New chapter of Plant Magic Lord is out! (8/10 chapters)

 

 

On a Peaceful Day

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

“…Soil bath?” (Elt)

I tilted my head slightly, and Leia nodded with a “hoho”. It seemed something was understood between us.

“To notice that right away, you’re quite something.” (Leia)

“Enjoying soil is my raison d’être, mogu. My hobby is searching for things that warm the body, mogu.” (Iskamina)

“Haha… we seem to get along well…” (Leia)

Leia also took soil baths whenever she had the chance. Sharing hobbies naturally created a sense of closeness.

“Enjoying soil is also what a mole does, mogu.” (Iskamina)

“A mole, nya.” (Naru)

“It’s because I’m a mole, mogu.” (Iskamina)

Iskamina puffed out her chest proudly.

Well, being a mole probably has nothing to do with it, right? After all, moles don’t live underground just because they like it. I have never heard what moles on Earth feel like.

However, Dryads like to bury themselves in soil. The Nyaff tribe enjoys playing ball. Maybe it’s something they seek instinctively?

“Well, take a few days to relax. We’ll start the underground passage investigation once things settle down.” (Elt)

There are places and routines in the village. Unlike modern Earth, you can’t just search quickly on a smartphone. Ugh… starting a death march right after arrival… my head…

Well, the underground passage investigation isn’t a job to rush to death. Moreover, specialists like her have no substitute. It’s better if they work with high motivation.

“Thank you very much, mogu!” (Iskamina)

“Then, I will guide you to the soil bath! I want to enter it too. Ah, I’ll talk about the underground passage while walking…” (Leia)

“…Ah, I leave it to you.” (Elt)

Leia said this while her eyes briefly darted around. She only stopped by here after all. Since she wasn’t specifically called, there was no reason to hold her back. Rather, just attending was very diligent work. On the other hand, she might be wearing the Cockatrice hat even when it was unrelated to work.

Then, Leia and Iskamina started walking toward the Large Tree Tower. I had detailed arrangements to discuss with Naru, so I couldn’t leave.

*Piyo~.*

Behind me came the cry of a Cockatrice hat.

Was there something pulling the string…?

“How about this?” (Leia)

“…It’s tasteful, mogu.” (Iskamina)

“We have spare hats now, so how about one? I think it would suit you very well.” (Leia)

“…I am not yet worthy of living tastefully, mogu.” (Iskamina)

“I see…” (Leia)

There was no real reason to pull the string. She just wanted to spread the hats. However, this exchange made me somewhat uneasy.

“Are all Adventurer Guild Masters such strong characters…? Can she handle this?” (Elt)

“Leia is very, very special, nya.” (Naru)

“Good. That’s right.” (Elt)

“Yes, nya. Leia is special, nya.” (Naru)

“Saying it twice, huh.” (Elt)

“Even doubling the emphasis is not enough, nya.” (Naru)

I see, Naru feels the same way.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t think I had the courage to wear a Cockatrice hat everywhere.

 

—

 

At the same time, at the Nagash family’s third son, Hold Nagash’s mansion. Being a direct descendant of a great noble family, the mansion was extravagantly magnificent. Not only in size but also decorated with sculptures and gardens reflecting Hold’s artistic tastes.

Even without the headship, Hold had wealth equivalent to an earl. Dressed elegantly, he was drinking wine and talking with guests. Hold, in his mid-twenties, was already known as an artist among the nobility. Though formerly a knight, he was now financially independent and steadily building a firm foundation.

“Father shows no interest, but I am concerned.” (Hold)

“…About your younger brother?” (Girl)

Drinking with Hold was a pale blue-haired androgynous girl. Depending on perspective, she could be a stunningly beautiful boy, but that was natural since she was a vampire skilled at charming others. However, she was drinking tomato juice, not wine.

“Yes, Grandfather’s time is near… Father and Mother also seem to have their own thoughts.” (Hold)

“Hmm…” (Girl)

“I won’t always obey Father. Mistakes must be corrected.” (Hold)

“That is admirable.” (Girl)

There was a slight hint of contempt in her words, but Hold let it slide. Few could show such an attitude to Hold except family. Even royalty would not be so casual. But she was different. She was noble from the northern snow country and a classmate from the noble academy. They shared youthful times together.

“Hold, who was frivolous, has become serious. That’s good. I will go check on things. The headquarters requested it as well.” (Girl)

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” (Hold)

“No problem. This is more important to me.” (Girl)

On the table lay several tomatoes made by Elt. The girl lovingly picked one up.

“…This tomato is truly wonderful.” (Girl)

World’s eight S-rank adventurers. The Artifact Meister Nana whispered quietly.

 

—

 

After the meeting with Naru, I returned home for the day. Today’s work was done.

Lately, evenings seem to arrive so quickly. Nights grow quite cold. Still, with enchanted heating devices common in this world, the indoors stay comfortable.

When I arrived home, everyone else was already back.

“I’m home.” (Elt)

“Welcome back!” (Stella)

“Ugo-ugo, welcome back!” (Wood)

“Father-sama, welcome back, piyo!” (Dia)

“Father, welcome home!” (Marcosias)

At night, we all stay together. After dinner, we spend time lounging.

My recent routine was reading books about the Zanzas dungeon. With the underground passage matter, I needed to learn as much as I could. There were many books on the Zanzas dungeon. They had existed for at least a thousand years, so that made sense.

Dungeons formed where great amounts of mana converged beneath the earth. The more mana concentrated, the larger and deeper the dungeon. The world’s top ten dungeons had held the greatest mana since recorded history.

“So, the origin of the Zanzas dungeon remains unknown after all…” (Elt)

I closed the scholarly book I had just finished. It was academic, but it still didn’t explain the key point.

“When I came of age, it was already completely unclear.” (Stella)

“That’s right… mysteries draw you in.” (Elt)

“Yes, everyone wants to know.” (Stella)

I was the type who enjoyed reading game lore. I remembered that in the game the dungeon’s creation was also unexplained. Small dungeons could be created magically in lore, but that was just setting. Ancient dungeons remained a mystery. Perhaps, they arose naturally.

“Some say a mad mage built it as a hiding place, or a god created it as a trial, or it formed at an ancient civilization’s fall… too many theories.” (Elt)

“More like just listing guesses.” (Stella)

“Feels that way. The most amusing is the theory that a Cockatrice god is sealed at the bottom.” (Elt)

I glanced at Dia, now lying on Marcosias’s back. That legendary Demon dignity was nowhere to be found.

“Is there really such a theory?” (Stella)

“Yes. Recent books often mention it. Only living creatures on the first floor are Cockatrices… so perhaps there’s some connection.” (Elt)

“…I see, indeed!” (Stella)

“And I tried writing something…” (Stella)

“Hmm?” (Elt)

Actually, Stella’s writing and reading were quite challenging. Only recently did I realize her penmanship and style were archaic, like reading a Sengoku-era manuscript. She was aware of that and practiced to adapt to the times, especially with her new deputy branch chief duties. I was the one who proofread Stella’s documents. No one else in this village could do it. My homeschooling paid off after all.

Stella pulled out a small notebook with a confident “fufun”.

“I came up with a new outdoor game using a ball… I’ve named it ‘No Ball’!” (Stella)

 

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