New chapter of The Plant Magic Lord is out! (2/10 chapters)

 

Scales

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

“…It’s done. Now we can catch fish.” (Elt)

I made a small bamboo enclosure using plant magic. It was shaped like a PET bottle cut in half. The usage was very simple. Put pieces of the grass dumpling inside, and when fish jumped into the tube, lift it up.

It was survival knowledge I gained in my previous life… if the bait to lure them is good, you can catch quite a few. Honestly, a large net would have been better, but that would no longer be fishing but rather fishing by net. For now, this will do for today.

“Nyaa, it looks like an interesting device, nya. You lift it up when fish come inside the tube, nya?” (Brown)

“Yeah, that’s right. If fish come with such force, this tube should be better than a fishing line.” (Elt)

“The line looked like it would snap, nyan… capturing the whole body is more efficient, nya.” (Brown)

“Elt-sama can make tools like this quickly~… very skillful.” (Tetetoka)

Brown and Tetetoka spoke with admiration.

Recently, the precision of my plant magic has improved, so I can create small items exactly as I imagine. Making detailed items does use magical power, but I have enough now.  By the way, the grass dumpling was a snack Tetetoka had grown tired of eating. So, using it as fish bait was totally fine.

You never know what will be useful where or when… Like when I didn’t expect the dryad burying herself in the ground to be useful recently. For now, let’s try fishing with this. …When I challenged it before regaining my memories, I didn’t catch much. This time is a retry.

 

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Fishing with the grass dumpling was a great success. Fish kept coming into the tube one after another. Even in shallow water, it was like a feeding frenzy. Since the fish came to us, it was sure to work well.

“All right, we caught quite a few.” (Elt)

In the big bucket I made with magic, ten fish swam vigorously. It was the result of me, Brown, and Tetetoka’s efforts. Their seven-colored scales glittered beautifully. They resembled carp in shape. But they were unfamiliar fish. Brown also didn’t recognize them, so we should ask the adventurers what to do. Brown was lying down resting on the grass, and Tetetoka was buried in the ground taking a break.

…Tetetoka tries to bury himself in the ground whenever she can. For us, lying on the grass feels normal, but different races rest differently.

“Oh, the adventurers who were fishing over there are coming.” (Brown)

“Hm? I don’t see them…” (Elt)

“The ground is shaking a bit, so they should be here soon.” (Teteoka)

“…O-okay.” (Elt)

Years of experience buried in the soil, huh. As expected from a Dryad.

Soon, the adventurers arrived. Just as Tetetoka’s vibration sense predicted.

“Oh…!? Ah, it’s Tetetoka.” (Adventurer)

“Yeah, he’s resting now.” (Elt)

“Y-yeah… I’m getting used to it little by little.” (Adventurer)

The adventurers seemed a bit disappointed.

Maybe they didn’t catch much. Well, let’s ask.

I addressed the lead adventurer, who looked to be around 30.

“How was your fishing catch over there?” (Elt)

“Well, the fish here are very wary. We adventurers are good at survival, but it was no good at all.” (Lead Adventurer)

Even for adventurers, fishing these fish is difficult. No wonder I didn’t catch any last time.

“How about you–… eh!? You caught this many!?” (Adventurer)

“Y-yeah… Tetetoka’s grass dumplings made good bait. It was a feeding frenzy, but the bait ran out. So we stopped here.” (Elt)

“Lord-sama can do everything… Not only gathering in the forest but even mastering fishing.” (Adventurer)

“It’s only Tetetoka’s grass dumplings that are amazing…” (Elt)

Without the tube I made with magic, it would have been a hassle to fish. The adventurers were clearly surprised. They seemed to have gained even more respect for me. More importantly, I wanted to confirm something about the fish we caught.

“Do you know anything about this fish? It’s my first time seeing one too.” (Elt)

“This fish is a Rainbow Fish. Normally, it’s almost impossible to catch.” (Adventurer)

He nodded in understanding.

“The Rainbow Fish is a rare fish that cannot be eaten, but it has a special trait. Its scales frequently shed.” (Adventurer)

“…There are already several scales at the bottom of the bucket.” (Elt)

“Those scales can be used as materials. They contain magical power, and their uses differ depending on the color.” (Adventurer)

I see. So, it is that kind of fish. It is unfortunate that it couldn’t be eaten, but the scales are valuable.

I took a scale from the bottom of the water-filled bucket. The one in my hand was orange. Holding it like this, I could definitely sense a little mana. It seemed quite fragile. It looked like it would break with some force.

“Orange scales are for fertilizer. If crushed and used, plants should grow well.” (Adventurer)

“Oh, it has such power… That’s convenient.” (Elt)

Hearing that stirred my memories a bit. I remembered.

Yes, in the game, there was also magical fertilizer. I think it was mentioned in a side quest. It was a minor item, so it didn’t leave much impression…

“Well, I learned something good. These scales have such power. Perfect for my territory.” (Elt)

“Yes, but the scales attached to the body are no good. They don’t accumulate mana and cannot be used. Only naturally shed scales have value.” (Lead Adventurer)

“I understand. Then, we’ll release these fish for now.” (Elt)

We have no equipment to keep them, and we don’t know their ecology well. For now, we’ll return them to the lake later.

Meanwhile, Tetetoka was buried in the ground, watching me with only his head visible. No. She was watching the scale in my hand.

“Are you interested in this?” (Elt)

“It looks very tasty…” (Tetetoka)

“Tasty!?” (Elt)

To a Dryad, that must look like food. Well… it’s fertilizer after all.

“Juru~” (Tetetoka)

“Okay, okay… I’ll crush it, so wait a moment.” (Elt)

“I prefer it as is.” (Tetetoka)

“It’s a raw scale. It’s fragile enough to crush with finger strength, but…” (Elt)

“…Juru~” (Tetetoka)

“All right. It’s a substitute for the grass dumpling. Eat it.” (Elt)

I brought the scale to Tetetoka’s mouth, which was the only part visible above ground. It was quite a dangerous sight. Trying to feed a scale to someone buried up to their neck… If told by others, they would think it was a novel form of torture. However, Tetetoka didn’t mind at all. She bit into the offered scale without hesitation.

Let’s not mention that fish-like thing from before.

*Crunch, crackle…*

At that moment, I still didn’t understand the meaning of this act. In other words, Dryads level up by eating scales.

 

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(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)