"How about this spot?"

After walking through the forest for a while, we came across a wide-open space among the trees.

The ground was exposed, a mix of black and brown, with scattered fallen trees and scorched grass.

It seemed there had been a fairly large-scale battle here before we arrived.

This scene stretched over a significant area.

They say the Twilight Forest is alive and that within a few days, new trees will grow to replace the fallen ones.

I don’t know if that’s true, but in a space like this, Ivy could relax without us needing to cut down any more trees.

Crushing a few nearby trees wouldn’t be much of an issue, though.

"Mi!"

Ivy erected a barrier along the perimeter where the trees had fallen, likely to ensure that no encroaching monsters would disturb our peaceful moment.

Looking up, I noticed the sun blazing in the sky, no longer obscured by the trees.

Thanks to the fallen trees, sunlight now poured directly into this spot.

It felt noticeably warmer—several degrees hotter than before.

I smiled at the thought of having found the perfect hidden spot. Gently, I placed Ivy onto the ground.

Ivy grew just enough to carry me on her back, and I climbed aboard.

Once I was securely seated, she grew even larger.

This was our method—a plan we had developed to ensure she didn’t crush me in the process.

Ivy kept growing, expanding until she was just shy of touching the barrier she had created.

"Mi~"

She let out a deep, low sound—not as a word, but simply as a yawn.

I placed the pillow I’d brought along behind my head and lay down.

Ivy’s back had its bumps and ridges, but there were spots just the right size for me to fit snugly.

It had been a while since I last looked for one of these napping spots, but I found one with no trouble.

As I lay down, I noticed something—there was a lot more space than before.

It seemed I could even roll over comfortably.

Sitting up, I turned to look at Ivy.

—She had grown. Bigger than ever before.

Now she was far larger than a single house, maybe even the size of several houses put together.

Just estimating… she must be several times bigger than before.

Perhaps that’s why her voice sounded deeper earlier—it was proportional to her size.

I remembered her once mentioning, “I’m still in my growth phase.” But now, her growth was so noticeable it was hard to ignore.

How big would Ivy eventually get?

At this size, she was already taller than the trees in the Twilight Forest. Surely, anyone standing on a hill in town could see her.

I’d have some explaining to do when we got back.

Thinking about all this, I rolled over in the newly spacious spot.

Ivy’s shell was surprisingly not too hard.

The ridges were firm, but the sunken parts were soft enough that even after lying there for a long time, my body didn’t ache.

It was far more comfortable than the cheap beds at the inn.

"Goodnight, Ivy."

"Mi."

Perhaps noticing my surprise, Ivy shrank slightly before responding with a soft cry.

She laid her body flat against the ground, closing her eyes.

I did the same.

It had been so long since I last slept on Ivy’s back.