New chapter of Plant Magic Lord is out! (2/10 chapters)

 

 

Full of the Old Times

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

After that, we decided to return to the surface. After all, we had to rescue Iskamina.

“Iskamina, are you alright…?” (Elt)

I dug up the lion statue along with Iskamina using the [Great Tree Arm] and brought Iskamina back to the surface. By the way, the rope was still attached as it was. I was glad the pedestal was not fused with the passage itself. The [Great Tree Arm] could carry quite heavy things if it could grasp it.

The underground passage was narrow, and it seemed difficult to rescue her quickly. Also, what we could do was limited. We had no choice but to bring her back.

“I’m fine, mogu!” (Iskamina)

Iskamina answered while moving her feet quickly, stuck in the mouth. She looked energetic.

“By myself, I couldn’t carry it. Plant magic has a lot of power, doesn’t it?” (Nana)

“Well… It has its weakness that it needs solid ground, but it also has strengths.” (Elt)

I had tried, but plant magic becomes much weaker in sand or water. On the other hand, once activated, its strength is considerable. However, among the nobles, fireballs and other long-range, high-power spells are more valued. My plant magic is not easily recognized.

“But is your mana alright? You injected mana into the statue, and this spell seems to be an intermediate-level one.” (Nana)

“No problem. I have used less than one-fifth so far.” (Elt)

I felt like I had used just over ten percent of my mana. There was still plenty left.

“When Hold was about your age, Elt-sama, he did not have anywhere near that much mana. That includes me, of course.” (Nana)

“Mana depends largely on innate talent. It is something you are born with.” (Elt)

Actually, growth rates differed greatly depending on training. Also, plant magic was exceptional because of the mana recovery fruit.

“But what should we do… We cannot damage the statue itself even a little. It is impossible to chip away and rescue her.” (Nana)

The main reason I carried the statue as a whole was that. Even with a knife or sword in hand, I could not leave even a scratch. Leia was also wearing a serious expression.

“All we can do is wait a few days in this state while Iskamina loses weight, though it’s unfortunate…” (Leia)

“Mogu!?” (Iskamina)

Iskamina trembled suddenly. Nana also tilted her head, thinking.

“Or maybe try using full power magic…” (Nana)

“Mogu mogu!?” (Iskamina)

“…Or simply try using oil to make it slippery.” (Elt)

“That’s good, mogu!” (Iskamina)

“But there is no oil anywhere…” (Nana)

Right there, I used plant mana. I had produced olives many times before. A small tree grew smoothly, and olives appeared.

“Let’s squeeze this and try using it. Stella and the others should finish their mission and return soon.” (Elt)

Today, the first day, we planned just to proceed through the places already surveyed to encourage ourselves. We intended to finish after defeating several statues. Along the way, we planned to have a relaxed lunch, but I did not stop it either. Curiosity was too strong.

As a result, Iskamina got stuck in the lion’s mouth and spun around. But even when Stella and the others return, all we could do was pull hard.

“But the question is whether it is alright to pull with many people.” (Elt)

“M-mogu, it will break, mogu.” (Iskamina)

Hmm, Iskamina still seemed to have some room. For now, let’s try improving the slipperiness with oil…

 

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We squeezed the olives and prepared the oil. By the way, the bucket came out of Nana’s costume.

Very convenient.

Nana’s storage mana seems to work only on items carefully marked with her own mana, but it is interesting. It would be good for carrying daily necessities.

Just then, the Cockatrice sisters came pulling a cart. On the cart were grass dumplings for lunch. Also, quite a few Dryads were swaying. They had come to prepare lunch.

“Elt-sama, what happened here?” (Tetetoka)

Tetetoka jumped down from the cart and landed lightly.

“Ah, she got stuck in the mouth while we were investigating it… We can’t get her out.” (Elt)

“I see… I understand…” (Tetetoka)

“I am sorry, mogu.” (Iskamina)

“But I understand. We often get stuck in the soil ourselves.” (Tetetoka)

Tetetoka waddled closer to the statue.

“…Is it okay to touch it?” (Tetetoka)

“Hm? Ah, it should be no problem.” (Elt)

Dryads have almost no mana. They probably won’t trigger any reaction like I do.

Tetetoka approached the lion statue and peered at Iskamina stuck inside.

“Hoho, she is stuck quite deeply…” (Tetetoka)

“That’s right, mogu.” (Iskamina)

“Is she not in pain?” (Tetetoka)

“No pain at all, mogu!” (Iskamina)

The Dryads continued to get off the cart one after another and started preparing lunch. Of course, they were eating the grass dumplings in their hand as needed.

“That’s an interesting statue, isn’t it?” (Tetetoka)

Tetetoka continued and touched the lion statue softly.

“It’s smooth.” (Tetetoka)

At that moment, the statue released a sharp pulse of mana.

*Crackle crackle…!*

Tetetoka jumped back suddenly.

“Ah! That tingled!” (Tetetoka)

Did the lion statue react? No, it was just the residual mana being released.

The reaction disappeared quickly.

“Are you alright?” (Elt)

“I’m fine.” (Tetetoka)

“…Did something happen, mogu?” (Iskamina)

Iskamina apparently did not notice. It seemed the mana was not that strong.

“Hmm…” (Tetetoka)

Tetetoka stared intently at the lion statue.

Was something bothering her?

“Open…?” (Tetetoka)

Tilting her head, Tetetoka spoke, and the statue creaked. The mouth seemed to open just a little.

“Did it move…?” (Elt)

“Ah, I knew it! I felt like it was going to move somehow.” (Nana)

Nana also tilted her head. Even though she was wearing the Cockatrice costume.

“Did it move on the Dryad’s command…?” (Nana)

“Hmm… I’m not sure, but do you think we can pull Iskamina out?” (Elt)

“There’s a little gap now, mogu!” (Iskamina)

“All right, let’s apply oil and pull her out.” (Elt)

Anyway, we have to get Iskamina out first. The rest can wait.

Leia and Nana spread the squeezed oil all over Iskamina to improve the slipperiness.

It was shiny or rather, sticky. I was watching from a little distance.

Touching a woman’s body while sticky with oil felt a bit… inappropriate.

Meanwhile, Tetetoka and the other Dryads sat on a cloth spread on the ground, eating grass dumplings. Once Stella returned, it would be time for lunch.

I sat next to Tetetoka to ask about what had just happened with the lion statue.

“…That lion statue, why did you feel it was going to move?” (Elt)

“I feel like I saw it before. A long time ago though.” (Tetetoka)

“How long ago…?” (Elt)

I had never really talked about that. The Dryads didn’t bring it up either. Even while making grass dumplings, that topic never came up.

“One cold season… maybe many?” (Tetetoka)

It seemed they were not sure. They didn’t seem to be counting either.

“A rough estimate is fine…” (Elt)

“Eh… Ah, that’s right. I was told. It’s from when the hiyoko-san started living west of here.” (Tetetoka)

“Hiyoko-san…? That means…” (Elt)

To the west from here is Zanzas. The hiyoko-san probably means the Cockatrice. But the dungeon in Zanzas was found a thousand years ago. The Cockatrice must have been there since then…

“…Who told you that?” (Elt)

“The big hiyoko-san and the princess-sama. I don’t remember much though.” (Tetetoka)

The other Dryads nodded at Tetetoka’s words.

“That’s nostalgic.” (Dryads)

“That really happened, didn’t it?” (Dryads)

It seemed all the Dryads here vaguely remember it.

“Did those people… show you that lion statue, Tetetoka?” (Elt)

“They did. They showed it as if it was ‘done’. But maybe they took it somewhere soon after? It disappeared from the forest.” (Tetetoka)

…No way.

Listening to Tetetoka, I shivered quietly.

If that’s true, the person Tetetoka met might be the one who built this underground passage. Who else could have placed the lion statue? No, there are many other questions I want to ask. I hadn’t thought about it before, but how many years have the Dryads lived…?

Before I could dwell on this, voices came from the other side. Leia and Nana were pulling Iskamina, who was covered in oil.

“It’s moving, it’s moving!” (Leia)

“Leia, put more strength into it!” (Elt)

“Mogu mogu…” (Iskamina)

*Plop!*

Without my help, Iskamina came out of the lion’s mouth. It seemed she was free.

“G-good, mogu!” (Iskamina)

Well… she was covered in oil. Stella and the others would return soon.

I stood up, intending to check on Iskamina.

“Will you tell me later about the old times?” (Elt)

Tetetoka nodded at my words, still munching on grass dumplings.

“Nomnom… If I remember anything, I’ll tell you everything!” (Tetetoka)

 

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(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)