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

 

 

Marriage Circumstances

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

Some more days passed after that. According to the calendar, it was now February. The cold had not been particularly harsh, and frost had barely formed. Since the villagers were already cultivating summer vegetables and fruits, there was not much of a seasonal feeling. Still, thanks to that, our lives remained prosperous. The Large Tree Houses functioning normally. It received nourishment and water from the earth, and its green leaves were thriving.

I was at the Adventurers Guild office. My work had paused briefly, and I was having tea with Anaria and Naru. It was a sort of information exchange.

While sipping her tea, Anaria said..

“This area gets much warmer around March. When that happens, the number of travelers will increase.” (Anaria)

“Even more than now, in spring and summer?” (Elt)

“Yes, that is right, nya.” (Naru)

During the Winter Solstice Festival, it had felt like there were a lot of people around. Although perhaps Zanzas was simply an exception.

As if reading my thoughts, Naru added,

“The Winter Solstice Festival is a really special case, nya. In this kingdom’s climate, spring and summer are definitely the busy seasons for business, nya.” (Naru)

“There is also snowmelt from other countries.” (Anaria)

“I see. That makes sense. The northern regions do get regular snowfall.” (Elt)

Probably, this area has a climate slightly colder than Okinawa. It does not snow during winter, but the temperature drops quite a bit. Summer is hot, and people have to be careful about heatstroke. Even though snow is rare in this country, the northern countries seem to be heavily affected.

“In the northern country where the upcoming art festival will be held, it should be snowing quite a bit right now, nya. When it gets warmer, the crafts made during autumn and winter will be put on sale, nya.” (Naru)

“So they are storing them indoors and waiting to sell them.” (Elt)

“The dwarven nations do the same, nya. They produce items constantly throughout winter and ship them out when spring comes. High-end potion-making tools usually go up for sale in spring, nya.” (Naru)

Anaria’s eyes sparkled.

She must have bought a lot of things during previous spring seasons. Once the other countries and regions begin to move with the season, it will be a good opportunity to expand trade routes and business connections.

“As for the art festival, I believe we will be hearing from Hold soon. I hope it turns into a launching point this spring.” (Anaria)
“Yes, we are currently developing a produce route with Zanzas. We are also preparing to expand distribution into areas that have not had much access before, nya.” (Naru)

They already had everything well-planned. It was impressive. At that moment, Anaria seemed to be thinking about something. It appeared that something was weighing on her mind.

“Is something bothering you?” (Elt)

“Yes… I have been practicing my crafting at the Large Tree Tower, but there is something that concerns me.” (Anaria)

“What is it?” (Elt)

I prompted her silently to continue.

“There are times when Lalatoma looks rather unwell. Her mood swings up and down without warning. I checked, but there were no obvious signs of physical illness.” (Anaria)

“Come to think of it, Tetetoka said something unusual the other day too.” (Elt)

He had said something like, “You understand, right?” but I had not really grasped the meaning behind it.

“Nya…” (Naru)

I looked over at Naru. Her eyes were darting around. She seemed to know something.

“…Do you know something, Naru?” (Elt)

“Nya!? I do and I do not, nya.” (Naru)

“That is not very helpful.” (Elt)

It was unusual for Naru to be vague like this.

“Nya… It is just my speculation, nya.” (Naru)

“About Lalatoma?” (Anaria)

Anaria leaned in closer. She had worked with Lalatoma during the Winter Solstice Festival, so she must have been genuinely worried. I was curious too.

“I think… she might be in love, nya.” (Naru)

“Was that on purpose?” (Elt)

“You are mishearing me, nya. I meant romantic feelings, not intention, nya.” (Naru)

“I see…” (Elt)

I muttered quietly. It was unexpected.

But since it was Naru’s opinion, and she is also a girl, I should take it seriously. If Naru is right, then the next question is: who is Lalatoma interested in? I tried to recall her recent behavior. Could it be…

“Could it be that she has feelings for Wood?” (Elt)

“What!?” (Anaria)

“That is probably it. That is what it looks like to me, nya.” (Naru)

“No way!” (Anaria)

Anaria was completely shocked.

Well, it is true that no one had talked about romance much in this village. Anaria might be smart and talented, but she does not seem to have experience with romance. Not that I do either, but I have enough life experience to guess what might be going on. If I did not have that, I would probably be just as surprised.

Now that I think about it, I do not really understand the relationship norms of this world. My connection with Stella is not exactly a standard case of romance or courtship. This might be a good time to ask about how romance and marriage normally work in this world.

I have read books on the subject, but I still do not understand the customs of ordinary people very well. Reading is expensive here, so books on marriage and daily life are rare. Even if they exist, they are usually written for nobles, and not useful for places like Zanzas. This village was only recently founded. No one has talked to me about marriage yet, but that may happen soon.

When I said that, Naru and Anaria both nodded. As key members of the guild, they immediately understood what I meant. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring it up. We could talk about Lalatoma and Wood later. There was no need to rush that part.

First, Naru offered a broad observation.

“All over the world, marriage is happening later in life, and weddings are becoming simpler, nya.” (Naru)

“That is true. Even among people my age, very few are married.” (Anaria)

“I figured as much.” (Elt)

That was what I had expected. As urban areas grew in the Edo period, marriage tended to happen later. In rural areas, it used to be quicker. But once children were no longer seen as workers and instead raised for education and development, marriage happened later. That pattern applies here too.

“Do people feel pressured to marry, like in some church doctrines?” (Elt)

“No, not at all.” (Anaria)

“Definitely not, nya.” (Naru)

Naru and Anaria drank their tea as they answered.

“There is almost no church influence around here…” (Elt)

The reason for that is straightforward. In this world, nobles hold power through magic and skills. For example, someone skilled in healing magic can cure illness with a single spell. Someone with fire magic can defeat dragons. Even I use botanical magic to support potion-making. Compared to that, clergy without magic cannot make much of an impact. Because of this, there is little religious pressure on marriage customs.

That might explain why delayed marriage is more accepted here than I originally thought.

 

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