New chapter of Plant Magic Lord is out (2/3 chapters)

 

 

Before Hold and the Play

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

I left the tent with Nana and Stella, and we returned to the village entrance. At the entrance of the village, there was space arranged for carriages to be parked… and indeed, four luxurious carriages were stopped there. Carved into the carriages was the snake crest of the Nagash Household. They were undoubtedly the carriages of the Hold family.

Looking at the seemingly expensive carriages, Stella muttered quietly.

“It’s all so glittery.” (Stella)

“Hmm, I don’t think they had such tastes back when I lived at home…” (Nana)

He used to have a little mustache, curled his hair… he did things like that, but when it came to accessories or visible things, I recall him being rather plain. This showy decoration of the carriages… this isn’t the Hold I knew.

That said, we haven’t seen each other face-to-face for a long time. Maybe his tastes changed.

*Clack*

The carriage door opened, and a tall, black-haired man stepped down. He looked about the same age as Berzel. Their facial features were somewhat similar. However, his build was quite slim, so the impression he gave was completely different. The curled hair and the little mustache were still the same. He was my older brother, Hold.

“…It’s been a while, Elt. No… should I say, Lord Elt?” (Hold)

“It’s been a while. Elt is fine.” (Elt)

Was my voice a bit stiff? Logically speaking, Hold and I exchanged letters. He even gave me money, and there was also the matter with Nana. I have more reason to speak to him casually than with Berzel-nii-san.

Next, a short-haired woman stepped down from the carriage. According to what I heard from Nana, this was Hold’s wife, Yaya. For someone from a noble family, her clothing was simple and gave a practical impression. She wore almost no accessories.

Following her down were a black-haired girl and an Elf girl. The black-haired girl, Nana had mentioned her too. Hold’s daughter, Audrey. Apparently, she was quite curious by nature and seemed to be similar to Nana in that way. Which meant she was a bit of an eccentric child.

But who was the Elf girl holding hands with Audrey? She has blond hair and is clearly an Elf. She doesn’t seem to be from the Nagash Household.

Well, whatever. We’ll be introducing ourselves soon anyway.

I took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

“Everyone, welcome to the Healberry Village. I am truly delighted to be able to welcome my brother’s family.” (Elt)

 

—

 

And so, we proceeded with introductions, but the real surprise came at the end. When it was the Elf girl, Clarissa’s turn.

“I am Clarissa Eldines Foldia. I’m a distant relative of Stella-sama…!” (Clarissa)

“Oh…!” (Elt)

A distant relative of Stella…? This is the first time I’ve heard anything like that. And the surname Foldia… that sounds familiar. I think I read it in a book somewhere… Ah. I remember now. It’s the name of one of the current elven kingdoms. One of the countries of the forest dwellers in the east.

…Huh? That would mean Stella is a princess of the Foldia Kingdom? I didn’t even know her full name until now… The truth really does come out in unexpected ways.

Still, based on Stella’s behavior and mana, I had assumed she was born of nobility. There were many theories written about her, some claiming she was of royal or high noble lineage.

“I see. By the way, who is your ancestor?” (Elt)

“Um, that would be Tara Eldines Foldia…! She’s Stella-sama’s elder sister!” (Clarissa)

At that moment, I didn’t miss Stella muttering something under her breath. Probably only Nana and I heard her.

“Tara…?” (Stella)

I get it instantly. Stella isn’t the only one sensitive when it comes to family. Tara and Stella must have had a bad relationship. Most likely, an extremely bad one.

I chose not to respond to Stella’s murmur and pointed toward the village square.

“Actually, my daughters and son’s play is about to begin. Would you like to come watch it with us? You can enjoy the festival as we walk.” (Elt)

“Daughters and son…!? Are they adopted, by chance?” (Hold)

“Mm, I’ll explain while we walk.” (Elt)

As I turned, I glanced at Stella and saw that her eyes were slightly downcast. She seemed to have realized her misstep, or at least something similar. As we began walking, the first thing that caught attention was the Adventurer Guild at the village entrance. It was a building modeled after Dia and Wood, standing impressively.

“Waaah! Amazing! It’s a Cockatrice!” (Audrey)

“Really, such a big Cockatrice…!” (Clarissa)

“Ohh, this building is…” (Hold)

Audrey looked at the Adventurer Guild building with great excitement. Clarissa also seemed very intrigued. Hold touched his chin and nodded thoughtfully.

His eyes grew sharper. That’s the gaze of someone admiring a work of art.

“A blend of abstraction and utility. Familiar and approachable, yet without sacrificing functionality. Truly excellent…” (Hold)

“You again, with that talk…” (Yaya)

“Sorry, it’s just a habit. It seems like the work of a well-known architect, who designed it? The concept is incredibly unique.” (Hold)

“No, I made it with magic.” (Elt)

““Eh.”” (Hold’s Family)

Hold’s family froze. The maids and butlers accompanying him also turned to stone.

Was it really that surprising? I don’t get it…

“Constructing a standardized house with magic is one thing… but this? It must require a staggering level of imagination. Genius creativity and the focus only a top-class architect could have.” (Hold)

“Well, I don’t have all that, but…” (Elt)

“Otherwise, you’d need to spend months closely observing and studying…!” (Hold)

“Well, I do live with them…” (Elt)

I do watch over them daily to make sure they’re growing properly. I check Wood for any abnormalities too. Even Marcosias, in her puppy form, sleeps with Dia and keeps an eye on things…

“But it’s true, Hold. Right in front of my eyes, Elt-sama built this building with magic.” (Nana)

“What…! Elt, you carry the blood of an artist!” (Hold)

“No, the only things I can make are Cockatrices and Treemen.” (Elt)

“…Isn’t that already impressive? If you can properly shape a Cockatrice…” (Hold)

Hold tilted his head in puzzlement. Then, he pointed to a shop further down the path. It was a Cockatrice goods store. It was packed to the brim with Cockatrice merchandise.

“…Now that you say it, I suppose you’re right.” (Elt)

It’s become a major industry in Zanzas, after all.

Leia was mass-producing and selling Cockatrice goods.

Speaking of which, the play is about to begin. I wonder how Dia, Wood, and Marcosias are doing…

 

—

 

In the waiting room inside the Large Tree Tower.

As the play’s start approached, Dia was nervously chirping while Marcosias helped tidy up her feathers.

“Piyo… I’m getting nervous, piyo…” (Dia)

While Dia was starting to panic, Marcosias remained calm and composed.

“I don’t feel much nervousness myself, but I do know a way to ease it.” (Marcosias)

“Really, piyo? What is it, piyo?” (Dia)

“Pressure points. Like, on your palm…” (Marcocias)

“Palm…” (Dia)

Marcosias spread her right hand and firmly pressed the center of her palm. Watching this, Dia stared at her own fluffy wing. Tilting her head.

“…This is hard, piyo, isn’t it? What even is a palm, piyo?” (Dia)

“Somewhere around here, I guess. Yeah.” (Marcosias)

“Around there? That vague is okay, piyo?” (Dia)

Marcosias began kneading and pressing random spots on Dia’s wing.

*Squish squish*

“If I pressed this much, it must’ve been pressed enough. My master, how is it? Has your nervousness eased!?” (Marcosias)

“Hmm. I feel like my nervousness has eased, piyo.” (Dia)

“Success! The pressure point technique worked already!” (Marcosias)

“The power of pressure points…! This is it, piyo…!” (Dia)

Pat pat.

Dia patted Marcosias, and she narrowed her eyes happily, clearly enjoying the gesture. Through their usual interaction, Dia was calming down. I was grateful for that.

While this was going on, Wood came over to Dia and Marcosias. He was already dressed in his costume for the play.

“Ugo ugo… I’m getting nervous…” (Wood)

“There’s a great pressure point!” (Marcosias)

“There is, piyo yo!” (Dia)

“…Ugo. W-what kind of pressure point…?” (Wood)

Wood had a Treeman’s body. Technically, no blood was flowing through it… but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Any pressable spot will do.

And so, their time in the waiting room continued to pass…

 

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