“Ah, Touya... This model train... I was wondering if I could take it back for Yamato...”
“Oh, sure you can. Gimme a minute... I’ll get him the other rail parts, too.” I opened up [Storage] and handed over some corner rails, S-sections, and other rail types to the king of Belfast.
I wasn’t too surprised by this kind of request. Yamato seemed to enjoy toys, and I hoped he’d like this one too.
It wasn’t much cost to me, so it was fine. I didn’t mind giving something like that to my future brother-in-law.
The model train had been made out of a small spellstone with a few basic commands inscribed into it, so it wouldn’t be hard to mass-produce it with Olba’s help. It’d probably end up being entertaining for kids or collectors. I decided to keep that in mind for later.
◇ ◇ ◇
I was paying a visit to Palerius Island, in order to check on them after they’d made their country more open.
“So you’ve seen an overall decrease in Behemoth attacks?”
“For the most part, yes. They’ve been sighted a lot less in general, and we’re beginning a slow expansion of our residential areas.” I was speaking with Mentor Central in the central temple on the island. She’d certainly been busy with a lot, lately.
“Palouf and Elfrau have been purchasing raw Behemoth materials from us, so we’ve begun to import goods using funds accumulated from those trade deals. We’ve also been making steps toward building a port near the southern city.”
“Interesting. That makes sense, since there aren’t any proper places for ships to make landfall right now.” The island had been completely isolated until recently, of course. They had no need for ships until now. Even the trade vessels from Palouf had been anchoring themselves offshore and rowing in on smaller boats. That’s why a proper port was definitely needed.
The fruits and other crops found on Palerius were selling for a high price, since they weren’t located anywhere else on the continent. The craftsmen on the island were also finding major success selling trinkets.
Handicraft stuff was usually associated with the dwarves who lived in the Kingdom of Ryle. For the Paloufeans, buying such handicrafts from Palerius was much easier due to the closer proximity.
“I was certainly afraid for what might become of my people once the barrier came down, but it seemed I needn’t have worried at all. Our life of fear has finally come to an end, and now that we can expand our residencies it seems like the island is on its way to a new age of prosperity. We are in your debt, Grand Duke... Truly, we are.”
“Don’t worry about it. We managed to take advantage of the situation here to get good combat training against the Behemoths, so it worked well for our Frame Gears too. In my eyes, there’s no debt to be paid.” We smiled at one another and continued to talk here and there about lesser political issues.
Once I got back from Palerius island, I decided to give Relisha a call.
I’d gotten permission from Mentor Central to establish a guild branch on Palerius Island, so thankfully we’d be able to set up anti-Phrase defenses for them.
Even putting the Phrase aside, Palerius island still had a lot of mana wellsprings dotted around it, which caused several strong monsters to appear. Even if they didn’t become Behemoths, there were still a lot of oversized monsters out there.
Veteran adventurers and hunters would probably consider the place a goldmine for the job, so they’d probably flock there like they’d been flocking to the Brunhild Dungeon Islands. From there, the problem would begin to sort itself out.
I ended the call and began to wander around the streets of Brunhild. I didn’t really have much in the way of plans for the day.
The main street was crowded as ever. Olba Strand’s store had a lot of capsule toy machines lined up in front of it, and I heard them clunk and click as a group of children tried their luck.
I found myself chuckling at the sight, since the kids gathering around made the store seem a little cheaper than it actually was. I wondered about setting up a small candy store... Maybe that’d be more of a suitable place for the capsule machines.
Olba’s store, the Strand Company, had three shops in Brunhild. It was basically a hobby and toy shop rolled into one. They sold hula hoops, spinning tops, and other items like that.
It was all for decent prices that even little kids could afford, though there were things adults could buy as well.
“Touya?” My thoughts were interrupted by a voice, so I turned and found Hilde. She was clad in her knightly armor and wearing a Phrasium blade at her waist. Her gauntlets were hanging around her waist next to the sword, as well.
“Hm? What’re you doing out here?”
“Yae, Elze and I were on the dungeon island earlier. We just got back. They went down to the port to buy some fish, so we ended up parting ways... Now I’m here.” Oh, they went down there? I guess half a day isn’t enough to reach the bottom, though...
The girls went to the Brunhild dungeons now and then to patrol the upper floors for danger. It was safe for the most part, but many unexpected things could happen in a place like that... That’s why I wanted them to stay on guard. Personally, I didn’t like them going out there so much.
“Why didn’t you go with the others?”
“I’m not so good at handling raw fish...” Hilde muttered. Huh... I see.
The three of them were good friends, but they had different tastes in food. Yae and Elze were more than happy to chow down on regular, everyday dishes that anyone would cook at home. Hilde, on the other hand, ate more sophisticated dishes.
That was just a byproduct of how she was raised, and it was just one of those things. That didn’t mean that Hilde wouldn’t eat with us, but often she’d have something alternative to Sashimi when it was on the menu.
She did enjoy octopus and squid, though. Elze and Linze also enjoyed that, since it was a delicacy of Refreese. The twins definitely enjoyed the same foods.
“Wanna go back with me, then?”
“Yes!” Hilde smiled and walked up to me, gently leaning into my left side.
I noticed her moving her hand a little and opening her mouth as if she was wanting to say something. Hmm? Oh... I see...
“Do you want to hold my hand?”
“A-Ah no... I-I just got back, so my hands are all dirty and s-sweat-eeeek!” She started blushing and mumbling excuses, so I just grabbed her right hand with my left and interlocked our fingers. Immediately Hilde began to quietly babble, and her face turned a deeper shade of crimson.
“I don’t mind doing things like this, you know. You’re a lot more reserved than the others, Hilde... You can be a little more selfish now and then, don’t worry.”
“A-Ah, yes... Thank you. I-It’s just how I was raised... In the knight order, we are taught that discipline is vital...”
“You don’t need to worry about that with me. Right now you’re not Hilde the knight. You’re Hilde, my fiancée. We’re a man and a woman.”
“...Y-Yes.” Her face reddened again, and she looked down. According to her brother, Hilde had been disciplined in the ways of the sword from a young age. She followed the traditions of Lestia to the letter and had a lot of rigid rules ingrained in her.
She upheld values that included protecting the weak, being a shield for the people, and keeping a virtuous mind.
She never really got to live like an ordinary girl. Honestly, I felt a little sorry for her, but I didn’t want to treat her any differently.
Karen said that I was Hilde’s first love, which probably meant a great deal to her.
We had a casual chat as we walked back to the castle together. Ordinarily, I would’ve just used [Gate], but the quality time was nice.
“...Uhm, actually... There’s something I wanted to ask you, Touya.”
“Hm? What’s that?”
“That... Well... Ah... Do you... Do you love me, Touya?” I froze on the spot. Hilde stopped along with me, looking up at me with a heartbreakingl
y sad look on her face. She suddenly forced a smile and began waving her arms.
“A-Ah, please forget it... I said something weird!”
“...What made you ask that?”
“I-I know I’m not as girly as the others... I know little other than the sword, and even our engagement was a result of what happened in Lestia... I sometimes fear that you don’t view me with the same affection that you do the others...” She nervously sputtered out her feelings.
Man... You know, it’s a little late for me to be realizing this... But I need to be more proactive with my fiancées. I’ve had enough of being stupid, it’s time they know exactly how I feel.
I stood in front of Hilde and grasped her tightly. It was through my own stupidity that she came to worry this much, so I decided to make my feelings properly known.
“Like I said, you aren’t a princess knight to me. I don’t want the Lestian Princess. I want you. I want your happiness, I want to keep you safe, and I want to look after you. I love you, and that’s no lie.”
“Ah...”
“I love you, Hilde. I truly, madly do. Please don’t ever doubt it.”
“O-Okay... I... I-I’m sorry...” Hilde began to sniffle, so I pulled her into a tight hug.
Damn, I’m the worst. How could I make someone this precious cry like this? I can’t afford to keep up this nonsense...
“Ohoho, you know? Here’s your chance! Go for the smooch!”
“Eek!”
“Gah!” Karen’s voice suddenly rang out of nowhere. I looked over my shoulder and sighed. Quit popping up out of nowhere!
“Don’t startle us like that. What are you doing here?”
“My Flirty Touya Radar went off! I couldn’t miss something as important as this!” Your what radar...? Knock it off... If you need to watch, then watch from afar. God of love or not, learn to read a goddamn atmosphere.
“U-Uhm, Touya... Y-You’re hurting me... A little...”
“Huh? Ah, sorry!” I’d been hugging Hilde a little too tight, so I pulled back.
“It’s okay... I didn’t dislike it...” Hilde nodded slightly, her cheeks flushed. I felt my own cheeks reddening a bit, too... Though I wasn’t sure why.
“Ahaha, how very steamy, you know? You two better make the most of lovey-dovey moments like this while you can!”
“The hell’s that supposed to mean?” I felt like she was mocking me, somehow. Almost as if she was implying that my love would fade, or something.
“Love and affection are distinct, you know? Love just happens for no particular reason, while affection needs to be nurtured. Both are wonderful, but they’re quite different, you know?” Hrmph... I get it, but I don’t feel all that convinced if you’re the one who’s saying it.
“Well, you needn’t worry about it right now. You’ll know about it more when you’re older, you know?”
“Tsk.” Guess I’m still a kid, huh... Bah, even grumbling is childish...
“Hm? Is that Touya? What’s up?”
I turned to see Elze and Yae coming up the hill. They were carting along a couple of buckets of raw fish. They must’ve been returning from the port.
“Ah, Hilde-dono is here as well, she is. Wait... You are crying, you are...”
“Wh... Touya! What’d you do to her?!” The two of them noticed Hilde’s damp eyes and began laying the third degree on me. The three of them were very close, so it’s not like I didn’t understand why they were concerned.
“I-I didn’t do anything! Right, Hilde?”
“H-He’s right. There’s nothing for you to worry about.” Hilde gave a half-hearted explanation to the two girls. But that just made them even more suspicious.
I didn’t really do anything wrong. It was true that I’d made her cry, but I’d done my best to reassure her. I was a little embarrassed, all the same.
“I’m not so sure I buy it.”
“This is odd, it is...”
“Hilde isn’t lying, you know? Up until now she and Touya were in the throes of lovey-dovey passion! Lots of hot feelings flying around... You know?”
“H-Hey, sis! Don’t say crap like that!” Karen merely giggled before throwing me a wink. What did you do?! Were you planning for this?!
“Grab him!”
“I will, I will!” Yae and Elze grabbed me roughly by the arms and began dragging me toward the castle. Ow! Oh god! I’m pretty sure arms aren’t meant to bend like that!
“U-Uhm, Karen...? Touya’s in pain...”
“He sure is, you know? Touya needs to nurture affection with all his fiancées equally, after all. You’ve had some, so let’s watch as he nurtures some with these two. That’s love, you know?”
“Y-Yes! You’re right!” Don’t let her trick you, Hilde! She’s just having sadistic fun! Look at her smirking! She’s smirking!!
“We want to hear exactly what happened, we do.”
“Yeah, you better tell everyone about it. Though I guess if we ask Hilde, she’d just tell us... We made a promise not to keep any secrets, after all!”
You did? I didn’t hear about any promises like that... That means everyone’ll know exactly what I’ve done! That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but... Guh... I suddenly feel impotent...
In the end, a man was powerless before a good woman that loved him.
Thus, a man can only endure.
That night, I was forced to confess my feelings to each of my fiancées. I was so embarrassed by the confessions that when I got back to my room that night I started screaming into my pillow and rolling around.
Oh... Gaaah! Kohaku and the others were watching! This sucks! This is awful! Leen was recording it on her smartphone, too! Auugh... They made me say all that stuff... I even had to say it to Sue... Oh gggaaaaah!!! It’s not like they weren’t true, but being made to just say them like that?! I wanna die!
Remembering it made me scream into my pillow even louder. ...Gaaaaaaah!! And thus, I tossed and turned in anguish, long into the night.
◇ ◇ ◇
“...What’s up, Renne?” I happened to see our little maid in the corridor, so I called out to her.
She was carrying a lot of books above her head, so I was curious. She turned around to greet me back.
“Oh! Oi, bru- Uhh... Brunhild... Duke! Grand Duke! Good morning to y— Aaaah!” A clattering sound accompanied several falling books. Given that she’d greeted me by bowing her head, that was inevitable.
“Ahh... I messed up...” She grumbled as she picked up all the books.
“What are all these books for?”
“I’m doing uhm... Some special preparation for the Maid’s Guild.”
“It’s only us two, you know... You can speak a little more casually. What’re you doing with the Maid’s Guild, anyway?” Renne was a street urchin in Belfast until I plucked her from the streets and hired her as an apprentice maid. We later found out that she actually had noble Regulus blood in her, but she ultimately decided not to go to her dead mother’s household. She wanted to stay here and continue her maid training.
Brunhild was a small nation, but its maids were still expected to be up to standards. Etiquette, situational awareness, and other vital housekeeping skills were a must. Renne was still just an apprentice, so she only attended to our personal needs and assisted the other maids.
She was fully committed, though. Even though she was only nine years old, she worked day and night to study for her Maid Guild exams.
“Cecile was teachin’ me a new skill I could show off in my next exam, she was! Figgered that if I had these books on my head then it’d increase my balance and posture if I walked proper. Gotta be elegant and proper if I wanna make it...”
“Makes sense. You’re taking this seriously... Don’t overdo it, though. Even if you don’t get the proper qualifications, it’s not like we’ll kick you out or anything.”
“Mhm, I know! I wanna be a first-class maid for the sake of you and Brunhild! Cause I wanna be your head maid!” Heh, that’s a prett
y lofty goal. Lapis is the current head maid, after all. It’ll take a lot to get better than her. Plus she’s pretty talented at fighting.
“Oh right! Moroha’s been teachin’ me plenty, too! I know all about fighting, now!”
“Is... Is that right...”
Why am I only hearing about this now... I hope she didn’t teach you any weird swordplay techniques... Actually, wait... You should already know how to throw knives thanks to Cecile... And Leen’s been teaching you magic, too... Oh my... Oh no... We might actually be sowing the seeds for an unstoppable maid, after all.
“You’ve been going to school too, right? A first-class maid needs a first-class education.” Renne attended the classes taught by Fiana, Sakura’s mother. Her classes were from nine in the morning until two in the afternoon, after which she came home to help the others.
I kind of had my reservations about working such a little kid so hard, but she’d rejected every offer I’d given her for more time off.
From her perspective, she wasn’t being worked too hard, and she saw it as necessary experience in order for her to reach her goals... So it seemed to be fine.
“Shouldn’t you rest now and then, though?”
“Mhm, I do! I get a good night’s sleep every night! If you ask me, bruv, you’re the one who’s gotta get ‘imself a better rest. Everyone gets plenty worried about you.” I didn’t expect to be told that by Renne of all people. Hrmph... Do people really view me as that much of a workaholic? I don’t really feel like I’ve been working hard enough, personally. Poor Kousaka’s been handling all the busywork.
“Well, you’ve been working so hard, so... I’ll get you a present! What would you like?”
“H-Huh? I-Is that alright...?”
“Sure is. Consider it a bonus for trying so hard. What would you like?”
“A... Bonus? Huh?” Ah, damn... I guess the concept of work bonuses don’t exist in this world.
“Th-Then... I want one of those things that Sue has, but... Uhm...” Sue...? Oh, she must mean the smartphone. I remember giving one to Lapis and Cecile, but Renne didn’t get one.
In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 13 Page 18
