New chapter of The Plant Magic Lord is out! (3/10 chapters)

 

 

It’s not a Torture

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

Tetetoka ate the scales with a crunch, as if they were rice crackers. It was an impressive display of eating. The adventurers seemed a bit put off. I could understand how they felt. After all, she was eating fish scales… bright orange ones. I couldn’t even imagine the taste.

“…By the way, do these scales even have a taste?” (Elt)

“Hmm, they taste kind of like biscuits.” (Tetetoka)

“That’s a strange comparison… So, they’re not bad, but they don’t have much flavor either?” (Elt)

“That’s right, they’re a little sweet.” (Tetetoka)

Crunch crunch.

While talking, Tetetoka continued eating the offered scales without pause.

“If you put jam on them, it might be just right.” (Tetetoka)

“In that case, I have some with me, nya. I’ll add it for you, nya.” (Naru)

“Yay!” (Tetetoka)

Apparently, the scales with jam tasted really good. Tetetoka started eating them even faster.

*Crunch crunch crunch.*

She devoured several pieces in no time.

If she kept eating at this rate, there would be none left to take back. For now, it is best to stop here.

“It’s just a snack, so let’s end it here for today. We’ll have more later.” (Elt)

“Okay—” (Tetetoka)

Now that I thought about it, we only caught this one Rainbow Fish. None of the others were biting at all. I confirmed it with the other adventurers too, and they hadn’t caught any other fish either. Apparently, the only fish living in this lake was the Rainbow Fish. We would continue investigating, but this lake definitely seemed useful. If we could raise Rainbow Fish, even more possibilities would open up.

“Rainbow Fish”

A fish that glows in seven shimmering colors. Inedible. Sheds scales easily. The scales contain mana and can be used in many ways. A favorite snack of Dyrads.

 

—

 

Meanwhile, Stella, Naru, and Anaria arrived at the Adventurer Guild in Zanzas. The Guild Master was more receptive than expected, and the talks progressed quickly. Or rather, it might be more accurate to say that most of the negotiations were already settled.Only the finer details remained, and the discussions maintained a relaxed mood. Though it took half a day, the talks concluded without issue.

“That went smoother than I thought, nya.” (Naru)

After leaving the Adventurer Guild, the three of them relaxed at a hotel. It was one of the finest hotels, located near the center of Zanzas. The hour was already quite late, and the stars and moon brightly lit the city. Naru was drinking matatabi juice, a favorite of the Nyaff tribe. Anaria had a sweet tea.

Only Stella was lying down on the sofa.

“Zanzas is the one struggling without potions. Delaying negotiations wouldn’t benefit them.” (Anaria)

“Exactly, nya. And thanks to that, Elt-sama’s domain will continue to develop, nya.” (Naru)

“That’s right. We even received a list of people who want to immigrate… I need to check it later.” (Anaria)

“That land’s been untouched for hundreds of years, nya. There are all kinds of legends, so lots of people want to investigate, nya.” (Naru)

There was said to be an abandoned Dwarf palace underground. And in the heart of the forest, an ancient temple. They sounded like fairy tales.

“We don’t know how true any of it is, but something might actually be there, nya.” (Naru)

“Well… We do have an example right in front of us.” (Anaria)

Anaria glanced at Stella. Stella was lying on the sofa with the eyes of a dead fish.

*Chiiin*

She looked like a burnt-out candle. Stella had completely lost her energy.

“I’m sorry… Please wait a little longer until my motivation returns.” (Stella)

“N-no! Please, continue resting as you are.” (Anaria)

“I had braced myself for it, but… those ten autograph boards really drained me.” (Stella)

After the negotiations ended, Stella had been swarmed for autographs.

Since she didn’t refuse, she accepted all of them.

But it wasn’t physical exhaustion that wore her out. Thanks to enhancement magic, Stella didn’t feel physical fatigue as long as she had mana.

“To think those boards were sprinkled with gold dust, nya… That kind of thing takes serious focus, nya.” (Naru)

“They were incredibly luxurious autograph boards… I wonder how much each one costs?” (Anaria)

“The paper was the highest quality, nya. It probably cost a gold coin each, nya.” (Naru)

So, even though it was only ten autographs, it drained Stella mentally.

“But the people at the Adventurer Guild were thrilled! They said they’d treasure the autographs as family heirlooms.” (Anaria)

“…That’s good to hear.” (Stella)

“Anyway, the negotiations are complete, nya. Stella used up the most mental energy, nya. Just relax and take your time today.” (Naru)

Yes, the partnership negotiations were already complete.

Now all that remained was buying supplies and handling the immigrants—practical tasks.

“I’d like to relax today too. …There we go…” (Anaria)

While speaking, Anaria took out a simple potion-making kit from her bag.

“I couldn’t make any potions in a jostling carriage.” (Anaria)

“…You really are unwavering about that, nya.” (Naru)

◇

After that, we had a light meal using the ingredients we brought and took a walk around the lake.

Using the [Forest Appraiser], we found several types of herbs growing naturally.

They were a bit different from the forest variety, which gave them their own value.

By evening, we were digging up Tetetoka and getting ready to return to the village.

The sun was about to set. When I looked back, I saw the slanting rays reflecting off the lake surface.

It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

“…Hmm?” (Elt)

While cleaning up, I felt something was off.

Tetetoka and Brown were working back-to-back, but they were supposed to be about the same height.

Now, Tetetoka looked a little taller.

It probably wasn’t my imagination. Her shadow on the ground also seemed longer.

“Tetetoka, maybe it’s just me, but… did something change?” (Elt)

“You noticed—? That’s right, I’ve grown a bit.” (Tetetoka)

“Grown…? Well, your height seems a little taller, but…” (Elt)

“Yup—my flower got bigger!” (Tetetoka)

“…I see.” (Elt)

What had grown was the white rose on top of Tetetoka’s head.

I hadn’t noticed that.

And she could tell what was happening on top of her own head, even though she couldn’t see it.

Well, for a Doriad, that would be important.

It’s like how a human notices changes in their hair.

Hair loss and stuff… ugh, memories from my past life. Best not to go there. That memory only brings despair.

Right, I should stay on topic about the Doriad’s head.

What happens when the flower grows?

“So, what happens when the flower gets bigger?” (Elt)

“The bigger our flower, the more amazing we are. Everyone respects us—” (Tetetoka)

“I see. So the flower is directly tied to a Doriad’s status.” (Elt)

“And we can draw more power from the earth.” (Tetetoka)

“That’s… a pretty important detail you just slipped in. Is it because of eating the scales?” (Elt)

“Yes, probably—” (Tetetoka)

Hmm, Doriad growth…

In the game, there were characters whose appearance changed when certain side quests progressed.

But the Doriads never changed.

Maybe it was just hard to notice.

“If it’s me now, I might be able to enrich the soil a little without even touching it—” (Tetetoka)

“Alright, we’ll keep catching those fish. So eat as many scales as you can.” (Elt)

“Yay—!” (Tetetoka)

To think there was such a hidden feature.

Doriads are already in high demand. If each one gets stronger, that’s only a good thing.

Stella and the others should be back in a few days.

If everything went well, they should be bringing immigrants.

That’ll be something to look forward to.

A few days later, Stella and the others returned as planned.

The immigrants were mainly craftsmen, totaling forty people. The population was steadily increasing.

Welcoming new people is always exciting.

…But I had forgotten.

The sight of Doriads buried in the ground is pretty terrifying.

Still, it was a relief. The Doriads had flowers on their heads. They weren’t burying humans. That misunderstanding was cleared up quickly.

Phew, I should probably set up a signboard at the village entrance explaining that…

 

Territory Information

Population: +40 (craftsmen and adventurers from Zanzas)

Special Facility: Large Tree Tower

Total Population: 143

 

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(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)