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

 

 

The Eyes of Doctor Cocka

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

Two hours passed thereafter.

Stella continued to swing her bat, and Nana likewise lashed her whip in order to repel the Ice Crystals. As the swarm of Ice Crystals gradually diminished in number, the rising gusts of wind lessened. The tornado itself weakened, and glimpses of blue sky began to appear. At last, they succeeded in driving the Ice Crystal swarm into a corner.

“This is the end…!” (Stella)

Stella swung her bat with full force against an Ice Crystal.

*Ka-kin!*

With a pleasant resounding tone, the Ice Crystal was sent flying, and then, in succession, it crashed into the other Ice Crystals.

*Kaki kaki kaki kak-kin!!*

With their numbers reduced to this degree, they no longer regenerated. The shattered Ice Crystals, broken by the shock, fell in fragments from the sky. As the winds that had scattered snow ceased, the clear sunlight poured down brightly.

Dia, who nestled at Stella’s breast, moved her head restlessly.

“Piyo! Is it over, piyo!?” (Dia)

“The presence is gone. The tornado has completely vanished as well…” (Nana)

At Nana’s words, Stella too nodded.

“Yes, it seems that the separated Ice Crystals were also defeated. Everyone was able to coordinate most effectively with one another!” (Stella)

Of course, Nana had also noticed the deployment of the ground forces. She likewise perceived that Stella had contrived to separate the swarms of Ice Crystals so as to correspond with their movements. She had not released multiple swarms in the same place but had instead divided them into the areas that appeared to have capacity. Naturally, the same consideration had been extended to Victor and Ignat, who fought in the skies. Stella had been thinking to such a degree even while swinging her bat.

“From the middle of the battle I began to suspect it, but you were separating them so that the others could attack more easily, were you not?” (Nana)

“That is correct. However, if I had scattered them haphazardly, would it not have made their battle more difficult?” (Stella)

“That is true. Yet, good grief… I remain far from attaining such a level myself…” (Nana)

While using Nana as a snowboard, Stella had simultaneously considered the efficiency of the others’ attacks. Even though both were S-rank adventurers, Nana could not help but perceive the overwhelming disparity.

“If it is an opponent against which physical force is simply effective, then yes. Nana, you too must have been harboring many strategies. Furthermore, this manner of fighting could not be executed without you. Ah…” (Stella)

Stella gave a small cry, and Dia as well as Marcosias also became aware.

“From above, piyo!?” (Dia)

“It was flying through the sky, you know.” (Marcosias)

Descending unhurriedly before them were Victor and Ignat. At the sight of her elder brother after such a long time, Nana stiffened nervously. It was not that she had quarreled with her family to the point of estrangement or severed ties entirely, but it was certainly true that she had scarcely maintained contact. Regarding her decision to become an adventurer, Ignat had not looked favorably upon it. Such had been Nana’s understanding.

“N-Nii-san…” (Nana)

“It has been long indeed, my sister. You are unhurt, I trust?” (Ignat)

“…? N-no, I am not hurt.” (Nana)

The unexpectedly gentle tone left Nana bewildered. It was the very voice of the brother who had so often played with her in childhood. Softly, Stella descended from Nana’s back.

“I appear to have misunderstood. To be an adventurer, it is indeed such a severe path…” (Ignat)

“Eh?” (Nana)

Nana rose to her feet and tilted her head. Something, something was strange.

“Nii-san?” (Nana)

“To hurl yourself prone into the midst of this Ice Crystal swarm…! I perceived it from the sky, and when I saw you struggling so desperately… fuguu!” (Ignat)

Ignat ran toward Nana. Pat, pat, pat. Of course, it was while wearing a costume. As he reached her, Ignat patted Nana’s costume, confirming its condition.

“Are you truly unharmed? You were not shaken about within the costume, were you?” (Ignat)

“I-I said I am fine…!” (Nana)

“Do not commit such recklessness. Treasure your life…!” (Ignat)

“Ugh… you are treating me like a child…” (Nana)

Yet, contrary to her words, Nana did not feel displeased. Somehow, Nana had believed that if she were to meet Ignat face to face, it would not go well. However, once she actually encountered him, it was not so. Though she was certain it was because she had served as Stella’s snowboard, Ignat had nonetheless been concerned for her.

“…That was fortunate, was it not?” (Stella)

Stella too found her eyes moistened. Her earlier worry that she might receive a complaint for having used Nana as a board seemed to have been an excess of concern.

“I feel as though he has misunderstood something, you know.” (Marcosias)

“I feel the same, piyo.” (Dia)

“It is merely a misapprehension. The Nana-board was an unavoidable phenomenon…” (Stella)

“Let us leave it at that.” (Marcosias)

Standing before Stella and her companions was yet another piyo. It was Doctor Cocka, otherwise known as Victor.

“Hmm…” (Victor)

Tilting his head slightly, Victor approached Stella.

Then, he bowed politely.

“Since you travel in company with Nana, you must be Hero Stella, I presume?” (Victor)

“Yes. Not a hero, but Stella, envoy of the Healberry Village…” (Stella)

Since this costume had flown through the sky while employing magic so conspicuously, Stella judged that he must surely be of noble standing.

Yet, who exactly is he…?

Though the advance documents had recorded the costumes of notable vampire personages, none matched her recollection.

At present, to Stella he remained a mysterious piyo.

“My apologies. I am the one who is called the wandering Doctor Cocka.” (Victor)

“C-could it be…? You are the very Doctor Cocka who writes the serialized column in Monthly Piyo!?” (Stella)

Stella exclaimed in astonishment. Victor possessed many “faces”.

The eldest son of the Nagash Household. A professor of monsterology. The prime minister’s trusted aide. And Doctor Cocka. That was the pen name of the erudite Doctor Cockatrice who held a regular column in Monthly Piyo. There were few who knew that Victor and the Doctor Cocka of Monthly  Piyo were the same person. Only a select fellowship shared this knowledge.

“Oh? You know of me? That is the utmost honor.” (Victor)

“Yes, of course! The column that begins, ‘Pip-piyo. Good morning, everyone. This is Doctor Cocka’, is it not…!” (Stella)

“Indeed, every word precisely so. Then our discussion shall proceed swiftly. I was summoned by Ignat-dono, and I joined incognito.” (Victor)

“I see, you came in disguise…” (Stella)

“Exactly. Entanglements abound in this world, yet even those entanglements may occasionally prove useful. Thanks to you, the Art Festival shall proceed without impediment.” (Victor)

At Victor’s courteous words, Stella waved her hands in denial.

“No…! It was merely that the Ice Crystals were present, so I defeated them…” (Stella)

“A most admirable humility. And moreover–…” (Victor)

In truth, Victor had already acquired some knowledge concerning Dia through the Adventurer’s Guild and his own information network. Dia’s existence was no secret. A Cockatrice Queen, a rare species. A being possessing intelligence high enough to comprehend human speech. However, not disturbing the ecology of cockatrices was a point of pride for Doctor Cocka. Therefore, even when Dia stood before him, Victor maintained his composure.

“Piyo?” (Dia)

Even though Dia tilted her head adorably, he endured with stoic restraint. Victor’s gaze rested upon Dia and Marcosias, who nestled in Stella’s bosom.

“Are you looking at me, piyo?” (Dia)

“He is gazing upon my master, you know.” (Marcosias)

“Ah…!” (Stella)

Stella suddenly realized. Within her embrace, there was yet another mysterious creature besides Dia. That was Marcosias. Drawing nearer, Victor inquired with evident curiosity.

“What exactly are you…? Are you a dog, a monster, or… a human?” (Victor)

“I am Maru-chan!” (Marcosias)

“…Shake hands.” (Victor)

“Alright!” (Marcosias)

With a small thump, Marcosias placed her paw upon Victor’s costume.

“Now the other paw.” (Victor)

“OK!” (Marcosias)

This time, Marcosias offered her left paw. Seeing this, Victor nodded in satisfaction.

“You possess high intelligence indeed…” (Victor)

At this, Dia interjected cheerfully, while Stella’s heart quickened.

“I was praised, piyo!” (Dia)

“I was praised too!” (Marcosias)

Observing this scene, Victor murmured softly.

“As I thought, they are no threat…” (Victor)

 

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