Mahoutsukai no Konyakusha – The Magician’s Gardener (First Part)

T/N : Because of my usual editor, Z, is busy I got a temporary help from Irisu~ Thank you!!😘

Translator : KuRuuRuu
Editor : Irisu

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The Magician’s Gardener (First Part)

With both of her hands wrapped in cotton gloves, she double digged into the soft soil, mixed it with new fresh fertilizer, and finally, returned it near to the roots of the plants. Having a certain imagery in her mind, she pruned the leaves and branches in the parts where it could easily turned into an unruly area when left alone. Then, fuuh, she took a breath.

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“I think this should do it”

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Wiping the sweat dripping on her forehead, Arche Massy looked once more at the vegetation in front of her and muttered. Even if I say so myself, it really is not bad at all, and nodded contentedly.

Despite wearing a hood over it, whilst trading off the hard work in maintaining the plants, Arche’s long red hair became disheveled and limp against her cheeks. It stuck to her sweaty face and felt really unpleasant. Arche took off the irritating hood and cotton gloves, then retied her hair up.

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“Mou-“

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This hair is nothing but a hindrance to my work. Should I just cut it? It wasn’t the first time she thought like that. However, Arche’s occupation and moreover, her original disposition couldn’t be said as ladylike much. That was why she was growing her hair and keeping it to a certain length and there was a reason for her to wanting to do that.

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Arche’s occupation was a gardener.

Despite getting comments saying that she was still just a novice, she had quite a confidence about her ability. She was aware that she herself was still green, nevertheless, she had been acknowledged by her father, the royal palace’s gardener to a certain extent.

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The Massy family had been passing down the gardening business for generations. In addition,it also included the splendid position of the royal palace’s gardener. It was thanks to this that poor commoners like Arche and her father could go in and out of this royal palace.

She was proud of her gardener job, and even now, she could still remember the joy she had on the day her strict and uncompromising father acknowledged her.

Her usually taciturn father had called for her and then presented her with a brand-new pruning shears. Until then, she had always used the one for practice while following behind her father to help. While handing the shears that he got especially for Arche, her father said, “From now on, try to do it alone even if you’re by yourself”.

And that was enough.

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The downpouring sunlight was dazzling yet gentle and the green leaves were reflecting the light proudly.

High in the sky, the dark cloud that had been covering the sky until just the other day had completely cleared up. In return, a calm blue hue was spreading through the sky.

This and everything else were all thanks to the heroes for saving the world. It was something not only Arche, but also everyone in this kingdom, no, in this world would know of.

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It was a story from a few months ago. The demon king that had been sealed five hundred years ago by the previous hero was revived, and then, was completely destroyed by the current hero.

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Sparkling blond hair and deep green eyes, with masculine features yet with a hint of sweetness in there, he was the one who collected the praises of people, regardless of their age and gender, the hero. Along with the hero who went to subjugate the Demon King were: the one boasted as the living jewel of this kingdom─ the Miko Hime, the one sung as having unparalleled sword skills and had even slained dragons before─ the leader of chivalric order, and then there was another one.

That Arche could do her work energetically today was all thanks to them.

That’s right. I can tend to these precious plants, and it was all─

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 (thanks to that person)

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Even Arche herself understood how her face got red just by imagining that face.

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The last member of the heroes that had saved the world, possessing jet black hair that showed off his bottomless magic power, the beautiful Head of the Royal Magician.

His name is Eguiédills von Lancent.

It was no other but him that Arche was thinking fondly about.

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In the first place, the first time Arche had met Eguiédills was when she got accustomed to taking care of the plants located in a very small corner of the Royal Palace’s courtyard that could hardly be called as a corner.

Thinking back upon it, she realized that she had been carried away at that time. She had finished taking care of the area she’s in charge with earlier than usual and an unusual bubbly feeling gushed forth.

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 (Just  a little bit is fine, right?)

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Isn’t it fine for me to tend the plants just a little more? That was what she thought.

Rather than receiving a warning from her father and senior coworkers, recently she had been praised by them, which had made her convinced that her competency was real. Even though I still had a lot of things to learn, even she herself felt shameful of her own self.

Nevertheless, she at that time hadn’t noticed at all how shameful it had been.

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That was why, holding her own pruning shears with one hand, Arche walked out from the courtyard. As expected, she hadn’t gotten the courage to tend in a conspicuous place like the center or the corridor and had thought that it should be fine to do it in a place that no one sees. A smile had spontaneously appeared on her face.

Since the Massy house is that kind of family so I inherited the title as a gardener, but there was nothing I regret…She would not say that, but she really thought that this was her life’s work after all. Tending the plants was enjoyable, and when they grew up well, she would be so happy and proud.

With exhilarated feelings in her heart, her steps were getting lighter and she was even in the mood of humming. But that mood soon disappeared.

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 (…eh?)

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She looked ahead. She looked left and right. There were only greeneries spreading out, and in between of it, or rather beyond that greenery, was the white wall of the Royal Palace.

Where is this?

She turned and looked behind from where she had come panickily, however there was only the same scenery as the one in front of her spreading out.

This might be bad. No, it’s not ‘might’ anymore, this is really bad. I am, lost. If this went on, rather than worrying about how she would make her father worried, she’d better worry about how she could be arrested for trespassing.

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While screaming to herself about this serious situation she had gotten herself in, Arche decided to jump into the middle of the overgrown greenery in the direction of the Royal Palace for now. If she were to go in that direction, sooner or later she would surely meet with someone, she thought.

She did not want to think of the likelihood that she had been found awkwardly by the nobles or the palace guards. But after all, it was still better than to keep wandering in this wide garden without ever being discovered by anyone.

As Arche was pushing through the plants while desperately enduring her tears that could not be anything but penance for her, how much time had it passed since then?

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“Wa-!”

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After pushing through the plants, a cleared area different from what it had been until now suddenly spread out before her, causing her to raise her voice a little. Seeing a place that was clearly tended by people, she began to look at her surroundings with a relief.

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Seeing it closely, the place that Arche had lost her way into was a garden. It was full of medicinal plants and herbs, trees found in lowland, as well as medicine and tea; things that were used as intermediary in magic that she’s not very knowledgeable about. Each of them was tended so well that even Arche, whose occupation was a gardener had no choice but to approve of it as splendid work.

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 (This is, a medicinal plant garden)

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She realized it quite late. Then, the relief she had until just now quickly disappear and she started to pale up.

Within this Royal Palace, the only people permitted to use the plot of land as a medicinal plants garden would be the medics of White Lily Court, and another one. That was, the magicians of the Black Lotus Court.

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 (Wha-what should I do!)

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The courts named after seven colors combined with flower name, were regarded as the most important within the Royal Palace, and that was something that Arche who went around the Royal Palace knew well.

Both the White Lily Court and Black Lotus Court, were not some place that someone like her could set her foot into. The only gardeners permitted in doing so were people like her father, those skillful ones who had received approval from the garden’s owner.

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 (I must go back quickly…!)

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Although she thought so, she didn’t know her way back. The tears that should have been held back now seemed like it could gush out. Then, it was at that time she was looking around the garden restlessly that Arche found some moving object, a figure of a person at the corner of her vision.

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She didn’t know who it was, the moving figure in that garden’s corner was wearing a black robe with the hood covering their eyes. Thus, it was hard to perceive their face.

However, the black clothes were indicating that this was Black Lotus Court, or perhaps it wasn’t White Lily Court nor Black Lotus Court. Rather, Arche wished for it to be like that, she prayed for it while holding down her despair.

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It was unclear whether that person noticed Arche’ presence or not as that person started pruning and harvesting the tree that she knew as a typical ingredient for herb tea. That person had kept moving his hand, without minding about Arche at all.

Dirtied by the soiled, those fair…no, it was precisely because they were dirtied that the fairness of those hands became more prominent as they cut off the green leaves with silver shears. Snap, snap. Arche kept on staring towards that unhesitating movement, and when the silver shears came near a certain part of the green leaves, she reflexively stepped forward in a big leap.

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“Don’t-!”

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The silver shears suddenly stopped.

Ah, even thinking that it was already too late. The figure that was crouching down stood up and looked towards Arche. At that moment, the hood that was covering his face fell.

Arche held her breath.

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“Who are you?”

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She could not answer the sharp voice that was asking for her identity. She had forgotten how to let out a voice from her throat.

Black. A color that refused all kinds of things yet mercilessly swallowing it all. It was something too much for a human body; the thing that everyone cannot help but to instinctively fear, the color of black. Moreover, it was not something comparable to the black color of the robe that person was cladded in, it was the true black.

That color was reflected on the hair of that [something] who was standing there.

That person stood up on the higher ground than Arche and that face was just like the ones appearing in the picture books that Arche read during her childhood, it was a beautiful, androgynous beauty who had captivated all who looked at him. The violet and orange eyes, that were just like the color of the morning glow, were indifferently staring at her.

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What is this?

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That question crossed Arche’s mind.

Such, such existence, I’ve never known it. Such terrifying yet beautiful, a beautiful yet terrifying person, could such existence be permitted in this world? Arche didn’t know the answer to that question. It was just frightening, she thought, as if it was the obvious thing.

Unlike the petrified Arche whose lips was unable to serve their function, [that thing], that person began to speak to her.

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“Since the barrier didn’t react, it seems there’s no malice. Are you lost?”

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Towards Arche who could do nothing but nod, that [something who has the appearance of a human] scrutinized his morning glow eyes and sighed.

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“So troublesome”

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Hearing that indifferent, beautiful voice, Arche was involuntarily startled, and her body began to tremble. As if to say that he had been used to that kind of reaction, that beauty ignored her and raised his dirtied yet beautiful finger and drew a short line mid-air.

Then, he pointed behind Arche whose eyes blinked repeatedly not knowing what happened.

 

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“I’ve connected it to the original path. Hurry up and go”

“Eh? Eh?”

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Implicitly saying that he had nothing more to say, the beauty once again gripped his silver shears and crouched down.

When Arche timidly turned around towards the direction that was shown to her, there was nothing that had changed at all. She again looked at the beauty, but he wasn’t looking at her and snap, was cutting off the new green leaves.

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“I said, go. Are those ears just decorations? I’ll ignore the fact that you got lost here, or do you still need something other than that?”

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That line, whether it was the tone or the content, was filled with sarcasm. Arche then wanted to immediately take her leave from that place. She once more turned around and took steps towards the greenery behind her. But, before that, Arche once more turned towards that beauty.

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“U-u-u-u-umm-“

“…what?”

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Is there still something? His tone of voice, completely thinking that it was troublesome,  was more eloquent than words. It made Arche felt that her heart would break from over-beating caused by her nervousness, but still, she held it down using her guts and opened her mouth.

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“Umm, it was about the leaves you were trying to cut just now-! For that variety of leaf, although the one appearing in the market are the new ones with light green color and purported to be the first tea of the season, but actually, the grown ones with deep green color have stronger taste and are more delicious! Errr, that’s why…”

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That’s why, what? What am I talking about? The bearer of black which represents the height of his magic power, clearly had a higher position than her, and what kind of foolish thing had she said to him.

While understanding that it was too late to regret it now, Arche still regretted it. Even as it was, his remarks had mercilessly cut Arche’s heart to pieces and it might be directed to her again now. Even though he already said that he would ignore this situation, what if he had rescinded his decision now?

Filled with fear and anxiety, at the end of Arche’s line of sight, the beauty raised his beautiful face up.

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 (Eh?)

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The morning glow eyes that were looking at Arche, although it was for just a little while, was certainly filled with surprise. It was an expression that wanted to say that he was told an unexpected thing. As that doll-like face had a touch of humanity on it, it was now Arche’s turn whose eyes were wide opened.

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“The, then, please excuse me-!”

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Without being able to look at that expression anymore, she leaped into the direction she was shown before. She plunged forward and pushed her way through the rustling green. My face is hot. My heart is beating so fast.

Before long, she could see the corner of the courtyard that she had always tended beyond the greenery. Out of breath, “so what he meant by ‘connected’ is this”, Arche was convinced and kept on sitting at that spot until she was called by her father who came for visit.

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T/N : …. Is this a broken heart arc?
Btw I got an anthem made for me 😂 Thank you Micchan!

Mahou shoujo chan!
Translating every day!
Oh, but doesn’t she procrastinate?
Yes, she does!

Still she carries on
Minions waiting~
Still waiting
In a spell

Mahou shoujo chan!
KuRuuRuu chan!
Translating~ another day!

FYI, I managed to release this in just 3 weeks since last time! \(#>3<)/