New chapter of Plant Magic Lord is out (1/3 chapters)

 

 

The One Who Will Go to Hell

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

It was about time for the performance to begin. Stella and I exited the great tree tower, which served as the waiting room, and returned to the plaza. There were more people in the plaza than earlier. About 80 percent of the seats were filled.

Hmm… Maybe I should add more seats starting tomorrow.

In front of the stage, the music band was already present. It wasn’t a requirement, but Leia had insisted on assembling it.

That adventurer in his thirties is holding a trumpet… I didn’t know he had that kind of skill…

When we returned to the front-row seats, Hold spoke with admiration. To my left was Stella, and to my right sat Hold.

“But I must say, I’m surprised. To think you prepared a play to welcome me… There could be nothing more appropriate.” (Hold)

“No, if anything, it’s just a coincidence…” (Elt)

And if our priority had been to show it to Hold, bat wouldn’t have been included. But thanks to the excited Stella beside me begging for it, the wild-ball element was added in.

“Don’t be modest. You’re showing it to me because you’re confident, right? Where did you put the most effort?” (Hold)

“…That’s for you to find out by watching.” (Elt)

The overall plot likely hasn’t changed, but who knows how chaotic the action parts have become… At the very least, the scene with the person in the Cockatrice costume doing a handstand while balancing on a ball is guaranteed. Also, there’s the fact that Marcosias appears as herself. That’s probably unheard of.

But Hold nodded, then pinched and straightened his small mustache.

“Ho… You must be very confident. Let’s see what you’ve got. If it has the same artistic value as that building, then this will be something remarkable.” (Hold)

Hmm, well, the same Dia is the main subject of both… Yeah, I should stop thinking about Hold. No use worrying now. For now, I’ll just enjoy the play and cheer it on. Anything that comes after, I’ll deal with later.

 

—

 

After a short while, Leia came up onto the stage.

Hmm? She’s holding a violin…

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome~! We shall now begin ‘Hero Stella Defeats Infernal Marcosias’!” (Leia)

*Ooooh!*

Applause erupted from the audience seats. Then, Leia began to narrate slowly while playing the violin.

Wait, she can do that!? I didn’t know she could play music too…

And of course, she was still wearing her trademark Cockatrice hat.

There’s already so much information to take in!

“In the time when the Demon King sought to commit evil… a young nobleman and his retainers were traveling for the sake of justice…” (Leia)

And she’s good! Both the violin and narration… she’s totally got it down.

Entering from the wings of the stage were Wood, Hattori, and Lalatoma. Everyone was carrying a bat. Of course, the bats matched their sizes… and the colors were all different too. They were colorfully painted, not even looking like bats anymore.

They almost look like glow sticks.

“Ugo… We must be nearing the Demon King’s castle. I must not fail the king’s expectations… Everyone is waiting for me!” (Wood)

Oh, that’s surprisingly fluent.

Next, Lalatoma walked forward as if probing the way ahead.

“My lord, please do not lower your guard! This is already a place where the Demon King’s minions lurk. There’s no telling if enemies lie in wait within the thickets!” (Lalatoma)

And lastly, Hattori spoke with a booming laugh.

Yeah, even though he’s in a costume…

“Ha ha ha! You worry too much! Have you forgotten my lord’s skill with a sword? In the royal match, none could best him! If the three of us fight together, even a dragon would flee!” (Hattori)

A young nobleman brimming with justice. And two retainers, one cautious, one bold.

For a while, the play progressed through lines among these three.

Hmm hmm. It’s actually really entertaining…

The retainers went on scouting trips, then the three of them advanced together again.  The scene where they slashed through the thickets by swinging their bats was surreal.

But the bats are supposed to be swords, right? The way those colorful bats twirl around naturally draws the eye.

‘Hero Stella Defeats Infernal Marcosias’ was a fairly loose play in this section. The number of retainers even changed depending on the era. Some extravagant versions had the young nobleman leading around 30 people. Though in such cases, most had no lines. Their journey continued, and finally it was time for Marcosias to appear.

Stella beside me watched with anxious anticipation.

Maybe I look the same way…

From the side of the stage emerged the Great Demon Marcosias, radiating both majesty and beauty. She carried a red bat and wore red armor, striding forward with heavy steps.

“Hooh…!” (Hold)

Hold, next to me, let out an impressed gasp. Indeed, it was nothing like the usual Marcosias, lying on her back with her belly exposed in puppy form.

If I had to face this Marcosias on the battlefield, my spine might freeze in terror.

“I’ve come out from the castle, seeking a worthy foe, yet it seems none exist. How utterly boring.” (Marcosias)

“Ugo… That’s the Demon King’s right hand, Infernal Marcosias!” (Wood)

“No, we mustn’t fight her head-on! We should retreat for now!” (Lalatoma)

“Hahaha, what cowardice! I shall defeat her before the Demon King himself!” (Hattori)

As the young nobleman and his companions reacted, Marcosias twirled her bat elegantly. It was a graceful, yet tension-filled dance.

“How amusing. You would challenge me, who defeated a hundred knights? Are you truly that strong?” (Marcosias)

“Ugo… It’s not about strength, but justice!” (Wood)

“Strength is justice!” (Marcosias)

Marcosias’s thunderous declaration echoed across the plaza.

Amazing… She’s completely immersed in the role. Well, I mean… she is the person herself…!

“Ugo… Everyone, steel yourselves. If we are to defeat the Demon King, we must pass through Marcosias. And now that she’s alone, it’s actually to our advantage!” (Wood)

“Don’t charge recklessly!” (Lalatoma)

“That’s the spirit, my lord!” (Hattori)

“Ugo, Infernal Marcosias! By royal command, I shall defeat you!” (Wood)

At Wood’s words, Marcosias responded with a roaring laugh.

“Hahaha…! I like your spirit! Come, let me sweep you aside!” (Marcosias)

Now came the action scene. This was where the true skill of the stage director was tested. There weren’t any fixed lines. Everything varied depending on the cast and time period. The only constant was that at the moment when the young nobleman was in peril, the Stella role would burst onto the scene.

What’s going to happen…?

“Then, I’ll go first! Witness my ever-changing sword techniques!” (Hattori)

Saying that, Hattori stood on one hand while swinging the bat with the other!

Whoa! That’s amazing! To do that in a costume is incredible!

“You’ll have to do better than that to hit me!” (Marcosias)

As Hattori charged forward with a handstand bat swing, Marcosias spun to dodge.

*Spin, spin*

“Take this magic instead!” (Lalatoma)

With a shout, several Nyaff tribe members came on stage, each holding boards painted with white ice symbols.

Ah, that retainer is also a magician. And uses ice magic, apparently. The Nyaff tribe’s tails swishing are very cute.

“You think this tickles me? It’s less than a breeze!” (Marcosias)

Even surrounded by signs of white ice, Marcosias remained completely unfazed.

“Ugo, then how about my sword! This mighty blade can even cut through dragon scales!” (Wood)

Wood stepped forward and swung his bat down with a great whoosh.

…Of course, from a considerable distance away from Marcosias. So, it’s not dangerous.

“Well done! But still ten years too early to land a hit on me!” (Marcosias)

*Spin, spin*

Marcosias danced and spun, completely toying with the young nobleman and his retainers. Eventually, the young nobleman fell to his knees.

“What’s wrong? Is that all? Then allow me to strike next! Who shall I send to hell first?” (Marcosias)

*Gulp*

Even the audience behind us was visibly tense.

That’s how spectacular Marcosias’s acting is.

She raised her bat high and looked around, deciding who to target. And then…

“Wait up, piyo! Infernal Marcosias!” (Dia as Stella)

With a flying leap from the side, Dia as Stella entered the stage.

So cute…!

“The one going to hell… is you, piyo!” (Dia as Stella)

With a sharp motion, she raised her yellow bat.

““Oooooooh!!”” (Spectators)

The audience erupted in cheers.

Yes, it was the grand arrival of the hero. Glancing to the side, Stella is watching with sparkling eyes.

It looks like this gets her seal of approval.

As for Hold…

His mouth hung open in stunned silence.

 

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(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)