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

 

 

Is it really a Cockatrice!?

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

That word sounded incredibly familiar. Stella’s expression was as if asking, “How about you?”

Of course, I had heard the word “No Ball” in my previous life. Yes… “No Ball” was indeed one of the pen names used by Masaoka Shiki.  The kanji, of course, is 野球 (baseball). This is before the term “baseball” had a Japanese translation. I believe the person who translated baseball as 野球 was someone named Chūma.

Such thoughts raced through my mind in an instant.

No, now is not the time to think about that. I’m hopeless. Whenever I touch on baseball, my thoughts get pulled away…! Anyway, for now, I focused on reading Stella’s proposal.

I flipped through the memo.

Let’s see…?

• There are people who throw the ball and people who hit it.
• Points are decided by the direction and distance the ball flies.
• After throwing and hitting a few times, they switch roles.
• You can’t hit the person who is throwing or hitting with the ball.

Hmm, this is definitely not baseball. It seems more like a side game for events.

Still, the basic rules are simple and yet engaging enough to play. Baseball needs an opposing team, and gathering that many people might be difficult right now. But as a village specialty, sports are not a bad idea at all. It’s actually something that works even in modern Earth. We need to start creating traditions from things like this.

“Ah, I think this is good.” (Elt)

“Really!?” (Stella)

“But if you use Stella’s criteria, it might be too tough… We’ll need to ask other adventurers for opinions and refine the rules.” (Elt)

“Yes…” (Stella)

“Still, the idea is very good. It would be a great way to liven up the village.” (Elt)

I wa the type who praised to encourage growth. Also, this proposal from Stella, who was on the ground, might be better than what I could come up with.

In Stella’s eyes, there was a sparkling fire burning. It would be good to nurture this into a bigger flame.

“Thank you very much…!” (Stella)

“Let me know when you figure out what you need. I’ll provide the money for the place and equipment.” (Elt)

“Is that… Elt-sama funding this? Is that alright?” (Stella)

“Hmm, if it’s okay, I was thinking maybe the whole village can support it.” (Elt)

“…Definitely!!” (Stella)

Stella leaned forward eagerly. Her motivation was as high as when she made the bat.

No need to rush. If it spreads slowly and grows gradually, that’s fine. Baseball took hundreds of years to become a major sport, after all.

“Let’s do our best.” (Elt)

“Yes…!!” (Stella)

 

—

 

Several days later, a meeting was finally held to discuss the underground passage investigation. Attending were me, Leia, Stella, Iskamina, and the other adventurers. Also, Dia was there, being carried by Stella.

We gathered at the Large Tree Tower and sat around a round table. By the way, as special advisors, the Cockatrice sisters were present. After all, they are the most knowledgeable about the underground passages. Dia was brought along because her translation skills are necessary…

“Piyo.” (Cockatrice Sister)

“Pipiyo.” (Cockatrice Sister)

Yes… lots of “piyo piyo” sounds. Leia, wearing a Cockatrice hat, distributed papers while speaking.

“Over the past few days, we asked Iskamina to conduct a preliminary survey on the underground passage’s safety. She checked for dangers like collapses, harmful gases, and magic reactions… I will first report on those results.” (Leia)

“Mogu, initially, I investigated mainly the underground passage around the old Dryad house. To sum up, I think there’s no danger in that area. The passage is sturdy, and there were no harmful substances or excessive magic.” (Iskamina)

“Good, that’s great news.” (Elt)

“Now we can start the investigation…!” (Adventurer)

Those were the voices from the adventurers. I had been briefed beforehand, but it was good that the ruins where we could investigate safely were confirmed. There was a possibility this preliminary survey could have led to the area being sealed off.

“Historically, it seems it was created about a thousand years ago. So, it’s possible that it connects to the third floor of the Zanzas dungeon.” (Iskamina)

The atmosphere among the adventurers gradually heated up. So far, this was all very good news. Stella gently stroked Dia’s belly, listening with interest.

“…However, there is also a problem. I confirmed the presence of traps in the underground passage.” (Iskamina)

“I think they are defensive equipment against intruders. That means the investigation of the underground passage needs to be done cautiously.” (Adventurer)

At this, the adventurers’ murmurs grew louder.

“Traps, huh. I guess that’s expected…” (Adventurer)

“But if it’s not a monster’s lair, it’s not so bad, right?” (Adventurer)

“Yeah, but what kind of traps are there?” (Adventurer)

Leia continued her explanation.

“Those are defense-type golems. They attack anyone who enters their range.” (Leia)

“I was almost attacked too. The traps are active.” (Iskamina)

An adventurer in his thirties tilted his head and asked Iskamina. It was a natural question. I thought about it myself.

“That’s strange. The Cockatrice sisters have been using the underground passage, right? If the traps were active, wouldn’t they have been attacked?” (Adventurer)

“Yes, that was strange… The preliminary survey investigated the underground passage between the spring and the old Dryad house. There were traps there as well.” (Leia)

At Leia’s words, the adventurers all tilted their heads in confusion. I took over the conversation.

“So, I think the traps don’t react to the Cockatrices.” (Elt)

I signaled Stella with my eyes. It was as we had planned. I would have Stella mediate the conversation with Dia and the Cockatrice sisters. Below is how it went.

“Do you remember something made of stone in the underground passage?” (Elt)

“Piyo.” (Maybe that one?) (Cockatrice Sister)

“Piyo piyo.” (The one Onee-chan sometimes pecks at?) (Cockatrice Sister)

“Piyo piyo…” (It’s hard and somehow looks like a living creature.) (Cockatrice Sister)

“It seems there was something like that, piyo. Something like a creature… piyo.” (Dia)

So, they had really seen it. Of course, that made sense. If you walked normally, it seemed to be on the path. From what I heard, the defensive golems apparently looked like tiger heads. They were placed like fixed turrets in the middle of the passage. I heard that balls of lightning fly out from their mouths. Leia reported that it looks similar to the lightning balls on the second floor.

For now, the defensive golems did not move, but the balls were surprisingly fast, so they were troublesome.

“Did anything like sparks fly from there?” (Elt)

“Piyo?” (Was there such a thing?) (Cockatrice Sister)

“Piyo yo?” (No, right?) (Cockatrice Sister)

“It seems there wasn’t, piyo.” (Dia)

“Understood, thank you very much.” (Elt)

This was conclusive. The defensive golems did not react to the Cockatrice. At least, they did not react to the Cockatrice sisters.

Is there really a Cockatrice god in the underground of Zanzas…? Or perhaps someone who really liked Cockatrices made the dungeon… Well, I don’t really know the truth.

“…That is the situation. Please look at the paper for the estimated abilities of the defensive golems.” (Elt)

“To be honest, they are quite troublesome. There might also be mechanisms that attack anyone except the Cockatrice.” (Leia)

At this, Leia stroked her Cockatrice hat somewhat disappointedly.

“Unfortunately, my Cockatrice hat does get attacked…” (Leia)

“So, we will investigate, but we must be cautious. For now, we will proceed little by little with Stella, the Cockatrice sisters, and a carefully selected team.” (Elt)

At this point, having a specialist on defensive golems would be useful. Well, there probably isn’t such a person conveniently available. But Stella has experience overcoming lightning balls. If we take it slow, investigation is possible. Let’s do our best, little by little.

 

—

 

That day, somewhere in this country, on a wagon.

The wagon rocked with a rattling sound, and it was crowded inside. Among them was a single unusual figure. A Cockatrice costume. From the body shape, it was probably a child.

But the other passengers on the wagon paid no particular attention. In fact, it was not unusual. Certain races sometimes must change their clothing when necessary.

A pot-bellied merchant in the wagon spoke to the one in the costume.

“Are you a Vampire?” (Merchant)

“Yes… I am.” (Vampire)

“I thought so. Vampires always wear costumes to avoid sunlight. I’ve seen many, but for some reason, I only see Cockatrice costumes.” (Merchant)

“…Because that’s the only option.” (Vampire)

“Oh, I think some eccentric person invented that? Apparently, it’s surprisingly comfortable…” (Merchant)

“Yes, a Cockatrice maniac made it. It’s easier for us now.” (Vampire)

*Rattle, rattle.*

The costume answered properly. The eye parts were dimly tinted glass. Thanks to magical devices embedded throughout the body, temperature and humidity were properly controlled. For Vampires, who were weak to sunlight and heat, a fully protective costume was an essential item. Even if it was a Cockatrice costume…

“It was originally for costume shows, but we need it.” (Vampire)

I think it’s cute.

S-rank adventurer Nana muttered inside her heart.

 

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