Episode 5
Anyway, even though the boy had used magic to disguise his identity, it seemed he was being followed from the start and ended up getting kidnapped.
Looks like Mom was right—this outside world really is dangerous.
As Selly took a small pocketknife out of her sock and cut the ropes tying her wrist and the boy’s, she asked,
“Do you know where they’re taking us?”
The boy raised an eyebrow, surprised at how calm and prepared Selly seemed.
“The black market,” he answered.
Oh no. A place where people with special bloodlines or magic abilities get sold?
‘This world is seriously terrifying!’
“I have a way to escape,” the boy suddenly said.
Maybe it’s because he’s a dragon descendant, but unlike Selly, he could already use magic. So why did he still look like he was doomed?
“But if I use it, you’ll die. So leave here before it’s too late.”
“…Huh?”
Where should she even start with this?
“Well… you could just use magic so I don’t die.”
“I can’t.”
“Oh… okay.”
Well, if he says so.
“But how am I supposed to get out? The door is locked—huh?”
Suddenly, a warm energy filled Selly’s palm, and the glowing flower mark appeared again. From her front pocket, the chick chirped loudly.
“My snack!”
It had sprouted from the sunflower seed she gave it earlier.
‘Ah, my helpful kidnap-accomplice is rescuing me again!’
Selly quickly placed the sprout on the floor. It grew fast—really fast. But instead of growing straight up, like a normal sunflower, it twisted and snuck through the cell bars and lock.
The vine kept thickening—until it was as wide as a golf ball.
Startled, the boy pulled Selly behind him protectively. Selly smiled and reassured him.
“I’m using the sunflower to break open the door.”
“With a sunflower?” he asked, clearly doubting her.
But Selly explained, “If it grows big enough, the stem is as strong as bamboo. You’d need a saw to cut it.”
Just like she thought, the thick vine pushed and twisted until—
CRACK!
The metal groaned, then popped open.
Clap clap clap.
“Thanks,” Selly said.
They could escape now. But they didn’t run—there was no safe way to jump from the ship.
“Can you maybe take us down to the ground?” Selly asked aloud, even though she was talking to empty air. She felt a little silly.
But the boy, who had just seen the sunflower in action, waited silently for an answer.
Nothing happened. No flower mark appeared. That must mean ‘no.’
“I figured sunflowers can’t help with that,” the boy said.
Selly nodded. “Sigh… If only this wasn’t the sky. I’d have way more plants to help. Hmm… maybe there’s a flowerpot around?”
Then her eyes spotted something: a pile of potato sacks near the storage room.
‘Potatoes…?’
While Selly stared at the potatoes, the boy quietly walked out of the cell like a man with a mission.
“I’ll take care of the rest. You stay here. No matter what, don’t come out at night.”
“When can I come out then?”
“After sunrise.”
But Selly had an entrance ceremony at 9 a.m. tomorrow!
With no time to waste, she declared boldly, “I’m taking over this ship right now!”
So the two kids put their heads together…
To come up with a plan to defeat dozens of traffickers.
By lunchtime, all the crew except the ones at the helm had gathered in the dining room.
“Huh? That’s it?” someone asked.
On the table were huge piles of unpeeled potatoes.
“Boss, come on. We had a big day—can’t we get some real food?”
“Shut up and eat what you’re given. I’ll stuff your mouths with meat once we sell those rare brats!”
The boss grabbed a potato, thinking it was boiled, and bit it hard.
“Ptooey!”
He spat it out in disgust. Then came a shout from the kitchen:
“Hey, chef! This potato’s still raw—it could grow if you planted—wait, it’s sprouting?”
The potato in his hand sprouted leaves—then bloomed!
But it didn’t stop there.
From where the flower bloomed, round green fruits started growing like crazy.
The potato was suddenly covered in green cherry tomatoes.
“Gack!”
The boss screamed as the vines shot into his mouth like tentacles and forced the fruits down his throat.
Gulp gulp.
He choked and collapsed like a log.
Most plants have natural defense systems.
Roses have thorns.
Potatoes have poison.
That poison, solanine, usually causes stomachaches after 8 hours, but in large doses, it can kill in just 10 minutes.
People think solanine is in the sprouts, but it’s actually even stronger in the flower’s fruit.
‘I studied that in biology—but even so, shouldn’t it take longer to knock someone out?’
Selly had planned the solanine attack, but the fast and powerful effect was clearly thanks to the Dryads’ magic.
‘Wow… I should never fight my aunts.’
And of course, in true Great Chief Aunt fashion, she gave Selly power—but made her figure out how to use it on her own.
Like giving someone the world’s best fishing rod instead of just catching the fish for them.
“Nice!”
In the kitchen, even the chefs were being attacked by the potatoes and passed out like the boss.
With the crew down from solanine poisoning, Selly left the kitchen and rushed with the boy to the control room.
“Take this!” she yelled.
Roll.
“Huh? A potato? GACK!”
Thud!
The guys steering the ship went down just as fast, knocked out by her potato grenade.
Victory! The airship was theirs!
Just as planned, the boy ran to the controls and took over.
Selly didn’t know how to fly a normal ship, let alone an airship. And potatoes certainly didn’t know how either.
Thankfully, the boy had learned to fly one.
As soon as he grabbed the wheel, the ship’s nose—which had been tilting downward—rose back up.
“The last location recorded in the navigation system was Lake Tier…”
He opened a crumpled paper map since the hologram screen was broken. Selly couldn’t help much—she didn’t know anything about this place.
As he stared at a nearby screen, the boy frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“The magic navigation system isn’t working. I think there’s mana interference.”
“Like radio waves messing with signals? Then… is mana a kind of wave?”
Selly’s science brain suddenly kicked back in.
“There’s no one using magic here… but we do have potatoes!”
Selly liked the fresh air the plants made—it felt like home. But she realized all that magic-powered equipment might not like it as much.
“Thanks, everyone. Now go back to the earth and grow well.”
She shook hands with the sprouting potatoes. They saluted with their leaves and all jumped off the ship. The boy just stared in disbelief.
Still, the navigation system didn’t come back online.
“I need to get back before the moon rises…” the boy muttered, looking more and more nervous.
“If I knew which way to go, I could manage it somehow. If only this fog would clear…”
As he muttered to himself about using the sun or cities for direction, Selly’s eyes lit up.
“I have an idea!”
