New chapter of The Plant Magic Lord is out! (9/10 chapters)

 

 

High-Grade Soil

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

The meal with Stella ended peacefully.

Though all we had was shaved ice… Now that I think about it, I wonder if something like sorbet can be made in this world. If I can finely crush fruit and chill it, it should be possible to make properly. Maybe I’ll try it next time. Even so, it’s just like Stella to set up a meal just to get permission to summon her kin. She’s so serious. That’s one of her good points though.

After noon, I left Stella’s house. The sun shone brightly, and the wind gently swayed the leaves of the large tree. There were shaded spots all around. Some people had laid out cloths and were napping.

As I wandered aimlessly, I spotted a crowd in front of the Large Tree Tower.

“Hmm…? Dryads, Nyaff tribe, and adventurers too…” (Elt)

I wonder if something’s going on. Maybe I should take a look.

As I approached the tower, I could see the gathered Dryads getting excited. They were making quite a fuss…

That’s rare for the easygoing Dryads. They don’t usually get so high-strung. Now I’m a bit curious.

When I reached the front of the tower, I spotted Tetetoka and Naru talking within the crowd. As I quietly drew closer–…

“Wah~ This is wonderful… Truly wonderful.” (Tetetoka)

“You can tell the difference, nya? As expected, nya.” (Naru)

“I can tell, just from the texture—ah, Elt-sama! I hope you’re well~” (Tetetoka)

“Hello, nya!” (Naru)

“Ah, hello. …You all seem really excited.” (Elt)

“Ehehe, just between us…” (Tetetoka)

“Hmm hmm…” (Elt)

As I squatted down, Tetetoka leaned in and whispered to me.

“Some really good soil came in…” (Tetetoka)

“…Soil?” (Elt)

I don’t quite get it… Is that really what everyone’s excited about?

But looking closely, I could see the Dryads holding soil in their hands. They all looked very happy. The Nyaff tribe had brought in jars and boxes…

“Are all those filled with soil too…?” (Elt)

“It’s soil…!” (Tetetoka)

So, soil. Why soil though?

“It’s soil, nya. To be precise, high-grade soil mixed with fertilizer, nya. We blended it ourselves, nya.” (Nyaff)

“Ah, I see… So, it’s soil you bought from elsewhere…” (Elt)

Now I’m starting to understand. For Dryads, things like fertilizer are considered delicacies or luxuries. Like with the Rainbow Fish scales.

“Did you spend the gold coins you received as reward on this?” (Elt)

“Of course~ There’s still a little left though.” (Tetetoka)

That was an instant answer.

Well… I guess the Dryads’ way of life is quite unique. Until recently, they lived in the forest, separate from money. Anaria and I taught them the basics of a currency system… In a way, this might be a fitting use of it for a Dryad.

“We asked them many times, nya. Whether this is what they really wanted… But they insisted, nya.” (Naru)

“…I doubt there’s much else they’d want.” (Elt)

Tetetoka and the other Dryads looked starry-eyed. They seemed truly delighted.

“By the way, what kind of soil is it?” (Elt)

“We crushed cockatrice eggshells into a fine powder, and mixed in medicinal herbs, nya. Honestly, it’s more expensive per weight than silver, nya.” (Naru)

“O-oh…” (Elt)

“Thanks to that, it feels amazing. See, the scent is different~” (Tetetoka)

Tetetoka scooped up the high-grade soil to show me.

Sniff sniff… Prompted by her, I smelled it.

Hmm, soil. Just regular soil. I couldn’t tell the difference at all.

Naru also tilted her head.

I’m sure they made it properly, but it’s not something you can recognize by appearance or smell. It’s soil, after all…

“I want to bury myself in this as soon as possible~” (Tetetoka)

“Y-yeah… I see… By the way, what about those adventurers? They seem to be fussing over the soil too.” (Elt)

“They’re adventurers who want to be buried in this soil~” (Tetetoka)

“…I-I see.” (Elt)

Those adventurers must be able to tell the difference. It’s said to be good for your health. Some soil bath enthusiasts are quite devoted… They might be reaching the same level of understanding as the Dryads. That might not be a bad thing. At the very least, it’s gentle on your hair and back…

My gaze drifted off for a moment. Just then, Anaria arrived, dressed as if for hiking, in clothes clearly meant to get dirty.

Could it be…

“Hello, Elt-sama. What’s the matter?” (Anaria)

“Hello. No, I was just hearing about this soil.” (Elt)

“Ahh… So, the special soil finally arrived!” (Anaria)

“Nya. It took time, but we made it following the gardening guild’s recipe, nya.” (Naru)

Hmm… finally, huh? Ah, I see. Anaria is also part of the soil-burying crowd. Everyone’s getting buried…

“You’ve got some for my houseplants too, right?” (Anaria)

“Got it, nya~” (Naru)

 

—

 

It turned out that Anaria was just here to get soil for her gardening. I had jumped to conclusions, thinking only of burying oneself.

Of course, soil is also used for gardening. I had completely forgotten.

After that, once the Dryads had sufficiently inspected the high-grade soil, they began stacking it up.

“We’ll take turns being buried in it~” (Tetetoka)

“Such peace, nya~” (Nyaff)

“Yeah…” (Elt)

According to Tetetoka, they would take turns being buried in the high-grade soil. Apparently, monopolizing it wasn’t even a concept to them. They even made a high-grade soil bath for non-Dryads. Adventurers would also take turns using it.

“Man, now I’m gonna get even healthier.” (Adventurer)

The adventurers around age 30 seemed especially enthusiastic.

I really hope they do get healthier…

After that, a barbecue started in front of the Large Tree Tower. It was sudden, but apparently a celebration to commemorate the arrival of the high-grade soil bath.

For Dryads, it was something worth celebrating that much. As for me, I was invited to join the barbecue and stayed. Most of the food was vegetables, with a bit of meat. It ended up being a mostly vegetable-grilling party. But the vegetables were fragrant and delicious when grilled. And the sweet-spicy sauce made by the Nyaff tribe was excellent. It was like teriyaki sauce. It paired very well with the vegetables.

“This vegetable is really tasty…” (Elt)

“These are veggies harvested here, nya. Ahh… such bliss, nya~” (Naru)

“Yes, it’s such a luxurious barbecue.” (Anaria)

“Yeah, this kind of thing is nice too.” (Elt)

Hmm, right. Barbecue isn’t only for vegetables and meat. In fact, fruit can also be delicious when grilled.

I produced fruits like apples and bananas, which taste good when grilled.

Especially those two become delicious when honey or sugar is added and grilled.

“Ahh… Th-this is so sweet and moist…” (Naru)

“How is it, tasty?” (Elt)

“I have a cat’s tongue, nya, but it’s tasty, nya! Is there more…?” (Nyaff)

“Yeah, I can make as much as you want. Don’t hold back, eat up.” (Elt)

It seemed like Anaria and Naru liked it too.

That’s good. Well, sweet things taste good in any world.

Later, Stella, Brown, and Wood also joined in, and the barbecue lasted until night. Since vegetables were easy to prepare in large amounts, everyone seemed to have eaten their fill. Even I ended up eating too much.

Still, this was the first time I had a meal with so many people in this world. I think I’ve grown much closer to everyone over this break. It was truly a fun barbecue.

 

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(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)