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

 

 

Castanets

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

Echolocation itself was the act of knowing the position and size of things by the reflection of sound. Perhaps the most famous example was the bat. Bats emitted ultrasonic waves and captured their echoes, using them for flying and hunting. They could move easily even in darkness thanks to this echolocation. Humans could also use this ability through training. Some visually impaired people produced sounds by using a cane or clicking their tongues, performing echolocation.

As I reviewed this knowledge, I gradually remembered.

Hmm, I’m sure I saw it on a TV program about animals… Bats can still fly properly even when blindfolded. However, if their ears are plugged, they cannot capture echoes and lose the ability to use echolocation. They use their large ears to firmly catch the echoes.

Large ears…?

Then, I suddenly noticed.

Stella is an elf. Elves’ ears are long and large… Just like bats.

“…No way.” (Elt)

Could those long ears have a meaning…?

It seemed possible. Only hunting species of bats use echolocation. Fruit bats do not. If someone lives a hunting life in the forest, they might instinctively use it.

Well, even ordinary humans can rarely use this ability.

“Elt-sama…?” (Stella)

“Ah, sorry… I was lost in thought. Something occurred to me from the earlier talk.” (Elt)

I had to try it.

What echolocation needs is echoes, and also a high-pitched sound. Normally, you’d have to try various things, but luckily, my knowledge from a previous life helps here too. I’m glad I watched those educational programs.

Thank you, Darwin-san.

 

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After a while, it was completely dark. It was getting late, so I had Wood return home for now. Marcosias and Dia also needed their dinner prepared. Only Stella and I remained. And only the place where Stella and I stood was lit dimly by glowing moss.

“Mogu mogu, gulp… Are you still training?” (Leia)

“It’s already dark, degozaru.” (Ninja)

Leia and the ninja passed by. They seemed to be returning from the command post. I saw the vine basket they were carrying. that was the one prepared by the Dryads. It was meant to hold the grass dumplings. That WAs what they were eating.

*Click, click.*

Sound came from Stella’s side. It was the castanets tied to her leg. The instrument I had made earlier with plant magic.

The ninja tilted his head curiously.

“…Are you blindfolded and wearing something on your leg, degozaru? It looks like a decoration I’ve never seen before, degozaru…” (Ninja)

“Is that… wooden, judging from the sound?” (Leia)

“Yes, that’s right. It’s a musical instrument called castanets.” (Elt)

I focused my magic and created the castanets in the palm of my hand. I couldn’t reproduce other instruments this well. But castanets were well known to Japanese people. They were a very familiar instrument. Their structure was not big, so they were easy to recreate.

“Like this… you click them together.” (Elt)

*Click, click!*

The sound was a bit cheap, but that was inevitable. I wasn’t a craftsman, just recreating it from memory. I had never seen castanets in this world. It might they existed somewhere, but they were probably not a major instrument. Or rather, something similar should have existed.

“I see, it’s simple but has a rich sound… So, what is it that Stella-sama wears on her leg…?” (Leia)

“She’s making sound to probe.” (Elt)

Click, click…

Stella, blindfolded, clicked the castanets tied to her leg. After a moment, Stella spoke timidly.

“…Does Leia have a rather large basket?” (Stella)

“Huh…?” (Leia)

“Eh…!?” (Ninja)

Leia and the ninja both jumped back in surprise.

“W-why did you know, degozaru?” (Ninja)

“You can’t see, right? It’s impossible to tell who is carrying it just from the faint sound of the basket rubbing…” (Leia)

“Hmm… Did you guess from the hat?” (Elt)

“Yes, because Leia is wearing a cockatrice hat on her head…” (Stella)

“…Wait a moment, degozaru. Are you distinguishing between the two of us, degozaru?” (Ninja)

The ninja looked even more puzzled.

But Leia folded her arms and thought, then, suddenly answered.

“…I apologize if I’m wrong, but are you using the sound of the castanets to figure it out?” (Leia)

That’s amazing. You saw through it immediately.

“Exactly. You figured it out well.” (Elt)

“Certain types of monsters are extremely sensitive to sound. Some monsters can aim as if they were ‘seeing’.” (Leia)

I see, so there are monsters that use echolocation. Well, with so many monsters around, it’s not surprising some of them do. And the Adventurer Guild Master would naturally have that kind of knowledge.

“But I’ve never heard of a human being able to do that, degozaru…” (Ninja)

“Well, it’s Stella after all.” (Elt)

Logically, it’s possible. Instead of using a cane or tongue clicks, you can use castanets for echolocation. Apparently, more people than expected can do this. I learned that from a TV program too.

But to become able to do it so quickly… Though maybe she was using it unconsciously, as expected of an S-rank adventurer. Her sense is incredible…

“Even if the [Invisibility] magic is applied, sound doesn’t disappear. This way, you can still detect it.” (Elt)

“Yes, but the clue is…!” (Leia)

Even if you can detect it by echolocation, whether you can hit the target is another matter. The target is the fast return of a bullet. Even people with normal sight cannot do it.

“…But I’m getting the hang of it. It’s easier to understand if you make short, high-pitched sounds.” (Stella)

*Click, click.*

“As expected of Stella…” (Elt)

I nodded repeatedly. I could explain the theory, but I couldn’t demonstrate it myself. It was up to Stella now to get used to it and master it.

“No, honestly, I think Elt-sama is amazing… Such incredible knowledge…” (Stella)

“I wouldn’t have thought of it at all, degozaru… And yet in half a day, the invisible magic bullet defense is taking shape, degozaru.” (Ninja)

“Even if monsters use it, organizing it into a theory that humans can use is an enormous feat, isn’t it…?” (Leia)

The three of them seemed surprised. But this wasn’t something I had discovered. It was thanks to countless scholars whose names I didn’t even know.

Leia and the ninja spoke together.

“This is an amazing technique, degozaru. Is it possible to adopt it, degozaru?” (Ninja)

“Hmm… It would be nice, but it seems difficult…” (Leia)

“How about elves or beastkin, degozaru? If possible, it would be useful for night or dark scouting, degozaru.” (Ninja)

“…Yes. We’ll see if we can do it little by little…” (Leia)

Hmm, indeed, races with large ears like elves or the Nyaff tribe might learn this faster. It might not be a bad idea to try it after this.

*Click, click. Click, click.*

Stella moved her leg, clicking the castanets.

“Huh, Wood, Maru-chan, and Dia…?” (Elt)

I looked back and saw Wood, Marcosias, and Dia being carried by Marcosias.

Did they come to pick us up?

“Ugo ugo, came to check on you!” (Wood)

“The food is ready, so let’s eat together!” (Marcosias)

“It’s already dark, piyo~!” (Dia)

“…Yeah, it’s completely dark. Let’s head back for today.” (Elt)

“Yes, understood…!” (Stella)

Stella came toward me as she walked.

*Click, click*

She was still blindfolded, but her steps were steady. She intended to go back like this. It was really taking shape.

I think this is definitely more amazing than anything I could do. Well, the echo-based attack’s first stage is surely becoming second nature.

“I will absolutely master it.” (Stella)

Stella’s determination… It’s really reassuring!

 

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(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)