New chapter of Plant Magic Lord is out! (7/10 chapters)

 

 

Kneading

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

Anaria and Naru each held a single scale. They seemed a little nervous.

I understand… since the taste of a scale is hard to imagine. Even if we think we can gain a skill, it still takes courage.

“Then…” (Anaria)

“I will eat it nya.” (Naru)

Gulp. I’m feeling kind of nervous too… If we don’t gain a skill from this, it’ll just mean we ate a spicy scale for nothing. The two looked at each other and made up their minds, eating the scales in one bite.

*Crunch.*

“Nnngh…! Spicy…!” (Anaria)

“It tingled nya…” (Naru)

“Are you two, okay? I have water here if you need it.” (Elt)

There isn’t much spicy food in this world. Just in case, I had prepared some.

Anaria flapped her hands and said…

“N-no… it went away quickly. The spiciness disappears instantly after hitting your tongue.” (Anaria)

“It was only at the moment I ate it, nya… I kind of wish the taste lingered more, nya.” (Naru)

“Yeah… it might actually make a good snack.” (Anaria)

Hmm, so the scale itself is spicy, but it doesn’t taste bad. If we ever have a surplus of scales, we might find some use for them. But probably, just eating a bit of scale won’t grant the skill [Dryad’s Power]. After all, the scales have already been distributed in small amounts to the market.

That older adventurer told me that the scales can be used as fertilizer. If they’re used as fertilizer, it’s not surprising some might end up in someone’s mouth… but he didn’t know anything about the skill. That means just a fragment entering your mouth won’t be enough to gain the skill. I’ll have to look more into how that works in this world.

“It took me a little while after eating before the skill appeared. Let’s wait a bit…” (Elt)

“I’ll start preparing to make grass dumping.” (Anaria)

“Good idea. For now, making grass dumping is the only way to verify the skill. If the skill activates, we’ll know while making them.” (Elt)

“I’ll knead them nya!” (Naru)

“Yes, let’s all make grass dumping together!” (Anaria)

 

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Meanwhile, Stella and Wood had stopped for a lunch break. The carriage came to a halt, and the two of them stepped out onto the road. Wood was in charge of making lunch. He had cooked for Elt too, and it seemed he wanted to do as much of the cooking as possible here as well. Stella had no objections. She was never too particular about food anyway.

Now that she was away from the village, she noticed the wind felt a little cold. In Healberry Village, thanks to the Large Tree, the wind didn’t blow through. And since the Large Tree house was a magical creation, it always stayed at a pleasant temperature. For that, the villagers lived more comfortably than people in Zanzas.

“Fweeh… my body’s all stiff…” (Stella)

Stella stretched out.

*S-t-r-e-t-c-h.*

Traveling in a carriage makes the body stiff no matter what.

“Ugougo! Food is ready!” (Wood)

“Thank you, Wood. Wow, it looks delicious!” (Stella)

A salad made from fresh vegetables they had brought from Healberry Village. And what looked like juice that Wood must’ve squeezed with all his might. It was all neatly arranged on plates. For someone like Stella, who usually just gnawed on cucumbers when she couldn’t be bothered, it looked like a lot of effort had gone into it.

“…Or rather, it’s amazing… I didn’t know Wood could do something like this.” (Stella)

“Ugougo! I always make and eat this!” (Wood)

“Normally, someone wouldn’t be able to do this…” (Stella)

Stella reaffirmed something. Elt’s mana and magical proficiency were truly exceptional. Stabbing a tomato with her fork and taking a bite, Stella thought.

That young lord would probably go down in history as one of the most powerful mana users. And he had no trace of the cruelty typical of aristocrats, interacting directly with his people. Many, including herself, admired and relied on him. He had the blood of a great noble family, and at that young age, wielded incredible mana. Even when she was in the village, she felt it… but now that she was away, she felt it even more strongly.

He would become a great figure. And she must try harder, she thought. So, she wouldn’t be left behind.

 

—

 

A little while later, it seemed that words appeared in Anaria and Naru’s minds too.

[Available Skill]

Dryad’s Power Lv1

They had successfully obtained the skill.

Good. It wasn’t just about crunching on spicy fish scales after all…

And now, I was kneading grass dumpling with everything I had.

Come to think of it, I’m the only one among us three who’s actually used the skill before. Which means I have to demonstrate it.

*Kneading*

“If you knead it about this much… phew, you’ll feel a wave of heat from within your body that rushes through you. Once that heat transfers into the grass dumpling, it’s done.” (Elt)

It takes me about ten minutes to make one. Tetetoka does it in triple speed, so it only takes her about three minutes to make one. Though Tetetoka tends to eat half the kusa-dango she makes on the spot…

“I see… It really is strange. The words [Dryad’s Power Lv1] popped into my head. So, this is what a skill is.” (Anaria)

“Mine popped up too nya.” (Naru)

“A friend at the High Academy once said that the skill’s name just appears in your mind… so this is what they meant.” (Anaria)

“It seems like everyone experiences it the same way. That’s how it was for me too.” (Elt)

While talking, I continued to knead the grass dumpling. Soon enough, a wave of heat rose within me and passed through my body. I was definitely getting used to this.

“Alright… this one’s finished.” (Elt)

Grass dumpling could be kept for several days if you wrap them in grass. We should probably make a stockpile. Even if we make too many, the Dryad will happily eat them anyway.

Then, the three of us kept kneading grass dumpling together. By the way, Naru was wearing leather gloves. Otherwise, fur would get mixed in… unavoidable, really.

Still, a Nyaff tribe member kneading grass dumpling on top of the platform looked incredibly cute. It was the same kind of cuteness as watching a kitten play with a ball.

*Kneading*

As we silently kneaded…

“Ah…!” (Anaria)

“Nnya…!” (Naru)

I felt it at the same time. That familiar wave of heat surged through me.

“Looks like the activation happened at the same time.” (Elt)

“S-so this is what activating a skill feels like…! A surge of heat really did rise from inside me!” (Anaria)

“Same for me, nya! It felt amazing, nya!” (Naru)

The two were deeply moved. It seemed the skill had activated successfully. We immediately took the grass dumpling they made and tore off pieces to drop into the fishpond. If the Rainbow Fish ate them, it would be perfect.

“Gulp… do you think they’ll eat it?” (Anaria)

“Ah, they’re coming closer nya.” (Naru)

The grass dumpling sank through the water, and a Rainbow Fish snapped it up. The golden Rainbow Fish joined in too, and in no time, the grass dumpling was gone.

“We did it. They ate it properly.” (Elt)

“Yes, they ate it!” (Anaria)

“We did it nya!” (Naru)

“This means we can now make grass dumpling, not just for the Dryad but also as feed for the Rainbow Fish. Even if we choose who gains the skill carefully, we can increase the amount of food produced.” (Elt)

“Then, we can safely increase the number of Rainbow Fish.” (Anaria)

“We’ll get lots more scales nya.” (Naru)

Then, we decided to expand the Rainbow Fish’s pond and create a plan to gather more scales. We also wanted to recruit technician to maintain the pond and study the ecology more. The scale’s effect turned out to be greater than expected.

It had also been an excellent fertilizer. Its effects might not have been immediate, but it would likely contribute significantly to the next year’s harvest. Even if we didn’t use them all, we could always sell the scales. Excellent fertilizer was in high demand everywhere. In that sense too, my territory had gained another opportunity to grow.

 

Territory Information

Name: Healberry Village

Special Facility: Large Tree Tower (with soil bath)

New Residents: +7 (technicians for pond maintenance)

Total Population: 150

Tourism Level: D (Attraction: Soil Bath)

Fishing Industry Level: D (Increased Rainbow Fish stock)

 

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