The basket that was held by the maid following the wickedly smiling young lady, had an unabashed black aura surrounding it……..
Will that……account for death!?
* * *
Translation: Nana (The Queen)
Proofreading: Carmina (The Hime)
DA BEST (among the worst): Mockii
Chapter 17: Something Called
Mockii is undergoing severe punishment in the basement…I left Carmina in change of whipping him, in order for me to rush over and post the chap! ^^
Rejoice!
Oh! If you’re wondering why he’s being punished, just look at the end of Chapter 14 and you’ll have your answer…
Ja nee!
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Chapter 16: Training with the Soldiers
Today is the day I start my training with the soldiers.
I dressed myself, ate breakfast, and now I’m being shaken inside the carriage.
The weather is great, no trance of clouds in the sky, it feels like a gentle spring morning in Japan.
Since yesterday I got tired from all the crying and fell asleep early, my physical condition is great.
Otherwise, I might lose to the young lady’s weapon, so it’s all good.
I might as well use the soldiers as an excuse and go back flying to the mansion? I could pretend a stray bullet hit the bento box?
On the other hand, if I get hurt, wouldn’t that turn out as something good? It’s useless. Wounds can easily be treated with magic…….
Even though I was riding such a wonderful carriage, I felt like shouting.
After I kept shouting inside my heart for like 3 times I arrived at the training ground.
There were about 500 soldiers there. And they were all beautifully aligned, waiting for the training to start.
My foster father won’t come today.
Instead, the Magic Division Commander, my master Sonia, will be in charge.
It seems that master hasn’t come yet.
Thank God……If I would have arrived later than my master, my belly would have received another ‘air hole’.
“Excuse me. Zest-sama, it’s been a long time.”
“?……..Ah! It’s you.”
“Yes Sir! I’m Albert.”
It’s that dog knight, Albert.
I see. It’s already been a month since I came here…….but somehow it feels way longer.
“Albert-dono, I’m looking forward to working with you today!”
“Zest-sama, please just call me Albert. The honorifics are unnecessary, since I am a knight, and Zest-sama is the son of the Knights Division Commander, viscount Galef.”
That’s right!
He’s a knight to the end, which means that he’s on the bottommost when it comes to nobles.
Although I’m an adopted son, if things go as planned I will become the heir……In short, the next viscount.
Since I haven’t inherited anything officially yet, I should be treated like a baron, one rank lower than the viscount.
Something like a baron using honorifics when talking to a knight, it’s unheard of.
“I see. Albert, I’ll be counting on you.”
“Yes Sir! Leave it to me!”
After our little exchange of words, my master came.
“Have I made you wait? Lord Zest.”
“Master, please stop calling me that. And no, I just arrived as well.”
Since we were surrounded by soldiers, master switched to his Frontier Count’s Household mode.
When we are alone or only with the family, he’s just like a polite ‘papa-san’ wearing a kind smile, but there are also times when I get blown away by this gap in his conduct.
“Well, let’s get started…..Zest, are you ready?”
“Yes. We can start at any time.”
I immediately strengthened my body with magical power.
Since it’s the characteristic of the light attribute, to cast my magical power and materialize my thoughts, my master bullied me severely in order to handle this ‘foul play’ attribute……..I sure received a lot of training for this. It’s quite easy now.
“All right. Everyone! The concept is a siege battle, Zest against all of you. Experience the irrationality and the terror of a first-class light magic user!”
That’s a cruel way to put it…..and a terrible strategy……..
Most of the soldiers look uninterested, but there are some who glare at me openly.
“And be sure to attack seriously, with a killing intent! The magic users as well, attack with all your might!”
The soldiers’ thirst for blood was swelling up…..Master, don’t agitate them too much…….
I am glared at by 500 pairs of fierce eyes.
Hiiii! It’s….it’s only training, you know? Isn’t this just training?
Scary……it’s scary, but……I decided I’ll survive in this world! Get ready!
“Zest, you’re not allowed to kill them! Well then, you can start.”
What? Am I really in a position to go easy on them……..
The 500 soldiers started their assault even faster than my master’s spoken words.
Damn it! I must do it!
“Oooooooo!”
I shouted my fighting spirit and motivated myself.
I’m gonna do it! I just have to do it!
While I was remembering the training with my master, I clad my whole body in magical power.
And then, the world as I knew it has changed completely.
What is this? Are they mocking me?
I avoided the sword of a knight who attacked me in slow motion, and I pushed his body slightly.
The soldier flew away in an interesting manner.
……..What?
I looked around me only to see the knights advancing towards me with their facial expressions slowly changing to astonishment.
Oh! It can’t be……
“Zest, if you don’t go easy on them, the soldiers might die, you know. Keep it up, but be careful.”
I looked at my master to see him clad in magical power in the same manner I was.
I see…..I see……I see!
Involuntarily, I wore a mincing expression.
These guys, they can’t follow! They can’t keep up with mine and my master’s speed!
The soldiers were rushing to attack in such a slow motion that it seemed unbelievable.
With swords and lances in their hands, casting spells and relying on their physique, the soldiers were attacking, but all their efforts will amount for nothing.
Some of them were being blown away, some of them slammed onto the ground, and they were some who even got thrown away forcefully.
This was our training…….Was it a kind of training for fighting against a very strong man?
Or rather, a training in order to teach me how to go easy on the weak!
500 people were lying on the ground.
Once they were thrown down, they refused to get up again and just stared at me in blank amazement.
They were fixing their eyes on someone at such a different level compared to themselves, at someone with an overwhelming power and its unreasonableness.
“Good. Well, this is how it goes.”
My master’s words got everyone’s attention and calmed them down.
“Did you understand? This overwhelming true strength! You, the new recruits, must first remember that there is such irrationality in this world. In order to close the gap at least a little bit, you must focus on your training, group into unit corps, and obey your superiors’ orders.”
I looked around at the soldiers after master said that, and there was no one in a daze anymore.
They were all staring at my master.
“Besides, this guy here is your ally. This man, who dealt with you all by himself, is in fact the successor of the Knights Division Commander. There is no other person who could become a better comrade for you during war times than him.”
He sent
a fleeting glance towards me.
Yeah, yeah, I know that already.
“Um, from now on we are brothers who serve the Frontier Count’s Household. Let’s fight together!”
In the middle of this uproar of cheers, I went around offering treatment to the injured.
“Thank you very much, Zest-sama!” “Sooo awesome….in an instant, my wounds……” “…..Ah! Aniki!”
I’m not your aniki, stop that!
Since a few of them were sending me dangerous glances, I decided to ignore them.
It’s all right. If they lick their wounds, they’ll heal. It’s not like they’ll die anyway.
In general, I was favorably accepted.
My debut served also as training for the new recruits. This was truly the same wicked way of the Frontier Count’s Household that I got so familiar with.
But still, it could count as a success. I’m really glad it did.
I finished offering treatment and finally felt relieved, when I realized someone was standing behind me…….
“As expected from Zest-sama! To take so much time to be affectionate towards something like these new recruits, you sure have interesting hobbies! Well, isn’t it already noon? Zest-sama, I am too anxious to eat my lunch in such a place all alone. Would you serve as my bodyguard?”
‘Zest-sama is so cool! I can’t believe he’s this strong. Moreover, he kept his composure against the new recruits, and gave me time to arrive here! What an amazing person! Come now, it’s already noon. Let’s eat together the lunch I prepared for you!’
The basket that was held by the maid following the wickedly smiling young lady, had an unabashed black aura surrounding it……..
Will that……account for death!?
* * *
Translation: Nana (The Queen)
Proofreading: Carmina (The Hime)
DA BEST (among the worst): Mockii
Chapter 18: In Order to Never Make a Bento Again
Sorry, no time to write anything else, but ENJOY! ♪
*runs off to uni* >.<
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Chapter 18: In Order to Never Make a Bento Again
“……..It was a tough and relentless battle, right Zest?”
“Yeah, master. I thought my mind was going to break. Also, my teeth……”
Together with my master, I was currently being shaken inside the carriage while licking some candies the maids offered us.
We really made it out alive.
At that time, we somehow managed to deal with that frightening weapon in the shape of the desert, and since we were too tired to continue with the training, we were now returning home while enjoying the company of each other.
At first, the plan was to continue to train until evening, but since we entrusted everything to Albert, who actually ran away when the young lady showed up, so there shouldn’t be any problem.
“However, that damned Albert…..That’s to be expected from a kemonobito. He ran away before I could even notice.”
“Yeah, master. But still, if he were to be engulfed in all our magical attack, I don’t really know who would have been more miserable in the end.”
That’s right! Albert realized the young lady was about to show up with a terrible weapon so he ran away before anyone could notice.
“It can’t be helped. He’s also one of my disciples, and bad boys who don’t help their master would definitely be punished.”
We exchanged glances and grinned broadly.
We both sprawled our bodies on the chairs inside the carriage…….The damage we received was truly enormous.
“But, master. Why didn’t you stop her?”
“……..I’m sorry.”
“If she were to do that every day, both our lives will be in danger, you know?”
“Yeah, I realize that.”
He clenched his teeth and looked me intensely in the eyes.
“Zest. I have a task for you, and you’re the only one capable of doing it.”
………I don’t wanna hear about it!
“I want you to explain things to Bea and make her stop. As it is now, both our lives will be in danger, but more importantly, the servants in my house will surely die pretty soon, if nothing is done.”
“What? The…..servants?”
Master slowly raised his body and continued with a serious expression on his face.
“Those who are affected by her magical power and collapse, during her ‘cooking’. Those who are forced to taste her ‘weapon’ when she cooks too much…….Half of them have already collapsed.”
“My…goodness!”
“I already have my father-in-law, the Frontier Count’s approval. I’d like you to come to my house right away and do everything in your power to stop her weapon creation!”
Even the old Frontier Count backed off from this.
Moreover, this is rather an order than a request.
“………Master. With my life on the line, I promise I’ll accomplish this!”
Even though I answered so confidently, I was still lying down on the chairs…..
I couldn’t yet muster the willpower to get up……..
We received a grand welcome when we arrived at the Frontier Count’s Household.
“Hero of the light!” “We beg of you….We beg of you…..” “Our savior….”
The poor servants, they were really desperate……But I absolutely understand their feelings.
“Leave it to me and rest assured!”
I told the servants who were bowing to me while shedding countless tears, and entered the mansion.
“Well, well! We bid farewell only a few moments ago, what business made you come all the way here?”
‘You’ve come to see me already? Zest-sama, I’m surprised you missed me this fast.’
The cursed witch……no, the young lady showed me a veritable Frontier Count smile that would make the weak hearted people start weeping.
“Thank you very much, young lady Beatrice, for your lunch earlier today. Since you made something like that only for my sake, I will forever honor this memory.”
“Bea, Zest said he has something to say to you. Since he wants to talk with you by all means, I ended up bringing him home with me. Come, I’ll prepare a room for you.”
“I know it’s selfish of me, but please hear me out, young lady Beatrice.”
The young lady came beside me extremely fast and joined her hand with mine into a lovers’ bond.
However, her face was obnoxious as always.
“It can’t be helped. Well, let’s go already, father.”
‘He really came to see me! Ah!’
Master staggeringly led us to the mentioned room.
Will this be ok?…….A shiver ran down my spine.
We soon arrived at the reception room and after the maids prepared some tea for us, they left, leaving only the three of us inside.
It can’t be just the two of us.
It’s not good for an unmarried woman to be alone with a man, and even when being engaged the man can only visit and be alone with her just for a few moments around noon.
It’s really annoying, but since this is a custom for this world’s nobles, I can’t do anything about it.
I sipped some tea a looked at the young lady.
She wore a sinister black and red dress…..the perfect choice for a witch…… Gloves? She’s wearing them again……
“Young lady Beatrice. Pardon my rudeness, but what happened to your delicate hands?”
The witch’s cheeks were touched by a pink color.
“…….What are you talking about?”
‘No way! Did he find out I injured my hand?…..I wonder if he thinks I’m such an irritating woman, since I injured myself while preparing an obento……’
She narrowed her eyes and glared at me, but her thoughts are all exposed to me.
“I will heal your hand. I’m better at healing magic than my master. Please leave it to me.”
I knelt down in front of the witch…..wrong, in front of the young lady, and used healing magic to heal her wounded hand.
As I thought, she really injured herself.
If wonder if master couldn’t heal her……The effects of the dark magic were too strong so the wound turned into a curse.
While I held her hand in my grip, the young lady was watching me like I was her family’s greatest foe, but I started talking as kindly as possible.
“Young lady Beatrice. No, Bea. I really thought it was strange! You’re wearing gloves even though there’s no important event, like a party or such. When you were outside, I figured it was a way to protect yourself against sunburn, but wearing them indoors is quite puzzling.”
‘Bea…..It’s the first time someone that’s not family called me that……He called me Bea…..’
The young lady was frantically waving her fan with her free right hand.
“Bea? I’m very happy you made an obento for me. However, injuring yourself because of that is something I can’t endure!”
It’s going well until now. All that’s left is to convince her to give up the weapon creation!
“Therefore, it’s really all right not to make obentos anymore. No, in fact, please don’t make them for my sake anymore! If you want to give me relief…..If you care about me, I beg you. I can’t…..stand this….anymore! !”
When I realized it, I was already crying……..Master was also crying.
Tears from the heart.
“I understand. Really now, men shouldn’t show their tears to others so easily.”
‘Zest-sama……You were so worried about me that you started crying…..I can’t make you even more worried than this!’
The young lady was looking at me like I was a cockroach and wiped my tears with her handkerchief, a scene that my master decided to ignore.
Stranger's Handbook - WN Chapter 01-76 Page 8
