m thinking…

“No, I think it’s a smell that normal people wouldn’t notice, more like the scent lingering after using magic…”

I can only think of one possibility. It’s probably about magic worm.

Magic worms store magic. Celia, who has talent in magic, must have noticed.

She sniffs around, searching for the source of the smell. If I go to work like this, she might start investigating the room.

“R-right… I actually have urgent work today. I’ll be heading out now.”

“Oh, big brother!”

I rush into the room and retrieve the magic worm. I leave the house immediately.

“I can’t believe Celia found out…”

I look at the magic worm, relaxing and munching on herbs in the palm of my hand. The sight of it eating like this is somewhat cute.

Anyway, I can’t leave it at home like this. After all, Celia tends to dislike these kinds of creatures.

“It’s still just born, should I release it back into the wild?”

As I mutter that, the head of the magic worm moves and faces me. It’s as if it understands my words…

Casually watching it, it gradually starts to look cute to me. I call out a name that comes to mind.

“From today, your name is Purple.”

In the next moment,

“Purple has formed a familiar contract. Acquired 【Small Magic Increase】.”

“T-that voice just now…”

Suddenly, a voice echoes in my head, and I cover my ears. The voice I just heard felt somewhat similar to Goddess Muse’s… somewhat detached from reality.

“A familiar contract? Minor increase in magic power? What the heck is going on?”

Confused by the situation that never happened before, I gaze at Purple, the magic worm, right in front of me.