《Sword, Magic and Academic Society》 Vol. 1 - Ch. 1 - Reincarnation "Young Master. ...Young Master Allen!" Schord, the private tutor, hollered. It happened out of nowhere, I just found myself reincarnated in a fantasy world of sword and magic as the third son of a viscount. That was the short explanation. The event leading to this realisation, in brief, could be said to be the bone-breaking study I was made to go through day and night because of the entrance exam to the Yulgria Royal Knight and Mage Academy (also called Royal Academy in short). Now add in the secret recipe of pressure from the family to pass at any cost and viola, the stress limit went through the roof and the psychological shock led me to recall the memories of my previous life. "The entrance exam is just around the corner! Does the Young Master think he has all the time in the world to daydream like that?" Schord''s sermon continued. Due to the policy of my parents in the previous world, I had offered my whole youth to prepare for the exam. Alas, you could say I wasn''t originally gifted in academics to begin with. I had somehow managed to score enough to enter into a cram school in my hometown until high school, but sadly, I couldn''t perform the same miracle and failed in scoring for the prestigious National University of Tokyo that my parents wanted me to enroll in. Well, I did manage to gain admission to a famous private university after another year of gruesome study. Didn''t they say habits cultivated at a young age lasted a lifetime? Even when I became a college student, the compulsive thoughts to study kept coming to haunt me, and the feeling of guilt never left me whenever I went to hang out. Such was what my mind was molded into. My breaks during my college years were spent studying to acquire even more qualifications. Due to my condition, I ended up acquiring trivial and unspecified knowledge that generally served no purpose in anything. "You are 12 years old, Young Master. Considering the time it''ll take to travel to the royal capital, I can only teach you for around 2 months at best! If we are blessed by the gods, and you manage to enroll in the Royal Academy, your ranking in the entrance exam and your class assignment will greatly impact your future success, career, promotions, and effectively your entire life! This exam is the turning point of your life, I''m not exaggerating this even a bit! Yet I don''t sense any urgency from you at all, Young Master. Are you even listening!?" Was this a reincarnation gone wrong? This fantasy world was wildly different from my imagination...... I managed to score somewhat better than average in the university through cramming and thanks to that, I managed to find employment in a top-tier food company. I was finally relieved that all my hard work paid off. Alas, the world never was as rosy as my parents made it out to be¡ª that qualification was all you needed. The times had changed. The things in demand were communication skills, problem-solving aptitude, and most importantly of all, interest and curiosity in the things that held not an ounce of relation to one''s work. I raised the white flag there. I mean, it was no different from saying ''Become a different person!''. While my more capable colleagues were building their skills and achievements, I, who was only capable of doing what I was told and was easy to order around, diligently carried out tasks that anyone could do but avoided because they were too troublesome, and became a convenient yet unremarkable junior in the workplace. It wasn''t like it was worth doing, but the young me was satisfied with that. As the years piled up and I crossed the age of 30, I became the senior and the generation kept making progress so an even harsher reality was waiting for me. Like the days of being scolded by my superior for being a ''wait-for-instructions kind of guy that wasn''t needed''...... My peers mocked me as ''AI-kun who breezes through easy tasks'', while my juniors talked behind my back, labeling me ''useless''. I attended seminars, acquired even more certification, and participated in volunteer work¡ª basically, I did everything in the name of ''self-improvement'' that you could find on the internet, all in the hopes of changing something. Alas, fate was a cruel mistress, and the fault apparently lay in my thinking process, as a result, all my effort was for naught. After becoming a working adult, I drowned myself into reading online novels, especially the kinds with fantasy world reincarnation, to ease my boredom and escape from reality. "Hmm? I''m awfully calm given the incredible situation......" Wasn''t I taking all this reincarnation stuff too casually? No, I guess my sense of reality was off, my thoughts had yet to catch up with it, huh? "I''m asking you to have some sense of urgency! This isn''t the time to be calm! Young Master, you are barely scoring passing grades!" Damn, so noisy...... "For generations, the kids born in the Viscount Rovenne House are tasked with the duty to tackle the Royal Academy exam. Alas, none have managed to open this door of opportunity. This is the dearest wish of Rovenne House for its 700 years of existence! Finally, the glorious future is just within reach! If I were to bring shame upon the history of its family''s blood and tarnish the efforts and tears of the ancestors, I would not be able to face Master! I am fully prepared to apologize even in death as your exclusive tutor!" What was this chant, a curse......? So grim...... My cheeks twitched in response as I tried to calm Schord down for the time being. "I am sorry, Gramps. I was just lost in thought. But fear not, I do have a sense of urgency. Please continue the lesson." I raised my hand to stop his endless rant and bowed my head. Though he gave me a doubtful look, he stopped after receiving a response from me. "......As long as you understand. Let''s continue the lecture." Despite his confusion, Schord resumed his lecture. I think I know the reason behind his confusion. My response was unlike the usual me. Blessed with the relatively well-off environment of a viscount family, and being the younger son that I was, I had been pampered and spoiled by those around me. This had, obviously, resulted in my character being that of a spoiled, selfish brat. Had it been me before gaining my past life''s memories, I would have surely responded like this: There were a lot, certainly, but compared to the next rank? They weren''t even worth mentioning. The problem started from the Viscount rank, which included the Rovenne family as well. Viscounts often possessed one or two central cities and the surrounding areas as their territories. The Rovenne family was one such typical viscount family. Basically, they were somewhat like the mayor of a city. But, the lower you go down the hierarchy, the larger the number of noble families. Following that logic, the number of Viscount families reached over a thousand. Finally, coming to the last one, Barons were at the bottom of the barrel and were like heads of villages or frontier settlements, a far cry from the nobilities often imagined by the Japanese. In fact, many of them served as village chiefs without being appointed as one. They maintained a close relationship with their population, and their lifestyles were pretty simple and modest. Some barons may also visit the royal palace only once in their lifetime either when they were conferred or inherited the court rank. Their count fluctuated quite frequently due to scandals or promotions, and according to what I heard, no one correctly remembered how many of them there were as well as their names. Once every decade, the royal court conducted a survey on the number of noble families and according to the last survey, there were 8521 baron families. ......If you give it a bit of thought, that was one heck of a number, wasn''t it? It was like a bargain sale of nobles but on the level of a congested summer beach in Shounan. Anyway, the massive noble population spurred the low birth rate among the aristocratic families. Why? One primary factor was that this nation was quite developed. When a society''s system was well-established, everyone enjoyed a certain level of happiness, and when society was stable, it tended to lead to a decline in birth rates in any world or country. It wasn''t like the threat of disease didn''t exist in this world or that monster attacks weren''t equally devastating, but the nobles understood well that rearing more children when they didn''t have a post to grant to their kids would result in conflict over inheritance, which was far riskier. By the way, due to the long history of this kingdom and the abundance of noble families, many commoners also had noble blood. No wait, let me put it correctly, there were just so many commoners with noble lineage that you could try all you wanted, but you wouldn''t find a single commoner whose ancestry wasn''t related to nobles in one way or another. This was the current situation of the noble families, and only one person could ever inherit the title from a family. It has been 1,200 years since the country''s founding, and over the years, there has hardly been any major war, and while there was also the extreme threat from monsters once in a while, natural disasters hardly occurred. Naturally, a low death rate meant a high population, and consequently, a lot of people who couldn''t inherit a title. So where would they go? Yes, they were dropped to the rank of commoner. If you trace back the ancestry, it wouldn''t be rare to find commoners with royal lineage as well. In the early days of the country''s founding, there weren''t as many noble families, and the genetic traits that strongly indicated magical aptitude were more prevalent among the privileged classes, but now, there wasn''t as much of a gap in magical aptitude between commoners and the nobility. So occasionally there would be commoners with exceptional aptitude for magic, and in such cases, upper-class noble families or their vassals, the houses of the retainers, may adopt them as adopted heirs. But of course, in exchange for supporting their rise to prominence including preparing them for the Royal Academy, they were used to benefit the family who granted them all this. After years of repeating the following practice, the notion of ''Noble Lineage'' has become an empty shell, and the only thing that remained relevant was the economic disparity. So reincarnated I might be into a noble family as the third son of Viscount, I basically have zero chance of inheriting the title. I was a half-commoner already at this point unless I managed to find my way into the Royal Academy and would be a full-time commoner in case of failure. Who said reincarnation led to a rosy life?! Yes, I am reincarnated into a noble family in a fantasy world of sword and magic. Yes, I am the unfortunate third son of a Viscount who was destined to become a commoner in this academic-conscious society. I almost wanted to flip the table. What the hell was with this reincarnation setting?! Just as I was mentally screaming at my situation, I noticed Schord''s gaze staring at me. "Young Master, you weren''t focusing on the lecture just now, were you? This Schord has been your exclusive tutor for 4 years. I can tell that much just from the look in your eyes. Why does Young Master......" I swiftly raised my hand again to stop him from continuing. "Relax, Gramps. I am properly listening to your lecture. Look, I am taking notes as well." After saying that, I showed Schord the notepad as thick as three normal notebooks. In my previous life, no matter how boring the lectures were, I diligently and earnestly took notes for hours every day. Even after turning into a working adult, recording everything about the meeting had unknowingly become my responsibility...... So I just found myself automatically summarizing the key points about the kingdom''s history and geopolitics¡ª which was at the level of middle or high school in my previous world¡ª even while I was lost in thought. Well, considering my current age was 12 years old, maybe he broke down the stuff into easier bits for me to understand. Initially, Schord looked at my notes with suspicion, but soon he turned towards me with a deeply moved expression. The notes succinctly and clearly summarized the lecture''s key points. "What do you think, Gramps? Don''t hesitate to point out any mistakes in the notes." With my first ever smug expression since my awakening, I spoke to Schord, who looked deeply moved all this time. "......At last, at long last, my sincerity finally reached you, young master!" He spoke with a choking voice. However, realizing that praising me too much might make me complacent, Schord reined in his emotions. After all, I had endured four years of his relentless lecturing. It wasn''t hard to guess what he was thinking just by looking into his eyes. "Yes, it''s amazing, but diligence is a continuous effort. Let''s keep this up without slowing down, work hard as if death is almost at your door for the next three and a half months! I, Schord, will definitely, absolutely lead you to success, young master!" Oh man, so intense...... And can you not speak about death to a nobleman''s son? Though I understand where he was coming from, it would have been impossible for the previous ''Allen'' to neatly summarize the main point of the Gramps''s tedious lecture. I mean, it would have been a miracle if he could listen to it for one hour already. After the sudden awakening, I could now tell exactly that it wasn''t a lack of crisis awareness, mental maturity, or anything of that sort that hindered ''Allen''. It was just his inherent temperament that made it impossible for him to take notes about the lecture in which he didn''t hold any interest. This called for the common template in the early stages of reincarnation in another world: verification of one''s own ability affected by reincarnation. Editor - So what do you guys think of the 1st chapter? Quite the info dump, I must say. Also the mc''s rant about his previous life was way too real ???? T/N - I can¡¯t imagine myself going through the same. Also, the Majority of info dump is only in this chapter. Vol. 1 - Ch. 2 - Abilities Confirmation One month¡ª the time It took me to confirm my abilities. With this, I had 2 months before the entrance exam, and considering the time it would take to travel to the royal capital, I effectively had around one month left. In this one month, I had more or less gained an understanding of my abilities that were affected by my awakening. To summarise all the verification I went through, there weren''t any obvious changes anywhere except in my intellect and character. I mean, yeah, I had more or less intuitively understood that my only cheat was my reincarnation. I didn''t receive any deus ex machina-like power. Depressed? Very. I didn''t think this even needed to be asked. Though unexpectedly, my brain had been strengthened to quite a degree. The sole merit of awakening. Like, it didn''t simply enhance my intellect, it essentially made it easier for me to exhibit the best of my brain capability in the field of my interest. Also, there was the fact that I reincarnated into the fantasy world of sword and magic which I had always yearned for. For ''Allen'', it was the normal world that he perceived as ''well, this is what it is'' in a corner of his mind. However, the ''awakened me'' was different as I was now deeply intrigued by my current world. I also wanted to try late-night magic practice¡ª one of the standard templates at the beginning of reincarnation stories, though with no knowledge I didn''t know where to start. So I started learning, craving for knowledge about magic theory, information about monsters, and the geography of the kingdom. There was one more aspect that I found changes in. It was just my hunch, but I think the superimposition of memories had physically enhanced my brain capabilities. ''Allen'' originally had a much sharper mind than the ''previous me''. ''Allen'' was just lacking when it came to memorization ability, otherwise, the speed and depth of thought were on a different level. Now, after awakening, the same abilities had gone up by one or two notches. Even in my previous life, I knew that the human brain could be trained and improved the more it was used. For instance, reading a lot directly impacted language skills, logical reasoning, and vocabulary. One could easily filter out the idiots who didn''t read books. Another example would be children who had been learning mental maths from a young age could become unbelievably fast in mental calculation. These cognitive abilities were at their most flexible and developed rapidly during childhood. In my case, the experience of 36 years from my previous life plus the 12 years in this world was loaded in the young brain of a 12-year-old. It was pretty much like cramming the time forcefully. Normally, no matter how efficiently you crammed in knowledge, it was impossible. After all, time was impartial. I was sure my brain right now must be full of creases after undergoing about four times the load at the age of 12. It was still a conjecture at best, and there was no definitive conclusion so I decided to accept it as it was. Moving on to the athletic abilities, unfortunately, I didn''t see any visible changes. In fact, I was slightly worried that my already bad reflexes would be further impaired in the act of averaging them out as well. Honestly, I was glad that it didn''t come true. Apparently, he wasn''t fond of studying so he failed to reach the cutoff threshold for theoretical knowledge. The god of exams has no chill no matter the world, huh? This incident became the anecdote that symbolized the unwavering stance of the Royal Academy for theoretical knowledge. No matter how much one excelled in the practical exams, they would never compromise on the other aspects. It was also shaped into a moral tale told to children who made light of theoretical knowledge, and naturally, there wasn''t a time when the study-hating ''Allen'' before the awakening hadn''t been preached about that story. On the flip side, it was hard to quantify one''s ability to manipulate mana. Simple exercises that were easily quantifiable, like the physical fitness tests from my previous life, were heavily influenced by natural body coordination and there were many cases where mana capacity played a vital role here. However, a trained eye could easily tell the difference between the mana manipulation aptitude of different people. They looked at aspects that were difficult to put into words or numbers such as instantaneous power when utilizing magic, integration of body movement, or chanting. Of course, if there were significant changes in my magical manipulation ability, I would be able to sense it intuitively. In conclusion, there were no changes in my existing abilities except for the brain department. Well, it wasn''t like there was really nothing apart from that. I did sense one huge change in me this month. Mainly in my vitality. It''s hard to describe in words, but vitality was like a life force or the driving energy that helped overcome difficulties. It was abundantly present within me, and it was something I never felt in my previous life or even as ''Allen''. It was just my intuitive feeling, but perhaps it was because my soul was twice as big compared to others. So this past month, I was verifying something to see if I could make full use of my exceptional vitality. What was it, you ask? It was, of course, "Go~ Fireball!!!" Whump!! ......I tried testing if maybe I could do it now. I mean, I reincarnated into a world with magic. Who wouldn''t want to do that? Wasn''t that the romance of every man? I was undoubtedly from the sage clique. ......But this test only served to further reinforce the fact that I absolutely sucked at emission magic. Vol. 1 - Ch. 3 - Lecture Time Following my first failure, I was currently going through an even more rigorous trial in an attempt to harness my inner mana outside of my body. But, every path has its puddle, no? In my case, it just happened to be that the Old Man''s classes lasted from 8 in the morning to 7 in the evening. The only time I had for myself was before breakfast and after dinner, before going to bed. If what I heard was to be believed, a day in a noble offspring''s life preparing for admission into senior high school like the Royal Academy typically consisted of training in sword art or magic in the morning, and lectures in the afternoon which meant they only studied diligently for four hours. In my case, since I was prepared enough to score passing marks in the practical test, Schord proposed a very auspicious to the head (my father) to get my theoretical knowledge back on track and that was how all the time of my day was practically converted to grinding through theory subjects. But¡ª¡ª 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM: Breakfast9:30 AM - 11:00 AM: Linguistics & Literature¡ªBreak¡ª11:30 AM - 1:30 PM: Physics & Magic Theory1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Lunch2:30 PM - 3:30 PM: Afternoon Nap3:30 PM - 5:00 PM: History & Geopolitics¡ªBreak¡ª5:30 PM - 7:00 PM: Strategy & Politics Sweat..... I mean, I knew I wasn''t rather blessed in the brain department in my previous life so I had devoted 18 hours of my day every day to gritty study sessions during my dropout years and managed to gain admission to the famous private school through sheer determination. So seeing this timetable posted in my study room really made me wonder if they were serious about ensuring my success. A mere 6-hour study session a day felt more suitable for middle schoolers. No wait, considering I was 12, maybe they really came up with the best plan...... But then again, it was too sweet for me so the following day after waking up, I requested a revision of my schedule. As a former studious student, I would have preferred the schedule of 6 in the morning to midnight, but there were also things like testing out not only my abilities but also other aspects so with a heavy heart, I had to compromise with this. I was confident enough to triumph just by self-studying as long as I had free time. "But Young Master, simply extending the hours won''t suffice. Merely waiting for time to pass won''t lead to improved performance. I doubt that this schedule will lead to the successful results you are imagining."F0lloww new chapters at Such were Schord''s words. He was just implying in a roundabout way that ''I appreciate your enthusiasm, but this is where youngsters often fumbled''. He was right. If it had been the previous me, this hazardous schedule instead would have netted me the opposite result. But I couldn''t afford to cut down on study time any further. I didn''t know how success or failure in this exam would impact my life. As ''Allen'', I had always thought that even if I failed this exam, I would still have the option to attend the Aristocratic Academy. Then, I would just do my best next time during the employment exam. "From 8 in the morning till 7 at night, no breaks, and only 15 minutes for lunch... That should be fine...... right? Just what has gotten into you though? Before yesterday, you used to interrupt lectures at any given chance saying you need to go to the washroom to do this or that. Has your chronic urinary problem now been resolved?" The old man''s lips broke into a smile as he spoke, though his eyes were telling a different story; a glint could be seen in them. "Enough! You are the exclusive private tutor of this Viscount Rovenne family. Have some self-awareness," I said, irked by him pointing out my past self''s childish actions. The instant these words escaped from my mouth, all expression vanished from his eyes. Crap, I stepped on a sleeping lion''s tail. The old man wasn''t only proud of raising the kids of this house into splendid adults ever since the time of my father, but he also hoped that I would pass the exam more fervently than anyone else after determining I had an aptitude for magic. Yet, I, of all people, dared to ridicule him. It was the line I shouldn''t have crossed. ¡ô¡ô¡ô In this way, I safely managed to change my schedule into something I wanted. However, there was some blunder in the process because I let my mouth run loose. "Say, old man, I don''t even think you need to eat the portable emergency ration as well. Wait, I will tell the cook to bring you some sandwiches." "I am perfectly fine. Besides, this is a battlefield. Do you really have time to show mercy on another person?" His eyes stared intently at me. "Old man, you must be getting on in years. I''ll keep working on the assignments, so take a restroom break if you need one." "Please don''t mind me, Young Master. I am wearing diapers, so I would be fine in any unexpected situation." He now scares me...... Editor''s note- That schedule is crazy. Guess not only is the MC a crazy M but so is his tutor ???? T/N - Indeed, old habits dies hard. I think a spartan world would have been more suitable for our dear MC. Vol. 1 - Ch. 4 - Life Goal This world wasn¡¯t much different from my previous world. It, too, was centered around academic achievements, and, similarly, your future employment and life success depended on where you graduated from¡ª the Royal Academy, the Marquis-run Aristocratic Academies, or somewhere else. Now, the same life-deciding exam was just around the corner for me, and in the situation where everything was hanging on a single thread, I reflexively set passing the Royal Academy as my goal. But that was where I recalled the life lesson from my previous life. I didn''t believe life would be as smooth sailing as others made it out to be even after graduating from the Royal Academy. In this world, there were elementary schools that taught the basic stuff like reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and geopolitics to kids from ages 8 to 12. Like any typical third son of a Viscount, I also used to attend one of these elementary schools in my hometown until last year but I stopped going there since then. Oh, and commoner kids could also attend elementary schools freely. It all happened when my aptitude for magic was appraised to be quite high at the age of 11, which ignited my family''s hope for me to enter the Royal Academy. Since then, I have been subjected to rigorous exam preparation by Gramps, our exclusive private tutor. By the way, the country also held something like a mock exam twice a year to not miss out on any potential talent. The last one was held a month ago and according to the assessment, my probability of passing it was said to be 20% (there was a chance!). They even provided a probability assessment for pass or fail. They''re quite meticulous about it. After completing elementary school, it was common for commoners to advance to higher education if they had a certain level of magical aptitude. It was because it was advantageous for employment. The enrollment rate, too, was surprisingly said to exceed 70%. The main reason the age for the exam of the higher grade was set to be 12 was that the basic mana capacity of an individual started to develop from the age of 8 and stopped growing by the time they reached 12. It was the ripe age when the talent of kids became apparent. For the higher studies, aside from the Royal Academy which was a given, there were also the Aristocratic Academies managed by the nine Marquises (open to commoners as well) and the private schools run by influential Count families. On the other hand, if someone was unable to cover the tuition fees and living expenses, there was the Explorer Training School run by the Explorer Association where they taught the skills needed for combat free of charge. Still, I really wondered if I was cursed by the god of exams to enroll me in another examination war even after reincarnation...... Wasn''t I supposed to be reincarnated with a ''bam'' and a ''whoomp'' with magic then kick the butts of monsters in this world of sword and magic......? In my previous life, I had struggled due to my lack of intellect. But if I truly dedicated myself to studying for the next 2 months, my dream of enrolling in a top-of-the-line school would no longer be a dream. I would be lying if I said I wasn''t fascinated by this prospect either. However, if I managed to pass, was I just going to study at school like I did in my previous life, always focusing on the future? Then what would I do later if I, as a result, managed to join the knight order of the kingdom? Once one doubt emerged, others quickly followed, burying me in them. What was my future after enrollment? Would I just devote myself, yet again, to studying and training to get into the knight-managed school, competing for a promotion, having another round of stomach aches by being stuck between my superiors and subordinates, and then being ennobled as a baron or something if everything went well? The same old routine even after reincarnation? Given that it was me, I had no doubt that would be my life once I stepped into it. It wasn''t like I aspired to be someone somewhat important, nor would I mind living a frugal life. I didn''t have any strong ambition either in my previous life. All I did was vaguely chase after stability in that life...... And in the end, I died without achieving anything. It was bitter coming out of myself, but my previous life was just like various shades of grey. ......No, wait. This was a new life for me, why was I thinking of living the same old pattern? This was an opportunity to chase after my heart¡¯s desire. Alright, I''ve decided. I would chase after what I really wanted. In this life, I want to immerse myself in what I love and pursue my passions to the fullest. Success and stability could go to hell for all I care! This was a world of sword and magic where explorers existed and a vast yet unknown world was waiting to be explored. Free, just like the pure white cloud I had seen in the last moment of my previous life from the window of the hospital. Just like that cloud, I should have ridden on the wind, followed my whims, and searched for the things that I really wanted to do following my heart''s desire...... My previous life was by no means an admirable one, for me, it was a life full of intense suffering. There was no such thing as a correct way of life. In this life, I would chase a life of my own where I could proudly proclaim "It was a fun life" in my last moments.Re?a? latest chapters on y motto in this life would be ''Let the wind decide''. I inwardly swore this to myself after completing my morning running training at 5 in the morning and heading to the garden to start my daily practice. "Anyone registering themselves into the Explorer Association will first be granted G-rank, and from there are seven ranks up to A-rank. On top of that, there''s also the S-rank, which is more like an honorary title awarded to distinguished members." Hmm, I see, I see. "Is it tough to rise through the ranks?" "This depends on the rank. Promotion up to E-rank basically depends on the number of requests completed. So for instance, someone with talent in physical strengthening like Young Master would be able to rise to E-rank with 3 years of hard work." Oliver paused there, his bearded yet somewhat gentle face transitioned into a stern expression. "However, to be promoted from E-rank to D-rank, along with the set number of requests, they will have to complete a request assigned by the association which spans over several months. During this time, your character and views will be evaluated, so it will take approximately five years at the fastest." "5 years just to get D-rank? That''s quite a long commitment, isn''t it?" "It''s quite a reasonable timeframe in my opinion. Becoming a D-rank explorer means you''re considered a valuable professional in any place, especially with the stamp of approval from the Explorer Association. There are also instances where exceptionally capable D-rank explorers are called to join the private army of high-rank aristocrats. I, too, have accumulated achievements for 15 years before being promoted to D-rank and then being hired by the Master as a gardener." "Sounds nice~, I reckon being a D-rank explorer must be profitable?" "Err, I think it''s not as profitable as Young Master thinks. If they have like 2 kids, unless the wife works as well, it would be rather tough to maintain a lifestyle." Ahh, so kind of like an assistant manager in a somewhat medium-ish company, huh? Ugh, it didn''t seem to have much prospects...... "What about others who have assumed other professions, like you, our gardener, or the ones enrolled in a noble''s private army? Don¡¯t they earn well?" "My earnings are on the lower end of the spectrum compared to the average earnings of a D-rank explorer. Well, it''s riskless work so it makes sense. I''m unmarried, so, as long as I continue to receive stable income, I am content. The private army of nobles starts similarly in the beginning. If they work their way up afterward though, they can make a decent living." "Hmm~, the world isn''t exactly an easy place, eh? By the way, how tough is it to climb up to B or A-rank?" "If one manages to crawl their way so far, to be honest, I, a country folk, can''t accurately describe it well. We''ve had at most C-rank explorers around here, and they were already quite impressive in my eyes. They had been in this line of work for quite a long time, around 15 to 20 years. The road to A or B-rank is mostly for the talented ones." "Oh, that sounds tough~. Does that mean it won''t be possible to encounter people of that rank without visiting the royal capital?" "Well, of course, the royal capital is one option. But you might also be able to see a few A-rank explorers by visiting the Dragreid, the capital of Dragoon Marquis'' territory. The nearby ruins there are said to be a place with strong monsters and some of the best quality materials in the entire kingdom, so one of the reasons they are there is that." After saying all that, Oliver chucked and put down his pruning shears. "But, do you know? Even the best of the explorer folks of this kingdom are aiming to get a ticket for the Kingdom''s knight order. Young Master, you, who might be able to achieve this, is honestly impressive." "What!? A-rank explorer has so few prospects?!" No way, I couldn''t turn a deaf ear to what he just said. I mean, it was just a while ago I had determined to "live freely and do what I wanted!". The first thing that came to mind if I truly wanted to live freely after another world reincarnation was becoming an adventurer or explorer of sorts. I couldn''t deny I was kind of finding an outlaw-like life as an explorer after finding a perfect time to drop out of this rat race appealing...... "It can''t be said that they don''t make a profit even after reaching that height, furthermore, their social status is also quite high. It''s just that the Kingdom''s knight order is in a league of its own. I''ve heard they are just exceptional in all cases whether it''s honor, position, treatment, or even ways to become stronger. There are barely one thousand of them in this vast Yulgria Kingdom as they are the trump card of the kingdom and the pinnacle of the army." Oliver said, his expression saying it was pretty common knowledge before his face was shadowed with an odd look. "Besides, there is not much work for A-rank explorers. Any subjugation requests to take down the formidable monsters are for the most part taken by the kingdom''s knight order since they are more reliable and result in less damage. So, A-rank explorers, for example, often take on the role of clearing pests in the Knight''s extermination missions and, if they prove their worth, receive treatment similar to a squad leader and are enlisted into the Kingdom''s knight order. Of course, some individuals choose to remain explorers for life due to various reasons like not being suited for group life. Either way¡ª" With a smile, Oliver concluded while holding the pruning shears once again, "The exam to enter the Royal Academy you have been dedicating yourself to is kind of like a magical ticket that may grant you entry to the fabled knight order. Please do your best." I was never one to care about status, money, or honor. But going out of my way to drop out just for the end goal to still be the same knight order that otherwise would take me decades of hard work to stand out just to join was putting the cart before the horse. Oliver might have intentionally twisted his words to guide me to focus on the exam so I couldn''t just trust his words completely, but he shouldn''t be lying about facts that could be easily looked up. If anything, this conversation shifted my perception of the kingdom''s knight order upward and lowered the same for explorers. Vol. 1 - Ch. 5 - Exam Strategy & Emission Magic After realizing that the Royal Academy would still be a prominent factor in my future course from my discussion with the gardener Oliver, I canceled my plan to drop out of the exam. The main point was I lacked vital information. So visiting the royal capital, even if it was for an exam, had value in itself. For the time being, I decided to set aside my future goals for now. It wouldn''t be too late to drop out of the academy once I made my way inside and broadened my horizons about society and the world. This was the conclusion I reached. I had everything planned out perfectly for the upcoming exams. The most crucial aspect of the exams was for the test-takers themselves to accurately assess the height of the wall they needed to overcome. So what I had to do was a straight and simple thing: yes, solving past papers thoroughly. It all came down to this. In all honesty, three months was a very short time for preparation. And, as if the situation wasn''t already hard enough, I even needed to go through the past years'' exam papers when no one knew how much of the past formats the upcoming exam would follow. It would be a daunting step for most in a normal scenario. As the saying goes, know yourself and your enemy. Any plan would be futile if I didn''t recognize where I stood at the starting line and the distance I had to run to the finishing line. I needed to grasp my current limit as well as find an efficient way to fill that gap, and once the height I had to aim for was clear, I would start my in-depth studying with my devised strategy. It would be next to impossible to improve my abilities just by going through the assignments given by my parents and teachers like the fool I was in my previous life, wasting all my time in nothing but aimless studying. It was something I came to realize when I was in college, after becoming a working adult, and even when I was taking various qualifying exams. A simple answer, wasn''t it? Albeit, it took me too long to confront my clumsiness, inefficiency, and a bitter struggle until I finally arrived at this conclusion. I had been continuously haunted by this reality, thinking over and over if only I had realized it earlier, but not realizing what was important at the time of the exam was the essence of the so-called exam game. Anyway, I had Schold gather as many past exam papers as possible and devised a perfect strategy for me, though it took me quite some time in the beginning. After objectively analyzing the remaining time and the scope I needed to cover within that duration along with my study planning, I was sure I would be able to reach the required threshold with ease with my current intellectual capacity. Well, ''Allen''s'' pass rate was determined to be 20% (meaning there was a possibility of success) but without the awakening, I had no doubt I would have failed. I think I could certify myself as the beta-tester of the Exam God''s strictness at this point. Anyway, that was all about my exam. I didn''t want to believe it, but I had to admit, their theory about talent depending on the mana organ in one''s body might actually be true. This meant that I couldn''t use magic with a legitimate method. Only by legitimate method, that is. There did exist other methods through which even the talentless me in attribute conversion could become the user of emission magic. The method was by using magic tools. By employing magical tools such as wands that used mana stones as a conduit, even someone without the attribute conversion talent could forcefully alter their mana''s properties and use emission magic. The attribute of the magic depended on the attribute of the mana stone by the way. But of course, how could there not be a drawback? The mana stone would be destroyed instantly as a result of forcefully converting the attribute of their mana with a mana stone of an element they didn''t have an affinity for. There were also instances where channeling a large amount of mana would shatter them instantly just after a single burst. Besides, given the absurd cost of such disposable magic tools, it was impossible to use them for training. In that case, did I want to become an Artificer and improve them? Well, being an Artificer wasn''t in my future goal list...... If anything, my heartfelt desire was to use magic like I breathe, naturally and not by relying on some kind of tool! Magic that anyone could use with tools, a strength born out of relying on tools...... How could it compete with the thrill of making magic dance at your fingertips? Well, this summed up all the information I had learned so far. As for my sources, there was the meager collection of books of a sole Viscount family in this countryside and the formed Explorer Oliver¡ª I knew any further research would be a futile endeavor I would be able to get my hands on more research materials by visiting the Royal Capital, and the Academy should have specialists in diagnosis magic. I planned to seek knowledge from them. There was a practical test so I knew it was impossible to pass, but if fate permitted, I would absolutely love to take the Mage path. I knew that I might be burning daylight in futility and this would most likely be an unrewarded venture. But...... I won''t give up, no matter what. What if it ended up having zero value for a job? Doesn''t matter. Was I being stubborn? Probably. Not serious? So be it. I''m just going to do whatever the hell I want! Vol. 1 - Ch. 6 - Schords Report *Multiple pov shift Entrance exams were a matter of luck. You never knew if the question appearing would fall into the area of your expertise, or maybe outside of your knowledge. Or your health happened to take a dip on the day of the exam and your mental condition deteriorated as a result. Entrance exams were a sprawling tapestry of variables¡ª after becoming a part of them for years as a private tutor, I had recently come to realize this, late as it might be. In the realm of exams, there was no such thing as the goddess of luck taking a fancy to you on a whim and granting you success by chance. This revelation struck me as I observed Young Master Allen''s recent transformation. Young Master Allen has gone through such tremendous growth that I have recently begun to ponder on such a question which I never would have before. I had been a private tutor for 40 years, even before becoming the tutor for the Viscount''s family. Young Master Allen wasn''t the sole person to exhibit such changes right before the exam, however, the vigor with which he had burst forth with was something I had never seen in my whole career. It just left me wondering what had spurred him to do so...... As a private tutor, not knowing was quite disheartening I had been left stunned when Young Master Allen requested to extend the study time, however, if that event was like a tremor, then the subsequent scene had rocked me to the core. Following Young Master Allen''s instructions, I compiled as many past entrance exam questions as possible and handed them over. To my amazement, not only did he complete them all in less than a week, but he also came back with specific requests to tailor the lecture content. He identified his weaknesses and areas where he was fine but could still work on to improve in a limited time frame, and after further analyzing the trend in recent exams, he fine-tuned the lecture content and came up with a detailed strategic plan to carry out until the exam. I might be a failure as a private tutor after being pushed around by the fervor of the Young Master and changing the lectures as per his requests, but I must admit that, from my perspective, it aligned perfectly with reason. It wasn''t like I didn''t have any misgivings, however, he explained why this was necessary to me coherently and logically, leaving me with no choice but to accept his request completely. Also, along with it came the changes in the lecture I was giving until now. So far, it had just been me putting in effort into providing lectures, I didn''t even remember the last time when the Young Master himself had asked me any question proactively. But now, he would relentlessly pursue the answer to any slightest doubt that arose until he was satisfied. His doubts were quite specific and rather than being mere queries, they would often evolve into debates. It was easy to forget I was talking to a kid of a tender age during such discussions. His penchant for focusing on substantial studying had been strong from the outset but it had been further intensified recently. However, it wasn''t too bad overall since he had also come to accept the so-called exam technique that he had loathed so much before. So when I asked him about the recent changes in him, the answer I received was, I wondered what the meaning of my struggles were so far...... To put it in a few words, Young Master Allen has grown in his mentality so much in these few months that no one would believe that his past and current self were the same person. While I found myself exhausted after the rigorous lectures, the Young Master was fine and dandy and even continued his self-study after that. Encouraged by his hard-working self, I believed I could also endure this. I wasn''t clear about the Young Master''s prowess in practical skills, but as long as it concerned theory, it wouldn''t be too much of a surprise if he managed to score for A-Class. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ......Such was the report that Bellwood Rovenne, the current head of the Rovenne family, received from Schord. It was late at night when he had returned to his estate from a long journey after finishing his due socializing. Exhausted as he was, he couldn''t give his body rest yet, for there was something of even more importance he needed to confirm. He needed to affirm the progress of his son, study-hating Allen, so he called in Schord, the exclusive private tutor, to his study room with trepidation. His worry was hidden to no one, at least not with the quiver of apprehension that rippled across his face. However, as soon as he heard about how his son had changed from Schord, the Viscount was greatly astonished. "S, So you''re saying Allen has been taking lectures he came up with himself!? Just before the exam, when it was the crucial period!?" Viscount plopped down on his desk. He felt as if the tiredness he was feeling from the journey had just increased twofold. From the letter he received when he was at the Royal Capital, he did learn how Allen seemed to be exhibiting more eagerness towards studying and he even volunteered to increase his study hours. Though the Viscount had forgotten about it thinking it was his fleeting whim and he would return to his previous carefree self. "Gramps, are you sure you''re talking about Allen? Perhaps you are tired and mixed up Allen with Rose (Eldest Daughter)? Sure, Allen''s talented, someone who could do anything as long as he put his mind to it, and all the family members believe it. However, this is so ludicrous that it is getting a bit hard to stomach. You know Father already said this time is just formality, especially after Rose''s failure, with whom Father had so much expectation, so you don''t have stress over it." Hearing the words of Grim, his eldest son, the Viscount lifted his head. As the next family head, Grim had gone along with his father to the Royal Capital for a social event and just returned together with him. "Ah, So you''re talking about Rose! Hmm, I see, I can relate then. She has been a level-headed person as far as I know, and her eyes never left the goal once she decided on something. Sounds like age has started to show its effect on you as well, Old Man. Ahahaha, hahaha, hahaha......" Schord, who had been calmly reporting the situation, immediately changed his demeanor in response to Bellwood''s flippant laughter. Gulp Sensing the change, the Viscount swallowed hard. It was as if he was being watched by a predator. Schord intently stared at the Current Head with murderous eyes. "Elder sister hasn''t changed her habits even now, it seems......" A wry smile appeared on my face. She was what you would call ''A single-minded pursuer''. Even when she used to be at home, she would often forget about her surroundings and daily routine once she immersed herself in her research and forging. She''d pull all-nighters, skip meals, neglect her appearance, and eventually skip bathing as well which led to an argument with Mother. In the end, she was obligated to bathe either before bedtime or before breakfast. With her pale pink hair, humble demeanor, and lovable appearance, it was no wonder she charmed the fiefdom. In fact, she was even nicknamed the ''Princess of Harmony'' by the people. A fitting name for someone whose cutesy features resembled a cosmos bipinnatus. Sounds like a fine lady, doesn''t she? But anyone who knew her personally would agree on one thing: the most beautiful things are often the deadliest as well. My sister was the perfect example of it as she was not as adorable of a lady as the public knew her to be. She wasn''t short-tempered, but once irked, she wouldn''t pull her punches, even if the person facing her was her cute brother, me, on whom she doted so much. On the other hand, Dad, despite his appearance, was a mild-mannered bureaucrat who preached pacifism. So the only one who could handle my sister in our family was our mother. "Dad... if I am lucky enough to pass the entrance exam, please allow me to live in the dormitory. Even a commoner dormitory will work, just give me your permission!" I bowed my head, almost scraping it against the table. The Royal Academy also had dormitory facilities. The commoner dormitories were said to be small one-room units, but the rent was quite cheap for the capital city, and they even provided breakfast apparently. Our Viscount family had a secondary residence ¡ª just an ordinary house with a garden ¡ª in the royal capital. I could commute to the academy from there but my sister lived there. Besides, my mother wouldn''t live there all the time as well. It wasn''t a laughing matter to live together with my esteemed sister. "I guess so, and you''re aiming to be a knight, no? It would be a fine experience to live in the dormitory and eat from the same pot as your friends." Dad made a bitter smile after getting the cue from me and nodded. "Nevertheless, you seem quite confident about your admission, eh?¡± He said, trying his best to keep a calm persona as he sipped on his alcohol. However, it was hardly effective as I could detect a subtle undercurrent of tension beneath his words. I stole a glance toward Grim and noticed his frozen expression resembling a Noh mask, although he was making a constant effort to keep a smile. Wait a minute, it was strange neither of them asked me about my preparation since we started dinner. I guess they must be afraid to ask directly, or they were probably avoiding the topic on purpose to not put pressure on me. If I had to answer, of course, I have confidence, however, I was also thinking about taking my leave from this competitive society. It wouldn''t be good to raise their hopes considering my future plans. It was kind of comical how we all were trying to be reserved with our words. "Well, I have been working hard for that after all. Of course, I am not getting my hopes up for the A-rank class but I do want to avoid being counted from the very bottom, I guess." I answered cautiously. "Is that so? Schord seemed to be awfully confident about your ranking, however...... The Moonlit Viscount across the mountain from here had been quite annoying on this recent trip to the Royal Capital. Apparently, his second son Theode is also going to take the exam this year and there are already rumors about his excellence during the gathering at Marquis Dragoon¡¯s place.¡± Puny nobles like us were typically under the protection of the Marquises who had a vast territory under them that they oversaw which typically also included many puny nobles like us. Our fiefdom came under the patronage of Marquis Dragoon. So (though it was considered impolite to openly discuss such matters) subtle discussions about their children''s education and performance were significant topics in high society too. After all, if any talented person who may play a pivotal role in the kingdom in the future came out from their territory, it would contribute to their influence as well. "It seems like that guy is quite confident about his second son so much that he never misses the chance to spout nonsense like ''I am really envious of your youngest son Allen''. Thanks to his rambling, it seems that everyone has started to pay close attention to the exam results now... The thought of the gathering at Dragreid next month is already killing me." ......What sort of cringe-worthy "Oh, so pitiful" flag was that dimwitted noble attempting to raise!? Well, it was none of my business. "I see, well whatever. I wouldn''t know without giving the exam a try. But even if I managed to luckily pass, I heard it''s quite challenging to keep up with the studies once you enter the Royal Academy. If things take a turn for worse and I end up dropping, I would die of shame so please don''t try to copy him and start boasting, alright?" I emphasized to prevent Dad from digging his own grave like some foolish noble. "You''re still as carefree as ever... Well, there''s no point in fussing about it now." "You''re right, Father. Considering how reckless Allen used to be, it''s quite impressive how far he''s come. Now, all we can do is wait for fate to decide." The ever-so-competent Grim wrapped it up nicely. "You''re right, even someone like Rose tried to go against the will of heaven yet all the preparations were for naught, thinking about that time¡ª" And here he started his inebriated rambling. He was a good father, as long as he stayed sober, but even the best of them would stumble occasionally, I guess~. Vol. 1 - Ch. 7 - Journey to the Royal Capital Three days after Dad and Grim came back from the royal capital, the time came for me to leave for the Royal Capital as if to replace their vacancy. Dad had the plan to have Schord accompany me, though I courteously declined. Like any parent, he initially showed reluctance but after Schord came out to intervene, which I didn''t expect the old man would do, he quite easily relented, stating ''Maybe this would serve as a new experience for you''. So said Schord. It must have been tough for him as well, sorting out his lecture to match my plan. His face was adorned with the smile of someone ''who has achieved something''. To be frank, I had nothing but gratitude for Schord who kept up with my pace until the very end, even if it meant putting his aged body hard at work. The Royal Capital was two weeks away from our home while Dragreid, the capital of the Marquis, was 12 days away with the exclusive carriage of the Viscount.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Then, it was a magic train ride that would last for one and a half days. The scaled-down version of this world''s maps was quite insufficient. All my attempts to understand the distance between places didn''t yield any results. But from our home until Dragreid, I think it was like going from Tokyo to Fukuoka, probably. (1039 km) Speaking of which, this world had something like a Magic Train which ran on mana stones as their power source, but not only was it crazy expensive it also had extreme fuel consumption so it couldn''t be used readily by poor nobles. The first time it was used it often ran through mountains and there were also attacks from monsters so just the distance of 100 km took 3 days, however after that, highways were constructed which significantly cut down on travel time. Aside from that, Dad also strictly warned me to not participate in any fights since it would be awful. Well that being said, there wasn''t anything much to criticize regarding this world''s public order, and then there was also this C-rank Explorer ¡ª whom Dad had spent quite a fortune to hire ¡ª who would be coming with me as my guard until Dragreid. The guard was an old man in his mid-40s who was quite relaxed and lacked any tension, though it didn''t matter since I got him to teach me about fighting. Yeah, it really didn¡¯t matter. The old man''s name was Dio, a spearman. So far, there was only either Mom or the instructor from this countryside as my training partner, so either way, sparring with a spear user turned out to be quite a good practice. On the pretext of it being dangerous, we only used sticks and wooden swords and some fairly unimpressive techniques that didn''t involve thrusting, though I was still floored completely on the first day. Fighting a spear user with my swordsmanship was a completely different experience, which was beneficial for me. By the time we arrived at Marquis Dragoon''s territory, I somehow got the hang of how to deal with spears. In a game, I would probably get an announcement like ''Congratulations, you have ranked up from a Nameless swordsman to a Puny Swordsman''... Just kidding. Unfortunately, I couldn''t land a single strike on him, which suddenly spurred me to contemplate my practical skills. I didn''t doubt my theoretical knowledge, but it made me question my other skills. While I was in a slump, the old man said to me, "At first, I felt annoyed at the thought of being the playing buddy of a spoilt kid, but I must say you''ve got guts and a knack for fighting. Experience will come with time so don''t worry about it, kid." Up until now, this reticent old man had not uttered a word of praise to me, a Viscount''s son, during our journey. If anything, he was quite vehement about only guarding me, but as we parted ways, he encouraged me with these words. I wouldn''t know how much of his words about my performance held weight considering he had been lounging in the territory of a countryside noble as a C-rank Explorer, to be honest. Well, there was no denying I was overwhelmingly lacking so I decided to accept the failure. I bid farewell to that old man in that manner. ¡ô¡ô¡ô From Dragreid, the capital of Marquis Dragoon''s territory, I boarded a magical train for the upcoming journey of one and a half days. Dragreid was an enchanting city, particularly vibrant with neon lights at night. I had almost been seduced by this enchanting sight as the thought of dropping out from this harsh academic society swirled continuously in my mind. I had already decided that I would live as I liked in this world, leaving myself to the whims of the wind, but Schord''s face came to my mind so I decided not to carry it out yet. It wouldn''t be too late to go rogue after the exams. The Magic Train departed at 10 in the evening. Sure enough, she was the type to ignore the mood. One of the oblivious ones. "That was amazing concentration you had there~! I am aiming to be an Artificer so I didn''t train myself that much, but even my untrained eyes can tell that was a beautiful execution!" Oh? An Artificer aspirant, huh? And she could even discern what I was doing. The same instant that thought came across my mind, I recalled the image of my sister and her danger level swiftly shifted from Yellow (Caution) to Red (Danger). At the same time, I quickened my pace. I must not give my name! We are a total stranger to the core, the type to wonder ''Do we even know each other?'' However, the flag I raised in my heart was immediately retrieved as the girl began to introduce herself even though no one asked her to. "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself, didn''t I? I am Feyrune Phon Dragoon. You should be here for the Royal Academy entrance exam as well, right? The young master of the Viscount Rovenne family. You can just call me Fey!" Fufufu... Of all the sham-like occurrences that could happen, out of everyone present in the Magic Train, it just had to be the DANGER LEVEL MAX Dragoon family. What was more, she was even a member of the direct family, Phon...... If that presto-chango event wasn''t enough, she even knew I was from the Viscount Rovenne family...... I assumed she must have seen the family crest engraved on my wooden sword. With so many Viscounts as there were pages in a book, why did she have to remember my family out of all of them?...... Though I guess that was kind of ironic coming out of me when I myself have committed information about all those darn crests and whatnot related to the entire family branch of our patron, Dragoon Marquis, in my head. It wouldn''t be wise to ignore her at this point. But navigating this without getting into a complicated conversation won''t be easy... My instincts were telling me that. However, I also have 48 years of experience under my belt! Time to step up, me! If I continued to stay passive like this, I would end up toyed with, like how my sister teases me! "Oh my, what a surprise! I didn''t expect to run into an Esteemed Daughter of the Dragoon Family, even more so for it to be Feyrune-sama, renowned for her intellect. I apologize for the late introduction! I am Allen, the third son of the Viscount Rovenne family." I knelt down, my head almost at the shoe level. I have no recollection of hearing about the name Feyrune, but either way, she was someone who was going to take the entrance exam this year from the Marquis family. It wouldn''t be weird for her name to be known already. "I couldn''t sleep due to the exam pressure and ended up practicing all night, driven by anxiety! It is my luck to meet Feyrune-sama here! If you may allow, I would absolutely love to be Feyrune-sama''s acquaintance!!" Kukuku. I think it was quite a splendid bootlicker-ish''s speech, no? Just moments ago, I had resolved to ignore her completely, but as soon as I heard the name ''Dragoon,'' I changed my tune... Unlike us puny nobles, they, the Dragoon Family, were one of the real authoritative figures in the ranks of nobles. She seemed to be the free-spirited type as well, almost like feline creatures... I was sure such an overly friendly approach, or you can call them bootlickers, would make her disgusted with me! I realized my performance was a bit over the top. But when something has to go awry, no one can stop it, right? The response I received was different from what I had imagined. "Pfft. Hahaha! I must admit, you''re rather intriguing! You see, I noticed you and couldn''t help but realize that you''re Roselia Rovenne''s younger brother, the bright star who recently emerged from the ranks of the Dragoon family''s Aristocratic Academy graduates. That''s why I observed your practice swings out of sheer curiosity." She said as her eyes gleamed, reminiscent of a lion who had found its prey. "You''ve really piqued my interest. By all means, I hope we become good friends." All sorts of alarm bells blared inside my head...... 3 minutes...... My mind was urging me to escape in those three minutes at all costs. Editor''s note - Dio... IS THAT A JOJO''S cough cough. Sorry, my internet weeb is showing. So, heroine incoming? T/N - As far as it concerns the novel tag, author hasn¡¯t put a harem/romance tag so far. Vol. 1 - Ch. 8 - Feyrune von Dragoon "But boy, was your sword practice so unusual! At our age, we usually focus on increasing our maximum output when practicing body-strengthening magic. Even the talented ones focus more on burst power, the speed at which they can draw out maximum output." Fey said in amusement. "But you, you were mainly focused on removing the aftereffect of the body-strengthening magic. Well, it''s not entirely meaningless since it helps conserve mana....... But honestly, I don''t think it''s something that people would do when they can''t sleep due to anxiety right before an exam. If anything, your stance made it clear you have a specific goal in mind." I see, I understand...... I freaking don''t understand anything! What kind of monstrous insight did this girl have? All I did was just practice swinging my sword, you know? If it had been me watching others practice instead, I bet I wouldn''t have gotten an inkling as to why that person was swinging their sword no matter how much time passed. It was impossible unless you were a veteran. But this esteemed lady said she was aspiring to be an Artificer....... Don''t tell me the Royal Academy has monstrous people like her at every corner... "It is my honor to receive such praise. But as much as I am delighted, you''re overestimating me, Fey-sama. I''m embarrassed to say my mana capacity is barely at the threshold for a knight. Hence, I''m just trying to practice how to save my mana as much as possible." This was a situation akin to a soldier stepping on a landmine area, I didn''t know where the next landmine might be, so I could only tread carefully and look for a way out. I quickly tried to cut short any interest she might have for me.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "Is that so? But isn''t your mana capacity around 2480 units? I don''t think it''s low enough to warrant special training." Fey said while having an amused expression on her face again. What in the nine worlds?! Leaving everything aside, guessing someone''s maximum mana capacity just from their practice was impossible. It was ridiculous. It wasn''t like I practiced until I exhausted myself. Should I try to say she got it wrong?.... No, the number was too accurate to refute. The last time I checked it, my mana capacity was 2400, so I could more or less guess that my current mana capacity should indeed be around 2480. "Pfft. You don''t need to look like someone asked you for your soul. Of course, I didn''t guess it just by watching you practice. ¡ª¡ªTa-dah!" Fey took out a video camera-like something from her purse. "This is the Mana Capacity Measuring Tool I have invented. It calculates the target''s total mana capacity from the remaining mana they have left. But I didn''t have any compelling reason to refuse her. Alright, let''s just say yes for now and then I would make sure we never crossed paths in the future. Also, I should quickly escape from this situation. After formulating my plan, I put on a smiling expression and spoke. "Of course, I''ll introduce you! My sister would certainly appreciate interacting with a talented young lady like Fey-sama. Oh, excuse me, my frequent chronic urination..." "Fufu, Well you were practicing for at least 6 hours, sweating profusely without drinking any water. It must be an awful disease, no? Also, we''re already friends so you don''t need to be so formal." Fey may as well have a permanent amused expression on her face at this point. ''Not again,'' I thought. I already tried to ignore her ''we are friends'' remark, so any ad-lib wouldn''t be enough at this point. I straightened myself and said, "Unfortunately, this is the type of illness it is. Also, I make it a point to sleep for at least three hours a day. I''m not sure if Artificer Fey-sama needs any rest, but there are just three and a half hours left until we arrive at the capital. I''m afraid I need to go or else I might leak here." I hurriedly said and extricated myself from the situation. "Kyahahaha! Yeah, my apologies for that. Pfft¡ª Also, Artificers indeed don''t put sleep as their priority. Good night then, Allen." Fey winked while running her fingers through her short, glossy hair. How do I put it, she was wrapped in the liveliness peculiar to young girls, reminiscent of a cat, with striking eyes, and her slender fair-skinned nape was like a piece of artwork. Well, such things were inconsequential as of the moment. My body right now was screaming at me to get rest already. Who would have thought such a small practice session would lead to me being completely exhausted? I need to get ready for tomorrow (though the date has already changed)..... As I was heading for my berth while being annoyed at the situation, Fey raised her voice from behind me. "Speaking of which, you know nobles shouldn''t kneel and bow their heads without any reason? That posture is meant for criminals in a courtroom! Hahaha!" Fey had kept her amused expression until the end. Strange, this world didn''t have the culture of kneeling, huh? I thought it was a common practice since my father often did that while apologizing to my mother... T/N - So far, there is no romance/harem tag in the web novel. Editor note - Take a shot every time Fey has an amused expression on her face. Vol. 1 - Ch. 9 - Mother and Sister After getting exactly three hours of sleep, I quickly ate a portable emergency ration and quickly positioned myself in front of the train door to be the first to disembark. I would bet my money that my sister would be here to pick me up. If she were to be seen by that dangerous girl by chance and the latter suddenly decided to introduce herself...... Well, I didn''t know what would happen. Speaking of which, this emergency ration was truly amazing. In my previous life, I had worked for a food and beverage company, notable for its beer. So, I believe I could appreciate the enjoyment of a meal, and truly, I was impressed by the quality of this solid food. The taste was not bad, and it was quite filling. Despite their dry and crumbly appearance, they were easy to eat and didn''t require any drink to eat at all. There were plain and dried fruit varieties, though I preferred the plain types. But I must say, the Royal Capital was indeed something else. Unlike the trains of my previous world, the magic train only reached speeds of about 50 kilometers per hour, however, it had been traveling through the city for over an hour now. There were occasional glimpses of buildings that seemed tall enough to be ten stories, something you couldn''t imagine in the idyllic Viscount territory located in the middle of nowhere. I wasn''t particularly surprised since I had memories of my previous life, but for a young noble who had left the countryside for the first time, it must have been like moving from fighting a rabbit to facing a behemoth. The train gradually slowed down and arrived at the platform. As soon as the doors opened, I leaped out onto the platform. I was the first to exit the station. Now, who would come to pick me up? I walked at a brisk pace while scanning my surroundings. "Allen-kun!" I heard a nostalgic voice calling out to me. She had waist-length pale pink-colored hair neatly woven into a single braid and was dressed in a simple dark green dress cinched at the waist with a belt evoking the image of rain-soaked summer grass which complemented her hair beautifully. "Sister... You look beautiful." "Fufufu, thank you. Allen-kun too, you''ve become even more handsome." This surprised me a little. ¡ô I wouldn''t deny that I knew she would have enough sense to not appear in her boorish padded jacket, the attire she wears during research ¡ª which often became her daily wear ¡ª but such a dressed-up appearance was something I never expected even in my most daring of daydreams. Could it be that she was in love?Vissit for updates Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t the time to delve into useless thoughts...... While I had an ordinary face, she had an attention-grabbing, adorable appearance. She might be lacking in the chest department a bit, but the feminine charm that she was exuding, an elegance unique to those on the verge of adulthood, was constantly capturing gazes akin to a rose surrounded by white lilies. People were streaming out of the station. And there was another reason people were staring in our direction, which was¡ª I also wanted to get away from the station as quickly as possible, continuing just like that would have garnered a more conspicuous gaze, even without considering Fey. "Well, that''s the situation. My studies have been going well, and since I had to travel to the Royal Academy, I wanted to act responsibly as an independent individual and take responsibility for my travel here, so I proposed my intention to Father. Of course, he was strongly opposed to it, but he relented after my persuasion. And of course, I was properly escorted until Dragreid by a guard. This is the long story as to why you see me coming here alone." After a lot of effort, I managed to finish my explanation in the carriage while performing a ''seiza''. It was a small carriage pulled by a single horse. The interior was cramped. Mother''s face, sitting opposite me, was just a breath away. Her gaze never left my face even for a split second as I muttered the long explanation. No, not only did she not shift her gaze, she didn''t even blink once at all. It was no use lying to her as I had learned since childhood. That was why I said it as it was. "Alright, I got the gist of it...... Fine, I guess. You, too, have really become understanding enough to see things in a completely different light." Finally, Mother loosened the air of intimidation around her. Hooray~! Your son has successfully completed the trial, Father! "Noooo~! My adorable Allen-kun is! Allen-kun is! Allen-kun is~!" Elder Sister, who was sitting next to me and clinging to my arms, let out frantic voices like a broken tape recorder. "But Allen..." Perhaps just waiting for me to let down my guard, Mother swiftly raised the tension in the air and said with a frosty voice. "Are you sure that person really put up a ''strong'' opposition?" My head turned blank as Mother cross-interrogated me intensely, and finally, I ended up averting my gaze. "O-Of course he did." And I stuttered...... On the other hand, Mother kept the tense air, her lips distorted into a grin as she murmured ''It seems like I need to have a serious discussion with that person''. Sorry, Father...... Your son did all that he could...... Editor''s note - May you rest in pieces, Father-san. Press F to pay respect... T/N - MC has no chill eh, didn''t even spare his Father. And do your work, Kingdom''s Ace! Vol. 1 - Ch. 10 - The Last Concern The next day after arriving at the royal capital. I came to the Royal Academy while doing my morning running practice. Though the exam itself was in 2 days. I was wondering if I should check out the venue beforehand so as not to be suddenly swallowed by the atmosphere during the day of the exam. I believed I should be fine, but in the end, I decided to give this place a visit. Hmm, a one-way trip was 10km, huh? This sounded just perfect for warming up. Alright, I would come here jogging on the exam day. But as expected of the Kingdom''s pride...... The first thing that came to my mind was... it was stupidly huge. I peered from the huge entrance, which was so wide it could easily accommodate the passing of 4 carriages at once and saw a meticulously maintained cobblestone pathway stretching endlessly, leading to what appeared to be a Western-style building, presumably the school building. Even with a conservative estimate, the road must be at least 3 kilometers to that chalk-white school building, which looked like a speck of dust from the entrance. The cobblestone path then split into two around the school building, with one path extending towards the forest visible in the right rear, while the other continued straight from the left side of the school building, disappearing into the distance. Hmm, it was indeed a wise decision to not underestimate the venue and check it out beforehand. Seeing this imposing view amidst the unique atmosphere of the entrance exams on the actual day would undoubtedly make it difficult to remain calm. Some would likely cower, while others might shout "I will definitely pass!" to cheer themselves on¡ª all of which would have prevented them from performing at their best and missing the academy. Maintaining a calm mindset, one would be able to exhibit their true abilities. That was when the best performance could be achieved. Every year, despite the combination of the three courses ¡ª the Knight Course, the Mage Course, and the Official Course ¡ª there were only 100 successful applicants, making a total of 300 students in three grades at the academy. It had made me curious how the academy would even handle the accommodation of 10,000 test-takers, but that was a groundless concern. Given the grandeur of the premises, it would be able to handle them with sufficient leeway. ......Still, it was hard to figure everything out from just a distant glimpse. I began running clockwise along the academy''s perimeter, following the wall. ¡ô To cut to the chase, this academy had a staggering circumference of over 40 kilometers. Even though it was far from the center of the capital, it was still large enough to contain the entire Claubiar Fort City, the capital of our Viscount territory. But thinking about it again, the mages did require a spacious place to train, so having this size might be beneficial....... Then again, I still think it was just too big for no reason. Back at home, my everyday routine involved running around the perimeter of the fortified walls. I think this was the perfect place to replace that and I could gauge my progress by running the same distance. Suddenly changing from the usual distance wouldn''t do me any good either way.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m On the way, I also noticed an amazing hill with a 10-degree incline and a total length of 500 meters, and over it, I did 10 hill dashes. I channeled all my body strength to go up and then came down jogging lightly. Why was I continuing my daily running training? It was all for muscle building. Endurance was the key aspect for knights, but when it came to strength, muscles beat all. The short-distance sprint contained everything for building the muscles necessary for knights, and that wasn''t an exaggeration. Like the participants at the 100m dash in the Olympics, they all had arms like logs. It wasn''t just about running fast. Upper body strength, starting with the arms, was crucial. There was hardly any other exercise that could match the same intensity and effectively put the entirety of the body to use. For instance, swinging a sword wouldn''t adequately train the leg muscles. Besides, this also doubled as mana training under a ''full power'' load. 100m would have been enough in my previous world, but this world had body-strengthening magic, the raison d''etre of physical work. I utilized the slope and started running longer distances while calibrating the load on my body. In the beginning, right after awakening, I was just running for the sake of building a routine, but as I gradually understood the ''significance of running'', I made several discoveries. With each discovery, I gradually modified my routine to improve my efficiency. So having found a new way to train was a matter of joy for me. ''Alright, I''ll come back tomorrow.'' With the new routine, I was now a bit more excited about the academy. Speaking of the academy, it also had a back gate in the north aside from the main entrance in the south. Out of curiosity, I also peeped inside, and beyond another lo~ng path, there were dormitory-like buildings. Aside from that, the walls were considerably tall, perhaps taking into account the casual peepers, so there wasn''t any other place to look at the situation inside. I could have climbed if I wanted to, but then again, it was the academy that even royalty attended. It wouldn''t be surprising if there were security measures in place so I didn''t take the risk. "Ah, actually, I am planning to live in a dormitory if I pass. Since I''m planning to become a knight, eating from the same pot with my friends would surely be a good experience." "......Huh?" The beaming expression on the Elder Sister''s face disappeared in an instant. It was the prelude before all hell let loose. "You''re just teasing me, right? Am I right, Allen-kun? Do you know how much I had anticipated for this day...? You must have known right, from the letters I sent you every month?" Oh, shoot. After announcing that I wouldn''t be able to reply to the letters with the excuse that I was too busy studying, I completely forgot to read them. At this rate, I have to somehow get the discussion to move on before we start talking about the actual content of the letters. After confirming Mother was nearby as an arbitrator, I answered her. "I am not joking, Elder Sister. I''m really planning to commute from the dormitory. I also have received permission from Father." My hand caught the fist that came flying at me the instant I spoke. Alright, as long as I knew she was going to launch her offense, I should be able to respond to that speed. I was different from the no-thinker ''Allen'' of the past. She was unbelievably fast in taking action. But with this, I had at least sealed one of her hands. "Ohh~, you stopped it...? I''m really amazed at how much cooler you''ve become, Allen-kun." She said with a smile, however, the aura around her was anything but amiable. "I don''t think an Artificer should go around throwing their fists like this. Their hands are their lifeline, no......?" I replied while trying to keep her counter at bay, the force she was putting in her fist was simply a striking contrast to her slender arms. But the next instant, she withdrew her strength with outrageous speed. I was keeping my attention for the sudden withdrawal of her ''force'' after our hands locked into each other, but she went from 100 to 0 too fast! I quickly braced myself as I was falling forward but right then, her knee came upward, aiming for my jaw. I swiftly covered my jaw with body-strengthening magic, but it still couldn''t stop my face from jolting upward. I believed my jaw would have shattered without my prompt body-strengthening magic. Elder Sister must have anticipated I would follow up with guarding myself. Still, I had a life-changing exam in two days, I couldn''t let anything happen to me...... After my face was jolted upward, she followed up with a backhand strike, causing my nose to drip blood. "I''m really happy for your concern, Allen-kun. But your nose is bleeding, are you alright?¡± Then she said ''Shall we talk now?'' with a smiling face. That''s when our Mother, the arbitrator, interjected. "You both, stop playing around and finish your breakfast first. Allen is not wrong, however. Even if he lives in a dormitory, it''s still not far away from here, right? You should be able to meet him anytime, Rose. So be content with this. Besides, if the family head, Bell, has given his approval then this matter needs no further discussion." Kukuku. I quietly chuckled to myself while hiding my face with my nose still bleeding. As long as it didn''t concern the safety of her children, Mother usually stood up for Father. I had already expected this scene to play out like this when I was having dinner with Father! All hail my meticulous strategy! It was just that the glare from Elder Sister''s tear-filled eyes inexplicably raised a feeling of guilt within me. But aside from that, this had solved the last of my worries and with this, I was all ready to challenge my life-changing exam in two days. On a side note, I had just reached out my hand to my emergency portable ration in excitement when I heard an exclamation of ''Hmm?'' from Mother, and I reluctantly gave up on it. Editor''s note - Oh man, what a violent older sister. When she was introduced as a brocon and an artificer in the previous chapters, I expected her to be sweet on the MC. The sudden beatdown was unexpected but pretty good too. T/N - Suddenly reminded me of yanderes, who go ''kya, my cute whatever the heck mc name'' while beating and sometimes stabbing Vol. 1 - Ch. 11 - Entrance Exam (1) On the morning of the exam, I woke up at 5 o''clock as usual. Alas, it was unfortunately raining. The exam was held between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. so I just needed to arrive there at that time. Due to the multitude of crowds, examiners were given quite the freedom from a time perspective. I changed from my pajamas and put on my rain gear. "Be careful. Are you going to run today as well?" Mother came to see me off at the entrance. "Well, yeah. Running is my daily warm-up, and it''s an important day. So I''m thinking of just acting as usual." "Fufufu. Look at you, you''ve really matured. Take care, I''ll have breakfast prepared." ¡ô Rainy days are usually dangerous, so it''s necessary to be more cautious than usual. It''s quite easy to slip and injure yourself during this time, after all. Why was I stating the obvious? Well, of course, it was due to the presence of Body-Strengthening magic in this world. A single mishap in controlling the power could lead to a slip, so even a simple running exercise could result in a major injury. The boots I was wearing were made from monster leather, which had good grip and water-repellant properties that reduced the chance of slipping. Compared to the sneakers from my previous life, these far surpassed them. But then again, one couldn''t be too cautious on a rainy day.U?pTodated novels on Another way was of course to reduce the intensity of magic to prevent injury. Doing that would further reduce the chance of slipping. But if I wanted to keep up my current speed and momentum, I needed to carefully assess the ground''s condition and adjust the mana intensity based on the slight sensation transmitted from my feet, stepping with just enough force. It was a simple yet profound process that required constant adjustments. Skills that didn''t require much thinking and were learned through experience were the forte of ''Allen'' since the old days. Overall, I enjoyed training on rainy days. ¡ô After finishing my practice swings and returning home, I sat down for breakfast. Since spring break was over and schools were going to open today, my elder sister was also awake. Unlike her sloppy appearance from the day before yesterday, she was wearing a fresh green dress adorned with a ribbon. Her long hair was neatly braided, alternating with a somewhat plain dark brown scarf. It was a gift I got for her when I had her give me a tour of the Royal Capital. Originally, I planned to rest my body the day before the exam after training time basically to prepare myself. I was feeling a bit guilty in the end so I asked her to accompany me on a tour of the Royal Capital all day yesterday and gave her a cheap scarf as a thank-you gift. When I offered the gift, she was deeply moved and started crying... Well, let''s not talk about that. I had faintly sensed that the color of the gift she chose kind of matched my hair, but I pretended not to notice... Nevertheless, I never imagined that there was a technique to braid a scarf into one''s hair like this. To be honest, I was a bit appalled. I really wished she could stop giving me mental damage on the exam day... "Sorry to keep you waiting." My mother served breakfast at the table. I walked on the path while receiving the envious gaze of nearly 9000 people. Ugh, this is riling up my nerves... One person advancing meant there would be one more person going back among them. I arrived in front of the white building where the guides were waiting. Those aspiring mages-to-be, go right, while those with other specializations go left¡ª were the instructions. I was quite curious about the situation on the right, but I trudged along to the left. From behind, I heard a roar of cheers and cries, like the rumbling of the earth...... Uh-oh, I gotta hurry up or I''d be embroidered in the remaining 2000 people rush...... ¡ô The practical field for the knight course was yet another stupidly huge place layered with black soil. It had become a bit muddy due to the morning rain, but the strange feeling of the soft earth under my feet was more of a concern. It was a completely unfamiliar sensation. One step, then another, I approached the reception while mentally refining the image of my mana manipulation. Arriving at the reception, my eyes were dominated by a multitude of wooden swords of various sizes propped up everywhere. Choose any of the weapons you prefer and head to any of the examiners you see standing in the training ground¡ª the receptionist told me when I conveyed my name. "So anyone is fine?" "Yes, it''s the same whoever you go against. The confrontation will be between the examinees themselves." The amicable-looking receptionist, a young man, answered. Were 3rd years going to help out in this? I chose a suitable wooden sword for myself and once again shifted my gaze to the examination venue... As far as I could tell, there was just far too much imbalance between each examiner and the number of examinees they were handling. Well yeah, even if the battle was with fellow examinees, it was still a human endeavor. There would definitely be some sort of favoritism in play. I couldn''t see the whole grounds, but as far as I could see, there were already over a hundred examinees flocking around the amicable-looking examiners. On the other hand, the examiner just near the reception, which was built closer to the central area of the training ground, was...... a middle-aged man with an unkempt beard. His face looked scrunched up with obvious discontent. He wasn''t even giving the examinees in his area a proper look... He definitely seemed like a landmine. There were barely ten examinees around him. He obviously had a hangover. He was giving the exact same vibes that my boss in my previous life used to exude when he was drunk and irked. "Ugh, just stop your pathetic display, you lot. You don''t have talent, go back." ''Shoo-Shoo'', he motioned an examinee to leave. An intense look of despair appeared on the examinee''s face as they received the verdict. It was unfortunate, but honestly, there was no one to blame but the examinees themselves for charging in mindlessly. They could have gotten a clue from the examiner''s face which was obvious enough. The god of exams is really weeding out those who aren''t up to par in every world, huh? Just like the mana capacity test, this practical test also had a cut-off. From the 3000 students, about 2000 who clearly haven''t met the standards would be screened out by the examiners until they narrowed down the numbers to 1000 examinees who would be taking the theoretical exam. While the actual details of the practical exam were modified to some degree depending on the year, if there was anything absolute, then it was that success in the practical exam depended on the discretion of the examinees. How much they grasped about the practical exam and how specific their plan was as they confronted the exam determined their success. I thanked the 700 years of bitter history of my family in my mind and straight up ignored the unkept beardo. ......And just then, I seemed to have been called. Editor''s note - The exam finally starts. 10 chapters of build-up, let''s see where it goes. Vol. 1 - Ch. 12 - Entrance Exam (2) "Ah, you. You come here and accept the test." I pretended not to hear the call and went ahead to my chosen place. I mean, who would want to willingly jump at the lion''s mouth? Also, the young receptionist from earlier had said I was free to select anyone after all! If there was an easy way, why would someone want to take the hard way, no? Without slowing down, I walked straight toward the gentle-looking examiners. Alright, I choose you! But the examiner with the unkempt beard further raised his voice seeing me ignore him. "Damn you, you should be able to hear me, right!? Don''t ignore me!...... You''ve already passed so stop for me goddamnit!" Huh? Passed? His words were so surprising that I reflexively stopped in my tracks.U?pTodated novels on "...Good grief. You must be that person, right? That brat who''s been running around the perimeter of the Academy for the last 3 days? You know there''s been rumors about you, right?" ''??'' My mind failed to process his statement. I was stupefied at why he knew I was running around the Academy, but even more than that, how did running around the academy lead to a rumor? Unkempt beard heaved a sigh seeing my perplexed expression. "You''re underestimating the security of this Academy too much. Did you think as long as you''re not touching the wall, you''re fine?... There are just too many idiots with unkind thoughts that come here before the entrance exam. Someone in charge of security, like me, gets immediately contacted when an unfamiliar brat with a not-so-normal pace loiters around the wall." Not-so-normal pace? I didn''t think I had been running that fast. But I guess it was careless of me to run around in an attempt to make myself familiar with the Academy before the entrance exam. Our territory was just in the countryside so we didn''t have them there, but I presume they must have had monitoring camera-like magic tools installed around the perimeter and that was how the Academy''s staff captured my movements. "Certainly, I had been running around the Academy''s perimeter. Is there any problem?" Considering the other case where they presented the proof, I admitted to it instead and carefully questioned him. "Ah~, about that, huh? A lot of experts analyzed the picture and affirmed that you are just a country bumpkin who''s been cluelessly running around. That''s why there''s nothing to blame on you." Eh, so I hit the bullseye? Did they really have the equipment to record images? But, a lot of experts? I did consider the possibility of there being a monitoring camera so I was glad I didn''t try to scale the wall and take a peek inside. "Anyway, that''s how the information came to me, the security-in-charge. I also watched the image and your actual performance while running. As far as I can tell, you have quite the skill so for the practical exam, you pass." I see, so they already grasped the extent of my abilities even before the exam, just by watching me run for a short while? Was analyzing someone''s power ever so easy? My mind had a nagging feeling kind of like a deja vu as I asked unkempt beard. "I don''t think it should be that easy to grasp the extent of my abilities just by watching me run for a while......" I mean if it was a first-class professional, they might be able to estimate one''s level of mana manipulation at a glance, but to accurately understand someone''s capabilities should still be pretty tough. Unkempt beard sighed upon hearing my question. "...What an impertinent brat...... You, was the flat attack in the earlier... a bait to lure me?" "You claimed not to counterattack, yet your stance seemed primed for a counter. I wanted to limit your options, even if only slightly." Hmm... This mean-looking in-charge currently had a hangover. Furthermore, he seemed to have lost a bet due to me (not my fault). So there was no way he would be receiving my attacks normally. "...In the first place, who attacks before the conversation even ends? Isn''t it common courtesy to say something like ''I understand'' or ''I''m starting''?..." ''???'' Ah, true...! I wished for a gentle elder sister who would give me a heads-up before attacking me...... "...Haa. Whatever. This is the end of the practical exam. As I said before, you... Speaking of which, what''s your name? You passed, so have lunch for now. The theoretical exam starts at noon. Also, take note that the examinees who passed the practical exams aren''t allowed to leave the premises before 3 p.m. Now head for the building you saw 5 minutes ago, the one you can see from the main gate." "Thank you very much! My name is Allen Rovenne!" The first impression was important. I knew the rules, so I followed the strategy from my previous life which I had learned during job hunting, and replied briskly, trying to give a refreshing impression. I must say, it was flawless. Phew~. Alright! I managed to escape from the clutches of unkempt beard and avoid being mowed down in the practical exam! I returned the wooden sword to the examinee who had been waiting there silently, uttered my gratitude, and made my way to the academy. ¡ô On the way, I passed by an enthusiastic group of examinees. One of the strangers asked me how the exam was, so I replied that it was a simple test where examinees sparred with each other. There was also one sweet-looking, adorable girl, so I quietly whispered to her ''The examiner with the unkempt beard near the reception is in a bad mood due to a hangover so don''t approach him''. I hope we can become friends if she manages to pass the exam. For lunch, I had my emergency portable ration (salami flavor). After that, I entered the building set up for the theory exam. Still, I was impressed by the Royal Capital, the place for leading innovation. I was so moved after discovering the salami flavor emergency ration during my tour of the Royal Capital yesterday...... Though I still like the plain flavor...... As told, I entered the exam venue before noon. The exam papers for the five subjects ¡ª Physics, Magic Theory, Geopolitics & History, Military Strategy & Politics, and Linguistics ¡ª were distributed simultaneously. I tackled them in the order of my proficiency. After completing them, I reviewed my answers. When I checked the clock, it was still before 3 p.m. There was no irregularity worth mentioning in the theory exam. I did find some subjects which were slightly more difficult than in the previous years but that was the same for everyone. It was simple, no amount of brainstorming would give you the answer if you didn''t know about the subject. Everything ended before it even began. That was what academic tests were all about. I reviewed my answers until the designated time to give my exams a proper closure, then left the Academy. And thus, my three-month-long examination came to an end. T/N - I was thinking in the previous chapter as well, but that power level measuring tool reminds me of scouter from DB. And damn, MC and his obsession with emergency ration. Maybe he really landed in the correct world? A spartan society huh. Editor''s note - So cameras in a fantasy world... Well, he did say it was a world of sword and magic. He didn''t say anything about it being a medieval one. (T/N: Apparently they even have monitor) Vol. 1 - Ch. 13 - Result Announcement and Academys Instructors (1) Before 4:00 p.m., I returned to the Viscount residence. When I returned, I saw Mother and Elder Sister fidgeting while waiting for me at the entrance. They hadn''t asked anything about the exam in the past 3 days at all, but they must have been equally worried about it. "Good work, Allen-kun!" Elder Sister welcomed me with a content smile. Well, it might seem like I was bragging, but I do take pride in the fact that I have given every ounce of power I could muster in these three months. Seeing the worry-free smile of my Elder Sister, I think my efforts paid off. "You''ve done great. I can tell just by looking at your face, you must have given it your all, didn''t you? Rose has worked hard to set up an appreciation party for tonight." Mother was strict when it was necessary, but aside from that, she was often gentle. She smiled like a young girl. It was hard to believe she had raised four children.Re?a? latest chapters on I was truly blessed with my family. "Mother, Sister, I''m back!" I said with heartfelt gratitude. ¡ô The next day, I came to check the results with my mother. I did have confidence in myself. There was one uncertain element ¡ª that unkempt beard ¡ª in all this but I didn''t think I would fail in the practical exam. ......In fact, I wanted to come here alone. However, when I informed my mother about my decision, "If you really want to go alone, then I won''t stop you. However, after seeing you shed so much sweat all this while, I do wish to watch the result of your effort by your side, regardless of the outcome." After saying that, Mother beamed like a young girl. "Fufufu. In fact, I have more confidence in your result than you have. Just think of it as filial piety, won''t you share the joyful moment with me?" There was no way I could reject her request when she said it like that. And that was how, accompanied by my guardian, I came to see the result. Incidentally, there was also my Elder Sister who passionately talked about how ''I also believe in you'', ''I also want to share the joyful moment with you'', or at the end, ''I want to live together with you'' line that didn''t have any correlation with the exam. Though she was shot down by Mother saying "You have your school research, don''t you?", bringing a pool of tears in her eyes with an aggrieved look. ¡ô Going back in time¡ª half a day before the result announcement. The people related to the exam process in the Royal Academy were grading the tests in a flurry as they had dinner. "Once more, Emmy. Please start once more at the training ground." When asked by Godorfun Von Vanquish, who served as the vice-commander of the Kingdom''s Knight Order until a few years ago, the current magic instructor didn''t find any reason to refuse it. Currently, the image of Allen entering the grounds was being projected on the monitor-like magic tool. "Even you are looking at the image of his exam huh, Old man Godorfun? What about the grading for the Mage course?" A burly giant with a body bursting with muscles, standing at a height of 2 meters and weighing around 120 kg, approached Godorfun. Sporting short silver hair and matching color eyes, his gaze was tinted with gentleness, though he had a split chin in the end. "Dante. The magic course doesn''t have that many applicants. I have more or less seen them, so rest can handle them." "So you heard us? Your hearing is as exceptional as ever. Anyway, can you tell us your thoughts after your spar with him?" Godorfun inquired. "Huh? Shouldn''t it be obvious? Aside from his twisted personality, his mana manipulation sense clearly towers above others. As long as you beat that crooked spirit out of him a bit and nurture him, he might turn out to be quite formidable. As the examiner, my evaluation is ''S''." The final evaluation score ''S'' meant the student was ranked first in the evaluation. Each examiner could recommend only one ''S'', and then, through discussion, it would be narrowed down to one person. Following that, the recommendations for ''A'' evaluations were limited to four examinees per examiner. The final ''A'' results were then narrowed down to around 20 examinees through discussions. In this way, examiners determine the examinees they could recommend, and then decide on the final score of the examinees'' scores. Although tough examiners were more likely to have students eliminated, the number of students they could recommend remained constant. So being evaluated by the examiner who had a low number of examinees was more beneficial for evaluation. "Well, that opening trick was met with mixed reviews after all. Though it gave me a really good laugh when I watched the video...... I get why some are skeptical about him as a knight, though many praise him as well, like old man Godurfun here. The unanimous agreement is that there''s no problem." Parch said with an amused smile. "Of course. Who cares if the opponent is stronger or weaker, we fight to win! You can''t aim for the top without such spirit. Those who haven''t experienced war are just cowards!" "If you ask me, It all depends on the time and situation though." Young Justin said while shrugging his shoulders. "...Also, about that. The initial overhead strike was a bait, sure enough. I had subtly monitored him from the moment he entered the training ground, and I didn''t see him adjusting his mana circulation either. I thought I would just knock him back if he made a feeble strike, but I sure had underestimated him. So, it''s not surprising that he saw through my stance, but......" Closing his eyes, Dew recalled the feeling he had during the exam and continued. "That brat probably had already concluded that his attacks wouldn''t be able to make it through to me. Even though I declared I wouldn''t counterattack, there was no hint of relief on his face whatsoever." Dew spoke in annoyance. "Fufufu. Sounds interesting. In fact, he''s just to my liking. I''ll be taking this guy." "That''s a no-go." Mujikka instantly turned down Godorfun. "Old man Godorfune, you''ve already decided to be in charge of the A-rank. We are currently evaluating which class he will be placed in so it all depends on his theoretical exam now." "Hmm. In any field, there are no fools among geniuses. With such a high score in the practical exam, there''s no way his academic abilities are just borderline pass." Godorfun stated confidently. "Even if he is not a fool, there''s no lack of guys who can''t study, right?" Justin teased. "......Wanna make a bet?" Godorfun glared at him. "That sounds interesting." "Just perfect. I''ll have you make up for yesterday''s loss." With Dew, who was always the one to get excited about betting, chiming in from the side, the members of the Knight Order who came to assist in the exam started joining the bet one after another. With their eagerness to bet, they looked more like ruffians than the kingdom''s aces. Editor''s note - Lol at the kitten. Such a random detail. That kitten will be important, mark my words ???? T/N - Wait for it, we will soon be having some good laughter in the upcoming chapters. Vol. 1 - Ch. 14 - Result announcement and Academy’s Instructors (2) Those around listening intently began betting one after another, using Allen''s assigned class as the topic. And the ever so capable magic instructor Emmy jotted down who bet on what. The most popular choice to bet on was Class A, but since Allen was from a remote countryside whose name they had never heard, some had doubts about his academic performance and so a few votes went for Class B and C. A class had up to 20 people, and only 100 students would be admitted from the entrance exam every year, so classes ranged from A to E. However given Allen''s mana capacity and his performance in the practical exam, he was confirmed to be placed in Class C the very least even if he just barely did good enough in the theory exam. Once the bets were settled, Dew continued to speak. "...As for what happened later, I presume you lot must have already figured it out from the video. He had made an impromptu strike but that was just a bait to probe my attitude in the beginning. Then when I followed up with a horizontal sweep which had almost no chance of injury, he dodged with his special move and countered with a roundhouse kick to my face. After watching his first move and the roundhouse kick on his 3rd move, I''m sure he was using his body-strengthening magic at full power ¡ª or closer to that ¡ª despite that damned soil setup of old man Godorfun which made it harder to walk on. I mean, considering his running pace in the morning, I''ve no doubt he must have already finished adjusting to the soil by the time he walked to the reception, keeping his pace to something no different than usual." "If I may, I have two questions." Dante, the one with the muscular jaw but had a kind look, raised his hand. "It was indeed a sharp roundhouse kick but I don''t think it was on the level that could touch the forelock of the ''Efficient Operator'' Dew Owiel, the captain of the Knight Order''s third legion." "Hmm? Ah, was it hard to understand from the video angle? Well, I just underestimated him... That brat deliberately placed the wooden sword slightly to the right of my line of sight, adjusting in which direction it would be deflected. The trick was to guide my gaze to check if the flying sword wouldn''t hit the clueless students standing there while he took advantage of that opening. Then his roundhouse kick came from a dead angle which caused me to react late." "Hmm, I see. I also got the answer to my second doubt. No matter if it was to create an opening, suddenly losing your weapon would be a great disadvantage. He even came up with a way to make a counterattack by securing a weapon immediately from a nearby student." "That''s the crooked part about that brat. Looking back, he didn''t show any interest in the other examinees, which seemed unnatural. But depending on the situation, he kept them as his insurance to take them into strategy when needed. Don''t you think his spirit is quite rotten?" "...I can''t say anything about spirit, but as old man Godofrun said, he indeed didn''t sound like someone who would be inept in studying..." "...Alright everyone, that should be enough. Let''s get back to grading..." Mujikke tried to interrupt, however, "...Speaking of which, old man Godorfun, did you see the footage of Dew-san''s practical exam after that?" Justin suddenly spoke with a grin. "Hmm? Not yet... Was there another interesting lad?" Some of them must have seen it, as they avoided eye contact awkwardly. "After that, not a single examinee came to Dew-san! Not a single one! I couldn''t see clearly from my position, but after getting tricked by that student, he must have had one heck of a furious expression! Ahahaha." As Parch laughed boisterously, not reading the mood, a vein bulged out of Dew''s forehead. "There''s no way I would be seriously mad at a 12-year-old brat!" Justin swiftly stepped forward to supplement. "Indeed, if anything, Dew-san looked to be in quite a good mood after that. He kept waiting for another strong-minded examinee to challenge him with a fierce grin. Though as more and more examiners avoided him, his face gradually turned depressed..." As Justin fanned the flame, the ever-so-capable magic instructor Emily swiftly changed the image projected on the monitor. In it was the back of the Dew, waiting there all alone, with a melancholic expression. "Ahahaha! This angle is perfect, Emmy-chan!" Parch burst out in laughter once again, inciting others to follow as well. "Stop showing that! All of them were cowards, choosing their examiners based on expression! The ones who came straight to me at the beginning were decent, but the rest were utterly mediocre! Have their levels dropped or something?!" The kind-looking old man Godorfun asked with a grin. The old man was once feared as an indomitable warrior in his active days but after retirement, his burning spirit finally mellowed down and nowadays, he was even called ''Godorfun the Buddha''. However, beneath that serene exterior, his body still bore the visage of the formidable spirit he once possessed. In these several hours, under the repeated provocations of Justin and Emmy, the betting amount had piled up to a staggering amount. It had increased to such an extent even the betting people with large salaries would find it hard to fork it out. Now that an astronomical amount was at stake riding on Allen''s score...... "A-Allen Rovenne?? Err, that kid... ah¡ª" The result left everyone stunned. ¡ô It was half past ten in the morning. I made my way through the crowd of students ¡ª some shouting in joy while some whimpering in sadness ¡ª along with my Mother and came to the front of the notice board where the list of the passing candidates was posted. I had confidence in myself. I tried to calm myself down. I did have faith in my result but there had been precedents from my past life. Despite my exhaustive studies, I failed to qualify for Tokyo''s ''Prestigious Institute''. I just couldn''t get rid of the ''what if'' feeling. I started looking for my name in the column of the Class E candidates while praying mentally. Mother softly called out to me. "You''re in, Allen. Look there." I hurriedly checked the section my Mother pointed to, and the following was written¡ª ©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©` Allen Rovenne Mana Capacity - (C) Knight Course Practical Exam - (S) Theoretical Exam - (A) Assigned Class - (A!) Knight Course Overall Rank - (4/50) ©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©` Certainly, my Mana Capacity being rated C indicated a rank between 40th and 60th among the successful candidates. I understood this much. I had deduced such would be the result as well. An A in the theoretical exam meant I was ranked somewhere between the 2nd and 20th position. I think I may have overdone things in this, though knowing that it was the result of my hard work made me proud of my result. However, the thing that stumped me was the S in the practical exam. There was only one person with an S rank in each section. My test was taken by that guard uncle with the unkempt beard suffering from a hangover. Maybe there was some kind of misunderstanding? Also, there was something else in the detail that further piqued my interest¡ª Assigned Class (A!). ......I don¡¯t think I''ve ever heard about such a class. I reflexively turn to look at my mother. She was staring at the notice board with a scowl on her face. Vol. 1 - Ch. 15 - Crafting Connections in the Class Tapestry "Umm, Mom... What in the world does that exclamation mark mean...?" Mother stared at the notice board with a scowl, before suddenly putting up a soft smile and slowly looking at me. "Allen. Congratulations on passing and getting to Class A. It''s through your own resolve and effort that you were able to grasp the privilege of joining this academy. I can''t be any more proud of you." ......It was worth it. I was honestly wondering if I was on the right path, vying for the Royal Academy. I was worried, wondering if I was just drifting along with the unexpected flow of the situation I suddenly found myself in. However, hearing the heartfelt praise from my Mother, who always accurately acknowledged the efforts of her child, I felt like that fog finally vanished like a puff of smoke. That was right. It was the best path that I could have grasped with my own two hands, the most adequate path that I had ''chosen by my own will'' to ''live freely like the wind''. Academic society or future success could be damned for all I cared. When the time came, I wouldn''t hesitate to throw away the privilege I have gained today. I would do so for sure if it came to that, but for now, I would believe in the value of the effort I have put into studying together with Schord in these three months. I would believe in the 12 years of effort ''Allen'' has put in to become a strong knight. Tears streamed down my cheeks. Once started, they keep tickling down like torrential rain. ''Oh my, look at you'', Mother''s expression gave way to a gentle smile as she gently pulled me into her warm embrace. Warm...... Her heart was the real definition of compassion. I know the enormity of this compassion and its value. After a short pause, Mother clasped my face in her hands while the corner of her lips lifted ever so slightly, she said in a very soft voice, "Allen. I believe in you." However, that smile didn''t reach her eyes. My tears which I thought were uncontrolled pulled back. Looking carefully, my Mother''s hands clasping my face were pure white, a sense of chill pervading into me through them. It was the omen that she was angry. The pleasant warmth I had been feeling earlier melted faster than butter on a hot pan. "W, Well, Mother... What do you exactly mean by that...?" My throat suddenly felt dry, and the eyes that had been shedding beautiful tears were now dry as if they were experiencing severe drought. "Don''t sweat over it. Anyway, I''m going to leave for the Viscount territory today. I''m sure Bell and Schord must be impatiently waiting for good news." "Alright, take care. Or not, I mean, does Mother know the meaning of that exclamation mark?!" "A true knight must have the determination to crush everything if they feel like they''re being threatened. Otherwise, they''ll be taken lightly, you know?" Mother smiled, her lips parting like a young girl. "I see. I understood¡ª ah, I am not asking that, Mother......" She wasn''t listening at all...... The contrast between her girlish smile and her words was just too far apart. "Anyday, the orientation for the successful examinees starts at 11 a.m. You wouldn''t want to be late on the first day, right?" Mother gave me a push and turned on her heel toward the main gate. I really didn''t understand the sudden situation, but there was something I wanted to say to Mother and hurriedly raised my voice¡ª "Mother, thank you for the delicious meal! See you later!" Mother was also from a good family, and having a sheltered upbringing, she wasn''t that proficient in housework. Yet, she didn''t skimp on my meals and cooked ready-made dishes for me. She had gone out grocery shopping each day and through her struggles, served me warm food in the morning and at night, carefully considering nutrition. Just then, a man with short, sky-blue hair, sharp features, and a slender, muscular build, accompanied by two students, approached me. Despite his hair color, he seemed like someone you would find in a basketball club. "I heard someone saying ''Allen''... Are you Allen Rovenne?" "Yes, I am...... You are?" I introduced myself before asking about their sudden approach. Fufufu. I have remembered all the noble names in this kingdom above the rank of baron along with basic information about their territories and special products. I would gradually start the conversation with topics about their territories and seize victory in this precious first battle! "Ah, how rude of me. I am Aldore Engraver. I''m in the Mage Course, specializing in magic. Feel free to call me Al." Oh? Engraver means he was from a Viscount family like me. But appearances sure could be deceiving, I thought he would be one of those athletic type guys but he specialized in magic that I wanted so badly...... It would be nice if we could become friends. "Oh, the Engravers. So you''re from that Viscount family famous for growing Anju trees, one of the materials for a Mage''s wand, in the Endymion Marquisate. Let''s get along, Al." A slightly surprised expression appeared on Al''s face before revealing a smile as he patted me on the shoulder, saying ''I should have expected so''. Well, Anju trees were just some minor material after all. I guess I had more or less grasped the flow of this conversation, no? "So strange, this reaction is so different compared to our meeting." Fey seemed to be muttering something behind me, but I turned a deaf ear to that. "Let me introduce you to my two friends, Allen. Err, this guy here is Coconial Canardial." He then introduced the short guy next to him. "Coco, co-co-co-co..." ...Stranger''s anxiety, huh?... I understood that nervousness to a certain degree so I wasn''t going to drop some harsh comments here. It was like I was watching the past version of me. Canardia used to be one of the prestigious Count families but for some unknown reason, they had fallen to baron rank in my understanding. He had a pale slender feature and a chubby face, someone that would definitely be unpopular with the girls, though that was one of the parts I liked most about him. I looked at him, and said, "Can I call you Coco? I have seen the Canardia monster encyclopedia your ancestors have compiled. I must say it is one fine piece of work. I could feel how much effort they put into it and their enthusiasm was clearly visible. From that, I presume Coco must be from the civil course, right? I hope we can be good friends." The Canardia Monster Encyclopedia was a past masterpiece detailing the ecology and habitats of monsters in this kingdom. I usually read it whenever I have time to spare. Coco looked up, his eyes widened in surprise. It seemed like he wanted to say something¡ª "Y, You can. Just call me Coco. Civil course. Nice to meet you." And the words he finally muttered were just introductions. Alright, I dare say I have managed to become friends with him as well. Here, I scored my second consecutive victory! "Kyahaha! Why do you even know about the monster encyclopedia that doesn''t have any relation to the exam at all? Do you just love to surprise me that much?" "I''m not talking to you." Crap... She was chirping around like a noisy magpie, I reflexively jabbed at her. Al looked at our exchange with a doubtful expression but he quickly changed it as he introduced the remaining member. "This guy here is Leo Zatsinger. I assume you already know about him as well, no?" The last person he introduced was an incredibly handsome guy. He had glossy black hair, with a bluish tint, and a tall and slim figure¡ª he was very much the definition of a nobleman. ...Oh boy, what to do?... I had no idea who this guy was. Editor''s Note - I wonder what that exclamation mark means? His mother acted suspiciously there though I can''t think of why she would be angry when he passed with amazing results. Vol. 1 - Ch. 16 - Crafting Connections in the Class Tapestry (2) Chapter 16 - Crafting Connections in the Class Tapestry (2) I wasn''t unfamiliar with the name Zatsinger. After all, it was one of three crown jewels of the noble community, the Ducal houses. The current head of the Zatsinger family was the brother of the previous king. A renowned aristocratic lineage, known far and wide, yet lacking any remarkable distinction. But judging from the way Al introduced him, was he someone famous? "I am Leo. I hope we get along." A very plain self-introduction. His eyes were resolute and his voice was serene, though one could sense his self-confidence oozing from it. I really would have preferred a bit more information...... "Don''t kneel and lower your head this time, alright? Pfft." ......I kicked Fey with my leg as she whispered so in my ears. As I was quietly dealing with her, Al supplemented with his explanation from the side. I knew I was right in my money that we would surely become good friends. "Bless me, you never know how wide the world is without venturing outside. The top scorers from the kingdom-wide theory exam and the talented individuals with exceptional aptitudes for magic had already been invited to the Royal Capital, giving them the chance to know each other beforehand, so there are already many who know each other. At least, I already know their names." ......Ah, that mock exam-like thing that determined one''s probability of passing the exam for the Royal Academy? I see, so that was how it was. I nodded at Al''s explanation. So basically, the two, who felt out of place to have a connection with someone from a Ducal house, were his friends, huh? "That''s why... I mean, I don''t mean it the wrong way, we were surprised to see that a nobody named Allen, whom we have never heard about so far, managed to prevent Leo''s perfect ''All S evaluation'' score from coming to fruition this morning. All the people were abuzz wondering what kind of person you are." ...So without the blunder of that unkempt beard, his score would have been perfect? And from their appearance, it seemed like none had any doubt about it. "Al, I''ve been saying this for a while now, but I don''t care much about the score." Leo warned Al with a fed-up tone. If it was vague before, then I was sure of it now. Leo was that. The so-called central figure of the class. In these three months, he must have been fawned over by the girls, being called ''Cool Nobleman'', ''Royal Academy''s Top Three'', or ''The Soothing Six''. I dare say I, the average-faced guy, would surely be treated as the love letter delivery man. Deciding in my heart to keep my distance from him, I asked. "Leo... Can I call you that? Also, to make it clear from the beginning, I''m just the third son of a Viscount from a countryside so far away even a fly from the Royal Capital wouldn''t want to wander there, and I have no noble grace or anything of the sort." "Of course. I came to this academy to sharpen my abilities with my fellow talented peers, not to flaunt my status." ...Well~ He doesn''t sound like a bad guy... But I just couldn''t bring myself to be friends with him for three years... The power he came with was alluring enough, but there was no free lunch in this world. With power came responsibility. He was probably the type to strive for a better future or to put it bluntly, live for the country''s sake. It was the polar opposite path from me, who was aiming for a free and leisurely life. I just wanted to get this schooling done, that was all.Vissit for updates And more importantly, haven''t the people here more or less gotten acquainted with each other already? The class''s attention was gathering here. "I see. But we don''t have all the time in the world in our hands. Keep it short." "Come on, Allen. Quickly introduce your more-than-friend-less-than-lover, aka me, to your friends." What the hell was this person doing jumping straight from gear 1 to gear 5 while taking advantage of the situation? Anyway, I might have a tough time if I let everyone think I was her lover or something...... "This person here is someone less-than-friend-more-than-stranger. I don''t know her." I said it loud and clear. "Heavens! That''s so mean of you, Allen. How can you call me a stranger after making me a captive of yours until 6 in the morning just some five days ago!" What mumbo-jumbo is this guy spewing out?! I could clearly feel the envious gazes of the boys drilling through me and the frigid gazes of the girls mentally slicing me apart. Why am I being convicted for a crime I didn''t remember doing!? Ah, a guy was glaring at me with a blatant look of jealousy... Does he like Fey or something? No, now was not the time to get distracted, me! I had to quickly say something, or my image would forever be tarnished as a wolf who held a girl captive in the hearts of the jury (my classmates)! "Stop saying your words in a suggestive way! Wasn''t it you who followed me all around on your own?!" When I said that, Fay''s eyes widened as if she had received the shock of her life. A thin layer of tears veiled her shock-stricken eyes. If I were given the right, I would surely give her the title of the ''world''s most talented ''realistic'' actress''! "...Allen, so you are the push-and-pull type of person, huh? Even though you approached me so passionately that it would have melted even a glacier at the beginning, you flipped faster than a coin in mid-air as soon as you were done and left saying you have to go to do a ''number one'' or you might wet yourself... But I understand, some guys like to fiddle with the hearts of girls. As long as I can be by your side, I don''t mind really." My god, why don''t you just start selling the ''how to effectively distort the truth'' course!! I wanted to refute this right then and there but I dreaded that she would pull out another bizarre magic tool and reproduce the scene if I said that wasn''t true at all! I have this inkling it might actually happen as long as it was this person in question. That would just end like me kicking at a rock¡ª No, wait, why am I currently thinking about an excuse? Why am I being forced to come up with a good excuse? Also, don''t look at me with your chilly eyes, girls! The boys too, saving for strong-minded ones, mostly looked disgusted... "Fuhaha. I see... , was it? Alright, the self-introduction time is over, everyone. Return to your seats." Old man? Where the hell did you hear those words?! Why are you talking like there''s no problem?! With my mouth slightly agape, I tottered to my seat by the window and sprawled over it. I didn''t think I would ever be able to lift my head anymore. ¡ô In this way, Allen, against his own will, succeeded in leaving his classmates flabbergasted in a spectacular way in his new class. Editor''s Note - I don''t like Fey. I never liked manipulative girls and I wouldn''t want to be friends with someone who thought ruining my image and reputation in front of other people was a good prank. Vol. 1 - Ch. 17 - Suspicious "Let''s proceed with the orientation now." The old man''s voice resounded. He seemed to be in charge of this class. But at this point, I didn''t care about anything. How I wish I could be like those clouds in the sky, to think of nothing and let the wind decide my course. "Hey, Allen. Wake up. You''re going to leave a bad impression on day one if you sleep like this." And who do you think was behind my current state!? Fey had gone and secured her seat next to me. I didn''t even have the energy to talk back, haaa...... "I guess I should start by introducing myself. I am Godorfun Von Wangyus. I''ll be the class teacher of Royal Academy''s Class A. And on that note, I was also appointed as the director of the academy just the other day. It seems like some already know me." The whole class buzzed upon hearing his words. "Holy gracious! So that ''Godorfun the Buddha'' is going to be our class teacher?! "The venerable Godorfun who had served as the second-in-command of the Kingdom''s Knight Order?" Oh, even his name was just as old-fashioned... Well, whatever... "I can''t believe, the hero of the last war is here!" "But why is the central figure of the military in the academy?" "I heard he''s apparently the right hand of the King." "It makes sense if you think about how he is a dual attribute Mage, and his swordsmanship is just as spectacular as well. I heard he''s called a Magic Knight." This old man sure has quite a title for his age... Whatever... ...No wait, I think I''ve heard something I couldn''t miss out on. Dual attribute Magic Swordsman... What a romantic title, I was jealous, to be honest... I slightly raised my head. "Lacking the aptitude for magic at a young age, he joined the Royal Academy as a Class E student. He paved the road as a Knight and a Mage from there through his effort, sweat, and blood. Now we have that ''Indomitable'' Godorfun Von Wangyus as our class teacher......" Hmm, interesting, so he wasn''t blessed with magic talent at a young age, huh? I don''t know who you are, but thanks for the details, nameless classmate. I slowly righted myself up. ¡ô "I am sure many must be wondering why this old man has been dispatched as the lecturer in the Royal Academy so suddenly... In fact, it was a request from the King." Like a grandpa looking at his grandson, Godorfun, exuding an air of amicability, said. "If I may, there''s something I want to ask." But as if to stop my plan, Leo stood up from his seat and placed himself between me and the old man. So he was with them? "Step aside, Leo." Leo quietly stared at me like I was some sort of trash for a while before reluctantly stepping aside. "Allen Rovenne. Is this the way you have chosen to prove your value?" "Hmph. I don''t remember cheating or anything. But I guess anything I say will fall on deaf ears to people already in cahoots with these damned scoundrels from the beginning." I kept my gaze fixated on the Godorfun and slowly approached the blackboard. I took the blackboard duster in my left hand. "I see. So if it''s like that, then shouldn''t you show your value in a different way?" "Hmph. Who are you to say that? Not only have you transferred the responsibility of the blunder of that drunkard examiner to me, the examinee, but you''re even preaching to me oh so solemnly¡ª you disgust me. Looking at your agape expression, I must have nailed it. Do you think I will plead to the academy and shake my tail for you? I might be just some roadside stone from your perspective, but no matter who it is, I will crush all who dare to stand in my way!" I declared loudly. "Huh? ...You have been accused of cheating in the theoretical exam though?" .........What? "Your practical exam results were determined by all the examiners, including me, in a unanimous decision, something that hasn''t happened in 20 years. Nobody, not a single one of us, had any doubts about that." I pretended to wipe the dust off the new and sparkling duster, put it back in its position, and returned to my seat. I closed my eyes and crossed my hand. "Explanation please." Just thinking about the look everyone was going to give me made me even more discouraged to open my eyes. But Fey, in a hushed voice that echoed throughout the class, said concernedly. "Allen, aren''t you going to destroy him? ...Your face is completely red, you know? Pfft." ¡ô "You are under suspicion of cheating based on the difference in your result between the theoretical exam from yesterday and the kingdom-wide mock theoretical exam from before. I can''t give you the details, but there was a judgment indicating that the growth in your academic abilities was unnatural, reaching a level where it couldn''t be explained away." After saying that, Godorfun unfolded a piece of paper. It displayed that out of five subjects, I was flagged in four of them. Particularly, the magic theory subject ¡ª which I felt was slightly tougher compared to the past exams and similarly the subject that the unawakened ''Allen'' hated to the core. It said my probability of cheating in it was 99.99%...... "Of course, after seeing the result, our analytics team has thoroughly examined your every move from the moment you passed through the gates of the Academy to the moment you left it. However, that was the mystery as we didn''t find anything suspicious. There was almost no sign of using magic tools at any moment. But still, it''s just too bizarre. One could have called it a miracle if it had been just one subject, but for all four subjects to have such stark improvement was hard to believe." "...So, let me hear what you have to say." Editor''s note - 99.99%? Is the MC a germ or something? Sorry, I know the joke''s kinda lame but hearing that number reminded me of those toilet cleaner commercials... Vol. 1 - Ch. 18 - Legend "...Well then, let''s hear what you have to say." I see. So he wanted me to explain the reason why my grades had suddenly improved, huh......? Like hell, I could explain! There was no way I could say that I suddenly realized that I had reincarnated into another world and became a study nerd... "Well, all I can say is that I studied like crazy for the past 3 months as if my life depended on it." I spoke straight, explaining within the range that I could. "Hmph. Too cliche. For the investigation, simply saying that won''t cut it." Godorfun exhaled a deep sigh and then glared at me intensely. The air grew tense. "You see, I believe the true purpose of exams is to reflect on your past behavior through self-reflection and then use the result as a guide for further self-improvement. I despise the scum who cheats in this sanctuary of self-improvement the most. If I wish so, I can cancel your enrollment right here. So speak with preparedness to accept the result. Don''t think you''ll be able to lie through your teeth." "Eeeek." Screams escaped from the lips of several classmates. Godorfun the Buddha, was it? I must say he was quite impressive, however, the pressure from him was just on the same level as my mother when she got angry. He did seem like someone who wouldn''t be tricked with lies. I spoke discreetly. "...Our family has a remarkable private tutor... His name is Schord Bainfause. It''s due to his efforts that I''m able to stand here today." I pinned everything on Schord. "Schord Bainfause? Never heard of him. So you are saying that a private tutor alone has managed to drastically improve your abilities in a short time?" Godorfun repeatedly tapped at the paper under his hand while staring at me. Well, of course. There''s no way the right-hand man of His Majesty the King would have ever heard of Schord. "I don''t think he''s a renowned private tutor. But, his abilities are definitely a cut above the rest. I am living proof of his abilities. I used to be a certified study hater, however, he managed to make me turn a new leaf, to the point that I had skipped food and sleep just to study. ...I can still vividly recall the details of that day, as if it just happened yesterday. Schord had said to me¡ª ''I can see a glorious future awaiting for you, young master.'' That he was prepared to apologize by forfeiting his life if I failed. That was the turning point for me, the day the being called Allen had awakened. In fact, for the past three months, I have slept for no more than 3 hours a day, saving time in every activity as much as possible to the point I ate only portable emergency rations for almost the entirety of the duration. Every possible second had been devoted to nothing but self-improvement." It wasn''t like I was lying. I was succinctly describing the main point. Godorfun''s eyebrows slightly shot up. "......What do you think about the recently launched Salami flavor?" "God forbid, I wouldn''t even have my enemies try it." I replied instantly. "I was the one who made it." ......Holy damn, that was so close. At least, he didn''t seem like he was going to cancel my result just yet. Be more careful, me. "Schord hadn''t bothered about the superficial tricks for the exam, what he had fostered was the heart. The people from Endumion then, to protect the honor of their family, secretly pulled strings and disowned that dumb boy, leading to an extremely unjust resolution of both sides being blamed for the conflict. The young lady in question just said ''I''m withdrawing from the exam'' and left the place without paying any heed to what others had to say at all, and since she didn''t try to offer any explanation, it seemed like she had accepted the unfair judgment." ...Oh my dear sister... Since she didn''t want to talk about it with Mother, she manipulated the information... After my awakening, I did find this part to be fishy after giving this matter some thought. Even though there were around 10,000 examinees, the requirement to clear the preliminary round happened to be 1.5 times higher than usual in only that year... It was without a doubt that they were ignoring the law of large numbers. "As a result of that incident, the elites of the Knight Order were made to be in charge of security for the duration of the Royal Academy exam from the following year onwards. I was still the vice-commander then, and the details had been passed to me, as well as the discussion. I heard that this incident was deemed too sensitive for it happened at the prestigious Royal Academy examination venue, so a gag order had been imposed... Though there exists no lock sturdy enough to silence the human tongue, huh?" "Kyahahaa! Fuhahaha! Th-That''s so refreshing to hear. Even I didn''t know about it." Fey broke out into laughter to the point tears had poured out of her eyes. What the heck is refreshing about this? Is there anything else to reveal? I''m already so full so I would like my ears to be spared from hearing all this again, "I heard the rumors that the victim, still harboring intense resentment against Endumion until this date, is being called ...... But the world is really a small place, I didn''t expect Allen to be the brother of the victim..." Impossible. I know her very well, there was no way my sister remembered whom she punched and where. She was the ''feeling refreshed after punching'' type. In fact, I dare say she must have already forgotten about the matter on her way back home. "...Haaa... I think I have grasped the gist of it. The teaching way of Schord Bainfause." Crap, the old man seems to be seeing something he shouldn''t be seeing... If I let it be, I wouldn''t have tears left to cry out later. "By all means, this is far from the philosophical aspect that he wanted to teach us. It''s more metaphorical, about giving our best as if our life depends on it, that''s it." "Despite being the victim, she didn''t stoop down to give her explanation and had the resolution to throw away the chance to enter the Royal Academy on the spot. And you, boy... you didn''t know about this matter until now, right? A little girl of tender age kept everything within her tiny existence and didn''t try to make any excuses, even to her family. On top of that, she clawed her way to the Advanced Magic Tool Research Institute from the Aristocratic Academy through her own effort, this rebellious spirit of hers is really praiseworthy." I didn''t expect the complacent story to actually have such a magnificent tale. "No, no, you''re giving her too much credit here. No matter what you think, you can hardly call my elder sister, who sent over 60 people to the hospital, a victim of all this. And if you give it some thought, Elder Sister''s achievement in Dragried hardly has any relation with Sch¡ª" "You were indeed correct earlier, one can train one''s abilities but the heart is always the hardest to cultivate. That''s something I deeply understand, having seen many young ones in the Knight Order for a long time. But a cultivated heart, like your elder sister''s, is an invaluable treasure all other materialistic things fall short in front of. As a fellow guide who imparts knowledge, Schord Bainfause''s teaching method has such value that even I would like to seek some guidance from him. ....He is the one. I want him in this Academy." "But he is someone from Dragried, alright? Don''t think you can bring in talent from our place so easily." Fey, who hadn''t even heard of the ''Sc'' of Schord before today, suddenly put up a noble persona and asserted her ownership right. Godorfun glared at her with a sharp gaze. Fey nonchalantly ignored it. Anyone worth their salt could predict the situation afterward, let alone the students of Class A¡ª the best talents from all over the kingdom. They quickly jotted down the name of ''Schord Bainfause'' in their notebooks to inform their families as soon as possible. ¡ô This was the prelude to the intense battle that took place between the various forces of the kingdom over Schold Bainfause¡ª the legendary private tutor that had astonished even Godorfun Von Wangyus, the right-hand man of the King, enough to make him seek his guidance. Though, this was a tale for another time. Editor''s Note - Well, I do understand he was trying to calm them down but I don''t agree with what the MC said that her sister can''t be called a victim. Was she supposed to just take the idiot noble''s pestering? Having said that, sending 60 people to the hospital is a bit excessive so I can see why the Academy said both sides were to blame. Vol. 1 - Ch. 19 - Imposed Condition Chapter 19 - Imposed Condition "Very well, Allen Rovenne. I''ll have another meeting with the others, and in case of absence of any proof that otherwise implies you have cheated, we will recognize your enrollment in the E class." ...Haaa. I had to make a dear sacrifice, but at least I managed to sail through this sea of ordeal. The Royal Academy could cook whatever story they wanted. I wasn''t so obsessed with it, but it was another matter to be dismissed within one hour of being admitted into it. I would have been ashamed to meet my parents otherwise...... Thank you, Schord. Your sacrifice won''t be wasted or forgotten. I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes, praying for the happiness of my sworn friend in his next life. "Not a single word of complaint, huh? Schord Bainfause''s teachings really hadn''t been wasted on you." Well, Mother had said she would be leaving for the Viscount Rovenne territory soon, so maybe the situation wouldn''t be taking an ugly turn. ...To be honest, I was wondering why she had to leave so soon. I wonder if she had already predicted this development (the excuse I would be giving). The scary part was I couldn''t even deny the possibility. .......Hmm? Wait, I think I just misheard something. "I understand you may have many things to say after being told you''ll be placed in Class E. But that''s how significant the weight of this situation is, and how difficult it is to overturn the cheating allegation. After all, it was no different from doubting the long-standing comprehensive ability judgment system of the Yugria Kingdom. Furthermore, in your case, it happened in four subjects, and nothing seems to prove that you cheated...... To be frank, this is the first time such huge discrepancies have occurred in the entirety of its history. Those who were innocent after investigation in the past were all placed in Class E. That isn''t to say that the class assigned was permanent, it depended on their performance after enrollment. But unfortunately, not a single person has managed to go beyond Class E......" Class E!?... Whatever, I wasn''t that fixated on class. In fact, considering how I wanted to live without being bound by anything, this just sounded perfect. Of course, I haven''t cheated but the comprehensive ability judgment system wasn''t wrong either. After all, there was no way something as absurd as reincarnation would ever cross their mind. "I understand." I nodded, putting up a resigned expression purposely. "Well, this should be the end of the orientation but there''s a bit of circumstance this time around." Godorfun swept over the class with a sharp gaze, and once the atmosphere tensed up, he continued. "In as early as ten years, there is a high chance for a war to break out." His bombshell remark made everyone in the class gasp audibly. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "I was interrupted by that brat earlier, but this is one of the reasons why I''m here and the decree of His Majesty is related to this. Every single student in this Academy is someone handpicked from the pool of talents from all over the kingdom, the cream of the crop. So to put it bluntly, His Majesty is expecting me to choose the top 20 students from the Academy that would serve as the battle force to this kingdom." Pausing there, Godorfun briefly glanced at Allen. "I don''t expect everyone present to become a soldier. How one lives is their freedom. Godorfun paused there as he raised an eyebrow and released a threatening aura, eliciting cries of surprise from all over the class. "For someone who is a disciple of Schord Bainfause, I hope you are not thinking of something like ''Then who cares which class I''m in¡¯, right?" Just how high had the stock of Schord shot up in the mind of this old man? It was almost as if they were war buddies who had gone through perilous situations together...... ''Don''t blabber whatever comes to your mind! It''s not like I didn''t think I wouldn''t mind being in Class E at all!'' What''s wrong with Class E anyway?! The old man had talked about employment, advanced studies, or success in life which meant jack shit to me! "Remember, behind your class assignment is an investment worth 30 million rea... your parents'' happiness who have raised you so far, Master Schord''s efforts, and my pride as the one who recommended you for this class! If I ever saw you deliberately slacking off in your effort, mark my words, I''ll tear you apart myself even if you managed to stay in the Academy!" "Eeeek." ...30 million rea? Really? That was almost equivalent to the annual tax revenue of our viscount territory, which, after removing the necessary expenditure, left us with an income of 3 million real. For reference, 1 real is equivalent to 1 dollar. ¡ô¡ô¡ô As long as one calmly analyzed the situation, it wasn''t hard to see that it was impossible to gain the recommendation of the whole class in just one week. First of all, I was under suspicion of cheating on the academic tests. Moreover, in four out of five subjects, especially in Magic Theory, I was accused of a 99.9% chance of cheating. If that wasn''t enough, there was also my exchange with Leo. When the kingdom was facing a critical situation, would he want a classmate who would openly announce that he didn''t have any shred of favorability towards the kingdom? At least, I wouldn''t have. So it was almost impossible to persuade Leo. Furthermore, there was that bombshell remark from Fey. To be honest, I was still annoyed at her since my value in the eyes of the girls currently was even lower than a roadside pebble due to her. Just who was that old man kidding? It was damned impossible to gain recommendations from the members of the class who looked at me like I was trash in a week. If that wasn''t enough, that old man, whom I was pushing to become the disciple of, instead announced he would trash me and ended up saying some mumbo-jumbo that I didn''t get at all. Most of all, the existence of my elder sister has been exposed, which wasn''t a laughing matter for me at all. Kukuku. Impossible. No one would believe that this was achievable. I couldn''t help but marvel at how the situation turned out like this. I tried to appear as someone innocuous, and yet, in the end, I was trapped in this hopeless situation. I questioned myself back-to-back, what was it that I did wrong that time? I was sure that I had just given my best. As for why it was impossible, it was simple, I had no drive to follow up with this charade. Had there been even a single reason that made me want to pass the qualification for Class A at any cost, I would have made it a reality by deploying any means possible. But there wasn''t any. Absolutely none. Alright, I would just pretend I was doing my best, but secretly aim for Class E in secret. Editor''s note - To be honest, I''d also feel the same way if I was the MC. Not only was the accusation of cheating insulting to the effort he put in to ace the exam, but their test to prove that he didn''t cheat had nothing to do with academics. Coupled with no actual benefits in staying with Class A and a war coming a decade at the latest, it wasn''t a surprise he had no motivation to prove himself. Vol. 1 - Ch. 20 - Moving into Dormitory Chapter 20 - Moving into Dormitory "Can I ask a question?" Fey raised her hand. "What is it?" "How exactly do you want Allen to gain our recommendations?" "It''s actually pretty easy. Just have the class admit Allen Rovenne as one of their classmates, that''s all. As it happens, there are only nobles and quasi-nobles in this class. Whether it''s your ability to discern his character, your individual feelings, your decision based on your family''s perspective, or any other factors¡ª it''s up to you to make a decision. No matter the reason behind your decision, I will silently mark it down with no questions asked."REaad updated stories at "I see." Then Fey stood up from her chair and pressed her right hand on her chest. "In the name of Feyrune Von Dragoon, I vouch for Allen Rovenne as one befitting to be a member of the Yugria Royal Knight and Mage Academy''s Class A." "Sure enough." I had already expected Fey to stand up for me. However, no matter her stance on the matter, there was no way to overturn the current situation. Besides, I would like to stay far from this troublesome person. Just that point alone was enough incentive for me to instead move to Class E. Anyway, this class really has no one but nobles, huh...? It wasn''t anything strange, even in my previous life, academic ability was directly related to a family''s financial strength¡ª life was never fair. But, not everyone shared the same sentiment as a serious-faced boy, feeling jealous, stood up as Fey was delivering her flawless performance. "What are you thinking, Fey-sama?! Even if you are a member of the Dragoon family, it''s preposterous to stake your family name for the third son of a poor viscount without confirming the alleged cheating suspicions! Besides, given his rude attitude toward the esteemed Fey-sama since a while ago, he is nothing but a sham! Who will take the responsibility if he tarnishes the good name of the Dragoon family?! I''ll be informing the Master of this matter!" Ah, I see. I didn''t know if he was from a branch family, a vassal family, or a prestigious count family, but he should be the so-called ''attendant'' assigned to a member of the main branch. Furthermore, considering he was in the same class as Fey, he should be hard-working. ''Kukuku. I bet he doesn''t like me very much.'' Allen chuckled at the newfound card up his sleeve. "I''ve stepped forth not as an individual but as the spokesperson of the Marquis Dragoon family to show this is the family''s collective judgment. In noble politics, there are times when you have to make quick decisions even at the risk of taking a gamble. There are things I can see that you cannot, Parry. I don''t care what you want to report later but shut your mouth for now." What was the scary nonsense she was saying? I don''t see anything special in myself though. But once the main family had spoken so, Parry probably had nothing else he could say. The pitiful Parry turned to glare at me, looking like he was ready to jump at any moment to kill me. "...I will definitely tear away that facade of yours and show the truth to Fey-sama... Just wash your neck and wait for me." "But Allen''s battle power is discerned to be Level 5 you know? You should stop here unless you want to be beaten black and blue." Once again, the sound of scribbling on paper echoed inside the class. "This general dormitory of the Royal Academy only has one rule. Look there." I shifted my gaze to where Sora was pointing at where a board was placed. On that board, ''unaffected and sincere, with fortitude and vigor'' was written out in black bold letters. I secretly chuckled to myself. Unpretentiously, upfront, unperturbed, and unfazed¡ª they were words I resonated with. For someone like me chasing after a carefree life, I despised pretentiousness and showiness the most. Meanwhile, upfront, unperturbed, and unfazed depended on how one perceived them. But more than anyone else, I had a strong and determined will to confidently say I would lead my otherworld life doing whatever I wanted and found interesting. "The dorm fee includes breakfast and costs 1000 rea per month. Well, with the nameplate of the Royal Academy in this Royal Capital, it''s not a difficult amount to earn. You can look up some private tutor or explorer jobs if you are tight on budget. Breakfast is served from 6:00 AM to 8:30 AM. Tell me beforehand when you don''t need it. Each room comes with its own toilet but the baths are communal. There''s a large bath house at the back right corner of the entrance which operates from 6:00 PM to 10:00 AM. You should be a noble birth, right? Can you dress by yourself?" Sora looked at me like I was some sort of an idiot. Woah! The room came with its own toilet! I already inquired beforehand that the rent of the dormitory was 1000 rea, which was an exception among the Royal Capital''s steep prices, so I was a bit worried that it would be kind of run-down. But that wasn''t half-bad. And there was even a large bath house. Being able to stretch myself in a spacious bath whenever I wanted was heaven for me! "You don''t need to worry about that. I''m just the third son of a poverty-stricken rural viscount family. I can handle my personal matters by myself." "...You really are one strange boy, this is the first time I''ve seen someone of noble birth showing an ecstatic expression after hearing about the dormitory...... My role is to curb the attitude of the fellows who misunderstand some things when they get accepted into the Royal Academy. It might be harsh to listen to, but I''m not gonna sugarcoat things. Students of Class D and above can stay in the noble dormitory for the same rent as here. In short, only the bottom rung Class E students, furthermore those who are too poor to pay even the regular fee of 5000 rea for the Aristocratic Dormitory, gathered here. They also called this place¡ª the Doghouse Dormitory of the Loser Dogs. If you don''t like it, work hard to move up to Class D." Aristocratic Dormitory? It sounded more like a gathering of idiots who thought they could assert dominance just by scoring higher. The food and facilities might be better compared to here but I didn''t see any charm in it. If I wanted delicious food, I could sneak out into the city at night and find some myself. "It''s fine, I fancy this place¡ª unaffected and sincere, with fortitude and vigor. I must say, that''s a wonderful dormitory rule. Though I''ll give it my all, I have no intention of moving anywhere for the next three years. So I''ll be under your care for the duration of my stay, Sora-san.¡± Sora looked baffled, but, "Hahaha. I hope to hear those words even after you move up a class." She laughed heartily and left. Editor''s Note - So, after 20 chapters what do you guys think? For me, I find the premise quite interesting. Though I could see how the author might screw it up but as long as the common pitfalls and cliches are avoided this could turn out to be quite a good novel. Vol. 1 - Ch. 21 - The Situation Behind the Orientation "Now, let''s see what everyone''s judgment is." "Clear." "Sounds clear to me." "Clear of course." "I will go with a clear." "I have analyzed it thoroughly. Even without questioning him, he''s undoubtedly clear." Everyone declared the person in question was clear. "Suspicious", the last one remaining, Dew, sighed as he replied. "That''s not very fair of you. You look so excited, even though gambling doesn''t suit your nature." (Justin) "That isn''t something a manipulative bastard like you have the right to say, Justin! Once that damned brat is disqualified, I''ll be the one to hog those 300 million rea! Fuhaha!" (Dew) Dew was so excited at the prospect of winning the bet that he couldn''t sleep for the whole night, and in the end, it even strained him mentally and physically. He was practically drooling as he thought of the money that would soon be rolling onto his lap. He was completely detached from reality¡ª a fairly typical example of someone who easily succumbed to gambling. "Very well, with a unanimous decision and no clear evidence of cheating, Allen will be demoted to Class E." Mujikka, the head of the meeting, announced. "Hey! Didn''t I say my doubts!? How did it become a unanimous decision!? Stop messing with me! And what ''Unceasing Prudence'' Schord Bainfause!? Like hell, there can be such an amazing tutor in this world! That was obviously an on-the-spot bullshit that that damned brat came up with!" Dew''s statement sounded like a loser dog attempting to salvage the situation. But in a sense, he wasn''t far from the truth. However, it was an undeniable fact that Schord had raised two exceptional students. And another point was that they didn''t find any suspicious part about Allen no matter how much they investigated. Especially the exam footage of the magical theory exam with a cheating probability of 99.99% which was thoroughly reviewed. They had stared at the projection of the scene where Allen solved the application problem of the magic conversion principle so hard that one would have imagined they were trying to open holes through the monitor just with their gazes. As for why, it was because a few questions in the exam paper had far surpassed the level fitting for the entrance examination, with Allen being the only one to solve them. He solved the problem like everyone else, giving the question a bit of thought and then using the blank space for calculations. Or correcting the minor mistakes he found during his review and fixing them. There was no way calculating on the blank pace and correcting minor mistakes during the review could be considered cheating. Throughout the entire exam, he skipped the questions that he didn''t have any chance of solving at all with ease. They also considered the possibility that the one who took the exam wasn¡¯t Allen but Allen¡¯s proxy or substitute, however, this possibility was abandoned after matching his handwriting with the previous kingdom-wide mock theory exam. From the outset to the conclusion, there was only one suspicious point ¡ª if it could be even counted as one ¡ª which was him taking a stroll all alone through the vast cobblestone pathway. The only time he had an exchange with other examinees was after the practical exam when he passed by the group awaiting their preliminary results. There was hardly anyone left among the staff who had not analyzed all of his actions. Everything from his mana residue, his way of walking, to even his voice, indicated the same conclusion¡ª the Allen who took the theory exam was the same Allen who had taken the practical exam. Well of course they would match, for they were the same person. Examiners had the same thought as they saw Allen completing the 5 subjects of the theory exam in 2 hours and 45 minutes nonchalantly and then reviewing them with sleepy eyes¡ª it wasn''t the behavior of someone who was cheating. And then, as their representative, Godorfun, Class A''s class teacher, had even questioned him during the orientation. As a result¡ª "I''ve already dispatched trusted individuals to check that person out. I''ve also instructed them to scout him in case they confirm him to be a hidden talent. If the situation calls for it, I have authorized them to use the name of ''Yugria'' as well." Godorfun nodded hearing Mujikka''s reply. "It''s just a matter of time before the name of Schord Bainfause resounds throughout the whole kingdom. Given the current tumultuous times, it is undoubtedly necessary to secure such a talent capable of raising outstanding individuals." "You really are a sadist... Emmy-chan......" "? What are you saying, I really don''t have any interest in stick and carrot plays. I only bully those whom I dislike." "......That''s just plain bullying, you know?" ¡ô¡ô¡ô Godorfun forcefully steered the conversation back on track, which had been derailed by a mile, and said to Dante. "Cough. I must admit, that brat really has gone through severe training until he lost his naivety. He must have known there was no chance of winning, yet he challenged me with such confidence." "Living a life doing whatever he wants and however he wants. To be honest, I judged him to be an egotistic kid when he proclaimed so to Leo Zatsinger at the beginning¡ª an arrogance common in noble-born children. However, the way he exclaimed ''I will crush anyone, no matter who they are, if they tried to interfere with my path'' to you with an unhesitating tone refreshes his impression in my mind. He really wasn''t impudent, relying solely on his skill." "Indeed. I sensed that kid''s conviction. But, what about the political side? He is someone who has achieved top-class results in the Royal Academy. Whether he wants to or not, there''s no way that kid can avoid getting his feet wet when walking on the beach. Without being able to secure a sufficient amount of support, what can he accomplish?" "I see, hence this deliberate political play. It''s indeed a finely-tuned challenge to measure his capabilities. As always, you really have one heck of a personality, old man." Justin added, grinning to himself. "I am personally more curious about his intention in wanting to become your disciple. Sir Godorfun is going to be Class A''s homeroom teacher. If there''s any doubt, the class is the perfect place to ask any question. He must have heard others calling you ''Godorfun the Buddha'' as well. Yet he wasn''t content with it. Just what was the thing that kid wanted to learn that spurred him to act that way." "Ahh." Dew, who had been listening with a frown, spoke, "You''re right, that damned brat actually bowed his head. And It wasn''t just a simple bow just for the sake of bowing. It looked as if he had repeatedly practiced and refined it into a ''form." "Why would he do that?" "How would I know? I can''t think of any other reason but you''re right. I also felt elegance in his tempered and refined unique ''form''. I dare say he''d perform the exact same movement every single time." Emmy projected that scene. "Oh, that''s indeed some refined movement." Perch expressed his admiration. "His movements are really beautiful. If I have to pinpoint that indescribable feeling, one can''t help but feel his sincerity." Dew continued while picking his pose. "If you ask me, that phony private tutor must have made him practice it for the times when he needs to make requests from his superiors by preaching bullshit like ''It''s a part of mental training''. I really wonder about your discussion~? To even use the name of Yugria and scouting through such a high-handed method. He seems to be quite a picky person." Crestfallen, Mujikka suddenly raised her head. "If you had realized it, then you should have said it earlier for god sake! Seriously, Dew-san, you''re just a sloven old man except for your speed in handling work! I''ll immediately send the magic bird!" This world still lacked any proper communication magic tool. "...Hmm. I can see that the teaching style of this Schord Bainfause is more spartan, but it''s still surprisingly profound. There might be more to it than meets the eye." Vol. 1 - Ch. 22 - Morning Routine and Soras Breakfast The following day, Allen, like any other day, woke up at 5 o''clock in the morning. He was allocated a 10 tatami-size room on the 3rd floor, with a creaking, old bed and a chair in the name of furniture¡ª probably left behind by the previous occupant. In the corridor part continuing to the entrance from the only room was a toilet, a simple kitchen, and a closet. The room didn''t get the best sunlight, but it did come with a balcony. For a noble''s room, it was quite simple, but for Allen, who had a different outlook as a Japanese person, it was more than satisfactory. For laundry, there was the magic washing machine tool beside the large bath house which could be used for free, and there were also cleaning workers whose services could be availed, viable for those who found laundry troublesome or those who wanted to have their unique monster-leather made equipment cleaned at a cheap price of 10 rea for the normal clothing that could fit in a 30 litre bag. They just had to leave them in the dedicated space beside the large bath house and the cleaners would get them in the morning or evening of the same day. For special materials, the pricing varied, but it was still quite affordable considering the cost of living in the capital city. Allen came out of the quiet dormitory and did some light stretches in the dorm garden while enjoying the crisp and cold morning air. He then crossed the academy''s premises, around 8 km from his location to the entrance gate in 25 minutes at a leisurely pace. He could have taken the exit at the back gate which was closer to the general dormitory and run around the circumference of the Academy but he didn''t change his route that much. It was mostly to gauge his progress.Vissit for updates He left from the main gate on the south side and began his usual clockwise run around the outer perimeter of the Academy. He did 10 hill dashes along the way and upon returning through to the main gate, he jogged back to the dormitory at a relaxed pace. Then he fetched his wooden sword from the room and swung it in the courtyard, imagining himself sparring with Dio, the spear wielder who had helped him on the journey to the capital. He prepared his body-strengthening magic while looking for an opening in the spear''s form. For the exact 30 minutes, Allen practiced swordsmanship¡ª he aimed to bring forth his maximum controllable speed possible with the least amount of mana. He swung his sword, took it back, and eliminated any lag in his movements after using the magic. After that, he carefully did stretches. The stretching before warming up his body and the stretching exercises to enhance flexibility afterward were similar yet distinct activities. The focus was on expanding the range of his motions, exhaling while stretching, and holding his position. He repeated this process calmly and methodically. It was the first day of Allen''s new life. He was satisfied that he could smoothly start his morning routine. ¡ô¡ô¡ô I quickly wiped off my sweat and changed into my school uniform. The uniform from the Royal Academy, woven with special threads, was delivered to my room last night. I didn''t remember requesting it, and they hadn''t even taken measurements, but it was a perfect fit. It was a blazer type that was easy to move around in and had excellent durability. When it became too small, I could also apply for a new one, and they would give it the replacement for free. By the way, the uniforms weren''t mandatory. After changing, I arrived at the cafeteria at around 8 AM. I could have eaten emergency portable rations, but after receiving a sermon from Mother who advised me to have a proper breakfast, and that I did feel the difference after trying it, I decided to make use of the cafeteria in the dormitory that was free of charge. "It''s not the flavor, but the taste. I''m not a cook. My work is to check out the original taste and effects of ingredients. So salt is obviously a hindrance to that. The minimum required amount of salt for breakfast has been packed into the bread. If you want flavor, look for it outside or in the school building''s lounge. I''m sure they will serve you sumptuous dishes at equally magnificent prices." ...Ah-uh, this old lady is beyond salvageable. Who the hell messes with meals, one of the most enjoyable aspects of life, and treats it as some sort of an experiment? I bet she was of the same kind as my elder sister, both being the mad scientist types. But that said, for me, who yearned to be the Mage even if it meant becoming one of the grasshoppers on the string, that approach from the highly specialized field of monster ingredients, and assistance from an expert utilizing undisclosed techniques for free every day was incredibly appealing. As I rejoiced internally at the newfound prospect, I decided to inquire further for now. "I have absolutely no talent for emission magic''s attribute conversion, but I want to learn emission magic no matter what. Do you have any ideas for ingredients that could help acquire attribute conversion postnatally?" Sora''s face revealed a surprised expression, as if she hadn''t expected me to say that, and said, "...Unfortunately, no. Research on acquiring attribute conversion postnatally has been a theme that researchers from various fields have tackled throughout the long history of the kingdom. It''s clear to anyone that if that could be achieved, it would be a world-shaking achievement. However, it has been a history of hardships that many excellent researchers have only stumbled on. While I don''t cover all fields of research, I haven''t heard of any success stories." Sora continued while peering into my eyes. "By the way, why are you so fixated on emission magic? Didn''t you rank 1st in the practical exam? The fact that the examiners of this academy gave you that much recognition undoubtedly means you have talent in body-strengthening magic. There are exceptions, of course, but mastering body strengthening is the royal road for a knight. In fact, there are multiple examples of Magic Knights who precisely couldn''t choose between body-strengthening magic and emission magic while having talent for both that they stopped at just being mediocre. As they say, jacks of all trades but master of none." Sora''s expression made it clear. ''I won''t say anything bad, so give it up,'' was probably what she wanted to say. "Even so, I won''t give up my dream of using emission magic. It''s what I want to do. I don''t see what I would get from achieving success in knighthood." "Hmm," Sola said as she crossed her arms. "...There are high chances of failing, you know? Moreover, there''s a high possibility that it might crush your talents instead." "I''m prepared for that." "Hahaha! You''re interesting! Alright then. Starting from tomorrow, I''ll cooperate with you. Thoroughly. Hahaha! Hahaha!" I feel like I''ve just made a forbidden deal with a demon, so I wish she would stop laughing like that... I just wanted to ask a few questions, but suddenly it felt like we had entered into a contract. Whatever, everything was for a greater cause. "Come on, finish your breakfast quickly and head to the school. You''re really going to be late." Considering I would have to put up with eating this bizarre food every day, I need to adjust my bedtime and wake-up time to secure 30 minutes for breakfast. ''To think I would have to modify my routine on the very first day...'' While thinking about such things, I started running toward the school building. My back reflected my cheerful mood. Vol. 1 - Ch. 23 - Feint Just a bit before the clock hit 9 AM, I arrived at the classroom while running and utilizing my body-strengthening magic. I was so close to throwing up many times after suffering from heartburn due to my breakfast. When I opened the door, the buzz in the classroom died out. ''Fuhaha, it''s like they''re paying their respects to the problem child. Sigh, a man''s plan could never topple what the heavens have decided for them...'' My seat was the same as yesterday, by the window, which I guess everyone had tacitly concluded that it would be mine. But being able to watch the clouds be carried away by the wind in itself made it a rewarding position. Though, the only fact that cast a shadow over all this was¡ª "Good morning, Allen. It''s a nice morning, no? Speaking of which, are you commuting from your viscount estate? Just thinking about how we would be living under the same roof, I spent all my time until evening at the reception of the noble dormitory waiting for you so that I could secure a room next to you, and yet, I didn''t see a glimpse of your shadow...... You haven''t completed the procedure to enter the dormitory, right?" The shadow was, of course, Fey sitting next to me. "Good morning, stalker. I had been of the same thought that it''s indeed a pleasant morning, but the mood has just now been ruined." This world didn''t know the word ''stalker'' until now, but with this, there was one. "Stalker? Geez, you and your incomprehensible words. What does it mean?" "It refers to the pest who keeps tailing strangers without their consent, and not reflecting on how much they are a nuisance to them." "Kyahaha! Wow, this is indeed defining me. But let me tell you, I''m not giving your No.1 stalker seat to anyone!" Fey remarked, seemingly taunting the pitiful blonde-haired girl who just happened to sit on the adjacent seat for some reason. ''Oh, woe is me! If only someone could give me the instruction manual to read that person''s heart...... "Hey, Allen. You sure are taking it easy huh, coming just barely on time at day one...? Also, I''m sorry that your elder sister had to go through all that trouble because of the folks from Endumion. I would like to apologize wholeheartedly." Al sincerely lowered his head. I knew it wasn''t his fault so, "There is nothing you have to apologize for, Al. Elder sister must have already forgotten about it, so you should also forget about it. At least, I don''t care about it, so let''s leave it at that. Otherwise, it''ll unnecessarily make things awkward." To be honest, I was indeed curious about it, but I said this to ease the situation. The one who tried to force himself on my elder sister was indeed paying for his own crime, but I was rather apologetic to his followers who unknowingly got wrapped up in all this drama to the point that they needed to visit the hospital. Al showed a bit of a mental struggle, but in the end, replied ''Alright'' with a smiling face.Vissit for updates I knew he was someone worth befriending even though I would be leaving the class. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Soon after, Godorfun entered the classroom. I haven¡¯t given up on becoming his disciple but I guess it would be better to play the mute for the rest of the week. I felt like I would be making things unnecessarily harder for me by chasing after that. Who knows, he might just set forth a condition like securing my seat in Class A. "It seems like everyone is present. Well then, without further ado, our practical session this morning will focus on body-strengthening magic. Let''s go to the training ground." "Is practical lesson not divided based on courses?" "A tempered body and an exquisite body-strengthening magic are essential for any job. To be more precise, there is absolutely no place for mages who can only use magic from a safe distance, magic technicians who suck at mana manipulation, or thinkers who are all theory and have no practical application experience among the graduates of the Royal Academy. Cultivating talents well-versed in various fields¡ª this has been the education policy of the Royal Academy ever since its establishment. In short, proficiency in body-strengthening magic above a certain level, as well as martial arts, is considered general education for the graduates of the Royal Academy. Classes in the desired field of expertise are introduced from 2nd year and onwards." Parry-kun was just the perfect litmus test. I would like to see how much the current me could handle spears. ¡ô¡ô¡ô I chose a suitable wooden sword and faced Parry-kun. "I hope to learn something from you." I bowed my head at a perfect 30 degrees, paying my respect to him for the pointers I would be receiving him. The old man on the side raised his eyebrow. His years hadn''t dulled his understanding of the beauty of this bow. Parry stood in a half stance, left hand forward. His posture was tall, yet his knees were flexible. From the moment he held the spear, it seemed as if he had abandoned all thought, his mind void of distractions. ...He was going to do a charge attack from the get-go most likely. Parry-kun inched closer with a sliding step, attempting to shorten the distance between us. This technique was only viable in a place like a dojo or this arena, where the ground was level, the distance was significant, and it was a one-on-one battle. I hadn''t had the luxury of time to consider such tactics during my training with Dio, but it would be a tall order to ask that much from Parry-kun. After all, compared to Dio who had years of experience piled up from fighting monsters, it wasn''t hard to imagine the difference in their fundamental thinking. However, it was a bit dull for me. It wasn''t a battle that I must win at any cost but a trial I was supposed to test myself on. I relaxed my stance, letting the wooden sword in my right hand hang down casually while shortening the distance between us. I calculated in my mind, thinking, just half a step more. My thoughts were interrupted by Parry-kun''s charge attack, he lunged at me like a cannon. I instantly twisted my body to escape. I had anticipated this move, but thinking was one thing, experiencing it another. That was close...... He was faster than I imagined, and he was swift in closing the distance. By keeping his left hand in a cylinder shape and twisting his right hand as he thrust out, he extended the speed and distance of his attacks. So this is the spear charge technique, huh? I didn''t notice it, but my lips had reflexively curled up into a smile. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Damn! Why are my attacks not hitting him!?" Around ten minutes had passed since the mock battle started, but there was no sign of Parry-kun''s spear being able to touch me. The reason was simple. His spearmanship was too exquisite. To put it in layman''s terms, he was the perfect textbook example. His thrusts were linear, with quick retraction but no continuation. His footwork was focused on keeping at an optimal distance to dealing with swords which gave away what his next move would be. Of course, he wasn''t just following one moveset. He would occasionally chain sweeping strikes or downward thrusts, but as someone who has seen and faced Dio''s fleeting moments, fluttering in and out of range, his moves lacked any trickery. This way, he was unable to fully bring out the advantages of the spear. Initially, I was cautious, expecting a trap. I thought he might intentionally repeat a monotonous attack, leading my thoughts in one direction only to strike unexpectedly from another. But the anticipated move never came. I was waiting for a long time, you know!? Seeing the expression of Parry-kun getting impatient with each passing second gave me anxiety....... How was I supposed to lose here, especially in front of that old man? T/N - Below are few colored illustration from v1 of the series. MC vs Godorfun (Surprised? Yes, I was completely sure it was some sort of macho dude seriously) MC vs The man suffering from the alcohol aka Dew This is our MC in this life vs in the past (Damn, looks cool) Unfortunately, I also wanted to add Fey and Jeu''s illustration but it showing error. Also please check the note below. Vol. 1 - Ch. 24 - The Real Opening Move ''Arrangements made in preparation for the future are called a ''Strategic Move''.'' Let''s go back in time to the evening of the orientation day. In one of the private rooms in the magnificent cafeteria of the Royal Academy ¡ª whose grandeur was enough for it to be misunderstood as a first-class restaurant ¡ª an informal social gathering of Year-1 Class A students was held there. The sponsor was Feyrune Von Dragoon; a super-talented lady, recognized as the future leader of the Dragoon family, one of the 9 Marquises in this prestigious Yugria Kingdom. The obvious sign was the inclusion of ''Von'' in her name, allowed only to the head of the family and the successor. The people here were familiar enough with each other that there was no need to rush into getting acquainted. However, no one was foolish enough in Class A of the Royal Academy to decline the invitation of Fey, who knew the true identity of that boy who suddenly appeared with a meteoric rise. The participants included 18 students from Class A, excluding that boy and Parry. Parry was eyeing the reception of the Aristocratic Dormitory, waiting for the arrival of that boy at the orders of Fey. Though more than being tasked, he was just a pitiful soul who had been gracefully cast aside by Fey in that he would just be a hindrance giving the main topic for tonight. On a side note, some students were going to commute from their homes, but as long as they were students from Class D or above, they could take advantage of this cafeteria at a cheap price. After exchanging the usual empty pleasantries and congratulating each other for passing into Class A, their conversation shifted to today''s main topic¡ª Allen Rovenne. "He really was quite an amusing person as Fey said." Said Kate, a female student with purple hair tied into a low ponytail, while pushing up the bridge of her slender glasses. With how she had styled herself, she was the very definition of a class president type. "Quite interesting? You must be joking. I don''t think I know any such boy among our male peers who have displayed such a presence on the first day of greeting and orientation." The bright blonde-haired Jeu, with a scarlet headband adorning her head to hold down her hair, chuckled. "Seriously. When I first heard Fey saying ''I''ve found an interesting person'', I thought he was just another unfortunate soul who was going to be her toy and didn''t pay attention to it." Stella, with her pink hair neatly tied into two, said unenthusiastically. They seemed to be criticizing the lack of information. Only these three had been informed about Allen in advance by Fey. But if Fey herself was asked, even she had never thought he would make it to Class A, let alone earn the top evaluation in the practical exam. As they talked, Al, the social animal¡ª no, the social demon by birth, interjected as the representative of the boys'' group. "Fey, how well do you know Allen''s abilitie¡ª" However, his words were cut short by Stella''s interruption. "Who cares about that? I''m more interested in how f-f-f-far you''ve gone with him. To keep you a c-c-captive until 6 AM, is he that amazing!?" " "Kyaa!!" " A scream arose among the female students at the straightforward question. Even the gutless boys, including Al, hung their heads in embarrassment. At this point, it was evident that the girls had taken full control of the conversation. It wasn''t like Stella had schemed to put that ball in their court. It was simply that young people were naturally curious, and women were typically more direct and outspoken when it came to discussing such topics no matter the age or ethnicity. "If I''m not wrong, you met him on the direct train from Dragried to the Royal Capital, right? There should be an attendant in the room I reckon, no?? Where in the world did you do that?!" " "Kya¡ª!! You dirtbag!!" " Jeu''s jab triggered another fresh round of shrieks. Girls continued to take turns bursting into wild fantasies, which were followed by more screams. It didn''t matter how influential the family they were born in, passing the Royal Academy''s exam was by no means a laughing matter. It was such a remarkable feat that even the people blessed with talent would have to persistently refine themselves, even if it meant shedding sweat and blood before they could narrowly seize the opportunity. Qualifying for Class A¡ª the immensity of this glory could be understood from the fact that it was considered a once-in-a-century achievement even for prestigious families such as Zatsinger or Dragoon to get into Class A, let alone the lesser ranked families¡ª there were historically none. That being said, it also meant the befitting reward matched that glory. "Hahaha. And here I was so excited after seeing the results this morning that I hugged everyone in my family and shed tears of joy." Al said with a melancholic expression. "Allen seems like he is living in his own world. The first time I met him and introduced myself as one of the Dragoons, he couldn¡¯t hide his displeased expression. I''m sure he didn''t cheat, but it isn''t ''like him'' to quietly back down if I must say. I''m sure he must have something he wants to achieve at all costs. I don¡¯t know what that is but if there comes a time to make a decision, he will not hesitate to kick away his qualification for Class A for sure." "Pardon me." Just then, a restaurant staff, who looked no more than a waiter, entered the room, passed a note to Fey, and politely took his exit. "Pfft." Fey let out an amused chuckle as she looked at the note. "After seeing him hurriedly scampering off as soon as the orientation ended, I had one of my people keep an eye on Allen...... and it seemed like he headed straight for the general dormitory. He really has lost any interest in Class A already." In this Royal Academy, even if you were a servant-like attendant, you couldn''t enter unless you were a staff member or a student. Therefore, when outsiders needed to convey information, they entrusted it to the gatekeepers via letters. By the way, this noble dormitory was equipped with all sorts of household services at ridiculously low prices, so even children not from well-to-do families didn''t have trouble with their lives. "He really doesn''t put any of us in his eyes at all, huh?" Stella muttered in a vexed tone. Not just her, everyone had bitter expressions. A melancholic atmosphere descended on the private room, far from the celebratory atmosphere they should have with it being the night they had achieved their life-long dream. "I will handle Parry. As for the rest of you, I hope you give your all. And I believe you guys already know, but don''t mutter a word of what we just discussed here and the recommendation matter to anyone else. If possible, let him remain in his own bubble where he believes he is disliked by everyone. While Allen still has his guard down, we will take him down in one fell swoop." Fey''s feline-like eyes glinted with a ferocious look as she reminded everyone. In this way, leaving aside Allen and the unfortunate Parry, Class A was united in just one day. Speaking of Allen, he was currently in a good mood after finding a delicious soba restaurant near the back gate of the Academy. While he was enjoying his zaru soba, his fate had already been determined. "...I''m going to take his V-card." Jeu remarked. " "Kyaa¡ª!! A cat-fight~!!" "Hold on!" " "Kya¡ª!!" " ...Though, the night had just started to grow deeper. T/N - My first thought was, what a birch. Then ah, as expected of noble and finally, am not sure if MC could be considered unlucky at this point. Editor Note- What the TL said. I dunno if the MC is lucky or not at this point either. Still don''t like Fey very much but we''ll see in the future.Re?a? latest chapters on Vol. 1 - Ch. 25 - Conclusion of the examination war Let''s return to the present time, in the training ground. Currently, I was watching an unexpected situation unfolding before my eyes. Just as I was thinking ''Maybe I should suddenly trip myself'' while dealing with Parry-kun''s attacks, and waited for the right time to act, he suddenly fell to his knees. His shoulders were heavily heaving up and down, a long continuous huff escaping from his lungs. He seemed to be having a hard time breathing. ...Excuse me? No matter what, I think that your acting was going too far, Parry-kun... Only around 10 minutes had passed since our match started after all. I endured the slight embarrassment welling inside me and, pretending to be slightly careless, I approached him without putting myself on guard. "That''s enough... He''s out of mana. Lend him a shoulder." Out of mana?!... No matter how you use mana, wasn''t it too soon to run out of it? Even if your mana capacity was just barely above the limit, 10 minutes was just too short. In a fight, no matter how intense your actions were, you''d always alternate between movement and breathing. When you had enough leeway during such a fight, it was always best to make a move to interrupt your opponent''s rhythm, but here¡ª I hadn''t even made a single move yet. It wasn''t like we were doing anaerobic exercise for these 10 minutes either. Though that sort of exercise should be impossible for the people of this world as well... While I was struggling to catch up with the current situation and desperately thinking about how to make myself trip here, Leo stepped forward and said quietly¡ª "...Allen Rovenne, how about we have a match?" He was already holding a wooden sword in his hand, and his face revealed a daring grin. Ah, Leo huh?... Thinking about it, this could be a chance. I still didn''t understand what in the world had happened, but this could be my chance to lower my stock that had been raised due to Parry-kun''s fault in the minds of the others. And to be honest, I also wanted to go all out at least once. I doubt there would be that many chances after I transferred to Class E. In the current confusing situation where I was unsure about my current position among the others, this was also a good opportunity to test it. I lowered my head to a perfect 30 degrees and then raised it again. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After waiting for me to get into my stance, Leo struck first with a textbook example-esque of a beautiful sweeping slash, seemingly to try out my reaction. It was quite fast, but within range that I could handle. I accepted that slash with my wooden sword while contemplating the next development. But the instant his hit collided, I was blown back by nearly 3m due to a force beyond my expectation. I swiftly covered myself with body-strengthening magic, did a break-fall move, and took a backward roll to create some distance before getting up. ...So this was the strength of the person aiming for a perfect score in the Royal Academy''s entrance exam. And from the look of it, he still hadn''t gone all out. He was definitely a cut above the rest with the feeling transmitted to me from the earlier probing move. It wasn''t going to be easy to cross that difference in this fight. But... Leo didn''t show any intention to pursue, however, and just flashed a fearless smile... I almost felt like tearing up there! ¡ô¡ô¡ô Just force won''t work, I quickly concluded that and decided to overwhelm him with a flurry of moves. It would be an instant defeat for me if our swords locked onto each other.Vissit for updates Speed was the key here. When he followed with an attack, I put enough force to knock it down. When he dodged, I immediately chained in the next attack. And when he decided to take my attack head-on, I hurriedly pulled myself back. I responded to the changes in his movements right before receiving them in my own way. I was occasionally blown back by Leo''s attacks, but I utilized those chances to quickly compress my magic while adjusting my breathing to regain as much mana as possible before following up with a slash. However, I couldn''t hit him. We repeated the same pattern for almost thirty minutes, but Leo, unlike Parry-kun, showed no signs of magic exhaustion. His irritating smirk had disappeared, but I still couldn''t find any opening. I decided to stake everything on one decisive move. Up until now, I hadn''t used a thrusting technique. I changed from a high stance to a stabbing motion, which I had deliberately omitted from my thoughts, and directly aimed at his forehead. I threw away any idea of holding back in this move and poured all my strength into it. However, Leo twisted his neck and dodged the attack. What the hell! Here I thought he would take it directly! I kept my gaze fixed on Leo''s forehead and, using the flow of my thrust, immediately followed up with a full-force kick aimed at his groin. I hadn''t used any form of martial arts all so far just to lay the groundwork for this attack! To my amazement, Leo closed his legs at paper-thin timing and managed to block even this move. "Guooo!!" However, he didn''t have enough time to stabilize his posture, so his stance fell apart as he got blown backward. I attempted to deliver the finishing blow, but the following development left me stunned. A bright red fireball came flying at me from Leo''s outstretched left hand as he staggered backward. ¡ô¡ô¡ô There wasn''t enough time to cancel my forwarding momentum, so I immediately let go of my wooden sword, covered both of my hands with body-strengthening magic and repelled the fireball. However, the instant I relaxed my arms, I found Leo''s wooden sword resting on my neck. Then a classic blonde-haired young lady, wearing a scarlet-colored headband to hold back her hair, approached. She was the same unlucky soul who accidentally happened to sit next to Fey and bore her ridicule. "Nice to meet you, Allen-san. I am Jeuri Levarance. Please call me Jeu. If you feel bothered by Fey-san''s constant meddling, feel free to consult with me." Levarance, huh?... Why is a Marquis family on the level of Fey''s family suddenly acting so friendly? I suddenly felt my heart throbbing after receiving a wink from a cute, gentle-looking girl... But as someone who knew the two sides of my elder sister, I really hated myself for not being able to completely trust her friendliness. "...Weren''t girls giving me contempt-filled gazes just before...?" I asked, feeling apprehensive. The one who cleared my doubt was the purple-haired girl with a class president sort of vibe, who was standing next to Jeu. "Can I call you Allen? I''m Kate from the civil course. Everyone in the class knows you''re a virgin. Haven''t you been teased by Fey?" Ridiculous! Why the hell did I never hear there exists a magic tool like that!? With which principle does it even use to determine that?! "Anyway, I''ll be joining in for the morning run as well. I''m Stella, from the knight course. Let''s get along well," remarked a spirited girl with pink twin tails. Just what in the world was happening... "Allen, I also want to join in. I''ll make sure I won''t slow you down, so please." "A-Alright. I don''t mind, Coco." I somehow managed to reply. "So, at what time are we going to run?" "Let''s decide on a meeting place as well!" The mob-faced A-kun and B-kun chimed in, acting overly familiar. "Hey! I''ll also join in! Don''t you dare forget me!" He was a bit late, but Parry-kun hurriedly got up and declared so. Was it that? I was welcomed into the class... "Fuhaha. You''ve managed to force everyone to surrender to your ''Potential''. This is another of politics'' tapestry." The old man chimed in with his know-it-all attitude, bringing politics into this. I looked at the grinning faces of my classmates. Each and everyone''s face was screaming ''Serves you right''. It seemed like I had tripped into a classic of reincarnation stories, ''Serves you right''. Fey put her right hand on her chest, and spoke my name as the class representative, "Allen Rovenne." Then, everyone said it out loud, together, " "Welcome to the Royal Academy Year-1 Class A!" " Except for Parry-kun, everyone was perfectly in sync. ¡ô¡ô¡ô In the long history of the Yugria Royal Knight and Mage Academy, the 1127th batch graduates were hailed as the exception among exceptions with the achievements they earned. Alternatively, they even earned the nickname ''Unicorn Generation''. And in the center of it all, those who left behind their names in the annals of history like¡ª Leo Zatsinger Feyrune Von Dragoon Aldore Engraver Coconial Canardial Along with many other great personas, they were hailed as the aces of their generation, ''The Heavenly Prodigies''. Allen Rovenne, against all odds, showed his worth in front of the whole class¡ª each being more outstanding than the other, and overturned the unprecedented cheating allegation on four subjects, thus, gaining the right to enter Class A. This was but a small prelude to his grand legend. A/N - This concludes Chapter 1. If I were to give this chapter a title, it would be Unceasing Prudence Examination War Edition. Editor Note - I assume the author meant Volume 1 instead of Chapter 1. So what do you guys think? I felt like it was a pretty good 1st volume overall. (T/N - These ones can be considered episodes, so author probably meant that.) T/N - I like how author ended the first arc, atleast there''re not that many stereotypes among students, except certain individuals xD. Vol. 1 - Ch. 25.1 - Schord Bainfauses Investigation Report ** ~Intermission~** "What''s the matter, Cecilia? Aren''t you back a bit too fast? Even if Allen got eliminated in the preliminaries, it shouldn''t be this early, right? Did something happen?" Viscount Bellwood said in surprise, seeing his wife''s sudden homecoming. Though he was befuddled, he didn''t stop watering the eggplants that he himself had grown, which was his hobby. "Allen passed and was put in Class A. However, he''s being suspected of cheating so we might be visited by an investigation team from the Royal Capital. Of course, the cheating allegations against Allen must be groundless. I was worried you might worsen the situation in confusion at the sudden visitors, so I took a bit of a shortcut through the mountain road. I don''t want either of us to become a burden for Allen. Please call in Grim and Schord." "W-W-What!? That Allen cleared the exams!? And he even got into Class A?! B-B-But the cheating allegation?? No, wait, by taking a shortcut through the mountain road, you''re not saying you charged straight through that old road which is now under the jurisdiction of Dosfarnus, right!?" That day, the Viscount was shaken to the core.U?pTodated novels on ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Sir Godorfun." Hearing Mujikka calling out to him, Godorfun turned around, but seeing her sad expression, he deduced that whatever reason she had to come to him, it was anything but good news. The location was the staff room. He was currently sitting on the leather sofa placed beside his glossy single-piece wooden table. The sofa was quite stiff, just to his liking. "I apologize, but we failed to scout Schord Bainfause." "I see. I had guessed it wouldn''t be smooth sailing... So which side managed to secure him?" Mujikka''s expression further scrunched up. "Actually, none of the scouts managed to secure him. All the factions have failed to draw agreeable conditions to get him." After saying that, Mujikka placed a piece of paper on the table. Its content was as follows¡ª ©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©` Schord Bainfause Ability (S) Personality (S) Recruitment Difficulty (S) ©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©` Holding the bulky documents in her hands, Mujikka started her report. It was really hard to associate the image of the Master Schord Bainfause with the old man who looked like an unremarkable mild-mannered person at first. After that, Sciszor deliberately provoked him by talking about the cheating allegation put on Allen Rovenne. Sciszor here reported his negligence and asked for forgiveness. Hearing this, the smile on Master Schord''s face disappeared and with a fierce glint in his eyes, he declared ''Young Master would never cheat. By chance, if this allegation was proven to be correct, this old warrior would immediately commit suicide.'' "His words carried an overwhelming murderous intent, signifying he was dead serious," these chilling words were written in the report. Finally, the attention-grabbing gesture of bowing. It seemed that such a form exists. The form is called ''Ojiki''. The particular details were unclear, but that form had been divided into many segments like how to lower your head or when to stop, like bowing while standing ''Ritsurei'', bowing while sitting ''Zarei'', and to further show sincerity depending on the sentiment, slight nod ''Eshasku'', salute ''Keirei'', and a respectful bow ''Saikerei''. However, the focus should not be on the ''Ojiki'' itself, but on the profound philosophy behind it. ''Ojiki'' was nothing more than a form to convey ''gratitude''. That ''gratitude'' is an attempt to systematize an immensely profound theme, the ''Path that a Person Should Tread''. Allen Rovenne and Master Schord never failed to do that ''Bow'' at the start and end of each lecture. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Even in other reports, Master Schord''s explanation is simply ''All of it was drawn out by the Young Master''." Mujikka said, ending the report. Godorfun had been silently listening to all this so far, but finally couldn''t remain calm at the ending remark. "What? No matter how great of a heart was cultivated, this is just too much to come from a kid..." "I have the same thought. Master Schord is undoubtedly aware that we don''t believe in everything he has said. We can interpret it as him saying ''I''m but a background character and will not be taking the limelight. Everything was done by Allen Rovenne''. From this, we can assume that Master Schord has an upright and honorable character. Let alone money, it''s within expectation that he cannot be swayed by status or any kind of honor. In fact, it''s reported that he declined all the cards I offered, including the prestigious position of an honorary professor at the Royal Academy, peerage, and medals from the king, stating, ''I''m not worthy of such things''." "...People are complex creatures." Godorfu shook his head. "Indeed. The world is a vast place, there''s no other way to put it. Depending on the circumstances, I might consider involving my father (His Majesty)." Godorfun nodded. Editor Note - Hahaha! The assumptions and misunderstandings in this chapter. So good ???? T/N - This was a interlude chapter, renamed it to 25.1 to not mess up chapter numbering. And lol, so his mother is definitely someone well versed about the situation huh. Vol. 1 - Ch. 26.1 - The Lowdown on Stamina and Club Activities (1.1) In the Knight and Mage Royal Academy of the Yugria Kingdom, there are many regulations, and one of them is¡ª students must join a club. It was one of the education policies of the academy, which focused on raising all-rounders. Except, this rule, which had been continued for a long time, was now no more than a mere formality and there were just a handful of proper clubs currently. Take the example if someone wanted to learn martial arts, there were as many excellent dojos in the Royal Capital as you could count. This wasn''t the only example, the situation was the same for other pursuits. After all, it wasn''t that difficult to arrange for an excellent training environment. As society became more civilized, club activities also began to go down in trend. One month after enrolling in the academy¡ª "Don''t just run aimlessly! Think about the significance behind the running! Those who don''t have willpower go away! Drop any idea of leniency! Those who are slow go away! Surpass your yesterday''s self! Those who can''t triumph go away!" I had turned into a strict coach. Surprisingly, the entirety of Class A was participating in the morning running session. Apparently, the fact that I could hold my ground against Leo for so long with my mana capacity stunned my classmates. According to Leo, he had seemingly consumed around 70% of his 50,000 mana units in that 30-minute scuffle. He couldn''t find any opening to use his interference techniques due to the quick rotation of my mana, and when he sensed he was about to be outdone, it inevitably led to him increasing the output of his body-strengthening magic to bring out more power. But of course, such bold moves couldn''t decide the outcome immediately. He was already at his wits end dealing with my attacks and creating the gaps. But my swift counters brought the situation back to a draw. At first, no one had thought we would fall into such a stalemate. Furthermore, I was facing Leo immediately after my battle with Parry-kun which lasted for over 10 minutes, and the former himself had absolute mana capacity that only appeared once in a decade or two even in the Royal Academy''s mana capacity exam. Even if I tried to aim for a short-term battle with my remaining mana, it would be his win as long as he could endure. Deciding on that, he focused more on closing any opening that otherwise would have given me a chance to exploit. But contrary to this, my mana capacity which has been judged as merely C rank was like a relentless river. As a matter of fact, he was apparently sweating internally seeing the gradual depletion of his mana. "Alright. Stop there." I declared, ignoring Fey who gave me a tearful glare. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The next morning, I didn''t find anyone at the main entrance when I arrived there at 5 a.m. I didn''t expect even Leo to skip after the first day. Well, whatever, I paid it no more heed and followed my running routine. Apparently, my ever-so prideful classmates had woken up even earlier and adjusted their departure time in accordance with their speed. They must have heard about the hill dash from Leo as when I arrived at the lovely slope at 6 a.m., all 19 of my classmates were waiting there. To be honest, I was genuinely delighted to see them value me so much. "When did you start running?" I asked Coco, who had been the last to arrive in the classroom yesterday. "I started at 3:30 a.m. Today, we didn''t plan anything jointly, so everyone just set off at different times." Heh. So they all ran at their own discretion without any discussion. Even after I had taunted them so much, none of them showed signs of breaking the schedule. In each of their eyes was shining an intense gleam. I had assumed that fundamental training was a solitary endeavor. ''Well, whatever'' was my true feelings when I saw the deserted entrance earlier. But... I was glad I came to this academy after all. I dropped my grudges there. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Can you wake up at this time every day and keep going? You don''t need to force yourself to keep up with my pace. It''ll be pointless if you can''t sustain it." "...I think my stamina and body-strengthening magic talent in this class is at the rock bottom. I don''t want to become that ''Official who is all about theory but can''t do anything in the actual scene'' that Godorfun-sensei had talked about. I also have something I want to achieve... Can you share your thoughts?" No longer was he the shy, timid, and nervous Coco. Instead, there was determination in his eyes, showing his strong will to accomplish something. I couldn''t help but be pleased at that sight. "...What I''m going to say here is just my opinion." Everyone paid attention as I started speaking. Vol. 1 - Ch. 26.2 - The Lowdown on Stamina and Club Activities (1.2) "The most important thing about running is covering the same distance on a pre-decided route every day. Through this, you can assess your growth. Seeing progress is crucial for motivation. Of course, the optimal distance varies for each individual, depending on their base physical fitness and mana manipulation skills. But I believe there''s no need to be fixated on this ''optimal distance''. It''s not easy to determine what''s optimal as that limit keeps changing every day. Instead, what matters far more is being able to run the same course single-mindedly. It''s similar to incorporating this running into the level of ''forms'' in swordsmanship. In addition to increasing the level of body strengthening, eliminating any distracting thoughts and simplifying the process hold greater significance. Once you get used to it, you can focus only on using body strengthening the instant your foot touches the ground, and while your body is in the air until the next step, you can cut off the magic. The essential element here is to remove the mana residue." After pondering about it in my own way, this was one of the reasons I had come up with why my stamina was greater than everyone else. Whether it was Parry-kun or Leo, I was also intrigued by the varying intensity in their strength once they got into battle stance and activated their enhancement, but the thing that bothered me most was apparently they couldn''t randomly turn their enhancement on and off at will. It was no wonder they got tired so fast. "......I see. This seems to require a keen sense of mana manipulation. But if that''s the case, would it be okay, for instance, to run in an indoor arena?" Al put up his doubt. "Of course, that''s fine too. However, the perimeter of the Royal Academy has moderate undulations, and the pavement offers various textures. If you only use body strengthening indoors, you''ll be able to develop specialized skills effectively. But if you want to grow your practical skills, I recommend running outdoors. Time is limited, after all." "Understood." "It''s a well-known fact that the more expertise people have, the more delicate their mana manipulation. And the fault is indeed on us in neglecting that part just because we were blessed with more mana than others. But it still doesn''t explain your monstrous stamina." Stella, the girl with pink colored twin-tails, pointed out. I mentioned another possibility. "Do you guys focus on compressing mana while working out using body strengthening?" "...There''s no way we can do that. It''s theoretically impossible to divert your attention to compress mana while using magic. It''s like trying to draw water from a hose with only one opening while also trying to suck in air at the same time." Stella remarked, her expression questioning what kind of ridiculous nonsense I was spouting. The purpose of this hill sprint is muscle training and increasing proficiency in body-strengthening magic under maximum output through full-body exercise by mustering every ounce of your power. If you ask me, nothing beats full-speed sprints for efficient muscle training. Take a look at this hill! That lovely 10-degree incline and that wonderful 500m straight road. Where else can you find such supreme conditions? Running up the hill with full power, and then slowly descend while refilling your mana capacity. Don''t you think this pretty much covers all the core strength parts that a knight needs to train? By turning running into a routine and devising a plan on how to cross that distance in the shortest amount of time, I can train evenly in muscle strength, maximum output of body-strengthening, explosive power to increase output, and endurance with just one exercise. In other words, it''s a training that covers power, speed, and endurance, all in one package. Moreover, by adjusting the number of repetitions, I can manage the physical load as well." "...Running at ''full power'' on this hill where a rock would easily roll down, huh?...... Can you do it, Leo?" Dan asked Leo. "Of course not. I would need at least a few months of training. If I fight with Allen outside, I can see my chances of winning plummeting. He has one heck of a talent for mana manipulation." ...Hmm, I never thought about that. But could you guys please not look at me with such incredulous gazes... I don''t know how to react to them. Click I turned to look at the sudden source of the sound to see Fey had attached some kind of magic tool to my wrist. "What''s this?" "This is the magic device that I spent over 8 hours improving. Well, the only improved part is I just modified a device that measures remaining magic power so it can record data. With this, your secret will soon be visible to everyone¡ª," Fey explained with a smirk. I picked up a nearby rock and promptly smashed the magic device she had attached. I ignored the dumbfounded look on Fey which seemed to ask ''Why'' and concluded the conversation. "Anyway, I''ve rambled about theories, but remember, you need to first think for what reason you are running for, and draw your own conclusion. If you just accept what others tell you, you won''t really gain anything. In the end, what you need to focus on is to experiment and try out, and through it, gradually improve your routine." After leaving these words, I faced toward the hill and started running. I couldn''t afford to waste any more time talking here, it would just interfere with my schedule... I still had the trial called Sora''s Breakfast waiting for me as part of my morning routine. Vol. 1 - Ch. 27 - The Lowdown on Stamina and Club Activities (2) "Please make me your disciple, Godorfun-sensei!" After resolving the problem of my classmates'' tardiness, I stormed into the staff room that evening. Since my class was already decided, I didn''t need to have any apprehension. I could see the teachers around giving me a lukewarm gaze, but I ignored them. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I bowed my head at a perfect 45-degree angle and once again petitioned Godorfun-sensei to make me his disciple. "...Hmm, for now, you can speak casually. I''m not fond of formality. But a disciple, huh?... You know I''m in charge of your class so I''ll answer any questions you ask. In that sense, all the students of Class A are my disciples... But then, what is it that you want to ask me?" I prepared myself to be mocked and answered.REaad updated stories at "...I don''t have the talent for emission magic, especially the attribute conversion aspect. But I want to learn emission magic by all means. As for the reason, because it''s cool. There is no logical reason behind it. I heard sensei didn''t have any talent in emission magic in his youth and struggled quite a bit. Can you please train me to use emission magic?... You don''t need to give me a clear answer. I''ll be happy even with just some pointers." While keeping my waist bent at a 45-degree angle, I raised my face and looked into Godorfun''s eyes. He didn''t laugh or anything, he just stared at me with a serious expression for a while stroking his white beard. "I see... You''re making this request with the full understanding of the hardships, aren''t you?" "I know very well that the best route for me is to instead focus on improving my body-strengthening magic." "Hmm~." Godorfun crossed his arms and closed his eyes. I quietly waited for his response. "...I understand your plea. But I at least had attribute conversion talent since I was young. I have no method to give you that would meet your expectations. Even if you were to become my apprentice, I wouldn''t be able to give you what you''re looking for. However..." Godrfun paused there, still stroking his white beard in thought. "If it''s about giving directions, I do have a guess." "Really!?" I asked excitedly. I mean, I had investigated this on my own, and even after continuous research, all I found was a disappointing result, as if saying what I seek was beyond an insurmountable wall. At the juncture I was at, I''d cling to any straw I could find. But it was only after some time that I realized I had been dancing in the palm of this cunning old man''s hand. "However, I have a condition," Godorfun looked into my eyes and continued, "Do something about that disastrous morning scene first." ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Well, I mentioned it before. I can''t provide you with what you''re looking for. Instead, I''ll introduce you to someone suitable." "Someone else? What kind of person is this?" I cast a skeptical glance at Godorfun. "Hmm. He is the commander of the prestigious Kingdom''s Knight Order Third Legion, a man who is always swift at his work. Naturally, he''s extremely busy, and it would be normally impossible to become his apprentice without my introduction. I should make it clear that I''m just introducing you to him, and even if you do manage to become his apprentice, don''t expect him to teach you everything attentively. At best, he might help you out once in a while." Oh! So Godorfun-sensei already had someone specific in his mind. Not only did he perfectly understand what I was saying, but he already thought about ''the suitable person'' so it wasn''t just an empty promise. Amazing! Not just me, even Mujikka-sensei appeared to be in awe. He even had an amazing-sounding title, was he really that impressive of a person!? As soon as I thought about it, I immediately hardened my heart and resolved to thoroughly train my classmates to the point they would want to quit the club. "Well, it seems like everything''s settled. By the way, what will you name the club?" Smart-looking Mujikka-sensei asked. After a brief pause, I answered, "Let''s call it the ." "...Hill Road Club? Well, it doesn''t really matter what name you choose. But having a name that''s quite far removed from the actual club activities might pose a few problems, is that fine?" Ah, actually, it was something I just let out without any profound meaning behind it, but saying that was embarrassing so I just explained whatever came to my mind. "It''s actually deeply connected! Running on the hill road with full strength, and then coming down without stumbling, in a sense, it''s a path that parallels life itself! The hill road here signifies the adversity! Facing adversity straight and re-discovering yourself... This is the motto of this club!" "??? Well, alright." In this way, following Allen''s hobby and whimsical idea, the prestigious came into existence, which would later be hailed as ''the cornerstone of the unicorn generation'', and ''Royal Academy''s Unofficial Compulsory Subject''. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After Allen left the staff room. "Sir Godorfun, isn''t the condition too harsh, even for him? Didn''t you say you wouldn''t mind having the morning practical classes closed as long as they continued to do that gruelling training on their own, and that you''d still have enough time left for later in yesterday''s staff meeting? It''s just too tall of a task to compress that time into 2 months..." "Fuhahaha. There''s no meaning in giving a task when one knows it''s doable. I''m curious to see how that lad will confront this challenge and how he develops others." Mujikka sighed and shook her head, speechless. "And the reward is introducing him to the Dew-san who excels at body-strengthening magic... What if Dew-san turns him down?" "Hahaha! Dew is someone who had been selected as a commander of the Kingdom''s Knight Order at the mere age of 38, no? There''s no way he''s going to refuse someone as talented as that lad. Fuhahaha!" Godolfun was delighted by the whole affair and chuckled heartily. Vol. 1 - Ch. 28 - Coach and the occupants of the general dormitory Two weeks since entering the academy. I found myself already with too much free time on my hands. Up until now, I had a clear goal called ''exams'' so I devoted all of my free time to studying, avoiding wasting even a single second. But after gaining admission, I realized that if I continued to follow the same routine and became a ''swotter'' in this life as well, these three years of academy life would surely pass me by in the blink of an eye. For the first two weeks after the afternoon lectures, I immersed myself in books related to emission magic in the Royal Library of the Royal Capital, which boasted the largest collection of books in this kingdom. Books in this world were more valuable compared to my previous life, but as long as they were the students of Royal Academy, they could avail of the library''s contents ¡ª which was quite huge even compared to my previous life''s standards ¡ª free of charge and borrow up to three books, except for some special ones. I headed straight for the library and began my research on how to use external magic. Most of my time was spent like this... This was just to pass the time and wasn''t considered studying, so I persuaded myself. However, I felt that what I was doing was no different than what I did in the school days of my previous life¡ª that was, going to the library from school, sticking around until closing time, borrowing the necessary books, quickly eating some soba noodles on my way home, and then continue self-studying until bed-time. The question ''What am I even doing?'' along with a feeling of impatience strongly welled up inside me. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Two weeks later, after reading all the related books but finding not a single hint, the impatience inside me had grown to the point that it was getting harder to hold it in. At this rate, all I would do was either study or practice my sword swings... In the beginning, I even casually thought of ''let''s join a fun-looking club''. But upon enrolling, I discovered that there were hardly any active clubs. The Hill Road Club I had established at the suggestion of Godorfun held its activity before morning lessons. I couldn''t let the Hill Road Club fill up my free time in the evenings or holidays. As a matter of fact, after confirming my classmates were running at their own pace, I listened to everyone''s ''goals'' and came up with a detailed training plan that I passed among the club members. The key points we decided were¡ª they would be divided into two groups, one would be running from the back gate to the main gate, while another group would follow the same route as mine, a whole round around the Academy''s perimeter as well as several hill dashes. Aside from that were trifling matters such as departure time among other things and after that, their morning training started. For the rest, as long as they were capable enough, they might give this training more thought and come up with another training plan of their own. However, there was one strict rule I had set: anyone unable to complete three hill dashes, along with the 40km route around the Academy''s perimeter within an hour and forty-five minutes would be placed in the second team where they would have to take the half-route (even though it was a shortcut through the school grounds, it was still around 30km). The majority of my classmates, the cream of the crop, were placed in the 2nd group. As each of them was someone who was the star of their families and must have been lavished with praises, it was a sight to behold when their faces scrunched up as if they were forced to swallow a bitter bug when I announced "You are in the 2nd group because you lack the skills suitable enough for this Hill Road Club. If you feel indignant, either raise your abilities quickly or just give up."Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Some of them even had tears in their eyes. I kind of felt sorry for them, but that was something I must ignore. Why did the situation come to this? This was entirely to improve my situation and clear the task given to me by Godorfun. If they wanted to complain, Godorfun was the one to blame here. In case they did manage to get into the 1st group through hard work, they should be able to recover enough mana to attend morning classes properly even if they started running from 5 a.m. And even if they couldn''t move up, they would still grow to a level where they could recover somewhat before the start of morning classes with two months of running the half-lap course. If they got fed up and quit, they would be exempt from the challenge without any risk. Kukuku. That was right, it was a plan that ensured my victory through and through. My excuse was impeccable. The half route didn''t fall under the condition of Godorfun''s "clearing the condition by slacking off on those who are motivated." Riyad-senpai asked with a puzzled expression. "Huh? Of course, because I live here. I just finished my morning breakfast from the dorm mother and was practicing here to kill time." Hearing my words, Riyad-senpai''s eyes turned weird as if he was looking at an incredibly eccentric person. "Ohh... Morning breakfast, huh?... You must have passed the qualification for Class A, right? Aren''t you going to move to the aristocratic dormitory?" "I don''t feel the need to. And you too, senpai, aren''t you from Class B? Why are you here?" "In my case, my family runs a pharmacy. I go to the nearby mountains from time to time to collect medicinal herbs and mushrooms as part of my future studies, and then sell them to my family. Due to the location, this general dormitory near the back gate is more convenient to commute from for such reasons." "Since I''m not from a noble family, I can take care of my own needs to a certain extent," Riyad-senpai brushed it off with a casual smile. My favorability for senpai shot up in my mind. There''s no need to mention his point but considering he was going to graduate from Class B, he surely was an elite with a promising future. Still, I didn''t feel a shred of arrogance from him. And considering he didn''t put the aristocratic dormitory into his eyes for his own convenience was also praiseworthy. "Are you going to collect herbs? If you don''t mind, can I come with you?" I asked quite naturally, though senpai seemed rather surprised by my request. "I don''t mind but it''s honestly a mundane task, and not particularly interesting. I don''t think it''ll be helpful for your future. I''ve never heard of the members of the kingdom''s Knight Order gathering medicinal herbs by themselves." "I have yet to decide if I will join the Knight Order. Maybe, I''ll become an explorer. As for greenhorn explorers, their job is often to collect medicinal herbs, right? You never know when these things may come in handy in your life. So, please let me come along." An explorer''s debut quest was to collect medicinal herbs, and following that, a newcomer returned with loads of medicinal herbs, surprising the pretty receptionist who thought he was just an impertinent newcomer¡ª it was the epitome of development in an isekai reincarnation story. Though it''s a pity I don''t have cheat but covert training, it wasn''t a bad idea to learn about medicinal herbs harvesting So I decided to tread on the template. I have nothing but free time on my hands, after all. While such thoughts were cooking inside my brain, senpai casually dashed away my hopes. "Ahaha. Now I understand, you''re indeed quite an eccentric person. But I don''t think you''ll ever get the quest to collect medicinal herbs. Students of the Royal Academy are assigned as D-ranks when they register as an explorer, and after graduating, they are unconditionally promoted to C-rank. There''s no worthwhile quest for medicinal herb collection for Rank D in the areas near the Royal Capital." ...I never asked for such privileges... I had already acquired the D-rank explorer''s right that our gardener Oliver had worked so hard to achieve. But I guess it was alright. I was genuinely interested in this world''s materials. I had amassed a fair bit of knowledge from books, but the chance to learn from an expert and gain hands-on experience was invaluable. I bowed my head at a 45-degree angle to reiterate my desire to accompany him. Senpai graciously accepted my request. Vol. 1 - Ch. 29 - First Harvest and Monster Hunting "What are you going to collect today?" While riding in a shared carriage with nothing but a wooden sword and writing materials, I asked Riyad-senpai. Aside from us, there were two more well-equipped people in the carriage, they seemed to be explorers. "Well, I haven''t decided on anything, but I plan to gather materials for healing salves and supplements for stamina or mana recovery. Along with investigating their distribution and growth pattern... You may have already heard of it, but some unsettling rumors are going around. There''s suddenly a shortage of such low-demand materials." I guess senpai was referring to the approaching war that Godorfun was talking about. I really wasn''t sure if such vital information should be shared with students, but I guess such news traveled quickly among the more well-informed individuals. "The harvest spot is just a bit away from the Royal Capital and is a relatively safe place, but monsters can still appear there. Do you have any experience fighting monsters?" "No, I don''t." I answered straight. Back when I was at home, before my awakening, I had pestered my second brother Beck to take me on a local monster pruning expedition but that was more of spectating from a safe distance. So I basically had no real-life experience fighting monsters. Seeing me tighten my grip on the wooden sword in my hand, Riyad-senpai chuckled. "You don''t have to be worried about it. There won''t be any monster that may pose a challenge to you, the top scorer in the Royal Academy''s practical exam. Just remember to run away if you see the situation turning south and you''ll be safe." Hearing that, my grip on the wooden sword loosened. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The forest we arrived at was the base of Girtess Mountain, east of the Royal Capital. We alighted from the shared carriage at the village situated within the royal territories, right on the fringes of the forest that served as the Royal Capital''s water source. From there, without setting foot in the village, we ventured directly into the forest. "Since you''re a newcomer here, I''ll try to explain all the materials needed for medicines that can be collected from this forest." After saying that, Riyad-senpai pulled out a single piece of grass growing along the forest path. "This is Yug grass, a magic herb whose stems are used in healing salves. This is the most common material for healing salves you can find in the mountainous forests throughout the kingdom. To make medicine with it, you boil the stems down to concentrate their properties, then apply the liquid to the affected area. In emergencies, you can also crush it and apply it directly, and it should have some effect." "This mushroom with the black and white rhombus pattern is called dramandake. It''s a magical mushroom with mana stored in it. The general way to use it is to dry it, crush it into powder, dissolve it in water, and then consume it. It serves as a stamina recovery supplement. It''s also delicious on its own and can be used as food, but be careful about eating them outside though since a fully opened cap induces sleep." "This orange-flowered magical plant is the Hinabushi Flower. It blooms around this time until the end of spring. Its distribution is mostly in the central to the northern parts of the kingdom, so this might be your first time seeing them in their blooming season, coming from the southeastern Dragoon region. The petals are steeped to create round pills, which are used to aid in mana recovery. But, as you might already know, relying too much on such aids hampers the natural growth of your body''s inherent strength. So, please refrain from using them during your regular training." In this rhythm, Riyad-senpai continued to introduce a lot of materials. Furthermore, he also didn''t shy away from answering my frequent questions when I asked about the materials that weren''t in this forest, the compounding combinations to increase the medicinal effect or the vice-versa, which place was easier to harvest from, the best way to preserve herbs, and so on. I guess this might be general knowledge that I could easily look up, but still, I was thankful to him for teaching me all this without holding back. The feeling of turning knowledge, previously confined in the mind after reading books, into a practical, living experience was truly priceless. I guess this was like the saying ''To learn and to review what you''ve learned is a pleasure.'' That was a great saying by Confucius. But I was more glad to see the look of joy on senpai''s face as he shared his knowledge while enjoying collecting materials. "It isn''t. But I remember reading about them in my favorite book, Canardia''s Monster Encyclopedia. It said they use their strong hind legs to escape upwards when threatened." "You''re quite knowledgeable. I guess my worries were for nothing. Give me a signal when you''re ready." Carefully, I circled around to the top of the slightly sloping cliff about 5 meters high. Once I confirmed my position, I signaled senpai. Confirming my signal, senpai, wielding a machete-like blade somewhat between a machete and a knife, emerged from the bushes into the stream creating a loud sound. The horned rabbit immediately turned its horn in the direction of the sound, spraying water from its horn like a firefighter extinguishing a fire, and then swiftly turned around and fled toward me on the cliff. I instantly activated my body-strengthening magic and jumped down the cliff while swinging my wooden sword to smash the horned rabbit''s horn, its magic organ, in the passing. Having its horn, its weak point, shattered, the horned rabbit couldn''t climb the cliff and tumbled down. I held my wooden sword at eye level and stared at the fallen prey for a moment. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Splendid." As senpai approached, I released my stance confirming the demise of the horned rabbit and heaved a sigh. It seemed like Senpai managed to dodge the water magic of the horned rabbit. "Is this really your first time fighting monsters? You finished it quite easily." "It wasn''t that easy for me actually. I was trying to take it down more easily but I ended up gripping my wooden sword with all my strength which caused my aim to shift. I''m sorry for wasting the material." I said while looking at the horn that had been broken precisely in the middle. If the base was broken, the mana stone inside would be damaged, making the material worthless. "Ahaha! Don''t be so down. Our goal was to secure food to begin with, and that was a perfect performance. When I heard it was your first battle, I was prepared for the target to escape... Or even if you managed to stop it, the blow might land on the center of its body, causing it to act violently as its internal organ ruptured, and then we''d have to eat smelly meat... I had you take the role with these thoughts. But I''m really grateful you took it down by striking at its vital spot when you dropped from the hill. I don''t think I would have done it so neatly if I was the one in charge of finishing it off." "We will have a feast tonight thanks to you," senpai delightfully said and began to draw out the blood of the horned rabbit in the stream. "Aren''t we going to look for fish?" After draining the blood, there probably wouldn''t be any fish left in the stream for a while. "No. This is already too big for two people and we don''t have the luxury of bringing back so much meat today so I would like to finish it all without wasting anything. If we don''t process it immediately, it''ll start to smell, and if we move from the stream to dismantle it, there is the danger of other wild animals or monsters being attracted by the smell." Senpai cut into the rabbit''s abdomen with the machete-like knife he had, disposing of the unnecessary internal organs and cleaning the inside. To be honest, it was quite grotesque to watch but I didn''t avert my eyes and continued to record the process in my mind. After senpai was done processing it, he handed the prey to me. Carrying the heavy horned rabbit, I walked toward the makeshift camp with him. Editor Note - A cabin in the middle of the woods with a senpai? If the MC was a girl, I''d be worried right about now. ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 30 - Camp We arrived at the campsite after walking for around 20 minutes¡ª it was a slightly cleared lot with a shack built sturdily enough to keep out the rain and wind.Vissit for updates Judging by the glow of the day, it was around 4 p.m. "Let''s gather firewood and begin preparations for dinner while there''s still light. I''m thinking of resting early to get up at 3 a.m. tomorrow and harvest the material that can only be collected at night and early morning." I quickly gathered firewood with senpai and repaired the makeshift stove put together by previous campers. It should have been faster for me to pick up the firewood alone, but he insisted on showing the entire process. A considerate man indeed did things differently. Senpai put a collapsible pot over the fire and poured water from the pouch he filled at the stream earlier. Then, he began to cut the various parts of the previously dismantled horned rabbit, adding its tail and front legs to the pot. He also added some mushrooms we collected today. It seemed he was making soup. "I didn''t plan on staying overnight, so all we have for seasoning is rock salt." In my mind, I went over the essentials one should carry when venturing into the woods. Like a sharp tool like the machete senpai had, capable of both collecting and dismantling. A water pouch. Rock Salt. A magic tool to make fire. Even if there was no plan for camping, these items should be on hand at all times. "But I''m surprised you still haven''t tired yourself out. Do you often come to walk in the mountains?" "No, I don''t have much experience hiking. But I can still go on just fine!" "......Even I, who grew up walking in these woods since I was little, would get tired at the pace you''re going, you really have incredible stamina as rumors said... So that hellish running training in the morning wasn''t just for show, huh?" "You sure know how to joke, senpai. However, that training is far from being hellish. I was just running for a bit." "......You really are something eh, to say that running training in the rumor is ''just a bit of training'' when even the prodigy Leo Zatsinger struggled to keep up. Do you know the whole school has been paying attention to the hellish training supervised by a certain ogre coach? Speaking of which, what are the conditions to join the club?" Senpai asked with a bitter smile. "Huh? Well, there''s no condition...... Are you perhaps interested in it, senpai?" "It''s just not me who''s interested in it¡ª Among this year''s exceptionally talented first-year students, there appeared a sudden comet-like figure, Allen Rovenne. On just his second day at school, he founded a club and welcomed ''Godorfun the Buddha'' as its advisor. Everyone is scurrying around to gather information." Senpai said with an amusing smile. I think the rumors were exaggerated, but if this respected senpai of mine wanted to join, he would be more than welcome to. "If you''re interested, would you like to come and watch? I''d be thrilled to have you, senpai......" "Ahaha, that''s quite a fascinating proposal. Well, if that''s alright, I guess I''ll be taking you up on that offer. It''s an incredibly beneficial thing for me to train my stamina. ......But, I think you should consider your position a bit more. Listen well, you''re someone who has appeared out of nowhere and gained an S rank evaluation in the practical exam of the Royal Academy. You even overturned the cheating verdict in the entrance exam and secured an unprecedented admission into Class A. I can bet your story is the talk of high society in the Royal Capital. Rather, it''s not hard to guess that each faction should be trying to gather intelligence about you in a frenzy. I happened to have this opportunity to talk to you today, but I won''t casually share this information with anyone. I can already foresee my parents, who run a pharmacy, being bombarded by visitors who persistently ask for your information." Senpai advised with an extremely grave expression. "Ahaha! Surely you jest. How about coming to the back gate at 5:30 in the morning after tomorrow? Let''s exchange ideas about basic training!" I quite find it funny to hear that ''I am the hot topic among high society'' from the commoner-born senpai and laughed off his serious advice. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "It seems like the soup is cooked. Let''s grill the meat." Senior removed the pot from the fire and, in place of it, used something like a kukri knife he had been carrying since earlier to skewer two pieces of rib meat and grill them. There was only salt for seasoning. Soon, an appetizing smell drifted into the surrounding area. "It''s done." That was a blunder on my side. Senpai passed a lantern to me while he made his way through the forest engulfed in darkness. Not long after that, I decided to train my emission magic loop to enhance my scouting abilities. Continuing, we gathered the night glowing mushroom called ''Poporu Mushroom'' and the petals of the ''Anata Herbs'' which bloomed only at dawn. From there we took the first carriage from the front of the village to the Royal Capital. The lone Popuru mushroom growing on the moss-covered rock surface was discovered by the senpai. It was a beautiful-looking mushroom as it covered itself in a pale cobalt-blue hue due to mana. Apparently, it was hard to find high-grade material with strong restorative traits like this. There were just the two of us in the carriage. "Which materials do you want to have, Allen?" Inside the carriage, senpai asked me about this. "What are you saying senpai? I had just tagged along behind you. Please keep the spoils to yourself and take them back with you." "No, I can''t do that. We didn''t agree on how to split the loot beforehand but the unspoken rule when working as a party, even in a temporary or casual one, is to divide the loot equally." .......Um, that was troubling. I didn''t think I helped out in any way at all. If anything, it was I who had learned so much from senpai that I should be paying him instead. I was about to politely brush it off but I could only swallow my words back seeing his unexpectedly intense gaze... Ugh, it seemed like this was the line that Riyad-senpai would never relent on. "......I''ll accept your offer gratefully. But I''m even worse than an amateur at dealing with the materials. If you don''t mind, senpai, could you purchase them from me?" Senpai''s stern expression finally relaxed. "Sounds good. The medicinal materials can be sold in our store but judging from your performance yesterday, you''ll continue to collect materials, right? I wouldn''t be able to accompany you all the time, so how about you register as an explorer and sell them to the association? It might be better in the long run." Ooh... Somehow I got on the track to register as an explorer. In all honesty, it was something I was thinking of doing after becoming good enough to become a vanguard and learning emission magic. But aside from that, I did need some way to earn money. In fact, I had received 5000 rea (around 500,000 Yen) from my family to cover my expenses like admission fees. Aside from that, I''d be able to receive 2000 rea as a monthly allowance by visiting the viscount residence in the Royal Capital every month, but given the presence of my Elder sister, I really wasn''t keen on doing that. "Understood. I''ll immediately head to the Explorer Association once we reach the royal capital and register as an explorer!" In the end, I decided to register as an explorer. "......I''m already an explorer so I''ll just guide you." Senpai had an extremely concerned look as he remarked. But I didn''t want to inconvenience him anymore. You see, when it came to joining professions like becoming an explorer, it was as though the universe had a wicked sense of humor as the protagonist just somehow got into the bad side of some senior ruffian explorers, as if it was an inevitable law of causality, brewing yet another uproarious cliche? in the saga of a reincarnator. I didn''t want to be like my sister and go around picking fights needlessly, but if they crossed the line that I couldn''t tolerate, I was determined to stick to my principles and create a huge mess, even if it meant expulsion...... And, above all, I''d prefer not to drag my esteemed senpai into a chaotic mess. "You don''t have to trouble yourself over such a matter, senpai! Even if anything happens, I''ll handle it one way or another!...... Yeah, somehow." I put up a grin and firmly declined senpai''s kind offer. "......Actually, I just recalled I also have some business with the association...... I guess we are going to stick together for a while more." Senpai declared with a compelling tone, leaving no room for refusal. And thus, accompanied by my titular escort, Riyad-senpai, I headed to the Explorer''s Association for registration. T/N - What soothing chapters, devoid of oldies¡¯s scheming. But I wonder how long will that laugh remain on mc¡¯s face when he comes to know about high society turmoil. That being said, I guess I can¡¯t blame mc for ignorance here. I should have expected the political scenario in such an academy¡ªwhere gathers the absolute best in talent, and that too just a few hundreds in count.Then again, most who are in top evaluation and top class know what is actually happening undercurrent as someone from a remarkable family. Editor note - Why do I feel like the Explorer Association shenanigans won''t go the way the MC expects it to be? The author seems to be too self-aware to actually write such a commonly used cliche. Vol. 1 - Ch. 31 - Explorer Registration The Royal Capital Runerelya continued to expand its range in its long history, so there was no clear border to define how far its territory stretched. Speaking of the layout of the Royal Capital, it had 9 main roads laid approximately 5 km apart, with street number 5 piercing through the very center of the capital from the north gate to the south gate. For convenience''s sake, the 9 main roads were called street number 1 to street number 9. Similarly, there was a 5th avenue in the commerce street that pierced through the center of the capital from east to west, with avenues 1 to 9 spreading around it. So if one wanted an approximate size of the region the Royal Capital took up in the rune plains where it was located, the entire region within the confines of the 9 streets and 9 avenues could be called the main area that the Royal Capital encompassed. The Royal Palace was located at the depths of the intersection between street number 1 and 1st avenue¡ª to be more precise, it was located at the edge of the southeast region of this huge city domain. The reason for this was that the royal capital had expanded northwestward from the Royal Capital, which stood with the Rune River behind it. The main branch of the Explorer Association, on the other hand, was at the intersection of street number 4 and 4th avenue¡ª pretty close to the main road that pierced through the center of Runerelya in all four general directions. Therefore, branch offices were established in four locations, including the eastern part of the Royal Capital close to the Royal Academy which was located near street number 4 and 4th avenue. Needless to say, it was the Explorer Association''s East Branch that I was planning to visit. However, under the recommendation of Riyad-senpai, I ultimately switched from there to the main headquarters in the heart of the Royal Capital. "When a student of the Royal Academy ¡ª a future pillar of the kingdom ¡ª wanted to register to become an explorer, the custom was that one of their top brass would be dispatched from the association''s main headquarters to look over the proceedings. But of course, if you don''t mind receiving the warm welcome of the branch manager of the East Branch for around two hours, which is the time it would take for them to send a magic bird to the main branch to call a big shot of theirs, we can go there too. So?" As soon as I heard Riyad-senpai''s nonchalant words, I immediately changed the direction of my stride toward the main branch. Even for the other side, doing all that for a nameless brat like me from a far-off rural territory would be a waste of time. And of course, I wasn''t so free to waste my time engaging in needless pleasantries. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The Explorer Association''s main branch was a sparkling three-storey building, built of a material that bore a semblance to concrete. As we passed through the entrance, the first thing that jumped into my vision was the single counter placed at the center, with two female staff, dressed in calm blue uniforms, sitting side-by-side. The way they carried themselves was almost similar to top-class companies'' receptionists. My gaze roamed around but didn''t see any other explorer except us. "The atmosphere here is quite different from what I imagined..." "Hnn? What did you think it would be like?" Senpai asked with a pure look of curiosity. "Well, I expect us to be showered with the gazes of senior explorers ¡ª who would be drinking on the floor even at noon ¡ª as if they were assessing us as we pass through a shabby-looking wooden door that would make a creaking sound. Then, one of the senior explorers¡ª who just happened to be a somewhat famous explorer with a crude personality and an alias like ¡ª would immediately snap out to pick a fight with us, shouting ''This isn¡¯t a playground for you brats, shoo-shoo!'' Even if you try to appear modest, the other party would just get bolder. In the end, things would escalate, and then I would have no choice but to fight back. The aim was to make it clear who was superior, or even if I lost, to at least show my determination and get them to let me through¡ª well, something like that?"Vissit for updates I explained the cliched troupe to senpai. Pushing open the heavy wooden door with brass fixtures, the receptionist lady guided us to a 20-tatami-sized room located on the 3rd floor. It was quite a huge reception room with a subdued interior, but in the name of decor, there were just two three-person sofas placed on either side of a low table in the center of the room. From a Japanese person''s perspective, it was nothing more than a waste of space. But I guess this was what you''d call extravagance, huh? "Please wait here." Leaving these words, the receptionist left the room. "? What are you doing standing there, Allen?" Senpai asked me curiously as he put down the bamboo basket he was carrying on his back and sat down on the sofa. "It seems like a big shot is sure to come, giving the grandeur of this waiting room. Leaving aside senpai, I don''t think I, who have no achievement under my belt, should be waiting while relaxing on the sofa with legs stretched out." I was here through the good graces of Senpai¡ª who seemed to have quite a reputation within the association. The last thing I wanted to do was to embarrass senpai here. "...Is this also a part of the ''bow'' spirit?" As expected of the senpai I admired, he was really quick to understand the situation. I nodded. "Thank you for waiting." We waited for around 10 minutes while I continued to stand in attention when the receptionist lady, who had left for upstairs, pushed open the door. However, she didn''t enter the room and left after saying thank you. Instead, another person entered the room. The person had a truly kind and friendly look, giving off an atmosphere more like that of a pleasant government worker than an explorer. However, despite his somewhat chubby physique, there was no flaw in his demeanor...... ''I see, so it''s that kind of pattern, huh?'' Since I was being accompanied by senpai, I expected it would be a veteran-looking middle-aged man with white hair neatly tied back coming out to thoroughly interview me. But it seemed I was wrong. However, I couldn''t let my guard down yet. If anything, this seemingly ordinary-looking demeanor was all a trap to shrewdly create a relaxed atmosphere to lower the guard of students, and then using his smooth words and slick tongue, he would pry out all their information. He must be the so-called interview specialist for sure. And while candidates were immersed in their fantasy, thinking ''Thank heavens! I can easily play this examiner on the palm of my hand'', and then confidently present themselves, the result they would get as they waited at their homes was the same vexing canned phrase ''It''s regretful to say you were not selected this time''¡ª ''Hmph, you must think that I''m gullible, but you have no idea how many times I''ve been tossed such heartless canned phrases, and how many interviews I had taken during my job-hunting days. Recalling my previous life, I realized it was all just a huge waste of time. Even the application forms I filled up took a lot of time, you know?'' I didn''t think I would fail at something like registering as an explorer but in any case, I couldn''t afford to make a fool of myself in front of my senior. I recalled the euphoric sensation I felt when I finally scored a homerun by stealing the job offer for a first-class food company after piling up my rejections in the three digits. At that time, the market had been facing a setback following the real estate collapse of a foreign superpower dubbed the "Once-in-a-century downtime" era. Editor Note - I laughed as I realized the MC took half the chapter explaining the adventurer''s guild troupe in isekai novels. And dang, that rant about canned responses dug out some old memories. Most of my applications didn''t even get sent rejection notices. Only the really big companies would waste time sending you a letter saying you didn''t make the cut. T/N - Ah, the harsh truth of life. Vol. 1 - Ch. 32 - Explorer Registration (2) Chapter 32 - Explorer Registration (2) "Welcome to our humble headquarters! Riyad-sama. Allen Rovenne-sama. I, Satowa Fjord, am the vice president of this Explorer Association. Now, please be at ease and take a seat!" The interviewer said in a slightly playful manner instead of straight up going for pleasantries. ''Only a fool would sit down here. At least not when the No.2 of Yugria Kingdom''s Explorer Association is still standing around.'' "...Allen, it''s alright to sit down...... Aren''t you going to sit?" Senpai asked in a concerned tone. "Please worry not, senpai. This (interview) is all within my expectation." However, it probably didn''t diffuse his worries as senpai turned to face my interviewer and said, "......Please pay it no heed, Satowa-san. It''s kind of like a part of his etiquette, feel free to continue. Also, and I always say this, there''s really no need for formalities." Satowa, the interviewer, chuckled upon hearing senpai''s words and sat down on the sofa. "I''m Allen Rovenne, from the Royal Academy! Excuse me!" "Ahh!" After ascertaining that Satowa had taken his seat, I introduced myself with a crisp voice, ¡ª which seemed to have surprised senpai who was sitting next to me ¡ª lowered my head at a perfect 45-degree angle, kept it bowed for three seconds, and then sat down on the sofa¡ª or so I wanted to. But the sofa senpai had been sitting on since a while ago was unbelievably fluff. It was like I was sitting on a lump of feathers, and no doubt, if I relaxed my body here, I would inevitably end up making a cocky posture¡ª my back completely reclining on the sofa under the inevitable force of this fluffiness with my chin sticking up like I was some sort of a big shot. ''Naive, just that much isn''t enough to test my skill.''Vissit for updates I lowered myself on the sofa with my thighs barely touching its surface and sat as if I was sitting on an air chair with the help of body strengthening. ".....I see, it must be a rule from the ''Unceasing Prudence'' creed that I''ve been hearing rumors about. I had been skeptical about it, but now that I''ve seen it, I must say¡ª it truly is worthy of attention." Satowa offered his complimentary words¡ª just as I had calculated. But that wasn''t enough to loosen my guard. "Paying respect to superiors is just natural." "...Oh? This certainly holds profound meaning. If I may, I surely would like to learn a point or two about the teachings of the renowned master Schord Bainfause. Hahaha." Satowa said this with a broad smile, showing the graceful and deep lines on his face around his eyes. Here came another landmine... No doubt this would spell the end of my luck if I explained this in a bragging tone. "You flatter me, however, I''m but a rookie to the core as of yet. It would be impertinent of me to teach others." (Allen) "You''re still too humble... The whole Royal Capital is abuzz with the rumors of you and Master Schord." (Satowa) "...It seems like the rumors have grown a pair of wings of their own and traveled far and wide... It''s quite a troublesome matter." (Allen) "Hoho. But there is no denying Allen-kun has received an S evaluation in the Royal Capital''s practical exam, am I wrong?" (Satowa) "Haha, interesting. So I presume Allen-kun is impressed with Riyad-kun, am I right?" "No, ''impressed'' is an understatement. The sole reason why I have managed to take a step as an explorer is all due to the grace of senpai. In fact, my gratitude and respect for him are as profound as the feelings I hold for my parents." "What the hell are you doing, Allen!? Sawato-san, don''t take whatever he says at face value. His line of thought just ran on a slightly derailed path. It''s the teaching he received to treat seniors with respect, you know? What they call social etiquette, ahahaha!" "Huh? But it''s my true feeli¡ª" I was about to say I truly admired senpai from the bottom of my heart when he interrupted me and forcefully steered away from the topic. "More importantly, please look at this! This is the fur and horn of the horned rabbit that he had taken down in one attack! This proves his skills as the top scorer. And this was just his first monster battle. He was calm from beginning to end, thoroughly analyzed the situation, and then when the horned rabbit just happened to climb up the cliff, he jumped from the top of the cliff and struck it down in the fleeting moment they passed each other by! He even said his aim missed because he accidentally used too much strength. After all, this was his first battle. He was planning to strike at the horn''s base. Man, this is definitely impossible for me! If you ask me, I really can''t imitate this style, that''s how freaky his battle sense is! His reputation as the Master Schord Bainfaus''s secret weapon is really not in vain!" Sawato then said while curiously looking at the fur and horn, "My, this is quite a huge specimen. Although horned rabbits aren''t that strong, the attribute holders are especially quick on their feet. Not many C-rank explorers can bring them down as cleanly as this." "I know, right? It was just ''coincidental'' that I ran into him yesterday and by ''chance'' accompanied him for his first collection trip. He made me sound like someone above the clouds but if you ask me, his abilities are all just in a world of their own that I really don''t think I can ever catch up. Seriously! Don''t take whatever he says at face value and by all means, please refrain from spreading what you''ve just heard!" I had kept my silence, sensing senpai was trying to wrap up the conversation here, but seeing the subtle wrinkles around Sawato''s eyes, I accidentally said something uncalled for. "Speaking of, Senpai did say ''This is already too big for two people and we don''t have the luxury of bringing back so much meat today so I would like to finish it all without wasting anything''. The sentiment of gratitude toward living creatures that shines through from that statement also made a strong impression on¡ª" As I was speaking, I saw Riyad-senpai holding his head. Crap... Even after telling the truth, I made the rookie mistake of blurting out too much seeing that subtle wrinkle around his eyes... "Ahaha, birds of a feather flock together, as they say. By the way, how did you two meet?" "Oh, our encounter was indeed fateful! Well, senpai actually lives in the general dormitory of the Royal Academy¡ª" After 15 minutes "I must say, I''ve heard an intriguing story today. I understand Riyad-kun''s concerns. I''ll report it to the president as part of my duty, but I won''t go around spreading rumors like that." Sawato followed up to reassure senpai. But senpai remained slumped in the corner of the sofa like a burned-out boxer, not moving. Editor Note - Is this really how Japanese interviews are conducted? Sounds exhausting. The interviews I went through were more straightforward and felt like cross-examinations more than anything else. T/N - As a matter of fact, yes. Without going into the details, seniority matters very much there. So if you guys are wondering, and I am sure you are, this is precisely the cause and as explained in his monologue, such politeness are usually hammered in their mind. That''s why mc politeness and response may come out as strange to others. Vol. 1 - Ch. 33 - Splitting Loot and Back to the Dorm Allen was walking back to the dorm after being completely stripped (of information) by the professional interviewer. Next to him was his senpai, who had been so lively before, walking with sluggish steps while murmuring something. "I''m tired... I just want to return to the dorm right away... But I also need to inform my family of today''s event..." "...I''m sorry, senpai. I intended to stay silent but when I saw the amicable creases under Satowa-san''s eyes, I couldn''t help but want to speak about the excellence of senpai... Wait, did he secretly use mind manipulation-type magic...?" When everything was said and done, and as I was walking back after prattling about the admirable senpai''s excellence and was immersed in the ''I have outdone myself!'' feeling, I suddenly felt a sense of deja-vu similar to the time I had a mountain of rejection letters piled up. "...I haven''t heard a single word about such magic... You''re not purposely mocking me, right?" Senpai gave me a reproachful glare and then quietly made a sigh. ......So there really was no mind manipulation magic in this world, huh? "Well, it has already passed, so there''s no point agonizing over it. It''s sure to make quite a buzz but... Whatever will be, will be." Looking at the melancholic senpai, I said in as bright a tone as possible.Vissit for updates "Didn''t Satowa-san say he wouldn''t prattle off about this to anyone but the president? And I don''t think it''s going to be that much of a rumor, right?" As far as I could recall, all I said was how I coincidentally met senpai, went on a trip to collect materials with him, and decided to register as an explorer after being impressed by him. "...If only that was the case. I said it yesterday as well, but you should learn to be more aware of your influence. You can look at the meaning of what he said from another angle, and it would mean he will at least explain it to the president. As they say, a secret''s safe only when no one knows of it. It won''t be long before the rumor spreads once it''s divulged to someone... Anyway, I''m returning to my home from here, so take this." Senapi said and came to a halt at the Magic Carpooling stop. The air turned a bit awkward, though I believe there was no need to think too deeply about it. I bowed to the Senpai at a perfect 45-degree angle and spoke my words of gratitude. "Riyad-senpai! This one day and one night I spent with you were incredibly fun! Thank you very much!" Senpai quietly sighed once again and responded with a bright smile as if trying to brush off something. "Ahaha. Your greeting ''bowing'' is foul play. It really makes it hard to scold you properly for these things that all I can say is ''It is what it is''... It''s also due to you that I have such a collection after a long time. Can I intrude in your morning training from tomorrow onwards?" "Of course!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô The materials were sold for 5000 rea. It should be around 500,000 yen if I were to convert it. The breakdown was: -The horned rabbit''s fur sold for 2500 rea, -Poporu mushroom, the glowing mushroom that senpai had discovered, went for 1500 rea, and To be able to recognize the hind leg after it was turned into ''meat'', I guess she must have had experience in hunting. I felt my interest piqued by her. "I knew I was right about you, Allen. There''s no way you''ll be messing with women. But you know, I was really worried about you when I heard Kate saying you, who carries the top score in the Royal Academy''s practical exam, will surely be cajoled by an older girl and sucked dry until not even your bones are left behind if you tried to visit the red-light district. It would have been a matter of time before you were hailed as the ''favorite child of the red-light district''." Fey said, loosening her grip on my wrist. "Indeed so. Kate-san declared ''The heads of boys of this age are only filled with such perverted thoughts. Once they get a taste of an older woman''s technique, they would find it hard to escape from the pleasure swamp. It wasn''t strange that you''d get carried away with your boundless stamina and by the time you come to your senses, the morning sun would be streaming through the window, accompanied by the chirping of birds.'' I couldn''t help but be worried about Allen-san''s V-card... So I thought of waiting here to hear the details." Jue added while chuckling to herself. Were you that kind of character? And could you please stop making fun of my V-card? It poked right where it hurts for a 36-year-old virgin! I glared at the purple-haired Kate who had a class president-like vibe and glasses on. "Ahem. Well, Stella is a member of the Achilies family known for their daring nature. So it''s not surprising she has experience in hunting. Though, I guess that''s an unnecessary explanation for you who already know that, right?" Kate averted her eyes and changed the topic. Achilies family, huh?... They were once a tribe of commoner hunters dwelling in the Dahley mountain range located in the northern region of the kingdom, where monsters were said to be more rampant in the past. It was one of the viscount families worth a dime a dozen in the kingdom, but the Achilies family was quite famous for their daring nature. "Ah, Dahley Dwellers. It makes sense then." "...Only an eccentric person like you would know of that bygone name. How the hell are you so detailed?" "Hmm? I was interested, so of course I would know." When I replied with a straight gaze to Stella, her face suddenly turned red as she looked flustered. "W-W-W-What do you exactly mean by this!?" " "Kyaa! So aggressive!!" " Jue and Kate hugged each other as they let out an excited squeal. "Allen... Don''t think I''ll ignore you seducing other girls right in front of me..." Fey''s loose grip on my hand once again tightened with such intensity I would have wondered if she was trying to break my bones. What the hell was with this situation?...... T/N - Yikes, the dark night after the full moon is here. That said, at least this novel wasn¡¯t tagged romance/harem by the author (which are more trustable and hardly I have seen the author taking double-takes on it) so there¡¯s this solace. EN - God, I really hope there''s no romance. They feel more like cats playing with their prey (Allen) rather than love interests though. Vol. 1 - Ch. 34 - Second Cornerstone "What''s with all this fuss... Tranquility is the sole merit of this dorm and you lot are destroying it. Oh, you''re back, boy?" As the perverts continued to make a racket in a loud voice, Sora appeared. "Sora-san. I''m sorry I couldn''t inform you about this morning, causing my breakfast to go to waste. Here, I brought along some souvenirs." Sora glanced at the meat I held out. "Geez, you really are a sinful man, lad. You''ve kept not one or two, but five beauties waiting for you...... Hmm, a water-attribute horned rabbit, huh? And it must have been 18 to 20 hours since it was subjugated." Ignoring Sora''s remark as she causally counted herself in the ranks of beauties without batting an eyelid, Stella interjected from the side. "Water-attribute? You can tell that much from just a glance? Who in the world are you, Aunty?" "Who''re you calling Aunty, you little brat? The way its muscle fibers run more or less tells you where it must have come from, and it also has a peculiar smell. Did you hunt it, boy?" Stella interjected again before I could say anything. "No way, I know he''s strong but a water-attribute horned rabbit isn''t something he should be able to handle alone. They''re unbelievably fast on their feet." "It hurts!" My wrist made a cracking sound. I had it covered with body-strengthening magic but it was like my hand was clamped on by a gorilla. "What does this mean, Allen? Didn''t you say you went alone earlier? If it''s just about messing around in the red light district, I can brush it off as a man''s indulgence, but do you think I''ll accept you having an overnight date?" " "Kyaa! What a brute!" " These freaking idiots! "When did I say I went alone?! And even more than that, do I even need to have permission from you? Get away from me, you gorilla girl!" My wrist hurt so much, I cussed at her like an elementary school kid.Re?a? latest chapters on "Kyahaha! Who even calls a girl a gorilla? You have me amused with your childishness, Allen." I couldn''t deny that it was quite a childish act, but the fault still lies with her. What could be a more apt description of her iron-like grip if not gorilla-like? I swear her grip force should be over 200kg. "...Sheesh, can you turn down the clamor? You must have gone with that Riyad lad, right? This dismantling style is just like him. The cuts on the cross-section of the bone also remind me of the custom knife from Zaimura Corporation that he has." Stella seemed to have muttered ''You can even identify that?'' in disbelief. Though I couldn''t tell how much of an amazing feat that was. "...I believed in you, Allen. I never once considered you would forget your training and do something like bringing a girl with you to a cave in the secluded mountain saying it''s to shelter from the rain and kindle your passion there like a fire on drywood." Fey loosened her grip on my wrist when the name of Riyad-senpai was mentioned. Wasn''t your imagination power too over the top...? I quickly tried to shake off her grasp from my hand, but it failed. "...This ''Riyad''-san... Who might he be?" Jue asked Sora. "He''s a third-year Class B student of the Royal Academy. He''s quite an eccentric person to live in this dorm despite not being from Class E, like this boy here. Well, he''s an outstanding child at least." After hearing that, Jue suddenly announced with a playful look. "...Sora-san. I''m transferring from the noble dorm to the general dormitory. I don''t see any other buildings adjacent to it, so both boys and girls share the same roof, right? I want the room next to Allen-san." Even Sora was left stunned by her remark and looked at a loss for words. "We were finding it strange why Allen-san was not showing any signs of moving when we asked him to transfer to the noble dorm, and you also always try to dodge that topic... But it all adds up now considering Allen-san''s close relationship with that senior. He probably has no intention of moving out, no? I''ve spent so many sleepless nights just worrying about the status of Allen-san''s V-card." ''No, how about you just stop bringing up my V-card at every point... Also, can you stop using it so exaggeratedly? You''ll be buried in complaints from the V-card fans, you know?'' Fey''s eyes shone with a predator-ish glint when she heard Jue and chuckled. "...Instant decision, swift action, huh? As expected of the prodigy Jueri Rebelance of the Rebelance family which had ''fortitude and resolve'' as their family motto. Sora, I want another room adjacent to Allen''s as well." Fey demanded another room next to mine casually as if shouting ''Another serving of dumplings please!''. "Fufu. If Allen-san''s room happened to be in the corner, the sole room would belong to me. First come first served." Jue chuckled and looked down at Fey with a taunting look. Well, Fey was taller than Jue but looking down here meant psychologically. "Hn? Well, it was a holiday yesterday and today, right? We didn''t meet in morning training as well... I was planning to talk about it in tomorrow''s class. Ah, but worry not! There seem to be a lot of empty rooms!" Allen said unfazed. Oh, that''s Al for you! I knew we could become bosom buddies from the get-go! "...So who might be planning to stay in the room next to Allen-san?" Jue, giving the speechless Fey a sidelong glance, asked. Somehow, I had a bad feeling. "Hn? Coco and I are in the adjacent rooms, Dan is in the room above and Dor will be in the room below! After all, this is definitely the best way to increase brotherhood between ourse¡ª" Jue cut in before Al could finish his words. "One million rea... Al-san, Coco-san, can one of you consider changing rooms?" With her trademark calm demeanor, Jue casually presented an outrageous proposal. Following her, Kate, the girl with the class president-like aura and crazy fantasies filling most of her mind along with superficial knowledge about perverted crap, also chimed in, "Rest assured, I''m sure I can persuade my father. In fact, I believe he''ll even recommend me to go over the top." What a sick parent you have! I knew my hunch was right. She''s definitely a cut from the same cloth as my elder sister, another eccentric person... "I''ll pay 3 million, alright? Coco, we''re friends, right? Will you not change rooms with me?" Fey astutely preyed on Coco, who was obviously weak to coercion. "W, well, you don''t need to bring up money. If you want the room that badly, I''ll¡ª" Not good, I would be checkmated at this rate! I swiftly interrupted them and said, "No matter what the reason may be, room change is not permitted. If any of you break the rule, that person will be removed from the Hill Road Club under my supervisory authority. And, of course, for three years, I won''t exchange a single word with you." The ruckus thus put an end to my tranquil dorm life, but the silver lining was that I at least managed to stop the eccentrics from moving in. On a side note, Leo seemed to have secured his room closer to the entrance on the first floor saying ''It would be a waste of time to move up and down''. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "...So are you kids going to eat my custom-made breakfast? By the way, I''m a researcher specializing in monster ingredients... My research mostly prioritizes effect over flavor, so the food here won''t be flavorful. By the way, Allen boy eats it every day saying it''s something necessary for his goal. Hahaha." Sora suddenly threw away her dorm mother''s consideration and instead, her words were like a mad scientist trying to lure in her guinea pigs. Albeit, I was the only one who knew what she really meant by ''It''s not going to be a flavorful dish''. "So that''s how it is... That''s why you were so detailed about the horned rabbit. I''ll definitely eat your breakfast, Sora-san! It seems like this dorm is full of secrets tied to Allen''s strength. I''m going to move in here as well." "...You guys... Seems like I have no choice as well. I''ll be moving in too." Of course, what Stella said about the reason behind my strength was baseless, but the victims Stella and Kate were successfully unable to see the trap Sora laid as they too showed their intention to move in. Kukuku. I bet these two must be the originators behind my ''Lust Incarnate'' rumors. ''Don''t you like to toy with people and make slanderous remarks? Now reap what you sow.'' Since they were going to move in, I might as well take them down in one fell swoop. Just to ensure they don''t pull back later, I said provocatively, "Leave it, you guys can''t endure this sort of discipline. Especially Leo, Fey, and Jue. You guys have refined palates, right? Heed my advice and think again, you''ll definitely regret it later." As I said my words, Sora looked at me with a sharp glare. I know you don''t want your guinea pigs to run away, but rest assured I know just how much pride they have. See, as long as I taunt them¡ª "Naturally, I''ll be eating it every day. Rather, I should be the one to request it." "Your concern is unnecessary. I''m an artificer, did you forget? I was just thinking about how to simplify my meals as much as possible. I''ll gladly eat breakfast here." "Any dish will taste delightful if I can enjoy it while looking at Allen-san''s face." Sure enough, everyone hopped on the bandwagon. "Hahaha. So everyone is going to eat, huh? I guess mornings from tomorrow onwards are going to be hectic. Hahaha, ahahaha!" ''Good grief, I warned you guys'', I tried to appear dismayed by lowering my head and shaking my head. But I chuckled mentally. Hahahaha! This feeling of deceiving people is surprisingly addictive... Ahem, I must make sure to not let it go over my head. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Lining up next to the Royal Academy Hill Road Club, this incident was the precursor to the future where the general dormitory would be hailed as the second cornerstone of the unicorn generation. EN - So many new guinea pigs! Good for you Sora ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 35 - Behind the Scene After the Explorer Registration (1) The reception room on the first floor of the association headquarters where Allen had an interview with Satowa was a room devoid of any type of monitoring magic tool like the ones used during the Royal Academy''s exam. It was arranged in such a way that nobles who visited here could have their secret discussions without worry. As if to say "You can be rest assured about your privacy", the lounge suite was placed at a considerable distance from the walls and the whole room was missing any kind of painting or vase. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "So, how did it go?" Shellbour Mounstell, the president of the Yugria Kingdom''s Explorer Association, stared at his subordinate, Satowa, with a sharp gaze and urged him for the details. Appearance-wise, Shell looked like a stern person with bursting muscles, with a shaved head and a big scar running from his right cheek to his chin.Vissit for updates To speak of his career, it was nothing short of impressive. Rising from the bottom of the barrel G-rank, he earned fame as a monster hunter and climbed his way up to A-rank explorer. When he was at his peak as an explorer at the age of 40, he was courteously invited into the kingdom''s Knight Order where he joined as a squad leader. Even in the Knight Order, he demonstrated his excellent combat skills and eventually rose to the rank of commander. However, no matter how prestigious the Knights were, they were still just servants of the palace. He couldn''t stand the rules and endless reports, so when he was once again invited by the Explorer Association, he quickly left the Knight Order and returned to the association, this time as its president. On that occasion, he was recognized for his achievements as an explorer and a knight and was rewarded the one-star medal by the King. Due to this, his explorer rank was raised to S-rank¡ª proof of an exceptional explorer. Within the kingdom, such people could be counted with one hand. On paper, depending on the medal awarded, there was SS-rank and SSS-rank. However, those who received such high-ranking medals couldn''t possibly continue their explorer activities in the present day. They''ve become legendary explorers, appearing only in stories. When the news first came that "Allen Rovenne", the talk of the royal capital, had come to register, Shell had insisted that he, the president, would be conducting the interview personally. However, he was soon stopped by his two vice presidents¡ª Satowa and Odilon. Odilon, his white hair done in a braid swept behind his back, was a man in his prime exuding an aura of a master. And the truth wasn''t far from it as he was in fact a master swordsman. Speaking of which, he just fitted the image that Allen had in mind whom he''d think of as "Someone like him would conduct an intimidating interview." Though their results were unremarkable, both were A-rank explorers who graduated from the Royal Academy. While serving as an official and a knight respectively, they continued their explorer activities in their spare time and achieved many valuable accomplishments, climbing to A-rank. That being said, graduates of the Royal Academy were normally raised to C-rank upon graduation. Their number of requests, and even the difficulty level, was far from Shell who had risen through from G-rank. Unlike Shell, who still actively hunted monsters, they had essentially retired from explorer activities. With their outstanding abilities worthy of the Royal Academy''s graduates, they quickly shone like diamonds among coal and became people who covered up for Shell. Shell was, as one could imagine from his background and appearance, a hot-tempered person. A few years ago, when one of the Royal Academy''s students had come for registration half out of amusement, it just so happened that there was no other staff with an open schedule. So, following his curiosity, President Shell personally went all the way to the Eastern Branch of the capital to handle the case. But there, the quick-tempered Shell lost his cool facing the student''s impertinent and insincere attitude and beat him to a pulp. To further fuel the matter, a few familiar explorers from the past were present there, so he, leaving behind that collapsed student, began having a drinking contest at the branch''s dining hall, leading to quite a huge matter. ''I gave in to my rage. But I have no regrets.'' This was what Shell said in testimony during the subsequent investigation. Needless to say, Satowa and Odilon, who had worked hard to cover up the incident, forbade Shell from interviewing Royal Academy students. In the first place, Shell himself had no particular interest in interviewing a mere student, and he had not expressed any desire to conduct an interview so far. But...... Riyad-kun mentioned that while the horned rabbit tried to escape up the cliff, Allen-kun leaped down from above and, in passing, delivered a blow to break its horns using a wooden sword." Satowa placed the broken horns, which he had received from Allen, on the table. "Hmm~? Even if their goal was just meat, a broken horn is useless in other cases. If it were me, I''d catch it and pull the horns out." "Oh? It seemed to be a horned rabbit with an attribute. It''s enough to say he has acquired combat skills equivalent to a C-rank. There''s nothing to criticize about his potential with this result for his first battle." While Odilon was getting more and more impressed, Shell showed an attitude of indifference and was picking earwax from his ears. ... To be frank, Satowa had taken a fancy to Allen, which was why he had been careful about the order of information and how he explained things to ensure Shell wouldn''t get too interested in him, much less do something troublesome. But Shell''s indifferent attitude had him a bit miffed so Satowa followed up with a little piece of information that was to Shell''s liking. "I don''t think it makes any sense to compare yourself with a student who had just come for registration, President... Oh, right. I forgot to mention that he did sit down on the sofa following after me but in a strangely unnatural posture with his thighs barely touching the cushion. It was a quiet posture that reminded me of a carnivore about to leap out of the grasslands. He hadn''t budged from his posture for the entire hour or so we conversed no matter how cordial I tried to spin the conversation. I''m not sure what it means, but he took this posture after saying, ''It is natural to show respect to one''s superiors.''" Odion looked surprised upon hearing this piece of information, but Shell immediately broke into a grin. "Oh dang, now that''s what I call interesting. You should have said that in the beginning. I bet he might be thinking ''Like hell, I''m gonna sit on the sofa with legs outstretched facing a stronger opponent, if you wanna make a move just do it'' or ''I will immediately knock you out if you dare say anything audacious''. I was just wondering that there''s no way a brat who that old man has set on his eyes is going to be a stuck-up person... So, did he punch you?" Seeing Shell getting more excited about the topic than he expected, Satowa once again shifted the mood using deliberate words. "As if! He''s not you, President. Ah, right. I asked why he wanted to become an explorer and apparently, he was awed by Riyad-kun. He said after accompanying Riyad-kun on his gathering trip, he was impressed with his profound knowledge and wanted to improve himself as well by working as an explorer.¡± "Tsk, scaredy cat. Brats these days lack guts. Who wants to hear such a perfunctory motive, right?" "Haha. I''ll say he has an excellent spirit to want to work hard as an explorer when it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say his future is already set to be bright. This goes to show he knows the value of practical experience at a young age." Shell''s interest dropped as he picked his ears again while Odilon was once again impressed. Satowa continued, weaving his words carefully to ensure Shell''s evaluation didn''t swing too high or too low. For Satowa who had served to balance things as an excellent mid-level manager before coming to the association, handling such banter was as easy as turning one''s hand over. EN - Dang, Satowa was a lot more impressive than he let on in the interview chapter. Shoutout to Matthew for being our 1st patreon. Thank you for supporting us and I hope you continue to enjoy the novel. Vol. 1 - Ch. 36 - Behind the Scene After the Explorer Registration (2) Satowa continued to weave his word, being ever so careful that Shell''s impression about Allen neither rocketed up nor dunked down too much. "One more thing. He said he was impressed by his senpai''s passion. Apparently, Riyad-kun had quite a fun time on this collection trip, which should have been insignificant for him. Allen-kun admired him for his enthusiasm as an explorer, for not forgetting his roots." "Oh? Interesting, eh? Unfazed by the request''s difficulty or material''s grade, enjoying the hunt in itself. We have no lack of fools with their crooked understanding of the initial premise, whether it''s to earn money or fame."Vissit for updates "It''s as you said, President-dono. Riyad-kun is one of the best who completes his objective, no matter what it is, with zeal." Shell and Odilon''s opinions agreed for the first time since the start of this meeting. "However, the aspect I most valued about him is his character. The words from his mouth were that they happened to meet in front of the dorm yesterday when Riyad-kun was leaving for his collection trip and he asked to join in. Allen-kun''s eyes were practically glittering with stars when he spoke about how much of an admirable person Riyad-kun is, adding specific stories to it. Being able to identify the virtue of a stranger in just a short duration of one day should only be possible due to his humility and a natural-born keen eye for people." "Hmm... I can more or less tell what type of character the other party has after having a fistfight and drinking party with them... Well, deciding to accompany someone on the fly and gleefully working with them can be said to be a merit in itself?" "Satowa-dono''s evaluation seems just right. Additionally, being able to appraise the virtue of a stranger honestly on the contrary can be interpreted as him having absolute trust in his own evaluation." Shell''s stock about Allen rises steadily. Satowa, meaningfully ascertaining that, continued. "Never once did I see Allen-kun stop modestly toning himself down from beginning to end, he didn''t let down his guard at all and resembled an iron wall. To be frank, this is impressive considering the other person is just 12 years old... That being said, he would show an age-appropriate look of adoration whenever it''s about Riyad-kun, eventually prattling on about the details that he might not have wanted to." Satowa chuckled in amusement recalling the jovial appearance of Allen from the interview. "However, I can only see his naivety as something of a double-edged sword with respect to the circumstance he will be caught in. Though I must say, his impregnable performance and the atmosphere around him until then were unlike that of a Royal Academy student, so this somewhat absent-minded demeanor of his looks charming to me... My appraisal of him ends with an ." "Hmph. That does make him a bit more likable than those iron-faced brats who only know how to repeat intricate, practiced words." Satowa''s expression eased in satisfaction having witnessed Shell''s score of Allen stopping at ''a bit better than the other elite kids''. But, the next moment, he stammered with his next words. "...And well, it''s about his explorer rank..." "Hmm? Ah, must have given him C-rank I reckon, yeah? What matters is that from the looks of things, it won''t be like throwing pearls before swine, no?" Odilon shared the same opinion. However, this further deepened the creases on Satowa''s face as if he truly was finding it hard to continue. "What''s with that bitter expression?... You shouldn''t have gone as far as to give him B-rank, did you? O'' blimey, don''t you think you went too easy on him... Haa, but I guess it''s not something I need to butt into if you judged him worthy of that. But I should meet him at least once. It won''t look good with the other explorers for us to grant a rookie kid, who had just come to register, B-rank under my jurisdiction when I haven''t met him even once. The label of ''Academy''s hope'' can''t fill that gap. But if I can appraise him by myself once, I''m sure to beat down anyone''s complaint if they ever dare do so." Though, signifying that the meeting wouldn''t just end with words alone, Shell crackled the bones of his fingers. Odilon, however, showed his objection. That was the impression I had when I saw him smiling so satisfied." Hearing that, Shell broke into laughter. "Hehehe. The top scorer of the Royal Academy''s practical exam actually led you around by the nose just to enjoy being an explorer. Amusing lad!" Shell clenched his fist and stood up excitedly. Ah, I have praised him too much! Flustered, Satowa hurriedly moved to calm the situation. "Oh, right! He also said he was impressed by Riyad-kun''s attitude to not forget to show gratitude for living beings when Riyad-kun suggested that they eat the entire horned rabbit without wasting anything!" "Gratitude for living beings? Come now, stop being so ridiculous. How can such a person work as a proper explorer?" Shell fell back on his seat like a deflated balloon. "He also said this too! Those who keep fussing about boorish things like cost and budget can do nothing!" C-Crap, I haven''t plummeted his value too much, have I? "O-Oh, speaking of which¡ª" 15 minutes later "Rats! In the end, I can''t tell what kind of person that brat is! That''s why I should check him out myself! I''ll temporarily raise his hidden evaluation to A with my authority, and pull him up quickly! Then sooner or later, I''ll have a chance to meet him!" The repeated exchange that was like a boat traversing the sea had made Shell''s emotions fluctuate like the waves in this short period. Having arrived at this juncture, even Satowa, who was reputed as an elite bureaucrat in the middle management hierarchy, couldn''t control Shell in his current situation. In this way, Shell''s interest, which could be said to have stopped just in time, had successfully been drawn toward Allen a bit more than what a normal report could have. On a side note, the ''hidden evaluation¡¯ referred to the evaluation of personality and perspective by the Explorer''s Association, as Gardener Oliver had mentioned. Contrary to how it sounded, the evaluation was not actually kept secret. Because it was ranked mainly based on personal traits, in addition to contributions to the association, it took a long time to raise the public rank. This was one of the biggest reasons for this. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡ªAllen Rovenne, through his iron will, convinced Satowa Fjord, the vice president of the Yugria Kingdom''s Explorer Association, to register him as the G-rank explorer, abandoning the privilege that came with being a student of the Royal Academy. The following rumors soon found themselves zigzagging through the Royal Capital, spreading like a forest wildfire, along with another rumor that ¡®Allen Rovenne have forged a friendship with Riyad Gufusha, the heir to the Mount Penglai Company¡¯, further adding dry grass to spread the fire even further. Vol. 1 - Ch. 37 - An Episode in the Dormitory The morning of a certain day, the dining room of the general dormitory ¡ª which was also called the Loser''s doghouse ¡ª was currently filled with the chatter of people. The time was just a bit under a month since Allen enrolled in the Royal Academy. The said people were mostly Allen''s classmates. What were they doing here? The root of the cause could be blamed on his classmates who somehow misunderstood his reason for choosing the general dormitory and as a result, not just Leo and the company, but the other members of Class A also decided to move in as well. Though, as far as Allen was concerned, he just thought ''If there''s a place to sleep, why bother with other things'' and casually chose to stay. In fact, there were even some who still decided to move despite having their homes nearby with a private tutor available to them. If you asked Allen, he would just shake his head and say ''Their actions are out of my understanding'', but alas, if they had just moved in, it would have still been fine. At the end of the day, they were the members of Class A, the finest of the gems among the already shining jewels. So the incident of every single member of Class 1-A moving into the general dormitory had caused quite a huge wave. As if that wasn''t enough, rumors started to spread that, apparently, the secret behind Allen Rovenne''s stay in the general dormitory was the dorm''s breakfast. Rumors begot rumors, and in the blink of an eye, the general dormitory was soon filled up. Speaking of which, the general dormitory could only sustain 40 people at best. Normally, as long as they were students of Class D and above, they would be able to pay the same rent as the general dormitory ¡ª 1000 rea in short ¡ª to stay in the noble dormitory, where they could avail the benefits of other facilities and services. Class E students could also pay the normal fee of 5000 rea and live in the noble dormitory. There were around 60 students among all three grades of Class E, so as long as it could accommodate the students who couldn''t pay the 5000 rea fee for the noble dormitory, having a general dorm with a capacity of 40 people was more than enough. A majority of the Royal Academy''s students were either from prestigious noble families or were the Young Masters and Young Ladies of wealthy families. Economic strength was correlated to literary ability so it was an obvious outcome. Rarely, there were also prodigies from relatively normal families ¡ª like a poor baron household or a commoner origin ¡ª that managed to enroll in the Royal Academy through their talent and hard work. However, even for them, with the title of ''Royal Academy Student'', they could easily choose one or two part-time jobs like tutoring so 5000 rea wasn''t hard to earn. Moreover, that price was already incredibly cheap and it even came with access to plenty of facilities and services. In the long history of the Academy, with the splendid achievements of its graduates one after another, the budget granted to it by the kingdom was also substantial, to say the least. In addition, there were also donations from graduates as well. When considering the pay they would be getting after graduation, it was a no-brainer to choose a blessed environment, a life in the noble dormitory, to devote themselves to studying at the expense of taking a bit of a loan. And that was why the only people who would bother moving to the general dormitory had to be eccentric people like Allen or Riyad, a 1st-year student from a remote countryside like Allen, or maybe those who weren''t on friendly terms with the people of the noble dormitory also like Allen. To begin with, only 5 students were staying in the general dormitory until this happened. Two of the 5 were of course Allen and Riyad. So, when even the 19 students of Class 1-A moved in, excluding Allen, this only left 16 rooms available for the others. When the supply couldn''t meet demand, prices were bound to rise. So it didn''t take long for the residential rights of the general dorm to be traded for an exorbitant sum by the students of wealthy families who were late due to their wait-and-see attitude. And just like that, what was once a neglected dog house in the backwoods, much like a miserable shack in the mountains, suddenly shot up in value, resembling a prime spot in the ''4-Chrome Ginza''. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Seriously! The sudden changes are making my head spin, all because of you, boy! Just how did the situation become so hectic? A little moderation wouldn''t hurt!" Sora grumbled out her complaints like usual, but her eyes were gleaming with happiness. ''I bet she must be pondering on the best way to get the most out of her newly arrived guinea pigs.'' ''Also, it''s not my fault at all.'' But in the end, I inevitably found myself helping Sora to serve the food. The breakfast in the dorm usually hovered between ''failure'' and ''utter failure'' depending on the day, however, today''s menu was enough to make even me, who should have been slightly accustomed to breakfast here, want to run away from the place. The breakfast consisted of bread, ridiculously oversized fish fillet ¡ª which I assumed to be 800g in weight ¡ª pan-fried in unsalted butter, and a type of milk that was so unsettlingly sticky and had a repulsive muddy yellow color that I couldn''t bring myself to ask what it was. Furthermore, there was a fruit resembling dragon fruit, probably from a plant-based monster or something, with a striking purple color that looked incredibly poisonous included in the meal. By the way, when the dorm still used to be peaceful, there was just me eating cafeteria food so the menu was centered around the mage aspect following my wishes. But with the sudden explosion in the dorm''s occupants, it was impossible to create a menu focused on knights and mages from both the ingredients and time perspective so the current menu was a one-size-fits-all. ''Wait,'' I was about to warn her but I missed the timing. "Buhh¡ª!" Fey spat out the fruit and then, while swaying her head from side to side with a maniacal ''Kyaha, kyahaha'' laughter, fell into the plate of rotten fish. She seemed to have fainted. "Fey-san!" Jue hurried to help her out. "I missed the timing... That fruit is incredibly sour so you better not put too much in your mouth without thinking, alright?" Though I was late in Fey''s case, I still warned the others. I once had it for breakfast before they moved in so I could still recall that sharp sour taste, like someone had rung a bell right next to my ear. "Very sour? There''s no way just the sourness can make someone faint......" Dol murmured while looking at the Fey sprawled on the floor as her body spasmed intermittently. "There is still a pulse..." Jue reported the survival of Fey, whose face was covered with the fish''s sauce, while pinching her nose. "...Inform us sooner, Allen. Isn''t there any sort of guidebook for this?" Leo asked me for advice. Well, being frank was his virtue. "There''s no perfect strategy. But as I said earlier, the most crucial thing is ''metal preparation''. And as for technique, you can make sure to not inhale the smell when you chew so intensely and don''t speak while eating like Al did. If dishes have intense flavor, then you can take a small bite at a time and swallow it without chewing too much. Also, whatever you do, just never think of using body-strengthening magic to quickly finish it all in one go. You know, gathering mana in your mouth can make your senses sharper, and if you fail in precisely circulating your mana, the heightened senses will cause your movement to go awry¡ª I don''t think I need to explain the disaster that will ensue." It wasn''t an empty talk, I had fallen prey to this once. ''Experience speaks, as they say.'' Hearing my explanation, Leo reached out for the fish with a determined expression, and with unhurried movement, he tossed the fish into his mouth and swallowed. ...That was fine. Though I really wish he could stop glaring at me with bloodshot eyes with tears streaming down his face while eating... Just as I was having breakfast wrapped in such a strange atmosphere, I suddenly recalled something. Coincidentally, everyone here, excluding Fey who fainted, was talented in emission magic. "I''m thinking of establishing an Emission Magic Research Club. What do you all think?" Vol. 1 - Ch. 38 - Progress of the Hill Road Club Soon, two months had passed since Allen''s academy enrollment. As the days passed by, so prospered the Hill Road Club he had established. And currently¡ª¡ª "I must have told you already to use your upper body to run! Go back!" "I told you to use your head! Go back!" "And I told you to not use your head! Go back!" "Oh, you''re doing great, senpai! You''re the best!" "Listen to the voice of the earth with your knees and reply with your hips! Give up!" My work as the coach of the club was just like usual: hurling strict words like a company boss blind to the forest, missing others'' shade while chasing and overtaking them. As far as I could recall, I had already stopped doing what a ''coach'' was supposed to do. I had run out of complaints that were borderline abuses and finally, all that came out of my mouth was just nonsensical crap, yet not a single dropout emerged. No, let me correct myself. Far from there being a dropout, the members of the Hill Road Club kept increasing at a staggering rate. For example, around three days after Riyad-senpai joined the club, he brought in three 3rd year students saying they wanted to join the club after school. "They are my friends from Class 3-A. When they heard that I was participating in the training of the Hill Road Club, they said they wanted to participate as well and hoped I could introduce them to you. It might be tough to guide the upperclassmen but I can assure you they aren''t whimsical guys and will make earnest efforts in the club activities. So, do you think you can accept them?" " "Nice to meet you, and we would like to join the club if possible." " They bowed and requested to join. Their bowing form was crude but I could see they were fairly trained at least. But the students of Class 3-A, huh? I was sure they must have their own pride, yet they lowered their head to a junior, someone who was just fresh out of the farm so they say... I reckoned that they were anything but pleased deep inside. I thought about it but swiftly accepted their request in the end. I mean, they were introduced by Riyad-senpai. Turning them down was never an option. Besides, the club activities were basically sort of self-service all along. All I needed to do was to see how they ran and give them advice accordingly. They just had to follow that advice and then, they would be able to do the follow-up on their own accord. So it wasn''t time-consuming for me either. Or so I had naively thought. Following them, two days later, senpais from Class 2-C, a group of ten this time, visited me expressing their desire to join the club. I thought, ''Why bother joining the club? They can run on their own.'' But I was a bit overwhelmed by the determination of their representative, a short black-haired man named Konri-senpai, as he made a dogeza pose ¡ª something only criminals did in this world ¡ª and said, "We''re graduating next year. We absolutely want to jump over the class rank by then, no matter what it takes! So, please let us join the club!" He excluded such a grim atmosphere as if the doctor had just announced he didn''t have long to live. In the end, I accepted them, impressed by their determination, thinking ''Well, not like it''s gonna cost me much time..." After classes, I held a briefing session with the seniors, listened to their goals, explained to them how to control their body-strengthening magic and mana compression to show them the basic training plan that the club was doing, and gave some advice. I casually threw in whatever sensible-sounding explanation came to mind and delegated all the handling, including the members'' interviews, to them. Leo and Stella were both single-minded people by nature, so they were easily motivated to take on the task. Though, it was Dan who seemed to have seen through me as he sharply retorted ''Isn''t this because you find it a chore?...'' However, since our advisor Godorfun had already stated that he wouldn''t interfere with my plans, and that ''I am the rule in the club'', I just pushed everything to them regardless of what they had to say. Dark politics at its finest. In these two months, I also created one more position using my authority as a coach. It was the introduction of a ''Manager''. Apparently, this world didn''t have a concept of having a manager position in club activities. Of course, it had completely slipped my mind as an eternal member of the go-home club. However, one morning, it suddenly came to me when I saw our class president... I mean, Kate giving out water to her friends who were somehow shoving down the grilled fish with tearful eyes. No, seriously, it reeked so bad I thought it was a crime to not declare it rotten. Ahem, I digressed. Anyway, the thought ''Isn''t she the perfect manager...'' came to my mind. So I exercised my authority and pushed the position of manager to her. "A club without a manager is like udon without green onions¡ª lacking essential flavor! You don''t understand the importance of condiments and the beauty they add!" "Manager...? What on earth do you want me to do?" A pity, people here just didn¡¯t understand the profoundness of my words. Kate ignored whatever I said and simply asked what I wanted her to do. It started when the club had exceeded 100 members at the mark of one month. I could no longer tell the progress of our members while overtaking them in the morning each day. To be frank, I really didn''t care how they were faring, but saying ''I just tossed the matter to the others so I don''t have any idea'' when reporting to Godorfun felt irresponsible and it would also tarnish my image. So I had Fey create plenty of that wristwatch-like tool which I once shattered into pieces that could record the changes in someone''s residual mana quantity and used them to record everyone''s mana level during running. The cost was completely borne by Fey. Speaking of the person herself, she just uttered something terrifying like ''You really are a brute when it comes to using people, you know? This means you owe me one now, alright?'' so casually. As they say, ''Desperate times call for desperate measures.'' The next day after I had requested her, she casually delivered over 100 magic tools, saying ''''It''s just an improvement for a ready-made product, and the design blueprint is already there. Anyone from outside can achieve this as long as everything else is ready". Truly a talented girl that the Dragoon family was proud of. In this way, without even lifting a finger, I managed to set up the flow where the manager would collect the records, compile them into data, and pass them on to me. Also, I perceived that it seemed to be too much for a single manager to undertake, so I appointed Kate as the Chief Manager and delegated the duty of scouting and training managers as well as overseeing them to her. As of now, there were 2 managers for each grade, expanding their number to a total of 6 members. Of course, they, too, were participating in the running training. Basically sort of a Playing Manager. Speaking of which, I had only requested them to compile the data into one report for me, but being the elite among elites handpicked by the Royal Academy, I might have forgotten that the girls, all of whom were from the civil course, were undoubtedly national-level talents. They showed their finesse by coming up with tasks of their own volition like analyzing the relationship between the members'' training condition and growth rate, compiling the result, managing their health and schedule, and many others. I never asked them to do all of that. As for me, I didn''t intervene in any of the intricate matters and just stuck to the task that I needed to do¡ª to throw my weight around as the coach and hurl borderline extreme words like a gruff boss. And when two months had passed since the time Godorfun handed me this assignment, I stormed into the staff room once again. EN - I left the name mentioned by the MC as "Rude-senpai" on purpose because it was so sarcastic and hilarious. ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 39 - Side - Staff Room "I have discovered the reason why their pace altogether drops significantly when going around the southeast area of the Academy. It seems like they are trying to climb up the steep slope along their running route with full strength as training. And while each student¡¯s pace varies, Allen Rovenne has been consistently performing 10 rounds of that 500m long slope." Three days after Godorfun handed Allen¡¯s assignment to him, Keynes, the caretaker of the Royal Academy, reported to Mujikka and Godorfun. Mujika had asked him to keep tabs on the morning scene since he was also tasked with inspecting the Academy''s premises. "So Allen Rovenne runs 45km each morning with that pace and still remains unperturbed......?" Mujikka muttered in astonishment. "Fuhahaha! I see. After watching him, I knew it didn''t make sense for that brat''s pace to drop in the latter half of his route as if he had run out of fuel... And my hunch was indeed correct. So that was the reason, I see." Godorfun laughed out with a beaming smile. "I was puzzled why he would name the club ''Hill Road Club'' earlier... Usually, the name should be something that resonates with their morning routine, no? But the significance lies in that training more than anything else, huh? Maybe, I should ask Emmy-chan to install a monitoring magic tool in that region?" Hearing Mujikka''s suggestion, Godorfun mused for a moment before shaking his head. "No, let''s not intervene on their matter, and believe in them. It''s just as important to let them act on their own accord. Those who will grow will grow even when left alone....... I can now see their main goal. I couldn''t have left them to their own devices if it was just stamina training, but it seems I was mistaken. They have thought about this more than I anticipated." Seeing that Godorfun looked to be in good spirits, Mujikka asked something that was on her mind. "......But they seemed to have managed to attend the morning practical lessons to some extent, too. However, most of the students have shortened the distance of their run. What do you think about this approach, Sir?" When Mujikka posed her question, the sunny expression on Godorfun''s face immediately darkened. "I had planned to turn down that brat¡¯s request to introduce him to Dew if he really thought lowering the load of his classmates would be considered in completing my assignment. Even a monkey could do that much...... But that guy didn''t come to me about it. Since I¡¯ve already said I won¡¯t intervene in the club''s matters, I¡¯m going to keep my silence until the appointed date and wait for that brat''s answer." Godorfun paused there, as his expression became even more somber. "If it had been me, I would have continued to push my classmates to the extreme, only keeping the ones who could keep up...... Of course, I¡¯m not expecting him to show me the same answer." It was Jeffrey''s turn to be astonished hearing Mujikka''s statement. "Hmm, you didn''t hear about it, vice-chairman? A new fad has suddenly sprung among the students where they are entering the general dormitory and leaving the life of convenience to train their minds and bodies. In fact, the situation now is such that it is impossible to secure a spot there with official procedure." Godorfun''s face lit up hearing that. "Fuhahaha! What a magnificent spirit. The youngsters nowadays don''t seem to understand just how privileged they are. The very first thing that the Kingdom''s Knight Order does to newcomers is to take them camping for a few years in the beginning to wear off their luxurious outlook. It''s really extraordinary to hear the students willingly discarding the luxury, even going as far as to pay for that inconvenience. Not all hope has been lost it seems." Mujikka, on the other hand, just sighed. "......It''s indeed a welcoming situation as a teacher, but this is not something that I, as a board of director member, can ignore if parents are sending their applications. By the way, what is the amount we¡¯re talking about here?" "Well, it¡¯s...... 5 million. ''If it continued like this, we wouldn¡¯t be able to manage our county well''... or so they pleaded." Mujikka and Godorfun both were taken aback when they heard the specific sum, which happened to be an absurd amount. "5 million rea!? Mujikka, just what is the current state of that dormitory''s facilities!? When I first enrolled in this Academy in Class E, they didn''t have the relief measure where even Class E students could avail of the noble dormitory as long as they paid the rent. I didn''t have that much money at that time either, so I could only helplessly borrow a cramped room in that dilapidated building, which looked no worse than a dog house. Since I couldn''t rent a room outside, I had to put myself through a hellish regime to get out of that hellhole. The general dormitory had a shared bath at that time, no? I can''t imagine it as a place where students are jumping to pay such a huge sum to get in." Mujikka hurriedly brought out the documents and began to confirm. "Umm...... Sir attended the Academy as a student 50 years ago and... There is no record of renovation or improvement in facilities of the general dormitory since that time. The only time something was repaired there was when there was a water leakage problem which happened thrice. I mean, as Sir has experienced first-hand, the general dormitory was left as it is to ignite the competitive spirits of the low-rankers. Probably, it has been operated in the same way as when Sir was there. Even the dorm mother, the renowned monster material researcher, Miss Sora Sandelion, remains unchanged." "What......? That person was indeed renowned in her research field, but she was definitely a human being with a glaring red flag as someone who sees students as her experimental test subjects. Considering the time, she should be over 90 years old now... Is she still actively serving as the dorm mother?" Then, as if he just recalled it, Jeffrey said, "Ah, one more thing, it seems like the breakfast of that dorm mother is quite famous. But I¡¯m surprised Sir Godorfun wasn''t aware of the situation either. As a matter of fact, I heard the whole trend started when all the students of Class 1-A, which you are the class teacher of, moved to the general dormitory to copy Allene Rovenne''s style. So I was sure you must have known about it already since the dorm is mostly filled with the members of the Hill Road Club that Sir Godorfun is the advisor of." Godorfun was left speechless upon hearing Jeffrey''s words. Vol. 1 - Ch. 40 - Assignment Result (1) After classes, precisely two months after Godorfun had handed him the assignment. "Excuse me!" Allen opened the door to the staff room, entered inside, and performed a perfect 30-degree bow. Though strange as it was, his ''bowing'' was no longer an unfamiliar spectacle for the Academy''s staff members. It wasn''t surprising. He had already become famous ¡ª in a positive light ¡ª for bowing before leaving the main gate when starting his morning run, after completing his run, and before and after performing his hill dashes. Well, the person himself had never thought too deeply about the ''spirit of bowing''. As far as he was concerned, he couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous whenever he looked at the baseball members or Judo members, with their boiled octopus-like red faces, bowing on the field or in the dojo? in his previous life. Because, to him, it was the sight of youth and he had always wanted to try it. However, the club members themselves had never heard why their coach (Allen) did this. Even when questioned, Allen merely responded with "It''s just a hobby," yet he never failed to perform this meaningful gesture. This prompted the club members to imagine its deep significance ¡ª from seeing the timing of Allen''s bowing that he has maintained so far ¡ª in their own way and in no time, this etiquette became a trend among them. After Allen turned down the application of Rudelio Von Dialmack, a senior from class 2-A with a haughty attitude, rumors started to circulate among the people almost instantly which just further served to fan the flames of this matter. The prominent students of the Royal Academy combined this minor incident with the information they had heard from the club members and concluded that Allen, while being a fearless person himself, surprisingly disliked rude manners and was quite picky about etiquette.Vissit for updates Well, the person himself, who was aspiring to follow the outlaw route, would have denied it had he heard of it. But considering his experience as a professional in a major Japanese company that valued etiquette, it may have actually been an arrow that grazed the target in the dark. Whatever the reason was, this summed up the groundless rumors that "It''s impossible to join the Hill Road Club unless you know the etiquette of bowing". Soon, some people even stepped forward to establish the "Bowing Etiquette Club", and overnight, the sight of bowing had become a commonplace scenery in the Royal Academy. Incidentally, Allen was the honorary supervisor of that club. Though he couldn''t help but think ''they are exaggerating the matter'', he was unable to turn it down when Thiira-senpai, a student of class 3-A who was introduced to him by Riyad-senpai, approached him and requested it from him with a bow. Returning to the staff room, Allen bolted towards the spot where Godorfun and Mujikka were sitting on a sofa. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Excuse me, huh? I have heard about the meaning behind this ''high-toned greeting'' taught by Master Schord. As far as I can tell, the underlying meaning lies in pardoning the ''greeting''... Why does entering the staff room equate to impoliteness?" As if I know, I thought after hearing Godorfun''s question. I brought out my bullsh*tting spirit and answered. Mujikka-sensei, sitting beside Godorfun, appeared flustered. However, I was so furious with the geezer in front of me that none of my surroundings registered in my eyes. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡®I did my best¡¯ is nothing but the barking of loser dogs! What I want are results! Show me the damned results! The results! This used to be the pet phrase of the sales department head of the company I had once joined for a short time in my previous world. Overloading his subordinates with assignments, howling like a rabid dog each and every time¡ª all that he sought was results. But on the flip side, never once did he teach them any tactic to raise the numbers. A typical old-minded superior who knew nothing but to talk others down with his authority. His creed was to just dish out the results by any means, even if he ended up betraying the trust of the customer or pulling some underhanded tactic. From a long-term perspective, it was a no-brainer that this sort of business practice would put the company in a negative light, but he never cared since he would either be promoted or transferred by the time the problem became apparent. He was obviously a sickening man to me as knew nothing but to shout crap. Godorfun, sitting in front of me, appeared as a mirror copy of that man in my eyes. Either way, this stubborn geezer wasn''t going to overturn the failing mark. I decided to duke it out with the geezer, with the resentment of my past life smoldering inside me. "Kukuku. Kuahahaha!" My sudden maniac-like laughter caused Godorfun to look at me with a skeptical expression. But I paid it no heed, looked straight into his eyes, and declared with a voice that echoed throughout the staff room. "Disappointing, huh?... That¡¯s my line, Godorfun!" The sound of audible gulping could be heard inside the otherwise deathly silent staff room. "You''re a failure as a teacher, Godorfun!" EN - Well, I¡¯m on the MC¡¯s side on this one. Godorfun¡¯s approach may work in a work environment, as harsh as it may be. But in a school environment, teachers should be teaching and nurturing students, not kicking them out as soon as they don¡¯t meet some arbitrary metric. Vol. 1 - Ch. 41 - Assignment Result (2) "You''re a failure as a teacher, Godorfun." The sudden rude remark that I spat out brought a change in Godorfun''s expression. "For a 12-year-old brat, you sure have gotten quite bold... Try to say it one more time!" Godorfun grabbed me by my collar and tried to intimidate me with a threatening tone. But I also haven''t stepped up just to relent to his paper threats. On the side, a flustered Mujikka-sensei seemed ready to intervene but I continued regardless. "Godorfun, you seem to have a grave misunderstanding. You must have thought that the assignment you gave was just for me, right? Hmph. You¡¯re being delusional, and nothing more." Seemingly not understanding the implication of my words, Godorfun''s brow shot up though his menacing expression remained unchanged. "What are you trying to say, brat?" "You mentioned during the first orientation that you were ordered by His Majesty to teach in this academy to raise the students'' levels, didn''t you? But now, you''re preaching the exact opposite by saying ''If it is to reach the goal, I would have to abandon those who couldn''t catch up''. Can you explain this to His Majesty? Can you puff your chest out with pride and report to His Majesty that ''Although the majority couldn''t catch up even after pushing them to their limits so you gave up on them, but a tiny fraction of them have become elites?¡¯... Now answer that, Godorfun!" This time, I grabbed Godorfun''s collar and cross-questioned him. Mujjika-sensei on the sideline let out a yelp seeing my lawless behavior toward this old man who seemed to be some bigshot, but I didn''t care about anything at this point. I mean, how could I tread on the outlaw path if I didn''t have the guts to at least grab my homeroom teacher¡¯s collar, no? Perhaps because had I hit a nerve, Godorfun wore a bitter expression and defended himself. "...That''s some clever wordplay you''re using here. Certainly, as you said, I don''t have the option of sacrificing the other students to achieve my goal given my position. But, this assignment, for all intents and purposes, was just to measure your abilities. What I asked from you was to show your determination, don''t be naive!" Of course, he spouted the same generic ''It''s not about me! We are currently talking about you!'' line that power-harassing bosses usually say. I despised those who preached arrogantly but would put themselves on the shelf. Ask me anytime, and I will still say the same thing, Godorfun. You ¡ª who didn''t bother to know a single bit about the club¡¯s activities, chose not to think, and threw everything on your student¡¯s shoulders, all the while assessing my determination to discard my friends to reach my goal ¡ª are a failure as a teacher!" Realize your incompetence, you bastard chief! I could feel a refreshing wave washing over me as I finally dumped my pent-up feelings, which I had wanted to do since my previous life, onto Godorfun. But as soon as I was done, the menacing aura enveloping Godorfun disappeared with a fwoosh as he began to analyze my statement in his usual manner. "Fumu. I have seen your mentality up close. While I said to pursue clearing the assignment even if it meant pushing the club members to their limits, it seems you saw a different path." Tsk, truly a veteran geezer...... Well, were my words enough to make him reconsider his decision, or were they nothing but the barking of a loser dog to him, which one was it? "You said it earlier, didn''t you? I have come to this academy under the order of His Majesty to raise the standard of the academy''s students. This is as you said. So, shall I take it as you faced the assignment in accordance with ''my true goal''?" Obviously. Those clowns who attempted to clear away the task with unrealistic means while deviating from budget and timeline themselves only have a fuzzy understanding of ''what they truly needed to achieve'' and set a bogus market standard. Even for the clients, it was of utmost importance to first accurately grasp one''s main goal when working with such people. Otherwise, this would lead to a perpetual entanglement with the clients, who finally came back to their senses just when the task was nearing its end, complaining while saying ''That''s not what I wanted''. "Don''t say the obvious. Thoroughly examining what the client is seeking is the basic principle of marketing." I repeated the phrase I had heard from a dubious marketing consultant who had been invited as a trainer for our employee training in my previous life. "Market...? If that''s the case, then this old and senile failure of a teacher is very much interested in hearing what kind of method you used for that. If I¡¯m not wrong, the club you established must be well over 100 members, right? Well, I must say, Schord Bainfause sure raised a capable pupil who can easily supervise and guide so many people. ...Surely, after preaching with such grandiosity, your words shouldn''t be ending short with ''All that I did was to just continue calling them out, while internally thinking it''s fine even if they drop out''... Right?" True to his alias, Godorfun asked while putting on a truly amicable smile on his face. Kukuku. His heart inside must be harboring a tempest after listening to me disparaging him. The pulsing vein on his forehead was proof of that. I took out the report on the activities of the club members, compiled by Kate and other managers, from my bag and placed it on the table. EN - ¡°Realize your incompetence, you bastard chief!¡± I felt that on a spiritual level ???? T/N - Mc spitting out fact xD. Vol. 1 - Ch. 42 - Assignment Result (3) Mujikka-sensei swiftly went over the bundle of reports I put down on the desk. Her eyes widened seeing their contents. It was just the reaction I was expecting. I mean, even I was impressed by seeing their improvement rate in the recent reports. Mujikka-sensei glanced at Godorfun and then reported in a flat tone. "...It''s the detailed data on club members¡¯ training progress. In addition, there is the analysis of each member''s tasks, advice on improving their training methods, predictions for their future growth, and even reference to their health and schedule. There are currently 13 students of Class 1-A who have passed your success criteria, Sir. Everyone will probably be able to meet your required criteria in around 2 months. It''s a tremendous growth rate." The old man''s eyebrow twitched in surprise as he listened to the report. Mujikka-sensei asked me in place of Godorfun who didn''t say anything. "Rovenne-kun, you¡¯re not only the coach of the Hill Road Club, but also an honorary advisor of the Emission Magic Research Club, Geography Research Club, and Etiquette Club. In addition, you even work as an explorer on your days off and have raised your rank from G to E in a month, right? How is everything so detailed? Are you sleeping properly?" In my free time, I established the Emission Magic Research Club, with Al being its president, and the Geography Research Club to study the lands in the Rondina continent this kingdom was situated in. The latter¡¯s president was Coco. Geography had limitless possibilities. A map wasn''t just a simple piece of paper that represented a positional relationship. It encompassed various aspects such as the distribution of monsters, flora and fauna, elevation differences, crucial information like water sources, the status of crop cultivation, and even climate information such as temperature. It allowed people to analyze and categorize every possible area based on their positional relationships. However, the maps in this world were far from covering everything I wanted to know and were quite crude copies. I was having a discussion with Coco on this topic and in the heat of the moment, decided to establish this club. Well, it was a part of the club activities¡¯ awareness program. As for my rank up as an explorer, it happened against my will. I argued with the receptionist lady at the Explorer Association''s Eastern Branch that ''It''s strange for my rank to rise so quickly''. However, she dismissed it with ''It''s the rule'', and I couldn''t break the defense of the lady''s illogical claim. I didn''t even need to guess who was pulling the strings. I had gone to the headquarters to meet Satowa and protest about it. But he pretended to be out on business. "Of course, I haven''t done it on my own. In fact, I will say I¡¯ve done practically nothing at all. This data was compiled by the Hill Road Club''s manager group, headed by Chief Manager Kate. I just created the framework for the manager role at first, and the contents of the report were voluntarily compiled by the managers, keeping in mind what each member needs." I simply stated the truth. Then, I stared back at Godorfun who just kept his silence while looking at me, and asked the question I was genuinely curious about. "Aren''t you going to check them yourself? Though I guess I should make it clear beforehand, the reports may have their own shortcomings in your eyes, considering you have seen the reports compiled by specialists in that field, but I¡¯m thoroughly impressed by the details they have put into the report in this short amount of time. Well, I guess that''s why they are students of this Royal Academy, huh? This isn''t some half-assed work that they¡¯ve done just because their coach asked them to do it. I believe you can get a glimpse of their overflowing enthusiasm every now and then in the reports. Anyway, we can put my assignment to rest, but I do wish for you to take a look at their efforts. If you are still going to adhere to your ''result is all that matters'' policy... Then you are truly a failure. Since I¡¯m at it, let me correct my statement about inviting Schord to this academy. I¡¯m strongly against it. Since it will just be a waste of time." I said my peace and was about to stand up from my seat. This was my deliberate act to disguise my true intention. However, I was serious about the failure part. It was truly just a waste of time talking with people who weren''t determined enough to foster others. I also said this to Mujikka-sensei. "From this day on, I am retiring from the position of coach of the Hill Road Club. Can you please go through the procedure?" "What!? Do you know the chaos that will ensue if you retire now after setting all this up in such a short time!?" Mujikka-sensei said in a loud voice. Ah, this person is indeed a teacher, I thought after looking at her intense reaction, showing her kind consideration for the students. "It''s not something I have to think about. I should have made myself clear earlier. This is a task for Godorfun, not me. I may have grandiosely articulated this, but I have zero motivation to be their guide. It''s not my intention to become a great person who teaches others. All I had in my mind was to put forth my answer to the assignment Godorfun had tasked me with. And for the compensation, it is to be introduced to a suitable mentor. Nothing more, nothing less. The spirit of the Hill Road Club and the managers are just a part of my answer. Let me be clear as well, I¡¯ve already stopped coming up with training plans for the members. The responsibility of each grade has been left to Leo, Dan, and Stella, and they are putting in their effort at their own discretion. Once the dust settles in a few months, they should be able to decide on a president and a unified training policy for the whole club. So, there will be no confusion as you are fearing, Mujikka-sensei. The Hill Road Club is no longer a fledgling that couldn''t take its flight without my presence." Just as I showed my intention to get up from my seat, Godorfun, who had been silent all this time, finally opened his mouth. "Wait. I will go through them." After saying that, Godorfun went over the reports for a short while before letting out a delighted chuckle. "...So basically, everything went along as you had planned... This is another victory for you. Well, the silver lining is that it was all settled peacefully, I guess. But saying ''I didn''t do anything, everything is the fruit of their effort''... The master and disciple (Allen and Schord) pair are really cut from the same cloth." ¡ô¡ô¡ô As if it were natural, an unbelievable rumor found itself traveling from one ear to another throughout the Royal Capital after three days. The rumor stated that ''Godorfun the Buddha'' failed Allen Rovenne on a nearly impossible assignment that he was tasked with that spanned several months, which followed with Allen Rovenne getting into an argument with him over it. Allen then thoroughly beat Godorfun down with his words and in the end, the result was reevaluated, accompanied by an apology. Three people broke into laughter when they heard that rumor. Explorer Association Headquarters¡ª "Wahahaha! Did you guys hear? That geezer lost in an argument against that brat and had to lower his head! Oi, Satowa! What''s that brat''s current rank!?" "Well, it has been raised to E. But since his contribution level and character evaluation hidden score is A, we can raise his rank anytime as long as he displays his abilities in one request. It shouldn''t take long for it to be raised to C-rank where we can put up a nomination request. Though he did visit the headquarters once to protest, but I pretended I wasn¡¯t here." Shell chuckled after hearing Satowa''s reply. "Isn''t his abilities on par with C-rank visible from him hunting down that one horned rabbit so easily? Raise his rank as soon as he submits the medicinal herb quest even once!" Royal Palace------ "Gahahaha! Even I was curious after hearing the rumor that a 12-year-old kid soundly defeated you in an argument... So that''s the full story, huh?... He¡¯s really an interesting kid." "Give me a break. it''s not interesting to me. It just means I still haven''t completely changed my mentality as a member of the knight order. It''s really pathetic that I only realized it when a child pointed it out. And while I was taking it easy, that fellow had already taken care of nurturing the talents in people. He has thoroughly defeated me in this for sure." "I see. But, I must say, that kid holds quite an unusual viewpoint. A rigorous and challenging education policy should have been an obvious answer to raise not just a knight, but a fine talent overall, no? Is this the influence of that rumored private tutor...? Or perhaps, that kid just holds a peculiar viewpoint that others lack...? Very well, I¡¯ll write to Knight Commander Orina then. However, hearing so much about him has certainly made me want to meet him... Allen Rovenne, was it?" The king of the kingdom had firmly remembered Allen¡¯s name at that moment. Knight Order Central Garrison in the Royal Capital¡ª "Oh, look who it is! Old Godorfun! Pfft. I heard that you were preached at by that crooked brat until you cried?! That''s why I said to straighten his crooked personality first! Gyahaha!" Dew burst into loud laughter while pointing at Godorfun. "It''s not that interesting... Besides, I had promised him to introduce you as a mentor if he managed to pass the assignment, that''s why I didn''t plan to accept a half-hearted attempt since I knew how busy you usually were. Though, I seemed to have been completely outmaneuvered by that brat. Sorry, and take care of him for me." Godorfun put up an extremely amicable smile as he informed Dew. After hearing that, Dew¡¯s high-pitched laughter instantly came to a halt. "......Do-don''t mess around, old man! Do you even know how much work I¡¯ve been buried in!? And you want me to babysit (mentor) that damned brat?! It''s not funny even as a joke! I refuse!" Godorfun pulled a surprised expression upon hearing that. "Hey hey hey! Looks like I jumped the gun on this... I thought you''d be delighted. I received a royal decree addressed to the Commander from the King, and I just had it delivered a moment ago..." Godorfun had just finished his words when a knight ran to where Dew was. "You have received an assignment, Legion Commander Dew!" "T-that''s not fair, you geezeeeeeeeer!!!!!" Vol. 1 - Ch. 43 - First Equipment (1) In the constant ebb and flow of time, let''s zero in on a day, slightly beyond the one-month mark since enrolling in the academy. Apparently, Riyand-senpai''s concern turned out to be true. As soon as he had returned to his home after the classes, he was pulled in to deal against the swarm of visitors who visit them after hearing the rumours. I really wanted senpai''s company to help me out in the purchase of necessary tools for explorers, however, I didn''t catch even a shadow of him in the dorm. And when I finally made a request to him in the morning club activities, he apologetically turned me down. "I really want to accompany you, Allen-kun. But I have to deal with the visitors along with my mother. General riffraff aren''t a problem, but it''s hard to turn down those influential nobles who have officially taken an appointment, and you know, if father were to handle all this stuff, no one will be able to handle the business." I couldn''t believe I have caused a nuisance for the respected senpai...I said if I could visit his house to apologise, but he rejected this as well saying the situation was still chaotic. Once things settle down, I must bring a present and visit in person. Nevertheless, it was inexcusable when senpai''s home was being bothered due to me. When I apologised however, senpai said ''My parents are in fact delighted to know about our friendship, so you really don''t need to worry that much'' with a wry smile. Feeling his continuous concern for me, I really felt ashamed of myself. Well, I guess this means I have to look for equipment alone, huh? The club activities were progressing well, even without my intervention, so I thought it was just time to properly start my work as an explorer, and since senpai wasn''t available, I could only act alone. Just as I was contemplating it in the morning, I noticed Stella in the dinning hall and decided to consult with her. After all, she was a member of the Achilles family who was said to be the protector of Darren mountain range, so she should have an idea about this, right? "Stella, can I take a bit of your time?" "My, it''s rare for you to voluntarily call out. What is it?" "Is that so? You see, I¡¯ve registered as an explorer, and I was thinking of going for the collection and hunting quests to earn living expenses and all that. I want to gather basic equipment for that purpose, such as knives for collection and dismantling, storage bags, and the minimum emergency survival supplies. You seem knowledgeable about it, so I wonder if you can help me out?" "Ah, explorer¡¯s equipment, huh? Sure. First, the suitable equipment varies depending on the area of activity and purpose. Of course, it also depends on the budget. However, instead of asking me, would it not be better to ask someone from the Explorer''s Association or maybe visit shops for explorers and talk with someone more aware of the situation around the Royal Capital?" Oh, that makes sense. "You''re right. That sounds like great advice. Thanks, I¡¯ll come to you again if I have something else to discuss." "...I was sure you came to ask about your weapon and armor or something... So, I presume you already have them ready? You must be using that sword with a curved blade, imitating your wooden sword... ''Katana'', was it?" Ah, shoot. Hearing her talk about my weapon made me realize my stupidity. I thought a wooden sword would be sufficient, considering it could handle that Horned Rabbit I hunted last time. But the lack of a proper weapon would surely prove detrimental against other monsters, right? Stella shook her head in exasperation seeing my bewildered expression. "...One would usually think about securing a weapon or armor first before anything else... You really seem to be missing a few screws in your head. I know you¡¯re more than capable, but I¡¯ll advise against underestimating monsters. Monsters of comparable size can shrug off attacks to some extent. At least make sure to have a weapon that can pose some danger to them and a breastplate if you are going to be active in a monster-infested area, alright? What¡¯s your budget?" I was thinking of covering the initial costs with the money I earned from my first gathering trip with my senior. It was riskier to invest my living expenses when I didn''t even know the projected income I could get from this. It kinda sounded like I was deviating from my outlaw approach, but I didn''t want to be a daredevil on purpose just to jeopardize my situation and make it difficult for me. "I can go a bit over my limit, but my overall base budget is around 2500 rea. I don''t plan to buy quality stuff right off the bat. I¡¯m thinking of preparing only the essential ones, and if I manage to earn well, then I¡¯ll think of splurging on better things." Stella crossed her arms and thought for a moment. "...I don''t know the prices in the Royal Capital, but this budget will most likely be unable to cover the essential equipment. How about you first take a look around and decide on what to prioritize rather than rushing to buy them right away?" A composed opinion, indeed. She was rough with her words, but I could always rely on her objective viewpoint. I asked her if she could accompany me later to take a look around. "Are you free after school today? Would you mind accompanying me?" "...A, ah. I don''t really mind. But I didn''t expect you to invite a girl to go shopping so smoothly... Are you really a virgin?"REaad updated stories at "Pfft. But I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s wasting time from an efficiency perspective. I heard that you¡¯re starting as a G-rank explorer. For real, you keep opting for the strangest choices that even my excellent secretary found it hard to keep stalking (information gathering) you and nearly collapsed. I guess that''s how much you don''t want me to lose interest in you, huh?" It was just the other day when I had an interview with Satowa, and she already heard about it? What kind of superhuman secretary did she have...? "I share the same opinion. With your current popularity, it would be easy to earn around 10,000 rea in just half a day if you take the job of a private tutor in the Royal Capital. If the goal is just money, becoming an explorer is indeed an inefficient choice." 10,000 rea in half a day? Wow, that sure sounded like easy mone¡ª Don''t get tempted by this, me! It''s easy to lose your financial sense when rolling in easy money...... Though this was a bit off-topic, I was the type to think ''Let''s save every penny for three years to avoid crippling myself from wasting too much money'' and was such an ambitionless person in my previous life. Even if I happened to win the lottery, it was the same rinse-and-repeat pattern. "I haven''t learned much about explorers so forgive me for asking, but is ''G-rank'' really that terrible?" Al asked in confusion. Well, explorers in this world were kind of like day laborers in some aspects. So, I could understand why a noble-born like Al, more so being a talented individual, was not aware of it. How should I explain this now...? Just as I was contemplating this, Jeu answered in my place. "I also took this chance to study a bit more about explorers after hearing the rumors from my butler Sebas. Explorers are given ranks that reflect their achievements and abilities, excluding commemorative titles. A-rank is the highest while G-rank is the lowest. An explorer aspirant usually starts from G-rank, but a Royal Academy student automatically qualifies to start from D-rank. So basically, Allen-san started from bottom rank instead by relinquishing that privilege." Al and Coco turned to give me a bewildered look after hearing Jeu''s explanation. Stella apparently was already aware of it, judging from her expression. "You know there is usually an interview with the higher-ups of the organization when students want to register, right? I ended up quarreling with that person, and was assigned the G-rank as a punishment." I explained my reason. "Pfft. You¡¯re really not good at lying, are you? I heard you completely played Satowa Fjord, the vice-president of the Explorer Association, twisting his argument against him who wanted to register you as B-rank and instead forced him to register you as G-rank." What the heck... It should have been me who was completely led around by Satowa. Not another outrageous rumor... "That''s just a baseless rumor. That so-called excellent secretary of yours must have fallen for a fake story." I assertively shot down that rumor. "I wonder about that though. Since this is a rumor personally confirmed by the person himself, vice-president Satowa. He said you had a crazed smile while speaking about how you were going to enjoy becoming an explorer from the ground up." That bastard! What ''I will not easily divulge this information to others'', damned jerk! And even embellishing the rumors to such an extent, I will definitely protest next time! "...Sure enough, is it also a part of that discipline? Make sense, I will start with G-rank as well then!" Coco nodded along to Al''s statement. "Don''t do it, Al. It¡¯ll just be a waste of time." I tried to stop him from jumping into the misunderstanding, but with his current expression, I knew anything I said would just fall on deaf ears. Whatever. I¡¯d firmly drill some sense into them if they ever decided to make being explorers their main profession, but I guess they know when to stop at least. I really didn''t want them to fuss over the rank as well, if possible. EN - So, while Fey hasn¡¯t really grown on me, at least she hasn¡¯t become more annoying. Though the running joke about the MC¡¯s V-card is really becoming too much now. Vol. 1 - Ch. 44 - First Equipment (2) After a 30-minute ride in the car, we arrived at the ''Shinglaud Royal Capital East Branch''. It was apparently the most prominent weapon and armor retail store in the Royal Capital. It was a spacious one-story building with a high ceiling, resembling a hardware store from my previous life in appearance, with weapons and armor densely arranged inside. "Well, your primary weapon might be similar to that strange wooden sword, but considering you even forget to arrange proper armor or weapons for hunting, I presume this must be your first time in the store, right? You might want a secondary weapon later, so you can also check out what kind of weapons are available here." I see, so she hadn''t brought me here without a plan. Though, I didn''t really have any fixation over the katana. "Thank you, Stella!" I thanked her from the bottom of my heart. As I took a step inside the store, nervousness welled up inside me. The arrival of people wearing the Royal Academy''s uniform, more so getting off from a gorgeous open-top car, instantly attracted the attention of a pompously dressed man as he came our way while rubbing his hands together. "Welcome to Shinglaud. I am Rundo, the branch deputy manager of the Shinglaud Royal Capital Eastern Branch. I apologize as our Branch Manager just happened to be inconveniently out at this time, so this Rundo will be catering to Jeuri Leverance-sama and her friends from the Royal Academy. Pardon me, but may I enquire what business you have today?" The old man with a swept-back hairstyle ¡ª one that was too commonplace in a department store ¡ª in a sharp attire greeted us with a deep bow. I guess from the crest on the open-top car and our uniforms, he immediately figured out our and Jeu¡¯s identities. A man who knows his stuff, huh? Hah, but it was due to this excessive courtesy from others that I disliked coming with these guys... "You need not concern yourself with us. It should be me who should apologize for arriving without any prior notification. I¡¯m here to accompany my friends shopping." Jeu, too, responded in a refined manner. Hmm, well, she is a noble lady, after all. A buzz spread inside the store at the arrival of our group who not only seemed to be from an influential family but were also students of the Royal Academy. "So it is, I understand. It''s truly an honor to be able to guide the students of the Royal Academy, the future pillars of this kingdom. I apologize for jumping out first, but may I ask the purpose of your friends¡¯ visit and their approximate budget?" "I am Feyrune Von Dragoon. I¡¯m also here to accompany my friend." (T/N - It wasn¡¯t phon, but von. My brain had a derpy moment and missed the obvious implication. EN - I think we always used von though?) "Stella Achilles. Likewise, I¡¯m just accompanying my friend.¡± "I am Aldore Engraver. A mage aspirant. I already have the wand, so I guess it will be armor for me. My budget is approximately 20,000 rea." "Coconial Canardial. I am looking for a short sword and armor. Budget is around 30,000 rea." Wow~. The statuses of our families were basically the same, but both of them had quite a grand budget. As for me, maybe it was simply because we were poorer, or maybe it was the consideration of my mother, my allowance was quite small in comparison... Perhaps, it was the combination of both? Anyway, I wasn''t counting on my allowance at all. On Rundo''s side, I could see a shining glint in his eyes when he heard everyone''s introduction and said. "My, my! It''s truly my lucky day to meet the shiniest gems of the Royal Academy, the members of Class A. And oh my, that dark-brown hair... Dare I wonder, might you be none other than Allen¡ª" "This humble self goes by the name of Pork Lidz. My budget is meager 2500 rea, and I¡¯m here for a weapon, and if possible, to see if I can cram in a secondary weapon, armor, and necessary survival tools for an explorer." Material - Black Tiger Iron Price - 220,000 Real Description - A single-edged longsword crafted from black tiger iron ¡ª an ore that boasts 10 times the hardness of regular iron ¡ª through a secret forging technique. The sword exhibits exceptional resistance to mana, and it can sever even spells. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The jet-black blade looked really cool, however, the price of 220,000 rea was a complete turn-off. It would take quite some time before I could afford this. I had never seen anyone carrying a katana in the Royal Capital. So I guess it was a luxury item. I then moved to the adjacent one-handed sword section. The long swords here were slightly cheaper. The majority had a price tag of 1000 rea. However, there was also a one-handed buckler placed beside each of them. I guess they were sold as a set. But the set would also put a strain on my limited budget. Perhaps, I should consider just preparing a shield. I was using a sword even before my awakening, so it was my priority but beggars can''t be choosers, huh? Besides, I kinda wanted to try out different equipment. Afterward, I took a look around the spear, naginata, pole, and other long-reaching weapons. Unfortunately, from the perspective of the lowest price, these weapons, which required a large amount of materials to make, were expensive when compared to long swords. Next, I shifted to the bow section. Bows were generally separated into two types: longbows, which were as tall as a person and what I would expect to be used by the archery club members from my previous life, and short bows, which were designed in an M shape and something I would expect a hunter to use. It seemed like longbows were preferred for the range and power they provide, while short bows were favored by those who prefer rapid rotations. But a bow, huh...? It was a weapon filled with romance, but I never considered it as an option considering my budget and the fact that an edged tool was first and foremost on my list. The cheapest longbow was priced at 1000 rea, while short bows started at the price of 500 rea. However, arrows were sold separately. The simplest pointed wooden arrow cost 5 re each. Arrows with iron-heads were priced at 10 rea. Hmm, considering the running cost, I think it might not be practical... While I was contemplating while groaning with my hand holding the cheapest short bow, a tall lady, seemingly the clerk, approached me. She seemed to be 27 or 28 years old. She was slender, with long legs, and sported shoulder-length brown wavy hair. She didn''t seem to be wearing makeup, but that actually gave her a youthful impression. If anything, she seemed better suited for wielding an assault rifle in an overcoat than a longbow. "Are you an explorer? Assuming from your appearance, you must be a rookie who just registered, right? We also have a place to test the bows out if you would like to." "Really? I would absolutely love that!" Hearing my swift reply, the female lady giggled with a teasing smile, said ''Follow me'', and took me to the testing ground beside the building. Ah, finally, I just wanted this kind of normal interaction...... EN - edited 11/25/2023. Vol. 1 - Ch. 45 - First Equipment (3) The testing place the clerk sister led me to was a facility with lanes of boxes lined up next to each other. Appearance-wise, I guess it resembled battle cages. "I am Rouge. I assume it''s your first time checking out a bow, dear customer?" "Yes, it''s my first time trying one!" I replied. "In that case, I would recommend trying out this short bow. It''s called the ''Lygo Bow'', coming from the Lygo trees whose wood it has been made out of. The wood from Lygo trees in itself is quite strange in fact, featuring a sturdy exterior but supple interior almost as if it was made for bows. The bows made from this wood also retain their simple appearance for ages. Its string is made from the processed leg tendon of a monster called Papi. It''s quite cheap, though it pales in comparison to bows made from multiple synthesized materials, and is easy to maintain. It¡¯s something I would recommend if you''re a beginner. Can dear customer use Body Strengthening Magic?" At my nodding, Rouge-san took me to a lane with a 50m testing range. The biggest lane, located at the deepest section, offered a 300m distance testing range, and a brawny man was there pulling the string of a staggeringly big bow while aiming through a scope. "Lygo bows are given a rating of 5. So let''s start with the lightest one, which has an effective range of 50m and a maximum range of 150m." After a rundown on the basics like how to hold the bow, the stance, how to nock an arrow, and all that from Rouge-san, I made my move. The arrow I fired found its way below the 50m target by quite a margin. "Impressive, are you really using a bow for the first time, dear customer? You definitely have a knack for it. Though, I am more astonished by your strength." They might just be some empty praises, nevertheless, I was a bit delighted at the compliments. "I guess dear customer will not have any problems with pulling Lygo Bow No. 4. Its effective range is 90m while its maximum range is 270m." Rouge-san handed me another Lygo bow. I see, its grip certainly was thicker and sturdier than the previous bow. I recalled the trajectory from when I drew the Lygo Bow No.1 earlier and the phrase ''90m effective range''. With that, I adjusted my aim slightly above the target and pulled the bowstring. My arrow slightly grazed past the target''s upper part. "...Are you perhaps a student of the Royal Academy?" The sudden question caught me off-guard. I really didn''t feel like using my false alias to introduce myself. She sounded like a nice person, and I also wanted to further consult with her. Ugh, but using my real name when I had only revealed my false alias to the Deputy Manager earlier sounded like a recipe to invite trouble...... While I was going through my internal monologue, Rouge-san snickered. "Fufu. It''s an amazing feat to achieve that, so dear customer doesn''t have to put on such a complex expression and should be more proud. I guess sir customer must have some backstory?" "...I am fresh out of a faraway countryside, so I¡¯m not quite used to the preferential treatment that the Royal Academy students receive. That''s why I¡¯m delighted with the normal customer treatment I¡¯m getting from you. By the way, how did you figure it out?" Rouge-san smiled in amusement upon hearing my reply. "I only usually see others delighted when at the receiving end of preferential treatment, and puffing out their chest at various praises. And to answer dear customer''s question, your usage of body-strengthening magic is truly exceptional, to say the least, given your age. Furthermore, many would have to exert some effort in pulling the bowstring with body-strengthening magic, however, dear customer''s breathing remained composed all this while. It''s easier for the arrow to miss the mark to the left and right with a loose grip and an unstable output. And the Royal Academy is just nearby, so I thought maybe, and I guess I hit the mark." Oh? That made sense. Mana control was relatively proportional to the given output of one¡¯s body-strengthening magic, after all. Any young boy with a low mana amount wouldn''t be able to keep their hands from wobbling, even if they managed to pull the bowstring. "I¡¯m Allen... Well, please call me Pork. I introduced myself as such to the Deputy Manager earlier." Rouge-san burst out in laughter after hearing my confession. "Our store does have ready-made products, but this will be out of your budget. They cost 10,000 rea at the minimum. For custom orders, it wouldn''t be strange to go up another digit in terms of cost." Ack, I thought it was just your average tool seeing how Riyad-senpai casually used his knife for grilling to roast the meat. I should have seen it coming since he was the son of a major company owner, and he was a B-rank explorer himself after all. No matter how hard a dragon tries to hide its presence, it still gives out clues, huh? "Oh, then let''s drop it. Can I ask what you can recommend to me?" Rouge-san smiled at my response and asked me to accompany her. While we were making our way to the knife section, Rouge-san suggested. "Dear customer still have classes to attend, so I believe your range of activities should focus on the capital''s outskirts, right? The elemental monsters in this area aren''t that strong so I would recommend beginner explorer-oriented leather armor manufactured by our store''s own brand. It''s light, easy to move in, and easy to slip out of by removing the base cloth. Of course, its endurance is on the lower end of the spectrum, but it''s relatively cheaper in comparison. It should work for now." "I¡¯ll have that then." I immediately decided on it. I mean, I didn''t even know the ''a'' of armor quality. Besides, she seemed to be a nice person, so I might as well ride on a professional''s advice. It''s not like I had deep pockets to choose otherwise. "This leaves the knife. Please wait for a short while, I will swiftly bring out my recommendation." Rouge-san said her words and disappeared into the back of the store. Just as I was waiting, my classmates, whom I had completely forgotten about, approached me. "Oh! We finally found you, Allen. We searched around but you vanished like a ghost, where were you all this while?" "Allen?! So he''s indeed Allen Rovenne!" Al, out of his uncontrolled enthusiasm, ended up calling me by my name in front of Branch Deputy Manager Rundo, revealing my identity. ¡®Crap¡¯, Al''s expression said as much, but the cat was out of the bag at this time. ...What was done was done. I was also almost done with my business here, so it was alright, I guess. Just then, Rouge-san came back from the back room holding two knives. "I made you wait. Oh, your friends?" "Branch Manager! Didn''t you say you¡¯re going out?!... You¡¯ve just returned, right!? Righhht!?" ...Branch Manager? I glanced at Rouge-san who mischievously stuck out her tongue. Let me get this straight. So the obstinate, Royal Academy student-hating Branch Manager in her words was herself...? What a mess, I don''t get it... "Allen. So you completely forget about us just to take your sweet time shopping with the pretty elder sister over there and flirt with her. Explain." Hey there, Fey. Don''t make things messier than it already was... (For Editor - So, dear customer was my edition. Since JP can also work by keeping pronouns out of the sentence, Rouge didn''t use any ''you'' ''dear customer'' etc to address Allen. Should I remove it, or keep it?) T/N - Well, I had an inkling. So she was indeed the branch manager. And what a chapter without Fey''s own delusion huh... Reminds me of those last decade light novel heroine''s with running gag/catchphrases. EN - Obviously the expert elder sister type clerk was actually the Branch Manager. One of the oldest cliches in the book. ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 46 - First Equipment (4) "My, your girlfriend? What a cute girl. I¡¯m sorry for keeping your boyfriend busy, but it¡¯ll soon be over. There''s just a knife left to decide on." The misunderstanding from Rouge-san instantly put Fey in a good mood. I hurriedly cleared up the situation. "No, we''re nothing like that, Rouge-san. Rather, we aren''t even a teeny bit close, just regular classmates." "Is this what I am to you? A woman of convenience you can order around anytime like the other day you didn''t hesitate in telling me ''Make 100 magic tools with your own money!¡¯" "...You can''t take girls for granted, understand?" Rouge-san said with a cold tone. I really wanted to deny her claim, but it was somewhat true so I couldn''t muster up a strong rebuttal. No, I can''t let this happen again. I have to quickly request for our club budget from Mujikka-sensei or else this girl¡¯s going to use this line at every opportunity... "What an outlandish behavior toward the heiress of the Dragoon family. Truly, the rumors hadn''t lied about you, Allen Rovenne......" Deputy Branch Manager Rundo was so shocked he ended up revealing his inner thoughts. He even forgot to add honorifics in the end. However, he quickly came back to his senses and continued. "Branch Manager! The guests here are all the students of Class A from this year''s batch. And... Is Branch Manager attending to Allen Rovenne-sama...?" Rundo looked at Rouge-san with a worried gaze. "Yeah. He looked so cute furtively taking note of the price tags that I couldn''t help myself from calling out to him. He said to treat him like any other regular customer, but whoever said a talent can''t be concealed is quite right. I guess I should also adopt honorifics, right, dear customer?" ''Anything but that,'' I replied in response to Rouge-san''s teasing question. After that, Stella butted in as she looked at the short bow in my hands. "In fact, just treat us the same. By the way, Allen, have you decided to give up on a sword and are now choosing a short bow? It''s a pity considering you can fight with Leo to a stalemate. Also, it''s fine for hunting, but this isn''t a weapon knights often use. I think you could have chosen a longbow instead." Rouge-san looked surprised upon hearing Stella''s words. "Deary me, so you were a knight aspirant? I should have properly confirmed it before. What she said is right. How about swapping to a longbow now?"Vissit for updates Rouge-san suggested, though, for me, I had already taken a liking to this ''Lygo Bow''. Besides, I wasn''t particularly aiming to join the knight order anyway. No, maybe I should say I didn''t really care about being a swordsman or becoming the world¡¯s strongest. All I wanted was just enough strength to lead a whimsical life. "Thank you, but I like this one. Besides, I can just use this and if it seems necessary, I¡¯ll think about trying out other weapons. Also, I wasn''t actively pursuing knighthood." Rouge-san chuckled on hearing my response. "Alright. Well, you seem to have talent with the bow so I believe you can also use your honed skill with the short bow for the longbow with ease." "...My, Allen-san has just been away for a while, yet he is already on close terms with another lady. This is why I can''t keep my eyes off him. Considering this, maybe I should focus on becoming one of the girls around him rather than aiming for his V-card. Ah, but it''s not like the Reverance family to surrender before the outcome is decided... Then again... But... Just what exactly do I really want? Kukuku, maybe, this is love?" No, it isn''t! I thought. As Jeu giggled to herself while murmuring her riddled monologue, Stella and Fey stared at me. Rouge answered in an upbeat mood. "But he is the rising star of this year who has beaten down that prodigy Leo Zatsinger by achieving the top score in the practical exam, Branch Manager. We should give him a discounted price and buy his favor." Rundo enthusiastically appealed, however, Rouge just smiled in response without saying anything. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "I¡¯m sorry for my earlier blunder, Allen. They found out your real name in the end." After leaving the store, Al earnestly apologized for his earlier mistake. "You really don''t have to mind. I was mostly done with my shopping, and considering my future visits, I think it all worked out for the better." "If you say so. By the way, what¡¯s everyone going to do now? Coco and I plan to visit the Association Headquarters and register ourselves as explorers." Al asked the others about their plans. "I still have an errand to do here after this. So, see you tomorrow." (Allen) I had basically gathered all the necessary equipment, so my next stop was to visit the Explorer Association and gather intel on explorer''s work. "...Can''t you leave that errand for tomorrow? There¡¯s a tasty sweet nearby, it wouldn''t hurt to accompany us for a while longer, you know? Even in the arms store, you immediately went out to pick girls up and trapped that beautiful lady with your sweet words... Do you even know why we came here?" Fey gave me a reproachful glare. No, it wasn''t just her, everyone was casting accusatory glances my way... I only visited the arms store and received a weapon from the clerk, I didn¡¯t think they needed to look at me like that... I really don''t get it. Well, on the other hand, it''s already late today. I guess I¡¯ll just gather information tomorrow. But sweets, huh? I really wasn''t that excited about it, to be frank. It¡¯s not that I wasn''t interested in them, far from it. I frequently went out for the sake of sweets, which I think was quite whimsical of me as a man, and pre-awakened ''Allen'' was fond of sweets, which was normal for a kid. However, coming from someone who experienced the world''s top-class cuisines in the gourmet superpower called Japan, especially in the capital Tokyo, I have serious doubts about the gourmet level here. At the very least, I didn''t see any dishes served back at our family''s home that managed to impress me. Things like barbecue with just salt sprinkled on monster meat were incredibly delicious, but that was mostly due to the ingredient quality rather than craftsmanship. There was just one time I visited a first-class restaurant in this Royal Capital, and that was when I was sightseeing with my elder sister. Honestly, my impression stopped at ''Well, this is it''. I guess the standard of the country called Japan was just that extraordinary from my other world perspective. But turning down their offer now would be a disservice to Stella who had gone out of her way to help me out this time. And I also decided on my weapons without any prior discussion with them... "Haa. Alright. Stella went out of her way to accompany me, so I can do that much..." The girl trio cheered when I said that. The connection between girls and sweets never changes, huh? T/N - I guess others know who Rouge is or how she usually treats royal academy students. On the side note, I added the Allen tag after the dialogue since I thought it might be confusing to check who speaks that line. And on a further side note, I am glad this novel isn¡¯t about cooking. EN - You know, if Allen just stood up to Fey instead of being quiet just because what she said was kinda sorta true, there wouldn¡¯t be any misunderstandings. How hard is it to say ¡°That was for our club activities and you agreed to it quite readily.¡± If he¡¯s gonna act like such a doormat to her, he may as well sign the marriage papers now ¡®cause he¡¯s gonna be her whipped husband at this rate whether he likes it or not. Sorry for the rant, I¡¯m not really fond of these sorts of forced comedies when the mc can clearly defend himself if only he spoke out. Vol. 1 - Ch. 46.5 - Interlude: Ice Cream The store that we headed to in the flashy open-top car of the Leverance family was 15 minutes away from the arms store by car. I heard from the others that we were going to eat ice cream, so I imagined something like a gelatin store or a crepe store crowded with long lines of girls and take-away features like my previous life. Having our take out and eating them somewhere around the shop with friends, didn''t that sound like the springtime of youth!? I had hyped myself imagining that, but the store we arrived at was just another first-class restaurant with a sprinkle of Arabian-style atmosphere. What a bummer, so I thought, but it is what it is. After the staff led us inside the store, I looked at the dreadful menu without any price tags and ordered the simplest ''ice cream''. "To be honest, I didn''t expect Allen-san to tag along with us. It''s just hard to imagine you eating sweets."REaad updated stories at Jeu, putting up her usual polite smile, said. "No, of course not. Rather, I¡¯m known as someone who¡¯s quite picky about his sweets." Well, in the previous world that is, and... self-proclaimed at that. "Pfft. You don''t need to cover for yourself, Allen. Everyone knows you have ''that kind'' of palate. None of us are expecting any insight from you when it comes to taste, so it''s fine." Fey said as if she was looking at something funny. Is she trying to say "As someone from a rural area oblivious to the refined palate, we know you are trying to appear knowledgeable"...? What the hell?! I didn''t even know rumors about my palate, which had feasted on Japan''s cuisine, was simply ridiculed as ''that kind''. I mean, yeah, I ate Sora''s breakfast in the morning without any complaint, then I only had emergency portable rations for lunch and visited the soba restaurant at night every day after enrolling into the Royal Academy... Alright, I know that''s not a healthy eating habit per se... But I absolutely wasn''t someone who didn''t care about taste. I was someone who managed to enter into a first-class food & beverage-making company''s goods development department. I simply tagged along due to my gratitude for Stella¡¯s help. So, I had planned not to show off my refined palate from my previous life, even if the item just happened to be so-so, so that everyone could have a good time... But it seemed like fate didn''t want me to be quiet. Alright. I raised my voice to the employee who took my order. "Excuse me, I would like to change my order with this rollberry-flavored thing. Don''t put sauce over it, just bring it on a different plate." "Sauce... is it?" "You can just ask us if you don''t know about the ice cream, Allen." Fey said with a grinning tone. ...From the appearance of the shop, I thought they might use homemade berry sauce for topping at least, but from the looks of it, it seemed like all the flavors were already mixed into the ice. "Our Rovenne territory wasn''t so far gone to not have ice cream. But very well, just bring me the usual ''ice cream''. I would like black tea in addition." "...Do people eat ice cream by topping it with sauce in your territory?" Coco inquired, which he seldomly did when in public. He has opened up quite a bit recently, but he still shied away in places like this. I guess he must have been genuinely curious about it. Coco¡¯s order was one of the prime choices, hot coffee with chocolate ice cream. Speaking of which, he looked lean now, but he was quite round when we first met. Being a sweet lover wasn''t an easy thing, eh? "No, I just did some research with our chef. The tongues of people easily get molded into monotonous tastes in the blink of an eye. This is the story for all cooking so unevenness in the flavor is the most important. In that case, I prefer to add some flavor to the ice cream later if possible. Bringing a variation through drinks, like Coco''s choice, is one way to do it." It was the same reason as to why rice and curry sauce shouldn''t be mixed together. It was easier for the tongue to be numbed if there was no depth to the flavors. Let''s say this was necessary even in dishes made as a whole to feel the changes in the taste and smell in the mouth. A close example would be like green spring onion on udon. A dish missing such a factor was what you¡¯d call bland cooking. "Haha. It''s hardly convincing when you only eat emergency portable rations every day for lunch even when we try to invite you. Wait, maybe it''s the time for the heavenly chef, Salt Pinefork to take the limelight after legendary private tutor Schord Bainfause? Introduce us once, alright?" (Fey) "Yes. We mainly use the cow milk of the Roubrand breed, raised in cold highlands." Oh? So the main technique is their in-house ratio mixture? But asking about the recipe any further would be prying too much so I held myself back. "Pfft. Here you are again with your incomprehensible words. It¡¯s my first time hearing someone talking about the fat percentage being less than 20% while reviewing the food. Have you measured it before? Why and how did you do it?" Crap... I forgot there wasn''t a concept of ingredient composition in a food item in this world. It was usually clear with just a glance at the ingredients label in Japan, so I didn''t know about the fat content to the exact value but this world did have densitometers, so it wasn''t completely strange. But if I continued like this, they would surely lump me in the same category as a mad scientist (like Sora) rather than a gourmet. "I think there is also some milk of a goat monster... Ramie goat, to be precise, mixed in as well. The faint smell, reminiscent of stepping on summer grass, gives it away. Allen''s analysis of the fat content is interesting. Ramie goats live in rocky areas and are beefy monsters with exceptional jumping ability. Their milk is light yet possesses a deep richness, like soup made with onions." We all were surprised to hear Coco identifying the ingredients. "Amazing, or should I say as expected of the students of the Royal Academy. Both your palate and knowledge are first-class. Ramie goat milk usually doesn''t appear that much in the market, but... We have indeed incorporated it." The employee showed his silent gesture of surrender facing the two of us. He was directing an admiration-filled gaze at Coco...... That admiration included me as well, right? I did point it out earlier, didn¡¯t I? "What does Allen think on how to improve it? Do you have any idea?" I guess he seemed to have sensed there was more to my words from my expression as he passed the baton of the topic back to me. How keen... And Coco in his analysis mode seemed like he wouldn''t stop until he got to the bottom of something. I divulged a bit of my previous world''s knowledge in a barely explainable range. "Like I said earlier, the separable flavor should be combined just before consumption. The taste tends to blend if you add it beforehand, even if you don''t mix it in. Leaving the skin and seeds finely chopped without straining them can also contribute to a desirable texture. Aside from that... The chef''s skills leave no room to complain about but I think there is room for improvement in the magic tool used." Fey''s eyes immediately shined hearing me mention magic tools. "How exactly?" "Stirring the creme anglaise while cooling it results in ice cream. You must have learned about the phenomenon of lowering the freezing point of water by adding salt or sugar to it in physics class, right? I believe the icy texture of the ice cream can be further smoothened and it would be easier to melt in the mouth by effectively stirring the sauce at the lowest possible temperature, just right before the solidification process takes place." "...That''s quite an interesting theory. I¡¯ll try it next time." He seemed to be content with that much for now, so Coco stopped there. But I bet he would surely come to my dorm room one of these days to continue this topic. "Hahaha! How do you even know that much? It can''t be that your results in the mock exam were due to spending most of your time in such experiments with your elder sister and Schord, right? It would be funny if this was the main reason that led to the cheating allegation, hahaha." Fey began taking more interest in my life than the ice cream itself. I could already smell trouble in the air. "I am a sweets lover, so of course I have done such experiments." I bailed myself out of the situation without affirming her guess. "How did the topic shift to the freezing point or ingredient composition from a simple impression of ice cream...? Such things only happen around you, Allen. I also don''t know much about taste, so I think it''s fine not to force yourself to delve into such intricate matters!" "I only know ice cream either tastes good or bad." Al and Stella cheered me up while conveying a mysterious sense of camaraderie. No, please don''t categorize me as an eccentric taste connoisseur! However, explaining any more about the knowledge from my previous world to these smart classmates of mine would only come back to bite me later. But this gained me another unconventional impression as a cheeky guy who only knew how to bring up complicated cooking theories when reviewing food despite having ''that'' kind of palate. At least, Coco seemed to have understood my point, so that was fine, I guess... It was a story of another time, but in around half a year, this store would come to be known as the No.1 ice cream store in the Royal Capital. Vol. 1 - Ch. 47 - Explorer Associations East Branch The following day after my equipment purchase, I came to visit the Explorer Association''s East Branch alone after classes. I plan to get a general understanding of explorer work and then start my own activities tomorrow onwards over the weekend. Al and Coco had gone to the Headquarters after I told them it would be much better to register themselves there. Fey and the other girls said they would be registering themselves after they had adapted to the academy life. I really don''t think they need to force themselves though... The eastern branch was a wooden building constructed from glossy, pitch-black wood, unlike the headquarters. Adjacent to it, there were buildings that I presumed to be a training ground, a monster butcher house, and a warehouse. Maybe it was because it was almost evening, an incessant row of handcarts loaded with monster and animal materials were brought into the premises. I passed through the entrance and felt a throb of excitement in my chest as the hustle and bustle washed over me. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Today, I came here alone as a newbie G-rank explorer so I was wearing my casual clothes instead of my Royal Academy uniform. "Go home if you haven''t had enough sleep, kid! You¡¯re blocking the entrance!" A man, seemingly a senior explorer, knocked into my shoulder as he uttered that phrase. "My apologies, I¡¯ll be more careful!"nE?w stories at I hurriedly shifted sideways and apologized. The man just harumped and entered inside. Fufufu. Would they really be explorers if they weren''t that brash? I also entered and roughly glanced around at the crowd of explorers. After my rundown on the price tags yesterday, I more or less understood the cost of their equipment. Almost all of them had a weapon that should have cost over 10,000 rea and their appearance told tales of their experience. Intermediate-class explorers huh...? Well, I expected the Royal Capital to be swarmed with such veterans. From the pub at the back, I could hear the crude ''Gyahaha!'' laughter of drunkard men. I glanced around and then stood in the queue at the ''No.13~15 Consultant Desk'' counter. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Welcome! How may I help you today?" The female staff member, the receptionist, asked in a loud but crisp voice ¡ª probably to avoid being drowned out by the noise ¡ª when it was finally my turn. "Fufu. Experience talks. I have seen many young ones around your age coming to register themselves. I presume you¡¯ll soon be invited to one of these mutual aid societies, as it usually happens. They aren''t an official organization, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll surely be of some help to you if you decide to join. But be careful though, there¡¯s no lack of mischievous kids as well, so do think about it carefully before joining." "...By that, do you mean I might be caught up in something illegal?" Hearing my words, Anya-san hurriedly shook her hands. "In a way, every mutual aid society in this royal capital has some sort of dark history. I don''t think you¡¯ll find yourself in such a situation, but looking at your polite attitude, I just thought you might have a hard time fitting in among them. So, just keep my advice in mind." Make sense. I would be in a pinch if someone rolled me into one of these illegal acts, but a bit of rash confrontation shouldn''t be a problem. I once again thanked Anya-san for her concern and left that place. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After that, I visited the eastern branch''s library to check out the ''Explorer Instruction Manual, Latest Edition!''. The book was incredibly helpful. I learned about the must-know rules for explorers, how to form a party, rank and their merit, and other employee benefits like free training. After cramming the necessary information into my head, I visited the store and bought a consumable ignition magic tool for 10 rea. For the remaining time, I took a glance at the bulletin board for the routine tasks to see what quests I could take after classes, and if there was any interesting quest that I might want to spend my time on during the weekend. I left the eastern branch at around 6 p.m. The sun had already started to set by that time and it was getting dark. Well, well. Time to start my new training from tonight, huh? I wonder if it¡¯ll be okay to train with a bow in the Academy''s facility at this time? I was about to start jogging while contemplating my training when I heard someone calling out to me. "Hey, you there. Come and show your face to us." "We''re the ''Apple Familia'', a mutual aid society that¡¯s mainly active around this eastern branch. It would be in your favor to silently listen to us if you wanna hang out here!" ...I stopped in my tracks and turned around. Two delinquent-looking boys, seemingly 3 or 4 years older than me, were standing there with an atmosphere of unruliness and arrogance. "Very well. I accept your offer." "Enough blabbering! Follow us quietly or else¡ª what?" T/N - Also Mc in his mind¡ªHere comes the template! xD. EN - I don¡¯t get why the MC chases these templates. I¡¯d have avoided them like the plague xD Vol. 1 - Ch. 48 - Mutual Aid Society "Aren''t you here to invite me to a mutual aid society? There, you have my answer." They ought to be experienced explorers if they were here to solicit me, while I was just fresh out of the farm to know anything about it. Unfortunately, Riyad-senpai was too busy to accompany me. So when Anya-san told me about the mutual aid society, I suddenly felt like I had found my oasis in the desert. The act of me bowing in greeting to the two seniors was met with expressions somewhere between surprise and dumbfoundedness. Eh, but they were so animated a while back... "Go-good lad. It seems like we don''t need to knock some sense into you, unlike the other ignorant rural noble brats." I didn''t know I stank so much of the rural air. "The ability to quickly think is a must to survive as the third son of a poverty-stricken countryside noble after all. It hasn''t been more than a month since I came here. What do I do now?" "A smart-ass or a plain-ass fool... Ah, I suddenly feel pissed off at your attitude. Anyway, follow us to our superior for now." ¡ô¡ô¡ô "State your name." "Yes, sir. Please call me Ren." It was another pseudonym that I had already thought of just for this scenario. Yesterday was such a mess. I regretted that I was only able to come up with ''Pork'' as my alias in the arms store. "Call you that, huh...? Whatever. It''s not like we never had ''oddballs'' in our familia. So be it, you don''t need to worry about that here." "That''s a delight to my ears." "...When did you become so cloying?" The place that the two senpai, Amur and Loye, led me to was a rundown house situated in what seemed to be the shantytown of the Royal Capital. The area was quite detached from 1st Street. But boy, was I surprised to see such a decrepit building still standing on the outskirts of the Royal Capital. I mean, the wooden building itself seemed so old as if it had withstood far more weather than what I have in the entirety of my two lives. ''Apple Familia'' in cute handwriting was written on the nameplate. To be honest, everything felt so outlaw-ish that I felt like this was the calling of my fate, so I was actually quite looking forward to how this developed. The first thing that caught my eyes as I entered through the gate of the dilapidated building was the mountain of bats with nails and iron rods embedded into them. Hmm, I bet this was to serve as obstacles for opponents when they came to assault unannounced or the Apple Familia members themselves could act swiftly by grabbing any weapon at hand and going whack-a-bonk. "Bro Amur... Is that boss of yours a strict person?" I asked bro ¡ª because he was earlier than me here ¡ª Amur. "...You bet. Just the title of B-rank explorer should be enough to explain his prowess. You must pay attention to not get into his bad side. Well, you¡¯ll find the answer to that either way." Amur said with a shiver. I went out for coal and found gold! A B-rank explorer was a first-class talent that our countryside branch never got to see a glimpse of even in the blue moon! I was glad that I followed them. A sharp, irked shout was directed our way as soon as senpai opened the creaking, weathered door. The boss said in annoyance. "I have already said what my goal is. I am straight out of Hicksville and I don¡¯t have a single clue about being an explorer. So I gladly accepted their invitation and decided to follow along. I was also quite interested in it after all, and that''s it. I still want to join in." I replied, staring back into his eyes. I wasn''t here expecting some in-depth teaching. However, I also didn''t want to be swarmed by seniors who simply saw the billboard of the Royal Academy behind me and followed the strange rumors about me. "Haa~. What a pain in the ass. You really have to be out of your mind... Fine, but I have two conditions." I held my breath and waited for his words... "I don''t care how great you may become later, but I don''t want charity here. A bit of food here and there would be fine at best. This rule applies to everyone who grows enough to leave this society, not just you. Do you know why?" I nodded. "Self-reliance... I presume." "Hmm. So you aren''t just a desk warrior, huh? But that''s correct. Think about what''s alright to donate and what¡¯s not, that''s it. And another condition. Don''t drag your study down by hanging around here. In your case, I will immediately throw you out of this society if you drop in class rank or get expelled from the Academy." ...The last one was quite an unfavorable term. Both of these were entirely plausible in the future. It would be nice if I could relax the conditions somewhat through discussion. "...Why though? I¡¯m not that fixated on my class rank. No, to put it into words, I have my own road I want to pursue, and getting expelled from the Academy is irrelevant to it." Boss silently looked at me with an appraising gaze before shaking his head. "...I understand your resolve. But that doesn''t mean I accept it. I took pride in fostering the kids in this ''Apple House''. Education is a must for kids, and it would tarnish my pride if rumors that you failed due to this society spread around." ...Pride, huh? However, it seemed like he was more concerned about how those rumors would affect this mutual aid society than his pride. Not that fault could be put on him, notorious rumors exert more influence than good ones. He should be worried about the future challenges they might face in gathering individuals, and the effect could also show in the requests they could take. Quite an indirect way to say how much he cherished the ''Apple House'', eh? "...I can''t guarantee that I won''t follow my conviction. But, I also won¡¯t complain when we reach that juncture. Of course, I¡¯ll be careful to not drag this society down due to my affairs. What now? If that''s all, then please confirm my entry." I bowed my head once again. "What an uncouth fella. Keep your words to yourself if you have realized my intention, for darn sake. You really aren''t a cute kid. ..Sign here. This states that 20% of your income will be deposited in this society. Out of which, 15% will be returned when you decide to go independent. Though I doubt it, come and call me out when you find yourself in a financial crunch. I¡¯ll pass that to you." "I understand! And I look forward to working with you all!" And that was how I ended up joining the ''Apple House''. T/N - I should have put it earlier, but Mc¡¯s monologue is a window to how he appraises or thinks about the world. You can see him calling ¡®Mujikka-sensei¡¯ as it is but never Godorfun with honorifics. So you may see some discrepancy of how he addresses some in dialogue while different in monologues. EN - Well, quite different from the template again. You expect the ¡®Apple Familia¡¯ to be some sort of gang that takes advantage of its members but you instead get a legit mutual aid society in ¡®Apple House¡¯. Poor MC and his template chasing. xD Vol. 1 - Ch. 49 - Bow Training and First Quest The scene with the mutual aid society had delayed my schedule, but I was now back at the Academy to practice the bow. The training facility in the Royal Academy ranged from normal batting cage-like vertical long compartments ¡ª like the ones I had seen in the arms store yesterday ¡ª to obstacle courses that imitated forests and rocky regions. I could only guess the exorbitant amount they must have sunk in making these. I guess that just showed that the kingdom''s foremost education center wasn''t just some run-of-the-mill place. The surface almost always didn''t reflect the depth, huh? I felt funny when I recalled how I once thought of them, thinking why they were occupying such a large space in the Royal Capital for no reason. On another note, I was the only one here in the bow practicing facility. It was the same yesterday. A world with magic plus the fact that a student''s future was almost promised a glittering career as a member of the Kingdom''s knight order resulted in the students not having much interest in weapons like the bow as Stella said. For now, I trained my basic maneuvring in the batting cage-like facility. The facility had two types of arrows that I could use freely. Simple wooden arrows with sharpened points and iron arrows with similar iron arrowheads. I chose an arrow by taking a quiver with 20 arrows in it, nocked one, and released it. Each arrow had its own minor quirk. I adjusted my aim based on the subtle difference in the time it took to draw the arrow from the quiver and nocking it on the bow. I first practiced my ''form''. I made sure my arrows traced the same path I formulated in my mind. Then next was to focus on firing an arrow as soon as possible¡ª basically improving my firing speed. All the arrows were finding themselves at the center of the target or around it but the arrows I used so far just didn¡¯t feel ¡®right¡¯. My mana capacity held up quite well in my two hours of practice ¡ª I practiced for one hour with wooden arrows and another with iron arrows ¡ª but my arms were dead tired. At the same time, the feedback from firing the arrows started changing depending on the degree of accumulation of fatigue in my arms. I hadn''t tried shooting while moving or firing from an elevated position, but I presumed those would surely feel different as well. There really was a lot to think of about the bow. But I quite liked it, it was right up my alley. After that, I decided to retire earlier than usual as I felt the sweet weariness in my arms, and my heart thumping with excitement for the explorer work I was about to start on tomorrow. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The next day. Allen was visiting a certain construction site downtown. If everything had gone according to plan, he would have undertaken a quest along with Al and Coco here. However, it just happened that the two ended up with D-ranks as they informed Allen when they visited his room yesterday night. According to them, they did propose to start from G-rank. However, the one who took their interview this time was another vice president with an intimidating aura who instead preached against it. As such, they could only register themselves as D-rank explorers. (Al) (Allen) Allen said in an attempt to cheer up the dejected duo. However, the two just stared at him with skeptical gazes. Well, there was no valid reason to start from G-rank so that was bound to happen. They were just unlucky, yeah. Since that happened and the quests that G-rank and D-rank explorers could undertake were different, Allen decided to act on his own until he reached E-rank, then he would be able to take D-rank quests. I asked. I wasn''t particularly bothered by the task, but that contemptuous smirk of theirs as they looked down on us was getting on my nerves. As long as he gave me the signal, I was ready to give them a good thrashing and let them know who was the boss. If it had been my elder sister, she would have long since changed the structure of their faces. "No, they don''t usually go this far. The appraisal of a society also depends on the client''s satisfaction, so they usually pull their own weight in front of the client... But Apple House is kind of swamped with a troublesome situation. They''re just relishing our slump after all the skilled people left us." Now that was a surprise. I didn''t expect there were people brave enough to actually look down on the Apple Familia, the local gang who cared jack shit about the rules (Allen''s interpretation). "...Aniki... My old lady at home said to never leave an irksome face in one piece if it deserves a beating. That shit grin on their faces as they sprinkle water is really asking for it... Should I teach those dumbasses a lesson until even their parents can''t figure out who they are...?" What¡¯s even more annoying was that they weren''t doing anything other than sprinkling water to dampen the dust to prevent them from spreading out and occasionally glancing at us with mocking smiles. "...How the hell are your parents still nobles? Either way, it¡¯ll be our loss if we act first. Have patience and focus on raising your rank to F first. My rank up is just around the corner and the boss also told us to avoid conflicts." Ah, so this was the missing piece behind the riddle. I guess if the boss asked him to avoid a scuffle for now, he could only comply. And he was about to rank up, huh? So that was why they weren''t just teaching them the ways of a local tyrant. I decided to endure for now to save Aniki some face. I had just made my resolve when the lazy bums opened their mouths to trash-talk. "Come now, don''t load those huge stones like that, you sunavitch! I swear I won¡¯t leave you in one piece if the client decides to lower their evaluation of us due to your shit!" The punchable face A said in an exaggerated tone as he brought down his hammer on the big stone that Aniki and I were carrying. We immediately dropped the rock and tried to avoid the impact but a fragment of it grazed Aniki¡¯s forehead and blood began to spill out. They¡¯ve done it now, I thought. And yet, the punchable face B decided to pursue the matter. "Poor bloke, you can''t even afford better safety equipment... You shitheads, go to the client right now and tell him ''We are grateful for the advice our seniors have taught us today, but our carelessness has caused an injury so we are very sorry to cause a nuisance''!" "...Sorry my ass! What about the evaluation we¡ª" Even so, mild-mannered Aniki seemed to want to stick to a verbal warning. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t people whom you could talk to sensibly. I decided to push the matter forward and grabbed the hammer that punchable face A was holding. I aimed at the ground beneath the guy as he was just about to warn me for my conduct, and brought that hammer down with the full power of my Body Strengthening. A huge cloud of dust erupted. The stone at the guy¡¯s feet was pulverized into small pieces. The sudden change must have taken them by surprise, as Punchable face A and B¡¯s mouths flapped up and down like a goldfish. No, wait. Why are you also following them, Aniki?... Ah, I see. ''Do not act recklessly before the rank up, or I will screw things up'', is that it? That must be it. "You numbskulls... I dare you to make another jab at the Apple Familia!" T/N - Have changed Bro to Aniki following MC shittalk, it is usually used by delinquents in yakuza (basically gangster) culture to address chief or senior. If you want to keep bro, do let me know in the comment section. Vol. 1 - Ch. 50 - Dealing with Dumbasses and F-rank Promotion "You numbskulls... I dare you to make another jab at the Apple Familia!" I took a step forward and approached the dumbasses with aggressive momentum now that Aniki had confirmed it was fine to not hold back. The distance between us was enough for the hammer resting on my shoulder to easily crash on them. "B-Brat, do you know who you¡¯re talking to? We''re members of Gold Rat, the No. 2 mutual aid society in this Royal Capital eastern region. Get ready for your sorry asses in the Apple Familia to be whooped¡ª" I shifted my gaze to Punchable Face B who pushed on with his threat and swung the hammer down. Another cloud of dust fluttered in the air. The whatever-his-name-B fell on his butt with a pale face as the ground beneath his feet turned into a pile of fine debris. Whats-his-face-A looked at what happened with an astonished expression and unsheathed something like a knife from his waist as his teeth clattered against each other. "Finally decided to pull it out, eh...?" I said with a mocking tone. Violence was quite tolerated in this world to some extent. But that was limited to bare-handed squabbles. It''s normal for everyone in the city to carry a weapon on themselves, even if they were dangerous, but taking them out at every squabble was of course putting public order into jeopardy. The crime of doing that for no reason whatsoever would result in an arrest by the Knight Order or other officers. And if they dared to wound others with the weapon on purpose, the offense would be enough to convict them as criminal slaves and send them off to the mines. But before anything could happen, the site supervisor, someone from the client''s construction company, rushed toward us in a panicked state, even though he had turned a blind eye to the previous antics of these dumbasses. "What the hell are you guys doing!? I¡¯ll report this to your societies!" I put the hammer in my hand down to assure the antsy supervisor and said. "Please fret not, Supervisor-san. Our esteemed seniors were eager to teach us the way to handle a hammer, so everything is measured. I know you¡¯re worried about an accident occurring due to the construction equipment, so I have put it down. Though, I¡¯ll have you excuse us from here. I need to teach these two dumbasses why they shouldn''t pull their personal weapons out on site as a fellow explorer. It would be distasteful if they think we¡¯re some rags they can wipe with at any time, after all... These two idiots seem to only understand the language of violence, it seems."nE?w stories at "But you''re just a rookie though..." Aniki seemed to have said something but I was already closing in on the two dumbasses with a threatening aura so I didn''t hear him clearly. "Enough, I know you were working hard despite their harassment! But it would be impossible for me to give a proper evaluation if their injuries caused work to slow down!" Ah, I didn''t expect him to throw such a curveball... It would be a problem if he gave a lower evaluation. However, I had already made up my mind to not back down without teaching them a lesson the moment Aniki was injured. ¡ô¡ô¡ô At the time of return, we were given one of the scrap materials seemingly made of iron and looked quite expensive. According to the magnanimous supervisor, taking a piece of material seemed to be a custom here. Hmm, so the items rolling around in the ''Apple House''s¡¯ garden came from here? Well, the material might not sell for that much but we both were excited and chose the heaviest-looking item we could carry. "It seems like I still underestimated your endurance, Ren-kun. Ahaha!," Supervisor laughed, seeing us choosing one of the heaviest materials. The Apple House seemed to be in some sort of financial trouble, so it would be great if presenting this would return some of the favor I owed them. At the east branch, Aniki received 200 rea, while I surprisingly received 400 rea. In the contract, it was 150 rea for one day, so that was more than double the amount. I guess supervisor-san has given us the share of those dumbasses as well. We had just received the pay in high spirits when the receptionist dropped another piece of news on us. "Congratulations! You¡¯ve now been promoted to F-rank with today''s request!" Woah, F-ran¡ª wait, what!? Aniki was already nearing the promotion, so that was understandable. But why in the world was I being promoted at my first quest? "Excuse me, maybe you made some sort of mistake. Unlike Aniki, it was my first quest today..." "My? I didn¡¯t know that. Perhaps, there is some sort of mistake. Just a minute, I¡¯m going to confirm it!" The receptionist big sister immediately disappeared into the back, and returned after around two minutes, her face full of smiles. "Congratulations! I¡¯ve confirmed with my superiors and there''s no error! You¡¯ve certainly fulfilled the requirement for promotion! I assumed your work must have truly left them impressed to receive such an evaluation right after your first quest. You know, I¡¯ve been working as a receptionist for quite a long time and I have never seen something like this before. Truly." "Holy amazing, Ren! I also have never heard of anyone getting promoted after their first quest!" Aniki chimed in. ...Well, so be it. According to the rules of the Explorer Association, there were no requests that couldn¡¯t be accepted even if they were F-rank. I was also quite pleased with that and accepted the supervisor¡¯s favor without any further questions. Vol. 1 - Ch. 51 - Lynd Izurapport After a round to the Association''s east branch, I dropped by ''Apple House'' with the scrap material that we had picked up. Whatever the case was, I considered it would be best to have the Boss be aware of what happened. Well, Amur-aniki was against it though, quoting "Why bother when everything was settled peacefully in the end?". I somehow got him to agree by saying the more awkward a piece of information was, the quicker it should be reported and that it was the fundamental rule of being an explorer. One shouldn''t brush off relaying information. "...You came back quietly early, though I can guess why. Ren must have run out of gas in his first quest, right? It does take time to get used to new things after all. Anyway, make haste to your homes for a proper rest if you are coming tomorrow as well." Certainly, the unfamiliar work had made me quite tired. However, most of it was due to my contest with that gramps in handling magic machinery. My mana held out well¡ª still holding out in fact, but transporting rubble was something that used a different set of muscles than my morning swinging practice and dashes. I guess the muscles from my butt and thighs to my back would surely be screaming in protest tomorrow. Not to mention the fact that I also had bow practice ¡ª which I had just started ¡ª the next day. Hah, that was a full-course meal but the only thing on the menu would be the throbbing feedback, eh?Discover new chapters at However, this was the result of following my wishes, so whatever, I guess? No biggie. "I appreciate your concern, and that''s my plan. Though there''s something you might want to know before that." The Boss''s face twitched at my preface. "...You bombed the place right off the bat...?" I stepped in to give the full picture ¡ª Amur-aniki was comically too out of breath to take that role ¡ª and narrated it from an objective viewpoint as much as possible. "¡ªAnd I thoroughly showed the punks who tried to underestimate the Apple Familia their place." The Boss didn''t interrupt as I continued to narrate the whole scenario. And when I was at the end, he brought down his clenched fist on both mine and Aniki''s head shouting ''The fuzz is Apple Familia!''. Then he said while I was rubbing my head in indignation. "...Hah, but they indeed left no other choice after the harassment. And the fault would have been on the other side either way as long as they were armed while you were empty-handed. At least, it doesn''t seem to have ended with injuries. Anyway, you¡¯ve done well telling me this before I could hear it from somewhere else. Continue like this. I don''t know what sort of bizarreness I¡¯ll be caught in but since you''re under my care, I gotta pull my weight as well and look after you." With that, the boss erupted into hearty laughter. Amur-aniki, seeing that, was visibly stunned. But there was one thing that I needed to ask. "...Then, why did the boss... punch us?" "...It looked fun that way and I was so damned jealous of you brat." ...... ¡ô¡ô¡ô I was about to excuse myself since I was quite tired as well when an enraged scream came knocking on our doors from outside. "Amur and that brat who had been in the construction site with our bunch, get your asses out this instant!¡± Boss and I sighed in unison. "Sigh...And that''s why information is very important since this happens very often. Anyway, I already know what this is about so take a backseat for now." "...Boss. This is the shit I¡¯ve created, so let me take care of it." It was one of the lines that often appeared in my favorite series in the delinquent genre and I always wanted to say it out! "Hahaha! Cleaning your mess by yourself, huh? You are amusing, lad. But you can''t since that will only further complicate things. Let the adult handle this matter." After saying that, the Boss went outside. I thought there was some kind of complicated backstory but Aniki easily answered. "Well, I doubt Pops would ever answer you if you asked him. There seems to be a shortage of explorers in the vicinity of the Rosemieur Empire''s border in the north with the sudden explosion in work. On the other hand, the Royal Capital was vast with lots of work, but there were also many, if not more, explorers as well. On our side, not only did we have a lot of low-earning kids, we also didn''t charge them membership fees and this sort of situation always kept our finances in the red. So, my big bros, who had been raised in this house along with me, wanted to prove their worth as explorers in the north. They said they¡¯d definitely make a killing there and establish a springboard for the young bros who were facing a hard time here. When Pops learned of this, he said explorers were free beings, so they could do whatever they liked. They didn¡¯t need to worry about the house. We believed that Pops had what it takes to become an A-rank explorer if only he followed the same creed, but he had poured all his dreams, possessions, and everything to support this house. We were desperate. So I could understand why my big bros wanted to reach the other end. I wanted to follow them but I was too young then, so I wasn''t taken along." Amur-aniki narrated, his eyes pooling with tears as he bit his lip in frustration. His eloquence was lacking but it was enough to convey his feelings. However, there was one thing that I wanted him to be aware of and so I said, "You¡¯ve given me a good picture of the Boss''s way of doing things. But your logic is flawed, Aniki. I believe the Boss never had the plan of sacrificing himself. When you''re following your heart, rank, honor, and wealth don''t even come second." I believed in my intuition. The folks in this house were like the chicks fumbling around to look for where their hearts truly lie. ''Apple House'', huh? Sure enough, I was right on my money to choose this place as my starting point to train and delve deeper into explorer work. But, it happened then. Aniki, who had been peeping at the situation outside from the crevice of the door, bolted outside, shouting ''Loye!''. I also quickly shifted my gaze to see a disgusting fatty landing a punch on Loye-aniki''s abdomen and callously pressing a foot that was clad in filthy shoes onto his head. "Loye-aniki!" I followed Amur-aniki and hurriedly rushed out. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "You idiots! I told you to stay inside, didn''t I!?" "Look, the scaredy cats are finally out! Everyone, I¡¯ll keep that old fart busy! You go and make sure to settle things. Let these bitches know their place!" Sabath shouted and then charged to Lynd''s waist. "You dumbass! You haven''t grown enough wings to hold down this father! Stop him, Ren¡ª that dark brown-haired guy! Idiot! Who does things alone when you have the whole group with you?! Pin him down with everyone! And you, have your brain turned to mush! Why the hell are you fighting barehanded?! Take any of the scrap material rolling around, you numbskull! Throw that shit at them! It isn¡¯t nighttime yet, Loye! Hurry up and hold Ren back with Amur!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô On that day, a new rising rebel made his debut in the Royal Capital''s outlaw society. A ''Mad Hound'' whom not even Lynd, the boss of the Apple House society and the drinking and squabbling buddy of Shellbull Monstell ¡ª the charismatic rebel who had clawed his way up to the position of the Explorer Association''s President relying solely on his strength ¡ª could hold down. In the blink of an eye, rumors of a crazed individual named ''Ren'' appearing among the ranks of ''Apple House'', which had been waning in power in recent times, swiftly found itself circulating in the Royal Capital''s underworld. On a side note, the situation also made its way to the ears of the Gold Rat''s boss who personally visited the Apple House not long after with a present to apologize for the ruckus, thus peacefully drawing the curtain on the feud. T/N - Changing the way Amur and Loye called Lynd (Boss>Pop after the explanation). Author sure ended the chapter a bit early, would have loved to see a bit more hectic situation. EN - Quite wholesome, this ¡®Apple House¡¯. MC finally became the bad boy he always wanted to be. But I agree with TN, could have used a bit more details on the action before closing the arc. Vol. 1 - Ch. 52 - Runesheep It had been two weeks since the battle with the bunch from Gold Rat. For the last two weeks, I had been having my fill of doing the standard work of a low-rank explorer like delivery, clean-up, or the odd tasks at the construction sites during the free time I had after school and on the weekends. In between, there was also no lack of idiots who didn''t know the greatness of the , so I made sure to teach them that very carefully and gently. Today, Boss had taken me, and eight other relatively older members of to the grassy fields quite a distance away from the Royal Capital. Our agenda for today was to secure the meat for . With a prominent city like the Royal Capital that had a high cost of living, it was quite unrealistic to keep the stomachs of kids full when we were running low on funds. It had been especially challenging for , which was also an orphanage, particularly after the members responsible for securing food left together around two months ago. So once a month, the Boss would make time out of his busy schedule and bring along the other kids who were lacking combat skills for a hunt. It was quite an important event for them since not only did they secure the necessary food supply, but it also served as training for the other kids. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Woah, a bow! Can you use it, brother Ren?! Cool~!" "Teach me how to use it~!" I had been embraced as one of the true members of the ever since the incident with the Gold Rat. The explorer society worked on the rule of whose fist was bigger, after all. The two voices that chimed in were from Po and Rina. They were the same kids that Roye-aniki was bringing along that day when he was thrashed by that disgusting fatty. These two in particular came to adore me very much after directly watching the violence I let loose on them when we were facing that grim situation. Speaking of that fatty, he was apparently a notorious fella in this turf. He swore on his pride that he would surely teach me a lesson and came to fight me many times. Of course, I also made sure to give him a polite reception. However, he started to become a pain in the ass later. I did think of running away but I feared that it might be taken as a sign of cowardice which in turn would be seen as a weakness of the . It was one of these days when I was thoroughly fed up with the fatty''s persistence that I noticed a salve made of Yuk grass that the fatty carried with him. An idea suddenly came to me and I decided to give him a good thrashing, apply the salve, and then thrash him again. Basically, fulfilling two days¡¯ worth of quota in one. Well, he didn''t show up the next day. We did chance upon each other once at the east branch, though he left a tasteless ''What shit luck to see your sorry face, Ren-kun'' greeting. In any case, perhaps it was the impact of this or maybe instilling some politeness in those fools in public was starting to bear fruit, the harassment towards the members noticeably decreased at the work site. Consequently, I, a newcomer, was warmly welcomed by the Familia members. "Fuhaha. You have a discerning eye if you can tell how cool it is. Unfortunately, I¡¯m still in the learning phase. I only bought it just the other day so today is the first time I¡¯m going to use it practically." "Boo~ So it was just to show off~!" "But teach me when you get better, Ren!" "Why did you choose a short bow though? It''s not a problem but Lygo of all things... You really have some strange preferences. Anyway, be careful where you shoot if you haven''t used it before. Other brats are loitering around so that may pose a problem... Though you''re also a brat." The one to see the strangeness was of course the Boss. But he was right. It wouldn''t be a laughing matter if any of my comrades got caught in the crossfire. Besides, I was only carrying 20 arrows in my quiver today, in contrast to the inexhaustible supply in the Academy''s training ground, so I couldn''t just go around taking every shot as practice. Upon reaching the rocky mountain, we spotted many Runesheep grazing on the grass here and there. The two relatively weaker ones were taken down by Amur-aniki and Roye-aniki¡¯s teams respectively. I didn''t get a chance to make a move. When I was watching them drain the Runesheeps¡¯ blood as they hung them on a short tree nearby, the Boss called out to me. "There''s a monster Runesheep over there, take a look at it. I want to see your skill with a bow." I looked in the direction he pointed out. Certainly, there was one Runeheep with a fur glossier than the others and looked quite strong. Though I don''t know if it was because the Runesheep was in the shade, I felt like its fur was actually shining much more than I imagined it to be. I guess I just lack enough experience, huh? "It seems to be on guard." That Runesheep was facing us, occasionally sending glances our way while grazing on the grass. "Anyone will when they see two of their brethren killed before their eyes. It might be a stretch to hit it, so take it easy. I only want to see your aim." I nodded hearing his words. The monster Runesheep was around 70m away from where we were, but considering the elevation difference, I think it was barely within my effective shooting range. I swiftly nocked a wooden arrow, took my aim, and released it in that split second. The monster Runesheep, however, dodged it by turning its body sideways and immediately made its escape toward the cliff top after seeing the arrow wedging itself into the rock. I glanced at the Boss and saw him making a subtle expression with his arms crossed. "I apologize for letting it escape... I didn''t know that''s how they dodge or I would have adjusted the impact timing and followed up with a second arrow." "...Is this really your first time? Where were you aiming?" "Huh? Well, it''s forehead... I thought if I wanted to keep its mana organ intact and avoid damaging its fur, the forehead was the spot to aim for. Should I have not done that?" "...I knew it, it really felt like you were aiming at that ''spot'' in that instant... And did you just say you would have made a follow-up attack? Haa, I don''t even feel like commenting on your lack of common sense." Err, so was he angry? Or is he praising me? "...I will do my best in my next shot." I couldn''t understand it so I just replied with what I thought to be a safe reply. Vol. 1 - Ch. 53 - A game of chase between rats and a snake (1) After about 30 minutes of bleeding the Runesheep, the three shield-wielding little guys each hoisted a wooden stick with a bound Runesheep and began to make their way back along the path we came from. In the sky, two huge vultures were circling seemingly targeting the leftovers. Unfortunately, this world didn''t have any magic storage bags that could hold an unlimited amount of items in the fourth dimension. I did want to take upon the role of carrying a Runesheep since they were quite heavy for the little ones, who still were unable to use body-strengthening magic efficiently, but the Boss said the role of the weapon holders like us was to watch out for monsters. Well, it was also important to learn how to deal with tough jobs. Thud-Thud-Thud We should have been around 300m into the grassy field when the sound of something running from the east brought me out of my thoughts. Judging from the sound, whatever it was was heading our way. I focused my gaze and looked in the direction of the sound to see around 20 rat-like monsters, each weighing about 20kg, running straight toward us from 500 meters away. If I wasn''t wrong, they were Meadow Mara. (T/N - I assume author is depicting Patagonian mara here) ...What in the world? I was sure I had read they were timid monsters and would run away at the faintest sign of people... Just as I was contemplating the strangeness, Boss shouted. "Talk about bad luck! They''re being chased by a Greateus Snake, and are planning to push it onto us!" Greateus Snakes had a nature of chasing after moving prey. When facing it, the best way to survive was to either let it pass or stay absolutely still until the Boss had finished it off. But, given the situation, we would be sandwiched between the Meadow Maras and the Greateus Snake if we followed either of these strategies. I also spotted a 10m huge Greateus Snake heading this way while swallowing one Meadow Mara after another. It seemingly was capable of swallowing humans as well. Leaving me aside, the little guys of the would never be able to outpace the Greateus Snake with its speed. "Tsk! I don''t know if I should curse our luck or be glad that it at least isn''t an elemental type!" Greateus Snake, while originally black, could have scales of vibrant colors corresponding to their attributes if they possessed any. I was amazed he managed to figure that out from that distance... The Boss seemed to have been thinking of something as he glanced at me for a fleeting moment. I immediately understood what he wanted to say. "It¡¯s now or never. I¡¯ll handle the rats, so I¡¯m leaving that huge guy behind to you, Boss!" He was worried that the Greateus Snake might turn its attack toward me midway while I was dealing with the Meadow Maras and didn''t want to adopt this plan, but that was definitely the best plan that we could come up with in such a pressing situation. I swiftly distanced myself from the group, placed my hand on the quiver, and took my battle stance without waiting for a reply. I never expected such a loud shout coming from Pops, much less the sense of urgency it was laced with. The Greateus Snake that was visible in the distance was directly heading our way with incredible speed while playfully chasing after the Meadow Maras, occasionally swallowing one of them. Just looking at it from a distance made our knees buckle, our hands quivered as the stick to which Runesheeps were tied fell and we collapsed on our butts on the spot. Our mental state wasn''t in the condition to keep our body-strengthening magic active to carry them. Everyone else, aside from Pops, was petrified, unable to take even a single step. Even Amur and Roye-aniki were barely holding their ground, using the spears in their hands as a cane. At that moment, Ren said in a clear voice. "It¡¯s now or never. I¡¯ll handle the rats, so I¡¯m leaving that huge guy behind to you, Boss!" He didn''t wait for any reply from Pops and moved to a slightly distant spot from us as he put his hand on his quiver, taking a battle stance. Pops nodded, passed his instruction to us, and then ran toward the Greateus Snake. I gazed at his departing back while hoping for the best. The rats, almost as big as dogs, were making a beeline to our direction. The detestable snake had further diminished their ranks by a few, but their earth-shaking footsteps continued with an overwhelming force. In just a few more seconds, they would crash into us, but brother Ren continued to hold onto his bow without showing any signs of moving. What happened, brother Ren? He did say this was his first time using a bow in battle, so perhaps he got scared... "Brother Ren......" I mustered up the loudest, yet desperate, voice I could through my parched mouth and called out his name. And hearing my voice, brother Ren turned to glance at me and showed a fearless smile. ''Sssh...'' he briefly moved his hand that was on the quiver to put up on his mouth, gesturing to me to keep quiet, and swiftly shifted his gaze back to the front. In just 10 more seconds, the Meadow Maras would be upon us. Pops was almost at the range to clash with the Greateus Snake. However, right at that moment, brother Ren, who had been only holding on to his bow so far, took out an arrow from the quiver with unthinkable speed. All I noticed was a blur of movement before the arrow was released. His movements were fluid and streamlined. We hurriedly traced the movement of that arrow as it splendidly pierced the red-eyed leader of the Meadow Maras who was heading straight toward us. However, before we could cheer, we received another surprise. It was because brother Ren had fired the second and third arrows that shot down other Meadow Maras one after another. ''Beautiful,'' was all I could say to describe the breathtaking speed at which brother Ren continued to release one arrow after another. Their speed was incomparable to the first arrow he had shot. As if they were mysteriously attracted to them, the arrows reap the lines of the Meadow Maras, and within ten seconds, all of them were annihilated. Just when I thought it was over, brother Ren immediately carried his bow and broke into a dash, circling to the right of the Greateus Snake. Vol. 1 - Ch. 54 - A game of chase between rats and a snake (2) The Boss made his first move, sweeping from the lower left to the upper right as if rolling up the snake. It was definitely not a move to take down the enemy. He must have had his considerations, probably knowing it wasn¡¯t an opponent he could finish in a single strike. The Grateus Snake instantly writhed to evade but was a step late, and got thrown upward with the Boss¡¯ monstrous strength. "Don''t think you''re getting away!" It was quite a precarious situation, to say the least, but that decisive action showed the Boss¡¯ experience. The situation could have taken a turn for the worse if the snake had managed to slip behind him after evading the first strike, putting him in jeopardy. I concluded the short moment of respite created by the Boss was around three seconds and revised my plan on the spot. 8 seconds¡ª it was enough for me to quickly tidy up all the rats. The rats, as they were running in a straight line with the snake hot on their tails, were no different from stationary targets. My first shot went fine, but giving priority to rapid fire afterward lowered my accuracy. In the end, a few of them were still alive. However, with the elemental rats finished and the Boss keeping the snake at bay, Amur and Roye-aniki should be able to deal with the wounded rats. I put my belief on them and immediately moved in an anti-clockwise direction, closing the distance of around 60m with the snake as a center point in an instant. What Boss wanted more than ever was to keep the Greateus Snake from slipping into our backline. My next step was clear. I needed to avoid that risk and support the Boss as he was stuck in a deadlock against that snake to let him finish it off. I had only 5 arrows left, which was something I wouldn''t want to waste on the rats if possible. Just in case of an improbable scenario, I gazed at the state of the wounded rats in my peripheral vision while positioning myself in a spot to avoid overlapping the Boss and the snake in my line of fire and waited for my chance to strike. The boss naturally noticed my movement. He had a surprised expression for a moment, but immediately sensed my plan¡ª I would distract the snake for a moment and, taking advantage of that lapse in its action, he would follow up with a decisive blow. To be able to understand my intention was truly a sign that he was a first-class explorer. I matched my pace with the Greateus Snake''s movement that I had noticed for a while now. It was the movement of stretching its neck backward before using that momentum to follow with a bite attack. I entered the Boss'' field of view and shot my iron arrow from the blind spot of that snake.Vissit for updates While the arrow was repelled by the snake''s scales due to its lack of penetrative power, it managed to fulfill its role since I finally got the snake¡¯s attention. And taking advantage of that gap, the Boss churned his Body Strengthening into full power mode, and followed through with his strongest move. In the face of that incredible display of power, the Greateus Snake was cleaved into two. Having witnessed that, I immediately turned toward Po and released an arrow about 20 meters above his head. I had noticed a Low Vulture ¡ª a carnivorous bird-type monster with a wingspan of around 4 meters ¡ª was following us to target our Runesheeps The hand car could only fit the Runesheeps and the Low Vulture, so the Boss carried the body of the Greateus Snake while Amur-aniki, Roye-aniki, and I looked out for any danger on the way back. The rat monsters, the Meadow Maras, that Roye and Amur aniki¡¯s group surrounded and dealt with had a very low value and it would have been burdensome to carry them all the way back, so we just kept the two mana stones of the elemental variants while leaving behind the rest. I pulled them out using my knife made by the Banri Company following the guidance of the Boss. The mana stones in the Meadow Maras were red stones about the size of a grain located in their hearts. It''s difficult to put into words but I had felt a surge of energy of sorts when I held that in my palm. It was a funny incident. It has already been quite a month since my awakening, however, only when I held that worthless mana stone, according to the Boss, did the realization of ''Ah, I¡¯ve really come to another world, haven''t I?'' deeply resonated in my heart. Upon arriving at the royal capital, we parted with the group who made their way from there to dismantle the Runesheeps back at ''Apple Home'' while Boss and I headed to sell the materials. On the way back, the two of us ¡ª the Boss carrying the torso of the Greateus Snake on his right shoulder like a hose while holding its head in his left hand, and I carrying the Low Vulture on my back ¡ª attracted quite the attention as passersby whispered among themselves and pointed fingers. "Yo, Ren-kun! Woah, isn''t that a C-rank monster, a Low Vulture?! Did you take it down, Ren-kun!? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of anyone pulling that off at just F-rank!! I just came back from delivering my own spoils to the east branch, do you want me to help out?" It was really the one way of standing out that I hadn''t wanted... I was walking down the downtown area while groaning at the situation when a familiar sweaty chubby guy approached us, pulling a handcart, and greeted us with a smile. "Oh, that indeed will make things easy." "I didn''t ask you, old fart!" "Haah? Do you know who you''re talking to, fatty? I dare you to underestimate our ''Apple Familia''!" "Just cut it out with that damn ''Apple Familia'', for goddamn sake!" Bam After such an exchange, the familiar fatty whose name I had yet to know helped us carry our spoils to the east branch with his handcar, which also saved us from getting too much attention. I thanked the fatty for his help, who said ''Later, Yo!'' and left with a smiling face. It seemed like there was only one ''Yo'' greeting in his dictionary. Vol. 1 - Ch. 55 - Warehouse’s Saki As it was already evening, just the time for others to return from their tasks, the delivery point at the Royal Capital''s Eastern Branch was heavily crowded with lines of people to sell their goods. I had mainly done miscellaneous tasks related to F-rank and below in the last two weeks, with all of them confined within the Royal Capital, so it was also my first time here.Vissit for updates It was quite an exciting sight to see veteran-looking men and women carrying monsters I had only seen in the Canardia Monster Encyclopedia, and I was thoroughly impressed. As soon as the Boss entered the warehouse shouldering the body of Greateus Snake again, he immediately became the center of attention. People whispered among themselves while shooting glances our way. Who the hell is ''Mad Hound''?... Seriously, I wasn¡¯t my elder sister. I mean, I just politely taught them some manners since they were being so illogical, but I had never randomly picked fights or gone on a rampage. At most, I just got a little angry. So that fatty''s name was Benza, huh?... I don''t think I would ever forget his name since it reminded me of toilet seats. Not that I would want to remember that... The Boss didn''t mind the whispers and gallantly strode forward, heading straight for the window with the ''Large-Scale'' sign which seemed to not be catering to anyone at the moment. Cool. We arrived at the window without having to wait in line where a 40-ish-year-old middle-aged lady, who seemed to have spent a good enough time in this trade, greeted us. I guess there weren''t that many people who delivered huge monsters in the Royal Capital. The middle-aged lady should be a bit younger than the Boss as she called out to him. "Oh, if it isn¡¯t Lynd. It''s so rare for you to come here. Also, the boy over there. Put that Low Vulture on the platform. I¡¯ll appraise it as well while I¡¯m at it." "Saki, it''s really been a while since I¡¯ve come here, no? Well, not counting the time I had a drink with Shell three weeks ago, I guess? Well, I wasn¡¯t going to hunt today with the kids around but this guy happened to come out into the Eastern Rune Plains chasing after a group of Meadow Maras. It was almost a mess." "Oh, really? This guy must have had the bad luck to meet you, then. My, you even finished it off in one blow. That''s some craftsmanship coming from you. I guess that boy helped out in dealing with the Maras, huh? He has some prospects if he manages to pull that off without wetting himself." Saki-san immediately grasped the situation as if she were present there. "I couldn''t agree more. Many of the kids would have been injured if he wasn''t with us, to say the least. He not only annihilated the horde of 20 Maras in 10 seconds, but he even promptly rushed over to back me up. Well, he looks like a brat, but he god darn has some skills with the bow." "...Boss, they were 14." "Huh? Who cares about the extra." "No, 14 and 20 are wildly different numbers... It''s not easy work to achieve that." In the past two weeks, I had keenly realized that shortening the rapid-fire rate even by 0.1 seconds like in the beginning was a monumental task to achieve and was easier said than done. "Kyahaha." "Of course, we already have two sheep, after all. Any more would just be excessive and rot. It''s better to sell it for money in this case. Saki split the payment between us." When I heard that, I immediately turned down his offer. I had indeed taken down the Low Vulture, but I barely did anything against the Greateus Snake besides shooting an arrow to distract it. "You shouldn''t, Boss. I haven''t done anything against the snake. In fact, I should be thanking you for protecting me. It would be presumptuous of me to receive money for that. I know the rule is to basically split the reward in half among the explorers if there''s no prior discussion, but please put the snake''s tab on yourself or maybe ''Apple House¡¯." However, he immediately shot down my request, showing a stern expression "Out of question. This will be ''charity'' to Apple House and I don''t think you would want me to be indebted to you, right?" After seeing I had no words left to say after seeing his attitude, the Boss then laughed. "Besides, you¡¯ve done well as the rearguard of the party. Just taking down an enemy doesn''t make you great, you know? This is your reward for your contributions. You should be upright at this moment." "Kyahaha. I¡¯ll take it as you guys are settled then. Now, scoot off from here. I have work to do." The two concluded their conversation in perfect harmony. I was delighted that the Boss truly recognized my contributions. So, I decided not to argue any further. Though, 20,000 rea huh...? That''s an unexpected windfall. Fufu, I can splurge a bit more tonight then. What should I choose? Pumpkin tempura along with Soba sounds good. Ah, but squid tempura sounds good too... Guh, what a delicious pinch! ¡ô¡ô¡ô After that, I went with the Boss to the quest-purpose window and submitted the delivery certificate given by Saki-san. Normally, the purchasing and selling could be concluded at the delivery point window when they weren''t related to quests, but monsters like Greateus Snakes that were a threat to the explorers that hunted in the plains near the Royal Capital''s vicinity, Low Vultures that target other explorer''s spoils, and elemental Meadow Maras were all included in permanent requests. And there, I was informed of my promotion to E-rank. There was no way this was a common thing. I made sure to object quite strongly this time, however, an old lady, who seemed to be a superior, claimed that it was the rule that anyone who met the requirements must be promoted and refused to listen to anything I had to say. Then, even the Boss pushed from behind, saying "You shouldn''t be sitting on F-rank to begin with, so give up. I understand why you would want to do that, but remember that choosing to do so means that a capable guy is taking the work of incapable people." I could only reluctantly accept it then. There were no jobs I couldn''t take on in F-rank, but I couldn''t say the same about the E-rank. So it was a bitter decision. Though I may have yielded this time, at least I now knew this was definitely Satowa¡¯s doing, intentionally pulling strings behind my back. I decided I would raid the headquarters next time to protest if it happened again. However, aside from the hunt, I noticed one more thing. The spearmanship of the C-rank adventurer Dio from the countryside, who had served as my spear training partner during my trip to the Royal Capital, apparently was on par with the Boss, who is said to hold qualifications to reach A-rank. I mean, I wouldn''t claim to be knowledgeable about the spear, and Dio was also holding back in our spars. If I had to say, the Boss would win in power while Dio was better in terms of skill, I guess? Maybe strength alone didn''t represent everything in rank. Still, why would a person like him prefer to rot in the countryside... T/N - Benza means toilet in japanese. The classic joke by Sunohara in the clannad if you have watched (benza cover - toilet seat). Vol. 1 - Ch. 56 - If it isnt love, then what? (1) The class the following day after Allen cleared Godorfun¡¯s assignment. Like any other day, Jeuri Levarance hopped into the Levarance family''s magic car parked beside the main gate. It looked like a sleek sedan car, and a bit smaller than the open car-type magic car she had ridden on when she visited the arms store along with her friends. "Sebas. Bring out today''s schedule." "Yes, right away." Jeu was a very busy person. No, it wasn''t some hyperbole or something, but she truly was someone swamped with a lot of things to do. The biggest reason for that was, of course, studying to keep up with the high-level classes of the Royal Academy. Levarance family¡ª one of the nine Marquis houses in this kingdom. As a direct descendant of such a distinguished family who managed to get into Class A of the Royal Academy after 120 years, the weight of expectation falling on her shoulders was extraordinary, to say the least¡ª By the way, the last A-class qualifier from the Levarance family was four generations ago, going back to Jeu''s great-great-grandmother. After that, more than 20 individuals from four generations, including Jeu''s siblings, attempted the Royal Academy entrance exam, but only three, including Jue, passed. It may not sound impressive, but this result was truly extraordinary, showcasing the exceptional passing rate of the prestigious Marquis family when the passing rate of the exam is literally over 100 times worse just based on the number of candidates coming to take it. Academic ability, practical skills, and the mana amount¡ª the combination of three was the true gatekeeper of the exam, and fulfilling all three criteria was easier said than done. Moreover, a family as influential as the Levarance family naturally had numerous vassal households. The Levarance family¡¯s main branch alone couldn¡¯t manage the operations of countless cities, private knight orders, noble schools, and many other facilities within their territory. Of course, in addition to this, they had over a thousand noble families as dependents, and beneath them, a vast number of educated commoners who had received a certain level of education. Each and everyone threw in their well wishes upon hearing that Jeu got into Class A. The significance of producing a Class A qualifier from the main Levarance family, the leader of all those influential forces, was truly one of a kind in the Yuglia Kingdom. It went without saying that dropping down from her current class rank during her stay in the Royal Academy was absolutely out of the question. Her academic and practical skills were rigorously honed and tested by the Levarance family''s comprehensive team of private tutors. Jeu''s current performance was enough for her to keep the status quo, but even a bit of a drop in her performance would result in the little amount of freedom she had been granted after her studies being severely regulated. So, despite a plethora of things to do, she couldn''t let her grades drop at all. "The first task at hand is to attend the meeting of the Youth Society of the Levarance family in the capital for a greeting then you can excuse yourself after that. The next task is to attend the completion ceremony of the 7th bridge construction project hosted by Duke Glaster. Aside from that, there is a request for an interview from a group of retainers who showed their desire to learn about the situation of this year''s Academy, especially the situation of Class A. We have been declining so far on the pretext of a busy schedule, but there''s a limit to this. We have to finish their management after having a meeting with them. Today''s dinner is scheduled to be with three count families and one influential viscount family. While belated, Master has plans to join in as well, so the instructions are to talk to ''him'' after his arrival. It is up to your discretion what to say and what not to say. All the attendees are family heads whom the young lady has met before, however, a list has been compiled just in case." Jeu went over the bulky documents. According to the documents, for the next three months about three times a week, her dinners with over 100 noble families had already been scheduled. Even Jeu herself was fed up with all that, but considering the hard work Sebas had put into formulating the schedule, she swallowed her complaints. Jeu put up a bitter smile when she listened to the report. "......No, your guess is as good as mine. However, don''t you think the truth is truly hard to believe? The erratic details aside, it''s also puzzling how such information didn''t leak out during a time when everything is highly scrutinized and only suddenly surfaced now." Recently, a lot of embellished information about Allen had been going around, and there had been plenty that were just plain lies. This was also one of the factors that had left the Intelligence departments of the noble families exhausted. "At first, I didn¡¯t believe it... However, tracing the information caused the names of several Academy teachers to pop up. Considering this, my judgment says the credibility of this rumor is high. My guess is that Sir Godorfun had put a gag order until the assignment was over, but now that the result was out, he deliberately leaked the information. The person in question is after all, it''s hard to believe this information outbreak was a product of his carelessness. Do you really have no idea?" Jeu was dumbfounded. She could see in Sebas'' eyes that he considered the information to be true. Speaking of the truth, Godorfun actually hadn''t passed a gag order. While Allen thought ¡®It doesn''t feel right to put pressure on my classmates just because of my assignment~'' and kept quiet about it. The teachers of the distinguished Royal Academy were aware enough to not divulge the details about their students¡¯ assignments to anyone outside of the Academy. If you had to put it another way, while they kept the details to themselves, they couldn''t keep quiet about the shocking result. Jeu swiftly consolidated all the information in her mind. "...I can only say it might be related to the Hill Road Club... However, each student joined the club of their own accord so I don''t have any idea why this is linked to the result of the assignment... All I believed it to be was a club with an odd name which Allen-san created on a whim. However, the way it perfectly resembled a talent-fostering organization was truly an eye-opener. I presume there is a significant reason behind the diverse training plan from the three vice presidents of the club and all sorts of erratic trials that we, the managers, found amusing." Jeu gleefully recounted the details. She just felt an outburst of joy within herself at how Allen effortlessly surpassed her imagination as usual. "If it is indeed true, then there''s no way to imagine how much his value will skyrocket. Everyone''s opinion of him, based on the intel so far, was that of a genius in body-strengthening magic whom they had overlooked. But with his organizational skills, the talent-fostering skill instilled in him by Master Schord, and the courage and intelligence to argue against Sir Godorfun added into the equation, even the higher nobilities who had been watching the situation unfold from the sideline would have to finally move. If I may so, the idea of royalties getting into this matter doesn''t seem so far-fetched to me." As Sebas stated his opinion, Jeu felt a myriad of emotions swirling within herself. While she was truly delighted to see Allen ¡ª the person she had noticed at a glance, thinking ''this person might be it...'' ¡ª gaining the recognition of others at an unthinkable pace, she also felt a dread that he might venture into places beyond her reach. The urge to hide him away in a secluded mountain castle that only she knew of¡ª Jeu suddenly put on a bitter smile when she thought of that. This unexpected possessiveness of mine... It''s as if I''m in love with him, isn''t it? Sebas grinned subtly as he looked at the rapidly changing expression of his master which was so unlike her, and continued. "Ahem. After the dinner, you are scheduled to train in holy magic at the Cathedral. Archbishop Dolittle, as usual, will be your instructor today." All the emotions within Jeu were replaced with a sinking feeling when she heard of it. T/N - A stalker and a yandere in making...MC better run away lol. EN - Honestly, I prefer Jeu over Fey. Go Jeu! You can do it~ Vol. 1 - Ch. 57 - If it isnt love, then what? (2) New Stellaite Teaching Cathedral in the Yuglia Kingdom, the cathedral that boasted the most followers in the continent¡ª Jeu would come here periodically to train her holy magic. According to statistics, the talent for holy magic was incredibly rare among the already limited number of attribute conversion talent holders. For reasons unknown, the Levarance family bloodline had a high chance of giving birth to a holy magic attribute holder while the manifestation rate of such a person among the general populace was said to be 1 among 5000. As for its value, it was said that even the foremost believers from the New Stellaite Teaching would reverently welcome you and gladly give you lectures and training for your holy magic in the church free of charge. For Jeu, her talent became apparent as early as when she was 9 years old and her mana organ manifested. She started with receiving a basic rundown of emission magic techniques in her territory, and when she turned 10, she was relocated to the Marquis'' secondary mansion in the Royal Capital to receive lessons for holy magic from her current mentor, Dolittle. Though, for Jeu, that person''s lascivious nature was too unlike that of a clergyman which put her in a hard spot. Especially lately when her growth spurt had just started to hit her, she could feel his almost devouring gaze over her body that creeped her out to no end. Dolittle was a man from the Stellaite Orthodox state, acquiring the title of archbishop at the young age of 40, he was a prodigy dispatched to administrate the cathedral in the Yuglia Kingdom''s capital. It has been even said that he had the prospect of reaching the position of the Stellaite Orthodox state''s Holy See. Jeu almost felt like receiving a death sentence when she heard his name coming out as her prospective fiance. Well, this was in the past, the matter was squashed before it could ever create a spark because as it turned out Jeu''s mana capacity was far more formidable than anyone could have predicted. At this moment, her basic mana capacity was almost nearing 10,000 units. It was on the same level as Sari Levarance¡ª A member of the Levarance family from 120 years ago who had qualified for the Royal Academy''s Class A and the holder of holy magic just like Jeu whose proficiency in healing magic was said to have reached the realm of god''s miracle. There was hardly any suspense about the heights Jeu was capable of reaching. 1 in 5000 talent coupled with the enormous mana capacity said to be possessed by 1 among 100,000 along with the A rank evaluation by the Royal Academy. ''Saint'' Sari Levarance, who, while being unaffiliated to the church, left behind many benevolent achievements, and as a result, was given a special title by the church and brought unprecedented prosperity to the Levarance family. Frankly speaking, a match between Jeu, said to be Sari¡¯s reincarnation, and an archbishop, being no more than one of the many candidates for the Holy See status, was mismatched in many ways. Dolittle also had a thing for the shiny title of the Levarance family and had considered striking a deal while the iron was hot, feeling himself to be a decent fit with his background as someone aiming for the Holy See. While he didn''t seem to be a cruel-hearted person, he also didn''t have any plan to drop his womanizing act even after marriage. "Yeah, it''s just a marriage of benefits for both of us. Nothing more," chanting this mantra, Dolittle officially got in touch with Jeu. However, Jeu showed tremendous growth in many aspects, not just in mana capacity. The admission to the Academy became the stepping stone for her to gain mental resilience, shedding away the typical naivety of a sheltered noblelady, and even showing unbelievable progress in holy magic. Dolittle simply couldn''t fathom the talent of the individual named ''Jeu'' anymore. If she really possessed the same caliber of a as the rumors suggest and continued to accumulate achievements reminiscent of a saint... ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Sebas, what do you think about Allen-san as my partner to paint my rumors?" Jeu put forward her suggestion as her mind traced the outline of an unsophisticated boy who clearly seemed to be a late-bloomer when it came to this sort of stuff, unlike that lascivious to the core man. Sebas had a bitter smile on his face at the question that he had already forgotten how many times his master had asked of him. Visible from the rearview mirror, he could see her worried expression which would otherwise be masked with resoluteness and determination. A rare sight even for him. "...When my lady informed me via magic bird to be the driver for your shopping earlier, I had taken this chance to have a close look at him. Frankly speaking, he seemed like a country bumpkin with a commoner outlook ignorant of how the world works, and a rude young boy. His talent in body-strengthening magic is undeniable, but that alone is hardly a match for the prodigy Jeuri Levarance whom the Levarance family is proud of. It would be impossible to not give rise to some ''doubts''... At least, these were my initial thoughts. I had been avoiding giving out any definite answer on the pretext that ''I cannot make a judgment yet.''... However, I can only say I never had my eyes so clouded until I heard about the incident. A person of my caliber just doesn''t have what it takes to measure the potential of the boy my lady had seen through at once. I have renewed my perception." A visible look of delight spread across Jeu''s face as she heard Sebas'' evaluation. "Fufu. I am looking forward to how he''s going to surprise me... Witnessing Allen-san being scouted by ''Apple House'' coincidentally is surely an advantage the Levarance family has gotten over others. Please gather any information about the inefficient part-timer and belittled explorer Ren. The things that he does like his seemingly charity work for an orphanage or acting out as a mediator between mischievous youngsters might make no sense and appear to be his usual whimsical nature, but for all that we know, he might be aiming for something that ordinary people like us would not think of. I understand it might be difficult to immediately start with the task, but I am going to register myself as an explorer. I cannot afford to stand idly by without any qualifications in this tapestry of situations." Having seen Jeu getting back her usual boldness, Sebas felt relieved, but at the same time, he swallowed a sigh. His master''s schedule was already jam-packed after she participated in the Hill Road Club¡¯s morning activities and relocated to the general dormitory. Now, adding explorer activities would just tip her already tight schedule over the edge to go haywire. Of course, the same could be said for Sebas who was managing it. However, he had just made his statement that ''He trusts the discerning eyes of his master''. Sebas steeled himself and said. "Understood. I will support my lady''s first love with every inch of my soul." "F-First love?! My feelings for Allen-san aren''t that frivolous! I mean, yeah, it''s hard to put into words and I do feel something different from friendship... but, but... I¡¯m purely putting the interest of the Levarance family above all, that''s all!" The young lady, as she desperately denied the claim, had her face ablaze with a mixture of embarrassment and anger that hinted at more than just anger, which was clearly a sign of a budding first love for a 12-year-old girl. EN - Well now, I am definitely rooting for Jeu over Fey now. Also, that archbishop... I see what you¡¯re doing Mr. Author. What a cliche setup ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 58 - Emission Magic Research Club (1) One month had passed since Allen cleared Godorfun''s assignment. One day, after school¡ª "Yo, Allen! It''s so rare to see you around." Club president Al called out while approaching me with a smile. The Emission Magic Research Club was something I had created on a whim, but I didn''t come here too often. If anything, I think my visits here could be counted with just one hand. The emission magic that only heaven¡¯s chosen like Al were capable of using felt like poison slowly chipping away at my spirit, so I usually kept my distance from this place. Still, it has been a while, and looking at it now, the number of chosen has increased to a frightening degree... ¡ô¡ô¡ô The first day when Allen established the Emission Magic Research Club¡ª concretely speaking, it should have been around the time when Allen just joined ''Apple House'' and started taking explorer work. I founded the club along with Al, Leo, Jeu, and Dol in the beginning. Our place of activity was the magic training grounds of the Royal Academy. It was as big as a soccer stadium without a ceiling, however, the walls surrounding it looked exceptionally sturdy. Al, Jeu, and Dol were the only ones among us five who had opted for the Class 1-A mage course. It was said that only 1 among 10 was capable of attribute conversion¡ª in other words, the ability to output magic as an attribute like fire or water through a catalyst. Since they were the holders of rare talent, mages alone were tested separately for practical skills during the assessment and also received points for emission magic in addition to basic martial arts. The gist was their marks were added to their overall score, so it was easy for special talent holders like them to pass. But at the same time, the Royal Academy''s cutoffs for mana capacity and academic ability were just as severe in the entrance exam. Naturally, no matter how lenient they were on practical skills, the count of mages usually hovered around 25 among the 100 students in a grade. On the other hand, almost half of the 25 first-year mages were assigned to the D-class, and the remaining ones would usually settle among the classes close to D. Furthermore, whether they took practical classes alongside their knight course elected classmates or not, they were also taken into account for the practical skills score. And considering that they have their own mage training, their numbers grew thinner as you moved up in class ranking. In fact, it was rather a common scene to see none in Class A depending on the year. This was why this year''s class was touted as one of the finest bunch to have as many as four mages in our class. It reminds me of my first training class. Everyone''s eyes nearly popped out in surprise when I told them that I didn''t have the talent for attribute conversion. "Just what are you thinking, Allen? You are already blessed with incredible body-strengthening magic, so shouldn''t you rather be focusing more on it than considering the possibility of using attribute conversion? I think I now understand why you were so detailed about magic theory despite taking regular classes, but... it should be no more than a waste of time for you. Hah, I really want to see what goes on in your head." I mean, we were talking about magic research in a world with magic, you know? Not doing it would be like eating a crepe without cream! Though those were my thoughts, to others it seemed to be just a waste of time for me. "Leo, a human''s life is not something that can be dictated by some words. There''s something called unrequired futility and required futility. I may not have the talent, but researching the treasure trove of countless possibilities that is emission magic with my classmates is just as important to me. Sometimes, you just have to go out of your way to come up with various possibilities other than just sticking to the standard solutions like cram schools or tutors which may get you your desired result. There are heaps of things that you can never reach with just conventional means." This was a phrase quoted by a scholar, one of the Nobel prize winners, in my previous world. Not that I understood it down to every last word, but as long as it worked in alluding my way, so be it, eh? I forcefully concluded the conversation with it. I think I got carried away a bit too much. This idea was taken after a certain organization that earned its fame in Kyoto as a peacemaker during the end of the Edo era in my previous world. (T/N - The Edo era ended in 1867, and the organization is Shinsengumi¡ª established in 1863. Sparing the explanation, the organization was known for its strict discipline and combat prowess) "Wait, what? How did it change to director from vice president? I¡¯m sure I just said I¡¯m better at maintaining equilibrium as the middle link by assessing other''s intentions¡ª" "Don¡¯t sweat over it! I believe you can break through your own shackles and achieve new heights! This is my first and last order as the supervisor! Anyway, what type of magic can you guys use?" I forcefully steered the direction of the topic to prevent Al and Dol''s objections. Their looks told me they had a mountain of things they wanted to speak out against. I only knew about Leo having a fire attribute since that was what he used in our mock battle last time. I hardly heard any words from the others about their talent. "In my case, it''s fire attribute magic." "Huh? So your attribute is the most common one, Leo? It''s surprisingly ordinary if I have to say, not that I should be the one saying it as someone who doesn''t have even the most common attribute." The fire attribute magic talent was quite common to the point that if I approached 15 people out on the street, one of them would surely have it. And we were talking about a cheat-existence like Leo. I wouldn''t bat an eye if he came out as a Hepta Mage, the master of seven elements. So imagine my surprise when he said he had the most common fire attribute. Hearing my words, Al explained while giving me an ''Ah this guy really knows nothing'' gaze. "...While the number and type of element does increase a person''s value, what makes everyone call Leo a heavenly prodigy is his explosive mana capacity and the skill and talent to sufficiently move that huge mana reserve at will. It was a wall no normal person could transcend... Or at least, that had been the case so far. We just happen to have a monster who easily toppled over that record of Leo in the entrance examination like eating candy." Who are you calling a monster? Sheesh, each and every one of you is so rude. "Better yet, let me show you. I also have the same fire attribute. What do you think, Leo?" Following Dol''s words after Al''s explanation, Leo answered with a grin. "Presi¡ª I mean, As you command, Director!" Jeu burst out in laughter hearing that, Dol looked like he was enduring a headache, and I was satisfied with the situation. Leo and Dol stood abreast and jutted out their palms forward. In the blink of an eye, a rapidly expanding fireball appeared on their palms. Dol''s fireball stopped at about 30 cm in diameter, but Leo''s continued to expand in size and when it was near 1m in diameter, he immediately launched it forward. "BOOOM!* The fireball crashed into a target on the sturdy-looking wall. "Holy Sweet! That''s so freaking cool!" E/N - I¡¯m pretty sure Mujikka and Godorfun talked about this club while discussing the MC¡¯s assignment with the Hill Road Club. He wasn¡¯t in Apple House yet at that time. Did I remember it wrong? (It was mentioned in the passing, not exactly than) Vol. 1 - Ch. 59 - Emission Magic Research Club (2) "Holy sweet! That''s so cool!" The excitement inside me was at an all-time high. I mean, would you look at that smoldering beauty? That was precisely the magic that I was dying to use! Why in the name of freaking fantasy did I not have a talent for it!? If only I had that talent, I would have practiced it all day long until my body could no longer endure! "That''s amazing, you two! How much mana did you use just now? How does taking a stance affect the time it takes to complete the spell? What¡¯s the speed when you launched it? Can the size and temperature of the fireball be adjusted? Can you change its trajectory midway? Can you only shoot from the palm? More like, is it possible to make the fire manifest in a place away from the body? Is there a limit to rapid shots? How can you pull off such a mysterious phenomenon?" I asked all the questions that I could think of. I had memorized the slightly difficult formulas of magic theory, but at the end of the day, it was just hard to come up with a concrete image. As they say, what better way could there be than experiencing it first-hand? There were also a few half-hearted theories that I just couldn''t wrap my head around... I would have verified them by myself if only it was possible. My barrage of questions was met with perplexed expressions from my classmates. Well yeah, this must be something obvious for them. "...I don''t think there''s much to explain when you yourself have a solid grasp on the magic theory part. Right now, I consumed 200 mana while Leo should have used about 800. It''s easier to increase the strength of a spell the more mana amount you have. It feels like... utilizing body-strengthening magic, I guess. The spell construction time and contracting it to increase its concentration largely depends on how well you can operate external mana. Also, it''s generally difficult to control the trajectory of magic or change its attribute when you cut off the link connecting the magic to the body. For the other questions, it''s possible to use another way to shoot magic in theory but this too is within the domain of external mana operation expertise and the result is usually not worth the time you sink into practicing it. So generally, no." I see... I hadn''t touched on this topic simply because I couldn''t practice it, but the training of external magic was mainly reliant on external mana operation, which was also used for scouting. And I guess, since the maximum strength of a spell was dependent on inherent mana capacity, the only other way to do so was to start with mana compression. I had noticed the importance of scouting magic when I accompanied Riyad-senpai on his collection trip, maybe it was about time for me to start on it. External mana operation worked on the same principle as internal mana circulation, so I believe I had the talent for it. But I also had loads of things to do after archery practice and my explorer work, so to be honest, I wasn''t just too keen on starting it... Frankly speaking, I believe I could train myself in mana operation more sincerely and thoroughly than anyone else¡ª no, scratch that, I could definitely take that path to its extreme that no one else has reached. Not that it mattered... since I didn''t have that future. Even if I did train my mana operation skills, what next? It wasn¡¯t like I would be able to use emission magic. I just didn''t have any confidence that I would be able to persevere on this path and when I reached that conclusion, I put a seal on these thoughts. Well, yeah, it would certainly not be a complete waste considering I could use this skill for scouting, but honestly, this motive wasn''t good enough to clear away the gloom. In my final analysis, this wasn''t the type of magic that I wished for. But, keeping it out of my mind... wasn''t going to cut it, huh? Now that I had cleared his assignment, I would be able to get in touch with a master through the mediation of Godorfun. But, if what I want still turned out to be on the other side of the horizon... I would just quietly learn scouting magic. I mentally resolved myself. "What happened? You are making such an anxious face..." "...It¡¯s nothing. Anyway, what type of magic can all of you use? I really want to see it!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô After Leo''s and Dol''s performance, I get to see the others'' magic as well. And it was so exciting! I also asked them any questions that came to my mind. It turned out that Jeu was a holy magic user said to be possessed by 1 among 5000 people. There wasn''t anyone wounded around so I couldn''t check out the healing effect, but she did perform buff magic. The cascading veil of golden mana, just like her hair color, as she prayed was truly a mystical sight to behold. Holy magic was still shrouded in a layer of mystery for the major part, like on what principle it activated, so there wasn''t much explanation out there. Buff magic made it possible to circulate mana more smoothly and reduce the amount of mana usage. Ultimately, it provided an elevation in power, speed, or stamina. Apparently, it was an amazing feat for Jeu to be able to use it at her age. Al was an ice mage. Ice magic was also a rare talent found only among 1 in 1000, and those who had it were called double attribute users. To be precise, the talent for ice attribute definitely came hand in hand with water attribute. He also has a huge mana capacity, around 5000 compared to the other Class A students, and more than double mine. I was so excited to see another new element, but apparently, neither water nor ice magic had any offensive magic. Ice magic was mainly about freezing over touch, and Al showed this by freezing a wooden stick that was in the training facility in one second. "Look at you, acting like a delinquent... That said, it''s impossible for me to be strict on people." Ah~! I quickly pulled Dol to an uncrowded spot. "Didn''t I say you don''t have to be strict on members? What you''re doing is forging an organization. It''s not any mind-bending game. Yes, just act like usual and simply ask the club to act the same." "Like usual...?" The efficiency with which this guy handled tasks wasn''t something an average joe was capable of pulling it. Scratch that, his competence in various tasks far eclipsed just doing things skillfully, and that was very much evident in the data from the Hill Road Club¡¯s morning activities. This guy was another unparalleled talent among this year''s Class 1-A, which was said to have the best of the talents in all these years. Leaving aside his oh-so ''I am a mob'' face. "Have faith in yourself, pal! Not everything you see in data is indicative of your overall talent. Trust me, Leo is no match when it comes to what you¡¯re capable of." I got carried away a bit too much when I established this club, but I have seen what this guy was truly capable of from up close in this one month of acquaintanceship. He just needed to be more confident about himself and my words, and he would surely blindside the world with his talent. There was no way I could let such a talent be buried underneath his own sense of worthlessness. The day he broke out of his shell, using this club as a catalyst, I was sure I would be able to see the magic that my heart sought after. "Haa... Why are you so sure when even I¡¯m not confident about myself? Well, whatever. I¡¯ll try to throw a stone in the pond and see what comes out." As Dol said that, I could see a flash of determination shine briefly in his eyes. When we went back to where everyone was, Al approached. "...Are you alright, Dol? It would do your health no good if you keep following everything that Allen says. By the way, Allen, what about the knight order?" Al was quite lax in his approach, but this was just as important. A strict person by no means could draw in moths to this organization, after all. As a matter of fact, I have been able to get a certain knight commander to be my master through the mediation of Godorfun and had been visiting the knight order a few times in the week. Well, concretely speaking, I was now a provisional member of the knight order as a trainee which was supposed to happen in the summer of our third year. He truly lives up to his reputation as Godorfun ''the right hand of the King''. I mean, this sort of preferential treatment would surely have otherwise incited discontent among others for sure... At least that was usually how the template went. "About that, I¡¯m going to visit in moderation in parallel to keep up with my studies. I had been skipping the meeting so far, but I don''t want to miss out on these precious once-in-a-week club activities anymore." Al seemed delighted hearing that. "That''s great. The other members would also be glad to see you here more frequently. You know, there are quite a lot of people who want to work alongside you. Look over there, that girl with the braided hair is apparently a huge fan of yours." Seeing our gaze at her, a cute and neat-looking girl with braided hair turned her gaze downward seemingly in embarrassment, her cheeks dying in a shade of crimson. W-What a cutie! Ah, but he said a fan, huh? I might break the impression of me that she held so it would be really tough trying to talk to her. "...Anyway, what kind of research do you want to do?" Al asked in a concerned tone. Knowing that I couldn''t use emission magic, he probably was worried about my feelings. Kukuku. But you see... "I have caught a glimpse of my path as a mage. It''s not going to be worth that much compared to all of you, but I¡¯m going to pile all the knowledge from the research here and aim to be a Mage." Al, Dol, and the other members around fell silent after hearing my positive declaration. Vol. 1 - Ch. 60 - Royal Capital’s Central Military Post Right now, I was visiting the Royal Capital''s central military post with just my wooden sword in hand. It was the place Godorfun told me to visit after I successfully cleared his assignment. It was apparently the headquarters of the Kingdom''s Knight Order''s 3rd Legion which was in charge of keeping the public order in the Royal Capital in check, or so Godorfun told me. Apparently, just one legion ¡ª a unit with 120 members ¡ª was not enough to cover the vast Royal Capital. So, as the commander of the 3rd Legion, who also managed sub-organizations like the police force and the vigilant corps, Dew Owiel was an incredibly busy person. The situation would be similar to high-ranking individuals from the self-defense force taking command of the police as well when the nation is on the verge of being at war with another country in my previous world. Putting it in that way, I could relate. The Kingdom''s Knight Order had seven legions including the royal guards, and it was a chivalric order of as many as 900 members. And there were only 200 mages in it, including engineers. It might appear to be a very small force in case of a war against another nation, but when push came to shove, the Kingdom utilized the private armies of the top-ranking nobles and the knight course graduates of the lower-ranking nobles to form its army. For that reason, they would also undergo regular drills so that they could be deployed during wartime from a peaceful moment. They were usually enough to deal with the subjugation of the usual formidable monsters or monster stampedes, but during an invasion from another nation, volunteer soldiers from commoners and explorers were recruited. In this world where almost anyone above the age of 12 could use magic, even the common folk proved to be enough to hold down the fort. Commanding this assorted company was the Kingdom''s Knight Order. It needed no further explanation as to what kind of influential person a legion commander had to be. It was just 5 minutes before the appointed time that I arrived in front of the military post of the 3rd Legion feeling a bit nervous but also expectant. I braced myself and passed through the gate. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Pardon me! I''m Allen Rovenne from the Royal Academy! I have an appointment with the 3rd Legion commander Dew Owiel!" I shouted in a loud voice at the entrance of what seemed to be the guard post beside the gate. There was no door to knock on so I could only raise my voice.U?pTodated novels on "''Sup, I was just expecting you to drop by. The name''s Dante. Nice to meet you!" In response to my voice, a 2m tall giant with ripped muscles and around 120 kg in weight came out from the inside. He gave off quite a brisk vibe with his glossy, short-cut silver hair and amicable gaze. I must say he had everything he needed to be popular back in Japan, or should have as his look was ruined by his double chin. Dante-san was donning an embroidered, black-toned mantle of the 3rd Legion that I had caught sight of in this Royal Capital¡ª each mantle had its own unique embroidery, apparently. I grasped the hand that he extended for a handshake, and received a surprise. His grip was fairly normal, but that rock-like feedback from his palm made me feel the extent of his skill in body-strengthening magic. ...He was strong. Honestly, there was no hope in a hypothetical scenario that a team composed of Leo and I could defeat him in a fair-and-square match. I felt the gap between us. "I have been briefed on the situation... I¡¯ll take you to Dew-san, so follow me. But, before that..." Dante-san paused, cleared his throat, and read aloud from a piece of paper. The military post was truly quite vast after passing through the relatively small gate, just as I imagined it to be. The first thing that I saw was a 50-step fan-shaped stairway right after the guard post. I presumed this place was a hilly area originally, and later it was reclaimed to build this garrison. Ascending the stairs, there was a cobblestone square, and a red carpet stretched straight toward the front building. This place should be used for a ceremony to honorably welcome influential people visiting here for inspection. We entered the building, avoiding the red carpet, and walked straight through to a vast courtyard. There, the knights were spread out while performing their training like sham battles or swinging practice. Noticing our entrance, they all stopped and directed curious glances my way... Well, I more or less skipped the usual system through the forceful intervention of Godorfun despite being a first-year, so I expected this attention. In the meanwhile, a familiar-looking person, with his mouth curved into a grin, approached us. He wore a jet-black mantle on his back. "You''re finally here huh, Allen Rovenne-kun? I''m Justin Locke. You haven''t forgotten me, right?" "Of course. You were attending the reception area during the practical exam at the Royal Academy, right? I didn''t expect you to be here, much less a member of the Knight Order." Justin onii-san cackled hearing my response. "Ahahaha. I saw that coming. But, not everyone is qualified to be present there during the entrance exam. Who did you think I was?" "...As embarrassing as it might be, I thought you were a support from the 3rd year." "Hahaha! No, sorry I laugh. It''s just that, everyone except the notified staff was not allowed to enter the premises of the school during the exam, even the already enrolled students, to prevent any mishap. I¡¯m surprised you hopped on the exam train blind and even got into Class A." ...Praise my dad for it, I guess? I wonder if this person''s common sense has left for a vacation. He even rattled off seemingly confidential information like ''Practical exam scores are heavily influenced by the examiner''s discretion'' proudly. While I was laughing dryly, Justin-san continued. "Then, I guess you don''t know that he is also a knight as well?" I followed the gaze of the grinning Justin-san and looked at the middle-aged security guard standing there, clearly hungover and in an annoyed mood. E/N - It¡¯s going to be an interesting next chapter with that cliffhanger. ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 61 - Archer of Knight Order The examiner with the unkept beard, his wooden sword resting on his shoulder, was glaring at me. Never a day would pass by that he wasn''t in a bad mood it seemed, huh? I thought that the uncle was just a guard or something when I heard him being in charge of security. So he was also a member of the Knight Order? Hmm, he was the only one without a mantle but judging from Justin-san''s speech, my guess shouldn''t be wrong. Ah, right. Didn''t Godorfun say that the Knight Order had been in charge of the exam¡¯s security ever since the Red Carpet inciden¡ª delete, just delete this thought from my memory, oh brain. Anyway, I didn''t have any business with this drunkard today, unlike on the exam day (I didn''t have any business with him that day as well though?). If anything, it would be great if he stayed a mile away from me... I had just made up my mind to steer clear from crossing paths with him when Justin-san, with a madman-like grin that almost reached his ears, said "He''s drunk and in a bad mood today, so be careful, got it?" in a whispering tone. Not even a second later, that unkept beard blazed toward Justin-san to give him a taste of his full-power attack. High heavens, what monstrous hearing he has to hear all that from 10m away!? His slash was fast and precise, incomparable to the strike he made to counterattack me during the exam. Justin-san easily dodged the attack by twisting his body, but the wooden sword was now bearing down on me instead. This damned unkept beard, so his target was me all along!? While such a possibility popped up in a corner of my mind, I barely managed to hold my ground against that incomparably sharp attack by blocking it with the midsection of my wooden sword. I used that force to leap backward and landed on the ground with my left hand before flipping back up. I glanced at Justin-san who snickered and started moving anticlockwise with shuffling movements. I also immediately reacted, shifting my distance away from him, and began shuffling at the same speed. However, before anyone else could make a move, Dante-san stepped in to intervene. "Alright, that''s enough fooling around. You two alone can''t defeat Dew-san. And you don''t want to get injured, right?" "Damn you, Justin. Who are you calling a drunkard? Weren''t you with me last night when we raided and captured what seemed to be a group of spies from another country right after the shift!? When the hell did I get the leisure to drink, for god''s sake!? Hah, tell me when?" ...Haha, my ears seemed to be playing tricks on me. Did Dante-san just call that crooked manager Dew-san... Justin-san closed the distance as he rested his long wooden sword on his shoulder. "Tsk. Just when it was getting interesting... Anyway, don''t you think he needs to introduce himself now, Dew-san?" You too, Justice-san... Don''t tell me he''s really that Dew-san? One could be wrong, but not two. So, he really was him! Just as my train of thought was going through a futile debate to escape from reality, Dante-san introduced him in a very clear voice. "I believe you may have seen him before. Yes, he is the very Dew Owiel-san, commander of the 3rd legion and the one in charge of your practical exam!" For real...!? But with Dante-san saying it so clearly, there was no room for misunderstanding. ...Yes, it''s not like this would be the first time I flatter a fool for expediency. As long he showed his worth, so be it, even if his nasty personality was worth no more than a single rea. ¡°I would like to express my gratitude for the practical exam! Once again, I''m Allen Rovenne from the Royal Academy! It''s really a dream come true for me to meet my idol, Commander Dew-san, today!¡± As I greeted him in a refreshing tone, a vein popped up on his temple.NewW novels updates on ¡°Oh~? Idol, huh? Then what have you been holding onto with your left hand?¡± ¡°Boy, what have you used so far?¡± ¡°Huh, ah... Lygo No.5. It was all my meager budget could afford.¡± Hearing my reply, Kiana-san finally cracked her stern mask as she grinned. ¡°Not bad. I believe there should be some lygo lying around in the warehouse for training. Wait a while.¡± Rouge-san''s recommendation surely did wonders, huh? Well, I guess that was why she managed to climb up to be a store manager at such a young age. As soon as I had my pocket filled, I would surely visit the store for shopping as gratitude. ¡ô I waited for just 2~3 minutes when Kiana-san came back with a Lygo No.5, a quiver filled with wooden arrows, and a strange birdie magic tool. After she transferred some of her mana into that birdie, it flapped its wings and flew around like a swallow. ¡°Take aim, boy.¡± The magic tool was flapping its unsteady wings without any intervention. ¡°Wait, isn''t it dangerous?¡± ¡°What do you think this place is? There wouldn''t be any fool here to get hit by a Lygo when it¡¯s in plain sight. Just think about how to take down that pseudo-bird tool.¡± I casually aimed at the birdie and released an arrow. It dodged it by lowering the altitude and my arrow, missing its target, bumped against the window of a building by the courtyard¡ª and was repelled. Tempered glass, I guess? ¡°Again.¡± Following Kiana-san¡¯s urging, I closely followed that bird-shaped magic tool¡¯s movement. Time to show the results of my training. Ever since I missed that shot with the Runesheep, I had been practicing the impact timing of my arrows while learning about my current strengths and weaknesses. I looked for the best opportunity I could find and rapidly shot three arrows. ¡°Oh!!¡± My second arrow struck that birdie dead on. However, my third arrow ¡ª that I had shot in anticipation if it once again lowered its altitude ¡ª flew near the face of the Commander who had been digging into his nose. ¡°You brat! You surely didn''t need that 3rd shot! Just say it if you have a grudge against me!¡± ¡°Heavens no, Commander. It''s all a misunderstanding. It''s my first time training with such a magic tool, so the 3rd arrow was just in case it flew down, really. May my enemies burn, I really do not have an ounce of resentment against you! Nevertheless, you have once again put me in awe, Commander Dew! You had already noticed that the arrow wasn''t aimed at you so you didn''t attempt to dodge.¡± The only one I resent is the section chief from my previous world... Well... he must have seen it coming, right? I mean, Kiana-san had just said no one here was a fool to get hit in plain sight, so I didn''t put up my guard. However, my aim was a bit off. Don''t tell me the matter would have blown up if it really hit him? Except for Justin-san who seemed to be getting the laugh of his life, everyone''s strained expression filled me with uneasiness. Vol. 1 - Ch. 62 - Mages Embryo (1) "Cough I assume you''re self-taught from your style. But you''re sincere in your practice. Since when did you start practicing archery?" "Err...A bit over a month." "...Impressive. You should be able to broaden your horizons by polishing the finer details and honing your senses. Specifically, by figuring out ''grip'', ''drawing distance'', and ''tension'', you¡¯ll see improvements in your accuracy and rapid shots."nE?w stories at ented and proceeded to explain some of the finer details of archery. This was quite an unexpected boon. Royal Academy, astonishingly, didn''t have a single bow expert among its teachers despite having all that sparkling facilities and tools. Well, the Academy was renowned for churning out exceptional knights in this magical world and would have likely placed secondary, if not tertiary, emphasis on ranged weapons such as bows. And she was right. I had just been going in blindly in my archery practice, and I did feel I was approaching my limit. I politely expressed my gratitude for her tips and asked if I could disturb her again the next time I had a chance. She accepted with a smile. Maybe she was quite a friendly person once you took your time to get to know her, eh? It took barely five minutes of effort to listen with my ears and grasp the essence with my head, but it all boiled down to ''form'' requiring nothing but repetitive training. "By the way, didn''t you come here to be Dew-san''s apprentice? What''s your goal?" Huh? They didn''t hear from Godorfun? It had been one thing after another today and some were really helpful that it completely slipped out of my mind, but my goal was the longing I had been silently carrying in my heart ever since my awakening¡ª Emission Magic. I wasn''t really expecting him to outright light the path for me, considering Godorfun never specified it, but even a tiny bit of hint would be enough to make me persist in my dream. I brushed away the flattering smile from my face and earnestly faced Dew-san. I did my most sincere bow and pleaded to make me his disciple. "Commander Dew-san! I am a complete dud when it comes to attribute conversion. But I want to learn emission magic no matter what it takes. There''s just one and only one reason¡ª it''s awesome. Yes, this is all there is to it. However, I won''t hesitate to sacrifice anything if it means I can get my hands on emission magic. Godorfun-sensei hinted that the key to my goal is in your hands. So please take me in as your disciple!" Dew-san''s brows knitted together at my words, and after a momentary silence, he replied, "Hmm~...Impossible." ......Alright, I already saw that coming when Godorfun said he would just put up a recommendation. As for whether he would accept me as a disciple, he would interfere no more. But I haven''t come here to give up just because he denied me once. Dante-san spoke in a monologue of sorts, crossing his arms. What, what? Don''t tell me this uncle with an unkept beard was really hiding a secret? As I eagerly awaited Dante-san¡¯s next words with a teeny bit of hope, Justin-san continued from there. "You mean scouting magic utilizing outer mana operation? But even if you somehow gained the skill, you can''t do it without training your mana operation. Furthermore, purposefully exposing him to the Knight Order earlier and involving him in its work should also be another reason, no?" (T/N - Outer mana operation is basically about how capable someone was to handle mana outside their body) His words pushed me into despondency. So it was that... I mean, I had noticed the importance of mana operation, and I was thinking of putting it into my training regime if today''s visit ended in futility. But I wasn''t keen on the idea of using my valuable time to help out with some tedious desk work just to learn about mana operation from this distasteful manager (Dew-san). Think about it, what was my goal? I had decided to live a whimsical life and never turned back to look at desk-type labor. Didn''t this go against my ideals? I had already learned some aspects of this world from my classes in the Royal Academy, and I had confidence in my self-learning ability, just like with the bow, so... "Is Dew-san''s scouting magic that impressive?" Knowing the futility of it all, I decided to ask just in case. "Yes. In fact, I may even go as far as to say no one can beat him when it comes to it in this kingdom. He can easily grasp what is everyone talking about or what they were doing in this huge military post if he got serious." "Peeping is a crime, you know?" A retort reflexively escaped my lips after listening to Dante-san. And on hearing that, a blue vein popped out on the man¡¯s forehead again. "Who¡¯re you calling a peeping demon, you smelly brat!? Do you think there hasn''t been a magic tool to prevent this!? It''s useless indoors unless you''re talking about some oblivious countryside! It''s strictly for the outdoors! You are really asking for a beating!" Bursting out in laughter after hearing my comment, Justin-san followed. "Well, we can''t just drive him away empty-handed when you have been officially ordered to train him, now that he''s a member here, albeit temporarily, right? And if you ask me, Sir must have seen his talent in scouting magic that shouldn''t lose to yours, and that''s why he did all the preparation to send him here. A talent of this caliber will surely be another lifeline to this kingdom during emergencies. The strategic value of having one more person capable of using scouting magic ¡ª when it''s solely based on your unique ability ¡ª is truly unfathomable. Furthermore, this will also halve your burden, since you are the only one this kingdom can rely on so far." So this lousy, sloven person was actually the one-and-only monster among the already extolled Knight Order? Vol. 1 - Ch. 63 - Mages Embryo (2) So this lousy, sloven person was actually the one-and-only monster among the already extolled Knight Order? Well, that sure gave him some brownie points. Hmm, maybe he could actually teach me? However, the awkwardness in the air was gradually kind of making it hard to turn him down. The dilemma that I was caught in between was whether I should force my escape or stay and see how it went. Just as I was wrestling with my ideas, Dante-san added. ¡°Nothing beats first-hand experience, no? Besides, I bet you can''t imagine why Dew-san is hailed as the one and only talent in scouting magic.¡±NewW novels updates on Dew-san, with his arms crossed, sighed upon hearing that and said, ¡°Haa. Hey, brat. I''m going to show you the basics of scouting magic. However, you don''t need to pander to it if you find it uninteresting. Squash whatever Justin said just now from your mind. You should have things you want to do, right? A whimsical guy like you is best left alone to your own devices, that is the best teaching method for you. I¡¯ll do something about the decree from my end.¡± His words put me into self-reflection. I didn''t expect this person to be this serious about my future. Godorfun had shown the same thing as well. I really should stop projecting the image of my boss from my previous life onto everyone. In response, I deeply bowed my head. ¡°Thank you very much for your consideration. I¡¯ll surely let you know.¡±. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°Why haven''t you tried your hand at scouting magic all this while? It''s really bizarre that you haven''t, given your talent...¡± ¡°I couldn''t find any interest in it whatsoever that could give a push. Yeah, no particular reason.¡± I mean, I couldn''t just say ¡®I¡¯m looking for something cooler¡¯ right in front of the person said to be a master of scouting magic, right? However, Dew-san, who seemingly reading my mind, said, ¡°It is how it is. We all had a longing for magic that goes boom or bam in our childhood. Well, it was a pipe dream I discarded when I enrolled in the Academy though.¡± As he spoke, he dispelled the lethargic expression from his eyes, widening them, and naturally unfolded his previously crossed arms. "Well, like this, it can be used against wild animals or monsters to intimidate them. It comes in handy when driving prey into a corner." I got on my knees in that instant. I was taking the pose only the criminals take in this world supposedly¡ª Dogeza (orz posture), and with a loud and clear voice, appealed to Dew-san. "I had eyes but I failed to see the venerable! Please, accept me as your disciple!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô A tremor shook my whole body to its core when I faced Dew-san''s intimidation wave. It had been a while since I came to know about magic, and there had always been a nagging feeling tugging on my heart. Now that I thought about it, everything was clear. Oddly, this world didn''t have the ''wind'' attribute. The missing ''wind'' attribute, which was usually one of the major elements in light novels, was actually a no-attribute external magic in this world? Like, holy cow, what kind of plot convenience was this? However, it was a fact that the mana''s movement possessed physical property. My fluttering mantle earlier was proof of it. But if it was possible to cause wind by outer mana circulation, which had no relation to attribute conversion, that meant even I should be able to do this¡ª absolutely so. The answer was right in front of my eyes all along, but I failed to notice it. But, it was also due to the doubt I had. Why did no one in this world use it? Just as my mind was dominated by a maelstrom of thoughts while I was kneeling, two knights entered the courtyard. "Ah, shoot! I guess I missed the interesting part. Why is he taking that pose?" A tall and lanky knight said¡ª I remember him. He was that kind-faced, popular examiner during the practical exam. "Nah, you just came at the right time, Parch-san. Still, what brought this burst of energy, eh? From your couch potato mode." Justin-san said, grinning. I ceased my thoughts for the moment. For now, all that mattered was that I had come to know mana could cause wind. I couldn''t wait to start my investigation over it. I slowly got up from the ground, took a look around, and declared in a loud voice. "I, under the tutelage of Master Dew, shall master the art of mana operation, and become a mage that vanquishes all foes ¡ª and obstacles ¡ª to oblivion with wind magic! That which embodies the essence of wind, and be someone in tune with it¡ª I aspire to be the Great Sorcerer of the Wind!¡± T/N - Damn, truly a lightning fast change in attitude huh. It reminds me ¡®Junior had eyes but he couldn¡¯t see Mt. Tai¡¯ from Chinese novels, If you have read them. E/N - I can¡¯t believe that the ¡®wind¡¯ attribute hasn¡¯t been discovered yet. I mean, it¡¯s all around us after all. You¡¯d think that would be one of the 1st things mages of old would try to manipulate. Well, whatever. ?????¡á? (I guess they''re hung up on attribute conversion talent, and wind magic doesn''t seem powerful according to what Dew did---for now) Vol. 1 - Ch. 64 - Mage’s Embryo (3) "I, under the tutelage of Master Dew, shall master the art of mana operation, and become a mage that vanquishes all foes ¡ª and obstacles ¡ª to oblivion with wind magic! That which embodies the essence of wind, and be someone in tune with it¡ª I aspire to be the Great Sorcerer of the Wind!¡± A silence ensued following my declaration. Not in awe, but a puzzling ¡®Huh, what''s that guy talking about¡® sort of silence. ¡°Ahahaha! Sounds good actually, Wind Sorcerer! Isn''t wind like that blow whoosh? Seriously great. Go for it!¡± Except Parch-san, who truly seemed to be having his fill as he burst into laughter. Master Dew scratched his head and asked, ¡°Well, your life, your choice. But I''m really wondering, how are you going to defeat the enemy with your... wind?¡± I replied with the basics of wind magic I know about to him. ¡°Of course, it has to be a wind blade. You hurl a blade of wind which cuts through the opponent.¡± ¡°What the heck is a wind blade? Why would wind have cutting properties?¡± ...Right. I think the explanation in novels was¡ª ¡°The key to it lies in the vacuum¡ª oh, it¡¯s a state without air, between. You can cut through the opponent by sending a vacuum blade.¡± ¡°Wind in the absence of air? Whatever, what matters is you can''t so easily create that vacuum with mana operation. Let''s suppose you managed to, how does the absence of wind give rise to cutting property?¡± ...Right, again. Indeed, I''ve heard that if a person was suddenly exposed to the vacuum of outer space without pressurization, their body would expand and rupture in an instant. The human body, especially its fluids, was constantly being compressed by about one atmosphere of pressure from the air, balancing the force that tried to expand it outward. Imagine taking a snack bag to the summit of Mount Fuji¡ª it would inflate for the same reason. "Everything in this world is constantly being pressurized by air. You might not feel it since your body has always been accustomed to this force, but that force is tremendously powerful. If the air suddenly disappears, the force trying to push outward goes haywire, leading to explosion or expansion through the evaporation of internal fluids, ultimately resulting in disconnection or functional destruction... theoretically." By the time I finished with my explanation, everyone gave me a ¡®What a pitiful child, suffering from illness at such a young age¡¯ look. Unfortunately, it wasn''t a place to discuss scientific stuff like the robust structure needed to create a pressurized space like the one in outer space. Alright, time for level 3 wind magic stuff to increase its value. I hurriedly supplemented it. "Oh, and there''s also a straightforward magic called Hurricane! It replicates the powerful winds of a storm! With increased power, it could overturn not only humans but also magic vehicles or even destroy buildings!" Dante-san made a sharp comment when I explained. "So... winds strong enough to destroy buildings? It''s a bit hard to imagine honestly... but it does sound powerful, in words. However if one is capable of causing a phenomenon to this extent with their mana operation, they might as well use body-strengthening magic which is more efficient if you ask me.¡± ...Dante-san was also right. Seeing is believing. However, since this Kingdom hadn¡¯t experienced any storms, they probably were unable to imagine what winds were capable of. You know what, scratch that. I wasn¡¯t here to debate over efficiency or whatever! I''m here to just talk about creating a phenomenon through mana that I always longed for! ¡°Ahaha! Isn''t it fine though? Every kid has their own version of fantasies. I¡¯ll wait for the day you can freely fly in the sky with the power of the wind. Do teach me when that moment comes, alright? Pfft, hahaha!¡± ¡°Fuhahaha! You know what, count me in as well. I¡¯ll call you my master then! And don''t you think wind can also cause skirts to flip up? What a pervert! Hahaha!¡± ¡° ¡°Pfft¡± ¡± Damn them... Just count your days, you lot, I¡¯d definitely blast you with a ¡®Serves you right¡¯ ending! Well, I realized the importance of scouting magic ¡ª enhanced hearing ¡ª after being thrown into that perilous training. It wasn''t just about its usefulness. I probably wouldn''t have cared much¡ª but I realized that the core aspects of this magic, maintaining a connection with the mana outside your body, had a direct connection with my wind magic that I aspire to master. Sure enough, the predecessors¡¯ teachings couldn''t be ignored, huh? ¡°For real? I expect nothing less from you! What kind of magic is it?¡± ¡°My magic utilizes external mana operation¡ª Wind Magic! In tune with the wind, this is my Mage¡¯s path!¡± ¡°...And here you begin with your cryptic nonsense again. Long story short, you can cause wind by manipulating your mana, right? What''s the purpose of that?¡± ¡°Fufu, just wait and watch. This is the result of my month-long grueling training.¡± After saying that, I loosened my body. Everyone watched with bated breath. "Haaaah!" Mana swirled following my shout. I was now capable of creating a surge of wind in a radius of 5m with a wind speed of 8m/s while keeping most of my mana in this one month. ¡° ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± ¡± A scream echoed from the group of girls who were looking at my performance with bated breath. The wind I caused had flipped their skirts. The braided girl that Dol had pointed out to earlier, my fan ¡ª I mean, I didn¡¯t particularly mean anything with it ¡ª was wearing a striking, purple¡ª¡ª I suddenly noticed a gaze on me and looked up to see that girl glaring at me with her tearful eyes. Ack! ¡°I, I''m sorry! It wasn''t on purpos¡ª¡± ¡°Scum!¡± Leaving behind a word that I couldn''t possibly wash off, the girl ran away from the place. ¡ô This was the start of Allen¡¯s journey as Mage. Nevertheless, what could have been a monumental topic¡ª his newfounded research topic over (no) attribute magic which expanded on the conventional scouting magic and created brand new possibilities for anyone to use ''wind magic'', gained no traction. When the words about the minor incident were out among students, some pervert-minded male students immediately came in droves to join the Emission Magic Club. However, as they realized the level of expertise needed to do what Allen did, ''Flipping skirts with the wind'', they secretly began to extol Allen as the ''Flip Master''. If that wasn''t enough, some of the needlessly talented but perverted male students even sorted out all the necessary mana conversion principles required to reach the level of flipping skirts, and dubbed it as ''Allen''s Theory''. In a heartbeat, Allen''s research was labeled as the pursuit of his lust. The only people who had different opinions were Fey and Jeu who burst out in laughter when these rumors made their way to their ears. They started wearing even more short skirts deliberately and loitered around wherever he would be. On the other hand, his reputation among the girls ¡ª when he had just started gaining popularity and there was also talk about establishing his fan club ¡ª plummeted to rock bottom. Perhaps that was a milder way to put it. Ever since then, like the old saying similar to scare tactics, a precedent was set where whenever someone''s skirt would be flipped by wind¡ª the infamy would fall on Allen''s head. T/N - Alright, didn¡¯t see it coming. I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t labelled scouting magic as a whole as a pervert¡¯s work xD. E/N - Well, I¡¯m not a fan of the MC being mocked when he should be praised for his discoveries/innovations but this is that type of novel after all. Though, Fey and Jeu wearing more skirts around Allen to mess with him was a nice touch. Vol. 1 - Ch. 65 - Uncle "Are you here, Lynd?" It should have been just a few minutes since I arrived at my affiliated mutual aid society ''Apple House'' and I had just handed over the two Low Vultures I hunted ¡ª for the usual fundraising and also to supply some meat ¡ª when a visitor dropped by for the Boss. I had been hunting in the eastern part of the Rune Prairie lately, especially the vultures, whenever I was free from knight work. Whenever our schedules matched, I would party up with Amur and Roye-aniki or Al and Coco to accept D to F rank quests. However, I made sure to keep myself away from the leadership role so that I didn¡¯t suddenly fulfill the criteria for a D-rank promotion. I was still E-rank and I didn''t want to tick the box to be eligible for promotion. The usual D-rank promotion condition was to show a feat worthy of D-rank, whether alone or in a party. So I was just taking things backward by staying away from the core position and being a sidekick of the strong members. I did have apprehensions about Greateus Snake class monsters appearing, but I believed I could escape when I didn¡¯t have to look after others. As an insurance, I was also carrying two extremely expensive arrows with Malat mountain-produced MacAquate mineral Arrowheads attached to the iron shafts. One of them alone cost 2000 rea, making them a high-grade product, but Rouge-san of the arms store said that even I should be able to damage a Greateus Snake with just a Lygo bow using these arrows. So I got them as a lifeline to be used in case of precarious situations. Though they were so expensive that I didn''t even feel like testing them out... The enhanced hearing-based scouting magic that I abhorred before turned out to be a huge asset in hunting. And since my wind magic was interlinked with scouting magic, I was also making an effort to train it. Well, I had mostly made these plains my training ground along with my hunting since the city and the dorm were too noisy for me to handle, and I would also often pick up some conversations that I shouldn''t have. My hunting grounds started a bit away from the main road in the plains. I would look out for wild animals or monsters with my scouting magic and take them down with my bow. Vultures were quickly attracted whenever there was dead prey around. They would descend whenever I was hunting for another monster, though I made sure to keep my gaze on my target. My enhanced hearing wasn''t trained enough to pick up the sound when they descended, but it was good enough to notice when they were trying to flap their wings after clutching their prey in their claws. This was usually my window to take them down. My hunting rate was two vultures in less than 30 minutes, by repeating the same tactic. I would have tried for more, but I couldn''t carry a mountain of corpses alongside me into the city so two was the usual limit. ¡°Good work out there, Ren-kun! Vultures again? My handcart has space so dump it on here if you like.¡± Recently, I had been often approached by novice explorers from other mutual aid societies. I sometimes found folks of other mutual aid societies at the receiving end of the vultures¡¯ tricks during my hunts and I would usually help them out since it was a bit hard to ignore when everything was happening in front of me. Though, this seemed to have increased my favorability among them. Honestly, I also often found myself in a pickle since a lot of such people were quite older than me, and occasionally offered to carry the monsters I was holding, just like now. ¡°Thanks a bunch. It''s not much, but you can carry those Meadow Mara and Jumplgr rolling on the ground.¡± ¡°Are you sure!? Thank you really, Ren-kun! Ya lot, load them in quick!¡± Well, I couldn''t carry everything by myself, so I was going to leave them behind either way and let them return to dust. They didn''t have much value either compared to the hassle I would have to go through to carry them. Besides, if we didn''t carry them, they would just become lunch for the vultures or other monsters in no time.NewW novels updates on ¡°Ah, right! Us folks are from Round Piece! I''m Jess, E-rank. These two are F-rank.¡± ¡°Look at me, not introducing myself properly. I''m Ren from Apple House. I''m still an upstart explorer, so let''s look out for each other.¡± When I returned the greeting politely, the two standing behind Jess-san whispered in his ears. ¡°Just how much booze you want, old baldy!? You see that, brother Ren took it out! Something like a Low Vulture is piss easy for him!¡± ¡°Watch your tongue, kid! It''s rude to talk like this to a guest! You should be more polite when facing them!¡± I dropped a knuckle on the head of Po, who somehow started boasting about me for no reason. ¡°Ack... Understood, Brother Ren...¡± Po sulked a bit and returned to dismantling. He was about to start when Uncle Shell took a step toward Po, oozing with a threatening aura. The intimidation intensity was off the charts to be directed at a powerless kid. Naturally, Po had fallen on his butt. I wedged myself between them. ¡°I acknowledge his rudeness, but bear in mind he''s still a kid. You should hold back, Uncle.¡± ¡°What? I''m not going to kill him, but a brat like him wouldn''t learn unless they see hell. Move aside, Kid.¡± I sighed and took a step to the side. I picked up a rusty iron pipe, with a nail embedded in it, that was there on the ground, turned around, and made a full powered swing at the baldy¡¯s stomach. Baldy used his arms to take the hit. Thwamp A sound, as if it was two metal bars that had bumped into each other, echoed. Damn, tough! What the hell was this baldy, a cyborg!? I immediately let go of my hand holding the pipe, but right when my body was still recovering from making the earlier attack, his fist rained down. I loosened my body ¡ª to meet hardness with softness ¡ª since I couldn''t escape or put up my guard on time. Just as I covered my face with body-strengthening magic, he landed a precise blow that sent me flying. I covered my landing ground with body-strengthening magic and crashed into a mountain of rubbish in the garden. ¡°Brother Ren!¡± Po and the other members screamed. I quickly stood up and flashed a smile to reassure them. ¡°I am going to have a chat with this baldy Shell, so you guys go inside for now.¡± I put the crowbar I picked up from the debris on my shoulder, and hid some nails in my hand. However, instead of taking any action, the baldy restrained his intimidation aura and started laughing. ¡°Kuhahaha. Just a nosebleed from my punch? Hey, you¡¯re called Ren, right? I like your brawling style. You¡¯re good, and it looks like Saki taking care of you wasn¡¯t a lie, it seems. You free after this?¡± ......This damned baldy, so he was testing me! ¡°...I''m busy as hell.¡± Vol. 1 - Ch. 66 - Honey Ant ¡°Come now, quite glaring at me! Who sulks like that after a greeting?¡± ¡°Hah, you call that a greeting? I would be lying on a hospital bed with broken bones if I hadn''t used body-strengthening magic in time, Uncle.¡± ¡°Ahahaha! I knew you caught on, with your lax attitude. I couldn''t appear weaker, right? Anyway, if it ends well then all''s well!¡± ¡°Sigh... fine. But I better not see this happening again¡ª alright!?¡± Thump I followed with a surprise attack on his stomach while I was talking, however, his abdominal muscles were like a piece of iron¡ª hard. And when I held up my balled-up fist with tears almost squeezing out from my eyes from the pain, Uncle Shell burst into laughter. ¡°Fuhaha. You''re quite a cheeky bastard. That said, you¡¯ll have to learn to handle that much if you want to be an explorer, your being a brat doesn''t mean jack shit. And Lynd too, the heck was he doing? How could he have not told me about you? I would have liked to meet an interesting fella like you earlier. Hey, Ren. We''re going to the forest north of the capital. Honey ants have made their colony there.¡± ¡°What? No. Didn''t I tell you I''m busy¡ª¡± ¡°But you were just sitting around in a trance earlier. Enough, grow a pair, and come with me. What do you prefer¡ª do you want to be knocked out cold and wake up in the forest, or you will go there on your own?¡± ¡°The hell¡¯s with that absurdity!? Elimination of Honey Ants should be a B-rank quest, ain''t it? Just so you know, I''m mere E-rank. I''m not qualified to join your temporary party.¡± ¡°Oh? I''m surprised you know about it, I''m sure such cases are rare even in the Royal Capital¡¯s vicinity. Studying hard, eh? But if you know, that''s just fine! Besides, don''t sweat over it. It''s not a quest. They¡¯ll target all the magical plants if we leave them alone, so this is more of a voluntary act. We can''t afford to let those monsters run rampant with the already scarce magical plant materials.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®that¡¯s just fine¡¯? I''m not budging from here, the end!¡±REaad updated stories at ¡°That place is 60km away from here so we''re running there. What? Don''t want to follow? Then I¡¯ll knock you out and carry you by myself.¡± He''s really deaf when it comes to listening to others... ¡°Are you kidding, it''s already dark! You can''t go there unprepared. Not that I''m going!¡± ¡°Why would I need preparation just to handle the neighborhood? It''s piss easy like taking a stroll in the park. Let''s settle this quickly and hit some booze. Man, you should be rejoicing more, Ren. You''re going to see the performance of Shell Monstel from up close.¡± Uncle said and snapped his fingers. What, Shell Monstel?! ¡°... Who the heck are you!?¡± ¡ô We took a ride on a Magic Car to the 3rd Avenue intersection and then sprinted out of the Royal Capital. The world was already dyed in darkness. That was his reaction when I said I didn''t know him. I explained I was just a country bumpkin who had just arrived from the Dragoon territory this summer. I might be interested in monsters but getting to know about the bigwigs wasn''t on my list of interests. But I was still surprised when I heard that he was one of the few S-rank adventurers in this Kingdom. He had looked at me with skepticism that I didn''t even know that. I hurriedly dodged the acid, closed the distance, and kicked one to overturn it. With its stomach left vulnerable, I swiftly stabbed it with my Banry firm knife to end its life. I opened the distance between us and re-used scouting magic to read the cave¡¯s internal situation while keeping an eye on the Queen Ant. ......This is bad. Uncle was busy kicking down the other ants while they had opened another entrance in the cave. The Queen''s convoy was now directly aiming for that exit. Uncle had yet to notice this path in his advance and that he was about to miss the Queen Ant. I activated my body-strengthening magic to its full extent, leaped out of that hole, and circled the cave to rush toward the newly formed entrance. I was there in nick of time. I hesitated for a moment before pulling out the arrow with the MacAquate mineral arrowhead. The Queen Ant had already leaped out of the hole. My enhanced vision wasn''t on par with night vision, but the sound of its wings flapping in the dark night was enough. I turned my aim in that direction and released my arrow, which easily pierced the Queen Ant and it dropped to the ground. Truly, money solved problems. My 2000 rea arrow showed its worth tonight. I headed to the Queen Ant''s direction and by the time I reached her, she had already drawn her last breath. ¡°Hey, sounds like you have my ass covered... But boy, you already have one heck of a scouting range at your age. I did hear from Godorfun about your visits to the 3rd Legion. So what, are you now Dew''s subordinate or something?¡± Uncle Shell said as he approached from behind. ¡°Right. I have taken Dew-san as my mentor and have been under his tutelage.¡± ¡°Aha! I heard you talk him down, but I guess that old man is still an old fox... Just how long have you been dancing on his palm, eh?¡± I shrugged my shoulders in response. ¡°He really knows how to make others dance to his whims. My guess about his goals is no better than the others. No matter how much you roast that old man, it''s hard to tell what he actually is cooking.¡± ¡°Hahaha! No shit. Anyway, let''s collect the honey from the Queen Ant''s belly. Someone else will come at a later date to retrieve the materials here. It''s beer time!¡± Alcohol, huh?... Intoxication wasn''t a problem with the magic in this world, so the general drinking age was 12 when the kid''s magic organ had finished developing. Well, I was still a bit appalled about drinking in my current appearance. However, I have no plan to be adamant about it when my goal is the outlaw life. ¡°What''s with that mystified expression? Alcohol is a part of being an explorer if you want to tread on this path, just so you know. Whether it''s merry-making with comrades or resistance to poison.¡± ¡°Wait, you can increase your resistance to poison with alcohol?¡± ¡°Hn? You don''t even know that? You have quite the mismatched knowledge. The elimination of foreign substances through mana relies on your experience in drinking. This is why the pompous aristocrats also make themselves familiar with alcohol. The same goes for first-class explorers. Too much drinking is also no better than poison but leaving aside likes or dislikes, try to have alcohol once in a while as training. Alright, time to go.¡± I really wasn''t aware of that! But if that was true, then I guess I really couldn''t ignore it! Yes, definitely. It was all part of training. ¡°Ah, can I retrieve my knife first? I left my knife lodged into a Soldier Ant at the first entrance when I rushed here.¡± I said, and so I returned to where the Soldier Ant was. However, the ant I stabbed with my knife was nowhere to be seen. Haa, and here I had finally gotten used to it after using it every day. Bummer... Vol. 1 - Ch. 67 - Explorer’s Tavern Tucked away in the side street from the main avenue, was a brick-and-mortar shop that catered to explorers in the Royal Capital that I entered alongside Uncle Shell. With the clock ticking 10 PM, one could hear the ruckus created by the drunken customers all the way to the main avenue. The shop was modeled after a dining bar, with 10 round wooden tables placed here and there and 8 counter tables in front of the bar counter. And two huge fangs decorated the wall behind that counter ¡ª which I presumed to be the origin of this shop''s name ¡ª each one meter long. When we were in, Uncle raised his hand towards the middle-aged person handling the counter, perhaps the master of the place, who gestured towards the back of the shop with his chin. His hands whipping out the food did not stop for a moment. I followed to the spot pointed out and saw Boss Lynd and the warehouse¡¯s Saki already having their drink at the furthest table. The other tables were occupied with veteran-looking, decently equipped explorers when I took this chance to glance around at the clientele. I guess Uncle Shell must have been some sort of bigshot as everyone stopped their actions the instant he entered the shop. And I, who looked no different than a kid still wet behind the ears equipped with beginner equipment, received just as many gazes seeing I was with him. Their gazes were inquisitive yet somewhat mocking. I enhanced my super-hearing to listen in to their conversations: ¡°Hey, who''s that with the bow following behind Shell? Never seen him before.¡± ¡°There''s also Lynd at the back, I bet it should be that ¡®Mad Hound'' the kids of the other societies are making a fuss about. I remember he''s a short bow user as well.¡± "Pff, you gotta be pullin'' my leg. See how he''s gazin'' ''round like he just rolled in from some hick town? I reckon even our alley pups got more sense than him. I''m fixin'' to give that youngster a lesson in tavern etiquette, bein'' the seasoned explorer ''round here.¡± ¡°¡ªough. Cut it out, will ya? It w¡¯uld be a pain in the ass to deal with tha Shell or Lynd.¡± "Cut it out. It''s normal to catch a few bumps in a tavern brawl, they won''t step in. They''d be a joke if they did.¡± ¡®Woah, now this is the devil-may-care attitude of adventurers itching to roughen up newbies with their fists for real!¡¯ should have been my feelings...... Normally...... But I was dead tired after having to run around without even a break. As if I wasn''t already exhausted, my oh-so-great Uncle decided to further speed up on the way back just because he couldn''t wait to swim in beer. Look, he wasn¡¯t even paying any heed to the conversations going around. I bet his mind was now only filled with beer. ¡°You knew you would find them here?¡± ¡°You bet. They know the next stop I would be taking after learning about our outing to handle the Honey Ants¡¯ den would be to indulge in Ant Honey Grilled Rock Lizard and beer.¡± He said with a grin. Then we headed for the table of the Boss and all while I was wracking my brain on how I could escape this situation with minimal effort. At the end of the day, I would just see how it went. I abandoned thinking any further and followed after him. Just when I was about to go past that scout-looking boy who was looking for a fight, he had one of his legs out to trip me. Haa, so cliche. Unlike the pretty waitress fluttering around and taking the orders at the other tables, our order was taken by a robust granny, apparently the owner of the place. She glared at me from the get-go. So, like what, was this store only for D-rank and above explorers? ¡°Long time, Pan. This guy has some things going on. And it''s not like no one but D-rank explorers are allowed here, no? So just let it be.¡± ¡°Yeah, it''s not. But a little boy coming in here this late in the evening is just asking for trouble, what happened just now was a good example. Take the boy''s feelings into account as well.¡± ¡°Geez, what a pain! That''s why you should have just stuffed them with punches, Ren! Trouble is on you, so go and give them a taste of your fist! I expected more from the man of the rumor!¡± ¡°Shut up with your absurdness... Anyway, yours is ¡®Ant Honey Grilled Rock Lizard and beer¡¯, right?¡± While I was smiling wryly at his words, Uncle''s mood became upbeat again. ¡°I almost forgot. Here, Pan! It''s the honey of the honey ants as a souvenir from yours truly. Grill as many rock lizards as you can and bring them here! Also, add up a middle-sized barrel each for me and this boy. Put it in priority!¡± ¡°Haa~, fine. I don''t care what happens later.¡± Pan-san reluctantly agreed and retreated to the back of the shop. Just when I thought I was finally going to get some peace, that scout from earlier and his three comrades all started chattering in a loud voice to let everyone in the shop hear them. ¡°Tsk, Ant Honey Grilled Rock Lizard for that brat, really?¡± ¡°I heard ¡®Apple House¡¯ was already a decadent husk, but I never expected them to mooch off of Shell for luxury.¡± ¡°Truly a lowly act from the bottom rung bunch.¡± A vein popped up on the forehead of both the Boss and Uncle and they turned to glare at me. They jerked their chins, telling me to ¡®Go and take care of them.¡¯ Come on, let a tired man take his respite for goddamn sake! ¡®Fine,¡¯ I reluctantly stood up from my seat. E/N - I understand that the MC was too tired to deal with this cliche but I don¡¯t get letting himself trip over that jerk¡¯s leg. Just circle around, avoid it, or walk out. He had so many other options. T/N - Well, avoiding would have escalated the situation as MC mentioned. Vol. 1 - Ch. 68 - Explorers Tavern (2) Following my rise from my seat, as I turned toward them, the scout and the man next to him, seemingly a frontliner, stood up almost at the same time. "What''s with that face, stinky brat..." "Wanna complain huh, you leech?!" I briskly advanced toward their table and decked that scout ¡ª who was about to say something like ''A brat like you better stay behind his mothe¡ª'' but couldn''t finish ¡ª with a punch. The scout vaulted onto the table and rolled to the other side. Haa, all bark but no bite. He was apparently down in a single punch. "What gave you the guts to look down on ''Apple Familia'' huh, punk?" I stared at the frontliner-like man and cross-examined him with an outlaw-ish look that I had cultivated in my recent joint work with the other explorers. Y''know, I was dead tired and thirsty as hell, and then these punks had to come and waste my time. The face of the frontliner turned red from rage. "You¡¯ve done it now, brat! You runt! Come on ya lot, surround him!" A tank-like frontliner on my left, a mage on my right, and from the equipment, a swordsman across the table... Three people stood up at the frontliner¡¯s call. I decided to give him a piece of my mind first of all. I nailed a punch on his stomach and then delivered a knee strike to his chin just as his body had bent in a < shape from my punch. My recent brawls with other folks had kind of given me a keen insight into how heavy-handed I could be before it broke their bones so I could injure them just enough. ''Hmm, did I make a mistake? Was he actually a mage?'' The tank apparently wasn¡¯t so tanky and crumbled on the spot without even putting up a fight. Seems like he hasn''t trained himself to take punches without strengthening himself. Right then, the swordsman-like guy across the table stepped on it and jumped at me but he was too slow. Even taking drunkenness into account, his proficiency in body-strengthening wasn''t worth a sneeze, and not much better than an ordinary person. It didn''t take much effort as I grabbed the pants from where the snail guy was kicking and hoisted him up. Being held in the air, the swordsman was unable to make a proper landing as he dropped headfirst. He was clearly not cut out for work that utilized the motor nerves unless he strengthened himself... My hand was still grabbing the ankle of the swordsman. I used him as a sort of hammer and took a huge swing, bumping him with the mage before throwing him at the adjacent table. It was a pain in the ass that I honestly wasn''t in the mood to deal with, but it sounded like some people just didn¡¯t like their quiet life. Then I might as well sort out all those that dared to look down on ¡®Apple House¡¯, and beat them black and blue. At least, there would be no flies buzzing around when I sat down to eat. Crash! "What the hell are you doing, brat?!" The group of six men who were sitting at the table where the swordsman just crashed stood up in one breath. "... Don''t think you''re gonna save your ass by keeping quiet. You thought I didn''t hear, huh? Just because we kept quiet doesn''t mean you can take things for granted. What was it, ''If the mad hound is no more than a wet puppy, let''s pick on the brats of Apple House again from tomorrow onwards'', huh? You really know how to get on people¡¯s nerves, and here I tried to ignore you. You know what happens to those who dare to look down on ?!" I take a glance at the Boss. Our eyes met but he was sporting a Buddha-like peaceful face, as if he was immersed in his own world¡ª cosmos. Yup, he had no intention to pay even a single rea either I see. "Seriously... Not only did I lose my knife after being taken into that ants¡¯ nest hole, but I even had to use my expensive arrow." My head hung in dejection. Then, Uncle tapped his palm with his fist as if he just recalled something. "Oh yeah, we just came back from hunting! Hey, Saki. We dealt with some pests today inside an ants¡¯ nest, with a height of 30 meters and a diameter of 150 meters. We might have missed a couple of soldiers since it was night, but most should have been taken out. Have them picked up tomorrow, how much can I expect?" Saki-san replied without a second thought. "I guess it should be a mid-size nest, judging from the queen''s honey sack earlier. Rest will depend on the soldier ants¡¯ carapace, acid sacks, and how many unhatched cocoons there are. But I believe it should be around 100,000 rea at the minimum, after removing the cost of workers for retrieving the materials." 100,000 rea for just a couple of hours¡¯ work!? Holy hell, that was almost ten million yen in Japan?! This amount was on par with what I had saved in the last two months from knight and explorer work after a lot of struggle, to fund the geography club. Normally, it was a task for a fully-equipped B-rank explorer party... I really wished I could somehow get some advance for expenses and plate costs... While I was dumbfounded hearing the estimation, Uncle Shell gave me a thumbs up with his usual dandy grin. "My principle is to not save money, so foot the bill for today. In exchange, you can treat yourself with that amount." "What?! We''re talking about 100,000 rea! Are you sure?!" "Yup, either way, I would just lose them in gambling so this is fine. Besides, didn''t I hand over your hunter queen''s honey sack? Take it as compensation for that." Wee-hooo! "Thank you very much, Esteemed Uncle! I will follow you for a lifetime!" Just as I regained my spirit, Uncle nodded and shouted out aloud. "You heard it!? Ren''s going to be treating you guys today! Drink yourselves under the table!" ...Haa, so the treat was for the whole store!? However, the air in the store was a bit heavy from my outburst a while ago. I didn''t think there would be any cheeky fella who would ride on his offer¡ª "Whistle! Truly worthy of the name Mad Hound! Yo, Sis, 5 keg-sized beer barrels for me!" Or so I naively thought, but cheerfully, everyone already started ordering one after another. Even the one I had knocked down earlier didn''t shy away from participating. What a bunch of simpletons... Vol. 1 - Ch. 69 - Explorers Tavern (3) Just as I was cradling my throbbing head from thinking how much rea the beer these folks were gonna guzzle down was going to cost, the Boss stepped in to give me a rundown. "Worry not, this store doesn''t sell any expensive liquor, at best it would cost around 50,000 rea even if they drank all of the tavern''s stored liquor under the table. You know, just think of it as an investment and forget about it. Your skills have long outgrown the current equipment that you''re wearing, not vice-versa. I mean, yeah, it''s better to focus on one thing than being the master of none but at least buy something that¡¯ll last longer. Right, don''t forget to keep checking your equipment, you''re someone with wind on your legs when it comes to growth." Haa, there goes half of my windfall... But, the Boss''s words were indeed correct. I would, and by extension , have fewer punks daring to underestimate me. The less trouble there was, the easier it was to work. Honestly, I had taken a liking to that knife, but at the end of the day its purpose was to help in gathering and it sucked at dismantling. It would be great if I could use it like a sword, so I guess my next choice would be something with a longer reach. "Alright. I¡¯ll put it in priority and have a talk with the people from the arms store where I¡¯m a regular." ¡ô¡ô¡ô "I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you, why haven''t you raised your rank yet? Your problem of money can be easily solved by accepting higher rank requests."U?pTodated novels on ? I¡¯m surprised you know about my explorer rank situation...... Well, I have two reasons. I wanted to experience the work of an explorer from the ground up, and the second is, well, quite a lot of embellished rumors about me are spreading. I don''t want to give any more food to the rumor mill and have them spout things like breaking through the ranks with unprecedented speed or something like that." "Well, of course, I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on you. I¡¯ve heard things from Satowa. Man, and here I had given the order to rank you up as soon as possible even with simple grass medicinal herb requests just so that I could check your abilities with my own eyes in the nomination request, and here you are, like a bear in hibernation, as if you have swore to not rank up. I thought it was just the knightly work delaying you when I heard you join one, but look at you sneakily letting the kids dismantle the low vultures you hunt in the garden. So that was all just a pretense." Wait a minute. He sounded like he was one of the association employees and someone in one of those bigwig positions to boot. Oh yeah, he just said Satowa, didn''t he?... Damn, so much for the tight-lipped. This made it the second time now. "Are you an employee at the association, Uncle? You know, Satowa has such a cheap mouth to spread embellished rumors about me. Can you believe it, he said he¡¯ll only tell the president." "Huh, you still don''t know? He¡¯s none other than the President of the Explorer Association." The Boss, who was listening in on our discussion, suddenly dropped a bomb with a breezy expression. "E-Ehhh!? You surely jest, Boss. How in the world does this person look like anyone important!? I really wonder how the association is doing with a person as financially inept as him at the head." "Dahaha! It would flop, of course. I have my excellent Vice-Presidents to deal with pain in the butt work. Me? Call me Mr. Fighting Specialist! Anyway, I received a report from Satowa, and I was the one who issued the rank-up at any achievement order for you! And you see, I hardly get such amusing stories so the next thing I knew, I talked about it at the tavern. Then some upper-class nobility came to Satowa for intel which he couldn''t turn down so he snitched in the end! Hahaha¡ª owww!" My hand involuntarily decked Uncle''s head. "Aren''t you the root of all evil then!? Really, just give me a break!" I was just getting into an argument with Uncle when Pan-san came pushing an absurdly huge cart loaded with meat. Just a sniff of the rising aroma from the meat was enough to make my mouth water. The meat was as huge as a rice bag, which I believe should be 60kg. Hey, hey, could we really finish it off with just us four?! "It''s grilled! The oval part is the rib roast, the circle is the tail, and on the bone is the belly meat. Regrettably, there¡¯s only that much cheek meat. Who is going to eat it?" "Well, it''s a treat for Ren today, and besides, he was the one who took down the queen as well. We¡¯ve already eaten it many times, so let him have it." Damn, why was he considerate only at this time? Kuh, I can''t even bring myself to complain. "Sure, sure. It''s your first time, right? Here, try out every part." "Thank you very much." "And I¡¯m saying I kept quiet to avoid forming any prejudice because you saaaaid you wanted to see him with your own eyes!" "And I¡¯m saying then you should have just told me already for damn sake! How many months have gone down the gutter because of that, haaaa!?" "No joke, I ain''t free! No one¡¯s stopping you from coming to visit!" "So you want to do it, you bastard?" "Damn, bring it on!" I just looked at them and shook my head. My body was already screaming for rest, no way was I gonna stick my neck in there and shoot myself in the foot. "I have no reason to stop them from fighting. See, even Saki-san is focusing on his beer, so just leave them alone. Aaa~~h, delish! I can eat this for days without getting bored, really!" "...Pat You sure are going to be something big, kid." Bert-san said while patting my shoulder. He then returned to his seat. I was about to continue when the Boss, having been tossed by Uncle, crashed on where I was, and took down the apple of my eye, the cheek meat steak, with him. The dish and whatever meat was on it was now eating dust, literally. "A-AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" A despair-filled scream escaped from my mouth. Uncle turned to glance at what it was all about and spouted, "Hnn, what''s the big deal? It just fell, it¡¯s not the end of the world. Just give it one or two ''fu-fu'' and eat it!" ?! D-Did he just tell me to ''fu-fu'' the food from the floor, the same floor that who knew how many mud-covered shoes have walked on? To me who had been raised in a gourmet superpower and a clean-freak nation that was Japan!? Damn you old fart, now you¡¯ve done it!! "Y-Y-Y-You dare to say that even after everything that happened?! Fuck you baldie! Boss, let''s take him down!!" Afterward was a tragedy. He was shit strong when it came to a fistfight. The Boss and I tag-teamed him and managed to put up a good fight at the start, but eventually, we were both overpowered. And when I thought there wasn''t enough force on our side, a few people joined in the fray for fun and it eventually turned into a store-wide brawl. In the end, the owner finally snapped and had it settled with a drinking contest. But we lost even in that, and all the cost of tables and dishes destroyed in the brawl was put on my bill to pay. Yeah, all the 100,000 rea that I hadn''t even seen once went down the drain in one night. Down to the last dime. The following day, I was promoted to B-rank. It seemed like Uncle only left a half-assed explanation, so when I visited the headquarters with my license the next day, I was directly promoted to B-rank. I protested to the receptionist sister but I was once again told the ''because it''s the rule'' line. What else could I have done there? The day after that, I directly protested to Uncle, but he had apparently forgotten it all in the hangover and said to let bygones be bygones. I just couldn¡¯t get through to him at all. This damn baldie, he surely hid his con-man-like shrewdness behind his muscle-brain appearance. And I walked into his trap. Haa...... E/N - Lots to comment this chapter. I lol¡¯ed at Shell¡¯s proposal for the MC to use his Ren alias as if it wasn¡¯t already known that Ren=Allen based on Jeu¡¯s chapter. Then the meat description made me so hungry I had to buy food while I was editing this ????. Lastly F to the cheek meat T/N - Only known to very few people, as Jeu mentioned that ¡®they have a headstart over others.¡¯ From the next chapter starts the blood bat¡ªI mean Mc¡¯s sister arc. It will touch on that incident as well. Vol. 1 - Ch. 70 - A Terrifying Letter "Wait a minute, boy. There''s a letter for you." On the morning of a certain weekend. I was just about to return to my room after having the usual crappy breakfast when Sora, the dorm mother, passed me a cursed letter¡ª the usual three sheets of paper folded into a cute floral patterned envelope. Indeed, it was from my elder sister. I didn''t even need to guess what she had written. The first page started on a merry note, mentioning my exploits ¡ª I didn''t even know why she was gathering all of that ¡ª like my connections in the school, my club activities, my assignment from Godorfun, my provisional knightship, and even my explorer work. It ended with a ''Just as expected from Allen-kun.'' The second page was basically a bit about her and the things she wanted to do with me, beginning with her noting the new research she was pouring her effort on¡ª a magical device to have a conversation with me when we were apart, the so-called phone from Earth. Then she kicked off by boasting about me to her research academy friends, how she wanted me to meet them, and the place she wanted to go with me like a restaurant or a tailor shop in the Royal Capital, and so on. By this point, I had already picked up her bad mood from in-between her words. And finally¡ª the cursed third page. ¡®I know it''s a busy time for you, but it has been a really long time since we last saw each other and if you don''t come out to see me today, I will have to breach through the security of the Academy and sneak into the dormitory. That cursed security of the Royal Academy! They easily found my monitoring magical tool that recorded the morning club activities of the Hill Road Club and didn''t even give it a second thought before destroying it. I almost wanted to raze the school to the ground.¡¯Aall newest chapters on The whole third page was like a curse chant with some of the words being dragged out and written in a heavy-handed manner. I didn''t want to imagine how many times she must have broken the lead tip in frustration. If there was anything I knew about my elder sister, it was that the more I stalled it for later, the more it would fan her temper, and when she exploded for real, there would be nothing left for me to take cover in. Still, against my better judgment, I decided to turn a blind eye to it. Soon, it had been four months since my enrollment. The letters continued to arrive to this date, and I had made sure to seal all of them in the dark region of my desk without opening them. Today was no different, or it should have been but I was foiled by Al, who had been eating on the same table. "There sure is no end to these cute letters of yours, huh, Allen? Hey, is it possibly from your hometown lover?" These words instantly caused a sparkle to flash in one of the girl''s eyes. Giving off a class-president vibe by appearance but was actually just a young woman with a lot of superficial knowledge about sex¡ª Kate. "A long-distance relationship between the 3rd son of a destitute viscount and a childhood friend from the sticks!? On one side, there''s this naive town girl, harboring even now an ember of feeling for the childhood friend who, after enrolling into the Royal Academy, is almost like a denizen of a different world! On the other hand, the scum who used to be a rustic boy but had been dyed in the color of the Royal Capital, mercilessly trampled on these feelings, ensnaring girls left and right! But in the end, tired from all the womanizing, the scum actually chose the childhood friend who had always been by his side, like heaven even for a sinner like him...... No way, the unseen dark horse! You sure managed to hide this dark horse well!" And not betraying my notion of her, Kate prattled off with a flushed face. Sheesh, she was just like those gossipy aunties commonplace in my previous world. "And what I am hearing now, Allen? Pray tell me, what''s the origin of this dear dark horse of yours? Here I thought you were just a late-bloomer when it comes to girls, but I never expected you to be so secretive..." "So Allen-san likes simple-minded girls..." "Gah!" The letter slipped out of my hand which was picked up by her very calmly. ¡°I have secured the evidence. Judge, if you may, how do you think we should interpret Allen''s statement?¡± Kate pushed up her glasses and said, ¡°The defendant¡¯s behavior is suspicious. He could have suggested, like, another date if it''s impossible today due to his hectic schedule. From his panic, I conclude that the sender is most likely to be the bakery shop¡¯s girl from his hometown. I suggest proceeding with opening the evidence.¡± ¡°What kind of tomfoolery is this in the name of a judge!? Anyway, there''s no postmark, so of course it''s directly delivered to the guard. And there''s just my elder sister in this capital! Now enough with your delusions!¡± ¡°......This is an abnormal situation. This intense opposition to monopolize one''s sister¡ª I fear this is hinting at the defendant''s severe sis-con sickness, the forbidden love. Ahem, there''s no need to reveal the whole letter, but would it not be sufficient to clear up the situation by opening the letter and summarizing it in a few words? But to obstinately refusing to open it and even opposing something as trivial as a greeting, surely there would be some compelling reason, right?¡± ¡°See, we''re not asking you to read the letter right here. If you also don''t have anything to be guilty of, it shouldn''t be a problem to just skim through the letter, right? Well, this is just my suggestion. It''s also for your sake, you wouldn''t want something like ¡®sis-con¡¯ in the urban legends of yours, right?¡± ¡°Please look in the mirror and see with which face you''re lecturing me about rumors. I bet you must be the number one preparator for most of that nonsense! ...I understand! I¡¯ll open it so don¡¯t spread it around just because it sounds amusing.¡± Sigh, really. I did it... I mean it was for their own sake that I didn¡¯t introduce them to her... Alright, I¡¯ll open this one, and if it sounds alright, then the second page, and somehow show them she was just as busy, which will hopefully get them to give up. Thinking so naively, I cut open the seal of the letter. Except, I had yet to know that the anger value of my sister had reached an unimaginable height. E/N - Dang, MC¡¯s sister is even scarier than I remember. That¡¯s borderline yandere. Also, had to google what pollakiuria meant. Learned a new word today ???? T/N - Ah, that was a medical word or so according to google-sensei. It is the same excuse he gave to Fey in starting back on the magic train (I had put it as chronic urination). And on another note, yup, I expected her to be Yandere. Vol. 1 - Ch. 71 - Reunion (1) "Man, just thinking about how we''re going meet my friend''s sister is kind of putting me on edge~" ...Al''s optimistic personality was of no use as usual. There was something strange about the letter today as I opened the seal. Usually, the pages would be densely packed with characters that maybe you might even need a magnifying glass to read, however, today''s letter was written in big, bold, and red characters. I feared it was even possible to smell iron from it. And written on it was¡ª 1st Page¡ª I¡¯ll be waiting for you at home, alright? 2nd Page¡ª If you ignore this letter...... 3rd page¡ª There was no 3rd page, except a bright white expansion of a paper. The entire red letter was as good as a blank letter, barring the sticky sensation that a certain liquid starting with ''b'' and ending with ''d'' gave. T-This should be the actual call-up notice... Eeek, mommy! I can''t!! I was no longer in the right mind to care about the well-being of my classmates after looking at the letter. If anything, I didn''t have the courage in me to meet her face-to-face alone. But my future would be a darker red than this letter if I ignored it. You know what, maybe these guys might actually serve as good offerings to abate some of the crimson crisis. Honestly, I didn''t have any confidence that I could watch tomorrow''s sunrise safely. Alright, a few broken friends were better than me resting in the darkness forever. You wanted this, right, guys? You''re in! "Ah-ha-ha, it seems like my e-e-elder sister is free today, a rare occasion! I¡¯m going to visit our viscount estate in the capital today. In fact, I¡¯m leaving now so whoever wants to come just follow me!" Everyone immediately cast a suspicious expression at me as I announced it with shivering hands, though five of them ¡ª Fey, Jeu, Kate, Al, and Leo ¡ª decided to come along in the end. Fey was wearing a high-class frilly beige outfit, seemingly the work of a designer. Meanwhile, Jeu was wearing a chick, navy one-piece dress that exuded craftsmanship, making it clear at a glance that it was no ordinary dress. It was as if they weren''t going to meet my sister but my parents. Ignorance is bliss, huh? They didn''t even know the danger that lay ahead... "You really are as laid-back as ever, huh, Al? By the way, you three. I¡¯m surprised you managed to free up some time for today. Don''t nobles like you usually already have a few months long schedule already planned?" Contrary to the sacrifice that she was going to be, Jeu answered in a bouncy tone.NewW novels updates on "Yes, it''s not as busy now as it was earlier. Ah, but of course, I would have never missed this important event either way, even if I had a dinner meeting scheduled with His Majesty." What is this, an excursion trip? The world really looked bright when you hadn''t seen its darkness... But it was a relief to see that I wasn¡¯t going to lose my general before the battle for any reason. Right, I guess I should at least give them a warning to increase their chances of survival at least. "I''m saying this now, refrain from angering my sister, she is quite scary when she gets angry. The Red Carpet incident is actually a fine example. Honestly, I don''t think we can control her once she starts rampaging, even if we all join hands. Just act as usual, and don''t suddenly try anything to provoke her, alright?" Oh, right. I completely forgot about it, but she has been living alone for the last four months. I bet it would be no better than a dump house. Then, Fey, for once, sensibly interjected. "I''m Feyrune Von Dragoon, a student of Royal Academy''s Class 1-A and an Artificer aspirant. I had always wanted to meet you at least once after hearing about your exploits back at Aristocratic School. It''s usual for an Artificer''s place to be cluttered with one thing and another, and there should be things you can''t move, right? If you don''t mind, how about we have a barbecue in the courtyard? I expected it would be a bit hectic when so many of us are dropping by without any prior information, so I have asked my subordinates to prepare the equipment and materials just in case." It was surprisingly a normal self-introduction. But then again, she was someone who would be leading the House of Dragoon, an upper-class nobility. She usually acts like she has a few loose screws on her head so I had almost forgotten it. I guess even the craziest of the bunch have some sense when told not to blow their cover. That said, there was one thing she was wrong about. The inside wasn''t untidy with my elder sister''s research materials. She was simply a no-good person with an equally no-good lifestyle, so the mess was simply the garbage or other things lying around without a care for the world. "Oh, that''s surely a lifesaver! I''m also sorry, sister. Everyone suddenly clamored that they wanted to meet you, and I also thought it was a fine time to introduce my elder sister whom I am so proud of, so I brought them along! Let''s take upon Fey''s offer, Sis!" "Ehh, proud of!? But it''s just our first meeting so I¡¯m not sure about that offer... But, the Young Lady of Dragoon, huh?..." Slightly flustered and hesitant, my elder sister¡¯s gaze alternated between me and Fey. "Yes, there''s no need to mind it. As I said, it''s us who are imposing ourselves without informing beforehand. If anything, I really can''t bear causing trouble to you." Following Fey''s words, my elder sister let out a second shriek of ''ah!'' for today. "Err... Actually. While we''re at it, I also have a request... One of my school friends said she wanted to meet Allen-kun as well. I was going to contact them as soon as he''s back... But he never came back to visit all this while, no matter how many letters I sent. So, can I call my friend over here?" Elder sister requested Fey with damp eyes¡ª an expression that would invoke anyone''s desire to instinctively protect her. Fey readily nodded. "There''s no need to mind of course! If anything, you should consider it as my request as well. It¡¯s not every day you get the chance to have a private discussion with the esteemed seniors of the Advanced Magic Tool Research Academy after all! You all are fine with it as well, right?" Fey turned around to look for the other''s opinions and they all nodded. "Thank you! Then I¡¯ll immediately contact her with a magic bird." A magic bird was just a different form of pigeon carrier, albeit a monster edition one, which was raised by a specialized organization and lent for situations like this. Even ordinary citizens could use it, but its maintenance cost wasn''t something they or anyone with a low income could afford... And we definitely count in this category. My doubt was resolved by my elder sister, who shyly explained ''It has been lent to me by the school.''" "Alright, then I¡¯ll arrange for the barbeque." Fey said and she suddenly clapped her hands while facing the door. What kind of sorcery was she pulling?! E/N - Elder sister isn¡¯t too scary so far. I¡¯m waiting for when sh*t hits the fan and the blood starts splashing ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 72 - Reunion (2) While the barbeque preparation started at someone''s clap, Al continued with his self-introduction. "I''m Aldore Engraver, from Marquis Endumion¡¯s territory. Please call me Al. Also, I truly apologize for the misdemeanor that the folks from Endumion had caused you during the entrance exam, Rose-san." Yup, expected so. Elder sister blankly stared at Al, completely clueless even after hearing about the ''entrance exam.'' I stepped in to explain. "Sis, it''s about the entrance examination of the Royal Academy that you withdrew from after sending more than 60 students to the hospital. You at least remember that, right?" She let out the third ''Ah'' of today after listening to my words and then shifted her gaze. "W-W-What are you talking about~? Your big sis doesn''t remember anything like that~" "Haa... But there''s no one chasing after you so it''s not like there''s any problem. By the way, does mom know about it?" My words immediately caused her shoulders to drop. She really wore her heart on her sleeve, huh? "I think so. She gave me such a long stare when I said I was rejected at the preliminary round, asking "Don''t you have anything else to say to me, Rose?". I uttered one or two lies out of fear and after pausing for a while, she didn''t say anything. I was really scared back then. So I''m sa~fe." Elder sister broke out with a girlish smile similar to mom¡¯s. ...Well, mom must have already sensed something was up for sure. After gathering details, she probably judged that there was no point in rebuking her. But if you ask me, it was quite out of line. Then again, it was just me and my own unique set of values. "Pfft. Such a big incident happened but your mother didn''t consider it important to listen to everything...... Sure enough, not even your mother is a normal person. I''m Leo Zatsinger. Just call me Leo, Roselia-senpai." Leo introduced himself with a gleeful expression. I wonder what kind of nerves he had to actually be delighted in hearing that a friend''s mother was someone detached from common sense. "I''m a classmate of Allen-san, Jeuri Leverance. I''ve been meaning to ask you, did Allen-san truly never visit here even once? Even if he''s from a viscount family, something like reporting to his family is quite basic......" When Jeu asked about my home visit, Elder sister puffed her cheeks and glared at me. "It''s true! Allen-kun is such a blockhead! I had done all that preparation to celebrate, believing Allen-kun would definitely be accepted in the Academy, and waited for him to come back. And what did I see? His scribblings on a paper saying ''I''ve been accepted and I''m going to stay in the dormitory'', and an empty house. And he never replied no matter how many times I sent him letters. I was really worried when he didn''t come back to even get his allowance." She said while bubbling with rage. Just when I thought she was about to explode, instead tears pooled in her eyes as she started crying.Aall newest chapters on ¡°Good morning~ Ohh, there are so many lively faces here. Err, so which one is the lil'' bro of Rose?¡± ¡°Oh, hey, Fu-chan! You''re quite fast. I was just about to tease Allen-kun, since you know it''s been a long while~¡± I looked no further and rushed towards my goddess of salvation, the great Buddha, the one and only Fu-sama, and greeted her as spiritedly as I could. ¡°Good morning! I''m the unworthy little brother of Sis Rose! I''m thankful for your care of her!¡± ¡°Ahaha! You''re one humble person for being someone with so many rich rumors about yourself. I''m Furie, and I¡¯ll be imposing myself here today.¡± With her slightly flaxen brown hair arranged in a ponytail hairstyle, and two strands spilling in both sides of her face, she was an unmistakable beauty. She was quite tall and slim¡ª a slender body that would make her popular among not just boys but also girls. She was dressed in a baggy sweatshirt and trousers. She should be an elite, considering she was a school friend of my sister, but she hardly gave off such aura. ¡°...Oh my, to think that the famous, anti-social Furie Elvart-senpai would grace us with her presence... I would have expected anyone but definitely not her. It seems like today''s not going to pass like any other day. Hey, Allen. Can you now stop rubbing yourself to this beautiful lady and introduce me?¡± ¡°... ¡®Solitary Scholar¡¯ Furie Elvart-senpai, the first person to graduate from the Royal Academy at the top of the class despite being from a commoner background in the past 20 years. A genius Artificer, daughter to Asim Elvart who graced us with breakthroughs in magic-powered machinery and a popular model for the cover of a female-oriented magazine... It''s another strong rival.¡± ¡°Oh dear, aren''t you quite popular for your plain face, lil¡¯ Allen? Hmm, indeed only Rose¡¯s brother is capable of this. Well, not even a hundred of me can be compared to Rose.¡± ¡°What!...... What''s the meaning of this, Allen-kun!? You''re not deceiving these two girls, right? You should at least introduce yourself properly if you''re going out with anyone... But considering you didn''t say anything, so...... I take it they''re just friends, right? You haven''t come to visit me because of her, haven''t you? Huh? Where''s your answer?¡± ¡°H-H-H-How should I interpret this? Sure enough, Roselia-senpai has special feelings for her brother Allen?... What a silly thought, ohohoho.¡± ¡°Things sure are heated up huh, Allen. Allen?... Hey, what happened? Woah, he''s not even breathing.¡± T/N - We will soon be touching the Red Carpet incident. And on another note, damn, MC truly sounded like one of those lowlife for a second there. I presume this arc will show why MC was so afraid of his sister. E/N - I kept waiting for the sister to explode only to be blue balled by the end chapter. Makes me think the MC is overreacting again. Vol. 1 - Ch. 73 - Furie’s Story While I pretended to be dead at the omen of the storm, everyone else greeted the newly arrived Furie-senpai. Senpai also replied gleefully with a "Hey! Nice to meet you all!". There was not a single shred of pompousness in her demeanor, perhaps due to her commoner origin. On another note, yes, occasionally, the top scorer in the Royal Academy does come from a common origin. While the children of nobles obviously had the upper hand when it came to studying due to their money and the know-how in exam preparation, anything after the entrance exam depended on the individual''s quality and a commoner''s specs usually happened to be on the higher side here. After the light greetings, everyone shifted to having a barbeque in the cramped courtyard where the resplendent barbeque set was installed (it came with a chef and a waiter pre-installed). Though, right before starting, Fey flashed her usual grin and took the lead to announce the following. "Alright, the sudden gathering of so many faces should be keeping the information departments of the other factions on their toes. But, since we''re simply here to hang out, I would like to set up magic tools to prevent peeping and eavesdropping. I believe there''s no problem with it, right?" Why did it need to be so dramatic?... "What''s there to hide? We¡¯re just some students having a barbecue at a family courtyard, no? Pipe down the melodrama." Fey, however, chuckled hearing my exasperated reply. "Kyahaha! Now you¡¯ve said it, Allen. Imagine my surprise when you said we¡¯ll just take a walk, which was going to make us stick out like a sore thumb, instead of riding the car. I thought ''Oh, how come the winds have changed?'', maybe there''s a reason or something... Anyway, our people have already spotted seven silhouettes of unknown origins loitering around who are not from this neighborhood. Sounds like they''re in for some scoop today, huh? And the same number is going to swell by at least 10 times by the time we''re finished here if we don''t take any countermeasures. Alright, let''s take a group photo in commemoration of the day that caused the intelligence agencies from across the kingdom to gather around." "......Cough, I¡¯m still saying you''re blowing things out of proportion, but it wouldn''t hurt to follow your plan. Right, elder sister?" "Err, well... I don''t really care whether there are one or one thousand out there. Either way, what¡¯s your relationship with these girls¡ª" "But of course, we''re no more than just some ordinary classmates! Instead, I wanted to ask about Furie-senpai. Is she someone famous? My information is a bit lacking here." "Fu-chan? Who knows, maybe she''s famous as an excellent researcher? I¡¯m just as clueless as you are..." In the meanwhile, I attempted to desperately steer the discussion away, Fey clapped her hands once again, and within a few seconds, someone brought her a square box. It started to make a ''hum~" noise when she turned it on. The scouting magic I had kept activated out of habit drastically got its effects reduced... No wonder countermeasures were necessary. "Now we can finally talk without having peeping toms listening in behind our backs... I must say though, you''re still the same huh, Allen? How come you know everything about nobles and geopolitics but little to nothing about individuals? Anyway, she''s the ''Solitary Scholar'' Furie Elvart, the top graduate of the Royal Academy''s 1123rd class. Ask anyone who''s the famous artificer of this generation and the first name on their tongue would definitely be her. Not only that, she¡¯s also a capable magic engineer, and a popular model to boot. You can bet there''s no end to the people who want to get into her good graces. However, she''s also famous for being a ''misanthropist'', and has never once appeared in an official party or an aristocratic gathering. Frankly, she''s a prodigy even with the standard of the Royal Academy, and there''s an anecdote where her peers from class A usually referred to her as ''Commoner¡¯. Of course, the Dragoon family had also tried many times to talk with her, but all our efforts were turned down with no regard. Even now, I just can''t believe that the same Senior is actually in front of us, much less that we¡¯re able to greet her... Well, that sums up the introduction, I believe. What do you think, Senpai?" And what happened after that was something you already know. She smashed the nose of that moron in an instant, and without further ado, she rained down her punches on his grinning lackeys who had formed a circle around us to shield their leader¡¯s scumminess from public eyes. She moved like a petal dancing in the air, and wherever she flashed by, sounds of bone crunching followed. I could still vividly recall that scene, as if it was yesterday''s matter. Her ethereal dance that lasted for around two minutes had been completely engraved in the corner of my mind. And when it ended, both her hands and shoes were dyed in red. Though not a single drop of it actually managed to leave a stain on her pure white dress. I couldn''t believe what I saw in those two minutes. Then, like a mischievous child, she stuck out her tongue in a ¡®Tehe~¡¯ manner and said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Fu-chan. And here we had just started to get along. You see, I''m not quite a patient person. But you don''t need to worry about them. They shouldn''t be able to attend the practical exam with all their broken facial bones.¡± That was all she said before withdrawing herself from the exam and without showing any reluctance, she walked away with a springy gait. ...I admit, I wasn''t that well-versed in society, but even I could tell what she did. She had thoroughly gone all out just so that I didn''t feel trapped in the Academy. She knew she could easily pass the exam but she decided to throw away that honor without a moment''s thought to help a random commoner she had just met. And so that I didn''t feel sorry, she even put up a strong bravado. Afterward, I put all my effort into searching for her communication address and sending her an apology letter. One thing led to another, and our letters soon turned into sharing each other''s views or theories over magical tools. The exchange confirmed my guess. This girl''s knowledge of magical tools had far surpassed mine or even other prodigies. That wasn¡¯t even including her expertise in body-strengthening magic. She was so incredibly strong, but you wouldn''t think that from her lovely features. ......I couldn''t forgive myself. I knew the top seat of the Royal Academy would have been Rose''s if she had been there. Rose would still have that shining future if I had just beaten up that dumbass first. But I stole that future. Maybe I was just atoning for that, as I put all my efforts into studying for those three years and made myself the top student of the Academy. I got promoted to Class A at the start of my 2nd year, and then the No.1 at the same time as we advanced into 3rd year. ¡®The top isn''t a place for someone ordinary to stand at,¡¯ was what a classmate, who was also giving their all to take back the No.1 seat from a commoner, had said. I got what they were trying to imply behind their crooked words. As a result, I was later called a loner or condescending person. Honestly, I wanted to scream my lungs out right there ¡®The only person fitting for this seat is Roselia Rovenne!¡¯ but both Rose and the Academy had asked me to keep quiet about the matter. I was really a lost cause and didn''t care for anything until last year when Rose made it to the Advanced Research Institute and got back her rightful life. However, this earned me a misanthropist alias in the meantime. Well, it turned out in my favour as I used it to cut down the requests of the nobles so I didn''t really care about it. .......I had always wanted to confide this to someone. This is why, being able to talk to Lil ¡®Len, who is Rose''s sunshine, has eased the burden in my heart a bit. However, I guess the guilt of that day would continue to remain with me...¡± Putting this on the endnote, Furie finished her narration. E/N - Furie¡¯s story was unexpectedly heavy. Also has pretty heavy yuri vibes as well for you men of culture ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 74 - BBQ (1) "...Phew, I¡¯m so glad that I prepared the peeping prevention magical device. Seriously, I was so fed up with the multiple-dinners-a-day-with-nobles schedule. Now I just want the sleeping dogs to never wake up from their sleep... And care explaining why you''re grilling the meat by yourself, Allen?" (Fey) Fey asked me as I started to grill meat on my own, taking the metal skewers from the hands of the cook after sensing that Furie-senpai''s flashback was going to take a long time. Well, the oh-so-nobles chef did say "Please let me grill" but I politely declined her offer. "There¡¯s a saying, ''What''s a barbeque if it''s not something you''ve cooked yourself.'' Barbeque isn''t just about taste, it¡¯s something more precious than that." And no, that something precious wasn''t the heat regulation, but the grilling experience itself. ¡ªAlright, there was a plus, too. I could have them all engrossed in some unfamiliar task so that they would forget what they were talking about and I¡¯d be able to shepherd the flow of conversation. Two birds¡ª I mean, grilled meat with one skewer. "Aw heck, there goes Allen and his Allen-ific words. More importantly, what do you think, oh-so beloved brother of senpai? Are you not bubbling with emotions after hearing the hidden side of the incident?" (Fey) Well, to start with, why are you all making such faces as if you¡¯ve just heard a top-tier drama? I don''t think you need to look so moved. If that part already surprised them, would they bang their head after hearing how comical the true reason was? We were talking about my sister after all. The game window would have just notified it like "Opponent irked Sis Rose" and "Sis Rose thrashed them like they were stress relievers". "Well, comment is it?... Despite how it is for you, you really don''t need to take the matter to heart at all, Furie-senpai. It''s as simple as punching because their face demanded it. And she also didn''t have any particular interest in the Royal Academy, so she just came back. Isn''t that right, elder sister?" I hurled a confirmative glance at my elder sister''s way, who broke into a chuckle after hearing what I said. "Ufufu. I knew we would be in sync, Allen-kun! There''s nothing that you don''t know about me~ It¡¯s a real pickle, Fu-chan just doesn''t want to accept the reasoning no matter what, you know~" Hearing the conversation between me and my elder sister, Furie-senpai paused to look at us with wide eyes and then cackled in laughter, tears pooling in her eyes. "Ahaha! I''m glad I met you today, lil'' Len. Perhaps I can forgive myself even for a bit, with your words. Right, feel free to contact me if you''re stuck somewhere with dynamic power concepts, magic tools, or magic engineering. I¡¯ll definitely have time for you." Then she winked and further added. "But can you believe it? How can someone believe her when she goes on to say something like ''Dragreid''s noble school is closer to home (viscount territory) so maybe Allen-kun will come to hang out with me or something, so that''s lucky! Tee-hee~'' after casually giving up on the Royal Academy?" "Goodness, you finally believe me!... Though Allen-kun never came to Dragreid... Anyway, so how do you girls see Allen-kun?" "B-B-B-But you sure look closer than friends. Maybe, I hit the bullseye? And that there is someone special? Ohohoho." And despite my efforts, the conversation still came back to where it started like a boomerang. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Wow, so belittling the Royal Academy runs in their blood... Like brother, like sister... You¡¯ve really shown me a different side of the world. But I¡¯m afraid to disappoint you, esteemed sister, Allen and I are just normal classmates. For now." Fey''s feline-like eyes shone as she hurled provocative glances at elder sister''s way. "I''m also polishing myself to become someone special, venerated sister. Allen-san''s first partner is going to be me, and that''s absolute." Jeu trailed after Fey, her gaze ablaze with a resolve that matched Fey''s, as she delivered her statement straighter than the straightest pitch in a baseball game. "You idiots?! What happened to your noble''s etiquette of reserved speaki¡ª" I jumped in to shut them up, but elder sister''s rocker punch was already hurling in my direction. I hurriedly used my body-strengthening magic, but it couldn''t stop the blood from spraying out. Damn, I still couldn''t sense when the heck she channeled her mana. ¡°Haha. Well, I guess it''s just a matter of perspective. You might never understand when this is an everyday, normal life for you. By the way, why did you not dodge Rose-senpai¡¯s punch earlier? I believe you should have been able to.¡± Ho-ho, I knew he would catch on. ¡°Well, I had made her quite angry by ignoring her letters, after all. I at least need to take a punch from her to somehow appease boiling magma-like anger. Just for the record, that punch was merely a feint. She would have followed up with a more impactful punch if I had stopped it.¡± I had just answered Leo when someone called out from the stairs. ¡°Oh~, so Allen-kun managed to trick me? Your big sister is so happy to see you growing into such an outstanding person. You know, don''t you think we haven''t warmed up enough yet after so many months of absence? Alright, let''s play our usual little game.¡± Ah, Crap! I completely forgot my detection magic is unusable with Fey¡¯s peeping prevention magical tools. And from the look of it, she completely heard everything I said down to every word, and I didn''t notice her coming down at all. Just as I was frozen on the spot, Leo joined the fray, grinning. ¡°Can I be your playing mate, Rose-senpai? Let me help out in relieving your stress.¡± Unsurprisingly, even my elder sister was stunned. ¡°Eh, huh?! You''re... Leo-kun, right? I¡¯m not actually good at holding myself back so it''s not good for you, truly. You¡¯ve already helped out in cleaning, so let this slide. I don''t think it''s a good thing if I injure you on top of that.¡± ¡°Actually, I prefer you don''t pull your punches at all. Even Furie-senpai, the top graduate of the Royal Academy, vouches for you as someone even more talented than her. I definitely can''t miss this chance. And of course, I swear on my name as Leo Zatsinger that no matter what happens, the responsibility will lie on no one but me.¡± Stuck in a dilemma, elder sister turned to glance at me. ...It''s Leo, after all. I was sure he could manage. I mean I brought them precisely so that they could take some of the punches in my place. Heck, Leo was the one I had the highest expectation for to turn into my tank (punching bag). And what more could I say when the fish himself had taken the bait? Zero obligation, zero elevation, after all! Alright, tag you''re it, my dear friend Leo! ¡°Elder sister, I have never won against him. So you can be relieved.¡± ¡°Ehh!? I didn''t know that?! Someone even Allen-kun can''t win against. Well, alright, just for a bit¡ª¡± Elder sister''s words trailed as she jumped from the stairs and towards Leo without any cue. Her movements were even sharper than when she threw that rocket punch at me. ¡°Hhrrrgh!¡± Leo barely managed to avoid it but at the cost of losing his posture. ¡ªUh-huh, it''s game over if you show even a single opening to my elder sister. The next instant, she was behind Leo, performing a low roundhouse kick that smoothly swept away Leo''s legs right below his ankles. That was my sister for you. A martial arts monster. I mean, it didn''t matter what his body-strengthening output was when he couldn''t bring it to use after getting thrown off their feet. From the side, just as Leo was about to slam onto the floor, elder sister''s fist came flying at his right cheek. Though, Leo was wearing a baffled expression. Maybe he still couldn''t understand how he got thrown off guard or why his nose was bleeding. I saw that coming. Even more so, I was surprised at why I wasn''t surprised at the result. She really didn''t pull her punches, huh?... T/N - Rip, Leo-kun. The (losing) fight between Leo and Rose will continue in the next chapter. Don''t ready your Popcorn though, it will be short. Also, be ready for a spot moment. Vol. 1 - Ch. 75 - BBQ (2) "Oopsie, well that happened... But did you really lose to this guy, Allen-kun?" My elder sister tilted her head with a look of puzzlement as if it was odd news for her. "...He''s strong, but it''s a tall order to ask him to put up a fight when he has never fought you before, sister. Besides, everyone usually gives a signal like ''I''m starting now'' or ''I''m going to throw a punch'' nowadays in the Royal Capital. Also, we usually move into a spacious place first before starting." "Oh my! So that was it?! Uh-huh, I''m sorry. I didn''t know." Elder sister hurriedly apologized to Leo. "No, it''s not your fault. This is the Rovenne family''s house, after all. New place, new rules. And I was the one who requested it, so¡ª" Leo stood up, and suddenly threw a right kick, aiming at elder sister''s waist as he wiped off the nosebleed from his princely face. "I will also play by the house''s rules!" Kukuku. I dare say no one knew how much Leo actually hated to lose, to a degree, better than me. He was the perfect bait to throw at my elder sister. He just needed to tire her out and I would achieve my goal. Elder sister caught his shin between her knee and elbow. And¡ª Snap "Haaarghh!" "Ack, sorry. Your move was quite strong so I reflexively ended up using more strength Uh-huh, your leg bone is broken. Just take a rest for now. Allen-kun. It''s playtime." ...Damn you, Leo. How dare you not even last for 10 seconds! He must have skimped on covering his leg with magic. You know, he definitely adopted a devil-may-care attitude following his expertise in explosive burst power. He sucked hard when it came to defending himself. He might be able to win against me, but he would be in deep water when facing a monster like my sister. "Hey, Al... My sister is saying that she wants to play with us three." "Hrgh!? Hey, hey, did you forget that I''m a mage?! What do you think my meager self could do against your big sis when even Leo was one-shotted?" "Shut yer trap! What a load of crap for someone who''s the president of the Emission Magic Research Club! You think the enemy wouldn''t try to get into close range of a mage!? Just come, that''s an order from your supervisor!" "Hey, You can''t be serious about using magic inside your house?! Are you even sane!? You don''t care if your house gets all busted!?" "Dumbo, something like decorating a hole in the wall is the basic stuff when playing with her! Just leave it to me, it''s not like your slowpoke magic could outpace my sister in this cramped house. I¡¯ll target her when she takes you down and take revenge for you. It''s do-or-die!" "And I¡¯m suddenly relegated to being a punching bag!? Ah, that must be the tank role you were talking about! Why do I have to be the shield when I¡¯m a mage!?" "Curse Leo to not even last for a second!" In the meantime, while Al and I were squabbling, Jeu came back carrying a 1-meter or so staff with her. I was too flustered to notice when she actually left. She approached Leo, murmured some mumbo jumbo ancient cryptic words¡ª basically her prayer, and then held the staff in her hand up atop Leo''s leg. In the next instant, a golden radiance enveloped Leo''s leg, and soon he was standing on his feet once again as if he had never been injured. "Oh, dear~ now that''s a surprise. So, you can heal fractured bones with holy magic at your age, Jeu-chan. In an instant, too. Whew, we have a future bigshot among us~" Furie-senpai didn''t spare any effort in praising Jeu. In fact, even Leo himself was surprised, and my sister too muttered something along the line of ''Woah, that''s wonderful, Jeu-chan''. Jeu put up a sheepish smile facing all the reactions. "It''s because I¡¯m also a member of the Emission Magic Research Club that Allen-san has created!" "Ahaha. I did some snooping around on the rumors about Lil'' Len since Rose had asked me to, and also heard about that club. So that club is actually more than just about skirt-flipping? It''s quite rough to gather intel on what¡¯s happening inside the walls of the Academy. I for sure had thought it was just some caper club created on impulse following the Hill Road Club." ...Ah, so that solved the riddle. I was wondering just how this impossible person who was my sister actually managed to gather rumors about me. So she had helpers running errands for her. But oh damn, I couldn''t believe the Emission Magic Research Club was called a ¡®whimsical club.¡¯ "Correction, it''s the Hill Road Club that was created at the spur of the moment. It¡¯s just there for basic training, which I can do on my own otherwise. If anything, the club I wanted to create is the magic research club that Al is currently handling as president ." "Huh? Now that''s surprising information. Wow, here I thought Al-kun was just one of your classmates. Truly a hidden tiger." Furie-senpai muttered with amazement. I grinned and corrected her. I mean, I had practically used him as a meat shield to deal with all of my sister''s accumulated anger, which I would have borne otherwise. There was no way I could have him pay for all that after his great performance. "Don''t worry about it. I¡¯m sorry you got caught up in the fight between us siblings. Also, I have too much money to spare either way." Huh, was elder sister always so rich? "Rose has been earning tens of thousands of rea from her patents every month after all. And I believe this amount is just going to snowball later as well." What, tens of thousands without doing anything!? I didn''t know Artificers were money-printing machines... It''s nice to roll on money, no? I''m so jealous. "No, this is this and that is that. I hope you let me pay for it. Also, I have one more thing to ask." Leo said, pausing on his words, and took a princely pose¡ª kneeling on one knee with his right hand on his chest. He then extended his left hand toward my sister. "Roselia Rovenne. I wish to become your acquaintance on the hopeful premise of marriage one day." ...... Ettu~? ¡ô Leo''s move was so unexpected it exceeded everyone''s imagination, freezing us in place as if someone had pushed the pause on a video. ...... Umm, to whoever my voice reaches, please tell me in just in what world would you see an idiot actually proposing to his friend''s sister on his first home visit, and that too after being her literal punchbag and even getting his bones broken. Look, even our dear lover of raunchy stuff and dreamer, aka Kate, was taken aback. ¡°Jeu, it seems like Leo''s head has been messed up in the earlier fight. Can you heal him?¡± ¡°...I''m out of mana.¡± No good, huh? Doctor it is, then. ¡°I''m serious.¡± Leo looked at my sister with all seriousness. My sister, who had zero immunity to this sort of stuff, had her cheeks glowing red as she fidgetted around in a fluster and squeezed with her teensy voice. ¡°Umm, err... I''m sorry. I don''t have any interest in the weak, so it''s impossible between us.¡± Read the air, my dear sister! ¡°Hold on, elder sister. Did you forget who he is? He''s the eldest son of the Zatsinger family, one of the only three ducal families in this Kingdom. It''s not even a matter of strong or weak. There''s usually no way for someone of that caliber to cross paths with someone like us from a countryside viscounty.¡± My elder sister sighed. Though, Leo didn''t show any sign of stopping at all. ¡°Something like who we are or our background is hardly an uncrossable gap in this time and age. Once more, I am serious. Is it alright to interpret your words as you will accept my proposal if I become stronger than you?¡± ¡°Err, um, Leo-kun doesn''t have much talent so that might be a teensy bit impossible, I think...¡± ...And my elder sister just trashed the once-in-a-century talent this kingdom was proud of. Leo, however, just grinned and stood up. A soft smile spread on his face. ¡°It''s simply that I''m even further behind the starting line, am I right? This isn¡¯t much. I¡¯ll definitely become stronger than you, and one day have you accept me.¡± ¡°......Hey, why is no one asking me how I would hate to call you brother-in-law...¡± T/N - Good lord that I wasn''t drinking anything. Now MC must have been regretting ever bringing them, lol. Oof, she sure did thrashed everyone so casually though. E/N - What a twist! Also, who would have thought that Leo was an M? Vol. 1 - Ch. 76 - BBQ (3) "Anyway, my belly is rumbling so let''s have our meal first. We can settle everything else later." Fey suggested, to which everyone nodded and moved to the courtyard. When in the courtyard, Fey signaled the cook and waitresses ¡ª who had been on standby ¡ª to leave the place. "It¡¯s been a crazy day today so far, who knew someone would drop that kind of bombshell, then even if I¡¯m asked by my family, I can''t afford to let them hear anything. So, that''s how it is. Let''s go with Allen¡¯s style¡ª grill them by ourselves." "So be it. But I don''t really mind anyone hearing about me though." Leo said nonchalantly, though it was anything but calming for me. "Right, of course not for you, Mr Prince, but it''s definitely a problem for me. No, seriously, why the hell are you being dull-headed in this aspect? For god''s sake, use your common sense." "Hahaha. Maybe it''s your lack of common sense that has rubbed on me." Alright, this man was a lost cause... Even my corporate experience was far more than his entire life, and he has the nerve to say I lack common sense... Why didn''t others listen to me? He definitely received a heavy blow to his head. "What bullshit, I dare say no one has more common sense than me!" I immediately retorted, but for some reason, everyone, except my elder sister, gave me a lifeless look. Oh great, these guys are definitely lost causes. Afterward, we all started feasting on the absurdly delicious BBQ that the Dragoon family''s chef had set up while engaging in chitter-chatter. Fey, my sister, and Furie-senpai were busy discussing magic tools. The topic of their conversation happened to be the automatic cleaning magical tool ''Runpo'' that I proposed the design of. "Amazing. It sure is quite an interesting design. Not even Rose or I can guarantee to make it. You have thoroughly surprised me. You know, not everyone would be able to create so many types of magic tools in just four months since enrollment, even if they have the financial strength of the Dragoon family as their support." (Furie) "I bet you¡¯ll become an astounding Artificer, Fey-chan! I''m not good at cleaning, so if you can sell me one that would be a reaaaally great help~" Oh? It seemed like Fey''s talent had surprised even the other two. "Of course. In fact, please use it by any means. I really would love to have your feedback as a fellow Artificer. But goodness, Allen''s uncommon ideas had been piling up so much that I even had one of the Dragoon family''s development departments relocated to the Royal Capital. I really want to open his head and see what the heck it''s filled with." "Yay~! Thank you, Fey-chan!" Still, I''m surprised at how chummy they¡¯ve become with my older sister. I heard their excited ''ga-ga'' coming from the 2nd floor. I wonder what they were talking about?... But it''s them you know, I don''t have the guts to open that Pandora¡¯s box. I just put my previous life¡¯s knowledge to use and had Fey build all the magical tools that came into my mind. Pretty much all the magical tools ¡ª whether it be daily-purpose tools like for cleaning or dishwashing (for Sora), or necessary ones for the Hill Road, Magic Club, Geography Club, and the others ¡ª were developed by her. Though I only paid her for the materials. ¡®It would take an extremely huge sum to pay even for one if all the development and other costs were taken into account using market price'' were her words.Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at ( Fey shook her head and turned toward Leo. "......Nope, Our Dragoon family didn''t get even the slightest wind about it. Your confession had really surprised me, but it makes sense if the Zatsingers have caught wind of it." "...It''s news to me as well. Also, my proposal to Roselia-senpai has no connection with my family''s politics." Leo''s gaze alternated between Fey and my sister as he denied her claim with a serious expression. "This would definitely be an amazing idea if it¡¯s possible! Your sis is doing incredible research, Allen!" "Of course, you¡¯d be so carefree about this... You know this research has more to it than just being ''handy''? To be direct, just the current limited use alone can increase a nation''s power by many folds by mass producing it. If a war were to break out this instant, the MVP would definitely be this piece of technology. But if not even the Zatsingers had heard about it, this only leaves... Esteemed Sister, could that letter of an influential person by chance have the crest of a winged lion with a glittering jewel in its mouth?" "Woah! You''re amazing, Fey-chan. It was annoying to go through so many letters so I didn''t read them, but it definitely was that crest. I think I tossed them into the living room so they should still be there somewhere." Haaa...... Only I could have such abysmal luck to have such a dumb sister actually use the living room as a dustbin and toss the letters of this kingdom''s royal family like trash. Did nothing come to her mind after seeing the same symbol of the national flag? I really wanted to deck her, but my poor body wouldn''t be able to handle the retaliation so that wasn¡¯t an option. Alright, whatever, time to draw the line as to who was responsible for what! I strained my voice and shouted¡ª "Elder sister! That''s a letter from someone really important! I fear those letters might have already been destroyed by the water magic that Aldore Engraver of the Royal Academy''s Class 1-A had used in the fight with everyone earlier, but still, let''s search for them right away! But in case the letters are truly beyond salvageable, worry not, since Leo Zatsinger of the same class has said he will take responsibility for all the mess and reimburse for it!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô Afterward, we all immediately started searching and scavenged them from the broken mess, but the water had blurred everything and we couldn¡¯t tell what was written on them. "Well, you really did a number this time, my friend," I patted Al''s shoulder, and somehow tried to push responsibility. A pity everyone remembered that I was the one who allowed him to use magic, and so my strategy to fling the responsibility flopped. "...Haa, seems like that''s what fate wanted... We can only use that." I ignored my sister who muttered ''It''s not like I would have read them either way, so you don''t have to mind'' without a care in the world and looked at everyone. They all had pale faces. "I always knew ¡®box of bizarre ideas¡¯ was truly a perfect alias for you, Allen. So, do you have a way to reverse this situation?" Fey, and everyone else too, turned their hopeful gazes at me. "We saw nothing, heard nothing! That''s all! Come on, eat the meat before it becomes the foil for fuel! And don''t forget to drown yourselves in alcohol!" What else otherwise, right? Not that we could reverse time. Vol. 1 - Ch. 77 - Noble’s Gathering (1) *Hello, there. This is the Author. This short, episodic event takes place just a bit after Godofrun''s assignment result. Now, I am sure many will be wondering why I am adding a sudden mini-arc when things already happened. Actually, I just realized that I forgot to add some foreshadowing and I think it feels like something is missing in the story that might become apparent to the readers. Well, that''s basically the gist of it!Aall newest chapters on There was this custom in the Dragoon territory. All the noble families within its influence would gather in its capital, Dragreid, to partake in a periodic assembly. The core agenda of such assembly was generally information exchange, adjustment of personnel at the local level, petition for the construction of new roads, and other similar things. Unlike the colorful, buoyant spirit that could be felt in the social life of the Royal Capital at the start of April, for the bottom rung of the aristocrats like the viscounts or barons, this season was usually a fateful one in lots of aspects like their kid''s schooling and employment. This assembly was the perfect place for them to gather information for things like bureaucrat posts, so for their family''s interest, a good amount of such nobles participated in it. Typically, the assembly would be held somewhere around spring, a month or so after the entrance ceremony. However, with a tumultuous time visible on the horizon, Marquis Dragoon couldn''t open his schedule to leave the Royal Capital, which he had visited to participate in the countermeasure meeting for the war. Subsequently, the assembly was thus shifted a month later. Basically, it was held somewhere two months after the entrance ceremony. Dragried was quite close to the Royal Capital and located in the northwest region of Dragoon territory. The nostalgic townscape of Dragreid was colored in the southern region¡¯s peculiar reddish-brown tiled roofs with the buildings built with similarly colored bricks and stones, faintly reflecting the visage of what was once a hotspot for rare ores. Bellwood Rovenne, the head of the Rovenne family, and his wife Celia Rovenne had arrived at Dragreid the morning of the day the assembly would be held. Also typically, when it was time for the assembly, they would arrive at noon a day before, lodge in a familiar inn, and go out for a stroll as a married couple in the maze-like capital laced with narrow alleys, stone-built staircases, and glittering red neon sign fashioned paper lanterns. And then at night, they would relish the local cuisine in one of the Dragreid city''s not-so-high-class restaurants. This was something they both looked forward to, and that should have been the same this year as well, but¡ª "Phew. It seems like the cheating allegation against Allen has been cleared, but this assembly will still be a rough ride. I would have normally walked in pompously, with a high nose if he had gotten into Class-E, but......" "And what¡¯s stopping you from proudly walking in right now? He crossed that narrow road that thousands of other aristocratic families couldn''t. Even the Dragoon family is unable to have more than 1, or even at best 2, kids qualify for Class A of the Royal Academy. A parent saying that they¡¯re troubled due to their child''s efforts is truly unbefitting." Though he knew his wife''s words were right, Bellwood just had a hard time accepting reality. Bell was completely aware of Allen''s prodigious talent in body-strengthening magic, and he could confidently say that Allen could easily beat others in a battle of wits as long as he could focus. But to say that his son could best even the cream of the crop of this kingdom¡¯s future generation was something an average countryside Viscount like him could never have imagined. Especially not when there was this 700-year-long trail of saddening history that their family had. And the cherry on top ¡ª another shackle that limited his outlook to a frog-in-a-well ¡ª was that Rose, who was reputed as a wonder child even in the Dragoon territory, couldn''t surmount that wall either. He was sure this was the wall a bygone countryside noble¡¯s family like them could never cross. And yet, it just so happened that his adorable, youngest child easily broke through that and landed himself in the fabled Class A. This was truly a bizarre turn of events that was hard for him to understand. "...I really don''t know how I should answer any incoming questions. Even Schord is gathering unbelievable attention that Grimm had to stay at home to take care of the house." "Ahahaha! There''s no why or what, I¡¯m just a hick viscount who knows nothing besides his bureaucratic work and gardening hobby, you know? I don''t even have a shred of warrior''s talent, and the best I could do is twist my waist like stiff wood. What''s the point of escaping when I couldn''t, right?! Oh goodness, I never knew Your Excellency had an exquisite sense of humor!" "......I¡¯ve never seen someone proclaiming their martial incompetency so proudly... You really are a bizarre man. I thought for sure I was going to see you disgracing yourself by pissing your pants from being unable to dodge... What was it, ? I wanted to check for myself who this no-name loudmouth Rovenne family was to have ruffled the Royal Capital with such bold claims, and to deal with it if it turned out to be an embarrassment for the Dragoon family... I gotta say, you got some nerves of steel there." "Your Excellency overpraises me. I would have surely pissed my pants if Your Excellency had released even a bit of his bloodlust. As a matter of fact, even I am surprised at how our family has so many roughnecks... It¡¯s just that Your Excellency clearly lacked a threatening intent that I was sure that this was a trick from you. True bloodlust is just like, you know, right? It was just the other day my wife caught me ogling a cute girl I recently hired from a nearby bakery. The bloodlust she released was like that of a thousand-year-old demon. Believe me when I say I had to run for my life in the town for one whole hour while wetting myself. Wahaha!" "Fufufu, what''s funny about it? Bell." Fwoomp A step late, a walking mass of bloodlust got down from the carriage, its mouth curving into a cute smile resembling that of a young girl while a heavy scimitar rested on its shoulder. While it was sheathed, just the weight alone could blow away any normal person with a swing. ""Eeek."" The crowd of onlookers who had been watching the play with gossipy looks let out shrieks seeing that bloodlust. "R-Right. You might have nerves of steel but you¡¯re rotten to the core, man. Take me as an example, my eyes have never wandered off from my wife to another woman. Heed my words, a man should settle on a woman and offer her everything." Count Abenil proclaimed while fleetingly glancing at the woman behind him, apparently his wife, Countess Abenil. "A true man indeed. You should also learn from Your Excellency, Bell!" "C-C''mon! That''s not fair. Your Excellency! Even I have heard about the exploits of your true spearmanship back at the pleasure quar¡ª" "Shut yer trap, fool! My wife is my everything after marriage! If anything, it''s just you''re rotten! Anyway, my lord has tasked me to guide you. So get your ass moving!" And that was how the curtain on Bellwood Rovenne''s ¡ª whose motto was to be ¡ª periodic assembly event opened. T/N - Wow, truly an apple doesn''t fall far from the tree huh. Like father, like Son. Knows well on how to run their mouth. Also, the foreshadowing starts from the last (5th chapter from this one), Damn, the author should have added this arc before truly. E/N - This is way too late. Well, better than never I guess. And the foreshadowing is most likely in the next chapter. Also, an interesting fact is that Count Abenil is the father of Parry, the antagonistic boy in Vol. 1. Like T/N said, like father like son and we got 2 examples in 1 chapter. Vol. 1 - Ch. 78 - Nobles Gathering (2) "It''s too great of an honor for someone of Your Excellency''s status to guide a rustic noble like me. Please don''t waste your breath over someone like me, I¡¯ll just grab some food and strain my ears to listen to one or two gossip like usual. Your Excellency should take his noble seat, I would be just besmirching your honor." Viscount Rovenne had just finished the procedures at the reception and handed over the ornamental saber that he had been carrying to the checkroom when Count Abenil showed his intention to be their guide. The noble gatherings were typically organized in buffet-style parties. It would start with striking up conversations with acquaintance nobles, or nobles that they want to form ties with. Then they would receive words of greeting from the Marquis who would then inform them of important affairs, after which, it would be a greeting round toward the high-ranking nobles where they would put forward their petitions if they had any. While there was no seat for riff-raffs like Viscount or lower-ranked nobles, there were, however, seating arrangements for the Marquis Dragoon family and their eight retainers families¡ª basically the counts. "Hmph. You don''t need to tell me the obvious, you moron! However, My Lord has commanded me to do so with the preface¡ª ''Rovenne family are some no-names on whom we lack any kind of information so far. The head of the family is another particular one who has been rumored as a carefree sort of person, and a failure as a noble who has no interest in the ups and downs of his noble family. However, any further lack of intel even when everything has already been dug out is intolerable. I have no recollection of greeting him in all these gatherings, and there is a chance he might go under the radar in tonight''s greeting as well if left on his own accord, so I hereby entrust you to guide him.¡¯... And so! I had been hoping that there''s no way a person would be so insolent but you''re telling me you''re going to grab some food and just listen to one or two stories? What makes you think you¡¯ll have any time to take part in the buffet, moron! Good grief, you truly are a troublemaker. And how long do you intend to keep that carefree mask?!" So asked the frustrated Count Abenil. However, for Bellwood, his ¡®I don''t care about complicated stuff¡¯ attitude was his nature. There was no way for him to discard the thing that made him who he was. "Whaaat!? There''s no time for the buffer!?... Actually, it''s as My Lord has said. A person of my caliber is truly no better than an ordinary folk, a stain on a refined aristocrat''s image. All the matter about the Academy has been left to the person himself as well. I barely have any information that''s worth the time of the Esteemed Lord or Your Excellent. I¡¯ll follow as usual order to greet My lord, so please excuse m¡ª" The Count grabbed Bell¡¯s collar before he could finish his words. "You didn''t hear me? I''m saying enough with that goody-two-shoes mask. It''s clear as day you¡¯ll disappear among the other attendees without doing anything if I leave your side, moron. Or what, are you saying you want My Lord to actually wait to greet you?" "Oh dear, it''s hardly such an exaggeration... Besides, I¡¯ve been saying that there''s no noteworthy story in my belly to present to My Lord since a while ago. Often people are no more than fleeting, gradually buried under other rumors. Anyway, I haven''t eaten anything since last night, so my stomach can hardly endure. So, it would be great if Your Excellency would let me have my fill, or I might truly faint anytime soon. How about some bread at least? Eating the trending bread of the Dragoon territory has always been one of the things that I look forward to in this gathering..."nE?w stories at For him, the Marquis was someone at the zenith with whom his path had never crossed, and letting it cross now would simply be another headache for him. So Bellwood resisted Count Abenil''s attempt to take him in front of the Dragoon Family. "You should know when to give up, Bell. Don''t trouble Your Excellency with your childish tantrum. If you''re so hungry, then take them." Celia, unable to ignore her husband''s whining anymore, handed him a portable emergency ration tablet (Plain Flavor). "......But my bread¡ª" "Say that again?" Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Bellwood gave up resisting and took the portable ration tablet. He would have disappeared among the crowd if I hadn''t kept a watch over him, so I basically had to bring him by his collar.¡± The table was immediately engulfed in the murmurs of the other attendees. ¡°He faced the intimating attack from that Count Abenil and all he complained about was being hungry? Is he missing some screws on his head?¡± ¡°Huh, but look at his face. It''s as if he has been made to swallow a bitter pill even though My Lord personally asked him to sit next to her. What kind of nerves of steel does he have...¡± ¡°Why in the world does a son of a dolt like him have to qualify for Class A of the Royal Academy? Don''t tell me the rumored cheating allegation is true...¡± Meria hardly appeared fazed by Count Abenil¡¯s recounting of the situation and asked Bell, ¡°I see. Speaking of which, you did request the increase of the research funds of the research to increase the yield of wheat following the year of famine. Next year will mark the 10th year of the research, so how is it going?¡± Bellwood¡¯s expression clouded in more than just one way. This research was the government-funded work that he couldn''t go silent over. The question was if this was something merely asked out of curiosity following Allen''s entrance to Class A. The Rovenne family was going to be investigated either way, so it wasn¡¯t unexpected. But the next problem, however¡ª ¡°Haa, the yield in itself is increasing by 3% every year compared to the previous one, however, we do have some problems at hand.¡± ¡°Oh? What might it be?¡± ¡°We have successfully managed to increase the wheat¡¯s resistance against mana blister, the main culprit behind the famine. However, it releases an explosion of smell when baking bread, the absolute essential for bread making... So it''s a result I can''t convey proudly.¡± Hearing Bell''s words, a crooked-nose man sitting at the middle section of the table burst out in laughter. ¡°Haha, you truly are a family riding on the rumor talk of the Royal Capital as well! No, I''m completely amazed. Going with your estimation, doesn''t that increase the yield of wheat by 30%? Wheat is already one of the long-standing troubles plaguing the Dragoon territories which has few plains and relies on imports to sustain itself. And what you''re saying is that the wheat from your research even gained resistance to the very disease affecting the southern Dragoon territories for ages, all in exchange for some explosion of baked smell? Give me a break for real. I bet whoever claimed that statistic must have mistaken the grace of fine weather with the research, just what you would expect from a forsaken place. Oh wait, or maybe you''re intentionally misreporting just so you can squeeze more funds from My Lord, you''re not, right!?¡± The fierce display put Bellwood on a hard spot, swallowing the words he was about to speak, and instead wondered how he should explain the situation. Meanwhile, his wife next to him was quietly smiling (raging), her hands and face pale. E/N - Well, I was wondering why we don¡¯t see any effects of Allen getting into Class A on his family. Now we know. And I sense face-slapping in the next chapter. Vol. 1 - Ch. 79 - Noble’s Gathering (3) Viscountess Celia''s hand and face were pale white as she smiled (internally raging). There was no sign of bloodlust from her, if anything it was as if she wasn''t even breathing. However, this was undoubtedly the omen of her fury. Not only were they constantly voicing out their doubt about Allen''s qualifications, but they even clearly dismissed the current report as nothing but a mere mistake. And for her, it was no different than touching her reverse scale. When someone from the low hierarchy suddenly achieved the insurmountable, the top hierarchy was bound to follow with demeaning words. She knew that would be the case, however the level of criticism was out of her expectation. Viscount Bellwood was someone who would simply turn a deaf ear to mockery, but his wife, on the other hand...... ¡ªHaa, this is why I wanted to just stay in a corner of the hall. Bellwood sighed internally and diverted the topic. "Oh goodness, perhaps this city''s air has rubbed off on me to speak more nonsense. Indeed, I am nothing more than a rural side farmer who only has a dingy bit of knowledge as a researcher, so there''s that, wahaha! And of course, there can''t be any bigger embarrassment than to ask for additional research funds without putting up any chest-thumping achievement, and I don''t plan to follow up on this foolishness as well. Oh, right, right. I intended to ask Count Abenil about his earlier words. When Your Excellency said that I have sullied your honor, do you mean our Allen has done some discourtesy to you...?" These words had just left Bellwood''s mouth when Countess Abenil suddenly glared at him. "I must say you''re quite a shameless person who hides well behind his mask. Weren''t you the one who said that it would already be a huge boon if your son even managed to qualify for Class E in the earlier spring''s social event back at the Royal Capital? But looking at the result, your son has surpassed even our Parry-kun, making his way to No. 4 in the Class A knight course.Gett your favorite novels at If that wasn''t enough, he even beat down our son in front of everyone right at the first class and used him as a stepping stone. Just what do you intend to start with this sort of conduct?" Count Nix Abenil hurriedly rebuked his wife. "That''s enough. Parry himself had said he wasn''t strong enough. There might be some discrepancy about the information on the Rovenne house, but the mock duel in itself had played out fair and square. A warrior must accept their loss." "Haa, and who was the one loudly hollering ''I must tear apart that imposter''s mask'' until this morning?! The eyewitnesses have confirmed that Allen Rovenne¡¯s battle style was clearly specialized to deal with spears, even if just a bit. I do wonder why he would be training in anti-spear arts when it wasn''t even part of the entrance exam''s curriculum. If that wasn''t enough, he is gaining the attention of the Young Lady as well. Someone sure has cleverly played their dice very well" Bellwood was thoroughly confused hearing the cynical words of the Countess as she replied. "Allen trained himself in anti-spear arts? I fear I have no inkling about this. Maybe there''s some sort of misunderstanding at play here...?" Countess turned her face away at the excuse, muttering ''Hmph, keep that obvious facade of yours.'' Anyway, your son flamboyantly lashed out at that geezer when he was suspected of cheating in the exam, shouting ''Do you think I will plead to the Academy and shake my tail for you? I might be just some roadside stone from your perspective, but no matter who it is, I will crush all who dare to stand in my way!¡¯.... or so I¡¯ve heard." A commotion suddenly broke out at the table. "Ridiculous! He dared to pick a fight with the ''King''s right-hand man'', Godorfun Von Wangyus?!" "He can easily crush the whole family like swatting a fly!" "My lord! There is no telling what kind of disaster that perilous brat might bring to the Dragoon family if let loose like that! You should summon him quickly and drill him with the importance of ranking!" Despite the sudden ruckus, the Marquis simply waved her hand while grinning, reigning in their opinion. "I expected better from you people, it''s shameful to see you all getting strung up with just that much. You all might as well learn from their son, this much was his greeting if anything. His exploits didn''t end just there. I heard he deliberately got himself into the general dormitory that''s popularly called the ''Dog House,'' despite having the right to stay in the noble''s dormitory that comes with the Class A qualification stating that it would chip away at his discipline. And facing that, apparently, the rest of the Class A members moved to the general dormitory as well. The Hill Road Club that he created has turned into a huge circle with over 100 members in a mere span of one month, and he is training them all. There are even some upperclassmen who joined the club to eagerly seek his instruction. Or like how he led the Exploration Association''s Vice-President, ''The enemy of the earth'', and mine hunter, Satowa Fjord by his nose and forced him to bend the rule to let himself register as a G-rank explorer. Not even a day had passed by that I hadn''t heard their son''s name in my earlier stay at the Royal Capital. He alone has made the people of the Dragoon family or any other major power''s intelligence department run like dogs in just a short time. Isn''t that achievement something to be proud of?" Meria said with a grinning face, but that smile wasn''t reaching her eyes. "Just what has he done?......" Bellwood was completely sprawled on the table. But Celia, on the other hand, couldn''t have looked any more pleased, the rosy color returning to her hand and face. "Oh my, it seems like Viscountess Rovenne doesn''t look that surprised. Did you foresee this?" Meria said, and looked at Viscountess Celia with a probing gaze. "No, it has caught me by surprise indeed, My Lord. It''s just¡ª" Celia stared right back into the eyes of the Marquis and replied. "Is there any parent who wouldn''t be delighted at their child''s growth?" She said, as a smile blossomed on her face like that of a young girl¡¯s. Vol. 1 - Ch. 80 - Nobles Gathering (4) "Is there any parent who wouldn''t be delighted at their child''s growth?" She said as a smile blossomed on her face like that of a young girl¡¯s. "Pfft... Hahaha! Truer words have never been spoken. To make merry together, and to be proud together¡ª it''s certainly the foremost job of a parent. Don''t you think so, Countess Abenil?" In response, Countess Abenil pressed her lips tightly, only muttering ''I do''. "So, about what we were talking about earlier. It seems to me that your son doesn¡¯t hold a desire typical of an ordinary person. It''s apparent from his attitude toward the Academy, deliberately moving to the general dormitory, the matter with his fellow alumnus, and the explorer rumors. A desireless human can never achieve great heights even if they''re heaven''s chosen... That''s my pet theory. What do you think, ''Celia''?" Meria skipped her usual formality and directly addressed Celia by her name. "...I haven''t seen him since the day of the result announcement. But if anything, he already had the face of a man¡ª the face of a person who knows exactly what he wants, just like Bell''s when I met him for the first time. I believe he would walk down the path of life in his own way." Celia finished her words with that and put on a girlish smile once again. "My, that''s truly a wonderful mindset. And Bellwood, how long are you going to sleep there? Speaking of which, you did say it was the 700-year-old wish of the Rovenne family to get into the Royal Academy. So, what''s the point behind it?" Bellwood looked up on hearing his name being called out. "......To be blunt, it''s all about the protection of the Claubia mountain forest range." Hearing the reason, Meria looked a bit puzzled. "Oh? The protection, not reclamation, of that... Sea of trees?" "Yes, the protection. Ah, a part of it has actually been cleared indeed though. More importantly, We, Rovennes, had cultivated that land, and it is the place where the Rovenne family was born. That mountain forest range is a treasure trove of animals, flora, and fauna. It houses a plethora of rare monsters and magical plants that are native only to that place and the potential that place harbors is something we know better than anyone else. It''s currently standing at an unfavorable juncture, and while we are somehow controlling the situation following the Rovenne family''s policy and a gentleman¡¯s agreement with the explorers, there''s no doubt that the mountain range would one day face ruin if its exploitation goes up a level. We either have to pass some development laws, something to deter others more effectively, or even enough funds just to maintain it¡ª we simply need to secure a guarantee. However, there''s not much a little viscount family can do... For the Rovenne family, the Claubia mountain forest range is like another mother, and it has been our goal since then to get into the Royal Academy for her. Well, it seems like neither Allen nor our oldest daughter Rose have any interest in it though. Truly, nothing is ever certain in this world." Bellwood replied with an assertive gaze, a complete flip from his earlier laidback expression. Right at that juncture, the butler that Meria had instructed earlier came back with the past agriculture records of the Rovenne region and handed them to her, along with a certain note. "Rather than opposition or anything of the sort, it''s that our statuses are worlds apar¡ª" "Bell. Her Excellency isn''t asking you to give her a generic, vague response¡ª a spouse is to be chosen by the person themselves. Is it not the policy that you decided on, and that you raised your kids while telling them so? Sincerity can only be conveyed by your true words." Hearing Celia''s words, the gleeful aura from the ''Empress'' Marquis Meria Dragoon instantly vanished. Then like the elderly she was, she weaved her next words in a more overwhelming tone. "It''s a no, is what you''re saying? It''s really rich coming from a mere viscount who can''t even shelter themselves from the high winds. I take it as that... you''ve braced yourself for what¡¯s about to come!" Meria carried her words with intense intimidation, inducing shrieks from the onlookers. However, Celia followed up calmly and corrected her. "It''s not a ''no.'' The spouse is to be chosen by the person themselves. This was what Bell said, the policy of the Rovenne family. It''s as simple as that." "And how is it any different from saying ''no''!!?" The bellow of ''Empress'' traveled to every nook and corner of the silent hall. Celia ignored her rage with a nonchalant face. Meria, irked by her composure, repeatedly tapped on the table with her finger and gazed at the Rovenne couple. "Very well, this is my loss. Let me rephrase my words again¡ª Bellwood, you''re the head of the Rovenne family. Ponder ''very'' carefully the future of your family and then the answer. The Marquis Dragoon family hereby officially proposes the marriage to the Rovenne family. Does the Rovenne family agree to the marriage between us two families ¡ª the marriage between Allen Rovenne and Feyrune Von Dragoon ¡ª or oppose it... What''s your answer?" ¡ô¡ô¡ô The sudden change of atmosphere, like the calm tides or a sea transformed into a ferocious beast of calamity, brought back Countess Abenil to her senses. At the same time, a streak of tears silently rolled on her cheek. The ''Empress'' was no longer asking¡ª it was an order. A mere viscount family¡ª that said, even if it was a Count family, they obviously no longer had the option to refuse after pushing that ''Empress'', the ruler of the Dragoon family, to this phase. This was the future that her son Parry had been so piously chasing after. To become the young lady''s partner and to support the Dragoon territory together was certainly a dream out of their status. He discarded everything to reach that unattainable flower and threw himself into the fiery pit of training¡ª which was a milder way to put it. She had been watching everything from the very beginning. His effort indeed materialized in the exam of the Royal Academy as he made his way to Class A. It was no longer a dream for him. How they were above the clouds on the day of the result, hugging and crying when they saw it. However, it didn''t last long before the bubble of illusion burst. Everything was foiled by the appearance of that boy, whose arrival was like a storm that swept everything in its wake. Countless Abenil turned to glance at the Viscount Rovenne, who then shook his head horizontally with an untimely carefree expression. Vol. 1 - Ch. 81 - Noble’s Gathering (5) Having been pressed for an answer by Marquis Dragoon and with all escape routes shut, Bellwood looked at the raging old lady (Marquis) in front of him with a rather laidback expression¡ª which was basically him trying to escape from reality. The most that crossed his mind was ''Hmm, that''s quite an impressive display of intimidation but it''s a candle compared to my wife''s wildfire-like anger¡¯. He had basically stopped thinking of any excuse at all. Well, in truth, he didn''t have any particular deep conviction like his wife said. It was indeed true that the Rovenne family had a ''magnanimous and free-will focused'' motto when it came to marriage. But then again, what other option could they have as hick nobles with one foot in the commoner''s rank than to look for a partner by themselves. Being a run-of-the-mill lower-rung noble was their reality. It was quite easy to say ''It would be our honor'' for him, but that would be going against their values. The kids have been raised with a ''find your partner by yourself'' principle after all. And even if he did ignore that, his wife next to him would never acknowledge it. The words "You should simply act on the motto of Humble and Steady" his wife had spoken in the carriage on the way here suddenly resurfaced in his mind. ''Humble and Steady, huh? What was even there to be humble about in their current position?¡¯ Such were his thoughts. Besides, his empty stomach was also straining his sanity. The constant sweet smell of bread tickling his nose was like an enchantress playing with his mind. He really didn''t care about anything anymore. He looked at Meria and sharply shook his head. "I am just a laid-back failure of a noble who doesn''t really care about the rise and fall of his family. Decide what? I don''t have the acumen to settle on our family''s fate. So everything is according to the will of our excellent kids!" "......So you have made up your mind huh, Bellwood? There''s no turning back after, you know?" "That would never happen... or so I that¡¯s what I want to say, but someone like me just lives in a pool of endless regret! Wahaha!" The Viscount closed his words with that and stood from his seat, turning his back toward the only person he shouldn''t have. He no longer had the guts to look at the later proceedings of the meeting after this event. Following Bellwood, Celia left her seat nearly at the same time, as if they had long thought of that. "Hold your horses. Our discussion hasn''t yet ended." Meria stared daggers at the Rovenne couple. "However, the rats in my belly can''t hold on any longer."Gett your favorite novels at Bell said while lowering his eyebrows, his expression twisted deplorably. "......You really have nerves of steel to not only bite back but to even have no shame in making that shameful expression due to hunger. Truly, a good-for-nothing. Moonlit, your territory is supposed to be next to the Rovenne''s right? Have you noticed any change in their wheat yield in the last 10 years?" Hearing his name suddenly being called out while the venue was shrouded in deathly silence with everyone''s breath caught up in their throats, Moonlit hurriedly scrambled to answer while lowering his head almost to the level of the table. He also had received the right to sit in this chair following his son¡¯s, Theode, enrollment to the Royal Academy¡¯s Class E. "Yes. We had a particularly good yield lately with the weather showing less of its whimsical side.... That said, the results we got from the crop seeds of the Rovenne the year before the last were certainly substantial despite some issues, so we had lately replaced all the seeds we have with those we harvested later on. We¡¯ve seen approximately a 30% increase in our yield." Meria nodded and then flung the Rovenne''s wheat tax records that had the details about their yield increasing by 3% each year at the crooked nose man who was belittling Bellwood''s research earlier. "How long will it take to deal with that smell?!" "Yes! Considering our current research stage, three years ¡ª including this one ¡ª should be sufficient!" "I will allocate the research funds. But I better see a semi-annual detailed report!" "Certainly!" Maybe she was a foreigner who had been wed to this kingdom''s noble family? That possibility was also investigated, but no records were found as usual. Putting together all these facts, the only logical explanation is that the Viscountess is a commoner who couldn''t attend any school in her childhood due to her family''s circumstances. However, looking at the regal manner the Viscountess had displayed today, this theory appears to be no longer viable. Most probably, the Viscountess had been once a noble who couldn''t attend advanced schooling for some reason and was later removed from her family''s registry. And that family most likely had to have substantial status as well, or else it''s a bit hard to cultivate that sort of regality¡ª that¡¯s my conclusion. It''s really a mystery why a person of her caliber decided to adopt that lifestyle... On the other hand, the investigation has only been going on for two months. None of the other camps could possibly have more data. If anything, the Dragoon family is lucky to have a face-to-face dealing with her. To put a gag order on what transpired today in the venue is truly a far-sighted decision, Your Excellency." ''Hmph,'' Meria harrumphed and took her seat. "A gag order on such a large gathering is nothing but a temporary aid. It''s only a matter of time before the rumors start circulating. And Nix. Your attitude shows that you noticed something in that Viscountess that we couldn''t. All your ferociousness simply disappeared in front of her like a cat suddenly becoming so quiet and meek, huh? So, what''s your impression of her?¡± "......I had swung my spear at Viscount Rovenne the instant we met, but that guy''s expression didn''t budge even a bit. And his answer when I asked why was ''my bloodlust was just a pretense''. This was what made me think ''he isn''t just some random conman,'' so I decided to look at his conduct carefully. I think his claim of being inept at martial arts is indeed not wrong. ...I can''t say if it was the effect of ''Unceasing Prudence,'' or his wife, but he wasn''t fazed even by my empty threat." Meria passed the crumpled report in her hand to Nix. "This is Bellwood''s score back in the Aristocratic School. Now that I look at it, his results in the life science field were indeed outstanding. I can''t say for sure, but he''s probably the type of person who only excels at certain fields¡ª the so-called gifted person. It''s not exactly stated, but there are a lot of these people who face problems in society due to an unbalanced aspect of their brains. He certainly has nerves of steel, but any lack of reaction over his son passing the glorious Class A of the Royal Academy, and even at our intimidation made it clear that he apparently doesn''t care due to his nature. That''s why the qualification to the Royal Academy is only equivalent to ''Claubia Forest Mountain Range''s protection'' to him. However, it''s just that his son has no heart to care about that, which is why Bellwood has no interest in his son¡¯s academy life as well. Wouldn''t a parent normally try to persuade their children to take on the path they want them to take? Well, Bellwood surely hasn''t tried anything to make it happen. He''s already at the age to have some dealings with society but I believe his thesis or anecdotes from his time in school would surely reveal this in the investigation. Well, no need to waste our breath on him. He isn''t the type to make any effort in society unless someone notices him and makes use of him, so all that matters is if I can make him do my bidding. Anyway, what about Celia?" Hearing the analysis about Bellwood, Nix recalled his appearance. Certainly, his attitude of laying low or even his laidback appearance in front of Her Excellency wasn''t something that could be dismissed simply as a carefree personality. And his wife¡ª "...I couldn''t gauge where the Viscountess''s limit lies. To be frank, I don''t think I can win against her at all after seeing the quality of bloodlust she had let out while quarreling with Bellwood when he mentioned giving the bakery''s staff an ogling look. The Viscountess''s presence had nearly vanished when my wife called the Rovennes a group of cowards. Her face was so pale as if her heart had stopped beating, and there wasn''t even a hint of mana being released from her, which would typically happen when breathing. I can''t give an accurate measurement of her strength, but had she decided to go all out, none of us would have been able to stop her for sure is my conclusion. Honestly, I was only thinking about how to safely evacuate Your Excellency in case that madam decided to explode." "......That bloodlust was definitely intentional. After hiding away in the shadow of her husband, she probably judged that it would be impossible to hide any longer now that her son was practically a star... Anyway, she probably guessed that trouble would occur in today''s meeting for sure, and that''s why she decided to suppress you first to have a slight upper hand. One doesn''t need to have a ''martial heart,'' but it''s impossible to cultivate that caliber of bloodlust without power. Gird, thoroughly investigate all the noble houses in this kingdom, especially the ones that have earned military exploits. The key to the Rovenne is none other than her." "Yes, ma''am!" "And speaking of their family... The second son of the Rovenne family, Beck Rovenne, is enlisted in our private army, right? I will assign him under you, so keep an eye on him." "As you command." "Truly tantalizing... Each and every one of them is so out of the norm and they want to say that ''Humble and Steady'' is their family''s motto? They have completely taken me for a fool, haven''t they!?" Meria shouted, however, none could answer her question. T/N - The arc might have come to end but the exposition have yet to end. Pace has just started to speed up. E/N - This mini-arc is finally done. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t a fan of the last few chapters but Celia¡¯s mysterious background is indeed intriguing like the translator said which made up for it. Excited to learn more of that. Vol. 1 - Ch. 82 - The Five Families of the Beginning On the morning of a certain weekend. I just arrived at the main entrance of the Academy while jogging following my daily routine when I spotted Godorfun there. "Good morning, Godorfun-sensei. Is something the matter, to actually be here at this time?" "Nothing. It''s just that I¡¯m simply fed up with the neverending meetings all day long. I expected this when I left the frontline and took this post, but boorish things are still boorish. So I thought I¡¯d do basic training with the young ones, you know, for a change of pace. I was just waiting for you while looking at others running around. This old man isn''t bothering you, am I?" "No, of course not. Hmm, so the teachers are not free even outside the Academy''s class hours, huh?" From there, we started our clockwise running around the Academy''s premises. Apparently, Godorfun''s work didn''t end after the classes ended. He also had stuff to take care of at the knight order and the royal palace so he usually left the Academy after the morning classes. If rumors were to be believed, he often wasn''t able to get proper sleep beside his naps on the staff room''s custom-made sofa. It was really hard to believe this was the lifestyle of the kingdom''s most valuable asset. "I feel ashamed to push the inconvenience onto you students. You were right in your sermon, I should have shown myself in the club activities earlier... I guess my age got the better of me, huh? Perhaps, I just gave in to my convenience. I could tell Class A''s progress from the morning practical lessons. The report consolidated by the managers filled in the gap that was left. Everyone''s improvement was visible to my eyes even without coming here to check things out." "Please no. You¡¯ve also been teaching the morning class every day considering your hectic schedule, and us just having the chance to talk with you whenever we have a question is already a lifesaver." We continued with our small talk for the first half of the course, and from the second half, we sped up to chase after the Hill Road Club members. The time I chased down the club members like a mad dog has been drastically reduced after I cleared Godorfun''s assignment. Or so it should¡¯ve been, but this practice still continued due to the masochist club members¡ª though not as intense as before. Their words were ''We can''t get any motivation if our honorary supervisor isn''t there hooting at us''. What a deplorable bunch, truly. I¡¯ve also grown enough to cover the entire premises of the Academy in one hour over the last four months. I have yet to see anyone achieving the same thing. Well, Leo technically could push through if he utilized his absurd mana reserves but that would be detrimental to his mana manipulation skill so he has a self-imposed ban on himself from using it. "......You also can''t run while compressing your mana, Sensei?" There was nothing to nitpick about one of the best warrior¡¯s mana-handling skills. Godorfun was easily matching his pace with mine with the bare minimum mana consumption. However he was running while using mana-enhanced eyes to look at the mana flow, it was a sign that he was running without compressing mana. Godorfun, however, didn''t answer me but instead threw an unexpected curveball. It has been four months since I passed the details of the ''mana on/off precision'', which was a prerequisite to learning the technique, to my Class A classmates. However, a vast majority of them were still struggling with the concept. The only ones who had managed to pull it off, though superficially, were Dan and Stella. But I couldn''t actually envision them pulling it off perfectly. Leo might be talented and blessed with overflowing mana, but it was this talent that was holding him back as well. It turned out that he was actually much worse than the others when it came to utilizing body-strengthening magic at will due to the precise mana manipulation it needed. Well, his explosive mana capacity was already more than enough to compensate for his lack of precision. "Secret... Hmm, we actually weren''t told anything otherwise so I think it shooooould be fine. I¡¯ve never met any of my mother''s direct relatives as well. Cough How about forgetting that such a thing ever happened? My dad is usually a broken recorder when drunk, but mom has that tight guard around as she never talked about her past. I honestly don''t feel like anything good will come out of it now." "Hahaha. So even the rustic brat from the countryside has started to pick up on things as well, huh? Indeed, tall trees are often the ones that get affected by storms first. I believe it''s just a matter of time before this spreads but I also suggest to keep the matter confined only to your heart as much as you can. Right, let''s just say we never talked about it." "Well, only a fool wouldn''t learn after going through so much bitter experience...... But thank you very much." Though I felt more pressure due to the embellished rumors about your assignment, old man... I wanted to retort so hard but swallowed the complaint in the end. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Afterward, Godorfun followed me and performed a similar number of hill dashes as well, and from there, we moved to the dorm. Today was a break so he probably wanted to see what sort of life the members of the Hill Road Club had. "Hmm, this regime looks easy when seen from afar, but it sure is quite an intense training, huh? I guess I would hardly be your match in just two more years. But time sure flies. This place is just as it used to be in my era, but the gloominess is nowhere to be seen." ""Good morning, Godorfun-sensei!"" A lot of the dorm residents were practicing their weapon swings in front of the dorm when they spotted me and Godorfun and came to greet us. However, it was just a simple greeting after which they returned to their training holding the weapon of their preference. It was an everyday scene for me, but it seemed to make a difference in Godorfun''s eyes. "I also used to stay in this dormitory. Though rather than the current bustling scene, I prefer the quietness that was there earlier.¡± I drew a wooden sword from the weapon rack ¡ª it was just recently installed in front of the dorm''s entrance ¡ª and followed with my usual 30-minute sword-swinging practice. I wonder what¡¯s going on in his mind? Godorfun, on the other hand, sat nearby cross-legged and quietly watched everyone''s practice without making a sound. Vol. 1 - Ch. 83 - A Half-a-century Ago Tale (A silly, boastful clash of egos) *T/N - It is an interlude chapter. By the way, the title in parenthesis is what I put. You will soon understand. Godorfun and I ¡ª after I was done with my practice ¡ª entered the dorm and went to the cafeteria. When we arrived there, several people were setting the tables in a bit of a flurried manner. Sora''s workload had suddenly exploded when the previously deserted dormitory had become as lively as a theater. She looked completely distressed by the situation, so I started helping her. This sudden and voluntary action was picked up by the other dorm occupants and this was how the current situation came about. The image of the dorm had truly transformed like a rising star.U?pTodated novels on The dorm did receive a supplementary budget, enough to just hire employees, and there were already some that had started working. However, as a frugal person who hardly experienced such luxury, I insisted that if there was such a surplus of money, it might as well be used for materials and research. But I was beaten down already. As if they were some kind of clairvoyant who had already foreseen my objection, the staff was hired only for the bare minimum. While the rest was done by ourselves or through a schedule. "Goodness, y''all sure are hard workers heh. Well, at least the Knight Order isn''t going to have students whining to take along a chef for camping from this batch. Each and every one of them truly was a sheltered bunch, they don''t even realize any non-combatant is just an extra liability when the camp is raided on the battlefield. Those garden flowers just don''t seem to get it no matter how much you yap at them. But seeing the students here willingly doing the work without any complaint is truly a sight for sore eyes. I bet all of them will become someone befitting of suitable status." Godorfun stated while narrowing his eyes in delight when Sora showed her face from the kitchen. "If it isn''t Godorfun, and here I wondered what kind of old ghost drifted here. What kind of wind brought you here when you haven''t visited the dorm ever since graduating 50 years ago, huh?" Huh, so Sora-san had been working in the dorm for over 50 years... No wait, then what''s her current age? "It''s been a while, Madame Sora. I have nothing but disgraced memories of this place. I truly loathed it, so I didn''t want to bring myself here. Never again, would I step here again... was my resolution. ...But you see, the radiant visage of my pupil here gave me the push to finally face my past bratty self, and coming here, I couldn¡¯t help but want to see you. I¡¯m truly ashamed of my immature self." After saying that, Godorfun apologized, bowing akin to the greeting one does in training. Sora''s eyes narrowed in emotions for just an instant before being replaced by her typical maniac-like smile. "Hyahaha! What Madame? Yeah, you truly have grown up to say something like that. I still remember how you, after being bullied by your seniors, would cry in the bathroom while hugging your knees without turning on the lights... The passage of time is truly a fast one, no?" Godorfun also smiled back, with a blue vein throbbing on his temple. "Well, did something like that ever happen? Oh, I know. Age has surely caught up to Madame, so maybe your mind is going senile, fufufu. But I had indeed taken the vow to never turn my face when being promoted to another class. Though it was all those bitter experiences that made me who I am right now." "Hahaha. I never thought that ''Crybaby Godor'' would learn to have such a slick tongue. But so be it. I still clearly remember that burning zeal within your eyes when you stood outside the dorm, saying ''I won¡¯t return here ever again, that''s why this is our farewell for all eternity, Sora. I¡¯m much obliged for your care all this while'' before leaving. ''Ah, the child has finally stood up on his feet, and he will continue to do so¡¯, I had thought then... You were the star of hope that this dorm had long since sought for. I used to tell this to all those children who had lost their confidence, how that definition of ''Indomitable'' used to be here, crying endlessly from frustration. But he used that as a springboard and look at where it brought him. How many had been given the push to walk forward in these several decades, huh? Well, the current occupants are all excellent so there''s just no chance to tell them your sob story. It''s been a while, why don''t you have breakfast as well?" ''Then, I will take you up on your offer,'' said Godorfun, while scrunching up his face from having his dark history dug up by Sora. Today''s breakfast consisted of grilled Greateus Snake liver with a sauce so bitter it would contort your mouth, along with milk with such a horrendous stench as if someone had wiped the spilled milk with a rag and squeezed it back into a cup. "When I heard you were all merrily enjoying the breakfast here, I was really surprised since all that was left in my memory was nothing but a rotten stench, though I thought that my prejudice of being here for all those years exaggerated it... But this is even more heretical than I imagined. You all really have great prospects awaiting you to be able to handle this so easily. I really can''t eat this." Gordolfen took a bite of each, dipping them into the side dish, and sipped the milk, then set down his knife and fork. He had just done that when the invincible man, Al, said with a face full of smiles. "Godorfun-sensei! What you see there are the words that Allen learned from Schord-san! It''s all about determination!" Godorfun turned to glance at the wall Al pointed out where a poster with the slogan of ''Once you clear your mind of mundane thoughts, even roaring flames are nothing but a refreshing breeze'' was framed in large, bold letters. "Hahaha. It seems like ''Unceasing Prudence'' is a concept impossible for you. Oh my, what a pitiful sight to see that your soul is still that of the crybaby Godor even after 50 years." Sora''s face immediately twisted into that of a crazed scientist and provoked Godorfun. Having been told ''You don''t have what it takes to practice Unceasing Prudence so it''s truly impossible for you'' in front of his students, another blue vein throbbed on Godorfun''s temple as he picked up his knife and fork. "I once survived on just tree bark for one week after I was attacked by enemies on the battlefield which caused me to drift away from my comrades. This heretical cooking can never be worse than that." ¡°What? What happened?¡± "Sir... This ice sauna is set at minus 30 degrees. Allen said icing is the elixir for fatigue recovery and muscle growth. But to sit down with a wet body and without a towel in the cold... that would cause your butt to stick to the floor and you wouldn''t be able to stand up." Godorfun concentrated his strength on his feet. Sure enough, it was as if his butt had been glued to the floor, it just wasn''t budging. He could force himself up, but that would cause his skin to peel off and it was anyone''s guess how much blood would spill from that. One of the students who had just entered the sauna hurriedly dashed off outside and brought in some hot bath water that he splashed around Godorfun''s butt. Soosh With a mild sizzling sound, Godorfun''s bum was finally freed from the floor. "This is a typical case with first-timers and has happened quite a lot. It would be fine to just completely wipe your body and spread a towel on the floor to sit on. In case someone is stuck, there are red buttons around which can stop the sauna by pushing it." "Sorry, that was a lapse in my judgment." Godorfun meekly apologized, though, at the same time, it had hit his pride as a first-rate sauna-melier ¡ª a sommelier but for saunas ¡ª that he had trained in the Wangyus territory, rich with hot springs and saunas. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The folks that entered the sauna could be divided into types: ones that fight with their inner selves, and ones that fight with others. Godorfun belonged to the latter category. The tragedy that followed when a man of a stubborn nature met with a man of a similar nature ¡ª who had just entered the sauna as well ¡ª was a scene familiar even to Earth or another world. Leo had entered the ice sauna a step earlier than Godorfun. By this time, everyone, aside from Godorfun, had already been replaced by other students, save Leo. Godorfun''s body had chilled to the point that he couldn''t even properly close his mouth. However, did he have the choice to leave? No, not when Leo, who had been here earlier, was still in his position. Leo, the source of this tragedy, had his eyes closed in silence, enduring the chill. It was clear that he was conscious of Godorfun! Anyone with enough brain cells could guess he was contending to match the timing with Godorfun''s departure, ''his goal for today''. His legs were trembling like a newborn fawn, and even the tip of his ears ¡ª not just lips ¡ª had turned bluish-purple. *This can''t go on... He''s already at the juncture of getting frostbite. Shouldn''t he know when to give up, for god''s sake? I had entered here later, how could a sauna-melier like me possibly leave first then!? And this chill on my legs... It''s clear that the cold is more concentrated on the lower steps. It would be a shame on my honor, having appraised so many saunas, if I still get up first!* A drowsiness assailed Godorfun while his mind was a mess as he monologued in his head. Crap... Sleep is the nemesis of one''s life. Haa, I guess I only could use the dirty haggling of an adult to make him retreat before the vessel of this young man gets cracks of ice in it. He is too talented to get wasted here. Having made up his mind, Godorfun suddenly stood up from his seat and headed for the door. Seemingly on cue, and having already reached his limit, Leo also stood up and followed after Godorfun thinking ''Oh, it''s finally the time to leave huh''. However, Godorfun then suddenly turned on his heels right before the door and returned to the spot he was sitting earlier. Leo, who had stood up to follow after Godorfun, was left as the sole standing person, a look of astonishment dyeing his face. Fufufu. You¡¯re still an amateur in sauna discipline if you can''t even see through such basic feints, Leo. Godorfun gloated in his mind. Leo, however, then curled his bluish-purple lips into a grin and started stretching on the spot before returning to his previous position. You moron! Just how much do you despise losing!? "...Umm, how about the two of you stop this moronic act and just leave it at that?" Coco, who happened to be there, called out. But they had already closed their eyes, not intending to respond to his words. 30 minutes later, Jeu was greeted with the sight of two frozen tunas ¡ª two bodies with towels wrapped around their waist ¡ª thrown at her feet. E/N - I¡¯ve never heard of a cold sauna before. I learned something new. Also, I¡¯m glad that the comedic tone of the novel is back. Vol. 1 - Ch. 84 - Summer Vacation "Now then, two months long summer vacation starts for y''all from tomorrow onwards. Normally, I would have hammered into your heads to not slack off just because no one is there to supervise you and all that, but... you all have done wonderfully in the last four months compared to the starting point of the first orientation. The looks on your faces tell me everything. Truly a peculiar sight, fufufu! This sure has taken the worry off my shoulders. Also, there will often be many chances to venture outside for field classes in the second term, testing the abilities that you¡¯ve gained in the first term. I look forward to seeing how you''re going to spend your holidays, and the look in your eyes right after. Nevertheless, do make sure to be careful about your health. That is all." The last homeroom of the first year''s first term had come to a close, and it signified the start of our summer vacation. We were also told the results of the top 20 students in the freshmen year as a whole. The whole list was dominated by Class A students. Leo Zatsinger (Leo) Daniel Sardos (Dan) Feyrune Von Dragoon (Fey) Bester Von Stocklaud (Bester) Jeuri Levarance (Jeu) Shalum Halloween (Shal) Kate Salkanp (Kate) Allen Rovenne Rudolf Austin (Dol) Margrait Stea (Magi) Aldol Engraver (Al) Coconial Canardia (Coco) Regina Sanhurt (Regi) Visques Lawyunkurl (Viz) Elena Iskandar (Elena) Parry Abenil (Parry) Sophia Bransh (Sophie) Berd Yuniwance (Berd) Lala Von Liancool (Lala) My ranking had dropped by 2 from my entrance examination''s 7th rank. Overall, I stood 4th in the knight course. Well, I was taking classes seriously, but I just couldn''t bring myself to study for the exam, and this was just the start that could continue to drop me to a new low. Though I had definitely snagged the top spot in magic theory. Magic was everything that I wanted to pursue and was the only subject where I had put actual bone-breaking effort... However, it seemed like I was the sole precedent in the knight course to exhibit such contrasting scores. Not that I care. To be honest, I was more pumped up about the summer vacation!... Ah, what a lovely sound it had, summer vacation. That said, I don''t know why Godorfun was assuming that everyone would be taking their study and training seriously for sure. I mean, like hell I was going to let my summer days rot over the desk. I had even stayed up so many nights to consolidate my long-term plan. I was going to take this chance and go on a long wolf''s journey! Everything from the destination to what I¡¯ll be doing has been confirmed... Well, I couldn''t stay out of the Royal Capital for long with the knight order matters that I couldn''t skip on, but that was all. I¡¯ll definitely make this the best summer vacation of my life! However, there was something verrrrry important that I needed to tackle before that¡ª "Hmm, fighting several strong monsters sounds interesting. I¡¯ll come along as well. I¡¯ll have my family arrange ten trustworthy couriers. Who can take down more monsters, huh?... I guess we¡¯ll be having a contest." Would you look at this? Fey and Jeu were giving perfect textbook examples of daydreaming. "Hey there, Senpai and I are currently discussing explorers¡¯ business. This line of work isn''t something amateurs like you can handle! Am I right, senpai?" "Huh, ah, if they can protect themselves, I don''t really min¡ª" "But I do! A professional isn''t without a license and we need to have the integrity to uphold the contract through the association!" "Fufufu. So it seems, Fey-san. But fear not, I, a D-rank license holder, shall spare no effort to prepare a sleeping bag for Allen-san. But then again, I don''t have one with soundproofing like you do, so do pardon me if some strange sounds come out." Jeu prattled off her idiotic delusions with a triumphant expression. "......When the heck did you register? It''s not good manners to get a headstart, you know?" "My, what sour words. But I think those who let themselves fall behind are the ones at fault though. I had a genuine interest in explorer''s work and so I registered myself to experience it. So I hope you can teach me the ropes down to every nook and cranny, Allen-san." "When is the departure? I¡¯ll get my license prepared within 3 hours. You shouldn''t have anything to complain about then, right?" What happened to all that ''busy schedule''? I was cursed, truly. "There''s a problem, you morons. You can register just in name only but that doesn''t change the fact that you''re amateurs. This is not a kiddy make-believe game, alright?" I had just retorted when Coco, who was also there ¡ª well, we were still in the classroom ¡ª raised his hand nervously. "Can I accompany you as well? I can fend for myself and it''s also a chance to test out that magical tool." "Nice idea! I was thinking of visiting my family but that doesn''t sound bad either. How many days will this trip take?" "Ah. Both Al and Coco are also working as explorers, and I think they have good enough experience. So I don''t mind, but what do you think, Senpai?" I glanced at Senpai''s way. "I don''t mind if they have your approval. It will be a four-day return trip, but it might extend by one or two days, so about five or six days at max. But the problem is the reward. Embarrassingly, I honestly don''t think I have the budget to support three people." "We can just work with the previous condition. My reward can be divided between the three of us." "Ehh... but that''s honestly a bit low of a reward. Alright, let''s do it this way then. The fixed reward would be at 60,000 rea, as I told you, but we can divide the rest of the materials we get our hands on ¡ª except the mana moss ¡ª between ourselves equally. What do you think? Having more skilled members is less dangerous in my opinion, and we would also be able to carry more materials." I nodded to the condition Senpai proposed. "Great. So, we¡¯ll meet at¡ª" "Hold on, senpai. The pros talk should remain within us professionals! Please look at their gazes filled with such avarice! It''s clear that they¡¯re going to sell out the information when they learn about it!" I hurriedly stopped Senpai who was about to spill the location of the mana moss. "Huh, it can''t be, right? I don''t think students of the Royal Academy Class A would do such¡ª" "Unceasing prudence is what makes us professionals among rookies, Senpai! C''mon, let''s go somewhere else. And you lot, don''t even think about tagging along. I can already see your plan to eavesdrop and learn the location! Well then, I pray your summer vacation is as bright as the clear sky!" I pushed the back of Senpai and successfully managed to break through the class siege. Kukuku. After striking down the nail in the way, they surely wouldn''t be following even if they wanted to. Vol. 1 - Ch. 85 - What it takes to be a real B-rank? The following day, after accepting the nomination request yesterday from the association''s eastern branch, we met at the Royal Capital''s central station that we had decided earlier on. "Oh-hoh, you truly have dyed yourself in the color of an explorer huh, Allen? Just what I would expect from the rising star ''Ren'' who dashed away the kingdom''s fastest record to reach B-rank." Senpai teasingly exaggerated his voice after seeing my appearance. I had already explained that I went by the name of ''Ren'' in the explorer world to him, who had taught me so much essential stuff, as well as to Al and Coco, with whom I often teamed up. "It''s my honor to receive Senpai''s praise. I may not have been able to achieve all this if not for the trip with Senpai or our visit to the association right after. By the way, don¡¯t listen to the rumors. It''s all the fault of the association''s president who thinks it''s fun to open a back door." It was just the other day that I had a chat with Rouge-san, the branch manager of the Shinglaud Arm Store, and refreshed my adventuring gear. My first purchase was a simple dagger with a blade length of 40cm which was the replacement for my earlier knife I had lost in the Honey Ant''s nest. It was manufactured by the same Banri firm as well. I used it for pretty much everything from dismantling to harvesting to battle thanks to its sharpness. Well, it was a pain in the butt to maintain it though, but I decided to choose it in the end given its convenience and ease of use. That was followed by my defense gear. I actually had no plan to change them but Rouge-san was worried that the low performance of my beginner gear would pull me down and recommended a high-performance vest with a belt that I ended up buying. I also graduated from my larger-than-life Lygo Bow¡ª honestly, I still felt sad that I had to say farewell to my precious baby but what could I do, the path to improvement was just no longer present with it anymore. My next primary weapon became a composite bow, made from a multitude of materials, that goes by the name of Parthia. Um, yeah. Most of it was the enticing sales pitch of Rouge-san who said ''Buying as a set will get you a discount'' and I also kind of went with the flow. But overall, I could tell this one was going to be more fitting for my bow training when I tried it out at the testing area. So it was a worthwhile purchase, at least. The bow''s effective range was 200m with 600m for its longest distance, which was double the performance of the Lygo. It was also quite tough to use but that was no biggie. Rouge-san had specifically chosen it based on its shared trait with the Lygo, after all. ''Fufu, now you properly give the image of a lady charmer¡ª though they''re just standard equipment for B-rank explorers,'' was how Rouge-san teased me in the end when I changed myself into my new gear. I guess she knew about my alias ''Ren'' as well, which was known to only a handful of people thanks to Uncle Shell properly working his ass off for once at least. I asked her how she came to know about it, and she just chuckled and said, "Well, I just happened to be a fan of Explorer ''Ren¡¯. But hmm, don''t worry. No other person is going to hear about it from me, so relax." The bill in the end turned out to be 30,000 rea. Quite a lot if you ask me, but the expression of Rundo, the branch deputy manager of the store, was curled up in bitterness. So I presumed the discount was just more than a bit. We took the first magic train in the morning and headed for our destination¡ª Robles, a city in the Dailmacque territory. ¡ô¡ô¡ô It took us 8 hours to arrive at the capital city of the Dailmacque territory. From there, it was another four-hour journey with the magic car that we hired from there to reach Robles City.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Geographically, Robles City was quite blessed with resources due to the thickets and grassy plains in the nearby area. The city itself was bustling with activity and a large crowd, the majority of whom were explorers. "We''re going to visit this city''s association branch first. It''s the number one spot to know about dangerous monster activities and other important information. We also need to borrow some bags to carry all the materials back. We¡¯ll sell everything besides the magic moss after returning. Let''s finish the task and check in at an inn. We''re going to leave tomorrow at the crack of dawn." The bellows of the receptionist echoed in the branch''s hall, causing even the uninterested explorers to whisper among themselves while pointing at me. ...Look, this was why I wanted to have the traditional promotion style instead of just raising it on a whim. I needed to explain myself here. I mean, I don¡¯t expect them to go ga-ga over me saying things like ''Kyaa, we''re Ren-sama''s fans,'' but something like a normal treatment wouldn''t hurt, right? "I-It''s all a misunderstanding, Ma''am! There had been some inevitable circumstances that led to that fight¡ª" "Any excuse is useless, boy! Were you not the one who jumped at President Shell with an iron pipe on your first meeting but got blasted away instead? I heard you also thrashed senior explorers at a tavern saying ''Ah, it''s pain in the butt to talk sense into them so let me teach them through the way of the fist'', and pretty much squandered all the 100,000 rea you earned from the Honey Ant''s nest extermination in a drinking competition against the whole tavern like money didn¡¯t matter to you! Truly, what has become of our youngsters for one to become such a rascal? Our branch''s president had heard it directly from President''s Shell in a bar so don''t say it''s all a lie!" A buzz louder than before engulfed the branch''s hall. "That damned baldy! Did he think it''s funny to spread rumors without giving the full picture!" ''I am definitely going to make that bastard cry rivers of tears one day!'' My bloodlust subconsciously oozed out of me as I made such a resolution. "Eeek." "......All that matters is you''re having fun, Allen. But maybe you can calm down your bloodlust, the miss here can''t take it." "Ah, that wasn''t my intention." I took back my bloodlust which prompted the receptionist to heave a sigh of relief. "Phew... It didn''t take much to show your true colors, huh? But, as expected of the eastern branch''s ace Riyad-kun¡ª no, Riyad-sama to calm down that ''Mad Hound'' with just one word! I heard even President Shell was unable to do that! Truly, one needs more than just brawn to be at the top." The chubby aunt spoke in an enraptured tone, like a maiden who had fallen head over heels for a celebrity. It was a pity that she didn''t get her misunderstanding corrected ¡®til the end, but hey, at least I just saw the appearance of a new ''Riyad-sama fan''. I replied with a gleeful expression. "Riyad-senpai is the one I respect most!" Then, the lovestruck maiden swiftly returned to the usual cubby aunt mode. "Tsk! At least do your best to learn how a true B-rank should act! Also, don''t cause any trouble to Riyad-sama!" Wow, the difference in treatment was truly heaven and earth... Vol. 1 - Ch. 86 - Canardial With the presence of Riyad-senpai (?), we easily received the material fetch quest and some storage bags from the receptionist without stirring things up too much. For the night, we lodged into the explorer-specialized inn and took action to complete our mission while the sky was still ink-black. Riyad-senpai was carrying himself with his signature style¡ª a bamboo basket on his back, while Coco was carrying a knapsack that had the Create Map magic tool that we had developed back at the geography club. Last night was honestly a bit too plain¡ª for so much traveling to another major city. I wanted to dive into the local cuisine at the dining hall affiliated with the inn, but Riyad-senpai apparently spied something fishy and stopped us. So our dinner was the emergency portable ration tablets that we were carrying. I didn¡¯t think this had anything to do with me but I was feeling that stabbing presence more than anything. I had already captured the sign of a somewhat capable-ish stalker group following us after we left the association. So there wasn''t any other option in this sort of situation except quietly staying put. The hollering of the receptionist had done a number on us, I guess... Who knew what kind of intention they had for following us, but a wise man knows not to entangle himself in danger. ¡°The time is ripe, so let¡¯s set out for the forest. This season usually brings in plenty of strong monsters that you otherwise wouldn¡¯t need to be vigilant for. So keep your wits about you.¡± Senpai advised as he girded himself. ¡°The Dunce Tiger, who are out there taking care of their cubs, and the Linew in their mating season seems to be the first target we should be careful of in this Nyapu Forest. Are we going to cross the ridgeline?¡± The question came from Coco, who utilized his wealth of knowledge here. Recently, he had managed to come out of his shell of shyness. Well, he still had a lot to work on, but the community life in the cramped dorm along with serving as the president of the Geography Club put him in an inevitable arena of communication that he couldn¡¯t shirk away. He was gaining his foothold with increasing confidence. The students of Class A were all hard workers. Coco himself had been diving into multiple activities ranging from independent life in the dorm, training in the Hill Road Club, doing tasks for the Geography Research Club, handling explorer quests, and attending the sophisticated lectures of the Academy. It would have been strange if he wasn¡¯t at least able to hold his ground after being exposed to such an environment. Who cared about the trifling gaze of others when your eyes were looking straight ahead? I also kept asking him about all sorts of things that I still didn¡¯t know, like what monsters relate to what among other things, and his impressive knowledge bank was truly an amazing one that I seriously commended him for. All the students of Class A similarly acknowledge that none among us could best him in this aspect. Honestly, ¡®amazing¡¯ wasn¡¯t enough to describe it and probably no word was enough to do so. It was truly vexing. ¡°Heh~, I didn¡¯t know you had such a keen insight for such stuff. Did you take the time to investigate that? Also to your question, we¡¯re not going to cross the ridgeline. I presume you already noticed the danger of the Wyverns flying around in the area hunting for food due to the season?¡± The ridgeline Coco spoke of was the line connecting the peaks along the mountain range on the map. It kind of looked like a wavy line drawn on paper that started from the base of a mountain, but it basically connected the peaks of the mountains with the rolling hills. He probably wanted to ask if our task involved crossing that ridgeline. ¡°He¡¯s the walking database that knows everything from a monster¡¯s habitat to their distribution level in this kingdom, Senpai. You know, he¡¯s from that Canardial family who compiled the ¡®Canardial¡¯s Monster Encyclopedia.¡¯¡± Senpai directed his question at Coco, but I couldn¡¯t help myself from answering. It was just a pity that he still hadn¡¯t gained enough confidence to be proud of his knowledge bank when facing strangers. ¡°Oho, that explains things then. Hmm, I sure got a bargain for bagging an excellent monster navigator for a mere 60,000 rea.¡± Senpai teasingly said to Coco. ¡°...Practical experience triumphs over desk knowledge... I want to confirm as much as possible with my own two eyes, for knowledge tends to change often. So I¡¯m really glad to receive this chance. Please accept my gratitude.¡±U?pTodated novels on Coco, while still meek in tone, answered. The Canardial apparently also had some restricted journals and records, which couldn¡¯t be taken outside of the premises due to their forbidden nature. I was planning to take the excuse of hanging out with his family and see if I could take a peek at them one of these days for sure. Speaking of which, the Canardial used to be a Count family ¡ª a peerage holder without a territory so to speak ¡ª for their efforts in compiling the monster encyclopedia that took them over 30 years, and even held an anti-monster strategical post in the past for a long time. However, following their loss in the political strife that happened around 100 years ago, a part of that restricted research fell into the hands of the enemy which pushed them out of their peak to the bottom of the barrel at Baron rank and their post was transferred to handling the royal family¡¯s managed territory at a remote frontier region. The pompous bunch at the top must have had dung in their minds to leave a family so enthusiastic about their research at the fringes for over a century. Oh, right. Where was I... Yeah. We only dealt with the bare minimum of monsters that we would have otherwise taken a long time to avoid due to Coco¡¯s knowledge and my extensive use of scouting magic. It would have been unwise to increase our burden with materials when we were still en route to our destination. Oh, right. Al was also following us, though his presence was so thin that I almost forgot about him. He also helped out in his own way¡ª producing water with his water magic for Coco to wash his hands with. Though he was uncharacteristically down today, perhaps because he sensed how thin his presence was. ¡°Truly, I¡¯m glad to have you with us, Al. A water mage honestly solves one of our biggest headaches¡ª water. We would have to either carry additional weight with us in the form of water or have to take a detour to procure some on the way in explorations like this. I bet a water mage with such formidable stamina like you would receive hundreds of party applications in a jiffy if you look for one in association, unlike someone who is just a sitting duck with his sword.¡± Said the ever-so-kind Riyad-senpai who took the helm in this situation. Truly not a gap in this capable person¡¯s consciousness, even when working in the group. Senpai¡¯s encouraging words, along with Al himself being a bomb of optimism, quickly brought him back to his cheery self. But Senpai was right. A water mage who was also a capable warrior was a hard find. Al had kind of become the butt of our teasing but in a different party, he might as well be a goose that laid golden eggs. The rest of our journey was also uneventful, and we reached our destination ¡ª the waterfall ¡ª by evening. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Our destination appeared immediately after we arrived at the heart of the forest. The trees suddenly gave way to clear land and presented the marvel of the Lipupu-Nyapu Waterfall before our eyes. With a depth of around 100 meters, this enchanting waterfall gracefully held still waters on the gently tiered cliff that looked like a staircase creating a fantastical scene. A spring of approximately 15m in diameter circled the base of the waterfall. The water was carving its way out of the spring and into several small water streams that vanished into the forest. ¡°Great. I was fully ready to arrive here by tomorrow, and maybe even in the dead of night. I think this is my first time arriving here this early when the sun is still on the horizon. Honestly, Coco-kun¡¯s expertise truly shocked me. But Allen, what¡¯s with your foul scouting magic? I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t know about scouting magic on our first field trip, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just learned it recently. The sight of Senpai unhesitatingly pushing through the forest in the dim light had intrigued me. I just happen to have a mentor whose specialty turned out to be scouting magic so I learned from him.¡± Senpai seemed truly astonished as he rubbed his forehead. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you learned scouting magic and have become accurate in a mere few months? The sky truly is the limit for you, huh?... Alright, let¡¯s set up our tents here. We can collect the moss tomorrow morning as well, so for now, I just want to take a rest. My stomach is rumbling after all that walking.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m also hungry. Senpai, you said we could catch fish in the spring, right? But we don¡¯t have any fishing tools, though...¡± ¡°Haha, well I thought since it would be just the two of us, we would chase the school of fishes to one end and then use our body-strengthening magic to capture them... Yeah, don¡¯t comment since I know how inefficient it is. But our labor is cut short with Al-kun here.¡± Senpai expressed what his idea was earlier and burst out into laughter. Vol. 1 - Ch. 87 - An Uninvited Guest Our plan to secure fish went off without a hitch with the assistance of Al¡¯s water magic. We first closed all the exits of the small stream save one with suitable size stones while Senpai placed his basket at the remaining opening. Following that, Al created chaotic waves in the stagnant waters of the spring with his water attribute mana manipulation. The startled fish then sought refuge through the only available exit and voluntarily walked into the trap that was the bamboo basket. The waves made by Al weren''t that strong but the mana that caused it in the first place gave the fish the false impression of being attacked. It seemed like they had the instinct to escape at the first sight of mana. Right. Master also said that wind controlled by manipulating mana could come in handy in chasing away monsters. The theory was the same as here. Either way, the tactic was immediately effective and it didn¡¯t take long before we had around 20 fish in the basket. A majority of trapped fish were the typical breed like rainbow trout which you could find in rivers, however, five of them ¡ª appearing to be of the same species ¡ª were giving off a shining blue light. ¡°I had heard rumors that magic fish are easier to find in waterfall pools, but this is truly amazing. It¡¯s going to be a feast thanks to our star member Al-kun.¡± The magic fish were basically monster-ified river fish and were much harder to catch. They tasted great and also fetched a lot of money but unfortunately, they can¡¯t be harvested from the same place continuously. So yeah, magic fish never turned out to be the golden hen for Water Mages. Once we secured our dinner, everyone except Al jumped into the spring to wash away the sweat of the day and later we sat around the bonfire ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°By the way, Al. Can you dip your hand in the water and freeze the spring by chanting something like ¡®Ice Age!¡¯?¡± I asked Al while sharpening the tip of the branches I picked up from around the camp with my dagger and skewering the fish onto them, which was followed with a seasoning of salt. ¡°You know, I¡¯m seriously going to open up your head one day to see what you have for a brain... I don¡¯t know about the future, but the current me can¡¯t freeze all that water ¡ª that too with the water constantly flowing ¡ª in an instant. Heck, I¡¯m sure you know that already so why even bother asking?¡± ...Well, just the expected reply. I had already seen the impossibility of it in the activities of the Magic Research Club. I mean, Ice Mages would have been literally invincible near the waterfront region if freezing large bodies of water had been as easy as snapping their fingers. However, I couldn¡¯t wait to see Al, the head of the Emission Magic Research Club, reach that realm. We placed the skewered fish over the bonfire. Soon, an appetizing aroma permeated around as the fat started to cook. The magic fish, in particular, were giving off mouth-watering aromas. ¡°....That said, why are you the only one being whipped up by the wind, Allen?¡± Senpai asked me with a wry smile. ¡°Oh, this? I¡¯m training my wind magic proficiency, and drying my hair. I wanted to blow warm wind but, haaa, I don¡¯t have much talent for it... I can currently only generate enough wind to dry my hair, as long it¡¯s not winter. By the way, should I do it for you, Senpai?¡± I would have surely puffed my chest in pride if I could conjure hot wind and name it ¡®Dry Wind¡¯ but it¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t. What was even there to give a name to ordinary wind, right? The road to even the Wind Mage Level 1 was truly not a rosy one. Well, at least I could spin the wind around at my command, so I took solace in that. Senpai looked at the unbothered bonfire ¡ª I was controlling my mana with precision to keep the wind from affecting it ¡ª and answered, ¡°...I¡¯m fine like this. I can¡¯t put my finger on it, but that feels like a huge waste.¡± Huh, it¡¯s just mana-controlled wind though? I wasn¡¯t sure what was there to squander about needlessly. But before I could reply, Coco quietly stood up, his eyes staring in the direction of the forest. ¡°......Something is coming. Get ready for battle.¡± Ah, I completely didn¡¯t notice the presence of the monster due to the fwhoosh sound of wind... ¡ô¡ô¡ô I pulled on my bowstring and spread out my scouting magic. ¡°It¡¯s coming at 3 o''clock. The incoming monster is a huge quadruped beast, two meters in height and 4 meters in length. We have 15 seconds before it crashes into us. What are your orders?¡± ¡°......It doesn¡¯t sound like Linew. The monster must have been attracted by the scent of grilled magic fish. It would be better if we could switch the battlefield from the campsite as the fight will draw in other monsters, but this is an emergency. ¡°Buoooo!¡± The tusk of the enraged Mega Boar shined in amber color as it produced a large stone with earth magic, but Al shot it down with an ice pebble before the beast could hurl it at us. ¡°What did I say, it¡¯s I-C-E B-U-L-L-E-T!¡± ¡°Stop being a moron and focus! It¡¯s hella pissed off now!¡± I made an unwarranted retort while firing the 4th, 5th, and 6th arrows in succession. All of it pierced the ¡®spot¡¯ at its front right leg¡¯s thigh that it was trying to use to jump off the spring. A copious amount of blood spilled out of its front right leg which had lost nearly half of its flesh. ¡°Buoooo!¡± The pain was finally too much for the Mega Boar to endure as it raised a huge splash and retreated into the water. Except, its injured foreleg thigh was still slightly visible through the water¡¯s surface. I nocked an arrow with a MacAquate arrowhead and nailed the final shot at it. The arrow cut through the remaining foreleg and sent it flying, and the Mega Boar, having lost one of its legs, sank into the water. It did try to get up, but that apparently proved to be a challenging task with just three legs. It rampaged for a while but the excessive bleeding and lack of air soon suppressed all of that. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°Alright, this amount of blood loss should finish it off! Let¡¯s leave that guy here for a while and finish the fish before they are burnt.¡± ¡°......Well, true. The smell of the magic fish is just too appetizing. We shouldn¡¯t have any other monsters nearby due to the Mega Boar but we can¡¯t be too sure if they are drawn again by the smell. But that was amazing marksmanship, Allen. I¡¯ve never seen an archer with the precision to shoot at just one spot continuously before. No seriously, I didn¡¯t expect you to have become this strong. I thought it was just some exaggeration when I heard you were rapidly finishing the stock of arrows at the Academy''s archery training facility, but you surprised me today. So you¡¯re the type to go all in on training, huh?¡° I nodded while taking a bite of the salt-grilled fish. Training my marksmanship had indeed become an integral aspect of my routine, but I wouldn¡¯t say I was training too hard. It was like, you know, I¡¯d have felt weird if I didn¡¯t brush for a day. It was the same with archery practice, so I was basically using the facility every day. ¡°Delish! It tastes so good given the intense smell. I bet the taste can be compared to that fancy food... Well, I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m a madman for training. I occasionally learned a thing or two about marksmanship from the expert archer Kiana-san back at the knight order. I¡¯m just a noob compared to someone like her when it comes to moving targets... Especially the ones that frequently move in a sideways pattern. It was lucky that the monster was a dunce, otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy if it had started swimming sideways in the spring.¡± I replied while munching on the grilled magic fish. They were too delicious. It was easy to aim at a beast who only knew how to jump backward or upward with projectile weapons like a bow or gun, but sideways-moving targets were tougher to pin down. ¡°...Oh? So you¡¯re basically half on the level of that legendary explorer ¡®Godly Archer Kiana¡¯... Hmm, right. I should have expected that with your feat of entering the knight order at the mere age of 12.¡± ¡°The Mega Boar¡¯s face is much tougher compared to its other body parts since ¡®charging¡¯ is its main weapon. Was it all according to plan? There couldn¡¯t have been a better spot to target than its leg.¡± Coco asked. ¡°Huh? Nah. I¡¯m not that much of a clairvoyant when facing an unfamiliar monster. But I read that its face, especially the forehead section is hella tough from the ¡®Encyclopedia.¡¯ I just target its front leg thinking if the situation devolved into a battle of attrition, slowing it down would be of great help. The rest was to see how the situation unfolded. I saw how it was positioning its legs when I shot my iron arrows earlier and thought ¡®Maybe if I do this, there will be a chance to cut off its leg¡¯... Well, that was basically how it went.¡± ¡°Al-kun was also amazing at crushing the magic of the opponent with perfect timing. Do you guys perhaps practice synchronized battle training?¡± Al was the one to reply this time. ¡°We didn¡¯t, but I could feel what Allen¡¯s aim was. The general dorm is not a spacious one, so we often spend a lot of time together.¡± ¡°Oh right, Allen. You also immediately took your position behind Al-kun¡¯s back. Normally¡ª¡± We continued our reflection on the battle afterward while savoring the grilled fish. E/N - I laughed at the MC insisting that Al chant his magic. I find the chanting magic troupe pretty stupid and illogical so having a novel that makes magic work via image and control makes me happy. Also, for an adult who supposedly got beaten down by life and society, the MC does act pretty childish in times like this, huh? T/N - I guess it''s because MC didn''t possess another body or something directly, but that he was already a part of this world but the sudden stress from exam brought in the ''memories'' of previous life. This is why it has been a mix of both. Vol. 1 - Ch. 88 - A Trivial Exploration Trip The Mega Boar died from the combined effects of blood loss and drowning in the spring at the end. Once a good amount of its blood had been drawn out, I proceeded to dismantle its fur, tusks which were its mana organs, flesh, and internal organs one by one under the supervision of senpai. The edible flesh was sliced into very thin parts with the help of a Japanese plane-like tool that Senpai had been carrying which we later grilled after seasoning it with the special herb mix that Senpai had prepared, much like our first trip. Since we were going to pass the night here either way, Senpai really didn¡¯t miss out on his preparation. The herb seasoning subdued whatever the slightly quirky smell the meat still had and soon it started to give off a mouth-watering aroma. The internal organs were meticulously washed with spring water from nearby and later left to stew along with bay leaves ¡ª once again, picked up by Riyad-senpai ¡ª ¡®til the morning when we relished it as our breakfast. Well, we couldn¡¯t finish all the edible parts by ourselves, and carrying them held no meaning if they were just gonna rot. It was a waste truly, but we could only cast them aside and let them return to the circle of life.REaad updated stories at On the night watch, at least in my watch hour, I noticed two Dunce Tigers sneaking into our campsite stealthily but I made them run for their lives by intimidating them with wind magic. The wind magic¡¯s pressure was truly an excellent monster repellant. I guess they would only get the chance to gorge on the remains of the Mega Boar once we left this place. Then came the morning, we collected the mana moss, our objective for this trip, and sorted out our tent back. ¡°The rucksack is pretty much filled with materials from the Mega Boar at this point. What do you say we aim straight for Robles? I believe we should be able to reach it before nightfall. Well, our schedule is already a day ahead, so we can totally afford to follow any other plan if you have any.¡± Coco raised his hand when Senpai asked. ¡°I would like to check out the ridgeline, and maybe reach the summit of the mountain to test a magical tool if we have time. We should be able to reach it in less than an hour and a half. We¡¯ll stay away from the wyverns, of course.¡± The magical tool we had developed in the Geography Research Club was a tool designed for creating the so-called ¡®Point Record.¡¯ On Earth, we could access our location at any given time through the utilization of artificial satellites with a tap. However, I couldn¡¯t ask for the same in this world. I needed an accurate base map to create effective maps of all types. However, the scaled-down maps available in this world were hella mid. The situation was even direr for larger areas like a Marquis-managed territory. Honestly, they were only a tiny bit better than the so-called pirate''s treasure map consisting of simple geometry and some scribbles. The large-scale maps were only so-so, but even they were lacking in many parts. The maps of urban areas and frequently used roads were relatively alright, but they degraded the more you ventured into the countryside region. This Nyapu forest wasn¡¯t even on the map. Explorers relied on their intuition and experience for their work, so naturally, they were quite prone to getting caught up in accidents and mishaps. Perhaps, it was an unnecessary act for ordinary folks, but I found these maps limiting after having personally seen the usefulness of GPS through a smartphone. The first thing that came to mind was something like¡ª let¡¯s create an accurate map first! I knew that asking for an artificial satellite was a pipe dream, so I followed the next best method available: the triangulation surveying technique. We specifically created a tool to help out in grasping an accurate view of an area, and the mountain''s summit was obviously the prime choice for a bird¡¯s eye view. Technically, the tool was still the creation of Fey as I did nothing except mention my requirement and a simple surveying theory to her. I didn¡¯t have any idea how it was truly implemented though. It seemed to utilize the property of magic stones being attracted to other magic stones under specific conditions, but the intricate details seemed to be her trade secret so I didn¡¯t inquire any further as well. Anyway, I just needed to place this tool on the summit of a mountain from where a bird¡¯s eye view was possible, and I would get my reading. I also had the plan to get the association to place these magical tools on other spots throughout the kingdom to further create ¡®record points¡¯, but then again it depended on whether they would agree. The rest would be to just connect the ever-increasing dots and we would have our map with detailed directions and distances. We already had one place at the Greatus Mountain, located northeast of the Royal Capital, and if it was this place, it should still be in range to connect to that record point. Plus there was also one placed near the Royal Capital and two on Robles'' outskirts that we had set up yesterday morning. Hmm-mm, Coco¡¯s gears seemed to have meshed well with Senpai as he delightfully accepted his request. I guess birds of a feather do flock together, huh? One specialized in animals and the other in plants. Two sides of the same coin, truly. For dinner, we got Al¡¯s help in capturing fish again. This time we managed to capture five magic fish. Morning. We thought we would be taking the straight route to Robles, in the northeast direction. But Senpai apparently had a guess in his mind as the direction shifted slightly to the northern side. It turned out there was a main road passing through after coming out of the forest. There really was no gap in knowledge for our ever-so-reliable Senpai. He had already started to take advantage of the magical tool to its maximum capability. The trip was overall fast and problem-free. Following Senpai¡¯s lead, we arrived at Robles in the afternoon. By the way, I chanced upon the sight of the previous group ¡ª which had tried to sneakily follow us ¡ª leaving for the western grass field. They looked exhausted and their equipment were in shambles. I hope they learned that life is more precious than fortune with this. And speaking of fortune, the plant materials and the Mega Boar parts were all sold for 80,000 rea. Though credit was due to the ¡®Riyad-sama Fan¡¯ receptionist who had put in a good word at the counter of the delivery point. Well, her attitude towards me was as salty as ever...... All of my expenses, including the cost of the MacAquate arrows I used, were paid from Senpai¡¯s pocket. Furthermore, the fixed monetary reward was tripled to 180,000 rea following the discovery of a new mana moss spot. I tried to turn him down, saying it went against our initial contract. But Senpai countered saying a client had the right to make an evaluation and give a maximum of triple the original reward. He said with the state of affairs that the kingdom was embroiled in, our discovery may as well deserve another raise considering the price of mana moss when it could be procured in a stable supply. So I quietly accepted the reward. Ultimately, we all ended up with a net income of 80,000 rea. Certainly much more than we expected. It kind of gave me a guilty feeling. The trip may have come to a close, but the rollercoaster ride that was my fun summer vacation was yet to end. ¡ô¡ô¡ô From the angle of historians, or to those looking through their journal of activities, the Robles trip was a rather insipid node among their otherwise shining record. But the same insipid or trivial exploration trip carried great importance in the bigger picture of the future outlook. First, the exploration trip was effectively the point where the pages of the book called ¡®A Guide to the Kingdom¡¯s Geography¡¯ ¡ª which had brought a wave of transformation into the world after its completion several decades later ¡ª were set to open. The publisher of it was none other than ¡®The Friends of the Many¡¯ Coconial Canardial, the second-generation director of the Kingdom¡¯s Geography Institute. Similarly, this trip was also the trigger that pushed the fate of Coconial Canardial to cross with his sworn friend, the ¡®Father of Taxonomy¡¯ Riyad Gufush. And third, this was also the start of the bumpy fate of the ¡®Great Cascade¡¯ Aldol Engraver. At the same time, it brought up a question in the minds of those who had read their journey¡ª just how far had the ¡®Time Traveler - The Boy From The Future¡¯ Allen Rovenne, who brought together all these fates together, predicted the influence of that exploration trip would bring into the world. Yet, the answer was something that not even the supposed three, who couldn¡¯t be any more related to this wind of changes, could answer. T/N - Hmm, so I guess that¡¯s where Al got his name nickname huh. R.I.P Al. Everyone will surely remember you as the tag-along of Allen¡¯s ridiculousness. E/N - I thought Coco¡¯s future title was ¡°Jack of all trades¡±? Well, I guess you could have more than one title. Also, lol at MC¡¯s title. ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 89 - Solo Trip I took a lungful of dearly missed air to my heart''s content. The breezy air, with a hint of salt, evoked the memories of my previous life. How long has it been since I relished in this refreshing air? At least, this was the first time in this world. Solcoast was the No.2 city in Count Serdos¡¯ territory that served as the trading point between the Baerentz Archipelago Nation ¡ª which mainly exported all sorts of weapons and armaments like Katanas made of Black Tiger Ore ¡ª and this kingdom. The trip here was rather short compared to traveling from our territory to the Dragoon¡¯s. Lying in the northwest direction of the Royal Capital Runerelia, it was first a one-and-a-half-day trip to Cosrael, the capital of Marquis Grauksh through the magic train, and then a 4-day carriage ride to the east from there. It had truly been a while since I was blasted with the smell of the sea as I took my first step into the port city. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The first thing I did after arriving at Solcoast was get a room at an inn affiliated with the association and specifically catered to explorers. Then I changed into a light getup and swiftly embarked on my sightseeing. I was out on a whimsical solo trip that I had envisioned. Well, there were two reasons I elected to visit this place among the other options. I really wanted to see if I could acquire a katana for cheap in this trade spot. The ones in the Royal Capital had so many zeros in their prices that it might as well cost me more than just a hand and a leg. It wasn¡¯t my main reason, however. It was on the line of ¡®Since I¡¯m here, might as well try my luck¡¯ kind of vibe. I was still practicing with the sword, but I saw no need to change from my current bow and dagger battle style for now. Yes, what I had been looking forward to, and why I marked this as my destination was the fish! Ah, I had been craving for some fresh fish dishes like sushi or sashimi. For all its splendor and majesty, there was not a single place in the Royal Capital that my seafood palate took a fancy to. I visited so many shops after hearing about their seafood cuisine only for my hopes to be dashed away. Alas, the curse of modernity, truly. Once, I did manage to find a place selling raw fish dishes¡ª a sashimi-like cure with vinegar and... And there was no more. The dish they served was, mildly putting, ¡®crude¡¯. I presumed the difference mainly came from their freshness. The sea was quite far away from the Royal Capital which was located at the heart of this kingdom. There had been a breakthrough recently in magic machinery that apparently improved the transportation method of fish. However, the fad of raw and fresh fish was still unpopular to most. The lack of demand obviously translated to the chefs being mediocre at making them. Humans are deplorable creatures. The more they face something distant, the more they would want to chase after it. There had been rice in this world but the staple food was still bread in this kingdom. So, like, I wasn¡¯t demanding sushi, but sashimi wouldn¡¯t hurt, right? Just as I had been passing my time in anguish, I suddenly realized something. The kaeshi used by the soba shop that I visit almost daily definitely used a soy sauce base along with a blend of seafood stock which could be eaten with chopsticks. In my pursuit of better meals and local cuisine, I had pretty much checked out the complete food culture of the Royal Capital, and that was when I realized how strange that shop was. For one, I could discount the chopsticks since they were popular on par with forks and knives even back on earth, but the stock and soy sauce base suddenly clicked in me. Maybe a region somewhere out there shared a resemblance with Japanese culture. My next steps had already been decided. I met with the owner of the soba shop who was an old man nearing his 60s with a medium build ¡ª he looked incredibly pale for some reason ¡ª and asked him about its origin. He explained both the soba and soy sauce were from his hometown, the Baerentz Archipelago Nation. He surprisingly ¡ª and with a bit of fanaticism if you ask me ¡ª answered all of my questions, a cheapskate student of the Royal Academy frequenting for soba. And my guess couldn¡¯t have been any more correct. The culture of the Baerentz Archipelago Nation shared quite a similarity with Japan. They not only had sashimi but also island sushi¡ª basically a dish with a marinated topping placed on rice and a touch of mustard sauce. The first thing that jumped into my view when I entered the store was a short-haired, stern-faced general-like man. He was tall and sported a lean build. Just as I had thought, there truly was no other customer besides me. Heck, I couldn¡¯t even find any sign of an employee. Yup. There was no way I could label this place as ¡®A store to relish your favorite dishes in silence¡¯. The store was missing the typical buzzing of mana particles¡ª that was what you would generally hear when trying to eavesdrop on a place equipped with an anti-detection magical tool. That said, I had already imagined this scenario to some extent when I couldn¡¯t hear any sound at all coming from inside. But I was already at my limit, and my wallet was ready to tank the expense. A simple, expensive dish wouldn¡¯t be able to deter me today! I closed the door after entering inside. Of course, boss of this shop didn¡¯t fail to notice me. ¡°A stranger, and a brat to boot...? Heed my advice if you don¡¯t want your wallet to end up dry here. It costs more than just a bit to eat here. Check somewhere else.¡± Now that¡¯s something new. If earlier I had the impression that maybe this shop would end up as a ¡®cheap but awful¡¯ place or ¡®rip-off rendezvous¡¯, then everything was cast away by that his warning. At a glance, it was clear he just sucked at handling business. I wonder how much his dishes cost... but I needed to ask something else. First of all¡ª ¡°I want to eat a raw, freshly sliced fish dish. Do you serve it here?¡± Yes, I had to confirm if they even sold the stuff that I was so desperately looking for. I asked bluntly, pleasantries were not needed here after all. Well, I believe some would have surely been affected by his stern expression and words. I just had an inkling that anything less than an upfront and direct attitude wouldn¡¯t work here. ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s truly a tall task to ask for some sense from a brat. We do serve ¡®sashimi¡¯. But its price isn¡¯t something a brat like you can foot. And neither am I a scum to take that much money from a brat, even if you do carry enough. Go back to the greenhouse you came from, munchkin. Right, go back!¡± ...Wow, truly establishing a hard-headed image, wasn¡¯t he? I bet this place would have long become unpopular over the internet with that attitude. Not that this was a society that half ran on the internet bubble. And neither was I a mimosa from a nursery. I mean, this shop did serve Sashimi ¡ª he didn¡¯t pronounce sashimi like you would in Japanese ¡ª at least, and who knew if his skill turned out to be the real deal? Like hell I would quietly nod ¡®Sir is right¡¯ like some twiddler and leave. I ignored his warning and took a seat on the counter. ¡°I have enough to foot my bill. So don¡¯t tell me that crap. Oh, and yes, I¡¯m just a third son of a destitute noble house. Greenhouse and I don¡¯t exactly match well. My money is what I had earned with my explorer work. By the way, my rank is B. What? Wanna see my license?¡± The brows of the obstinate geezer shot up on hearing my words, but otherwise, he just shook his head. ¡°Truly an untactful brat, huh? This is why the youth of today''s generation are so rash. If you wanna bluff, at least say something believable, for goodness sake. Whatever. Head out of this alleyway and take a left to the main street. You will reach the Yuuki Pavilion after walking for 200m. You¡¯ll get your sashimi there. The price is on the steep side though, but they aren¡¯t that bad.¡± ¡®Shoo,¡¯ the obstinate geezer gestured with his hand. Not that bad you say? I haven¡¯t taken this long journey just to try some so-so stuff, alright? Hah, the gall this man had to say ¡®Be satisfied with the milder stuff¡¯. Kukuku, fine, I would break this geezer¡¯s stubbornness today and have my dinner here for sure. T/N - So Baerentz is basically set after old japan, when it was closed for outsiders, Vol. 1 - Ch. 90 - Ginkgo’s Sashimi Bring it on, geezer! It¡¯s either your stubbornness or mine. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere! I¡¯m going to eat the sashimi here, and only here. Understood? No matter what!¡± I tightened my expression, which caused the boss to falter.REaad updated stories at ¡°What the heck is with no matter what, truly an odd fella... No, wait. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the doing of those morons? Hmm, but even they shouldn¡¯t have any reason to push a brat like you... Anyway, I¡¯m no longer in the mood to keep the shop open for today. And that¡¯s how it is, go somewhere else!¡± ¡°I refuse! I¡¯m no dilly-dallier, alright? I came to fancy this shop, that¡¯s all. Like hell I give a damn about your grumpy mood! Or what, you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t feel like opening your business? Then, aside from your obvious signs of aging, why have you even kept the store all shiny and spotless? Don¡¯t think you can fool me. I certainly saw the pride in your face¡ª back straight, eyes fixed at the entrance when you noticed a new customer arriving. You can¡¯t even properly hide your conviction to keep the store up and you have the gall to bluff me. Alright, we don¡¯t argue in a restaurant. Just ring me the sashimi!¡± ¡°Why the heck are you calling the shots!? Listen to me, I am only saying this for your sake!¡± ¡°I never asked for your concern! My motto is only one, beat the crap out of anyone who dares to hinder my path. I¡¯m prepared for anything, alright!?¡± A stare-off competition had started between me and the boss when someone, seemingly the proprietress, appeared from the inside of the store. She had a tanned look with black, lustrous hair. She wore a kimono-like dress which I presumed to be a product of the Baerentz Archipelago Nation. She must have sensed the entrance of a customer. ¡°Oh dear, we seemed to have one peculiar customer today. Hmm?... Pfft. Ahem, I came here after hearing your spirited speech, I just didn¡¯t expect the customer to be truly a child. But you have a great pair of eyes. And you, dear, should lay off now.¡± ¡°......Go and sleep, Chloe. Don¡¯t you have another night diving later? ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to do that, do you? I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to next see your craftsmanship if I let this chance slip by. However, boy...¡± The proprietress then paused, glanced straight at me, and said, ¡°This upholds but one motto: our price is set the same for regulars and first-timers alike. No service charge, but also no discount. You¡¯re our customer if you can agree to that.¡± I nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting any exception to begin with. Sure, what¡¯s the price here?¡± ¡°A bright person, I see. We currently only have limited ingredients at hand, only fish that this person had captured locally, and the shellfish that I got from diving. However, I wouldn¡¯t let dear¡¯s workmanship, which had entranced me, be sold for cheap. A simple meal alone would cost 130 rea. But assuming you¡¯re an explorer, the total price including alcohol is 200 rea. Do you think you¡¯re up to pay for the dishes whose materials we just happened to have lying around by chance?¡° Huh, 200?! ...Hella cheap... ¡ô¡ô¡ô Recalling back to my first task as a G-rank explorer, the reward for labor work was surely 150 rea a day. But then again, it was hardly ¡ª or not at all ¡ª lucrative work in contrast to the pay, so they obviously have trouble getting enough people to help out. So was the explanation I heard from the site foreman. Putting 2 and 2 together, even G-rank explorers at the Royal Capital could easily splurge should they want. No, wait a minute. 130 rea was almost 15000 yen in Japan¡¯s currency. I was nearly led astray by the Royal Capital¡¯s vibe. The price was certainly on the higher side just for a meal made of stocked-up fish. Honestly, my 1000 rea hourly wage from the knight order plus my earnings after being promoted to B-rank had truly loosened my economic sense. ...I wasn¡¯t a strict upholder of the no luxury motto. However, the concept of luxury is a subjective matter based on an individual''s perception of whether they were relatively fortunate in their daily life. ¡°Phew, that was a feast. Honestly, I¡¯ve tried many shops back in the Royal Capital after starting as an explorer this spring but none of them can compare to your cooking marvel. No, seriously, this was probably the first time my stomach and mind were both content for once. Good lord, good thing I didn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. I bet no one would have thought a stern-faced old man could do such meticulous work.¡± The boss burst out in laughter while chiming in ¡®The stern-faced part is unneeded¡¯. We looked at each other and similarly burst into laughter. ¡°Fufu. All that matters is we didn¡¯t fall short in the service. I could see you truly enjoyed the dishes. You should be staying in this city for a while, right? Come again. We don¡¯t have anything fancy here but you¡¯ll surely be content with the menu.¡± ¡°Ohh, I¡¯ll take you up on your offer then. Oops, right. I didn¡¯t introduce myself. As you know, I¡¯m an explorer, the name¡¯s ¡®Ren¡¯. By the way, do you have any problems preventing you from securing ingredients? Wait, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the typical case of some Luthor wannabe swaggering around and causing trouble to the store with the local lord''s support to wipe his butt... Well, who am I kidding.¡° A scowl appeared on the visage of the couple on hearing my words. ¡°Luthor wannabe? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t get the meaning, but your guess is pretty much correct. There is an old-established firm, Serene Wind Co., which started with the shipbuilding business but the current head is no less of a cunning fox. As you can expect from a port city, shipbuilding and repair are the lifeline of this town so they had become quite a behemoth with the dock under their lead. But the current head was apparently not content with that and has expanded their business to even trade and food. They seemed intent on taking our shop under their command as well, and have been pulling strings behind the scenes to prevent customers from coming which has jeopardized the shop¡¯s operation.¡± Wow, talk about the devil¡¯s tongue... I sighed. ¡°I see. I bet there might be some benefit for the mayor so he¡¯s playing blind to the situation or, let¡¯s hope not, even in cahoots with them. Hmm, so I presume the group of three people waiting outside must be there to give me a ¡®Don¡¯t bother coming again if ya value yo life¡¯ warning once I exit, eh?¡± The couple¡¯s eyes widened when they heard me spitting what was the cliched troupe in such cases. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m an explorer. I guess my body has just acclimated to the work so I couldn¡¯t help but sense their presence outside. Truly, I can''t rest even while dining, huh? Well, that is typically prevented by an anti-detection magic tool but that¡¯s not here. Anyway, it seems like one of them is a girl¡ª ¡®Young Miss¡¯ as they¡¯re referring to her. A beefy guy, seemingly an employee from the dockyard, and a bodyguard-ish explorer. The explorer has two short swords.¡° ¡°......We had many explorers as customers but never did I hear them having such sharp ears being a common thing... That girl is the current head of the Serene Wind, Mimosa. The beefy guy is the clerk Gatx, and the last one is ¡®Double-edged Jerren¡¯¡ª a talented explorer in this area, and his skills are not a joke. It¡¯s strange for Mimosa to come here, but her arrival is anything but good news, and she also brought her trusted men, too. You hurry up and escape to the backdoor. I¡¯ll deal with them somehow.¡° ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t think you need to waste your breath. Because¡ª¡± Bang The door was opened with a forceful entry. ¡°They¡¯re already here.¡± T/N - This is just my headcanon by the way. I just had a hunch what would come later. (I truly haven¡¯t checked the ahead chapter) MC - Hurray, liberation! No more crazy folks for some time! Author - Have you ever heard the phrase ¡®don¡¯t stick your face where it doesn¡¯t belong¡¯? MC - Where does it suddenly come from¡ªno, don¡¯t tell me... Author - Bingo, as a reward for guessing, here is another tyrannosaurus as a gift! MC - You gotta be kidding meeeee! On a side note, how often do you use some metaphor, and it so coincidentally appears as a character? I didn¡¯t expect the ¡®I am no Mimosa¡¯ phrase to become a reality. E/N - I had a sense of deja vu while editing the first part of this chapter. I could have sworn I already read and edited that part in the last chapter. Also, Allen¡¯s sense of money reminds me of Westerners coming to my country, the Philippines, and being surprised at how much their currency could buy here when converted to pesos. Vol. 1 - Ch. 91 - Mimosa (1) Chapter 91 - Mimosa (1) With a bang sound, the entrance door was violently flung open. The girl at the lead looked all cool, but the man behind her harbored a rugged expression. There were two of them who entered the shop while the bodyguard-ish person was, surprisingly, made to stay outside. ¡°What are you here for, Mimosa? I¡¯m sure I heard someone saying ¡®This is the final warning¡¯ the other day, now what?¡± The girl¡ª or more like, the woman seemed to be in her mid to late 20s. But the manner with which she carried herself suggested that she could be in her 30s as well which was well hidden by her wheat-toned skin and short chestnut hair that gave her a youthful vibe. Her face was a bit small, but she was quite a looker. The woman glanced at the boss and replied. ¡°...You stubborn fool will never understand, huh? You know, too much obstinacy isn¡¯t good for one''s health, right? But don¡¯t be too antsy, I¡¯m not here to greet you today. I happened to receive a tip from the association that a menace ¡ª ¡®Mad Hound Ren¡¯, a B-rank explorer ¡ª has stepped into the city. I¡¯m this town¡¯s boss after all, so I thought I should do my due greetings and handle the situation in case he decides to have a fit. So I was waiting outside all this time but then I saw no one coming out. I almost wondered if he was even here and came to check it out.¡± Mimosa explained and then glanced at me. Her gaze was serious as if she was looking at someone of equal caliber and not a 12-year-old brat. ...Hmm, was that how it was? She even had the association in her pocket. At the very least, not just any riff-raff or puny villain could employ these methods. Either way, irrespective of what sort of tricks she used, she had effectively become the kingpin of a town of considerable size. Hmm, I guess she wasn¡¯t actually doing it for simple clout or due to rebellious behavior. But that aside, how did that rude nickname ¡®Mad Hound¡¯ even make it to this distant town¡¯s branch?... I truly underestimated the information network of the Explorer Association. ¡°Y-You¡¯re really a B-rank?!¡± The boss asked in a flustered tone. Ah, right. He never believed my words after all. ¡°She¡¯s right. I¡¯m Ren, but I¡¯m more of a gentleman than the rumors say. It¡¯s just some wannabe who gave me the notorious title of ¡®Mad Hound¡¯ for no reason. How did you know I was here?¡± Mimosa shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard to find you to begin with. Aren¡¯t you lodging in an inn that the association recommended? I visited the inn after getting to know where you were staying, but I heard there that ¡®someone who matches your description had gone out in the east direction while also saying that he wouldn¡¯t be needing dinner¡¯. I assumed that your goal must be this harbor and witnesses reported the same, but I really didn¡¯t expect you would choose this store, of all places. The situation would have turned into a mess if we entered recklessly so we were waiting outside.¡± Huh, wow, even the inn was at her beck and call... And no shit given about privacy, eh? Well, even in Japan, the strictness about personal information was a recent year thing that was introduced with the advancement of information technology. I guess even if I complained, nothing would come out of it. I would just have to move in more secrecy next time. ¡°Alright, I understand the gist of it. By the way, did thoughts like ¡®Wow, is he really that person?¡¯ or ¡®What a pig in wolf¡¯s skin!¡¯ not cross your mind on seeing my actual appearance? I mean, that¡¯s usually how some single brain cell idiots end up picking a fight with me and when I beat them up like how they wanted to beat me up, they sully my reputation by giving me meaningless titles like ¡®Mad Hound¡¯.¡± I said with evident disgust toward the nickname, but Mimosa simply burst out in laughter. ¡°Ahahaha! A fake wouldn¡¯t be talking with that attitude after all. At the end of the day, all I care about is the peace of this town. Who you are is hardly important. In fact, I would have been thanking the heavens if you were really an imposter. It would be easier to straighten out a pig with force rather than a wolf, right? Anyway, as for your question, you looked like the real deal and not someone average Joe as well. It¡¯s a pity that my appraisal often turns out to be true.¡° Mimosa raised her hands in surrender as if to say ¡®beats me.¡¯ Oh hoh, she didn¡¯t seem half-baked as a boss. How rare was it to see your local overlord actually working for the betterment of their town? ¡°Now that you get why I¡¯m here, I would like to take some of your time but...are you currently having dinner? Then we¡¯ll wait outside until then.¡± Huh, a man¡ª I mean, a woman of principle too? Everyone looked at me with such scrutiny that I couldn¡¯t even do one nasty thing! As if that wasn¡¯t enough, I even get called when nerve-wracking individuals like you come to the town... no more. I can¡¯t go on like this anymore!¡± Err, I don¡¯t think complaining here would do anything... No wait, forcing this shop to merge into their company doesn¡¯t count as nasty? Huh, just what kind of wacky criteria did she have to define something evil...? ¡°Miss, I think that¡¯s enough liquor...¡± Gatx, who had been nearby, held out water to her. ¡°Shut up! Hic-cup. Look, Gatx doesn¡¯t take me seriously as well. Ren~, come, let¡¯s play ! You can do anything to me if I lose.¡± Mimosa wrapped her arm around mine without hesitation and suggested a mysterious game. A game huh?... But I¡¯ve never heard of it. Haa, rumors are just piling up on their own thanks to that shiny bald man... ¡°Can you not latch on my right arm? It¡¯s in the way! First of all, I¡¯m drinking to raise the quality of the food, not to get drunk. Hm~! Woah, delicious! What the heck is with this refreshing flavor of prawn miso over the sashimi?!¡± ¡°To think there would come a day where Mimosa who¡¯s usually indifferent to men would be so chummy with one... Uh-huh, is this the day when the alias ¡®iron panties¡¯ would finally bid a tearful farewell?... Ah, it¡¯s the fruit juice of unripe jigo fruits that has been blended into miso.¡± The combination of thick sashimi slices and rich miso along with the tangy taste that was akin to sudachi was creating an exquisite blast of flavor. I knew it. This boss just lacked ingredients, otherwise, he was definitely a first-class chef when it came to seafood. ¡°By the way, why does the so-called iron panties want this stubborn old man under her wing?¡± ¡°Who are you calling iron panties!? Shut up!... It all happened because no boy could match my spirit. I have an older sister who is a single mother, but she likes to take care of my adorable nephew. By the way, I¡¯m going commando today. Lucky, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s your chance to be hot with a lady. Still, you¡¯re a strange fella. You said you fell in love with the old man¡¯s cooking here in just one try so why do you think I wouldn¡¯t want such a place under my command?¡° ¡°But you just wanted to stock up on money and build a tough ship, no? I thought you planned to just get the boss and then move him to another grandiose shop, but I guess I was wrong, huh? You just wanted Ginkgo to keep continuing like this... The price is a bit on the higher side here but revenue from this little shop would hardly be adding to your big dream, after all.¡± She was blabbering under the effect of alcohol, but when she talked about ¡®the thing she wanted to do¡¯, I could tell from her tone it was coming from her heart. On the other hand, the boss paused on whatever he was doing. Even the madam was now looking at Mimosa with a serious expression. However, Mimosa, noticing her negligence, instantly curled her lips into a smile and steered the conversation to another topic. ¡°Who cares, but are you really going to ignore it when a lady is so assertively throwing herself at you? Haa, truly a boorish fella. Oh, maybe you¡¯re a virgin?¡± ¡°W-W-W-What does this have anything to do with our discussion? And only an idiot would follow the lead of a girl who purposely got herself drunk when meeting a stranger. As if that¡¯s possible with the mana! Enough with the roundabout way of talking, just spit out why you want the boss. Or what, do you have some ideas about me as well? I don¡¯t like wasting my breath over useless stuff! If it turns out to be a good idea, I wouldn¡¯t mind helping you out though.¡° On the side, Madam nodded to herself, seemingly convinced that I was a dead sure virgin. Mimosa squinted her ash eyes and made a bold laugh. ¡°Fufufu, so you noticed, huh? I think it¡¯s the first time that someone has seen through my plan. I¡¯ll give you credit for it, but ever heard of tact? Girls do get drunk and like to fawn over guys and they also like to be teased. But they hate a virgin like you who jumps into the core of the matter directly. So, learn to play along with a woman''s teasing, alright? ......A grandiose birthday party for Count Serdos¡¯ son is going to be held at his estate. Marquis Grauksh is going to show up there as well. Given the hierarchy, it typically doesn¡¯t happen... I want to slip into that convoy. ¡± ¡°And the reason?¡± ¡°...I want to directly congratulate my adorable nephew on his birthday.¡± T/N - I guess she wasn¡¯t actually a crazy one then, eh. Vol. 1 - Ch. 92 - Mimosa (2) Following my question, Mimosa started explaining the order of events. Her story started around a decade ago. Mimosa''s elder sister fell in love at first sight with Count Serdos who had come to inspect Solcoast at that time. Her sister was their tour guide and well, the spark of their love was the illegitimate child that was born between them. The Count, however, already had a legal wife of noble origin and a second de facto wife so he couldn''t bring her to his estate and pass her the child support. Well, while they might not have been accepted, her sister and her nephew, Daniel-kun, were not in the least bit bothered. Her maternal home was already blessed with wealth to some extent as the owner of the Serene Wind Co., and it just so happened that all the kids at that time happened to be girls so the birth of a boy was warmly welcomed. Daniel-kun was raised and pampered by everyone--- especially by his doting mother, along with the predecessor of the Serene Wind, and its manservant. Having been raised in a port town with the dockyard being his playground, he aspired to be a sailor in the future and grew up as a little rascal. On the other hand, his aunt, Mimosa, would often tell him about how he wouldn''t be able to make it as a successful sailor if he didn''t take his studies seriously. So while pampered, he was also a young man who knew the value of hard work. But as they say, fate is a fickle mistress. Daniel-kun''s talent far eclipsed others. He would always stand out among his peers in the regional elementary school by a long shot and his talent in magic also blossomed. In short, he apparently could qualify for the ''Royal Academy'' as well. The Count, who hadn''t seen Daniel-kun except when he was born, flipped his stance when the possibility was all but confirmed. How could he not? The result might be embellished by half a point but his talent was unmistakable. It wouldn''t have been impossible to even adopt a person with such talent, let alone someone with his own blood. His talent was truly staggering, at least compared to the legitimate lineage of the Count family. Despite being an influential noble, reality was harsh to them as they could never produce a talent that could enter the Royal Academy. ''It''s the order of the lord'', there was just that phrase given as a reason before the Count''s men took Daniel-kun, whom he had never approved of until then, along with his mother without regard for anyone''s feelings. The Count made Mimosa''s sister his third de facto wife while Daniel-kun gained the title of a legitimate child. Everything from there was a simple story. Count Serdos gathered the best private tutors within his capability who thoroughly trained Daniel-kun from the age of 10 and three years later, he achieved the glorified title of Royal Academy student. So this birthday party was also a celebration of his achievement. However, the only ones invited to the party so far were the Marquis and other influential nobles. Mimosa might be his aunt but it was impossible for her to visit as a commoner. Meanwhile, the Count was seemingly intent on snuffing out any rumors about Daniel-kun being raised as a commoner and hence forbade him from meeting anyone he was related to until then.U?pTodated novels on osa intended to somehow get the chance to meet Daniel-kun, compliment him for his hard work, and congratulate him for the glory he had grasped with his own hands. The Count had arranged a competition for the main dish of the party and she wanted to somehow win it and get the ticket to enter the estate. Apparently, the Count wanted to take this chance to showcase their specialty, the seafood, to the bigwigs attending the party. However, she just couldn''t join the competition with the strict background check at play. In that case, the only option left was to sneak in as a staff member of the winning party. To begin with, she originally wanted to bring Ginkgo under her command either way, but unlike before, where she had wanted to take her sweet time showing her ''qualities'' and get the boss to acknowledge her, she could no longer take it easy. Honestly, I wanted to see if I could seduce you and get you to do the work for cheap. Well, admittedly, it was the rumors about you that made my heart skip a beat, so I thought ''I wouldn''t mind going along with that idea''. Anyway, your reward would be Ginkgo''s prepared ''Ruby of the Sea'' Deareise. Daniel is a huge fan of this magical fish, which he gets from the Count''s navy once a year. Its taste is so heavenly you wouldn''t be able to eat normal fish ever again." ...''Ruby of the Sea''? You know what? Considered me sold. I didn''t care about the money but I definitely wanted to try that. I nodded without a second thought, but the boss apparently had something else to say. "......Hold your high horses for a moment. Do you want to fish out a Deareise from that Corrinda Strait with a private ship? Are you sane!? It''s the area infested with swarms of sea falcons!" "I know the absurdity of my plan. However, even if I have to pay a fortune, I just want Ren to take on this request. Now that he''s in the Royal Academy, the path of our life would probably never cross again. This is our final gift to him from us, Serene Wind, before his journey to another height. I won''t be stingy on this matter. Alright, tell me what''s your price. 50,000 rea or maybe 100,000 rea?" The boss was dumbfounded when he heard Mimosa casually bringing up an absurd amount to the table of negotiation. Still, hot damn, 100,000 rea...? I rummaged through my memory and shook my head while recalling some details from the Canardial Monster Encyclopedia. First of all, I''m sure I would lose my sense of money if I took this job. "I presume you want me to protect the ship from the sea falcons, right? Honestly, it''s an easy matter for me to handle, but I''m on vacation. No amount of money is enough to make me break my bones when I''m planning to take it easy." Sea Falcon builds their nests on the steep cliffs running alongside the coast and are the natural enemies of sailors. They often destroy the ship''s sails in their charge attacks which pushes sailors into a perilous state. Mimosa and Gatx opened their mouths to say something but ultimately swallowed their words with vexed expressions. "But I guess I can''t deny it outright when you bring the boss''s culinary skill to the table. Now I really want to try the ''Ruby of the Sea'' prepared by him. I expect the ship to pay for my arrows." Mimosa was flabbergasted for a moment before breaking into a teary smile. "Ahaha! Are you sure you are that ''Mad Hound''?! You truly are too... sweet for your own good. But since you don''t want the money, alright, I forfeit my body. Do whatever you want." Mimosa clobbered on once again under the influence of alcohol, having stopped dispelling her intoxication midway, and opened the top two buttons of her shirt. "L-L-L-Like hell I would!" Vol. 1 - Ch. 93 - Trump Card It was 9 o''clock in the morning of the next day. The location was Lacanthal, the capital of Count Serdos'' territory located 80km away from Solcoast. I had come here filled with excitement for the Deareise fishing expedition the next morning, but an unexpected problem popped up in a matter of seconds. Apparently, a group of white-tailed whales were spotted on what should be our route which put a stop to our voyage. "Oh damn...... Why would orcas appear at this time, talk about bad luck. There''s one week ''til the competition so I hope they don''t linger around for that long, but I feel like we can only look for a substitute fish." (Mimosa) Hey, hey, must be kidding with me, right? You couldn''t imagine how much the Deareise fish had infiltrated my mind after she gave me a brief overview of it as if my life would be a waste if I didn''t try at least once. If what she said was right, then this Deareise should be like tuna, a supreme filling ingredient for sushi. It seemed like they often weighed above 500 kg and each part offered a different blast of flavor with the cherry on top being its elegant aroma, acidity, and fat. I honestly couldn''t get a wink of sleep last night. My head was completely filled with red sashimi shining in a ruby glow. Like hell, a substitute would be enough to satisfy my unquenchable desire for the Deareise fish burning within me--- not when she preached to me how there was no second or third substitute for it. "A-Are you kidding me...?! C''mon, there should be some other way, right, right?" "......Ugh, no unfortunately. It might have been possible if we just had the monster-repelling magical tool for ships in the Count''s possession but it''s so valuable that money simply can''t replace it..." ......Haa. Of all things, the situation just had to be stuck in that direction, huh? I just wanted to make this trip with only my explorer identity... I activated my body-strengthening magic to its full potential and rushed to the Count Estate, located similarly in Lacanthal. Once at the entrance of the estate, I shouted without heed for anything. "D-A-N-K-U-N! L-E-T-S-P-L-A-Y!!" Needless to say, that quickly drew in the guards who surrounded me immediately. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Right at the time Allen was racing to the Count Estate, the Count and his family were having a post-meal tea time in the dining hall. "I, for one, was confident that you would make it into the Academy in the assessment, but I truly didn''t expect that you would surpass even those expectations and get a spot in Class A as a 2nd ranker, right next to Leo Zatsinger! You truly are the pride of our Count family, Daniel! I guess I also outdid myself by leaving no stone unturned and raising you with all the attention and knowledge amassed by our Serdos family!" Count Serdos had been on cloud nine ever since Dan --- Daniel Serdos --- scored a meritorious result in the entrance examination of the Royal Academy. The countess, also the legal wife, nodded along with a face flushed with excitement. "Indeed, he truly is the pride of our count family, Dear. His future prospects are limitless with a score so magnificent... I can''t even imagine the end of his potential. There has been a dizzying number of tea party invitations from the great Marquis Grauksh and the other nobles, it has truly been exhausting going through them all--- however, it is a welcoming one. Veena-san, it must have been a headache for you to participate in the tea party of nobles after living as a commoner, so you can leave ''everything'' to me! I''ll support you on this." "It''s as you said, Brient-sama. It''s impossible for me to get along with people at a noble''s tea party. I''ll leave it in your capable hands." ¡ô¡ô¡ô "I have confirmed it, there''s no doubt it''s him. I never heard of his plan to visit here so I''m equally surprised. Allen is kind of an unpredictable guy as I had informed you earlier... Anyway, he apparently had truly come to play around--- something about going out on a hunting trip for 2 to 3 days which is also a sort of training for the upcoming fall''s Academy field trip, but of course, the young master''s schedule comes first. " The humorous mood of the Count was currently at the mercy of erratic winds. "What are you saying!? I may have said that Daniel''s schedule is jam-packed but nothing comes first before deepening his friendship with excellent classmates. I''ll see to the schedule somehow, so you can--- no, you should accompany and entertain him. As for the others, haa, once I tell them that ''Unfortunately, we might have to cancel the meeting as ''that'' Allen Rovenne-kun suddenly dropped by to hang out with our Daniel, uh-huh, it''s truly a pinch...'' they''re surely going to bite their handkerchief in jealousy, but there shouldn''t be any complaints! Hmph, it''s just a matter of time before our Count family becomes the most enviable target among the nobles of the Royal Capital! Goodness, just thinking about it is making me dizzy!" "......Understood, then I''ll be out for the next couple of days. Ah, by the way, he wanted to fish in the sea and was looking to borrow the monster-repelling magical tools for safety. Can I borrow one?" "There shouldn''t be a need to ask! Take it. He truly is as the rumor says, never ignoring danger even for something like playing around. Make sure to prioritize your time with your best friend Allen-kun. It would be great if you could bring him here on the way back." "......He said he can''t impose himself on the Count Estate any further after barging in without an appointment, so he is less likely to stop by. I''ll be going then." The state of the Count as he prattled and one-sidedly called Allen his ''best friend'' in a wheedling tone was so comical that Dan had to keep his expression in control from laughing out as he left the dining hall. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After making sure Dan had left. Corday-chan, who had been holding himself from butting in, asked the Count after seeing his flipping attitude. "Is disturbing the plan to this extent worth it, father? He might be a Class A student, but I don''t see why there''s a need to be so servile against a rude fella who visits at the drop of a hat. Besides, Daniel is ranked 2nd in this year''s exam, so speaking of hierarchy, isn''t that guy below Daniel?" He asked while throwing his weight on the support of the seat and cockily stretching out his legs. As they say, typically the habits of loved ones easily rubbed off on each other, so he also had the mentality of a ''big boss'' even though the best result he produced was graduating from the Aristocratic School, and that too from the typical group of ''someone whose result would be easier to find if searched from the bottom.'' "You haven''t socialized enough and got out of this countryside territory or else you wouldn''t be saying that. He''s the new rising star who had appeared out of nowhere and beaten down Leo Zatsinger in the knight course''s practical exam ranking and received a unanimously top evaluation from all the examiners. The rumor is that he has even talked to this kingdom''s hero, ''Godorfun the Buddha'', on equal footing and there''s no noble house in the kingdom who hasn''t been keeping tabs on his movement, even if he''s just going for a harvest request or inviting someone for a barbecue. In fact, he has already enrolled in the Knight Order under the edict of His Majesty despite only being in the first term of his first year, an unprecedented move. Even Marquis Grauksh has expressed that he wants to hear about Allen Rovenne directly from Dan''s mouth when he visits for Dan''s birthday party." The dining hall was wrapped in a veil of silence. "There had been eyes on his summer vacation schedule as well, but no one was able to get a read on his plan, or even find out where he disappeared to... There are even rumors that he is--- was out for a knight order''s top-secret mission. But to think the same burgeoning star would visit our territory just to hang out with Daniel and all by himself is just...... Ughhh." Finally, the Count found himself overloaded by the unexpected situation and collapsed on the spot. T/N - I gotta prop the author for writing infuriating characters so easily lol. On the other hand, I cracked at MC casually dropping be like ''Let''s play.'' E/N - Well... In hindsight, it should have been obvious that this was Dan''s family as soon as "Daniel" came out of Mimosa''s story. I''m pretty slow sometimes ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 94 - Unfading Tears "Yo, I didn''t make you wait too long, did I? But man, I was almost stuck with doing boorish greetings even when it''s summer vacation, you know? My ears were about to get calluses from all that so your timing is just perfect. Anyway, I bet you''re here for something else. ''Fess up now." Dan spoke with a huge sigh. We were currently on our way to the Solcoast on foot. The butler that came out of the Count Estate along with Dan did say ''We''ll arrange a Magic Car,'' but I shot down that proposal on the pretext that it would hinder our training. No joke. Who needs a fanfare-like send-off when out on a whimsical trip, right? Heck, even if I had to take one, there was no way I would get into a Magic Car with a Count''s crest. It''d be like moving into the dark with the flashlight on when the plan was to sneak around. "Well, I heard about the quality of seafood in the nearby Solcoast town. You know the seafood in the Royal Capital isn''t that good, so I decided to check this place out on my solo trip. I caught wind that there''s an even more delicious fish named Deareise, but the route to the place where they could be fished is blocked by monsters. I didn''t want to give up the chance so I decided to come here for your family''s magical tool. " "Woahh!? You''re also a fan of Deareise?... I am too, and so you''re on a gourmet trip then? Compared to that eating lifestyle, it''s like...... You really are unpredictable in your thoughts and actions, huh? Don''t tell me it''s in your character to surprise people?" ...What a rule fella. Has he seen his face in the mirror? It''s like a potato. Since it was like that, I was going to show him my profound knowledge about seafood and make him swoon over it. What guts he has to belittle my thoroughly refined palate. "As if. Oh, right. I don''t want some needless fuss over my status as a student of the Royal Academy or even some courtesy call to hamper my journey so I''m traveling as explorer Ren for this trip. It''ll take a bit of time, but do you mind if we register you as an explorer as well? It''s mainly for us to move freely without attracting attention. Since you''re a local, I believe you can be the guide." "Ah well, didn''t you announce ''I won''t take anyone on an exploration trip if they''re not actively working as an explorer even if they have a license'' on the last day of the first term? Everyone in class A visited the association afterward together and registered themselves as explorers. So I already have a license...... But an incognito trip, huh? I do have some acquaintances in Solcoast. Do you mind tagging along with me later once we sort out your task?" ...It should definitely be about Mimosa and the Serene Wind. Even a dense-as-rock fella would be able to guess it after all that. But then again, it was going to be a reverse surprise in this case. Mimosa wouldn''t mind being on the receiving end of the surprise, right? As for me, I was putting all this effort for my Deareise. We ran straight to the port town Solcoast from Lacanthal. However, we had to take a detour through the forest since I detected what seemed to be a guard of the Count Estate following after us in my detection magic range. The guard didn''t last long in his pursuit of us once we --- Dan was one of the best in utilizing body-strengthening magic in the Hill Road Club --- ran with our full might and easily lost him. ¡ô¡ô¡ô We arrived at Solcoast around lunchtime and headed for the Silver Gingko, where we decided to meet. "I kept you waiting, huh?" "You''re earlier than I thought. So did you think of something? I don''t have much hope honestly, so------" Mimosa was sitting by the counter, chatting with the boss, when she replied and turned around. However, her words were caught in her throat midway. I looked to my side, at Dan, and his eyes had similarly become wide in surprise and he was rooted on the spot. ...No, I truly didn''t have the habit of surprising people. "Meet Dan, a fellow explorer that I happened to meet nearby. He coincidentally had a monster-repelling magical tool for the ship as well so I had him bring it over and help out as well while we''re at it." Fufufu. The boss''s craftsmanship was so amazing yesterday that I forgot to use it. I had expressly brought both wasabi and soy sauce to try with the seafood here. "This is my favorite spice, a root of a plant called ''wasabi.'' Among the connoisseurs, it is the trend to eat unseasoned grilled food with this." The wasabi here was much sharper than the one I knew so it had to be used carefully, but when the rough skin was grated, the expanded flavor was truly the same one from Japan that I recall. "Is that so? I haven''t seen that before. And the eel is completely grilled now. I won''t mind later but give me a bit to taste it." The boss said. Hmm, as someone pursuing taste, I expected him to say that. "Of course. In fact, I would recommend it as well. By the way, it also goes well with raw fish. I bet you wouldn''t be able to eat raw fish normally once you tried it with wasabi and soy sauce--- a product of the Baerentz Archipelago Nation." I said and put a slight amount of wasabi on the salt-sprinkled eel and put it in my mouth. A sharp, pungent taste stimulated my nose for a moment before it was all washed over by the eel''s juicy, savory, and oily flavor. The white meat was unbelievably soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, it was hard to believe the same eel had been thoroughly boiled and then grilled over a charcoal fire for hours. Kuh~! This was it! The taste I was chasing after! As I shook my head from the blast of flavor that I was looking for, everyone else made a gulping sound. The madam asked me curiously. "Heh, so you know about soy sauce? I''m from Bearentz Archipelago but this is the first time I''ve heard about ''wasabi.'' Can I try it?" However, Mimosa suddenly interjected from the sideline. "Don''t be too hasty, Chloe. Customer first, remember? I completely forgot about having food with all the surprises Ren threw at me. I''m starving." Mimosa crept too close to me and opened her mouth ''ah~n'' while closing her eyes. Since she wanted to try it so much, I also picked up a bit of wasabi and tossed it into her mouth. "Damn you! Why didn''t you put the eel too?! But, ack, it''s so spicy. Kuh, I am tearing up, and I thought there were no more tears left!" Mimosa protested along with teary eyes. Gutx, who watched that, broke into a bitter smile. "Miss, spiciness and tears should have no connection. I guess you''re just more prone to crying today." Well, if one hasn''t tried it, that was also one way to put it. He probably compared it to the sharp taste of the likes of bell pepper, which wasn''t enough to induce tears as well. One might say it was spicy, but wasabi''s peculiar sharpness, which even hit the nose, wasn''t something one would understand without trying it. "Gutx, you... Do you have no faith in my words? Never mind, I forget how much of a spicy eater you are. I seriously think maybe there''s something wrong with your tongue. I guess you''d be fine with this, so why don''t you bring up that manly spirit and try to eat it once?" Mimosa urged Gutx with an evil smile. Guts also took it as a challenge and sprinkled plenty of wasabi over the eel before taking a mouthful of it. "------ggggghhh!?? My nose is flaring upppp??!" And the outcome was truly not unexpected. A beefy man at around 190cm in height was now rolling on the floor, pressing on his nose as tears flowed out of his eyes. The sight immediately caused everyone to break into laughter as the tears they thought to be dried up spilled out once again. Dan was the only person who had a bitter smile, as he said ''I expected nothing else from a spice Allen has taken a fancy to...'' Hey, hey... I''m just a wandering explorer named ''Ren'' alright? And my palate is as fine as it could be... Vol. 1 - Ch. 95 - Sail (1) "Raise the anchor! Open the sail!" The next morning, at the first crack of dawn, I shouted so in my full voice. "Hey, Ren! Do you have experience in operating ships?" Dan approached me with a face full of smiles--- honestly, that smile was so ridiculously big that it made me cringe inside just from watching. Normally, he would act like some wise man, watching everyone from a step behind. This was the first time I saw him with a childish, age-appropriate expression on his face, though this was also making his potato-like face stand out more than usual. "Do you even need to ask? I''m a total noob, duh. I just wanted to try saying that once." His shoulders dropped in dejection when I said that while sticking my chest out. ''Don''t do that again once the ship sails to avoid confusion...'' he said. Well, I don''t know any other line except those so I couldn''t do it again either way even if I wanted to. The ship we were currently on was something secretly built by Serene Wind using all their resources which they were going to present to the Count family once Dan turned 12 when he advanced to a higher study. However, the plan was later postponed when Dan instead managed to break through and enter the Royal Academy. The ship was the fore-and-aft sail archetype capable of sailing against the wind. I kind of imagined it was going to be the tailwind type that relied on the wind pushing it from behind for propulsion. You know, the type of ship that you acquired in the late stage of a certain famous RPG. Overall, it looked like a yacht but bigger. By the way, most military ships were essentially galleys, where numerous rowers propelled the vessel forward by rowing with oars protruding from the sides, although they typically also had auxiliary sails for assistance. In coastal and inland river areas designated for naval battles, where wind direction and speed were often unstable, these types of ships, while limited by the stamina of their rowers, excelled in maneuverability such as acceleration, deceleration, and turning compared to sailing ships. ...I didn''t like that one bit though. I mean, what was romantic about relying only on body-strengthening magic to push the ship through? Though it seemed like some great nobles had ships equipped with propulsion engines, they had not been adopted for military ships because they couldn''t achieve high speed. The monster-repelling tool had already been installed on the ship overnight. We then set sail from the dockside harbor of the Serene Wind while bathing in the morning''s cool, invigorating breeze. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The wind was blowing in our direction as the ship exited the harbor and entered into the sea. The fore-and-aft might have been capable of traversing through the headwind but the same couldn''t be said when the headwind was blowing at it head-on. The ship typically sailed 45 degrees to the left or right of the wind direction --- a zig-zag pattern to be precise --- when the destination happened to align with the direction of the wind. It depended on a ship''s capabilities of course, but an angle any smaller than that would make the sailing difficult for even vertical sails. Dan was standing at the helm cockpit located at the rear of the ship, steering this nearly 20m ship alone. Gutx, who had been standing beside him ready to assist, said in a dumbfounded tone. "All the lines have been routed to the helm cockpit so a single helmsman can effectively control the entire ship single-handedly... but I never expected someone to actually handle that perversely heavy primary sail with just one hand with ease. Even less so to expertly handle the ship in this wind on their first try... I''ve seen something unbelievable." In the practical classes of the Royal Academy, we were made to train in areas with peculiar footing like lanky trees or ropes set up at a high place and stepping stones in ponds, among others. It was like an athletic event with a high level of difficulty. And Dan alone was the undisputable high-ranking achiever in that class. There was no other person who could match his speed to skip and jump around. "It''s the optimal place to take note of the wind and waves after all. He has already been on it since like, the age of 9? No amount of warning managed to stop him from going there. ''It''s alright,'' were his usual words. But since the ship never toppled even if there was some error in handling, we eventually gave up. Well, you''re also not bad if you ask me. This level of handling just from hearing it once is stellar... To the point that I want to open your head and see how your brain is structured." Gutx told me with a twitching expression. Well, it was hardly a secret. "I am simply acting based on Dan''s instructions. I''m sure any of our classmates would be able to pull this level of operation with just one briefing. It''s frustrating but the way Dan cut through the wind and waves with smooth movements was something out of my league." It was only after holding the lines and rudders with my hands that I realized that handling them was a lot harder than it appeared. It was clear from the speed of the ship. The intensity of wind hadn''t changed but the ship''s current speed was only 80% of what Dan was bringing on. The 20% wasn''t a gap that could be easily filled for sure. "Any amateur would have been shaking from nervousness when tasked with operating a ship but... I guess I now understand why the Royal Academy is called a den of monsters." Gutx shook his head in exasperation after saying that and continued. "Dan... was someone capable of doing anything you throw at him. He was like a little bundle of liveliness when he mingled with us adults, but he never seemed to fit among the kids of the same age... He did integrate himself seamlessly between them, but if you ask me, his demeanor gave off a lonely vibe. On top of that, he was then pulled into the stiff world of nobility, I couldn''t help but feel sorry for him. ...But my perspective changed after seeing him so carefreely talking with you. He has finally encountered the friends that he can go all out with, a place where he can fit in... Thank you, Ren. He is finally out of his shell." ...Ah, I guess things like this do happen often, huh? The difference between individual abilities could have never been so distinct without the influence of magic in this world, and this ability was a source of bitterness for both the ones who possessed it and the ones who lacked it. I had experienced the same out-of-place feeling in the elementary school I attended, and I was sure everyone must have experienced something similar. ''I came to this academy to train together with similarly talented friends and aim for even greater heights,'' Leo did say this, didn''t he? I bet he was the epitome of the ''the peak is often solitary'' trope. Honestly, even though he often flashed that punchable, fearless grin, his mismatched puppy-like expectant gaze looked so annoying that I usually lose my steam to be mean to him. I guess this was also one of the reasons why my elder sister doted on me to an abnormal degree. She was an all-out bundle of talent, so there must have been no way she was able to adapt back at our place when even I couldn''t. Well, having someone like Furie-senpai talking to her on equal footing seemed to have given more colors to her life so it was all turning for the better. Now I just hope her loneliness gets cured to the point that I am no longer in her mind. We continued to chat with such silly topics as I operated the ship, changing between tacking and close-haul, when Dan returned to the cockpit. "Corrinda strait is the region between this island and continent. We''re going to fold the sail and lower the speed." Dan released the hold on the sail with precise movement and turned off the monster-repelling magical tool. Right now, it was just the small auxiliary sail and the spanker--- the sail at the stern of the ship used to control the ship''s drift caused by the wind. At the same time, I caught the screeching sound of sea falcons in my detection magic range. Vol. 1 - Ch. 96 - Sail (2) "Yay, I caught another!" Cheers --- this marked the 4th time today --- erupted from the stern (ship''s tail). The cause of the cheers was the apparently small-sized mana squid hooked to the huge feed at the tip of the wire, which was further connected to the drifting rope. The used wire was the product of several threads --- made from a mineral called Greyphite --- bundled together. The greyphite-made wires were exceptionally resistant to rust and had excellent tensile strength. Though their price was also just as exceptional, they have often been used for fishing big hauls like this. It seemed --- though I didn''t know what the hell was happening precisely --- like crewmates had gained another haul. My back was currently facing toward the direction the cheers were coming from as I shot down the flock of Sea Falcons one after another from the center of the ship. A small mountain of arrows was arranged beside me. Sea Falcons were currently targeting our ship from all directions while folding their wings at shallow angles and diving down. Oh, right. The said crewmates were the staff of the Serene Wind Co and Dan was operating the ship. It was my first time shooting arrows from a special terrain that wobbled my aim, initially I mainly lost my aim midway or at the time of shooting the arrow when the ship rocked due to the movement of the waves. After a while, I got quite used to the rhythm of the waves so everything was now panning out in my favour. However, a huge credit was still due to Dan''s excellent assistance. I honestly admired his skills even more after I tried controlling the ship by myself. He would synchronize my aim and the rhythm of the boat and then create a window of opportunity by minimizing the swaying of the ship with expert maneuvering, so I didn''t face too many hiccups like sudden jolting and the like. Then, he would also give me signals with his eyes when he was going tacking or jibing (turning the ship downwind). I was honestly dying to see what was happening behind the cockpit and what they were fishing up, but it was just that this damned potato face kept blocking the view. And he was even giving me a thumbs up with a broad smile for some mystified reason...... Does he know he was committing a crime by blocking my view? I think I had shot down 300 Sea Falcons already --- I wasn''t sure since I was shooting down more than I could count --- while keeping an eye on the surroundings. Soon, Gutx, who had gone to take a look at the celebration of the crewmates, returned and said while replenishing the arrows in the quiver I was carrying. "...Man, you really got some sick skills. I have been watching all this while and except for the starting 2 or 3 arrows, the rest have hit the bull''s eye. I was honestly surprised when the Young Miss was ready to dish out a 1 million rea reward... but now that I''m seeing this with my own eyes, the world of the top is really unbelievable for an ordinary person like me. Oh, and the rest of the bunch have just caught their fourth haul. Honestly, fishing probably was never this easy with Dan''s skill. He maneuvered the ship to weaken the momentum of the Deareise while the others winded up the rope. Anyway, it would be impossible to take back anymore, so once they''re done reeling back the current target, we''ll stop fishing. " Kuh, damn you, Dan... So he was even supporting the fishing crewmates alongside assisting me in my aim? I completely didn''t notice since I couldn''t see what was happening at the back. There really was a world of difference between doing something for fun and doing it as a passion. "I''m honestly no top class---" ''The rope has been cut?'' A stir rose from behind before I could complete my words. "Huh, what? The greyphit-made wire was actually cut off?" Gutx had just expressed his surprise when the stern of the ship was suddenly lifted. It stayed in the air for a moment before stern once again fell onto the sea surface. At the same time, the yells of the members from the stern echoed. ""I-It''s a White-tailed Orca!!"" ¡ô¡ô¡ô The ship was nearly tilted to a dangerous level, and honestly, it would have capsized if Dan hadn''t momentarily corrected the ship''s angle and opened the sail while jibing in the direction of Solcoast.Gett your favorite novels at atch my timing! I''ll handle them!" Dan understood my aim in a heartbeat and gave me a thumbs up...... Argh, how did he even have the time for that when he should be handling line work!? The rest of the White-tailed Orca circled the White-tailed Orca I shot down, as if mourning its death, for a short while and then went back to chasing us. I tried to re-enact the same scene to at least take down one more and shot down the Sea Falcons, but no White-tailed Orca appeared anymore... They were quite intelligent. I think they were most likely communicating with each other through sound, like dolphins or killer whales on Earth. Hmm, the situation was more dangerous than I thought. Soon, we left the Corrinda Strait, and simultaneously, the Sea Falcons also stopped coming after us. On the other hand, the White-tailed Orcas were still chasing us in obstinacy, but they changed their strategy to stay inside the water as much as possible and rammed onto the ship from there. They do appear back on the sea surface to breathe but at a distance from the ship which rendered the arrows ineffective due to the distance. It was too risky to use the MacAquate arrows as well. Besides, my detection range was a bit ineffective under the sea so I had been contracting the range and focusing on the nearby signs over the sea surface. The ship was somehow hanging on for now, but honestly, we were treading on thin ice, just one mistake and we might be the next titanic of this world. I calculated the timing and jumped over to the cockpit again. "I really don''t want to take that route, but should we throw the Deareises? They weigh around 1.5 tons combined I believe." I asked Dan, who shook his head. "I also had the same idea. We might be able to speed up but that wouldn''t be enough to shake off the Orcas from our trail. If anything, I would rather wish for more weight to stabilize the ship and prevent it from capsizing." ...Oh, so he had already thought of it and was even using them as ballast? I guess I still underestimated his skills. "Alright. But we''re going to lose all our options at this rate. I have 5 high-performance arrows, I''ll try to reduce their number. Handle the starboard!" I explained my plan and jumped over the starboard rear deck. I knew Dan would understand my target without putting much into words. I had trained in archery using both hands, but speaking of preference, I find it easier to nock an arrow with my right hand. I nocked an arrow while straining my ears to capture any sound and shouted as soon as I noticed a presence. Since the sound from underwater was virtually impossible to pick up with detection magic, I was concentrating my senses on capturing the disturbance on the water''s surface or the rise of bubbles to determine the target. "Star---Board---Jib!" Almost instantly reacting to my voice, the helm sharply cut to the left just as a looming shadow from the right appeared on the water''s surface. I released the MacAcquate arrow targeting the area our ship was just a moment ago. The next instant, a screen of bright red spread in the water. I believe the arrow must have pierced the head of the White-tailed Orca given the timing. Alright, 4 more to go. E/N - Quite an action-packed chapter. Also, lol at Dan''s potato face blocking Allen''s view. I wanna ask though, can''t he see what''s going on with his detection magic? Vol. 1 - Ch. 97 - Sail (3) They were really like hounds who didn''t know when to stop... So I thought as I saw them circling their second dead comrade once again. No, it was like the death of their comrade just fueled their obstinacy even more. "Dan! Turn on the magical tools now." I passed my instruction. If they were going to be mad either way, might as well turn on the sound that grated on their nerves to make them lose their cool. They used sounds for communication, so I was betting on the possibility that the sound from the magical tool would break their communication and cause them to act more recklessly. It really did work out in my favor. A seemingly juvenile White-tailed Orca, which was around 6m in length, went straight for the rear deck. Its fin part breaking out of the water was proof it was losing its calm. Once it was close to the ship and showed its head out of the water''s surface, I fired three iron arrows and put an end to its life. Three more to go. From there, the White-tailed Orcas seemingly gave up on tackling our ship, but they also didn''t show signs of letting up, constantly keeping a certain distance. There were also moments when their leader, the biggest of them all, would spray water on us using water magic to irritate us. Fortunately, it perhaps couldn''t use the magic in succession which gave Gutx and the others time to drain the water. I discussed with Dan to see if he had any ideas as to what they were up to. "...What''re they trying to do?... Or is it just simple harassment now?" "Hmm, it''s hard to say if they''ve given up. Are they eyeing an opportunity to go all out, or maybe there''s something up ahead that would help---"Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Dan spoke his guess but the answer showed itself before he could complete his words. What should have been--- at least, that was what it looked like --- the only water-element Orca nearly 10m in length suddenly increased to four. They surrounded the ship from a distance from all four directions and blasted their water spray at once. ......Now we were truly in a perilous situation. The rest of the crew wouldn''t be able to drain the ship fast enough if the Orcas continued to spray water at this pace and this would lead to the sinking of the ship. However, we had a bigger problem before we could even worry about that. The water that the Orcas were spraying from left and right was seriously hindering the operation of the sails. The sails lose the wind current when a vertical ship suddenly changes course abruptly, resulting in a drop in speed. Dan was correcting the ship''s direction whenever the main sail turned in the opposite direction after being struck by water magic. But it was only for now, even Dan would be unable to stop the speed from dropping if he kept readjusting our direction. On the other hand, the attribute-less variant of the Orcas had started to jump a bit away from the ship, seemingly boasting of their victory. This might be the time... I thought of using my MacAquate arrows to shoot them now, but I then shook my head. There was a whole swarm of 17 Orcas after us, aside from that huge leader. I could shoot down the four but that would hardly relieve us from this predicament, and we didn''t have much time. "---A leap of faith then. I''m going to use wing magic! Match with my timing!" I wasn''t sure how it would work but I was going to try if I could use wind magic to accelerate the ship. But the wind was already coming from the rear-diagonal direction, so I was using the best of my mana operating skills to blow the wind at 15m/s--- or 54 km/h when converted. Even if I could create a stronger wind current, it would be impossible to circulate all the mana released outside back to my body. I think my mana reserve would dry up in 3 minutes if I increase the wind speed to, for example, 30 m/s while doing my best to reserve mana. (T/N - Just explaining in case of doubt - MC can use mana compression during activities to absorb mana even when using magic for any purpose, which means he can keep his mana bar infinitely ''til his stamina runs out or unless he uses some technique that consumes more mana than what he could take in.) But we''re still being checkmated. Gutx and the others hurriedly moved the cargo to the left side, where the ship was almost lifted into the air, and centered the weight on that side as much as possible to keep the ship''s advancement straight. After seeing that, I further weakened the wind passing the ship slightly and increased our speed. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Bernoulli''s theorem--- the principle behind how planes could fly in the sky or yachts could head in an upwind direction. The wind becomes faster than the opposite side when passing over the top of the main wings of an airplane--- or curved part in the case of a yacht. What happens then is that the pressure on the faster side decreases, creating a lifting force that pulls in that direction. The lifting force generated due to the difference in atmospheric pressure was far stronger than the wind''s suppressive force--- after all, that was how those huge passenger planes could take off. Similarly, yachts were able to cross the upwind direction utilizing the same lifting force. Cutting my rambling short, what I did was weaken the wind current passing by the sails, creating a contrast with the wind flowing outside which resulted in the increased lifting force. The key point here was ''de-acceleration.'' Bernoulli''s theorem, which is based on the conservation of energy principle, however, was unable to be carried out when energy acted fluidly from the outside. That said, I wouldn''t know if the de-acceleration of the wind with magic meant converting kinetic energy into pressure (density), or maybe it would stop due to the outside energy. I had taken the mana conversion theory and fundamental laws of motion into account to reach this conclusion but it was an armchair interpretation at best. ¡ô¡ô¡ô All I did was lower the speed of the wind current, which in turn increased the influence of the wind current working outside the ship. That was all I knew. I really needed to experiment more if I wanted to get to the details. But that said, it also finally clicked on why I failed earlier. The reason why the sails had fluttered violently was because I had done the opposite. In fact, this technique was our silver bullet in this situation. I didn''t strain my mana much and as long as the wind flowed like this, we could semi-permanently keep this speed up. According to my guess, our current speed was 30 km/h. White-tailed Orca''s cruising speed was 15 km/h so I bet they must have been desperate now. The fact that they weren''t using water magic again while chasing after us was the best proof. Honestly, I was surprised. The White-tailed Orcas were like some kind of mavericks on a mission as they kept their chase with no intention of stopping. It was then that Dan raised his voice from the cockpit with an anxious expression. "Oi, Ren! We need to somehow make a turn now or we would crash into land! You can do it again, right...? You will, right!?" With my best smug face, I gave a thumbs up to Dan. T/N - ......This chapter was truly fitting of fantasy and academia title. Remember guys, be sure to focus on your class, who know when you might isekaid. On the side note, MC at the end must be like ''payback time.'' E/N - I''ll be honest with you, I have no clue if the stuff the author wrote about the Bernoulli principle is correct or not. So take it with a grain of salt and do your own research on it if you''re interested. I tried to google it but Physics was like my worst subject in school and I understood jack shi--- well you get what I''m saying. ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 98 - At the end of the Fishing (1) After our breakthrough, the White-tailed Orcas tried to go for another round of ramming attacks in desperation but none of them could touch the ship again with Dan''s skill. The only tough part was moving those darn heavy Deareise, along with the rest of the crewmates, to shift the center of gravity when turning the ship. We arrived at the Solcoast''s port sometime in the afternoon where Mimosa, Gondo, and the rest of the Serene Wind staff were waiting with expectant eyes at the pier. "Welcome back. You''re much earlier than expected. So I guess you must have gotten a big haul, eh?" Mimosa turned to Dan and me and asked while smiling. "Ah, we somehow managed to catch 3. We were supposed to have one more but that was snatched away by the White-tailed Orcas." Everyone''s face scrunched up when I answered. Gondo stepped up on behalf of his bewildered people to ask. "White-tailed Orcas?! What in the world happened!? And oh god! What happened to your hands, Dan!?" The skin on Dan''s palm was coming off along with a streak of blood trickling down after his constant maneuvering of the ship. We had indeed managed to shake the White-tailed Orcas off but we didn''t slow down ''til we were just a bit away from the port in case they hadn''t given up. So he didn''t get the time to apply first aid on his hands. "Hahaha. I guess it''s been a while since I took command of a ship, so I couldn''t handle her precisely. There was really not a moment of respite when coming back to use the winch, and I had to pull on the line directly. ......I''m sorry, gramps, but I think I''ll rest for now. The trip has exhausted me. The others should tell you the details. Ren, come with me. Just standing on a ship takes its toll when you''re not used to it. I bet you must be tired as well." ...He was right, I also felt tired, though different from the feeling I experienced from training. I guess recoil was bound to happen, huh? Facing the brunt of the wind for half a day on a ship while constantly worrying about balance, the rocking of the ship, and the death struggle where a wrong step would have sent us to the underworld...... Now that I think about it, it was really one hell of a trip. My body was now heavy as lead, and I wanted nothing more than to throw myself onto a fluffy bed. "You''re right. I didn''t... expect this. Mimosa, I''ll come to the Silver Gingko tonight. Tell the boss I''m ''looking forward to it''." I said and left for the inn with Dan. I thought Dan would sleep at the main building of the Serene Wind where he was raised, but he said ''he wanted to try the lodging at the inn'' and had been staying in the same inn as me. Maybe it was his spirit of self-reliance, or perhaps he had some hesitations due to the Count Family. Though it was just my guess, I didn''t plan on snooping around. "Wait, Dan. Take the medicine and sandwich. I prepared them just in case, you both probably haven''t eaten anything yet, right?" Mimosa stopped us suddenly and handed us a basket. "Ah, now that you mention it, my stomach is rumbling. Thanks, Sis. Bye then, see you later." Dan and I returned to our inn while chewing on sandwiches. "......Haha, he truly has grown up to show a cool side of himself... Even though he''s just 12..." Mimosa bit her lips, feeling a mixture of complex emotions brewing inside her chest as she looked at the retreating figure of the two. She didn''t even know if she was feeling joy or melancholy. ¡ô¡ô¡ô We woke up at 6 in the evening from our nap and left for Gingko soon after. We did have sandwiches before sleeping but that was hardly enough to satiate our hunger. "Man, that was rough, no...?" ...It was the ordeal that sucked our mental spirit. I guess that''s to be expected after our close brush with death. But you look full of spirit, gramps." Dan then gave a fleeting glance at me after saying that and smiled. The nerve he has to call me fiendish... I''m innocent, alright? I just taught them the efficient way to train, only... at least I didn''t remember cornering Dan who had always been in group 1 in training. Everyone gasped when they heard Dan. "...Goodness... I have been in this line of work for 40 years and I have never felt the same level of astonishment as I had felt today, and you say this is...... everyday stuff in the Academy? The fame of ''the Royal Academy'' is truly not without basis huh? I only pulled the tiller following your orders after all, so I wasn''t that tired. And with my age, death is just a matter of time. Honestly, there were many times I lost all hope. It was just you and Ren-kun who didn''t give up ''til the end." (Con) Gutx followed the conversation with an excited appearance. "What''re you saying? That was incredible! You immediately saw the situation, gave accurate orders, and took control while we old coots could only shiver in fear! We''re all impressed, honestly. You''ve really become a big man, Dan!" The rest of the crewmates who were mainly in charge of fishing were about to open their mouths in agreement as well but Mimosa jumped into the conversation and her thundering wrath fell on Gutx. "You, don''t get impressed at that time for darn sake! Why the heck do you think we sent you big fools together with them?! There''s no way it must have been easy for these two kids as well. I''m not saying you should have done something when you couldn''t, but couldn''t you have at least tried to be their support and increase their morale!? They might be talented but you adults shouldn''t forget they''re still 12 years old!" ...Wow, she''s just like my mom. Mom would also often scold my father whenever he mistook the line between parenting and being a bystander just because me and my sister were capable of taking care of ourselves better than the other kids. "Cough, I had him beside me so I was sure we would somehow manage to make a breakthrough." Dan jabbed at me with an elbow while saying that to soften the awkward air. "My, I didn''t know that Daniel Solcoast, the second ranker in the Royal Academy, is capable of joking around, despite his potato-like face. Anyway, I just was sure Dan would somehow take care of the situation even if I failed." My words brought a wave of surprise over the member of the Serene Wind. It seemed like he hadn''t told them his rank in the Royal Academy. Well, given he wasn''t the boastful type, I guess that wasn''t strange. "Po-Potato face?! Then I guess someone hasn''t seen their face in the mirror in his life, Mr. Mob Face!" "Who''re you calling mob face!? This is what you call a refined look, you button-eyed fool!" Seeing the squabbling of us mobs, everyone burst into laughter. "Ahaha! Aw, you know you can compete with more than just your face so you don''t really have to care about your looks. Pfft. But 2nd ranker in the Royal Capital? Now that''s astonishing. By the way, you know having a friend you can leave your back to is ultimately what attracts a great woman? Anyway, let''s get to the food. Chief, is preparation ready?" ......Did I just hear a ''pfft'' in between that? Boss showed a fearless grin when Mimosa asked. "You bet I have! Been long done. Get ready to taste the best craftsmanship of the 7th generation of the Gingko!" Vol. 1 - Ch. 99 - At the end of the Fishing (2) The Deareise on the menu was apparently the biggest one among the haul, nearly 700 kg in weight, which we could have all to ourselves through the good word of Mimosa.U?pTodated novels on The Deareise actually shared the same trait as the bluefin tuna--- its size correlated to the fish''s taste. Even the boss gave his stamp of approval that this was definitely the best among the others. It seemed like they did have the concept of fermenting and ripening, but no set rule said that fermenting would raise a magic fish''s taste. Mimosa''s reasoning was such which was followed by peals of laughter. The first dish served was the soup stock made from the Deareise''s bony parts. Once again, the boss didn''t fail to impress us with his exquisite skills. There was also the boiled Deareise''s soft skin accented with leafy greens resembling trefoil. That was truly the best starter to have after waking up. Next was sashimi. This was served in eight pieces, from the cheek meat with a slightly metallic scent to the tail-like part with a firm texture. In my case, I thoroughly enjoyed the lightness of that glossy red flesh with wasabi and soy sauce. The dishes kept piling up one after another starting with the crunchy salt-roasted heart, intestines lightly pickled in vinegar, salt-boiled fin with rich fat, spiced deep-fried ribs, and the roasted back meat. And finally, the last main course to sum up this feast was the sashimi rice bowl. The rice of the Baerentz Archipelago was apparently a common commodity in this trade point. I asked the boss how I would love to eat sashimi along with rice and he sure saw it through to the end. "Then as you wanted, here is the freshly cooked rice, mixed with the seasoning of vinegar, sugar, and salt. But that said, I had no time to verify the end result with the time restraint, so I''m not sure if the taste will suit your palate. Serving a haphazardly made dish honestly is something I wouldn''t normally do, but given it''s your request, I made it an exception. This one''s on the house, so please share your feedback." The boss said in an irritated tone. I guess he was resistant to serving an unverified dish to his customers. It was probably my persistent request that made him consider it. I spread some soy sauce over the sashimi, garnished it with wasabi, and took a bite. "......Delish! It''s truly great, though I prefer a bit less sweetness in my rice. I would say adding some spices and kelp would also contribute to changing the taste and aroma. Then again, a professional like the boss would know better than my half-baked explanation." The sweetness of the rice was slightly above the level for my liking but the boss had perfectly replicated sushi rice. At the end of the day, he also tried his best to put a presentable dish in this short time so this deserved a full score from me. "Man, it was really a feast. No, seriously. How long had I been seeking this taste? You know, I seriously thought I would have to give up, but finding your shop is really the best thing that could have happened to me. Boss, thank you very much!" I lowered my head at a perfect 45 degrees from the counter to show my respect. He looked slightly bewildered at my sudden gratitude but brushed it off with a laugh, seemingly embarrassed. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "There''s something I want to say--- or more like give you. We would be delighted if you could accept it. We are truly thankful for what you have done. We would have no face to show if we really let you go empty-handed after all that." Mimosa held out a black katana --- a glance was enough to tell it was a marvel forged by a skilled craftsman --- toward me. "This is the work of the 14th generation Zenstate, The Ningrose, and the finest one among the swords handled by our subsidiary trading company." Mimosa explained as she and Gond glanced at me with an uneasy expression. I had already turned down their reward once, but I guess they truly wanted me to accept this. I was glad they considered me worthy of this but... I shook my head. "...What do you mean you heard it?... Hah. We can''t give a reply before knowing all the conditions in the business, you know." Mimosa asked with scrutiny, wearing the mask of a merchant after knowing the details. Heh, no wonder she managed to wrap the area around her fingers. "True enough. Dan and I discovered a new possibility of sailing. We need a ship with a specific design to match our ideas. It''s just my guess but aside from coming up with the design itself, the construction time should be no different than that of a regular ship. The compensation for sponsoring us would be the advertisement of the Serene Wind Co. A ship chasing after a new philosophy would have the banner of your company and if our research actually bore fruit, I can assure you that the effect would be world-shaking. But of course, there''s no guarantee we will succeed, which may negatively impact your company. In short, your call is to see if Dan and I are worthy of that investment." Once I was done with my words, Mimosa glared at me while putting her hands on her waist. "Whether you and Dan have that value or not... Are you seriously asking the obvious?" ¡ô¡ô¡ô For the two days after that, we cooperated with the folks of the Serene Wind to experiment more about the newly discovered driving force in the Solcoast sea region and shared our design concept with them. The core point, first of all, was altering the shape of the vertical ship''s forefoot to make it withstand the propulsion force, which was traditionally made thinner to reduce water resistance, as well as making the center of gravity adjustable and devising ways to enhance the stability and the strong restoring force that tries to keep the ship upright. The rest of the design was focused on the premise that the ship would be operated by students of the Royal Academy whose expertise in body-strengthening magic was a notch or two above the standard level. For the immediate terms, we decided that the Serene Wind would remodel the ship we used for fishing following our design as much as possible and have it delivered by the end of summer vacation. Afterward, any further requests would be concluded by the President of the Sailing Club and the Serene Wind Co at periodically arranged meetings. On a related note, Dan also became a member of the Emission Magic Research Club. Well, he initially had a fierce mental struggle like ''Should I really do that when I can''t even find a girlfriend...''. Actually, the reputation of the students joining the Emission Magic Research Club, especially those of the knight course, was a bit dicey as girls often kept them at a ten-foot distance. But anyway, Dan also knew that the practice of wind magic was a vital part of our research. Later on, the boss of Ginkgo participated in the competition for Dan''s birthday party, but unfortunately, he was eliminated--- or more like he completely failed in it. Apparently, the creative dish made using Ginkgo''s special wasabi sauce, supervised as well by Dan, who had taken a liking to wasabi and soy sauce, was rejected before it could even appear in front of him in the taste-testing round. The situation, which I later heard from Mimosa in the Royal capital, seemingly went like this--- Taste Tester - ''It stung the nose!'' Boss - ''But that was the intention'' Taste Tester - ''Apprehend him!'' "Well, I can meet Dan often now in the guise of being business partners so maybe it all went well in the end..." were her words. As for me, I returned to the Royal Capital after spending my first otherworld vacation to my heart''s content. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The summer vacation of that year became the precursor for the establishment of the Royal Academy''s Sailing Club. For a short time, the appraisal of Daniel Solcoast fell in the eyes of society. According to some, he had simply lost his sense of responsibility after getting removed from the position of the Hill Roads Club''s vice president and spent his time on useless stuff. According to some, he had become short-sighted after getting fascinated by an antique ship. According to some, he had become a stone-headed fool who even turned away from the sound advice of Count Solcoast, his father and his guide to an upright life. As for the person himself, he could only accept all the criticism silently with a bitter smile. But then again, it wasn''t long before he shut everyone''s mouth with his achievement. Vol. 1 - Ch. 100 - Chief Advisor On my return journey to the Royal Capital, I decided to stop by the explorer association branch of Lacanthal, the capital of Count Serdos'' territory. I was hoping for a fun development--- like the typical escort request that just happened to coincide with my travel goal, chatting with fellow explorers, extra pocket money to cover my travel expenses, and so on. I tried my luck with one of the receptionists, an amicable looking uncle, to see if there was any such handy request. "Hello~. I''m on my way back to the Royal Capital, so I was wondering if there''s any escort requests that are in need of an explorer. It''d be great if they were traveling to Cosrael, which has a direct train to the Royal Capital, or if not, then maybe to another city near Cosrael?" At my words, the receptionist flashed me a kind smile and asked amicably. "Oh, well, hello there, sonnie. We do have a few escort requests, but may I ask what your rank is? Escort requests typically fall under the D-rank category, so you should be at least E-rank, ya see?" Unless otherwise stated, an explorer could only accept a request one rank below or above of their own. It worked as a limiter to stop a bunch of inexperienced folks from stepping into a lion''s den they couldn''t handle while also preventing the truly strong people from snatching work from the rookies. Though the request did open up for higher ranked explorers in case there wasn''t enough application from lower rank explorers. Then again, the reward didn''t change so anyone of a particular level of competence wouldn''t even bother to take requests two ranks below them. It might be another world, but society operated on more or less the same rule: the higher you go in the hierarchy, the less human resources you would find, and it would increase the price as a result. I showed my license to him, and upon seeing that, the receptionist''s eyebrows shot upward in astonishment. "Welcome to our humble Serdos branch. I''m Traut, the chief advisor of this branch. The neighboring branches had been notified about your arrival by the Solcoast branch. We have been instructed to kindly guide you to the Branch President office should you happen to drop by. If you have no other questions, kindly follow me." By definition, it was the Lacanthal branch, but they were often called by their capital branch''s name. I somehow resisted the urge to facepalm and followed after him with a smile. "Understood, Traut-san. It''d be great if you could relax your tone like earlier."Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m I had more or less given up on resisting the special treatment. As they say, a rumor about someone lasted for only 75 days. It hadn''t been that long since my rank suddenly skyrocketed, so there was no fighting the spotlight I was getting, but this was like one of those buzz-talks which I hoped would die down as long as I laid low. Right, all I needed to do was avoid quarrelling with others and improve my image... We arrived at the branch president''s office while I was busy with my mental monologue where a corpulent man was waiting for us. A glance was enough to tell that he didn''t have a clue as to the reality of the explorer profession. The branch president started with his mild flattery while also slyly mentioning how he was actually a graduate of the Serdos Advanced School with an excellent record, and asked, or more like suggested, if I was free to be a guard for the lavish party that was going to be held at Lacanthal. Apparently, while there were people like Uncle Shell who were the representatives of the explorer association and had clawed their way up to the top from the bottom of the barrel, people like this man with a civil course background were often more numerous. He just started prattling on his own, and I wasn''t keen to hear the obvious survival of fittest sermon from him. "The last request pertained to a D-rank difficulty request. It shouldn''t have been available for Ren-kun to take originally but due to the lack of application, the rank restriction for it has been lifted. The request''s destination is Kirika instead of Cosrael, a stop along the magical train route, closer to the Royal Capital. The main objective is to defend against the attack of monsters. The reward is 5000 rea, which is just fitting for a D-rank request. It isn''t that rare of an occurrence to take another road to Kirika which doesn''t coincide with Cosrael since often the clients have an article they can''t carry in the train, but..." Traut-san paused there as his expression became clouded. "The client hasn''t mentioned the route they''re going to take. A request with an uncertain element means that the client must have something they don''t want to explain, which doesn''t break the rule for requests of the association per se. However, the main problem is the route. Ren-san seems to be oblivious to the nearby terrain, so let me explain. It takes 7 days to reach Kirika via the western highway, but that''s when you take a detour around the Ament Volcano, which seems unlikely in this case. So it''s to be believed that they have intentionally concealed the details. Furthermore, they want to leave the instant the request has been accepted. They could take the western highway quietly if it was a matter of simple urgency and arrive at Kirika in no time. Yet, revealing no details, and even not withdrawing the request despite it being unpopular only means that their goal is the deserted village halfway up the Ament Volcano. Rumors are that the village has become the hang out of ruffians where you wouldn''t see even a single tourist. If that''s their real goal, then the request should be rated C-rank and the reward needs to be at least 30,000 rea. Incidentally, it takes two days to arrive at the Ment Village and Kirika is around one and a half day''s journey from there. The journey to Kirika via this route is only 4 days long. But the train that runs from Kirika to the Royal Capital is a slower model, so the end result would still be 6 days to the Royal Capital, no different from the earlier requests. So, what do you think about, Ren-san?" Heh, I think it''s my third time being impressed by the Chief Advisor''s information. It was easier to guess the situation when he puts the information together this way. Well, that might just be his guess, but only a fool would disregard his information. "Ahaha! Surely you jest, I won''t even consider the last request. You have my admiration; the information was easier to understand due to your explanation. So, when are the departing times for the earlier two requests?" Hearing my reply, Truat-san replied with a beaming face. "It''s my honor. The plan is to depart three days later, so there''s plenty of time to prepare yourself! If you leave it to me, I can also recommend you a better inn!" ......What the heck was that earlier build up!? You could have told that first! I wasn''t idle enough to stay in the city for three days, but then again, the third request was absolutely a landmine. At this point, taking the shared carriage back was still the sound option. "My words, whoever said rumors don''t make a man is so true. I was a bit worried when I had heard that Ren-san is a young, hot-blooded person but your decisiveness clearly matches your B-rank, and it''s not something you acquire through the grapevine. ...It''s just a pity that Ment Village is but a shadow of its former self after a strong monster decided to claim it as its own territory. It used to be the kingdom''s foremost Hot Spring Resort hub, and was always bustling with tourists and all. Haa, truly a pity. Anyway, which request has Ren-san decided on?" The kingdom''s foremost H-Hot Spring Resort?! C-Chief Advisor!! E/N - It was obvious that the MC was going to take the 3rd request as soon as I read it. I just didn''t know it was the hot springs that would push him to do it. Japanese and their obsession with hot springs, I don''t really understand it. Vol. 1 - Ch. 101 - Hot Spring (1) There was a bit of a mental debate going on inside my head but in the end I decided to choose the landmine quest. There were a few reasons. The danger level was designated C-rank, and even if the situation turned south, the trouble would at best be on B-rank, the same level as a Greateus Snake. I was sure my current strength was enough to muscle through the situation if it really turned out to be trouble. Truat-san had also confirmed the monsters that might appear, and he didn''t spot anything wrong. Besides, considering the fact that they needed a guard or else they couldn''t depart, the stakes seemed to lower further since it meant the client was just some small riffraff. Well, explorers also had the right to refuse a request and terminate the contract should the client deliberately cause harm or coerce them into doing something illegal or outside the scope of assignment. Like, the request said ''Travel to Kirika via the western road,'' so any change in the route without reason would fall into the unacceptable range. Though the client hasn''t mentioned their route except for the general direction, so god knows which route we would be taking. Another reason was I wanted to get away from Lacanthal as soon as possible. Dan''s father seemed intent on greeting his son''s classmates, which was nothing but a pain in the butt for me. Dan also told me about the heavyweight nobles like Marquis Grauksh who were gathering in this city for his birthday. The actual birthday was 10 days later, but his schedule was apparently already stuffed with greeting rounds with the other nobles. The only reason so many nobles were gathering ahead of the party should be to form connections. Dan was basically the No.2 in the Royal Academy, after all. I was explorer Ren right now and the last thing I wanted was to run into them. I would have no tears left to cry if even this solace was taken away from me. And the last reason was that I definitely wanted to try out the hot springs of the kingdom''s foremost Hot Spring Resort. Well, this was the actual reason. I didn''t care much about the rest. I just couldn''t ignore the chance as a bath enthusiast, which was also why I insisted on a hot water device and sauna in the dormitory. To live freely the way I wanted in this life, this was what I had decided to do. I did think of traveling alone, but I had no idea about the terrain and I heard it would be impossible to cross the mountain in a short time, so camping would be necessary. In that case, I might as well be stuck with a client as a guide. If only I had a map, but that was asking for too much, I guess... And to be honest, I didn''t believe in my sense of direction. Heck, I doubt any modern person would be capable of reaching their destination without a map and not get lost. For the journey, I decided to stock up on my MacAquate arrow that had a high piercing trait, but apparently they weren''t sold here in Serdos, so I decided to buy ten mithril arrows enchanted with ice element following Truat-san''s advice. Mithril was a special type of metal that could be enchanted with elements by a specialist at the expense of mana stones. Considering the place I was headed to, a place raging with fire element, it should be able to show an immediate effect. One arrow cost 500 rea, but that was actually cheaper than in the Royal Capital by 50%. Once I had everything ready, I headed for the location I was supposed to meet the client. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The meeting place was at the outskirts west of Lacanthal where I met the client--- or I guess I should say clients as they happened to be two men. They''re outright giving off the ''I''m a villain'' aura. I also decided to wear my outlaw mask--- the only proven method that actually worked against people of their level. "Yo, so ye folks are the clients, eh? I''m the explorer Ren who had taken yer reques''. Let''s get goin''." The men noticing my arrival turned to glance at me, but their faces turned red in rage when they confirmed my appearance. "Hey-hey-hey, what''re they expecting sending a runt here? Ain''t no way we gonna put a brat to use!" "Hmm? Ah, it didn''t take much to figure out with the way you carry yourself. Maybe call it experience? I can''t explain it in words though." The coachman burst out in laughter. "Hahaha. It''s not much of an achievement, but I''m also a C-rank explorer and yet, you managed to figure that out in just a short time. But I guess you don''t reach B-rank just with strength alone at your age. Just how much experience have you piled up? Goodness..." ...As long as you had experience, the key point here, it was easy to guess a person''s expertise and control over body-strengthening magic. As a coach of the Hill Road Club, I would go through each member''s report --- visualized through the manager''s expertise and magic tool --- each day, so my experience wasn''t in the conventional way, but my gaze had been trained enough to discern that much at least. "Well, just happened to...... Ya think I can''t hear you, eh?" I said while turning toward the wooden partition that kept us and the inside of the carriage apart. The two men were whispering in faint voices like ''I really thought we would be stuck here after spending our travel expenses in the red-light district, but god must be looking after us to send a handy doll our day. Though a moron at that'' or ''Let''s leave him on his own if we encounter a strong opponent. He''ll become our decoy.'' It was a must to take an escort request seriously, but their words made it clear why the request was missing important details. These bastards must have been looking for some bait for monsters since the beginning, huh? Let''s see what they''ll do after I tell this to the association. Just then, my detection magic picked up a sign of a monster attack. "......Slow down, Tonny. We''re surrounded... The opponent is three large-size bipedal monsters. Most like Flame Gongs." Tonny''s face scrunched up at my report. "What? How can you tell?! I thought we were lucky since we didn''t run into that many monsters. I truly didn''t expect the monkeys to be behind this. Shit, they''re exceptional at working together and can also use long-range fire magic. I don''t care if the two behind turns to cinder, but it would be a disaster if the supplies can''t be saved. I''ll stop the carriage and lure them away somehow. I''ll handle one." The coachman suggested, but I denied him. "There''s no need. I''ll take a shot at them." I nocked the ice element mithril arrow from the passenger seat while saying that. Before long, three Flame Gongs appeared from both the front, the rear, and the slope to the left. My three arrows accurately met their targets and shot them dead before they had the chance to use their magic. "Wait here. I''ll harvest their mana stones." There wasn''t much space in the carriage so the least I could do was secure their elemental mana stones. A moment later, I returned to my seat with the mana stones. Though Tonny was still wearing his bewildered expression. I guess he must have been impressed by my archery. Then again, this was the first time I used my bow on this trip. His reaction was similar to what I would get from bystanders whenever I hunted around the areas near the Royal Capital, so it didn''t bother me at this point. The trip after that was uneventful, and I also didn''t encounter any monsters where I needed to use my bow again. We pitched our tents in a safe spot for that night and arrived at our destination --- Ment village --- in the afternoon the next day. Vol. 1 - Ch. 102 - Hot Spring (2) The path to Ment village started by taking the northern mountain road of the Ament Volcano, and then a 120 degree anti-clockwise turn around the middle section of where the volcano was located. The landscape of Ment village was filled with white walls and close-knit buildings of peculiar architecture built with reddish-brown, round bricks running parallel to the gentle slopes. It faintly resembled the white city, a famous tourist attraction in Europe. Tonny-san raised his hand toward a man, seemingly a guard, from the gap of the stone walls surrounding the village as we entered. Estimating from the village''s area, its population should be around 2,000 at best. I felt my heart throbbing when I breathed in the smell of sulfur--- though the smell was closer to rusted iron than hydrogen sulphide. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "We plan to meet with someone, so we''re taking our leave for a period of time. Let''s meet at 9 in the morning at the village''s entrance, then we''ll leave for Kirika afterward. You better remember not to keep us waiting." The short, goat-bearded man said in a rough manner as he disappeared into the maze-like alleys with a villain-like expression. ...Just what I wanted. The last thing I needed was to be embroiled in their turf war or gang fights just because we were in the same inn. After all, the request didn''t say I needed to escort them anywhere else except in the monster-infested general route. It was also why I refrained from using detection magic. I did want to believe that they were using the detection magic prevention tool but just in case they weren''t, and I happened to overhear their deal of some illegal stuff, I wouldn''t be able to ignore it anymore. It might be temporary, but I was still a member of the knight order. "It''s a beautiful village, Tonny. Honestly, it''s only now that I understand why you''re so adamant on saving this village despite where it''s located." I muttered my truthful opinion to Tonny-san, who was also left behind along with me. "A beauty, isn''t it? The white paint on the wall is a blend of powdered white stone and water meant to keep monsters at bay. The only thing this village doesn''t lack are those stones from the Ament Volcano. Though the monsters are a nuisance and the profit doesn''t match up with the effort, so the stone''s effect is not widely publicized...... But then again, it''s not a surefire method. This village had adopted this method long before the monsters even made this volcano their nest, wisdom of life I guess? Anyway, what''re you going to do about the inn?" Tony steered the conversation to me, and since there was a chance, I also tried asking if he had any hot spring inn to recommend. "Of course, I have a lot of inns in this village stored in my head. And to answer your question, every inn here actually has a hot spring, so do you have any other criteria aside from that? Like delicious food or beautiful scenery?" "Oh, in that case...... I guess it would be the quality of the hot spring. I like my water to be on a bit hotter side, but maybe I''ll be dipping in for longer today so that''s not necessary. Ah, just make sure the inn is different from those two, definitely." Well, I wasn''t expecting much from the food of this secluded village. I didn''t mind the scenery, so it wasn''t a must-have either. "...That''s quite an old man-like hobby despite having such young bones... I have the perfect inn in mind to suit your taste. It''s the oldest inn in this village, the name''s ''Tsukiya''. What do you think? It''s small and old, run only by an elderly couple, so the reception may not be up to the mark, but they are the only one with a natural hot spring here, so you should be able to experience a revitalizing, hot bath as you wanted. Well, the temperature does fluctuate depending on the day, but it would still be warmer than any other hot spring. Nowadays, only a handful of visitors that happen to drop by visit it since this inn lacks a huge open-air bath with splendid scenery that''s popular nowadays." A natural hot spring...... Gin-san''s brows shot up when I introduced myself. "Quite a coincidence, huh~? I''m also from the Royal Capital. Well, it was around half a year ago that I came here to experience the hot water cure and have been staying here ever since, though I often hear about outside affairs from my henchmen who occasionally show up to look for me. Little boy--- right, that would be rude. Ren, seeing as you''re also a fellow bath enthusiast, do you mind listening to a request from this old man?" Gin-san turned toward me and lowered his head. "Actually, my old wounds started aching when I least expected, and now I can''t stand up... It''s a bit deplorable to rely on my henchmen, so it would be great if you could lend me a hand here." ......Huh, so that was the reason all along? Truth was never as it appeared, huh? I nodded immediately after. "Of course I don''t mind. Where are you hurting?...... Don''t tell me you''ve been enduring the pain all this time?" Gin-san flashed a bitter smile and said. "Pitiful as it might be, but yes. I couldn''t call my henchmen since that would mean going against the manners of the public bath house that I keep preaching to them. You''re also minding your manners, and calling you out for my convenience would also go against my code of conduct, so I had been enduring... But I hit my limit, unfortunately. I haven''t seen a kid like you before, so it''s embarrassing, but please help me out." ...He was an even bigger bath enthusiast than I expected. But that was just to my liking! With a wry smile, I lent him a shoulder and gently got him to his feet. "The shackles increase the more you climb up in the ladder of life, doesn''t it?" "My words, it''s really like a pebble in my shoes. T-T-Take it slow, right, like that. My head is all dizzy from the pain, I would have collapsed without your help." I pulled Gin-san from the bathtub using body-strengthening magic --- though he did refuse once but that was the efficient way to not exert the pressure on his leg --- and then took him to the dressing room where I laid him on a chair. "Shall I call your people?" I asked, but Gin-san refused with a smile. "Ah, leave it. The pain will subside after a short rest, so there''s no need. It would just disturb those who''re enjoying their bath. Take it easy." I handed him a water pouch, told him ''It''s water you can drink'' and returned to the bathroom. The empty bathtub was almost like a reserved place where I soaked myself to my heart''s content for the next hour, until the moon was visible from the sole window of the place. When I returned to the dressing room, Gin-san had already left. Vol. 1 - Ch. 103 - Hot Spring (3) "It''s quite a long bath, huh, boss? I was just about to check on you...... Back to the topic, Sis Shuri has arrived from the Royal Capital." Ousa, the attendant of Gin, said while opening the door to the room where a chestnut-haired girl was waiting. "It''s been a while, Shuri. Let me guess, something happened?" "Yes. There are rumors that the group that left the umbrella of our Crane-Dragon Union has now taken shelter under the Rose Family but...... You''re in an awfully good mood, did something happen?" Shuri was about to report the situation when she saw a huge grin over Gin''s face and couldn''t help but ask in curiosity. "Fufu, did my face give me away?...... Anyway, since they wanted to leave, so be it. The world is already changing after all. It''s in human nature to constantly strive for an advantageous position, and if they''ve found a place they think they can use freely and strike it rich, then anything else is useless. Especially when we''re talking about those sly foxes with sharp noses. Did you dig something up about the Rose Family?" "The Rose Firm was a normal general contact based firm in the past that operated on the western front of the Royal Capital. However, now the same company is the patron of many organizations, and we have no clue as to how it managed to reach that phase in the mere span of ten years. The affiliated corporations and mutual aid societies are using quite reckless ways to amass money, but otherwise they''re living their lives in luxury. What''s strange is that they''re not trying to pool up the money, yet it doesn''t seem like they''re going to run out of funds anytime soon either." Gin squinted his eyes. "There''s no smoke without fire...... Remind me again, I believe it was also around ten years ago when the president of the Divine Silver organization, who had been managing the western part of the capital, died in an accident, right?" "It''s as you say, Boss. We even ran a search to dig up the past graves, but they''ve done quite a clean work, making it harder to proceed. Nevertheless, this just points out that the attack on the Boss and the top echelon of another organization --- the ruler of the Royal Capital''s underworld --- was truly due to their instigation......" Shuri muttered her guess with a look of disgust on her face. "The last thing that should be coming out of one''s mouth in this line of work is a guess, Shuri, especially from a person of your caliber. Know that even the walls have ears. You can''t perform a clean execution when your heart is burdened with something and that gap is fatal when the tables are turned on you." Shuri pursued her lips with a vexed expression and lowered her head. "Is the knight order not going to make a move...?" The young man Ousa, who had been quietly listening to the discussion, interjected. "Because it''s not worth it. We''re mere outcasts, after all. At the very least, they''re not going to make a move openly in this battle of dominion over the underworld. They hardly even had any free hands with the stuff they need to handle. And most of all, the day you, a human who makes a living in the shadows, develops a reliance on their hammer of justice means it''s over for you. Cultivate that heart of yours starting today." Seeing that Gin had seen through his intention, Ousa felt tongue tied and in the end bowed his head. "Anyway, even the shadows need the sun to survive. My wounds have healed to a certain extent, so I''m more or less ready to return to the capital." Shuri''s eyes sparkled when she heard Gin''s words. "For real? This is surely going to excite everyone! None of them looked calm enough ever since you came here, Boss." Gin had a bitter smile when he heard Shuri''s words and then, as if recalling something, he asked. The two guards put their hands on the hilt of their swords. Red, however, wore that shit-eating grin again and kicked that goat-bearded fella this time. "Oh heavens, so you''re the ''Mad Hound'' of Apple? My, that was really uncalled-for then. I often move around in the Royal Capital, so I have heard of your exploits. It''s just that when I heard that an unknown brat accepted their almost volunteer-like request, I really couldn''t help but find it suspicious. I even kept a lookout outside Tsukiya from last night but didn''t see anything suspicious...... I just wanted to see if there''s something more hidden. Man, I would have already come to greet you if I knew it was the acclaimed Mad Hound... Seriously, such good-for-nothing fellas are an embarrassment. It''s no surprise you''re a talent. I''m also traveling to Kirika, so I would be relying on your good graces." ......Wow, I truly dodged that bullet of ''Greetings, Aniki'' setting, huh? No, it was really great that you have such dumb people under you, cherish them more... "Well, if you get it then that solves the hassle. But let me be clear first. I only accepted the request to guard those two. I hope you understand that their safety would take precedence in case of an emergency." Red showed a slightly disappointed expression when I said that but swiftly readjusted. "Absolutely. The reward is already paltry, so I already expected asking for anything more is impossible. Besides, it''s their safety that is important to me." "One more thing. I use detection magic to search for signs of a monster attack, so my ears are quite sharp, you see. Either be careful of what you say or keep a magical tool to prevent me from hearing you guys. As I said earlier, I don''t give a shit about what you do, but I would be forced to take action if it meant jeopardizing my peace." I warned them in a crystal clear tone. Red, who heard that, finally broke that annoying expression and showed a cheerful smile. "Hahaha. No wonder you''re a professional. I was really worried for a moment there to be honest after hearing rumors like you being short-tempered or getting into your nerves meant a beating and so on... Now I can truly be worry-free... You''re interesting, Mad Hound." Red said and placed his hand over my shoulder in an over familiar manner. I swear he was just a bit short of making those villain-like licking lips gestures. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After the initial hiccup, we departed for Kirika. On the way, Red often asked me to enter the carriage for a talk, but I turned them all down in light of any monster attack. Though I didn''t see any noteworthy monsters, at least for me, crossing our path. It was around the morning of the next day that we arrived at Kirika safely. When it was time to split up, Red handed me a business card of sorts where the name of a bar, located in the slum area of the western area of the capital, was written while saying ''Come visit me when you have free time in the capital. Say it''s an introduction from ''Red'' of the Rose Family''. I immediately crumpled the card and tossed it away once they were out of sight. It was clear that they were doing anything but white business. I took that day to do some sightseeing around Kirika city and then boarded the train to the capital the next day. Apparently, the city of Kirika was famous for its masks which were sold in heaps at the street-level stalls. So I purchased plenty of masks from peculiar ones to plain ones. They were just right in case I needed a disguise and some also didn''t have holes where the eyes should be, so I could also train my mind''s eye (acute vision) using them. Well, now that vacation was over, I also need to visit the knight station first thing tomorrow... There was no obligation to notify the knight order that I would be taking my leave beforehand, but that said, it probably fell into the irresponsible category to not even say a word before quietly slipping out of the Royal Capital. In fact, I could already envision the Master gritting his teeth in rage...... E/N - You know, I find it ironic that the MC joined Apple for the Yakuza-lile feel, but now the MC is avoiding Yakuza-like templates that he so eagerly did to the members of Apple before. Vol. 1 - Ch. 104 - A Glimpse of Knight Orders Affairs It was the day after I came back to the Royal Capital. Today, I decided to drop by at the Knight Order''s central garrison since it had been a while. "You''re finally here, huh, smelly brat!? Sure, you''re just a temporary member, but why''d you go missing without even notifying, for damn''s sake!? What do you take us for, a rest house!? All the preparation I had made to make good use of you ended up for naught!" I was immediately spotted by Master Dew whose eyes were red like a hell demon''s. Don''t tell me he was drinking again, or maybe it''s sleep deficiency? But man, look at his audacity to brazenly declare his intention to make me work like a bull. See, I totally saw that coming and that was why I ran away. So, I ignored him. "Oh heavens no, master! May thunder strike the audacious one who dares to disturb everyone, no way would I commit the same folly. That''s why I decided to take my exit quietly...... Ah, could it be some unnecessary concern from my side? Pardon me, but I have to visit Kiana-san for archery practice---" "Did I say you can leave, huh?" I tried to retreat, but the Master''s claw dug into my skull. "Masking your whereabouts so cleverly is quite a way to show your concern, must I say. Dew-san even asked the intelligence department to look for you after running out of patience, but even they gave up. The only thing they knew was that you went to Robles with your friends for explorer stuff, but there was nothing after that. Where in the world did you go?" The cleft-chinned Dante-san asked from the sideline with a bitter smile. Fufufu. That day after coming back to our dormitory in the evening, I changed into civilian clothes, put on a hat, and left the dormitory under the darkness of night, boarding a direct train to Cosrael that same day. I bet no one would have thought in their wildest dreams that I would leave for another journey right after finishing one on the same day. My intuition was alarming me continuously that ''I would be in trouble in a lot of ways'' once the news of me returning spread out. The last thing I wanted was a caravan of guests at my tail on my trip to Solcoast. Well, once you''ve seen the other side of society, being careful becomes a habit. "Of course, I was on vacation! I wanted to eat seafood at any coast, so it was a long trip to Count Serdos'' territory but oh boy, I can still recall the taste of my wish! After that, I happened to hear about the hot springs, and since it was on the way, I thought why not and then---" Just as I was explaining, I felt the grip of my Master over my head increasing with each word of mine. "......And then, that was a joke. I was actually on a quest to broaden my horizon--- ack, it hurts, Master. My head is seriously going to get crushed at this rate!!" "For crying out loud! Now if I don''t see any improvement after your so-called training, believe me when I say I will crack open that skull! Your first task is to check out the police reshuffling program, followed by meeting with the R&D folks about the magic tool ?Spreadsheet? or whatever. After that, check out the mountain of documents at my desk, sheesh they really don''t know to give my poor bones some break, and then follow Dante at night for a 3-day expedition! The 6th legion requested backup. The main goal of the expedition is the extermination of a pack of Dark Wolves; it won''t take more than half a day with your support." ......You know what, why don''t you change the name of this place to Hell''s Workspace?! ¡ô¡ô¡ô As a condition for him to accept me as his pupil, I appealed that I could also take some of the workload off of him in exchange. But at some point, the little help had transitioned from minor tasks to almost becoming his proxy. It was no less than torture to go through the pre-modern era''s desk work, so in the end I took some liberty and taught the others just a bit of modern business secrets on how to get things done swiftly. It was almost the norm for capable people to be swamped with work, but when the same work became the blindfold that prevented them from performing their duties, they should have realized their error then. So what was originally a mere idea conceived to reduce Master''s burden spread like wildfire among the entirety of the Knight Order, and even the entire kingdom following the eagerness of the whole bureaucratic bunch. And as the originator of this reformation idea, I was often summoned in meetings despite being no more than a provisional member of the Knight Order. As if that wasn''t enough, I was often made to run errands on missions where my detection magic was useful as a replacement for Master who couldn''t distance himself from the capital. Good grief, did they forget I was just a temporary member? Apparently my detection magic was one of the best in the Knight Order, though it was far cry from Master''s, but anyway, the other legions who heard of the rumors also started making requests, asking me if I was free to join them on wide area subjugation missions. Those missions were hardly befitting of the status of my Master, the commander of the 3rd legion, so instead they directed their attention to me since I was an easy fish to summon as a temporary recruit and a student. It wasn''t hard to imagine that my summer vacation would be ruined for good if I stayed idle without coming up with a strategy. I was here to learn from my Master, not to become his second coming! "Oh my, the hot springs of the Serdos territory, huh? Do you mean Ment Village?" I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn''t notice the arrival of Justin-san who inquired about my vacation with a grinning face. "Woah, when did you get here, Justin-san? Speaking of, I didn''t see Parch-san anywhere either, is he out patrolling? Otherwise, it''s hard to think that that person would waste the chance to tease me. Ah, right. So you know Ment Village? Man, that was quite a beautiful village, they had the best bath I have visited in my life!" In response to my carefree reply, Master and Dante-san reflexively stared at each other, which was followed by silence. "Parch-san is out to cull the number of monsters with third-years in tow. It''s the time for the third-years of the Royal Academy to come and join the Knight Order temporarily for first-hand experience. We might be the 3rd legion, but even we have as many as eight interns. Well, they''re guests in the end for now. It''s also the best time to give them a radiant demonstration and experience and show the brilliance of the Knight Order. By the way, considering it''s you, I bet you must have visited the village as a civilian rather than a member of the Knight Order, eh? Did you find yourself becoming acquainted with someone or hearing some weird rumors?" Justin-san asked with his usual grinning mask. No wait, did he just say those third-years were guests? Recalling my initial time here, they went too gung-ho though...... "Nah, it was just a simple trip. All I did was take an escort request, dip into the hot spring, and then make my way home. I didn''t hear anything of particular concern. Ah, but my client happened to be ruffians, seemingly members of the Rose Family... I don''t know why, but he was acting quite chummy and even asked to visit him when I had free time in the capital. Of course, he smells trouble and looks like an outright villain, so there''s no chance!" When I gave a clear-cut explanation, Justin-san genuinely burst out in laughter. "Ahahaha! You really are amusing, Allen. That''s one heck of an interesting vacation you had. Perhaps it''s only you who would jump to take on a shady request voluntarily to Ment Village after the sightseeing in the Serdos territory. Indeed, your pattern is as enigmatic as you are. I do wonder just how far you had seen through the charade while wearing that dumb expression, huh? ......It''s quite a situation now, isn''t it, Dew-san? Rose has finally shown its Achilles heel with Allen''s action." In response to Justin-san, Master sighed, scratched his head with an ''argh, what a pain'' expression, and crossed his arms as he said. "......Give me all the details, smelly brat." Vol. 1 - Ch. 105 - Dark Wolf (1) "......Give me all the details, smelly brat." I summarized the whole event as it was while under Master''s glare.Gett your favorite novels at How I went out on a trip to fulfil my craving for seafood, how I spent my time on Solcoast enjoying the oceanic scenery, and how coincidentally --- it was important to emphasize this here for me --- I happened to accept that escort request. Though Justine-san didn''t seem to believe it at all, as he muttered something incomprehensible like ''They''ll surely collect information, which is just perfect''. Just as I feared another troublesome work was about to be pushed onto me, Master unexpectedly came to my rescue. "It would be disgraceful to give a temporary member, a student on top of that, with an infiltration mission. Though my words mean nothing considering it''s the brat. Anyway, it''s a no. You just do your work as an explorer like usual and report back to me if you get in touch with them again. That''s all." I was relieved to hear this conclusion, meanwhile Justin-san shrugged. "Anyway, first is the reformation of the police force. I need you to check and decide whether to set up the police booths with three shifts or two. Then next is the function of the spreadsheets. Emi claimed that ''We should focus more on augmentation than just focusing on one aspect since the so-called spreadsheet would surely be a cornerstone in other places than just our Knight Order'', and opinion is split on this, so you need to attend the meeting and see that it reaches a conclusion. I damn hate those boorishly long meetings. Come back to my office when you''re done with that. I need extra hands to take care of some things, and I''ll also check your progress in enhanced vision magic. Then at 8 p.m., head out with Dante''s leading team. You must have had quite a good vacation, huh? Now it''s time to sweat it out, you brat." Master explained my next tasks with a grinning face. "What, that''s cruel! I''m just a student who just joined the Knight Order temporarily! Wait I know, my dear Justin-senpai would surely hel---" I protested and hurriedly turned around to rope in Justin-san in helping out, but that person had long disappeared. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The Knight Order that Yuglia Kingdom boasted of had seven legions, with each legion sporting 120 members and an Imperial legion made up of 60 knights. Each legion undertook specific duties, and the way to identify them was by the color of their uniform''s mantle. In detail--- Imperial Legion: Their main task was to guard the royal family and defend the royal capital (Silver). 1st Legion: The kingdom''s Monster Calamity Relief Initiative (White). Dante-san made a wry smile at my explanation. Well, I could roughly deduce that he was someone with a great sense of aesthetics. "......I just thought that maybe there''s some kind of grave reason, but it seems like there''s none. Well, I think that maybe you should be a bit more mindful about your getup? Leaving that aside, how much do you know about Dark Wolves?" According to the Canardial Encyclopedia, a Dark Wolf was an animal capable of fostering a mana organ over time. They were unlike the monster-ification of a Rune Sheep as those wolf-type monsters carried the essence of a mana organ inside them from birth. They were nocturnal beasts with obsidian-like black fur that allowed them to hide within the veil of the night. They hunted in packs and excelled in surprise attacks. They would often attack campsites of explorers or merchant caravans or target domesticated pets in human settlements, which in all put them into the dangerous monster category. They were individually ranked between D to B-rank, and some stronger variants were even classified as high as A-rank. But facing their pack was another matter. In terms of explorer rank, a request to subjugate a Dark Wolf pack would surely be designated as S-rank. S-rank designations basically meant a single A-rank explorer couldn''t take them down and so these requests were typically passed on to the Knight Order. Well, it should be possible for a band of high-ranking explorers to chase them out of the territory if requested, but that was why the mission was assigned to us. The goal this time was to ''eliminate them all''. Even if they were to be chased away, they might group together in another region and wreak havoc after all. Besides, it should be hard for a baron family to dish out the funds to personally request high-ranking explorers to do such a task. That was where Marquis Endemion''s troops (one of the many forces in the southwest), the patron of the aforementioned baron family, and the 6th legion that supervised them had a discussion where they decided to call out for our support in order to minimize the trouble at the Justeria border. Justeria was no stranger, but it was also not an acquaintance. "They''re good at surprise attacks and are cunning and intelligent monsters. They can also sense strong enemies and flee at a moment''s notice. And their special trait is to regroup with each other even when they''re 100 kilometers apart. The best way to cull them completely is by spreading a net of people over 50 kilometers, and trap them into a ring as much as possible in daytime by closing in. Well, it would be great if we can somehow lure them out of their den, which is safer and more practical, but that requires a lot of time and human resources." Dante-san nodded at my explanation. "Heh, it''s great that you have a strong curiosity to learn on your own... We would have followed the same plan when their concealment ability was at their lowest, but it''s hard to request for more backup given the kingdom''s internal affairs. The 6th legion will be the sword in this campaign with us, the 3rd legion squad, joining them as support. We''ll take them out all at once at night when they''re most active. It''s going to be a tough ride, so always be on your guard." Dante-san explained with a tense expression. I also nodded with a similar serious expression. "Also...... I know that''s not your actual intent but that grinning old man face mask might appear annoying..." E/N - I was thinking MC''s mask was a V mask, but it described the mask with ''drooping eyes''. ?????¡á? Vol. 1 - Ch. 106 - Dark Wolf (2) "Knight Dante Segran, court rank 5th in the Yuglia Kingdom''s Knight Order 3rd Legion, reporting with his three subordinates! In compliance with Captain Olina''s order, we shall now commence the extermination of the Dark Wolves in Baron Brier''s territory under the leadership of the 6th legion commander Suzunami!" It was around 1 pm the next day from our departure when we arrived at Baron Brier''s territory. We got off from our magic car at the nearest town and arrived at the campsite after walking through the rugged street for around an hour. The first step we took was to visit the commander right away at the ridiculously huge green tent of the 6th legion. It was located at the corner of an elevated plateau. It was a place with lush nature, so livestock naturally prospered here in great numbers. And speaking of court rank, it was conferred to high-ranking officials in this kingdom to distinguish their class, with a total of eight classifications. In the case of the Knight Order, Captains were obviously the 1st, vice-captains and advisors like Godorfun-sensei in the past were 2nd, the commanders took the 3rd to 7th positions, and the novice knights had the 8th rank. Provisional members receive no court rank. As for Dante-san, his rank was an example of his strength. Back on Earth, he would have been a so-called division leader, someone who commanded a force of tens of thousands in times of emergency. Hmm, why did I know? Well, I might not have an interest in ranks or positions, but I had to learn to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. "Ahaha, disciplined as ever eh, Dante? You should know only members of the Knight Order are allowed to enter this tent, so take it easy man. Too much stiffness isn''t good for your health. Oh, I guess that young''un is the star of Godorfun and Dew''s eyes, huh?" Inside the tent, around 15 knights, seemingly members of the 6th legion, were sitting in a circle discussing their strategy. A bob-cut woman --- I guess she must be the captain of the 6th legion --- was sitting at the center cross-legged. She tapped her shoulder with a pointing stick while staring at me. I wonder if it was the influence of mana, most of the people I had encountered happened to be young looking. From the facial features, she was quite a charming woman of 40 something, though she was apparently over 50 according to Dante-san. But how should I say this...... she looked more like the typical uncle from her actions. On the other hand, "To think even Captain Suzunami would be here as well. I assume you''re here to take a look at him as well?", Dante-san asked with a wry expression while urging me to greet her. "I''m Allen Rovenne, a provisional member of the 3rd legion. I''m still a fledgling more than anything else though, so I hope to learn from all of you." I politely bowed my head in introduction. However, as if she had seen something unexpected, she squinted her eyes and closed the distance from her position. After taking a look at me from up close --- the gap was so small that I could feel her breathing on my skin --- she said, "Oh my, is this really the same troublemaker that gave both Sir Godorfun and Dew headaches in the rumors? He looked more mellow than anything else. Fufu, is the sheep''s skin you''re wearing supposed to impress me? But you know, actual wolves are more of my type." Captain Suzunami said in a teasing tone. Her eyes were laced with a hint of curiosity, like those of a child who suddenly found a new toy. "I am not sure how rumors that I don''t even remember an atom of have spread out, but I want to make it clear. I revered both Godorfun-sensei and Master. Though we did have a few debates, I believe there was nothing so aggressive as to warrant me the title of troublemaker." I said with a smile. After hearing my reply, Suzunami-san giggled. "Hoho~? You have guts. The more the merrier, so I''ll be counting on you!" She said while suddenly squatting down and started running her fingers over my thighs. "W-W-W-What in the world are you doing!?" The gentle atmosphere inside the tent suddenly tensed with their action. Even the stiff-shouldered, old-man-at-heart Captain Suzunami was giving off the aura of a leader. "March on." ""Yes, Ma''am!!" I also put on my drooping-eyed old-man mask --- I had taken it off before entering the tent --- and followed after the folks of the 6th legion to the outside. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Outside, 20 something commanders of the Marquis Endemion army --- veteran knights in their prime --- were standing there. None of them held court ranks as only the Knight Order serving the nation (royal family) possessed them. To put them into a hierarchy, their position was far lower than even the common unit of the Knight Order. In this strategy, they and their 2000 subordinates would be carrying the torches and put up an encirclement surrounding the Dark Wolves. Rosetta-san did not falter once as she swiftly passed her commands to the senior commanders. "I appreciate all of your cooperation. We will start our operation at 5 p.m., two hours from now, which is when the Dark Wolves prepare themselves to leave their den. The extermination of the Dark Wolves would be handled by the Knight Order. Just make sure the encirclement doesn''t get broken even if a Dark Wolf tries to target you and immediately blow the whistle in such a case to call in the nearby Knight Order members. Aside from that, make sure to avoid a battle with a Dark Wolf as much as possible. That''s all. Do you have any other instructions, Captain?" With Rosetta-san turning around, Captain Suzunami stepped up. "The pack of Dark Wolves, our extermination target, is estimated to have more than 90 of them at the very least. The leader of the pack is a specimen nicknamed ?Black Lightning? and according to the information gathered, the pack has targeted a total of 148 citizens. I''m sure you''re aware that among them are also your brethren from the Endemion army. So it''s time to pay them back! In lieu of that, we have also invited ?Clear Cut? Dante Segran and--- pfft!!............ ?Comedic Codger? from the capital''s 3rd legion to thoroughly eradicate this evil. Give it your all! Pfft!" Captain Suzunami was encouraging the gathered troops with a dignified expression --- it was hard to believe she was the same old-man-at-heart lady --- when she suddenly burst out in laughter noticing my mask. The rest of the old commanders gave me uneasy glances. Rosetta-san also desperately endured the urge to laugh out loud with a red face, her shoulder intermittently shaking and tears faintly glistening in her eyes, as she signaled the beginning of the operation. "E-E-Everyone, take your... spot~!!" How should I say this... Sorry. I didn''t mean to do that. E/N - So the MC is also a man of culture, I see ???? Also I just realized that they were dealing with a pack and not just one Dark Wolf. I''ll edit the previous chapters later to correct that ????U?pTodated novels on Vol. 1 - Ch. 107 - Dark Wolf (3) The subjugation of the Dark Wolf pack began at precisely 7 p.m. when the soldiers forming the encirclement hoisted up their torches in unison. The net was spread as wide as 50 kilometers, though it was also due to the huge distance that it was impossible for them to surround and eliminate all the Dark Wolves with the people present. Fortunately, the 6th legion had already scouted the pack¡¯s movement, though it was a challenging task with the Dark Wolves digging their dens at different places at a specific distance away from each other, while making sure to avoid alerting them. The scouts of the Knight Order weren¡¯t some soft persimmons and could confront them, however the task at hand was to eliminate all of them. Alerting them would just give them a chance to run away, pouring water on their efforts so far. Well, it was primarily the team Rosetta-san led that not only managed to grasp the Dark Wolves¡¯ location without alerting them, and they even got the details like where they could be found, the terrain of the area, and the difference in battle power in just 2 to 3 days of exploration. ¡°I¡¯m just following what I¡¯ve been taught, there¡¯s still a long road ahead for me,¡± was the reply I got from the person herself when I made an amazed ¡®Woah, that¡¯s incredible!¡¯ remark. Her desire to improve herself is quite admirable, eh? ¡®Howwwwwwl,¡¯ the howling of Dark Wolves reverberated in the air as they came out of the mountain at the same time as the encirclement group hoisted their torches. Dante-san, while carrying a two-handed great sword on his shoulder, much like an exemplary knight, said¡ª ¡°So it has begun, huh? We should also get going. Dark Wolves abhor flames and light, so they should be moving in the direction of Clover Valley instead of confronting the torches, but the intelligent specimen might prove troublesome. Our task is to lure out such Wolves hiding in the pack!¡± The knights were divided into three teams, with the following tasks¡ª The subjugation squad of Captain Suzunami who''d reap the soul of every Dark Wolf once they appeared in Clover Valley. The hunting squad who took care of the intelligent wolves trying to escape the encirclement. Our raid squad who acted inside the encirclement. According to Rosetta-san, the Dark Wolves who were ranked last in the hierarchy would try to escape into Clover Valley while the smarter ones would try to cooperate and see if they could break through the siege. So it was our 3rd legion''s role to chase them into the direction of Clover Valley before they could consider fleeing, and the situation fell into a stalemate. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Rosetta was panicking. It had been 30 minutes since the start of their operation to drive the Dark Wolf pack toward Clover Valley, however they didn¡¯t even have 10 of the Dark Wolves heading their way¡ª less than a third of the number that she had expected. Yet, the strange part was she also didn¡¯t hear any whistle to call the nearby knights in case the Dark Wolves were trying to sneak out of the encirclement. Then what had baffled her even more was the lack of presence of the Dark Wolves appearing in the valley. There was only deafening silence surrounding the valley after whatever drizzle of Dark Wolves had appeared within the starting 30 minutes. Did they make a mistake in the area and left the majority of the Dark Wolves outside the siege? Or maybe something had happened inside the siege? Just as all sorts of thoughts were running amok inside Rosetta''s head as she contemplated the possibilities, Suzunami crossed her arms and called out to her. ¡°Well, then. Our opponent is an irregular variant, so it¡¯s to be expected for the development to take a different route. What we need to focus on is how to deal with that irregularity, Rose. Hmm, should we charge in with everyone present here?¡± There was clearly a lapse in their judgement. Or perhaps not? They were certainly not wrong in deploying their manpower in the valley, where they had expected for the enemies to be cornered to. Rosetta shook her head with a vexed expression. ¡°I can¡¯t apologize enough, Captain. I made a blunder in my judgement. Romambo-san and the two others should be sufficient to hold the fort here. Captain, and I should charge into the siege.¡± Suzunami chuckled hearing Rosetta¡¯s words.U?pTodated novels on ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for, Rose. Naturally, we accept nothing less than a sort of flawless plan as we bear the safety of the kingdom and its citizens on our shoulders. Cluck His dagger was stopped by a Dark Wolf¡¯s fang. Impossible!? I didn¡¯t even notice it...... ¡°Rose-san!¡± Just as Rosetta yelped inside her heart from astonishment, she heard Allen¡¯s voice. Her body acted on its own in response to his voice as she slashed the forefoot of the female wolf with her long sword, followed by another swing of her second sword, a short-sword, that lopped off its head. As soon as Suzunami confirmed that, she shouted¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t let a single one escape. Keep driving them toward the hunting ground! Allen, keep your focus on searching for the enemy just in case! Rose, guard Manon in the meanwhile and call the others in with the flute. Then come after us once you¡¯re done! Let¡¯s go!¡° Everyone had just started chasing the Dark Wolves following Suzunami¡¯s instructions when Rosetta called out to Allen. ¡°Wait! How did you notice the attack of that Dark Wolf? I want to use it as a reference for my mission!¡± Allen momentarily stopped and turned around to answer. ¡°......The wind whispered to me.¡± Wind whispered?! Is this boy sane?...... Rosetta was stupefied on hearing the answer of the kid wearing a laughing codger mask. The operation might not end at a flawless note, but she didn¡¯t expect even a student would tease her like this. Rosetta, having her pride shattered to a million pieces, glared at the back of Allen with a vexed expression as he left. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°Wait! How did you notice the attack of that Dark Wolf? I want to use it as a reference for my mission!¡± Here it comes! ¡°......The wind whispered to me.¡± Turning my head 30 degrees ¡ª the best angle I had discovered where my plain face shined the most ¡ª I replied. It was the fruit of the research I had done with Dan and Dol on a certain day in the dressing room of the dorm¡¯s bathroom. The three of us stood before a mirror stark naked and seriously studied our poses. Though it had taken me as much as 30 minutes to come back to my senses, it was excusable. If I could have a girlfriend, any amount of time was worth it! My angle was perfect 30 degrees as I turned to glance at her ¡ª though I completely forgot I was wearing a mask at that time ¡ª with an almost nihilistic expression while answering. And then, like the graceful wind, I briskly walked away from that place quietly. I nailed it! I could confidently say that that was my best shot! I faintly chuckled to myself while feeling the fervent gaze of Rosetta-san. I think the surrounding wind had just opened up to the cliche?d lovey-dovey route. T/N - Rip, poor MC. I almost didn¡¯t laugh out like a maniac reading the last part. And on another note, the author finally learned to drop in some foreshadowing. E/N - That was too good. Well, if he really wanted a girlfriend, all he has to do is to look at his classmates. Unfortunately, the girls who''re into him aren''t exactly right in the head and he''s also too dense to notice. E/N 2 - edited the past few chapters so the wolves are consistently called "Dark Wolves". Sorry for the confusion. 4/22/24 Vol. 1 - Ch. 108 - After-action Review Meeting Having lost their leader, the pack tried to flee, but knights were more than competent enough to prevent that from happening. A majority was hacked by Suzunami-san, Dante-san, and Rangra-san while the remaining Dark Wolves who escaped into Clover Valley were exterminated by Romambo-san that had been lying in wait there. Thus, the Dark Wolf pack subjugation battle in Baron Brier''s territory ended on a safe note, albeit with one injured coming out of it. After the battle, a review session was held with everyone. Rosetta-san said they were required to create a report, so she asked for a detailed retelling of what had happened at the scene when we were surrounded by the Dark Wolves. Amidst this, I noticed her gaze was a bit... prickly whenever she glanced at me. Was this what they called tsundere? Though I didn''t sense any ''dere-dere'' element from her business-like gaze. Hmm, maybe that was how a tsundere reacted in reality...? Anyway, going back to the details of the report--- it happened when we were trying to flush out the pack of Dark Wolves toward the designated place inside the siege when their leader, ''Black Lightning,'' mounted an attack on us. It was just my guess, but he was apparently disgruntled by my detection range, which was actually quite wide due to my wind magic. The Black Lightning and its mate were different from their peers, as they were capable of neutralizing passive sonar (Enhanced Hearing Magic) by disturbing the mana around themselves, which created a ''zzz'' like sound from detection magic tools. I narrowly managed to avoid the attack when I noticed the disruption of mana, jumping forward with my active sonar skill (Enhanced Vision Magic). However, Manon-san couldn''t and received a claw strike from the mate of Black Lightning. I swiftly informed Dante-san about the enemy''s specialty and that the Dark Wolves had been gathering here from other places in succession. Dante-san''s judgement was to hold the stalemate as it was. There was a chance that the Dark Wolves might run away once I stopped using my active sonar that was getting on their nerves, but there was an even bigger danger of further assault. However, as long as we knew there would be following attacks, it wasn''t actually that tough to defend against their them with my magic and Dante-san and other''s abilities. Besides, if Black Lightning that led the pack decided to target a section of the siege by chance to make their escape, I was sure that the siege wouldn''t be able to hold them back. We concluded that it was best for us to keep them stuck here and, if possible, take down that boss. Besides, even if we couldn''t finish the boss, Captain Suzunami and Rosetta-san would surely come to check as long as we held them down here. With Captain Suzunami''s strength, it should be possible to mow down a great majority of the Dark Wolves even if not completely. In light of Manon-san''s injury, the group''s safety, and the success of the mission, Dante-san''s decision couldn''t have been any better. In the meantime, the small fries among the Dark Wolves jumped around here and there to create a diversion. However, the boss and his mate didn''t come to attack us again after the initial surprise attack. "And well, just as we were stuck in a stalemate, Captain Suzunami and Rose jumped into the fray. You guys were really lifesavers. Rose, too, thank you." Dante-san conveyed his appreciation with his usual gentle smile. It was quite hard to imagine he was the same person who had been going wild with a demon-like expression in the battle earlier. Though Rosetta-san shook her head in response to his gratitude. "No, you shouldn''t be saying this to me. If anything, we should have arrived earlier, and it was a flaw in my plan to split much of the manpower toward the valley. I can''t apologize enough for the trouble my hindsight has caused you all. Manon-san even got injured." It wasn''t a lie per se, or if anything, it was indeed the truth. Though I actually don''t need to close my eyes. This was also my first time using a mask on a mission, so I just brought it thinking it would help in training to lessen my reliance on my vision. Well, the fact that it was a night mission and everything was so dim without the usage of magic was another matter. It was just that physically blocking my eyes with a mask gave me a deeper impression of using my ''Mind''s Eye'' and it also tickled my chunni heart, so I just kept it on. I mean, the main reason was I felt it was cooler that way. Of course, I would have to be an idiot to say this when Rosetta-san was crying, so I just said the right explanation with false motive. I took a quick glance at Rosetta-san. She was looking at me with a wide-eyed expression. "Wind magic... So that''s what you mean. I thought that ''The wind whispered to me'' was just to tease me." ......Ack, it seemed like my best signature phrase did nothing but to invite some serious misunderstanding. Now that I think about it, I was an idiot to care about face angle with the mask over my face. But at the very least, that prickly sensation had completely disappeared from Rosetta-san''s gaze. "Heavens, no! I just didn''t have enough time at that moment, so I tried to put it in the shortest way possible...... Though I guess it just made things harder to understand. Of course, I had no intention to mock you either!" I hurriedly rectified my meaning and brushed off my pick-up line like it didn''t matter. Or at least, that was what I intended, but Suzunami-san''s lips curved into a huge grin while chiming in--- "Oh-ho? ''The wind whispered to me'', huh? For a random line, it''s quite poetic, no? Say, you just didn''t happen to prepare that cool pickup line beforehand and used it to score some brownie points with my adorable Rose in that tense situation, right?" Immediately, everyone looked at me with their teasing or skeptical gazes. My face turned scarlet after having my motive seen through. I gingerly turned to glance at Rosetta-san who muttered ''Cool line?...... What was cool about it?'' in puzzlement while looking at me with a crystal-clear gaze. ""Pfft!"" A sudden laughter escaped many throats on hearing that. Kah, I wanted to lock myself in the restroom right away, but Suzunami-san didn''t release her grasp over my shoulder. Since all my paths to retreat were closed off, I slid down the laughing old man mask, which I had put on my head, over my face. The sound of everyone''s laughter echoed into the mountains that night. E/N - Yep, totally expected that after his attempted flirting. Poor guy... Not ????FiNd updates on Vol. 1 - Ch. 109 - Founding Festival (1) Founding Festival. It was the 1198th year since the founding of the Yuglia Kingdom. And in celebration of that monumental day, a festival was held around this season in the Royal Capital each year. As the oldest nation on this continent, and also because it was the most grandiose festival that would take place every year, the stream of people that came to take part in it was never few. The inns and other similar establishments even got advanced bookings several years earlier. The festival has a lot of programs as its centerpiece and has a crowd of tourists coming from both the other regions and outside the kingdom. It was a huge event that was held for 5 days. That said, it wasn''t like this festival was an absolute as if it must be held even if it poured rain or hail, and there had been past precedent of the duration of the festival being shortened due to war or even terminated in the middle. The festival this year, however, was going to be held with great pomp as usual. Well, the world had been quietly shimmering with an invisible tension but with the conflict happening only in the background, it was a weak reason to cancel the festival this year. Unfortunately, while Yuglia''s confrontation with the Rosemieur Empire and Justeria had almost become public news, canceling the festival over it would just hamper relations with both nations. Furthermore, there was also the potential economic loss with the other nations, so not going through with the festival this year was something they couldn''t do. On the other hand, the hectic vibe in the capital also meant the 3rd legion of Kingdom''s Knight Order, who were in charge of the capital''s safety, had no time to care about sleep. Honestly, as much as I wanted to play around in my first ever youthful summer vacation, this was the only reason I was in the Royal Capital at this moment after being repeatedly told ''I don''t care for other times BUT, you should be here to shoulder some responsibilities during festival season'' to the point that I almost got calluses on my ears. An event of such a scale would never be missed by good-for-nothing fellas. This was almost a buffet-like situation for them to cause trouble after all. Frankly, I myself don''t know anything about the festival, so I wanted to experience it to my heart''s content, but Master has helped me out in many things, so... I put my plan in the backseat this time. ¡ô¡ô¡ô For the duration of the founding festival, it was decided I would be operating from the capital''s central military post at all times. Well, to be more specific, it''s about helping Master with his desk work. After the request for additional backup for the city''s police force from the nearby regions, the number of staff had been temporarily inflated. My task was to screen through their submitted reports and mention problematic ones to Master. My days during the festival basically went into sorting out the reports while Master formulated the policies accordingly. Heck, today marked the third day of the festival. It reminded me of the pet phrase of my boss, ''Take the rope of command and change the system if you don''t like certain things''... It was always easier to speak from a high moral standpoint, after all. I didn''t see why I must work like a horse in the Knight Order or the bureaucracy to advance in life, and I despise the thought of sacrificing myself for the kingdom for no reason even more. Hmm-mm, at this point, my experience here has just been proving how right I was in my ''life plan''. All this work could go to hell. I should look for a suitable time and follow my original plan to live an unfettered and amusing life. Anyway, for now, I needed to do something about my current situation. I didn''t know about the others, but I think I was going to recall even the memories of my past life if I continued to listen to faint voices of the festival''s hustle and bustle while I was working my ass off here. "Master! I might be receiving an hourly wage for working here, but don''t you think this is going overboard for a student? I''m saying now, once we reach a good point in our work to call a break, we''re going to move to patrolling work at lunchtime, and you''re going to buy me treats from the nearby stalls!" "H-Hey, calm down brat! Look, there''s a mountain of your favorite plain flavored portable rations right ther---" Master tried to deflect the topic, but I ignored him and moved on to the next document. And this was about--- ?Report about the spies of another nation who were beaten black and blue by the female students affiliated to the Advanced Magic Research Institute. Outline of Incident - The two female students of our nation were asked for guidance by some scoundrels of a foreign nation, who had arrived here to take a look at the founding festival, but it was apparently their ploy to bring the girls to an uninhabited alley. In light of what seemed to be a premeditated kidnapping scene, the two female students took a shot at them in self-defense and the skirmish ended with eight of those scoundrels bearing injuries. After delving into the background of the said scoundrels and would-be abductors, it had come to light that they were spies who arrived here after receiving the request of the exploration association of the Rosemieur Empire to gather intelligence. Their treatment has been decided via the diplomatic route alongside a strong objection from our side. Furthermore, about the victims, when the police inquired one of the female students, who had both of her hands dyed in bright red, about herself, she instead appealed for a search request saying ''My little brother hasn''t come home'' with a ghastly expression. After inquiring the other female student, it has been confirmed she has no past criminal record of---? Umu, I closed the document, tossed it into the ''require no mediation'' box and got up from my seat. "Oi, hold on! Geez, alright! We''re going to have lunch outside! Huh, where are you going?! It''s still 9 in the morning, smelly brat~!" T/N - The last one cracked me up lol. It reminds me of those horror stories like ''searching for someone'' in the darkness of alleyway troupe. E/N - I can relate to the MC here. Wanting to improve the system but not wanting to bother with the hassle. It''s a lot easier to just quit and just go somewhere else. In fact, I also want to live an unfettered and amusing life, but unfortunately I have to eat ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 110 - Founding Festival (2) I left the central station of the capital while putting on the guffawing plump uncle mask. My actual favorite mask was that laughing drooping eyes uncle mask but now, whenever I look at those amicable eyes, full of satisfaction, all it did was unearth bitter memories of my ordeal during the Dark Wolves subjugation, sending a dull pain to my chest each time. So I would seal it for a good while until I was back on my feet again. In fact, this mask was also made by the same creator of laughing uncle mask and including another one, I have total of three masks from the uncle series--- laughing drooping eyes uncle, guffawing plump uncle, and the last one being a laughing with a deadpan expression uncle like he was looking at nothingness while suppressing his lips. You know, it was the face of someone who had been forced to work overtime without receiving additional pay for eternity. I kinda felt that being stared at by those empty, souless eyes would spur a nameless fire that was not suitable for the festival''s vibe, so I decided to go with the ''plump face'' mask today after eliminating the other options. Well, I wouldn''t call any of them trendy, but I liked how they stuck to my face almost perfectly as if they were custom-made for me. I never heard anyone mentioning the word ''fate'' in this world, but if it did exist here, then I was sure that my thread of fate brought me and these artistic pieces --- the old man series masks --- that appealed to my heart vehemently together. Yeah, to cut to the chase, I was completely smitten by the masks.Gett your favorite novels at The summer of the Royal Capital was riddled with high temperatures, but it wasn''t to the level of unbearable. The pompous people were using this festival as an excuse to hold a meeting with the influential figures of the other nations, meanwhile the common populace were genuinely enjoying the event. For the people with money, there was a grandiose looking auction, and there was the flea market for normal folks nearby. There was also a coliseum with all sorts of people appearing to take a look, and the church was offering recovery magic aid free of charge. There were also magical tool exhibitions, musical performances, fashion shows, and many more attractions. As for me, I was walking through the decorated streets of the capital while being lured by the drifting aroma of various food. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Speaking of festivals, you couldn''t really say you enjoyed the festival without experiencing the various assortments of food it offered, no? I followed my original plan, to eat out, and moved to the 5th avenue, the trade route. The food stalls started from the midsection where the street penetrating the capital from east to west direction intersected with the 4th central street that went through from the north to the south of the capital, and expanded up to 20 km from there, where any incoming vehicle was banned for the occasion. A variety of shops from both the capital and the other regions were going all out with their prided cooking, especially the folks of the other regions who were pitching their specialities, trying to lure in customers with tempting words and aromas. There were also shops from foreign nations. The trade route was big enough for four small-size magic cars to run in parallel. I guess that would translate to 8 lane roads, with 4 lanes on each side in the Japanese road system. Just from a rough glance and what I had heard, there were apparently around 5000 thousand shops here currently. The appetite of the people in this world was much bigger than the people of Earth, but not even a glutton would be able to taste the flavor of every shop in just five days. Still, it sure was easy to get infected with the festive air, huh? With the black mantle of the 3rd legion trailing at my back, I mainly charted the east commerce street starting from the central station. I decided to check out the shops within the range of 10 km for one hour and take note of which shop seemed appealing. I guess by the afternoon I would return to the office after having my fill when Master''s anger should have dropped to an acceptable degree. "Hmm, yes, please. By the way, this kid is lost, so if you happen to notice a light green haired girl like him but four years older, then can you tell her to visit the police booth at the intersection of 4th street and 5th avenue?" "Police booth? Ah, you mean those small box-like buildings for the police that I''ve recently seen around? Roger~! I''ll make sure to keep an eye out! And you too, kid, you''re quite strong to remain calm! Thank you for your patronage!" Phew, thanks to the cheerful shopkeeper, the tense expression of Yuukas had mellowed down. It was worthwhile to stop by here. I also dug into the huge croissant with toppings stuffed in the middle. "Hn~, delicious! I see, grand choice indeed! Oh, what happened, aren''t you going to eat?" Yuukas for some reason had a surprise look, so I asked him. "......Are we going to eat here... while standing?" So that was it, huh? He must have been raised well with prim and proper manners. I grinned and answered. "We''re not going to eat while standing, but while walking. Aren''t you a boy? It''s not a shame then! Just be careful not to bump into others." Yuukas seemed taken aback at my line but seeing me walking away, he also made up his mind and took a bite out of his croissant. "How is it? Delicious?" Yuukas nodded in a lively manner. Fumu, I know right. Imagine not eating while walking in this festive vibe. That was almost half the fun taken away! I had to say, I think I had the knack of teaching the right way to have fun. "It''s delicious! It''s even more delicious than any ice cream I''ve eaten so far!" Yuukas nodded with a moved expression. The local specialities during the journey sure brings a smile to everyone''s faces, didn''t they? The uneasy expression from his face had disappeared to quite an extent, so I also expanded the topic we talked about. Much of it was just silly banter as we looked for his sister while eating ice cream next. Frankly, I was also quite happy with this encounter. I was an only child in my last lifetime and even here, I was the youngest kid, so dealing with Yuukas made me feel like a big brother. We waited for a while at the police booth when a girl suddenly rushed in with a flustered appearance. With hair color matching Yuukas'', I was sure she was the person we were waiting for. "Isn''t it great we stopped by the bakery, eh, Yuukas? It seemed like that uncle informed your sister." T/N - Did MC ever think...maybe his red thread of fate was actually got corrupted due to his weird ideas lol? Vol. 1 - Ch. 111 - Founding Festival (3) "I really have no words to express how thankful I am for your help! Thank you very much!! I hope you''ll pardon any inconvenience we may have caused you!" Olivia-san, Yuukas'' elder sister, repeatedly bowed her head. I was a bit surprised when I saw her. As far as I had seen, the order of beauty in this world was a notch higher, which could put my previous world''s standard to shame. However, Olivia-san wasn''t a beauty of that caliber... probably. She had light green hair just like Yuukas, but I could see some freckles over her healthy, fair skin. Anyway, returning to the topic, stopping by that shop to purchase Yuukas'' favorite croissant paid off. She probably thought that he might be hovering around one such shop, and was carefully examining the food stalls when she reached that croissant shop and suddenly heard about us. "As I said, you don''t have to be sorry. What are we knights for if not to help out the people, no?" "You''re too humble, even I know how impossible it is for a Knight Order member to look after a lost child, and even more so to search for their guardian together. The bakery uncle, too, was surprised when he heard the gist of the situation. It typically ends with people leaving the situation to the police, I know that much." "Well, I was just sightseeing and happened to have free time in my hands. And if you ask me, it was fun for me to meet someone from another nation and enjoy the festival together while eating. Am I right, Yuukas?" I said while lightly tapping Yuukas'' head. Olivia-san puffed her cheeks and glared at Yuukas. "Good grief. Here I had my heart heavy with impatience, thinking what if you couldn''t find a way home and might be distressed in a corner or some good for nothing fella took you away. And what do I see here? You, happily eating ice cream. Return all my feelings!" Olivia-san took the ice cream from Yuukas and ate it with a snapping action. "Woahhh~ what''s with this ice cream? So delicious~!!" Ahaha, I guess she was someone who wore her heart on her sleeve like a child. Though she was slightly older than me. "Anyway, since you''re now together, you should continue your tour. I have work to attend to, so I must take my leave here. Bye, Yuukas, until fate brings us together again." ''Ah, wait...'' I was just about to stand up when Yuukas stopped me. Then he turned to glance at his older sister and asked nervously. "Say, esteemed sister. Do you mind if I give my name here? I mean, it''s such a coincidence we happened to meet and become friends, so...... Also, if you don''t mind, would you tell me your name too, Sir Knight?" Olivia looked exasperated. "Yu, you haven''t told your benefactor your name? There''s nothing to be suspicious about, so you should do that uprightly. And Sir Knight too, I can''t believe you''re going without leaving your name....... How would we be able to thank you otherwise?" Olivia said and gave a slight push to Yuukas'' back. "Err, thank you very much for your help. I''m Yuukas Rudeon, from Justeria. It would be great if we can continue to be friends!" Eh, really? Now that was what I call truly unexpected. After all, Rudeon of Justeria''s ancestry could be traced back to the Roldeon family, one of the ''Original Five'', and they have strong blood ties. They were so famous that even normal citizens of foreign nations like me had heard of their name. Until around 400 years ago, the Roldeon family ruled the Roldeon Kingdom, now Justeria. However, the Roldeon family was a biased and oppressive ruler who advocated noble supremacy and their favoring the nobles ultimately became the catalyst for an uprising as the kingdom was then democratized, and they adopted a parliamentary system. "I see, I think I have the general gist of the situation now. It might be strange for me to say this, but should you have really revealed this to me? I am, well, from the nation that might go to war with Justeria, and a knight, though still a trainee. I have no authority or say in any way, just saying." Olivia-san, however, nodded with conviction. "I know and feel that to be correct. I refuse to believe this nation''s intelligence department hadn''t gathered that much information already, after all. Besides, the Rudeon family discourages the war, and that must be cleared beforehand. Our esteemed father held the system of the other nations in high regard, but he also believes that protecting the democracy of Justeria is the just path. The rumors that the ''entire'' Justeria is advocating for war against Yuglia is spreading among the populace here it seems, so I want to spread the truth to as many people as possible." Ah, her words had weight. With no concrete information sharing or communication technique, the weight that rumors held could even topple the best of the best in this era. "It was also our esteemed father''s plan for us to look around the festival. He always respected how Yuglia had so beautifully created a society with both the nobles and commoners being on the same spectrum. ''Step out and quietly watch the society of this nation with the festival now ongoing. Even I had come here to visit this festival by sneaking away from grandfather and that had been an eye-opener,'' he said. He''s always like this, saying nothing can beat the experience of watching novel things with your own eyes and feeling it with your being. And well... we had been too absorbed in our sightseeing that I lost sight of Yu." Olivia-san with a hint of embarrassment. Heh, their father had quite an open and avant-garde outlook. I didn''t see this coming since, you know, while he may be from a nation that adopted democracy, he was still born of a prestigious family and this world still had traces of a feudalistic outlook. With the past history I had read about in my past life, the end was ever so apparent. I also didn''t mince my words as I said my truthful impression. "Your father sounds like a wonderful person. He sounds like a person who I would call ''someone walking a step or two ahead of their time.'' Anyway, I can''t delay any further. I have to go now, but don''t forget to enjoy the festival, alright? Oh, right. I would recommend giving the steak skewer from the ''Lizard Fang'' shop a try. It''s just a bit ahead from here. Their secret spicy sauce is incredible! Ah, see ya later on another occasion." I said, put on the ''plump'' mask on my face and left my seat. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After Allen''s figure had disappeared among the passersby--- "What was the deal with that mask...... What an eccentric person. I thought the kindness was all just a facade to get into the good graces of the Rudeon family, but he didn''t even know that, and neither did he show any hint of sucking up after hearing it as well. Though, a connection with the talented ones of the Knight Order was something we wished for as well, but how easy was it for him to say ''see ya later'', as if there would be a chance to meet again." Yuukas, next to her, nodded in agreement. "I also felt it. He''s quite an... enigmatic person. By the way, esteemed sister, what did Allen-san mean by father being ''someone who walks ahead of his time''?" Olivia pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "Hmm~, I don''t get it either. I don''t think suggesting their kids to go out in secret and have fun at the festival is anything worth exaggerating at this point. Wait...... It''s as if he was suggesting there would come a time when ordinary folks would be in command of governance...... No way, right? He''s also a noble of this kingdom at the end of the day, after all......" Vol. 1 - Ch. 112 - Rising Star Cup (1) Day 4 of the Founding Festival. Today, I was visiting the Colosseum along with Parth-san and Justine-san with regard to my guard duty. As for how this wind of change was gracing me¡ª It was morning, I just entered Master''s office with a sigh, lamenting my fate of being stuck with another day of desk job, when he gave me the security task that I needed to take on in collaboration with the imperial guards. The ''Rising Star Cup'' event that was going to be held at the Colosseum today would have young talents from each country participating in it. Participants from Yuglia were elected individuals from the Royal Academy, one per grade, who would be proving their valor while carrying the honor of their nation. The first-year representative this year was, as one would expect, Leo. The event reminded me of the competition at Rosemieur that I had heard about. Apparently, young mages test their mettle during the long spring holidays in the empire. As today''s event was something that would be attended by His Majesty and key nobles of the other nations, the imperial guards had their hands full with their protection. The event was also open to the common populace as well, not just to VIPs, with around 30,000 tickets. Though they were such a hot commodity that they were immediately sold-out on the same day. But money speaks I guess as the majority of tickets were actually bought out by the nobles of the other nations¡ª so much for the common populace. Anyway, the audience was almost entirely made up of the upper class. We, the 3rd legion, along with the police, were tasked to look after the general entrance. As a matter of fact, I also thought about looking for a way to get a ticket since I was quite curious about the ceiling of foreign talents, but I had to give up after Master told me to focus on my knightly duties for the duration of the festival. As for how it went¡ª "Heavens, are you sure, Master!? Oh goodness, then I have to apologize for even doubting your goodwill! sniff I didn''t know you were always looking after me...... No, I have really misjudged you!" I tried to express my gratitude, but Master just clicked his tongue with his typical bloodshot eyes. "Do you really think I had nothing better to do to pull some strings just so that you can take that mission?! It''s just that the geezer Godorfun suddenly told me that I should let you watch the Rising Star Cup, using that decree as his weapon, saying ''Wasn''t the order to make Allen run errands as a knight as long as it doesn''t hinder his studies?'' or something. Damn that geezer! I swear, it wouldn''t have killed him to tell me that beforehand!!" Eh, I don''t think I had any answer as to why as well...... Either way, it was a sudden windfall for me. I sent my eternal gratitude to Godorfun-sensei in my heart and left the central station while wearing the ''nihilistic'' mask over my face. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "That''s it. The winner is Leo Zatsinger." The Colosseum erupted in rumbling applause when Godorfun-sensei, the umpire of this tournament, announced the victory of the local hero, Leo. The matches were divided by grade level, where the representatives of the eight nations showcased their skill in a tournament-like format. The condition to lose was if the umpire decided that the participant was no longer in a state to fight, a K.O. in short, a contestant lost their weapon, a contestant surrendered of their own will, or a contestant fell down from the stage that was 20 m on each side. Weapons were allowed, but only wooden ones. The same went for armament in that they had to be made of wood or leather only. Emission magic with elemental factor was not allowed, but detection magic could be used. Damn that Leo, did he train this summer vacation? He clearly got stronger...... Leo''s opponent was by no means a pushover when it came to skill, but Leo''s power level was just above the standard. I was sure I could have won the tournament as well if I had been in his place, but that would have been quite an arduous path unlike his absolute dominance. Well, I was only carrying my partian bow today but as long as they did not bar the wooden lygo bow and wooden arrows, I sure as heck could snatch the championship. But I wonder if that would be allowed since everyone was using close-quarter weapons. Rondy-san''s weapon of choice was a thick and sturdy club, meanwhile Olivia-san''s was a rapier with a slightly broader blade. Both of their weapons were wooden work for sure, but they came with elaborate designs unthinkable of wooden craftsmanship, meanwhile their hilts were designed in teardrop fashion. A rapier probably had no chance in direct confrontation with a club. She was also not sporting a beefy build like Uncle Shell or Dante-san, so I really couldn''t imagine her trying to parry the club with her wooden rapier. A no-hit run while deftly managing incoming attacks was not simple either. Another problem was the abundant mana of Rondy-san which meant he couldn''t be put down in a single attack from an edgeless rapier. While I was analyzing the odds of victory for each side, Rondy-san made the first move. Gripping the center of the club, he spun it to build momentum, then closed distance while swinging down diagonally from the top right. Olivia-san deftly dodged that attack, stepping in closer to thrust her rapier, but Rondy-san was able to counter it. I presume he must have considered the chance of his attack being dodged, which was how he managed to switch gears so soon. He then followed up with a horizontal strike of his club while covering all the angles she could possibly dodge. THUNK!! A dull sound echoed on the stage. "What the......" The scene caused me to unwittingly mutter in daze. Against all the possibilities I had thought, Olivia-san astonishingly accepted that strike with her rapier without breaking a single drop of sweat. I really had no idea how such a thin rapier could take a club''s attack head on. Admittedly the blade was a bit wider, but that was it. In that case, that rapier was definitely not made of ordinary wood. Plus she even made sure to press down the base part of the club which showed her fine skills. The club couldn''t easily be swung if the base was pressed down like that, after all. But I think the thing that astonished me far more than anything was her confidence. She had that unwavering confidence where she could definitely take on a direct strike with her rapier. There was no way she would have chosen that risky maneuver of entering her opponent''s range without that unshakable confidence. And with how she managed to gauge all that out even before experiencing the strength of Rondy-san, she was also confident that her body enhancement was incomparable to even the other contestants of the Rising Star Cup. Olivia-san was rooted on the spot like a rock while it was Rondy-san who was forced to step back. In that timeframe, Olivia-san twirled on her heel while holding that rapier and kicked away Rondy-san. The club left Rondy-san as it flew behind him. "Game. The winner is Olivia Rudeon." As Godorfun-sensei announced the winner, Olivia-san rushed up to Rondy-san and offered him a helping hand while saying ''It was a great battle!''. ''Uh-huh, I lost, huh?'' Rondy-san muttered with a faint smile and took her hand to stand up. The Colosseum was instantly filled with thunderous cheers despite the loss of their representative. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Are you kidding me, that duck face did that? No, what are the people of Justeria even doing here?" The man next to her replied. "Tsk! She''s the daughter of the Rudeon house, the one holding the vanguard of the anti-war and pro Yuglia faction...... It''s clear she had drawn her talent from that <> family. I heard about her prowess, but they surely managed to conceal how great her talent actually was. This Rising Star Cup had a tremendous effect in publicity. If they were to use that fame, it might be possible to subvert the kingdom''s opinion and Justeria''s senate as well. Can you win?" "Spit! Not even in nine lives would I lose against that ugly duck. Democracy, freedom, and equality my foot. That just makes me want to puke. There''s no hero without the sparkling adoration of the commoners. And history is proof that heroes are always from illustrious lineage and appearance. I will show that bitch how the world works.¡± Vol. 1 - Ch. 113 - Rising Star Cup (2) I had thought Olivia-san would be the indisputable third-year champion after her display of skills, but it seemed like my judgement was a bit too hasty. The other prospective champion that emerged was the candidate representing the Rosemieur Empire. Her name was Grayfia Indiana. Apparently she was also the victor of the first-year and second-year divisions in her time. This person was incredibly fast, and she even seemed to have innate grace in her maneuvers. They both were masters of finesse and prowess in their own ways that was incomparable to others, the fair example of everyone not being made equal, and as expected, the finals was going to be between them. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Facing her opponent, Olivia-san brought her rapier up vertically, resembling a salute in fencing. "I look forward to having a fair fight with you." "All I will give you is a thorough beating." With her side sickle spear resting on her shoulders, Grayfia-san said so while stretching out her waist. The match proceeded with Grayfia-san launching a fierce onslaught with her dynamic fighting style while Olivia-san settled with a counter style. It was similar to the mock battle between me and Leo, except the intensity of this fight was a step above. In contrast to her uncouth speech, Grayfia-san''s footwork was nothing short of artistic. The movement of her legs, peeking out from the slits of her mermaid-like dress, was as graceful and light as a waltz dance. The way she manipulated the distance like a phantom evoked the memories of my experience with Dio''s movements. It was something I wished for Parry-kun to see. Her opponent, Olivia-san, was equally impressive. She was indeed not a match to Grayfia-san in agility, but she had been beautifully parrying each strike that came her way by sticking to her base, leaving no opening even under the barrage of attacks. Frankly, the way she had been dealing with those untamed spear attacks was very much a role model example. If I have to guess, she must have practiced day and night to the limits of her body and faced countless mock battles to reach this height. Leo, too, was looking at their fight with an engrossed appearance. That was expected as Olivia-san''s style was a perfect reference for him. "Haaaaaaa!!!" The one that broke that deadlock was Olivia-san. She unleashed her Body Strengthening ability to the maximum and increased her physical and defensive abilities. She accepted a spear strike with her armor, and while covering her bases in case of a follow-up attack, she cornered Grayfia-san. There was no way Olivia-san would have come out of that exchange safely if she was facing a real weapon, but she must have thought of Grayfia-san as a formidable opponent as well and considered it worthwhile to exchange injury for the victory. But her impatience to settle the score didn''t make sense. She could still have her chance if she just waited for the correct time... Unless she was unsure if her mana capacity would last. The output of a magic spell --- whether it was Body Strengthening or Emission Magic --- could be increased with ease the higher one''s mana capacity was, though it could also be increased by a small margin with training and talent. But at the end of the day, you could rig a spell to get top-class firepower but the fuel to sustain it was something that would remain constant. I guess the original five''s Roldeon might be specialized in training their mana output control. However, before Godorfun could complete his words, both he and Grayfia suddenly turned around after feeling a sudden wave of bloodlust. They moved their gaze toward the source to see a young knight --- a rustic youth that could best be described as plain --- glaring at Grayfia while releasing his bloodlust. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Ack, now I''ve done it. What am I doing, suddenly giving a hostile look while on guard duty... Well, I did my best to control myself in my defense though. I mean, I was just enjoying this thrilling, heart-thumping cultural event festival, a confirmed template of the reincarnation troupe, when it suddenly unfolded into this bitter--- no, this nauseating direction. Cough Do your best, Godorfun-sensei, Leo. I was feigning a clueless look while suppressing my feelings when Yuukas also turned his gaze my way following those two, shouting ''Allen-san!?''. A buzz spread amidst the audience hearing that. "......Allen? Ahh, that rumored Allen Rovenne? Pfft! Hahahaha! I thought it would be some heavy-weight with a cool or wild side with such flashy rumors, but what a bummer. Aren''t you just a plain-faced scamp? And eww, you reek of country-bumpkin vibe so much. I bet you can''t even be a starter. Come now, Leo Zaitsinger!" But when Grayfia-san saw my plain-face, she immediately lost interest in me. Damn, what a rude woman...... Did she really have to compare my face with that of that adonis Leo in front of such a huge crowd? I hurriedly slid down my ''Nihilistic'' mask to cover my face, I had to push it up to properly look at the matches. However, Leo instead put up his usual fearless grin from his neutral expression and then gestured me towards the stage with his two hands as if saying ''Come, the stage is yours'', before returning to his seat. Huh, woah, woah. I''m currently on guard duty, man. Don''t throw this hot potato at me--- I was frantically gesturing at Leo to take my position when Godorfun approached me and said. "Fuhahaha! I didn''t expect this situation, eh... She, Olivia, is the daughter of my dear friend when I was still commanding the army. So it''s truly a pity that I can''t kill that woman myself. But my patience is also not limitless to tolerate that cocky bird--- so go and discipline her." What do you think I am, a secret ranger that jumps out to punish evil......? I mean, I do feel enraged, but I had a hunch something even more terrible would happen to me if I turned to face her in a fight. "Think about it again, Sensei, I''m just not cut out to face the spear of that person, no? So let Leo take care of---" I protested, however, Godorfun-sensei flashed a doting grandfather-like smile as a streak of blue vein appeared on his forehead. "I know. That Grayfia whatever put a bit too much on your shoulder...... So hurry up and discipline her!" Gahhh, this old man really doesn''t talk with human words, does he?! I wonder if there was any bureau that would listen to my plea against the ex-vice commander''s power harassment...... E/N - I have to admit, the author has talent in making annoying, punchable villains. Hopefully, Allen lays the smackdown on this girl in the next chapter. Vol. 1 - Ch. 114 - Rising Star Cup (3) "So he''s the Allen Rovenne in the rumors, huh?......" "I heard he''s been the apple of the eyes of upper society right now, an ''unheard of persona'' even with this kingdom''s illustrious history......." "But everything else aside, what in the world is with that irritating mask......." "What a surprise though, I never thought I would be able to see the real person in the flesh. I thought he was supposed to be the concealed ace card of the kingdom....... Anyway, write down everything. It''s going to be in the report." A stream of whispers ¡ª some that I would have been totally happy to not hear ¡ª poured into my ears, enhanced by my passive sonar skill. "Go for it, li¡¯l bro! Also, Rose will kill you if you lose!" ......Heavens, I would be ever so glad for anyone who could give me some game-like ''the story so far'' tidbits to tell me how things came to this....... "Hmph. With that face hidden behind a mask and coming so grudgingly, do you know you look like a newborn fawn? This is why rumors are nothing but embellished crap. Just you wait, I¡¯m going to strip off that mask, you mob face!" And why was this idiot suddenly getting all pumped up for receiving this much attention? On the other hand, the idiot had completely treated me as air and instead, declared to Leo while pointing at him, "It¡¯ll be your turn once I finish pummeling this mob face, Leo Zatsinger!" However, Leo put on his usual fearless grin and answered to her provocation. "Well, good luck, I guess...... I don''t think my turn will come though." Another buzz spread among the audience. "......So you really aren¡¯t putting me in your eyes, huh? You pumpkin brat, just remember that I¡¯m not going to stop my attack even if you try to surrender." Hey, hey, hey, it''s Leo who''s taunting you, not me...... Why in the world were Godorfun and Leo acting as if my victory was a forgone conclusion. Could they not see the idiot boasting that she had the upper hand, for damned sake! I mean, it was clear she had a short fuse as she even kicked a fallen contestant, you know?! I would have to bear all the brunt if she got mad! Oh wait, I remember there was a line ''to earn a girl¡¯s favor, you have to praise them'' written in the book ''The secret theory to becoming a popular boy'' that I had bought secretly in my previous life. One would imagine a book with a title like that might even have equation-like suggestions written on it as well, which had thoroughly made my scientific mind fall head over heels for it and convinced me to buy it, but all that written in it were just damn abstract theories and spiritual nonsense that didn''t help me one bit. Frankly, I didn''t think Grayfia was someone to talk to about looks when she herself had the same mob face as me, but she was somehow acting as if there was no one comparable to her. That said, she still had one charming point. I swiftly decided to bank on that point. "Your canine tooth is quite charming." "You bastard! Now you''re going after the only part I don''t like about me! Don''t think I¡¯ll leave you in one piece now!!" ......Ack, that turned out to be a landmine. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After somehow blowing up the only possible landmine in our conversation, and getting caught up in this mess, I was also starting to get irked now. It was almost like I somehow had some kind of deal with god in the typical white dimension when I reincarnated, and that was why each and every girl around me was filled with nothing but landmines. And the worst part was that I don''t even remember a single bit about it! No wait, thinking back, the root cause of everything started with this girl treating Olivia-san in a sickening way, souring my mood just when I was really getting into a festive vibe. Why in the world was I getting treated as a doormat by her? "......Allen-san, why''re you here?" Olivia-san, who had regained her consciousness after a priest cast holy magic on her, asked me. "You''re amazing, Olivia-san. I don''t think I¡¯ve seen anyone fight so coolly! By the way, can I borrow that rapier?" Hearing my request, Olivia-san tilted her head in puzzlement. "Yes? Ah, but sure. But this rapier is tailor-made for me, so I fear it may not suit you." Soon, ''Pffttttt!!!'', bursts of laughter echoed in the arena from here and there, seemingly no longer able to control their manners. The solemn and upright royal guards in charge of the security of the VIPs were eyeing the arena with serious expressions, but anyone would be able to capture the trembling of their brows. They not only held the prestige of Yuglia on their backs, but they were even in the presence of the VIPs of foreign nations, so bursting into laughter at the debacle happening in the arena was something they must hold off with all their might. Grayfia hurriedly held down the hem of her dress in panic while shouting "T-This is just a good luck charm for me, I typically wear more risky and lace ones!" as if putting up an excuse. But her desperate cry earned her even more laughter from the audience. "I-It''s true, with more string and super revealing! T-The color is even black, too!!!" Grayfia desperately repeated her excuse about how she actually wore more revealing underwear normally. Though the more she shouted in desperation, the more it worked as oil to fuel the fire that engulfed the arena in laughter and whistle. But in a way, that was probably bound to happen when the same Grayfia, who had given off a vicious impression after her cruel treatment toward Olivia, was now trying to convince the audience about her choice of underwear with a furious expression. The royal guards back in the VIP rooms had tears pooling in their eyes while their shoulders heaved up and down uncontrollably. If they were participating in certain ''you must not laugh'' TV programs in Japan, they would have surely got their ''disqualified'' tickets from the judges. It took Grayfia a while, but she also finally noticed her words were just livening up the atmosphere of the arena, pursed her lips and stood dumbfounded while giving the root of all evil that was Allen a death glare with her angry expression. However, now that the wind had lost their direction when she held onto the backside of her dress, they decided to shift and tuck up the front part next. She was somehow holding down the front and back part of her dress while still feeling the wind brushing past the slits from left to right. It was clear that if she tried to move her hands even a little bit, her ''lil bunny'' would be out for everyone to gaze at. Having her hands sealed in that fashion, tears pooled up in Grayfia''s eyes as she glared at Allen with a furious expression, like a demon from hell. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Damn you pumpkin head, you lecher!! Don''t you even have the guts to fight fair and square?!" Fair and square.... Are you sure you''re the one to say that? Heck, I don''t think blaming the enemy for the act when she herself entered the arena wearing a skirt type dress for battle is upright in itself. You know there were also trousers or shorts to wear beneath that if she didn''t want to show herself that much. I feigned a dumb expression and tilted my head in puzzlement. "Umm, I don''t think that''s within my hands though. I did pray for a ''tranquil departure'', it''s just that Sylphy loves to prank others. There is nothing I can do the instant you enter her pilgrimage. You may have more luck talking to her instead of trying to ask me." Grayfia hollered with bloodshot eyes. "Don''t give me that crap!! Hell, who even is that Sylphy?! Besides, that spirit or dumb shit isn''t even real. Hurry up and stop these winds! I swear I''ll burst that head of yours otherwise!!" I shook my head in a ''good grief'' manner. Seriously, even elementary school kids knew who Sylphy was. "I don''t think I have anything to say when you''re so oblivious about Sylphy, the spirit of the wind and one of the four pillars of the great spirits. I would advise against angering her. If you want to pick a fight, at least do it somewhere near the entrance." I declared it in a confident tone, staring at her with my nihilist mask while further raising the wind speed. This pushed Grayfia-san into even more panic as she hurriedly apologized with teary eyes. "Alright! I''m sorry, Sylphy! I believe in you, so please stop the mischief now!" I also slowly stopped the wind. "..............I¡¯ll kill you!!" The next instant. Grayfia-san jumped at me with bloodshot eyes. I deployed my wind magic at full power while shouting ''Stop her, Sylphy!!'' which tucked up her skirt to the limit. Her dress rolled up to the point that even her belly button was visible as it covered her head the next instance, robbing her of her vision. Grayfia-san stiffened like an unmovable rock for some reason. I took that chance to knock down her spear from her hands with the rapier I borrowed from Olivia-san. ¡°Game. The victor is Allen Rovenne.¡± A loud cheer erupted, literally shaking the air of the venue, following the announcement. E/N - Well, I should have expected it would end like this. Vol. 1 - Ch. 115 - Rising Star Cup (4) "Game. The victor is Allen Rovenne." The umpire, Godorfun-sensei, announced the result in a booming voice. The venue instantly erupted in thunderous applause and cheers from the audience. I also caught the whispers of a few of my acquaintances amidst the cheer. "Ahahaha! Look at how hard you''re laughing, Parth-san. Please take this jute bag to adjust your breathing!" "Inhale Exhale" Look at them laughing like madmen without heeding the time or place. And they were supposed to be here for security... They should at least learn from the royal guards, they had been wanting to laugh so hard but were desperately holding themselves back to the point that they were now slightly shivering like they got hit by a sudden gust of cold wind in chilly weather...... "Ahahaha! That was quite a show, li¡¯l bro! A-cha, Rose looks like she''s about to explode at any time~! She''s saying she doesn''t remember raising you to be such a lecherous kid!" ......Huh, hold on there for a minute. I mean, yeah it might cause my relatives some embarrassment, but that was the only sure-fire way for me to win. Seriously!! I had no doubt that should I lose my consciousness and be kicked around like Olivia-san, my short-tempered sis would definitely attempt jumping straight to here. I could already imagine the mess she would create then! "That''s our supervisor!! All the boys of the Magic Club present hereby vow to never forget the legendary feat we¡¯ve been shown today! It was truly a work of art from our supervisor, the of the Royal Academy''s Magic Emission Club! We''re truly grateful for your grace, supervisor!" "Etch it into your brain! This is the true capability of Allen Rovenne, the one that walks together with wind and panty!" "Indeed, it''s not just mere words that our supervisor has reached the <10th Order of Flip Mastery>!" Those morons! Didn''t they have the brain to consider what they should and shouldn''t utter in front of such a huge crowd! What even was the flip mastery nonsense?! Just wait, I¡¯d definitely make them run like dogs in the next club activity! Haa... Everything was just a killjoy. I could only suppress the nameless fire crackling within me as I turned back to return to my position with a wistful expression. I took a quick glance at Grayfia-sana, and she was rooted on the spot, harboring an absentminded expression, as if her mind was no longer there. Ugh, now I feel like giving this mask to her...... "It seemed like your apology was a bit too light-hearted to calm down Sylphy''s anger. I would suggest learning some manners on how to be humble and how to apologize properly...... Well, I¡¯ll take my leave now." I muttered, keeping to my made-up setting, and waved my hand as I turned around to leave. On the other hand, tears brimmed in the eyes of Grayfia-san. "It can''t be true......" Ack, did she notice the spirit was a bluff? "There''s no way a mob-face like you could have ever been my opponent! I-I''m special! I know! You must have used spirit magic to cause the wind for sure! You coward! I can''t believe you brought someone like one of the pillars of the four great spirits, the unfettered maiden, Re Sylphy to this martial art convention!!!" Ugh, damn, did she have an eidetic memory of what?!Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m I was someone talentless who couldn''t even use magic that required the attribute conversion talent, so of course that wasn''t against the rules. But as for whether I had any interest in victory for this tournament, then it was definitely zero! And her doubt did make sense, so it surely wouldn¡¯t raise any complications for me acting like it was my loss. Yeah, it was far better for me to be labeled as a rule breaker than receive this much limelight. "Oh, your words make sense, Grayfia-san! Godorfun-sensei, it sounds like this is my loss!" Godorfun-sensei stroked his goatee and grimaced as I cheerfully agreed to Grayfia-san''s statement. "Hmm. But the only thing that''s clearly spelled out in the rules of this Rising Star Cup was the prohibition of element magic. You said this was the work of a spirit, so it''s not that easy to reach a judgement. Should I acknowledge your arguments here, it could lead not only to the scrutiny of reconnaissance magic but also to the more fundamental body strengthening magic, potentially resulting in the collapse of the very rules themselves." Tsk. I thought I could somehow push my explanation by riding flow, but I guess I truly underestimated him. And unfortunately, what he said was a sound argument, so there was nothing more for me to say. Then I remembered something else. Eddy looked at that young boy with an incredulous expression after sensing where his father was heading. Though Randy shook his head. "......I don''t have any concrete evidence yet, however. It''s just a guess at the end of the day." "Etch it into your brain! This is the true capability of Allen Rovenne, the one that walks together with wind and panty!" The howling of Allen''s club members also reached Eddy''s ears while they conversed, almost causing him to stumble. He somehow held back his exasperation and carefully observed the situation. The young boy was walking with such a stride as if he had measured the unexpected situation of ''What if that spear wielding girl, Grayfia, tried to jump at him'' while leaving the arena. There was no opening in his defense, even if his back itself was facing the enemy. The audience seemingly hadn''t realized the silent war that was happening between the two contestants, however. The distance between that had already been opened up to 15 m, but he was clearly telling his opponent¡ª any attack would meet retaliation. In the end, that spear wielding girl didn''t make any move. "......Now that I think about it, the name of his mother is also Cecilia Rovenne according to the information department. Is it really a coincidence, father?" ¡®It''s impossible.¡¯ Randy wanted to say that out loud, but he could also see that the boy was compressing mana and filling his reserve as easily as if he was breathing. He wasn''t a fool, and it was clear to his eyes that it was the bona fide technique of the Dosperior family. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡ªA promising 12-year-old lad from Yuglia Kingdom has defeated Grayfia Indiana, the savant of the Rosemieur Empire, with a mere borrowed weapon along with the handicap of being blindfolded. He defeated her as easily as an adult teasing a toddler and then forfeited the title of the victor to her out of pity. Every nation on the continent was shaken the instant they received this report. Nonetheless, their decision was to ''keep watching'' for now. While each leading figure had received a detailed record of the event, the details were just far too convoluted to make sense out of it. The report had put all the leaders into a state of confusion. The report had explained enough about the deadliness of the wind magic in detail, however, anyone with a brain could see that trousers were an immediate counter to this technique. There was a high possibility that the spirit and the other lines were simple bluffs, but if that was true, then what was it that blew those strong winds? It was the main question here. At the same time, if he had really worked hard just to learn how to flip skirts with mana loop in their club activities, or that he was engrossed in such trivial and meaningless activities despite being a member of the Royal Academy when the creeping tumultuous times were clear to anyone paying attention to the rumors, then he was nothing but an idiot. The hard work he might have poured just for trivial results made no sense either. Furthermore, no matter how many times they analyzed the report, they could only conclude that Allen Rovenne was strong enough to fight that girl, but it was unknown where his bottom lied. Plus, it was as if he also didn''t put the honor of crushing the three-time champion of the Rising Star Cup in his eyes. He was either a fool of a hopeless level, or a preposterous prodigy. Though, they all agreed on one thing: he was an oddball, even a pervert for sure. With that conclusion, they put their evaluation of Allen on hold for the time being. Though internally, they were pivoting toward him as nothing but a pervert. Also, they overlooked one thing. His nihilistic outlook. The mask that would become one-of-a-kind in the world down the line, hailed as a ''warning from Allen Rovenne'' T/N - Well, then I guess Rose is comparable to that ¡®Kariana¡¯ meanwhile Allen had Aeolus equivalent talent. There will be conversation between him and Randy in the next chapter. Oh, and the king too. E/N - Okay, this was a pretty good chapter. Lots of reveals. I¡¯m excited for the talk between Randy and the MC. Also pretty funny how the MC''s actions confused all the leaders who got the report of the fight. Lastly, the titles were pretty funny, especially ¡®The one that walks together with wind and panty¡¯. He''ll never live that down ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 116 - Royal Palace (1) After the Colosseum was emptied of spectators and I finished my security mission, I went to the royal palace at the behest of Godorfun-sensei. "There''s someone interested in meeting you. I¡¯ve already left a message to Dew, so just follow me." He rambled off vaguely as he took me to the southeast section of the royal capital, where... the royal palace was. Uh-huh, I could already feel the rage of my master...... Hopefully he didn''t forget that I didn''t have much say in this either. The royal palace was huge, well not as big as the Royal Academy given that it had countless training facilities, but it was still stupidly huge with multiple gates. The southern gate was used by the King, the King''s official envoy, or nobles when they came to be audiences for official events. The gate''s name was dubbed ''Aurora Crown''. Aside from that, there was an east gate for royalties, a west gate for all sorts of suppliers and such. However, Sensei took the magic car toward the northern soaring magic gate, used by the King''s immediate aides like the heads of the noble families, commanders of the knight order, or rank holder bureaucrats. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The north gate was lavishly decorated with the engravings of mythical creatures like qilins, dragons, and unicorns, giving it a striking appearance. If one didn''t know any better, they would never be able to imagine this was just the back gate of the royal castle. The entrance was guarded by two gatekeepers, seemingly members of the royal guards. Seeing Sensei''s entrance, they stood up straight in attention and put their hands on their chests in salute. We, too, saluted back in courtesy and passed through the gate. Still, I heard that it has been quite a while since Sensei retired from the knight order, but it seems like his face pass was still effective even now. Oh, right. I think he did say he was granted the title of king''s advisor or something. On a side note, I, while being a member of the knight order, also didn''t need to go through the procedure to enter the royal palace with his presence. The premises of the ''Royal Palace'' were just as big, around 5 km in diameter, starting from the first avenue first street to the second avenue second street and were surrounded by walls and gates. The palace''s premises were divided into the ''Royal Court'' for administrative work and ''Royal Palace'' for the King, for convenience''s sake. Typically, the only ones who could enter the royal court without any procedure were the royal guards as well as 3rd court rank holder knights (vice-commander class) unless it was a matter of extreme urgency. The royal guard order knights were the cream of the crop even among the handpicked knights of the knight order.Explore new novels on There were multitudes of administrative buildings where elite bureaucrats served within the royal palace, though we were apparently heading towards the guard post of the royal guards. Well, it might be redundant to explain this, but, and obviously, the handful of elite bureaucrats directly serving the King couldn''t possibly manage the entire Yuglia. Therefore, facilities equivalent to government offices in Japan surrounded the royal palace where employees not holding rank in the kingdom worked. ......Well, with what sensei had revealed, the captain of the royal guards had connections with my mother''s family, and apparently was the current head of the Dosperior family. I honestly have no idea why mother ceased her relationship with her family, but I hope we were not heading to meet that captain of the royal guards. The last thing I wanted was to get caught up in some power play...... As the feeling of unease was gradually eroding my spirit, I tried asking Sensei in a low tone. "It''s an order from His Majesty, after all. Either way, it must be due to His Majesty''s gregarious trait once again. Leaving that aside, it''s not easy for Sir either......" "Fufufu. Well, it''s more or less as you have guessed. Speaking of which, though, haven''t you passed a message to me stating you wanted to have a meeting with me? If required, I can ask Allen to leave the room for a short while......" Randy-san turned to glance at me when he heard Godorfun-sensei''s words. "But can I ask him one thing before that?" Ugh, so it was really gearing toward that direction, huh? I mentally prepared myself. "Pfft. You know, taking such a defensive stance would only show that you have something to hide. Either way, there''s just one thing I want to ask. Is it from your mother that you¡¯ve inherited that dark brown hair?" ......The what? Wow, wasn''t that quite a casual question for such a serious face? I didn''t think it would¡¯ve been that hard to investigate, plus my hair color wasn''t exactly rare either. "Yeah. The rest of my family often told me how my hair is an exact replica of my mother''s." Hearing my reply, Randy-san stared at me for a short moment before speaking. "......So it is. Alright, I have the whole gist of the story now." Huh, what in the blazes!? I swear if this scene had appeared in one of those detective novels, many great detective fans might really be burning the book with how goofy this situation sounded. What do you mean you resolved the whole mystery with a casual question? Can we just talk in human language, please!? As I was plunged into confusion, Randy-san started his explanation with a wry smile. "......Learning to mask your expression wouldn''t hurt, you know. It might come in handy down the road. Frankly, the Dosperior family had never been interested in digging deeper about you unlike the other forces, though I do have a grasp over the general matter through the reports I receive. And I¡¯ve also heard about your mom''s name earlier as well, but it was an unassuming name that wasn''t rare, and since she seemingly portrayed herself thoroughly as a commoner, I didn''t find anything suspicious. ...Until I saw your match today. It really gave me a new perspective about your abilities, the way you perform instantaneous mana compression as simple as breathing, after seeing you up close. The only logical reason here is that the blood of the Dosperior family runs in your veins. However, the last hint that turned that theory into a conviction was your hair. The color, feel, and growing pattern really is like being cut from the same cloth." After explaining that, Captain Randy turned to Godorfun. "As a matter of fact, the reason why I wanted to meet Sir was to have a chance to talk with you. I heard you rejected any and all interview proposals from the others. So I wondered if I could get this chance by concocting a suitable situation. After all...... you must have realized this already. That you''re my little sister''s, Cecilia''s, son." E/N - Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn! Well, we¡¯ve known this for a while now. I just wanted to be dramatic ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 117 - Royal Palace (2) ......What kind of joke was that?...... I did hear that she was connected to the Dosperior family, but oh my god, the little sister of the family head? What went on in her head that she decided to marry that no good father of mine?Gett your favorite novels at I was thoroughly floored at the revelation, though Godorfun-sensei''s expression didn''t even flinch in the slightest. "Oh goodness, now that''s news to me. Is he correct?" No, why don''t you look as if Randy-san just dropped a bombshell news?! And don''t ask me that! Damn, what a barefaced liar! I¡¯ll never believe that he didn''t at least have some inkling of this! He definitely played his cards well...... Most likely he was leaving everything over to my judgement. Well, I didn''t have any reason to stop him, and Randy-san already seemed to have come to a conclusion, so it wasn''t like there was a better option out there. He also wasn''t giving off an unsettling vibe, and most of all, there wasn''t much I was privy to about my mother despite being her son after all. "......My mother''s name is indeed Cecilia, but whether she''s your actual little sister or not is something I can''t clarify. I did hear from my dad that she was from the Dosperior family but have severed her ties with them due to some reasons. Though my mother has never talked about herself and I also didn''t bother asking her. Well, is there any problem?" "......Hmm. Sure enough, her circumstances are indeed shrouded in some kind of mystery. But as for your question, I swear to you in my name that we have no bad blood between us. And if possible, I would like you to relay a message to her for me¡ª your brother is beyond happy knowing about your survival, Cecilia. A miracle no less. I would not be asking you to take on the obligation of the Dosperior family after you¡¯ve made up your mind, but it would gladden my heart if you can meet this brother of yours. Even a letter will suffice if that''s not possible. Yes, that is all." What''s with that lack of animosity? Now I was feeling even more anxious... for different reasons. I mean, I did prepare myself for some unpalatable power play to roll out. As if he had seen through my heart, Randy-san had another bitter smile on his face. "Let me guess, you must be thinking ''is that all''? That maybe you expected a more grimy, nasty familial feud that''s typical of noble society, and that maybe it''s going to be another sick situation, right?" I nodded in awkwardness. "You would have to appreciate the effort of your mother and Sir Godorfun for this. They had been protecting you all this time for sure. And now, your presence has reached the point where neither me nor any prominent noble could lay their hand on you easily. Dosperior would have pulled some tricks and played some dirty moves to bring you into our faction should we come to know about your existence even just a bit earlier. At the end of the day, you''re just the third son of a rural viscount family. There''s no lack of the string we can pull without anyone in our way. Even if it''s not something I wish for, it''s impossible to ignore the situation as a major power and I wouldn''t have been able to stop it from happening either. However, you have leaped too high in a short period of time. His Majesty has personally asked to meet you, and along with the happening of the Rising Star Cup, any tricks would have been impossible at this point. It''s no wonder you''re His Majesty''s right hand, Sir Godorfun. Is everything in the name of the promise you made with your close friend, and my father, Vardi?" Randy-san looked at Godorfun-sensei with a slightly reproachful glare, who just muttered ''What might you be talking about?'' while maintaining his iron mask. Seeing that, Randy-san exhaled saying ''There''s no winning against you'' and tugged me into a hug. "We, Dosperior, have been preserving our bloodline to maintain the absolute mana manipulation talent that runs in our blood. Perhaps because of that, we haven''t been blessed with a lot of kids. Even if we don''t talk about that, our blood is also prone to suffer from mana collapse, an incurable illness where the afflicted can''t live past the age of 17. It''s really a miracle that my adorable sister has managed to subvert the tragedy and grow up to be a capable adult, much less to see my first nephew as well. This brother''s truly glad for her. It''s a pity that I can''t claim you to be a member of the Marquis Dosperior force due to the power balance running in this kingdom, but I should be able to support you from the shadows." ......Huh, was mom about to die from a disease? I¡¯ve never heard about her having a frail body...... But how in the world did flipping a skirt with wind bring the name of that legendary emperor on the table...? His Majesty flashed a faint troubled expression, then shifted his gaze to me and dropped another flabbergasting statement. "I see. So, Allen Rovenne. Does thyself feel a yearning for the throne of this kingdom?" ......Would they allow me to leave if I excused myself here? I swiftly denied the possibility of his ridiculous question in a split second. "N-Never in my life! I would really implore His Majesty to refrain from such jokes as they''re bad for my heart!" I mean, there might just be four people here ¡ª me, Godorfun-sensei, Captain Randy, and His Majesty ¡ª but those words were not something that should come out of the King even as a joke. However, resting his crystal-clear blue eyes upon me, His Majesty asked back in response to my statement with a curious face. "Why do you say so? Dragoon clearly favors you, and I heard that you''re also good friends with Zatsinger and Levarance. Now you also have the support of the Dosperior. It shouldn''t be that difficult for a being of your caliber to reach for the throne if you can utilize these cards of yours well, no? Well, aside from the extreme aspect like a coup, you have more than enough worth to be adopted into the Yuglia family with talent comparable to ''God''s Eye'' Aeolus. If anything, if you are ready to lead this nation, and if you''re more than worthy of it, I shall hand over the throne myself without any hesitation, gleefully too. So I will ask you again, Allen Rovenne. Do you have any interest in the throne, and the backbone to become the king?" I demand but a simple answer without deceit or falsehood. I felt his crystal clear eyes were conveying that. One wouldn''t have been able to guess he was the same person laughing so jovially like an amicable uncle a moment ago from his current dignified expression. Or maybe, that was who he was, the ''King'' of this country bearing an obligation to bring prosperity on his back. I took a deep breath and expressed myself in a clear-cut fashion. It was past the point to care about wordings or anything like that. "I have no interest in the throne. I have no interest in becoming someone big. I only want to charge head first into the things I¡¯m interested in and walk freely wherever I want. This is all that I want from life, and my conviction will never change. Leading the nation isn''t a joke, so pardon me for being unreliable." Even when I declared my intent, His Majesty kept his gaze on me. But that line was absolute for me, and I, too, stared back into his eyes. It should have been around 5 seconds since our stare-off when he finally dispersed his dignified expression and returned to his amicable vibe. "......Pfft. Gahahaha! Uh-huh, so I was turned down. Being able to grasp your own ''way of life'' at this age is truly commendable. Indeed, this is more in the line of someone with Aeolus¡¯ caliber!" Can we drop that comparison, please...... I knew that was all just to test me out, but I¡¯m really serious that this might actually give me a heart attack, for real. I lost my energy to argue and plopped my head downward. Vol. 1 - Ch. 118 - Royal Palace (3) "Well then, Allen Rovenne. Your effort in today''s match was sublime. The ''momentum'' you¡¯ve built up, and the ''time'' you''ve earned is incomparable to even finding a gold mine. Speak anything you desire as your reward." Momentum? Time? ......Why do I feel like we weren¡¯t on the same page? Just as my head was full of question marks, Godorfun-sensei gave me a helping hand. "Hmm. So you didn''t know as I had guessed. Let me ask you this: how familiar are you with Justeria''s politics?" Ohh~, so that was what he was on about. I guess I had to answer. "......The match between Olivia-san and Grayfia-san was a proxy war between the noble restoration faction and the pro republic faction, and the result would have decided the trend of the political storm brewing in Justeria. However, my interference has pushed back the advantage that was almost within the noble restoration faction''s grasp following Grayfia-san''s victory... Was that what you meant?" Godorfun-sensei flashed a surprised expression, apparently he wasn''t expecting such a precise answer. "Gracious, I didn''t expect you to have such deep insight. You''re quite something lad, hiding your sharp mind under that foolish persona. It''s as you guessed, the arena was indeed the grounds for one proxy war. It was for that reason why that young lass made a show out of beating up Olivia¡ª the daughter of the Rudeon family who is the torchbearer of the pro republic faction and the emblem holder of the anti-war and Pro-Yuglia faction. I guess she used a treacherous plot in the fight, but the audience didn''t realize it.¡± ......I expected nothing less from him. Still, that begged a question, which was¡ª "Speaking of the plot, why didn''t you expose them, Sensei? Because of the burden of proof?" "......Alas. While I know that the lass played a trick, the trick must have been something elaborate that they can easily excuse themselves. I would have been walking into their trap if I had decided to support young Olivia as a judge. Well, I was more convinced by the eyes of young Olivia, she wasn''t discontent by one bit. I couldn''t have besmirched her pride as a warrior when she already had conviction. That defeat was a symbol of her weakness and taken aback by that, she was also frantically fumbling for the winning move. The fact that you also hadn''t jumped in shouting ''it''s unfair'' or ''what a cheater'' must have been for the same reason, am I wrong?" ......I''m sorry, I don''t have the acumen of that caliber in politics. I was simply fascinated by Olivia-san''s display of prowess and I would have been but a fool to shout in that situation. I felt like it would have been taken as a snarling of a defeated dog. "......The process doesn''t matter, the audience were there simply to see what the fate of the Rudeon family or Justeria would be. The Rising Star Cup was already a prominent event for the youngsters carrying the future of their nation on their back, and it''s not hyperbole this match was the leading topic among them.U?pTodated novels on They seemed to have the plan to test out that lad Leo Zatsinger as well, who has already made a name for himself even in foreign nations, using the tournament as an excuse. The loss would have been unimaginable should they have damaged his reputation as well with the rumors. I performed my signature precise 45 degree bow in rejoice. "However, I asked what ''you'' desire, not a presentation for the kingdom''s project. This can''t be called a reward at all. Isn''t there something else?" Huh, was it the one+one combo offer? No wonder he was the king. Yup, he truly has a royal heart. Hmm, the other thing could be the messy situation surrounding the Master''s workload but... this would call for a reformation of the knight order system which hardly had anything to do with me. In that case¡ª "......I want to establish a Sail Club in the academy once it reopens. Can we use the naval port near 1st street 1st avenue as our practice ground and anchorage base? It''s the closest to our academy and I heard it also acts as a dock for transportation ships. It would be a huge lifesaver if we can get permission to use the facilities there as well." The best place if we wanted to hold our practice for sailing a ship was the Great Rune River at the south of the royal capital, but as it stood, the route was strictly managed as it was quite close to the royal palace, which meant we couldn''t freely move around lest we arouse suspicion. We could use another port, but that would just be a waste of time. His Majesty''s brow shot up at my request. "Oh? A Sail Club... It''s yet another unexpected proposal. I guess you shouldn''t be unaware about the emergence of the magic propulsion engine recently. Then why sailboats in this era?" Fufufu. Now, I didn''t expect such an easy question. I puffed my chest out and flashed a content smile. "Because it''s fun, Your Majesty. It''s just for fun!" His Majesty looked as if he couldn''t believe it was for this simple reason, but he eventually flashed a grin. "Now, now. I¡¯ve granted rewards a multitude of times, but you¡¯re the only one to ask for a toy as reward from me. Have you already gotten a boat?" I nodded. "Yes, I found a shipbuilding firm as our sponsor from the Marquis Grauksh territory." "Gahahaha! Oh, yes. I did hear some grumble about how you flung your knight''s duty and sneaked into the Serdos territory in Grauksh for a vacation. So it seems that you''re truly serious about it being for your playtime, then I shall not hinder you here! Very well, Allen Rovenne. I will pass my words to Captain Olina. You can also utilize the dock and the facilities there on your whim." His Majesty left these words before spinning on his heel and exiting the reception room. I bowed again in appreciation at his back. Vol. 1 - Ch. 119 - A Descent into the Dark Side of the Royal Capital Western region of the Royal Capital. The slum area was wrapped in its usual air of gloominess and melancholy, and not a hint of festive vibe following the founding festival could be felt. In a room in the depths of a rustic bar, Chabul Rose, the head of the Rose Family, and a short mild-tempered man ¡ª the consultant of the Rose family referred to as Tomora by his lackeys ¡ª were waiting for their guest. Chabul was pacing around the room with an anxious expression, meanwhile Tomora was graciously enjoying his coffee in the lounge suite. It was around then when a red-haired narrow-eyed man called Red entered the room with another man. "Chief, Tomora-san. The guest is here." Red said while urging the other man to step forward. "Gracious, Chabul. What had I told you about not contacting me unless there''s a matter of urgent concern? Sure, the situation might be a bit lax compared to usual due to the founding festival but do not, by any means, ever dare to look down on the knight order." The man said in a faint yet deadpan voice, wearing a hunting cap pulled down to the base of his eyes. The scrawny and hollow-cheeked Chabul Rose didn''t bother responding to those words and just dashed in front of him. "I can''t handle the shit anymore! I''m stepping down! Whether it''s Gin of the Dragon-Crane association in the eastern region, the Speed of the Continent firm in the south, or Fabio of the northern region''s Dwine Family...... each and every single incident was orchestrated by you all! Anyone worth their brain could see it was our, Rose''s, doing, being the sole beneficiary! Typically, no one would bat an eye at the in-fighting among the underworld organizations, but now, not only has the police entered the scene, even the knight order have started to pay attention to us! Is it my turn next after them!?" Tomora couldn''t hold back anymore as he listened to Chabul, who narrated all of it with a menacing look, and spurted out the coffee he was drinking. "Pfft! Cough-Cough! Ack, cough! Ahh, ahem. Would you please not make such a joke, Chief? What''s the meaning of stepping down from your position after Rose has made it big? Even more so, how are you going to save your little life after leaving our patronage?" "But we''re no longer the scrawny self from our past! We¡¯ve become a giant enough to even contest for the No.1 or No.2 of the Underworld! I don''t care, I still have the time before they find any evidence! We''re fine as we are for now. We just need to stop our antics and consolidate our family''s power. I¡¯m sure no one would dare challenge us then!" Tomora shook his head in dismay at the argument.Alll latest novels on "Hahaha. You know what, now I pity you for your measly misunderstanding. Let me explain to you in some nice, easy-to-understand words: your members don¡¯t give a shit about you. All they see is the freedom and power that comes with joining us, mere profiteers who¡¯re just there to rub on your money and authority. They would ride only on the winning side. You''re basically suggesting the same restrictions that the other families ask from them, so what makes you think they would wag their tails for you if you do that? According to Red, he''s quite an understanding and easygoing person as long as you reason out with him, and that he even recommends raising that one as one of our swords in the future." "Hmm... Explorer means he was at least not up to par to attend ¡®that academy¡¯, but if his skills are being eyed at by that Shellbul Monster, then...... Speaking of which, didn¡¯t ''Feral Tyrant Shell'' have the caliber to enter the knight order? He also has influence in the top brass of this kingdom. I don''t think we need to bother ourselves with such a hot potato of a brat." Tomoro twisted his lips into a grin. "There are risks, for sure. However, this is also our chance to train him. That Shellbul Monstel is famous for his loose lips and said to be working on a single brain cell, if we can have that brat pry some insider information like the secretive tactics of the knight order or some other secret information, that alone would justify the hardship. This is far more effective than merely interfering with things like stirring a commotion in the underworld of the royal capital. Hell, it might even be possible to return to that ." Hunting cap man fell into silence. This move was indeed on another scale than just causing a ripple. The merit he would earn from that alone would be a crisp slap to the faces of those who dared to look down on him. On the other hand, the order in the kingdom''s underworld was already at its last leg with their meddling, so it wasn¡¯t far-fetched to say they were more or less done with their initial objective. It was the high-risk, high-reward aspect of the idea that tempted him. "......What if he is a spy?" "The chances are low. He just happened to receive the request since he was traveling for his trip, and that''s how they came into contact. Red even handed him his business card and watched him from afar to see what he would do with it. He immediately threw it into the trash bin. It didn''t seem like he was going to visit anytime soon. He seems disinterested in the money of the Rose family, which is at least white on paper, and neither was he interested in the hidden power." The Hunting Cap man fell into contemplation for at least 10 seconds before he passed his order. "Move with caution. Get in touch with him as a Rose member, but make sure to not reveal any information. You may use the usual method." "Hehehe. I just need to show him some sweet dreams and once he''s out of his delusions, I¡¯ll sweep him off his feet. I¡¯ll absolutely tread carefully." The man nodded and left. "Hehehe! Hahahaha!" Tomora, now left alone in the lounge suit, crackled in amusing laughter for a short while. E/N - You know, I assumed that Ren=Allen was pretty widespread despite the efforts of the Explorer Association in hiding his identity with how late they did it. But with this chapter, it''s clear that the majority of the information agencies haven''t made the connection yet. Most likely the only ones who know are the people who have been keeping an eye on him all this time like the families of his high noble classmates. Vol. 1 - Ch. 120 - Elvert Workshop (1) The founding festival had come to an end, and seeing that I finally had some free time on my hands, with a leap of courage, I visited our viscount residence in the royal capital. It was clear that my elder sister should be fuming by now, so all that mattered was if I could defuse the building pressure in time. I was sure I could make it in time. Yeah, I had already seen what would happen if I kept ignoring the built-up tension. In fact, the consequence was still ingrained in my body vividly from that BBQ gathering. Well, I do think it was half my fault. A significant portion of the summer vacation had already gone by, but at first, I had completely made up my mind to visit our residence as soon as summer vacation started instead of dodging around the matter.U?pTodated novels on Alas, I let myself be sucked into the impromptu exploring invitation from Riyad-senpai, and since I was already in the mood, I skipped everything to visit the Serdos¡¯ territory for sightseeing and somehow ended up at a hot spring for the same reason. After returning, there was no telling what Master might do if I remained absent from the knight order, so I visited them right away where I was, just as I had expected, buried in work until recently. Inhale & Exhale I took a deep breath and opened the door to the entrance of the viscount residence. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Am I dreaming? Is it really you, Allen-kun? You really surprised me with the unannounced visit. Did something happen?" My elder sister said with saucer eyes as if she saw a ghost, seeing me entering the house while greeting her with a ''I''m home¡¯. It was 8 in the morning. I had calculated my timing to visit now, considering she should still be sleeping at this moment. My plan was to utter some mumbo-jumbo while she was still groggy from waking up so early and cushion the initial impact with that. However, far from just getting up, she was apparently planning to go out. "I see, I¡¯m sorry for my unannounced visit, sis. Are you planning to go out today? Then leave everything to me. I¡¯ll handle the cleaning and laundry. I¡¯ll be lounging here ¡®til tomorrow." She let out another befuddled sound when she heard my explanation. "Huhh!? Allen-kun is actually visiting home on his own accord... for no reason?...... Ah, maybe I¡¯m still sleeping? Though there''s no need for cleaning since the housekeeping magic tool from Fey-chan is working great. The house is sparkling clean, so there''s no need. By the way, that magic tool immediately turns on if there''s something lying around, so be careful not to leave anything on the floor. Right, I guess I should give this feedback to Fey-chan. Isn''t it ironic that humans are cleaning to keep the situation clear for a tool? Hmm, maybe I should ask if there''s a chance to improve it further by adding arms. Then it can even pick up items, easy peasy~." Ahaha, it seemed like my already rock bottom reputation had tanked even further after failing to visit even once in this summer vacation, despite promising that I would occasionally drop by. But the silver lining was that she wasn''t literally fuming as I had expected. I looked at the floor and indeed, it was sparkling clean thanks to the Runbo-kun version 4, the cleaning robot produced by Fey. Nevertheless, these two were talking behind my back? Ugh, I can feel my stomach ache already... The only problem was the mountain of clothes on the sofa, but I guess it was already an upgrade from my usual lazy bum sister. "Shhh, Fu-chan, shh!" My elder sister, who was carrying herself with the decorum of an upstanding family member, panicked and pressed her hand on Furi-senpai''s mouth to stop her. Senpai was dressed in a loose beige color overcoat and a black cap, its brim turned backward, which screamed ''Yaho~! I''m the engineer here!''. It was quite a simple attire, but that sculpted face over that tall stature compared to the background was like someone had joined pieces of two different puzzles. It was mismatched scenery, but it reminded me of the expression I had read: beauty in ugliness. After that, we followed Furi-senpai who gave us a tour of the workshop. Senpai didn''t seem bothered by my sudden visit and instead said in a cheery tone, "Feel free to ask me anything that piqued your interest~", explaining everything in detail for the amateur that I was about the magic tools. Honestly, when I first learned about her being friends with my elder sister, I was totally surprised. After all, I knew better than anyone how much my elder sister was lacking in common sense. She was truly an incredible person. It was when we were looking around when I noticed a nostalgic ¡ª but unconventional by this world''s standard ¡ª thing eating dust in one of the corners of the workshop. "Woah, can you tell me what that is, Furi-senpai?!" Furi-senpai turned to glance at the spot I pointed out and shrugged her shoulders after seeing it. "It''s the prototype of a 2-wheel magic car that my father and I experimented on 2 years before to chase after speed. Well this is the design we ended up with after tackling the question on how to make it lighter and more compact. Anyway, this design needs a keen sense of balance if you don''t want to bite the dust, as you can roughly tell. It doesn''t seem very practical, so we haven''t worked on it ever since." ......Speaking of which, not even the roads in the suburbs of the royal capital were paved, so perhaps it was the lack of adequate advancement that this world didn''t have motorcycles, or even simple bicycles. In contrast, now I feel bizarre thinking how everyone on Earth could make riding a two-wheeler easy-peasy lemon squeezy. I wonder what I should call this strange gap, another world cultural difference? Anyway, it all boiled down to training. In fact, there was no question that anyone could ride it as long as they learned how to balance themselves! And then, a question suddenly popped up inside my head. What was the symbol of an outlaw''s youth? The various mangas depicting the enchanting springtime of outlaws that I had read in my previous world spontaneously revolved in my mind like lanterns of memories. The common theme in all of them was, yes, bikes. Recalling those memories, motorcycles and I were like denizens of two different worlds on Earth as we shared no fate. "......Can I give it a test drive, please?! I want to give the symbol of youth¡ª speed a try!" Furi-senpai seemed a bit taken aback when I made my request. "Huh, ahh... err, sure if you take it slow in a straight line. But I¡¯m not exaggerating, it''s not easy to maintain balance, so don''t force yourself, alright?" E/N - MC''s sister is hilarious as always. Beat them down, then ask them to be your girlfriend, and THEN ask if you can see their panties. Gotta try that next time ???? Vol. 1 - Ch. 121 - Elvert Workshop (2) "Weehoooo! That''s the spirit of the wind~!" The location was the track course behind the workshop which offered simulations of various driving environments. It wasn''t that big, but it was big enough for me to run the two-wheeler however I wanted as Furi-senpai stared at my actions with a wry expression. But oh boy, was I surprised when I saw that they even had a track course behind their small-scale workshop. The workshop itself was located in the northern part of 9th avenue, which put it far from the central area, but still. I guess it showed the passion of the father and daughter duo, and why they were the face of the kingdom. I had no luck with motorcycles in my previous world, but hey, I had at least pedaled a bicycle, so how to maneuver the handle for balance was ingrained in me on a reflexive level¡ª though not that impressive, admittedly. Well, it wasn''t that comfortable to ride compared to the bicycle of Earth, and the handle was also a bit stiff, requiring delicate operation, though it only lasted for a moment before I became used to it and now, I could run this magical two-wheeler baby effortlessly. "Allen-kun seems to be having so much fun~." Elder sister muttered as she watched me with a smile. As for me, the longer I rode, the more inspiration started to flood my mind. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "I''m serious, you totally surprised me. We found it so difficult to make simple turns, but you made riding it look so easy. I guess I should have expected this from Rose''s brother...... no, the brother Rose is so proud of, whom she would begin praising no matter the place." As Furi-senpai said so with a wry expression, my elder sister puffed out her chest as if bragging about it. "Fufufu. It was worth bringing him here if he had fun! Allen-kun has always had a knack for magic tool utilization since childhood. He also often accompanies me to test out the magic tools I create~." Well, I would call it ¡°dragging me for the trial¡± rather than accompanying her. But otherwise, yeah, I was good at using those tools even before awakening. I didn''t have any interest in delving into their intricacies though...... However, I would say a big reason why I could drive this two-wheeler magic car was due to my experience with bicycles in my previous world. "You only need to maintain a certain speed for balance, or otherwise it would be hard to handle. It''s something that takes skill, but otherwise anyone with enough familiarity can ride it for sure. It can travel in small or cramped alleyways, and most of all, the ''speed'' it provides is enough to ignore other shortcomings. Its usefulness is undeniable. If you ask me, I can''t recommend it enough to focus on pursuing the dream of two-wheelers." Hearing my words, Furi-senpai giggled in curiosity. "Oh? I guess I now know why Fey-chan labeled you the ''imagination freak''. Your talent in imagining tools isn''t your only talent; you also understand its necessity or use. To not be so engrossed in the development of them that you completely miss the demand of the market after all. For reference, can you brief me about the aspects that need improvement?" Fu-chan, I don''t know if the idea is feasible but Allen-kun seems to be enjoying this, so can I help as well? I can handle some parts." Furi-senpai giggled at what my elder sister said and tapped her chest. "Of course. I promised lil bro that I''d help with any question related to engines. Besides, I never thought of using the unconventional idea of... ''aerodynamics'', was it?... air force suddenly. Frankly, there are too many variables on paper without testing it out first, but if things work out, then I think it might become my research subject as well. Anyway, the plan is to... err, add ''reverse wings'' on the front part, right? Do you have a concrete image in mind? And do tell me if there''s anything else you want." "Hmm... First, the wings aren''t like that of a bird''s, but a solid shape with the lower surface being rounded... kind of like this. I''d like to start with something around 20 cm in size and test five different sizes. The materials should be as light and strong as possible." I illustrated the design of the wings for the front part on the ground. "And the rest is... hmm, I think it would be good if it had room left for ''remodeling''." "......Modifications? We haven''t even finalized the design yet. If there are features you want to include, why not incorporate them into the design from the start?" Ugh! Except that wasn¡¯t what I meant. The picture I had in mind was taken from the outlaw genre manga which had emphasis on motorcycles from my previous world, though I couldn''t explain my exact reasoning, so I slightly twisted my words. "You''re mistaken. I¡¯m not looking for interior additions. What I¡¯m looking forward to is the ''base model'' design, which we can later customize according to our preferences and have a showdown of design with my comrades of wind magic learners. Kind of like ¡®Whistle, a silencer and a rocket cowl? That''s slick'' and ''Isn''t your darling rocking three horns at the back? Boss move!'' banter..." Of course, my fantasy didn''t translate well to Furi-senpai, who asked ''Horn? So you want to ride around making loud noises for some reason?'' with a straight face. "No, not at all. I hate loud things. Something calming, like a piece of melody, is my go-to preference." "???...... What about the silencer and rocket(?) cowl? What''s the reason behind adding that?" Honestly, I was stumped on how to reply when Furi-senpai was asking so seriously, so I illustrated another image following the idea in my mind. Maybe my words alone weren''t enough to give the correct idea about the ''Silencer'' and ''Rocket Cowl'' from my previous world¡¯s mangas. "The rocket cowl is... it''s a kind of customization to make a 2-wheeler fly. Just kidding, ahahaha." At the end of my words, I tried to put it as a joke and laughed it off. However, Furi-senpai¡¯s eyes were gleaming with a shine. Vol. 1 - Ch. 122 - Elvert Workshop (3) One week later. I was visiting Furi-senpai along with my elder sister again, to be precise, the driving course there. "Furi-senpai, don''t you think we should take a break...?" At the moment, we were testing how effective the wings were working to keep the front wheel grounded. A motorcycle in another world? I absolutely wanted one and was ready to do anything. In fact, I was having plenty of fun as well, but I had already driven through the course around 100 times (?) since I started the trial with the prototype model ¡ª which was affixed with a plethora of sensors ¡ª and I was running out of steam. On the other hand, after reducing the weight at the front, the two-wheeler''s speed was seeing a huge increase in speed when moving in a straight line, but it was still tricky to keep the balance. Along with the fact that I still needed more training in wind magic, its current pace was much slower than my first trial last week. "Hmm, I guess so. Well, I have more or less gotten enough data. Let''s do 50 more laps around with the initial setting and take a short break then. Since you¡¯ve already mastered controlling the machine, it''s a good chance to get data for comparison against someone who''s new." 50 rounds?! And that too, a ''short'' break?!...... What was she, a demon?! "I honestly had some doubts but...... it can definitely work. We''re still relying on Allen''s wind magic for the most part, so I wouldn''t give any concrete conclusions, but I think the end product is definitely going to rock the world. Oh dear, it''s been so long since I was this excited!" Furi-senpai said with a smile while shifting the bangs of her wavy chestnut chair, tied together behind her nape, over her ear. This was the perfect example of why I feel apprehension when facing Artificers...... With a strained expression, I resumed the test drive. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Great job. And thank you, now I have enough data to go through." It took everything I had to finish the next 50 laps and I plopped on the driving course right after. I thought it was just piloting a magic two-wheeler car, the ''bike'' in another world, while controlling the flow of air with magic, but I couldn''t have been more wrong. It actually sapped all of my mental spirit. Like when counter-steering in the ''S'' shape course, I had to disperse the wind acting on the front wheel and lighten the frame before once again applying the downward force with wind magic to keep the frame on the ground while turning the accelerator. It was much harder to handle everything within a short time frame than I expected as the machine wobbled like it would topple at any moment. I really needed a new repetitive training regime to fine-tune the machine, at least to add it into my ''form''. "Good work, Allen-kun. Here, take the chilled tea." Elder sister passed me tea while grinning. She has been in a humorous mood ever since I had temporarily started to live in our viscount residence and frequented the knight''s central post from there. I took the tea and gulped it down in one breath. "Thank you, sis. It really breathes new life into me. Phew." It started when Furi-senpai seriously took my flying two-wheeler joke, it was evident from her eyes. Afterward, she kept asking me questions nonstop ¡ª it took so long I even forgot how long I was in her custody, to the point that we skipped dinner time ¡ª until I gave a concrete image. Once everything was clear, she told us, ''Just one more week. We''re going to do the final experiment next week and confirm the prospect of this project.'' I honestly never thought a questioning from smart people like her could be so exhausting. And while we''re at the topic, I also discussed the dynamic force we discovered (in my setting) during our time sailing. I guess even otherworlders weren''t immune to the charm of a ''Flying Vehicle''. At the very least, this dream had definitely taken its spot in Furi-senpai''s heart, the one who couldn''t be any more familiar with magic car machinery. It took a mere one week for Senpai to go from creating parts to remodeling the fuselage to incorporating all sorts of experimental tools. Admittedly, it was just a rough prototype, but I could only dread at the thought of the all-nighters she must have pulled, along with the gazillion amount of money that should have been spent on it. It was clear at a glance that she was sleep-deprived, yet instead of marring her beauty, it further accentuated her mystic charm. I guess this was the perfect example of the saying ¡®A beauty is still a beauty no matter what they do¡¯. "Good. The performance on ground has surpassed all the initial expectations. But next is finally the time for the main course: the flying test! Even a speck of glimmer may lead us to an actual flying vehicle. However, please be careful so as not to get hurt." You call that driving above expectation!? And wait, I only rested for five minutes too...... Uh-huh, this is why... I put back on the otherworld helmet (it had a different structure) I had just taken off a moment ago with a sigh of defeat and changed into an expensive leather suit made from monster''s leather. "You have nothing to apologize for! You might not have a complete picture, but I do. I made sure to put more weight on the back side, and it also had your weight, yet still the rear managed to lift so crazily fast. Basically, as long as we find a way to centralize the center of gravity properly, it''s not a pipe dream for humans to fly in the air with the combination of wind magic and magic car! You should, in fact, rejoice at the idea, the uncharted possibility you have shown. Worrying about expensive toys? Hah... This is hardly a detriment in front of the grand scheme of things!!!" Close. So close. Damn too close! Furi-senpai was unmistakably a beauty, so it was really taxing on my heart when she looked at me from a dead close angle while grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. I mean, this might be the discovery of the century for this world, but it was a predictable development for me. Hence, I was lacking in enthusiasm compared to her. "Hey, Fu-chan. I also think it''s alright to shift the center of gravity slightly, but too much adjustment might not be a good idea." Woah? Machine stuff was outside my elder sister''s range of expertise, so she hasn''t given her perspective much until now. So it surprised me when she did so now. Furi-senpai tapped her chin with her hand and nodded. "True indeed...... It''s easy for the balance to go haywire when taking Allen''s equipment, weight, posture, and height into account¡ª" "Yeah, and if Allen-kun really succeeded in flying, then I want to ride together with him." ......Ah, the classic ¡®Because she wanted to do it as well¡¯ reason. A wry smile appeared on Furi-senpai''s expression after hearing the very sis-like words and, pom, placed her hand over elder sister''s shoulder. ¡°It''s actually the same for me too.¡± ......Eh, you too?! ¡ô¡ô¡ô Afterward, we settled on three points for the plan. First, Senpai decided to lend the improved prototype that could be used on roads to me. I would be using that during my work and pass my feedback to her. Second was that I discussed with Furi-senpai to make the development record and know-how about two-wheelers non-exclusive, aka for public benefit, so that two-wheelers could be used by the general populace as well. I absolutely wanted the fad of two-wheelers to spread among the general populace and dribble it down to my friends. The fuel for the vehicles here was processed by the magic tone that they sell. One could also use magic stones directly obtained from killing monsters, but that would make maintenance a headache, so it was advised to avoid it unless there was an emergency. A driving-licence like permit would be required here, too, but the students of the Royal Academy could escape the net of procedure by simply submitting their application. However, they would still need to remember the traffic rule book. The third point was about the flying-type vehicle. About the balance, adjustment to the machine, and the development of the propulsion engines to give the vehicle a driving force even in the air. However, this aspect was expected to take year(s), hence I would be visiting here at a fixed interval to give them a test ride. And the final point¡ª the development of the flying vehicle was made a top secret. Furi-senpai had said something like ''We could easily turn it into a state project by having father explain the details to the kingdom, and then we would have an astronomical budget with their sponsorship. What do you say?'' Me? I pleaded for anything but that. My daily life was already eroded by the ''work'' of the knight order, when it should have been only for third-year students, so I absolutely didn''t want further albatross on my neck to hinder my ''playtime'' during my school life. Furi-senpai laughed out loud at my request. "I know Rose was dispassionate about riches and honor, but it seems like that goes for you too, eh? No wait, you''re quite terrifying in a way, you know. It''s easy to imagine the impact this experiment would have on the world, but you just want to secure your ''playtime''. Hahaha. Well, I¡¯ll see to the finance aspect on my side, and yeah, it might be better to keep the development between ourselves and wait until we have some kind of working prototype, considering the changes this will bring." She easily agreed on my terms. However, since Furi-senpai said she wanted to seek the cooperation of Mr. Ashim in his private capacity, that is, as the president of the Elvert Magic Industry, it was decided to formally request his cooperation after establishing a contract with the company that included confidentiality. It was unexpected, but I managed to get my hands on one of the must-have items to live out my youth as an outlaw¡ª a motorcycle. Vol. 1 - Ch. 123 - Buffet Party (1) Soon, the second half of my summer vacation passed by as well. It had been a time packed with a plethora of tasks¡ª like Knight Order work, obviously, tuning the magic two-wheeler, receiving the delivery of a ship from Serene Sea Co., and filing the procedure for the establishment of the Sail Club along with the paperwork to use the port. Time really flew past in the blink of an eye, and now, there were just two days left before the end of summer vacation. Elder sister was content with my home-stay, too, and with that, I returned to the dorm last night. The dorm, which had hardly seen anyone roaming around after my return from Serdos, was also now seeing most of its occupants back, as it was two days before the academy''s second half of first semester kicked off. I entered the cafeteria while having a casual banter with my dorm mates. It was really strange how I found it soothing. "Oh, you''re back, Allen. Fey and Jeu left a message, asking me to inform them the moment I found you." I was having my breakfast when pink haired Stella ¡ª with her hair bundled up in pigtails as usual ¡ª called out to me. "It''s been a while, Stella. Did you cut your hair......?" "They''ve been like this since last year. Are you itching for a fight?" Whoops. It was just my guess, to which Stella retorted immediately as she glared at me. As a way to beat down the curse of landmines that my words often plunged me into, I recalled the contents of a certain book, ¡®The secret to being a successful man¡¯, and jotted them down mentally. There was one line which said to keep an eye for any changes in a girl''s hair and clothes. Now, I wouldn''t call myself a master of subtleties, but I wasn''t lying when I said I felt something off from her usual attitude. Well, I guess I fumbled here, so I should just apologize quietly. "I-I''m sorry. I just asked because something looked different about you." My honest words put Stella in a humorous mood again. "Oh, did you? I trimmed my bangs. I¡¯m surprised that you noticed that, you know?"Explore new novels on So trimming bangs and cutting hair had different nuances for girls?...... I guess you learn something new every day. Were we really speaking human words?! My gaze glazed over while Stella continued her side of the story. "Anyway, we were talking about the message. The youngsters of the Dragoon and Leverance regions will be gathering at the banquet hall of Rune Mekiz, starting at 10 AM. So if you have time, do show up there. Well, though they sound like they are resigned to see your absence, but maybe hop in there if you feel like it?" If anything, by seeing that they¡¯ve arranged a greeter, the hotel must put their customers in high regard. I felt my nervousness melting away. "No, I came after hearing about the gathering of the Dragoon and Leverance people. Where might the banquet hall be?" Koil-san raised his hand, giving the nearby staff a signal, before saying ¡®So the guest is here for the gathering¡¯, and turned to guide me by himself. "For this meeting, our hotel staff is handling the reception. May I have your name, please?" "Sure, I''m Allen Rovenne. But speaking of which, I received word of the banquet quite hastily, so my name might not be on the list." Koil-san''s body straightened when I gave my name, but quickly resumed his movement, and said while smiling. "So you''re Allen Rovenne-sama. I¡¯ve received word from the hosts, Feyrune Von Dragoon and Jeuri Leverance, to lead you to them should you happen to visit." I immediately turned down the offer. "Ah, please refrain from doing that. I would like to look at how things play out in such gatherings. I wish to vanish into the crowd. And if it¡¯s not too troubling, can you keep my arrival a secret? I¡¯ll visit them when I¡¯ve had enough." At my request, Koil-san took a second to glance at my face before wearing a bitter smile. "Perhaps, dear guest doesn''t like to be in the spotlight?" "......Ahh, very much so. But how did you guess it?" Curious at how he saw through my personality so accurately, I asked back, which earned a short chuckle from Koil-san as he explained. "Experience speaks, and typically, face, expression, or phrasing for words gives one''s thoughts out." Oh~ If I had any misgivings left about the first-class status of this hotel, then now it was no more. The first step indeed started from being able to accommodate the guest''s wishes in a few words. I guess he must have been always keeping an eye on others¡¯ reactions to spot any dissatisfaction from customers, or to see if they were adjusting well. Koil-san took me to the second floor, where the banquet hall was presumably, and showed me a side entrance instead of opening the main doors. "Please use this door. I hope you have a fun time. Unless dear customer has any other query, I shall take my leave." Koil-san said and turned on his heel. But before he could leave, I gave him my words of gratitude. "Koil-san! Thank you very much for your consideration." As if he hadn''t expected me to thank him by his name, Koil-san looked a bit surprised, and then chuckled to himself. Vol. 1 - Ch. 124 - Buffet Party (2) I stealthily took a look at the banquet hall''s state as I leaned slightly on the one-sided door that was right behind the food table. I spotted a few people frequenting the balcony, which I guess must be there for people to take a breather, so I acted naturally and entered from there, pretending to be one of them. The banquet hall was extremely vast¡ª something I noticed due to my old habit, attended by at least 1500 people. The interior was a masterpiece, though given the hotel''s long-standing history of 300 years, it would be strange if it wasn¡¯t. The design, while grandiose, had a certain elegance to them, one that you couldn''t find any fault in. However, I had a huge doubt that the entire crowd was composed of just young nobles. It was a joint event of two great nobles, but I didn''t think even the royal capital would be harboring that many of them. I presume rest must be composed of quasi-nobles, the attendants, and some influential commoners. I also spotted quite a number of young ones, seemingly the siblings of some of the attendees, who came from other schools than the Royal Academy. They all were dressed in varying dresses, from formal to stunning casuals, something that fit their status well. I was wearing a light gray jacket over a white shirt and beige pants¡ª something my elder sister had chosen for me during our shopping trip the other day. Honestly, I was about to drop by in my usual, easy-to-move attire, but recalling that Rune Makize was a first class hotel, I changed my mind. Phew, I so wanted to pat the back of the old me. It would have been so embarrassing if I really walked in wearing a T-shirt and short pants equivalent from Earth. And I must pass my gratitude to my elder sister too, who found this attire for me. I couldn''t tell precisely due to the crowd, but it seemed like Fey and Jeu were somewhere in the prominent position of this banquet, and similarly, some of the students from the Royal Academy also seemed to be there. Well, it was one burden off my shoulders that I wouldn''t run along with them there. I served myself some of the delicious looking dishes, stuffing my cheeks with them while quietly listening to the conversation of a group of six girls, all appearing older than me. "The young Lady Jeuri of the Leverance family is so pretty. I always knew she was a talented seed, still I can''t contain my awe for her. Qualifying for Class A in the Royal Academy, and a user of holy magic with talent said to be on par with ''Saintess Sari''. She''s an ace in both academics and magic. Last I heard, she''s even providing healing for free at the church. I honestly have nothing but admiration for her as a fellow woman~." "I myself had been startled by the beauty of Feyrune-sama when I had the chance to gaze at her for the first time. What does she not have? She''s the legitimated child of the Dragoon family, and a talented artificer. Yet, she is also quite brave to dauntlessly face this crowd! Dignity like that at this age is definitely the sign of a great person! I can totally understand why even Meria-sama, the ''Empress'' of the Dragoon family, would choose Feyrune-sama as her successor even though she is barely past the age of 12, granting her the title of ''Von''. It is indeed truth when she''s called the treasure of the Dragoon family!" Oh~? For a moment, I thought they were talking about someone else, but it was about those two idiots, huh? I guess I gave them too little credit for their charisma. I quietly glanced at the two. Fey was wearing a gleaming dress that revealed her shoulders, while Jeu was wearing a one piece dress with minimal exposure and a calm color. Both of them looked dignified as they chatted with the participants lining up to talk to them. Behind them were their knights acting as their escorts at an appropriate distance, making sure to not get in the way of their master, while also at a range they could immediately react to anything untold that might happen to them. Wow, they truly look like exalted members of a prestigious marquis family at this moment. Oh wait, not just ''look'' like, they really were part of one. It was really hard to remember this with how they typically acted. "The man with piercing eyes standing next to Feyrune-sama is Parry Abenil-sama, I presume? He''s so handsome. I think I may have a thing for that wild aura he''s emanating. What a martial spirit at such a young age. It''s definitely impossible to cultivate that fortitude without shedding sweat in training constantly. Heehee, I may already be head over heels for him. I wonder if I can have a chance to greet him." A beautiful older sister said while gently clapping her hands, her eyes bore an awestruck look as if she was looking at her favorite celebrity. Parry-kun...... Maybe we weren¡¯t meant to be friends in this lifetime...... Then the topic of discussion amidst the group of six girls shifted to the other students, sharing the news about one Royal Academy student after another. It was in such detail that I really wondered if they were present back when the events happened. Well, though they occasionally spoke of some idiotic things, like how they liked it when their coach yelled at them or in another case, talking about the mystery surrounding Popol-senpai in the Hill Road Club. I listened to all this with an odd expression when someone suddenly called out to me. "Heya. What''re you doing standing here alone? You know you ought to make the best of this opportunity, as they say ¡®Time waits for no one¡¯. Oh, maybe it''s your party?" I could feel the nerves on my face cramping. Please let it be Leo. Please let it be Leo. Hell, I would totally garland him if he professed himself as a sinful man, or a man with unparalleled charm. ¡°¡°Oh, where are you~, Allen Rovenne-sama!¡±¡± ............Ahahaha, I guess I had enough of this party. Time to return. I had just made my resolve to fade out immediately from the scene when Makite-san grabbed my shoulder and grinned. "Right, let me show you how to expand your acquaintance circle at a party. I just happen to have exciting information in my hands." Then, while keeping his hand on my shoulder, he called out to the girls'' group. "Good day to you, ladies. Would you know, I just happened to have a piece of information for your liking? In fact, I would say you can''t do without this information¡ª the key person you must see through if you want to close the distance with Allen-kun, yet everyone overlooks him." ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Oh, where are my manners. I am Makite, from Leverance. One of my friend''s acquaintances is actually in the Leverance information department, and that''s how I managed to get my hands on this piece of information. But I assure you ladies, no one is privy to this name, despite having their presence in the party." Makite-san was brimming with confidence, yet I could only feel as if a demon was screeching. Besides, wasn''t a friend of a friend basically a stranger in Earth''s terms? Maybe I was mistaking how this world worked? Nevertheless, the girls¡¯ eyes gleamed in radiance. "A super-important figure everyone has overlooked......?" "I absolutely do want to know. Would you please share the details with us?" Makite-san quietly murmured in triumph seeing that the girls had taken his bait. "Of course, but you know right, equivalent exchange? I assure you this information has not reached anyone else''s ear yet, and knowing it means victory. No, you would have absolute dominance over your competitors." "......Oh? I feel more and more inclined to hear your words, Makite-san. But are you sure that person is here at the party?" Huh, why do I feel like the girls here seem to be aware of all my friends already, or at least have a general grasp of them. "If I say so, then it''s true. A credible person knows better than to spread a baseless rumor, after all. It''s a surefire way to lose your credibility." ...... Makite-san looked delighted as he saw the girls frolicking around him...... I may not be right, but it felt more like they had ''surrounded'' him. My mind was seized with nervousness, compelling me to say something here. However, the name Makite-san pronounced with such confidence instead stunned me...... more due to how the name that should hardly be relevant suddenly popped up here. "The man''s name is...... Duid Moonlight. He''s the son of a viscount family in the Dragoon territory, and similarly, a student of the Royal Academy." Vol. 1 - Ch. 125 - Buffet Party (3) ¡°The name of that person is...... Duid Moonlit. A son of a viscount from the Dragoon region, and also a new student of the Royal Academy." ......Huhh? To be honest, I had completely forgotten about his existence ¡®til now since he barely had any presence. If I recall correctly, he''s also in the Hill Road Club and I had also seen him in the commoner''s dormitory. "......Have you heard of the name?" "No, not at all." Even I was surprised, much less the girls as they looked at each other in skepticism. However, it seemed like one of them actually knew of Duid. Heh, I presumed so, given how they had been privy about the Academy''s situation in detail. "......I''m from the Dragoon region, and I¡¯ve heard that name before. If I''m not wrong, he¡¯s enrolled in Year 1 Class E this year. Though, since he¡¯s from a faraway countryside, he has hardly been involved in any adventurous event...... That''s basically it." Sorry for being such a boring country bumpkin, alright? Viscount Moonlit¡¯s territory was adjacent to our Rovenne territory, with a mountain range separating the two. Just like us, the Moonlit territory has no specialty to speak of, but they were a bit closer to the city and father saw them as his rivals. Oh, yeah. I think my father had blabbered something about how he was vexed to see Moonlit''s son scoring higher than me in the mock exam during my last dinner with him...... I believe I had spoken with him a few times as well, though I had completely forgotten about this rivalry. "But of course, this is why this is a brand-new piece of information. There''s a reason why many have yet to know about him." Makite-san''s enthralling tone was now one octave higher. On the other hand, the girls further closed the gap, perhaps unable to hear clearly with the buzz in the hall. I even heard someone making a gulping sound, and for the record, I hadn''t enhanced my hearing yet. Makite-san gazed at the face of the girls, laced with an invisible tension, and continued his explanation. "You see, the Viscount Moonlit territory is actually... adjacent to Viscount Rovenne''s. I have concrete information that the two viscounts are on good terms, as it can be seen that they''re actually working on the research of selective breeding of wheat together." "Huhh!?" My astonished voice unwittingly leaked out. I mean, I have never heard of it, you know. But... I do remember he kept complaining about how he had to tag-team with Moonlit all the time for this or that, frustrating him. Could it be that? That quarrels are often a sign of friendship? "......Oh, I think I remember hearing about this. It was something like loaning the wheat Allen-sama''s dear father had researched. Viscount Moonlit himself had confirmed the effectiveness as well when Viscount Rovenne had spoken of his research results in front of ''Empress'' Meria Dragoon-sama during the spring''s noble gathering. "nE?w stories at What......!? So he had really been on good terms with Viscount Moonlit, huh? And I didn''t even catch the slightest wind about it. If anything, though, I was finding it hard to believe that my father would actually present his research result in front of the Marquis, but maybe it was really like that if even two strangers from different places were saying the same thing? "But please wait, that''s not all there was to it. While one can connect the dots by seeing that they are literal neighbors and the heads of the two families are working together, there is one more important aspect about Duid-kun." Makite-san deliberately paused his words and pulled on the strings of suspense. And just as he had hoped, the girls further tightened their circle and leaned closer than ever. Even some of the people behind them had started to pay attention quietly. Actually, I was just as curious where he was heading with this. ¡ô¡ô¡ô As the bustle in the gathering was reaching its peak, Kate, the glasses-wearing girl giving off an aura of a class president, entered into the banquet hall through the side door on the right, much like how Allen had entered. She had fallen behind her schedule due to some family circumstance. So after entering the hall, she picked a glass of orange juice and walked in the direction of the hosts, Jeu and Fey. Her family, the Salquamp, was a tad different from the typical noble family. They were court nobles without any peerage, and her family had been holding the position of Historian for generations, recording down the events of history happening in the continent, starting from the Yuglia royal family. As someone who had grown up in the Royal Capital, she was acutely familiar with the types of banquet hall like Rune Makize and knew where the dishes and drinks would have been placed. Plus, hierarchy-wise, her family was a simple Baron family, so she didn''t ask any servant for help as she briskly walked down and picked whatever she wanted by herself. "Allen?...... What¡¯s he doing here?" She had been just walking down when she heard a group of around 40 people letting out gasps at the new revelation about Allen Rovenne, and Allen had been hearing all this with dead fish-like eyes while holding a plate with desserts piled up on it, quite an informal scene for a formal gathering. She also heard one of them calling him ¡®Pork¡¯. "?? You and your antics never end, huh?......." ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Sorry, it took me a while to arrive." "Hey, it''s fine. I''m glad to see you here. Also, the dress looks fabulous on you." Following Kate¡¯s greeting, Fey complimented Kate on her black dress, adorned with subtle glitters. "Fufu, thank you for the invitation. You look no less stunning in your sequin camisole dress as well." "Thanks." "It''s been a while, Kate-san. The brooch on you makes a nice accessory. It¡¯s beautiful, just like the color of your eyes. There are quite a lot of people who want to meet you. Have you been finally freed from teaching your little brother?" In contrast to Fey, Jeu was wearing a light pink, one-piece afternoon dress with a modest neckline and a hemline that reached her ankles, keeping her skin mostly covered. "Your choice is as classy as ever huh, Jeu? You look fantastic. Yeah, I barely made it through, so I¡¯ll return to the dormitory straight from here. But sheesh, that little one really only knows to give others rough times. Would you know, he skipped studying just a while ago, and would always feign dumb whenever you asked him something? Then he has the cheek to study all of a sudden. Did he really think I''m free just for him? And dear goodness, his inspiration even comes from Allen''s performance during the Rising Star Cup. Well, there''s still one and a half years until his turn, so maybe he might make it if he keeps the same pace. Though, as his big sister, it''s really not a nice feeling to know who his role model is. ¡ªAnyway, did you notice that?" "Fufu, it must have been rough for you, Kate-san. But excuse me, what do you mean by ''that''?" Jeu seemed to have no idea what Kate was talking about and tilted her head. Kate sighed and pointed toward the huge crowd that had formed nearby the food and drinks table, looking exhilarated for some reason. "They''re calling him Pork." Fey and Jeu turn around to look at where Kate was pointing and notice a familiar figure, chewing on chocolate cake while making all sorts of expressions. Like a gourmet who was taste-testing the food. "......Heehee~. That''s quite an unexpected scene. Everyone, since Allen seems to be busy eating cake, how about we greet him?" E/N - F for Allen. This is how BL fanfics about you start. Vol. 1 - Ch. 126 - Buffet Party (4) Sheesh, were the people of this world so free to name any random piece of news a top secret information? I mean, who didn''t know I was a mere mob character by virtue of my exceptionally ordinary appearance. Any student would be able to clear that, so why in the world are these people making me some male god-like character from manga for god''s sake? And the crowd, they were so adamant about ''my theory being correct'' that any of my attempts to subvert that theory met deaf ears. Old age civilization was so right; people only look at the thing they want to believe in more often than not. I think it was said by a general of the Roman Empire maybe? ......Whatever. It had been just a galore of rumours since a while ago. Haa, I didn''t expect to get my mouth bitter with this, but atleast I managed to try out all the desserts. Guess, time for me slip away. "Excuse me, Makite-san. It''s about time for me to go back. Thank you very much for the etiquette instruction." Just like he had first approached me, Makite-san bloomed a kind smile and turned around---when his smile froze, as if encased in millenia old ice. At the same time, a familiar ''Kukuku,'' smile reached my ear. Just like how the tide receded, the buzz all across the hall gradually died down. "Fufu, if you ask me, I would say the proper manner is to at least greet the host of the party once before leaving, dear Pork-san. This is basic etiquette, you know? Speaking of, your attire is quite dashing. ...Either way, I''m delighted to see you again after so long~." Tsk, were they practising to be a ninja or what? I didn''t even notice them. "Oh heavens, I''m but a mere commoner, son of a piggery owner, and I have no worth more than being a porter. How could I come to greet the great---" I spoke in a made up tone and quietly moved my legs toward the exit, not stopping to look behind. However Fey moved in front of me and stood there. "Alright, enough with jokes, Allen. I''m really glad that you atleast come here, but you know, you could have at least come to greet us, even for a moment. It has been like, two months, and yet you just had your fill and quietly tried to slip away. There had been so many things I wanted to do together this summer vacation, but you seemed to have vanished somewhere, riding the wind. I might not show it usually but even I am hurt with that cold shoulder." For once, Fey showed a forlorn expression, sighing amidst her words. "Hey, hey, since when have you been so delicate to cry at no greeting?! ......I also was about to come for greeting, alright, before returning just for the record. Now that we have, see ya later." "Kyahaha! I see you''re still thickheaded, maybe you should learn how to read a girl''s girl? I''m not that stout-hearted as you''re imagining me to be. I definitely think you''re in urgent need of it. Anyway, what did they talk about manner when you meet someone on an occasion? Aren''t you going to say any word about my dress or accessory? Come, feel free to praise me." Fey said and twirled on her spot, as if mimicking a model. Was that so...? Why didn''t Makite-san mention it? But putting aside that, she was wearing a knee-length sequin style black dress with exposed shoulders. It seemed to be a work of a talented designer, though for someone like me who had been into the water of commoner for whether here or Earth, Fey''s dress was just ''too classy'' in my vocabulary. It reminds me of those foreign fashion shows I had occasionally seen on TV on earth. In ears, she was wearing something like earring, though the dangling design was almost as big as an atm card. Did her ear not hurt from the pain? I was at loss on how to make a follow-up here, but not saying anything wouldn''t get me out of this deadlock either, at least I felt so and decided to speak what I could come up with. "Your dress is so glamorous I almost felt dazzled by just taking a look, Fey. Just like you. Your earring also looks prettier, that rectangle design seems nice." I had said this when someone''s laughing sound echoed.Explore new novels on ......Well, I knew I was no smooth talker, but that was honestly the best I could muster out. "Thank you, Allen! Your jacket also looks good on you!" I truly expected her to fume at my lacklustre words. But she instead let out a sheepish smile, as if she was embarrassed, and then broke into a joyful grin. Girls... are truly a mysterious creature. It seemed whoever was mocking in snide was now tongue-tied, no more laughter from them. Makite-san quietly looked back, then back at us while pointing himself, as if saying ''are you perhaps calling me?''. Jeu chuckled and walked up to Makite-san, holding out her hand toward him. All noise in the hall ceased that instant. "Makite-san is it? I have something to discuss so please visit our Leverance Estate after the party. Marquis Leverance would be there as well and we will get through it over dinner." "......Hmm, but it would be a hassle to share all the information again, Jeu. I have an idea. What do you say about our Lil'' Dui and my grandma joining you over dinner as well? Of course, we will have Allen too." Fey suggested smilingly. "It''s a pity but I have something else to do, so I will take my leave here. Oh, and yes, Lil'' Dui! I am recently all over the magic car~. So I was thinking of putting up a new club over it, wanna do it together? I will fill you in on the details at the dorm! And you two, please don''t go overboard and trouble Lil Dui and Makite-san, alright? See ya tomorrow then!" I swiftly announced and stepped toward the exit. A dinner with their parents, who are marquis no less? Never ever! I am sure while it was dinner, the only things filling my stomach would be holes from their astute probing. Besides, I had my bow practice to do at the academy either way, which was more important since I haven''t done it for quite a while. I was almost about to leave when Lil'' Dui called out to me, his face red. "L-Lil'' Allen! I-I too like magic cars!!" Oh, great. So he too likes them! I presume he was saying this from the bottom of his heart as well. The words might lie for once, but that intense look gleaming in his eyes was the proof. Then again, anyone from faraway hinterland would be interested in it. We had nothing but horse carriages, and magic cars were a symbol of city prominence. How could one not admire the marvel it was, right? He was probably an amateur, not that I was any different, so it all boils down to passion, which he seemed to be brimming with. "I knew you would! So get ready to be the club''s president, alright! Bye, catch you later!" I quickly left behind my word and made my exit this time for sure. Phew~, I''m glad Makite-san''s honour was saved and the situation didn''t go south. I also get to become friends with Lil'' Dui so that''s a plus. Maybe I should talk about our hometown next time, this would make a great topic. ......Still, this was the end of summer vacation huh? I wished it could last longer, but at least, it was definitely a blast for me! ¡ô¡ô¡ô In this way, the curtain drew over the Allen Rovenne''s first-half of first term academic life. Nary a place had left in the kingdom who didn''t hear about him, his fame as an unprecedented boy echoed throughout the kingdom as he leaped to become the face of his generation. Yet, in a twist, contrasting his tumultuous first-half of first semester, his name remains in the memories of people but little so they heard about him for raising another wave in the second half of his first year. In the meanwhile, his prodigal classmates continue to emerge out as the shining jewel, which consequently diverted the attention from Allen Rovenne to him, perhaps standing to be one of the reasons behind his low presence. But the greater reason was assumed that it had been his foresightedness all along. More than anyone, he seemed to have read the undercurrent, and in lieu of it, brought the talented persona in one place. He perhaps feared if not now, then there might never be another chance. It was this otherworldly foresight of him, one that everyone would agree on, that earned Allen Rovenne the alias of . For everyone--- ------He was the seer of the future itself, a domain perceived only by the God. Vol. 1 - Ch. 127 - Dan joining the Magic Club (Intermission) It was one of the afternoons in the Royal Academy, after the start of the second half of the year, and classes had just ended. "Good day to you all, I¡¯m Daniel Serdos from Class 1-A, and I¡¯ll be a part of the Emission Magic Club starting today. I hope I can learn from all of you. I''ve opted out of the knight course and I want to... master wind magic......" Dan introduced himself in a quiet tone, his potato-like face turning into a sweet potato as a crimson shade took over his cheeks. Some of the club boys immediately showered him with thunderous applause. "Woohoo!! One more comrade has come to join our cause!" "Yeah, we''re all open-minded people, so no need to be embarrassed! Let''s chase our dreams together!" "Let''s ride the wind together under the command of our great leader!" While the male students welcomed Dan with enthusiasm, hollering unashamedly, there was one more side who looked at Dan... as if they were staring at trash. They were the girls, and perhaps also the most sincere members of the magic club. "I never expected Daniel Serdos, the 2nd rank prodigy right after Leo-san, to be no different from the scums of the club......" "Look at his red face... Why is he even joining the club when the thought makes him so embarrassed?"FiNd updates on "But don''t you think he looks a bit... cute?" "Nooope!! I definitely can''t get along with taciturn ones! I would rather choose one out of those idiots, at least they''re honest and loud!" "True, who knows if it''s just a facade while in reality, he might be dreaming of flipping skirts each night." The girls, thinking that Dan''s reason for joining was to learn the art of flipping skirts, muttered their criticisms one after another. Ever since Allen''s ''effort'' during the Rising Star Cup, the boys had been working hard all to achieve their ultimate goal of... flipping skirts. At least, the girls thought so, while the folks unrelated to the club were even giving them the cold shoulder due to that. The girls were more bothered because their families were telling them ''We beg you, just leave that place''. The hassle and bad reputation unfortunately was the reason behind their sharp tongues. In fact, the girls in the club were wearing pants, which came with their uniforms, as a countermeasure against wind magic. The uniform pants were more often a part of students¡¯ uniforms in the knight course. As someone who had a thin face, Dan couldn''t bear the gazes and seriously contemplated running from here. But before he could, Al, the president of Emission Magic Club and known to be a determined man, stepped up and offered him his words with a smile. "Yes, it''s our pleasure to have you, Dan! I''m really glad to see you joining us, truly! But before anything, there''s one ''ironclad rule'' in this club that''s of utmost importance. You will be instantly kicked out of the club if you ever so fail to adhere to this chivalric code of a ''Mage''. Fret not, it''s nothing complicated. As a mage, you should just make sure to keep chasing the endless possibilities that lie ahead!" After Al, Dol tapped on Dan''s shoulder with a wry smile. "Yo, Dan. I heard from Allen that you guys are going to create a Sailing Club? I guess it''s not actually smooth sailing for you either, huh? I think I know what you want to learn, but wouldn''t it be a burden on you to actually attempt to control that big of a ship with wind magic?" It was natural for Dol to have his doubts. Bernoulli''s theorem in this world was a new phenomenon discovered by Allen (or so the setting went), instead of some well-crafted theory with examples like in the science of Earth. And Dan himself hardly knew much about it except for what Allen explained to him. That by urging the wind the same way mages circulated their mana outside their body, it was possible to generate a dynamic force that would propel the boat forward. However, it was easier said than done, so Dol had his own questions about the principle''s feasibility. He was sure that while Dan was blessed with huge mana capability, moving such a huge ship was just an impossible matter. Meanwhile, Allen, Leo, and Jeu were absent today due to their respective busy schedules. "You can''t consider something impossible without trying, right? I seriously want to give it a try, so please point me in the right direction. If it''s not too much, can you show me what kind of magic you all are researching?" A huge smile blossomed on Al and Dol''s faces as they eagerly nodded at Dan''s suggestion. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Dan was impressed, but he also felt something was amiss. "Err... it''s truly amazing, but...... is it more powerful than your typical fireball? It even seems to take a long time to set up." "Well~, the setup time can be reduced gradually by training external mana circulation, much like emission magic. Before I talk about how powerful it is, I guess I should explain that while it is called earth element, it''s not about controlling the ''soil'', but the minerals and other inorganic substances. Hence, it might not appear powerful, but once he can reach the stage where he can shape the same ball using tougher minerals, it might be able to store even more energy which would mean it would shatter apart with more force." Dol grimaced at Al''s cheerful explanation. "Allen put it like it was an easy matter, but it actually takes more effort to freely manipulate hard substances. Also, you''re right, Dan. I still need to work over my setup time, after all the enemy wouldn''t stay still like a sitting duck and wait for me to finish my spell." Dol said this with a wry smile. "Haha, so you say, but this isn''t a bad result considering you¡¯ve come this far in just a few months. Plus you''re even controlling three elements at once, which isn''t easy at all. I can also freeze anything at touch, but the magnitude of difficulty rises up when I have to produce the water and freeze it at the same time. I¡¯ve been practicing since the age of 9, and I still fumble more often than not. Let alone when we''re talking about three elements, I can''t even begin to describe how long it must¡¯ve taken. Do you know, Dol is even practicing to end the attack by detonating it with light magic?!" Al praised Dol without reservation. "Truly, no one can leap to your height, Dol-kun!" " "Yeah, we can see why you''re our devilish vice-president~." " The female students watching them giggled and praised Dol. As students of the mage course, they knew it was easier said than done to control three elements with such precision. Dan squinted and fell into silence, then gradually his face turned pale from realization. It would be a lie if he said he understood how difficult it was to pull that off. But the final burst at the end gave him a vague hint about the true potential of the attack. Basically, everything about this spell boiled down to ''setup''. Ordinary magic couldn''t maintain its power for long when cast away from the caster''s body. However, the final burst of the Earth Blast magic wasn''t about doing ''elemental damage'', but was instead reliant on ''physical damage¡¯. Once proficient, no one could stop Dol from creating more replicas and then quietly burying them into the ground. Due to their delayed reaction, it wouldn''t matter even if they were left intact for a while. As long as an enemy even faintly stepped on one while clad in body-strengthening magic, it would explode. However, at the same time, it was a tremendous magic. What if after he entered into the knight order, he was asked to chase down the user of this magic¡ª "Hey, Dol. Do you know¡ª" ''What you¡¯re getting yourself into?'' Dan was about to say this when he was interrupted by someone suddenly tapping on his shoulder. Dan turned around and saw a plump boy there. He was wearing glasses, along with a tacky, red bandana on his head. The very definition of a nerd. "Hello, I¡¯m Banana Shake from class 3-D...... They''re someone who has the best of the world, while we don''t even have the crumbs. That it may be, our coach, Allen, once said¡ª wind magic is just as much of a treasure trove of endless possibilities, it''s no less magnificent than the others. Throw away your ''What would people say'' mindset and follow the calling of your heart. Anyway, let''s go!" Banana said while pointing toward the setting sun. "Huh? No, shouldn''t you explain where we''re going first? Also, I am currently busy. I need to learn from Al and Dol¡ª" Suddenly, a tall, eccentric guy wearing his blazer tucked into his pants grabbed Dan''s shoulder firmly. "Hello comrade, I am Chross Ucchari. Excuse our suddenness, but we''re someone who believes in imparting, rather than hoarding. We have acquired quite a fruitful result in our journey so far, thus we would be happy to have you. Let''s start with 3rd grade . By the way, as long as you can hear the wind in a 20m radius via detection magic, you would be able to unlock your advancement as well." On the one hand, there were Al and Dol, happily chatting with girls. On another, there was Dan, besieged by the members of Wind Magic Order. The Wind Magic Order was a group of people who uses their youthful energy to secretly spirited away the prospective candidates of Royal Academy to further broaden their boundary. Naturally, Dan, too, was taken to become their next sacrifi---ahem, their next comrade. Vol. 1 - Ch. 128 - Grayfia Indiana (1) The early fall season, Rosemieur Empire. Much like the Yuglia''s Royal Knight and Mage Academy, Rosemieur, too, boasted a similar academy, the only rival to Yuglia''s academy in the continent¡ª Olympus Mage Institute located in the capital, Olympus. In the training grounds of the institute that only nobles could afford, Grayfia Indiana was going wild. "Where the hell is your spirit, you lot!? Is that what you''re capable of? Mere sissy-like attacks, I¡¯ll butcher you all for real!!" Around her, many of the students tumbled around on the ground, vomiting blood. When the second half of the year began, she was congratulated with huge fanfare for getting three straight wins in the Yuglia''s Rising Star Cup. However, she also noticed her friends appeared a bit... distant. They, too, had apparently heard about the victory handed to her out of pity after she was thoroughly bashed around by a first-year student, called to be the hope of Yuglia, despite having the handicap in a sham battle. But whatever the conclusion may be, her schoolmates, who knew about her prowess, had no intention to mock her. That said, they were extremely curious about the guy named Allen Rovenne, whose rumors they occasionally heard from neighborhood nations. Grayfia had faced him up close, so they really wanted to hear her impression about the battle. But, they couldn''t ask. There was no way they could ask her what happened in the match. And Grayfia, who seemed to have perceived their hesitant attitude, naturally took it as a huge blow to her pride. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°Give it a rest already, Grayfia. You''re supposed to be the one to wrap up the disturbance as a Prefect of the Public Discipline Council, not cause it. And wiping the floor with your comrades wouldn''t wipe away that shame. Visit the Student Council room later." A graceful, silver-haired girl chided Grayfia, who showed no sign of ceasing her barbarism as she vented out her frustration on the students. "Hmph, and that''s what I¡¯m doing as a Prefect. Their skin has been getting a bit too thick, after all. ......And did you seriously say I¡¯m drowning in shame? Haa, I¡¯ll just let you know, underestimate me, and I¡¯ll show you what hell is. Don''t think your princess status would save your wool. Be careful or that pretty face of yours will be biting the dust next moment, Ariichi." "Insolence! Watch your tongue when you speak to Ariichi-sama. Perhaps you might have forgotten with your Prefect authority, but you''re speaking to a princess here!!" General Affairs Officer Eclair of the Student Council, also a follower of Ariichi, objected in a sharp tone. "Shut up, you lowly servant." However, when Grayfia shot a glare at her, she staggered half a step back tongue-tied. But as if to say she wasn''t affected, she, too, glared back at her. Ariichi sighed and directed her cold gaze at Grayfia. "Listen, I¡¯m simply saying to cease your barbaric acts now. You know there''s no shaking your no.1 position, right? So cut it out with that tomfoolery, unless¡ª you want scorch marks on your pretty body, Phi." Her hand released a faint radiance. Ariichi changed her train of thought and suddenly started talking about their childhood. "So, you''re also wearing those panties up ¡®til now, huh? Must be rough to wear it given the size. Why bother with that?" "J-Just give those panties talk a rest, Ari!!...... No wait, did you just say ''also''?" Ariichi snickered seeing Grayfia finally turning toward her to shut her up. "Fufu. We got them before we were 10, right? You pushed me, taking me out of the Royal Palace for the first time. I still remember that cloudless autumn sky. The sunshine that day was sure too dazzling, wasn''t it?" "......Hmph. I was just irritated by your cowardice. Why were you, someone blessed with incomparable talent, letting yourself be pushed around by your incompetent brothers? It was my way to get one over you." Ariichi giggled, but then the corner of her eyes dropped in melancholy. "And you haven''t changed one bit. You still hide that gentle part inside you, while picking up the role of bad guy when no one wants to take it. You must have thought I would never notice you, but I did, you know? I bet you must have wanted ''Lil'' Bear'' that day, but seeing that my interest was drawn toward ''Lil'' Rabbit,'' so you decided to put up with it. It was because I was genuinely happy when you proposed ¡®let''s take the matching pair¡¯ while entering the shop and went along with my choice." Grayfia''s face contorted as if she was chewing a bitter bug. "As if I would keep such trifling details in my mind." "Another lie. Say, Grayfia. Don''t you think it''s about time you tell me the truth? You know, I totally know how you were clearing the hindrance for me, especially the clash that was occurring between the other prince and princess." Grayfia''s eyebrow shot up, but her expression quickly changed into an impish smile. "Hmm. It''s good that you now realize that the sole reason why you''re able to reach your adulthood, and even manage to create your own circle without feeling pressure from the princes, was all due to me. Well, you were always a naive idiot. I did all that because I didn''t want to see an incompetent fella riding above my head in the future." Ariichi''s eyes were filled with sadness as she peered into Grayfia''s eyes. "......Sheesh, cut that bad guy act in front of me, now. You know that I''ve always been your, Grayfia Indiana''s, fan since childhood. I made sure not to miss any of your actions. But as your fan, I just can''t watch you wallow in self-derision because that bucktooth keeps bothering you. If anything, it¡¯s one of the most charming points about you." Grayfia glared at Ariichi. "C-Charming!? Shut up! Stop talking like that guy!" "Now, now. Frankly, the bucktooth being the proof of drawing devil''s blood is mere superstition. I mean, do the devils even really exist? Sounds like some hoax to me...... And either way, even if it turns out to be true, it doesn''t change who you are. You''re Grayfia Indiana, stronger and haughtier than anyone. Well, that aside, who might ''that guy¡¯ be?" Ariichi was sure there was no suicidal person in this nation except herself, who would actually touch Grayfia''s reverse scale, one that she had been more conscious about than anything else, and say it was ''charming''. Perhaps, the source of her ill mood stemmed from that fact...... And most likely, it seemed like it was due to the same person who treated Grayfia Indiana like a child. T/N - I wonder if it¡¯s another crazy Flag lol. Instead of fate leading together by arrow of cupid, it¡¯s just fate brought together by landmines. E/N - Another crazy is about to chase the MC Vol. 1 - Ch. 129 - Grayfia Indiana (2) "............He was a jerk." Grayfia once again shifted her gaze and started recounting her side of the story. "......You mean Allen Rovenne?" She stayed quiet for a moment but eventually nodded her head. "I didn''t put him in my eyes at first. My eyes were on that famous Leo Zatsinger at that time. Sure enough, it became apparent why he was called a child prodigy, not to mention his prominent background, the famed Zatsinger family. He was as handsome as they could get, and had that peculiar aura you would see from prominent figures. There¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯s destined to make big waves in the future. ......But, compared to that illustrious star, that guy...... His face was mediocre to the core, and he appeared no different from a run-of-the-mill commoner." Grayfia recounted as she bit her lips, tears brimming in her eyes. "So what you''re saying is that there¡¯s more than meets the eye about him? Hmm, but the reports read that he is a coward, morally bankrupt, and a hopeless pervert who resorted to dirty tricks when he realized he had no way to win with his weapon. Was he not?" Ariichi''s intuition was telling her there was more about that boy than the report made him out to be. However, she was curious, so she decided to underplay him for now. On the other hand, Grayfia nodded. "I was angry after reaching that conclusion at the end of the match as well. I was clearly superior and even by pure strength comparison, he was nowhere near me... and yet... It vexed me to the core. I couldn''t let the matter end like that, and it would also give others the chance to look down on us. So I waited for a chance to strike him down." Ariichi felt an uncomfortable sensation washing over her when she heard the last sentence coming out from Grayfia. "I did wonder if I should stop back then since that ''Indomitable'' was there, but..." Grayfia paused in her words recalling the situation and shook her head. "That geezer was no average person with his aura, but he didn''t show any sign of intervening at all. He was so quiet that it instead felt uncanny. ............I waited for that guy to walk down from the stage. It would take a moment and the audience would soon know who was the real weakling once I struck that guy down, after he had shown himself as Yuglia''s Impeccable Knight using a borrowed weapon from Olivia or whatever, the woman from the Rudeon family. That was my plan, but..." As Grayfia explained so far, her tears started to spill out. "I¡ª I couldn''t take any action...! He didn''t even care and just showed me his back, as if to say¡ª Just try it if you have the guts! But once you start, it would no longer be a mere competition. I¡¯d put you in your place if you have the intent to cause any more ruckus! He was implying this by showing his back while releasing an awfully intimidating aura. It can only be possible if one has gone through numerous bloody scenes, and he... he was giving that vibe.Explore new novels on I felt like no matter what I did, he would be able to see through it. T-There''s nothing I could do! He didn''t even consider me his opponent at all! The distance I thought was an advantage for me was moot. And....... there was also that wind, which kept blowing around me as if teasing me, putting a leash on my legs. ......Unforgivable. I couldn''t accept myself for that! I should have taken that step, even if it meant I might lose everything! It should have been alright even if he turned out to be my match at worst, but... but I lost not due to the difference in our ability, but due to my cowardice to not take that step!" Grayfia finally spoke her heart out that she had been holding back. Ariichi took her crying childhood friend in her embrace. "It must have been tough on you, Phi. You¡¯ve been holding on to this all this time. So my hero faced defeat for the first time......" Grayfia shook her head amidst her sobbing. Featuring a white tone, the underwear wasn''t at a mere translucent level like foggy glasses; it put everything into display except the bare minimum. "W-White?! I can''t believe you chose this out of all of them! Do you think white would suit a prickly woman like me?! You know what, I¡¯ll choose it for you, Ari. Bring me something with a darker or gloomier tone!" "?! H-How can I...... ahem, t-then I¡¯m sure that would match your taste." Ariichi pointed at one of the mannequins. The mannequin was adorned with a lustrous blue underwear, sporting a tiny butterfly-like design at the nether region. Everything except the butterfly was merely connected with strings, the typical G-string pattern. And the bra... barely had anything in the name of fabric except a broad strip. It was as if someone had put a large headband over the mannequin''s chest. "......This is for you as well." Grayfia decided immediately. "Hey, now that''s unfair, Phi!!!¡ª Hold on! Look, this flashy purplish design isn''t about butterflies, but poisonous moths! It''s definitely in line with a gloomy woman like you!" "Y-You know your stuff, huh! Woah, would you look at this, I am sure this convenient design would suit you, Ari!" Grayfia picked what was a crotchless panty, placed at the topmost section of the shop. The bra that came in pairs with it was no different, featuring two hula-hoop like rings, with the vital position being hollow. The design, though, seemed like a waste of cloth for the two as they couldn¡¯t wrap their head around how such a thing was even needed. "Kyaaa! T-T-This is so cowardly of you..." Ariichi let out a squeal and headed for the inner section of the shop in search of raunchier and risque? design underwear. The girls used the shopping as an excuse to blow off the stress they had accumulated due to their varying everyday situations. Their mementos, the underwear they purchased that day, which piled up to be a small hill, were later strictly sealed deep into their personal closets as their cherished treasures. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Ariichi later reported everything that Grayfia recounted to her word-by-word, like the hidden confrontation between Allen and Grayfia, and Grayfia''s own impression to the higher ups of the Empire. The Emperor later revised his evaluation of Allen ¡ª mainly his individual strength and potential ceiling ¡ª and...... felt reassured. He was sure that the wind spirit in reality was nothing more than manipulation of mana outside the body using the application of detection magic. It wasn''t that he was undermining him. He knew the talent required to reach such a level at the mere age of 12, one that would definitely be a threat to the Rosemieur Empire in the future. But, it was easier to counter an enemy at plain sight than one that is hidden. "Phew, I¡¯m glad that I finally saw through Allen Rovenne," was the expression of the Emperor. A visibly relieved sigh carved on his face. Postscript¡ª¡ª It happened after I wrote this chapter, I accidentally tapped on the search history of goo*le in front of my friend and¡ª etc... ¡ª¡ªpopped up immediately. There was an incredibly painful silence after that. T/N - It¡¯s fine author, my history has been tainted today as well. I guess you sure do learn something unexpected each day. The last thing I expected was to look for...panties, if I was putting the description right. Especially the first one, I was wondering shouldn¡¯t the hole be counted from front......Yeah, let¡¯s leave at that. Ahem, returning to the main topic, next would be a couple chapters about motorcycle clubs and after that starts the Mad Hound vs Rose part. A certain line actually clears out the mindset of Allen for readers. E/N - Yikes, that would have been awkward. F for the author. Good thing I''m pretty careful with my search history. Incognito and delete search history for the win! ?? Vol. 1 - Ch. 130 - Magic Car Club (1) Two months had passed since the classes of the second half of the year began. Today was another typical weekend day. I pushed my way through the woods growing tall in the Academy''s premise, and peered at the magic car garage at the back. Lil'' Dui was tuning his magic cycle like usual, humming. In the end, Lil'' Dui ¡ª Duid Moonlight ¡ª had established the magic car club. In the evening of Fey and Jeu''s sponsored buffet party, Lil'' Dui came knocking at my door, a bit embarrassed. In his hands was a tattered magic car magazine, a sign that he had read it over and over again. Apparently, he, along with Makite-san, was thoroughly questioned by Fey and Jeu after I left the party, though they managed to avoid the fate of sharing a dinner table with a Marquis. After returning to the dormitory, he remained in dilemma for a while if he should visit my room or not, and it wasn''t until after 10 p.m. did he finally muster up the courage to knock on my door. "C''mon Lil'' Dui. We''re literal neighbours, and now classmates to boot, just come and hang out any time you want." I replied casually. Lil'' Dui took a deep breath, looked into my eyes, and... bowed his head. "I''m sorry. Frankly, I was scared of you. And I know, that was just my ''awe'' and ''jealousy'' toward you. I ended up drowning in envy after seeing you in the limelight, thinking ''Isn''t it unfair? Why only him when we both began from the same place''...... What a deplorable thought. Hah." Lil'' Dui chuckled in self-derision at the end. ......I guess, it was this quality of self-introspect that was the reason why someone from that damned rural village in the middle of nowhere clinched the chance to enter this Academy. I honestly think that if anyone was commendable here, it was Lil'' Dui himself. With my experience from Earth, I knew how many would rather go through hoops than admit their own complex in front of their classmates. "Why did you decide to join this dorm, Lil'' Dui? If money had been your problem, I think right now is the best time to move to a noble dorm. They would be more than happy to pay a hefty sum just to move in here with the current trend." "Well... that was the problem at the beginning. As much as my father was bragging around, saying that my enrollment was a done deal, he really didn''t think I would actually be accepted. He was completely oblivious of the situation, like how this dorm was called the loser dog''s kernel, or even if we needed to take out a loan. Ah, I was no different either." Uh-huh, guess we truly were neighbors for a reason, eh? I chuckled. All this time, they had been urging us to take the exam, but they were completely blank when it came to teaching us the follow-up. The kids on Earth just needed to hit the search button and all the details would be available to them in a jiffy. Meanwhile, despite our supposedly noble status in this world, the kids of the countryside had basically no means to acquire such information. "Our title as noble is mere decoration. We hardly had enough money due to my many siblings, though I wasn''t really disgruntled about joining this dorm. Besides, when I realized that the self-dependent lifestyle was a way to improve yourself, I was even more excited to be here. I did receive many proposals to hand over my room in exchange for an exaggerated sum which I really couldn''t wrap my head around, but...... I felt like I might really stay as a bottom rung character for the rest of my lifetime if I accepted it. Yeah, I know that sounds gibberish and maybe that''s something foreign to you." Lil'' Dui said and chuckled. It looked a bit desolate. Of course, I understood where he was coming from. I doubt I would have been able to resist temptation if I was in his shoes and was offered such a lavish sum. But there was no point in delving into the past. I quickly steered the topic to another. Yeah, we could catch up with other things later, but I was more impatient to ask about the magazine he was holding. It was a roundabout way, but that was better than putting the cart before the horse. What was important was we needed to have fun. And haste was the devil''s work, or so the saying went. "I know where you''re coming from, Lil'' Dui. You''re right, I probably shouldn''t take the stage here. Let''s do it this way, Lil'' Dui. Why don''t you create the club yourself? I¡¯ll enter the club as just another member when everyone comes to accept your abilities and take my sweet time enjoying the ride then. Of course, I¡¯ll help out with essential support." Lil'' Dui''s face turned pale at my words. "Are you sane?! It¡¯s not an everyday thing to actually collaborate with that Elvert Workshop. It''s your chance to start big. Hell, it''s possible to get them as sponsors as well. I¡¯m sure you would be able to take the world by surprise if you manage to gather talented individuals from the Academy and¡ª" I interrupted Lil'' Dui''s words abruptly. "¡ª A thing you can devote yourself truly to. You have no idea how valuable it is to have one such aspect about yourself. Trust me and have more faith in yourself, Lil'' Dui." As I spoke in a stronger tone with a firm gaze, Lil'' Dui swallowed his words. "The sole reason I want to create this club is that I find it interesting and am excited about sharing the same feelings with others. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m just following my feelings. And what qualifications? Do you really need someone''s permission to follow your passion?" Lil'' Dui was at a loss for words after my speech though I wasn''t finished just yet. "I don''t want it because I want to make it big. Neither is it to earn fame nor to create some big faction. I simply enjoy doing it and want everyone to feel the same too. The youth that you can only feel in this Academy, the new possibilities brought about by the two-wheeler magic car. The club activities aren''t there for some special reason, and it¡¯s the same for the other clubs too." I had been a lump of regret in my past life. A youth full of attending school and then going to the cram school right after. What kind of sick joke was that? Besides, this academy offered the best of things, and the people here had their own varying but interesting personalities. I believed that as long as there was passion, it should be possible to create an interesting organization which was infinitely better than a cram school-like situation that only sought results no matter the cost. Lil'' Dui looked astonished as I continued to explain about my philosophy over club activities. "So... you''re saying you want to create the club just to play around and to have a place where you can completely focus on your hobbies for no other apparent reason or anything at all? It''s like saying you''re creating the clubs in this Royal Academy for no particular purpose......¡± Oh-ho. He sure was fast to capture the meaning in my words! I unwittingly chuckled. "Yes, that''s all I want to do. I just want to create a place where we can do what we truly like. It''s my ultimate goal, and maybe you can say the only outcome I seek from them is for students to experience everything. Well, the objective is basically a formality since it''s totally nothing more than playing around. It''s not about developing another engine, reforming an engine, researching the underlying technology, or even improving driving skills. My desire doesn''t lie in any of that. Alright, that''s enough from me. I want to hear your words now! " I said everything I wanted to, leaving behind the other aspects that would just be counterproductive, and stared straight into Lil'' Dui''s eyes for his decision. ......Except, the look on his face explains everything I wanted to know even without hearing his words. E/N - Quite a lofty goal the MC has though one that I agree to and respect. Kids should be able to experience everything life has to offer before they are forced to decide on what to do for the rest of their lives. Vol. 1 - Ch. 131 - Magic Car Club (2) "Man, you''re really becoming a maintenance freak." I raised my voice from behind while smiling wryly. Lil'' Dui, who finally noticed my presence, broke free from his concentration and said "Oh, I didn''t notice you, Lil'' Allen. Just wait a minute¡± before turning his focus back to the magic car with a serious expression. The magic car club was able to make a small, but safe start as they received the common fuselage ¡ª one that hasn''t been attuned for wind magic, basically for the common populace ¡ª and minimum equipment required for maintenance from the Elvert Workshop on the condition of their cooperation over the development of the magic two-wheeler. "Do you see this, Allen? He hardly even rides his two-wheeler, but he would come to disassemble the machine every weekend ever since Ashim-san praised him for his meticulous maintenance. Say something to him." Pisu, a first-year from Class A and a member of the magic car club, spoke out. "But man, is everyone from your place so perversely talented?" He commented with a straight expression, eliciting a hand chop from me. Three days after classes had resumed, Lil'' Dui submitted the application to create a Magic Car Club to Mujikka-sensei. After the events at the Rune Makize buffet party, news of the club¡¯s creation spread throughout the entire Academy in a flash and the following day, I received a flood of candidates visiting me in hopes of joining the club. I made it clear that I was only helping out in the club creation process. The club is being created by Lil'' Dui, and he would be the club president for all intents and purposes, so they needed to consult with him regarding joining the club. I quietly hinted it was the same with the Magic Tool Development Club which Fey was in charge of, as I rarely visit them. Lil'' Dui and I brainstormed that day and in the end, we decided to go down this route. At the very least, we were hoping some like-minded individuals would join us at the start. There wouldn''t be any idiot spreading malicious rumors about him then if I emphasized that I was but a mere helper. Well, in the case of Fey''s club, she was already Miss Popular even without me, so there was a deluge of applicants hoping to join the club. But the same crowd that had been so enthusiastic to join the club while approaching me dwindled faster than snow melting when tossed into the frying pan. At the time it was created, there were only 3 members in the Magic Car Club. Lil'' Dui, Pisu, and March-senpai from Class 2-D. The numbers were abysmal but instead of being dejected, Lil'' Dui was rather excited to see there were at least two more students who were passionate about magic cars like him. Afterward, as others saw how they were having fun test-driving the magic two-wheeler that was still under development, the club received two more applications ¡ª a 3rd student and a 2nd year student ¡ª in the span of two months. Including Pisu and March-senpai, it was originally impossible for the students like them to acquire magic cars on the basis of their families alone. "Oh-ho, so you''re finally joining us, Allen. It''s fine, I have gained quite a considerable amount of experience in these two months of driving the magic two-wheeler. As your experienced Senpai, I¡¯ll fill you in about the basics." Kukuku. I haven''t remained idle in these two months as well and have perfected my driving skills on the test course of the Elvert Workshop. The countless feedback I provided in the last two months was also reflecting on my machine. I knew it was childish, but I couldn''t wait to see his jaw drop once I displayed my original, custom-made two-wheeler. "It would be an honor to learn from you, Pisu-senpai!" Perhaps he sensed something, Pisu''s expression stiffened as I looked at him with an impish grin. ¡ô¡ô¡ô In the not so near future, Duid Moonlit would submit his article titled ''My Overhaul'' to the kingdom''s sole magic car magazine ''Key Driver¡¯, raising a commotion amidst the specialist car drivers. The magic two-wheeler was remarkably cheaper and easier to manufacture than the four-wheeler. Plus, its small frame and insignificant maintenance cost were a boon to the common populace. In contrast, the performance of the two-wheeler was understandably weaker than the four-wheeler. However, it wasn''t something a bit of money and some labor couldn''t fix. One reason for the cheap availability could be said to be Allen and Duid''s obsession for expanding the reach of magic cars to the ordinary populace as well. The magic car, which had been a symbol of wealth all this while, had finally made its way among the less affluent crowd, who had always adored them, in its two-wheeler form. Coincidentally, around the same time that ''My Overhaul'' made it to the magazine, the Elvert Magic Workshop collaborated with a certain mid-scale magic car manufacturer to start manufacturing their first two-wheeler model ''FATA-01''. The FATA-01 had barely hit the market when a crowd of enthusiastic people immediately made reservations, fully booking it until at least the next year. One of the crucial factors that pushed its popularity was the occasional glimpse of the Royal Academy¡¯s Magic Car Club members riding the two-wheelers on the outskirts of the Royal Capital. Meanwhile, the booming popularity of the two-wheeler soon found many prominent magic car manufacturers jumping into the fray to become the next dealer. On the other hand, the composition of Duid Moonlit''s ''My...'' series, seeped with his passion and deep knowledge for the magic cars, remained a fan favorite of the crowd for a long, long while, which became one of the factors behind the expansion of the magic car culture and its development in the kingdom. Vol. 1 - Ch. 132 - What happens when Mad Hound is enraged (1) "Yo, Ren-kun! I was hoping to talk to you about something. Are you free now?" It was one of those days when I had gone out to hunt in the prairie east of the Royal Capital with the members of ''Apple'', after a long time. I just arrived at the Eastern Branch to deliver some materials when the fatty from ''Gold Rat'' approached me. We first met around the time when I just registered for an explorer license, one thing led to another, and I ended up beating him to a pulp. After that, he would occasionally pester me for a fight only to have the tables turned on him again and again, and who knows what kind of wind suddenly blew in later on, but he started to act chummy with me. Truly a mannerless fatty, his name was... Benza, I think? "I don''t have time to waste with you. Also, stop talking to me as if we''re buddies. I was almost about to give you a panda eye." I was walking toward the warehouse when the fatty greeted me. "Come on, Ren-kun. This matter isn''t just about me; it concerns all the mutual aid societies in the capital. Also, it''ll totally affect your ''Apple'' too. At least listen to me first!" I sighed. It was plain as day that his news was anything but welcoming, but if it was gonna affect even ''Apple'', then...... Hmm, maybe it wouldn''t hurt to lend him an ear. No, wait. If I readily agreed, then this chap would take it as a sign of friendship and would become even more chummy with me. I wouldn''t be able to show my face to Roye-aniki anymore. ''Alright, I should just chase him away,'' I made up my mind when Roye-aniki suddenly circled his arm around the fatty''s shoulder, the same fatty that had floored him before over some idiotic argument. "Ren, Benza has truly toned down his mischief recently, even helping out the kids of ¡®Apple¡¯ whenever they''re in trouble or smoothing over the situation if others try to act bossy. I think it''s time to forget the past and move on, eh? It wouldn''t hurt to listen to him." What? Did all of that happen? Woah, I didn''t know this mannerless fatty had suddenly become a well-mannered fatty. "......I can''t say no if you''re the one pushing for it, Roye-aniki. Alright, I¡¯ll at least listen to what he has to say..." Hearing my words, Benza said ''Thanks a bunch~'' with his usual cheap smile. Sure enough, a human doesn''t change his character so easily. I, Roye-aniki, and Benza went to the Eastern Branch''s dining place, leaving the rest of the materials to Po and the team of ''Apple'' to handle. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Does Ren-kun... I mean, does Aniki know about the Rose Family?" ......Haa, I knew it would be nothing good. He just had to start with a bummer.Ne/w novel chapters are published on y mood immediately took a nosedive. But for now... I decked the idiot''s head. "Who''re you calling, Aniki? Idiot. Aren''t you around 18 already?!" "I''m serious. I was awestruck by Ren-aniki''s strength and chivalry! Age can go to hell! You''re already the Aniki of my heart!" Benza announced, his eyes filled with an inexplicable grief. What the heck was that Aniki of your heart supposed to mean?...... Did he think he''s J*yan? (T/N - Doraemon reference, Jiyan, the big bully.) "You''re not the one to decide that, it''s too gross! If you utter that word again, I¡¯ll leave right at this moment! Anyway, stop dilly-dallying and continue with the topic. I don''t have free time like you." Benza seemed like he had more to say as I said my piece, but he reluctantly stopped himself and began explaining the situation. ¡ô¡ô¡ô I wasn''t sure if they''d already struck a deal or how they were managing things now, but the truth was that as long as they kept doing their rotten acts, it was only a matter of time before the knight order took them down. Master has already ordered that I should keep my distance from them, and I didn¡¯t have any intention to get close to them either. Well, it wasn''t something Benza needed to know, so I basically pretended that I didn''t see the big idea. "What do you mean? I¡¯ll do what I want. I don''t like what the Rose Family is doing, but I doubt they¡¯ll be able to continue their act forever. Besides, it''s not for us to correct the situation. It''s subjective to an individual''s decision if they want to take the risk for some extra money. If you want to make any changes, first become strong. It''s not easy to live freely as you want." Hearing my words, Benza was astounded as if he was struck by thunder. "......Are you giving up here? What happened to the Ren-kun I knew who brought down the best of the other ruffians? Are you turning your back to the opponent just because they''re big and strong?! Why?! We just need to bring together the explorers whom you taught a lesson, and then we can at least correct the order of this area to some extent! The only one who can bring us together is you, Ren-kun!" ......Ah, so that was his true motive, huh? It was quite commendable that he was thinking that far for everyone, despite realizing his own lack of wit, but... relying on others never ends well. Our supposed opponent was someone who managed to push the professional patron of this area into a dysfunctional state. Opposing them was no different from willingly jumping into a lion''s den. "Listen, we have a lot of pipsqueaks in ''Apple'' and most of their tasks are within the capital''s premise. I don''t think we¡¯ll be seeing any effect ourselves for now. We''re not some heroes; we should only focus on what we can do. What''s wrong in calling a strong opponent strong? If you don''t agree with me, feel free to take matters into your own hands." I paused there, then lowered my tone by an octave, and continued in my rough tone. "Of course...... It wouldn''t end pretty for them if the Rose Family dares to disturb me or even tries to push their agenda on ''Apple''. Not at all." Benza gave me a frustrated look. To be frank, I was vexed at how he suddenly started acting close to me, so I was hoping this would keep him away. I got up from my seat, urged the fidgety Roye-aniki to follow too, and was about to leave the place when a group of three people, who had been peeping at our group since a while ago, also stood up from their seats to chase after us. Man, they should''ve stopped there honestly. One of the dumbo goat-bearded people that I happened to encounter during a request I took to reach Ment Village, was in that group. Maybe they were wary of my detection magic, so they''d been trying to appear less suspicious all this while. It backfired, though, and I already noticed them the moment we entered the dining hall. "You''re finally here, huh, Mad Hound? Man, you sure kept us waiting for over two weeks. Anyway, I¡¯ve heard of you guys. Look, isn''t that what I''d call a realistic person?...... You remember Red-san, the leader of our Rose Family, right? He¡¯s been waiting for you. Come along with us." The bearded idiot spoke with a loud voice, enough for everyone to hear, and circled his arm around my shoulders as if we were long time buddies. The onlookers stirred as they heard his tone and attitude. Benza was looking at me with a ludicrous gaze, as if his close one had betrayed him. Eh, not that I cared though. I sighed. I truly didn''t care about what others thought. But¡ª The chummy act of this goat-bearded person was getting on my nerves. Vol. 1 - Ch. 133 - What happens when Mad Hound is enraged (2) "I don''t care, don''t act chummy with me." I brushed off the goat-bearded man''s hand from my shoulder as he tried to act overly familiar with me and started walking toward the exit of the Eastern Branch. Then, the two burly men, who seemed to have confidence in their strength though they appeared no different from ordinary people to me, blocked my path and tried to intimidate me by cracking their knuckles. However, I didn''t feel a shred of danger from their conduct. I guess they probably were around C-rank in strength, but not more than that. Generally, there was said to be a huge chasm between C-rank and B-rank explorers. Anyone could leap to C-rank with enough hard work. However, B-rank and above were ranks limited only to a few extraordinary individuals. "Did you really think you could walk away just like that? Goddamn, we had to stake this boorish place out for two whole weeks, I¡¯m so fed up with this." "Don''t let me start with Lynd as well. He was stuck on a ''I don''t know, buzz off'' loop no matter how many times we tried to ask about your address when we went to your Apple family. You¡ª You¡¯ll pay heavily for messing with the Rose Family!!!" For a moment, I felt as if Uncle Shell was whispering right into my ear ''The language of fists is the most efficient way to communicate''. I somehow held myself back, recalling the mantra of ''persevering'', and warned them once again.FiNd updates on The rowdy way of the people here has rubbed off on me recently as if it was common sense, but I also lived a lifetime as a pacifist citizen of Japan. "It seems like I didn''t speak clearly enough, huh? Listen here, I don''t care about nor do I want to mingle with you fellas. However... I wouldn''t take it kindly if you ¡®try to throw the coal our way'', got it? Get off of me and ''Apple Family¡¯." When I exuded a threatening aura along with my warning, the two beefy guys slightly flinched. However, the pea-brained goat-beard instead slid up to Roye-aniki, putting his hand on his shoulder while spouting some other crap. "We know you''re strong, Mad Hound. But strength is not the only metric in a battle of adults. Do you think you can stay with them all day long, mister B-rank? Aren''t you worried too, Roye-kun? Oh, and there are those two pipsqueaks submitting your materials at the warehouse...... Po-kun and Rina, right?...... The royal capital is merely our playground!" Inhale I took a deep breath. I didn''t really care if the skirmish devolved into an ''adult''s battle'' as this goat-beard was implying. As a member of the 3rd legion of the knight order and having been baptized by their spartan work style, this wasn¡¯t going to floor me. It was the last thing on my mind. It was just...... this bastard just had to go and cross my personal bottom line. Oh, right... What were Master''s instructions again? Something like ''Just do explorer work normally and let nature take its course, don''t make any move from your side first¡¯, and ''Report to me immediately if something happens¡¯. As I mused over all this with a cool mind, something that even I was astounded with, goat-beard continued. "Aww, but don''t worry. You just need to follow us and we won¡¯t touch anyone. Our head just took a liking to you, after all." The woeful goat-beard hasn''t even noticed that I''ve already snapped and continued to speak as if he was delivering some great news. It was a fool''s errand to jump onto their words. Even if I yielded to their threats today and followed them now, they would repeat the threat yet again if there came a time when our opinions didn''t align. The first step built the foundation for the future, after all. I adhered to the teachings of my Master, so I stepped toward goat-beard to naturally come into contact with him as the ''Explorer Ren'' and... drove my knee, strengthened with Body Strengthening, right into the pit of his stomach. "Uuggghhh!" Goat-beard threw up right there and collapsed on the spot. Ren-kun was more than just strong. Somewhere along the way, I believed that as long as it was Ren-kun, he might truly be able to lead us. He was just an odd fella who unknowingly inspired a spark of hope somewhere in the corner of my heart. The two strong-looking men blocked Ren-kun''s route. They seemed to be as strong as me at best. It was a losing battle even before the battle started, even if they tried to tag-team him. Sure enough, the two couldn''t handle Ren-kun''s pressure and flinched. But then, the goat-bearded guy revealed his venomous side quickly. "We know you''re strong, Mad Hound. But strength is not the only metric in a battle of adults. Do you think you can stay with them all day long, mister B-rank? Aren''t you worried too, Roye-kun? Oh, and there are those two pipsqueaks submitting your materials at the warehouse...... Po-kun and Rina, right?...... The royal capital is merely our playground!" Ren took a deep, deep breath and slowly turned toward the goat-bearded guy. I gasped when I saw his expression. Ren-kun was now completely serious. He was so calm even his breath couldn''t be felt, his eyes had a dull sheen as he stared at the goat-bearded man quietly. The goat-bearded man, who had been showing a strained expression up until now, soon wore a relaxed expression, seemingly misunderstanding why Ren-kun had stopped his threatening pressure. With a triumphant expression, he spouted, ''''Aww, but don''t worry. You just need to follow us and we won''t touch anyone. Our head just took a liking to you, after all." I finally bore witness to the spectacle I was waiting for. This was¡ª Ren-kun briskly approached the goat-bearded man and slammed his knee onto his stomach. There was no color of mercy in his eyes as he flatly looked at the man who staggered back and stumbled while throwing up the contents of his stomach. This was the true¡ª ¡ô¡ô¡ô "You bastard! You''re going to pay heavily for baring your fangs against the Rose Family!" The two beefy guys from earlier jumped at me from behind, flustered. I kicked the jaw of beefy guy A with my left foot, hurling him three meters away. Then, I put my left leg down and twirled on its heel. At the same time, I slammed a reverse roundhouse kick at the rib cage of beefy guy B. I believe the two fellas must have had some of their bones broken as they lost consciousness. Again, I returned to goat-beard and with a cold smile on my face, I kindly suggested. "Wow, I can''t believe you guys thought that such foolish intimidation would work on me. But sure, let''s do it your way. I¡¯ll follow you this once...... It¡¯s not a bad day to greet that small fry (Red)." But goat-beard didn''t reply, except uttering painful groans. Hmm? I was sure I held back. Did I accidentally hit a delicate part or was it his usual acting? Whatever. I was thinking if I should end the matter quickly by visiting Red, else I was sure that the pea-brained dumbasses would never learn their lesson and this might even backfire. But I didn''t know where to begin now. Just as I mused over the situation, the fatty approached me, wearing a vulgar smile, and handed me a salve, saying ''You can use it, Aniki¡¯. "............Didn¡¯t I say to not call me that again!?" I decked Benza''s head with my fist and received the salve. Vol. 1 - Ch. 134 - Against Rose (1) I pried open goat-beard''s mouth and made him drink a potion. Then I asked him to ''Take me to Red''. Goat-beard nodded swiftly, his body trembling, as he explained ''Rose''s office is in the west slum. Follow me¡¯. Fatty left a while ago to purchase another potion from the Eastern Branch shop, looking happy about something, just in case one potion wasn''t enough. Now it seemed like his effort would be in vain. "Roye-aniki, I''m sorry, but it seems like I need to go, so I¡¯ll see you another day. It would be great if you can escort Po and Rina back to ¡®Apple¡¯." As I said that, a color of apprehension dyed the face of Roye-aniki. "Ren...... I know you''re strong, but I think you''re taking them a bit too lightly. I¡¯ll bring pops immediately, at least that would be safer."Alll latest novels on However, I shook my head. "Please inform the Boss of everything that has happened here word-by-word. Also, tell him I said he should stay in ''Apple'' for a couple of days just in case. Lastly...... I''m leaving the mutual aid society, but thank you very much for everything." I said, bowing to Roye-aniki, whose face turned red from rage. "Who do you think you are to leave just like that!? Don''t expect me to accept that bullshit, Ren! ¡®Apple¡¯ will help you bear the burden of this quarrel, so why''re you trying to weather everything alone!?" I was also angry, but my mind was extremely calm to my surprise, and after considering things, I decided to settle things with Rose. I didn''t have any regrets. First, there was no way of knowing how heavy-handed the methods Rose might use, plus ¡®Apple¡¯ would become the faultless victim here, making it easier to explain to outsiders. In that way, many organizations would be able to more easily justify making a move. So I really felt no regret about my decision, but¡ª I couldn''t say I wasn''t sad now that I was leaving ¡®Apple¡¯, which had welcomed me with open arms and taught a country bumpkin like me everything down to the basics of the Royal Capital. The members might be from the slums, but it was their teachings that allowed me to hide my identity as a student of the Royal Academy and be able to freely act as an explorer. My knowledge of B-grade gourmet shops that served cheap, quick but tasty meals, or the shops that emphasized filling portions first also came from them. Or like how I was trying to find a spot to take a look at the Royal Capital when I was led to the rooftop of a tower stealthily, the perfect place to overlook the scenery of the Royal Capital. Another time, they taught me about the dark side of the world that was impossible to learn from the Academy. Whether it was the gentle Anikis, or the adorable siblings at Apple¡ª each of them were my teacher. At a glance, the four-story office looked no different from the typical bureaucratic office and seemed to be built in the same vein as them. At the entrance, there were two guards and around four people loitering around. Their expressions indicated that they were anything but law-abiding citizens, and probably their hoodlum-like aura was rubbing off the area, giving the surroundings a gloomy vibe. Just in case I needed to break out, I quietly memorized the layout in my mind and switched to my outlaw mode. Goat-beard just mentioned ¡®He''s the Boss¡¯ guest¡¯ to the guards and took me inside to...... the fourth floor directly. There were guards on that floor too, and they told us to leave behind our weapons there in a low voice. Were the guards mumbling in their sleep? The goat-bearded uncle, seemingly in a hurry to get away from me, ignored the guards and opened the door. I kicked his back the instant he entered the room while delivering punches to the stomachs of the guards as well, rendering them unconscious. ¡ô¡ô¡ô I swiftly grasped the situation inside the instant the door was opened. Similarly, the gazes of the thirteen delinquent-looking people that were inside gathered on me. Two of them looked quite skilled, seemingly the personal bodyguard. Aside from them, there was Red, sitting on the sofa. To his right, there was a man of short stature but gave off a disciplined vibe and looked like quite a capable person. The rest of the people seemed like mere fillers. A tanned man who had hollow cheeks and black circles under his eyes sat on the desk at the back of the room. I presumed he must have done some field work in the past as his dark skin bore resemblance to someone who had stayed too long under the sun. He must be Chabul Rose. A touch of anxiousness could be seen in his eyes. Behind him was a glass window, where the detection prevention magic tool was placed. Red, who was relaxing on the sofa, squinted his fox-like narrow eyes and spoke. "This is quite the rude entry, Mad Hound. Or what, did that idiot try to pull anything funny on you?" Ignoring the threatening glares, I briskly walked up to Red, clink placed my dagger on the table in front of him and stared into his eyes. "Red...... is this what you want, a fight?" Red had a long face as he glanced at the goat-bearded man when I questioned him and sighed. "Good grief...... It seems like he''s still unsuitable for errands." Vol. 1 - Ch. 135 - Against Rose (2) The bloke (Red) heaved a sigh. "I¡¯m not aware of the idiocy that bum has caused, but I want you in our ranks, Mad Hound. Well, I did clarify with him that I had no intention to cause trouble, but it seemed to have been a waste. Anyway, I¡¯ll be blunt. I called you here to invite you to our Rose Family, and of course, I promise to make sure that you get your due treatment too. You¡¯ll basically act as my right-hand man, the chief aid. If you do well, you might succeed in my position too. The Rose Family will one day control the entire underworld, thriving in the shadows of the Royal Capital, and you have a chance to be its leader. Sounds great, right? So, what do you say?" The other people present stirred on hearing Red''s statement. "Chief Aid, for real!?" "He would be the No. 3 basically! Why would we take orders from a brat?!" "No, this is going overboard, Red-san!" Wow, these guys were really pea-brained. I rejected the offer without delay. "Keep that offer to yourself. I have no interest in it. Also, I really wish you would stuff this inside your brain¡ª Don''t contact me ever again." I said and glared back at Red when the short man sitting in front of him chuckled in delight. "Hahaha! I really gotta say you''re every bit of a unique gem that Red-san described. I intended to keep quiet but boy, your attitude in coming here, all alone, is really impressive. By the way, the name''s Tomora. ......Say, don''t you think an eventless life is quite boring? Look at us, we''re the kings of this vast Yuglia Underworld. Just try to imagine: Anything you desire, it would be yours for the taking. Loads of money, an entourage of your dream girls, fine wine and food! Just say it and it''s yours!" "Keep that offer to yourself. I have no interest in it. Also, I really wish you would stuff this inside your brain¡ª Don''t contact me ever again." I repeated my previous phrase word-for-word. Yeah, I wasn''t a bit interested in my heart at all. Girls of my liking? What crap. However, since I had a reputation of wearing my heart in my sleeves, Tomora continued, unfazed. "......Just say the word, and I¡¯ll even dispatch two or three dames at your address right this instant." ?! What utter bullshit! Don''t think you can sway my heart with something like this! As a former Japanese person, it was utterly nauseating for me to treat people as mere objects! Also, putting aside my abysmally negative interest, the Academy would never allow an outsider in its premise! "......Given your fame, I¡¯m sure there should be plenty of girls in our expansive Rose Family who''re your fans. They''ve hardly done any heavy work, so I believe you won''t be disappointed one bit. Of course, I believe you have your reputation to take care of, so we can also arrange a hidden residence too." ?! Deep breath Haa~. What a crass offer. Did he really think that I was so cheap?...... But I was sure now, this guy was the spy. He was too dangerous. "K-K-Keep that offer to yourself. I have no interest in it. Also, I really wish you would stuff this inside your brain¡ª Don''t contact me ever again." Fresh blood splattered, and the glass shattered into pieces. With how it had shattered, it appeared to be a tougher variety of glass, but far from the tough glass that the central military post used. Well, those had an absurd price and one needed more than just money to even acquire them. I believe I could have smashed this bastard''s face again and again on one without fear of it being shattered. 4th story, hmm...... We had been trained to jump down from the third floor in practical class, but I believe I could easily shrug the impact and remain unhurt if I jumped from this floor. Anyway, this secured my escape route. Moreover, this also helped me regain my enhanced hearing, albeit limited, since the barrier from the detection prevention tool was constantly interfering with it. It was worth it to nick the tool with my dagger, placed below the table accompanied by the sofa, the first time when I entered the room. Mentally patting my back for that action, I half dragged Chabul outside the window and gave him a shake. "C-Chief!" "You little shit! Remember, if you dare let go, you won''t return in one piece from here!" ......Excluding Chabul, 4 out of the 12 people in the room weren''t even showing any concern for him. Believing I couldn''t see them, they were currently taking it easy. ''Good grief,'' Red shook his head while Tomura was suppressing his urge to laugh out loud. Sure enough, they couldn''t hide their tails... So four spies, huh? "Come now, no one is going to save you. Who do you think are, Mr. Popular? Oh wait, do you even realize that if I was attacked, I may not be able to hold on to you? Though you can try... so long as you don''t mind becoming a pancake after falling from this height." I was sure people like him were the ones most afraid of death, so I taunted him. "You little! You really take us for granted for showing you some respect, huh!? If you value your life enough, pull me back in the room right now! And you all, catch this little shit! There''s no way he''s gonna release me!" Chabul shouted as he glanced at the ground. Did this guy really say that he was being polite? He still has arrogance in him despite barely hanging on a thin thread himself, a misstep enough to send him to his afterlife. I dragged Chabul back in the room, took a step on the right and smashed him again on another window. The glass shattered once again, spraying the fresh blood like a fountain. My enhanced hearing recovered more of its efficiency. "Uggghhh!" "Are you sure I need to understand my position? Please, don''t delude yourself that I would quietly let go of you. Well, pity for you, I¡¯m not that upright of a guy. I don''t do things half-heartedly. You see that direction? If I throw you now, the small fries who''re waiting to catch you, would never be able to stop your fall." "Y-Y-Y-You dare do that and you''re dead meat! Mark my words! I-If you want to return alive¡ª" I once again pulled Chabul back into the room and then smashed his face onto another glass window, shattering it. "Aaaaahhh!!" "Hmph, you''re really bad at jokes, you know? You think I believe your nonsense? I bet you would still want me dead no matter if I drop you now or if I pull you back in. Don''t you want me dead? Then why do you think that I¡¯ll leave you alive? At least listen to yourself. Anyway, you''re going to die, and there''s no changing it. What happens after that would depend on what the actual living will do. Goodbye, and have a safe trip to the true underworld." I channeled my Body Strengthening to its peak and held Chabul in a throwing stance as I was about to throw him straight down. Vol. 1 - Ch. 136 - Against Rose (3) Just as I had taken the pose to show that I was going to throw him out of the 4th floor window, Chabul, finally realizing where he actually stood, immediately changed his tune. "H-H-H-Hold on! W-We can still negotiate! I won''t put my hands on you! Of course, this also applies to your friends! I¡¯ll pay too! So please, please put me down!"Re?a?d new chapters on No wonder he was an errand dog...... "And do you think I will trust your words?" As I said that in a cold voice and tightened my grip on him, Chabul wetted himself. I pulled him back in and tossed him down at my feet. He tried to crawl away like a cockroach, but I pinned him down by stepping on his back. "......I nearly forgot the most important thing in all of this. Earlier, you were about to say that you would ''torture my companions brutally and make sure no evidence remains''... Don''t think you''ll get an easy death, understand?" While stepping harder on Chabul, I analyzed my own actions. I wanted to confirm if I was capable of killing someone. If I could kill such a sleazebag who thought nothing of other people''s lives and tried to kill me. Of course, I wasn''t going to kill him for real. Maybe actually killing him might put a strain on my spirit, but knowing that I could kill if necessary meant it wouldn''t be a hindrance that could cost me my life in a tight situation. So why did I pull Chabul back in? Because I deemed him not worth killing, and killing him would make things more complicated. Besides, normally I should have given up on any hope for a middle ground considering I just thrashed their head figure, but this sleazebag was just a decoration. I would have accomplished my first goal if I could shatter Chabul''s spirit and get Red and Tomora to agree to my terms, a no intervention pledge from both sides. Well, it would be a more preferable outcome if it could be realized, considering the Knight Order had been turning a blind eye to these guys. "What the hell are you all doing there, standing like statues!? Just kill him already!" With tears and snot making a mess of his expression, Chabul hollered. Hearing the commotion, young men started pouring into the room from downstairs and the surrounding area. But they were just amateurs with their weapons; not even a thousand of them would be enough for my warm-up. I sent them flying left and right at the walls like a conveyor belt operation. Then, just as they had started showing hesitation, the two bodyguards, or so they looked, smirked and caught me in a pincer attack. One with a spear on the right, and one with a sword on the left. ¡°Hahaha, you really do deserve your title, Mad Hound. But let''s see how long you can stay calm. It has been like 10 minutes since you entered this room and started fighting. Surely, your mana should be reaching its limit now, eh? This room makes for a narrow and exhausting place to fight one against many. And we only need to make an attack from a blind spot, and we could immediately take you down without your mana guard. It''s just a matter of time before other explorers from the western branch come here. Don''t even think about escaping from here. Blame yourself for getting too carried away, Mad Hound!¡± ......It wouldn''t be good if they underestimated me too much, lest they get back at me with another scheme later on. When the swordsman¡¯s movements became sluggish, and he made a clumsy thrust, I leaped back, switched from my dagger to my bow midair, and shot a wooden arrow straight to his heart. The swordsman must have had some strength left as I had aimed the arrow at his chest plate thinking he wouldn''t be able to react to it, but it instead pierced through his right upper arm when he tried to twist away. ¡°Aaaarrrrghh!¡± I approached the defenseless swordsman and flashed a noh-mask like expression, my lips curled into a smile without it reaching my eyes. ¡°Thank you for volunteering. I¡¯ll kill you, just as you wanted.¡± When I pulled out my dagger again, the swordsman, now with a completely broken spirit, staggered back, so I punched him in the face. He collapsed, unconscious. Compared to the Knight Order''s subjugation missions I was occasionally involved in, this was still mild... My master regularly assigned me missions where a single mistake meant death... ¡°Hahaha... That''s as far as you go, Mad Hound. A pity you looked down on professionals too much...¡± At that moment, one of the goons I had thrown against the wall stood up abruptly. ¡°How do you like the taste of a paralysis drug meant for large monsters?¡± Smirking annoyingly as he approached, I decided to ask him a question in return. ¡°Paralysis drug? Maybe you are talking about this?¡± I said, thrusting the dart into the goon¡¯s neck. The almost invisible dart was shot at me a while ago. From the start, I had sensed the last suspected spy faking his defeat and watching me thanks to wind magic. Pretending not to notice his presence while he didn¡¯t make any moves was quite a challenge. He had aimed at my neck when I was focused on the swordsman, but I redirected the dart with wind magic and let it hit my leather vest instead. The goon¡¯s face became a drooling mess as he fell down. I turned my gaze back to Red and Tomora. Earlier, they still seemed somewhat composed, but now their faces were pale and covered in sweat. E/N - I must say, quite a badass chapter. MC finally shows just how good he is. I''ve been waiting for this for such a long time too. No killing, but I expected that. This novel didn''t really hit me as a murdery type, and I''m fine with that. How about you guys? Vol. 1 - Ch. 137 - Against Rose (4) The Explorer''s Association Western Branch. "Hey, you lads! The Rose Family Office is under attack! Everyone with a connection to Rose, raise your weapons and follow me! I want everyone since the enemy is someone strong, though he''s just a brat in the end, and it won''t be long until we have him pinned down with everyone! Rose will also handsomely reward whoever gets his head! I''m sure you all are familiar with Rose¡¯s compensation! First come, first served!!" The goat-bearded man, Mejin, shouted inside the Western Branch. A stir ran across the low-ranking adventurers packed inside the Western Branch who were strapped for cash, when they heard the lucrative offer. Quickly, one eager person, then another, couldn''t resist and dashed out of the branch, drawing others to follow suit. The Western Branch, which had been bustling with people, suddenly became a deserted building. If there was anyone remaining, then it was mainly the high-ranking adventurers who had long left the shadows of the Mutual Aid Societies, including the Rose Family. One of the senior explorers in his mid 30s stood up from the round table placed in the resting area of the branch, and hit up a conversation with Mejin while grinning. "Yo. The name''s Bert, leader of the party ''Burning Soul''. Not that I want to join you but... I wouldn''t mind lending a helping hand if things click for me. So, who''re you fighting?" Mejin chuckled, delighted. "Oho, the Burning Soul, a party composed only of C-rank explorers, huh?...... You''re warmly welcomed to take part. The bounty is around 20,000 rea, I believe. Low? That''s why I said the opponent is a mere brat. It''s just a brat just coming of age recently getting famous in the Eastern Branch by the name of Mad Hound. I bet that should be free lunch for you, eh?" The sounds of crickets could be heard as soon as Mejin dropped the name. Bert wasted no time in turning on his heel and slumping back on his table. "......Huh, aren''t you on board? Come on, I¡¯m sure there would be more bounty depending on the situation you know? Also, Mad Hound? That brat should be panting like a tired dog at this moment. With everyone from Burning Soul having potential to break through to B-rank, I''m sure that this would be a cinch." With a grimace and an expression of annoyance dyeing his face, Bert waved his hand. "Damn my life if I¡¯m gonna go outta my way to pick a fight with that ''Mad Hound'' for that measly amount. We were nearly smashed to the ground by him when we once tried to start shit with him at the central tavern. Heck, we were even pulled into a quarrel with that bastard Shell after that. I had my expensive armor smashed to pieces and had to waste two weeks recuperating from my injuries. Then there''s also that Lynd. Nope, no amount''s gonna be enough for that shit show. Hell, treat this as if I never talked to you ¡®cause gods forbid if he thinks I''m in cahoots with you." Mejin then ran his gaze all over the Western Branch, but not a single soul turned to look into his eyes. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Haha, this playground is really too small for our play, huh?" With a pale face, like a ghost, the brat murmured. Then, with lifeless eyes, he approached and grabbed my hair. "E-Eeek." "Aren''t you glad, Chabul? The support team that you''ve been hoping for is finally here. I''m going out to greet them, so wait here. Hmm, fret not, it''ll be over in jiffy. Of course, I''m a man of my words and won''t run away from here. Yeah. Now take a good rest¡ª wait for me to come back." Curling his lips into a crescent smile, the brat giggled and went down the stairs with ghostly steps. The sound of battle and screams galore could be heard coming from downstairs, but it barely lasted 10 minutes from start to finish. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After fixing the small fries, I returned to the 4th floor to see Chabul had slipped under the desk, his body shivering like the tail of a rattlesnake.Ne/w novel chapters are published on Poor soul, remaining a chess piece of another in the end. It would be a waste of brain cells to expect bravado from him. "Show your face, bastards! Which one of you was trying to look down on our ''Apple Home'', eh?!...... I''m Lynd Izzarpurt, Apple''s head. Let''s talk now." Making himself known with his booming voice, Boss entered the room carrying his signature huge spear. I put down my bow and arrow and took a sigh of relief. "Boss, I was just doing the same thing. What about ¡®Apple¡¯? You shouldn''t have left it, to be honest." Hearing my words, Boss visibly sighed and walked up to me. "I left Saki there after we heard of the commotion in the Eastern Branch. There''s no idiot who would dare to cause trouble in his presence." Boss made a hideous expression with his explanation and decked my head with his full might. Thump A dull sound echoed from my head. "You big buffoon!... I''m sure I explained it to you before to contact me at once if something happens no matter what it was, didn''t I? I¡¯ll do everything I can to protect you as your chief. So, don''t underestimate Apple''s Lynd! You''re strong alright, but that doesn''t mean you ought to bear the burden alone. You''re a brat for damn¡¯s sake!!" ......Ouch. It hurt so bad it nearly made me tear up. Yet¡ª an incomprehensible emotion surged within my heart. It made me realize... it was just my mind that had the experience of 36 years from my previous world, but my heart still seemed to be that of a 12-year-old. Boss ruffled my hair with his big hand, caressing it. "For crying out loud, you ought to look at your face in the mirror. You should have just relied on the adults if you''re gonna cry at the end. Now look at the clusterfuck this situation has become...... Haa." Boss said in an astounded tone as he took in the room. Here and there, the supposed members of the Rose Family could be found collapsed on the floor. ¡°Yes. I''m sorry." I wiped my tears and quietly apologized. Meanwhile, as if someone had breathed new life into him, Chabul, who had been shivering non-stop while holding his breath, closed into Boss and shouted. "Y-You bastard. Do you have any idea what this brat has gotten himself into?! How do you plan to settle¡ª" Boss showed no hesitation and drove his full-powered fist into Chabul. Chabul was sent flying from the impact and, wham!, crashed into the wall, fainting as froth spilled out of his mouth. "No need for small fries here. I heard you guys threatened to take our kids hostage, and now you have the gall to ask for a settlement?! Damn you! Can''t your button eyes see that Apple''s leader is here? Where the hell are your bosses, dumbass!?" Boss ran his gaze all over the room and shouted in a booming voice. I didn''t want to break his limelight moment, nevertheless I needed to point something out to him. "Well, the small fry you just swatted away is the face Rose, Chabul Rose, Boss." "Wow, what in the world!?............ Did you bring any potion?" "......I forgot......" ............ E/N - And scene! Alright, now that''s how you end a badass chapter with a comedic tone. Now I kinda am looking forward to the future plot. Vol. 1 - Ch. 138 - Against Rose (5) After Allen left, in the Rose Family office. Confirming that the Mad Hound had turned into a corner in a distant alley and disappeared from view, Tomora finally relaxed and asked Red standing beside him. "What''re you going to do about those conditions, Red? I can understand why you''d put a non-intervention clause against him and ''Apple Home¡¯, but I don''t see why you needed to add the Eastern Branch as well. I''m sure he wouldn''t have demanded that either." Red squinted his fox-like slanted eyes and answered, his back trembling. "Huff The Mad Hound...... he''s really different from others. I really fumbled here. It''s a pipe dream for us to control him. But it did show that he''s still a brat at the end of the day... I noticed him going soft for a moment when Lynd appeared. Despite putting up that awful bloodlust and beating the shit out of so many strong people, he didn¡¯t kill anyone. It was as if he intentionally went easy on us, but it''s hard to imagine such bloodlust from such a naive guy...... It just doesn''t make sense." "I had the same thought. That kid¡¯s bizarrely unhinged in some places...... So, what are you trying to do anyway? I definitely don''t want to face that kid again. Our values are just too different to make him one of us." "I know what you''re trying to say. But we¡¯re already at a road of no return with our actions...... I, and of course Zest-san too, won''t have a good end if we back down here." Red said, licking his lips. "Mad Hound has clearly shown that he wasn''t interested in what was cooking in the underworld here, nor did he look like someone who would be dazzled by power. It''s impossible for us to bait him, but it''s clear that he also won''t stand in our way. However, he''s yet to shed his naivety from the looks of it, so by pleasing him here a bit, we should be able to get him to be our business partner. The word is that Gin from the Crane-Dragon association seems to be back in business. The only danger to us now is undoubtedly him as he holds the greatest power in the underworld. And the only one who can transact with us is Mad Hound. We can isolate Crane-Dragon by publicizing this to others." Finally having an inkling of where Red was heading, Tomora laughed. "Hahaha! You''re really cunning. You just want to throw Mad Hound''s name out when he would least expect it and by the time he even realizes what is happening, he would be so deep in the water that he wouldn''t be able to clear his name. True enough, strength doesn''t necessarily equate to intelligence. And the last thing we need is for Mad Hound and the Crane-Dragon Union to join hands. But since he''s under that solitary walker Lynd, I doubt Mad Hound would want to get close with Crane-Dragon either......Alll latest novels on Either way, we need a stronger narrative to make it news that Gin, who is directing the Eastern Region, is worthless, and that he and Mad Hound are at odds with each other. As the gossipers do their work, we''ll slowly chip away Crane-Dragon''s force." Red nodded. "I know, I doubt anyone would hold suspicions against us when it''s happening miles away from us. And we can seal the deal by claiming Rose really feels worthless against Mad Hound. But once he is cornered by unwanted obligations, we would be the only ones to accept him, and that''s where we''ll act like his beacon of hope. We just need to somehow get him into our ranks, and hehe, he would never be able to leave us." "Kukuku, kuhahaha." "Pfft, hahahahaha!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Pfft, hahahaha!...... Or so they then laughed at the end. Truly, idiots to the core." Just as Master had asked me, I reported to him first thing the next day, recounting everything ¡®til the minute details. Right now, I had just finished recounting the exchange that had taken place between the two morons after I left completely from their sight around the corner. Frankly, I was stunned. Did those idiots not realize that their detection-prevention tool was destroyed...? I thought they wouldn''t be too brain-dead, but...... Then again, I guess they weren''t expecting someone to hear their conversation from so far away. They were truly careless. Once I was done on my side, Master, who had been listening to everything with a crease on his brow, tightly pulled on my ear, a blue vein throbbing on his forehead. "It hurts, Master! Are you trying to pull out my ear!?" "What''s the use of such ears when they can''t hear and register words clearly despite being so good otherwise? What did I say about not going too deep into their water, huh?" Being pressed by my Master, I justified myself. "But wait, Master. Your words were ''Just act naturally, and don''t bother investigating them'' and ''If a meeting feels inevitable, report to me immediately¡¯. I immediately slapped Benza. "Who do you think you are to call Boss an old fart? Call him Master Lynd, got it?!" "......I-It¡¯s alright, it''s a fact that my age is catching up to me, so I don''t really mind. Also, it''s all Ren''s doing, the matter was already resolved by the time I arrived here." As Boss explained the situation, Benza clenched his teeth, his eyes shut and his jaw projecting out. His body trembled as if reveling in his emotions. Haa, he was really crossing the line to becoming like those gag-characters from the manga of my previous life. I would die of embarrassment if the Boss were to think I was buddies with him. I received a potion from Benza and made Chabul drink it. Chabul regained consciousness, but maybe the ordeal was too traumatizing for him, he just continued to shiver without uttering a word. "It doesn''t seem like our Chief is in a good mood to talk. Let me answer on his behalf. Well, though I believe we¡¯ve already drawn out the conditions earlier. I just need to know how we can contact you, Mad Hound?" Red joined in between and turned the flow of conversation, something I had really wanted to avoid at all costs. But I also wanted them to just stop creeping up to the Boss or the other members of Apple to ask about me. So I...... grabbed Benza''s shoulder and said. "......He''s Benza from Gold Rat. He''s a rough fella, but his unyielding spirit is something that has me in awe too. You can contact him when you have trouble." It was my signal that Benza would be their intermediary to get in touch with me, not that I was going to let Benza know how to contact me either. "Understood. We''ll refrain from interfering with the Eastern Region now, so I hope it won''t pose a problem with our relationship, Benza of Gold Rat. " ''Roger!'' Benze replied enthusiastically. ¡ô¡ô¡ô By the time I finished explaining, Master was cradling his head in his arms as he questioned. "The Benza of Gold Rat?!...... Who the hell is that!!? Can he even control all the explorers from being too rowdy? Does he have that caliber?! Surely, since you picked him, he must be able to do that, right? Righttt?!!" "Ahaha! Surely you jest, Master. Like hell that I care. If anything, we¡¯re total strangers. Anyway, no need to waste your energy over something so trivial, I just wanted to get it over with, and he was quite a pain, so I pushed it onto him. Of course, you can be worry-free! I also feel like losing my brain cells whenever I interact with them, so I already told Benza that they won¡¯t be able to contact me for a while. Even if something happened, and he needed to make a decision, I told him to ''Follow the compass of your heart!'' (ripped-off from my past life). He looked so pumped up though, shouting things like ''T-This unworthy Benze is honored to learn the path of the Hero Jock from Aniki himself!¡¯ (Pfft)." Master had a thoroughly speechless expression for a moment as I desperately explained myself. "P-Pfft, you really are something, boy!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô Mad Hound fearlessly charged the office of the Rose Family, the mammoth of the Royal Capital, and created a bloodbath, thrashing at least 100 people in his wake. In the end, with his negotiation skills that put even adults to shame, he coerced Rose to get into a completely one-sided agreement. The news spread like wildfire, immediately propping up Mad Hound¡¯s reputation to the top of the world of outlaws. Mad Hound''s action of ''no-kill'' was interpreted by some as him sparing some ants. Some guessed it was to keep the negotiations ongoing. Meanwhile, a portion claimed that it was the naivety of a brat. Later on, this would become another cornerstone that would push others to believe that Allen Rovenne and Mad Hound were always different people. In contrast to Allen Rovenne, who was never picky with his means if it meant achieving his goals, earning him a reputation of being cold-hearted and merciless, ''Mad Hound'' appeared to be someone who was appalled by the idea of killing. Was everything a product of intrinsic philosophy, just some whims, or maybe... were they truly different people? It would later become a topic of constant debate. At the same time, an orphan cast into an orphanage at an early age, having no surname, but later earning a notorious reputation, the gears of fate had started moving for Benza, too. ¡ªThis was the beginning of his path to becoming a Hero Jock. Vol. 1 - Ch. 139 - Outdoor Classes The late autumn season, two months had passed since the second half of first-term had begun. We, the students of Royal Academy, were currently out for the outdoor class. The destination of the outdoor classes were different for each grade, along with the location and the details of classes. A typical school wouldn''t have been able to achieve a flexible curriculum of this level absolutely, with the hindrance being the budget more than anything else. Well, that was the gulf between a typical school and Royal Academy with the budget and human resources allocated to them. The training place elected for first-years this year was halfway up on the Darre Mountain Range, located in the Viscount Vangyush territory that comes within Dorveil region. In short, it was the territory that Godorfun-sensei''s family ruled over. While Godorfun-sensei bear the title of ''Von,'' and were effectively the present head of Vangyush family, his constant stay in the royal capital following his extremely busy schedule rendered it impossible for him to govern the territory. Thus the title of viscount has been inherited by his little brother. Anyway, it was outdoor training where classmates would spend the night together. We had heard about the general gist of the situation from the seniors of our dorm and while the details varied by year, the class would be split into several groups and from there, they would contest for better rankings. But more than that, the girls and boys would work together for things like setting their outdoor tents and all, so there were going to be lots of chances to sharply close distance with girls with all the chit-chat and giggles. Just the mere thought of it caused an exhilarating sensation to circulate inside me. At last, the diary of my life had finally turned to the most awaited page of my youth! It wasn''t just me, even my otherwise sensible and mature classmates were showing an upbeat mood as we rode into the magic car train, booked for our trip to the destination. Though of course, neither of them could best me my relentless excitment! ...Speaking of, I think we would be having the typical love talk as well. I mean, it''s the staple after all, wasn''t it? While listening to everyone''s type of girl, maybe I would also pass some valuable advice¡ªsome excerpt from ''The Secret to Being a Successful Man'' if there was someone struggling with their love life. At that moment, I was drowning into the blissful moment, my heart surged surging with a fuzzy feeling. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The camping ground we had arrived at¡ªthe grassland that spreads at the foot of Darre Mountain Range, with red leaves around putting a display to the peak autumn season¡ªwas a picturesque spot. A faint patches of snow could already be seen at the peak of steep Darre Mountains. Today''s weather was otherwise perfectly clear. If anything, with pleasant wind swirling, it was just the sweet spot for an excursion. Once the hundred Royal Academy''s first year students had lined up according to their classes, Godorfun-sensei started with his speech. "Fuhahaha. To preface, welcome to the distant Vangyush Territory. I''m the class teacher of Class 1-A, and will be in charge of guiding everyone in this year''s outdoor classes." Godorfun-sensei''s, too, was showcasing his upbeat mood. "According to the guidelines of Royal Academy, the goal of outdoor classes has always been to speed up the endurance training and inner discipline of students as they work out in the embrace of nature, and to further raise their bond with their fellow classmates. The curriculum has been based around this topic." Hmm-mm, the classic Royal Academy move. They really have think through things huh. "The general gist involves the specific assignment passed to each class, where you will compete to clear it first. Also, the degree of achievement would also be taken into evaluating the final score. Of course, I have properly evaluated everyone''s ability and made it so that it remains a close struggle between all the classes." Woahh! So we''re really going with class battles?! Now it suddenly feels more and more like another world''s school program as a reincarnator! I took a quick glance at the faces of Class D and E and they appeared just as excited. With the difficulty adjustment, they must have felt they could have a shot to top out as well. "I need not to emphasise it, but the score you earned will also affect your current term''s overall result. In addition, to further fuel the competition spirit, the academy has prepared a small reward as well. ......Wow, now they''d even pulled a command chain on purpose huh. Plus, considering the phrasing ''1st Scenario''s leader...'' means leader would change with each scenario. They were really hellbent on putting all sorts of disgusting blockades. The responsibility of everyone''s safety, the outcome of their strategy etc would be for the Leader to bore. It was definitely going to put a huge pressure on the Leader. ......This, too, must have been the idea of Godorfun-sensei. The path ahead from here would have no correct answer, nor would it be possible to decide the direction of the event with 51% vs 49% votes. At the end of the day, everything would depend on the leader''s guidance. A misstep could topple the entire group easily. With the leadership changing hands each time, there would be a slight shift in how the class will operate for sure. It would further propagate the dissatisfaction between them since the leader wasn''t decided by them. Maybe, feeling it beneath them to take orders from someone they always thought was no match for them, someone who''s especially egotistical about this fact might create a blunder that would cost the whole class. Well, this happens all the time in society, so maybe this was quite the suitable theme for an educational institute or to develop one''s temperament. Afterwards, class teachers of other classes took their turn to reveal the scenarios of their respective class. The difficulty of scenarios increased as they climbed up in class order. "I will now reveal the 1st scenario for Class 1-B! Scene - The Barony of Fliguel, adjacent to Viscount Vangyush territory, has detected the sign of impending stampede! Your task is to swiftly join the Dorveil region''s army and support them! The convergence place is Yatoma village, about 70 kilometres toward the east and then 40 kilometres to the north. The time limit to meet them is 10 PM tomorrow. You have a total of 36 hours. Inspect your equipment from the warehouse on the right rear side, and depart as soon as preparations are complete! The leader for 1st scenario is Aris Masculean!" "What~? It''s too tough!" "Isn''t the jump in level a bit too steep?" "It isn''t fair, only we get that tough task!" Hearing the condition of 1st scenario, the students of Class B mumbled their complaints. According to the simple map passed to us, the 40km turn to the north is almost through the mountain. The distance might be comparable to the activity of Hill Road Club, however taking into account the appearance of monsters midway completely overturn the implication. The anticipated difficulty level, or in other words, the required time compared to what would be needed if performed by individuals of the same level, is likely 1.5 to nearly twice as long in E class. The leader Aris of Class B pulled in the reign of her classmates, who had begun complaining before even making a start. Well, she was one of the staff of Hill Road Club, and exceptional in keeping the situation or calm mind in such scenarios. And finally, Godorfun-sensei stepped forward and started unravelling the scenario for Class 1-A. He still looked like your friendly neighbourhood grandpa, but the impression he exude was an inverse of his ''Godorfun the Buddha'' expression that he had when he gleefully explained about the rewards etc. Everyone from Class A was familiar with this look, it was the same look of ''Fiend Geezer'' that would go gung-ho and on our regular practical classes. A strain of nervousness crossed across the faces of Class A students. At this moment, everyone was unanimously clear we''re going to receive one hell of a mission. Vol. 1 - Ch. 140 - First Scenario (1) With an uncomfortable feeling brewing inside us, we waited for Godorfun-sensei¡®s revelation with bated breath. A moment later, Sensei revealed the details of Class A''s task. "Now I will announce the 1st scenario for Class A. Scene - A report has reached us about the fall of our border post at the hands of some mysterious forces that have appeared near the border of the Kukora Metropolis Federation, located at the Roderia Mountain Summit of the Darre Mountain Range in the northeast. You need to transport 800 kg of backup supplies, placed in the warehouse tent behind you on the right side, and make it to the border post within 48 hours. At the same time, another squad must inform the No. 6 battalion of the northwest division stationed at Impala, territory of Viscount Achilies, of the same. After making a call for support, meet with the main force within 48 hours. Everything that''s required for the mission is in the tent behind you on the right side. The leader is Leo Zaitsinger. That is all." The disclosure of our absurd task dumbfounded not only the students of Class A, but even the students of the other classes who had been preparing to depart. The teachers had expressionless faces, but their eyes betray a sliver of sympathy within them. "Ridiculous...... impossible! Surely you know just how far it is from here to Impala! There are two baronies to cross through, and the one way route is at least 250 km! Even with a sleepless journey, the one way route is going to take a day and a half for me alone, plus another 120 km of mountain trail to the border post of the Darre Mountain Range. Does the teacher mean we have to cross all that in half a day? And for the record, this season, which is after the fifth month, is currently experiencing an increase in monster attacks. It''s not a damn hiking route anymore!" The voice of reason came from pink-haired twin tail girl Stella. As a native of the Achilies territory, she should be aware of her territory''s ups and downs like the back of her hand. This smelly old fart...... he definitely put it to stop me from following the main squad. Following my missions as a member of the knight order along with my training tasks, I was a bit trained regarding such steep marches after all. My absence in the main squad would surely push them to brave the task with no guidance, meaning it was another difficulty spike for them. Shit... my youth, the late night love talk... As I watched my bridge of dreams crumble in front of me with glazed eyes, Leo turned to me with his you-know-we-know serious gaze. "......Are you up, Allen?" I exhaled the longest sigh of my life and...... nodded. "......Haaaaaa~...... It''ll already be rough on you, but I would like to borrow Stella. I think you¡¯ll still be able to get there earlier even without her. We¡¯re short on time so let''s depart right away." Once I confirmed my strategy, Leo immediately made his decision. "Stella! You¡¯re with Allen as the messenger squad! This is the only way we have, so get everything ready since time is of the essence." Hearing Leo''s command, Stella, still harboring her stern expression, replied. "Sure, I¡¯m a native of this place but... I believe Allen can do it faster alone, no? If I may be blunt, it''s totally impossible for me to follow you at your pace with that much distance. Plus, I might just even drag you down with me and fail this task." I, however, shook my head. "Every task appears monumental until you actually carry it out to the end..... are the words of Schord. You said it earlier, it would be impossible if we did it the normal way. On the way back, we¡¯ll have to opt for the shortcut through the mountain trails. I¡¯ll be the scout and handle the targets while you, who''s from the Achilies family and one of Darre''s defenders, will guide the way. An aimlessly wandering at first would be fatal for us, and it¡¯ll cost us time. But, while it''s not your territory, you should be familiar with it like it''s your backyard, right?...... As far as I can tell, this is the only way we can barely make it. ¡°Alright... We should also make our preparations now. We can''t have Allen-san really overtake us, with what he has said so far. What''s our plan?¡± Following Jeu''s question, Leo closed his eyes and crossed his arms. After contemplating in silence for some 10 odd seconds, he suddenly put forth his plan. ¡°First, the centerpiece of this assignment is the 800 kg supplies that we ought to transport. That''s the heart of the matter. At least 16 members out of the 18 in our main squad have to carry 50 kg of the weight and reach the target destination within 48 hours. But neither me nor anyone else here has any experience in crossing the mountain trail that¡¯s as long as 120 km. No wait, the teacher said to ¡®take back the border post within 48 hours¡¯....... We¡¯ll have to reach our target at least a few hours before the deadline to accomplish that. We also have to carry the supplies for the sub-task along with the backup supplies. ......It''s not really a task that I can muscle through alone. We¡¯ll have to tackle it together, otherwise......¡± Leo paused there, gritting his teeth, as he looked at the faces of his classmates. ¡°He''ll definitely mock us to our faces.¡± At the implication of Leo''s words, the rest of the Class A members recalled the jeering expression of Allen, as if he was pitying them. Leo then turned to Coco, who nodded assertively. ¡°...Me and Char of the Geography Club have selected the optimal route. Let''s set our departure time in 15 minutes. Every minute counts for us.¡± Following the determined voice of Coco, who rarely took the spotlight in such scenarios, Kate nodded and took over the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of the equipment we¡¯ll require for our expedition at the very least and the distribution pattern for the backup supplies. We unfortunately don''t have the leeway to carry camping tools after including the other luggage, so we can only stride forward with mantles. Let''s aim to clear it quickly and hope we can take a rest at the border post. Al, Sophie, I presume you''re the only ones who have experience in walking through the mountains aside from Coco, right? We¡¯ll need your opinions as well. Leo, you¡¯ll be giving the final order.¡± The ever optimistic Al nodded, and strongly asserted. ¡°I''m enough for the water so leave it out of the equation! I¡¯ll make him eat those words!¡± And soon after, with gobsmacked expressions, the students of the other classes watched Class A leave the grassland with big strides, carrying nary a camping item nor sleeping bags. ¡ô ¡°Despite how sudden that ¡®scenario¡¯ was handed to them, they spent no more than 20 minutes before departing...... For all that it matters, despite their lavish lifestyle, the leader Leo Zatsinger of the Duke House, along with the two prodigies from the Marquis Houses didn¡¯t even bat an eye in leaving behind their camping tools as the whole class departed. Frankly, the ¡®scenario'' for Class A is just too over the top. I doubt even third years would be able to achieve that, but rather than being none the wiser, they should have known that as well. But I must say, their attitude to strive for the best is admirable. If I may, what sort of tactic did Sir use to make them stand on their own feet in just half a year?¡± When Rias, the class teacher of Class E, asked, Godorfun responded with a chuckle. ¡°Fuhahaha! The truth is that I¡¯ve done nothing special, what you''re seeing is the fruits of their labor. Though of course, I won''t accept the howls of a loser saying ¡®But we did our best¡¯.¡± As Godorfun preached, stroking his beard while putting on an enigmatic smile, the surrounding teachers gulped. ¡°However... Every task appears monumental until you actually carry it out to the end, huh? It''s truly a sublime saying, full of nuances. It truly reflects the arduous path Master Schord continued to challenge no matter the time. Ah, but enough with words, I also need to make haste. This drill is going to be interesting! Fuhahaha!¡± ¡®......But this was supposed to be an outdoor class, not a military drill.¡¯ The teachers present felt compelled to blurt those words out, however they swallowed them back in the end. T/N - Oh heavens, I never thought I would be seeing a girl that actually learns the way and knows where to stop being annoying in novels. E/N - I agree with the T/N. Fey''s come a long way from her ¡°I found a neat toy¡± attitude she had at first. Vol. 1 - Ch. 141 - First Scenario (2) "How effectively can you see in the dark, Stella?" I asked Stella as we ran along the road. "In the dark...... It''s a bit worse but definitely not something that can pose a hindrance in walking through the mountain trail. However, my combat ability would drastically lower." I see. As she worked as the president of the Hill Road Club, I had already grasped her running ability. Oh, and speaking of her being the president, Stella had assumed the position starting the second half of the school year, meanwhile Leo was serving as the vice-president. Leo was definitely the strongest between the two, however he turned down the suggestion to be president. When it came to him, it was mainly his busy schedule, which meant he wouldn''t be able to lead everyone as efficiently. Also, he considered himself unfit to be a leader. I could see where he was coming from. After all, the way he ran technique-wise, mainly the finer details, was parallel to most of the other students. The cause of the gulf was due to his mana capacity. "I don''t think you need to master the technique to be the president. No one is perfect. You just need to be at the front while people behind you can deal with the finer details." When I tried to persuade him, he turned to Stella, a smile tugging on his lips. "I had sorely misunderstood you. To be frank, I thought you''re perhaps the one with the most wild personality among us, but... I changed my view after having a good look at you in the last half year as you took care of the other club members, taking note of even the subtle details and concerns. I believe Stella is the most fitting person to lead and nurture this still growing club. For me, I¡¯ll stay under her and learn from her management ability." Leo put forth his reason with a dead serious face. Seeing Stella stuck between a tug or war in her reply, I mildly joked, "How rude, Leo. Don''t misunderstand her frank attitude with the boys as her being a brute girl!" Though, I received a heavy punch in the pit of my stomach for my trouble. Good lord, I guess Japan''s humor was foreign to the people here. Meanwhile, Dan, who had been acting as the vice-president, relinquished the position after he and I became busy with the activities of the Sail Club. Anyway, this was the long and short story of how Stella became the Hill Road Club''s president. At present, she could complete a lap around the Academy, which was 40 km long, along with 10 sprints on the hill road within 1 hour and 30 minutes. Through her completion of the run and dash that totaled 50 km, I assumed her average speed right now was about 33 km/h. Excluding me, the honorary coach of the club, she stood behind Leo and Dan among the other first-years, taking the No. 3 spot. I believed she was even close to overtaking Dan as well. Well, Dan was dividing his efforts in the activities of the Sail Club along with learning and researching about wind magic in the Emission Magic Research Club.Rread latest chapters at pared to Stella who was focusing on her forte, the premise was just incomparable, so it was bound to happen. Then again, neither Dan nor Stella had made any significant progression in the Instantaneous Mana Compression, so it was impossible for either of them to run 250 km at the same pace. A rest was a must along the way to replenish lost mana. Plus, the 250 km distance was more of a strain on the body than the mana consumption, not even I could achieve that distance without having a break in-between. I looked at my plan, traced it in reverse, and notified Stella. "I¡¯ll leave the selection of the journey''s route and pace to you. I¡¯ll take care of the monsters no matter if we take the highway or some dilapidated road. Just make sure to finish the run in 12 hours, including breaks. We¡¯ll have to drop our pace either way when we enter the mountain, so you don''t have to worry about leftover mana. We don''t know what variables we may encounter in the mountains, so I at least want to cover our journey ¡®til there as soon as possible." As I stated my plan, Stella nodded and slightly up her pace. From there, we continued to run, stopping only beside the few bodies of water we passed by where we took our short breaks. The route Stella had chosen was a highway through the countryside that ran precisely for 250 km. It seemed like there was some sort of shortcut route as well, but she must have judged that taking a route similar to what we ran through during our Hill Road Club''s activities would serve us better as it would minimize our exhaustion since it was closer to the ''running form'' we had cultivated. Running with the help of Body Strengthening magic was honestly fun. It was a sensation specific to me, a reincarnator. At a glance, learning about how to effectively increase the pace or how to minimize unnecessary movements might seem dull, but only until you get into it do you realize the intricate nature of running. "We already knew it was going to be tough. If anything, this is just as we had expected. We need to think out of the box to lessen our load. If only Allen was here, he could have given us his usual freakish ideas, but it''s a pity...... Hey, y''all. Do any of you have any other ideas?" Following Coco''s question, Shal, who had selected the route alongside Coco, and was also a member of the Geography Club, timidly raised his hand. "Err, so the thing is...... the route we have planned is full of twists and turns as it has been recorded on the map. It shows that just right ahead of the 2-C rest spot, we¡¯ll be forced to take a steep turn. I think the reason is that a strong monster must have made that place its habitat, or maybe it''s dangerous terrain. But I believe we may be able to make it through perhaps without having to take a detour. So there''s enough reason to...... investigate it......" While repeatedly tapping his index fingers of both hands against each other, seemingly showing his lack of confidence, Leo turned to Dan. "......I am well aware of the danger of scouting an area alone, but can you take on the task? We just don''t have the manpower to allocate people on this and the main squad needs to maintain its current pace. If you deemed it impossible, we¡¯ll scrap the idea and take our original route. I¡¯ll carry your load until your return." "Roger! Give me 30 minutes and I¡¯ll be right back." Receiving Leo''s suggestion, Dan immediately dashed off in the distance. Seeing his suggestion being taken seriously, Shal took a deep breath, puffing his cheeks while staring at Coco. "Honestly, you should be aware of it too, right Coco-kun!? Why did you leave it for me to explain! Sheesh!" "......Well, you too must have noticed the changes ever since we passed the earlier checkpoint, eh? It would be best if you started to speak out your heart occasionally. No two minds think alike and there are definitely chances where I miss something, but you pick them up instead. It''s true for everyone else too. If everyone can¡¯t frank with each other, it would be a steep journey ahead for us." "Kyahahaha! You know you sound so much like Allen, Coco?...... Anyway, I¡¯ll carry Dan''s luggage. I''m not much of an expert when it comes to combat, but I do have enough strength to carry an extra burden. Besides, it would only worry the others if you were to carry the load, and then be unable to fight because of it. The fewer things to worry about, the more everyone can keep going." "......Huh, you can still go on, Feyrune?" The reason why Leo appeared dumbfounded was because in addition to the 50 kg backup supplies, Fey was also carrying an additional 20 kg¡ª all of which were tools that she deemed necessary for the journey. She slipped her hand through the straps and carried the 50 kg bag in front of her. As she did that, crunch the ground cracked a bit. "Well, this truly took away my chic vibe, huh? It''s great that Allen isn''t here. I don''t think my heart could take it if he called me a gorilla girl again." Fey said with a mischievous vibe. As everyone recovered their breath at the 2-C spot¡ª a name given just for convenience''s sake, Dan came back from his scouting trip. "I found it. The route ahead has indeed become a steep cliff, but I believe we can climb it using ropes. I also found a group of ivies growing enmasse right ahead, so let''s use those. They might appear thin, but they¡¯re quite strong. They shouldn''t snap if we climb one by one even with the load we''re carrying. Everyone, hold on to your luggage and march ahead." Leaving behind his words, Dan traced back the road he had come from. By the time everyone reached the cliff, Dan had just finished coiling several vines together. While staring at the almost vertical cliff, Pish asked Dan with a cramped expression. "......Using rope to climb up is fine and all, but how will the first person go up? This cliff has to be at least 70 to 80 meters tall......" "Hmm? Duh, of course by climbing it normally. It''s a bit risky but you should relax. I¡¯ve already tried it and it''s perfectly doable. I¡¯ve made two bundled vine ropes, one can be used to carry the luggage. See, tie the vines like this when I throw them down from the top." After securing several vines by tying them together to ensure their length, he looped them through his backpack and tightened them down. "W-Wait, just a moment, Dan! I didn''t even catch what you said properly." Pish hurriedly pulled Dan. "......I¡¯ve done rope work back at my home too, but... it''s still incomparable to your speed, Dan. This should be the strengthened bowline knot style, huh? Alright, go ahead, I¡¯ve already noted down how to tie things up here." Coco added. Dan nodded in acknowledgment, clung to the cliffside like a lizard, and smoothly started climbing. "......He typically doesn''t speak about himself, but how in the world did a Count''s child grow up this wild?" Pish muttered as he looked at Dan, who had already scaled half of the cliff, in surprise. Vol. 1 - Chapter 141 - First Scenario (2) "How effectively can you see in the dark, Stella?" I asked Stella as we ran along the road. "In the dark...... It''s a bit worse but definitely not something that can pose a hindrance in walking through the mountain trail. However, my combat ability would drastically lower." I see. As she worked as the president of the Hill Road Club, I had already grasped her running ability. Oh, and speaking of her being the president, Stella had assumed the position starting the second half of the school year, meanwhile Leo was serving as the vice-president. Leo was definitely the strongest between the two, however he turned down the suggestion to be president. When it came to him, it was mainly his busy schedule, which meant he wouldn''t be able to lead everyone as efficiently. Also, he considered himself unfit to be a leader. I could see where he was coming from. After all, the way he ran technique-wise, mainly the finer details, was parallel to most of the other students. The cause of the gulf was due to his mana capacity. "I don''t think you need to master the technique to be the president. No one is perfect. You just need to be at the front while people behind you can deal with the finer details." When I tried to persuade him, he turned to Stella, a smile tugging on his lips. "I had sorely misunderstood you. To be frank, I thought you''re perhaps the one with the most wild personality among us, but... I changed my view after having a good look at you in the last half year as you took care of the other club members, taking note of even the subtle details and concerns. I believe Stella is the most fitting person to lead and nurture this still growing club. For me, I¡¯ll stay under her and learn from her management ability." Leo put forth his reason with a dead serious face. Seeing Stella stuck between a tug or war in her reply, I mildly joked, "How rude, Leo. Don''t misunderstand her frank attitude with the boys as her being a brute girl!" Though, I received a heavy punch in the pit of my stomach for my trouble. Good lord, I guess Japan''s humor was foreign to the people here. Meanwhile, Dan, who had been acting as the vice-president, relinquished the position after he and I became busy with the activities of the Sail Club. Anyway, this was the long and short story of how Stella became the Hill Road Club''s president. At present, she could complete a lap around the Academy, which was 40 km long, along with 10 sprints on the hill road within 1 hour and 30 minutes. Through her completion of the run and dash that totaled 50 km, I assumed her average speed right now was about 33 km/h. Excluding me, the honorary coach of the club, she stood behind Leo and Dan among the other first-years, taking the No. 3 spot. I believed she was even close to overtaking Dan as well. Well, Dan was dividing his efforts in the activities of the Sail Club along with learning and researching about wind magic in the Emission Magic Research Club. Compared to Stella who was focusing on her forte, the premise was just incomparable, so it was bound to happen. Then again, neither Dan nor Stella had made any significant progression in the Instantaneous Mana Compression, so it was impossible for either of them to run 250 km at the same pace. A rest was a must along the way to replenish lost mana. Plus, the 250 km distance was more of a strain on the body than the mana consumption, not even I could achieve that distance without having a break in-between. I looked at my plan, traced it in reverse, and notified Stella.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com "I¡¯ll leave the selection of the journey''s route and pace to you. I¡¯ll take care of the monsters no matter if we take the highway or some dilapidated road. Just make sure to finish the run in 12 hours, including breaks. We¡¯ll have to drop our pace either way when we enter the mountain, so you don''t have to worry about leftover mana. We don''t know what variables we may encounter in the mountains, so I at least want to cover our journey ¡®til there as soon as possible." As I stated my plan, Stella nodded and slightly up her pace. From there, we continued to run, stopping only beside the few bodies of water we passed by where we took our short breaks. The route Stella had chosen was a highway through the countryside that ran precisely for 250 km. It seemed like there was some sort of shortcut route as well, but she must have judged that taking a route similar to what we ran through during our Hill Road Club''s activities would serve us better as it would minimize our exhaustion since it was closer to the ''running form'' we had cultivated. Running with the help of Body Strengthening magic was honestly fun. It was a sensation specific to me, a reincarnator. At a glance, learning about how to effectively increase the pace or how to minimize unnecessary movements might seem dull, but only until you get into it do you realize the intricate nature of running. "We already knew it was going to be tough. If anything, this is just as we had expected. We need to think out of the box to lessen our load. If only Allen was here, he could have given us his usual freakish ideas, but it''s a pity...... Hey, y''all. Do any of you have any other ideas?" Following Coco''s question, Shal, who had selected the route alongside Coco, and was also a member of the Geography Club, timidly raised his hand. "Err, so the thing is...... the route we have planned is full of twists and turns as it has been recorded on the map. It shows that just right ahead of the 2-C rest spot, we¡¯ll be forced to take a steep turn. I think the reason is that a strong monster must have made that place its habitat, or maybe it''s dangerous terrain. But I believe we may be able to make it through perhaps without having to take a detour. So there''s enough reason to...... investigate it......" While repeatedly tapping his index fingers of both hands against each other, seemingly showing his lack of confidence, Leo turned to Dan. "......I am well aware of the danger of scouting an area alone, but can you take on the task? We just don''t have the manpower to allocate people on this and the main squad needs to maintain its current pace. If you deemed it impossible, we¡¯ll scrap the idea and take our original route. I¡¯ll carry your load until your return." "Roger! Give me 30 minutes and I¡¯ll be right back." Receiving Leo''s suggestion, Dan immediately dashed off in the distance. Seeing his suggestion being taken seriously, Shal took a deep breath, puffing his cheeks while staring at Coco. "Honestly, you should be aware of it too, right Coco-kun!? Why did you leave it for me to explain! Sheesh!" "......Well, you too must have noticed the changes ever since we passed the earlier checkpoint, eh? It would be best if you started to speak out your heart occasionally. No two minds think alike and there are definitely chances where I miss something, but you pick them up instead. It''s true for everyone else too. If everyone can¡¯t frank with each other, it would be a steep journey ahead for us." "Kyahahaha! You know you sound so much like Allen, Coco?...... Anyway, I¡¯ll carry Dan''s luggage. I''m not much of an expert when it comes to combat, but I do have enough strength to carry an extra burden. Besides, it would only worry the others if you were to carry the load, and then be unable to fight because of it. The fewer things to worry about, the more everyone can keep going." "......Huh, you can still go on, Feyrune?" The reason why Leo appeared dumbfounded was because in addition to the 50 kg backup supplies, Fey was also carrying an additional 20 kg¡ª all of which were tools that she deemed necessary for the journey. She slipped her hand through the straps and carried the 50 kg bag in front of her. As she did that, crunch the ground cracked a bit. "Well, this truly took away my chic vibe, huh? It''s great that Allen isn''t here. I don''t think my heart could take it if he called me a gorilla girl again." Fey said with a mischievous vibe. As everyone recovered their breath at the 2-C spot¡ª a name given just for convenience''s sake, Dan came back from his scouting trip. "I found it. The route ahead has indeed become a steep cliff, but I believe we can climb it using ropes. I also found a group of ivies growing enmasse right ahead, so let''s use those. They might appear thin, but they¡¯re quite strong. They shouldn''t snap if we climb one by one even with the load we''re carrying. Everyone, hold on to your luggage and march ahead." Leaving behind his words, Dan traced back the road he had come from. By the time everyone reached the cliff, Dan had just finished coiling several vines together. While staring at the almost vertical cliff, Pish asked Dan with a cramped expression. "......Using rope to climb up is fine and all, but how will the first person go up? This cliff has to be at least 70 to 80 meters tall......" "Hmm? Duh, of course by climbing it normally. It''s a bit risky but you should relax. I¡¯ve already tried it and it''s perfectly doable. I¡¯ve made two bundled vine ropes, one can be used to carry the luggage. See, tie the vines like this when I throw them down from the top." After securing several vines by tying them together to ensure their length, he looped them through his backpack and tightened them down. "W-Wait, just a moment, Dan! I didn''t even catch what you said properly." Pish hurriedly pulled Dan. "......I¡¯ve done rope work back at my home too, but... it''s still incomparable to your speed, Dan. This should be the strengthened bowline knot style, huh? Alright, go ahead, I¡¯ve already noted down how to tie things up here." Coco added. Dan nodded in acknowledgment, clung to the cliffside like a lizard, and smoothly started climbing. "......He typically doesn''t speak about himself, but how in the world did a Count''s child grow up this wild?" Pish muttered as he looked at Dan, who had already scaled half of the cliff, in surprise. Vol. 1 - Chapter 142 - First Scenario (3) Dan arrived at the top of the cliff in a blink of an eye, tied the ivy to a sturdy-looking tree, and dangled the other end downward, shouting ''Climb up!'' at others. "......Leo, you stay here first in case of any monster attack and climb up last. The first and the last person to climb is always in the most danger, so we can''t afford to mess up here. Let''s do something about the luggage first, Fey and Berd, you''re up since you''re the power types here. Dan is better with his adaptability, so let''s not make him use his mana here." Bester spoke while pushing up the bridge of his glasses. Lala continued after him and stated her opinion. "In that case, how about the five of us ¡ª Dol-kun, Coco-kun, Parry-kun, Sophie-san, and I ¡ª climb up first? We''re limited by our mana, which would determine everyone''s pace, so this would save us at least 10 minutes. The best course for us is to cover for each other and earn time for the task." After being prompted by Coco earlier, Schal stepped forward and gave his perspective, clearing up everyone''s hesitation. There was something that they must avoid in this assignment at any cost¡ª a seed of discord being sown between the group. With their minds sharper than their swords¡¯ edges, Class A immediately noticed the underlying meaning hidden behind his words. The realization instead dampened their positive outlook, but at the same time, they were beginning to understand that this wasn''t a task they could get through by just playing it safe. However, little did they know that this decision would end up backfiring on them. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "H-Hey, hold on boyyy!" The silver-armored old fogey raised his voice, trying to make me halt my steps, however, I had many more things to tackle rather than listen to a senile person¡¯s ramblings. I turned a blind eye to his actions and turned on my heel just when the knight started his self-introduction which, by the way, I didn¡¯t ask for. "Hmph, what a cold guy. I''m Maxim Achilies, Stella''s uncle. I¡¯ve known Stella since she was this small and was there when her talent blossomed. She''s the apple of my eye, my lovely angel. So...... how far have you gone with her? Hold up brat, don''t tell me you¡¯ve already k-k-kissed!?!?" ......What a pain in the butt. I felt like my head was going to split in two. "Don''t follow me, you nuisance!" I spouted and swiftly walked away from that place. "So that''s how it is, huh?....... You¡¯ve done something you feel guilty about, and yet, you''re not even attempting to take responsibility...... You scumbag!!" That old fogey''s body started to shiver like a newborn fawn, seething with rage for some reason. I didn''t even want to talk to him...... I ran out of that place at my fastest speed ever. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Get up, Stella! A madman¡¯s chasing after us! We need to run now!" Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Stella was focusing on her mana recovery when she raised a face full of question marks in response to my words. "Hrrgh?! W-W-W-What is happening?! How come there''s such a madman in Impala!?" I couldn''t afford to slow down so I scooped Stella into my arms, in the so-called princess carry style, as I ran straight for the exit. "It''s me, Stella~! You bastard, why the hell did you not bring her if she was with you?! And you blasted scumbag, how dare you leave my lovely Stella in such a dark place, all alone!" Stella tilted her head at the appearance of her uncle. "Uncle Maxim......? H-He''s my relative, and I know him very well. He¡¯s usually so calm, did something irk him?" "Like hell if I know! He just suddenly sprouted nonsense like ''Fight me, and only if you win will I accept your courtship toward Stella''. When I ignored him, who knows what delusion he¡¯s cooked up in his rotten mind, he kept saying stuff like I¡¯ve done something to be guilty of, take responsibility, and he kept calling me a sleazebag." "What the hell!! Even I haven''t gotten a hug from my lovely Stella lately! But hmph, Stella used to bathe with me until she was 8! Are you jealous~?...... Haaa, you''re not jealous?! Y-You whelppp!! So you¡¯ve even crossed that line!!" A vein popped up on Stella''s forehead. "......Put me down, Allen. I''m going to kill him." "It would be a waste of time and mana." "Damn you, are you trying to flirt in front of me?! You''re definitely doing that to taunt me, huhhh!? Shit, what a slippery brat! Let meeee innnnn tooooo!!" As his spear was still stuck in the chest of the dead Gigantic Crow, Parry couldn''t immediately defend himself. With his spearmanship that he had trained in the Martial Hall day and night, Parry''s strength could contest with B-rank elemental monsters, however, he fell short in experience. Parry tried to swing his spear along with the corpse, but the charging tackle of the other Gigantic Crow struck him squarely and he was blasted backward. " "Parry!!" " Dol hurriedly chased after him, but only an ''Arrghh...'' groan was heard from Parry. Dol guessed that Parry wouldn''t be back on his feet for a while. "......She might... be.... having some...... children. If she takes it as an attack on her nest...... there''s no stopping her." Coco murmured with difficulty. Looking up, the Gigantic Crow had once again started to conjure a huge lump of rock. There was one opponent, but three of them were injured. Now the responsibility of protecting them fell on Dol and Lala¡¯s shoulders. It was then, "Screeeeeeeeech!!!!", their enemy suddenly let out a shriek so deafening it even shook the air. Then, seemingly responding to it, the kids of that Gigantic Crow immediately jump out from a corner of the forest that Dol and his team had been moving toward. Their numbers were so huge the northern sky was almost covered by their appearance. At that moment, Dol could feel cold sweat drenching his back. ¡ô¡ô¡ô At last, we were able to shake off that Maxim guy or whoever that madman was. I barged into the mountain ¡ª the shortcut route we had planned to take for the return trip ¡ª and dropped Stella there. But...... an awkward silence had grown between us. Afterward, for the next hour or so, Stella uttered no words as she continued to walk ahead at a brisk pace. The silence was painful. I even started to doubt if that silver-armored old fogey was a ploy of that damned geezer too. I¡ª I definitely didn''t want to walk in the mountains like this, it would be pure torture. ......But Stella should have regained enough of her mana, I believe. We needed to quicken our pace now rather than later to save time. With as cheerful a tone as possible, I tried to strike up a conversation with her. "You know, you''re quite lighter than I imagined!" "Haahh? Are you saying I lack muscles?" ......Shit...... It seemed like people of this world didn''t take joy in being called light. Oh wait, as I recall, it was a trend specific to certain regions even on Earth in modern times. I guess this was all on me. It hardly sounded like a compliment to her when I praised her for being lighter than average since she was aiming to become a knight as well. Damn you landmine, curses! Just when I least expected it, it reared its ugly head. I hurriedly amended my words. "I-I didn''t mean it that way! I mean, you have enough muscles for a knight and are quite heavy too. It¡¯s just that I was complimenting you in line with your femininity¡ª " Before I could finish my words, Stella sharply turned around and approached me with ghastly speed, tightly clasping my shoulders, while grinning. "You tactless bastard! Who in their right mind calls a girl heavy?!" Then, while still holding on to my shoulders, she delivered a not-so-light knee strike to my stomach. "Gueeehhh!" A strange yelp, like a flattened frog, escaped out of my lips. What the hell?! So she really did like the compliment?! Wait, then was her earlier reaction her trying to hide her embarrassment...... I don''t think I¡¯ll ever understand women. Vol. 1 - Chapter 143 - First Scenario (4) My blunder clearly worsened Stella''s mood, however the air between us was no longer that awkward silence. While rubbing my stomach with teary eyes, I discussed our plan from here on out. "......Your selected route saved us a great deal of time, so we¡¯ll most likely be joining the main squad around here, somewhere between the 7th node and the 8th. We have 24 hours starting right now, which means we should get there at around 9 PM tomorrow." When I explained this, Stella, who had been glaring at me, made a look of confusion. It seemed like my words weren¡¯t able to get through to her. "Hold on for a second, Allen...... I understand how urgent our situation is, but this plan is obviously very risky. Besides, wasn''t our meeting location supposed to be at the defense post on the national border? How are you so sure that the main squad would be around there when we didn¡¯t even talk to them about it before we left? And my word, you want to reach that point within 24 hours?! Sure, we¡¯re not carrying any burdens but that''s a whole 200 km through the mountains that we''re talking about! I said this earlier too, that¡¯s no hiking trail.¡± "Relax, they have Coco. We¡¯ve already discussed the gist of their route so there won''t be any issues with the rendezvous point." My words caused Stella''s eyes to snap wide open. "A-Already discussed...... Do you mean that you talked to him about it in that short moment? How did you even manage to settle on the meeting location in that short amount of time with such a crappy map?! Walking through the mountains is no child''s game." ......Well, I reckoned it must be confusing to her indeed. And I agree, I wouldn''t have been able to achieve that sort of communication if the person I was talking to wasn¡¯t Coco. "I have everything measured. Coco and I have been on many explorations together, and we''ve discussed various things related to geography. The time was too short to discuss it in detail, but I could guess Coco¡¯s general route at least." Seeing my confident reply, Stella''s mouth flapped like a goldfish¡¯s as if dumbfounded, and then she protested. "......Even if we do it your way, how are we going to get there within 24 hours? From my experience, even if we head straight for the border post, we¡¯d still have a tight time constraint. Plus, we may encounter monsters along the way. So I believe we should head straight for the border post, and maybe we can help them out if¡ª" I guessed where she was heading and shook my head, interrupting her. "But the main squad will fail to arrive on time." "................And your reason for that? Frankly, I think you should have a bit more faith¡ª" I once again interrupted her. "My reason is... you, Stella. You''re with me here. Remember what I said first? We, the messenger squad, will reach the finish line first if you''re with me. Considering your experience with the terrain, monsters, and other habitats here, if you had followed the main squad, I, in my solo messenger mission, would have taken much more time to finish my mission. In the end, both sides would finish by the skin of their teeth. I¡¯m subpar when it comes to directional sense so I would have fumbled along the way. I believe this was what that old geezer must have planned out for us." As Stella offered no words, I continued. "My second reason as to why I think the main squad would be there is because...... of that gleeful look on Godorfun¡¯s face. Just like you, this place is that geezer¡¯s backyard and it wouldn''t be a challenge if we manage to complete this task without tripping. If we want to one-up that old geezer, we need to think outside of the box and do something unconventional. One of the means to achieve that is you being with me here. This plan hinges on how soon I can merge with the main squad. I do trust them, and that¡¯s why they¡¯ll undoubtedly make it to that spot, though it would be a tough ordeal for them." Stella sank into silence when I finished my explanation before looking back at me. Lala¡¯s transformation was so contrasting from her previous appearance that Dol suddenly found himself looking at Sophie and asking ''Who the hell is that girl? What''s going on? Do you know?'' Though, Sophie looked just as astonished as she shook her head at Dol''s question. "As long as we''re here, not even a single talon will be able to touch our comrades, right, Dol?" Lala continued to whip down the incoming demonic crows, turning them into meat splatters, as she ran her tongue over her pretty lips in a ghastly manner and shot a smile at Dol. "......Absolutely!" Though Dol had questions he wanted to ask, like how was she going to discipline the meat splatters, they had their tasks to complete and so, without looking into her eyes, he backed off. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Sorry, I¡¯m late! We suddenly encountered a group of stray demon foxes below the cliff! Leo is handling it so don''t worry! What about you?!" "Timely save, Al! That crow''s magic is dangerous and counters our style! I can''t do anything with my magic, so you take it down! Jeu, focus on Coco and Sophie first! And rest of you all, take care of the tiny ones!" Dol momentarily assigned the roles of Al, Jeu, Dan, Viz, and Elena who had just arrived, and they acted on it immediately. (T/N - So, it wasn¡¯t Pis but Viz. I forgot until the author added the Class A¡¯s student list in his notes. I apologize about it, and will correct them asap.) "Come on, come on, is that all?! If ya don''t improve now, then you never will!" For now, it was better if they also turned a blind eye to their comrade Lala, who normally used sophisticated words like a princess out of a fairy tale. With the arrival of backup, the group had enough leeway to calmly decide that. "Ice Barrage!" Al swiftly targeted the demonic crow with rapid-fire ice pebbles. Typically, the magic in this world normally didn''t need any incantation or spell name to work. However, as Allen had often exercised his authority as honorary advisor of the Magic Research Club and stubbornly corrected everyone to make sure they called out their spell¡¯s name, the habit had now been somehow ingrained into them. Ice pebbles the size of chinquapin seeds ¡ª the shape was suggested by Allen to further increase their piercing power ¡ª shot out of Al¡¯s wand at lightning-fast speed. The wand was made of Anju tree wood, a local specialty of his family-managed territory, and was quite small compared to Dol''s two-handed wand. The tip of the wand was affixed with a shining jewel-like ice element magic stone. As the president of the Magic Research Club, which had unparalleled geniuses like Leo, Jeu, and other talented members, he knew how to lead by example. It wouldn''t have been surprising to face a negative setback from the pressure of leading such talented people, but Al... got pumped up instead. Just like the others, he also polished himself and made rapid advances while studying and researching magic. The ice pebbles struck true at the parent crow. Flying at the high vantage point, the demonic crow''s supposed safe haven and a strategic spot to drop rocks from, the crow was easily pierced by the rapid fire of Al''s Ice Barrage. Blood-soaked jet-black feathers of the parent crow flutter down. Facing a threat to its life, the parent crow dived down while spinning to mount an attack on Al. Al was about to greet it with an Ice Lance, one of his top magic with high lethality, when Parry¡¯s voice came from behind, "Leave it to me, Al! Don''t waste your mana on such a small fry!" Al stopped and dodged to the side after baiting the parent crow to the lowest point possible. Replacing him, Parry lunged with his spear and pierced the parent crow, the boss of the flock. When the Gigantic Crow''s fledglings saw that, they raised a cry and scattered. Vol. 1 - Chapter 144 - First Scenario (5) Once the rest of the members had also rejoined them, the main squad of Class A opted for a respite. Of course, many wanted to press forward, but Bester saw otherwise. Since everyone was too caught up in impatience and wanted to get back on track immediately, it might just backfire. They just had a brush with danger and another mistake would surely spell game over for them. The aftermath had greatly influenced everyone, and they first needed to unwind their tense spirit. Leo judged that Bester was correct and went with the latter''s plan. "......I''m sorry. I was the scout, so the reason for all this was due to a lapse of judgement on my part. I also became a burden when it came to battle." Coco apologized, appearing dejected with his performance. Parry gritted his teeth on the other side. "If you''re a drag, then I basically yanked everyone''s leg down! I- I was strong enough to deal with those two immediately...... but I lost myself and my calm in the heat of battle! That guy (Allen) warned me that experience was important for an amateur like me and suggested that I become an explorer... but with my stubborn belief that only the poor would take on the role of an explorer, I didn''t bother to delve into real battle during summer vacation! Call it my incompetence if anything!" "No, but I gave everyone the sugges¡ª" After waiting for Lala, Dol, and Sophie to also finish stating their reflections, Leo concluded the matter with his speech. "......All the responsibility lies on me as your leader. We shall learn from our mistakes, but for now, we have to confirm what to do moving forward. First, the most obvious issue is our unexpected mana consumption when we¡¯re barely into our task. Particularly Dol, you already know this, but you''re in a bind right now with your lack of mana. I¡¯m not reprimanding you, I was just hoping to rely on your light magic at night to light up our way while forming a group around the people with good night vision, so I only brought two lanterns for ourselves. We at least need to reach the 4th checkpoint by tomorrow''s dawn or else we would be truly hanging on by a thread. I need everyone''s thoughts on this matter." Checkpoint, while it was a unit with an undefined term, represented the time needed to reach the said location by foot in this world. For a simple explanation, in the overall distance of 120 km, about 80 km was up to the 5th checkpoint, and while remaining 40 km was half its distance, the increasing strength of the monsters and the ruggedness of the terrain added to the difficulty, thus causing it to take the same time as the first 80 km. In general though, it was a criterion for the normal populace. But Class A, with their top-notch combat potential, could up their pace shortly after in the second half. They all knew the risk of bringing as few lanterns as possible. But the condition of ''transporting 800 kg of backup supplies'' was really too heavy for them and now their plan had backfired for taking that risk. Then, just as everyone had fallen silent, cornered that they''d need to take a non-optimal route, Jeu raised her hand. "......Umm, I have to say this is truly a scenario made up by Godorfun-sensei, the supreme commander of the army. I dare say, he must have known about the nest of Gigantic Crows and included it in his plan. If anything, he probably designated this route so that we would inevitably end up here. But... on the flip side, he must be sure that we could overcome this if we move smartly. Let''s learn from our failures and move forward while making sure to minimize the risk. Since Fey-san and mine''s combat abilities are nothing to speak of, and we have surplus mana left, we¡¯ll carry Dol-san''s baggage for a while. In the meanwhile, Dol-san should focus on recovering his mana now so that he can later light the way, and from there, we should race up to the summit immediately. As long as there''s a glimmer of hope, we can''t afford to lose our motivation here." Following Jeu''s suggestion, Fey also chimed in, her expression laced with her typical snickering smile. "Impressive insight! As your family motto says, dauntless and decisive. You''re truly a prodigy of the Levarance family! But your holy magic is the lifeline of our group, Jeu. So I believe you should save your mana as much as possible. I¡¯ll carry Dol''s luggage. It would be easy if I just hung one on my back and the other at my front. Ah, but that would make me look ugly, so don''t you dare tell Allen, alright?" Jeu glanced at Fey with a somber look. There''s no way it would be easier for Fey to carry two people''s baggage alone. They might end up repeating the same mistake if Fey''s mana also hit rock bottom. Just as Jeu was contemplating this, Berd raised his hand. "......I only have mana and power going for me, so I¡¯ll carry Dol''s baggage first. Besides, Fey-chan had been carrying Dan''s luggage all this while too. I don''t think you can even carry more luggage for so long, right, Fey-chan?" Fey giggled and nodded. "I''m not researching wind magic to become strong. To live however I want, this is my sole reason to seek strength. Also, wind magic for me is something that I just want to do. When I saw that by manipulating mana I can control wind, I knew I just had to do it, because it''s fun. It would be putting the cart before the horse to neglect wind magic to pursue strength, at least this holds true for me. Meanwhile, the process and goal is reversed for you, isn''t it?" "......I don''t get it. So you''re saying wind magic won¡¯t help me become strong?" I shook my head. ¡°I''m not confirming or denying anything. This is why I¡¯m saying it''s just as important to think of how you want to see yourself in the future, and how you want to chase that path." "How I want to see myself in the future...?" I nodded solemnly at Stella''s mutter. Leading a vague life with no firm goal was just a recipe for a regretful future. I was about to say that, but I swallowed back those words in the end. "I was dispatched along with the other members of the knight order during summer vacation to subjugate a Dark Wolf pack." As I spoke to change the mood, a faint jolt crossed through Stella''s eyes. "Dark Wolf...? A stray group you mean?!" ......Hmm, was it something to be surprised about? "No, it was a mission to clear out a pack led by a variant they named Black Lightning." "......I didn''t know you''re already on a high enough level to tackle subjugation missions, much less take on a nomad wolf pack with a named variant... It''s out of the topic, but did you know that the Dark Wolves created a demonic disaster on a large scale in our Achilies territory a few years ago......? So you could say we have some fate with them." With an unconcealed bitter smile, she urged me to continue. "Well, I didn''t get the chance to slay anything though. The subjugation was led by Suzunami-san, commander of the 6th legion, and Dante-san of the 3rd legion. They''re strong as heck, just out of anyone''s league, and honestly, just as cool. Meanwhile, my wind magic helped in keeping the pack in check and also in noticing the peculiar attack of the enemies. I believe that the completion of that mission gave me a lot to think about, like the impact of an individual''s strength versus the strength of a group. Well, in short, I just want to say that strength comes in various forms." "......Forms of strength......?" Maybe it must have started to click in her mind as Stella murmured and fell into thought. From here, she had to seek out the answer that lies beyond on her own. Before long, as I continued to drive away the monsters, making sure Stella¡¯s thought process didn''t get disturbed, Stella finally came out of her thoughts. "It doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯ll get my answer easily...... but I understand when you say it''s just as important to envision how I want to see myself in the future, and why I want to be a knight... I¡¯ll give it serious thought. But thank you, Allen." Stella said, a lonesome smile stuck on her face. But unlike her usual expression, where she had her brows creased, her current expression showed a faint glimpse of her child-like innocence. "By the way, the other guys researching wind magic have been putting in bone-breaking effort, even more than me, but it seems like they''re still struggling. Even Dan has been desperately learning it for his objective which is ''Sailing''. This is why I suggested that you not join unless you have a concrete objective in mind." "O-ohh... t-that Dan is putting in so much effort......" With a cramped expression, Stella hung her face downward. I firmly nodded. After all, one must know what they were getting into when they were thinking of walking the path of a Wind Mage! Vol. 1 - Chapter 145 - 1st Scenario (6) For the second day, the main squad relentlessly marched forward in the daylight. It started when they saw it wasn''t possible to raise their speed at night in their current situation and taking another shortcut through the forest was a risk they couldn¡¯t take again. In that case, they thought, why not push themselves during the daylight when it was possible? To further push them forward, they got attacked by a swarm of poisonous moths at dawn, causing several of them to get paralyzed. Fortunately, they got cured with some antidotes they brought and Jeu''s magic, and they managed to get through in the end, but at the cost of their precious time. So, to ensure they could cover as much distance as possible while the sun was still out, they pushed themselves and left the mountain trail, traversing the shortest route while kicking away any monster they came across, all without a single moment of rest. Their persistent effort made it possible for them to reach the 6th checkpoint by evening. Now, as long as they can keep their current pace up, they should be able to reach their destination 3 hours before the initially appointed time. But they didn''t achieve it without a price; the wounds on their bodies were the consequence of their impossible march. They had fine-tuned the weight of the luggage for everyone according to their capacity to keep an average pace, a necessity due to everyone''s varying mana capacity and accuracy of physical strengthening, so everyone had been equally tired. However, this had put their important resource, their mana, in jeopardy. Adding to their problems were their exhausted bodies, lack of sleep, and lack of nutrition¡ª while they had some portable emergency rations, it was far from enough to provide the necessary nourishment for their growing bodies. It was probably only a matter of time before their physical abilities, as well as their judgment and thought process, took a nosedive. It didn''t seem like they were in the condition to sustain an adequate pace. Far from finishing early, it was doubtful if they could even make it in time. Their jitteriness bred impatience, impatience led to mistakes, and those mistakes in turn put more burden on themselves. The students of Class-A continued to press on in silence, not even a chu~ could be heard between them. ¡ªBut the more painful a time was, the more they had to face it head-on. Thinking so, Al, the always happy-go-lucky guy by nature, had just looked up, shifting his gaze from his feet, when he noticed a column of fumes rising somewhere in the middle of the 6th and 7th checkpoint. "Hey, there¡¯s a plume of smoke there! Is someone fighting monsters, I wonder...?" With a fed-up ''What, monsters again?'' expression, everyone also looked up. Their reactions stemmed from their almost continuous encounter with monsters, which had increased further after they crossed the 5th checkpoint like what Stella had told them. "This is... the fumes are from a bonfire. I¡¯d bet all of my money it''s Allen." Coco''s words, as he spoke with a sigh, made everyone react. "A-Are you sure? It had barely been 30 hours since those two left the grasslands. Impala is at least 250 km from there, and there¡¯s also an additional 150 km distance from the grasslands to here. It¡¯s impossible even if they take a shortcut through the mountain. I know he¡¯s not an average guy, but I really doubt that even he can make it here so quickly while dealing with monsters. Stella¡¯s with him, too, remember? This is a mountain trail, so they may be just explorers camping out." Shal wore a ludicrous expression but Coco firmly asserted. "Allen¡¯s the only one I can think of who¡¯d dare start a bonfire at such a conspicuous spot. It''s also in plain sight of us, which ensures that we¡¯ll see it no matter which route we choose to take. I believe it''s his signal to meet at that place. Alright, I''m getting hungry. We''d been waiting for you here, believing that you would arrive at any moment. This is the meat of a Darre Buffalo I slayed earlier. It¡¯s apparently a must-try according to Stella." "H-Heyyy, even I gave my 100%, alright?!" As said I took a jab at Viz for his earlier remark, everyone broke into chuckles. Yes, that''s the spirit. It''s these bright and cheerful smiles that should be the centerpiece of outdoor classes! ¡ô¡ô¡ô "It''s so delicious, I can''t believe it!" Jeu''s eyes glittered as she gingerly took a bite of meat. The reaction wasn''t unique to her. The members of well-off families, too, were showing enraptured expressions as they took bites off the huge grilled meat hanging from their daggers¡ª and I mean it was truly a huge chunk, like those of a Brazilian churrasco. The meat was simply seasoned with salt, but as they say, there was no better spice than an empty stomach. Including the mountain scenery and the company of friends, it must have been a new experience for almost all of them, which further added to the meat¡¯s taste. Meanwhile, Fey hovered around me, saying ''Quick, praise me. I really did my best here.'' And I truly did compliment her from the bottom of my heart, saying ''I can tell so you don''t need to explain. Heavy lifting is the specialty of a gorilla girl after all!'' though she gave me a hard pinch on my cheeks for that while smiling. Sheesh, I really thought my cheeks were going to fall apart. "Damn, you don¡¯t look tired at all......" As I muttered my complaint while rubbing my cheeks, tears almost falling from my eyes, Leo spoke up. "But this time, it''s definitely your fault though. She really did a lot of the heavy lifting this time, whether it was sharing other people¡¯s burden or lifting everyone''s spirit...... By the way, I was wondering, why is there no sign of a monster attack here?" While gracefully nibbling on his meat, he asked. The others were also eating in the same way with the same unboned meat, but somehow it appeared more graceful when he did it. I guess this was simply the difference between upbringing, huh? "Well, there were many who were lured in by the aroma but I had been warding them off with my wind magic. Lately, unless it''s a strong monster, my wind can intimidate them well enough." Leo fell silent for a moment when he heard that and flashed a bitter smile. "............Haaa. So that''s it, huh? This was how you managed to arrive here so quickly, and even this tranquil mealtime is all due to that, right? I really did overlook your true intent, masked behind that skirt-flipping magic moniker...... It truly transcends common sense, and the application is truly fearsome. It''s a pity I suck hard when it comes to finely controlling outer mana circulation. Right, no wonder you said ¡®Having Stella with you would be better for the bigger picture¡¯. So you had foreseen this outcome from the beginning, huh?" Hey, hey, I never did appeal to it as a skirt-flipping magic, alright?! What happened in the Rising Star Cup was... out of my control! "......There''s no such thing as absolute, you can never tell what you might face whenever. However, the only absolute was my conviction; I would make it happen in any way possible. The rest were the byproducts of that. Anyway, enough chit-chat, my special springtime soup is ready~." I urged everyone to try the soup I had made with utmost care. However, the liveliness that the crowd had managed to get back suddenly took a nosedive after that. Vol. 1 - Chapter 146 - 1st Scenario (7) "H-Hey, what''s with the silence? I mean, I know it doesn¡¯t look appetizing, but you¡¯ll never know unless you try it!" While stirring the soup, dyed purple due to the plants I had used as ingredients, with bubbles bursting out, I once again asked everyone to try it only to again be met by crickets noises from them. The bubbles were, of course, just a simple occurrence due to boiling, and not the result of some occult-ish fermentation. "There''s plenty to go around! Feel free to ask for more!" For the third time, I strained my voice, but there was only an incomprehensible tension weighing down on us all as none of them made as much as a chuu sound. It was as if execution was waiting for them should they open their mouths. Even Al, the bundle of optimism, was staring intently at the flickering bonfire while trying to avoid eye contact with me. Then, with the intent to protect his classmates from the disaster, Leo stood up with a determined expression. "It''s impossible to make up our mind unless we know precisely why we''re eating it. I want your reason." Like a diplomat sweating his way through negotiation, Leo repeated the same words I had once prattled to him when he had found himself stiffly facing Sora''s breakfast. But... why in the world would my soup require willpower to drink? Sheesh, was he comparing my cooking with Sora''s breakfast......? They seemed to have taken me for someone with a bizarre palate, but I definitely didn''t intend to pull them along with my whims in cooking though. ......No wait, I think I once taught Al and Coco the culture of hotpot in a dark party as a prank when we worked together on explorer requests. The hotpot in a dark party was where everyone brought their own ingredients, and the catch was you¡¯d never know what the others brought with them. Then we¡¯d blindly throw our ingredients into the pot, letting it simmer, and then eat it in the dark. In such cases though, the others would mostly bring something that shouldn''t be put into a hotpot and later tease the others who got their ingredient. I often heard the other students in college in my previous life chatting about their hotpot-in-a-dark-party adventure, I was quite envious of them. Once, I heard them say that the climax of one of their parties was when someone picked up a cowhide shoelace. However, seemingly most of my explanation went over their head as Al ended up with exactly that, but he mistook it for noodles and slurped it forcefully in one go which...... certainly didn''t age well. It was my fault back then, and I wouldn''t be surprised if word about that circulated among the others, probably with the story being exaggerated, and that hotpot was dubbed as my culinary masterpiece. I replied to Leo innocuously to dispel their unfounded worries. "Why should you eat it, huh?...... Well, the simple explanation is to fill the stomach with a delicious meal, but if you want more reason, then this soup is made from ingredients that boost the natural recovery of mana and stamina... Oh, and the ingredients are from Dolman Sheep and the roots of the wild plants I had gathered on our way here. I can assure you that there''s no harm and only benefits in eating this if you want to continue enjoying the outdoor classes later." My explanation garnered bewildered looks from everyone. Bester then asked me, summing up everyone''s thoughts. "W-What''re you thinking, Allen? Recovery-assisting drugs are said to inhibit your future growth, and their use has been forbidden in the Academy''s training, have you forgotten? There were other medicines in that warehouse tent, but there was not a hint of recovery drugs among them. They¡¯d mark us as losers if they find out." Argh~, these guys just had to be so hard-headed, for damn sake! There was no way this would cause you to lose your potential, and the effect also dissipated with time. Well, constantly using professionally compounded drugs might truly hinder one¡¯s growth, but the soup was far from that and was made from natural ingredients. I looked around and saw everyone shared the same look as Bester. Damn that smelly fart, considering everyone''s personalities, he purposely made a half-assed explanation and let them make their own assumptions...... "Bester, first of all, stop putting the training we had done in the safe environment of the Academy with the harsh outdoor class environment on the same pedestal. Tell me, what was stated in the Academy''s guidelines on the goal of these outdoor classes?" "What the goal is...... It''s to train the student''s stamina and spirit while in nature¡¯s embrace, I guess?" "Right. Now what do you think is the meaning of being in nature¡¯s embrace? At least for me, I believe it means to take the items we lack from our surroundings." Everyone fell silent at my words. They wouldn''t have been able to reach a conclusion when the answer was ambiguously hidden. An ambiguous situation was in itself a trap for elites. But still, they were too slow...... If anything, It would be easier to directly ask Godorfun, who had been surveying the situation here from afar, but it seemed like no one had caught a whiff of his well-concealed presence apart from me. Godorfun appeared to be trailing after the main squad quite seriously. Well, I could understand where he was coming from. ¡ªIn case the students met a mishap where all the roads were closed, he would appear to deal with it. Certainly, if everyone began to share the same thoughts, the outdoor classes would lose their meaning. Hah, fine then. I will also not try it first then, no matter what. Then, a fierce battle of...stone-paper-scissors began between them, their expression as if they''re facing their mortal enemy. And the loser was, needless to say, Bester himself. Well, the more you think about ''oh god, I don''t know what I will do if i lose here so save me'' the more you''re destined to fail. The classic Murphy''s law. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After the meal, we all took a 30 minute rest in shifts and then left the respite point. By the way, my soup received avalanche of rave praises. Then again, I had received the recipe from Riyad-senpai himself, so there''s no way it would be unpalatable. However Bester expression, as it was dyed in the colour of despair, looked so funny that I kept quiet until everyone had a taste. "You know you really are a sick person, Allen. Everyone would have jumped to try it if they had known the soup was from Riyad-senapi''s recipe. Do you know almost all of my energy was spent on thinking how to get away from drinking that? Then otherwise, who could have thought meals can make the body so lighter~, no? Sure enough, Riyad-senpai is amazing." Al said while placing his hand on his shoulder, rubbing in in circular motion. Well, it''s also easier to feel sleepy when your body is bathing in a comfortable sensation, though I kept quiet about it. The preconceived notions were hard to change so easily after all. Though other reason was also that Al etc had taken their 30 minute power nap, completely trusting my wind magic. "The key point is to crush the veins of the leaves from a citrus plant called the ''Yansa tree'' and add them. Yansa trees, which are widely distributed throughout the country, are relatively easy to find due to their distinctive fragrance. This helps to eliminate the meat''s odour while simultaneously enhancing its medicinal properties. Of course, compared to properly formulated medicines by specialists, the effect might be somewhat lacking." The effect of these leaves had been similar to that of bay leaves (laurel) in my previous life. Aside from Al and Coco, who had worked with me as explorers, everyone else looked at me with sceptical eyes. To these people, whose futures were basically set, it must seem strange that I possess knowledge akin to that of a cook. Even as an explorer, top-level explorers would typically hire porters or cooks and spend money to avoid having to procure their own food on-site, so it¡¯s more of a hobby. I did it simply because I enjoy it, so I wasn''t surprised if they found my words doubtful. "Alright, now I shall reveal the special recipe that I have made by myself." With a grinning expression, I exclaimed. Engaging in idle nothingness, we trekked along in the dim path under the night sky. As the elevation increased, so did the number of belligerent monster, unfazed by my wind magic intimidation, so it wasn''t exactly a hiking like scenario this time, however we did managed to reach 1km right before our rescue point around 5AM, before the first crack of dawn. The main squad decided to temporarily halt there, meanwhile Dan I creeped toward our objective, and after taking a glance at the situation around we returned back to give our report. In our scenario, it was a defence point hijacked by foreign force, though it was actually a deprecated stone building. It must have been abandoned quite a while ago. Though I''m not an expert, maybe it was the type of place they called ruins. There were two entrances, from front and back. "......If we ought to recapture it, then I think mounting a full frontal attack aligning with the dawn would be a better option. The more we wait, the quicker we might be discovered. Do you know what it''s from inside?" I shook my head in response to Leo''s question. "It''s hard to check it from outside. They have magical tools to prevent detection magic placed around. Well, they should have placed somewhere recently." Leo nodded. "Understood, then I ask you to keep a tab on enemie''s reinforcement and their vigilance level and the situation around. Stella, Parry and I would be the forerunner of our assault team while Dan, Regi, Viz and Berd would be holding the rearguard. We will be leaving our luggage here. Shal, Kate, Dol and Lala; you will be guard here. The remaining one shall encircle around the target, keep some distance and follow Feyrune''s order. Any objection?" Leo fluidly remarked his order. Confirming that no one had any doubt, everyone moved according to plan. And once it was dawn, the assault group broke in. The inside of the building apparently had become the nest of a hairy, short three-eyed monster---Murun. There had been quite a lot of them but the assault team suppressed their enemies swiftly and precisely. Afterward, we carried the support supplies to the defence border. In achieving so, the long drawn 1st scenario of Class 1-A safely comes to an end. Vol. 1 - Chapter 147 - Behind the 1st Scenario The National Border Station of the Yuglia Kingdom''s Northern Legion, located somewhere 5 km west of the assigned make-believe defense border that Class A had secured. While there wasn''t much to speak of about its size, a part of it had been used as an office for the current outdoor classes. "I can''t believe someone managed to clear the scenario devised by Esteemed Older Brother, moreso by first-years...... Their unity is really impressive." Viscount Zeifun Wangyus, the younger brother of Godorfun, shook his head in disbelief. As someone who had been providing support from behind the scenes, like opening a part of the territory for the current outdoor classes, he had been privy to the details of the scenarios devised by Godorfun. Then again, they were receiving their due compensation from the Royal Academy for their help, plus they also had the authority to receive the monster materials hunted by students during their tasks, so the situation was quite favorable to them as well. "Unity? No, their performance has long since surpassed any other records. This task, , of Sir Godorfun would normally be used to beat down any leftover naivety from the new recruits of the knight order. Originally, the task was for 2 squads with 8 members each to carry 800 kg of supplies, allowing for some flexibility in numbers. However, for rookie knights, it''s an exercise they fear as a grueling hell march, leaving them almost spitting blood. But Class-A completed it in merely 44 hours and 20 minutes, not to say four other scenarios are also waiting for them ...... How did you bring them up to this level, Sir Godorfun?!" The next voice came from Tim, the vice-commander of the 5th Legion, which was in charge of leading the northern troops. He came to take a look at the performance of promising seedlings from the outdoor classes. He was an expert in tracking and scouting, so it was easy for him to make out the details even from afar. The tradition was that aside from their class teacher, there would be one knight with exceptional scouting ability from the knight order joining in to judge the abilities of the students of outdoor classes per class. However, since their presence might overwhelm the students, they adopted the stance of staying hidden from the students¡¯ sight. "Fuhahaha. If anything, I¡¯m just as surprised. I know how tough their endurance runs were, but their coordination has surpassed even my expectations. Frankly, I was expecting them to already be arguing with this pressure, but...... now I¡¯m looking forward to how they¡¯ll surprise me again." Godorfun said, his lips twisting into an impish smile. "......I presume this is the effect of living together in the general dorm that I¡¯ve heard about, huh? I thought it was some kind of gimmick or trend, like experiencing poverty, but I guess I can''t look down on them anymore. They still lacking in martial abilities, but their endurance for their age is truly monstrous. Speaking of which, I¡¯ve also heard about the Hill Road Club, something that Sir is an advisor of, seemingly running around the premises of the Academy every morning before the start of the day." Godorfun stroked his beard, looking amused. "You''ve heard it right, Tim. Their monstrous endurance is due to their own effort in their morning club activities. Therefore, their practical lessons have currently been suppressed to some extent, but even then, their classes drain almost all of their stamina. Do you know what that implies, Tim? Despite stamina training being often boring and repetitive, with effects not always immediately evident in the short term, the prodigies of this generation still sweat it out non-stop, pushing themselves to the limit nearly every day. And all that at their current age. ......I want to train my body and mind, especially the mind, huh? It is quite a simple phrase when you say it, but not many know about the intricacies behind it. The teachings of Master Schord drilled into that kid are all simple and clear at a glance, but only when you stop to think about them do you see the vast meaning hidden within them." Tim audibly gasped. "The rumored teachings of the ''Unceasing Prudence'', is it? I dismissed him to be just some passing rumor, but the performance right before my eyes is... certainly a slap to my face. To be frank, I expected Sir to go rescue them when those ''Mystic Foxes'' suddenly appeared. But while I was flustered in my heart wondering if I should take action seeing Sir''s inaction, Leo Zatsinger wiped them out easily. They are already comparable to the knight order''s recruits with their strength and of course along with their monstrous endurance." He¡¯s been thoroughly researching and learning about wind magic in the Academy¡¯s Emission Magic Club. Honestly, I had also laughed at his idea, which had been hidden in obscurity, but what that brat had done in the tournament...... cough it''s really hard to endure my mirth recalling his antics." Godorfun said as he once again stroked his white beard. "While not comparable to that brat, I believe that as long as it can be confirmed that anyone is capable of using wind magic with enough training, I¡¯m sure that the kingdom will support him. Mujikka, the advisor of the Emission Magic Club, has been putting effort into learning wind magic too, and is seriously examining this possibility. After all, the theory that wind magic is based on has already deviated from the source of modern detection magic...... Hmm, but don''t reveal that to anyone, alright?" Tim and Zeifun were instantly speechless. "Anyway, he didn''t use any trick or anything. And while it''s generally impossible to extend the mana radius to such length and drive monsters away, that brat is capable of doing that. It''s as simple as that. I presume that you¡¯ve yet to read Rosetta''s report about the Brier Barony''s Dark Wolf Subjugation Battle this summer. That brat has already figured out our position, by the way, even though you brought a magical tool to prevent that." Tim''s jaw almost dropped to the ground when he heard that. "I wouldn''t claim myself to be unrivaled, but a 12-year-old kid being able to see through even Sir''s movement? But neither his expression nor body language shows that he has......" Godorfun sighed. "Because that''s the kind of twisted person he is. After keeping an eye on him for so long, it''s easy for me to tell. He¡¯s definitely noticed us. The monster attacks were no coincidence but were instead instigated by him. In short, that brat has just used us as his sword. Even though I hadn¡¯t expected that brat to beat me like this, I admit that I did fumble here." Godorfun shook his head in dismay while Tim audibly gasped. "......So Sir mean... he already expected how the second half would play out?" "Alas, he beat me to it and I can''t tell how far he has anticipated for the situation to turn this way. But I may have some ideas." Godorfun said with a bitter smile and after a long pause, he mumbled and sighed. ".........Let''s adjust the tasks. It wouldn''t be training otherwise." Zeifun, the younger brother, was astonished when he heard Godorfun''s words. Certainly, the score was determined not only by the time the tasks were finished but also considered the difficulty and the accomplishment of the tasks. Therefore, the score tended to increase as these factors improved. However, if a student managed to shorten their time through ingenuity and quick thinking, only to have the difficulty of the tasks raised afterward, no amount of effort could reduce their time. This approach didn''t seem fair to the students competing for speed in the class competitions. And Zeifun knew his brother well; he hated such manipulations. "But Esteemed Older Brother, that would be¡ª¡± "I¡¯m well aware. I¡¯ll ask for forgiveness from the kids after the outdoor classes are over. But I must have them learn the strength to never give up through this training, to make them remember ''the desperate urge to live''. For that to happen, I¡¯ll gladly accept their hatred. After having so many war brethren take their last breath in my arms...... this is a must to avoid that fate." As Godorfun solemnly turned and walked away, his back seemed less like that of an indomitable warrior feared by many to Zeifun, and more like that of an elderly teacher trembling at the thought of losing his students in the future. Vol. 1 - Chapter 148 - Second and Third Scenarios The third day of the outdoor classes, 10 in the morning. It was also the deadline of the 48-hour time limit given to us for the first scenario. For the remaining time after we captured the supposed defense post, we all took turns standing guard and sleeping like logs in one of the dilapidated stone buildings when Godorfun-sensei appeared before us. ¡°Ho-ho-ho. So it seems like even you guys aren¡¯t impervious to exhaustion. You guys need to take good care of yourselves in these sorts of situations, alright? Moving on, I will now reveal the next scenarios.¡± Confirming his entrance, I first decided to clear the worries of the others that had been causing them to lose sleep. Sure, from my classmates¡¯ point of view, it might appear as me intentionally poking the bush to draw out the snake when Godorfun-sensei himself hadn''t brought it up, but the point was that he already knew. Also, my classmates were serious to a fault, so the guilt of possibly cheating would continue to haunt them which could prevent them from bringing out their full potential later on. ¡°Excuse me, Godorfun-sensei, I want to confirm something first before that. When we were taught about the outdoor classes¡¯ curriculum, my understanding was that any and all supplies must be procured from nature in the outdoor classes. However, I still want to confirm, does using the ingredients that are typically used in recovery drugs, which are banned in the Academy, result in losing marks?¡± Godorfun-sensei chuckled at my question. ¡°Fumu. I guess I forgot to explain it, huh? First, yes, there''s no problem. Frankly, I¡¯m surprised you have the energy to ask about such a trivial question after going through this exhausting first scenario. The outdoor classes are held for you to learn this very lesson: to complete your tasks using everything in your arsenal, whether it be your intelligence, prowess, or anything else. However, beware that there are also poisonous ingredients in the mountains. Keep in mind that you¡¯ll only have yourself to blame if you ever fall into that sort of situation. It seems that there''s no more questions so let me reveal the second and third scenarios.¡± ¡®I forgot¡¯, my ass. This geezer must have thought it would be interesting to see our reactions and kept mum about it. Meanwhile, the invisible tension on my serious classmates had been visibly relieved. ¡°Listen carefully then. 2nd Scenario ¡ª As you¡¯ve recovered the fallen base, the enemies might attempt to take it back, so you ought to strengthen the defensive capabilities of this border post in the next 72 hours as much as possible. All that you¡¯ll need is the 800 kg supplies you¡¯ve brought with you. The leader is Allen Rovenne. 3rd Scenario ¡ª There''s a marshland ¡ª Mer Marshland to be precise ¡ª 60 km southeast of here. A report has revealed that the population of the Dark Ferrets nearby there has sharply increased. You¡¯ll separate into two teams: one team will chase and corner the Dark Ferrets towards the marshland, while another team will lie in ambush in the marshland. Defeat at least 20 Dark Ferrets and return to the defense post within 36 hours. The leader will be Shalum Halloween. There''s no restriction on how you want to compose the teams. However, the leaders must take charge of their respective scenarios. That is all.¡± ......What the heck? The gimmicky second scenario had me totally flabbergasted. ¡®Strengthen the base¡¯ as much as possible was all about putting in effort with no set baseline that needed to be achieved. I dare say even just making a wall using the trees around the base might be considered a pass too. The score would basically be settled depending on the amount of effort we put in. The only aspect that made it dicey was the obscure condition to pass. In that case, I presume the hint was in the ¡®72 hours¡¯ time limit....... I had to bolster the defense of the base to some extent within 72 hours, and how far I could take it would determine the task evaluation, presumably. And again, the third scenario was just as confusing to me. According to the Canardia''s Monster Encyclopaedia, Dark Ferrets were exceptionally nimble monsters with extreme wariness. They often turned into hungry demons before winter came, so I could understand how their huge population would pose a threat to the local ecosystem. However, why were they so lax with the situation that they''d wait until it was time for our outdoor classes instead of dealing with it immediately if the situation was so dire? Besides, the order on how to hunt them down was also bugging me. Ambush, simply put, was the act of setting up a combat area or kill zone in advance and positioning the troops in such a way that they remained concealed from the enemy or prey, allowing for a surprise attack on the target. I glanced at Coco, but he too shook his head, unable to decipher Godorfun¡¯s intention. However, the answer that I sought came from the leader of the third scenario, Shal. Everyone was momentarily dumbfounded at my sudden outburst about the mysterious youth analogy, my jealousy, and how I would kill to be with them. But soon they flashed bitter smiles, saying ''Oh good grief¡¯. Al for some reason burst out in laughter. "Pfft! Hahaha!...... It all depends on how you decide to see the situation, huh? It''s just like you. Alright, since my affinity lies with water, I shall be in the ambush team too! Let''s work together and make a quick return!" Damn you, Al! Do you really have to rub it in...?! Leo, meanwhile, let out an exasperated sigh and continued. "......What''re you saying, Allen? Your ability is obviously for the chase group. It''s impossible to leave you in the youth group. Anyway, who do you want in your group?" After that, I named the classmate I wanted in my group. They looked surprised for a moment, but perhaps because they were affected by Al''s earlier positive mood, they nodded with a determined face. Later, I saw off everyone''s departing back that was flourishing with a sense of solidarity, a definition of youth, with gritted teeth. T/N - So apparently Shal was a girl, as the author stated in his note. Classmates list if anyone is wondering¡ª Leo Zatsinger (Leo) Daniel Sardos (Dan) Feyrune Von Dragoon (Fey) Bester Von Stocklaud (Bester) Jeuri Levarance (Jeu) Shalum Halloween (Shal) Kate Salkanp (Kate) Allen Rovenne Rudolf Austin (Dol) Margrait Stea (Magi) Aldol Engraver (Al) Coconial Canardia (Coco) Regina Sanhurt (Regi) Visques Lawyunkurl (Viz) Elena Iskandar (Elena) Parry Abenil (Parry) Sophia Bransh (Sophie) Berd Yuniwance (Berd) Lala Von Liancool (Lala) E/N - Poor Allen. This has been the 2nd time Godorfun has singled him out ever since this outdoor class arc started though I understand why he did it. Allen could probably carry his class through these scenarios by himself with all the experience he has with his explorer and knight order work. Vol. 1 - Chapter 149 - Bolstering the defense of the Border Post "Now that they''ve left, I guess we should start working as well." It would do me no good to stay irritated about the matter either way. The outdoor classes would be past half their one-week duration by the time our classmates returned from their Dark Ferret subjugation mission, even though I''ve been looking forward to it before. So for now, I ought to do what I must and keep my eyes on the goal which is the hot springs. I fetched some paper and a pencil from the supplies and placed them on the top of a stone underneath the sun. While I was setting my stuff up, Bester, the sole person left with me in this second scenario, asked with a puzzled expression. "............Why me, Allen? Frankly, we''re hardly more than simple acquaintances. Neither do I have experience on handling base defense, you know." Well, I guess so...... I mean, there was no way either of us had experience with such stuff. "Well, good that you ask. Because, as the leader of the 2nd scenario, I concluded that you''re the best pick for bolstering the defense of this post." I candidly replied, though Bester shook his head. "......It doesn''t explain anything. I¡¯m second in academics after Leo, so if Leo is required for another mission, I would be the next pick. I know that well, but we have yet to learn how to set up fortifications. In fact, it''s what second year and above grade students learn in the knight course. I¡¯ve personally peeked into it as I was a bit curious, but I''m from the civil servant course so what I¡¯ve read is just the very basics." I couldn''t help but chuckle wryly at Bester''s reply which was so much like what you would hear from a top achiever. Though props to him for trying out the second year knight course curriculum while being a civil servant course student just due to curiosity. I guess he must be quite a study nerd. Well, it barely had anything to do with why I picked him, however. "My decision isn''t based on your academic grade or course. And you¡¯re right, we''re acquaintances at the level of nodding to each other when we meet at most. Besides, the knowledge you''ve learned from textbooks becomes almost useless when it comes to actual practice. You need to be in sync with your body and mind while actually trying things out. Only then will you gain a significant amount of experience. And these outdoor classes are exactly for accumulating this kind of experience." The more I spoke, the more confused Bester looked. "I will rephrase my words: you would have still been my pick even if Leo hadn''t been needed there. It''s just a simple reason, honestly. I hypothesized what would happen if the base was attacked and then who would be the best pick for protecting it. The answer I arrived at was... you, Bester. You''re the guy for this job." A surprised expression appeared on Bester''s face once I explained it again. "Are you for real, Allen...? Frankly, I can''t think outside the box like you, nor am I capable of instantly analyzing the situation and courageously taking risks like Dan. And there''s also the fact that I''m rock bottom in firepower in contrast to Leo. If you really want to classify me...... I''m more of a steady guy. Even Stella is far better than me in combat." I firmly nodded to Bester at his analysis. "Ahaha, and that''s what I exactly mean. You''ve laid it out clearly. First, when would we need bizarre ideas when we''re in a defense post?" Bester fell silent at my question. Though I bet he should have realized where I was going. "Right, it''s when we''re on the verge of losing. Taking risks is no different. You have to choose the least objectionable option when cornered. It was easier to get a full picture when you could see everything in a single glance. When he heard me, Bester nodded without showing any dissatisfaction. "Roger. In that case, a plan that would do well against human enemies with feasibly fewer risks within a given time frame.... would look something like this." Bester quickly sketched a simple design. It involved surrounding the base with three layers of wooden fences, each with staggered entrance directions to hinder large-scale attacks, and constructing an emergency escape route underground along with building a watchtower overlooking the ruins. It would indeed take little time to get it ready once everyone was back. However...... seeing that plan was treading too much on the safe side, I immediately rejected it. "This won¡¯t work. It lacks an adventurous spirit." Hearing my clear rejection, the creases on Bester''s expression deepened. "A-Adventuruous spirit? I think that¡¯s the last thing¡ª" "Listen well, Bester! We¡¯ve been stranded in this place by that smelly geezer, depriving us of the chance to make those precious, colorful memories of our youth! Do you not feel the urge to get back at that old geezer at least once?" "What? But you''re the one who picked me, Allen. I don¡¯t¡ª" "I knew you¡¯d understand! If something bothers you, just make your homeroom teacher cry! This is why Bester Von Stocklaud is the Royal Academy Class 1-A''s ! That''s why I can''t believe you cooked up such a lame plan after pointing out the plethora of risks. What are you, a mother-in-law who is content with just finding faults with her daughter-in-law?¡± I said while running my finger on the stone pedestal''s surface, akin to removing the accumulated dust on a TV stand, and blowing away the dust that had gotten on my fingertip. "W-What''s with that guardian nonsense? Didn''t I just explain that I have no experience with constructing bases?! Besides, this building is nothing more than a ruin, and I doubt it hardly has any connection with the border defense. It''s also not suitable for defense. Frankly, I would really suggest the earlier plan given the limited time and human resources¡ª¡± I clapped my hands at Bester''s idea. "So that''s the gist of it! You''re really amazing, Bester! You''re right. We really don''t need to limit ourselves to this ruin. Let''s do this: we¡¯ll build the watchtower from your earlier plan, and use this mountain terrain to our advantage, turning it into our stronghold. I think I¡¯ve found a way to drag that old geezer down to our level!" Bester, however, protested with a pale face. "Woah, woah, stop right there. What the heck are you thinking, Allen?! Why are we even challenging Godorfun-sensei!? Also, it''s just impossible to turn this mountain into our stronghold in a mere 72 hours!!" "What? No, we don''t need to complete it. The scenario given to us was to ''bolster the defenses of the re-captured outpost in anticipation of an enemy attack as much as possible within 72 hours¡¯. With such a vague goal, there''s no problem thinking about what''s necessary to defend the border and expanding the outpost accordingly. If anything, Godorfun would rejoice at our work. We''re going to have the 4th scenario after the 36 hours mark for sure, and the 5th scenario will definitely be a defensive battle. We don''t need to take every scenario of that geezer too seriously. It¡¯ll only pressure our side in this war of attrition! Anyway, we''re going to proceed with my plan no matter what!" Bester''s expression tethered on the edge of horror¡ª or using the analogy from a manga, it was like his soul had slipped out of his mouth, as he came to a complete standstill when I conclusively announced the roadmap for the second scenario as its leader. Vol. 1 - Chapter 150.1 - Bolstering the Defense of the Border Post (2) ) That night, Bester and I decided on various policies regarding our plans for the defense post. I have to say, while exploring together with Al and Coco was nice and all, but the little talk you have with friends while looking at the bonfire just scratched a different sort of itch. "Speaking of which, what do you think of the Diarmaq territory, Allen?" Oh? The Diarmaq territory ¡ª or the House of Marquis Diarmaq as it was officially called ¡ª was the faction that the Stocklauds, a quasi-noble family and Bester''s home, had been serving for generations. The quasi-nobles, in simpler terms, were the families that had sworn allegiance to other nobles, outside of royalties, whose authority were above Count rank. There was no limit to how many quasi-noble families could be, but they also needed to secure sufficient compensation, so their population stayed on the lower side. In terms of standing, they were even lower than a baron family who had been appointed directly by royalty, but this was only on paper. There was no question on who had more authority between a quasi-noble who served a marquis and a baron family from a faraway hinterland. As for my answer¡ª "Why would I have any opinion on them? If something had happened before, I''d probably long since forgotten it." He was probably talking about the time some fellow named Ruderio Von Diarmaq or something, the 2nd year senior with a creepy vibe, came barging in while saying he wanted to join the Hill Road Club. He kind of acted like a clown, shouting that I should transfer the presidency of the club to him, or that I¡¯d never have a peaceful life if I dared oppose him, which I ignored. Though it seemed to have further fueled his unreasonable flame of fury. Back then, he had been acting behind the scenes, hindering other students from joining the club. The situation had continued until Godorfun handed down his verdict on the assignment he gave to me, so up to that point we barely had any 2nd year students or anyone from the Diarmaq territory. During that time, Fey and Jue were quite ready to take on the challenge as they commented "It''s clear he wants a beating. Huh, you''re not going to act? Ufufu, you want me to take care of it?" or "Let''s turn him into a lesson for others. Alright, Allen-san?" with cheerful voices. I had to use my authority as the coach and pressed for a ''wait and watch'' attitude. Frankly, I had been in quite a pickle back then with the incessant stream of applicants despite the fact that I needed to focus on clearing Godorfun''s assignment, so Rudge-senpai was instead a savior in my heart, if anything. And then, Bester began to tell his story. ¡ô Bester, while bearing the name of Stocklaud, came from its branch family. He was bound to have a life similar to a commoner when you put quasi-nobility on top of being a branch family member together. In the usual course, his excellence started to show itself in elementary school, and when it was seen that even his mana had an outstanding growth, his family was swiftly contacted by Marquis Diarmaq, and the conversation started to shift about adopting him. Marquis Romelio Diarmaq initially intended to use him as a whetstone for his talented son while having him as a spare tire in case of an unfortunate situation at the same time. Though of course, the good ol'' deep-seated factions couldn''t let it happen and due to the overwhelming opposition, Bester was eventually set to be raised in the main house of the Stocklaud family. While Bester had no chance to succeed in the inheritance as of now, what had almost happened already pushed Rudge-senpai to consider him as a snake eyeing his possession, considering Bester might gain the position if he was wed into the Marquis family or adopted again. The struggle climaxed around the time when the rumors about me having a verbal spar with Godorfun over the assignment result, pushing him to change it, gaining the authorization to enrol into knight order from His Majesty, and even getting into apprenticeship circulated around. While the other 2nd years sharing the same hometown refrained from joining the Hill Road Club in their consideration of Rudge-senpai, the same didn''t hold for the other students and in the end, it was just the Diarmaq people that remained singled out in one corner. Apparently, Rudge-senpai had even started a club similar to the Hill Road Club in response as he led an anti-Hill Road Club movement. Though the club was immediately disbanded with a word from Marquis Diarmaq, he even endorsed the other students from his territory to join the Hill Road Club. Meanwhile, the movement turned into a loss for Rudge-senpai in politics, which greatly chipped away at his prestige as well back home. And so, the old hatred inside him overlapped with a newfound grudge for the both of us ¡ª I was hated because I was the one who established the Hill Road Club and the precursor to everything, and Bester, because he never budged from the club ever ¡ª as if we''d killed his parents. "......Unless life takes a new turn, I¡¯m contemplating becoming a scholar and later expanding on it. I¡¯ve probably explained it a thousand times that I have no interest in taking over the title of Marquis since childhood to Rudge-sama, but it''s clear that he never believed me. And now...... he isn''t even ready to listen to me." Bester concluded his story on a dejected note. Vol. 1 - Chapter 150.2 - Bolstering the Defense of the Border Post (2) Uh-huh...... I could relate having no interest in the hodgepodge that was politics and frankly, I couldn''t see myself being interested in it in the future as well, so I never paid attention to what happened in the background. The thing that intrigued me was Bester''s future plan. I didn''t know that he liked to study so much that he wanted to be a scholar later down the line. Adding firewood into the bonfire, I cheered him on, my tone nonchalant. "You sure have it tough too, huh?...... Well, you should go for whatever you like because it''s your life!" Bester''s head drooped in dejection. "You don''t say...... I heard from Fey and Jeu how you let Ruderio-sama continue his shenanigans, and asked them to ignore him despite having plenty of means to sort him out. You know, even those two were taken aback at your way of doing things. They didn''t know your plan all along was to thoroughly crush him on that spot so that he would have nightmares recalling it. I mean, yeah, it was Ruderio-sama who picked a fight with you first and the fault lies with Diarmaq, but please, I beg you, hold back next time...... Due to what happened, there had been voices calling to nominate me to be the successor. You have no idea of the lengths I had to go through to deny those voices!" Bester let out a defeated dog-like howl, his expression extremely pitiable. "Hahaha! It''s been so long that I¡¯ve even forgotten about Rudge-senpai, so there''s no way he would be plotting anything now, right? It''s all a coincidence, honestly! Anyway, so you guys still have to care about your family¡¯s situation while in the Academy? Man, must be rough, eh? Well, not that it matters to a country bumpkin like me, ahaha!" Talk about wasting your youth and friendship just for family politics. I¡¯m amazed anyone would do that. Bester heaved a heavy sigh. "Haa~. You really surprised me... No, I¡¯m scared that I don''t even feel that you''re joking. I mean, the situation was already under scrutiny as everyone''s eyes were on Fey and Jeu, guessing if there would be a confrontation after the entrance exam between the Dragoon and the Levarance, who were like cats and dogs. As individuals, they got along just fine, but you know their caliber and personalities...... However, your presence immediately brought both of them closer. The Marquises had to hold meetings many times and decided to hold a youth gathering at the end of summer vacation, right after the first term. You should know the significance behind it, since you actually did show up there. Zatsinger, who had a neutral stance in politics, had BBQ together with the Dragoon and Leverance people in Rovenne''s house. Furthermore, there are even rumors that Leo is considering bringing the two families, Rovenne and Zatsinger, together through marriage. ''I''m just a country bumpkin, you say?'' You really have the nerve to say that when the Kingdom is ushering in a wave of transformation capable of repainting the current power structure." ......That damn Leo...... I didn''t expect him to make a move on my Elder Sister behind my back. Out of all things, he just had to focus on that even though they were supposed to be ''neutral''. Hmm. Frankly, I was fed up with all the talk about politics, and I really didn''t care about what could happen. "Who the hell wouldn''t be surprised?! For the love of god!!!! Do you even have the slightest idea what you just blabbered?! Not only is the Dragoon and Leverance already on your side, now even the Dosperior is connected with you?! My god, if Zatsinger becomes your supporter as well, the power dynamic of the kingdom would be shattered thoroughly into dust! I wouldn''t be surprised if the royal family takes this as a sign of rebellion! And the heck did you just say, only I know that? What the hell are you thinking, bringing me into your mess! I was right, I should have kept my ears shut!!!" I waved my hand, asking him to take a deep breath and calm down, for now. "Come now, I¡¯m not going to dip into a joint faction with everyone, and I¡¯ve already had a chat with His Majesty, so your fears are unfounded." "Y-You had a chat with his Majesty!!? In the name of all that is holy, stop! JUST SHUT YOUR MOUTH, PLEASE! I only want to be a scholar. Why are you muddying the water for me as well?! And before you get bummed out, I don''t have any information to share in exchange!!! Not even a fraction of it!!" Bester beautifully performed a bow that he had been learning lately with a haggard appearance, and then glared at me with teary eyes. ¡°Don''t sweat over such stuff and take a seat,¡± I said as I held him by the shoulders and brought him to a log in front of the bonfire, retaking our seat. Then we silently stared at the bonfire for 30 odd seconds, and after loosening the atmosphere, I suddenly asked. "Is there someone... you like, Bester?" The flames flickered as the firewood made crackling sounds intermittently. Perfect setup... I finally pushed for what I had been dying to ask. Bester wore a bashful look, giving off an air of self-importance as if he was really proud of it, and readily replied. "Huh? Ah, umm. Though it¡¯s more than a crush, I have a fiance? in Class 1-C. She''s the second daughter of Count Kayneridge, located in the Diarmaq territory as well. Her name is Kanon Kayneridge." "Kanon Kaynridge...... You mean that sweet, adorable, and demure girl is your fiance??" "Yeah. We do have a disparity in status, but our betrothal was decided when I was able to enter Class A of the Royal Academy. Honestly, I think she''s wasted on me... She''s been quietly supporting me from behind when my standing was being dragged into the water due to the Hill Road Club situation, never once trying to get away from me. Enough of that, what was that you wanted to ask?" "...............By the way, what do you call each other?" "Kan-chan, and Bes-kun.... Hey, don''t switch topics. I was asking something! Stop putting on airs!" I crushed a nearby firewood, tossed it into the bonfire, and answered with a smoldering sensation inside me¡ª "Go and explode, you Normie!¡± T/N - Damn, all that setup for that......MC really has one heck of personality. It suddenly occur to me, I guess Godotfun¡¯s assignment in starting was all along to push Allen up. E/N - MC''s comment about his classmates worrying about their family situation even while in school makes me wanna facepalm. He really should at least keep it in mind, otherwise his dad will likely get a heart attack before he graduates ???? Vol. 1 - Chapter 151 - Before the Fourth Scenario At dawn of the following day, Bester and I surveyed the terrain and the local produce. Bester was the one who suggested it. Though we had taken turns sleeping, so that the other could keep watch, Bester for some incomprehensible reason couldn''t sleep. He said something along the lines of ''My head may explode if I stop thinking'' with dark circles under his eyes while presenting the sketched-out plan. The plan was actually quite exciting from my perspective as well, as if he had a sudden burst of inspiration while still making sure all our bases were covered. It was very much like him. It expanded far from the simple setup we once had where we would have just used whatever we got our hands on. The plan included strengthening the spots we absolutely needed to cover, along with other schemes to take down enemies. Well, it would take years if we were to build everything with only the Class A students and with only the materials we had on hand. So instead of trying to cover the base up completely, we would be putting our stakes on other aspects. Following the list of priorities, we would be focusing on things that would help in beating that smelly geezer black and blue. Anyway, a survey was required to have a clear grasp of the area and also to note down the terrain and the local materials we could use to solidify our plan before our classmates came back. I didn''t sense Godorfun anywhere, so I presume he must have chased after the other team to see how they had dealt with the 3rd scenario. While pretending to collect materials, I was surveying the area and only found one observer from earlier. However, he must have felt that we had given up on difficult stuff like building fences due to the lack of human resources and instead were doing the paltry stuff like securing materials. "Is it really necessary to look around that hard?" Bester was hoping we could start with the construction stuff to save whatever time we could. I nodded assertively at his words. "¡ª80% of a plan¡¯s success is in the preparation. In everything, preparation is the most crucial step and it is what decides the outcome more often than not. Whatever we do in a hurry would only be just a drop in the bucket. In that case, we might as well have the whole terrain under our thumb." Bester blinked in surprise, then his expression suddenly cracked into a smile as he chuckled. "80% is in the preparation, huh? It does sound great, I like it." ¡ô¡ô¡ô Our classmates returned by 6 PM, though that old geezer was nowhere to be found. He must be taking a rest in a temporary headquarters somewhere nearby. The deadline for their team was 10 PM today, so they were even 4 hours early. "Hey~, you guys worked hard. You''re quite early, eh?" I asked their leader, Shal. "It''s because we had pretty much all the class with us. But this also means the second scenario group would lag behind, so I guess we''re at even... yup." Shal said while interlocking her fingers with an aloof appearance. Though Viz''s expression seemed strange as he chimed in. "What are you saying, it was mostly due to your effort that we managed to wrap everything up quickly. Haa, I bet even the teacher didn¡¯t expect the usually demure Shal would be a ''Monster Girl''..." Shal''s face turned completely red when she heard him, eliciting a wry smile from others. ...Shal and monster girl? Grgh, what was the fun group event that happened, I so wanted to know. "I so agree, I mean, no one had thought we would be hearing her from that thing''s stomach! She was in it for a whole night too! I would have never believed that you could chase monsters that way if I hadn''t seen it myself. Maybe I should visit the Halloween territory during their festival season. I had heard rumors but oh boy, did that scare me silly. I thought we''d run into a giant monster!" Al also chimed in with an excited look, explaining some other tidbits. Damn you, Al. Do you think I can''t tell that you''re bragging? "How''re things on your side, Allen? From what I can tell, you have yet to begin with any of the labor stuff and focused on only gathering materials, huh? Where¡¯s Bester?" Leo asked, tilting his head. So I replied while stirring the soup glistening in a green color. "Bester seemed to have been struck with drowsiness so he¡¯s currently sleeping like a log inside the ruin. Anyway, you guys have this too. .............Oi, what''s with that expression? Just so you know, Bester didn''t sleep for a whole day and night and was even drawing up the plan until a couple of hours ago. This is also made from one of Riyad-senpai¡¯s recipes." Leaving these words, Godorfun departed. "Y-You guys heard?! Finalllly! I can finally act in a team as well, hell yeahhh!!" Kuh, I could finally have the outdoor classes of my life! As I howled in excitement, the leader Kate, on the other hand, heaved a sigh. "Haa...... I guess everything really is dancing in the palm of your hand, Allen. There are three routes the spies can use to escape from the Roderia Mountain and to the Kukora Metropolis Federation. The question is which route would they pick and how should we proceed to pin them down...... Normally, we would have to hastily decide everything and thinly spread our members out to prevent the enemy''s escape." Kate said and then unfurled the blueprint Bester had written out. "But this plan makes it obvious where we need to put our forces. We¡¯ll split into three teams under Bester, Leo, and I, and from there, we¡¯ll put our focus on setting up these bases for the next scenario while also taking down the spies." After announcing that, Kate swiftly put down a list of the teams and where they would be deployed. However, there was one flaw in her arrangement. The gist of the fourth scenario basically said it would be impossible to move the army, and given the spy count, they could make their exit without standing out. The terrain gave them an advantage after all. Yet, the team composition was missing my name with no mention of it whatsoever in any capacity. I could feel my cheeks strain as I ran my gaze over them, but no one would turn to look at me. "K-Kate...... it''s a joke, right? I definitely can''t take another solo mission for the love of god!! If anything, I¡¯m full of energy after having my afternoon nap, so I definitely have no problem giving my 200%!" As I accidentally blurted that out, all my classmates turned to give me a distant look. Meanwhile, Kate curtly cut down my proposal with a cool face, giving the vibe of a typical class president. "......Sure enough, I had that nagging thought as well. Bester''s plan required plenty of time to make it a reality, while we also would have to tackle the fourth scenario. I presume you had taken this into account as well and had Bester sketch out the overall plan, right? But now that we know we can easily deal with the fourth scenario, I believe it''s possible to finish everything before the fifth scenario''s siege battle...... with everyone except Allen. We may have to push ourselves without you, but since you have so much energy to spare, then good luck, Mr. Solo handler." S-So cold! I immediately protested. "Hold on! That afternoon nap was a slip of the tongue, I agree. And putting aside the fifth scenario, which is obvious, there''s no way I could have guessed what the fourth scenario cooked up by that geezer would be! What do you think am I, a god?!" Kate however ignored me and asked Bester. "......Say, what spurned you to come up with this absurd plan, while Allen was taking his nap? I reckon you must have come up with a more realistic plan, right? What were Allen''s words back then?" Bester pushed up the bridge of his glass and replied. "I objected to this plan as well. But he said ''It''s not enough to make that old geezer pay'' or something and then immediately rejected my plan." With Bester''s words, Kate clapped, urging everyone to get up from their seat. "Alright everyone, we can''t let those spies pull one over us as well if we want to be the first. Let''s move immediately. We can''t leave this base exposed, so let''s have one person from each group take turns and build a fence with logs to block the view inside" " "Alright!" " Everyone got up on their feet in one breath. "Hey, hey! How about you first calm down and have some tea? Ah, I see! This must be that old geezer''s plan to isolate me again! That damned liar, he really has no shame to say ''You also need to build teamwork'' for nothing! You shouldn''t take that old geezer''s words to heart, his words always have a pitfall!" "You''re a sore loser, you know. There''s no way Godorfun-sensei would have known about our movement unless he managed to see Bester''s plan. He''s not a god, right?" Kate put an end to the conversation after that and left the ruins after making sure the others had left as well. Huh, oi, I¡¯m not a god either...... Vol. 1 - Chapter 152 - A Strayed Boy I have strayed from the path. Once upon a time, I had a dream of enjoying the outdoor classes to the fullest, self-assured that I more than anyone else would have a blast. Yet, here I was looking at the rugged precipice all alone and deep into the night. The cliff was around several hundred meters tall with only a mountain road (?) of around 20-30 cm width to walk on. Though it was certainly not the best method, it was possible to cross the mountain by sticking close to the cliff. Occasionally, there would be rocks appearing on the path, akin to those rat guard setups. I believe it should¡¯ve been impossible for any climbing expert or someone similar to Dan to climb up this cliff in this situation without the help of tools. Also, treading on the mountain road also left one completely exposed to the people beneath, and should they attack with arrows or magic, it would be game over. It was also a death sentence if bird-type monsters came to assault you, or if you slipped. Even in the most unlikely scenario, I dare say no spy would think of taking this route unless they were absolutely cornered. What I meant was¡ª with there being abysmal chances for the enemies to show up here, and also because the terrain made it possible to secure the spot alone, I was chosen to be its watchdog. But, what was getting on my nerves even more was that I didn¡¯t feel anyone¡¯s gaze on me, neither Godorfun nor any of the other knight observers. I mean, yeah, I was a member of knight order, albeit temporarily, and I had been pushed into many solo subjugation missions by my Master, but I was supposed to be a ¡®student¡¯ of the Academy, damn it! And look at their audacity, to leave me all alone in this forest... What they meant was obvious¡ª there was no one coming to use this path, so it would be a waste of time to stand watch here. I should receive a notification once my classmates captured the spies, but who was I kidding, it was a scenario devised by that old fart. I was sure it would be anything but easy. And then, as I decayed here in solitude, soon my much anticipated outdoor classes would come to an end. Well, maybe I was paying for my blabbering mouth but leaving that aside, I was getting annoyed. Yeah, it was definitely Godorfun¡¯s fault. I cursed him in my mind while going down the mountain, following the wind. I thought of making soup with the pot I had to kill the boredom, but because of the high elevation and with winter approaching, I couldn¡¯t find many materials. Hmm, what if the spies decided to sneak in that gap? Like hell, I care. This was training, plus I never gave a rat''s ass about the score. All along, I had been looking forward to the outdoor classes more than anyone else, and wanted to take a dip in the hot springs as soon as possible. Though I had also promised in my mind to get back at Godorfun as well. It would surely bring down everyone if the spies managed to slip through due to my negligence, but...... I was a stranded boy. No longer do I walk the path of decency. ¡ô ¡°It''s time... close the mouth of the bag and wring it. Also, launch the signal.¡± At Coco''s prompt, Leo released a fireball up into the sky. They had used nature¡¯s terrain, fences, rocks, and more to bait the spies and once they were cornered in a dead end path, the other students of Class A lying in ambush caught them. The supposed spies, wearing sports team-like shirts with numbers on them, swiftly raised their hands in surrender. ¡ô ¡°I had heard about signs of the military making a move at a large scale in the Darre mountain range near the border post...... and it turned out to be some training for brats.¡± Wearing olive green clothes that blended well with the surroundings, one of the three suspicious-looking fellows spoke. ¡°But they¡¯re unbelievably skilled for their age. I think they should be students of that renowned Royal Academy... This is the hometown of that ¡®Indomitable¡¯ who''s recently acting as the director of the Academy, so most likely he selected this place for the training.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for even those in power to get a clue about the movement of the Academy that trains those who¡¯ll become this kingdom''s pillars later down the line... It¡¯s not going to be easy, but I believe we should make a move, it¡¯s too tempting to leave alone.¡± ¡°...What do you say, Zeth? We¡¯re just scouts, and we¡¯d be overpowered by their numbers if we had to fight. With the current situation, the last thing we need is to be captured by them.¡± Zeth, seemingly the leader of the group, kept silent for a few moments before speaking. ¡°I believe they said these guys are from Class 1-D. Their skills are frightening despite being just first years, and they''re not even the top class... There¡¯s a chance even that prodigy Leo Zatsinger, and that guy from the rumors are around here somewhere. It¡¯s a chance to get intel on them... but I fear that the knight order also deployed knights around here in case of an accident. The risk outweighs the benefit, so we¡¯re returning to the border.¡± ¡°What, they¡¯re just first years, and even Class D? Monsters... What route are we going to take?¡± I would have faced them immediately, but they might split up and escape. Hmm, no need to show them that I know about their presence I guess. Let¡¯s get to a sufficient range. Formulating my plan, I continued to stir the concoction when one of the spies asked for instruction from another, seemingly their leader, ¡°What now, Zeth?¡± ¡°......It doesn''t seem like he¡¯s going to move before tomorrow morning. We¡¯ve managed to slip away so far, but there are quite a lot of people now in the mountain range. We never know when someone will catch up to us. It would have been great to cross the border without leaving any traces, but... Let¡¯s kill him. Given the season, the monsters around here would quickly gobble up the dead body.¡± Ohh, look at that. It seems like they had heard about me from Godorfun, so they gave me a rundown of the scenario¡¯s setting. Then, after saying that, the spy Zeth (alias) pulled on his short bow. His two comrades deployed themselves to the left and right, while Zeth-san released a faint murderous aura and shot the arrow. I was appalled that the arrow was actually aimed my way and quickly rolled away to dodge. He shouldn¡¯t have intended to actually attack, I think? At least the attack wasn''t aimed at my vitals. But, what would they have done if I had failed to dodge that? ¡° ¡°Tsk! Kill him!¡± ¡° Watching me dodge the arrow, the three unsheathed similar-looking plain daggers and lunged at me. They were holding their knives with a back grip, a peculiar stance...... I presume they had their training in the same institution or something. They fell short on body strengthening output, but their teamwork was marvelous. Still, they looked completely ready to kill me, and that bloodlust couldn¡¯t be faked. I had been chalking it up to the instruction ¡°I don¡¯t care if you act in all seriousness¡± that they might have gotten from Godorfun, but... just to make sure, I called them out. ¡°Umm, you¡¯re subordinates, right?¡± ¡°Huh, subordinates?! Don¡¯t you look down on us, brat!¡± ......Huh, no?! Oh good, they really couldn¡¯t have had a worse timing. If they weren¡¯t subordinates, plus with their lack of hesitation in jumping in for a kill, then they shouldn¡¯t be some innocent passerby. Damn, I need to catch them as a member of the knight order! I leaped down as soon as I saw a gap in their movement and rapid-fired three arrows laced with the anaesthesia-like concoction I was brewing. The arrows accurately stabbed the legs of the three, and the next thing they knew, they were lying down on the ground. ¡°Well, forgive me for being crude, but I have nothing to tie you up with. So please wait here for a while, I¡¯ll detoxify you later.¡± Noticing Zeth-san glaring my way as his body convulsed, I shook my head. ¡°I fear that the old fart probably stacked up his resistances... I should make a more condensed concoction to be safe.¡± After giving one more stir to the pot of anesthesia, I weakened the fire and dipped a branch from nearby into the small pot. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have any potions. Though I do have some sleep medicine though. Relax, you¡¯ll be off to your dreamland immediately~.¡± After nodding my head, I touched the branch on the mouths of the three people. ¡®Alright~¡¯ Confirming that they had fallen asleep, which barely took seconds, I crossed my arms in satisfaction. T/N - How should I say, umm, he really is a unique mc huh. Atleast, he has his base covered. Vol. 1 - Chapter 153 - Final Scenario (1) The night came to pass, and the darkness was chased away by the glow of the dawn. The clock ticked 6 AM. ¡°It seems like Bester has captured the 5th person. The supposed spy apparently had plans to escape at dawn and had hidden himself in a cave for the night. That was kind of the expected outcome, but it still ended up taking more time. He¡¯s on his way here as we speak.¡± Leo nodded at Kate¡¯s report. ¡°I see. Well, we had a lot of things to do for the upcoming scenario as well. In anything, it might be good for us that it took that long.¡± Kate¡¯s lips curled into a wry smile as she listened to Leo. ¡°True enough, I doubt we¡¯ll get any time to work on the base outside this ruin once all the supposed spies have been caught. We''d be pushing it too far.¡± As they shared each other¡¯s thoughts, Bester returned with Spy No. 5 in tow. ¡°Godorfun-sensei is waiting outside.¡± Everyone came out of the ruins at those words and saw Godorfun with a huge smile plastered on his face. ¡°Fuhahaha! I saw everything. Your teamwork was meticulous. Reading through my scenarios like an open book throughout this outdoor class really left me speechless. Now aside from that, there¡¯s someone I have to introduce, but... is there anyone else who hasn''t arrived yet?¡± Kate stepped up to reply to Godorfun. ¡°Fey and Jeu had gone out to get Allen who had been guarding the old mountain trail alone. Ah, speak of the devil... Huh, who is he dragging along with him?¡± ¡ô ¡°Who are these men...?¡± I shrugged casually at Godorfun¡¯s question and replied. ¡°My guess is as good as yours. They suddenly came and attacked me, so I captured them. Apparently, their plan was to cross the border. Sheesh, that¡¯s why I wanted to be in a team instead of working alone...... I would have really kicked the bucket with that much loneliness, you know?!¡± Setting aside the fact about my risky drug concoction, I explained everything. ¡°I see. They appeared to be a scouting party from the Kuroba Metropolis Federation¡¯s forces given their clothes. We basically have a give-and-take relationship with them, and I had thought that there was no feud between us...... So my judgement was incorrect... was it? Fufufu. They really have eaten a leopard¡¯s gut to play tricks on me, Godorfun Von Wangyush, eh?......¡± Godorfun''s bloodthirst suddenly burst forth. ¡°I¡¯m not someone you can afford to look down on!¡± Any normal person would have been frightened to their core, but the spies didn¡¯t utter a word. Meanwhile, my classmates had long been accustomed to his bloodthirsty aura ¡ª an improvement compared to the starting day of the Academy ¡ª as they watched the situation unfolding with cool faces. That said, the others didn¡¯t know what I used to capture them, so I offered to clear up the situation. ¡°They had been accidentally stabbed by a bee¡¯s stinger and can¡¯t move due to paralysis. Haaa, and here I thought I would no longer need to talk with air...... I¡¯ll detoxify them.¡± I ran inside the ruin after the explanation. The antidote I had made wasn¡¯t potent enough to cure them back then because the effect of my drugs was too strong. ¡°......I didn¡¯t think I would meet such stupid spies.¡± Someone apparently muttered behind me. ¡ô "Cut the crap, Godorfun. How much? I say even the whole army isn''t enough. Yes, get everyone together and come at us in full force! Otherwise, your pitiful forces wouldn''t even have time to cry tears before they find their asses getting whipped." As I passionately announced this, my classmates covered their faces with their hands while still staring at the clouds above. Tim-san chuckled wryly, as if looking at a mischievous kid and suggested. ¡°But that won''t be training then. You kids probably don¡¯t know, but for the duration of the outdoor classes there¡¯s also a division of the northern army deployed here in the Wangyush territory to eliminate any variables or accidents. And speaking of this area, there¡¯s at least three full-fledged regiments acting as lookouts which basically amount to 1500 total soldiers. Well, they might not be as astounding as you kids, but including the other personnel from the messenger department and the reconnaissance, they all add up to 100 times your number. It¡¯s a battle against numbers. I admit that you¡¯re all geniuses, but this gap isn¡¯t something you can overcome with just abilities alone. And given the bare minimum defense of this place... it¡¯s certainly impossible.¡± ......Ahh, it seemed like even direct words didn¡¯t go through to him. I passed the baton to Bester, telling him to ¡®stick to the basics¡¯. He remained frozen on his spot for a couple of moments, but seeing my unwavering gaze, he sighed and passed the blueprint of his basic plan to Tim-san and Godorfun. And soon, their faces wore astounded expressions. ¡°This is the plan sketched by Bester Von Stocklaud, the Overseer that Class A is proud of. And just a side note, this is in fact not even 1% of the whole idea... So I''ll say this again, come with your full force!¡± I expected Godorfun to be slightly enraged, having a student belittle him so, but he instead showed a broad smile. ¡°......Hahaha! Fuhahaha! This is great! It seems we¡¯re about to have a good time, Tim. It was my mistake to label what they¡¯ve built in the 4th scenario as useless. So it seems that the fences weren¡¯t for capturing the enemies from the inside, but for dealing with the enemies from the outside when they come to attack. Ahaha, I guess you really bested me here. Contact the nearby army with magic birds and have them gather.¡± ¡°Sir?! Are you really serious?! If we shift the numbers by four-fold, the difficulty will also shoot up by four times¡ª no, in the worst-case scenario, it would surely be above 10! And you kids, are you sure you want to go through with this?! This seems to be due to his stubbornness alone, but you¡¯ll also be facing a battle with almost all odds against you because of it! Your stamina should be nearly exhausted as well!¡± Hearing the concerned voice of Tim-san, all my classmates stared at each other and put up wry smiles. ¡°Pfft! I¡¯m fine with that. Yeah, it would spice things up more to get on Allen¡¯s plan.¡± ¡°Hehehe. Likewise. It¡¯s Allen-san after all! So bold, so dashing!¡± ¡°If anything, it¡¯s what I want. I¡¯m here because I want to break through my own limits.¡± ¡°Ditto. I also want to see how far Bester¡¯s plan will take us.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Soon, they all gave their affirmation for the proposed plan. Though Bester tried to dissuade them one last time. ¡°But we¡¯re talking about a force 100 times our own, you know?! Also, calm down Allen! Are you giving up on your chance for the hot spring?! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been excited about it more than anyone else here!¡± Ah, so he was simply worried about my wish for the hot spring. And here I was worried about what had been getting on his nerves recently. Well, that was why he was the Overseer of Class A. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? It won¡¯t matter if we just take down all the opponents. I would have the last laugh in my hot spring after we made this old fart cry. Isn¡¯t that why you were so obsessed with creating this perfect plan? It¡¯ll be hitting two birds with one stone. Your wish and mine. It¡¯s all according to plan!¡± While giving Godorfun a glare, I verbalized Bester-kun¡¯s inner feelings for him. And apparently overcome with emotion from my consideration, he sputtered in his speech, saying ¡®A-Allen you...¡¯, but couldn¡¯t finish his words as I swiftly stared back at Godorfun and Tim-san. ¡°......Well, you heard them. There¡¯s no one in our class who wants to have an easy-peasy lemon squeezy challenge, Godorfun. Mark my words: we, the Class 1-A, would best everyone in this outdoor class!!¡± ¡°......Defeating a force the size of a hundred times your own, and making me cry? A chick has now gotten the arrogance of a lion to challenge the eagle, huh?...... Very well, so be it. The leader for this scenario will be Bester Von Stocklaud. Considering the time for the army to gather, we''ll still start at precisely 12:00 PM...... I hope you can give us a good show!¡± Leaving these words behind, Godorfun turned on his heels while showing an angry huff. But amidst everyone, only Tim noticed his eyes squinting with delight. Vol. 1 - Chapter 154 - Final Scenario (2) The actual defense border post of the Yuglia Kingdom¡¯s northwest army was 5 kilometers away to the west of the ruins. The members of the army had gathered here as Godorfun called for a strategic council, his face showed utmost seriousness despite the situation being nothing more than a practice drill. ¡°Never had I expected for someone to proactively push for impossible heights right when the conclusion was around the corner, and with their minds and bodies reaching their limits. I now see why he¡¯s called the ¡®walking anomaly¡¯. Plus, he also has the support of his entire class despite this being nothing more than a reckless extra step...... I must say, their mentality is just out of the norm.¡± What transpired a while ago had surpassed Tim¡¯s logic and common sense. ¡°Fuhahaha! What you saw was the growth of youngsters and their determination. It¡¯s not something we adults can imitate. But let¡¯s look at our situation. Now, you may be confused, but there¡¯s a reason why we¡¯re upping our game for the offense. I have been told by Allen Rovenne that they can easily repel the attack of the 4th troop of the Torveil army by themselves...... In that case, there¡¯s no need to hold back and attack as if you¡¯re facing an enemy. Understood?¡± A vein popped up on the forehead of a knight donning a well-worn silvery armor. He was going to be the leader of the force that was going to raid the supposed defense post. ¡°Haaa? They¡¯ll blow us out of the water?! Since when did trash have the gall to be so arrogant?! I¡¯ll personally show that trash that the color of blood is red!¡± ¡°Now putting that aside, the enemy bases are placed in a rhombus pattern. On the top-most corner is the ruin, the defense post we were supposed to raid first. But now, there are three more teams placed on the remaining corners in an inverted triangle shape. Tim, what¡¯s your opinion?¡± Prompted by the question, Tim groaned. "Hmm... I must say, it''s remarkable. Each base is positioned in such a way that they can easily support each other, and even if one is captured, there''s a risk of it being retaken. This forces the attackers to spread their forces thin. Unlike the ruin that¡¯s in an open area, these bases are well-protected by natural terrain, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack. However, if we try to advance while ignoring them in actual combat, we''d likely be pincered near the Mer Swamp by the troops at the ruin base and the border defense forces. As the attackers, we''d need to capture all of these strongholds before advancing. ...I would have never expected the task of repairing and fortifying the defense post in 72 hours would result in such an elaborate mountain fortress design... I must admit, I''m surprised by Bester''s boldness. This outdoor class session has continued to amaze me with the hidden potential of the students you''ve nurtured, Sir." ¡°Fuhahaha. Well, it would be more correct to say that their growth has been prompted by their eagerness rather than due to my training...... I¡¯m just as surprised as you are at the unexpected potential of Bester Von Stocklaud. ¡®His charisma lies in his talent of finding out other people¡¯s virtues¡¯... is how Satowa had evaluated him, and this made me recall that.¡± Godorfun reminisced, and then turned to the battalion leaders, throwing a question their way. ¡°Well then, young¡¯uns. How will you tackle the enemy''s defenses?¡± One of the battalion leaders, the red-haired woman Elan, raised her hand. ¡°Yes! Frankly, with the disparity in our war potential, I would have pushed for a swift victory with a simultaneous attack...... but it smells like a trap, and we have no reason to push ourselves. In that case, we should stick to the mountain warfare style and suppress our enemies in order starting from above. It''s the sole stone-built base the enemies have, and there is a much more open space there for large forces to gather. By taking it down, there¡¯ll be only makeshift bases left, and we should also get access to all of them without any risk. So we should capture that base and control it first, then use it as leverage for our raid.¡± Godorfun squinted his eyes and nodded. ¡°...... Well, that is indeed the safest choice. But, while it becomes easier to access the other bases, you¡¯ll also be hard-pressed to defend it...... However, given the difference in numbers, it might as well be for the best if the opponent is pressured to recapture it as it would be easier that way.¡± ¡°With that said, I¡¯ll be out for around three hours. Give it your best shot, Bester~.¡± ¡°Three hours? Aren¡¯t you going to sleep after undertaking that solo mission?! Will you be fine without resting?¡± I chuckled at his words. ¡°¡®Tis nothing to worry about. I did a lot of thinking while battling the sleep, and I actually came up with some brilliant plans to make that old fart speechless.... Kukuku, sleep is something I can catch after this as well, so anyway I¡¯ll explain everything later. It¡¯s payback time after all. Kukuku! Hiyahahaha!¡± Witnessing my dark mob villain impression improvised from my sleepless night, my classmates showed awkward expressions, their faces twitching. ¡ô ¡°They¡¯re here! The three battalions seem to want to capture the northern base with their full force. Bester, should we show some resistance?¡± A slight tension could be felt in the voice of the happy-go-lucky Al. I guess that was to be expected. Bester shook his head in response to Al¡¯s question. ¡°No, putting a half-assed effort here would be a waste of time and energy. We¡¯re falling back just like we planned.¡± ¡°Roger! In that case, we¡¯re leaving for the eastern base! Catch you guys later!¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be heading for the western base then. You¡¯re in charge of the southern base huh, Bester? Let¡¯s do our best!¡± The members of class A thus split up into team Bester, team Kate, and team Al as they left for their respective positions. ¡ô ¡°The heck, so they fled without trying to fight back? Ah, the typical all bark and no bite then. Hmph, must have pissed their pants seeing the aura of our battalion!¡± Maxim blurted out in a disappointed tone, but the red-haired knight Elan had a wry smile on her face. ¡°There¡¯s no idiot in the Royal Academy who would try confronting an army as large as this in an open place. Oh wait, even an idiot would prefer mountain warfare to this¡± ¡°Fufufu! Indeed. There¡¯s no doubt they planned for this base to be taken. Then again, there shouldn¡¯t be any other option for those kids.¡± ¡°It seems like a lot has been done since the last time we looked here, but I fear they have done more than this even with the short time frame of one and a half days they had. What shall we do, Sir?¡± Godorfun hummed and stroked his goatee. ¡°There''s no way to figure out the traps they¡¯ve set up without poking around. We''ll assign one company to each of the three strongholds simultaneously to determine what their main goal is. Given the terrain, sending a large force wouldn''t be effective. Now then, let''s go and knock those cocky rookies down a peg. Advance!" ¡° ¡°Roger!¡± ¡± Vol. 1 - Chapter 155 - Final Scenario (3) The western base commanded by Kate was located in a mountainous region where a fan-shaped forest of trees resembling beech trees spread along the ridge running from the southwest to the northeast. As one descended to the south, the slope steepened along the ridge, narrowing to the point where only two or three people could pass through at its southernmost end. To access this western base, one must either descend through the forest from the north by capturing the already fallen northern base (ruins) or advance north along the mountain path by capturing the southern base. Technically, it¡¯s possible to access the western base from the east and west, but doing so would require climbing a bare mountain without any route towards the ridge, significantly slowing down the advance and making the troops easy targets from the base. There was also a high possibility that traps had been set up, and it wasn¡¯t something you could hope to tread just because you had the conviction to make it through even if it meant sustaining heavy injuries even when you had the upper hand. But of course, Bester had prepared a countermeasure plan just in case. Maxim, the battalion commander, was personally leading his company to raid the western base. Stella, Sophie, and Viz confronted this charge head-on at the strategic spot of the fan-shaped forest where the structure of the fan converged. Directly behind them was the western base, and if this position were to be breached, the base would likely fall immediately. After 30 minutes of combat, when fatigue had begun to show in Sophie and Viz¡¯s faces, Kate and Parry stepped in to take over. "Viz, Sophie. Fall back for now and keep watch on the east and west. Parry and I will take over! Stella, are you okay?" "Oh! This isn¡¯t even warm up for me!" The momentum of the battle, which had been slightly against them, was pushed back due to this change. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°Hoho! She¡¯s been holding the front line for an hour now! Well, I knew my genius Stella would be able to pull that! That''s my niece! Isn¡¯t she a stunner?! But don¡¯t fall for her, now!" The adjutant standing nearby gave a wry smile and nodded in agreement. "...Her performance truly reflects why she is called the one of a kind genius of the Achilies family, known for their bravery ever since their founding. At her age, such incredible skill and boundless stamina is truly remarkable. Everything adds to how troublesome of a foe she is when on the opposite side, though this just makes me further anticipate the moment when she would be fighting alongside us." ¡°You bet! She¡¯s going to be a terror in the hearts of so many enemies! You might not be able to see clearly from here, but she has the makings of becoming a terrifying beauty too!¡± Just as Maxim was proudly boasting about his niece, his expression melting into that of a doting uncle, the reinforcements he had requested from the headquarters set up at the northern base arrived. "Battalion Commander Maxim! The reinforcements are here!" Maxim''s vanguard company had already lost nearly half of its men, forced into combat in a narrow area against skilled opponents. Of course, there wasn¡¯t any actual death. Those whose weapons were knocked out of their hands, who had a blade placed at a vital spot like their necks, or were knocked unconscious with a blunt strike, were considered "dead" and were required to withdraw to a designated area where they could no longer participate in the battle. The number of these "deaths" had already reached nearly half of the company. "Good work. What¡¯s the situation elsewhere?" The captain of the reinforcement company reported. "Sir. The situation is... pretty much the same everywhere. The enemy is using the terrain to limit our numbers and engage us in direct combat on all fronts." When Maxim heard that, he almost fell face first. The enemy, despite their significantly smaller number, were clashing with them head-on, which meant they would inevitably be ground down in time. "...Are there any specific instructions from Sir Godorfun?" "Yes, sir. He said to be wary of flanking attacks and left the decision on how to handle the situation to you." Maxim groaned thoughtfully. Flanking attacks or not, the enemy force had no more than 20 people. But he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that they were being lured into attacking them. Just as the thought flashed past his mind, Elan arrived with a reinforcement company from headquarters. "I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s a stalemate everywhere. They¡¯re skillfully using the natural terrain to draw us into individual skirmishes." "...It¡¯s difficult to deal with them. If the enemy had forces holed up inside their base, we might consider risking it by sending archers or mages through the animal trail on the mountain path blocked by rocks, or along the river below. But the base is nearly empty. Even if we attack the area inside those awkwardly placed stakes, it won¡¯t do us any good. The terrain itself acts like a fortress, making it impossible to simply run them through. It''s a meticulously thought-out position." It wasn''t just the mountain paths, but any escape routes deemed unnecessary by Bester had been thoroughly blocked with rocks or had cliffs collapsed on them to seal them off. Elan smiled wryly and nodded. "This is the first time I¡¯ve ever been stuck in a situation where the opponents aren¡¯t even more than a handful. Godorfun-sama has given us free rein at this stage¡ª whether to continue with fighting hard-fought battles or to employ some tricks. So, we need to decide our next move.¡± Just as they pondered on this, a report came in from the rear that three more enemies had appeared. "...A pincer attack? What¡¯re they thinking, splitting their own forces up? If this turns into a war of attrition, they¡¯ll be at a disadvantage. Once reinforcements arrive from headquarters, those three at the rear will be done for." The company leader became silent, not knowing how to continue. The company leader looked confused, but Elan thought for a moment and then raised her voice. "Pay attention to the air on the left side. There''s likely an enemy ambush coming! Raise your shields!" However, just as Elan issued that command, a magic attack of flying stones and ice projectiles came from the valley side, leaving Elan bewildered. But she quickly gave orders to seize the opportunity. "From below?!... What kind of idiot would place their important mage force there of all places!? Utter fools. Anyone with a path nearby, descend to the river! They¡¯re trapped like rats! It¡¯s time to take down those two mages!" Following this command, several groups began to descend the mountain path toward the river. At that moment, they heard a loud "Bang!" echoing from the front, followed by an explosion. "!! They¡¯ve set up exploding rocks! Don¡¯t touch them!!" This was "Earth Burst", a magic that used steam explosions unique to Dol in this world. Although its lethality was somewhat restrained, the unfamiliar and gut-wrenching sound it produced caused the two companies to instantly panic. Dol continued to unleash ¡°Earth Burst¡± upon the two companies that were stretched thin vertically. Adding to this, Al threw similar stone projectiles matching his partner''s timing, causing the companies to fall into complete disarray. "Argh! Don¡¯t push! You¡¯re stepping on me!" "Calm down! Half of you get down to the river! Spread out!" Elan tried to restore order by shouting commands, but taking advantage of the chaos, Berd and his team, who had been holding the front line at the base, along with Fey, Coco, and Reggie, who had circled around behind, all circulated their body-strengthening magic to the peak and push them down. "Ack! They¡¯re coming from the front!" "Don¡¯t climb down, push them back!" "Sorrryy! The pressure is too much to withstand!" ¡°You¡¯re going to be blasted by that explosion magic either way if you come down, so just deal with that pressure!¡± ¡ªHowever, it wasn¡¯t so easy to regain control of the group once they had fallen into confusion. Noticing how the soldiers at the top had been slowly going down, the others also scrambled to go down and tried to escape into the river. ¡°Don¡¯t push! The slope is too cold for some reason! I said don¡¯t push! It¡¯s a path straight to the river if you push like that!¡± Screams of such sort came out of the group who had been the first to drop into the river. However, they were quickly overpowered by the confused and shouting voices that erupted here and there. E/N - Dang, I forgot one of his classmates literally invented landmine magic. Nice! Vol. 1 - Chapter 156 - Final Scenario (4) ¡ªMaxim and Elan both were out of commission. A total of four companies, equivalent to one battalion, suffered devastating losses and were routed. A deafening silence reigned in the headquarters of the attackers led by Godorfun when they received the shocking news. It was impossible to ask what had happened from the eliminated people while the scenario was underway. There was no use crying over spilled milk, so they turned to the routed soldiers and heard their share of the details before finally putting the pieces together to some extent. First, the western outpost, which had been commanded by Kate Salkanp, had a monster nest hidden nearby on the northern side of the forest, which was, presumably, intentionally set up by Allen Rovenne. They then released the gathered monsters in the direction of the reinforcements. Ths stampede was controlled by Shalum Halloween and Lala Von Liancool as they crushed the two companies from the side. Using the split second opening the chaos brought her, Stella Achilies took down Battalion Commander Maxim Achilies. At the moment the chaos erupted, Battalion Commander Maxim Achilies was easily defeated and eliminated by Stella Achilies. Subsequently, the battle turned strange as the attacking force became preoccupied with dealing with the monsters. In the end, they were either forced to retire by the monsters or the defending force. There were barely any soldiers left of the two companies by the time they finished dealing with the monsters. Then moving on to the eastern outpost commanded by Aldol Engraver, the attacking force was in an even sorrier state. Caught in between a pincer attack, and being showered with explosion magic that burst with a loud sound, the attacking force rushed toward the river channel. However, about halfway down the barren slope, the river below had been frozen solid by Aldol Engraver¡¯s ice magic. Though the soldiers closer to the river had stopped when they noticed that, the squads behind them were too confused to act normally and continued going down, eventually causing a human avalanche. As Elan saw her people begin jumping into the river one after another, she immediately realized such a situation could lead to their deaths, and raised the white flag of surrender. Aside from a few who managed to escape to the mountain side, they suffered devastating losses here. If this had been an actual battle rather than a drill and if they hadn''t surrendered, had they continued to push toward the river, they would have fallen one by one and become perfect targets, and the battalion would have suffered catastrophic damage. "...Did they really set up two big hunting grounds in such a short time?..." Tim was left speechless after saying this. But the same could be said about the rest of the people present as well. After a moment, Godolfen spoke with a heavy tone. "These children are terrifying... It¡¯s hard to believe this is their first defensive battle. Not only have they keenly perceived what could be their trump cards, but they even thoroughly grasped the terrain, the local flora, and the nearby monsters as they made us dance to their tune. I had felt slightly let down when I heard that the brat barely gathered any local supplies while I was tagging along with the 3rd scenario team... but it seems I was the one lacking, in hindsight. Even the procurement of materials was merely a guise to them actually surveying the terrain. It¡¯s no wonder why they needed to look around if they wanted to fully utilize the terrain for themselves. It¡¯s something that seems easy on paper, but is actually quite difficult in practice. It was my oversight that I thought that I understood them and their abilities down to the last detail. Now, here we see their multi-layered preparations they¡¯ve set up with such tenacity... The teachings of Schord Bainfaust have me in awe again.¡± Godolfen stroked his snowy-white beard as he spoke. ¡°This isn¡¯t a time for a moral lesson, Tim. No, that doesn¡¯t even matter in a situation like this. They have the soldiers in their grasp, and we''re a foreign force who had crossed someone else''s border. Plus, neither side has given up fighting yet. We¡¯re out for their blood, and allowing us to make a retreat means our soldiers can kill the innocent civilians of the kingdom another day. Until we surrender or agree to a ceasefire, I can¡¯t even think of saying that they should treat the prisoners with respect. If anything, keeping them alive as prisoners is already too lenient of a measure.¡± Tim grimaced as Godorfun taught him the realities of military duty, regardless of the fact that he was here only to inspect the outdoor classes, and then ask Godorfun. ¡°Then what are they plotting by keeping the prisoners alive?.....¡± Godolfen narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. ¡°The commotion outside is loud... so I presume the envoy had relayed the message in quite a loud tone. Now, if we let them have their way and kill the prisoners, it¡¯ll crush the morale of our army...... This is an outright challenge. It¡¯s their attempt to turn the tables on us.¡± Tim, however, still had a confused expression. Even during the most intense drills with the Knight Order, he had never encountered such a taboo-like situation. It was truly like a real battle¡ª As Tim was contemplating this, the old man in front of him said something shocking. ¡°...I¡¯ll go. Jipro, take one company and accompany me. We¡¯ll rescue the captured prisoners.¡± Godorfun declared in a clear voice. ¡°...That¡¯s too much, Sir. Isn¡¯t it a bit cruel to the children? They¡¯re just 12 or 13-year-old kids, and if you take the helm, everything they¡¯ve set up will be shattered like glass. Let¡¯s keep the activities within the confines of the military¡ª I mean, in the outdoor class¡¯ range.¡± ¡°I know that well enough. They certainly wouldn¡¯t receive any supplementary classes even if they lose their three bases in the following events. Plus, the score is based on difficulty. This, alongside their previous scenarios, is actually going to grant them an unprecedented score, I¡¯m sure. But there¡¯s something you¡¯ve yet to learn, Tim. A teacher¡¯s duty is to bring out the latent potential of their students. After all, a battlefield is an ever-changing place... Hold the fort here, Tim.¡± ¡°Excuse me?! There¡¯s no way I could do that as a judge, Sir. There''s definitely no reason why¡ª¡± Time was about to talk back, but only saw Godorfun glaring at him. ¡°According to the reports, there have been no sightings of Allen Rovenne or Daniel Sardos. So you have to assume that they have another goal in mind. With someone like you, who can control such a large force, present here, it would be a waste not to utilize you. Don¡¯t worry. Those kids have undoubtedly factored you in as an enemy force. We have long since fallen into Allen Rovenne¡¯s trap the moment we got the surrounding army grouped up in one place.¡± Godorfun said, and then he left the headquarters with Jipro in tow. A trap? Had there been a hidden goal behind Allene Rovenne¡¯s demand for the whole army to be their opponent, apart from being a foolhardy decision? Tim, still unable to fully grasp Godorfun¡¯s final words, focused on issuing instructions to the nearby senior officers regarding the reorganization of the troops. E/N - How exciting! With how familiar Allen is with Godorfun, he most likely knew this would happen, and he probably has something in mind for the guy who supposedly ruined his youthful outdoor class. I''m excited to see how this''ll go down. Any guesses? Vol. 1 - Chapter 157 - Final Scenario (5) In front of the southern base. Godorfun stepped forward from the company, his face calm as serene water, and addressed Leo. "I need not explain the situation, right? Release the prisoners right now if you treasure your life.¡± Leo responded in a clear voice. "We have given our word, they''ll all be released with not even one of their hair touched¡ª after you give up your invasion and return to your country." Godorfun raised an eyebrow slightly. "Bold words for a chick. You really think you can beat me?¡± Leo smirked confidently. "No knight steps into the battlefield with the intention of losing. Today, I¡¯ll challenge you with all my strength, Sir ¡®Indomitable¡¯ Godorfun Von Wangyush." "Oh? Are you saying you¡¯ve been cutting me some slack in our earlier bouts? It sounds as though you haven''t been giving it your all in our previous spars. What about the buff magic of Jeuri Levarance?" Leo shrugged. "Buff magic is convenient for saving magic power and stamina, but I''m still not skilled enough to control it at full power. I can actually fight better without it for now. Of course, I''ve always challenged you with everything I¡¯ve got, but until now, our lessons in magic and swordsmanship have been separate. I''ve only recently reached the level where I can use both in actual combat¡ª see!" With that, Leo swung his double-edged longsword. In an instant, a crimson flame ignited on Leo''s sword. Everyone in the company who had been watching with bated breath widened their eyes in surprise. "......What in the world is that?" "This... is magic sword. Coach (Read: Allen) insisted that I learn it, saying that it''s common knowledge. Honestly, I thought it was just a waste of magic power..." Leo said as he held the sword covered with flames. But, as for why his coach insisted on it? There was no other reason¡ª it was just simply too cool! "Hohoho. I see... You''ve trained your external magic manipulation to the point where you can treat your sword as an extension of your body, and you control the magic through the mithril blade. I can almost picture the blood, sweat, and tears that went into mastering it, but such parlor tricks¡ª" Godorfun said as he drew his sword from his large magic staff, assuming an unconventional stance, dual-wielding the staff and sword. "¡ªwon''t work on me!" Continuing his words, Godorfun struck the ground with his staff, causing the earth beneath Leo''s feet to rise sharply and attack him. Leo swiftly leaped back at an angle, narrowly evading the assault. Godorfun pursued him relentlessly, unleashing his earth magic two, three, four times in quick succession. "If you keep retreating like this, you''ll never beat me!" As Leo continued to retreat, he assumed a stance for a thrust. Then, from a distance of nearly 10 meters, he unleashed a powerful thrust. The flames that had enveloped the blade of his sword shot out straight toward Godorfun, mirroring the sharpness of Leo''s thrust, and struck him directly. "Ugh!" Facing a never before seen attack, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that Godorfun fell short in taking necessary measures. No matter how skilled a mage was, casting a spell required a certain buildup¡ª a process of gathering mana, converting its attribute, and then releasing it in a controlled sense. However, Leo''s magic sword had already cleared that requirement, meaning with the magic already in a constant ready state, he could release it without any telltale signs. Of course, this technique had its drawbacks. The continuous activation of the magic on the sword consumed an enormous amount of mana. Only someone like Leo, who had vast mana reserves, could elevate it to a usable level in real combat. If an ordinary mage tried to replicate this, they would quickly deplete their mana and be unable to use it effectively. In an instant, the earth around Leo surged upwards like a prison, closing in on him from all sides. "Haaahhh!!!" With a powerful shout, Leo channeled all his mana into the flames on his sword, increasing its intensity. He burned through the encroaching earthen walls with the flaming mithril blade and burst through them with a charge. The distance between him and Godorfun was now reduced to just five meters. Leo adjusted the flaming blade to a length of three meters, pouring all his remaining magic into a diagonal downward slash aimed at Godorfun. Godorfun narrowly dodged the flaming sword by moving to the left and took another step forward, placing his staff on the ground. Leo quickly reversed his grip and swung the sword in a leftward diagonal slash. However, just before the strike, the ground beneath Leo''s right foot subtly shifted, throwing off the trajectory of his blade, hence it merely grazed Godorfun''s head. Realizing that his sword wouldn''t reach in time, Leo released his weapon and forcefully stepped down with his destabilized right foot, launching a kick with his left. But Godorfun blocked the kick with his staff, causing Leo to momentarily lose his balance and float in midair. In that brief moment, Godorfun drew the hidden sword from his staff and pressed it against Leo''s neck. "Game over, Leo Zatsinger." "...It¡¯s my loss.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô "I had thought you all would be protecting the southern base with everything on the line... but it''s all deafening silence here. They presumably scattered after witnessing Leo Zatsinger''s defeat. All the prisoners seem to be safe. There were some injured, but the worst cases have been treated by Jeuri Levarance.¡± Godorfun nodded in response to Jipro¡¯s report, who had charged inside the southern base while he and Leo clashed. "...So, they abandoned the south. That means the real target is likely the east. Send one squad each to the enemy bases in the east and west, and have them report on the situation. Send two men to the northern base to deliver news of the fall of the southern base. Jipro, reorganize the prisoners. The rest of you, fortify this southern base." "Yes, sir!" But soon after, the reports they received left Godorfun and his men perplexed. "...The east and west are also deserted? This means all the bases have fallen... Jipro! How¡¯s the reorganization of the army going?" Jipro reported bitterly to Godorfun. "That''s the issue... There isn''t a single commander left. Not even the squad leaders, let alone the platoon commanders... According to the prisoners, their target had been random, but they clearly had a goal, and they only singled out the leader class members. Reorganizing the troops on the spot is impossible." "...They had this planned out from the beginning, down to the smallest detail. I was lured out then. We must return to the northern headquarters immediately!" Just then, the soldiers who had been separated from Jipro''s battalion and were managing the supplies hidden in the forest, along with those who had been sent as messengers to the north, rushed in with urgent news. "Urgent report! The Gar Squadron, which was guarding half of our supplies and was separated from the main force, has been annihilated by a force of about ten enemies! We¡¯ve lost all our supplies! At the same time, the other company under the command of Saree guarding our supplies hidden elsewhere has also been raided and wiped out! We¡¯ve instructed the survivors to head south, but... we don¡¯t know how many will make it..." "W-what did you say!? What is Tim doing? Didn''t the headquarters send reinforcements?" Pressed by Godorfun, the messenger who had gone to the headquarters to deliver the news paled and trembled as he reported. "R-reporting! Lord Tim has been eliminated! T-the northern headquarters guarded by one and a half battalion... has been completely wiped out by Allen Rovenne..." ¡° "Wh-what the¡ª?!" ¡° ¡ô About an hour earlier¡ª While Godorfun and Leo were engaged in their fierce battle, I stood with a perplexed expression in front of the northern base. "Heh... heh... ha... hyahahahaha!" ...Crap, I think I overdid it... T/N - Leo: top in his grade, top in mana capacity, top in strength. ...Holy, so the real title of the novel was Sword, magic and academic society¡ªthe real protagonist was Leo all along. Well, lolz aside, it''s more about showing each character''s strength I guess. Rip Allen though, couldn¡¯t pursue his dream himself. It¡¯s exciting to see how he''s gonna take down Godorfun now. E/N - This arc has been my favorite so far. Leo''s magic was pretty cool, not gonna lie. It suits him too with his large mana pool. I think earlier chapters mention he had like 50k when Allen in comparison only had about 5k. And lol at T/N. Leo really acts more of an MC than the actual MC, Allen. Vol. 1 - Chapter 158.1 - Final Scenario (6) Going back in time, an hour before the fifth scenario began. I returned to the southern base after luring the hordes of monsters near the western base. ¡°So, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s the time you tell us what¡¯s that trick up your sleeve, Allen?¡± Prompted by Bester, I then explained everything to my classmates: how I abandoned my righteous persona because of the boredom I had to go through in the 4th scenario, and how I left the pass unattended for some time to gather materials for the sleeping and paralyzing drugs I concocted. ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite a bold move if I say so myself. I guess not even Godorfun-sensei would have thought that you would dare leave the pass unattended for several hours for personal reasons. And by extension, he would never in his wildest dreams think that our side is in possession of those drugs. Sounds like they¡¯re a good measure that we can use, but being alone back then meant you probably didn''t have enough hands to make a great amount of these drugs either. You really think that what we have would be enough to be a killing blow?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Unless they¡¯ve gone senile, they¡¯ll surely be somewhat wary of the cards in our hand after I¡¯ve made my statement¡ª that they would be crushed beneath our feet even if they came at us with their full power. Plus, those two would never step into the battlefield if they saw us struggling with their army. This holds true for Tim-san. And that result would only delight that old geezer. So we¡¯re going to drag every bit of their forces into the mud, chase them into a desperate corner, and then make them break into tears for the first time. We''re not doing this to earn their praise. Everything we do is for that sake alone, in the end.¡± Once I was done speaking, Leo nodded and questioned me. ¡°I understood your reasoning. I see no problem in going for that goal. However, that doesn¡¯t explain how exactly we are going to achieve it. Frankly, they¡¯re obscenely strong. Their resistance to poison or to any foreign substance with mana should be just as strong.¡± I had confidence in making Tim-san exit from the scenario using my concocted drugs as long as Godorfun was somehow lured out from the northern base¡ª or so I told him. After all, taking Bester¡¯s plan into account, we would have a huge chance to bag this battle as long as Tim-san was eliminated. It was a no-brainer. Removing one tiger from the mountain increased your odds of saving your life by a huge margin compared to having two of them chasing after your ass. Either way, our victory was just a pipe dream if we couldn¡¯t separate that geezer from Tim-san. The geezer was too good at everything¡ª monstrous strength, high analytical ability, and a decisive personality. He was no less than a disaster for his opponent. This was why we ought to achieve this to make our raid successful. And once that geezer was out somewhere else, I would chase them to the furthest corner until they were dyed in the color of desperation, making each of them feel the height of loneliness. Oh, I would make them wish for the arms of their comrades to support them. The joy that they had taken for granted, I would thoroughly and meticulously make them feel its loss that they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape as if an albatross was on their neck. Kukuku, fuhahaha! Besides that, the prisoners plan had come from Bester in case we somehow managed to capture them. One more option was one more card up our sleeve, and that would come in handy. Of course, Bester would never let such a precious asset meet a laughable dead-end. Anyway, back to the matter at hand: this was my signal, eh? I slightly shaved off the ventilation on the soil roof that was hardened by Dol¡¯s earth magic, and quietly placed the phial of the concentrated sleeping drug through it. The phial ¡ª originally for a potion ¡ª was from the foreign spy Zetsu-san, which I had borrowed after healing his leg wound due to my attack. This phial was the very key that I required to effectively poison the enemy. The point was to have the enemies inhale enough sleeping gas, but how to turn it into gas was the question. No one would think of doing it in an open-fire while the enemies were on your back. After much brainstorming, I stumbled upon the technique of ¡®creating vacuum¡¯, something that I had cultivated while training the basics of my wind magic¡ª wind cutter. One must have heard of how at the summit of a mountain, the temperature of water never topped 90c, or how noodles also felt different in that atmosphere. Basically, air pressure fell down the higher the altitude, which in turn also lowered the boiling point. So basically, what I had pointed out to my classmates was¡ª the liquid¡¯s boiling point could be lowered as long as air pressure had been manipulated, which in other terms also meant to create a situation closer to a vacuum. It was also why the boiling was possible even in the minus temperature of space. Well, it also endangered people in space the most should their space suit be damaged. A pity I was still far from being able to create a hollow wind construct, aka a wind cutter, like in those light novels, but creating a vacuum was somewhat possible. I held my hand atop the phial on the ground outside. I had already tested yesterday what should be the air pressure to cause the sleeping drug to spontaneously evaporate. It was quite effective actually due to the fact that it only needed a short time to affect the target¡ª a merit I discovered. I presume it was because the air was directly taken into the lungs, then we only had to wait for the liquid to completely circulate through the nervous system and the brain. In hindsight, it lowered the drug''s duration due to the proportionally small amount I used, and needed a lot of effort to expel it using mana technique, but it was still effective because of how quickly it could slip by the opponent''s senses and affect them. Slowly, I directed the vaporized sleeping drug toward the crevice of broken walls using wind magic. Strictly speaking, the sleeping drug, just removed from the vacuum state, was still in liquid form, so it didn¡¯t burst off into gas immediately, which made it easier to control it with wind magic. E/N - Dang, MC talking like a super villain in this chapter. It even ended with the guy doing chemical warfare ???? Vol. 1 - Chapter 158.2 - Final Scenario (6) "Haa..." Tim sighed. He had started to feel his age lately due to him encountering many troupe-subverting moments. In contrast to Godorfun who looked as fine and dandy as a young man while following the events of the outdoor classes, he was certainly feeling the hardship of being isolated in the mountain forest for nearly a week. However, given the fact that the former never complained despite being retired from the position of the Knight Order''s commander, he would never verbalize his inner feelings of the matter. He couldn''t help but feel blinded by how dazzling the kids appeared to be with their overflowing energy, even going so far as to raise the difficulty of their scenario voluntarily, and in a corner of his mind, he felt envious. ''No, I can''t let myself get caught in their pace...'' Tim murmured to cheer himself up, and lightly slapped both of his cheeks. Yet, he couldn''t shake off his sleepiness. ''It wouldn''t hurt to just close my eyes a bit. Only for five seconds¡ª'' Murmuring that, Tim crossed his arms and closed his eyes. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "You''re now dead, Tim-san." I crept from my hideout to the northern base through the gap in the broken wall, put a dagger on Tim-san''s nape, and called out to him. However, his eyes had just snapped open, when he twisted my arms that held the dagger and locked both of them into a hold. "Hey, hey, it hurrrttts! You''re supposed to be dead now, Tim-san!" I had to raise my voice so that he''d finally realize the situation he was in. A pale expression showed on his face as he released my hands and apologized. "I-I''m so sorry! It was just out of reflex.................. No, did I fall asleep? But there''s no way I could have fallen asleep so deeply that I''d fail to notice your steps until your voice woke me up... not when you all must be more exhausted than me, having gone through all that hardship... How?......" Tim-san''s face contorted in lamentation, as if he couldn''t believe he had made such a grave blunder. Something tells me he would surely put in a letter of resignation unless he gets to know why. "I had contaminated the air with sleeping drugs using my wind magic. It''s actually quite a tricky method, and not surprising to not notice it at first encounter, so please do not fret over it. I will explain the details, but first......" After giving some reassuring words, I pushed myself and Tim-sann toward a blind spot from the entrance. "Is everything alright, Tim-sama? I heard some kind of noise..." I blew the paralysis drug toward the two newcomers. The two tilted their heads back in surprise, took reactive measures, and knelt to the ground in a crouching position. "And you two are now dead.¡± They were both startled as I left my cover and announced so, my bow pointed at them. Tim-san, who had been silently watching this, was surprised once again. "Lower the turret!" "No, have the mage corp first whittle down his stamina from a distance!" ......I guess lady luck was on my side here for now. The absence of Tim-san and two coordinators did break their chain of command. It might seem like their orders were good enough, and they were, but that was only if they didn''t have a huge troop. Their actions clearly diminished a number of advantages they could have had. I opened the top of the two phials clipped on my waist, and scattered the concentrated paralyzing gas ¡ª I increased the mixture''s potency to get even more powerful drugs ¡ª into the air while keeping it in one particular area. I imagined the flow of air to be like a donut, with the space where I was being hollow. "-Arggggh!!!" Lately, I had barely run out of mana, so the once familiar bitter sensation made me groan. But maybe the drug concentration had become diluted due to the large area, several soldiers still stood strong while my mana had been depleted by more than half of my capacity. Also, it was only a matter of time before my stock of normal paralyzing drugs dried up. I had one last phial left, but this was specially prepared for Godorfun¡ª the Super Paralyzing Drug. It might not be good to use this... "What''s with the wind?!" "The air is poisoned!" "Don''t panic! It''s not enough to affect us!" "Stay on your feet! We''re going to press on!" Hey, hey, hey, please don''t do this. Don''t force me to open this red cap. It''s super-duper dangerous, just so you know! " "Keep Chaaaaargiiiiiiinggggg!!!" " Don''t come! Don''t come! Don''t come! Holy hell, can anyone tell me what to dooooooooo!? .........fwoomp Eventually, I lost to the rushing troops that moved like an avalanche, and... opened the red cap. Vol. 1 - Chapter 159 - Final Scenario (7) "Kukuku. Fugyahahahaha!" Crap. I really overdid it this time...... The result of my super-special-concentrated-paralyzing drug was truly terrific, just as I had expected. I only released half of the phial''s content in the air, but... there were no more enemies in sight. For the time being, I couldn''t resist the urge to tap my forehead, look to the heavens, and break into laughter after gazing at the hellish scene before my eyes. The faces of my classmates, who had just entered the northern base, twitched at my behavior as if they couldn''t bear the cringe. Dan asked with an exasperated tone. "This is... quite a scene. But wasn''t our plan something else? Also, what the hell is with that strange laugh? You¡¯ve been doing that since this morning." "Good question. What you''re seeing is a desolate person who had been tossed aside like a ragged cloth, who caved into the darkness, and later became a tool of the demons. There has been a slight mishap in our plan. Anyway, the supplies were hidden some distance from the main headquarters, right? Also, pass the antidote to the soldiers. If they stay like that, we won¡¯t even be able to move them out of the battlefield." After giving out my instructions, I laid down on the spot like that sloven middle-aged uncle who just had dinner, the personification of laziness. ".........Sheesh, you still believe in demons or whatnot? Passing the antidote to them is the least we can do, but... why the hell are you rolling around on the ground?" "It had taken almost all of my mana to deal with the situation, now I don''t even have the energy to stay on my feet." "......I¡¯m no longer surprised at your slovenly appearance." ¡ô¡ô¡ô Tim-san walked up to me, while my classmates were running around the base applying the antidote. "I can''t believe it... You really did take them down in an instant... The rumors were true¡ª No, you''re more incredible than the rumors make you out to be, Allen Rovenne-kun. It''s like you had somehow contained the poisonous air in this area. I¡¯m curious how you accomplished that, but you''re probably at a high level in terms of concealment and covert operations. Maybe I¡¯ll save the actual truth for another day." ...I''m sorry, spreading the poison in an airtight space was exactly what I did. Not noticing my inwardly twitching expression, Tim-san patted my shoulder and shouted his command, ¡°We¡¯ve been annihilated. The antidote doesn¡¯t seem to be enough, so use your mana and try to deal with it yourselves! Once you can move, hurry up and leave the battlefield!¡± Anyway, as Tim-san shouted, we stumbled upon a slight problem. The antidote couldn''t completely remove the lingering paralysis. So they had the army''s mages and surgeons help out, starting with the people that exhibited stronger symptoms of paralysis. But there had been too many of such people in contrast to the few helpers. Now what was the troublesome part here, right? Well, the ¡®dead¡¯ were supposed to be shifted to the dead zone which was 5 km away from here, near the true border post. But with this many suffering from paralysis, it was certainly not going to be safe for them to traverse the mountain road where monsters could attack at any time. Tim-san might be strong, but it should be impossible for him to keep an eye on all soldiers. "Say, you think you can use area healing magic, Jeu?" A surprised expression appeared on Jeu''s face at my question as if she hadn''t expected someone to ask her that. She chuckled and answered. "......I¡¯ve earned the qualification to read the journals of ''Saintess'' Sari-sama, the prized yet also secret documents of the Levarance family. There had been mention of one such holy magic that Sari-sama herself developed and often used which was dubbed as ''God''s Miracle'' by the general populace. But... how do you know about it, Allen-san? Oh, I can''t use it, by the way. Well, to be more precise, no human besides Sari-sama had been able to master it. I¡¯m thinking of dabbling in it one day though." Oh? So area healing magic isn''t an ordinary thing here, huh? From what I¡¯ve seen, holy magic worked on a different principle than emission magic, and since I didn''t have the holy attribute, I barely had any information about it. I chanced upon this information when I was new to the Royal Capital and frequently visited the royal library to gather material for my emission magic research when I stumbled upon the record of her ancestor, Saintess Sari. It wasn''t mentioned clearly, but as someone who came from a place where such settings were all-too familiar in games or light novels, it sounded like ''area healing magic¡¯ to me. Well, not that I could explain it to her that way. "I-I did it! Thank youuuu, Allen-san! I always thought it required a lot more mana, that''s why I failed... but now I get it. I also finally understand why Sari-sama used to say you can''t be a great user of holy magic without knowing what love is!" Oh, you get it? Good, because I didn''t get any of the nonsense you were saying at all....... I tried to push Jeu away and get out of her hold, but I could barely muster any strength in my current state. "Well, what''s the meaning of this, Allen? I do believe I deserve an explanation here. And I hope you know what it means to Jeu to use the legendary magic that only Saintess Sari was capable of." Fey approached me with her usual grinning expression and squatted next to me, demanding an explanation. An explanation, huh? Good question. "Um... I just thought she needed a push to have more confidence in herself, so I tried to ad-lib some pep talk for her. But since she was able to use it, it just means she always had the aptitude for it...... Believe me!" I truthfully confessed, but the others looked at me as if I was still hiding the truth. "......By the way, do you know about the ''lost treasure tool'' of the Dragoon family, Allen?" Fey suddenly followed up with a different topic while grinning. I immediately denied it. "Not at all. Neither do I have any interest in it." I heard that many valuable magical tools in the possession of the Dragoon family had lost some of their functions, but I knew admitting it would put me in another mess, so I shook my head with all my might. For real, what did she think of me, a diviner? "Anyway, we should get back to work before that old geezer returns. I doubt Leo would be able to handle him for too long." I forcibly changed the topic. Our enemies were now left with two companies, and at least half of them were a mere disorderly crowd that had no commander to lead them. We''re 19 people here, excluding Leo. Now we just need to deal with the old geezer somehow, then the victory would basically be ours. ¡ô¡ô¡ô I was trying to recover as much mana as I could via mana compression in the base when Godorfun walked up to us all alone. We might have settled everything sooner if he arrived with the troops with him, but otherwise the situation was unfolding as we expected. Either way, everything depended on us eliminating him. "Just the two of you, huh?...... I presume the others must be mounting an attack on the southern base. Let me guess, you must have had Daniel Serdos survey the situation as everyone''s eyes and sketched out your plan from here. You must have quite the confidence if you have Daniel Serdos as your scout, given his combat prowess." Well, in this base defense battle, it was safe to say that everything hinged on the coordination of the four bases and the timing of the traps. We hadn''t attacked the southern base until now to make it difficult for Godorfun, and force him to make a decision. "Hmph. Dan is one of the cards that Bester had prepared, and I dare say he had grasped the situation better than anyone else. Let''s end this quickly." I said while nonchalantly putting my hand on the phial with a red lid that I had carefully sealed after its previous usage. But, that geezer actually spouted some nonsense. "It''s a complete failure." Yeah, yeah. Now stop whining and come at me. I¡¯m ready! Vol. 1 - Chapter 160 - Final Scenario (8) "......This was an utter failure for us. We completely lost our number advantage, and with Tim''s fall, we also lost any hope to raid all four posts at once. I can take down one, but it would be of no use when it would only change hands once again when I leave that place. I would simply be sacrificing my soldiers for no gain. In my experience, I¡¯ve never heard of mountain strongholds that worked so immaculately together despite such erratic movement. I for sure thought that there would be a hole in your plan while building such an intricate stronghold setup... but I failed to spot any in time. We no longer have enough military strength to push forward, we¡¯ve lost all initiative." Huh? Hey, hey, hey. You can''t give up on me here! "W-What''re you doing by giving up so easily?! What about the ''Indomitable'' title of yours that sparked hope in your people!? C''mon, you can''t trample on people''s hopes so easily. You don''t know it, Sensei, but Bester''s pettiness is kind of like a mother-in-law who tries to nitpick at every single thing. I¡¯m sure you''ll be surprised by his imagination and stubbornness. Anyway, it''s too early for you to give up here, Sensei! We can''t conclude who the victor is unless you or our class get taken out of the game completely!" I had been napping inside the basement ever since the final scenario began to give him a surprise blow. Now that it was finally my time to take the stage, what did he mean by giving up like this? At this rate, my memory of the whole outdoor class would become a dark history where I was a loner no matter the scenario. There was no way I would let him dash away my hope of working together with my classmates!! Godorfun squinted his eyes in surprise, his hand stroking that white beard. "......But this is no longer a siege. We, as the attackers, planned to start our invasion by capturing this border stronghold and then proceeding to invade this country. So the moment we lost our forces here is when we lost for good." Heeeey, do you even understand what I''m saying!? "T-Take a deep breath first, Sensei! Why the hell do you invaders have so low motivation?! Are you saying you would let your enemies trample over you so easily even when you''re the one protecting your nation?! Alright, let''s swap positions. You''re now defending this base! I¡¯m sure you wouldn''t fuss over such a minor setup after meddling with all the previous scenarios so easily, right? The time limit is 12 PM tomorrow, and both of our reinforcements will arrive around then. Whoever manages to keep the base to themselves will be the winner. Don''t forget, every civilian''s eyes are on you to save them from this predicament! We¡¯ll start now!" Godorfun''s fighting spirit slowly climbed up as I criticized his stance. "What''s your goal, Allen Rovenne? It would be boorish of me to give up now after your speech...... but you''re clearly the ''winner'' already at this juncture. I doubt you would get any extra score from our continued confrontation either way." Phew. That was close. Seriously, what about him was indomitable? He still caved in to my words so easily. I chuckled and replied. "Score? I don''t even care about such flimsy numbers. I¡ª no, we still aren¡¯t done playing around yet! So you''re going to relieve our boredom until then!" Berd, who had been next to me, smiled wryly, but nodded just as assertively. Godorfun''s eyes turned round, and he then followed up with a booming laughter. "......Fuhahaha! Very well, Allen Rovenne. Berd Yuniwance. I¡¯ll take you on with my full power as your teacher in-charge. Though... a pity that after all these words, you¡ª" Godorfun continued as he unsheathed his training sword and lunged at me. "You''re going to die here!!" However, Berd parried his blow. I had to slightly twist my words to get things done, but the scenario was moving forward just as I wanted. I used that paper-thin gap to leap back, opened the top of the red cap phial, and scattered the paralyzing drug in Godorfun''s direction. Berd was already holding his breath, but that wouldn''t be too effective when he was facing Godorfun. I was going to confront Godorfun alone, but he stayed behind, saying ¡®Someone needs to be your shield so that you survive¡¯. They still needed me later since I could use detection magic to find out the enemies'' situations. Godorfun immediately changed his target to Berd, deflecting the strike of the latter''s longsword, and aimed the blade part of his sword at Berd''s nape. He shouted, manipulating the soil with his magic and jumping out of the hole. From falling into the pitfall to jumping out of it barely took him a second. What the hell did that geezer eat growing up?! I even doubted if my paralysis drug was working on him. But Al and Dol pushed him to halt his progress, and successfully trapped him in their siege. Everyone leapt at him for a simultaneous attack. Sophia, who ended up receiving the first blow, and Berd, who had forced himself to chase Godorfun ¡®til here, got taken out. But we were able to push Godorfun near the river channel, and now behind him was a waterfall that was at least 70 meters deep. "This is your end, Godorfun!" I said as I placed my hand on my bow. However, Godorfun¡¯s lips were curled into a dauntless smile as he jumped down from the waterfall toward the lake. Hey, hey... you could die!?!! SPLASSSH!!! We fearfully gazed down at the waterfall lake. After a moment, Godorfun had appeared in a distant place from where he had dived in, and jumped onto the coast. However, he never once stopped to look behind as he slipped inside the forest. No one told me that the old man was a cockroach!! But I had expected him to throw out some words. To not even spare a glance in our direction, the old geezer was absolutely serious. Very well, it wouldn''t be fun otherwise! ¡ô¡ô¡ô From that moment on, Godorfun would appear like a ghost to launch surprise attacks on us. We fended him off with Bester''s strategy, but that couldn''t stop casualties from appearing in our group. 04:00 AM ¡ª We lost Dol and Fey. 07:30 AM ¡ª We lost Stella, Coco and Shar. 10:00 AM ¡ª We lost Kate and Lala. And finally, in our last siege battle at 11:30 AM, we lost Jeu, Magge, and Viz. But, their sacrifice enabled us to corner Godorfun into a dead end... However, we ran out of time by then. "Shit! It¡¯s a tie! You know, you''re too tenacious for your own good, old fart!" With the match coming to an end, both Godorfun and I were sprawled on the ground. Our assignment was to maintain our hold on the bases, so it was our victory in that regard, but I could never bring myself to declare that after failing to subdue Godorfun. "Hohoho! It was a question of dignity as your class teacher, after all. But I have to say the consecutive attacks and the traps surely tired my old bones out. There really is no winning against youth, fuhahaha!" In contrast to his usual hard-to-decipher demeanor, Godorfun was now laughing like a child. T/N - And this is the last chapter for the scenario. Next is the result announcement, and the arc would come to end in one more chapter. E/N - I have to say, this has been my favorite arc so far and the last scenario in particular was a blast to read. Though the MC screwing up by snatching a tie in the jaws of victory due to his pettiness is pretty on brand with him, not gonna lie. Vol. 1 - Chapter 161.1 - Last Arrival After our match with Godorfun, we dragged ourselves to the Wangyush Villa, located at the shore of Citing Lake, for our long-awaited hot spring session. With all the craziness that we¡¯ve gone through, our bodies were as heavy as lead. Then again, no one was as tired as Leo. Like an idiot, he apparently had Tim-san as his practice partner in the dead zone. Alas, no one was in the mood, so I couldn''t even bring it up...... The Citing lake, famed for its scenic view, was as beautiful as the rumors said it was. Its surface reflected the scenery of autumn blossoming at the base of the Darre Mountain Range as precisely as a mirror. By the time we arrived in the villa courtyard, the other classes had already arrived. "Sup Class A~! You sure took your sweet time arriving here! A pity though, the top spot was taken by us." We heard Connie-kun''s voice, a member of Class B and also part of the Hill Road Club. "If one has to summarize what the outdoor classes are all about, it boils down to surpassing your own limit. We have plenty of tales to tell you on how we managed to be the No. 1! I¡¯ll especially narrate everything to you guys." This one was Rudeo from the Magic Research Club. Having beaten us by arriving here first, all the members of Class B had smug looks as they bragged. It seemed like they gained quite a lot from the outdoor classes. "......Oh, I see. You guys are amazing, honestly. I would love to hear your stories as well..... but let''s save that for later. I just want to sleep for now. Our bodies are at their limits." The ever bumbling Al, who was at the lead, said so while tapping Rudeo''s shoulder, and immediately entered the villa while limping. The people surrounding Class A had mystified expressions that couldn''t be put into words. The obviously uncommon scene had the students of the other classes who were gathered around the courtyard gasping. The tumultuous noise spread as we opened the entrance door and entered inside. One of the Class D girls from the Levarance territory called out to Jeuri. "Jeuri-sama! Great work in the outdoor classes!...... It was a surprise to see Class A arriving so late, when they have Jeuri-sama... I was worried when I heard the savage content of Class A''s first scenario, but my heart can finally be put at ease seeing that you¡¯re unhurt. They seemed to have said that the last arriving class would have to make do with the hall as their sleeping place, but you don''t have to mind that nonsense, Jeuri-sama. Please use my room to rest. Luckily, Class D was second to arrive, so we have quite a good number of rooms saved." Jeu chuckled and shook her head. "Your room is something you¡¯ve won with your hard work. You should be proud of what you¡¯ve managed to achieve, and use it to your heart¡¯s content. Don''t mind me. More importantly... it shouldn''t be any problem if Class A sleeps here, right?" Jeu said, but didn''t wait for a reply as she immediately dropped on the spot like a log. The rest of Class A, their bodies and minds worn down, also followed Jeu''s lead and crashed on the spot successively. The noise amidst the other class students suddenly died down as if they had been doused with water when they saw the state of Class A. "Huh, hey, don''t fall asleep yet, guys! Who sleeps without taking a shower first?! There''s no way you should be alright with that icky feeling after sweating so much for a week, and only having that damned cold water from the river for a bath! Wakey-wakey, Al! This is the time to surpass your limit! Look, Rudeo will laugh at you seeing how much of a lazybones his club president is! You, too, Dol! What will happen to your image as the Demonic Adjutant if you let others see your current appearance!?" Flustered, I immediately called out to them, but not a single one responded. Like corpses, they didn''t even twitch. "Good work out there. It seems like you went through a tough deal, Allen-chan. But... you don''t look tired compared to the others?" Just as I was lamenting the deplorable state of my classmates, Lil'' Dui appeared. "Hey, you too, good work Lil'' Dui. I definitely would have preferred otherwise, but I had all the time in the world to take a nap and all due to that damned old geezer...... Speaking of which, have you already taken a shower?" Lil'' Dui shook his head. "Nope, I was just as tired, and in fact, I just woke up from my sleep. I was going for one just now." Lucky! "Well, let''s go together then. We can talk there! Do you have someone you like? Maybe you already have a girlfriend?" Lil'' Dui''s face turned bright red at my question. "W-What''re you talking about?! You''re sometimes too sudden, Allen-chan! Also, I¡¯m busy with the magic car club, so I don''t have the time to care about romance!" Achievement Rate - 90% Overall Score - 900P. ? Your performance rivals the scorecard of last year''s Class C, so you can absolutely rejoice at that." As Rias¡¯ words were heard, a loud cheer arose from Class E. The rest of the classes showered them with applause. Then, Rias revealed the score of Class D. Difficulty Level - 12 Achievement Rate - 60% Overall Score - 1080P Their score rivaled Class B¡¯s from last year. Moving on to Class C. Difficulty Level - 14 Achievement Rate - 80% Overall Score - 1400P Their score had surpassed the average of Class A from last year. A major factor why the first year classes this year had achieved such results despite the basic orientation set by the academy team, whose leader was none other than Godorfun, was the existence of the Hill Road Club. The basic stamina training there had been incomparable to what the previous year''s freshmen had gone through in classes, so this had enabled them to perform better than average in this orientation. Cultivated temperament and strength was bound to bring bountiful results. And sure enough, the outcome of this orientation would become the precursor for the Hill Road Club to become the ''Unspoken Must Attend Club of the Royal Academy'', granting it the status of a noted club with an unshakable reputation. And moving onward to Class B¡ª Difficulty Level - 16 Achievement Rate - 85% Overall Score - 2720P "As far as the first years are concerned, this score is enough to put you among the top 3 scores of all time. Congratulations." When Rias¡¯ words echoed out, the hall remained still for a moment before a loud cheer erupted, covering the entire hall in itself. "Hurray!!" "We did it! We did it!" "Did you see it!? This is the extent of our strength!!" Students of Class B shouted while hugging each other. With the frantic effort they had put forward along with an adequate result, and this was a natural reaction. Their Arrival Score was four times that of Class A, plus their achievement score had hit 85%. They had definitely beat down Class A, the folks of Class B were convinced. Teacher Rias clapped her hands to calm down everyone''s spirits. Then she uttered the following words with an expressionless face. "Up to this point...... this academic year has recorded the highest average score for first-year students in history. Be proud of yourself that you have achieved this result." A streak of confusion ran across the entire hall. "W-What do you mean, teacher? Has Class A''s performance fallen so short that we missed the overall No. 1 spot in history?" Vol. 1 - Chapter 161.2 - Disqualified A murmur came from Connie-kun. However, Rias ignored it and continued, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. "The overall score of each class, including Class A, is here." Then, instead of announcing it like earlier, she put up a piece of paper with everyone''s scores on it for some incomprehensible reason. Everyone shifted their gazes to the paper while audibly gasping in disbelief. ------Overall Ranking------ Class E Arrival Rank 4 (100P) Mission Difficulty Level 10 Achievement Rate 90% Overall Score - 900P Class D Arrival Rank 2 (150P) Mission Difficulty Level 12 Achievement Rate 60% Overall Score - 1080P Class C Arrival Rank 3 (125P) Mission Difficulty Level 14 Achievement Rate 80% Overall Score - 1400P Class B Arrival Rank 1 (200P) Mission Difficulty Level 16 Achievement Rate 85% Overall Score - 2720P Class A Arrival Rank 5 (50P) Mission Difficulty Level 65 Achievement Rate 140% She praised without holding back, hoping that the day would arrive where she would be standing on the same side as them, where she could keep a calm expression like they did right now. Relentlessly, Aris clapped her hands even if the scenery reflected in her eyes was too blurry to look at. Of course, Aris¡¯ entry into Class A would mean... one of them would have to drop from class. This was an ironclad rule. ¡ô¡ô¡ô In the end, the score of Class A was summed up as ''Impossible to evaluate¡¯. So the overall score ended up being¡ª Class A Arrival Order 5 (50P) Mission Difficulty Level 82 Achievement Rate 160% Overall Score - 6560P It was a score that substantially renewed what was possible in the outdoor classes. At the same time, had Allen not insisted on playing around when Godorfun had admitted his defeat, it would have been possible Class A to arrive at the villa first. So, even by the lowest standard possible, the score might have been at least¡ª Class A Arrival Order 1 (200P) Mission Difficulty Level 70 Achievement Rate 150% Overall Score - 21000P A preposterous score it might be, but because the base score was increased by four-fold depending on the arrival order, there was no room to bring it down. The Academy had raised their hands in defeat when they saw the numbers, stating that it was impossible to evaluate them with their current marking standard. Typically, they''d decide the score by the achievement rate, which topped at 100%. But the fact that Class A had surpassed the top ¡ª the 100% rate ¡ª by a mile in the Academy''s hypothesized simulation, the situation was bound to bring a headache to the invigilators¡¯ side. In a more detailed explanation¡ª up until the point of Bester''s base setup, the Academy had referred to their schemes and blueprints, and somehow managed to calculate the maximum possible score from there, surprised as they were. But when Leo''s magic sword, Jeu''s area healing magic, and Allen''s trick of instant paralysis were brought into the picture, they could no longer catch up with the absurdity. At the same time, the last aspects actually had to be kept as classified ¡ª Classified Level 4, which was equivalent to the military''s confidential secret ¡ª by the top brass of the Academy. Then there were the words of Allen Rovenne¡ª "Who cares about the score, mark it however you want". Though he didn''t say it explicitly, the hidden sarcasm in those words, that ''If you think you can evaluate us, then do your best for the fall-out in doing so¡¯, was proof of his overflowing and absolute confidence. And in the end, they certainly ended up as ''impossible to evaluate¡¯. The Royal Academy¡ª it was a prestigious academy, with history itself being proof of their unbeatable track record. Yet, for the first time in its history, they, the teachers¡¯ association, were given the label of ''disqualified'' by the students of Class A. T/N - How should I say, they read too much into the line, but it also didn''t feel like they read too much for the comedy''s sake. Next chapter will be straight from the teacher''s meeting, where they had decided the score. Next arc, after 4 chapters, will be another interesting one---Allen saving the kingdom from crisis Arc! Well, not exactly overblown, but it''s certainly the crisis resolution time---dealing with a horde of some type of insect monster that, if hatched, will end up in hundreds of thousands in number, resulting in a war against them. Quite funny interactions, and development, and scenarios. E/N - I knew Allen''s stubbornness at the end would cost them though with how high their base score already was, it didn''t really matter anymore. It''s not as if the MC cares anyway. And I somehow find myself rooting for Aris, is it just me? Though that would mean someone from the current Class A would drop out of the class, so I''m a bit torn. Vol. 1 - Chapter 162.1 - The Teachers of the Royal Academy (1) A temporary staff meeting was held after the outdoor classes came to an end and everyone was back at the Academy. The one leading the meeting was Miharu Shutrenu, the Academy''s chairwoman, a member of one of the three ducal houses, and also the aunt of the current King Patrick Arthur Yuglia. It was tradition for the board chairwoman to come from either the royal family or one of the ducal houses. ¡ªA nation loved by its citizens. It was the pet phrase and also the core fundamental of King Arthur. To make it a reality, one must have a broad range of talented individuals who could become the pillars of the kingdom. It was a major reason why the Royal Academy never stooped to becoming a sham of an educational institute, and had been able to keep its prestige along with placing supreme status on academics in its core values. All this was due to the effort of Yuglia''s royal family and their iron will to never compromise on this motto. In times when the royal family lacked talent, it would be one of the three ducal houses, with the Shutrenu family who were well versed in the might of pen and sword at the forefront, who would traditionally assist them. And the agenda for today''s meeting¡ª was none other than the score evaluation of Class A. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "That is the gist of the long story. I offered my surrender since it wouldn''t have been feasible to keep the siege going with all our personnel having been taken out. Does anyone have any questions?" Godorfun gave the general details of the scenarios Class A had gone through in the outdoor classes. The detailed report of the entire event along with the point-by-point opinions which had been compiled by Tim, the vice-commander of Knight Order''s fifth legion who had been present on-site and had watched everything transpire, had already been passed along to the attendees. Tim was also one of the attendees of today''s meeting. As a graduate of the Royal Academy who excelled greatly in the pen as compared to the sword, he was in charge of the HR affairs of the fifth legion. At the same time, he also had a reputation for making unbiased analysis that no one could ever find fault in. The attendees of today¡¯s meeting were mostly, aside from the chairwoman, class teachers with a fraction being related individuals. They who had heard of the unimaginable feats of Class A were left dumbfounded even with the related reports in their hands. Though there was one person who was actually laughing amidst all this. The vice-chairwoman Mujikka, who was facilitating the meeting, looked puzzled as her cheeks twitched when she heard the details of the song. "A-Allen Rovenne sang that? Well, it''s not rare for young scions or ladies of high nobility or children from the royal capital to be fond of music, but it''s a bit surprising. However... I mean, his family might not be rich, as they are from the countryside, but there''s no way they would be destitute to such an extent... I think." "That was what I thought, and I tried asking him about it. It seems that the lyrics came from his home tutor." Godorfun''s shoulder shook when he heard that. "Haa, the more you age, the more emotional you become. I had always questioned why Master Schord never tried to make a name for himself...... And as an average person blessed with a good environment, it''s impossible for me to imagine what kind of hardship he had gone through. If only Master Schord had some worldly desires, then I believe he would have blown away his veil of obscurity and might have participated in the matter of worldly affairs... Alas..." Tim groaned. "Hmm... So far, I had thought they were merely glorifying the aspect of poverty just to make themselves look good, but I guess that notion has to be changed now after confirming their unyielding spirit and teamwork. I fear that their gaze has always been chasing a dream far more distant than we can imagine. Besides, I don''t think anything else could explain their united strength other than the lifestyle they have been fostering together. The concept of mental strength is something intangible, hence it''s impossible to put a score or evaluate it at all. But in my opinion, it''s their mental strength that sets them apart from the rest of the first years." Seeing that everyone had now opened up quite a bit in the meeting due to Allen''s song, Mujikka started with the most cheerful voice she could muster. It was certainly a tough task, but they must come up with a score after all. Incidentally, Allen had sung that song while just coming out of the bath as it reminded him of a bathhouse that had closed down in his past life. "I-It''s indeed tough to evaluate their performance, but this is something we must do. Let''s start by evaluating each scenario one by one!" As she took the initiative, the attending staff shared their opinions and reasons, and the score they ended up with was, astonishingly, 5250. Aside from the 50 basis points, the difficulty of their missions was labelled as level 70, while their achievement rate was 150%. However, everyone acknowledged how ambiguous these parameters still were. "Incredible... isn''t even enough to describe it. They shattered the 120-year-old record of 4320 that everyone was sure would never be contested. This is with them being 5th in the arrival order......" Jeffrey, the homeroom teacher of Class 2-D, shook his head in amazement, when Godorfun suddenly spoke with a heavy tone. "As a matter of fact... There''s a continuation to the fifth scenario. I¡¯ve only spoken to the chairwoman about this, though I¡¯m sure Tim must have an inkling of this as well. That brat, Allen Rovenne, had... given me a sermon when I announced my surrender to him and Berd Yuniwance. Like how ''I was trampling on the dignity of the '', and that I was ¡®dashing away the hopes of the populace¡¯." Everyone had puzzled looks after hearing Godorfun''s words. None of them had any idea as to where he was heading with his explanation. Tim ended his report at the time when he was eliminated. He wasn''t allowed to stay in the battlefield once he had been taken out, as his presence might have led to some variables. Vol. 1 - Chapter 162.2 - The Teachers of the Royal Academy (2) "...There was a gap from the time when Sir said he announced his surrender to the time of Class A''s arrival at the villa. It stuck out like a sore thumb in the report." Godorfun affirmed Tim''s doubt, who spoke with an expressionless face. "I thought that what happened afterward may bring to question many things, hence I kept quiet about it. I discussed it with the chairwoman earlier, and decided to talk about this humiliation with all of you to uphold the legacy and pride of the Royal Academy." Everyone''s gaze shifted toward Chairwoman Miharu Shutrenu. "I¡¯ve already discussed this with His Majesty. He has entrusted everything to me, so at my discretion, I''ll allow the content of what happened to be shared here. However, whatever you hear from now on is level 4 classified information, so not a single word of this will leak out of this room, alright?" Miharu said with a stiff¡ª or not, graceful expression while grinning. Everyone gasped in unison. The matter of the outdoor classes was discussed with His Majesty......? No one uttered a single word, but their inner voices were obvious. "S-So, Class A pushed to continue the scenario by their own will? Why... would they do something like that when the arrival order mattered to such an extent......" Godorfun''s tone was calm as he replied to Mujikka''s doubt. "Valid question. ¡®Score? I don''t even care about such flimsy numbers. I¡ª no, we still aren¡¯t done playing around yet! So you''re going to relieve our boredom until then¡¯. These were the words of Allen Rovenne when I gave my surrender. And from there until the time limit, everyone hunted me down under the leadership of Bester Von Stocklaud. Yes, they were coming at me with all seriousness to take me down. I managed to drag the situation out until the time limit, but one slip-up on my part would have easily reversed the result." Recalling the details, Godorfun squinted his eyes and stroked his white beard. "Y-Yes? No, please wait a minute... The fact that they''re in the Academy means that they have the talent to stand above everyone in the future. It''s also a fact that the situation was to their advantage for being the ones who were defending. But it still sounds silly. It''s hard to imagine Sir being cornered so far by students... Anyway, when would they have arrived had it not been for Allen Rovenne''s insistence?" "Their expected arrival order, huh? I think it should be the first. In this scenario, their score would have been four times of their base score of 5250, which would be 21000." Everyone was rendered speechless at the evaluation. They found that they were unable to understand such an unconventional score as well as the meaning of Allen''s words. But, as the teachers who represented the kingdom, and upheld the honor and worth of the Royal Academy, the implication behind it wasn''t lost to them. For the nth time, the teachers were left speechless again when they heard there was still more. "Jeuri Leverance has successfully utilized the group healing magic that Saintess Sari had once used. Tim, report." Tim proceeded with another round of reporting that left the teachers...... dumbfounded, yet again. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Eventually, the overall score of the Class A, which included Allen''s request to amp up the enemy forces for the difficulty level and achievement rate, was calculated to be 6560. Nevertheless, it was lacking. These were the feelings still lingering inside all the teachers regarding the current score. But it was understandable. They had, after all, easily crushed what was supposed to be an immortalized score left behind by the people ¡ª including the Sword Fiend Sermon, the Fire God Fisty, and the Saintess Sari ¡ª from the revolutionary era 120 years ago. At the same time, the meeting triggered an impending sense of crisis among the teachers of the Royal Academy despite being recognized as the elite of the elites. They would be left behind in dust by the upcoming generation should they take no action. Watching them from a distance, the caretaker of the Academy, Miharu Shutrenu, chuckled to herself. "Fufu. It''s quite impossible to calculate their score with our standards so far, right? The overall score shall remain 6560 as a front, meanwhile I¡¯ll inform His Majesty that the result is ¡®incalculable¡¯. Any objections to that?" Confirming that there was no objection, Miharu continued. "After listening to the myriads of reports so far, it seems like Allen Rovenne has somehow transcended ''common sense¡¯. Everything he''s involved in ¡ª whether it''s wind magic, magic sword, or even the group healing magic via holy magic ¡ª is something that should be common in his point of view. ''It''s just common sense¡¯, he says? Fufu! It may sound paradoxical, but he''s implying that we need to break the current norm. That is how I interpret his words." Miharu stood up from her seat and pulled back the curtain behind her, opening the window. The clear autumn weather, along with striking mackerel cloud formation, illuminated the room. A faint chilly breeze, reminding of the approaching winter, ruffled her hair. Miharu spun on her heels, made eye contact with everyone present, and said in a quiet tone. "This academy has no teacher that would take a student''s mockery lying down. So, we''re going to take back the Academy''s pride, no matter what." Miharu''s words jolted everyone''s hearts. Confirming that, she chuckled to herself. After all, this was the pride that made the Royal Academy what it was. E/N - So many misunderstandings these past two chapters. Also, the teachers were speechless so many times I was worried their brains short-circuited. A good end to wrap up the arc. Excited to see where it goes next! Vol. 1 - Chapter 163 - A Chance Encounter "Hey, sorry to call you out while you''re busy. How¡¯ve you been lately?" Mimosa said to me. She was already at the meeting place, a cafe in the Royal Capital, by the time I got there. She was dressed in refined clothing, perfect for a president of a merchant firm. The style of her dress had a faint hint of the Bearentz Archipelago, appearing vaguely similar to kimonos. "It''s been a while, Mimosa. Why''d you call for me?" Mimosa''s face scrunched up at my simple straightforward question. "Sheesh, way to kill the mood when you''re meeting a girl after such a long time. At least order some tea first, only then do you lead the discussion to the recent happenings and all that, you know?" "......Don''t phrase it like we''re out on a date." I sighed, and called out to the shop assistant. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Going straight to the point, she was hoping that I could introduce some sort of backer for her as the Serene Wind Co. was going to open a branch store in the Royal Capital. A good enough time had passed since the creation of the Sail Club, but me and Dan, who was the president, were the only members at present. Why? Well, there were many factors. In a time when ships were going through technological advancement, with them shifting to the use of magic engines, sail ships were now going out of style. Plus, around the same time when we created the Sail Club, Dan left his position of Vice-President of Hill Road Club since that club was now welcoming more members than ever, and had shifted to a new system under the command of Stella, its current president. Dan was seen as incompetent for that. And when a person loses that attractive force, seldom do the people heed their command. Furthermore, everyone had become busier in their academy life, and Dan had to go to the port, which was a slight distance away, to participate in the Sail Club activities, so time constraint was another factor. But, the biggest factor was that neither I nor Dan were seeking to increase the club members. We only had one ship so far, and increasing the member count would mean our own training time would be cut short. So to save ourselves from that inconvenience, Dan and I purposefully ignored the ill reputation¡ª or not, the cold gazes we had been receiving. Besides, Dan himself hadn''t denied the rumors, or spoke of his plans. He apparently wanted to keep mum about the new sail ship operation method ¡ª a.k.a. using wind magic in tandem with Bernoulli''s theorem to speed the ship up ¡ª until he, too, could be somewhat proficient in it. I guess he probably wanted one more person aside from me to be capable of pulling that off before it became public. I could see where he was coming from. Imagine spending months ¡ª or at worse, even a year ¡ª of their precious academy time only to have nothing to show for it. The responsibility would be too heavy to shoulder. I basically followed Dan''s judgement on this matter. If there was someone who knew how to perfectly balance on a tipping scale, it was him. Also, people with a good understanding of Dan''s personality and ability had also judged, after getting the details from Dan, it would be better to put Sail Club aside for now, and devote to practicing wind magic first. After all, their entry in the club would be moot if they couldn''t even use wind magic. For the others, they just quietly passed on the matter when they heard they needed wind magic, their faces making frowning expressions. This only left the two of us loners in the club ultimately. Well, someone versed in ships could tell the gist of it if they saw our practice sessions, but our training ground was in the south of the Royal Palace, where passage of ordinary ships was restricted unless they had permission from His Majesty like us. So, if there was even a chance for rumors about our new technique to spread, then this restriction would further stop it from happening. Anyway, our reaction to the reputation of the Sail Club was ¡®whatever¡¯. We were just single-mindedly focusing on our Sail Club activities... until interference came, which was why Mimosa was here. It seemed that Dan''s father, Count Serdos, had started to put pressure on Mimosa''s Serene Wind Co. At first, the Count was delighted when he heard that Dan had formed a club with him as the president, and that I was one of its members. However, no matter how much time passed, the reputation of the Sail Club remained still, unlike the Hill Road Club that I had once helped out. No, scratch that. Instead of gaining any reputation, the club had received no new members, no results, and its value had been steadily dropping in the public''s eyes. To further rain on his parade, even the Magic Car Club that Lil'' Dui from Class E had established was gradually gaining traction. The Magic Car Club had, in fact, gotten quite a good number of students by the time I joined it. Then came the outdoor classes. It was obvious that the Hill Road Club had contributed to the exceptional scores of the students this year. Hill Road Club''s reputation, where it appeared that Dan had been deprived of his role, shot through the heavens, and echoed throughout the kingdom. The same was true for the 3rd ranker in the knight class Stella, who had become its president and had even outclassed Leo. She became the talk of the whole kingdom overnight. And so, Count Serdos became impatient. According to Dan, the topic about him had lately turned into a taboo of sorts that you mustn''t speak of in high society, a contrast from when he had been the apple of everyone''s eye during the entrance ceremony. The situation was still alright with those who just awkwardly turned their gaze away, but, alas, there had been some bunch who didn''t miss speaking out like ''It''s the parents¡¯ duty to guide a youngster on the correct path'' right at the Count''s face. To no one''s surprise, Dan had often been called out by Count Serdos, and preached on about how he should stop wasting his time on outdated things like sailing ships, and if he really wanted to, then he should quit the Sail Club (and wind magic research) to focus on magic ships. Also, maybe he should request me to put him back on the staff of the Hill Road Club. Dan knew should he reveal the new possibility we were investigating to Count Serdos, it would only be a matter of time before the rumors grew its own legs and spread around like wildfire. So, he had been sticking with the ''It''s an indispensable training for me to become a Knight'' excuse. "......Oh please, violence is such a heavy word for what happened when it was their fault. I just went to greet them personally. Anyway, are you sure about the Dragon-Crane Union? Among the organizations that are managing the underworld affairs, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard that the Continent Firm has connections regarding ships since their bases are close enough to the Rune River in the south..." However, Mimosa''s eyes widened in surprise. "Hmm? So... the rumors are true that the newly established mutual aid society ''Mad Dog¡¯, raised by the bunch of young explorers you¡¯ve been looking after, can''t see eye-to-eye with the Dragon-Crane Union? It mostly consists of greenhorn youngsters, so I dismissed them since there''s no way they''re big enough to pick a fight with Dragon-Crane Union or the noble society. It also didn''t seem like you had interacted with them much as well." Yikes, what the hell was with that cringe name?...... It was created by Benza by bringing in good-for-nothing fellas like himself while I was out of the explorer circle for a while. Well, Red had said he wasn''t going to set foot in the eastern region anymore, so they weren¡¯t a problem anymore. But I wonder what happened to the Golden Rat that fatty was part of. Whatever. I didn''t care much, to be honest. "Yes, I have no connection with them. Hell, it''s news to me that there''s such a mutual aid society. Also, I haven¡¯t supported them or anything like that. If anything, I only threw the troublesome stuff to the fatty to deal with." Mimosa chuckled. "I¡¯ve roughly heard the details, but that''s quite a harsh way to put it." I mean, alright, it might have been irresponsible of me to push troublesome matters to him, but I didn¡¯t have a hand at Benza gathering other people and shouting that we took down Rose. Honestly, his ''heart compass'' was so chaotic that I had no idea what was going through his thick skull. "......Rumors are out that it''s the era of the Mad Dog now. It''s quite strange how that has been spreading in such a short amount of time. But alas, they''re lacking in many areas to become someone''s patron. Well, I don¡¯t doubt it happening if someone like you does take it seriously." Mimosa then stared at me. I shook my hand with a fed up look. "Please, I¡¯m not so free to go along with their whims. Anyway, Dragon-Crane Union, huh...?" ''Explorer Ren'' hasn''t shown his face lately. After all, if anyone ever caught wind that ''Ren'' was actually Allen from the Knight Order in disguise, the mastermind wouldn¡¯t hesitate from cutting off Rose like a lizard''s tail, and vanishing into obscurity. I also wanted to avoid showing my face to the Dragon-Crane Union, since Rose apparently was targeting them. While I was in a dilemma, Mimosa, who was obviously a sharp woman, noticed that and pushed the following. "I¡¯ve done my research as well in the last few months, and only Dragon-Crane Union seems fitting enough to become my backer. And what I need right now is someone with caliber, not a connection for ships." She sure had been putting the Dragon-Crane Union on a high pedestal, huh? I guess their help was indispensable to lay the groundwork for Serene Wind if she was going this far. And in turn, it meant it wasn''t an unrelated matter to our Sail Club. "Alright. You can make an appointment with them. However¡ª" I paused, and continued in a subdued tone. "I¡¯m not going as the explorer Ren, but as ''Allen Rovenne, the supervisor of the Royal Academy Sail Club¡¯." Mimosa squinted her eyes when she heard me. "......Are you sure about revealing your real name to me?" I sighed. "Haaa. As if you hadn''t done your due research already. Anyone should be able to guess as long as they know I am one of Dan''s friends from the Royal Academy." However, I received a glare in response. "You shouldn''t think so lowly of me. I¡¯m not some low-life to check the identity of our benefactor when they''re hiding it." Then she shrugged her shoulders and continued. "......Well, the answer would either way be forced on your face as long as you live in the Royal Capital for a while though. After hearing the never-ending rumors about the ''Walking Anomaly'', I had an inkling, as much as I didn''t want to think about it." T/N - I guess these chapters are a buildup for what is about to come in a few chapters. But the noble society sure sounds like your typical Asian family dynamic. Good ol¡¯ parents being livid over others opinion, and nosy relatives inserting themselves and commenting xD. Vol. 1 - Chapter 164 - A Chance Encounter (2) The headquarters of the Dragon-Crane Union was located in the so-called downtown area on the far eastern side of the first street. Apple''s location was also in that area. And with it basically being a slum, the public order was certainly much worse there compared to other places. It had been several days since the Dragon-Crane Union received a request for a meeting from the president of a certain countryside company who expressed her desire to get them as their company''s patron as they were about to start their business in the Royal Capital. On such occasions, the standard procedure of the Dragon-Crane Union was for someone from the staff to first listen to the whole story. Then they would sort out everything, and after compiling all the details, Gin would come to have a word with them. When it came to other underworld organizations like Continent, Divine, and, obviously, Rose, they wouldn''t have just anyone meet their top dog. But in Dragon-Crane Union, it didn''t matter who the other party was, if they were heavyweight characters or some ultrarich group. Gin would, without fail, ascertain the other party¡¯s character himself and exchange some words with them first before making a decision. Gin had kept up with this policy even after he returned from his therapeutic visit to Ment village, personally visiting the candidates that wished to join them. Of course, given the previous assault against him, many of his staff and subordinates urged him to temporarily halt these meetings of his, but Gin couldn''t bring himself to stop. Obviously, the management and guards had instead intensified their scrutiny of the newcomers. At the same time, after the recent fiasco of the lawless Rose Family where they tried to outdo a rookie explorer called Mad Hound but only got their asses handed to them which apparently ended with Mad Hound being their sole negotiator, the reputation of Crane-Dragon has been in quite a decline. As a matter of fact, the application of newcomers had drastically lowered in recent times. It was amidst this tension-filled situation that Dragon-Crane Union received a request for an interview from Mimosa. Following their custom, Shuri, the intermediary and staff, confirmed that the visiting woman herself had no problem. Being young and full of ambition, it wasn''t strange that she would want to have a piece of the pie called the ¡®Royal Capital¡¯ for herself too. She also appeared quite sharp from a glance. However¡ª "And, who might this person be? He seems too young to be a guard. And the general etiquette in such a situation is to have someone with experience. It may sound old-fashioned, but this is what we firmly believe in. Now, take off that mask." It was her company that caused Shuri to raise her brows. The accompanying young man was wearing a mask¡ª it depicted an old man with drooping eyes and a smiling yet faintly incensed expression. He hadn''t spoken a single word since they arrived. He was unfazed when facing them despite being so young. However, he wasn''t giving the haughty vibe that high-nobility typically gave off. As Shuri felt she was unable to assess the masked person, the boy introduced himself... It was certainly quite a bombshell. "I apologize for the belated greeting. I''m Allen Rovenne. This lady from Serene Wind Co. has been the sponsor of our Sail Club in the Academy. I¡¯m merely here as her attendant of sorts, though I may provide additional details if required. May this meeting be a fruitful one." The entire Dragon-Crane Union let out a startled cry. An obvious outcome though, all things considered. It was already a bizarre situation that a student of the Royal Academy was here in the Dragon-Crane Union, which basically stood on the opposite side of the spectrum from them, yet he didn¡¯t hesitate in introducing himself. But, the fact that he was the aforementioned Allen Rovenne pushed their astonishment to the max. If Mad Hound was the hope of the Royal Capital''s underworld, then Allen Rovenne was the supernova at the central stage. Maybe he was a fake? Shuri thought, but she rejected the notion immediately. He could be a fake who was here to assassinate their boss, but being a kid, and bringing out a name that no one was a stranger to in the current time would only raise doubts that were contrary to his objective. She hadn''t paid attention to the person called Allen Rovenne since she thought that they would never cross paths with her being a denizen of the underworld, but thinking back, she remembered hearing that the mask that Allen Rovenne had worn during the Founding Festival''s martial arts match was¡ª As Shuri''s mind was busy figuring things out, the self-proclaimed Allen Rovenne continued. "I wouldn''t mind removing my mask, but well... I have my own circumstances, you know...... So I was hoping to do that in front of fewer people. I haven''t brought any weapon with me, and if you''d like, you can do a physical search as well." The problem was¡ª I named myself explorer Ren back when I met him. He hadn''t shown any reaction to my introduction back then, so I assumed that he was unaware of who I was. But there was no way he didn''t know now. Not when those dumbasses from Rose had been spreading the ''Mad Hound and Dragon-Crane Union doesn''t see eye-to-eye'' rumor. "What''s wrong, Allen?" Mimosa asked with a confused expression. I could only push forward, so I moved inside with an unhurried gait while operating my brain at full power to come up with a solution and avoid a messy situation. Gin-san directed his clear eyes at me. His transparent eyes gave the impression as if he could right through my mask. "I''m Mimosa Curme. And your gaze¡ª really quite formidable as I thought, Gin Grauster. This person here is¡ª" After introducing herself, Mimosa urged me to do the same. Hey, hey, hey, the world isn''t going to end if we take it slow! At least let me think of a countermeasure! Argh, damn. This is basically checkmate, isn''t it?! "H-Hello there, I''m Allen Rovenne." For the time being, I greeted him with a makeshift voice with my mask still on my face. Shuri-san and Ousa-san obviously turned to give me a reproachful gaze. Mimosa, too, was looking at me the same way. "Pfft! Kukuku." But then, Gin-san, who had been putting on a stern expression, suddenly burst out in laughter. His face turned red, and his shoulders were heaving heavily. ......Ah, he already figured it out, huh? Helpless, I could only scratch my head in awkwardness. Shuri-san and Ousa-san looked at each other with confused expressions. They couldn''t catch what was going on. Finally suppressing his smile, Gin-san said with a kind face. "You''re here, huh, Mimosa? And...... Can I call you Allen? I¡¯m Gin of the Dragon-Crane Union. You should have some circumstances, I believe. So you can keep the mask on." "B-Boss! But this¡ª" Shuri-san let out a stupefied voice as she hurriedly chimed in, but Gin-san interrupted her. "Alright, these kids can be trusted. If anything happens, I¡¯ll take full responsibility." Gin-san nodded my way with an austere gaze. Seeing that look, I took off my mask. There was no complicated reason. There was a high risk of my identity as ''Ren'' being in jeopardy already, so I might as well put it in Gin-san''s hands. And most of all, an honest, straightforward discussion would be more to our cause. I felt so from the vibe he was giving. Besides...... he had already figured out my identity, it seemed. Vol. 1 - Chapter 165 - A Chance Encounter (3) I took off my mask and greeted Gin-san before explaining to him the situation we were in¡ª how Mimosa had been providing her support to our Sail Club in the Royal Academy, and how the father of the Sail Club''s President Dan, who was Count Serdos, was trying to hinder and close our club. The severity of the situation could also pit us against the forces of Marquis Grauksh and the other nobles under him. "I understand the gist of it now." Gin-san''s expression didn''t change a bit as he nodded along. However, the two standing behind him, Shuri-san and Ousa-san, grimaced. With how messy the situation was with the nobles, it was a common reaction. Gin-san stared at me with his clear eyes, and answered me clearly. "Alright, I¡¯ll be frank with you. Our Dragon-Crane Union was created to protect the weak, and this has been our motto ever since. We''re here to protect the explorers at the bottom of the hierarchy, the simple working class people, from authority and violence. The same is true for the companies under us. We take action if someone attempts to hinder their work and tries to use force unprovoked. That''s all there is to it. We¡¯ve never had any intention to jump into the strife between nobles. I just want to make sure you''re okay with that." Mimosa and I nodded promptly at his straightforward gaze. "But Boss... are you sure? Didn''t you hate that Academy......" Ousa-san perhaps hadn''t expected Gin-san to take on our request as she questioned him with a perplexed expression. Gin-san smiled wryly. "Like and hate aren''t that straightforward. Besides, there''s no reason for the Dragon-Crane Union to get involved with the crystal surface of a stream. Mimosa is serious about her business, and that''s clearly reflected in the details. Most of all, she has gone through proper procedure in contacting us, and explaining the undercurrents that she could have kept secret otherwise. We wouldn''t accept them if they''re just a company in name and are trying to find a meat shield to bear the brunt of the nobles, however we may respond to their request if they mean serious business. Otherwise, it would sully our reputation showing that we got cold feet in front of authority." ......I doubt that was all he considered in reaching such a conclusion. We bowed in gratitude as Gin-san chuckled. "Well, to be honest, I indeed have no love for the Academy as Ousa said. It''s not hate, but more like disinterest you can say. But then again, maybe a new era is coming if that Academy is producing young men with caliber, and, more importantly, character like you, kid... or maybe not, Allen. I''m glad we had this meeting today." Shuri-san and Ousa-san could only look at each other in confusion at Gin-san''s words. It¡¯s the natural reaction, I¡¯d say. They didn''t know that it wasn¡¯t our first meeting, nor did they know that I was explorer Ren. Of course, they would have had a different impression of me if they knew that. I also felt a sense of closeness with him as a fellow bath lover. "You really are the man I expected to be, Gin Grauster. I had thought that bringing ''Allen Rovenne'' with me might backfire after going through all the prior information, but... you''re not half bad if you can recognize the changes in the times just by glancing at Allen." Mimosa quipped with an off-hand comment talking like she was some sort of big boss, which got a glare from Shuri-san. "Fufu. Please pardon me, this has been my inherent nature since birth... But those were, in fact, my appreciative words for you. I¡¯ve realized that the world is so wide. The hinterland where I''m from has no one of your caliber, after all. I guess that¡¯s why this place is called the Royal Capital, eh? Now I¡¯m even more excited to see what it has in store for me." This time, it was Shuri who had a wry expression at Gin''s humorous reply. "I doubt anyone would ask ''What do you think of Mad Hound?'' from a student of that exalted Academy, much less from Allen Rovenne, just to measure their caliber. Those prodigal kids just live in a different world from us. It was obvious when he called that notorious fella a straightforward person instead of saying ''I don''t know¡¯. Then again, he''s just a 12-year-old kid, right?" Gin shook his head with a chuckle. "I was unsure so far, but that kid vouched for them. It would be best if we changed the way we look at them. For the time being, just consider them playing around, and avoid a frontal clash. I have a feeling we may be in for a surprise if we raise them up." Shuri was perplexed. "What? I mean, I had heard that Allen Rovenne has a keen eye for people, but that''s still just a kid''s word, Boss. The Academy has always been a treasure box of talents, so it wouldn''t be surprised if it held true for the people around them, but evaluating some kids from slum orphanages just sounds so bogus coming from him¡ª" However, Shuri couldn''t complete her words as she was cut off. The glint in Gin''s eyes was unexpectedly sharp. "......Understood. But, if you really want to raise them, we won¡¯t cut corners like right now. Are you fine with that?" Gin smiled and nodded. "Yes, you can do it in your own way. It''s already laborious for you as it is." Confirming Gin''s upbeat mood, Shuri concluded that he must have some concrete information about Allen Rovenne that she didn''t know. He had been evaluating him highly since a while ago, and after their exchange today, it seemed like he had confirmed that his belief wasn¡¯t misplaced. Of course, she didn''t think that they might have exchanged words already, but as someone who was privy to various parts of the Royal Capital and the different structures within, he must have some exclusive information other than what was out in public. Just what kind of information did he have?...... Shuri was curious, but she wouldn''t ask such a question. If Gin had decided it would be best for her to not know about something, when he would usually make sure to impart crucial information to us, then that was the end of the matter. She was sure Gin trusted her, and she believed that sharing everything and anything with trusted individuals made one an incompetent leader. When required, he would inform them himself. That would assure both his and the other person''s safety. "......He had already dropped a hint. It would be a pity to not make use of it." Sure enough, Gin''s gaze had a cheerful look as he commented so. Vol. 1 - Chapter 166 - Marquis Gathering (1) The year came to an end and has transitioned into a new one. At the top of winter''s social life was the much awaited customary assembly in the Royal Capital held each year. The kingdom''s 9 marquises would come together in a certain place and have breakfast together¡ª the so-called breakfast meeting. After wishing the royal family as well as the Dukes a happy new year, the breakfast meeting that took place in the first week of the new year would trigger various powers to gather together in a tea party or other similar exchanges. It was a precursor to the long socializing event that would continue until the arrival of spring, when the entrance exam for the Royal Academy had ended. But for the breakfast meeting itself, it was a mere one-hour-long gathering. There was no set agenda to discuss, and they just talked about whatever came to mind. It was a sort of unhurried greeting and small chit-chat. The actual implication aside¡ª there was hardly any noble who would take a moment of their time for a mere casual gathering at the first meeting of the new year. Dressed sharply in formal attire, which was rather a tad early at 7 in the morning, the marquises gathered at the Hotel Rune Makize ¡ª this year''s gathering spot ¡ª five minutes before the appointed time. They were guided to a cozy hall by Gritter, the hotel''s receptionist and face, and then they greeted each other energetically, and gave each other firm handshakes ¡ª or if it mattered, too firm a handshake as if intending to crush each other¡¯s hands ¡ª making them look youthful despite their actual ages. Some appeared deprived of sleep, while others seemed to still be suffering from hangovers. However, none were there to do something as boorish as only having juice. Starting with a heap of salad, they had breakfast that was served to them in succession with gusto. Even so, this was the same starting motion similar to entering the ring. It was the usual thing. Every year, they''d discuss various topics, or how the prospects for this year''s entrance exam appeared to be. But this year wasn''t a typical year. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Gracious, I was really shocked to see Class 1-A''s outdoor class score. Who could have thought that they would make such a turnaround, surpassing the absolute score of that legendary era... Certainly not me. This just makes me anticipate their futures after graduation. Well, on the other hand, I was stumped to see our Torveil army (a part of the Northwest Army) that had been there to support the outdoor classes so easily toyed with by students. Alas, is this what the saying ¡®there''s always someone better¡¯ means? They still ought to be disciplined for the safety of the citizens either way. Uh-huh, this is another heavy duty, but oh well." The remark, obviously showing the speaker''s humorous mood, came from the holder of many influential forces like Viscount Wangyush and so on, and was the lord of the region where the outdoor classes took place¡ª Marquis Torveil. This outdoor class session had been no less of a harvest season for him. First, the huge positive side effect of having the outdoor classes take place in his region was huge. The Royal Academy, after all, had an immense budget and some of it did trickle down to his coffers. Plus, lending out his territory was similar to public service. "You appear quite happy as always, Meria-san. Well, I can''t deny that this feeling is foreign to me. I, too, wish I had a convenient shelf that would drop money on my lap each time I woke up. Oh, do believe me when I say I''m so jealous of you." Marquis Diarmaq followed after Marquis Volcondor, who turned his gaze sideways, harrumphing. In a typical roundabout fashion, he was implying ''Don''t be too cocky when you hadn''t even known about the A of Allen until this spring¡¯. Marquis Dragoon widened her feline-like sharp gaze, and chuckled. "Oh my, you sure have gotten quite better since that time I saw your bedridden appearance last fall, huh, Romario? Good to see your straight face back. That pale, sickly expression indeed didn''t suit you. Right, was that boy''s name Bester? The successor from your branch family. Even Fey was stunned by his ability. She was sure he was your typical prodigy, but nope, that overnight transformation certainly showed he had the makings of an extraordinary scholar. Why count other''s gold coins when you have a gold egg laying hen yourself, right? The situation looks bright for you as well. Are you going to adopt him into the main family?" Marquis Diarmaq narrowed his eyes and shook his head in denial. "......The future is still undetermined. Much less about others, even I was stunned. It was a pressing situation, but to be chosen among the others, never had I expected that his talent would blossom in such a scenario. And because of it, I was further amazed by Allen Rovenne''s insight, to figure out his talent. I wonder, how did he see that in him?" Marquis Leverance, sitting next to him, shrugged at his remark. "You might be taking it steady, but you really haven''t changed that laid back attitude of yours, Romario. I would have already made my move had it been me. Well, just be careful and watch out for the sparks at your feet while taking it slow." Marquis Diarmaq scoffed, remarking ''That''s none of your business¡¯. "......Anyway, Allen Rovenne hid so many talents behind his persona, it''s intriguing. He didn''t immediately make his move when the situation with Diarmaq''s brat at the Hill Road Club happened, and waited for a better moment before resolving the matter with a single stroke. But also he knew when to stop and turn around to lend a helping hand as well. He has an eye for discernment that probably wouldn''t lose out to experienced folks. Well, we were also quite stumped on how to deal with his elder sister in the past, but his friendship with the son of the Engraver family ran quite deep since the enrollment. It appears that the Emission Magic Research Club that the boy is president of has recently become quite famous as well. He made his position clear through superiority rather than words or actions. Frankly, I really like his way of doing things.¡± This impression came from Marquis Endeumion¡ª the lord of Endeumion territory that included the Engraver territory, Al¡¯s hometown. He was also the one with the highest seniority present. Marquis Endeumion then took a glance at Meria and added further after chuckling. ¡°I heard his father, Viscount Rovenne, had made it clear that he won¡¯t force any partner on his son. It would be by the boy''s own choice, right? I must say that is quite an impressive thing to say. Hahaha! But I''m amazed he''s not leveraging his son''s fame to rise up in status. What an odd family, if I must say. Speaking of which, it seems like my granddaughter is also quite a fan of Allen Rovenne, so maybe... Hahaha!¡± These words were instantly met with glares from everyone present. Vol. 1 - Chapter 167 - Marquis Meeting (2) The Nine Marquises¡ª Valcondor (No Class A student) Endeumion (Al) Grauksh (Dan) Sernande (First appearance in this chapter) Diarmaq (Bester) Dosperior (Lala) Dragoon (Allen, Fey, Parry) Torveil (Stella) Leverance (Jeuri) Also, the three Dukes¡ª Grauster (First appeared in If it''s not love, then what? ?1?) Zatsinger (Leo) Shutrenu (First appeared in Intermission - Teachers of the Royal Academy) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª "Speaking of which, it seems like my granddaughter is also quite a fan of Allen Rovenne, so maybe... Hahaha!¡± Marquis Endeumion''s words incurred glares from everyone present. The breakfast might have just been served on the round table, yet the atmosphere had already become piping hot as sparks flew everywhere. "......By the way, I heard he spent the final night of the outdoor class with the students of Class E, and actively looked for information about the romantic relationships of Class E''s students. The rest of Class A slept like logs after going through that grueling scenario, but he alone insisted that ''Outdoor Classes can''t come to an end at all without this'' and talked to them on his own. I just can''t think of why it was so important. Any guesses?" The quiet remark came from Marquis Sernande, also the youngest person among the marquises. Her territory lay in the northern region of the kingdom. That was to say, her territory shared a direct border with the Rosemieur Empire, and then there was the exceedingly turbulent relationship between the two powers at this point. Fortunately, with her husband, who had an important position in the 4th legion of the Knight Order, temporarily taking over, she was able to leave her position temporarily, allowing her to participate in the new year''s events. No one answered her question. Once again, silence reigned in the hall. Everyone had their polite smiles masking their true thoughts, but the air was so tense one could hear it crackling. This had been the biggest doubt everyone had about the Sail Club as they just couldn''t see the goal of that club that Allen Rovenne had been so fervently investing his time in. They were aware that the Sail Club was using the port meant for the Knight Order, but they had chalked it up to Godorfun''s doing. But their assumptions would be completely subverted if the permission had indeed come from His Majesty instead. Allen had thought this would just add more oil to the rumours about him, so he hadn''t revealed this fact to anyone. This was another reason why they didn''t have even a single piece of information about what actually happened. Being on the receiving end of everyone''s sharp gazes, Randy was silent for a moment, and eventually opened his mouth with a sigh. "......The audience itself happened at the military garrison of the Royal Palace in absolute secrecy, but if the word is already out, then there''s no reason to hide it anymore. And frankly, the event details are silly enough. You should all be aware of His Majesty''s curious nature. He expressed a strong desire to meet with Allen after the events in the Rising Star Cup match. There, he had him ask for anything he wanted as a reward. Allen then requested for the right to use the military port, and a permit to frequent the Rune River so that they could use it as their training ground for sailing as it was near the Academy." Unable to decipher Allen''s intention, everyone waited for Randy''s continuation. "Of course, His Majesty asked why he was so fixated with outdated ships. And his reply was, well...... ¡®It sounds fun. We just want to play around...¡¯ His expression was devoid of any motive back then, and he answered with a bright smile. His Majesty had been amused by his answer as he never expected such an... ordinary reason, and he burst into laughter." Everyone blinked their eyes in confusion for a moment, and simultaneously, they all burst out laughing. "Kakaka! ''Because it''s fun''... Kakaka!" "Such a normal reason in front of His Majesty! As expected of the man Jeu has set her eyes on, he''s interesting! Hahaha!" "It amazes me that he made His Majesty break into laughter. Hahaha! I can already imagine what Allen Rovenne''s expression was like!" "Fufu, Ahem, I mean that''s rude." "Who knows if he''s actually been disliked? Hahaha!" "Pfft! No, what you said might be rude, Marquis Valcondor. There''s no way he should have done it out of mere friendship with Daniel-kun just because he visited him on whim! Dear friends! Hahaha!" Marquis Grauksh faintly chuckled, replying with ''Well, kids and their whimsical nature. You can never know with them.'' His face had a wry smile as he scratched his head as if amused at a child''s antics. But, his other hand under the table was squeezed so hard it wouldn''t be surprising for blood to ooze out of it. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Meanwhile, an earth-shattering discovery, enough to engulf the Kingdom in a crisis, had been unearthed in the northeast region¡ª in one of the territories under the Grauksh region. Vol. 1 - Chapter 168 - Imminent Disaster (1) The curtain to the short winter had opened, and with the precursor that was the Marquis Meeting, the Royal Capital was dyed with the vibrant colors of social events. It was a few days after the event of the Marquis Meeting when a certain piece of information made its way to the Royal Capital in absolute secrecy, prompting the top echelon of the Royal Palace to hold an urgent strategy meeting. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The urgent report ¡ª originating from a certain explorer who discovered an abnormality on a Hellrowcast egg ¡ª came from the Knight Order¡¯s fourth legion. The said Knight Order legion sent its team to ascertain the authenticity of the news, and they, too, confirmed the same. Moreover, the situation was hopelessly dire¡ª the eggs were roughly 8 at the minimum to 10 at the maximum days away from hatching. Speaking of the Hellrowcast, they were pretty ordinary monsters with their habitats spread across the continent. However, once in a decade up to a century, their numbers would increase comparable to that of a locust plague. The cause of such a mutation has yet to be identified to this date. Their eggs were typically small enough for an adult''s hand to be able to hold it completely, and they could give birth to roughly 100 of them. However, when a mutation occurs, they could usually give birth to as many as a million of them at once. But should the land the mutation occurred in have abysmal luck, these monsters could spawn even tens of millions of eggs all at once. A mutated Hellrowcast''s trait was their intense appetite. They would gorge on any and all kinds of leaves around them to spur their growth, enough to push a forest to the brink of extinction, and when there was nothing left, they would move on toward another target that was abundant in nature. Hellrowcast moved as a group, and should they move toward the Rosemieur Empire at the north, the damage to Yuglia would still be negligible enough. However, the consensus among the experts was that they typically traveled southward seeking warmer climates. And should that turn out to be the case, then the Grauksh region, which was the kingdom¡¯s major rye producer, and the Dosperior region, which was a major producer of wheat, would be facing an inevitable disaster. It was still early in winter and the seedlings had barely sprouted, so it was basically impossible for them to do anything about it. Yuglia would be facing an unprecedented foot shortage nation-wide should they fail to stop this disaster, and that wasn''t even considering the effect it would have on the ecosystem. They were calamitous monsters that had brought many small nations to their ruin in the past. Had it been spring instead with abundant fodder, Yuglia could have had a chance to solve it by deploying its army. But it was winter right now. The Hellrowcast horde would surely move at a rapid pace in search of food. Should this disaster befall the kingdom, then the damage to its military would be inevitable. And at worst, it could even become the trigger for the war. After all, with the kingdom going through a tumultuous period, it was impossible to think that the Rosemieur Empire would be generous enough to overlook that chance. The extermination of Hellrowcast would surely require the army to deal with it. And most of all, it could easily take several months just to deal with the horde. So unless their opponent had gone blind, it would be like a red rag in front of a bull. One reason why they were considered a nuisance was due to the nature of their eggs. It was nearly impossible to actually prevent the hatching of their eggs. The main approach in preventing the eggs¡¯ hatching was by freezing them. However, ice was a rare attribute, with its appearance being only 1 in 1000. Besides, the Ice Mages also would need to have sufficient mana reserves and a firm control over their magic operation so as not to scratch the eggs when using their magic. As a matter of fact, the number of Ice Mages in the kingdom''s ranks was only in the three digits at best. They also required potent ice attribute magic stones that they''d need to use in destroying the nests as well as critical magical tools which were just few and far in between. As of now, the Knight Order was already on the move, gathering ice attribute folks, whether they were explorers or knights, along with the necessary magical tools, but it was nothing more than a band-aid plastered on a leaking dam. At their current pace, even disposing 10% of the egg population seemed like a pipe dream. The Royal Capital had quite the number of Ice Mages, but they absolutely wouldn''t be able to make it in time. The Yabure Barony, where the eggs were spotted, was located at the northern edge of the kingdom, so no matter how much they hurried up, it would at least take them 10 days to travel there from the Royal Capital, which was just around the time when the eggs were predicted to hatch. A gloomy air hung above the Emergency Strategy Meeting taking place in the presence of the King. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Olina, the standing leader of the military, and the commander of Yuglia''s Knight Order, summarized important points for the people present. Olina initially was an ordinary commoner by birth, but she clawed her way to the position of the Knight Order''s commander by virtue of her talent, and, later on, marrying into a Duke family. Such a striking personal history was rather rare even in the Yuglia kingdom. As much as Yuglia tried to suppress the status discrimination between the nobles and commoners, it just wasn''t realistically possible for the nobles to quietly obey given the difference in status and their pride in their lineage and heritage. So the usual way for commoners to bridge the gap was something along the lines of being adopted by a high-ranking nobility and such. It was a grand hall with a luxurious ambience, like the ones you would see in dramas that showed the meetings of those business giants, though I personally felt like a prisoner from the Edo period who had been dragged into court. A vast majority of them were people I''ve never seen before, which just reinforced the idea that this wasn''t a place for the third son of a viscount to set foot in. At the very end of the room opposite the entrance, I could even see His Majesty sitting at the head of the table. Haa, would they mind if I immediately turned on my heel and ran away from this place?...... My face muscles were completely tense just imagining what warranted all this. Amidst my swirling thoughts, Glover-san, the commander of the 2nd legion whom I had the chance to meet once in one of the days we used their military port for our Sail Club activity, posed a question. "It''s been a while, Allen Rovenne. We have a pressing situation, so to cut to the main topic: do you know about the Hellrowcast monster?" "............I do. Where are they? How long until they hatch?" Ah, so that was the situation. I immediately asked for the main details. Though Glover-san seemed surprised, in my eyes, it wasn''t that hard to figure out. First, I was summoned to this meeting hall where the top brass of the kingdom were present, and second, the question had come not from Master, but the 2nd legion commander Glover-san. He was in charge of the navy, so I could guess it was somehow related to the Sail Club. After all, aside from the Sail Club matter, we had never talked before. And if he was mentioning Hellrowcast right off the bat, I could guess the agenda of this Imperial Council. The method on how to deal with and dispose of the Hellrowcast eggs was spread far and wide due to its special characteristic. A random book that was minutely related to monsters would specifically mention all those details as well. The point was to deal with the eggs before they hatched, but if it was already too late, a mere Sail Club which only had one ship to its name would do jack shit. But if it wasn''t too late yet, then the destination was probably hard to reach and required transportation via the water route. And what they probably wanted to transport was the human resources needed to prevent the hatching. "......Quick-witted as always, huh, Allen Rovenne? I doubt this would have reached your ears, irrespective of your status as a provisional knight... The location is the Yabure Barony in Marquis Grauksh''s territory. And the remaining time before they hatched is¡ª 10 days at maximum. Worst case scenario, the morning of the 8th day." I immediately shook my head. "It''s impossible by myself." I guess they must have pinned their hope on whatever straw they could find. My presence was the proof of that. As my words echoed inside the hall, the onlookers held their breath, and closed their eyes. I glanced at their expressions, and, as I apologized in my head for bringing him into this mess, continued. "It''s impossible... unless Dan is here as well. Oh, he''s my classmate¡ª Daniel Serdos. If he gives it his all, I think we can make it in time." A buzz spread across the council room at my words. Some of the people''s gazes fell on a middle-aged man sitting at the lowest seat. The man slightly cleared his throat and introduced himself. "Ahem. I''m Findoll Von Grauksh. The incident this time occurred in my fief, so I''m in this seat attending this meeting as someone who can explain the general details of the region. May I ask, what do you mean by ¡®If he gives it his all, I think we can make it in time''? It sounds as if you''re implying that Daniel is superior to you." Aaahh, so it''s him. The one putting pressure on Dan''s father, and trying to intervene in our Sail Club. Well, though it seemed like it was just Count Serdos who was going all ballistic by himself for the most part. "...And he is, Marquis Grauksh. Dan''s much better than me. I can''t even compare myself to him when it comes to sailing ships. Though this time it¡¯ll take both of our best efforts given the situation." The potato-face of Dan flashed in the back of my mind as I recalled the dedication he had for ship sailing no matter how one tried to throw him off. His blood-soaked palms, and that shining radiance in his eyes despite his embarrassed visage back then during the summer vacation. This time, I deliberately didn''t hold back my praises. "Dan is an unmistakable prodigy. After all, he has an undying passion for ships. There would surely come a time when he, Daniel Serdos, the first generation president of the Royal Academy''s Sail Club, would sail through uncharted seas. A horizon that no one has ever seen before." I quietly declared so while feeling a tug in my mind as if that potato-face was yelling ?Nooo! What cringy lines are you spouting, Allen!? Just shut up!? at me while grabbing me by my collar. I chuckled imagining that. Vol. 1 - Chapter 169 - Imminent Disaster (2) "Dan is an unmistakable prodigy. After all, he has an undying passion for ships. There would surely come a time when he, Daniel Serdos, the first generation president of the Royal Academy''s Sail Club, would sail through uncharted seas. A horizon that no one has ever seen before." I stared Marquis Grauksh straight in the eye as I quietly declared that. I could have held Dan''s name back, but from the flow of the situation, it was all but confirmed that our quiet playtime in the Sail Club was coming to an end. It won¡¯t be just the two of us anymore after this. The situation was so obvious that it''d been foolish for me to avert my eyes. It was only a matter of time before our new method of ship sailing would spread to others. Besides, and I know this may sound ironic coming from me considering I had been ignoring them, I certainly didn''t like how Dan was being labeled as someone egoistic or selfish in the rumors. Though that potato face didn''t really care no matter how much he had been preached on. I was no different when it came to the rumor about myself, but I couldn''t suppress my annoyance when it was about him, as much as that sounded contradictory. Dan had become proficient in decelerating a ship with outer mana operation, and all that was left for him was to efficiently control the mana inside his body, but even that was just a matter of time in my estimation. The time was ripe, so we might as well make the best use out of this opportunity, noh? I mean, it was just an honest-to-goodness slip of the tongue, no matter what anyone said. I may have said everything at the height of my emotions, but it was refreshing, really. "......Such words of praise in a meeting like this, irrespective of their weight, are truly...... something. Alright, it''s my loss. I''m speechless." Marquis Grauksh stared into my eyes for a moment, his expression indifferent, but he eventually relented as he murmured so while closing his eyes. He turned around, and bowed his head to excuse himself, saying ''Pardon me for interrupting the meeting, please continue.'' I mean, I was technically telling the truth though. Dan would surely become someone amazing, there was no lie in what I said. ''Well, he''s Daniel Serdos after all,'' I followed up after the Marquis said his piece, and corrected my posture. Glover-san gave a nod and resumed the earlier discussion. "How quickly do you think we can get there?" I recalled the map of the kingdom, which had started to come together quite nicely lately, at the back of my mind, and estimated the time it would take us to get there. "Following the wind, it should be within 6 days, I believe." Chatter-Chatter My words brought a slight stir among the big-wigs. Well, the day and the location were also factors, but the winds from the Northwest were especially stronger during this season. It would be impossible to dispose of all the eggs within two days of our arrival. However, what mattered was that there was a chance to remove even just a few of them at all. I decided earlier, and it still held true even now, that I had no wish to take the burden for the kingdom''s sake, but alas, this was, in the end, inevitable. I couldn''t have my fun time over the ruins of a kingdom, right? And my motto was that Anyone who stands in my way shall be decimated. Then again, who knows if those bigwigs would even accept the words of a mere student, and invest their precious resources and tools for the cause. And it turned out... to be a needless worry. Glover-san showed a look of understanding, and turned to the direction where His Majesty and the Knight Order''s Commander Olina were seated. "It may turn out to be a fool''s errand, so I¡¯ll bear responsibility for everything. So, since this would be taking away valuable human resources and magical tools, may I ask for your permission to follow the two youngsters?" "Hmm, as far as I can tell, I don''t think he''s that difficult to deal with personality-wise. Anyway, Glover, do you really see him making it in time? Either way, we¡¯re going to assume otherwise and prepare for a long war. This may change, though, depending on how they perform." Glover shook his head in response to Oliana''s query. "It''s embarrassing for me to say this as the one who pushed for his inclusion, however I can''t promise that they can make it. It¡¯s been such a long time since the Knight Order last went through an intensive sailing drill. Unfortunately, not even our second legion has that many knights knowledgeable about ships, and since a while ago, I¡¯ve been hearing from some of the knights that they felt something amiss from the speed of the blowing wind. It was just last night that I received a report from Cass ¡ª ah, he''s one of my knights with a deep background in maritime stuff, and has some attainment in sailing ¡ª about a ship with an odd design that had recently anchored in the Royal Capital''s port. It was quite fast, not something that can be written off as a mere coincidence. Dew, I don¡¯t think it would be efficient mana-wise either, but what do you say? Do you think Allen Rovenne is capable of using the wind generated by his wind magic to push the ship, and perhaps speed it up?" Dew crossed his arms, and shut his eyes, seemingly pondering something in silence. "...He should be able to do that for a few minutes at least, but whether he can do it continuously is something I doubt. Plus with the trip being several days long and stretching over a huge distance, it''s definitely impossible... or so my mind says. Frankly, I wouldn''t be surprised if he has some kind of trick up his sleeve to make it possible. I¡¯m used to his antics at this point¡ª oh, but I would surely lose sleep if he suddenly decided to turn over a new leaf for sure." ''I see,'' said Oliana, who had been listening to everything with her arms crossed. "...At any rate, whether he can do it or not will soon be made apparent. But for now, Daniel Serdos is indispensable for this strategy, Marquis Grauksh. Bringing in a student when he''s not even a provisional member of our Knight Order will never be recognized, even if he''s a student of the Royal Academy...... if it had been any other day. But since we are in a state of emergency, the situation fulfills the conditions, so it can be left to His Majesty''s discretion, or even with just the acknowledgment of over half of the ministers. But it would be unpalatable if we appeared so authoritative, so I would like you to persuade him somehow." Such a polite method was... certainly only possible due to the abundant talent of the Royal Academy students. The chosen students obviously were the elite among the elites, their base parameters far above anyone else and were excellent in all fronts. It had a high chance to have prodigies with extraordinary expertise in one area as well. However, the act of borrowing said student''s talent meant that the said student would lose valuable time they could have devoted within the Academy. It was a general concern, not specifically limited to the current case. Field experience could prove to be invaluable, but the fundamental training the Academy provided ultimately raises their base parameters up, which adds to their area of expertise as well. This was why, to balance fundamentals and on-field experience, there was an internship system for the third year students during the summer vacation. But even in such a scenario, the staff made sure that the students didn''t fall behind in their studies. The system looked not at the present, but to the unknown of the future. A long term vision, you could say. Marquis Grauksh bowed. "It would be my utmost honor to take upon this task." Oliana nodded. "Alright, I believe we¡¯ve discussed everything we could, so let''s get on with our respective tasks. After all, we''re still racing against time. Your Majesty, if we can have some words from you?" At the prompt, King Patrick Arthur Yuglia got up from his seat. Everyone followed after him within the same breath. "This is what King Arthur had said during the inception of the kingdom: Everyone that lives in this country is my friend, and many among them are people who''re far more excellent than me. So I put this crown on to create a country where my friends can have a happy life." Patrick''s expression displayed a bright smile. "It may take us a long time to achieve this wish. The kingdom may expand in size, but it''s all based on the fact that we must keep our kingdom alive. Now let us begin the groundwork for this wish." " "Yes, Your Majesty!" " Vol. 1 - Chapter 170 - Messenger (1) In the second residence of Count Serdos located at the Royal Capital. Dan''s father, Thomas Von Serdos, cornered Dan in the living room. "You still haven''t gotten that appointment from Allen Rovenne!? Didn''t I say it can be unofficial as well if necessary?!" From Dan''s perspective, it was Count Serdos who appeared more cornered about this than him. It just so happened that the Count was the target of snide remarks in the year-end gathering held in the main territory of Marquis Grauksh that was joined by many influential nobles including the Marquis and others who were of the same rank as him. They hadn¡¯t outright said it, typical of nobles, but it was clear that they were pointing at him by saying ''Someone who''s a failure as the head of the family that even his son looks down on him''. Still, he could endure it one way or another. However, what he couldn''t endure were the biting remarks of Marquis Grauksh who gave him a rundown of the Marquis Meeting. The Marquis had straight out said ''Who could have expected that the father would fall so short compared to his prodigal son... It''s just a waste to expect anything at this point'' with a sigh. The Marquis Meeting had just been held a while ago, but seeing that there were still no rumors about Dan further pressured Count Serdos. Dan''s achievements had put him in second place of his class. This fact alone should have garnered an endless stream of praises from everyone. However, the situation had taken a different turn this year. The birth of the many clubs that Allen had come up with as a way to further his dream had caught many people unaware, and the people who were delegated as heads of these clubs were pushed into prominence. Humans were a lump of desires. Count Serdos hadn''t even stopped to think how much effort it would have required Dan to reach second place, yet he started to expect even more. He wasn''t content with a mere 2nd rank. In a way, he was just the kind of person who would kill a goose that laid golden eggs hoping to get a heap of them immediately. But if he really had to blame someone for his predicament, then he could only blame himself. Had he not bragged about how Allen came to visit his best friend during the summer vacation and rubbed it on other people''s faces again and again, perhaps he could have saved himself from the mockery. "I tried to, but he''s quite busy..." Dan lowered his head in an apologetic gesture, but on the contrary, he hadn¡¯t really talked about it with Allen except once. To start with, it was forbidden for unaffiliated people to directly send invitations for parties or meetings to students of the Royal Academy. Nobles were nobles, and they wouldn''t miss out on using everything at their disposal, especially the ones closer to the top guns, just to recruit the students into their camp, which would be a huge obstacle to their studies. It was a lesson from the past after many geniuses had been ruined due to falling for the adults¡¯ honeyed words. Hence, the rule had always been strictly enforced. One of the few options they could use to circumvent this was through other students, and even then only through personal discussions. Nothing more, nothing less. And as for Allen, he had refused everyone''s invitations, including Meria Dragoon¡¯s who was the overall supreme leader of the territory that his hometown was a part of. Zatsinger and Leverance too had openly shown their interest in him, but he hadn''t glanced their way one bit despite this. Dan was sure that Allen wouldn''t be bored enough to come to a dinner meeting filled with nothing but stiff talk without any particular reason. Plus, if he accepted one, then there would be a trail of people pushing him to accept their invitation as well, which would just waste his valuable time. It was a rather easy to reach conclusion. Well, it was another matter that there was probably hardly anyone else who would shoot down invitations left and right like Allen does. Every one of his classmates was aware of the turbulent power balance that had Allen at its center, and there was a tacit understanding between all of them to avoid crashing it on a whim. Or well, in truth, they were all just afraid of stepping into such a mess. From our perspective, it was a cesspool of political intrigue delicately hanging on a thread altogether, and while they haven''t been caught up in it, just a glance at it was enough to upset our stomachs. Yet, Allen was so nonchalantly swimming across it that his classmates were sure that he seriously had some screws loose in his head. In fact, even Bester, whom Allen had praised as a sensible fool, had to be careful in making a move when stepping into such a political maelstrom. And having grown up in a different environment with a different set of values, Brient had no way to see through Veena''s heart. "...I can''t express my apology enough for the actions of my little sister. And Dan, you, too, should learn not to cause trouble to your father." "Understood." And the final nail in the coffin that made the Count pull his hair in frustration was the report that Mimosa had bestowed the Royal Academy''s Sail Club a ship. It should''ve been a commendable fact that a merchant from his region actually managed to become the sponsor for a Royal Academy club... At least, that was how it should have been. But the Count was trying to bury the fact that Dan was his illegitimate child that he had neglected in the earlier days. He certainly didn''t like the fact that the said sponsor was none other than Serene Sea Co. where Dan had been raised. The report from Dan stated that Allen just happened to visit the port town for sightseeing, happened to meet Mimosa there, and had taken a fancy to their ships, so he pushed for a sponsorship contract. But, the story was just too coincidental to be true, so he couldn''t fully believe it. Besides, whether it was true or not didn¡¯t matter. The problem was how the world saw Serene Sea Co. In other people''s heads, they must have assumed that Serene Sea Co. had deep ties with the Serdos family, and more so with Dan. He received plenty of probing from other nobles like ''Wow, you really hid yourself so cleverly. Say, why don''t you tell me the truth? I assure you, your secret¡¯s safe with me¡¯. He had a rough time making excuses all this while. After all, he couldn''t say he didn''t know about the sponsorship deal as their lord, could he? He had summoned Mimosa once to this secondary house, and he had tried to coerce her, threaten her, and he even asked for a price to take over her company. However, having prepared herself for the worst already, Mimosa took in everything with a stride. In her own words, she wasn''t such an easy woman who would throw a pie in front of her for crumbs. Her elder sister still has the shoulder of this little sister to rely on was her message. Count Serdos''s head had almost burst out at Mimosa''s implied meaning. He even thought of conceding this matter had the Sail Club actually had some achievements and made the world see them in a new light. Alas, he never got the desired result he had wanted, and instead, they even faded out of the public eye. ......Either way, he needed to take control of the situation. So the Count used all sorts of methods to harass Serene Sea Co.''s side store that they had recently opened in the Royal Capital. Unfortunately, the Crane-Dragon Union, their patron, had poured water on all of his efforts. The man that went by the name Gin was especially a thorn he couldn''t remove from his side. Count Serdos''s mind had once again started to escape from reality when the family''s steward jumped into the room with a pale face. "I-It''s an urgent matter, Master! Marquis Grauksh himself has arrived as a messenger regarding the disaster in the Grauksh territory!" "The M-Marquis himself, and a-as a messenger?! Who in the world sent him?... For what reason?!" The Steward knelt and said, "Yes, His Excellency mentioned an urgent request for the Young Master Daniel. And, h-he came in the... that.... a magic car with the Yuglia Royal Family crest, affirming that he''s here under the command of H-His Majesty!" After a moment of spacing out, everyone''s gazes creaked in Dan''s direction. Dan shook his head slowly, indicating he had no idea what it was about as his face muscles twitch uncontrollably. Vol. 1 - Chapter 171 - Messenger (2) "I-It''s an honor for you to visit us, Your Excellency. We didn''t have enough time to prepare, but please make yourself comfortable." Perspiring from top to bottom in cold sweat, Count Serdos came out to greet Marquis Grauksh along with Daniel. As a messenger of His Majesty, they obviously had to respond, but the matter happened so suddenly that a lack of preparation was inevitable. "Time is of the essence, so the entrance is fine. In fact, I just came from the Academy where I heard that you were here. It''s been a while, Daniel. I guess the last time we saw each other was during your summer vacation. It''s good to see you in good health." Marquis kicked-started the conversation with random talk, then he cleared his throat slightly before stating the reason he visited them as His Majesty''s messenger in a stately but clear tone. "......And that was how it went. ¡®The only way I can respond to the kingdom''s distress call is with the support of my close friend Dan.¡¯ He announced it quite grandly in front of His Majesty and the other top ministers. ......So, Daniel. I can''t deny that I had thought that the activities of the Sail Club were nothing more than a waste of time, so everything I say may look like an adult changing their tune for their personal interest. I won¡¯t ask for your forgiveness, but if you can find it in your heart then please, assist us in saving the Grauksh territory... and this kingdom." Standing at the entrance, Marquis Grauksh looked straight into Dan''s eyes as he talked, and lowered his head after saying his piece. The scene was so absurd that Dan¡¯s thought process came to an abrupt halt with his eyes widening to their limit, and the only thought he could muster up was¡ª Ah, Allen got them good. Meanwhile, Codie-chan, who had heard their words from afar, appeared while rubbing his hands together and chiding Dan. "What''re you doing standing there like an idiot, Daniel!? There''s nothing else to think about! Hurry up and say you understand! Daniel understands what to do, Your Excellency, so please raise your head." However, everyone present ignored him. Dan, coming back to his senses, knelt on one knee, and pressed his right hand to his chest. "......It¡¯ll be my honor to accept this duty." Only when he heard Dan''s words did Marquis Grauksh raise his head with a sigh. "I am really very much glad to hear that...... You¡¯ve made a valuable friend, Daniel. Allen Rovenne was really furious for you. He didn''t say it, but his meaning was clear¡ª Stop it with your prejudice and take a good look at Dan, that he''s the one and only Daniel Serdos. It was as if he was persuading a kid, I couldn''t utter any words in front of His Majesty and the other ministers." The Marquis quipped, and flashed a bitter smile. "......You shouldn''t take any of his words to heart, Your Excellency. He... Allen Rovenne is just that kind of person." Dan almost had a headache at the shenanigans Allen had pulled, and was only barely able to muster a response. Marquis chuckled at his words, and then glanced at Count Serdos¡¯ way. "......You really hide yourself deep, eh, Thomas? No matter how you were reproached, you continued to protect him, and kept your unwavering trust in him. Not everyone has such nerves of steel. And, oh, I am genuinely saying this. Everyone had been spinning their yarn while having no idea, and kept asking for an immediate result¡ª I was no different. You''ve shown your caliber as a noble, and as a father, splendidly so. Who would''ve thought I would be outsmarted." The Count, meanwhile, was confused by the Marquis¡¯ praises as the latter tapped his shoulder, and was only barely able to reply. "P-Please, even a hundred of me wouldn''t be enough to outsmart you, Your Excellency. I never intended to keep you in the dark." The Marquis brushed him off with a laugh. "Wahaha! Don''t look down on the Grauksh''s information department. I¡¯ve already discovered everything from Daniel''s upbringing to his connection with Serene Sea Co. So don''t bother explaining things now, Thomas. You had everything in the palm of your hand all along¡ª or not. You''ve really made me look at him in a new light. Daniel Serdos, huh?... Truly the one and only in this kingdom. Mark my words: when this disaster is resolved, it¡¯ll turn into a tale for everyone to hear. I bet the other nobles must have had a good laugh about the Sail Club after listening to the details of the Marquis Meeting. It''s going to turn into a good show, kukuku. Come, Daniel. Hurry up with your preparations. I¡¯ll give you a ride to the port in my magic car." Dan bowed and then left to get his things. Marquis Grauksh watched him leave, and once he was out of sight, the smile on his face vanished. Instead, he wore a demonic visage-like mask¡ª reflecting the image of an Apex Noble who had survived countless cutthroat scenarios to reach his current place. "Speaking of which, some fella seemed to have thought highly of himself and forced his way in the middle of our talk when I came here as a proxy of His Majesty, and had to bow my head to Daniel." The Marquis said as he glared at the said guy like he was some insect. The intense gaze had both Codie-chan and Brient, who had been there to support him, shudder in cold sweat. "Daniel is someone who has made his name known among the council members while still being a first-year student in the Royal Academy, so... WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO SPEAK ON HIS BEHALF!" "I¡¯m not an expert in business, but I can introduce you to her. It''s just that, I dare say, Sis Mimo ¡ª my Aunt ¡ª will most likely turn down your offer, even if Your Excellency gives it personally. She''s the kind of person who relies on herself no matter what." This time, the Marquis''s eyes widened. "Ohh? I heard she has quite the guts from my investigation team, but color me surprised if she would reject even my offer. Well, force would only cripple what makes a merchant, and kill their peculiarity. In that case, pass my words that I would like to have an equal level of partnership, and just introduce me. After all, it wouldn''t bode well for me to be your enemy if I used some backhanded means." Dan nodded with a slightly awkward look. "But life sure does work in mysterious ways, huh?...... Never thought I would come to understand why Meria had been so annoyed lately." The Marquis said while pouting like some kid, his brows shaped together in an ''¥Ï'' shape. Dan had been feeling stiff being present in the same magic car as the Marquis, but he couldn''t help breaking into a smile when he imagined that figure who had been the cause of Marquis Dragoon''s headache. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Arriving at the military port near the Royal Palace, Dan found Allen looking at the loading of the luggage with an expression of boredom when he got down from the magic car. A jet black mantle ¡ª the color of the third legion ¡ª was draped on his back. "Hey, Allen..." Dan called out to him, and in response, Allen smiled like a mischievous kid¡ª or not, he simply greeted him with a ''Hey, today''s wind is pleasant, isn''t it?'' with a smile. Dan felt a bit letdown, his shoulder dropping in dejection. "You..... Don''t you have something to say to me?" Allen''s eyes drifted for a moment when Dan threw him a straight ball, but the next moment, he gave him a thumbs up with a bright smile. "I gave them a sound lesson in your place. No need to thank me~." Dan flashed an amicable smile when he heard that, and¡ª brought down a hand chop enhanced with mana on that grinning face. "Gahh! W-W-What the hell are you doing, you potato face!?" "I should be the one asking you that! Of all things, you just had to advertise me in front of His Majesty! Learn some tact, for god damn sake!" "Shut up. It''s up to me however I want to evaluate you! Heck, you know we just can''t trudge our way through with only slick words. Besides, you''re a much better sailor than me, and you can sail the ship much faster than me. Of course, I''d need you for us to make it in time. Can you say that I''m wrong?! It''s about time you made up your mind!" "I... I mean, you may be right but...... I don''t think you had to be so bold in front of His Majesty..." "Hmph, don''t mind the small details, that was mostly just a slip of the tongue. I mean, just imagine me saying ''I¡¯ll do my best'' like normal. That¡¯ll just bring even more attention to me, and it would be another mess of annoyance. So I just shared some of the glory your way." Once again, Allen flashed a grin while giving Dan a thumbs up, seemingly saying ''sharing is caring, after all¡¯. It elicited another hand chop from Dan. "Gah!" "Don''t take me for an idiot, dammit! What do you mean slip of the tongue?! It was definitely a calculated move from you!" "Enough, you moron! Or I¡¯ll blow you away!" Rubbing his forehead, Allen retorted and started to control the surrounding wind. Dan paused momentarily, and then hurriedly took action. He jumped over a 10 cm wide wooden board by the port side of the ship in one leap, and assumed a sharp karate-like stance. "Try it, if you dare." ......But some people intervened and walked between them. "...Haha, it''s great to see you all in high spirits, but I think it would be best to save your strength until our departure..." They turned around to look, and saw members of the second legion ¡ª Glover-san and another person, seemingly his elder brother ¡ª looking at them with dumbfounded expressions. They both were wearing cyan-colored mantles¡ª the color of the second legion. And behind the two, Marquis Grauksh was giggling at them. Vol. 1 - Chapter 172 - Transportation Assignment (1) "I¡¯ll really blow you away!" "Try it if you can." Dan and I were just messing around when Glover-san appeared and interjected. "It''s great to see you all in good health, but how about saving that energy for when we leave...?" "Ah, Glover-san. Good evening." Being told so by Glover-san, Dan and I awkwardly lowered our fists. "Still, you''re already prepared, huh? So, after discussing our transport strategy with Olina-sama, I¡¯ll be taking command here. This guy here is also a member of the Knight Order''s Second Legion¡ª Caster Burou. He and I are somewhat knowledgeable regarding ships. I recall you asked for one assistant; however, considering that you two need to get enough rest as well ¡ª we can''t have you tired when we encounter something trouble ¡ª I decided that a four-person team would be for the best. Well, the cabin would be cramped, but our safe arrival is top priority." "Feel free to call me Cass. Let''s see this to the very end." The other man, Cass-san, introduced himself and offered us his hand for a handshake. He should be around 30 years old from his looks. Sporting long, quirky, brown hair, he gave off the impression of a mischievous person at a glance, but the brilliance in his eyes reminded me of Riyad-senpai. It was a sound first impression. Our Sail Club''s newly built ship ¡ª which was going to be used in this mission ¡ª was 25 meters in length, bigger than our previous ship. It had quite the width in the middle compared to a typical vertical sail ship to give it more stability ¡ª it was to make sure that the ship remained straight on its path without rolling around too much ¡ª while the rest of the ship was made to be as slender as possible. Consequently, the cabin was also small. Well, we never thought we would ever use this ship for long-distance transportation missions. The addition of one new helmsman meant increasing our food stock and other vital supplies, but this should also lessen the strain on us, allowing us to work better. The ship also had a big and improvised keel (centerboard)¡ª a wing-like part that stretched out from the sole of the ship to the water. The purpose of the keel was to prevent the ship from rolling around too much when the restoring force granted the ship a forward pull. The keel was quite heavy, and the bigger it was, the lower the ship''s center of gravity, thus increasing the generation of the restoring force. We wanted the ship to remain as stable as possible when we began using our devised technique, hence this was one of our solutions to that. (T/N - Just in case, Restoring Force is an act to bring the body to its equilibrium (stability). In short, like how a rubber band would return to its original position after being stretched, imagine a ship sailing across the sea and a wave struck it, changing its direction from perpendicular (straight line) to tilted angle. Now the restoring force would act to bring it back to its straight line (an equivalent would be wobble toy/dancing toy). Another of our solutions to the stability problem was making watertight spaces on the exterior of the ship, called Bulges, to make sure that the ship''s direction during travel doesn''t go awry. At the same time, it also acted as defense against monster attacks. We couldn''t risk another iteration of the orca incident or something similar, after all. This had also served as an assurance for Mimosa and her company''s employees. We saw the worry in their eyes, so this was one way to ease it. Every improvement had been to increase water resistance and reduce speed, prioritizing balance. Speaking of which, I guess we should use the supplies as crutches to shift the ship''s center of gravity instead of the ballast which was often the main tool for this. Of course, changing the center of gravity while the ship was riding the waves wasn''t risk-free, and could destroy the ship¡¯s balance which could consequently lower the dynamic force or result in losing control over the ship''s movement, but we had the wind under our command to manipulate its speed, so this should lower the stakes. However, yeah, training was indispensable for this. Anyway, there were still many places to modify, but I believe we should be able to get enough speed. "Woah, I''ve already seen it before, but this ship is really quite something! A beauty is better seen up close indeed." All the mages of the Knight Order boasted above average stamina after all. Stamina ¡ª or Endurance ¡ª was the primary factor that influenced the pace of a march. To put it in ever broader strokes, their endurance was the key factor in the number of tactics an army could deploy. While there was no doubt that knights specialized in Body Strengthening Magic excelled in stamina, a team would undoubtedly be divided into vanguard and rearguard groups when the time of battle came. Plus, mages capable of emitting mana above a certain standard were naturally proficient in Body Strengthening Magic. It was on account of such situations that the Academy had set one of its policies: there was no place for mages who could only perform from a safe distance in the Academy. Aside from the two Mages from the Knight Order, we had one person from the Mage Corps of the Central Military Force, and another who was a civilian¡ª a researcher of Emission Magic. They also issued an urgent nomination request seeking expert water mages to the Explorer Association, but there was no confirmation as to how many it could provide. I believe they must have put up a hefty reward. However, it depended on whether they could get in touch with the association, if they would accept the request, or if they would even be able to make it on time. All the preparation would become moot if we couldn''t even arrive on time before the Hellrowcast eggs hatched, so our departure time was set in stone. Those who we''d be able to meet on the way via the sea route or ports would be adequately contacted through Magic Bird. 5 minutes before departure¡ª A carriage dispatched by the Explorer''s Association made its way to the port. Three explorers got off from it. And¡ª "Allen!? And Dan too!? What''re you doing here?" Al was one of them. I kind of expected him to be here. He was definitely a prodigy of a generation when it came to Ice Magic, plus when you put filters like ''Must be readily contactable'' and ''Have commendable strength'' within a limited time frame, he was someone who couldn''t be passed over. Of course, it would normally be impossible to mobilize a Royal Academy student, but as long as there''s a request for ''Explorer Al'' and the consent of the person himself, it was a cinch. I recall it was these extended requests from the Association that caused Riyad-senpai to fall from Class A to Class B. "We, the Sail Club, have been requested by the collective power of the Kingdom to carry out this transport mission. What about you, are you alright with leaving the Academy for that long?" "Huh, ah, yes. I mean, if there are people who can be saved using my magic, there''s no way I can stay out of it as the President of the Mage Club, right? Seriously, the more I stay near you, the more my mind pushes me to think about what I want to do, or want to be, you know? Anyway, I already confirmed it with Godorfun-sensei just to be sure, and he said he¡¯ll count this as an extracurricular lesson, and that the Academy will have no problem with it either." As expected, that geezer sure was a prime reference to learn 101 methods of how to abuse your authority...... Though I guess he gets a pass this time given it was for a crisis affecting the entire kingdom. Then again, I doubt anyone would be yapping about the rules given the situation, and he himself had the might to push them away. You could only have what those in power have decided. Oh well, I don''t care about the result, so whatever. "Enough about me, you said something about... a request from the kingdom? I thought the Sail Club was just a pastime, Allen?" Al questioned with a sharp gaze. I brushed him off with a chuckle and gave him a thumbs up. T/N - Somehow, the image in my mind is like ¡®tehe¡¯ and giving the thumbs up. On the side note, if patreons are facing problems, please let us know via the discord server. It has been a patreon api¡¯s error where you may may not see chapters after login. It has been fixed for now. But feel free to contact us in such situation. Vol. 1 - Chapter 173 - Transportation Assignment (2) Three hours after our departure from the Royal Capital¡ª I manipulated the wind while Dan controlled the ship from the cabin. A veil of darkness covered our vision, but for us and the Knight Order''s Commander Glover plus Cass-san, it barely posed a problem for our cruise. Meanwhile, Glover-san also had all the dangerous zones like reefs that could block our ship memorized. It was incredible, admittedly, but I think a precise river and sea chart would be way better than relying on intuition and experience. For these past three hours, Glover-san and Cass-san had been staying close to Dan, learning our way of sailing. I didn''t expect them to learn wind magic within the timeframe of this mission, but just being able to navigate the ship was a huge lifesaver as it would allow Dan and me to rest intermittently. They were necessary so that we could travel up the route with efficiency. This was the reason why I requested additional sailors, though the two of them were much better than me in navigating the ship. Cass-san, especially, seemed to own several personal ships of his liking, and his skills rivaled even Dan''s. But then again, Dan and I spent a lot of our time synchronizing our movements at our club activities, so in terms of coordination, they still had some ways to go. Navigating with wind magic was a joint effort of the front ¡ª the one who manipulates the wind ¡ª and the back ¡ª the one who controls the ship. In one of these moments, seemingly having learned the basics through occasionally steering the ship, the two approached me as I controlled the flow of the wind at the center of the ship. "I heard the basic principle from Daniel-kun, but...... this is unbelievable. It''s happening right before my eyes, however, this speed really blows away all that my knowledge and experience...... I mean, the wind isn''t blowing as strongly as the ship''s speed suggests. Anyway, you''ve been using your wind magic for three hours now, would you like to take a rest?" Glover had an incredulous expression as he inquired. "Thank you, but I¡¯m alright. This is faster than pushing the boat with wind magic." The wind was currently blowing from the northwest at about 10 m/s. Converting this to speed yielded around 36 km/h. In a scenario where we had a perfectly favorable wind directly behind us, using only the force of the wind on the sails without dynamic force, the maximum speed we could achieve would still be below 36 km/h. Of course, the actual speed would be even lower due to many factors like water resistance among other things. But right now, the ship''s speed likely exceeded 36 km/h. It might be hard to grasp intuitively, but with proper use of dynamic force, a sailboat can indeed achieve speeds greater than the blowing wind itself, which is one of the fascinating aspects of this technique. There were two crucial aspects to utilizing the Sail Wind magic. I manipulated the tailwind and turned it into a crosswind, using the dynamic force to propel us forward. This was, however, quite hard to achieve as one had to take control of the air spread out in a vast area. Dan was still incapable of doing it. Of course, controlling all the wind in a complete 180 degree area was impossible even for me, and it was neither efficient nor practical. However, the mana loss was minimal if it was just turning the direction of wind to 30 degrees around from a distance and this was something I trained myself to do since the development of the flying magic car. The flying capability of this technique was totally dependent on where and at which angle the wind was striking the wings. The second task was to keep the wind blowing within the confines of the sail ¡ª lest the wind dispersed ¡ª as much as possible and build up the dynamic force. The general procedure was to curb the speed of the wind within the ship, which would cause an atmospheric difference with the drifting wind outside the ship. However, this required me to maintain a delicate balance as overdoing it could easily push the ship to move erratically, or in a ''stall'' like situation that happens with airplanes. As I tilted my head in confusion, Glover-san shook his head. ¡°We may be graduates, but we don¡¯t have the right to join the Academy¡¯s clubs, nor the time for it. Realistically, we¡¯d sign a collaborative research contract between the Royal Academy¡¯s Sail Club and the Kingdom¡¯s Knight Order to share the research results... It¡¯s not entirely unheard of since researchers affiliated with that Academy are quite competent. However, I¡¯ve never heard of a case where a student-run club and the Knight Order collaborated on research, even for the Royal Academy.¡± Ah, so that''s it. I assume it was something similar to the ''Spreadsheet Program'' I accidentally created, and in which the researcher Emi-sensei, the advisor of the Emission Magic Research Club, was a participant. The advantages of a collaboration would be honor and funding, which I didn¡¯t really feel like I needed, but there was no reason to outright refuse or oppose it. It was a good thing for technology to advance, and an increase in the number of wind magic uses was a welcome change for me. ¡°Well, all the final decisions regarding the Sail Club are for our President to decide, so you can continue this with him.¡± That said, it was another tiresome matter, so I pushed it onto Dan. As for why I said ''This much is nothing to me'', it was because Dan wanted to seek the possibility of creating ships fundamentally different from the conventional sailboats we were currently using. It was when we were exchanging our ideas, and I was referring to this physical phenomenon as ¡®fluid dynamics¡¯ for convenience, when Dan, as sharp as ever, immediately asked ''Fluid? You mean this phenomenon can be applied to streams... I mean water as well, and not just air?'' I dodged the question back then with ''Well, for all that it matters, maybe?'' Back when I was in Japan, there was a passenger ship that travelled to a remote island using a method called a jet foil. By placing small wings underwater, the hull would lift, allowing the parts not covered by the wings to glide above the water without facing resistance¡ª essentially a flying ship. Since water and air have densities that differed by hundreds of times, the dynamic force generated would be vastly different, resulting in such a strange phenomenon. Out of curiosity, I did a quick search online and found that in the yacht world championship from my previous life, the foiling method of lifting the hull was the mainstream, and the top speeds were certainly over 100 km/h. And that was only using the wind, with nary an ounce of magic. I could only wonder the speed we would be able to gain if we also brought wind magic into the picture. Besides, for a world where rowing the boat with physical strengthening magic was much faster than magic ships, it would be an absolute game-changer. Our current ship was just a glimpse of that underlying technique, a mere milestone in the long path ahead. But, I had no doubt that Dan would open a brand new path for the world. "Your discovery has put you far ahead of anyone else, but we''re also the kingdom''s renowned Knight Order. We''re not simply here to receive. We¡¯ll definitely bring out a result that¡¯ll be eye-opening for you as well." Eyes brimming with fighting spirit, Cass-san flashed a daring grin. I also grinned back at him. Meanwhile, our ship continued to sail through the Rune River. E/N - F me, these past few chapters have been hard to edit. The sailing terms and theories just fly right over my head. ???? T/N - Can''t miss out on academic part after the magic, eh? Vol. 1 - Chapter 174 - Transportation Assignment (3) While Allen and Dan were sailing the ship, and at the same time explaining the know-how and underlying principle of their Sail Wind Magic, the seven mages onboard were spending their time doing their own things. Maybe they didn''t have much opportunity to ride a boat as some looked around out of curiosity, while the others set their gazes on the cockpit and marveled at how Dan navigated the ship. Then, when they seemingly had enough of the tour, and the passing scenery lost its novelty, they rested at a corner of the deck to make sure they didn''t hinder the two captains as the day approached its end. Magic heaters were placed at the center of their little circles. When it came to the open waters, the wind had nothing to block it, making it strike against the travelers sharply. Coupled with the wintry night, the chill felt like thousands of ice needles pricking their skin. But of course, everyone had prepared themselves to face such hardship back when they were preparing for the trip. They were also handed good-quality blankets made from monsters¡¯ skin. Well, with the presence of magic guards, an individual''s resistance to the cold tended to be on the higher side. However, maybe it was just that chilly, or perhaps they had nothing better to do as the ship sailed through the dark river, they circled around the magic stoves in two groups, casually chatting around. One reason could be that the cabin of this ship was far from enough to accommodate beds. The front and rear cabins were stuffed with logistic supplies and other daily usage items, while the middle cabin could possibly accommodate the 7 people at least if they lied down, however, no one wanted to rest there yet. Perhaps, they were trying to be considerate to Allen and the rest, or maybe it was the pressure as someone whose actions would decide the fate of the kingdom in this critical mission, everyone''s expressions were stiff. Typically, this would have been the stage for the mood maker Al to step up, but he had been sitting a slight distance away from the stoves, knees drawn to his chest and a brooding expression on his face as he stared at the drifting scenery. Soon, it would transition into another day. A man in his late 30s, an explorer who came along with Al from the Association, took out a mini bottle of alcohol and muttered to himself while gulping it down. "The reward was so mouth-watering that I ended up accepting it without a second thought, but... what do we have here? The great knights of the kingdom''s one and only Knight Order, the vice-chairwoman of the Simplex Institution renowned for her Ice magic ¡ª that she was even nicknamed ¡®Ice Elf¡¯ ¡ª Ruruce Simplex... and I, a mere C-rank adventure among these big names. Aye, maybe I jumped the gun a bit too hastily. Not that I intend to do it, but... will I be executed if I accidentally accelerate their growth if I make a magic blunder, I wonder?" The soliloquy was obviously heard by the others. Caprine, a member of the Royal Army and the leader of the mage corps in this mission, addressed him in an overly serious manner. "C-rank explorer Dongo Irish. I have much faith in the assessment of the Exploration Association. If the Association pushed for your inclusion in this mission, then I believe you have what it takes to help us when the time comes. But if you''re still unsure, would you like to test your strength?" Caprine stood up and walked towards the cabin, and came back with a cage stuffed with hen''s eggs ¡ª they were a size bigger than what could be found on Earth ¡ª and put one of them on the deck. "Try to freeze this egg with your magic. If possible, try to do it as quickly as you can, and focus only on the eggshell. Let me demonstrate it." Caprine pointed her baton inlaid with an invigorating green mana stone at the egg after she finished speaking. Crack! In just a moment, a fissure ran through the egg. The inside of the egg should have expanded after the water within was frozen. But, because she had done it in a flash and in one fell swoop, not a single drop spilled out. "Though you¡¯ll lose your share of eggs for tomorrow''s breakfast if you fail to stop it from spilling out." Caprine said with a serious expression, and handed one egg to Dongo. Dongo took another sip of alcohol as he accepted it. "Hmph! I¡¯m nothing but an uncultured explorer with a meh upbringing. So what if it spills out, I¡¯ll just lick it. This¡¯ll make a good appetizer for my alcohol." Gondo said while raising a waist-length wand and pointing it toward the egg. Crack! A resounding crack echoed from the egg two or three seconds later. A bit of the egg white spilled out, but otherwise the egg maintained its shape. Caprine took the egg into her hand. "......Hmm, your control is slightly rough, but this earns you plenty of points. I¡¯ve had the chance to freeze Hellrowcast eggs before¡ª of course it wasn¡¯t the mutated variant. Your output is more than enough to do the job. How''s your mana capacity?" "Really?! Hehe. If you say so, I guess I can do it indeed. Maybe this¡¯ll open up the path for me to get to B-rank even though I¡¯ve already given up on it... Oh, my mana reserve is somewhere around 1200 units. It was barely one-third of that before, but my daily training paid off." Dongo said gleefully, his finger scratching the base of his nose. "I see... I¡¯ll arrange for more eggs when we stop at the next port for training. You''ll need to minimize your mana usage as much as possible, and since output is enough to freeze a Hellrowcast egg, this should be enough for your training. "Who the hell are you calling Donji?! I''m Dongo, note it down! And no, it''s my role as a fellow explorer to guide the newbies! In the world of explorers, a life can be lost at the drop of a hat if you''re working with someone you can¡¯t trust! Talent or strength can never replace the minimum manners required when interacting with people!" Dongo pushed for his reasoning and grabbed Al''s shoulder, forcing him to look his way while murmuring ''I¡¯ll first have you face me!'' Meanwhile, Al had been faithfully following Schord''s teachings ¡ª turning the heart and mind to nihility ¡ª all this while, but the drifting smell of alcohol from Dongo finally brought him back to his senses. He stood up with staggering steps, and lowered his head before¡ª "Urghhg Grororror!!!... Haa... Haa... I was caught up in seasickness......" He vomited on his hand. But that said, not a single bit of his vomit spilled on the deck. He had instantly frozen his vomit the moment he spit it out. It landed on his hand, making a clink-clink sound. He threw the ice vomit lump into the river, and used the water from his magic to clean his hands and mouth. "Kahahaha! I must say, even I am thoroughly astonished by that unique way of conversion. I¡¯ve never seen someone freeze their vomit to stop it from spilling! You think I can do it if I practice it too? If so, I would like to give it a try! Anyway, so what''s your name?" "Aldooooo grgh-gargle!" Clink-Clink! "Pff-hahaha! Oh, my word, this is truly astounding!" Caprine sighed as she looked at Ruruce who was clapping in amusement, and chimed in from the sideline. "He''s the D-rank explorer Al¡ª never mind, he''s Aldol Engraver, a freshman and student of that Class A in the Royal Academy. He''s also the president of the Emission Magic Research Club." She said, skipping to his actual information to avoid the hassle of explaining it again while picking up the egg Al had frozen earlier¡ª ?? But she suddenly tilted her head midway. "......It''s quite cold... much colder than it should be... And this is just with a direct touch instead of using a wand, huh? It shouldn''t be possible without special training. Can you tell me what kind of training you did, and for what?" "Oh-ho, so you''re the president of that magic club that our chairman grumbled about, huh? You know, we¡¯ve received far less talent this year from the Royal Academy compared to the past all thanks to your club. Oh well, not that I care. Anyway, tell me about your training." The two pushed Dongo aside and crept up on Al. "Huff... Huff... Gurg. Never had I thought my training to shoot ice beams out of my mouth would turn out to be useful in such a situation...... M-My apologies, but can you give me some space since... you know? Glurgh." Caprine gazed at the pale-faced Al, his eyes bloodshot, and shook her head. ''You need care,'' she murmured. She took out her handkerchief, soaked it in water with her magic, muttered ''excuse me¡¯, and placed it on his neck while rubbing his back. "It''s said that cooling the neck and head is effective in treating seasickness. Feel better now?" Al nodded, his face still pale. "Y-Yes. Thank you very much." "It''s not good to keep your clothes so tight in such a situation. Wait, I¡¯ll loosen your belt a bit." Ruruce moved to loosen Al''s belt¡ª or she was when the ship suddenly took a turn, and she instead ended up hugging him as she staggered. "I-I''m sorry!" "Haha, it''s fine. I would rather have you get better quickly. I have a lot to discuss with you." Ruruce said as she rubbed Al''s back while still locked in an embrace with him. Meanwhile, the ship continued to navigate through the Rune River without any hiccups¡ª or perhaps not. For some incomprehensible reason, the air in the ship suddenly took a dreadful turn. T/N - Lol, I had thought it was gonna be something serious, and maybe Al might talk back against Dongo. Who would have thought it would turn suddenly harem-y. I haven¡¯t checked the next chapter to see whom those sharp gaze (s) belonged to in the end, but I am sure who it is. Vol. 1 - Chapter 175 - Transportation Assignment (4) That blasted Al! Here I was, putting every fiber of my body and soul all to uphold the lofty goal of protecting the smiles of this kingdom''s denizens with nothing but a selfless heart, and what was he doing? Flirting at this time?! And of all things, one of them happened to be the silver-haired super beauty Onee-sama archetype, while the other was a mischievous, petite magician lady! What in the devil''s name was happening in this world?! Promptly, I flashed the hand sign for ''We''re switching to maximum speed'' to Dan. Kukuku! Don''t blame me, Al...... This is a necessary sacrifice to protect everyone''s smiles. We must get as much of a head start as possible right now while we still have plenty of stamina. Dan promptly gave a thumbs up, signaling that he was ready. Immediately, the ship made a creaking sound as it cut through the water sharper than ever. I changed the direction of the wind to the utmost, lowering its flow inside the ship. Immediately, the sail yard rotated while at the same time, Dan reacted by tightening the line of the sails in the same rhythm, thus giving a boost to the dynamic force. The end result was¡ª our ship took an abrupt turn while its speed sharply rose, as if someone had stepped on the accelerator. Al took a full dive into the ample bosom of the magician lady when it happened. "I-I didn''t mean to¡ª" "It''s fine, don''t mind such a trifling matter. Just focus on getting better for now since there''s so many things we need to talk about." On the other hand, the magician lady even gently hugged Al, and rubbed his back for him. W-What in the seven hells......?! Oh my god, since when did Al have the extraordinary passive skills of those protagonists from love-comedy stories?! I was baffled. "Tsk, so it was just seasickness. And here I thought you were plagued by some insane trouble... What has the world come to...? A Class-A student of that Academy is working as an explorer, huh?" The explorer from before¡ª the middle-aged uncle who had taught Al the ways of the world ¡ª grumbled as he walked toward the restroom in the rear deck. "Fer real, Donji-san. I believe you should have folded that naivety of his and thoroughly taught him what it means to be an explorer in this world. He really is taking this as a field trip, for crying out loud." As I urged the Uncle to be more strict with Al ¡ª all to protect the smiles of this kingdom ¡ª he made a confused expression for a short moment, before seemingly understanding the situation and shaking his head. "Again, I''m Dongo, not Donji. And I mean, seasickness is just one of those inevitable things. I still remember the time when I first took a request requiring me to travel to a distant place, and I puked in the carriage. My seniors at that time gave me quite a harsh scolding, and I also had to clean up my mess. ......But anyway, I presume you''re a member of the Knight Order''s third legion given that mantle, eh? I''m surprised you know so much about the custom of explore...rs...? Hmm... A young member of the third legion wearing a mask named Allen means¡ª" The Uncle mumbled so and came to a halt while looking as if he encountered a Unicorn. Ack, crap! He acted so much like a veteran explorer with an easygoing attitude that I accidentally lost myself and entered my explorer mode. I mean, one reason I wore a mask during my knight tasks was to save myself from being doxxed in case someone recognized me as explorer Ren. Incidentally, this was something I requested Mimosa to buy for me in Kirika town, and it was the new edition of that myriad expression middle-aged uncle mask line-up. It cost 49 real. This time, the mask had two holes in place of the eyes, allowing one to see. And when you stared into those eyes as a thin smile was spread on its lip like that of a venerable Buddha, it would give an impression of peeking into another cosmos. I felt like I was Sun Wukong, who appeared from the arms of Shakyamuni, when I wore it. Honestly, this was one of my best purchases. Immediately, strength left my knees and I collapsed on the spot like ash. My mana capacity was still nearly full. However, we had been sailing for 8 hours. It was a series of delicate actions like controlling the wind to ascertain the movements of the waves while keeping the rhythm of the ship the same. A single mistake could have resulted in us capsizing, after all. And considering we left the capital at 8 PM, we had been traveling for 12 hours. We also shortened the 14-hour journey that I had first speculated to 12 hours as well. So it was more of mental exhaustion than physical exhaustion, for various reasons. "Are you alright? Phew, that was a ghastly sight, to be honest. Your aggressive style of sailing even gave me the illusion as if you were possessed by ?Syd?, the god of destruction in the fables. ...Anyway, you two should rest for now. I¡¯ll take care of the docking and loading." Leaving those words, Cass-san returned to the cockpit to free Dan from his duty as well. A bizarre atmosphere shrouded the ship as Dan and I exhausted ourselves for the people and the kingdom. Glover-san and Cass-san were veterans, so they were immune to seasickness by now, but the other seven accompanying mages had pale faces. It wasn''t just Al; many people turned to the river to vomit. After a moment, Glover-san approached me with a complex expression, and nodded. "Your schemes sure run deep, huh? Now I find myself questioning if that carefree vibe of yours before our departure was just another mask of yours as well. You know, the second tough task besides arriving earlier was how to bring this mismatched group under our command. A crisis may be upon us, but the members had all been hastily arranged, after all. However, your do-or-die attitude while navigating the ship, as if you were facing the battlefield itself, has inspired everyone, including me. We''re already a team. As the one representing the Knight Order that has taken an oath to protect the kingdom no matter what... and, as one of its citizens, I am very much thankful for your determination." ......What was he talking about? I had no idea, so instead I made up a reply. "...............It''s just for the harmony of the cosmos." I had just replied when Dan came closer, his expression appeared weirdly refreshed. He extended his hand straight, the palms of both his hands facing the sky, and repeatedly closed and opened them. The skin of his palms bore signs of rope burns, chafing, and blood. They were even slightly convulsing. "So even you''re all motivated, huh, Allen? I had been thinking about how we could make it to the end point if we couldn''t even sail through the relatively calm waves of the river. But I¡¯m amazed that we actually managed to pull it off so splendidly, truly." Dan flashed a dazzling smile on his potato face, appearing content with our cooperation. T-Too dazzling! That smiling potato face was so bright, so dazzling that I had to close my eyes. Adrenaline was clearly pumping through his veins, like a runner''s high situation. "Y-You idiot! Look over there!" I swiftly pointed at Al and his pink surroundings. "Hmm? Oh, fret not, I know. Just like us, he''s here to follow his path. However, our task is not to worry about him, and slow down just to make it easier for him. We''re here to reach our destination faster, even for just a second. I¡¯m going to give it my all to achieve that! This is my determination." Dan nodded assertively and gave me a thumbs up. I was talking about their flirting scene though...... Damn that thumbs up. E/N - Dang dude, Al''s ecchi protagonist luck is going strong! To think he''s got two older sister types fawning over him. All he needs now are the ¡®Ara ara~''s. Vol. 1 - Chapter 176 - Transportation Mission (5) As I racked my brain, trying to figure out how to pull Dan over to the dark side while chuckling to myself like a villain, Al approached us, his steps staggering. His face looked so pale, it was as if he hadn''t eaten for days despite it only being half a day since our voyage. "Allen, Dan. Sorry for embarrassing you guys there. But I think I¡¯m now a little bit used to the swaying. Well, I still can''t handle it if the motions are as erratic as last night, but this much should be fine." Dan chuckled softly at the strong front Al was putting up, and shook his head. "It''s fine, seasickness is just one of those things you don''t have control over. Besides, you''ve never trained your sea legs either. Alas, you can only get used to it bit by bit since it takes time to build resistance. I think you¡¯ll continue to feel under the weather, but just focus on getting better for us. Many people typically recover after getting back on the land, so hold on until then. We can''t afford to lose our head start here." ''You really are determined, huh?'' Al laughed feebly when Dan talked to him with a serious expression. Silver-haired Caprine-san, who was watching, giggled cutely to herself. "Ah, the friendship between boys is really tough, huh, Daniel Serdos-san?...... I can''t say I understood what you two did, but I¡¯ve seen plenty of your determination throughout this half day journey despite the fact that you¡¯re still students. It shouldn''t have come to this, however, please see this to the end." "Hmm~, well I don¡¯t have any interest in anything other than magic, though... I did see the effort you two put in, as well as your faith in each other. Just don''t overdo it, alright?" Magician Ruruce quipped with one eye closed, took out some salve from her bag, and started dressing Dan''s hands. "Should I wrap them in bandages too?" "Thank you, but no. It would dull the sensation of my hands. I just skimped too much on using magic guard." Dan flashed a wry smile. In fact, line work barely had any requirements like ''you must feel the ropes through your hands!'' or such, however, using your bare hands was better to feel any abnormalities especially when you were aiming to bring out maximum output. I mean, it could happen that my control over the wind slipped, so the excessive speed would throw the ship out of balance. Having finished putting salve on Dan''s hands, Ruruce-san turned to me with a broad smile on her face. "Well, well...... I¡¯ve heard the rumors, but that mana manipulation skill of yours is truly out of this world... At this point, I feel like it has gone beyond the current concepts we know of. Wind magic, huh? It''s certainly a new concept of magic that overthrows what we''ve known up until now. As a magic researcher, I must say this is praiseworthy, but......" Ruruce-san paused in her speech, and that broad smile transformed into a deadly glare. "......I was quite troubled, you know? I had to hold my fluttering long robe down since the wind, which had been changing direction at the wave of your hand, was being quite mischievous. I did hear about your title... Flipping Master, eh? Say, you''re taking this seriously, right? Why are you even wearing that mask with such an obscene smile anyway?" T-This national treasure level faint smile ¡ª the smile which was akin to gazing at the benevolent Buddha''s smile ¡ª was obscene, you say......? Woah there, did she not fear that she would drown under the complaints of the Nara prefecture citizens first before the water?! "I-It''s a misunderstanding! I wouldn''t go as far as to say I understand the heart of the maker of this mask, but I definitely think this smile reflects a merciful heart. Also, I wasn''t trying to flip your robe at all!" I hurriedly explained, but Ruruce-san still narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Heh, who can tell what''s actually hidden inside your heart, eh? Though it even flipped completely one time when I left for the restroom..." Dan then chimed in with a bitter smile. "As a sailor, I can assure you that he had no leeway to pull any mischief while pushing the speed of the boat to its limits. His control of the wind had been precise with no form of wastage." "I concur. He may have some loose screws in his head, but he''s quite reliable in times of need." Al also nodded assertively. Ruruce-san gave a loud chuckle and finally slacken her scowl. "Pfft. My bad, I was kidding. Well, I did let down my guard and got caught in the situation, but at least, I had my red underwear on to save me from embarrassment instead of some lame design." In addition, he also needed mana to keep his Body Strengthening magic up to handle the ship and its controls. Given the situation, he probably wouldn''t have enough time to recover sufficient mana. Consequently, that would reduce the time Dan could control the wind. At the same time, my time to rest would also get shorter as his replacement. This was why taking a rest as much as possible was the key. Leaving the navigation to Dan and Cass, I ventured into dreamland in the main cabin. After around five hours, Glover-san and I relieved them of their post. The fore-and-aft sail ship traveled at an angle, so the rhythm of our synergy was the key here. Hence, we were currently going at around 80% of the maximum speed Dan and I could do until our tune matched precisely. The speed was reduced, but that granted us more time to react should anything go wrong. Again, sometime after that, command of the ship came back to Dan and me. Like this, our rotation was settled for the voyage. Al was no longer flirting, and the wind had become pleasant, granting us a bit of leeway in our control. Of course, the ship continued its sail with more or less the same speed. One and half days after we left the Royal Capital, we arrived at Rabeldin, the former royal capital, and now the central city of Dosperior Marquisate. The Dosperior territory was touted as the land of creation, and this city had been under the reign of the Dosperior family for a very long time. Apparently, they had ruled from around the time that the continent was most prosperous. I recalled the details as I gazed at the looming scenery¡ª and what should be the famous Tower of Rabeldin. Apparently it had existed for as long as one could remember, a tower that symbolized the exalted existence of the Fabled Emperor Aeolus, the one who had brought a golden era to this continent. It was said that only the people of the Dosperior family were ever allowed to enter the tower. Nevertheless, it was still one of the most famous tourist spots in Rabeldin, and there were even visitors from foreign lands who dropped by to get a glimpse of it. The city was filled with average height buildings, offering a classical yet exotic scenery to gaze upon, yet the tall tower, instead of appearing mismatched, appeared in the same color as the cityscape. It was a beautiful place, as if a painting had come to life. ......So this was where my mother had been raised, huh? I had no fate with it today, but it wouldn''t be bad to visit it later for sightseeing someday. As we stopped the ship by the beautiful port, a dark brown-haired refined old lady was waiting for us along with her people. Seeing Glover coming out to meet them, the old lady deeply bowed in greeting. "We give you our utmost gratitude for taking this mission. These are the materials we were able to scour. We weren''t sure if you could make it here on time, so we¡¯ve already dispatched the ship loaded with the other materials and personnel the moment we received the report about the Hellrowcast''s mutation. But since you were able to get here in only one and a half days, I believe you should be able to catch up with them around the Crutz Peninsula. I¡¯ll inform them with a magic bird so that you could merge with them without a problem." "It''s been a while, Freria-san. I very much appreciate the Dosperior family taking the time to help us out. This should have been a meeting to reminisce about our past, but alas... time isn''t on our side today. I pray for your long life." "Please, you''re shouldering your part as the kingdom''s noble well enough, and that''s sufficient...... You''re already more experienced than me, so this warning may be uncalled for, but the sea is rough, and the monsters are strong, so please be careful. May fortune shine upon your journey." The old lady loosely interlocked her fingers as she held it before her chest and prayed, her knees slightly bent like the bow samurais in the past used to make. In the meanwhile, the sailors had been loading the materials. I guess this pit stop was only going to last for less than ten minutes. After confirming that the two other mages who were unable to make it in time during the first trip, had already boarded, the ship slowly distanced itself from the port under Dan''s control. I noticed an intense gaze from the old lady named Freria, and after a bit of mental struggle, I turned around with my mask still on and performed the ceremonial knight¡¯s bow¡ª with my right hand on my chest. I was sure I felt her gaze. However, by the time I fixed my gaze on her, Freria-san was also in a bowing stance, her head hanging down. As the echo of a shellfish flute reverberated around, noting our departure. I felt a pang of pain in my chest alongside an inexplicable sensation of grief. T/N - This arc sure is gonna be ever changing like a voyage in the sea, truly. Guess, the character development time is here, maybe. E/N - MC really has no luck with women. Al and Dan got praised, but he got treated like a pervert. Well, what did he expect when he flipped a skirt in front of thousands of people? ?????¡á? Vol. 1 - Chapter 177.1 - Transportation Mission (6) One day had passed since we left Rabeldin. We came out of the Rune River''s mouth and entered the sea going to the north while our ship ran parallel to the land. Our last stop was the Crutz Peninsula, slightly jutting out from the east side of the continent, so north-west should have been our direction, but the ship was running straight north under Glover-san''s direction. Apparently, the first transport ship was a Galley, thus making it impossible for them to cruise through open sea. So, if we took a shortcut through the open seas, we might overtake them accidentally and miss the meeting time, resulting in a huge waste of time that was essential to this mission. Contact through a magic bird wasn¡¯t omnipotent as well. After all, the other party departed even before we left the Royal Capital. So unless we knew which port they were going to anchor in, it was a nigh impossible task to contact them in this vast sea. Another reason was Dan''s ''It''s probably the calm before the storm'' fortune-teller like divination that he had uttered while staring at the serene sea. There was nothing to back up the shortcut route, and it could be a miss as well, so as someone who was brought up in a coastal region with the sea spread wide open before him every day, Dan''s gaze was grim. As such, Glover-san decided to discard the shortcut, and instead, sail alongside the land straight north after a hard look at Dan''s expression. But that said, he reached the same conclusion after some consideration, aside from seeing Dan''s expression. Occasionally, the northern wind would change direction to the south in this season at the drop of a hat, ultimately taking the shape of a storm. Hence, he contemplated if the shortcut was even the right call in this case. So in case the sea did go wild, we could quickly secure a safe location by running along the land. Then, around the 9th hour after we started sailing again, Dan''s prediction took the shape of the storm he had warned about. The wind suddenly changed direction, the undulation of waves became rough, and in the blink of an eye, we found ourselves facing a sudden downpour. The raindrops were quite cold as they struck the sea surface. "What''s our next move, Glover-san?" We could still navigate through the storm quite well, however, there were indications that the rainstorm would only intensify. I asked Glover-san while staring at the fishing harbor to my left. He took a moment to think before replying. "I would suggest proceeding for a while longer. At our current pace, we should be able to reach Jello Harbor, which is just an hour away from here. But let me know if it gets too rough for you." "No, there''s no problem." Following his judgement, we aimed for the trade port/fishing harbor. The clock struck 6 PM. Soon, it would be three days since our departure from the Royal Capital. To reach our destination, aka the Yabure Barony, I predicted that our journey would take 6 days to the council. It could take even longer considering that our first objective was to prevent the hatching of the Hellrowcast eggs. Surprisingly, the Galley transporting the supposed mage crew and supplies from the Dosperior region had already joined us. Apparently, much like us, they were waiting for the storm to pass in the port around tens of kilometers ahead. While we were taking our sweet nap, they muscled their way through to transport everything to us via land route. The impact of this was huge. Now that we no longer had to worry about stopping over the port and fear that we might have overlooked them, we could now devote our entire energy to progressing forward. After all, the speed of sail ships were most dependent on the angle at which the wind struck the sails, hence they benefit more from the open seas than a shortcut that ran close to land. Only Cass-san was present during dinner last night. So that''s why, huh?...... They must have been transporting things back then. But to do so in a dark, rainy night ¡ª through a possibly monster-ridden route for this was a distant area ¡ª required more than just bravado and absurdity. Anyway, since the ship would be full, the rest of crew, aka the rowers and other 20 something soldiers from the Dosperior region selected to deal with the aftermath when the eggs hatched, were going to take the Galley to reach the destination just as they had planned in the beginning. "...Now I feel bad that we alone were able to take a nap." While I scratched my head in awkwardness, Cass-san nonchalantly shook his head. "Now, didn''t I say your foremost task is to take a proper rest? So sleep is one of your duties. The more you rest, the easier we can complete the mission, after all." Cass-san said, giving us a thumbs up, but fatigue was quite obvious on his face. "......You didn''t seem to have slept?" "Hmm?...... Ah, yes, I did some maintenance on the ship. This was the best time to thoroughly inspect it for anything wrong, and since I had spare time, I fetched the materials I needed from the town to fix whatever I could for the moment. So, you don''t need to worry and go ahead at full speed. ......Frankly, this burden shouldn''t have fallen on your mere students¡¯ shoulders. I can only lament that my usefulness is only limited to this extent. This is why it''s our knightly duty to support you with everything we have. I believe Glover-san should be more aggrieved at this fact than myself." He said and pointed at the Glover-san on the deck. Seemingly noticing our gaze, Glover-san ¡ª who had been glaring at the dark sea with a grim expression ¡ª looked our way and nodded. Once Glover-san confirmed that we had hopped on the ship, and Cass-san had untied the rope from the mooring pillar, he gave the signal in a booming voice. "Raise the anchor! Unfurl the sail!" ...Wasn''t that supposed to be my...... Oh, well. I swiftly pulled back the anchor. Vol. 1 - Chapter 177.2 - Transportation Mission (7) Now cramped with even more personnel and luggage, our ship sailed through the rough, dark sea with caution. Speaking of Al, now that undulations accompanied the swaying of the ship, his headache that had slightly gotten better once again flared up, which once again started the rom-com-like flirty scene. ''Tsk,'' I tutted inside my head at the scene that was like a bitter medicine for me. Meanwhile, one of the veteran-esque explorers who joined us at Jello raised his finger at Al. "I''m the B-rank explorer Shagora. You¡¯re quite talented to hit D-rank at such a young age, but... what the heck are you doing? So pathetic. Don''t tell me the explorers of the Royal Capital are so weak willed?" And here it comes. The template-ish greeting from a senior explorer. By pointing out his shortcomings, he would establish his position as the one on top. Indeed, this was how the explorer world worked... and it definitely wasn''t because he was envious of that flirty situation, yeah. "Urgghh¡ª I-I apologize. I, too, think that I¡¯m in a pathetic situation.¡± Seeing Al''s humble attitude along with his pale face, a grin crept on Shagora''s face. He must have assumed Al to be some roguish, strong headed person when he heard the latter was a D-rank explorer despite his age. "Hmph! If ya consider yerself to be an explorer, then at least get the grit to retort for darn sake. And what''s with that subservient attitude? Pathetic! Ya have the talent, but... you''d simply drown among the F-rank and E-rank explorers from Reberdin like this, fer real. Magic talent alone doesn''t make you a capable explorer. What¡¯s the Royal Capital? Just a simple ground for lazy bums to easily rake in achievements. So don''t think ya be the best yet." Oh-ho, so it''s the typical ''my hometown¡¯s the best'' type of pride, huh? Well, this was also a catalyst to spur on growth through rivalry, so this much was within permissible range. ''Hmm-mm,'' I nodded to myself as Shagora built his momentum against the groggy, seasick Al to settle who was the ''boss'' of their group. In between, the magician Ruruce chimed in, covering Al. "It appears you''re not aware, so I want to remind you that Al-kyun is a student of that Royal Academy. Moreover, he¡¯s a prodigy of Class A. It would be best if you don''t lump him together with the D-rank explorers of your hometown." Haaaa!? Did she just say A-Al-kyun!?! As Ruruce-san recounted the details with a smug expression, like it was her own achievement, Shagora harrumphed. "Hmph! So what? I was thinking somewhere along that line too. Otherwise, him reaching D-rank despite his age is quite impossible even if he doesn''t have to dive into troubled waters as much in the Royal Capital. Either way, what''s the use of armchair experts when they piss themselves at the battlefield?" Wonderful. Maybe it was because Raberdin was just too far away from the Royal Capital where the influence of the Royal Academy was the most prominent, Shagora-san remained unperturbed even at the mention of ¡®the Royal Academy¡¯. Looking at it from his perspective, hearing that the students of the Royal Academy were D-rank by default and C-rank at the time of graduation while he worked himself to the bone for his rank probably wasn''t pleasant. Frankly, even I thought that this privilege was too much. Shagora was right, what was the point of all that knowledge when you¡¯d get cold feet in the actual quest. Experience wasn''t something one could gain within the confines of the Academy''s walls. "I''m Dongo, a C-rank explorer from the Royal Capital. I intended to be quiet, but you really have a huge mouth to come up with that last phrase. Haa, you think we from the Royal Capital would falter against some country bumpkins like you?" Woah, what¡¯s this, a new contender stepping in? Ruruce-san giggled and wrapped her arms around Al while saying that. Al''s pale face turned even more paper white as he glanced at my direction. "Wait, hold on, really. We only discussed my plans for my Ice Magic and my training regime. It''s not at all what you think, Alle¡ª heyyyy..." I immediately made a hand sign to signal for full speed¡ª but I stopped since Dan was already way ahead of me while giving me a thumbs up. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Thus, following the route, the urgent transportation mission to the Yabure Barony had been successfully executed. ?Those two had subverted whatever we had thought to be absolute.? Such was the consensus of all the witnesses on the ship as they recalled the visage of Allen and Dan with a shiver. After leaving Jello, the two sailed straight to the port of their destination while not once taking a rest in the middle or passing the baton to the assistant sailors. Carrying the fate of the Yuglia Kingdom on their tiny backs, ''We now leave the rest in your capable hands'' were their words when they finally made it to their destination and after giving it their all. Immediately after uttering that, the two fell on the spot, falling into deep slumber. But, the strangest part was that while they had spent every fiber of their beings in the last spurt, their faces wore vacant expressions¡ª it wasn¡¯t the face of an achiever who had broken through the impossible. It was as if what happened from here on out was no longer their duty, nor did they care about it. Their recorded navigation time had been an astonishing 143 hours and 20 minutes, roughly six days. It was an unbelievable time no matter who you asked. Like a wildfire, the words spread across the whole continent. The top brass of each nation had their specialists from all sorts of fields dissect the news, but their verdict remained ''It''s absolutely impossible¡¯. They chalked it up to some kind of magic trickery, and investigated this matter thoroughly, but even after going through everything, they couldn''t shake the claim that the ship from Yuglia Kingdom''s Royal Capital had indeed made it to the Yabure Barony in a mere six days. The existence of the ''Great Wind Spirit Sylph, one of the four great spirits¡¯ ¡ª the incomprehensible existence that Allen Rovenne had spoken of during the Rising Star Cup ¡ª that they had dismissed as nothing but rubbish now weighed greatly on their minds. They had more than one reason to believe it now. It was the appearance of a supernova that had clinched the right to join the Knight Order while still in his first year, something that even Leo Zatsinger couldn''t achieve. It was the same boy who had been thoroughly ridiculed behind his back until around a week ago, but had completely ignored it no matter what was thrown at him, remaining steadfast to his beliefs. The name that had been carved into the history of the continent also often brought up the evaluation that Allen Rovenne once put forth in front of the king¡ª ?There would surely come a time when he, Daniel Serdos, the first generation president of the Royal Academy''s Sail Club, would sail through the uncharted seas. A horizon that no one has ever seen before.? It was still a short while later before the world could thoroughly swallow the full implication behind Allen Rovenne''s prediction. E/N - Lol. The two do realize that the more seasick they make Al, the more dog food they have to eat, right? Vol. 1 - Chapter 178 - Interlude - While they made their way to the destination…… "...So he''s the rumored Allen Rovenne, huh?" Shagora''s body shivered when the images of Allen and Dan came to mind. In the Dosperior region, tales of the Royal Academy students rarely captured the interest of the locals. Of course, it wasn''t as if the information was being regulated, or that they had been restricted from challenging the entrance exam. Rather, as an established warrior family, the Dosperior''s inhabitants took pride in their lord''s family who had maintained their distance from the academic-obsessed society and the bureaucratic structures beyond the military. This sense of detachment bred a natural indifference among its populace. The Yuglia Kingdom boasted a high ratio of students venturing for advanced studies after elementary education, but when it came to the Dosperior region, it was more of a fifty-fifty. For the populace whose livelihood revolved around traditional primary and secondary industries ¡ª like collection and processing of monster materials, or the production and harvesting of wheat ¡ª any knowledge beyond basic reading and writing wasn''t top priority. And even for those pursuing advanced studies, their aspirations leaned toward the Aristocratic School, and the vocational institutes in the Dosperior region rather than the Royal Academy. The vocational institutes for soldiers and explorers, in particular, boasted high standards, attracting students even from distant regions seeking to learn. This background naturally resulted in Dosperior lagging in industrial prowess compared to other areas. While it had economic growth, it was slow, thus it was criticized as being in decline very much like their title ''Setting Sun Marquistate¡¯. One could also say that these remarks also displayed their fear of Dosperior. Regardless, returning to the topic, even as someone from Dosperior, Shagora had heard about the recent exploits of Allen Rovenne who came from the Dragoon region, and the other first year students of the Royal Academy. Some rumors even said that they would become the future pillars of the kingdom. However, at the end of the day, they were mere kids 12 years of age. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. He even heard that someone from the Liancool Barony ¡ª a far countryside region primarily focused on animal husbandry, a region even more oblivious than Dosperior ¡ª had cracked their way into the Class 1-A of the Royal Academy, a feat as monumental as becoming an S-rank explorer. So despite hearing that they had set a new record in the outdoor class orientation, he couldn''t help but be skeptical. Those who admired their patron, the Dosperior family, had a strong belief that if one of their own were to enroll and truly tackle the entrance exam challenge with all seriousness, their subsequent result would undoubtedly leave the other regions wide-eyed. But¡ª ¡°What about Allen, Shagora?¡± Al inquired, but Shagora eventually dismissed it with a ¡®No, it''s nothing¡¯. Incidentally, after going through the intense seasickness-inducing voyage ¡ª which seemed to reflect the herculean task that Allen and Dan had been tackling ¡ª the mages on board had forged a bond of solidarity by the time they arrived at the destination. A memory was unearthed inside the mind of Shagora. He recalled the young girl from the Dosperior family that he had once seen. It was when he passed through the exam site of the Dosperior region''s Aristocratic School, and was enjoying the fruits of his labor, that the young girl visited the school as an assistant for the Body Strengthening magic training class. She was an outrageous user of Body Strengthening, and had a sham battle with the teacher. Though the sham battle had ended in a draw, it was clear to everyone that the young girl had the upper hand in strength. She made a carefree laugh, yet there was a touch of melancholy within her, otherwise she was a charming beauty. It was a while later when he heard that the young girl was actually no older than him, and was a generational talent even for the Dosperior family. A loud crash echoed as something fell on top of the tarp covering the back of the transport truck just as they neared the site. Tension rippled through the group. But then, a familiar voice called out from above. ¡°Hey there, it¡¯s been a while, Caprine. I was really doubtful when I received word that the mages and equipment were being transported from the capital by ship, but holy moly, I can¡¯t believe you really made it here in just six days! Where''s Glover?¡± Through the rear opening of the vehicle, a figure flipped gracefully into the cabin. It was Hugo, the commander of the First Legion and the supervisor of the mission this time. He wore an amber-colored mantle ¡ª though it might have once been pure white ¡ª which was the symbol of the First Legion, emblazoned with his family crest in golden embroidery, something exclusive to commanders and above. Gold was the color of the royal family, hence only commanders or higher are allowed to use them. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Commander Hugo. So you''re already here, huh? Glover-san is currently at an inn near the Zapra fishing port. The boys pretty much pushed hard for the last three days with barely a wink of sleep, and he too exhausted himself in the journey so they''re now resting there." Hugo chuckled as he heard that. "I''ve heard from the report. It''s that guy and... Daniel Serdos, was it? I wanted to have a long talk with them, but oh well." He commented and gave a friendly slap on Al''s shoulder, who had been sitting beside the window in the rear seat. "Oh, hey! Aren''t you Aldol Engraver, the president of the Emission Magic Research Club? You have quite a good reflex, eh? It took you about 0.8 seconds from sensing the anomaly to casting magic in your hands. That¡¯s second only to Caprine. You look promising!¡± He sparked a conversation, yet Al simply crushed the Ice Bullet he had created in his hand and simply stared at the flowing scenery from the backseat, trying to clear any and all thoughts from his mind. Though he felt slightly better after disembarking the ship, he was far from his best shape. Having come from a rural area, he was unaccustomed to the bumpy ride of the magical vehicles and was now battling motion sickness. ¡°Hm? According to my intel, you¡¯re supposed to be quite the social butterfly... Ah, I see... It¡¯s motion sickness, isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t hold back, just let it out!¡± ''Gahahaha,'' Hugo let out a hearty laughter as he strongly thumped Al''s back. "You''re still a data nerd, huh, Commander Hugo? Then I presume you already have the information about the people and the magical tools here?" Hugo withdrew his smile as Caprine inquired. ¡°Of course! It would be a shame to us adults if we wasted the ''pruning time'' window we earned from the frantic efforts of those kids. Anyway, we¡¯ll be arriving at the site in 15 minutes, so I¡¯ll brief you about the strategy until then. I hope you''re listening, Dongo!" Dongo, who was seated at the very back, was stunned when he heard the Commander of the First Legion calling out his name when he had yet to introduce himself. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that, and so he barely managed to give a nod of acknowledgement. Vol. 1 - Chapter 179.1 - Charrock Wetland Chapter 179 (1) - Charrock Wetland The crisis site in the Yabure Barony was the Charrock Wetlands in the south, which featured a vast, gourd-shaped lake enveloped in a somewhat desolate atmosphere. The squad had adopted the use of a magic lamp ¡ª even then its radiance had been kept to a minimum while torches had been completely prohibited ¡ª to avoid giving the eggs any stimuli. From the wetland extending from the north into the hilly terrain, a multitude of translucent eggs densely covered the area. Upon closer inspection, the large eggs, about the size of an adult¡¯s arm, were packed with roughly a hundred wrinkled, cocoon-like objects that resembled an adult male''s index finger. Two beady, red-black eyes moved ominously within. A transport vehicle carrying a new group of mages and magical tools arrived on-site. As they arrived within the perimeter ¡ª strictly secured by the army to keep unrelated individuals from approaching and serve as a defense line when the eggs hatched ¡ª a young man approached Hugo while pointing at him. "Ahh! You''re finally back, Commander! Sheesh, how many times have you disappeared without notice, and how many times have I told you not to do it?!" "Hahaha! You¡¯re still so uptight. What¡¯s the big deal? There¡¯s nothing for me to do here anyway. Besides, you know well enough where I¡¯ve gone and what I¡¯ve been up to, don¡¯t you, Ravel? I¡¯m just making the best use of my time." Hugo laughed heartily, showing no sign of guilt. "What do you mean ¡®uptight¡¯? All I want from you is to not just disappear without warning, so what''s strange about asking the obvious!? It''s irresponsible to do things half-assed! If you think being lazy is the way to go, then please choose someone else to be your aide!" "No way. I would have to handle everything myself if my aide turned out to be a slob." Hugo rejected his suggestion, seemingly implying it was nonsense. "And that''s what I¡¯m saying. If you don''t want either side to be sloppy, then please do everything in the proper order, Commander Hugo! I heard that you were quite a capable aide when you were still under the command of that ''Frenzied Tyrant'' Shellbul Monstel! I even heard that he never found a replacement for you. So I don''t want to hear you say that you don''t get what I have to go through as your aide!" The mention of the charismatic rogue and current president of the Explorer Association made the newly arrived explorers perk up with interest. In a sense, he was a living legend who reached the pinnacle of an explorer¡¯s career, even having a title to himself. "...My word, Commander Hugo really does treat me like a toy. Anyway, since you left specifically to meet them earlier, I believe you''ve already briefed them about the situation and our strategy, right? We currently have approximately forty million unprocessed eggs left, clearly an anomaly even in comparison to past mutations. It would be a disaster spanning the entire continent if we don''t stop them from reproducing post-hatching. The hatching should start at around the dawn of the 3rd day from today, which means we barely have two days and a few hours left. The eggs on the south side of the lake are progressing faster, so we¡¯ll start from there to delay the hatching as much as possible.¡± Caprine nodded. "Understood. Then, the reinforcement mages will focus entirely on reducing their numbers while we''ll use the magical tools to process any overlooked eggs. If fortune shines upon us, we might be able to delay their hatching by at least one day." The magical tools delivered from the Royal Capital and the Dosperior region were more than just the wands or tools that only Ice Attribute mages could use. They operated using stored mana, allowing anyone to use them. But, since they could only be recharged by Ice Mages, they were only good as one-time use tools in the present situation. After all, it would be far more efficient for the mages to handle the eggs themselves rather than wasting their mana on tools. Hugo nodded, his casual expression replaced with a serious one, and shouted his command in a booming voice. "Starting now, the Hellrowcast Eggs Extermination Mission shall transition to the second phase! Let''s show the continent the radiance our Kingdom holds! Let''s give it our all!!!" " "Yes, sir!" " ¡ô¡ô¡ô Al turned the tip of his beloved wand toward an egg. A white frost accumulated over the translucent, squishy-textured egg. Subsequently, the wriggling inside slowed down, the light from their eyes vanishing. The assistance personnel confirmed that and swiftly but cautiously carried the egg away from the congested region and finally, with precision, swung down a big hammer, crushing it. It had already been researched that Hellrowcasts don''t awaken from their dormant state once frozen, thus allowing them to process the eggs easily. Without the freezing effect, a physical impact would simply cause them to hatch earlier, and then there would be no stopping them. There had been enough precedents from the past where such forceful processing simply triggered the great disaster earlier. In the meantime, while the egg had been destroyed by the assistant, Al had already frozen three more. The other assistants ¡ª there were as many as three following him ¡ª replaced the previous assistant and carried the eggs away. Thus, the processing of the eggs kicked off at midnight, with the members proceeding carefully but solemnly. If you like the novel, you can also rate and review it on , it will help both the site and also others to find the novel! Vol. 1 - Chapter 179.2 - Charrock Wetland "Hey, you''re still at it...? Even Knight Caprine, who boasts top-class mana capacity, raised her hands in defeat and stopped to take a break. How''s your mana right now?" With the time already being noon of the next day, Hugo flashed a bitter smile as he called out to Al while approaching him. "Err, I¡¯ll take a break after 2¡ª no, 3 hours." Hugo checked his pocket watch and squinted his eyes. "One every five seconds, huh? Frankly, your pace isn¡¯t that great compared to the other explorers. I was sure you¡¯d be down for the count after going through your seasickness... but man, you sure are rocking a huge mana capacity, huh?" Al, however, shook his head. "I would say it''s more of a difference in technique than mana capacity. I wanted to increase my pace a bit, but then I would outpace my mana regeneration and drain myself before I could fill my reserves back up using mana compression during the activation and movement of my magic. So this was what I settled on instead." Hugo''s eyes turned as wide as saucers. "Mana compression...? You''re saying you can focus on mana compression while doing strenuous actions that strain both your mind and body at that age?" Al confirmed with a casual node. "Well, yeah. Then again, I¡¯m still a beginner in it. According to Allen, you should be able to complete the mana compression in the split second your leg leaves the ground and lands back down again while running. Though the best I can do is compress it gradually at a slower jogging pace, and that too after participating in the club activities every day." "Pfft! Fuhahaha! What a bizarre lad. But yeah, this technique is indeed a godsend given the situation, very much so... However, I can''t imagine where you¡¯d need such a huge pool of stamina except in some rare scenarios. Just what is your end goal that you would keep doing this bland basic training, a battle of attrition? For how many hours? I mean, after getting this far, there should be thousands of other methods you can use to raise your strength, right? Is it because of your coach''s command, or was it Sir Godorfun''s suggestion?" Hugo asked Al out of profound curiosity. "Well~, Godorfun-sensei doesn''t often say anything in our club activities. Allen is our coach, but even he doesn''t give us specific directions. He just shows us the value of something, and then the rest of us just pick it up voluntarily...... though I can''t deny if we had just been unknowingly led to think this way. In the end, you just never know what goes on in the head of that guy." I heard he¡¯s been holding it like a toy since he was a toddler, long before his mana organ developed. It''s quite a valuable piece of craftsmanship, though they took quite a gamble on a child whose talent was uncertain at that time. He also has a good temperament, and his base magical power seems quite high. In two years, there''ll be a scuffle over him among the Knight Order legions to get him in their ranks. You might want to keep an eye on him." Ravel appeared astounded. He hadn''t expected such rave praises coming from Hugo. "Oh? I''m quite surprised to hear such praise for a mere student. I don¡¯t have the eye to ascertain a mage''s strength like you, Commander, but is he really that exceptional?" Hugo promptly nodded. "Yes, very much so. He¡¯s a born prodigy, but that doesn''t eclipse the bland, tasteless basic training that he''s been doing for so long without giving up. A look at his magic makes that apparent. If I have to assess him right now for Knight Order employment, his potential would be...... B+." Hugo uttered with a narrow gaze. "......B+? That means he has sufficient caliber to join the Knight Order... but have you found anything noteworthy?" "Well~... given his age, I wouldn''t say it''s that much of a flaw, but..." Hugo''s hand glided up and down his arm as he dragged his words, his eyes sharp. "He''s too reliant on Allen Rovenne. That''s why his spirit is so soft despite his strength. In the future, when he meets a nigh impossible wall, whether he can surpass it, or face the setback... would be the moment where his true worth would be laid bare. Well, he''s just 13 years old now, so I''ll give him that. Plus, he appears aware of his naivety and is even challenging it. His crazy foundation is proof of that. The broader and firmer one''s foundation is, the higher their leap will be¡ª were the words of Shell-san." "......Oh, what? After all that talk, you still respect him, don''t you? Though, you could have discarded that ''slipshod'' attitude of yours, at least......" ''No way,'' Hugo shrugged off Ravel''s murmur with a wave of his hand and asked him to report the team''s overall progress. If you like the novel, you can also rate and review it on , it will help both the site and also others to find the novel! Vol. 1 - Chapter 180 - Decree After completing the transport mission at 8 PM, Dan and I fell into a deep sleep in the fishing village inn, indulging in rest until the following morning. The inn wasn''t particularly sophisticated, having only hard, wooden beds. But for us ¡ª with me not being the type to fixate on such things, and Dan who had a commoner upbringing ¡ª it was barely passable. We slept in our two-person room until around 6 AM, waking up to the morning light streaming through the window. After getting ready, I stepped out of our room to find Glover-san and Cass-san enjoying coffee in the cozy dining area. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" I nodded and replied, "You both are up early." Cass-san broke into a smile. "We just woke up too. I honestly didn''t think you would sail from Jello to here without taking a break. We couldn''t just take it easy when both of you were pouring every fiber of your being for the cause. Though, well, maybe it''s just that we lost touch with our youthful passion, I guess. Frankly, I was all but ready to give up when we had to stop because of the storm, but that turnaround was fantastic. And true to your word, we got here in six days. The ''Pruning'' time you¡¯ve earned us is far heavier than 1000 pieces of gold, am I right, Glover-san?" Glover-san took a slow sip of his coffee before speaking. "It''s beyond compare to any amount of gold, if anything. Watching the tactic you both developed had been marvelous, but... your tenacity to bring us here within 6 days is awe-inspiring. I¡¯ll make sure His Majesty learns the extent of your determination...... You may not think so right now, but this transportation mission you''ve completed will undoubtedly be the turning point of this era on various fronts. It is my duty to report your achievement as factually as possible in the records.¡± Flustered by Glover-san''s words, I shook my head and raised my hands immediately. ¡°This achievement was not done by just the two of us. We only made it this far due to the flawless support of the logistics¡ª everything from the route selection, dealing with the monsters, resupplying at the ports, the coordination of the mages and cargo, and the arranging of the accommodations were all perfect. It didn¡¯t feel like an emergency mission at all. Whatever we¡¯ve achieved was built upon the immeasurable hard work and determination of countless people. Without all of you, it would have been impossible to give our 100%. If you really do want to record it down, then please make sure to give the ¡®entire crew¡¯ who made all this possible their due credit too. Yes, including the valiant people who are currently dealing with the eggs while we slept." I had keenly experienced how much of a nightmare it was to manage logistics in my previous world when the company I was employed at held an event. The two might not be exactly comparable, but logistics, originally meaning supply lines, encompassed tasks that multiplied in complexity the more one strived for perfection. It was even worse in this world without mobile phones or email features. I wouldn''t even want to imagine just how much pressure they had to endure with the sudden urgent mission to achieve this level of perfection. As I imagined their hard work and grimaced while speaking, Glover-san and Cass-san exchanged a stunned look. Dan had a wry smile on his face. "But weren''t you singing a different tune before, Allen? You said you were lying low and concealing the information until the right moment ''to make a headline''! Ahh, by the way, I¡¯m not really complaining about it. It''s a grand discovery. You''ve pioneered a new horizon and even became the savior of the Kingdom. It should be your moment to shine, leaving your achievement in history. You don''t have to downplay your part that much." Cass-san urged me so, but I sharply shook my head. "B-Beginning!?...... No, where exactly does that beginning start for you?" ¡°From the very start, of course. It was when I realized the existence of the dynamic force¡ª basically when we were being chased by the Orcas. I had been anticipating this moment." I cheerfully said so while giving him a thumbs up. At that, Dan slumped his shoulders yet again. Well, his astonishment was understandable. For me, as soon as I realized I could use Wind Magic to amplify the generation of dynamic force, I knew the discovery would take the world by storm. I was glad actually to see a new possibility for my Wind Magic, but I was also acutely aware of how much of an absolute pain it was going to be in the corner of my mind. So I thought that I might as well push this potato face to the front... I mean, he was the one more immersed in such stuff, after all. Meanwhile, Dan had been skeptical of being able to recreate the phenomenon, and to what extent he could do so. It was merely a difference in our planning all along. "Anyway, I only suggested creating the Sail Club because it sounded fun, though I definitely had no deeper interest beyond that. It was you who finalized it on your own, earnestly tackling any challenge that came your way and pioneering a new realm in sailing, ultimately even becoming the savior of the Kingdom. I believed that you could achieve it. No more, no less, O'' Hero!" I patted Dan''s shoulder one more time while he was still in a daze, and turned to Glover-san. "If you want to learn how to sail with Wind Magic, then Dan''s indeed the way to go, Glover-san. After all, I¡¯m only good at Wind Magic, while anything else is a mere pastime to me. I definitely don''t have the skill to teach anyone, plus my schedule¡¯s already packed. Even in our club, Dan was the one handling everything from the foundational research on the complex relationships between sail area, ship shape, wind angles, and the resulting dynamic force, to managing the design of the Sail Club''s practice ships. He¡¯s truly the world''s leading expert in this field!¡± As I summarized this, Glover-san looked at Dan with a sympathetic expression. "...I¡¯m not completely aware of the inside details, but...... you must have it hard, huh, Daniel-kun? Alright, if everything¡¯s settled, then¡ª" Pausing on his words, Glover-san stood up from his seat and glanced at Cass-san. Cass-san swiftly brought out a brand-new Mantle of the Second Legion from the box placed near his seat. ¡°The countryside may be lacking as a backdrop for such an occasion, but as they say, never delay good things. So¡ª Decree! I hereby appoint Royal Academy Class 1-A student Daniel Serdos as a provisional member of the Knight Order. Henceforth, you will serve under the command of the Second Legion Commander Glover Von Ocean to the extent that it doesn''t interfere with your studies. From Olina Zatsinger, the Supreme Commander of Yuglia''s Knight Order.Read by Caster Burou.¡± Dan momentarily closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then raised his head with his right hand over his chest. ¡°It is an honor!¡± If you like the novel, you can also rate and review it on , it will help both the site and also others to find the novel! Vol. 1 - Chapter 181 - Rustling Hearts The border zone where the boundaries of the Yuglia Kingdom and Rosemieur Empire mashed together was wrapped in a tense atmosphere. It was after the Empire learned about the Hellrowcast mutation outbreak in the Yabure Barony ¡ª a region in Marquis Grauksh¡¯s territory that directly shared a border with the Empire ¡ª that they decided to concentrate their army near the border region under the pretext of an ''unforeseen situation.¡¯ Since their army would have to march by the border region to gather their forces against the Hellrowcast outbreak, Yuglia had to notify the respective nations sharing a border with the affected territory. It was equivalent to showing one''s wound to the enemy, though it was impossible to move such a large army in secrecy in this war of extermination otherwise. The centralization of such a huge army at the border without prior notification would undoubtedly be taken as a sign of war. The Empire suggested providing Ice Mages as well as the necessary magic tools from the nearby region via diplomatic channels, but the Kingdom turned down the offer. They might have accepted it under any other circumstance, but with the border region being little more than a countryside, improving the number and quality of the said region would only do more harm than good. Past precedent had taught them that a hatched swarm of Hellrowcast would often move in the direction of warmer climates and resource-laden regions. It could also be that the said mages could turn out to be spies. It would be a disaster if they hastened the hatching instead and caused damage to the Kingdom. But that said, after the Kingdom''s foundation was weakened, the situation could also have unfathomable risks even for the Empire. So while their sabotage might be unlikely, the Kingdom had too much to lose to wager on this gamble. Seeing as how they were embroiled in a crisis, the Empire probably didn''t expect Yuglia to accept their offer either. But none of it mattered to them as all they sought was an excuse to station their army near the border. They could always say ''We tried to aid them for a humane cause, but Yuglia turned us down¡¯. The Kingdom tried to protest against their behavior, but as it could be guessed, with the real motive being obscured by an ''official cause'', any words were as good as harping to a pig. Above all, the Kingdom believed it wouldn''t be surprising if they breached the border for an impromptu reason once they learned that the Hellrowcast swarm had started to move to the south, the heart of the Kingdom. Veiling themselves with a righteous reason, the air ran thick with tension more than ever. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Huh? We won''t be joining the action site?" It was after we had breakfast ¡ª which was just a simple ham and cheese sandwich ¡ª at the inn that I asked about our next action plan while sipping on post-meal coffee, but then Cass-san informed us we wouldn''t be joining the others. "Oh, and Allen, you too are under the care of the Second Legion along with Dan right now. So as for helping out, no, that isn''t your task. If anything, there''s already enough Ice Mages and other personnel there helping out, so we''re not really needed there." Cass-san mentioned the main reason, but then his expression shifted to a solemn one. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Al returned to the site after three hours of napping and a meal. Hugo confirmed his arrival and sorted out the overall data. Up to this point, Caprine had disposed of 15,000 eggs, Magic Researcher Ruruce from the Royal Capital had a headcount of 12,000, and Al had taken out 10,000 eggs. For the rest of the staff, Conpe, a Magic Knight from the Knight Order, had taken out 8,000, Shagora, a B-rank explorer from the Dosperior region, disposed of 5,000, while 3,000 were destroyed by the rest of the mages and magical tools. It was a rough approximation, but overall, they had disposed of at least 80,000 eggs out of 400,000. It was a tide in their favor. A single egg gave birth to approximately 100 Hellrowcasts, and considering that their initial guess was 40 million of them, eliminating 800,000 Hellrowcasts was a boon for them. 2/3rd of the first day had come to pass, and the hatching was guessed to start in 36 hours at the very least. Maintaining their current pace should allow them to dispose of more than half of the eggs before time ran out. However, the second phase was far from such an ideal scenario. Everyone started in their tip-top state, but after 16 hours of work, they would have to act carefully from now on while keeping an eye on their mana, thus significantly slowing their pace down. The many unfavorable factors would even bring down Al''s pace despite him being capable of mana compression, much less the others. Plus, the magical tools they brought from the Royal Capital and the Dosperior region had also been used up. By including the other mages and magical tools that they were planning to bring in from the nearby regions, Hugo estimated that the overall disposable of the eggs would reach¡ª¡ª "Roughly... 20 million, huh?" Hugo murmured out loud, and Ravel, his aide, nodded in affirmation from the side. "......Sure enough, we can only do this much due to the support from the Royal Capital. At least we now have a better chance of controlling their reproduction after their hatching. If fortune favors us, the hatching might be delayed by one more day as well. We can then make quick work of the remaining Hellrowcast...... Ahaha, if only, eh?" ¡°It would be perfect if that did happen...... But I doubt we¡¯ll have such fortune. We need to keep ourselves alert for the worst situation. Seriously, this mission really has no breaks for me, goddamn." While his heart was hoping for a fortunate situation to happen, the reality of the situation that he could only watch from afar had Hugo annoyed. He shifted his gaze at the horizon in the direction of the border the Kingdom shared with the Rosemieur Empire¡ª the sole factor that made him swallow this bowl of irritation quietly. If you like the novel, you can also rate and review it on , it will help both the site and also others to find the novel! Vol. 1 - Chapter 182 - Military Port Roma and Shalom Lake The ship glided smoothly at a leisurely pace down the calm sea, entering the military port that was our destination. The Roma military port was an artificial harbor base that felt somewhat out of place against the backdrop of an untouched natural coastline. The bay, nestled within steep cliffs, was difficult to see from the outside, making it an ideal refuge from wind and waves. Various military ships were docked, the majority of which were galleys with oars protruding from their hulls. In addition to standard port facilities, there were buildings that appeared to be barracks and arms factories bustling with activity as many people worked diligently. The military base housed not only officers of the Kingdom''s Knight Order but also a large number of ordinary sailors, contributing to its town-like atmosphere with restaurants and other amenities. Truly, the port didn''t betray its image as the first line of defense against the Rosemieur if the sparks between the two nations ever developed into war. "Well then, I¡¯ll take my leave here. I have a mountain of tasks to attend to. I might not be able to see you off, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again at the Royal Capital. I look forward to it." Glover-san said, flipping his cloak as he stepped off the ship. The ordinary soldiers, caught off guard by his unexpected arrival, momentarily showed shocked expressions before hurriedly saluting with their right hands to their chests. "Long time no see, Sir Caster." As Glover-san walked away, a soldier adorned with numerous medals and insignias came to greet us while we were preparing to disembark. He was a sunburned, stout man with a muscular build and sharp eyes, mirroring the relentless activity on the site. "Been a while, Yakkul. Where''s Revol-san?" "Captain Revol¡¯s in his office and will be organizing information with Commander Glover. Rosemieur seems to be equally preparing their navy, apparently, so the Captain¡¯s on high alert." "Can¡¯t blame him for that. Ah, let me introduce you, Yakkul. You might have heard of them already, but these two are the key figures that made it possible to complete the emergency transport mission: Allen Rovenne and Daniel Serdos." Yakkul nodded once and directed his sharp gaze toward me and Dan. "I am Yakkul von Furstel, the deputy base commander here at Roma Military Port." "I¡¯m Allen Rovenne, a provisional member of the 3rd Legion." "And I¡¯m Daniel Serdos, also a provisional member of the 2nd Legion." As I shook the offered hand, I was taken aback. The thick calluses on his hand likely came from years of rowing in galleys. From the stable and unwavering strength of his grip, I could sense a level of physical enhancement magic that rivaled that of a Knight Order''s knight. But for some reason, he just held my hand tightly, showing no sign of letting go. ¡°...It¡¯ll only be for a short time, but we¡¯ll be disturbing you, Yakkul-san.¡± ¡°Oh? Regardless of your young age, you''re still a member of the Knight Order, Sir Allen. It''s surprising that you''re sticking to formalities. I¡¯m usually fussy about hierarchy myself, but you really have me stumped right now. This is certainly not Sir Allen from the rumors who was said to have grown up with the famed mantra of ?Unceasing Prudence?. Please, feel free to drop any formalities with me." What the hell did he mean by the famed mantra ?Unceasing Prudence??...... Aren''t rumors spreading a bit too much? ¡°Speaking of which, could you show this poor, outdated old man some new theories on ship sailing? Ah, I''m not belittling you. I¡¯m very much aware of your service in saving the nation through this mission.¡± Yakkul-san spoke, further strengthening his hold on my hand. ¡°It''s just... this senile mind of mine is finding it hard to comprehend how a mere sail ship outpaced a galley, more so when it''s missing the magic engine that has seen a revolutionary breakthrough in recent times. Including me, there are many stubborn people who won''t believe in what happened unless they witnessed it themselves... Just a short demonstration is fine. Could you take me and a few young folks for a little ride?¡± A smile tugged the corner of Yakkul''s lip, but it certainly didn''t reach his eyes. To put it plainly, I was glad I came here. One of the Kingdom''s three great birds, the blue flamingo. Their overlapping blue feathers ranged from pale sky blue to deep navy blue, and the depth of blue varied among individuals. Moreover, depending on the angle of the light, the colors took on the hues of red or yellowish blue, creating an indescribable palette. I¡¯ve been watching them for nearly two hours now, and I still haven''t grown bored of them. The high-pitched cries of "kawawa, kawawa" resonated across the tranquil morning lake from their uniquely curved beaks. They were about the same size as earth flamingos, but some were more than twice as large¡ª those must be the ones that have become monsters. Given the current situation, there were fewer tourists than usual, but still, a few were scattered around. As I stood there in casual clothes, trying to disguise my identity and staring intently at the lake, a local gramps called out to me from behind. "You¡¯re watching them quite ardently, kid. Is this your first time seeing the blue flamingos?" Cass-san moved to wedge between us immediately, but I gestured for him not to. "Yes, it¡¯s my first time. The beauty of this scene is beyond words. It truly moves my heart, making me forget the passage of time." When I replied like that, the man smiled happily. ¡°Haha! You¡¯re quite the honest kid, aren¡¯t you? I like you. I usually give tours around here, but due to that foul incident, there haven¡¯t been many tourists despite the peak season. Would you like to try feeding the blue flamingos? It''s just that¡ª¡± The man said this and grinned while offering me a fishing rod about 1.5 meters long. ¡°You¡¯ll have to gather your own bait. Normally, it would be 30 rea an hour, but I¡¯ll let you have it for half price!¡± I was immediately caught by his words. ¡°For real?! Thank you very much! Hey, Dan, let¡¯s have a competition to see who can catch more!¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t mind, but remember, unlike you who grew up in the mountains, I grew up in a port town. Have you ever fished, Allen? If you haven¡¯t, I honestly don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be much of a contest.¡± Heh heh heh. I may not look it, but I was actually quite fond of fishing myself. It wasn''t connected to my past life, but before my memories awakened, I often thought about what I would do after skipping my studies. Fishing was one of the things I was most hooked on back then. Fishing at sea might not be comparable to my time at rivers, but judging from the shortness of the fishing rod, the thinness of the line, and the size of the hooks, fishing in the lake was definitely going to require delicateness. If my guess wasn''t wrong, then I should have a fair chance, having honed my skills in the stream confined within our walled city where the fish were already wary. In fact, I could only see myself winning. ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯ve tried a bit in a stream near my house. Though I doubt it would be comparable to a sea guy like you, so go easy on me, alright?" I said while trying to maintain a calm facade in an attempt to bait Dan into lowering his guard. Dan, however, narrowed his eyes and stared at me for a moment before addressing the man. ¡°...I want to examine the equipment. Please bring out all the rods, tackles, and bait. I¡¯ll pay, of course... I¡¯m going to take this seriously, Allen. No complaints, right?¡± Wait, what?! What the hell did he read from my expressionless face?! What was he, a long-time wife of mine or something?...... ¡°...Do you both even know what the situation is right now?¡± Cass-san''s shoulders drooped feebly, seemingly feeling a wave of powerlessness, as he murmured so with a distant look in his eyes. E/N - Hey guys! Sorry for missing yesterday''s chapter. Translator had to deal with something important and I myself wasn''t doing too hot with the storm and nonstop rain in my area. Here is the one we missed. We should be able to post the last one for this week as scheduled. If you like the novel, you can also rate and review it on novelupdate, it will help both the site and also others to find the novel! Vol. 1 - Chapter 183 - A Passionate Match ¡°Yo. You''re already up?¡± Dongo called out to Shagora. ¡°...Hmph. I just can''t bring myself to sleep soundly when he''s going over and beyond.¡± Shagora replied, his face appearing pale. The fatigue from the constant usage of mana to his limits was weighing him down, and while he had been taking naps intermittently, it barely helped out as his body still felt as heavy as lead. The two shifted their gaze to the blue-haired lad. Out of everyone here, Al was the only one who worked non-stop for over half a day, dealing with eggs. When it came to rest, he merely took one for three hours before returning to work. He continued for another six hours, then took an hour break to meditate and refill his mana pool with mana compression and resumed the cycle. Much like everyone else, he wasn''t unfamiliar with the exhaustion accumulated from consuming too much mana. But in his case, having gone through the activities of the Hill Road Club, then Godorfun¡¯s practical classes immediately after ¡ª a routine that was beyond common sense ¡ª he built up quite a resistance against the bitterness of exhaustion. He just single-mindedly focused on the task at hand, seemingly considering that even just thinking of something else was a waste of energy. The key point about mana compression, which he had been fostering through the club activities, was to turn it into a subconscious action during work. Allen called this process ¡®molding it into a form.¡¯ In his words, by turning an action into a subconscious form, the body could process information in a way that was different from conscious thinking, thus allowing oneself to pull off moves that would''ve been strenuous to do normally. This was something often seen in sports as well. For example, in baseball, there was hardly any human who could hit a 140 km/h curveball by consciously sketching out a plan on how to hit it. Instead, players would use their reflexes to strike the ball, a result of pre-programmed muscle memory. But developing this sort of habit required special, repetitive training that would be otherwise impossible in everyday tasks. From Al¡¯s perspective, he was just following his training, but to Dongo and Shagora, it appeared abnormal. Even someone like Carinpe, an illustrious knight of the Knight Order, or Ruruce Simplex, the renowned Ice Fairy and vice-chairwoman of the Simplex Magic Institute, had to take frequent breaks after emptying their mana pools. In comparison, Al¡¯s bottomless stamina made him a monster in their eyes. In terms of strength, he might be incomparable to the two ladies. However, his abnormal concentration and his repetitive movements akin to that of a machine made him look like the most bizarre freak they''d ever seen. ¡ªThey had 24 more hours before the situation took a turn. If they were lucky, they might earn one more day, but overall, there had been a severe lack of time to dispose of all the eggs. ¡°...I know, really. I thought those two were freaks, but he''s also no less of a crazy person compared to them. He really got us with that harmless persona of his on the ship, huh? I wonder, is that Academy crawling with monsters like them? ...Haa, anyway, an egg is worth 50 rea. This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get rich overnight. I''m not going to lose either. I promised my family that we¡¯d build a house in the downtown area of the Royal Capital.¡± Dongo murmured more to himself to reignite his spirit. Shagora had a wry smile upon hearing him. ¡°Just don''t get too greedy, and make a stupid mistake.¡± ******** The fishing competition between me and Dan was gradually heating up. In the beginning, I was at the lead with my intuition, figuring out where the fish might take the bait ¡ª a skill I honed in my childhood when I skipped my studies ¡ª and my precise mana control, employing an active fishing style, or ¡®dynamic¡¯ fishing as it was called. Meanwhile, Dan was using the classic fishing technique to lure in fish ¡ª the ¡®passive¡¯ fishing style in short. This difference led me to earn a head start in the beginning. ¡°Hyahahaha! Come on! Be serious, sea-born Dan,¡± I teased, letting out a maniac-like laughter similar to that of dorm mother Sora... I guess this was, what they say, the adverse effects of bad company? This was an exceptional performance from someone who was from the countryside. The praises naturally gave birth to other thoughts in his mind. ¡ªMaybe, he was a genius. ¡ªA mere countryside couldn''t contain him. So, in the spring of his 18th year, he decided to head to the Royal Capital alone. Since then, he steadily built up achievements, reaching C-rank by the age of 24. He was leading an impressive career. However, if people were to ask if he was an unparalleled genius, most would shake their heads. While there were only a few who could get to C-rank by the age of 24 in the Royal Capital, a place where many talents gathered from the whole kingdom, it wasn''t anything rare. In fact, those who eventually rose to A-rank tended to be prodigies who had their talents blossom at an early age. Drois was aware that compared to the feats accomplished by these individuals at a young age, his achievements fell short. He, who wanted to be hailed as one such prodigy, further multiplied his efforts away from the eyes of the public ever since he arrived at the Royal Capital. He took on requests at a pace that worried those around him, but despite his advantage as an Ice Attribute mage, he only made it to the C-rank by the age of 24. The genius of the countryside finally faced reality. Nevertheless... swirling still in one corner of his heart, he dreamt of a glorious future lavished with everyone''s praises. Drois was still too young, diligent, and talented to have a realistic outlook. Frustrated by his stagnation and feeling a sense of anxiety, an urgent request came his way in his travels: the Hellrowcast extermination mission. This might be his chance to overturn his destiny. After all, if he could distinguish himself in such an important assignment, it might pave the way for him to become a B-rank explorer. Moreover, though he happened to be nearby, the site was in a remote area that was difficult to access. Many skilled ice-affinity mages wouldn¡¯t be able to make it in time before the critical stage. Obviously, his achievements would stand out even more. If he could get a promotion to B-rank at 24, demonstrating abilities and achievements that set him apart, it would be considered a rather exceptional advancement even in the capital. With visions of that future in his mind, he accepted the request... where he encountered him. The true genius hailing from the exalted Class-A of that Academy¡ª a place where only true geniuses who surpassed the minimum requirements in both academic skills and magic capacity were admitted. An academy he hadn¡¯t even qualified to apply to. Irrespective of his choice, he finally had to swallow that bitter reality. That he was an ordinary person. Just being a graduate of the Academy earned them C-rank. A far cry from someone like him who made it this far by piling up a mountain of effort. Upon graduating from the Academy, its students registered as explorers at C-rank right away. Compared to him, who, despite all his efforts, had barely reached that rank. Drois, who once thought nothing of Royal Academy students, came to a stark realization when he saw Aldol Engraver, a 13-year-old who had arrived late to the scene. He finally understood what it meant to be a member of Class A in the Royal Academy. ...And eventually, the tremor in his heart would soon lead to the nightmarish incident everyone had feared would happen. If you like the novel, you can rate and review on novel update. Vol. 1 - Chapter 184 - Chained Hatching (1) "Haa~. Hey, Drois. You should also take a break now. Don''t stress your body too much." As Dongo dragged his heavy feet toward the makeshift tent to take a break, he saw Drois engrossed in his work with a brooding expression. Being similarly based in the Royal Capital, Dongo had known Drois for a while already. While they belonged to different branches, north and south respectively, the pool of C-rank explorers was small enough that many faces became familiar. Among them, Dongo was particularly sociable and had a wide circle of acquaintances. "Ah, Dongo-san. I was... well, thinking of taking a break after a while..." Noticing Drois'' dull mumbling and his fixated gaze in Al''s direction with a hint of grudge with a faint glimpse of awe, Dongo''s expression shifted into a wry smile. Drois was probably fatigued in more than one aspect. He could understand. With his age approaching 40, he already gauged his true caliber long ago. Nevertheless, he also felt a sense of hollowness whenever he gazed at Al. The boy was like a window showing the unfair reality. ......He didn''t mean to be like that though. Dongo passed his gratitude to Allen Rovenne and Daniel Serdos mentally. Had he not seen those two in action, he would be swallowing the same bitterness as well, drowning in misery. The talent for magic. A brutally stark divide between those who have it and those who don¡¯t. Ice mages, due to their rarity, were not accustomed to being compared to others from the same perspective. Dongo understood Drois¡¯ feelings as if they were his own. "It''s just now that I finally realized why that Academy was said to be a den of monsters... On top of that, he¡¯s a first-year student in Class A, said to be among the best of this generation, and the leader of a group of magically gifted students gathered from all over the country as the president of the Magic Research Club. You don¡¯t need to belittle yourself. At your age, being a C-rank explorer is already quite impressive. Far more than me, at least. The worlds we inhabit are fundamentally different. We knew that from the start, didn¡¯t we?" Drois clenched his teeth and nodded slowly. "Yeah... I knew. I knew it, but I just kept looking away." He couldn¡¯t bring himself to voice the reality that he was just one among the many, a mere ordinary person. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Just before time was up, the tip of my rod bent slightly, informing me that the fish this time was something different. I wanted to set the hook immediately, but I held back. According to Gramps, if you set the hook on the initial bite, the lake perch would escape more often than not. I slowly reeled the line in, mimicking the movements of a fleeing heron. After that, if I count to three before setting the hook, I¡¯ll catch one out of three according to him. I shifted all of my concentration to it and counted in my mind. One¡ª ...Had I ever been this serious in a competition before? My head was unprecedentedly clear at this moment. It was as if time around me was in slow motion, much like what boxers in my previous life used to say they experienced. Two¡ª The moment I counted to two, the tip of the rod bent sharply. I instinctively activated my Body Strengthening magic and pulled the rod back forcefully. In that instant, the rod bent significantly, and a huge fish, presumably a lake perch, began thrashing around on the surface. "Hyahaha! I can feel it, Dan!" ¡°Anyone with detection magic should focus on searching for any stray Hellrowcast! Don¡¯t let any of them get away! It¡¯ll be over if the chain-hatching spreads any further! Also, gather everyone from the security perimeter one to five and spread them out! If we can¡¯t stop this, we¡¯ll crush as many as we can before they all hatch!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°I... I should have known this would happen... I understood his feelings... Why, why the hell didn''t I comfort him?!" Overwhelmed by a swirl of intense regret, Dongo stood there frozen in place. Around then, Caprine, with her silver hair tied back, also arrived and immediately raised her baton, swiftly freezing up three eggs. However, given that she barely recovered her mana, her technique was rather rough in freezing the eggs, leaving her panting. Still gritting her teeth, she continued to contain the situation as best as she could, while carefully spinning her words for Dongo. "Can you move, Dongo-san? I know you feel strongly responsible for this, but no one can blame you or Drois, who has been putting in effort for days. But we need to focus on what''s before us right now, alright? We¡¯ll tackle it one step at a time, starting with what¡¯s nearby. You can do that, right?¡± With his face pale, Dongo barely managed a nod, and turned his wand toward an egg, holding it with both hands. However, gripped in his sweaty hands, the weight of his wand felt more pronounced due to exhaustion, and it slipped from his grasp, striking the egg directly. Dongo''s head went blank and he immediately scurried to pick it up, channeling his mana in it with full force. ¡°Dongo-san!!¡± Caprine sensed the abnormality and hurriedly tried to stop him, but she was a step late. The mana stone affixed to the wand released a dazzling white radiance in channeling his pure, unaltered mana, and then it turned it into a large quantity of ice. Seeing this, Caprine couldn''t maintain her usual composure and shouted with a pale face. "M-Mana explosion inbound! It''s unstoppable!!!" After a moment of silence, Hugo shouted. ¡°W-What the hell!! Dongo! What about the safety mechanism?!¡± Dongo moved his mouth in a daze, his voice unfocused. ¡°I was... trying to be more efficient... to process as many eggs as possible... Why now?... How did I fail to transform attributes now?!¡± Tears streamed down Dongo¡¯s face as he desperately tried to control the rampaging wand. ¡°I failed... The resistance is too great.¡± The moment he let go, the wand would explode. And even if he didn¡¯t let go, once Dongo¡¯s mana ran dry¡ª Hugo briefly shut his eyes tight, gritting his teeth to the point of bleeding, then calmly announced in a flat voice. ¡°...Everyone, fall back for now. We¡¯re raising the subjugation operation to phase 3!¡± Despair ran across Dongo¡¯s face as he shook his head vigorously. ¡°No... I don¡¯t want to die... I don¡¯t want to die! My wife is pregnant. How long... how long had we waited for this blessing!!!" Nevertheless, Hugo didn''t look back at Dongo again, and gave another shout for everyone to escape in a merciless tone, but¡ª ¡ªIn a split moment, a blue-haired young boy rushed past Hugo, beelining for the Dongo. T/N - So... onion cutting ninjas incoming I guess. E/N - Dang, lots of stuff going wrong in this chapter. Though I doubt Al will die given that spoilers from the end of volume one gave us his future title already. And lol at Allen, he does have the habit of counting his chickens before they hatch ???? Vol. 1 - Chapter 185 - Chained Hatching (2) "Commander Glover has summoned you." It was after Dan and I came back to the port base from our sightseeing tour of Shalom Lake and the race with Yakkul-san and his chosen crew using galleys. At the port, the deputy commander named Ravel was waiting for us there with a disturbed expression and pulled Dan, Cass-san, and me to the commander''s room. Inside, only Ravel-san and Glover-san were present while the rest of the people were made to empty the area for some reason. Dan whispered to me as we both sensed the tension drifting around the room. "Hey... what the hell did you do this time, Allen?" "I¡¯m all clean... and what the heck, wasn''t I beside you all this time? If anything, it must be because of your mischief." "Don''t spout bullshit. You''re trying to drag me into the mud." I mean, nothing has been explained yet, but I unwittingly rebutted Dan as he labeled me as the troublemaker from the get-go. ''Haa¡ª'' Glover-san saw this and let out an exhausted sigh, his expression tired. "It''s all so... hard to talk about that I don''t know where to begin." He prefaced with that remark, and with a heavy tone mixed with some stuttering, he began to explain the situation. "Starting from the site''s situation... An explorer named Drois seemingly fainted on his work spot from consuming all his mana, and his wand ended up piercing through the eggs. This spurred a chain hatching, and now they are in an emergency trying to deal with it. I learned this from the periodic information relay we were set to receive at noon via magic bird." " "An accident?!?!" " Dan and I let out baffled shouts at the same time. Glover-san narrowed his eyes, seemingly ascertaining something as he stared at us. "......The situation had been chaotic for a while, it seems, and we didn''t receive any further contact. Then we got another report at 3 PM as scheduled, but the information relayed was ''We''re still processing the chain hatching¡¯ which surprised me. I could understand if they said they failed to stop it. But, they''ve been at it for about three hours already... There''s definitely something else going on, don''t you think so?" Glover-san made his statement as one of his brows shot up, his gaze directed my way. I didn''t get what all that meant, so I just replied with ''I think so.'' "...It''s just that a while ago I finally got a detailed report, and... it left me speechless after grasping all the details. Apparently, just as it seemed like they were going to fail and were about to begin the extermination plan, a flock of blue flamingos that were supposed to be gathered around Shalom Lake suddenly flew to Charrock Wetland and began to prey on the Hellrowcast. It''s truly a turn from a horrifying moment to a mystical one. Strange, no?" Immediately, Dan and Cass-san cast accusatory glances at me. "The strange turn of events made the chaotic processing of the eggs post-hatching a breeze, allowing them to progress considerably. While it almost turned the site upside down, it could have been much worse with the number of Hellrowcasts after hatching being estimated to be somewhere around 12 million." "W-Woaahh! I-It''s truly a goddamn *miracle*, ain''t it?!" I pumped my fists with a deliberate tone of delight. Yet, Glover-san''s expression remained stony as he said ''There''s more...'' "After preying on the Hellrowcast for around 3 hours with frantic movement, the flock of blue flamingos settled on the gourd-shaped lake south of Charrock Wetland. Their pace fell once again after losing the support of the blue flamingos, and so they finally transitioned to the extermination phase. But, the situation took another surprising turn...... Can you guess what it is?" Continuing with his stony expression, Glover-san stopped his words at the climax scene of the site and threw a quiz at me. "W-Who knows? I can''t even begin to guess......." I did have a rough guess, but to preserve Golver-san''s suspenseful build-up, I tilted my head with a serious expression. As a professional in Japan, I know better than to spoil the punchline of their boss¡¯ story. "......The Hellrowcaust probably disliked the presence of the blue flamingos, so they moved to the northwest instead. All the experts who had followed the military said that it was an unprecedented phenomenon. The imperial army, who was about to cross the border, fell back in panic to deal with the approaching horde. They shifted their frontline further back from their border and are taking measures to surround the Hellrowcast. Basically, the Kingdom was expected to keep the Empire''s army in check while also tackling the 20 million Hellrowcast¡ª that is, if the situation didn''t worsen even further. But the threat of the Empire''s army has receded, and now we''re left to deal with just six million Hellrowcast. That¡¯s the turnaround that had occurred in the last 6 hours. For the Kingdom, it was a miracle among miracles......" Once again, I forced a bright expression and raised my fists in delight despite the somber atmosphere. "O-Oh gosh, that''s so l-lucky of us!! You know what, I finally understand the meaning of the phrase my best friend ¡ª it''s Dan by the way ¡ª said: Nature is something you can never predict, you can never be its ruler... ¡°Uoooooohhhh!!!¡± The white glow of the mana stone gradually changed to blue, decreasing in intensity. At the same time, frost began to cover Al''s left arm. Dongo dropped to his knees in shock, his expression twisted in agony as tears streamed down his cheeks. ¡°W-Why did you... a chosen person like you could have done well had you not bothered with me...¡± Al stared into Dongo''s eyes while suppressing the rampaging mana stone through sheer will. "You''re a kindhearted person, Dongo-san, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll become a good father. I have three sisters... though it seemed like my father had always wanted a son. However, I don''t have any memory of him." He squeezed his words while channeling his mana into the mana stone. His arm visibly adopted a shade of bluish-purple, starting from his fingertips to his arm. Everyone present had pained expressions on their faces. "Wha¡ª it can''t be! Al-kyun, why in the world are you¡ª" Ruruce, who belatedly arrived at the scene, let out a mournful scream. "...Damn it. This big moron... What the hell are you all dawdling for?! Hurry up and deal with the eggs now that *Al* has cleared the path!" Confirming that everyone had returned to their task, Hugo quietly drew his sword and approached Al. "What are you doing? Stop right there! He¡ª You haven''t even seen Al-kyun''s talent completely! He¡¯s destined to be a great mage who¡¯ll be far, far better than me!" Ruruce tried to stop Hugo, but he shook his head firmly. "I know, it''s obvious from his act. He used his remaining mana in a tired state to override the mana attribute, and he¡¯s even suppressing the outburst of mana...... He would¡¯ve grown to be a historical figure... if it hadn''t come to this." Hugo grabbed Ruruce''s shoulder, a distressed expression on his face, as he uttered his words with intensity. "Step aside. He''s going to die." He pushed the silently weeping Ruruce and approached Al, calling out to him as he raised his sword upward. "...We must deal with it now before it''s too late. Your nerves should have no sensation left but... are you prepared?" With a pale face, Al slowly shook his head. "I¡¯m... ready, but there''s... still... one thing left. I¡¯m sorry Hugo... pushing you to deal with this unpleasant situation...... Please take care of the rest..." He then touched the water surface of the wetland spread beneath his legs with his beloved wand clasped in his right hand. "The daughter of Undine... one of... the four pillars of the Great Spirits... he said it was Brizeria of the Sub-Frost... ¡ª?Ice¡ª?." Al murmured in a soft voice audible only to Hugo, and a split moment later, the mana stone from Dongo''s wand turned into fine powder within Al''s left hand and scattered around. Immediately, a cold wave of an unprecedented level spread out from the tip of his beloved wand. The stagnant water of the wetland, along with the eggs, froze within tens of meters around Al. "...Allen is... definitely going to... scold me." Having squeezed every last drop of his mana, Al fainted on the spot. "......This is one heck of a magic you''ve been researching...... and you''re really a moron of the highest level. What''s with that content expression... Goodness." Hugo channeled his mana to his legs and forcefully extricated himself from the frost bindings. "......I was mistaken. You do have it already in you, Aldol Engraver." Hugo heaved a sigh as he swirled mana inside his body. And¡ª with a swift stroke, he swung his sword down. Fresh blood splashed in the air, dying the muddy ice red. E/N - Well, I didn''t see that coming with Allen scaring the flamingos away only to solve everything. But I really should have though. And Al will most likely need a *hand* in the next chapter. Ehhh... Ehhhhhh... T/N - Or I would say in chapter (s) to come. Vol. 1 - Chapter 186 - How It Began "There''s one more thing... I must tell you...... Your friend, Aldol Engraver... has been seriously injured." Hearing the news from Glover, a sharp aura emerged from Allen, who had been listening to everything so far with a flippant attitude. A wave of bloodlust crackled in the command room, momentarily replacing the earlier relaxed vibe. With a pale expression, he stared at Glover. "...What do you mean by that? How is he?" Dan placed a hand on Allen''s shoulder and sought an explanation from Glover, his tone of voice similarly cooling down from earlier. "......It''s not life-threatening, at the very least." The news had Allen heave a sigh of relief, the tense air in the room slightly lightening up. "I¡¯m not aware of the details as well... But Dongo-kun, who apparently became timid when the chain hatching began due to the accident, fumbled in controlling his wand... eventually causing a mana berserk state in the mana stone. Seeing that nothing could be done to resolve it, Commander Hugo abandoned the mission of dealing with the Hellrowcasts and immediately ordered everyone to evacuate... The report didn''t say it directly, but Dongo''s death was all but confirmed. However, before the mana stone could blow up, Al-kun rushed in to save Dongo-kin, ignoring the evacuation order. He grabbed the stone bare-handed, and wrestled control over the mana from its berserk state, suppressing the incoming explosion. ......But he paid the price by losing his left arm. Commander Hugo personally handled the matter in order to avoid necrosis. That''s pretty much all I know." Allen slammed the table with his fist, then he staggered down on a chair. Given how straightforward the guy was, Allen could already imagine Al unhesitatingly rushing up to Dongo. A heavy, profound silence dominated the command room. "......Also, right before his arm was severed, Al-kun seemed to have casted an astonishing ice spell, turning the area tens of meters around him into a frozen land. That earned them time to stabilize the situation until the blue flamingos dropped in at the site. I¡¯ve already explained what this means... for our kingdom. According to Hugo''s analysis, Al sucked in the rampaging energy of the mana stone into himself and released it at once. Presumably, he must have already worked out a theoretical plan beforehand." Allen felt his vision go dark. He remembered it. It was one of the many magic spells he had fantasized about and prattled off to him with a smug grin. That said, he absolutely didn''t believe in such a method that was built upon self-sacrifice. Neither has he heard of Al having such a thought. Al shouldn''t have ever thought of using it himself for sure. But¡ª he must have fumbled around for an answer. The door to unlocking the myriad possibilities of a mage. How he could bring the fantastical spells his good friend Allen had explained to him. The only reason why he used it directly must have been to save Dongo. And having suggested the option to Al in an indirect way, Allen believed he also had a hand in how it turned out. That he was somewhat responsible for what had happened. "......Understood...... We''ll need to get some sleep then. There are also some preparations to do tomorrow. Today''s been... a very tiring day." I stood up and let out a despondent voice. Dan gave a mild tap on my back. "Get a grip of yourself, Allen. Such an expression doesn''t suit you...... Do you remember what Al said when we were about to depart from the Royal Capital? ¡ªI just find myself looking for an answer for the future whenever I¡¯m by Allen''s side, for better or for worse. He isn''t the only one who feels that way. Everyone has been led astray by you, and they now wish for a straightforward way of life, focusing on what they want to be, devoid of any vanity. The same goes for me, and it''s just as much for Leo. Al may be a happy-go-lucky person, but he''s not a simpleton. He¡¯ll never give up on something he absolutely cares about. That¡¯s what I believe. Everyone will sympathize with him. But only you¡ª you must never look at him with pitying eyes. There''s no saving him if even you feel pity for him...... Besides, don''t you believe in him as well?" Being asked that question, I recalled Al''s face¡ª his bottomless optimism, his straightforward gaze, his unceasing passion. "I believe in him... I believe in Al... He definitely won''t fall... no matter what happens! He¡¯s a one-man optimism parade after all! He¡¯ll definitely rise!" As I muttered so to persuade myself, Dan gave me another pat on my back. ¡ô¡ô¡ô While he escaped the jaws of death, the tragedy of Aldol Engraver was far from over. He lost his Ice Attribute Conversion talent along with his left arm. The precise cause of this had yet to be unearthed, but it was alluded to losing an essential aspect of his body, creating a deficit. Some speculate it was due to casting a spell beyond his capacity, overburdening his body. The diagnosis hadn''t ruled out any chance for him to recover, but the current healing techniques weren''t that advanced yet. The dream he had sworn before his father''s grave... The hard work he had strenuously stacked from 12 ¡ª it was said that his potential as a mage blossomed completely at the age of 12 ¡ª up to his first year in the Academy all vanished like a fleeting thought. Eventually, when it came time for the class promotion, he was demoted to Class E. In the beginning, many protested against his demotion despite saving the nation at a perilous moment. But the fact remained he had lost his arm. He would surely have a rough time keeping up with the practical lessons, which was obvious enough. But above all, his presence in Class A would only be painful to everyone around him and the person himself. Godorfun believed that this would be the case. That was how his demotion was settled. Aldol Engraver lost the golden future he almost had in his grasp by a decision of his own making. He was like a tragic protagonist of his story, having sacrificed himself for the good of the nation. This earned him a wave of sympathy and commendation throughout the Kingdom. ¡ªThe Postscript about the ?Great Cascade?¡ª Aldol Engraver lost everything. The story of his life had come to an end. Everyone believed so¡ª except for a number of his friends who adored that passionate soul of his. E/N - Dang, that was pretty heavy. I highly doubt this was it for Al though. Not if the MC has anything to say about it. T/N - Well, one thing is for sure, it''s going to be a long ride. Vol. 1 - Chapter 187 - Report Glover, believing it was necessary to report the details directly to the King, returned to the Royal Capital after changing his plans now that the threat of the Empire had passed. ¡°...That concludes my report.¡± The people who were present were King Patrick, his advisor and Allen¡¯s homeroom teacher Godorfun, the Knight Captain Olina, and Allen¡¯s mentor and the commander of the Third Legion, Dew. While Patrick had been in a good mood during the progress report of the transport mission, his expression darkened significantly upon hearing Glover¡¯s report about Allen Rovenne¡¯s unprecedented move. This matter had not been communicated to him through magic birds in fear of potential leaks. ¡°...I would like to think it was mere luck... but it seems too fortuitous to dismiss everything as a coincidence. To place such a heavy burden on a child his age is quite troubling.¡± Next to him, Captain Olina continued, her tone incredulous. ¡°...He''s far bolder than what I¡¯ve heard. If this matter leaks, our Kingdom¡¯s international standing will be in serious jeopardy. Even if we had been consulted beforehand, it would be impossible for us to approve such a thing. Frankly... I can''t imagine anyone with a sane mind attempting something like that, let alone effectively pulling it off. Considering the circumstances, it seems he hadn''t conceived that plan at least until he was ordered to move to the Roma Naval Port. Had he shown any sign of contemplation as if he was deep in thought beforehand?" Glover firmly denied it. ¡°For the times that I had seen him, there were no unnatural signs, surprising enough. Cass, who was with him the whole time, was rather surprised at how relaxed he was despite the nation¡¯s peril. However... Looking back, perhaps that in itself was the unusual sign all along. Cass and I had seen his grim determination during the transport mission first-hand, so we really should have noticed it. That there had to have been a reason for him to act so nonchalant after putting in all that effort.¡± Dew, sleep-deprived and with bloodshot eyes, which was a common trait of his, nodded in sympathy for Glover as he listened to the details and chimed in. "Haha, finally had a taste of the bitterness I''ve been having eh, Glover? That brat is so adept at hiding his thoughts behind his carefree attitude that I, for the love of my life, can never figure out his ideas, and he definitely doesn''t have any self-restraint as well. His excuse has always been ''It was a coincidence'', ''It just kind of happened'', ''Aha, I was careless'', or ''U was a bit off...'' All of it had been so irritating that I was very close to giving him a beating so many times! You know what? How about you take that brat under the Second Legion for a while? I think it would definitely straighten out that crooked personality of his when he finds himself surrounded by fellow ruffian sailors like himself who are more fussy about discipline¡ª¡± ¡°I refuse. He¡¯s beyond my capabilities... Moreover, he said sailing is just a hobby to him, and that his true forte is wind magic. Since that¡¯s the case, then his mentor can only be you, Dew, who has no rival in this Kingdom when it comes to outer mana circulation and detection magic. I can now understand why even Sir Godorfun went against the established customs and enlisted him under your care." Glover firmly rejected Dew''s suggestion. ¡°Hmm. I merely listened to his wishes and introduced him to Dew. I personally never assumed he would have such influence over the Kingdom''s state of affairs in a mere span of a few months, not even years. I don''t have such a clairvoyance ability. It truly was once a series of coincidences." Hearing Godorfun''s remark as he stroked his beard, Dew glared at him. ¡°...I won¡¯t go into details, but this is revolutionary research. If it leaks, not only the other countries, but even the unsavory elements within our Kingdom will take great risks to try and seize it with underhanded tactics. Therefore, until the technology is generalized, we¡¯re keeping it strictly confidential for her sake. I doubt she would carelessly spill anything, even if a friend of her brother drops by to hang out... but considering she¡¯s the sister of that trailblazing Allen Rovenne, I can¡¯t completely rule it out. Keep an eye on the situation. If he learns anything, issue a royal decree to pass the gag order. Still, she defeated your grandchild, the champion of the Rising Star Cup, bare-handed, huh? Now I really want to meet Roselia Rovenne in person.¡± Seeing Patrick¡¯s old habit flaring up again, his blue eyes sparkling, Glover brought the conversation back on track. ¡°Ahem... Even if he somehow knew the situation at the scene, it seemed unlikely that he had the detailed information. You might have heard about it, but the shock he displayed when I told him about the tragic accident that befell his friend was too genuine to be mere acting. His change in attitude from flippant to grim certainly didn''t seem like a lie." King Patrick grimaced. ¡°I received the report from Hugo. It¡¯s truly tragic what happened to this young man, having risen up for the sake of our Kingdom. For what he has accomplished by his sacrifice, we must pay him respect as the representatives of the Kingdom... Have you come to a decision over him, Gramps?¡± Godorfun¡¯s face contorted with sorrow. ¡°The decision regarding Aldol Engraver will be made at the staff meeting. There¡¯ll likely be many opposing opinions, and it¡¯ll be a bitter choice for me as well, but I believe we have no other option than to drop him to Class E at the next grade advancement period. According to that boy''s temperament, keeping him in Class A regardless would only add insult to his injury and maintaining his slot out of pity would likely be more harmful than beneficial. This is the only conclusion I could come to after having taught him up close for over a year." ¡°...Is there really no other way?¡± Godorfun shook his head when King Patrick asked, his tone laced with melancholy. "There will be criticism from all over, that is for certain... You¡¯ve always been covering for us and taking all the blame, Godorfun-san. It should''ve been you, not me, as the Supreme Commander of the Knights..." Godorfun shook his head again as Olina said so with a sigh. ¡°Do not worry about this old man. However... With what I have seen, with their experiences, Aldol Engraver''s character, and his position in the class¡ª this would be a change too painful for him, as well as the other kids. As rational as those kids are, have sophisticated ways of thinking, they''re still kids by heart. I... can only watch over them, and it will be aggravating, but we can only pray for them in hopes that they can overcome this." Out of habit, a cross-armed Dew picked on his ear, and blew on his fingertip before uttering. "......Look at you, old man, haven¡¯t you been molded into the persona of a ''Teacher'' quite well?" But no one reproached him for this impolite behavior in front of King Patrick. T/N - Well, well. If anyone¡¯s wondering about Al¡¯s situation and everyone¡¯s reaction, it will have to wait. Author hasn¡¯t dumped everything in one chapter, rather it¡¯s more of gradual reaction and situation unfolding¡ªan overarching story point. As the title of the last chapter goes, it perhaps is origin story behind Al¡¯s title. E/N - Well, ¡®The Great Cascade¡¯ never really screamed Ice Mage to me. My guess is that Al will probably transition to water magic after Allen builds him a prosthetic arm artifact. Who wants to bet? Vol. 1 - Chapter 188 - Arrival (1) Runereliya Central Station. It was the Royal Capital¡¯s station and was by far the biggest train platform in the Kingdom with train tracks directly connected to all the nation''s major cities. Unlike the relatively peaceful capital, the station was dominated by the constant bustle of a crowd. The station square had to be the busiest place all day long no matter the season, with its space filled with passengers along with magic cars and carriages coming to see them off. Today was the weekend, which brought in an even larger crowd than usual. However, unlike other times, the station square was wrapped in an unusual atmosphere. The reason was due to the presence of ''Empress'' Meria Dragoon of the Dragoon region. With her escorts by her side, she had set up her convoy right in front of the exit, the route disembarking passengers took. ¡ªJust who was the person that the Empress herself had come to meet? The question naturally appeared in the minds of the passersby, a murmur breaking out among the crowd. However, a quick look revealed she wasn¡¯t the sole noble present. Amidst the crowd, an amicable-looking old man donning a snug robe raised his voice to greet Meria. "He is...... wait, is he Sir Godorfun the Buddha...?" One of the onlookers guessed the identity of the old man, making the crowd noisier. The overwhelming tense air continued to dominate the station until ten minutes after 10 AM. The arrival time of the direct train from Dragreid. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "How long has it been since we last met, Meria? How are you doing? But to think a person of such illustrious standing as yourself would personally come to greet a mere viscount family, what a day to see. Don''t you fear tainting your reputation if word spreads?" Hearing a nostalgic voice from behind, Meria harrumphed. Though the nostalgia wasn¡¯t due to fond remembrance, it was just that they were once classmates in their time at the Royal Academy. "...And here I wondered which dying insect¡¯s chirp just reached my ears, so it''s just you, Godorfun. Indeed, it has been a good while. But for all that is holy, would you mind not getting on my nerves today? Surely, you must have heard of the shame I had to swallow during our seasonal local lords¡¯ meeting. When it comes to that family, my honor has already been shredded. One time could have been a mishap, but I wouldn''t let shame get the better of me again. Anyway, let''s not talk about me, so you''re out again without companions, huh? Must be nice being a leisurely old man like you. But what''s the meaning of you coming here and greeting a student''s parents? After becoming a teacher of the Royal Academy, you need to at least make sure that no student will receive preferential treatment, alright?" Godorfun narrowed his eyes, his hand stroking his white beard. "Hohoho. A pot calling the kettle black. I am here as the director of the Royal Academy, not as a class teacher. As for my goal, then it''s simply to check if I can recruit them." As soon as she heard Godorfun words, Meria''s face scowled in disgust. Ahh, whatever. I just need to discard my sense of shame. I¡¯m the only one among the Marquis who can appear so openly before them while the others can only gnash their teeth. It would be unbecoming of their status to meet a mere viscount whom they aren''t even acquainted with. I bet they have their ears in everyone¡¯s business, but it''s not as if they would dare interrupt me who''s meeting them merely for some *business*. Better not get in my way, old man." Meria had just finished her remark in a gloating manner when the crowd once again buzzed as they parted to the side, opening a pathway for the arrival of another significant person. Meria''s eye sharpened when she saw the newcomer. "This is... quite a coincidence, eh, Sir Godorfun? Meria-san?" It was Randy Von Dosperior walking toward them along with his son Eddie Dosperior. Their glory days might have long passed, but they, too, were a Marquis family on par with the Dragoon. And when it came to bloodline legacy, the Dragoon was nowhere near the Dosperior. "...What kind of wind has brought you here today, Randy? Surely, this place isn''t under the jurisdiction of the Royal Guards. Pray tell, you just happened to pass by, right?" Randy shook his head, his lips curled in a broad smile. "Of course not, that would be boorish of me. I¡¯m just on a personal errand since it''s my day off." "...It''s really a surprise coming from you. I know you value Allen Rovenne from what I''ve seen in the Marquis meeting... However, I do believe the fame of the Dosperior family isn''t so cheap as to personally visit a mere viscount couple, right? It stands true to the other Marquis too. I won''t nitpick on the code of nobility now, so make haste to your home for today." The two Marquises'' gazes collided. And after a moment of glaring at each other, Randy heaved a bitter sigh. He erased the smile from his face, and in a barely audible tone, he whispered. "I¡¯m here to meet my sister, one¡ª well, we had thought she died... So you have no right to butt into our affairs... to stop me from meeting my sister I could only helplessly leave to her fate before." A combative aura emerged from the otherwise mild-mannered Randy. He had made himself clear: he wouldn''t be budging from here today. Seeing as the atmosphere in the station square became intense, one of the police officers ¡ª he was watching the situation from a recently established police booth ¡ª hurriedly left for the nearby Central Military Post to get help. On the other hand, Meria finally started to grasp the answers to all her questions. "............So that¡¯s it. No wonder...... No wonder your exchange with Romario felt somewhat off. And you knew this already, Godorfun?" Meria glared at Godorfun as if she wanted to eat him alive. However, Godorfun merely tilted his head in supposed confusion, remarking ''Maybe?'', leaving Meria to click her tongue in discontent. The increasingly suffocating atmosphere of the station square showed no sign of abating. Vol. 1 - Chapter 189 - Arrival (2) "Hey, Dante-san, good morning. What in the world is going on? There''s quite an unsettling atmosphere here. Is there any foreign delegation or VIP arriving?" I came to Runereliya Central Station along with my elder sister to welcome our parents when I noticed the strange situation in the Station Square. However, maybe because I accepted her invitation to come here together, my sister was lost in her own world, displaying a humorous expression instead. Personally, I wasn''t in the mood to go out but... the only other option was to shut myself in the dorm with a depressed mood. After arriving, I happened to see the kind, cleft-chinned Dante-san, and so I raised my voice in greeting. My question brought a bitter expression to his face. "Hey, Allen-kun. Out on a date with your girlfriend? Speaking of which, good job on the transportation mission. I heard that the process was quite mind-boggling and revolutionary, but it¡¯s great to see you cheerful as usual... Well, I don''t know much either, we just arrived after we received the report. Dew-san is currently listening to the details." I followed Dante-san''s gaze and spotted Master, his face contorted in a troubled expression. He was facing Godorfun-sensei, and Randy-san who was having a stare-off with a feline-eyed elderly noble lady. I don''t remember where, but I think I¡¯ve seen her before. Meanwhile, my elder sister just made an embarrassed giggle, going ''Ehehe'' while clinging to my arm. "......I¡¯m here with my sister to welcome our parents who¡¯re coming to the Royal Capital. Personally, I would like to stay away from that scene. Please don¡¯t tell Master of our presence." I had whispered so to Dante-san when my sharp-eared Master suddenly turned his gaze at our direction, a blue vein bulging on his head, and beckoned us with a *gentle expression*. Tsk, was he a bloodhound or what? How did he hear me despite the noisy background and distance was beyond me... My range of detection has surpassed even Master¡¯s lately. Nevertheless, I had to say his ability to pick up even minute details and perfectly adapt to the situation was incredible, especially now that I was trying to master it myself. I heaved a sigh, and dragged my feet in his direction. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "You brat, you really have the gall to ignore me despite seeing me distraught, huh? As if my plate wasn''t already stacked to the limit, now you''re bringing in even more headaches to solve!" The very first words Master greeted me with started with a sermon. "......I understand the situation pretty well, but can you not say it like it''s my fault, Master? Also, today¡¯s my day off, so I didn''t bring a mask with me. Wouldn''t it be a disaster if someone recognized my (Ren) persona? With that, I¡¯ll take my leave." The station was a place that constantly had an ongoing crowd, and as vast as the Royal Capital might be, someone could recognize me as Ren. I could maybe brush off an allegation, stating I just happened to know them and I was just acting as a volunteer, but there was no way I could greet my parents if others kicked such a huge fuss like this. So I was about to get away from the situation after stating my request, but Master stopped me by grabbing my shoulder. "Not so fast, brat... Haa, I¡¯m rather surprised you''re so mindful of our current predicament. But that said, we¡¯ve already pinned down their backing a bit. If your identity gets out, so be it. I was just thinking it''s about time we took action. Being on the defensive all the time doesn¡¯t suit me well." ......I didn''t hear anything about this at all. So the Knight Order has already grasped the details of Rose''s backer. "Well, our breakthrough in this game of hide-and-seek was when you caught that ruffian Zetsu." He supplemented, seemingly seeing through my inner doubt. Zetsu... Who the hell was this person?... Ah, wait, maybe it was the leader of the spies I caught during the outdoor classes, I guess? But the heck, it''s just too wild that the spy I happened to capture actually had a connection with the idiots of Rose. As much as I had my questions, I refrained from saying them out loud and just nodded along in supposed understanding. Setting aside Randy-san, the matter wasn''t something we should speak about in front of my sister or this feline-eyed noble lady. And speaking of problem, the noble lady who had been stuck in a staring contest with Randy-san until a while ago, her eyes shining with a cat-like predatory glint deeply evoking a sense of de?ja? vu all over my body, was now giggling, which again evoked another series of de?ja? vu. Putting two and two together, I was sure she was Marquis Dragoon, a blood relative of Fey. This reminded me of how many I turned down her dinner invitation thoroughly, without a shred of care. I think I was in trouble here. No, that wasn''t the question I should ask... If anything, maybe I should change my evaluation of them. These people were nuts compared to the normal humans I presumed them to be. "She was never fussy about my martial arts training. Well, she was never good at teaching others as well. Though you probably won''t understand the feelings of an ordinary person... Let''s stop talking about me, what should we do about the current situation...?" Frankly, If I was in Randy-san''s shoes, I wouldn''t get up on my feet ever again, unless someone pulled me up. I mean, that was so embarrassing. But I guess that was just me. Randy-san leapt up to his feet with a content expression, and jumped toward my mother with a smile. "Celia!! I¡¯m soooo glad you''re still alive, I! I¡ª!!" However, my mother halted the advance of his loving embrace by catching Randy-san''s face in her iron claw, and said her words in a rather chilly tone. "It''s great to see you after so long, dearest brother. But would you mind explaining this disgraceful behavior you''ve been displaying despite being the head of the Dosperior family? Please be serious." But, despite being caught in the iron grip of my mother''s left hand, the light in Randy-san''s eyes remained constant, and without heeding the public''s gaze, he just uttered an ''Uhh~'' groan while tears continued to trickle down his cheeks. "............So it''s hereditary?" I unwittingly murmured so when my elder sister puffed her faintly red cheeks, and pinched my arm she had been holding on to. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "*A-Ahem*. Nice to meet you, Aunt Cecilia. I''m Eddie Dosperior. Ever since my father heard of your survival, he has mentioned it every day with great joy. So I hope for your understanding. And Father, please calm down! Aunt is right, you''re being disgraceful in public! This was why I urged you to hold back from coming here!" Finally, when Eddie-san dragged Randy-san back with force, the coldness in my mother''s eyes adopted a familiar affectionate gaze. "I¡¯m Cecilia. So, that should make you a cousin of our children. There¡¯s quite an age gap, but I hope you can get along with them." "That much is obvious." Eddie-san promptly nodded with a smile. After giving a single nod, my mother walked toward us with a composed gait. "Rose. Allen. You''re here to greet us? It''s great to see you two again after so long." Then she placed a hand on my head, gently embraced me, before murmuring¡ª "...You currently have quite a terrible expression. But I¡¯m proud of you... You¡¯ve grown strong." My movements stopped. She just arrived, so she should have no way of knowing anything about the mission. "......Why do you say that?" I asked, barely squeezing the words out of my dry lips. "I''m your mother, after all. A glance is enough for me to know everything... You seem to have held yourself very well." It was a strange feeling. Her praise unwittingly brought tears to my eyes, so I hurriedly wiped them with my sleeve. ''Oh dear,'' my mother chuckled softly, offering me a handkerchief. She really was invincible. T/N - True enough, the whole family¡ªleaving the supposedly normal elder brothers, I guess¡ªseems one of a kind. Vol. 1 - Chapter 190 - Arrival (3) The mutter in Station Square became louder as the crowd heard the woman, who seemed to be Allen Rovenne''s mother, call Randy Von Dosperior brother. While everyone was focused on Celia''s actions, Godorfun calmly stepped forward. Even though he still had that friendly, neighborhood grandpa look, a close examination would reveal tension building beneath the surface, as though he were on a battlefield. Godorfun walked directly up to Schord and, beaming, offered his right hand. "Fuhaha. It''s an honor to meet you, Mr. Schord Bainfaust. I''m Godorfun Von Wangyus, the director of the Royal Academy. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Once more, the peanut gallery was in a frenzy. "Schord Bainfaust......? I''ve never heard of him..." "You dimwit! He''s him! The one who trained Allen Rovenne and likely the No.1 private tutor in the whole kingdom!" "Ah, the inventor of ''Unceasing Prudence''... He looks more normal than I thought." ¡°The one who pulled Allen Rovenne from the brink of failure in merely three months and helped him score an A in the theoretical portion of the exam. He had developed to the point where he was accused of cheating...¡± Schord accepted the greeting with a smile. Lately, the sternness akin to a hell prison guard he used to show had lightened up after teaching two of the Rovenne family''s children and eventually even fulfilling their dearest wish of qualifying for the Royal Academy. At present, his expression was like that of spring breaking out from the shell of winter. Now that he won''t be teaching anyone for a good while, he was almost a full-time steward of the Rovenne house. Perhaps he was influenced by the mad dash he accompanied the awakened Allen in along with the latter¡¯s eventual acceptance into the Academy, but Schord didn''t look fazed facing Godorfun. "Schord Bainfaust... I have heard about you, Sir Godorfun, the young master''s class teacher. I am honored that you have come to greet me, a mere insignificant person. Every time I hear rumors about the young master, I was happy to hear that he has found such an iconic teacher. He might be mischievous, but please continue to guide him as before." Seeing Schord follow up with a deep but precise bow of courtesy, Godorfun shook his head. "I barely even taught him anything. His ''spirit'' was trained by you, Mr. Schord, and without your lessons he wouldn''t have progressed as far as he has. To be honest, I would much rather you come to the Academy to impart your outstanding knowledge and wisdom to the children there for the benefit of the kingdom. Will you consider it?" As Godorfun made his intention clear, Dew ¡ª who was listening to their conversation from behind while picking his ear with a pinkie ¡ª chimed in. ¡°......Hey, hey, are you insane, old man? Your experienced eyes should surely be able to see through this fake private tutor. If you do end up giving him a position of status, you run the risk of receiving a strike against you.¡± A blue vein popped on Godorfun''s forehead immediately as he directed an insane level of intimidation toward Dew. " "Eeeekkk!!" " Dew''s expression scrunched up as he cleared himself, the air around Schord finally loosened, his tight expression breaking into a smile. "Good heavens! So you''re the one the young master pestered to become his master. This might be audacious coming from this lowly Schord, but I was extremely happy when I heard about the news back in the Rovenne territory. I implore you to keep guiding the young master in the future." Schord performed a precise bow to Dew. "Fuhaha! You''re still wet behind the ears, Dew. Anyway, how long do you plan to stay in the Royal Capital, Master Schord?" Godorfun, meanwhile, just laughed at the whole situation and resumed his conversation with Schord, a hearty smile hanging on his lips. "......Hold on, Bellwood. Where do you think you''re going?" Meria immediately called Bellwood out as the latter tried to sneak away while taking advantage of the confusion. "......O-Oh goodness! What a coincidence meeting you here, Your Excellency. I didn''t expect to see you here, so I was oblivious to your presence." Meria wistfully glanced at the sky. "Do you have any idea what kind of impression you¡¯re giving to everyone who''s waiting for you in the Royal Capital with your current conduct?...... I can''t. Someone just come and teach this man how to behave properly." ¡ô¡ô¡ô Soon after, the news of the Rovenne couple''s arrival in the Royal Capital, accompanied by the Master of ?Unceasing Prudence?, reached everyone and their mothers. Similarly, the true identity of Allen''s mother did not remain a secret. Celia''s status as a true member of the Dopserior family came as a shock to everyone. In a flash, the Rovenne Estate in the Royal Capital received an avalanche of requests from individuals wanting to meet them. Nevertheless, all but a certain part of the nobility and influential people distanced themselves from the Rovennes. The reason¡ª they were scared. It was the behavior of the entire family that had them on their toes. Celia, Allen''s mother, despite being the blood-related sister of the head of the Dosperior family, didn''t hesitate in catching Randy Von Dosperior¡¯s face in an iron grip, pushing him to tears. Then, the ''Unceasing Prudence'' Schord made Dew Owiel, the Commander of the 3rd Legion, apologize for his unsavory remarks. And cherry on the cake was that their family head, Bellwood, treated the entire affair like it had nothing to do with him and even turned a blind eye to his lord, Her Excellency Meria, vanishing into the crowd. ¡ªIt was a family of crazy heads. Anyone who has heard of what happened, which sounded no less than a joke, clearly understood that approaching such a family would be nothing short of suicidal. ¡ªAt this point, I was the only ordinary human among my insane family. The next day in the Academy, this was how Allen Rovenne explained himself to his friends. T/N - Damn, I thought there would be another glazing, but wow, crazy heads. That actually was an apt description. Vol. 1 - Chapter 191 - Cecilia Dosperior It was a little over twenty years ago, in the early spring. In the capital of Marquis Dosperior¡¯s territory ¡ª the old royal capital Rabeldin ¡ª Cecilia Dosperior was celebrating her 16th birthday. "Happy 16th birthday, Cecilia. Have you decided on your birthday present?" The scene was in the dining room, with only three people ¡ª her mother Frelia, her brother Randy, and Cecilia herself ¡ª seated at the large dining table. The dining table was decorated with a traditional stew of the Dosperior, plain bread, and sweets. The only other people in the house were the head maid Anna and the head chef Mesai¡ª just a few select individuals. The vast dining hall gave off a somewhat lonely atmosphere. Even for the servants, there was only the maid Anna and the chef Mesai in the huge dining room, giving the scene a desolate touch. This was all out of consideration for Cecilia, who recently came to dislike luxurious meals and avoided appearing in front of large groups of people. Since Vardi, Cecilia''s father, had died in the last great war, his wife Frelia inherited the title of Marquis, while Randy inherited the title of ¡®Von,¡¯ which symbolized the heir of the noble house. Cecilia coughed a little, but her face was unusually bright as she nodded. "Yes, I¡¯ve decided. You won''t go back on your word, right? That you will comply with any of my wishes." As they looked at Cecilia''s playful gesture, Frelia and Randy exchanged glances, their faces morphed into happy grins. They hadn''t expected any fuss from her since she had recently adopted a more pensive mood after being made aware of the grim reality of her impending death. That was what had happened on her last birthday. Cecilia just said ''I¡¯ll think about it,'' but as time passed, she never made her request. ¡°Y-You just have to say it! No matter what it is, this brother of yours won''t let you down! Yes, even if you want a dragon egg, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± Randy, who was still young, stood up and declared so with a puffed chest, causing Cecilia to smile playfully. "Take it easy brother. You¡¯re the heir of the Desperior family, a very crucial position. You¡¯ll only make Mother worry about you if you put yourself in danger without a second thought." "You shouldn¡¯t care about such things! Besides, men of the Dosperior family aren¡¯t cowards, especially its heir. For you, my adorable sister, I¡¯ll gladly charge into a dragon''s nest! Just say the word!" Frelia let out a sigh. "Sit down, Randy. Cecilia is right. Courage and recklessness are two different things. If it''s something that can be bought with money, then just buy it. Anyway, Cecilia, what do you want for your present?" Cecilia nodded with a determined look on her face. "My wish... is to go on a journey. I only have about one year left to live. I don¡¯t want to sit here in my hometown and quietly wait for my death. I want to see the nation that Father... that the Dosperior family has risked their lives to protect. Please let me do this." "Th-That is..." Frelia and Randy were left speechless upon hearing Cecilia''s wish. Her illness had already progressed to a severe stage, and embarking on a journey now was nothing short of a death sentence given her current condition. Randy''s face twisted in agony, but he shook his head. "No... no, I can''t allow this. At least, you can still rest here, and live for one more year. I want you to live for as long as possible, Cecilia." "That would be no different to me being dead already." Cecilia stared directly into her brother''s eyes as she spoke, her voice unwavering. "...Thank you for understanding, Mother. Please tell brother... that I¡¯m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye." Frelia chuckled. "Don¡¯t sweat it. Given Randy, I bet he would rather follow you to the end of the world, rendering any farewell hopeless." "Haha. I bet he will... I¡¯ll pray for your eternal health, mother. I''m leaving now!" Frelia watched her daughter walk away, her fingers interlaced. She then raised her hands to her face, bending her knees slightly in an old knight¡¯s salute. "Take care of yourself, Cecilia. May your journey be safe." ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Where do you think you''re going without an escort, young lady?" As Cecilia stood in line at the riverbank ferry, someone approached her from behind. Turning around, she saw Dio carrying his spear on his back and dressed for travel, luggage in tow. Dio was five years older than Cecilia and came from the Ringart family, a vassal family of the Dosperior household. From a young age, he had been rigorously trained to one day serve Cecilia as her personal guard. "Dio... Why are you here?... Is that my luggage?" Dio nodded. "Randy-sama visited me late last night and said that the young lady would attempt to sneak out in the morning for sure. He also said that you''re still very much unaware of the world, being the sheltered princess that you are, and that you would struggle if you were left alone. So he asked me to stay by your side." Cecilia was surprised. She couldn''t believe her brother had foreseen what she would do. All sorts of emotions welled up inside her, but¡ª "Aha, I can''t have you making such expressions, young lady. And the Master''s concerns weren¡¯t unfounded. Standing here without any luggage and lining up for the ferry without purchasing a ticket. There is no end to the riffraff and scoundrels that would take advantage of you. It''s unthinkable to let you go out without a follower. Society outside needs more than just brawn to weave your way through. ''As much as I would like to dispatch hundreds of attendants with her, that girl would never accept it.'' These were the words of Randy-sama, so please accept his kind intentions." "...I¡¯m merely treading on my path to death, so your company is for naught, even for you. Please convey my strong reluctan¡ª" As Cecilia tried to refuse, Dio gave off an aura that could almost be described as anger. "Until a while back, I, Dio Ringart, was... prepared to follow the young lady to her grave. But I had to rethink my conviction after my conversation with Randy-sama. Now, I would like to watch how you will draw your life from this point onward, young lady, and... when that end arrives, I will convey the details to Randy-sama and Frelia-sama. At the very least, the tales of your travel would soothe, even if only by a small amount, the wounded hearts of the Dosperior family which has become so desolate and grief-stricken after losing their light." "......Understood. I appreciate your devotion, but you have to live your own life once you pass the news of my departure to them... And I bet he must be watching us from up there right now." Cecilia turned toward the central part of the city where the towering Rabeldin Tower stood, and waved with a smile. The tower, being the tomb of their ancestor and harboring a multitude of secrets and legends within, was a place of significant meaning for the Dosperior family. The top of the tower provided an overview of the entire city in all directions. Cecilia knew that even if her eyes couldn''t see that far, her brother must be watching her through a telescope, shedding tears with a smile. E/N - You thought it was the translator, but it was I, Dio¡ª- *cough cough* I mean the editor! But seriously, do you guys still remember that explorer who escorted Allen to Dragreid in the earlier chapters? Vol. 1 - Chapter 192 - Cecilias Resolve (1) Returning to the present at the Station Square on the day the Rovenne couple and Schord arrived at the Royal Capital. Randy promptly suggested that they hold a banquet, calling every influential person from the Dosperior territory, and announce his sister¡¯s survival on the joyous occasion. However, Cecilia refused this suggestion. "Our Rovenne family is a local of the Dragoon territory first before anything else. It would be a travesty to join another noble''s banquet before even greeting Her Excellency. There''s an order to everything." Hearing Cecilia speaking so resolutely, Meria''s expression, which was twisted in bitterness, promptly glowed up. "Now this is why I prefer you, Cecilia! Of course, as someone I have recognized, you know how to progress with the situation." She said as she sent a sharp glare in Randy''s direction. Randy shrugged his shoulders. "Haa. My sole reason for rushing here was to confirm Cecilia''s wellbeing. It was impossible for me to sit still after what we had been through, so rest assured that my actions weren''t meant to antagonize you, Lady Meria. A couple more days¡¯ delay is hardly a problem. In fact, it''ll be much better for us since I¡¯ll have enough time to prepare a grand banquet¡ª¡± Before Randy could finish, Cecilia shook her head once more. "My time for extravagant banquets has long passed. The kids are the new stars of this generation. The future of our Rovenne family will be in their capable hands. This is the policy Bell has decided for our Rovenne family." She gently placed her hands on the shoulders of Allen and Rose. ''Of course, that shifty dad of mine would throw this sort of rubbish to us,'' was Allen''s thought, unsurprisingly. Meanwhile, Randy was at loss for words at the unapproachable attitude of Cecilia as he glanced at her face which still had that adorable smile she used to show him. "......I did guess that there must be some kind of special circumstance when you didn''t even send word of your survival. No matter, as I had Allen tell you, I won''t ask you to assume your duties as one of the Dosperior. I''m just¡ª your brother is beyond happy to see you alive. So... at the very least, would you not tell me everything? Why was there no word from you all these years? What was the reason?¡± Now that Cecilia¡¯s survival had been confirmed, Randy, as the head of the Dosperior family, needed to accurately grasp the facts and prepare an explanation that could be used both internally and externally. Cecilia briefly lowered her gaze with a hint of sadness, then turned to Meria. "...As long as you''re following the formalities, there''s no need to stand on ceremony for every single thing." Meria declared, not yet fully informed about the situation. ¡°I understand. However, this isn¡¯t something that can be discussed here. Tomorrow, I will visit Her Excellency with Bell to officially offer our greetings. If you could come to our house the day after tomorrow, I¡¯ll explain everything then. I would appreciate it if you could make the visit unofficial so that it doesn¡¯t become too much of a formal matter.¡± Cecilia said. ...Randy''s initial plan was to invite them to the Dosperior Estate, but Cecilia''s words made him doubt, and he ultimately swallowed his complaint when he saw her resolute gaze. It seemed that there was some kind of reason behind all this. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll contact you again about the details and the timing.¡± With the situation between the nobles temporarily settled, the crowd of onlookers, which had been growing noisy and excited, was dismissed as well for the time being. ¡ô¡ô¡ô It was when I was aimless traveling to the south while following the highway that I realized I would no longer be a person by the time spring arrived. I made a stop at a certain, inconspicuous countryside governed by Viscount Moonlit, when a rumor reached my ear. Apparently there was a vast, virgin forest ¡ª the Claubia mountain forest range ¡ª beyond the mountain adjacent to the inn town. I had no particular reason why it caught my interest. Perhaps I felt the tug of destiny when I heard that the forest had been there since ancient times, still held a nearly untouched habitat, and was home to many extraordinary lifeforms. ...I believed that the forest was a suitable place for my deathbed. But¡ª In that beautiful forest, I met Bell. I¡¯ll leave the details for later, but Bell served me a medicinal soup made from various ingredients found in the Claubia forest, which was said to have nourishing properties. Thanks to that, I managed to survive the winter and made it through to summer. Then one day, Bell and I discovered something¡ªwell, stumbled on to it would be a better description. We learned that was a certain vegetable that rarely grew in the summer which was... effective against the Mana Collapse disease. Bell went through all the past records of the Rovenne house and gathered all the ingredients for me. He then processed them into various forms, such as salted and powdered, so that I could take them regularly. Following the sudden discovery along with Bell''s care, my illness was almost completely healed by the next summer. ...I immediately thought of writing a letter to you. I wanted to inform you of the miracle that happened to me, and dispel the gloom of the Dosperior house. But, we encountered a problem the next summer. The ingredient meant to cure me was extremely hard to find. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that it was an endangered species. It was clear that the overharvesting done to save my life had caused this. After that, Bell imposed strict limits on the collection of this particular ingredient. The effort had indeed helped salvage the situation, and now their number had reached the previous distribution range. In the end, I decided to keep the matter a secret. In my case, I was fortunate enough that the ingredient didn¡¯t become extinct, but there was no telling what would happen the second time around. Even if it was just within the Kingdom, hundreds of children die every year from this disease. If we include the other nations, the number of victims would undoubtedly be even higher. If the existence of a cure became widely known, it would undoubtedly be traded at an astronomical price. And once that happened, there was no way to stop the overharvesting of this ingredient. You couldn''t bring something back once it was lost. This was why I kept my survival a secret. At the time when my disease was said to be incurable, my survival would be noted as something more than just a miracle. It would be followed by an extensive investigation for sure. After all, this was a disease for which there was no known cure. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "At present, Bell is doing all that he can to grow the ingredient artificially." With these words, Cecilia concluded her story. E/N - Interesting. So that''s why they''re so obsessed with that mountain range. What do you guys think about Cecilia''s story? Personally, the fact that she didn''t even secretly inform her family of her survival showed just how little she trusted them. T/N - Well, the intricate circumstances. Next chapter will solve it why she didn''t tell them. Though, I guess yeah. Treatment seems a bit cold. Vol. 1 - Chapter 193 - Cecilia’s Resolve (2) "At present, Bell is doing all that he can to grow the ingredients artificially. There''s no assurance that his research will succeed in the future, but there has been some tangible progress." Cecilia concluded her explanation. Randy had more or less guessed the reason in a corner of his mind when he heard of Cecilia''s survival. Eddie should''ve reached the same conclusion as well, though he was hesitant to put it into words. There was little they hadn''t done in their search for a cure. The higher the expectations they placed on the various cures they''ve found, the deeper the despair they experienced after they failed. The search for a cure for the Mana Collapse disease had been arduous for the Dosperior family. To think that the solution had always been present since 20 years ago. "...Why? If not anyone else, you could have at least contacted me? You should know better than anyone else the human and financial resources that I have at my disposal¡ª" However, Cecilia shook her head at Randy''s words. "There''s just no researcher better than Bell when it comes to the endangered flora of the Claubia region. And as I mentioned, you couldn''t harvest too much. We couldn''t trust others too much, and we had no assurance that the research would bear fruit, even if we counted on your support. Moreover, the bigger concern was that¡ª" With a pause, Cecilia squinted and stared right into her brother''s eyes. "When the solution is right in front of you, would you pretend to not see it? You wouldn''t have put your faith in a research which could turn out to be useless had you known about it before my departure. You would have done everything you could to try and procure one for me." Randy faltered in front of Cecilia''s question. "...This is by no means a justification. No doubt that many lives that could have been saved were lost since I turned them away myself while I lived a carefree life. Bell had prompted me many times to let you know. But, I¡ª I wanted to cut this cycle for good. I''ve lived at that moment of sadness with no hope long enough. Who knows if my decision was actually correct, or if I was just a frog in the bottom of the well. Nevertheless, this is the path I believe in. I won''t waver even if¡ª" Cecilia paused, then quietly delivered the end of her explanation with a resolute gaze. "¡ªEven if that means going against you, brother. I won''t let my resolve waver for anyone, not even you, dear brother." ¡ô¡ô¡ô Randy then broke the depressing silence. "...Huh, I guess that''s why your attitude was so cold back at the station. You''re right, amicable talk doesn¡¯t fit within the walls of the Dosperior family¡ª the family that has grieved over their child or grandchild in these couple of decades...... That is indeed a good resolve." He looked back at Cecilia with an intense gaze. Cecilia, too, confronted his gaze and simply nodded. "But... why now? Why did you stop hiding?" The question should''ve been obvious to Cecilia as she replied in a flat tone. "I couldn''t bring myself to shackle these kids when they''ve just taken their flight for their futures just for my determination. When the result came out... when Allen got into Class A, I knew this time would come. It was only a matter of time before you or the others learned about me. The blood of the Dosperior running in Allen was that thick as he made strides to become a knight. Admittedly, I wasn''t expecting this day to come so soon, but it was either now or another day in the near future. I had thought of muddying the waters with another rumor to earn some more time, but keeping a secret and lying are two different things. The lie we told today to keep kids'' identities hidden might give rise to problems when the information inevitably gets unearthed after Bell completes his research. It could be used to pull them down in the future. I decided that now was the time to discuss it with the kids, and with you." Cecilia paused yet again, but this time her face was dyed in pure white as she gave off an intimidating aura. It goes without saying, no just cause would be enough for others to forgive me having lost their child. But I swear that I would not let my support waver here, so let us share the burden. And... I hope you forgive this brother of yours." A rosy look eventually replaced the pale white complexion on Cecilia''s face as Randy looked at her with a soft gaze. A line of tears streaked down her eyes. ¡ô¡ô¡ô With his face scrunched up in both anguish and joy, Randy-san stood up from his seat. Aww, this was ¡ª I mean, I did say this before too, but this time for sure ¡ª definitely a prelude to an emotion-filled hug. I braced myself for a sentimental impact, tears gathering at the corner of my eyes. Yet, my mother caught Randy-san''s face in an iron grip as he walked toward her with open arms, and easily stopped him. Neither Randy-san nor anyone else present in the dining room understood what was going on. As we were getting confused, mother casually cast Randy-san away and remarked in a frigid tone. "I''m a lady now and also someone''s wife, brother. As much as we have a blood connection, it''s preposterous for us to share a hug at our age. This is where the line must be drawn." An awkward silence drifted among us. However, Randy-san simply showed a happy look with tears streaming down his cheeks, unbothered by my mother''s attitude. "*Sniffle* I¡¯m glad to see you''re just as frigid¡ª I mean, Cecilia upholding the virtues of the Dosperior family more exceptionally than anyone else. And you must be just as impressive of a person, Bellwood-dono, seeing Cecilia''s overwhelming love for you. The order of things were reversed, but anyway, I pray for your perpetual happy marriage life. As you brother, I¡¯m relieved to see you have a good match." A smile blossomed on my mother''s face. "Indeed. My meeting with Bell was certainly no less than a miracle, a match made in heaven... He''s just perfect... as long as he stops eyeing other girls." The perpetual expression of sincerity and warmth immediately vanished from Randy-san''s face as he heard my mother''s tattling, replaced by an appearance akin to a bloodthirsty demon. "Preposteroussss!!...... How could you have eyes for others with my sister at your side!!?" Father frantically tried to explain. "No, it''s all a misunderstanding. It''s just, there''s this girl working at a recently opened bakery. The bread there has a distinct aroma, so I just happen to look her way¡ª" "How¡ª How could you be like this!? I had been so assured that my brother-in-law is an upright person after I saw Allen didn''t let himself get fazed even when two lovely daughters from the Marquis families tried to court him, keeping a rigid stance without throwing any suggestive hints. This is unforgivable!!" Huh, hold on a god darn minute! Of course anyone would avoid them once they saw what kind of landmines they were! Also, mother, and sis too. Could you not nod like I was the man he''s making me out to be!? "Aren''t you ashamed for taking a glance at other women, while your son is the literal personification of flawlessness, carrying the three-thousand years of legacy on his back, and is known as the paragon of poise!" Hey, hey! Don''t jeopardize my future love life in the cross-fire! I was sure the blood of the Rovenne ran thick within me with how my gaze trailed after any cute girl, like any sound, healthy boy. Alas, the air was too sharp in the dining room to utter my rebuttal. "First of all, we males are¡ª" For the following two hours, I watched as Randy-san preached to my father with a hideous visage, accepting no buts or ifs from his brother-in-law. Vol. 1 - Chapter 194 - Message (1) Al came out to see a certain nameless waterfall that he had discovered along with Allen and the others on their last explorer''s activity at the beginning of their summer vacation. He still wasn''t in the best state yet with his wound yet to be healed, however, a brewing impatience compelled him to move. He remembered the words Allen had said to him back then. *"Listen well, Al. Meditating under a waterfall is an absolutely indispensable training an Ice Mage can¡¯t ever skip! It¡¯ll forge your mental spirit anew! Don''t try to find logic in it, just do it!"* With thoughts of rediscovering himself, he sat cross-legged on the basin of a waterfall just like that day. ¡ô¡ô¡ô *Click-Clack* Confirming that the door wasn''t locked, Fey and Jeu''s lips curled into mischievous smiles. They gave each other a nod and barged into the room, not even bothering to knock. "Heyaaa, Allen! We''re here to hang out!" "Today''s weather is pretty pleasant for an outing, Allen-san!" They unapologetically announced their entry into Allen''s dorm room. However, they were immediately surprised with what they saw inside. Allen had combed his hair into a neatly parted hairstyle, which was uncharacteristic of him. His face wore a somber look, an expression he used in his past life, and there were spectacles embedded with round lenses ¡ª as thick as the bottom of a glass bottle ¡ª on top of his head worn in the same way as a flashy guy would shift their sunglasses atop their head. He was dressed in an unfamiliar black blazer and pants, as dark as raven feathers, bearing a simple and boorish design. The design of the clothes was unique as if they were tailor-made by a prestigious tailor in the Royal Capital, yet either the fabric or the sewing appeared cheap work at glance. The sleeves rubbing against the desk gleamed, but the attire overall was lame to no end. At least, it certainly didn¡¯t fit the image of comfort wear. Several bulky books, each holding the know-how of their respective areas of expertise, cluttered the antique wooden desk he was sitting on. Meanwhile, all sorts of ores were rolling on the floor, barely leaving any space to step on. Noticing their arrival, Allen spoke, however, he neither gave them a nod nor did he raise his eyes from his desk. "What did I tell you about barging into a boy''s room without knocking? Anyway, why''re you here?" "......Well, your door isn''t usually locked, so I thought something serious might have happened... By the way, what''s with that attire, Allen-san?" "This is just to get myself in the right mindset." "......Would you mind if I asked what you¡¯re doing right now?" "Being a study nerd." " "......" " ¡ô¡ô "Pfft, ahaha! So you realized it too, Jeu. I use a plethora of material as an Artificer, and this¡ª it''s called ?Fool''s Mithril?, a composite ore of silver, iron, and steel. It indeed has its usage, but it''s worth far less compared to actual mithril." Fey cheerfully remarked. "Hrgh, fool¡ª fool''s mithril, you say...?" "Yup. Since it bears a striking resemblance to mithril and often gives out more vivid silvery brilliance than mithril itself, many in the past had mistaken one for the other, only to slump in defeat once the truth was out. Those people were eventually dubbed fools." ... ...... That blasted baldy! I should have never trusted his amicable expression. That damned guy really was a con-man...! "By the way, that bright red ore that seems like adamantium is actually a gold-copper alloy. Oh, and that Lazurite ore is just a purple stone¡ª" And gradually, Fey appraised all the ores tumbling on the floor. None of them were the valuable ores I imagined them to be, just look-a-like items. Giddily, Fey questioned me with a sharp glint in her eyes, her lips still curled in a smile. "...Now then. Which ore shop was it that dared to fool my Allen, huh? It wouldn''t sit well with me unless I taught them a lesson for you." "They certainly need to be hammered like nails. Let''s make sure that they never show their faces again in the Royal Capital." Jeu followed up after Fey, her adorable face contorting into a ghastly smile¡ª a far cry from the image of ''Reborn Saintess'' she had been told to be, something that had been recently spreading in the rumors after the outdoor class orientation. Personally, I doubt that the peddler would still be in the Royal Capital. I was aggrieved no doubt, though I didn¡¯t really think highly of myself either. I should''ve realized that there was no way an amateur like me could get my hands on valuable ores at less than market price. And to be honest, I actually didn¡¯t care too much about it. I mean, I would have cared more if the money came from my pocket, but the cost had been shouldered by Satowa, so I wasn''t in the mood to waste my time on a futile search. Above all, the raw ores weren''t that expensive compared to their refined counterparts, and I did think that half of them might turn out to be counterfeit. I just went along with the mood to test out my knowledge. Though I didn''t expect that not a single one of them turned out to be real... And honestly, I would lose more sleep if I let these two troublemakers take charge of the situation. "What the heck do you mean by ¡®My Allen¡¯?... I was never yours to begin with... Anyway, it was my fault for assuming that an amateur like me could snag some cheap stuff from the slums of all places. It¡¯s an expensive lesson to learn, but this is an experience too. And it''d be a goose chase to go after that street vendor. Who knows if he has already left the Royal Capital. It''s too late to regret now." As I showed my sportsmanlike stance in accepting the loss openly, Fey curled her lips in a smile. "......Mm-mm. I didn''t expect you to back down so easily. Alright, now fess up. What''s your actual plan?" Both of them hurled doubtful gazes my way. They completely believed, without a shred of doubt, that I was planning something nefarious. T/N - Well, that probably explains where he got his Great Cascade title. E/N - MC is mixing up martial arts tropes with magic tropes ???? Vol. 1 - Chapter 195 - Message (2) "Alright, now fess up what are you actually planning?" Fey questioned me with that big grin plastered on her face. "I already said it, I don¡¯t have any other reason whatsoever. Also, these rocks are more than just fakes for me. I wanted to ascertain my knowledge, and I did just that. Though I admit, it was quite a pricey lesson." I mean, sure, they weren''t worth that much. Personally, I was pretty excited to learn about a composite ore made out of silver, iron, and steel. There was no such thing in my previous world, after all. "Hmm~, if you say so... Speaking of which, where''s this abandoned mine?" Fey posed another question, a faint smile on her lips. Tsk. Of course, she would ask that. I wanted to keep the location a secret since it would be a pain if they tried to go with me, but now it seemed like I was asking for too much. Even if I tried to keep the specifics of the request from her at this point, she would be able to easily figure out the details since she already had the gist of it. "...It''s near Dragreid, the Rootzenia Mining Ruin. I''m only a nominated explorer. At best, I¡¯m just hired help for this request. To put it bluntly, I can''t burden them while exploring the ruins. So, for all that is holy, don''t attempt to follow us. Got it?" Since it was already too late, I might as well call them out and stop them from causing trouble. "Ahahahaha!... No way, it''s Rootzenia? I got it, Allen. Besides, I have my own stuff to do. So relax, I¡¯m not gonna ask you to take me with you." ...Huh? I thought she would pester me no end. Still, once she learned that the ruin was located in the capital of her territory, she backed off quite easily. "Anyway, leaving that aside. Allen... why haven''t you visited Al yet?" Caught off guard by the sudden change of topic, I looked away. "...Whoa, that really came out of nowhere. I doubt you need to know that, however." Al was currently hospitalized in the Royal Capital''s hospital. Well, it was near time for him to be discharged. Though he won''t be coming back to the dorm. Rather, he was going to stay in Viscount Engraver''s residence in the Royal Capital for now. With what had happened, he needed time to adjust himself into his new normal life. It was an obvious decision, I guess. "Don''t you know? I''m just that gossipy, I just like to jump between topics of interest. Anyway, so?" This time, however, she was persistent, a contrast from her earlier attitude. ...Well, for the record, I had been to the hospital to visit Al... Or at least, I tried to. I was about to enter Al''s room when I heard his sobbing from outside. I stopped to take a peek from the crevice of his room''s door, and felt a tremor running through me. Sunken cheeks, chapped lips, and with a vacant look in his eyes¡ª Al sniffled from time to time as he quietly sobbed. He obviously wasn''t crying due to the pain from his wounds. That was clear from his expression. ...Depression was a natural outcome in such a situation. Al was only human, after all. And here I thought Al would just jump up to his feet like any other time. Faced with such a situation, I recalled what Dan had told me back at the Roma port. ?Many will sympathize with Al. But you, Allen, should be the last person to show it. If you do, there would truly be no saving Al''s spirit.? Once I remembered those words, I just couldn''t bring myself to enter his ward. "......I didn''t want to pity him." Jeu used her wit, and followed up before Fey could explain. "So Allen-san thinks that this missing ore is somewhere inside the Rootzenia mining ruin, huh? That maybe it''s something that exists, it''s just that no one knows of its true value yet... Is that right?" Fey chuckled. "Haha, who would have thought it''s Rootzenia, right under the nose of Dragreid... I still have doubts, but there may be a chance if Allen is studying it with such fervor. Once we have that critical component, that unknown magic metal, it¡¯ll only be a matter of trial and error before we can come up with something like a highly capable artificial arm that can be moved with a mere thought. Though he''s probably trying to lie low now. He wouldn''t want to give Al a false hope. And I bet once he manages to find that crucial ore, he would say that he ''just happened to find it'' or something along that line." Jeu, too, broke into a chuckle. "Fufu. Allen-san is often so blatant with his theatrics." "Anyway, how''s it going for you, Jeu? Has Allen talked to you about limb regeneration yet?" Jeu shook her head in dismay. "He... hasn''t. A magic that can regrow a missing limb is but a fairy tale. It''s not something that can be tackled by just being freed of today''s common sense. But after seeing Allen-san dressed in those black clothes while trying to figure things out alone, I may have some ideas. ''You don''t wait for things to just conveniently become better for you. What you need is the conviction to claw your way out of any hurdle.'' This was what Allen-san said to Leo-san when he regrouped with us during the first scenario in the outdoor classes...... I, too, have found my determination." Jeu said with a broad smile on her face. "Hey, you heard that, right, Al? Jeu and I have found our determination too. So... we''re waiting for you, Al." ¡ô¡ô¡ô ?We''re waiting for you, Al... If you continue to be tardy, maybe you¡¯ll end up with three arms. Three-Armed Al... Pfft, ahahaha!? Al smiled wryly and turned off the audio recording magical tool. The magical tool contained voice messages from each of his classmates. It was a choice he made of his own will. As much as he believed in himself, he still couldn''t help but get depressed as he dealt with not only his lost arm, but also the loss of his Ice Attribute Conversion talent as well as him getting dropped from Class A. Since Allen had not paid him a single visit, a storm of anxiety was building inside of him. But just as he was about to lose himself in despair, these messages became his anchor that prompted him to look forward. All of them were heartfelt, devoid of any fallacy, and exuded pure concern for him. Tears would stream down his face every time he listened to them. Al once again turned toward the basin of the waterfall, and sat straight under it in a cross-legged position. As the torrent of water crashed on him, a keen eye would spot glistening tears in his eyes. "All of them are waiting for me..." He repeated, the light in his eyes gradually gaining a fiery touch, burning in a sort of impatience. "Allen is waiting for me!!" He said in a move to motivate himself. A blue demonic fish leaped into the air as if feeling Al''s determination and dived back into the water. E/N - Well, I was right. Allen was going for the prosthetic arm. As for why he went for this route instead of regrowing Al''s missing limb, I bet it''s because a robotic arm is cooler and is a man''s romance. Also, man, this chapter hit me right in the feels. Vol. 1 - Chapter 196 - Fiendish Sergeant of the 3rd company (1) December website update As the extermination war against the Hellrowcast raged on, Cordie Serdos, the elder brother of Dan, was appointed to a certain logistic support unit in the Bolero viscounty located in the Grauksh region. "Huff...*pant* Haah... Damn it... why do I have to do this shitty labor work when I¡¯m a part of the brain clique?!" An indignant murmur escaped from Cordie''s mouth, and he immediately got berated for it. "That''s enough whining, Cordie! Instead of wasting your energy on complaining, you should move your hands and feet more!" The owner of the voice was Pet, the leader of the unit Cordie was in. In the Yuglia Kingdom, a small group was dubbed a Unit, which was composed of four people. Two units would be called a Squad, four squads made up a platoon, and four platoons would make a company. With a commoner background, and being nearly 20 years old, much like Cordie, Pet could be seen nagging Cordie most of the time. Their current task was to dismantle the camp where the combat unit responsible for exterminating the Hellrowcast had been stationed, and swiftly set it up again on another designated point. While the highlight of this large-scale military operation was, of course, the combat unit that would exterminate the Hellrowcast, Cordie, as someone who knew nothing about swordsmanship or who had no military upbringing, was assigned to logistics as a matter of course. This wasn''t to belittle the importance of logistic units, as they were vital in military operations. However, when their tasks varied from predicting the next campsite for the Hellrowcaust elimination operation to procuring and transporting necessary supplies while also keeping an eye on the troop''s health and remaining mana ¡ª which all required an experienced hand ¡ª an inexperienced nobody like Cordie couldn''t contribute anything significant. In the end, Cordie was enlisted as a volunteer laborer to carry the supplies, set up tents, and the like while mapping the hills and dales. Basically, work that required little to no critical thinking. And achieving any meritorious deeds in his current situation would only be possible in his dreams. The final nail in the coffin was his rank in the army¡ª a common soldier, the very bottom. While he was sent here to learn and to earn some merits, the rank and placement itself was very odd for an heir of a count family, especially since he was a graduate of a Noble Academy. Under normal circumstances, as the heir to a count family, he would be surrounded by knights, and would be assigned safer, less strenuous tasks to earn achievements without taking on real danger. Then why was Cordie undertaking menial tasks in a team full of strangers? The short answer was due to the *consideration* of Marquis Grauksh, who had extended this blessing especially to him. "You bastard! Do you even know who I am!? I-I¡¯m the heir of a distinguished Count family! And my little brother is in the Royal Academy¡ª" Just as Cordie made his complaint while glaring at Pet, the latter''s right hand cut through the air toward him. Cordie instantly stiffened when he saw the incoming hand. The next moment, Pet delivered a strong slap on Cordie''s left cheek, leaving a red welt and a stinging sensation. "Argh!" Seeing Cordie falling to his knees, Pet continued in a deep voice. "This is the third time, Cordie. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. When in the military, you better shove your age and status up your arse. You''re a nobody here, a common soldier. That''s what you are right now. You can only throw your weight around in times of peace. In operations like this, any act of disobedience that may disrupt the army''s order is a grave violation of the military rules. I¡¯ll let it slide this time, but know that not everyone is as lenient as me." With tears pooling in his eyes, Cordie glared at Pet. He swallowed his saliva that now had the taste of blood mixed in. "You bastard... Not even my parents have ever laid their hand on me! I swear, as soon as I get my hands on a way to contact my little brother, I will have your¡ª" Pet shook his head in dismay, and then he grabbed Cordie''s arm. "You really don''t learn, do you?... I don''t know who your brother is, but they''re the ones who deserve respect. Not you. Moreover¡ª" Pet said that, then he once again raised his right hand in the air. ''Eeeek,'' Cordie let out a miserable shriek as he scampered to cover his face with his hands. "...No one in the military would dare say crap like they''ve never been hit before. The instant they face danger, they don''t make a chu sound, nor do they take any other action. What they do is put up their mana guard. You mustn¡¯t shut your eyes. Keep your vision unobstructed, and then look at me. Do it." Hearing Pet speaking in an unexpectedly soft voice, Cordie clumsily gathered his mana, and hesitatingly lowered his arms. As soon he did so, Pet delivered a second slap. "Gaah!" Pet hastily covered Cordie''s mouth. "You dumb bastard! Are you even thinking, shouting against an order within earshot of another group who could see our tomfoolery? I¡¯ve already said it before, but the others aren''t as broad-minded as me! What you just did could get you court-martialed!" "I presume the arrival of the support unit had disrupted our water arrangements. They''re not locals, so they won''t be able to fetch enough water, after all. And most of all, we''re not inside a city, and there''s a limit to a mage''s mana. Their conjured water is mainly set apart as drinking water. In such a prolonged operation, it''s common to collect water from local sources. Be thankful that you can at least clean your clothes because of it." Confirming that Cordie had stopped speaking, Pet slowly moved his hand away from Cordie''s mouth. "Then why not just bring in civilians who have water affinity magic? There are plenty of ways to handle it!" Pet shook his head in disbelief. "Do you really think that the higher-ups wouldn''t have thought of what you''re suggesting? That''s bringing an untrained civilian into a support unit inside a mountain where a monster could attack at any moment. Who will take responsibility if someone dies, huh? Or what, do you think they should then just increase the soldiers to tighten security? But that''s going to increase the tent supply that needs to be carried. Just get this through your head. We''re not the ones calling the shots in arranging the supplies. If you consider yourself to be one hell of a strategist, then get some merits and get the hell out of here." Hell-bent on not obeying the command, Cordie gripped the stump his back was leaning on with teary eyes. He made himself clear that he wouldn''t be getting up this time. Pet heaved a long sigh, and said in a soft tone. "Just so you know, Luca and Edge had been silently managing the mess your sorry ass had left behind all this time. You must at least let them take a breather here, or else our Unit will continue to fall behind. And when that happens, you¡¯ll have to carry even greater weight then... Anyway, I believe you still have some mana left. After all, you surpass everyone out here with your incredible mana capacity. I guess that much is to be expected from a Count''s lineage. I¡¯m quite jealous myself." Cordie blinked repeatedly when he heard Pet. He wasn''t exactly expecting any praise from him at this point. "...Well, my base mana capacity is merely 700 units. It''s a drop in the ocean compared to what the Royal Academy wants." There had been a time when Cordie actually exerted effort while carrying the weight of his parents¡¯ expectations at the age of 12. However, after failing to even clear the baseline criteria for the Royal Academy entrance exam, his attitude had become increasingly indifferent. This behavior only worsened over time, leading to his current state. "Haha, well at least you got a chance to tackle it. That''s already an achievement you can brag about for your whole life... If you already had 700 units of mana capacity back then, then it''s safe to assume that your mana capacity now might have crossed 1000 already. Mana compression will naturally happen when you train. Once you do so, you''re surely bound to become an indispensable corner of this unit¡ª scratch that, I bet even other squads would fight each other to get you into their ranks. And when you hit that potential, the road to becoming an officer is mere inches away. Well, that''s only possible if you get your act together though. This is why I¡¯m telling you to get that flabby belly back into shape. You''re just wasting your talent." Wasting your *talent*. Cordie gingerly gazed back and forth between the faces of his Unit members. As much as he kept shouting ''damn commoners'' or ''how dare you,'' he knew deep down he was dragging everyone down. He had never looked into their eyes properly until now. His inflated pride had shattered to pieces when he had been shoved under the command of a commoner, and was granted the lowest common soldier rank. He felt aggravated especially when no one came to even shout at him except for Pet. Luca, and Edge, who were even younger than him, made mischievous smiles as they remarked nonchalantly. "...It''s tough for everyone in the beginning, Cordie-san!" "So hurry up and get your deserved seat!" Being the eldest son of the Count family he was in, he had an endless line of people trying to fawn over him in the Noble Academy. However, no one except his mother ever looked at him for his ability, his potential, or had any expectation from him. ''Maybe I always wanted someone to see me for what I am,'' Cordie keenly realized the lurking feeling in his heart. Pet gave a light slap on Cordie¡¯s back as the latter immersed himself in that feeling. "It seems like you got it. Then let''s get going. My mana is already on its last leg." Saying these words, he briskly walked forward. "D-Don¡¯t get the wrong idea! I¡¯m not doing all this to get your approval!" Cordie hastily stood up and followed Pet¡¯s footsteps. E/N - Don''t you hate it when you feel like you''re getting blue-balled? Also, Cordie''s about to get his own character development. Vol. 1 - Chapter 197 - Fiendish Sergeant of the 3rd company (2) After filling each jug with 30 liters of water from the river, Pet and Cordie traced back the path they''d charted earlier. The path had an incline, so retracing their steps meant they would have to fight against the pull of gravity this time. They were using Body Strengthening magic as well, though with their exhausted state, it was still a strenuous activity. Along the route, they could also be attacked by monsters. Though the patrolling soldiers were there to ensure that didn''t happen, there was still a chance that it could happen. Just the possibility was enough to strain their spirits. "*Huff*... *Huff*... I-I can''t believe that... I¡¯ve been relegated to menial tasks. Damn it!" Feeling cornered by all the unfamiliar tasks, Cordie mumbled his complaint as he climbed up the trail. Though if he still had leeway to complain, then he certainly had enough strength to go on. Meanwhile, Pet was tethering on the edge of mana depletion state, barely managing to maintain his Body Strengthening magic. He didn''t even have the strength to rebuke Cordie for his grumbling. They were about 300 meters into the path when they encountered some of the Dragoon territory''s logistic units, who offered to help them out. "The shortage of basic supplies happened due to our untimely arrival. So the least we can do is to help you guys." Hearing that someone was ready to carry their burden, ''Voila'' Cordie shouted internally and placed his water jug on the ground. But Pet quickly shook his head. "I¡ª I appreciate your help, but this is why we''re here. You all came all the way from the Dragoon territory, plus you also walked into this remote mountainous region, so you should be just as tired as we are, right? Don¡¯t worry, we can handle this." When he heard that, Cordie once again carried the water jug into his arms. A mild-mannered man, who looked older than Pet and seemed to outrank the latter, then said. "Don¡¯t sweat it. You see that man over there? He''s our company commander, and he told us that ''We''re not here to enjoy their hospitality.'' Also, the higher up has already discussed this matter, so you truly don¡¯t need to be so formal." The two followed the direction where the mild-mannered man had pointed to, and they saw him. It was the man who had stepped out to greet their company leader. Pet couldn''t wrap his head over the matter. "T-The company commander himself is carrying a water jug......?" To his knowledge, no superior he knew of would have made such an effort. And he believed that was only natural. Then again, at least those superiors didn''t run them like horses. The man made a wry smile when he saw Pet''s dumbfounded expression, and began his explanation. "That guy... I mean, our Company Commander Beck had gone through quite a series of events. In the beginning, he had been working in another division as a carefree non-commissioned soldier. However, in the early spring last year, some events led him to be transferred to our division. And following some internal matters, he was given a promotion two ranks above his original rank. As a result, he became a company commander at a young age. Moreover, it wasn''t of his own merit. Of course, he became a magnet of criticism due to that when he first took the post." Pet caught Cordie¡¯s changing expressions, and decided to stop praising the other party anymore in consideration of his teammate. "......Well, that makes him quite a nice guy, doesn''t it?" "Hahaha! I wouldn''t say that in front of him, but he definitely has that nice guy vibe going for him...... Honestly though, he must have mulled over this fact for sure. I heard that he adores that prodigious brother of his. Of course, he must be proud of his brother''s achievement. But he bottled it all up inside, and forced himself to focus on his job. He certainly wasn''t a charismatic person that everyone would idolize, but I guess it''s that personality of his that lets him lead problematic fellas like us." Shuin concluded his explanation there. After a pause, Cordie went around and forcefully took the water jug from Pet''s arm. "Haa, look at your shaky legs! You''re already out of mana. Let me carry it!" Cordie said, and with heavy steps, he walked to the forefront. Pet hastily stifled his rising laughter as he looked at Cordie''s back and chased after him. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The members of the Unit which Cordie was in ¡ª Pet, Luca, and Edge ¡ª were in fact the children of the servants serving Marquis Grauksh''s family. They had a connection to the Grauksh family, and they also held great potential for the future. It was the reason why Cordie was put together with them. They had to be someone experienced to shrug off Cordie''s pompous attitude. Even the reason the company under the lead of Beck Rovenne, the second big brother of Allen, had been sent to merge with the company Cordie was under had been the result of a private conversation between Marquish Grauksh and Marquis Dragoon. Ever since he started his school last spring, Allen had a lot of rumors swirling around him, and his name rose up like a supernova. And then, there was his big sister Roselia. A talented magical tool engineer affiliated with the Advanced Magical Tool Research Institute. One would have to live under a rock to not know of their names, quite literally. Against the two superstars, how was their big brother in comparison? It was a natural question after seeing how excellent the two younger siblings were. So, to learn about Beck thoroughly, and to grasp the nature of his character, Marquis Grauksh negotiated with Meria Dragoon to introduce him to Cordie, the elder brother of Dan. But, the arrangements stopped there. Marquis Grauksh had no further plans of bothering himself with Cordie. Having seen Cordie before, he chalked him up as a moron. He had too flawed of a character, so he didn¡¯t have any expectations for the boy. After all, humans didn''t change their nature so easily. Marquis Grauksh, who had a wealth of experience in such a department, was painfully aware of that defect in people. Now, whether he would claw his way out, or get squashed by the pressure, unable to change himself, it was all in the hands of Cordie Serdos himself. Later down the line when he gained the title of Fiendish Sergeant of the 3rd company, or became a little person with character in the battalion¡ª it would all be through his effort alone. T/N - Alright, It legit didn¡¯t occur to me who Beck was until the last spring part came up. And on this short note, Merry Christmas everyone! Though I would add like to add more, I guess let''s leave the later greetings for new year, not the creative type so can''t exhaust my arsenal here, haha. But, have a good long holidays~ E/N - Wow, so Beck was Allen''s 2nd big brother. I don''t envy him, the guy''s basically the middle child of the Rovenne family. Their eldest is still fine since he can hide in their territory under the guise of assisting his father in managing it. But Beck is in the military under the eyes of people who will judge him using his younger siblings as their measuring stick. The pressure... Vol. 1 - Chapter 198 - Soirée Who didn''t know that spring was the season for social gatherings in the Royal Capital? It seemed like the Rovenne couple didn''t. Soon after their arrival, they made an official visit to their patron and governing lord, Marquis Dragoon. A day after that, they received an informal visit from Marquis Dosperior. But that was it. In an anti-climatic twist, they didn¡¯t receive or make any more visits after that. Bellwood was completely down with it, especially when his wife Cecilia told him before that ''We might not have time for our usual sightseeing in the Royal Capital this time.'' "It''s so boring. After all those scary predictions from you, and after almost losing all of my hair in trepidation because of them, there''s nothing, zilch, nada. I guess I¡¯ll just check out bakeries on the outskirts." Bellwood lost all his brewing tension, and instead began to concoct his sightseeing plan inside his mind. To begin with, the Rovenne couple never bothered to mingle with high society except when it was absolutely necessary. And unlike last spring when their son just qualified for the Royal Academy, they skipped most of the social gatherings this spring. Then what about the other small-time nobles? Surely, they¡¯d never pass up the chance to suck up to the nobles of high society. But they did with the Rovennes. None of them made contact with the family. The reason was due to the rumors stating that ''The Rovenne family is full of crazy nutcases,'' which started to spread since that day in the station. And rumors often didn''t take long to get around, especially with such a hot potato like this one. But, this peace couldn''t be explained with that reason alone. A fresh example was the Leverance family of Jeu. Many of the real big-wigs knew that the Leverance family would never miss this chance to attempt to talk about marriage with the Rovennes. Rumors were merely a deterrent, but they could never fully stop these big shots. Nonetheless, there was no movement from them. The question, then, was who could deter even the top guns? It had to be someone big. Someone they knew, like, *maybe a bigger big shot than those who already had plans to invite the Rovennes?* "This... was certainly not what I expected. Perhaps Her Excellency has cleared these troublesome matters for us?... Either way, there''s no reason to stay inside our house if no one¡¯s coming, I guess." Cecilia murmured with a troubled look. Schord saw that as a chance and gave them a push. "It''s a wonderful idea, in my opinion. Young Lady Roselia still has her classes to attend tomorrow. I¡¯ll do the house-sitting for you in case any guests arrive. I''ve also gotten the chance to check out some precious literary works I would have never had access to, all due to Sir Godorfun. It would be a waste for me to let this chance slip by." Schord knew how much Cecilia liked her little outings with Bellwood, and the stress she had been accumulating behind everyone''s back. On the other hand, he got permission to borrow books from the Royal Library by the grace of Godorfun. The printing technology of this world wasn''t completely non-existent. However, the books still held incomparable value, and as such, they couldn''t be so easily lent. The special permit in Schord''s hand, in fact, even allowed him to access the books that weren''t available for public eyes. After his ordeal with Allen in his preparation for the Royal Academy entrance exam, Schord had grown more fond of learning, and he rejoiced at the chance to read the latest research results or important documents, things he would never be able to read in the backwater region he was in. "Well, I guess we can indeed take this chance to go out for a stroll, Bell." Receiving Schord''s push, Cecilia suggested their next plan, which immediately brought a smile to Bellwood''s face. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Schord promptly replied after some short guesswork. His master had been complaining about the lack of things for him to do last night, so they should have had no reason to turn this invitation from the royal family down. However, when Espin heard his prompt reply, she found herself audibly gasping. "A-are you sure you can accept this without Viscount Rovenne''s consent?¡ª Ahem, I mean, it''s certainly great news for us should you accept the invitation. But... nobles value their reputation more than their lives, especially if they''ve been invited by the royal family. I doubt anyone would try to openly complain, but a proper follow up would be required for rescheduling and cancelling previous arrangements. In the absence of that, others would harbor distrust for Viscount Rovenne. It doesn''t take long for rumors to circulate after that. And should they know that the decision was made arbitrarily by their family steward, it would only fan the flames and invite needless doubts from others." Schord found her worry amusing and chuckled. "Hahaha. I very much appreciate your thoughtfulness, Miss Espin. However, it just so happened that my master has been trying to find ways to kill time. So rest assured that there''s no problem." Espin was dumbfounded this time. Viscount Rovenne was the man of the hour, so him having ''free time'' was perhaps the one thing that she didn''t expect to hear. Typically, their schedule should have been full down to the single minute, and the worst case scenario would be that their whole stay in the Royal Capital might be spent in only answering to these invitations. This was why her visit had been purposely made in the early hours of the morning, so that she could receive a direct rejection from the Viscount. But who would have thought that he would be so busy that he had to start his schedule early in the morning? Or so she had convinced herself. Yet, the elderly person in front of her paid little heed to the etiquette of the stewardship and readily made a decision for his master. "Indeed, your fame truly isn''t without reason, ?Unceasing Prudence? Schord Bainfaus-sama. Your performance has been an eye-opener for me. To reiterate, as written in the invitation, you, too, have been invited for tomorrow''s banquet. Once again, do excuse the sudden nature of the invitation." Espin followed this up with a bow. However, Schord rejected his invitation. "I''m honored just to receive an invitation, however that won''t be necessary. I¡¯m merely a steward in the end, I hope you remember that. I might follow as my master''s assistant, but I would refrain from joining the banquet personally, as a servant should." Espin was amazed at how resolutely Schord rejected the invitation. His voice was devoid of any sort of ambition. She could suspend her logic for a moment and believe his claim to be true, and that everything has merely been a misunderstanding while he himself was no more than an ordinary old man. Despite that, the people were heaping praise on him due to the misunderstanding. She couldn''t help but think to herself: could she have a similar level of self-restraint while basking in the glory? Suddenly, she remembered the report she had read about the investigation of Schord ¡ª personally carried out by the Head of the Intelligence department ¡ª in the Rovenne region. In the personality and character portion, he was given an S grade. However, he was more than meets the eye when it came to integrity. Espin took a second look at the old man in front of her, and watched him give her a gentle smile. Yet, Espin sensed a chill running down her spine for some mysterious reason. Vol. 1 - Chapter 199 - Soirée (2) Evening. Once the Rovenne couple were back, Schord briefly explained the situation about the royal family¡¯s soire?e invitation. "¡ªAnd that''s everything that happened. I beg your pardon for making such a decision at my own discretion." Bellwood could feel the world in front of his eyes spinning when he heard Schord''s explanation. "A soire?e hosted by the royal family of Yuglia, and at such short notice?!... I can''t. I¡¯ve already planned to check out the bakeries in the northern district tomorrow..." "Give up, Bell. You could make up a lie, but what would you do when they learn about how open your schedule actually is? It would be tantamount to slapping the face of the royal family after they had so hastily arranged the matter. Do you want to turn them into your enemy?" Bellwood crashed onto his desk at Cecilia''s words, the urge to cry welling inside him. "Why? Just why would the royal family waste their time inviting a measly viscount from a backwater place, of all people? I have seen the visage of His Majesty only once, and that was when I appeared in the palace to receive my noble rank. Even then, there had been at least hundreds of people lining up there for the yearly inheritance ceremony. They''re putting importance on the wrong people for real." "Well, that is just how much potential they see in Allen, I guess. In this situation, a parent should be proud of their kid''s achievement. You certainly aren''t setting a good example, however... Anyway, what about you, Rose? At minimum, we only need me and Bell to attend the event for formality." After hammering the final nail for Bellwood''s coffin, Cecilia turned to ask Roselia about her participation. Needless to say, Allen and Roselia had been invited to the soire?e as well. "Hmm~ I''ll go if Allen-kun is attending. Otherwise, I¡¯m not that interested either way. Though I definitely would like to see Allen in a tuxedo, he he." Roselia''s eyes shifted to the tuxedo hanging on the wall as she said that. Schord had urgently arranged for Allen''s attire since the latter originally didn''t have any formal clothes in his possession. As for Allen''s participation, they had left a message for him saying to contact them back if he intended to join them using the academy''s formal line. However, they have yet to hear any word from him. Rose''s gaze lingered on the tuxedo with a spellbound look as she sipped her black tea in disappointment. "I''m home!" "Hiya, Allen-kun is back! Hurray! Alright, I¡¯ll be coming with you then! Now, what should be my dress for tonight?..." Roselia''s expression flipped like a child excited about an excursion trip. Though Bellwood''s inner voice was still silently weeping. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The evening of the next day. Hitching a ride on a carriage with the royal crest ¡ª a motif of a winged lion holding a shining orb in its mouth ¡ª being pulled by four horses, we arrived at the Royal Palace. I, for one, had no interest in these soire?es or whatever, but I couldn''t just turn down an invitation from the royal family while being a bit familiar with them, and act like nothing had happened afterward, so I eventually decided to come. It just so happened that the knight mission I was part of was suddenly called off, so I couldn''t use it as an excuse to turn down their invitation anymore, not with their level of intel. We entered through the northern mana-reinforced gate, something I had become used to after constantly making my way here due to my knight duties, and made our way to the royal family''s residence. Incidentally, had it been the ''King''s'' sponsored official soire?e, the typical entrance to take would''ve been the southern gate, dubbed the Dawn Gate, and the location would''ve been the Royal Palace instead. Even for me, it was my first time visiting the royal family''s residence, and I must say, I was quite surprised at its serene, chic ambience. The door of the carriage was opened for us when we arrived. "Pfft, ahaha! But you do look the part for sure. What was the saying, the clothes make a man? That''s it." Dan pursued his lips at my chuckle and protested. "...That¡¯s definitely not a compliment, is it? And what do you mean I¡¯m all what my clothes make me, you and your mouth. I couldn''t do anything, you know? The invitation came at such short notice, so it was impossible to tailor a new attire for me. Speaking of which, you aren''t any different from me either. I¡¯m sure your dress is brand new too." While Dan and I poked fun at each other and shared greetings like usual, my mother looked at us with a joyous expression. "He must be your friend from the academy, right, Allen? It seems like you¡¯ve made plenty of friends there. This put my worries at rest. I''m Cecilia, Allen''s mother. Please continue to be his friend." "A-Ah, yes. I am Daniel Serdos, a classmate of Allen''s. It''s nice to meet you." Dan whipped an innocuous smile and greeted my mother, and then whispered to me in a subdued voice, "Woah, your mom looks quite beautiful, and she seems gentle too." ?Yeah, gentle until you pissed her off, that is.? I also whispered back to him, though it earned a faint look of discontent from the person in question. "You know I can hear you, right, Allen?" "R-Right, let me introduce to them, I mean, my parents." Dan''s survival instinct must have kicked in. Maybe he noticed the faint mystic aura coming from my mother since he suddenly changed the topic. I followed the direction Dan pointed out and noticed a middle-aged couple there. "I''m Thomas Von Serdos, Daniel''s father. Thank you for taking care of our Daniel." "Nice to meet you. I''m Allen Rovenne. Thank you very much for lending us your precious monster repelling tool during my visit to Serdos." Hearing my greetings, a broad smile appeared on Count Serdos¡¯ face as he said in a soft tone. "As long as it serves you well, then our heirloom relic has served its worth. Now that I look back, I presume that it must have played a role in building your Sail Club away from prying eyes. To be honest, I wasn''t so sure about your club at first, but I must say you have me speechless with your achievement. The game you played was truly of a grand scale that no ordinary person could comprehend. This Thomas is impressed from the bottom of his heart. I hope you continue to support each other in the future." ...No, wait. I only borrowed that to fulfil my greed to feast on deareise though. If anything, the idea of a Sail Club hasn''t even been conceived yet. Well, no need to correct him there either way. Nevertheless, he didn''t look like what Dan made him out to be. I guess he must have had a great laugh seeing the gobsmacked faces of the people who used to point fingers at him after our transport mission. But thanks to that, Dan could now wholeheartedly give himself to the cause without listening to the garbage. I didn''t think the earlier scenario would repeat itself, but going against expectations was human nature, so I decided to drive the final nail in the coffin. "If you mean the earlier transport mission, don''t mention it. It was mere baby steps for Dan, or a mere checkpoint, if you will. In the grand scheme of Daniel Serdos, you have merely seen the tip of the iceberg, Count." As soon as the words were out, a portion of the crowd ¡ª they had been straining their ears in our direction ¡ª was stirred. "H-Hey, don''t just say whatever comes to your mind, Allen! I¡¯m already tired trying to tackle our current problems. That''s more than a checkpoint you''re making it out to be! Father, you must not take his words at face value!" "Haa, did you forget what I said? It''s on me how I evaluate you, alright? And I¡¯m sure you''re going to achieve so much more in the future that would dwarf your current achievements. Heck, I bet it would go beyond that, actually. But you know, I didn''t say it lest it puts too much pressure on you." I purposely said this in a loud voice audible enough to be heard by the surrounding crowd. Dan promptly talked me down, noticing the tension. Meanwhile, the woman next to Count Serdos instead burst out in laughter. "Pfft! Hahaha! I''m Veena, Dan''s mother. Now I can see why that little sister of mine took a fancy to you. You are quite broad-minded. I certainly felt delighted to hear that... I pray for a greater height for you, just like you do for Dan." T/N - Happy new year guys! I seriously forgot the day of update and ended up being one day late. Hope you all have blast this year. Vol. 1 - Chapter 200 - Soirée (3) "Pfft! Hahaha! I''m Veena, Dan''s mother. Now I can see why that little sister of mine took a fancy to you. You are quite broad-minded. I certainly felt delighted to hear that... I pray for a greater height for you, just like you do for Dan." Dan''s mother, Veena, which made her the older sister of Mimosa, said with a giggle. Count Serdos, on the other hand, hastily rebuked her. "T-These words aren''t suitable for the occasion, Madam." "Fufu, I see, I apologize then. It''s just my unfamiliarity with such occasions that got the best of me. It should''ve been Lady Brient''s, the first wife''s, moment, but she followed her eldest son ¡ª he had been enlisted in the army dealing with the Hellrowcast extermination operation ¡ª and returned to the territory. Though I do hope you can continue to take care of Daniel." After greeting Count Serdos, we made a greeting round to the other attendees, and eventually found ourselves a place to sit. I hadn''t expected this, but it appeared that today''s soire?e was quite high profile with the attendance of not only the royal family, but also of the three ducal houses¡ª the Zatstinger, the Shutrene, and the Guraster. Among them, I only found the Knight Order''s Supreme Commander, Olina of the Zatstinger family, to be a familiar face. I scanned the venue to see if Mujikka-sensei, the advisor of our Magic Research Club and also a member of the royal family, or Director Miharu from the Shutrene family, were present, but I didn''t see even their shadow. Maybe they wanted to avoid coming in contact with students in private scenarios so as not to appear like they were giving someone preferential treatment. With how much they stick to formalities, I wouldn''t be surprised if that was the case. It reminded me of the time when Director Miharu had summoned me to her office, asking if I had some suggestions to improve the Academy. Needless to say, I presented her with a slew of ideas, most of which were commonplace in modern Japan, out of habit. By the end, Director Miharu''s facial expression seemed kind of stretched as she returned with ''We will positively consider them'' in reply. Aside from them, I had no acquaintances from the Grauster family, though I was intrigued by the color of their eyes. I felt de?ja? vu when I noticed that. Anyway, at the end of the day, all these arrangements felt a bit too strange, or forced if you may. Our group of backwater nobles was clearly sticking out like a sore thumb, and if anything, even Count Serdos¡¯ family appeared mismatched with the high profile setting of this soire?e. "Hark! His Majesty has arrived!" Espin, the head butler who welcomed us, announced. All the attendees promptly stood up and turned to look at the entrance. We, too, followed their examples and turned our heads in the direction of entrance. ¡ô¡ô¡ô His Majesty made his entrance in quite a rough appearance with his familiar gold-embroidered mantle being nowhere to be seen. A beautiful woman appeared beside him, presumably the Queen Yuain. She was dressed in an occasion-appropriate evening dress. If I recall correctly, the queen had been married from another nation. Appearance-wise, she was a pretty woman, with her facial features leaning on the cute side, as she walked with an impeccable gait, her spine straight like a pole. His Majesty casually glanced at my father, and confirming his ashen and tensed expression, he proposed. "Fumu, it''s hard to talk with such a distance between us, huh? Tonight''s arrangements were made hastily, so it''s inevitable that the seating arrangement wouldn''t be as I intended. Well, since it''s a personal event, let''s enjoy it as a buffet party style." When Queen Yuain heard him, she hastily stopped him from proceeding with his idea. "Gracious, you''re at it again with your whims. There are various things that need to be considered, like security arrangements, and food, among others, you know? Moreover, a king can''t be without his due prestige. This country isn''t small enough to gloss over such formalities." As the two stood against each other, the other attendees cleared the area with expressions of keen interest. My mother gave the sword a swing, and promptly channeled her mana, releasing her battle intent. The pressure emanating from her was so intense, it had knights around us instinctively reaching for their weapons. "*Whistle* Way to go, Mother. This is the best chance to show your cool side to Father! You think that person will be alright, Allen-kun?" Oh, my dear sister, just where do you see the romantic angle in that bloodthirsty demon-like aura surging from her? That''s worlds apart from the ballpark of our no hope father. Everyone in the venue was shocked when they heard my sister''s cheers. Meanwhile, our esteemed father was propped on the table. "...Well, she should be more than alright. My master did say Olina-san is the strongest swordsman in this kingdom." It''s not like I had seen Olina-san in action personally to make a guess, so I paraphrased my master''s words. Most of all, I couldn''t just say ''She may lose, so it''s better to stop the spar'' when everyone was keenly listening to our words. My eyes drifted to Olina-san. Even after bearing the brunt of my mother''s aura, she still had that fearless grin on her face. On the other hand, my sister stood up from her seat with sparkling eyes when she heard me. "It sounds interesting~! I would like to try as well!" Huh? Hold on for a moment, my dear sister! Don''t make it sound like she''s some sort of amusement park attraction!" Nonetheless, my sister merrily slipped past my mother and her suppressive aura, picked up one of the swords from the stand, and happily returned to stand behind our mother. The grin on Olina-san''s expression widened when she saw this, and she continued with her outrageous remark. "Interesting. I had been wanting to see your caliber for myself too, Roselia Rovenne. Truly fearless, much like your brother Allen... One-on-one would be a waste of time, so both of you come at me at the same time." Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. She''s definitely in deep trouble this time! And for the record, I wasn''t that fearless, alright!? I ain''t even a mere shadow of what they''re capable of. I quietly glanced at my father, but his focus was on counting the veins of the decorative plant''s leaves. He had clearly put the chaotic situation on the backseat of his mind. I sighed as I saw no other option, so I picked a sword for myself and stood next to Olina-san. "What are you doing, Allen? Surely, you''re not implying that I will lose, are you? I¡¯m pretty sure that even if you join them, and come at me all at once, I can still fight regardless." I suppressed my urge to sigh, and replied. "Of course not. I just thought this was quite a good chance for me to learn as a knight along with my leader." I slowly moved the wind at my will while speaking. "It''s been quite a while since our last face-off, eh, mother, sister?" The two curled their lips into smiles at my words. T/N - Despite what he says, he truly like to add more fetters to himself, eh? And on this short note, Merry Christmas everyone! Though I would add like to add more, I guess let''s leave the later greetings for new year, not the creative type so can''t exhaust my arsenal here, haha. But, have a good long holidays~ Vol. 1 - Chapter 201 - Soirée (4) "Hmm, fine. Just don''t drag me down with you." "...I¡¯ll do my best." After successfully receiving permission from Olina-san, I glanced at my mother. This was probably the first time I would be facing her with such seriousness. My wind magic faintly captured her breathing pattern. It was a series of unhurried, and shallow breathing. Her feet were rooted to the ground so firmly, it was as if she and the floor were one. I was sure that she was paying attention to me in a corner of her mind, but her eyes were focused on Olina-san. I was pretty far from either of their levels, so I didn''t understand everything, but maybe it was a tactic to gauge each other''s caliber by not rushing to take action. "What''s the matter? If you''re not making the first move¡ª" After a momentary silent stare-off, Olina-san spoke while slightly moving forward when¡ª my elder sister chuckled as she jumped backward. The earlier leeway vanished from Oliana-san''s expression when she saw that, replaced by an astounded look. "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªI knew you would do that, Elder Sister!!!" I promptly jumped to the left from my sister''s viewpoint¡ª in short, I was directly between her and His Majesty. I knew that was coming. I thought to myself, what would I do to create an opening in Olina-san''s form? A frontal clash in a 2-vs-1 scenario would be a fool''s errand. In that case, it would be best to use something in the surrounding as a distraction. By reaching that conclusion, the only way to force a reaction from Olina-san was to use something ¡ª in this case, it was His Majesty ¡ª that she would and must protect even if it cost her life. But of course, a person with common sense, like me, might think of it but would know that it was a move that was close to insanity. However, my elder sister was someone who would do it, that I had no doubt. That said, she wouldn''t be thinking of actually targeting His Majesty at all. Plus, there were two knights stationed by his side, and they should be trained enough to hold their ground against her, not to mention the fact that her weapon had a dull edge. However, Olina-san wouldn''t be able to stay calm, especially after noticing my sister''s momentary burst of power... Wait, could it be¡ª Such doubt would certainly be able to create the opening they needed. A possible victory gained through such an act might make our family face some harsh criticism. I stepped up precisely to make sure no such incident happened. After all, Olina-san may be formidable, but 2-vs-1 wasn''t a pretty situation to handle. "I knew you would do that, Allen-kun! But... I can''t have you get in the way, so stay there!" My sister said that, and sharply turned toward Olina-san while throwing her sword at me. I managed to divert her charge, though as an attendee of this event, I couldn''t let the sword reach His Majesty. I parried the hurled sword and glanced at my sister. I noticed that my mother followed up with an upward slash from the right-hand side, taking advantage of the gap in Olina-san''s focus due to my sister''s action. *Clang!!!!* Seeing that I managed to deal with the incident without issues, Olina-san also hastily adjusted her stance and responded to the incoming slash. In the worst way possible, they were now locked in a stalemate. Meanwhile, my sister, having created some distance between us, hurled a fist at Olina-san''s face. "Rrrrrghhh!" Oliana-san hastily pushed back my mother¡¯s sword as she channeled her mana into overdrive mode, and accepted the incoming fist with her forehead. *THUMMMP!* My mother sighed and rebuked her. "How could you target His Majesty, Rose? It was supposed to be a mere spar. Learn to consider time and place, alright?" A pout crept on my sister''s face. "But why? You didn''t miss the chance to exploit the gap though. And that''s what you taught me¡ª ''You must resolutely hold your weapon no matter who you''re facing. This is what it means to be a defender.'' You¡¯ve been telling me that since I was three, I think?" She retorted. Nonetheless, my mother''s stare continued to bore down on her. In the end, my sister flinched slightly and raised her hands in defeat. "I went overboard. I''m sorry." As the two wrapped up their carefree exchange, one of the guests, having finally broken out of their trance, I think his name was Andrew-san, suddenly raised his voice in anger. "Y-you think ''sorry'' is enough?! How are you going to make amends for this travesty, Viscount Bellwood Von Rovenne?!" My father, who had been staring at a potted plant, finally looked up and turned around with a genuinely surprised expression. "Huh, ah, my bad. I was so entranced by the beautiful branches of the flowering quince tree that I didn''t see the details. What about you, Schord?" He pretended to be oblivious to the situation, and even pushed the problem to Schord. "Now I see, so this has been your doing, Unceasing Prudence? Was your so-called lofty philosophical views about fortitude and spirit merely a stunt?! Answer me!" Andrew-san next turned his attention to Schord despite the latter having no relation to the situation. Schord, who had been standing at the corner of the venue, shook his head when people looked his way. "That''s rather a weird question to ask me, a commoner devoid of any martial arts talent. Moreover, the concept of fortitude and spirit had been conceived by Young Master Allen, which he''s gradually fostering." With an innocuous smile, Schord said this, and then turned to Olina-san. "¡ª''Fret not, I know when to take control of the situation if something goes wrong. You can''t be a knight unless you''re capable of that much, after all. So show me your strength.'' I believe Olina-sama had said this herself. May I ask, have you found the answer?" Everyone was taken aback by Schord''s carefree words¡ª except for one person. His Majesty crackled in laughter. "Kuku. Hahahaha! That was fun! This has to be the first performance I have ever had so much fun in!" "You count this blasphemy as a p-performance, Your Majesty? This lass just pointed her sword at you!" "She had no intention to harm me, I just happened to be in the way. Above all, knight Allen had promptly taken action to thwart the danger. This is still well within the realm of entertainment." "However, Allen Rovenne himself had verbally said that ''I knew you would do that,'' this isn''t¡ª" "But don''t you agree that it''s only fun this way? Olina-san''s expression was priceless, I must say. Hahaha... Alright, I won¡¯t be receiving any more complaints about it. There''s no need to make a mountain out of a molehill. And Olina, have you measured Cecilia''s strength enough as a guardian? You wouldn¡¯t suggest canceling the soire?e now, would you?" As His Majesty asked with a grin, Olina-san sighed. "...Yes, Your Majesty. Of course, there is no problem. Caprine! Add six more knights to the security detail! Focus on protecting His Majesty and Yua-sama! His Majesty is due for a foreign trip starting tomorrow. Ensure the same level of vigilance as if protecting him during diplomatic negotiations with a foreign country! In case any mischievous person appears, buy us some time. I¡¯ll take care of them. Roselia, you stay 10 meters away while Cecilia, you stay at least 15 meters away from His Majesty and Yua-sama." After giving these instructions, Olina-san turned to His Majesty and declared with a serious face, "Everything is settled now." Vol. 1 - Chapter 202 - Soirée (5) "Now do you see what I mean? I swear, I¡¯m the only sane person in my crazy family..." Resting on his seat, Dan was looking at me with a speechless expression, his face spasming. I wryly shook my head and got myself a seat next to him. ".........I¡¯ve witnessed the reason why you have a screw loose in your head. Hey, don''t sit next to me! God forbid, they might think that I¡¯m besties with a crazy head!" "Aww, you''re hurting your *best friend''s* feelings by saying that, you know? I might cry." *Sigh.* I honestly feel like crying myself. I took a glance at my elder sister. She was reflecting on her performance in the match with Olina-san. After making bare-handed punches against Olina-san''s mana guard, she must have hurt her hands, so she was now receiving care from a holy magic user knight amidst her cheerful discussion. It wasn''t every day that my elder sister would take a liking to someone in their first meeting. The strength of Olina-san must have done the trick. Wait, now that I think about it, she also got along with Fey and Jeu pretty quickly last time... At our hometown back in the Rovenne Viscounty, I had never seen her get along with anyone else. Right now, she was intently listening to Olina-san''s advice on ways to utilize martial arts, like "Keep your opposite side tight when you throw a punch" among other things. With her beauty, outwardly at least, she looked no different from any commonplace girl learning about boxing exercises for weight loss¡ª or well, it would''ve looked like that if it weren''t for the knights around her giving her wary looks. I looked away from all that, and turned to Dan as I probed him about his latest love life. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Hey Allen! Come here for a bit!" I was engaged in trivial love talk with Dan, firmly rooting my place beside him to avoid the bustle of the soire?e, when Olina-san suddenly called out to me. "It must have been your trick that caused Cecilia and Rose''s rhythms to lag at the end, right? I didn''t hear it properly back then, what was the name of the technique again?" Gosh! Right, I was mentally drained after the fight, so I completely forgot to brag about my one-of-a-kind spell! "Oh, right, thank you for reminding me! The name of the technique is... ?Howling Dragon?. It''s a debuff category spell that I came up with in my journey to explore wind magic. I borrowed the name from a certain historical building (actually Tochigi Prefecture)! By the way, did you know that the acoustics of that temple have some truly fascinating secrets¡ª" "Huh? Lady Olina isn''t asking you about the technique merely out of interest, Allen. She meant to ask about the underlying details of the technique. I felt a cold gust of wind blowing over me, and then suddenly a deafening silence rang into my ears. After that, I only remember the world spinning in front of my eyes." Just as I was about to reiterate the great origin of my technique, Mother made me cut to the main point. "...It¡¯s just a debuff-type wind magic I¡¯ve been researching about, where I reduced the air pressure and density of one''s body. The ringing in your ears likely happened because of the pressure difference between the air inside your ears and the external air." Interrupted, I reluctantly gave them a much simpler answer. The principle behind Howling Dragon was the same sensation you get when you ride an airplane or a high-rise elevator and feel that sharp change in pressure through your ears along with a feeling of stuffiness. Well, this world didn''t have either of those machines, let alone their concept, so they never had the chance to experience it before. And even then, the air pressure often didn''t change so quickly while riding an airplane. *On rainy days, for example, some people experience dizziness or headaches because their autonomous nervous system can¡¯t properly adjust to the change in atmospheric pressure. A more extreme case of this is altitude sickness. I¡¯ve heard that at the peak of Mount Everest, the pressure drops to about a third of normal levels.* I was still throwing my hands and feet in every way possible to make a ?Wind Cutter? ¡ª one of the fundamental wind magic spells that sent forth a vacuum slash ¡ª though I haven''t had even a tiny hint of success yet. At present, I couldn''t affect the atmospheric pressure of distant places yet, but it wasn¡¯t a problem to cast it around my neighborhood. In fact, I often blank out just to get a proper grasp of it. And well, it was during such training that I thought of this technique. I have yet to work on increasing the atmospheric pressure aspect of the technique, but theoretically, it should be possible. In its ultimate form, this spell should be able to change the atmospheric pressure equivalent from 50 meters underwater to the top of Mount Everest in a blink of an eye. Though I guess that the spell would be in its own realm and cannot be considered debuff magic anymore with that achievement. As for the name ?Howling Dragon?, since the mystical phenomena occurred due to sound, I stuck to it because it sounded cooler that way. "...Debuff type, err, wind magic?... And the principle is, what, air d-difference...? I didn''t get any of it, but at least it wasn''t poison, huh? I had tried to extract any foreign substance from my body with mana as soon as I felt the strangeness since I thought it had something to do with poison. It was ineffective though. Even someone with extreme skills should be easily confused. It''s a nice technique." Then, with a smile like that of a young girl, she added. "It wouldn¡¯t be enough to incapacitate someone... but it would certainly be difficult to deal with when encountering it for the first time. In battle, be careful about when to use it, and make sure you finish them off with the first strike." Hearing my explanation, Olina-san, who once again wore a somber expression that was strikingly similar to Leo¡¯s, crossed her arms and rested her chin in her hand. "...Well, err, it was something that we had achieved with everyone''s help, so... I didn''t think there was anything worth mentioning about that mission." Allen scratched his cheek in awkwardness as he stated this. Though he wasn''t really embarrassed, he instead felt a little guilty. After staring into Allen''s eyes, Patrick let out a deep sigh. "I have heard of the circumstances. You shouldn''t feel responsible for the incident with Aldol Engraver. Don¡¯t try to carry everything on your small shoulders. Bellwood, Cecilia... Allen is the savior of this nation. Many kept pointing their fingers at them behind their back, but he remained devoted to his cause, and the fruit of his labor saved us all. These kids are the new rising stars that will illuminate the kingdom in the coming future¡ª" Then King Patrick proceeded to personally describe the details of the urgent transportation mission, which was a race against Hellrowcast''s incubation time, and of the follow-up incident. Of course, the incident with the blue flamingo had been excluded. Otherwise, once she heard of the details, Cecilia gently ruffled Allen''s hair. "...You''ve grown up so remarkably, Allen. You should be more proud of yourself. You are the pride of our family, after all." ¡ô¡ô¡ô Despite my mother''s praise, I could only scratch my head awkwardly. The king spoke as if he knew everything, but honestly, a majority of my drive came from my spite against Al who was getting all flirty while they were working. Ain''t no way I could''ve done nothing after seeing that... I mean, I had thoroughly explained to everyone, including His Majesty, that everything ¡ª including my sailing and wind magic pursuits ¡ª I did was merely a pastime for me. So where in the world did all of this mega immense resolve come from? I couldn''t comprehend it... After clearing his throat, His Majesty returned to the main topic. "*Ahem* So returning to the previous topic, I would like to personally grant the two families who have raised these two supernovas a reward for their spectacular performance. This had been my main reason for inviting them. Speak of whatever you desire. I will do my utmost to ensure that your demands are met. Say it, Thomas..." Hearing his name, Count Serdos requested the expansion of Solcoast''s harbor, Dan''s birthplace, as well as the permit and authority to work on maritime trade. He probably had guessed the reason behind the invitation, so his request appeared pre-planned. "Haha. This is quite a modest wish in contrast to the achievement. Let''s do it this way: in addition to your request, I confer to you 100kg mithril, and 5000kg ore of graphite. However, this is merely the start. I¡¯ll make sure to reward you handsomely for your further achievements in sailing, so I hope you continue to strive for the nation." "Ah, I-I am most grateful!" Next, His Majesty turned toward my father. "So, Bellwood, what is it that you desire? Allen, in addition to this mission, has also contributed greatly to the kingdom through his activities as a Knight Order member, a provisional one he may be. This is your time, so speak of whatever you want." Uh-huh, unlike Count Serdos, my hopeless father could not give His Majesty a prompt reply. Just as I had thought so, my father, surprisingly, went silent for a moment with an expression I had never seen him make before, one that looked unusually determined. After a pause, he asked His Majesty with a resolute tone. "...So, am I correct in understanding that the reward for Allen is a separate matter, while this is specifically a reward for the Rovenne family?" The intensity and tension in my father¡¯s eyes, which had previously lacked any sort of spark, made the whole room fall silent. The king squinted at my father and, after a moment, smiled as the corners of his lips curled in amusement. "That¡¯s correct. Don¡¯t hold back, and speak of your desires." My father briefly glanced at my mother. She smiled and said, "It''s your call to make, Bell." "Then¡ª" And so, my father made his request, which had everyone, including me, doubting their ears in surprise. T/N - That aria had to be one of the moment where I had spent most time in translating a phrase due to cringe. E/N - The spell aria part physically hurt me while editing it. The cringe... T/N - Happy new year guys! I seriously forgot the day of update and ended up being one day late. Hope you all have blast this year. Vol. 1 - Chapter 203 - Soirée (6) My father took a deep breath, then said his wish out loud. "Then... I humbly ask that the Claubia forest region, which the House of Rovenne has protected for generations, be ceded to the royal family as a royal domain and that our family be appointed as its magistrate." A look of astonishment covered everyone''s expression when they heard him. It was only natural. Ceding a region to the royal family as a royal domain, and to be appointed as its magistrate meant being demoted from Viscount to Baron. Anyone would be surprised if they heard someone asking for a demotion in their big moment. There was a stark difference between a viscount¡¯s household and a baron''s. Baronial territories had restrictions on the autonomy of their governance. Baronial houses that cannot independently sustain their domains due to economic reasons share the rights to rule it with the royal family or their patron marquises. In return, they received tax reductions, financial aid, and personnel support to maintain their lands. In essence, the involvement of public funds in administration weakened the authority of a noble house. Naturally, the fallen barons who were stripped of their lands, or demoted due to misconduct or financial failures, especially those reduced to mere magistrates of confiscated domains, were subjects of ridicule in noble society. Just as His Majesty, too, was rendered speechless, Andrew raised his voice in anger. ¡°W-What are you saying, Viscount Rovenne?! Have you lost your mind?! ...With all due respect, I had been skeptical of the emergence of a remarkable figure from a place I had never heard of before, so I conducted a thorough investigation into your family. Since its founding 707 years ago by Alsace Rovenne, your family has quietly but sincerely developed your land, and not once have you been on the brink of demotion. But now you''re throwing away all the hard work of your ancestors?! You, or any of the past heads before you, had been a man of integrity with an on point tax filing as I looked through your tax history. Your relation with your patron Marquis is just as amicable as it could be, and the retention rate of your fiefdom''s population is spectacular even by just glancing at the overall history of the kingdom. And even your magnificent city walls, which seem out of place in such a remote area, stands as a testament to your family¡¯s centuries-long dedication to protecting your people from monsters by investing your personal wealth. The more I investigated, the more ashamed I felt of my own ignorance for doubting you. *Sigh* It is because of noble families like yours, who are earnest, dependable, and care deeply for their people, that our kingdom has been able to dominate this continent for so long. Now that your generations of effort are finally going to bear fruit, and you have stepped into the wider world, I honestly wish to commend you, and support you in your future endeavors, and yet...... Yet, you are¡ª" Andrew-san choked up after that, his eyes blurring with tears. He didn''t really benefit from making such a speech, yet his concern seemed genuine. He had been the first one to rebuke my sister, and relentlessly too, for her preposterous strategy, so I had my doubts, but maybe neither side was in the wrong. He was just one of those straightforward people, a rare breed among the shifty high nobility. ¡°...If my actions have brought a new light on our Rovenne house, then I certainly can stand proudly before my ancestor''s grave... Of course, I deeply cherished our land, which had been developed by the blood and sweat of our ancestors, but... when has time ever listened to anyone.¡± Narrowing his eyes in a nostalgic expression, my father began his explanation. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The Claubia forest mountain area was a wonder of nature, harboring in itself the flora and fauna as well as other creatures from the antiquity era. Even some extinct species that couldn''t be found anywhere else could be found in this region. Our Rovenne family has lived off the blessings of that forest, and was able to sustain our lands and people to this day because of it. I believe that the forest is an irreplaceable treasure of this kingdom, one that must be preserved for future generations. ¡°Pfft! Gahaha! I certainly understand you now, Bellwood. Kukuku. I had always questioned how Allen was raised... Your and Cecilia''s parenting is now clear to me." As the king eased the tension in the room, my father reverted to his lackadaisical demeanor I knew well. His chest, which had been puffed out with resolve, deflated as he scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°Truth be told, the only decision I¡¯ve made is to leave the future of the Rovenne family to my children. This idea wasn¡¯t mine¡ª it came from my heir, Grim. I tried to stop him, but he instead doubled down, remarking ¡®A loss of title is nothing for the Rovenne family if we can preserve this forest for future generations.'' What could I have said against his words then? My current words, too, came from him. I never imagined that I¡¯d have the chance to present it directly to Your Majesty.¡± Hearing this, the king¡¯s eyes gleamed with interest. ¡°Oh?... Andrew, have you heard anything about Grim, the Rovenne family''s successor?¡± Andrew, looking as if he had bitten something bitter, reluctantly answered. ¡°...A young man devoted to his people with promising qualities... or so I¡¯ve been told.¡± "Hahaha. He should''ve known better than anyone else that should the proposal be accepted, he would be the one drawing the short end of the stick. *Just* a promising young man, huh, Bellwood?" My father replied offhandedly. "...Well, he just loves our fief and its people." "I see. It''s certainly a noteworthy quality for a noble. What do you think about your eldest brother, Allen?" I found myself confused when the conversation turned to me. Honestly, my perception of him was quite weak due to our age difference. I just know that he loved spoiling me since childhood. I think... he was definitely someone capable based on my previous world''s standards. However, I have experienced enough to know that any excessive remark from me would be dissected and spread around with its narrative twisted. "...As far as I remember, my brother is a nice guy, always trying to spoil me. Anything more, and the question would be better suited for, err, Schord since he''s the teacher of us four siblings. Oh, and father too." Since I couldn''t find any words to properly describe him, I tossed the matter to Schord. If I¡¯ve learned anything, it was that Schord was the magic lamp solution to all of my troubles! Yup, definitely... should be so, anyway yeah! You know what to do, right, O'' Great Schord?! Be my lucky break here! Just as I made such a prayer in my heart, everyone''s attention shifted to Schord. Schord lowered his head, keeping quiet. "You may speak. Give me your frank opinion." Once His Majesty gave his permission, Schord... he spectacularly returned the ball to my court. T/N - Truly the deus ex machina of this novel, or atleast, maybe for Allen¡ªSchord. And on this short note, Merry Christmas everyone! Though I would add like to add more, I guess let''s leave the later greetings for new year, not the creative type so can''t exhaust my arsenal here, haha. But, have a good long holidays~ P.s. - Will be updating missing two chapters tomorrow (Tuesday). A bit of hiccup from last week continued to persist as it appears. Vol. 1 - Chapter 204 - Soirée (7) A few days before I set off for the Royal Capital for the Royal Academy entrance exam, I had dinner with my father and my elder brother Grim. Both of them had just returned from their trip to the Royal Capital. Alcohol was never my father''s forte, so it didn''t take long for him to get drunk, and given the accumulated stress from travel, he called it a day earlier than usual, though not before pestering us with his ramblings. I was about to head to my room as well when Grim called out to me. "You know, Allen, you''ve changed so much that I barely recognize you... I don''t mean to pressure you, but with the way you are now, I feel like you might actually pass the Royal Academy entrance exam. Or maybe your brother is just being an idiot. Haha." Grim had a delighted grin on his face. "...Well, I didn''t say it to Father just now, but... I think I''d qualify for it." Grim''s eyes widened at my flat remark, and he eventually burst out in laughter. "Ahahaha. Look at you, already a man, huh?...... Do you mind if I ask you something? Have you ever thought of protecting the Claubia forest? Honestly, I know that neither you nor Rose have any interest in it. Our father may not say it out loud, but his attention nowadays has been preoccupied with thoughts of the forest. I¡¯m not trying to nitpick here, so I¡¯d love to hear your honest thoughts." He hurled this question at me with a smile, though his eyes were dead serious. "...Frankly, no, I have no interest in the forest. Of course, this is our ¡ª my ¡ª hometown, so I¡¯d contribute within my capabilities... But I wouldn''t want to be tied down by this. Right now, I just want to live a free life." I made sure I left no ambiguity in my words as I truthfully replied after seeing the look in Grim''s eyes. He was someone whom I didn''t need to hold myself back from speaking my honest thoughts, no matter how unconventional they might be for a noble. This was how he had been as far as I could remember, always spoiling me regardless of my true character. "Great. I¡¯ll convince Father for you so that you can follow your heart. This is the least a big brother can do for his brother''s future." Grim winked at me as he ended his statement with a gleeful smile. "...You know you sound just like our mother." At that, he burst out laughing. That night, Grim and I shared a few of our perspectives over the forest''s preservation. ¡ô¡ô¡ô You know what to do, right, O'' Great Schord?! Be my lucky break! I looked at Schord with a pleading gaze. ¡°...My master has described everything as it is, and as it stands, the Rovenne family has held several meetings over the span of several months mulling over the future of the Rovenne House. There had been one line from Young Master Grim that had stuck with me when they had debated over the territory''s development." Schord made a slight pause, his eyes narrowing in an expression of joyful reminiscence, and continued, "He said ''Have you ever thought of how you want this territory to look like a thousand years from now?'' I may have taught them, but those words didn''t come from me. I¡¯m just thankful to fate that had brought me to this family." His Majesty momentarily fell silent, and then he burst out in laughter. "Pfft! Gahahaha! Hahahahahaha!" Influenced by his smile, the venue rumbled for a moment with the synchronized laughter of all the attendees. "*Ahem* Y-You shouldn''t laugh at such sincere words, Pat. How do you think others will see us if you do this?" Queen Yuain said words of reprimand to His Majesty, her expression consistently rigid. Nevertheless, when the person herself had hidden her smile behind her folding fan, with her eyes narrowing in cheerfulness, the words felt rather floaty. "Kukuku. I¡¯m well aware. That said, even as the king, I¡¯ve never wondered about the situation of the Yuglia kingdom after a thousand years. But now a ''promising young man from the countryside'' has been seriously pondering over something I never even thought about before. If this isn''t amusing, then I don''t know what is...... Whether this turns into a demotion or not, I¡¯m now looking forward to meeting him." His Majesty remarked with a sharp grin, his eyes emitting a radiating glow. I cradled my head in my arms. On the eve of my departure to the Royal Capital for the Academy exam, I had paraphrased that same line thrice in the span of three minutes. While I was secretly grinning to myself, His Majesty pressed his temple and remarked¡ª "...Given your achievements, I believe that if I proposed to appoint you as a regular member while still at the Academy, everyone would believe it to be natural, regardless of the fact that it would be unprecedented. Do you know that, Allen...?" F-Full time employee? What a joke! Were they seriously asking a student to work as an office worker already...?! My master was obviously a sort of black company leader, and god forbid if I said yes to being a full-time member, I would be squeezed and exploited to the point that even a regular knight''s stipend would be a drop in the ocean to recover from the trauma. "I¡¯ll refrain from that. I believe I have yet to learn enough about the world." I shook my head firmly. "...Then try for something better at least. I would be a laughingstock among the others during my foreign travels if they heard I rewarded you with a measly pay increase." Y-You call this m-measly pay? My word, he didn''t forget that we were talking about a salary increase, and not just a one-time bonus, right? I wonder if someone has ever pointed out to him his shortcomings in financial decisions? "...1250?" "..........You can do better than that!!!" After a moment of blank stares, His Majesty slapped his chest with a fierce expression. Go higher, you say?! Man, he could have dropped that show-off attitude of his if he was going to just fume you know. I guess being a king came with its own cons. I was troubled by the situation when I noticed the kind Andrew-san''s agitated expression as he tried to point me toward something. Let''s see...... was this all a test? If I let my desire get the best of me here, would I lose something in exchange for the materialistic rea? "1250 rea! I won¡¯t take a single rea more! This is my bottom line! I mean, I would rather His Majesty use the money for the betterment of the common populace or in your diplomatic trip. As long as peace is maintained in this kingdom, I would be able to live according to my heart, and for me, that unbound life is a supreme reward!" I hastily ended the negotiation. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Trivial or revolutionary¡ª the achievements Allen Rovenne left behind in his student years were targets of awe for the prodigies of successive generations. They hoped that they could chase after his footsteps. The little episode in the soire?e was later dubbed as ?The man, the negotiation with the king, and his rigid stance on salary.? This tale, while appearing to be a mere silly event, became a new addition to be achieved in the life of prodigies that aspired to follow in Allen Rovenne''s footsteps. But when has it been easy to recreate a tale, especially one that everyone longed for? To take the first step, they''d have to have become a provisional knight member before the internship of their third year. And yet, this baby step was akin to climbing Mt. Everest. In the illustrious Knight Order, the strong were as many as flies. Only by possessing extraordinary abilities could one hope to even dream of something like that. And should they somehow manage to break the custom, they would then have to earn an unquestionable merit within the years of their student life, as only something of the sort would allow them to have an audience with the king directly. Finally, when they had gone through all that, they ought to have a will of steel to throw away a possible reward that could change their, or their noble family''s future in a blink of an eye. Many prodigies had dreamed of being in Allen''s shoes, following the same order of events to request for a measly raise in salary and showcase themselves as the kingdom''s loyal retainers by throwing a cool line like ''Please use the reward for the betterment of the life of the citizen. There would be no better reward for me than this.'' Then again, the soire?e episode wouldn''t have become a tale if it had been easy to achieve. Breaking through the realm of common sense, and attaining the unattainable¡ª only then would a Legend rise, after all. Vol. 1 - Chapter 205.1 - Inception Ceremony (1) "This concludes today''s classes. Starting tomorrow, you''ll have your two months of spring holiday. In this one year, your batch has reached a height never before seen in the history of the Royal Academy. I hope you continue to believe in yourself. In the end, it had been your lofty goals, determination, and hard work that brought you to your current heights. So much so that aspirants hoping to undertake the entrance exams would be appraised from a renewed perspective. It''s going to be a tough journey for them, hahaha. Every aspirant would want to learn under the same roof as you. When your vacation ends, you¡¯ll be their seniors. I expect you to be great examples for the younger students... Alright, it''s time to see off the third-years on their new journey." Godorfun announced the end of the first year''s last class for the term, and we exited the chalk-white building. Today was the so-called graduation ceremony as it was called in my previous world, or ?Inception Ceremony? as they called it in this world. In their words, the ceremony wasn''t to commemorate them finishing their academic life, but it was a day when they departed for a new world, a metaphor for working society. We went to the spectator seats of Arena No. 1 of the Academy. After waiting for a moment, today''s stars made their gallant entry. The Royal Academy was typically strict on who could or couldn''t enter the premises. However, limited only for today, people who were related to the graduates like parents, siblings or guardians ¡ª in short, the students¡¯ loved ones ¡ª were permitted to attend the ceremony. Additionally, various dignitaries and notable figures from different sectors were also invited. The graduates were met with a round of heartfelt applause from these people. The chairwoman of the Royal Academy, Miharu Shutrene, delivered a congratulatory speech. Afterward, each graduate was handed a matching black gown, embroidered with the Yuglia Kingdom''s flag and their graduation year, as a symbol of their graduation from the Royal Academy. This gown, which signified their graduation from the Royal Academy, was considered so prestigious that even ordinary nobles would frame it and hang it in their entrance halls. Or well, that was how Fey explained it to me of her own accord. "They''re all beaming."No?v(el)B\\jnn I muttered to myself as I watched the seniors¡¯ proud faces while ignoring Fey. Many of them were seniors I knew through club activities. "Well then, the top performer, the ?Rock of permanence?, who shall represent his fellow students is¡ª¡ª Rondy von Margot." After Chairwoman Miharu made this announcement with dramatic flair, the hall erupted in applause. "Rock of Permanence?" I was puzzled at the unknown words. ''Pfft,'' Fey, who heard me, broke into laughter, while Bester ¡ª who was sitting across from me ¡ª had an expression of disbelief. "Y-You must be joking, right, Allen?... How could you not know this?" "Now, last but not least, ?Daybreak Moon?. At the same time, she''s also the Imperial¡ª¡ª Purim Testy!" In the end, it was the turn of the top performer of the mage course. Purim-senpai had been a member of the Emission Magic Research Club. Even when the club gained its notorious fame of being the ''Skirt Flipping Club'', and seniors left in succession, she would be the one to throw a huff like ''Can you be more serious, Advisor, please!'' But she never gave up, and helped push the club forward. My word, she was such a stickler for proper etiquette. I even forgot how many times I told her, "You¡¯re a senior, so you don¡¯t need to use formal language with me," but never did she budge. When we finally returned from the Transport Mission, she appeared and then threw another fit, saying "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?! Gosh, I must be such a clown now in everyone''s eyes, after all my tantrums!" "......Imperial what?" I tilted my head once more at the mysterious term that came up. "...It basically refers to the top scorer of the combined courses results. In short, Imperial is the title for whoever earned the highest additive score of the combined three courses in the third year!" "Oh? Frankly, that sounds intriguing." Listening to Bester''s explanation, I sincerely applauded Purim-senpai. However, Bester looked crestfallen for some odd reason. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After the top students were announced and everyone applauded the graduating third-years for the last time, Miharu-san continued with the ceremony. "Now, let me introduce this year¡¯s guest speaker." A guest speaker was someone invited from outside the school to give a speech during the "Inception Ceremony." The background of guest speakers often included high-ranking military officers or government officials from the kingdom, though it¡¯s more common for prominent figures from the arts, or the heads of major commercial guilds, musicians, or painters, to be chosen. As much as the Royal Academy was open for everyone, given that they''d passed the exam, the number of students from affluent families were often on the higher side due to various factors like finances or quality of tutors. Obviously, this meant that they had little to no information about the real world, so students appreciated being exposed to values that differed from their own. Okay, great. But the question now was how did I ¡ª who hadn''t even known about the titles of the top performers until a moment ago ¡ª suddenly become an information master, right? Well, to be blunt, the guest speaker happened to be someone I knew very well. Rather, I had been at the place where the deal was made. "This year''s guest is that hidden dragon who had been quietly living in the depths of the Dragoon region, and the beholder of ever encompassing thoughts. Please welcome¡ª" ...If you haven''t guessed it yet with that introduction, just like the audience, then the answer was¡ª Schord. T/N - Happy new year guys! I seriously forgot the day of update and ended up being one day late. Hope you all have blast this year. Vol. 1 - Chapter 205.2 - Inception Ceremony (2) On the day of the soire?e. I didn''t know what kind of madness had taken hold of him, but Andrew-san, a member of the Shutrene Ducal House much like Miharu-san, suddenly proposed to Schord that he be the guest speaker for the ?Inception Ceremony? and pestered the latter to say yes. Schord did what I expected him to do, and firmly rejected him. Nevertheless, Andrew-san didn''t stop with his pestering, and amidst all that, His Majesty noticed the situation and with a look of interest, asked them what it was all about. Schord explained the situation, and why he rejected the invitation. "One''s worth is decided by others, not by oneself. And it takes more than rumors to reach that conclusion. At the end of the day, humans would never be convinced of anything unless they decide so themselves. This is our nature. Sure, many eyes are upon you right now, but that can be summarized with ''Wow, sounds amazing'' and then they¡¯ll go back to their normal lives. If you have nothing special going for you as you claim, then it would be better to show your true worth and correct the inflated rumors about you. This is your chance if you want others to look at Allen and Roselia for what they are, beyond your teachings. That won''t happen as long as you keep hiding in the shadows." This was how His Majesty gave his wisdom after listening to Schord''s explanation. Sure enough, the latter hesitated when he saw logic in those words. On the other hand, a mischievous grin appeared on His Majesty''s face when he saw Schord''s doubt, so he gave him one last push. "Well, if you still think this is something out of your league, I can only *increase* the reward meant for the Rovenne family. You see, I honestly don''t believe the rewards I¡¯ve granted are enough, and I obviously won''t stand to see the Rovenne house being underestimated in contrast to your evaluations. It would be pathetic of me as a king if I let such a thing happen." ...For the love of all that is holy, just give me the freaking manual book to understand this king! Under the pressure of His Majesty''s reward harassment, Father and I hurriedly tried to convince Schord. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "He''s an exceptional instructor, and also a great thinker. Everyone, please welcome, Master Schord Bainfuas." The audience gave the loudest applause for that day when they heard Shutrene-san''s words, their astonished voices mingling among the thunderous echo. Great thinker?... I think I now understand the saying, ''Many mouths, many stories.'' His welcome was strikingly similar to a superstar at this point. Back at our home that night¡ª After it was decided that Schord would be giving a speech after the push from His Majesty, Schord had a dejected aura around him, understandably so. "I would prefer if the rumors about me die down, but... I wouldn''t be able to stand it if this brings troubles to Young Master Allen and Lady Roselia. Above all, it would be dishonest to the third-years for me to not do my best on their grand day." I promptly dismissed Schord''s words. "You don''t have to give it too much thought, Schord. Moreover, neither I nor my elder sister care for what the world thinks about us. Am I right, sister?" Agreeing with me, my sister responded with a ''Yeah, I don''t care'' remark in a heartbeat when I sought her opinion to clear Schord''s thoughts. I broke out in a cold sweat. I didn¡¯t remember telling him to do that... Did he think of it himself? *Ahem*, I guess it just means Schord had a lot of respect for everyone present today. This beautiful bow silenced the previously noisy venue. A strange vibe spread across the venue. Needless to say, the regret of going overboard had started to come to me, and maybe, my action was about to create a new round of rumors. Schord remained still until the venue went completely quiet, and in an abrupt, but truly congratulatory tone, he started¡ª "...A person¡¯s life is like a long journey, carrying a heavy burden with itself. One must not rush. If you accept the fetters that come with it as a constant, you¡¯ll never feel lacking. Those who fixate on the victory in front of them will never reach their true destination. What cannot be done is often overcome by what surpasses it. ...As the moment for you to depart on yet another new journey has arrived, the path does not yet exist. But you must step forward with courage. The path will be made by the very steps you take, and one day it will shine brightly¡ª" "...Hey, Allen, where are you going? Aren¡¯t you going to listen to Schord''s speech?" "...I¡¯m going to the restroom. Besides, I can already guess his words. Don''t forget, I¡¯ve been learning from him ever since I was little." No way could I have listened to Schord''s speech, that was filled with plagiarized words, with a straight face. Moreover, why the heck was everyone listening to him with such somber expressions. The last I heard, graduation ceremonies of foreign universities in my previous life were carried out in a more jolly air, with everyone teasing each other. Where the heck was all that?! "...You must have dreams¡ª" I grimaced and quickly left the venue. ¡ô This speech by Schord Bainfause deeply moved everyone present, piercing their hearts like an arrow, and the thunderous standing ovation poured out like rain after his speech had ended. Schord kept his head lowered until the applause died down. This speech as well as his gestures from the moment he made his entry up until when he left was meticulously recorded by the first-class secretary dispatched by King Patrick. The graduates were handed the full text of the speech along with Schord¡¯s bromide photo, and it quickly spread throughout the public. Before long, this legendary speech would earn the title of "The Journey" and would be consolidated succinctly as ''Schord''s Seven Commandments.'' It was so sensationalized that one could always obtain pamphlets of the speech in any bar restroom of the kingdom. T/N - Damn, Seven Commandments. Schord''s story archetype sounds like ''repeat until it becomes truth.'' P.s. - Will be updating missing two chapters tomorrow (Tuesday). A bit of hiccup from last week continued to persist as it appears. Vol. 1 - Chapter 206 - Old Capital Rabeldin The Rovenne family was traveling down the Rune River to reach the capital city of the Dosperior Marquisate, Rabeldin. Originally, the spring''s social exchange was supposed to continue for a little while longer. However, after receiving King Patrick¡¯s promise to take care of the Claubia forest region, Bellwood had achieved his main objective. And dreading that there might be an avalanche of meeting requests awaiting him afterward, he then suggested leaving the Royal Capital as soon as possible. And since they still had some time left due to their shorter-than-expected stay in the Royal Capital, the Rovenne family decided to visit Rabeldin in the Dosperior region before heading back to their territory so that Cecilia could visit the grave of her late father, Vardi. "Well, we¡¯ve cleared our schedule quite early. And I think you shouldn''t delay your meeting with your mother any further, Cecilia. Besides, brother-in-law insisted that you visit your father''s grave as well." Bellwood remarked with a rather nonchalant tone. "What do you mean by your schedule, father? Is there something you must get back to? Last I knew, even the territory matters were being handled by Grim after you put everything on him... Oh, remind me again, did you like the bread Randy-san gifted you? Don''t tell me this is just an excuse to check out the Dosperior territory¡¯s bread?" Allen questioned his father with a skeptical expression, which made Bellwood''s shoulders drop. "*Sigh*... Am I really no more than a lazy bum with a penchant for bread to you, Allen? At the latest, we need to be back in the territory in a month, and I need to plant seeds and start growing seedlings for the garden... Especially for those grape-like eggplants, this year is a critical year for them." Allen and Roselia''s brows shot up when they heard the grape-like eggplant being mentioned. They recalled the eggplant Bellwood raised were round like grapes, and came with tufts. They thought their father was merely obsessed with the kitchen garden as a hobby. However, after recent revelations, the light in Allen''s eyes adopted a somber tint. After all, if Bellwood''s research bore substantial fruit, that would save a multitude of children from the mana collapse disease. So¡ª "But well, I guess you can say that too. I do have an interest in their bread stores... Their simple bread baked using their long-standing art was delicious. Each bit would cause a crispy chewing sound, and that lingering taste was just the cherry on top! I always end up drooling when I recall those memories!" ¡ªAllen was just thinking that his father wasn''t the hopeless man that he imagined, but Bellwood''s following remark promptly deleted that hope. "...Thank you... Bell......" Cecilia murmured in a faint whisper. She knew very well how much her family''s matter weighed on Bellwood''s mind, painfully so. ¡ô¡ô¡ô On a whim, I decided to join my parents on their journey to visit Rabeldin. Ever since I stopped by that beautiful town during our transport mission, I had thought of visiting it again someday. I had already done my due duties, so I could freely enjoy my long spring vacation to the fullest. It was especially true for my knight work. I made sure to sweep every pending task. At first, my first stop on my long vacation list was to accompany the Emission Magic Research Club as their coach to attend the Rising Dragon Cup ¡ª a tournament equivalent to the Rising Star Cup meant for knight aspirants to test their mantle in summer season, but this one tested the young mages¡¯ prowess ¡ª held in the Rosemieur empire. But *in a stroke of misfortune*, the sudden disaster of the Hellrowcast ended up pushing its date to the end of spring break. Honestly, I couldn''t wrap my head around their reason for wanting to become a knight during their student phase. I mean, I wasn''t dismissive of part-time jobs, but I hoped that they weren¡¯t blindsided by the wage. Chances to become a knight would be in the millions, but youth only happened once and would merely remain in their memories afterward. Anyway, back to the topic, aside from my family and Dan, there were five more people onboard. Two of them were knights of the second legion dispatched by Glover-san. In the end, there was just one boat to practice with, but too many aspirants. We had to put a cap somewhere. As of now, the only ones qualified to practice were the people capable of causing gusts above 5m/s speed at least 10 m away from their body while also capable of controlling wind''s direction. And ¡ª I really, really loath to say this ¡ª the best candidates were those numbskulls proficient in the so-called skirt-flipping art. This was the minimum threshold to control the dynamic force of a ship, and no amount of training could grant such experience without aptitude. At first, when the ship had set out, the members acted in a frenzied state, like bunnies stuck in a cage alongside a lion, for some incomprehensible reason, and took any kind of work to remain busy. However, as the journey continued, and since they were mostly confined in the same space too small to avoid them, their flustered countenance slowly regressed. "Are you sure you don''t need me? I mean, the trip to Rabeldin from the Royal Capital is a nice exercise. I wouldn''t mind making another round." Dan had decided to spend his spring vacation in the Royal Capital. Apparently, the Knight Order had made a formal request to his father, and even to Marquis Grauksh. ''Well, I guess I¡¯ll spend my vacation on the ship there. And unlike the earlier greeting visit, it would be a real business.'' So he had remarked while scratching his head. But in contrast to his wry expression, he couldn''t hide the excitement from his gestures, and his face was beaming like the child who was told the news of a trip. "Yup. I¡¯ll take the train for my return trip. But thanks for the offer, Dan." As for me, I would take the train back. My initial reason for taking this unconventional means of travel was to throw knights off of my trail, but that wouldn¡¯t be required in my return. The ship slowly arrived at the pier of Rabeldin¡¯s harbor. We, mainly my family, expressed our gratitude and disembarked from the ship. ¡ô¡ô¡ô When we got out of the harbor, we hitched a carriage and gave the address straight to the family estate of the Dosperior family. Noticing an unannounced carriage approaching, the guard''s expression turned serious as they hoisted the spears in their hands. "Halt! State your business. This is the premises of the Dosperior family, and no visitors were expected for today, so¡ª" One of the middle-aged guards warned us, but then suddenly his eyes halted on my mother. "Huh, could you be¡ª" My mother''s lips curved into a gleeful smile. "So you still remember me, huh, Dean?...... It''s been a long time, hasn''t it? Vol. 1 - Chapter 207 - Old Capital Rabeldin (2) "So you still remember me, huh, Dean?...... It''s been a long time, hasn''t it?" My mother''s lips curved into a gleeful smile. "...Sir Dean, who might these people be?" The other knight ¡ª this one was rather young ¡ª inquired when he saw the knight named Dean halt his words after a look at my mother. "......Of course. Of course, how could I forget about you, Young Miss? I have no words to describe my joy when Master Randy sent us news about your survival...... You, hurry up and inform Frelia-sama. Young Miss... Cecilia-sama is back!" Receiving the order, the young knight left in the direction of the estate in a sprint. "Dean is Dio''s cousin. Just like Dio, he looked after us siblings. He, along with Dio, had always been there to support us. At present, he''s the head of the Ringart family after Dio left." Dio... Right, he was the spear user my father had arranged as my knight escort when I had left for the Royal Capital for the entrance exam. And during Randy-san''s visit a few days ago, it later came out that Dio was actually a quasi-noble serving the Dosperior family. While our mother introduced Dean to us, Dean quickly rubbed his eyes, and formally introduced himself, placing his right hand on his chest in salute. "Excuse my belated introduction. I''m Dean, the head of the Ringart family serving the House of Dosperior. As His Excellency Randy has set out to accompany His Majesty on his foreign trip, the protection of Rabeldin is now currently under my care. You must be the Young Miss¡¯ husband, Viscount Bellwood von Rovenne, I presume? And¡ª" His eyes trailed from my father to us, and his expression broke into a huge smile. "You must be Allen-sama and Roselia-sama, the children of Bellwood-sama and the Young Miss. And you must be their private tutor, Schord-dono, right? The Dosperior family has never seen the Academy in a great light, but even then, word of Allen-sama could be heard even in Rabeldin for the past year. It had shocked the vast majority of the Dosperior family members when they heard that Allen-sama was actually the son of the Young Miss all along. After the loss of our symbol Vardi-sama in the great war a decade ago, along with the presumed death of the Young Miss, this has been the first good news we''ve received in a long while. Had the family known earlier about your arrival ¡ª though the rumors of the Young Miss¡¯ survival had already spread among the masses ¡ª we would have set out to meet you with a parade, and let the citizens formally know of your survival... Why didn''t Young Miss contact us earlier?" A p-parade?!... Good lord, I didn''t even need to look in the mirror, I could feel my face stiffening. I¡¯d like to pat my past self on the back for suggesting ''Let''s go incognito to surprise grandma!'', which I had suggested mainly to conceal my tracks from my master. Now that I look back, our mother could always see through our lies, but this time, she easily nodded at my proposal after giving me a thorough stare-down for a moment. She must have expected the fanfare otherwise, didn''t she...? "Ahem, n-nice to meet you, Dean-san. I know there are some crazy rumors about me floating around, but personally, all of them are nonsense. If anything, I¡¯ve always been outclassed in both brains and brawn by my sister. What was the saying, ¡®Sagacious elder sister, silly younger brother¡¯? Yup, that''s the perfect way to describe us." I mean, I was right. I was merely using knowledge from my past life, the fruit of someone else''s knowledge. Meanwhile, I was mere scum against the inherent talent of my sister in martial arts. Then again, I wasn''t aiming to become the world''s strongest or anything cliche?, so I wasn''t particularly bothered by the gap between us. I just want to work on my wind magic and enjoy this life to my heart''s content. So I made sure to convey all this in a serious tone. Dean-san''s eyes widened when he heard me. "A-Allen-sama is the silly one......?" I nodded assertively. Dean-san went silent for a moment in surprise, then he suddenly burst out in laughter. "Pffft! Hahahaha!... *Ahem* Excuse me. It''s just, I couldn''t control myself from laughing out loud. The Royal Academy is the greatest educational institute of this kingdom, of course, but beyond that, this also begets the attraction from many powers. ¡ª''How long can the good remain good? When one¡¯s morals are corrupted with a materialistic view, there has to be a voice of reason to stop one''s downfall.'' With that reasoning as his core, the founder of the Dosperior family decided that his lineage would be that voice. Hence, all the successive generations have kept their distance from the Academy. Needless to say, the resolution came with a price. Nevertheless, our successive masters held on to that legacy, of which we''re very much proud of. On the other hand, we do have some disdain against the so-called ¡®prodigies¡¯, or the ¡®strongest in the generation'' in the rumors. Because for us, our master is the strongest.¡± "I can''t tell you how many times the thought of ''How would you look like all grown up had you survived...'' crossed my mind after I watched you depart that day... This surely wasn''t completely what I had in mind, but nevertheless, you''ve grown to be a splendid woman. I''m glad, Cecilia. I''m truly glad." After saying that, Freria-san took my mother into a second hug as the latter silently shed her tears. I was slightly surprised. I had never seen my mother cry before. She had always maintained an ironclad front in front of us. But I guess, emotions were a river: hard to control. I did hear that she left her home at the age of 16 on a doomed trip, destined to never return. The things they wanted to convey, and the emotions they were feeling right now were something I could never imagine. I discarded my thoughts of Randy-san from my mind, and finally shed my long accumulated tears meant for this long-awaited reunion scene. After basking in her emotion for a short while, my mother exhaled, her tears stopping, and the usual lively smile crept on her lips. "...I''m just glad to see you in good health, Mother. I truly have no words for the trouble I¡¯ve caused you, so do forgive me... Let me introduce you to my cherished family." Then my mother proceeded to introduce us one by one. "It''s quite something to see my little girl becoming a mother, giving birth to four kids, and all of them growing splendidly. It''s like the due happiness has crashed forth with four times the interest. You have no idea how happy I am. It''s a pity Beck and Grim aren''t here today. Please inform them I would like to meet them someday... By the way¡ª" After sharing words of nostalgia, Frelia-san paused, the surrounding air suddenly became frigid. "Why didn''t you contact me before arriving? You''re supposed to be the wife of the current head of the Viscount Rovenne family. I¡¯m sure I never taught you such ill manners." As she spoke, her voice was frigid cold, devoid of any emotion, and brimming with raging fury. My mother didn''t try to look away from Frelia-san''s eyes, and firmly placed her hand on my shoulder. "It''s because Allen asked me to keep it a secret. Right, Allen? How about you explain yourself?" Huuuhhh?! No, none, nay!!! How could I pull up an excuse so suddenly?! And I absolutely can''t say I did it to skip on knight''s work, can I?! Frelia-san''s gaze shifted to me, her stare probing me for the reason. Though it was my elder sister who saved the day. "Allen said he wanted to surprise granny. He didn''t have any ill will, so forgive him, grandma." "...To give me... a surprise? Is that so...?" Frelia-san repeated the words of my sister as she stared at me. Cold sweat began to pour out of me as I searched for an answer. But before I had to do anything, Frelia-san''s expression broke into a lively smile, reminiscent of my mother. Her frigid aura suddenly melted away to show a happy expression. "Fufu... You''re quite a mischievous kid, huh, Allen? It''s fine since it''s me, your granny, but do remember to at least keep the bare minimum decorum for nobles, alright? And you too, Roselia. You''re his elder sister, so don¡¯t go easy on him, understand?" "I will~ Sorry, grandmother." My elder sister responded in a flippant tone, sticking out her tongue playfully. Granny saw this, smiled, and then nodded in satisfaction. ......The heck, ain''t she too sweet on her grandchild?! Vol. 1 - Chapter 208 - Old Capital Rabeldin (3) After the reunion prologue at the entrance, we were then invited inside the Dosperior estate. The mansion sported a grandiose expansion, and a beautifully maintained garden, with the spring''s sunshine gently pouring in it. Yet, there was something different about that garden; it gave off a desolate feeling. It didn''t seem like anyone was using that garden at all. Afterward, inside the, and obviously, oh-so vast dining hall of the Dosperior family, we had dinner while the two families catched up to the situation on either side. Behind the seat of honor¡ªIt should''ve been Randy-san''s spot but he''s not there so that leaves it empty¡ªwas a firewood hearth, giving off an antique charm. It must have been fairly old. On the wall behind the seat opposite of the seat of honor were three portraits hanging. The central portrait featured the legendary emperor Aeolus¡ªthe one and only authority in the history of this continent to ever unit it under one banner. I couldn''t tell if that was the actual portrait from his era, but that portrait was famous enough to appear in historical textbooks. On its left was the portrait of Kanaria Dosperior. She was, yet again, another famous individual to appear in textbooks for her achievement of overthrowing the allied force of other families from Original Five in the long past, which earned her, err, rather uncanny alias ''Witch of Iron First.'' And the third and last, the portrait on the right was of Vardi-san. The previous head of Dosperior family, and also my grandfather, who perished in the previous great war. The members gathered in the dining room were my family, Freya-san, Randy-san''s wife and her children¡ªbasically Eddie-san''s siblings. From a relation point of view, they were my aunt and cousins. Schord was in the waiting room for servants. He had expressed his wish to stay stand-by in the dining room, but on the pretext that there''s something to discuss, he was took away by an old lady, Anna-san. To my surprise, she was the head maid who had used to look after my mother. The discussion in the dining room wasn''t particularly serious. It was mainly about the kind of journey my mother did after leaving the house, or what led her to Rovenne territory. How did she meet my father. How was their wedding ceremony. Did the fief give their blessing. How my sister and I were like in childhood. How were we leading our life in the royal capital and such. From my personal standpoint, it didn''t seem like probing from a marquis family. It was mere curiosity and concern as family, and to get to know our mother''s family¡ªin short, my father, me and my sister¡ªbetter. Overall, they''d smiles on their face as they converse. My father was listening to everything with a rather subtle expression, and in fact his replies were indeed a bit vague, a sign that he wasn''t paying attention. That said, his attitude saw a complete flip when Messie-san, the cook who used to bake bread when my mother was still used to living here, entered the dining room to greet. It was quite rude behaviour against the high noble, however no one felt offended to chid him. ...Strange, there''s no way the word about my father''s bread maniac trait should have made it to Rabeldin... no way, right? Initially, Messie-san appeared perplexed why my father was enthusiastic over him, but after being touched by my father''s insatiable passion for bread, they''d quite a detailed discussion over the breads. Like the crunchiness of the bread, which we were having for dinner, was due to rye kneaded into wheat or something something mumbo-jumbo that went above my head. Once the excitement rush had died down to some extent, Freya-san suddenly remarked. "You know, Allen. Randy had told me you have two coexisting sides; a resolute character, but also an elusive persona, like a wind, boundless. After meeting you in person, I have finally realised what he meant. I have met all sorts of people, but one that sticks to their form like you is very far and few. You may appear asocial at a glance, but there''s a charm in you. To say, I certainly believe it''s this fleeting side of you that has attracted all sorts of fate." "Wow, you can see through it all at a glance? You''re amazing, grandmother! Umm, well Allen-kun is you know, in that phase of his teenage, so he''s bit hard to interact, but he¡¯s definitely a lovable kid~" Then she paused, her gaze darting toward elder sister with an awkward expression. "You didn''t hear me, Natalia? I said cease your words now." Freya-san spoke in a low tone, a clear sign of her anger. On the other hand, in a rare turn of event, perhaps she finally read the situation as my sister decided to break the the ice on matter¡ª "Hmm, well, I honestly don''t have any interest in checking out the tower... or maybe, if there are records about relics of the past? I am fine with offering my prayer at the grandfather''s grave since I heard it''s located in the outer garden of the tower. This shouldn''t pose a problem, right?" However Freya-san''s expression further turned stony, and she gave a stern glare to my sister. "Roselia. Have you realised you''ve been just looked down for no just reason, and have been made to stop from getting your natural right? Being magnanimous is good, but do not make it a compromise. I would comply if it''s truly your wish to forfeit the chance, however do know that little compromises of today would take the shape of a snowball that would create an avalanche for your future." Oh god, what has she been teaching?! ...I think I am quite glad my sister didn''t grow up under her, else she might have become the carbon-copy of my mother. With hope in my heart, I turned to glance at my mother with expectant glance. Soon, my mother, having watched over the situation, quipped. "There have been many mechanisms of the past in the tower whose principles have yet to be understood. I believe they''re worth a visit for an Artificer like you." Ah, yes. What was I expecting? My mother instead poured more oil in the fire while also being vague about inside situation. "......Oh? Uh-huh, sorry Natalia-chan, but it seems I can''t give up here then. Hmm, is there no way to clear that doubt...?" And of course, once it comes to matters of interest, my sister channeled her mana throughout the body at full-throttle, while reflexively curling her lips in a smile. "A-Ahem, how about showing them your knowledge by fixing some, err, yeah magic lamps, sister?! There can''t be any second challenge fitting for an Artificer! B-besides, it''s your just right to enter the tower. Why would you need permission for something that¡¯s yours kust privilege, right, grandma?! Right?!" With another glimmer of hope, I expectantly tossed the topic to Freya-san. Meanwhile, the frigid stare of Freya-san had melted away into a giggling smile who then proceeded to remark, "Despite being an Artificer, you choose to pick up arms to protect your honor? ...Fufu, you''re indeed Cecilia''s daughter." ...... Excuse me, what happened to not being confused with compromise? Isn''t fighting for natural rights a compromise now? Hello, can we speak human? But knowing I would be harping at the wrong place, I instead turned to Natalia-san. I saw my cousin¡¯s face was scrunched in confusion, the ''Was I speaking some cryptic language? ...I just wanted to talk about talent... how did we come to throw fist at each other...?'' etc etc were written all over her expression, while¡ªthe corner of her lips were lifted in a smile. T/N - As they say, fruit doesn''t fall from its trees.P.s.- Sorry for the delay guys, had internet problem for a while. I was behind two chapters (3 including friday''s) from earlier weeks, so this covers the two of them. Remains last, I will cover it next week. Sorry, and thanks for your patience! Vol. 1 - Chapter 209 - Old Capital Rabeldin (4) The next day. "You''re here, Dearest Sister! Good day to you!" We had just arrived at the tower when Natalia-san came forward to greet us. She had been absent during breakfast, so I had been curious, but it seemed she had arrived here first. Unlike her first appearance, where she had been gracefully upholding the title of Dosperior, her current expression had crumbled to give a full-face smile as she gleefully waved her hand. "G-Good morning, Natchan. How are your injuries?" "I am in prim-proper shape! Well, there were apparently three or so broken ribs, but they''re all back in shape by a recovery spell from the priest!" ......Needless to say, my sister and Natalia-san had faced each other in the martial art hall afterward. It was so absurd that I didn''t bother to watch the subsequent situation, but I did hear the summary during breakfast. Apparently, my elder sister went all wham without any limiter and swept Natalia-san like a rug until she couldn''t stand. "But must I say, she had caught me by surprise. While there is still room for improvement in technique, that knack for martial arts is, well, not losing to even Cecilia, I guess? A simple spar had become a life-long lesson for Natalia, this is for sure," such was the commentary from Freya-san as she recounted the details plainly, and a... ruptured expression covering her face. I would be lying if I wasn''t repulsed by that sight. But Natalia-san''s hackneyed act had me even more repulsed frankly. And my sister was never the less. What the heck Natchan was supposed to mean? ''It''s like I have found a younger sister,'' my sister remarked, and exchanged the greeting with a refreshing expression. Meanwhile, my ears picked up some buzzing from knights around. Apparently, Natalia-san had personally boasted about the details of yesterday''s spar to the knights in the perimeter of the tower. ?So she''s the daughter of Cecilia-sama, Rosalia-sama, who senselessly beat down Natalia-sama...? ?It''s unbelievable that she managed to beat down Natalaia-san with bare fists when Natalaia-sama had a sword.? ?It''s what Natalisa-sama had illustrated herself; that Rosalia-sama''s movement and technique are in the realm of mysticism. The gulf is so endless Natalaia-sama can''t even bring her to feel jealousy.? ?After looking at that innocent, graceful expression, you wouldn''t believe that she''s the same person who knocked down Natalia-sama until she fainted.? ?I heard from Dean-dono, that Allen-sama said he is the silly one, and his elder sister is the wise one among the siblings.? ?I wonder if I can ask for a punch too for commemoration...? Oi, you there. Did you just say you want a beating because of the joyful reunion?! Moving on, after our initial greeting, we made a round to the grave of our grandfather, Vardi-san, located in the outer garden of the tower. The grave was a simpler one, with a cuboid engraved with Vardi-san''s name placed there. We offered black flowers pre-arranged by our mother. "...The grave''s structure is quite different from what we see in Rovenne territory or Royal Capital huh." There were no set standards for graves in the kingdom, but the most common ones that could be found were cross-shaped ones. From what I had gathered, offering there were made by white flowers. "...I didn''t expect you to be curious about them, since you used to hate the grave visit. What you see there is the culture originating from New Starlight teaching, and they''ve the biggest followers in Yuglia. However, the Dosperiors follow the teaching of Old Starlight teaching. To be precise, we believe in the core of Syd, the god that governs destruction and the future. They''ve quite a number of branches." "Oh~? ...I wonder what mechanism it works. Can I try it, Dear Grandmother?" My sister sought permision with sparkling eyes. "Yes, of course. But do be aware of its speciality; the door is opened only when there''s enough bloodline connection with the Dosperior family. Vardi and I were cousins, so Celia clears the threshold sufficiently, but... I may not be so sure if you can pull it." Freya-san gestured as she once placed her hand on the orb, closing the gate. Receiving the permission, my elder sister followed the same course of action and channelled her mana into orb. Albeit, to no avail. "...I had allowed it intentionally to be frank. We had past precedents to take examples from. Dosperior''s blood may run thick in Cecilia''s vein, but the offspring very rarely would have been able to achieve it when father had not a bit of traces of Dosperior blood. This has been one of the primary reasons why Dosperior family focuses on preserving bloodline. It''s all so that if moment arrives, they can fulfil the role to¡ª" *Rumble* The heavy sound of friction reminded of its history spanning to several thousands of years ago. "So, it''s something like that? Or not, I think this is it." My elder sister quietly murmured to herself and fiddled with the majestic magical door as if it were a toy. "D-Dearest Sister, have you perhaps grasped the p-principal behind it?!!" Everyone held their breath, waiting for my sister¡¯s response. My sister tilted her head thoughtfully, then closed the door again and threw her hand in defeat. "Nope. Not at all." I pushed her aside and placed my hand on the orb embedded in the pedestal, infusing it with my mana. But the door remained cold still. "Ughhh! ...Haahhh!!" I mean, alright, I had also wanted to be the part of ''only the chosen one can open the door'' group, but as if mocking me for having the thought, the door never answered my call. "*Huff* *Huff*...How in the world can you open it if you haven''t even understood the principle, sis!" I glared back at my sister. It just reminded me of the vain effort I had put in my practice to conjure fireball. The world is cruel to the talentless... "Err, well I don''t think I can explain it properly. ...Simply, our mana is merely a rope that links us to the device. What it actually does is read the information from our mana organ. So, by suppressing the dominant mana signature, i.e. of the father, the device would only read the mother''s mana signature, thus opening it... or so I guess." I repeated the procedure from the last attempt. Took a mouthful of air, and... hurled my doubt at her, my eyes opened wide. "..............What the heck is the dominant father''s mana signature?" T/N - This week''s chapter would be updated on tue/thu/sat. It appeared the internet problem persists. Was planning to inform yesterday, but there was no proper way to left a note chapter. Sorry for this one. Vol. 1 - Chapter 210 - Old Capital Rabeldin (5) "You really are awesome, Dearest Sister!!!" Natalia-san latched herself on my sister''s arm and cooed in admiration. Ultimately, I couldn''t make the gate budge even a millimetre no matter what. I further questioned my sister about the mechanics, but the only thing that got through me was it was an intuitive sorta thing, while the rest of the jargon slipped past my head like sliding on a butter-coated slide. See, who wouldn''t be jealous of having such talents, right? Haa. Begrudgingly giving up, I followed the crowd and entered inside the tower with slumped steps. No?v(el)B\\jnn The first thing I noticed was a huge monolith erected at the centre of the first floor of the tower. The monolith appeared to be made of some mysterious material I couldn''t figure out, and scribbled on it was some text in some unknown language. Freya-san stood before that monolith and then glanced at us two siblings. "You''re to not disclose a word about what you would see ahead of it. It''s not a warning, but advice to avoid putting your safety in jeopardy. Do you swear on it?" Needless to say, my sister and I promptly nodded. "I, Allen (Roselia) Rovenne, swear upon my name that no second person would hear anything about the tower from me." Freya-san nodded approvingly, and began with the monologue. "This monolith is known as Rea Stone in our Dosperior family. The scribbling you see is the Sacred Text once utilised during the holy rituals in antiquity era at Levandra Sovereignty, a major power once used to reside in the continent of Little Nero. The Sacred Text contains the history. To be precise, it''s the bygone past of our continent." ...Huh, Little Nero Continent...? The only foreign power I had heard about outside of this Rondine Continent, in which Yuglia was situated, was Berentz Archipelago Nation. Though I did hear about Levandra. It was a nation that used to be in this continent in the far past, but it met a sudden demise. Now, what was left behind of the truth was some dubious tales that may or may not hold the answer. Freya-san''s voice was flat, surpassing any turbulence if there was in her tone, as she led the narration. "...The Original Five are called the pioneers of the continent. ...And to be the pioneers of one place, one has to start from somewhere. So... from the perspective of the residents of this continent¡ª" Freya-san''s expression was replaced by a steep expression before she continued. "¡ªWe''re what they call invaders." ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡ªThe event dated back over 2500 years. It''s only hearsay, since It¡¯s impossible for me to verify the truth as well, but It appears that in the east of this continent lies another continent by the name of Little Nero. The Little Nero continent was a land with far more advanced application of magic and magical engineering than what could be seen in this continent in that era. In extremely rare scenarios, Little Nero would see foreign visitors arriving from the western sea¡ªwhich would be the eastern sea from our direction¡ªthough at large, the Rondine Continent continues to weather the passage of time without being spotted by anyone. A reason could be said that the ship building technology or the sailing technique were unripe for the time to counter the non-stop air current from the opposite direction. And another was the presence of formidable monsters in the foreign sea boundary. However technological advancement often only required time. And for Little Nero, that moment arrived 2500 years ago. At long last, they''d invented the ship building and navigation technique to allow long-term sail even while resisting headwind. Denying one''s history was no different than attacking their roots, their identity, so we had no sort of opinion over this matter. And you should follow the same path. It would only take a mere spark to burn the present that we know. To return to the subject, the Ria tribe, under the protection of the Dosperior family, was gradually making strides, especially around the Dosperior region. However, Dosperior didn''t take the front, except standing on their ground to support Ria tribe''s chief in his endeavor. Meanwhile, the rest of the power showed no sign of halting their ambition, and eventually the land began to see bloodshed, with a majority of them belonging to the natives. It''s said that the most grieved over the tragic history was the ''God''s Eye'' Aeolus-sama. At the beginning, Aelous-sama had only entered in the war as a mere soldier of the Rea tribe, it''s just... he had the habit to overdo things apparently. According to the traces of history left behind by children of Aeolus-sama, the predecessor of Dosperior family, while it wasn''t his intention, he had ended up making himself the eye of the storm with his rampage, and trapped himself in a situation where the throne could only have him. Aeolus-sama rejected the notion vehemently at first, since he wouldn''t allow anyone of the pioneer faction, even if it''s himself, to lord over the people that had triggered the tragedy first. Alas, after his unintentional display of strength had been made, no one would accept someone else as replacement. For the safety and to prevent further discord, the Dosperior family took the governance of the nation in their hand for until the moment it could stand on its own. This tower was built during the same era. The records in the monolith was the testament from Aeolus-sama, to remind his descendants to not forget the benevolence Archbishop Scadi had received, that to forget they''re pioneers and keep their devotion for their god, and to uphold their pride which make them the Dosperior. Earlier I had explained that the clergyman had made up to be the pinnacle of hierarchy in Levandra, on the same topic, the governing body there was No.2 in hierarchy in fact. However as it stood, the grandchild of Aeolus-sama easily relinquished the right to throne. It might sound odd, but maybe it was just a bloodline thing that Dosperiors had never thought of their interest for the throne. We simply live by the customs determined by our ancestors. Well, a long era has transpired since then. The world has seen the seasons of changes, and so does the Dosperior family. The Dosperior as of today might not be a true reflection of traditions from the past, however we still held to the core values. Then again, it''s not as if others were knowledgeable about history when there was gag order. Moreso because the original vision dictates that the one in care of god needed no worldly attachment, and all people were the same. Of course, the truth that Dosperior was at the position one above all was kept secret, else it was another matter that would put the kingdom into jeopardy. Then, after another long time, the nation that Aeolus-sama had protected as its emperor found itself in fragmented shape. And forgetting the fear carved into them by Aeolus-sama, the rest of Original Five rose up once again and attempted an extermination of Dosperior, trampling the secret agreement they''d once taken. Though this part of a history was something that anyone in Yuglia more or less had in grasp. I believe you should be aware of it as well. Many allied factions stood up to stand with us, including the Ria family too, but no amount of glasses could stop a stone when it crashed on them. However, while Dosperior was presumed that it would meet it that day, the god hadn''t forsaken us. What later ensued was a spectacle akin to ''an elephant squashing ants beneath its feet'', as the enemies had described. The Dosperior family was single-handedly brought from the verge of destruction by our esteemed ?Witch of Iron Fist?. With fist like iron, and speed akin to the descent of lightning, she quelled the entire rebel force and delivered her judgment to the fools. Later, the civil war between the Original Five was described as "an ant, an elephant, and the massacre." ¡ô¡ô¡ô At the end of narration, Freya-san took a pause. I raised my hand. "...Yes, what is it, Allen?" T/N - Happy new year guys! I seriously forgot the day of update and ended up being one day late. Hope you all have blast this year. Vol. 1 - Chapter 211.1 - Old Capital Rabeldin (6) "...Yes, what is it, Allen?" Once Freya-san had finished her narration, and paused on her words, I raised my hand. I had to say, I was surprised to hear about the pioneers from another second... but, I had always suspected such in a corner of my mind. It wouldn''t have to be me, any reincarnator from Earth would never doubt about the existence of another continent or if it was populated. I had a lot of questions frankly, but for now, I proceeded with the one that was bugging me most. "I have a doubt, or well, many doubts... but I really need to know this one first¡ªwhy in the world priests are so strong?" This was it. A fist like steel, and speed like descent of lightning you say? How the heck such a brute force aspect crosses paths with the priest''s sacred nuance? Strong? Alright, I get it. But where was the spirituality aspect, like the divine judgment, or ''it''s the will of heaven'' or ''evil be vanquish'' et cetera sort of cool scenes!? At the very least, they could have brought the hammer of the divine in the form of the Great Fire Spirit Salamander via their prayers! It''s a futile matter to think about, but I swear had I been drawing in the talent of so-called ''sacred lineage,'' I would have trained myself whole day long non-stop, even if it had caused my body to collapse. "Of all, this got your interest...? ......This answer to tis on the upper floor." On the other hand, Freya-san''s eyes widened in surprise, apparently she wasn''t expecting such a question, and then guided us to the upper floor. "...The era in which Canaria-sama was a time where population was sparse, the nation had yet to implement rigorous administration, and armies were merely a disorder group messed together. But yes, even by discounting the development, it''s indeed reality-defying to think a mere human could bring an army to its knees." The legends of ?Witch of Iron Fist? Canaria Dosperior, who decimated an army of elites nearing 1000 in numbers, painting the grassland into a sea of blood, was a famous story. ..Hmm, why it suddenly sounds so familiar... if it isn''t¡ª My gaze inadvertently shifted to my sister. She was next to me. Canaria-san sounds more like a mirror to my elder sister but her grown up version. I don''t suspect Canaria-san might not have that crushing talent, however it''s just hard to swallow that she had managed to decimate the elites of Original Five if they all were as strong as Olivia-san whom I became acquainted with in last summer''s founding festival. ...But on another note, what would happen if my sister does decide to familiarise herself in a weapon to master level... no, never mind, just the end result brought me fear. Anyway, it''s often hard to think one could win against an army. There was also a limit to one''s mana capacity as well. Alright, stop! I am already sold, so no need to sell it anymore please! Moving to the countryside for a slow life as compensation for wielding the divine power. Yes, where can I sign it! "............I can feel the surges of divinity. Could it be, the Great War God Margon resides here?" I confidently declared. Hey, I mean, I may not have seen actual things, but as they say, you gotta believe to make it happen! So I tried to play things out since this could be my last chance. After all, I could not even budge the gate of the tower earlier, and who knows when I have another chance to come here. Anyway, please listen to the prayer of this poor soul, O'' God! Grant me some spirituality too! I brought my hand together in front of my face and clapped while intently praying in my mind. First, to begin, lower the left foot and left hand, and raise the right hand as if peering at something, bringing it close to the face. Next, lower the right foot and right hand, and raise the left hand in the same manner, bringing it close to the face. It was all impromptu, but there were various theories about the meaning of these movements, such as one that suggests it imitates the gesture of gazing at distant mountains like Mount Fuji. A feeling of sublime, or grandeur. "A-Allen... what''re you trying?" "Silence! Great Margon is gazing in our direction!" I promptly brought my right leg to front, and formed a circle with my two hands. This movement represented the full moon, and the action of placing the opposite hand on the outstretched arm while stepping forward was said to imitate the ''flow'' of people or rivers. Now that I think about it, the Bon dance feels somewhat like a ''dance'' suitable for offering to the gods. Sense it, O'' me. This is our chance to feel the grace of the divine! I persuaded myself in my mind, and continued to perform the bon dance that I knew with all of my soul and body. I should have did two lap around the Evil God Margon statue when Freya-san chimed in with a reserved tone. "...That, err, the only one who can receive the blessing of War God is a priestess... which means, only girls." .........You could have explained this first?!! T/N - Sorry for the delay guys, had internet problem for a while. I was behind two chapters (3 including friday''s) from earlier weeks, so this covers the two of them. Remains last, I will cover it next week. Sorry, and thanks for your patience! Vol. 1 - Chapter 211.2 - Old Capital Rabeldin (6) Beaten down to dirt at the discrimination by God for his chosen apostle, I found my way into a corner of the room, squatting there and sulking. If only the cruelty of fate stopped there, alas what wanted me to immediately dig a hole and crawl into it was the warm gazes of Natalia-san and Freya-san, as the wind carried them to me. "Fufu. But above all, Allen-kun''s dance was really... novel, and adorable. What a shame I didn''t bring my scene recorder equipment. After blurring the surrounding, it would''ve made a nice souvenir to show to Allen-kun''s friend." J-Just kill me already!! "Speaking of, Grandma. So, is it true that the Mana Polarity Reverse Phenomenon is confirmed to only occur once in 10,000 years?" On the other hand, My sister curiously inquired about the details she heard. "...A tale as ancient as this is unfortunately hard to figure out. Moreover, we haven''t been told anything about the civilization level of the Levandra by our ancestors at all." It seemed Freya-san hadn''t a single inkling what my sister was getting at. "Is that so? Oh well~. I was thinking it might have something to do with how monsters appear quite weak for the past few years, so it was overthinking from my end." O'' my dear sister, can you not drop random flags just like that...? I don''t want to imagine the trouble our dear¡ªand clearly superior in tech and strength¡ªneighbour, burning with a passionate heart to pioneer a new continent, would cause. Heck, with a glance at how superior the lineage of Original Five is when it comes to magic, they might even be unmatched with their inborn mana---no, wait a minute. Inborn mana? This reminds me¡ª "...By the way, are the pioneers, including the Dosperior family, so called ''Fiend Race''?" All the fairytales and so had depicted Fiends as a nonhuman race obviously. Some depicted them with horns, fangs, sharp ears, or even more striking examples were with wings. No two races had similar features, yet they had one thing in common; abundant mana. Freya-san''s expression scrunched in a look of hesitation, and after a moment of contemplation, she said. "...I have no set understanding of such a race, so I can''t comment on it, however Scadi and other pioneers had indeed mana capacity to an abnormal level, so it can''t be ruled out that the natives of this continent would have seen them as a detestable alien race. But I would say this is rather a past thing. Our bloodline is barely as pure as our predecessor, and the pioneer''s blood has long seeped into the continent''s inhabitants that the ''alien race'' concept is obsolete." ...I guess, she had a point. The inherent talent in mana; it might not matter now as much, but this must have been a deciding factor for many. I don''t even have to imagine how intensely those talents must be sought after. "...If this tower is indeed a magical tool, mayhaps you have an inkling of the nature of this tower, Dearest Sister?" Natalia-san inquired, however received a shake of head in denial from my sister. "Hmm, I haven''t figured that much yet. But I would say, given the expansive magic circuit that''s covering the whole tower, there''s more to the preservation magic than it appears so." My sister briefed, her eyes narrowing wistfully as she softly touched the wall of the tower. "...Well, it''s finally the holiday season, so maybe you can stay behind to do your research, Sis. I am sure grandma would like it too. Right, Grandma?" I said, and turned the topic to Freya-san. And her response was, ''If that''s what Rose desires, you have my permission as the head of household.'' "Hmm~? But I was thinking I can finally have time with you, Allen-kun, since you''re returning home at last..." "Your curious expression is narrating a different story, Sis. ...Yes, it''s alright to be not bound by anytime but to your heart. Besides, I wouldn''t be staying for too long either, as I have my requests to take care of as an explorer. In fact, my intention is to part ways and head to Dragreid." "What, you aren''t coming home? ...Ugh, then I guess I will spend my holidays here... I will be under your care then, grandma." Eventually, Elder sister decided to stay behind, and Freya-san commented with ''it will be a pleasure'' to her last sentence. And of course, her expression was crumpled in a warm smile. "E-Err, that, Rose onee-sama... Would you please show me the ropes of fighting like last night? Of course, we can keep it short so that it doesn''t disturb your research. I would like to sharpen myself as a knight..." "Of course! You''ll be taking care of me, so this is nothing. And you''re strong, so this would be a good playtime." Natalia-san modestly proposed her plan to train, which received a joyful nod from my sister. A bright smile, akin to the sunlight pouring on the top floor, spread on Natalia-san''s face. ...If I remember correctly, she said she had some broken bones after last night''s spar, didn''t she? ......Uh-huh. T/N - If I hadn¡¯t known better of this novel¡¯s theme, I would have bet Aeolus and Canaria is Allen and Rose after time-travel shenanigans xD. But with the tower being a magic device, top floor from where every direction is clearly visible, weakening sign of monsters¡ªmy theory says Tower is kind of like a throne/amplifier and a match-made for Allen for his wind magic. Mc can finally achieve the space-jumping wind blade magic! Lol, well jk aside, it must be an amplifier meaning for someone with God¡¯s Eye like technique, while the altar is for Rose. Well, the future will tell though. It¡¯s too early for anything~. T/N 2 - This week''s chapter would be updated on tue/thu/sat. It appeared the internet problem persists. Was planning to inform yesterday, but there was no proper way to left a note chapter. Sorry for this one. Vol. 1 - Chapter 212 - Old Highway There was a old rural highway that tread down from the Rabeldin to the Rune River in south, passing over the mountain range known as ''Seven Spears,'' traversing the vast Dragoon region in the southeast of the knight, and stretches all the way to the distant Fatoura Kingdom. This was once the road Cecilia had taken in her aimless journey, awaiting the moment the ticking of clock ceased to exist for her, with Dio as her guard. Presumably, this was once a road bustling with merchants and travelers when Rabeldin was at the height of its power. However all of this was but a tale from the past, and it had been roughly 1000 years since the Runereliya became the capital of Yuglia. With the advancement of new roads, or construction of the railway lines, the old highway now remains in dilapidated condition, overrun with weeds, and rocks lying around, largely unattended. And now, that same highway was covered by a carriage Rovenne family and Schord, saving Roselia. The suggestion came from Allen, as he heard Cecilia missed the journey from her younger days, to return using the highway, and Bellwood showed his affirmation. ¡ªAs for Roselia, she had stayed behind to research the tower over the interest she had developed. The carriage arranged by the Dosperior family was a small, one-horse cart designed with the road''s width in mind. The aesthetic of the carriage was rather rugged, but the horse pulling it was a strong, muscular creature native to the northern part of the continent. Its peculiar chestnut coat shines brightly in the sunlight. In fact, this horse breed fetched a vast sum since it was the same kind of pseudo monster¡ªit referred to the beasts that weren''t monsters by birth, but had birthed a magic stone inside their body over the duration---like Rune Sheep. Cecilia had attempted to turn down the offer, but Freya brought the name of her deceased father, that ''it''s a wedding gift from her and Vardi,'' giving her no option. The carriage was now making its way over the Seven Spears Mountains, with Schord acting as the coachman as they progressed along the mountain path. With the horse''s incredible stamina, and Allen driving away any seldomly appearing monsters¡ªreaching mastery in mana operation, he could now do it even while sleeping---out of the path with wind magic, the trip proceeded uneventfully. The carriage had no decoration, however taking into account the roof of the cabin capable of shielding from rain, it wasn''t hard to guess the cost with the usage of such material. Typically, the roof was meant for the guard on watchout, and it was spacious enough for them to even sit cross-legged, but now Allen now sprawled on it languidly, occasionally reading a book or checking out the map. He had fancied the air on the rooftop of course, but in an unrelated tone to it, the space inside the cabin was quite hackneyed due to his parent''s love bird-like act, who had forsaken any outlook for the world around them. Whether it was the teenage persona of him, or the perspective of a 36 year old man from his memories, they both found the spectacle unbearing and that''s how he came to the roof. Suddenly, Allen closed the book, and raised his voice at Schord. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "*Yawn*... so boring... Schord, I will take over the reign." I motioned Schord and suggested. "Yes? Ah, heavens, no. This is a task suitable only for servants. ...Also, it may not appear so, but to be a driver, one has to know how to restrain a horse. If Young Master likes it, we can try it out in a spacious place, preferably with a smaller horse, later." Schord, however, courteously decline my offer. In the end, I just decided to take the reign from his hands irrespective of his stance. "I am not an amateur, so just relax. I practiced driving a carriage once after learning about them from Toni." To refresh the memory, Toni was the easygoing uncle, and a guide for the tourists I had met on my way to the Ment Village that I had decided on for hot springs lying in the belly of Ament Volcano. I had to say, his recommended ?Tsukiya? bathhouse was top-class. Well, it was a pity I had to leave without saying goodbye. But It''s in my plan to give my gratitude one day. "Toni? ...Well, I suppose you do seem to have the hang of it. But will it not put a burden on you, Young Master? We had called off hiring any guards under your insistence, however if this caused you to drop your vigilance, I fear we might be taking priorities in a reverse order." "Hmm. As I say, relax. I can easily handle the driving while keeping an eye on the situation. And anyway, what fear do we have with my mother in the same carriage, eh? ...And look at you, you''ve become quite used to my wind as well. Hehe, you''re a steady one, I get." It appeared that he was almost a barter merchant, as he boasted how not even a bandit would dare to touch him because he''s pauper, but on the flip side, he was proud of his life that helped the settlement around the mountain in gaining their necessity items. He *was* a jolly old-man. One of the days she was travelling with him, my mother was struck with a high fever. And in turn of misfortune, there was a heavy downpour that day. Seeing the deteriorating health of my mother, he promptly sorted out luggage and made space for her to lie down inside the canopy out of concern. And then an accident happened while Dio was inside the canopy too, nursing her. Maybe it was the overlapping of thunder and rain, along with the jolts that threw her senses awry, my mother, or anyone else for that matter, didn''t notice an 8-meter Land Dragon approaching them, and ultimately, the Land Dragon crashed into the carriage, overturning it. A guess was that maybe the Land Dragon, which doesn''t prefer appearing out in any human''s presence much, had been attracted by the food supply that Merchant had discarded---they''ll have short shelf life---to make space for my mother given her condition. Dio had promptly jumped out of the canopy and confronted Land Dragon. However Land Dragon was awfully strong, and Dio back then had yet to reach his current level, hence making it an impossible fight for him. By the moment my mother somehow dragged her feet with hazy vision, grabbing her sword that had been thrown out from impact, Dio was already on his knees, using the spear as his clutch. For a short moment, there was an intense stare-off between the Land Dragon, its reptilian eyes shrinking, and my mother before it eventually let out a roar and returned to the depth of the forest. But unfortunately, after receiving a full brunt of impact when the carriage had toppled, the elderly merchant breathed his last after whispering the final words, ''there''s a village nearby. You can ask the shaman, an old lady, there for help.'' Enduring the fierce downpour, my mother and Dio made their way to the village they''d learned from the elder merchant. After somewhat losing their way in the forest in the gloomy weather, they somehow made it to the village by midnight, and my mother fainted there. ''I will repay with however possible, just save our young lady,'' Dio had pleaded before the entrance of the village. Maybe she believed the uncalled visitor to be a member of Marquis'' family, or maybe not, but the old shaman proceeded to invite them in. Three days. My mother remained in a deep coma state, however she managed to recover soon with the medicine and care of an old shaman. And so was the whole story. "...I guess, I wouldn''t have been here without that elderly merchant and Shaman Miss Mu huh. ...We must visit them to express our gratitude, I believe." I proposed an addition to our plan, though my mother shook her head in denial, a desolate expression covering her. "Mu had already been at the dawn of her lifespan, while the benefactor of our life, merchant Col, had already passed away. I fear she has already closed her eyes. And beyond that, didn''t you say you have some task to undertake in Drag Reid? It''s at least five days trip to that village. A mistake can haywire your schedule, and trust isn''t something easy to come by." Hmm, well considering the trip and all... "...I think we can cram in the five days in our schedule. We''ve managed to remain in our schedule thanks to his boy as well." I said while caressing the neck of the horse, who neighed as if in reply. So adorable. ...Maybe I should give it a name. Freya-san did say the horse was meant to be a gift. I was quite curious about the dwellers of deep mountains, and the elusive shaman race... Ahem, I mean, whether she''s elusive or shaman race or something else, the words did tickle that adventurous side inside me. "It''s decided then. We''re going to the Dosco village for a visit! Are you pumped up, eh, Mu?!" With excitement beating the drums within my heart, I called out to the horse, giving it the game of (supposedly) dead shaman, caressing its nape carefully. However Mu completely ignored me. Vol. 1 - Chapter 213 - Liancool Barony (1) In the north of the mountain range called Seven Spears, Liancool barony was located nearby its centre. The barony boasted a vast land under its landscape, but with strong monsters creeping around the region, there were but few places for the inhabitants to lead a risk-free life. And with few avenues to earn as to be expected from mountain regions, the tax harvest also lagged behind, while in contrast, the expenditure in sustaining the land could be envisioned. A reason alluding to the settlement in the mountains was a countermeasure against any irregular outbreak of a monster, so the sustenance money was in fact paid by royal family or Dosperior family. But there would always be cases when the fund fell short, so that portion was furnished by the Liancool family''s income generated from animal husbandry and et cetera. In a sense, leading this territory was a charitable work. "Are you here, sis Lala?"@@@@ "Can you read me the picture book again~?" "Ahh, you cheater! Sis promised to do sword training with me today!" "Alright, no need to argue. I will read Sokura picture book first, and then help you out, Tamotsu. Hmm, but you''re not going to listen? And you used to like them so much." Responding to the voices of kids, Lala replied, her face drawing a joyous smile. Though Tamotsu, to whom the last sentence was referring to, huffed and looked the other way. "I am fine. And I am grown up already. I can''t become a strong man by reading picture books for girls." Lala giggled at the boy''s attempt to appear far-reaching, and left behind the ''alright, then wait for me to finish then'' reply and turned to the kids¡ªgiven their appearance and age, they should be elementary schoolers¡ªwho had been waiting for her in the circle. Then she began to read them a book from her collection. With the isolated land Liancool was, it had no elementary school. The usual trend was to rely on relatives from neighbouring viscountry for lodging while enrolling them in the elementary school there. The kids gathered were almost around the age to join the elementary school soon, so the book reading was an activity to give them a basic sense of literacy. The contents of the books were typical. For example, the story book Lala read the kids was something like this: [Once upon a time, a beautiful girl from a destitute viscounty caught the eye of an evil count. By the many schemes and underhanded tricks, the already destitute viscounty was cornered to a dead end. Eventually, caving to the hands of evil, the beautiful girl, on the condition that her family be spared, let herself be taken away by the walking pig that was count. It was apparent the cruel fate that awaits her at the end of her path, however a man, who just happened to be there, couldn''t swallow the injustice happening and to save the girl, he went through various efforts and hardship, and eventually succeeded in bringing the count to his knees. At the end, after they swore their oath of love, the man revealed himself to be the crown prince, and took the girl to be his queen, leading a happy life.] A tale as template-ish as it could be, this was the story for today. Of course, the retort would arise¡ªthe hardship wouldn''t have been there if the prince had revealed his status promptly, however everyone knows not to point out the obvious. For Lala, the type of story like a commoner becoming a princess was her favourite. As for her, she had also attended the elementary school in Kunowa viscounty¡ªit was alongside the old highway¡ªhowever her feats left her peers far behind. The rumours spread around, and reached to the ear of Count Nelson, a heavyweight noble from nearby region, and brought her under his umbrella, providing her the best possible education in his territory. Well, it wasn''t to say Count Nelson was the type of philanthropist, however he, too, saw the lurking potential in her, and had decided to support her for the rewards that her success would bring in. In the beginning, Count Nelson had rather wanted her to focus on the knight course in the prestigious Noble School in Rabeldin. He must''ve tried to persuade her thousands of times, but Lala never budged from her wish to go to the Royal Academy that she''d been insisting on ever since Count Nelson brought her under his wing. She had always wanted to make pretty friends like the princess in the picture book, and had a longing for the romantic meeting like in the books, seeking ''true love'' but that required her to travel to the royal capital. But it was a dream that anyone would laugh, so she had never revealed it to anyone. Though her father did perceive the dream lurking in his little girl, he never denied or laughed at that. Lala''s father was quite a sagious person. Either way, with the two will clashing, Count Nelson would held many discussion with Baron Liancool, and after a long shot, they arrived at the middle ground; only if she could score for Royal Academy can she proceed her studies in royal capital, however in case she failed, she would be studying in the Rabeldin''s Noble School. "Visitors in that desolate village? I wouldn''t put any mind on that. I mean, I doubt the visitors are of any status to require your presence, must be some riff-raff." Lala shook her head. "It''s apparently more than so. They seemed to be acquainted with Esteemed Grandma Mu, and have expressly come to visit her after tens of years in their travels. I have heard a lot about the graceful young lady¡ªalbeit, she must have also experienced the passage of time¡ªfrom her, and it intrigued me to visit who that persona actually is." The crease further deepened when Count Nelson heard the explanation. "An acquaintance of that fossilized hag? Then we can''t appear negligent even more... I would believe they''d heard about your fame, and thus came at this sudden timing for the visit. You can just rest yourself in the house, I believe they will surely come to visit either way." So Count Nelson said, however Lala strongly shook her head. "They''ve showed themselves to refrain from visiting without an appointment, and in fact, their schedule is to go back on their trip after the grave visit of their acquaintance. Please ease your concern, today might not, but I should be available tomorrow and onward." Lala firmly pressed on the topic, and leaving behind the rest of annoyance at her father, Lana waited no further and exited. ¡ô¡ô¡ô It was evening when Lana made it to the Donco Village on horse. "Oh, it''s sis Lala! Come, play with us~!" She had just got down from her horse and passed the entrance of the village when the children of the village gathered around her in the blink of an eye. "I¡¯m ''ere for some work, you see, so maybe another time? Are the guests of Gran Mu still ''ere?" "Granny has left with the guests to the grave, but they should be coming back in some time. Haa... others in Komori Village are so lucky, they get to play with sis everyday..." A kid replied to Lana''s query, and gave a pouted look at the end of his sentence. Lala took a quick glance at the stable of Village Chief, and saw a magnificent horse tied there. She quickly deduced the guests were to stay tonight if they hadn''t departed when it''s already late. A relieved sigh escaped from her, and then she crouched in front of the sulking kid from earlier, gently caressing his head. "Haha, then let''s play a game until the guests are back. What do you want to play?" A squeal of delight promptly left the kids once Lala said so. "I, I want to play hide and seek!" "No, capture the flag~!" "I want you to come with me to catch bugs, sis!" "Make-believe!" ''Let''s decide with Rock-Paper-Scissor then,'' meeting the enthusiasm of kids, Lala chuckled and suggested. T/N - Sorry for the delay guys, had internet problem for a while. I was behind two chapters (3 including friday''s) from earlier weeks, so this covers the two of them. Remains last, I will cover it next week. Sorry, and thanks for your patience! Vol. 1 - Chapter 214 - Liancool Barony (2) Donco Village was a small settlement nestled deeply within the embrace of mountains. It was evening by the time we arrived there, while leaving the guidance to a person we hired from inn town lodged alongside the highway. Arriving at the village entrance, we explained our reason to visit, and soon¡ªapparently, the old man at the entrance had been a witness of the time mother had stayed around in this village¡ªwe got our entry without any hiccup. @@@@ And astoundingly enough, the old lady Mu, a shaman, whom we had assumed to be passed away, was still alive. Well, when compared to Earth, the mana element was quite a factor for why there were a lot of people who live long, and it was also why they appeared young in contrast to their age. If rumours were to be true, the dorm mother Sora was nearly 90 years old, but she could easily pass a healthy middle-aged lady easily with the *devotion* she carried out her research... Then again, while the life span was indeed long, the life expectancy was rather short on average since many would lose their life to mana disaster and disease. Anyway, we soon met old lady Mu and... she didn''t appear any special no matter how I tried to glaze my eyes. Much like other people of her age, she, too, had a face wedged with wrinkles, and while she was quick on her feet, I might have overhyped myself. I even wondered if she was, you know, a ''ghost'' in the corner of my mind. I know it was extremely rude to think about the person who saved my mother''s life, but...... something was beyond control. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "I''m truly glad to hear you remember me, Lady Mu. It wouldn''t be wrong to say I gained a second life the day you, and the village, helped us out. It allowed me to have a family of my own, and live past that day. It might be a matter of distant past, but I hope to deliver my delayed gratitude. Thank you really very much for saving my life that day." At the village chief''s house, my mother expressed her gratitude in a deep voice, and we bowed our heads. Aside from us and old lady Mu, there was also the village chief and his wife, who was also her granddaughter. "Kukuku. All that matter is you''re in good health, Princess. Your elegance still as radiating as that day, hahaha!" Old lady Mu spoke, a broad smile wedged on her face as she slightly opened the squinted eyes. "You flatter me, but I''m no princess, whether it is now, or in the past. I am just someone who left the Dosperior family. I believe I explained it, though...?" "Kuhaha! This isn''t how it plays. Once a princess, always a princess." It appeared my mother''s image as the princess of a high noble family was already cemented in the eyes of old lady Mu. "It''s fine, and you''re always welcome to our village, Cecilia-san. It''s also to your credit that this village is still around after all." The village chief said with a distant gaze, seemingly gazing at the past scenery. It intrigued me so I inquired about the situation. The standard practice of animal husbandry in this village was to leave animals like horned goats, sheeps, or serow et cetera in the vast land made of natural terrain surrounded by variable fens. This allowed them a source for the edible meat, wool, fur, or sometimes even the horns of pseudo-monsters that fetched a high price. Moreover, since the animals graze on grass or vegetation around, it prevents their overgrowth which would have otherwise hid other animals or bugs, monsters in them, reducing chances of accident. The village''s defense was barely some wooden fences reinforcing its boundary, but the pasture acted as buffer place, increasing their safety. Once old lady Mu woke up in the afternoon, we had our lunch and promptly made a trip to the grave of Peddler Col. Col-san never talked about his hometown, or if he had family or not, so my mother was blank about his background. If anything, he was quite the type to live in shadows apparently. Since nothing about him was known, his grave was erected alongside a road that lead to Pashura mountain peak, one of the summit among Seven Spears Established on top of the steep cliff, nicknamed Endless Ravine by the locals, the simple gravestone was now covered in moss and other vegetation. "...After Col was no more, the villages must have been troubled by losing their merchant. I wonder if they managed to find any other merchant?" My mother posed the question, causing old lady Mu just shook her head "Well, this is a good question. But I remember going to the nearby town to sell medicine or other materials. ...However you did more than enough of your share, Princess. Let your thoughts be freed from the past." After a moment of pause, my mother offered a small, white flower with pinkish hue on the grave, and joined her hand together. The flower was fresh, so I presume she must have picked it on their walk. "Col... you once said that you like these white flowers growing with the mountain grass in the mountains. I hope it''s them. My husband Bell somehow managed to find them despite my poor memory. ...Just know that there are still people who haven''t forgotten about you." I guess, while she must have been filled with gratitude for saving her life, she must have respected Col-san''s selfless way of life. Both father, and Schord offered their prayers with somber expressions. After a moment of prayer, my mother turned around on her heel, her expression pulling a melancholic smile. "Allen, can you raise the wind just like you did around my father''s grave?" I nodded, and roused the gust of wind as it carried our appreciation and respect. I made sure the winds didn''t touch the small basket that had the flowers, and yet, one of the flowers rolled out of it and rolled toward the edge of a cliff and to the endless ravine. Life... is strange. I had always hated grave visits with passion, but here we are, making a grave visit one after another. T/N - This week''s chapter would be updated on tue/thu/sat. It appeared the internet problem persists. Was planning to inform yesterday, but there was no proper way to left a note chapter. Sorry for this one. Vol. 1 - Chapter 214.2 - Liancool Barony (2) Front yard of Baron Liancools''s residence, Komori Village. Ever after Lala''s departure to Donco Village, the children could be seen playing in the spacious yard. Count Nelson leaned on the balcony, and gazed at the garden while complaining to Baron Liancool, or to say, Lala''s father. He wasn''t concealing his annoyance at how Lala clearly used the unknown visitor or whoever to put his purpose at the sidetrack and whisked away. "Pray the lord, when will that girl realise she''s far more important than she realised herself to be! For a visitor to visit the Donco Village in this desolate winter after tens of years, tell me a reason why I don''t think they''re not here with the ulterior motive to get on the graces of Lala!?" ''Now, now. Count,'' Baron eases the irritation of Count Nelson. "It might not be as black, Count. Quoting old lady Mu, the traveller had arrived at the village ridden with fever, and she had saved the traveler''s life. And feeling a debt of gratitude for her, the traveler apparently thwarted the looming destruction of the village. I was still too young then, but I heard they''d suddenly departed for their journey. Connecting all the links, it''s possible the current lord of the said person''s family has come to pay proper respect. I mean, is this not a tradition of nobles?" However, Count Nelson gave another glare to Baron Liancool. "Don''t give me ''now, now, Count''! It''s because you, her father, has been so languid in approach that Lala is also casual with such things! Moreover, have you not found anything strange about the story that a girl, who hadn''t been yet of 20, actually saved the village from a demon''s disaster? It''s too tall of a story... Alright, I take it that this is true, what do you think their demand is against that gratitude, eh...?" For a moment, Baron Liancool contemplated if he should reveal that the said girl apparently hailed from the Dosperior family. However after taking another look at Count Nelson, he decided against it. He knew Nelson was devoted to the Dosperior family more than anyone. And moreover, as old lady Mu had described, the words had seemingly come from the following attendant, while the girl had refused any connection, but he was inclined to believe the attendant as the grace with which that girl carried herself wasn''t cultivated by anyone. ...He even believed as far as that she might be a direct descendant. But, if he decided to talk off this matter when there''s no sufficient proof, and it turned out to be a false rumour, the fury for impersonating the Dosperior family would be an endless one for Count Nelson. "If the woman has come solely to forge ties with that fossil, I wouldn''t mind allowing it. However, have you heard of the details? She''s here on a sophisticated carriage, with her entire family to boot! Let alone this, she even brought her son who appeared to be just the same age as Lala!" ''Now there, surely it can''t be so,'' Baron Liancool continued with his effort to cool down Count Nelson. "The fanfare is too conspicuous! She had definitely searched up Lala''s schedule for home return to even her admiration for fairytales, I would bet my rea that it''s all but an attempt to create a fateful encounter like scenario!" ''''Maybe, not?'' Baron Liancool continued to pacify Count Nelson, Albeit, even he, too, had doubts started to appear after he listened to Count Nelson. Certainly, the way the lady had arrived was a bit conspicuous, which he had noticed too. There''s no saying that who should''ve been a graceful person would still be carrying herself with that dignity. Anyway, since there wouldn''t be any competition if she joins either team, Lala was acting as the referee. However it was a jolting sight for me. Lala''s usually out-of-place, vertical drill hair was now in a messy state as she ran around, and raised the voice more than anyone despite being a referee. ......Who the heck that girl was? Where''s the lace handkerchief that she always kept along with herself...? The Lala in my memory was like the so-called¡ªthough they shouldn''t be existing in real life¡ªvillainess from otome media. She wouldn''t miss on her mannerism, to the speech, and even the classic ''ohohoho'' while placing hand against the mouth. Atleast, that''s how I remember her, but... "Look ad''ya, I knew you can do it, Ponna! Good, the game''s heating up~!" My words, I couldn''t describe the shock I was going through at the stark difference...... "Lala-sama, maybe you should refrain from such act in front of guests..." However, the shout from the village chief put a pause on her action. With her back still facing us, she quickly took out her handkerchief from sleeve and wiped off the sweat before turning to us, clearing her throat. "A-Ahem. It''s my pleasure to welcome your good presence in our Liancool Barony. I''m the current head of Liancool family governing this land, Lala Von Liancoo¡ªw-w-what''re ya doin¡¯ here, Allen!?" She was just introducing herself when she caught my presence, and the voice she had barely smoothen out once again adopted the local accent. Lala was a hard worker, and had a nice personality too, but I had always felt as if she was forcing herself in the corner of my mind. Honestly, I wasn''t just good at interacting with her. I also heard she would spend her holidays learning tea party manners, or musical lessons, and had felt them mismatching. But seeing her playing with kids, she looked genuinely happy, and was clearly having a blast. Frankly, I don''t think many people would be able to get on the good side of children and seriously take them like her. "Pfft! Heya, I dropped by to hang out. It looks fun, let me join in too!" Vol. 1 - Chapter 215 - Liancool Barony (3) "Pfft! Heya, I came to hang around, Lala. I want to play too!" Prefacing myself with that, I joined the group of kids. Though of course, Lala first acted against, saying ''As the ruler, a proper etiquette towards the guest...'' or et cetera, but I also got her into my words using my privilege as the guest. And since I was joining, I was going to be a player of course. A single person with remarkable abilities might make the game predictable, but with the two same level players present, we could just put ourselves into different teams. That said, we did put a limit on the extent of actions we, the older players, could take. In the beginning, she asserted ''Very well, you may try so...'' like some pompous villainess at cloud nine, however that persona crumbled away soon when she saw us snatching two victories using our Decoy Stream Attack, and finally wiped that smug smile from her face, replacing it with a serious look. Kukuku. *Plan successful.* As much as I hate to admit, I have experienced how much everyone in my class, this includes Lala, hated losing. And anyway, games were fun only when you give it your all! With that as kick off, the subsequent matches results alternatively tip-toes in both sides like a see-saw, and this continued until diner time. We were staking for the final match when my detection magic caught the sign of a horse rushing toward the village. I was intrigued since the usual procedure was to dismount from the horse a while before approaching entrance, however this was rushing through. I had strained my ears to listen when the man on horse rushed toward Lala. "Lala-sama! Has Tamotsu come here? No one has seen him in Komori Village a while after you left!" "...You can''t find Tamotsu?! No, I ain''t seen him! Have you checked out in the village properly?!" Soon, the villagers had begun to gather wondering what the ruckus was about. To summarise the urgency, it appeared a young boy from a neighbouring village had gone missing. The young boy apparently overheard some adults whispering in concern that ''maybe the visitors (that''s us, of course) in Donco Village have arrived with an ulterior motive after catching whiff of Lala''s prestige, and might be planning to deceive her and take her away with us.'' He had once returned to the home to pick up his Nata, which he used for training, but haven''t been seen since then. The young boy''s parents and other people feared maybe he had left for Donco Village. So one of the adults rushed through the mountain road on horse, however he was found nowhere and tracing the route, the adult was now at Donco Village. A heavy silence reigned the surrounding. "...it... will soon turn dark." Lala whispered in a heavy tone, barely managing to stifle her impatience as she glared at the waning sky. ...If that young boy happened to mistake the route, and lost himself in the mountain, the situation might be too dicey. Nocturnal beasts were more often than not belLigenent, and strong. The adults would''ve to have good eyesight in the dark as well as competent combat ability to even search around without risking their life themselves. And the search would be increasingly harder if human wave tactics were out of option. I was contemplating the situation when suddenly my mother, who had arrived behind me unnoticed, proposed her plan to Lala. "...Allen and I would have no problem searching in the dark alone." Lala''s expression was dyed in surprise when she heard her, and was about to say something but I quipped in. "...Look at the bigger picture, Lala. You''re the one familiar with the terrain, and without your guess where the search target might be, we might as well end up exploring mountains for the whole night without any gain.You know what I can pull, don''t you? And my mother is far more stronger than me. We can easily crush through any danger." *Screee* and so kind of growls escaped from within the forest, and the birds could be seen flying in the sky from the direction mother was facing. With a light jump, mother leaped inside the forest and broke into a run. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Why are you following me! Stop following me!" Tamotsu swung down the Nata in his hand as he painfully shouted, his shoulders heaving from laborious breathing. But the four Ligen kittens, a type of wild mountain cat monsters that roam in the depth of forest, continuously close the distance regardless. From their approach, it was like they''re toying with him. With a body length of 1 meter, they should be no more than three months older. They easily dodged the swing of tired Tamotsu, and further closed the distance, while purring in teasing. Ligen monsters hunt in packs like lions, but of course, young ''uns began with hunting less agile wild monsters in packs first. For them, Tamotsu, who had just started to begin to use a tip of the magic, was a rare target to train themselves, and also a novel prey. With each breath, Tamotsu felt the pain coursing through his lungs due to the strenuous activity. He was so on his limit that he just wanted to lie on the spot, but each time he came to stop, Ligen would quicken up their pace and threaten him with their fangs or claws. Blood was oozing out from all over his body as he was chased to the depth of forest, and eventually, he arrived at the precipice that had no escape route. Ligens, too, stopped their toying at this point. The surroundings had already turned dark. Ligen caught Tamotsu in their encirclement so that he wouldn''t run, and hissed toward him. And a moment later, another Ligen showed itself from the direction of the forest. Unlike the young kitten with earthen fur, the newcomer sported irregular patterns of rich color, and including the tail, that should be easily 2m in length. "*Hissss!!*" The adult Ligen let out an ear-splitting growl as it fixed its gaze on the Tamotsu, its fur standing on its tip like needles. Tamotsu couldn''t bear anymore and crumbled on the spot, his eyes pooling with tears. Even if he could somehow keep the small Ligen at bay, his instinct had already screamed fighting the adult Ligen was a lost cause. ...Now, he longer had any future to keep after his idol¡ª Tamotsu¡¯s will collapsed, and he abandoned any hope for a breakout. The situation was too much for him to think about anymore. On the other hand, adult Ligen took its stance, ready to pounce on Tamotsu promptly, but suddenly its ears perked up sharply, and its gaze turned to stare into the depth of forest, letting out a low growl. Just as he was sure there was no more life for him, Tamotsu felt like he was caught in an illusion. With the whole of her body shuddering, he seemed to have hear his idol calling out his name. Faintly, he heard the so-familiar, unique canter tapping against the ground. In that moment, he brought the remaining ounce of his strength and squeezed out his voice. "Sis Lalaaaaaaaaaa!!!" "...¡ªmotsu!" The vague reply from behind the curtain of trees at least broke all the dam for Tamotsu as the accumulated pool of tears streaked down his cheeks. Vol. 1 - Chapter 216 - Liancool Barony (4) "I''m sorry, sis. I... I broke the promise and left the village alone." Tamotsu clinged to Lala as his sob leaked out of his mouth. Lala gave a soft giggle and shook her head. "No need to apologise. I know you''re just worried about your big sis." She gave Tamotsu a tight embrace and gently rubbed his cheeks oozing with blood. "All that matters is you''re safe. You must''ve done your best, right? You know, you¡¯re already doing great, Tamotsu." She comforted the sobbing Tamotsu, tightening her grasp on him once more, and slowly turned around. She had Tamotsu on one arm, almost hiding him behind her as she rested her on the claymore on her back. Just then, a second adult Ligen showed itself from the depth of forest with an agile gait, and raised its fur on the end. " "*Grrrrrr!!!!*" " "Eeek!!" Frightened by the intimidating scene, Tamotsu fell on his butt. The next moment, Lala drew her sword, and in the same breath, the two adult Ligen jumped at her. She narrowly dodged the incoming fang of one, while slashing at the abdomen of the second. However the bulky, metallic wire like fur of Ligens demonstrated an exceptional defensive property, and prevented the slash from doing any damage. Even beyond that, the recoil caused the sword to almost flip out of her hand which she barely prevented by increasing her mana output. "Rghh...! ...No need to fear, Tamotsu. Your sis here will definitely protect you. And just wait, help is on its way too. He''s you sis''s... absurdly strong friend..." Meanwhile, from beyond the curtain of trees, a third adult Ligen¡ªthis one appeared to be a size bigger than the previous two, probably the male of the pack¡ªappeared. A steep expression appeared on Lala''s face as she stared at the situation and asserted herself strongly. "We just have to wait... help is definitely on the way!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô I had my wind magic spread out to its limit, and continued to search for the lost kid. Well, there was complete darkness with the clouds concealing the moon behind itself, but with my active sonar ability, I still had terrain in my grasp even without the presence of light. My detection range was spread around in the 100m area uniformly, though the curtain of trees in the forest proved to be a slight nuisance, as I tread the uneven terrain. But I didn''t catch a slight hint of them. Impatience was slowly getting over me. I couldn''t shake the back of Lala when she rushed toward the valley in my mind. I wouldn''t say with surety, but I felt that she had a vague hunch the lost kid is definitely somewhere around there. Hmm, maybe I should stop here and meet up with her first...? I contemplated for a moment, but eventually decided to focus on my given part. ''Intuition'' in my eyes was a double-edged sword. Of course, the vague premonition could turn out to be true, opening the path to the answer that logical thinking couldn''t. However, everything would turn into dust if it ended in a mere fragment of imagination, and such cases weren''t few to say the least, unfortunately. I had been often told by my master that I should never rely on my ''intuition'' and let it guide my path no matter the moment. And well, I might have said ''to the wind'' often too, but I knew where to draw the line. ...Lala should have logically considered the mountain road side to be the more probable area, and that''s why she left the search around to me and my mother. And in case the valley side turned out to be a gotcha moment, she should at least be able to hold her fort until I join her. Shaking away all the impromptu thoughts with this conclusion, I quietly continued my search for the lost kid. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "I''m sorry, sis. I''m sorry. I''m sorry." Tamotsu trembled behind Lala, choking on his sobs. The scene before him was almost too dark to make out¡ªdespite growing up in the mountains, where his eyes had adapted to the night, he couldn¡¯t quite see what was happening to Lala. What he could make out was that the number of Ligen had grown exponentially. What had started as just a few had now swelled to about eight. And Lala, the person he admired, was being torn apart and toyed by the claws of the monsters. It was apparent she could still escape if only she abandoned him. Lala''s riding outfit, a fine women''s riding habit, was already in tattered state, stained with blood that seeped through the fabric. The crimson blotches spread and darkened, an unmistakable sign of how dire the situation was. Even with his young mind, it was clear to Tamoitsu that it wouldn¡¯t be long before everything came to an end. Lala had spoken of help arriving, but he couldn''t believe that someone would dare crossing the dense forest in the dark veil of night. It was a cruel truth, one that made him realize that there was no help. Eventually, with great effort, he still squeezed out his next words. In fact, he had wanted to say this a while back, however he just couldn''t muster then. "¡ªFor the possible time to come, I must make them experience the terror of humans. So, let this Lala von Liancool¡ª" The next moment, the leader of the pack, Ligen with a much more majestic physique, found its foreleg caught in Lala''s whip before she yanked it and slammed him near the cliff. "Graaahhh!" "¡ªbe the fear in their heart for a lifetime!" Seeing the attack, the other Ligens, too, lunged toward Lala at once. As the battle between Lala and Legin broke out, the cloud hanging on the sky finally parted away to allow the moonlight. And from there, the red crescent moon showed its glimpse like smiling at the scenery here. Within the tranquil Endless Ravine of night, only Lala''s mysterious ''hrr-hrr-hrr-hrr'' shout reverberate in the whole area. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After safely securing our search target, we made our way back to the mountain path. My mother had been just treading in the same direction we had branched off, and with Poco along with her, we also joined her soon. "It appears you managed to save him huh. It''s a great relief." My mother also let down her concern once she caught sight of Tamotsu-kun sleeping on Lala''s back. "And there''s no visible grave injury either. That''s great. Alright then, let''s return to the village. Everyone must have been waiting for the news." She gave one another node, and soon, we turned our gait in the direction of the village. The bonfires were burning brightly around the village, while a desperate search was underway around the grazing grounds. "Hey everyone!" Lala waved energetically, immediately pulling the anxious villagers around us. She promptly gave a quick rundown of the situation to the villagers, and then we turned toward the Liancool Barony for Tamotsu-kun''s nursing. While giving a brief explanation of the situation, we made our way straight to the Liancool family estate, prioritizing Tamoitsu¡¯s treatment. Tamotsu had already bore injuries when Lala found him, and since he wasn''t proficient in using mana to expel harmful poison that may have been introduced from the monster''s claws, medical care was the call of the hour lest the wounds worsened. We had just passed through to enter Liancool Barony when we were immediately jumped on by who seemed to be Lala''s father. "Lala! Tamotsu! Good heavens, both of you''re safe! Haha, as expected of my daughter. You''re really proud¡ª...er, who might be these two?" "They''re the Princess, and her son Allen granny Mu talks about. And in fact, they''d been a huge help, and the reason why we managed to safely secure Tamotsu. I was caught up by the pack of Ligen and it had been a steep situation. It would''ve been awful without Allen." Baron Liancool''s eyes widened in surprise when Lala introduced us. Immediately, he looked at me and my mother with a narrowed gaze but within the next moment, he broke out in a laughter. "Hahaha! Oh dear, aren''t you quite the same age as Lala? If you actually saved Lala from danger... you must be strong. As a father, and the governor of this place, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your cooperation. I hope you can be friends with our Lala." I shook his outstretched right hand. "Ah, um, I¡¯m Allen Roven. I must apologize, I didn¡¯t even know this area was part of the Liancool Barony when I arrived. In fact, Lala and I¡ª" I was about to clarify our situation when *Bang,* the front door flew open. "See what I mean?! They didn¡¯t even know where they were, and by sheer coincidence, they managed to save the lost kid, and what, you''re already on you first-name basis with her?! All bogus, haa. What was it, Allen Rov¡ªRo...Rovenne-kun? ¡ªThis is your name?" Breaking my words, a pompous man showed himself from the central building of barony, his face red as he shouted with an air of arrogance, but coming to my name, he paused and slowly asked back in confirmation. I couldn''t catch what all that was, and just nodded as it was. "What do you mean ''see what I mean'', eh, Count Nelson? It''s been a long while. I wonder if you remember me?" It appeared my mother knew the man¡ªCount Nelson. A man, looking like he held a higher rank, had come rushing out of the main house, his excitement clearly growing, as he began carefully confirming my name. I, confused by the sudden shift, just nodded, unsure of what was happening. Like a rustic machine who had spent ages since the last oil change, his movement turned creaky as soon as he caught sight of my mother, and paused. I further awaited for any reaction, but seeing no further reaction, I turned to finish my introduction to Lala''s father. "Well, in fact, Lala and I are classmates. She''s been a huge help." "Oh, golly! This... this is such a marvelous coincidence that the princess''s son is actually a student of Royal Academy too!" "T-T-T-This calls for a feast!!!!" At last, Count Nelson gave a reaction, and this time, he struck a triumphant pose and shouted while facing the sky. ......All I just want is to hit the bed though. Vol. 1 - Chapter 217 - Liancool Barony (5) The Next Morning. At the first crack of dawn, we tried to leave Donco Village, but encountered Lala at the entrance, holding Poco by her side. "With how your brain works, I knew you would try to leave in silence." With puffed-out cheeks, Lala complained. Oh, and needless to say, Count Nelson''s proposal to hold a feast didn''t fly. I mean, both Lala and Tamotsu were injured, the hour had grown late, and we needed to inform the Donco villagers who might still be searching around. Or well, that''s the pretext I used. The actual reason was the unsettling gleam in Count Nelson¡¯s eyes and the eerie, expressionless way my mother watched him. It was like I was sitting on a pin cushion, so saying ''We can always celebrate their safety the next day, but right now, the injured comes first,'' I immediately dragged us out of Komori Village. It goes without saying I just put that as adlib, and had no intention to act chummy with the old man, and made our plan to depart before he got hold of us again. "Well, sorry, Lala. We¡¯ve got a packed schedule ahead and no time to linger." I scratched my head in awkwardness, and that had Lala chuckled wryly. "I know, after all, you did shout ¡®I am going to enjoy the heck out of my spring vacations!¡¯ And it''s about what we discussed yesterday, I think I will work on it." ¡ô¡ô¡ô The Night Before. On the way back from the depths of the canyon¡ªand before reuniting with my mother¡ªI had made a certain proposal to Lara. "Wow... You really put up a great show, Lala. I am thoroughly in awe." Basking in excitement of the spectacle I had seen¡ªall the Ligens had come to obediently crouching on the ground like a good dog at the end of Lala''s whiplash session¡ªI lined up my praises to her. "Not to brag, but I am quite confident in whipping skills, Ohoho." "The heck is with that ''ohoho?'' I already saw that wild side of your, so leave that. ...Anyway, I am not talking about your techniques. I am more astounded to see you have the qualities to be the ''Tamer.''" When I cleared out my point, Lala''s eye blinked in daze at first, before a red glow covered her entire face. "D-d-don''t spread a word of it in the class!" Out of mischief, I giggled and shifted away my eyes. It had Lala press on me ''You mustn''t, alright?! You mustn''t ever!!'' Seeing her desperation, I eventually gave a nod. "Ahem. Anyway, so what''s that Tamer you''re talking about?" "Huh, you don''t even know such a simple thing?" I sighed and shook my head before explaining the concept of taming and commanding magical beasts. "In short, Lara, you¡¯ve got the talent to become a Beast Tamer!" I made this grand declaration, only to watch her expression freeze in place, her lips twitching in disbelief. "That¡¯s... utterly ridiculous. It¡¯s one thing to deal with a horse that became a magical beast later in life, but true-born magical creatures are aggressive by nature. They¡¯d never bond with a human! Let alone using them in combat¡ªit¡¯s simply preposterous!" "Just believe in yourself, Lala. I know you can!" I said with unwavering confidence¡ª*so that I can have my fill of the real experience with a Tamer.* This was an uncharted territory in this world, so the result was in a limbo, but as they said about the lottery. You wouldn''t know until you buy one! Then again, I wasn''t pushing her on my fantastical ideas. There had been two types of people in my previous life; one beloved by animals, and one disliked by them. And Lala obviously fell in the former cliche. ¡ªMe? I was in the later part. If anything, I especially felt like mine ''avoided by animals'' attribute had upgraded to ''avoided by animals++'' after I I started training in wind magic. "A-Also, there''s something I must tell you. Actually, this is the main reason why I waited here for you." With a stiff movement, she quietly glanced at my parents, who averted their gaze, as if saying ''we can''t hear you.'' But their pointedly focused ears¡ªpractically radiating with concentrated magical energy¡ªgave them away. And, for some absolutely incomprehensible reason, tears accumulated in Schord''s eyes as he perched atop the driver seat. Huh? Woah, woah, hold on! I mean, after spotting Lala in her natural habitat, I do agree she''s a sweet girl, but I definitely didn''t think this far! And beyond that, I already suspect I am plagued with the curse of always landing on the wrong side of my crushes, or anyone I am interested in, almost as if some bored god out there is fiddling with my red threads of fate! I had basically given up on the hope already. Oh, I think I know what this is. This was probably just some kind of advice session. Yeah, that must be it! Do you hear me, god? My heart isn''t beating in any expectation AT ALL!! "A-actually, um... I feel like I might¡¯ve let my accent slip a bit in this village, and I also might have acted quite un-ladylike, Allen..." Her voice faltered as she tried to explain, her hands clasped tightly together. "I-It''s fine..." I croaked in response, my voice embarrassingly hoarse. "S-so... I just want to tell you, please.......please.......... do not mention anything to Doll!!!" ... ....... ............... .......................... Uh, the Doll what??? As I stood there, dumbfounded, Poco gave me a sharp, judgmental glare. Then, out of nowhere, the horse suddenly lifted one of his back legs, clearly intending to kick me. But I managed to gracefully sway to the side, dodging the strike with expert timing. ¡ô¡ô¡ô This short interlude was the axis of time Lala von Liancool had decided to embark on a path untrodden. Throughout the history, there had been precedents where the behaviour of monsters were utilised to benefit human endeavors, such as long-distance communication or advancements in agriculture and fishing. But the notion of taming monsters¡ªbeings long regarded as humanity¡¯s enemy due to the numerous disasters they had caused¡ªand not only commanding them at will but applying that control in battle? That was an idea so absurd, so unthinkable, that no one had dared attempt it. Tamer became the new vein of talent gifted only to the chosen few by heaven. She would become yet another member of pivotal figures of the Unicorn Generation that would revolutionise the word, engraving her names in the annals of history. ¡ªWho is the strongest of the Unicorn Generation? This question would be debated for decades, even centuries, to come. And while many contenders would vie for that title, Lala von Liancool had no shortage of supporters who argued passionately in her favor. She would later gain the title of Dragon Rider. Whenever the topic of the strongest legend of Lala von Liancool would pop up, a particular famous anecdote would never be not cited by her supporters. A situation where even ?Time Traveller? Allen Rover, or ?Invincible? Leo Zaitsinger, leader of the unicorn generation and touted as the unconquerable summit, would have to remark¡ª ?Lala... that¡¯s just cheating.? Vol. 1 - Chapter 218 - Old Highway --- #continuation The journey by carriage was an easygoing one. @@@@ As long as we retain our current pace, we should be able to make up for the time we had spent on Donco Village. But creating a striking contrast to the pleasant wind of the trip, the air inside the carriage was rather stuffy. The culprit was, obviously, the earlier incident where Lala drummed up the ''I have something to tell'' phrase in a dramatic way while my parents and Schord were within hearing range. We might be classmates, but we never had any meaningful conversations or outings so anticipating a confession wasn''t even that last thing in my mind. Yeah, there''s no way my heart ever skipped a beat, my voice croaked, suddenly broke out into nervous sweat or knees jerking, Nope, I could never. So, I really, really didn''t get it when my parents gave me a compassionate gaze, or Schord teaching me philosophy of life, like ''if not now, there will always be many chances later.'' Like, c''mon, I am completely alright! All I did was visit the grave of the person who saved my mother¡¯s life and help search for a missing child. Why do I deserve this kind of treatment? Lala¡¯s a good person. I genuinely wish her the best. And Doll? Yeah, he¡¯s a decent guy, too. Though my heart will never support him ever!! You ask why the disparity? It''s simple¡ªthat boy is popular as heck! He wasn''t some hunk in making¡ªrather his face appeared like a burdock to me¡ªand yet, I have never seen him without girls frolicking around him in the Emission Magic Research Club. Sure, he might just be easy to talk to, which explains why he has so many female friends, but still¡ªit¡¯s infuriatingly enviable. Me? I¡¯m as normal as they come, but for some inexplicable reason, people think I¡¯m weird. And maybe it¡¯s because Fey and Jeu were always hanging around me, but girls from other classes don¡¯t even bother approaching me. They won¡¯t even make eye contact! What kind of unspoken rule was this?! And then there¡¯s Doll. Alright, he¡¯s in Class-A of the Royal Academy, serves as the vice-president of the magic research club, has that approachable charm, got common sense, a good sense of humor, a kind personality, and despite the crazy stuff... wait, uh... he also don''t get carried away, and don''t even flaunt. Huh...could it be, that burdock face is actually an all-rounder?! I shook my head violently, trying to erase that thought from my mind. Anyway, I am surprised Lala has a crush on Doll. I honestly never caught wind of this, but both of them are from baron family, and he''s the second son among three siblings, so maybe... they made for quite a match...? ...................Anyway, it¡¯d be pretty childish of me¡ªa former 36-year-old in my past life¡ªto get in the way of someone¡¯s earnest romantic endeavors. If anything, I should be the idol citizen and watch over their youthful struggle with warm eyes. Hmm? No, this doesn''t mean I am also cheering for Doll. It''s just... Lala is a good girl. I *might* give her a helping hand if Doll shows wishy-washy nature. Kukuku. With the support of I, the Great ?Love Guru? Allen Rovenne who has memorized the super popular ?Secrets to being a Popular Men? book by heart, it should be a cinch¡ª! ¡ô¡ô¡ô As Cecilia spoke, Bellwood narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Allen is the same, but Roselia has also matured quite a lot. It¡¯s a bit harsh for a child with such a deep heart, but... I can only believe in her, she will surely overcome it. I''m not worried about her though. She''s strong, and noble-minded, just as I would expect from your child." Bellwood''s slightly playful tease at the end slightly easened Cecilia''s expression. "I believe in her too. She is our child, after all... yours and mine." ¡ô¡ô¡ô At long last, we left behind the Seven Spear Mountains, but the long journey continued. Our current stoppage was a rather rundown inn town. But I could guess it must have been a bustling place once upon a time. The remnants of its past still lingered in sight, making the fleeting nature of human life feel even more poignant, giving the landscape a bittersweet charm. Initially, my plan was to part with my parents a bit earlier, which would have allowed me to reach Dragreid a step earlier, but eventually, I decided to continue with them till the Moonlit Viscounty, our neighbours separated by a mountain between the two territories. I felt it would be quicker this way, in the end. Moreover, Moonlit Viscounty was also the home of lil'' Dui. He had said he would be returning to his home for the spring break, and I would bet my money that that magic car nerd would also bring along the fuselage. Standard four-wheeled magical vehicles were a hassle to maintain and require specific road conditions, which was why they haven¡¯t really caught on around here yet. But the magical motorcycle the magic club was developing had been designed specifically for rough terrain, with frequent improvements for better performance, and it¡¯s also easy to maintain¡ªan important feature. Honestly, I would be barely on schedule for the Dragreid with your typical carriages. But, if I could get the bike from Dui, I could cut down some slack for myself. Well, if he turned down, It would be a bit of a stretch, but I could still make it in time by using night time to run across the route. And more than that, I¡¯ve also been curious to see the town where Dui grew up. After parting ways with my parents in the small town along the Moonlit Viscount¡¯s territory, I made my way toward Thales, the neighboring town where the Moonlit Viscount¡¯s mansion was located. The route went along the farm roads, where the wheat fields were beginning to sprout. I walked along a peaceful country road, where wheat fields were beginning to sprout in the distance. Thales, too, was a rather lax town, reminiscent of Dui''s innocent face, where time seemed to move slowly. I headed to the center of town, where the Viscount¡¯s mansion stood, and got ready to shout ¡°Lil'' Dui, let¡¯s hang out~!¡± with excitement, ¡ªbut, before I could, my gaze caught the bike parked on garden, and the words rolled back ok my mouth with a gulp. I did find bike there, but lo and behold, there were as much as five of them, all sparkling like new. Meanwhile,I could hear the familiar giggles of Magic Car Club resounding in the direction of the courtyard. Just as I was about to call out, I stopped in my tracks, stunned by what I saw parked in the garden. Five magical motorcycles, gleaming and perfectly polished, were lined up in front of me. In the vast backyard of the estate, I could hear the cheerful, familiar voices of the magic club members laughing and playing. "......EXCUSE MEEEEE!!!" At the entrance, I raised my voice like a contender entering the scene to challenge Dojo. T/N - Sorry for the delay guys, had internet problem for a while. I was behind two chapters (3 including friday''s) from earlier weeks, so this covers the two of them. Remains last, I will cover it next week. Sorry, and thanks for your patience! Vol. 1 - Chapter 219 - Road Trip (1) "It was my bad, really, Ren! It really wasn''t my intention to keep you out~!" Dui apologetically lowered his head as I stuffed my cheeks with BBQ meat, sullen. Apparently, Magic Car Club had been here for their tour plan. Well, according to explain, they''d no such plan initially, and rather an impromptu one. Rather, I missed out on this because I had left the Inception Ceremony midway on the last day of Royal Academy''s final term of each grade. Not that I had wanted to, but I just couldn''t have accepted Schord''s speech with a straight face, who was the guest speaker. Then, I also skipped the dorm and instead returned to our house in Royal Capital, and contacted Dan to take us to Rabeldin via ship so that I could stop Master from getting a whiff of my tracks. After the inception ceremony, someone in the club decided, on a whim, to use the spring break to visit Dui''s house. That''s how the whole thing came about, so it¡¯s no surprise I didn¡¯t know about it. I know not to find fault with others for this one, since I was getting dessert for my own action despite being the man of the wind. Then why the sullen look, you may ask? Because¡ª I understand that everything¡¯s a result of my own impulsiveness, but the reason I¡¯m still in a bad mood is because¡ª "God knows my appreciation for you is as vast as roads we have treated for creating the Magic Card Club, Allen! I wouldn''t have been able to bask in this falling sunshine, riding the Magic Car with fellow clubmates in this budding spring of youth! You know what, you''re absolutely right. This club is really filled with the charm of youth. Ha~, I may have gained a newfound perception of the world!" And so-so my Classmate Viz weaved his words with a smug smile, his hand circling around my shoulder. "Hey, Viz. Can you not throw coal into the fire? There have to some responsibility as to why Allen had to leave Royal Capital in absolute secrecy." "Tut-tut~, responsibility you say? You''re just too pure, O'' Dui! You should have seen his nefarious grin when he shouted ''I''m going to enjoy the heck out of my spring break'' in the class, so smug about this, and then disappeared on his own accord too! I bet my darling magic car that he must have planned some sort of hotpot which is going to boil the Royal Capital at the end of the day! Alright, ''fes up now, Allen! Since you didn''t know about our road trip, likewise, the Magic Car Club was also not involved in your plan, right?!" Damn you Viz... you really think too highly of me... The heck you mean I had a plan. It was just a normal grave visit along with my parents and what could be a short field trip at best. "I have a premonition. A grave misfortune is going to fall on you as soon as spring break ends, Viz."@@@@ "Viz''s expression turned pale at my sudden statement. Hmph. Well, I wasn''t actually planning anything big though, but it''s his fault to believe that I was always out there cooking something bad. And since he believed so, I was sure he would now pass the remainder of vacation in worry, wondering what might it be. "Hey, you can''t just spit out anything and then go silent, Allen! What kind of misfortune? Hey, I am asking you something. Stop blatantly ignoring me!" Next was a round of Viz pestering me for the meaning of my words. Kukuku. I kept my silence, saving an exaggerated sigh that I released with a distant look, and gnawed on meat. Viz''s face was entirely dyed in despair when he saw that. I had quietly relished the scene but Dui suddenly put his hand on Viz''s shoulder with an innocuous expression. "There''s nothing as you''re imagining, Viz. Allen isn''t such a mischievous type, he''s just pulling your leg. Also, thank you, Allen. I was honestly happy that drop by my house. Thanks to you, I managed to find the magic car when I was unsure about things... So, did you come here for a reason?" When Viz heard the line from pure and innocent Dui, his mouth flapped like a fish as he uttered something like ''A-Allen, and...'' Viz might be a pain, but admittedly, Dui was always sincere. In the end, I couldn;t stay sulkies for too long. "Oh, right. I just came to hang out. Though my business is supposed to be after that, which required me to travel to Dragreid. But the schedule is a bit too tight, so I was wondering if we could do a marathon run to Dragreid if you''re free." A pleasant smile spread on Dui''s face when he heard me. "Ah, then you couldn''t have come at a better time. We also had plans to leave tomorrow, and head to Royal Capital via the Dragreig route. How about we all go together then? Even with a leisure ride and sightseeing, I believe we can make it in four days. When do you need to reach there?" Anyway, since this model of bike had wings which created different speeds of wind on the upper and lower part, I just had to easen the downforce by the wind, thus allowing the front part to easily rise in the air with ease. "I don''t want to hear that from you, Allen. The fact that you are riding that picky machine with a cool face explains. Uh-huh, if only I had a talent for wind magic." A regrettable sigh escaped from Viz. He had thrown hands to learn about wind magic when he saw my usage of it. However it turned out his talent in outer mana circulation was rather subpar. He immediately discarded any hope after ascertaining that, and instead turned to exert his effort in the activities of Magic Car Club. Well, the eye to ascertain one''s own shortcoming, and expanding one''s own options was just like him. "Hehe. Well this is where you''re wrong. I say the world would''ve been a boring if everyone had same spec. It''s our ability to customise ourselves to our preference that brought colors to life, just like these two-wheelers." "...Hmm, you are right!" A grin crept on Viz''s lips as he lowered the front wheel to the ground, and with a twist of accelerator, he jumped his own on the wilderness running alongside the highway. Since this was the rural side, even the highway was no better, and was littered with depression of tires from the frequenting carriages, and water pooling on them. Yet, Viz''s face remained unchanged as he made his bike run through the wilderness. I couldn''t explain properly, but seeing that visage of him, as he skillfully maneuvered his roaring bike, it filled me with an indescribable joy. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Our road trip only had an endpoint, however the rest of the route was left on our whimsical minds. On the second day, which is today, we decided to spend the evening in a rural town called Ado that we had arrived. We dropped our speed as we approached the town, and ended up at the sight of a chubby uncle, apparently the lookout on town''s entrance, falling on the group while holding a pitchfork, whistle clenched between his teeths. With even the sight of magic cars being extinct in such countryside, a two-wheeler was even more unrecognisable. So it apparently had him misunderstood as some new kind of monster. The inn we found was quite a dilapidated one, fashioned after dormitory with four double-bunk beds placed in a narrow room. But for us, who had been living in a general dorm, and had been used to outdoor camping during our exploration work, that was barely a dealbreaker. After securing our place to sleep, we quickly had dinner and bath before moving to service our machines while bringing out points of improvement. "Sure enough, raw mana stones are not cut out for the life of the engine. ......Alright, this should be enough for today;s report. And now that they''re tuned, the 3rd to 5th bike would''ve no problem traversing through mountains, just what we had planned. Do you guys want anything to be adjusted for tomorrow?" Once the maintenance had ended, the topic shifted for tomorrow''s departure. "Let''s see... we wouldn''t be able to go that fast when passing through mountains, so I think the front weight needs to be adjusted for quick turning." "That''s a point... along with it, I think I should tighten the foot spring a bit." The foot spring here was the mechanical part that absorbed shocks, much like the front fork or rear-shock. The more it was given the headroom to expand, the easier it was for it to absorb the vibrations, but during the jump etc, the spring might sit back to its limit, and result in breakdown from being unable to absorb the shock. This would be an unrecoverable loss for the journey. Or well¡ªso was our guesswork. To be blunt, no one here was as knowledgeable as Furi-senpai or her father and magic card division leader Ashim Elvart. But that was fine. Working our brain out and sharing such candid views was what made this time fun. We continued to engage in our silly talk until the date changed, trifling with the bike before calling it the day, though not until cleaning our machines and making them shine. In the end, we firmly tied them with chain locks to the sturdy looking pillar on the stable, a measure against thieves, and dived into our bed. Professional racers all had lean builds, no exception, so it should be an easy guess how extraneous the motor sports were. Today, we also drove for hours on underdeveloped roads with machines still in the refining phase, so we had to constantly experience jolts, sometimes strongest ones, and while impact was prevented by Body Strengthening magic, it left us dead-tired. Besides, there was also travel fatigue to count. At the end of day, I ventured into a deep sleep, and didn''t wake up until the sun had reached high. T/N - This week''s chapter would be updated on tue/thu/sat. It appeared the internet problem persists. Was planning to inform yesterday, but there was no proper way to left a note chapter. Sorry for this one. Vol. 1 - Chapter 220 - Road Trip (2) The next morning-- We woke up to the sound of the innkeeper rushing up the stairs in a panic. Looking outside, the sun had long climbed up to the sky. Usually, I wake up when it''s still dark, but I must have been more tired than I realized after the long-distance ride. The innkeeper shouted in front of the door. ¡°We''ve a problem! Your magic vehicles are¡ª¡± Innkeeper had just brought the ¡°mana vehicles¡ª¡± word, and Dui had already pushed past the innkeeper and leaped outside. We quickly followed Dui, heading out through the back door of the inn¡¯s dining room, and what we saw made us doubt our eyes. The place where our bikes had been parked last night was now completely empty, as if they had vanished into smoke. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "T-There''s no way. Asim-san had said you would need a measure as heavy handed as an industrial grade mana-powered cutter to cut the chains, so how could something happen here? And besides, it''s impossible no one would have noticed the unusual happening if they''d used so..." Viz buried his face in his hands, utterly puzzled. Allen carefully examined the pillar where the bikes had been chained, and clicked his tongue. "...Tch, no wonder no one noticed anything... The pillar here doesn¡¯t have its foundation stone buried. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible for apt users of Body Strengthening magic users to forcibly lift it along with the stone. This trace of friction is the dead giveaway the pillar has been shifted." "Ah, I see. If they lifted the pillar along with the stone, pushing the roof up, and then slipped underneath, they wouldn''t need to cut the chain to steal the vehicles. That¡¯s a blind spot. The magic two-wheelers are not that heavy, so with enough strength, they could have carried them off still chained." Just then, the middle-aged farmer from the town gate, whom Allen''s group had seen guarding the entrance with a pitchfork, came pulling a handcart. "Hey! These are yours, right? We found them dumped in a field to the east of the town!" Everyone hurried over, and sure enough, the cart held the 1st and 2nd bike, still chained with anti-theft chains. However, both vehicles had marks that looked like they¡¯d been struck with an axe or something, and they were both destroyed. "Why would they do something so awful... And there should have been three more, chained with a different chain...?" Senior March inquired for the sighting of the rest of the bikes, however received a shake of denial from the uncle. "No... these are the only ones I saw lying out in the open." "...The wagon shouldn''t be big enough, so they gave up on loading these two and smashed them to prevent any tracking... I guess?"" Ban gritted his teeth, suppressing his frustration.@@@@ Duid stood motionlessly on the spot, staring sadly at the destroyed bikes. After wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he gently lowered the two-wheelers from the cart and began inspecting the damaged parts. Allen captured that back in silence, turned on his heel and headed for the inn. "...Where are you going, Allen? Hey, Allen¡ª" Viz tried to call out Allen, but lost his words midway when he saw the striking white complexion, something he had never seen, on Allen''s face. After a while, Allen emerged from the inn, carrying his belongings and with a face that revealed no emotion. He walked over to Duid and quietly set down a toolbox beside him. Shit. Shit. Shit. With a visible display of anxiety on the expression of Zair, he barged into the village chief''s house¡ªthe only possible place for him to dispatch a magic card in this countryside town. "Prepare the magic bird immediately! I have urgent news for Eclair City!" In lieu of any stampede or similar emergency, the service of magic bird communication had been made necessary so that they could promptly inform their neighbouring city. The information relay by magic bird referred to training them to fly towards a specific target. This training was extremely expensive, and they couldn''t be dispatched to any location willy-nilly. They''d set a transfer point. But in Zair''s mind, everything was painted by the present situation. *Why of all places, Allen Rovenne was here?* From what he had heard, he was the walking mass of unprecedented, and belonging to that Royal Capital, a nest of behemoths. Lately, the rumours about him had been so exaggerated and ambiguous¡ªlike how he saved the kingdom with his power to roll up the girl''s skirt, had requested for a mere raise in hourly wage when His Majesty personally allowed him for any kind of reward, and so on¡ªthat he had no idea what to believe. The last time he had seen them, he wasn''t among the members heading to Viscount Moonlit territory. Perhaps, the thieves could¡¯ve called off their plan had it been hinted Allen Rovenne would be joining in the return ride. However the dies had been cast. Allen Rovenne had sought for support directly, and the request had been made courteously while wearing the knight order''s mantle, and the witnesses were several people, including himself and Royal Academy''s student. He couldn''t quash this situation by himself anymore. If this news spread out, he wouldn''t be able to explain himself, and he would be risking exposing all his present and past connections! He himself was a mere pawn, so he wouldn''t know how far the connection of his superior led to, plus they must be dealing with a heavyweight group if they''d knowingly made a move on a student of Royal Academy. The earlier appearance of Allen Rovenne flashbacks in Zair''s mind. In contrast to the grand status he had as the student of one and only Royal Academy, and also being a rising supernova who made his way into knight order, he had exuded a rather harmonious vibe. And yet, that mask... it was something unsettling, like a strange and ominous presence. But beyond that, it was his drive to capture the culprit, there was a kind of conviction in his tone that he would absolutely chase down the culprit. It''s alright, I am safe. Zair seemed to be cheering himself. They could throw all the police officers from around the city on this case, but it would be a futile endeavour without spinning the investigation in a peculiar way. And even if preparators were caught, he shouldn''t be linked anyhow. In fact, that could be his chance too. The mana vehicles must have to have an incredible value, and a deep secret, if Allen Rovenne was serious to that extent. If he showed himself to be the major contributor...... ''No, I need to calm down,'' just as his thoughts had flown in flight of fantasy, Zair reminded himself to take it slow. His present task was to report the situation to his superior as it was. Everything afterward would be according to how the situation played out. The Viscount Capione should be in Eclair today. If that''s the case, the message would definitely reach him, and with him around, the situation shouldn''t spiral out of control unnecessarily. Zair began writing down the facts on the letter for the magical bird, keeping it calm and concise. - A theft of mana vehicles belonging to the Royal Academy¡¯s Magic Car Club has occurred in the town Ado. - Following the incident, Allen Roven of the Kingdom''s Knight Order, who was present at the scene, has requested assistance from the neighboring areas. - Allen Rovenne had dubbed the stolen objects as... ¡ª"Yuglia''s future." .........Great, there was no error in his plan. Zair mustered such thoughts, and yet, he couldn''t help as his hand trembled slightly when the image of the boy with the eerie mask flashed in his mind. Vol. 1 - Chapter 221 - Road Trip (3) Eclair was the Mainstream City of the nearby region, located about 500 km from the Town Ado. The city held an important significance for the region with the presence of Eclair Lake, that offers an abundance of water, and three highways crossing around it which made it the crucial transportation hub. Eclair City was vast enough to be ranked in the top 10 cities in the entirety of the Dragoon region. The Capione family used to be the top gun of this lucrative city when they''re still functioning as the mainstream count family, managing this vast county, but as the consequence of their own far reaching scandal two generations ago, the said county was split into two two viscounties, and three barony. At present, Viscount Valcus was herding this strategic city at the appointance of royal family. The Capione family certainly didn''t take this decision humorously, but when their mistake was ignoring a military command during the command which placed them at the grave violation of military code, which could have ended in the execution at worst for treason. Ultimately, it was settled as a simple miscommunication, but the fact that they had retreated without a rational reason in front of the enemy, resulting in the loss of many soldiers'' lives, weighed heavily. As a consequence, the land was divided and the family was demoted. "Pardon me for interruption, Your Excellency, but there''s an urgent report to convey!" Viscount Capione was in amidst a conversation, and barely managed to stop clicking his tongue, as he turned around, feigning calmness. "...I am currently busy with an important guest, alongside Viscount Valcus. I should be done soon, so wait for me in the longue." Viscount Capione needed no explanation what it could be about. He had already given the instruction to squash any complaints etc on the spot, and try to throw the matter under bridge, but it appeared they''d used the Royal Academy as the springboard to force in their complaint. But even in that case, the magic bird shouldn''t have been contacting this soon, and could''ve been delayed... It seemed he had overestimated the competence level of that fool Zair, maybe he was just dumb as other from his relatives. Haa, this was why lowlives keep struggling throughout their lifetime. While Viscount Capione inwardly cursed Zaire, the visitor¡ªa blue mantle was draped on her back, alluding to her being the member of seventh legion of Knight Order¡ªurged him to move on to his problem seriously. "...It seemed to be an urgent situation. Perhaps, someone''s life or asset might be in danger. You don''t have to mind us, Viscount Capione, and may attend to your urgency." The visitor was Airu, the general of the army stationed in the Eclair. A reason she had been here was due to the extensive reformation that the Knight Order had undergone. As part of that reorganization, a new Vice-commander had recently been assigned to the Seventh Legion, and today, said vice-commander was visiting the Eclair garrison for an inspection. Hence, she had come to make a courteous visit to the Viscount Valcus, and Viscount Capione was here at his own strong insistence. A smart person required no explanation, and while the two viscounts appear harmonium publicly, they both waged the same old political war against each other behind the curtain, as one could see given Eclair''s city history. Although this was technically a courtesy visit, the members of the Knight Order, much like the nobility, held ranks directly appointed by the king. Meanwhile, the Vice-Commander could even, in times of crisis, encompass the southeastern army of the Kingdom at his command¡ªsomething any viscount would have to bow to. *This isn''t your place to blabber, brat...* Viscount Capione was tempted to click his tongue again but managed to hold back. It would be akin to shooting himself on foot If he of Capione family, who had track record of creating chaos, were to refuse the proposal of a knight like that, it would only raise unnecessary suspicions. "...Say what''s the report" he said, prompting the messenger to speak. What else could it be? Must be a request in search, hmph. Viscount Campione had already paved the groundwork in anticipation of such a situation, and he regarded the promise of sending manpower would be enough. I was genuinely impressed by Viz''s skill, and murmured my honest review, which had Viz smile, who then remarked, keeping his gaze on the path. "Hmph, praise our Dui if you ought to. He sure didn''t say anything, but he had definitely expected you would be taking the backseat while I would be driving hence he had tuned the machines in that order." "Of course, there''s no parallel to Dui!" I mean, it had been the first time Viz and I were sharing the ride. But Dui still managed to tune the bike to perfectly accommodate it to our experience. Ain''t no way it could be done without a zeal for the things. And the Dui I know was that kind of person, who nowadays had his mind completely occupied by the Magic Car Club. Just the other day, he even joked how he wasn''t even qualified for class promotion, and was on the verge of repeating. "Say more about it. That guy really is like he has contracted some chronic disease. He just said ''I like overhauling'' with a straight face. Anyone would be hard pressed to see him as a student of Royal Academy......" Viz remarked in an exasperated tone, though I couldn''t help but grin to hear how deep Dui''s passion ran, feeling a respect for him inwardly. "Anyway, what''re you cooking, Allen... The two-wheelers might have come across some roadblocks in the beginning, but they''re going to be on sale for the public this summer either way. Why did you then claim them to be ''Yuglia''s Future''...? You know very well this would rouse chaos. Aren''t you putting yourself in a tough spot, using your standing as a Knight to request support for personal interest?" He had been reserving from making any question, noticing my upset mood, so seeing that I was open, he brought up the problem at hand. "Tut-tut. I already noticed that the composed, cowboy hat guy had no intention to catch the culprit. You can''t expect anything from lazy bums like him unless you twist their hands. Well, it will probably turn into a ruckus, but that doesn''t matter if it can push them to search harder. What''s the worst that can happen? I might be fired from my position for stirring the chaos for personal gain, but eh, not that it matters." In my mind, the visage of Magic Car Club trying their best in a creative way, surrounded by the stone-stiff stubborn environment of Royal Academy, was the personification of youth. Just like we discussed when we first started the club, we weren¡¯t going to let calculations of gain or loss get in the way. We were determined to live in the moment, to enjoy the ¡®now,¡¯ and even if we failed or stumbled, we¡¯d make it the foundation for the rest of our lives, all in the name of mana vehicles. ''Anyone who tried to get in the way of that kind of youthful spirit was beyond the pale.'' I said this in as emotionless a tone as I could manage, and after taking a good pause, Viz replied. "...Please Allen, be honest with me. You think I am not worried? The two-wheelers have yet to be introduced to the world, so there''s no doubt we will find traces if thieves tried to sell it away. Heck, there''s only eight two-wheelers in the world as of now, so I don''t even think it would make any money. Besides, you would need skills to ride it, and maintaining them is a tough call. ...It''s clear to anyone we''re against someone beyond professional thieves." "W-wow, now that you put it in words, doesn''t this sound like some serious shit?" I couldn''t help but gulp nervously, though it somehow had Viz shouting in fury. "You¡ªyou''re not fooling anyone by that acting, that you didn''t notice what''s going on! We had just randomly hopped on the idea of Road Trip! And it was also a coincidence that we happened to stay in Ado! The thieves are too quick, and proficient to stage the theft in such a short duration! The only thing that makes sense is¡ªthe other side must have assumed we would take the same path for the return route, and spread their net in the whole area to steal them! Who do you think could do it aside from professional thieves?! Do not go silent on me, Allen! Tell me, we''re like... am I going against someone big that shouldn''t be touched?!" Viz words had a logic as he questioned me, but how could I answer? I wasn''t some great detective. There''s no way I could just look at some clue and announce who''s the culprit. And for me, it didn''t matter who''s the culprit. I am going to beat whoever did that senselessly for daring to get in my way. But, I could tell no matter what I say, Viz, whose nerves were high-strung, would be doubtful of It. "There''s always only one truth!" I remarked, while snapping my finger and pointing at the front. Viz performed the wheelie when he heard me. "Stop with that dramatic suspense, damn it!" Vol. 1 - Chapter 222 - Road Trip (4) We gathered the statements from the eye-witnesses of a village farm, located east from Ado, and found the match that a black horse wagon indeed had arrived from Ado''s direction and passed through this village at the crack of dawn. The village was barely populated, with not even any official appointed. The report of the prime suspect had come from a couple who had been doing their preparation for the farm work early in the morning. It appeared the black horse wagon continued to trace the direction in the east, as quoted by the couple. We also speed up our chase. After passing through a few villages, we came to a relatively large town called Lapin. As we entered through the western gate, a group of enthusiastic officers rushed toward us and saluted. "We¡¯ve been waiting for you, Sir Allen Roven! I¡¯m Faji, the head of the police headquarters in the Capione region! Our investigation in this town has already been completed!" ......Hmm? I wasn''t expecting any help, but it appeared Zair-san did properly make a request for support. "Thank you. Please, give me your report." "Yes, sir!" According to Faji, the carriage did not enter the town but instead headed south. To the south lies an even larger city¡ªMingua, the capital of the Capione Viscounty, and beyond that was Eclair, the mainstream city in the region. I believe there should be a military base there. "South, huh... that¡¯s a bit surprising. I thought they¡¯d try to avoid attention and take a more discreet route..." Viz tilted his head and spoke. "There''s a saying; If you¡¯re going to hide a tree, do it in a forest. When dawn breaks, carriage traffic increases, so they must have planned to blend in and disperse the investigation efforts. A rather bold thief, indeed. Thank you for the investigation, Faji-san. Now we know where to use our time instead of needlessly spending it around." I thanked Faji-san with a smile, and Faji returned the gesture with a broad grin. "It¡¯s only natural for those of us who live in this kingdom to assist. Phew, it''s not everyday you see the kingdom''s army pulling the ?State of Emergency?! This incident should''ve already become a top topic throughout the kingdom. Of course, it''s our duty to give it all, moreso if you consider His Majesty might learn about this matter too! We¡¯ve gathered as many as we can to help with the investigation, Including myself and those on their day off, so rest assured!" "......S-State of Emergency!?" What should''ve been familiar words with simple nuance made an incomprehensible echo inside my head. Faji slammed his right hand down with a firm thud and immediately took a salute. "Yes, my apologies for the delayed report! Following your request for assistance, Sir Allen Rovenne, the Knight Order station at Eclair garrison had declared ?State of Emergency?! In order to reclaim ''Yuglia''s Future'' not only have the nearby police forces been mobilized, but the military as well, with emergency alert lines set up in multiple layers around the town of Ado! Not even a rat can escape from the scrutiny of the military!" ?Yuglia''s Future?......? I could feel the world spinning in my eyes. Who the heck was that idiot to spit out all this crap, come out for me...! Just as the dizziness snared me, Viz cursed. "Ah, shit! I knew it. So this was why I had been feeling unsettled......" Oh dear, it appears the Great Detective Viz had already anticipated this scenario! I took hold of my slowly drifting consciousness, and strongly tapped on Viz''s shoulder. "...It reminds me, Viz, I mean, Vizkus Levancool¡ªby the way, he''s my *bestest friend*¡ªhad said he felt something fishy about the situation. Maybe, we¡¯re not chasing after mere thieves, but... something big, like ''a shadowed power.'' And with how much I know my *bestest friend*, if he said there''s some ¡®a shadowed power'' behind the situation, I am willing to bet there''s definitely." "U-underworld force?" ''Stop with nonsense, Allen¡ª'' Viz tried to shout, but I ignored him, and turned to address a disheveled older man standing behind Faji-san. "Excuse me, are you the one who gathered the information about the chestnut-colored carriage? I appreciate your diligent efforts in collecting this data. May I know your name?" "H-Huh? Me? Ah, yes... I''m Ranier. Yes, I was there too, along with Director Faji during the questioning. But... I heard the reports say, the carriage was pulled by a black bay horse..." Ranier nervously looked around, hesitating before speaking. "Indeed, I also spoke directly to the witnesses, and their testimonies confirmed it was a black horse. Where did you get the information about a chestnut-colored horse?" Faji quickly took over the conversation, and Ranier sighed with relief. "Oh, my mistake. One of the witnesses along the way said it was a bay-colored horse. It was probably just a case of misidentification since it was just before dawn. Well, let''s go, Viz." With that, I urged Viz to move on, and without a word, he started the bike. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Hey, what was that back there?! You really need to stop with your crap!" Viz remarked, still fuming. I was often dragged into investigations involving shady organizations by Master. At the beginning, I protested that what in the world was he doing, bringing a student on such a matter, but he just waved it off, remarking ''my motto is to use whatever I can.'' To be honest, while it¡¯s different from the training we do at the military station, I can understand that he¡¯s trying to give me real-world experience. He does his best to ensure it¡¯s as safe as possible, so I can''t really complain too much. But I have a hunch, he''s just paving his path for retirement and pushing everything on me... Either way, at the end, I would focus on my ears with a mask on, and quietly learn to differentiate between suspicious folks after all the experience. It was like the police officers who often interrogate develop something like a ''sixth sense'' from their experience, and were capable of ascertaining which person might be lying. I had developed a skill something along the line. Oh well, though I often refrain from relying on this too much. A lot of times it happened that the person was just a timid type, or happened to have suffered from the injury from another case. Master, on the other hand, had an even more sharper sixth sense, and topping it with his crooked personality, he would often use psychological tricks to pressure suspects, baiting them into revealing their weaknesses. With smaller-time criminals, if you apply just the right amount of pressure, you can easily notice changes¡ªlike their voice, the sound of them swallowing, or even the way they walk. What I did earlier was just a mimic of Master¡¯s style. "I told you that the only way to push unmotivated fellas to put effort is by twisting their arm.The details don¡¯t matter¡ªwhether it''s about the color of the horse or anything else." "I am not talking about the color or whatever!! What did you mean by ''Viz doubted that¡ª!? You''re the one who promptly call for that support! I can''t believe I got caught in your mess! ...Ah, no wait. So, when you said you will investigate around the village, was it all to put pressure on Zair or whatever name is?! Just ''fess up what did you realise!" From behind the seat, I rubbed Viz''s shoulder, and instead asked my own question. "Too much anger is dangerous to your heart, Viz, so calm down. When I put the pressure, how did Ranier look to you? Especially in terms of his facial expressions¡ªI''d like an objective opinion." "...I can''t say for sure, and I don¡¯t want to make irresponsible statements, but the moment his name was called, he seemed to panic... And moreover, you were right there with me, why do you even need to ask me?" Viz questioned, and I slowly shook my head. "When I wear the mask, I can¡¯t see fine details like facial expressions... My eyes are covered." "...Then take it off!!!" "¡ªAck! At Least warn me before doing wheelie, damnit! I nearly fell down!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô In the forest southwest of the city of Mingua... "What the heck is that bastard Jin taking his sweet time for? It''s past the time we had decided to meet up... You¡¯re right, Rio¡ªI mean, boss. Something doesn''t sit well with me too. Do you think we''ve been set up?" An agitated voice addressed Rio, the leader of mercenary group ?Wings?, a recent rising party among the others, sporting a golden brown short beard reminiscent of lion. Mercenary groups like them were dime a dozen in the continent. Affiliated to no place, they wandered around the places strife with war, or suffering from monster disasters, even often treading the thin ice if the money was well worth it. The mercenary group ?Wings? was somewhat a midscale party with decent achievements under their belt. Rio, their leader, was only in his early 20''s, but even Jin, who was beyond his age, had to pay his respect. "They could have already put us in the bind of police ropes when we carried out the act, but it didn''t happen. ...Well, with the lump sum we''re getting for this commission, it was fat clear this isn¡¯t going to be a smooth ride, Gil." The man, leaning against a tree stump, lazily stifles a yawn. "Boss, even you''re taking it easy. And here I am like there''s ants in my pants in the fear that others might catch us." Gil says, shaking his head in exasperation. But barely a moment later, the sound of hooves clopping steadily from a distant horse-drawn carriage reaches their ears, driven by a familiar face. "Haa, fella is finally here. ...He really kept us waiting for so long." Gil remarked, and Rio chuckled at the twisted expression of the driver. "It seems it was quite a bumpy ride for him. It''s rare for you to have a stumped expression, Jin." "Sorry for the wait, Boss, Gil. What can I say, Mingua had been like it is caught in a storm with all the ruckus." Rio remarked in a jesting tone. Jin had a wry smile as he finally get to rest his nerves, and started with the information he had gathered. "Apparently, the Eclair Garrison has declared a ''State of Emergency''. Everyone from police officers to even the army has been moved. It''s like the situation when you poke a hornet''s nest." Gil''s face looked up at the sky in lament when he heard that. "Why, why the hell?! Didn''t that client say he will cut some slack for the investigation?! Then what the hell is the meaning of this?! And here I thought Capion¡ª" "You don''t speak the client''s name even if that''s the last thing in our line, Gil." Rio sharply rebuked his subordinate for running his mouth more than required, causing Gil to shut his mouth. "The cause is apparently ''that guy'', whom we had heard rumours about in the royal capital. It seems he was also at Ado, and drum up at that the things stolen was ''Yuglia''s Future.'' I reckon even the client has not foreseen this. Even I had heard in rumours that he had left for Dosperior." Rio''s brow shot up, his lips curving into a smile. "Oh? Interesting... it was a masterstroke to bring masks with us then." Gil and Jin collectively sighed at the sight of Rio, who still had that devil-may-care attitude. "Oh, for the love of god, it''s a rock and hard situation, boss... Anyway, now that *he* has stirred ''state of emergency'' and called it ''Yuglia''s Future,'' we can only ditch them. The mountains are big enough to cross out our trails. At the end, we also couldn''t pick up any work in Helrocaust case, and now we''re at red, but with the knights joining the situation, any amount of money isn''t enough if we don''t get to enjoy our lives. Listen to me boss, let''s give up here and escape." Surely, if it''s that leader of theirs, who had saved them countless times from even a bloody battlefield with his wild instinct, Rio should be also thinking of that. Gil raised his hands in surrender as he thought so. However¡ª Rio squinted his eyes, and after a moment of consideration, inquired Jin. "......Did you get the thing, though?" "Hmm? Ah, the standard magic cutter¡¯s here. But... this chain seems custom-made, so I¡¯m not sure if the blade will go through. So, like what, we really are not giving up on this gig, huh?" Jin said while pulling back the cover from the wagon and retrieving the magic cutter he had hidden under a double-bottomed compartment, handing it over to Rio. Rio grinned, and ecstatically channeled his mana into the cutter. The blade spun to life, emitting that signature, high-pitched whine. ¡°Boss! If you use that thing here¡ª¡± Jin tried to stop Rio, guessing the situation, but Rio unhesitatingly brought down that blade on the chains connecting three two-wheelers. *Grrrrrrrrrrr* Sparks flew from the chain, and the deafening noise echoed through the forest. ¡°Dammit, Boss! We would be done if anyone heard us!" However Rio firmly pressed the blade on the chain, which tried to resist, and further poured his mana to spin the blade even harder. After a moment, there was a dull thunk, and the chain snapped. The cutter¡¯s blade also ground to a halt, but its blade now completely losing its sharpness, rendering it unusable. Meanwhile, Jin and Gil cautiously picked up any sign of strangeness, and heaved a sigh when they confirmed no imminent danger. "Can you not give us a random heart attack, boss... anyway, you still adamant on keep going? It''s clearly a suicidal move." Rio however narrowed his eyes, as if relishing the moment, and raised a dauntless grin. "Kuku. He said ''Yuglia''s Future'' huh? ...A job like this might not come around again. I need to make a killing to get hold of my dream. And relax, I am not going to ask you to throw away your life for my ego. You''re free to join up with others at Mingua, and leave this kingdom." Seeing the fierce determination burning in Rio¡¯s eyes, whom they''d never managed to get a grasp of his intention, Jin and Gil couldn¡¯t help but hold their breath. "One day, the ?Wings? will¡ª" Rio raised his hand toward the small gap in the trees, where a clear blue sky peeked through, and clenched his fist. ¡°I will make sure ?Wings? look down on this filthy world from above!!!¡± Vol. 1 - Chapter 223 - Road Trip (5) "We intercepted a suspicious carriage heading south from Mingua toward Eclair. The carriage, drawn by two horses, one of which had black fur, is owned by a mercenary group of unknown nationality, which likely has no connection to the incident." The reports from nearby regions non-stop streamed into the task-force headquarter at Eclair''s military garrison. Among which, the one particular about the foreign''s mercenary group caught General Airu, her eyebrow shooting up as she removed her gaze from the map, unfurled on the huge table, to the messenger. "Mercenary, huh... Did you thoroughly check their carriage? Or, what was their purpose to visit Yuglia, and where were they at the time of the incident?" "Yes, sir! We searched the carriage thoroughly, but found no suspicious items! The purpose of their visit was to join the Hellraucast''s subjugation operation, based on the request for assistance from the Explorer''s Association, sent to various nations. However, this request was later canceled, as the scale of the disaster turned out to be smaller than anticipated. We did find a payment receipt stamped with the kingdom''s seal, but we are currently verifying it as a precaution. As for their whereabouts during the incident, they were staying in Mingua, and several people, including the innkeeper, have affirmed their testimony!" "I see. You have secured their location, then? Just to be safe, I¡¯ll have the knights conduct a direct interview with them." "Certainly! We¡¯ve requested they stay in Eclair for a few days, and they¡¯ve agreed. Now, about the merchant group that was staying in Ado just before the incident¡ª" As the flood of incoming information was being sifted through, Airu continued issuing orders one after another. But next, a sudden arrival of the military''s messenger interrupted them. "I have a report! Sir Allen Rovenne has arrived! He is requesting permission for his school friend, Sir Vizkus Levancool, to enter the garrison. How should we proceed?" Airu glanced briefly at Tim. "He¡¯s the grandson of the late Baron Levancool, and a renowned rider who even served as the royal stable master. I¡¯ve already reviewed his profile. Grant him entry as an important witness." "Understood! I will escort them." A few minutes later, Allen and Vizkus appeared at the headquarters. "It¡¯s been a while, Allen Rovenne. ............What in the world is with that mask?" "Ah, Tim-san, what are you doing here? Also, we appreciate your work during Outdoor Classes Orientation. Um, this mask? I call this ¡®nihility.¡¯ Pretty cool, right?" Allen replied while shifting the mask up from his face. "...Well, never mind. I was transferred to the 7th Legion this spring. I just happened to be on an inspection tour of the garrison when the incident occurred. I¡¯m still settling in, so the actual command here is being handled by the garrison general Airu." Allen nodded, taking note of the situation. "I was quite stunned when I heard the scale at which the incident is being handled, so it was your words huh. Thank you very much Tim-san, Airu-san. I really couldn''t have done well alone." A polite bow came from Allen to show his appreciation for their help. "I-I am Valcus, the governor of this city. It''s an honor to meet you, Sir Allen Rovenne!" "Ah, yes, nice to meet you, Viscount Valcus. I am Allen Rovenne. I am inexperienced in such things, so I would be relying on your support." Viscount Capione was scrutinising Allen''s humble behaviour as Viscount Valcus introduced himself with a hurried tone, and took this chance to wedge himself between, putting his greeting. "I am the head of the Capione family who has been governing the neighbourhood for a long time. Now that I am meeting you in person, your presence is indeed something to behold. Haha, I couldn''t have for the love of my life see how a bygone countryside gave birth to a supernova like you, but the missing piece was the glimpse to the whole truth. True, the lineage of the Dosperior family is certainly a leading one in this kingdom. It''s my honor to meet you." Those words however erased that smile from Allen''s face, who simply shook hands slowly. "Yes, it''s also my pleasure to meet you, Viscount Capione. But may I add... the lineage really doesn''t matter. I was born of *bygone countryside*, this is unchangeable, so I am not even as good as speck of dust against your presence." The straight gaze of Allen had filled Viscount Capione with the urge to click his tongue, but he barely suppressed that. A stuffy air dominated the room for a short while. "...Oh, me and my words. I meant to say, I was just surprised to hear about your noble lineage, I really wasn''t meaning anything else." Allen reverted with an understanding nod, easing his expression. "Of course, I know you didn''t mean that, Viscount. And speaking of, I am honestly grateful that you''ve put such a solid defense, and a wide net to capture the thieves. And also to Sheriff Zair I had met back in Ado, it also helps that he took an urgent measure to request support. No words are enough to express my gratitude." Viscount Capione let out a low-key harrump, and did his best to appear like it was his pleasure. "There wouldn''t be any bigger travesty than to ignore thieves inside the region as the noble. It''s but an obvious thing to do." The words brought a smile yet again on Allen''s face. "God knows how I resonate with those feelings. After all, I, too, have sworn to decimate anyone who ever so dares to step on my way." Viscount Capione''s back prespired in cold sweat, noticing that there were apparently more than eyes than to what the young man, with seemingly silly nature, appears to. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The following day, Tim was in the forest near Mingua. He had come here after receiving reports that there had been some shrill, unfamiliar sounds¡ªakin to a mana chain cutting the tree¡ªbut more heavy in the area last night. "You didn''t have to take the trouble to arrive here, Chief Commander Tim. You can leave it to us." Deputy commander Kurushina had been accompanying him, and appeared troubled at Tim''s action, messaging his temple. Tim reverted with a wry expression. "As much of a leader I am now, I lack any knowledge about this region. The best person to undertake this task is of course Airu, who has been leading this place for far longer than me. But that may be so, the knight order didn''t need the type of leader who sinks his teeth on the table without an ounce of effort to know the place just because he''s new here. It''s my duty to command the subordinates, and there''s no skipping it." As his aide, Kurushina could accept the matter if his leader had decided so. But, in some way, it was no surprise with how much knight order emphasizes hands-on approach, which is almost like a custom. Tim, too, was standing up to those traditions only. On Earth, there might be times when the physical stamina required for front-line duty fades with experience, forcing one to step back from active duty. However, in this world, the presence of magic allowed one to persist through the situation. As they entered the forest, Tim slowed his pace. He heightened the accuracy of his detection magic, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t miss even the smallest oddity, and his eyes darted around in all directions. The fresh tracks of a carriage ran along a small path, leading toward a makeshift campsite where the explorer had reported hearing strange sounds the previous day. The path in the forest split into several smaller trails, with charcoal kilns and timber drying areas scattered along the way. However, all these paths eventually led to dead ends, meaning that to exit the forest with a carriage, one would have to pass through the same entrance Tim had just come through. "...Where are we headed, Sir Tim?" Tim, who had been staring at the grass growing along a small path leading to a charcoal kiln, suddenly veered off toward a beast trail heading south. Without a word, he plunged deeper into the forest, his nose twitching slightly. He continued on, walking off the beaten path for two or three hundred meters before stopping. Once again, he twitched his nose and carefully surveyed the surroundings, then stepped to the side and began digging into the soil. After a moment, he uncovered a freshly dead crocodile, about 150 centimeters in length. "...This is the carcass of a railgator which could be found around Lake Eclair. They''re very dangerous monsters if the explorers aren''t careful, and would only take a blink for their swarm to besiege them. Even an expert explorer would find themselves on a dead end if they are caught in that situation. But, beyond that¡ªRailgator''s hide is durable and has excellent flexibility, making them a much sought item for defense items. Any explorer would surely bring them back in." Aide Kureshina followed after the trail of Tim, and offered his explanation. "The traces of carefully erased footprints suggest this wasn¡¯t the work of an explorer. I have also engaged in their hunting in my earlier days when there was a mass outbreak of them. ...And this one died from a thrust to the nape of the neck from behind with a longsword. Moreover, the strike is extremely clean. This is the handyman of an expert." "If this is the work of the culprit... wait, have they ditched the carriage, and are trying to traverse through the forest by carrying those mana vehicles? They must be some optimistic group to think they can escape using that method." Tim stroked his chin in contemplation. "I heard the new model of mana vehicle is what, two-wheeler? With a tire on front and back. They also only weigh around 90kg. It''s not impossible to carry him along." "O-only two wheels? How do you even drive that thing... but indeed, if that''s the weight, and the culprit boasted output and preservation of Body Strengthening Magic akin to knights, it''s not far cry to adopt that method." Just as the two Aide and Deputy Commander contemplated, a person¡ªhis military uniform suggesting his affiliation to be Marquis Dragoon Army¡ªapproached holding a piece of wood. "I had been looking for you, Sir Tim, Sir Kurushina! We have spotted a concerning thing at the firewood pile near the explorer''s camp! Please take a look at this!" It appeared to have been hacked off from the cargo area with an axe or similar tool. The cut section showed no signs of drying or weathering, suggesting it was quite recent. Tim and Krushina exchanged a glance and nodded. "...Send a messenger to Airu, telling her to surround and block off the forest. We''re dealing with an expert group. Kurushina and I will track down the one who killed the railgator." Vol. 1 - Chapter 224 - Road Trip (6) Chapter 220 - A day had passed since Viz and I came to the taskforce headquarter in the Eclair''s military garrison. We had yet to get a grasp of the culprit''s outline. All the roads that could be used by carriage have been heavily patrolled and blocked off, so it''s unlikely that they''ve escaped outside the perimeter. The carriage that had been our prime lead, which we had traced from Ado, had its trace fallen apart nearby Mingua, a major city south of the Town Lupan. The army members of Mingua Garrison had also run a thorough investigation that lied between Mingua to Ado, exploring every nook and cranny, however there had been no findings. Now, Tim-san himself had gone along with his team to comb through surrounding forest and mountain to search for any suspicious signs. Meanwhile, Viz and I, since we hadn''t been asked for any more information, took the bike on a ride to look for any clues ourselves as well, but it appeared a futile result. In the end, we returned back to the taskforce headquarter in Eclair to see if they''d found anything. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Did you really cover that much ground in such a short time...? Your mobility is astonishing... But it''s unexpected that we still haven''t found anything with all these people involved. This isn''t just a rat we''re chasing. If they¡¯re hiding somewhere deep in the mountains, I believe we''ll flush them out eventually, but..." Airu-san crossed her hand in contemplation, her expression steep, as she stared at the new map placed atop the table. This was the detailed map that Coco had been making up using the techniques of Geography Research Club, though due to some this and that reason, it was now a nation project. And since the primary tool for measure and mapping and all was developed by Fey, Dragoon had been proactive in expanding the covered region, and Eclair City, which was a strategic location even as a military point, had been covered in that by extension. The map, spread out on the table, displayed circles of 30km, 50km, 100km, and 200km radius centered around the town of Ado. It was immediately clear that all the possible carriage routes crossing these circles had checkpoints set up. In addition, the map also marked the location where the carriage might be hidden, which Tim-san had been currently going out to investigate, or where the deployment of the army was done and in which form. Before the prevalence of new maps, the countryside maps were often simple sketches with details entirely based on Mapmakers intuition and experience, and only covering stuff like how long it takes to travel from Village A to Village B using adult''s step as a measure. The strategic value of these maps were clear. "There had been many people, like me, who had doubted if there really was any need to invest such finance and manpower for a mere simple thing like a map... but I guess, it''s the kind of thing that you never know until you use it for yourself." It appeared Airu-san had also realised the importance of maps, adjusting her evaluation. I guess, it made sense from her perspective. As the local, why bother putting funds on stuff that they have covered in their head? The balance could also be used for furnishing garrisons with better equipment and all. However, a detailed terrain map was far more reliable than one''s experience, granting a fresh view that allowed them to pull or reform deployment of troops. By visualizing everything, the big picture becomes clear at a glance, and there¡¯s much less chance of discrepancies in individual understanding. Even for her, this map should have shed a new light on Eclair and its outskirts, which should have been like her garden. "Well, that''s really a fantastic thing, truly. If only we had this¡ªno, even the map of just our region would actually give us a great insight on our management of territory, and its development." Viscount Valcus murmured with shiny eyes while Airu-san expressed her genuine admiration. Oh, and Count Capion hasn''t been around since our first meeting, citing that he must lead the police squad for investigation. Airu-san promptly cut that line of thought for Count Valcus. "This is a military secret so far, hence you can only have permission to view. But to possess is another matter, at least it''s impossible for the time being as there is a risk the map can fall into the enemy''s hand, exposing our defense to them. Am I right, Allen Rovenne-san? Since it''s something you have worked out." "M-my goodness! Is this also a discovery of you, Sir Allen Rovenne?! Indeed, no wonder you''re the supernova of this generation. It''s a feat beyond many to achieve what you did¡ª" A slew of flattery echoed from Viscount Valcus when he heard that. Even though it wasn''t even comparable to the the map apps you could access from anywhere at Earth. It wasn''t much of an achievement for me. Airu-san''s concerns were understandable, but I really think delegating this as a military secret was killing the geography field that could have attracted more with its popularisation. After all, to make it easier to learn about terrain¡ªwhy else would we bother to come up with detailed maps, if not this?" "...No, it''s the work of my friend Coco, alongside the Geography Research Club that has been spearheading the progress. I had only helped out in establishing the club. But anyway, this *basic map* is merely a prototype. Coco and I believe it would be better to popularise them for further advancement." As a matter of fact, Coco and I had already discussed implementing various ideas, albeit we first required a detailed map before we could move forward. I tried to explain the situation, though Viz, he had been next to me, shrugged in wryness. "...Another of your military secrets, huh, Allen? The Geography Research Club¡ªcorrect me, but isn''t this what you and Coco had set up after riling yourself up at the beginning when everyone barely knew each other? Sheesh, are you and military secret some sort of childhood friend? ......You know what, I am not even surprised anymore." ...You really are showcasing your memorisation ability huh, to bring up such a past event. Well, I was genuinely quite interested in Coco since he had hailed from the family that compiled the Canardia Monster Encyclopedia, and then during summer vacation, we hit it off well¡ªalright, maybe our passionate research was too much that it made everyone reel back. In fact, Coco had to be the one of the most shy people, and he, too, was taken aback by my adventurous ideas, but that cover soon melted away when I continued to pester him with ideas and he began to weave his own words into the conversation. However his ideas were so fascinating that they''d piqued my curiosity even more, and our conversations expanded endlessly. Eventually, one day, our chat veered off into the topic of maps, and in the heat of the moment, we decided to create the Geography Research Club. "Uh-huh? Anyway, the only reason this is confidential is because the usage case is limited. I can assure you the same map would be implemented for many things once they recognise its usefulness. And that''s what we want. The true end goal of a field called geography lies far beyond the inception of these maps. The key to the development of Geographic Information Science lies in the overlay of maps and data." We had many debates over the usage of map, or end goal. And I am sure, Viz would one day be stunned silly when Coco''s passion reaches a new height. As I chuckle to myself, imagining the future, Viz had a dead fish-like look, his facial muscles jumping for some reason. "......I am not a mind reader to see what you''re cooking, but I really feel pity for Coco. But that aside... you said about overlapping the map and information? Airu-san. There''s something I am curious about, so I wonder if you have been informed of the placement of police squad that been deployed at the *first day* of search, preferably the earliest timing if possible?" "Hmm? Of course, the information has been shared. ...So, you just want to know about... police''s placement during the first day, not present?" At Viz''s affirmation, Airu-san scanned a nearby file and then began explaining, using a map and figurine markers to represent the units. After hearing the explanation, Viz looked at the map for a while, resting his chin on his hand, and then pointed at a route that circled around Lake Eclair, crossed the southern Tesba mountain range, and led out into the Valcandor region. "Why is there no force around this area?" The query of Viz was answered by Viscount Valcus. "Ah, a few years ago, there was a major landslide just past that Tesba mountain pass. It isn''t so easy to clean up that area, and it''s still not in a condition where carriages can pass. It¡¯s likely that route was deprioritized because of that." Ayle quickly added a clarification. "The military is aware of the situation on the ground, of course. We''ve stationed minimal forces in the area for containment however." However the look of contemplation only depended, as he stared at the map. "...What makes you single out this place?" Airu-san inquired, however Viz showed hesitation, so I took over the details. "In fact, Viz suspected about a mole. While the inside might be collaborating with thieves, the deployment of the army must have been unexpected for them too. If we take the existence of mole as true, then the movement of police at the first step should show any clue. It''s possible they''d thin out the deployment in a certain place and put it to overlook the thieves. If you hypothesize this situation, and imagine what if only police were sent to search, then this route certainly raises a question. Well, it''s all a meaningless guess if there''s a roadblock ahead." Viz hastily jabbed me with his knee. "T-this is just a guesswork, and nothing!" Airu-san nodded thoughtfully as she looked at the map but then shook her head. "An insider who¡¯s privy to the police''s investigation plans, huh... That¡¯s something I¡¯d rather not consider. ...In any case, even if the bandits had a method to bypass the blockade and make their way along this route, I still think it would be impossible for them to reach it undetected." Apparently, as Airu had explained, the roads leading to the shores of Lake Eclair were closely monitored, along with paths too narrow for carriages, residential routes, and even riverways. "......I really should''ve expected there would be no holes in the plan. I apologise if my inexperience may have brought any confusion." Viz lowered his head in apology when a messenger jumped into the room, shouting loudly. "A message from Deputy Commander Tim! Sir Tim has spotted the traces, assumed to be of culprit, in the southwest forest of Eclair! He has begun the pursuit, and has left behind instruction to immediately dispatch a reinforcement to surround the forest! Sir Tim has also warned to exercise caution as the target is quite a skilled thief! Over!" "Woah, Sir Tim has already caught up the traces?! Incredible, then it''s just a matter of time before the culprit are within his grasp." An excited shout emerged from Viscount Valcus, however Airu-san''s expression visibly darkened. "An opponent even Tim-san has said to be cautious off? ...I will personally lead the operation on-site. A battle may break out as soon as we''re inside the forest, so make sure you two keep your distance from the forest. Have I cleared myself?" "......Viz has no obligation, but I am a knight too, just provisional? I believe I can be of use¡ª" I tried to put my point, however Airu-san cut me off with a commanding look, unexpectedly firm. "I¡¯ve heard of your abilities from many sources. And I have no doubt your detection range, that you have learned under Commander Dew Owiel, can give us an edge on the situation. However, this and that are different. And I believe Tim-san would''ve said the same thing in my place." Affirming that neither I nor Viz turned to argue after her command, Airu-san easen her expression. "I don''t know what actually the ''Yuglia''s Future'' in your words implies. However, since Tim-san hasn''t asked you, then I shall follow his path. But you''re going to be the future pillar of this kingdom, and are the very ''Yuglia''s Future'' itself. I believe no machine can be worth risking your life." Especially your reconnaissance magic, taught by General Dew Over, will certainly be invaluable in this situation. But no. If Tim were here, he would say the same." Seeing that Piss and I were silenced by the undeniable force in his words, Ayle relaxed his expression slightly. "Whatever your ''future of this country'' means... Tim didn¡¯t ask, so I won¡¯t either. But, you two are the future of this country. There is nothing worth retrieving if it costs you both. That¡¯s how I feel." T/N - Next update - Tomorrow. We have another editor so update wouldn''t be postpone again. Also, I forgot to put note. 1.Magic Vehicle - Mana Vehicles (I think this sounds more better. I can''t believe it took this long to realise it) 2.And you must have seen changes of title like deputy commander to chief commander et cetera of Tim. Yeah, I don''t know why that''s there. Vol. 1 - Chapter 225 - Road Trip (7) When a city was as big as Eclair, there would be some secret paths to take on during the moment of emergency. And it went beyond saying, the ones who knew about it were few and far between. After all, making this public would be like keeping the door open for, let¡¯s say, an assassin to skip all the hurdles. Deep in the forest southwest of Mingua. By the armpit of a decayed statue, there were the stairs leading down to the underground passageway beneath the cover they had been told. ¡°...I really doubted my ears first when I learned about it, but it¡¯s really here, huh. ...I wonder, why even our Client knew about it, Boss? Everywhere, Yuglia has been told as one fist under the kingship of Sagacious King Patrick, and yet, there¡¯s this side you found beneath it. They really are just as rotten from inside, ain¡¯t they?¡± This was one of the emergency paths that, if the need ever arose, could be used to escape with a VIP from Eclair, and it leads to the southern passage, just where the Lake Eclair could be found. Presumably, the passage was created and maintained with the help of an Earth Element Mage, and it was wide enough for Gil and Co. to pass through along with two-wheelers mana vehicles they¡¯d. ¡°I have told you to stop probing about the client''s identity, Gil. ......Tsk, so it can¡¯t be opened without the Key mana device.¡± Rio chided Gil while groping around the mana vehicle to feel it. He, too, had realised the client could only be Viscount Capione with all the facts placed, however he knew something shouldn¡¯t be said in their line of work. There were only a handful of clients who held connections to directly commission Mercenary Group ?Wings?. ?Blue Blood? was one such client, and the current request, too, had come from them. They knew that even that should be a mere pseudonym, however they¡¯d received several commissions from them, ranging from gathering confidential information to delivering suspicious articles and so on. The rewards that accompanied those requests were extraordinary, including the compensation for risk that followed it. The eyes-for-profit riffraff at barrel were plenty rejoicing at the easy money-making commissions, however the group¡¯s heavyweight clearly smelled the danger shipping with it, and had talked to cut off from them. From the multiple aspects of the bottomless financial power to the state-level missions, everything surpassed what a mere mercenary group should be dipping their hands in. And Rio wasn¡¯t blind to the dangers as well. He was especially disgusted by the egotistical name of that group. Albeit, he chose to brave the danger. He believed every mission until then must be a trial of sorts. The target should be the standard strength affirmation, but even more than that, the client must be seeing if ?Wings? were credible in keeping their client name confidential as well as their trust. Probably, the client was also affirming if they¡¯d caught up with their true identity or not. After all, the client shouldn¡¯t be so easily trusting of their group. And the current request was too sudden, and with a high-risk that far eclipsed the one they¡¯d before. The name ?Wings? was guaranteed to spread out in the dark side of the society if they really could outmanoeuvre the famed Yuglia¡¯s Knight Order, and successfully achieve this request. ¡°But Boss, do you really have faith in them?¡± Gil asked in a reserved tone. It was something he had been curious about for a while. Rio had a surprised look for a moment, seemingly not expecting the question, but then that expression crumbled away to a sarcastic smile. His gaze dropped to his arms, now all dark brown complex after all the tolling in the bright of the day throughout the years. ¡°...We¡¯re without status, lineage, or even nationality. But unlike us, who wander at the fringes of the world''s societal norm, they¡¯re nothing without their power. They would be weeded out, or killed without their backing. Like those insects. But that¡¯s something you knew keenly, ain¡¯t you, Gil? ...Instead, change the phrasing¡ª¡± Then, his follow up statement quiet, yet firm voice, reverberated throughout the decayed underground passage. ¡°This is why they¡¯re mere stepping stones for us.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°Well, it¡¯s our time to move on as well.¡± Five minutes after Airu-san departed from the garrison, I nudged Viz. ¡°W-where do you even play to go, though? You¡¯re really going to ignore all the warnings from Airu-san?¡± Viz hastily turned to stop me. I could only muster a bitter smile at his reaction. ¡°I am not trying to jump into their battle. We¡¯re going to check out on the route around the landslide affected area. Who knows, maybe we can dig up something about the mastermind that had those thieves move? ...Isn¡¯t it bugging you as well, eh?¡± Viz¡¯s gaze had been stuck on the map placed atop the table even after Airu-san had left. Perhaps, he couldn¡¯t shake that notion from his mind at all, that maybe they¡¯re overlooking something they shouldn¡¯t? Seeing no further words from him, I pressed him further. ¡°See, it would be even better if it¡¯s just a mind playing trick. And we¡¯re not exactly gonna score anything by waiting here, sitting hands on hand. If you feel like you¡¯re stuck on a deadend in search, then don¡¯t stop, keep moving your legs¡ªit¡¯s something my master has taught me. It¡¯s our beloved mana vehicle for god¡¯s sake. The only thing we¡¯re getting from all this wait is distress, and depression.¡± ¡°Huh? Woah, wait, why do you make it sound like we¡¯re here for who knows how long? It¡¯s just five minutes since Airu-san left!¡± ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ve just lost our five minutes of youth! Ah, and I just remembered, Eclair Lake is actually a treasure trove of water reservoirs, holding the spring of Tesba Mountain in itself. I believe we should be able to spot famous Lake Eclair¡¯s plum blossoms too. I mean, since we¡¯re here, it wouldn¡¯t cost us anything to take a look around while searching, don¡¯t you think so?!¡± ¡°Huh, no. I mean, with how big the situation has become, it would be presumptuous of us to take take a trip¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s a search too! Above all, since you¡¯re saying there¡¯s something suspicious, then I firmly believe in your hunch! Who knows we might truly be missing out on a clue that¡¯s just right before us, if we keep wishy-washy! In the name of your gramp, you¡¯ll definitely capture those despicable thieves! Isn¡¯t it what you¡¯d decided? Brave on, Vizkus Levancool, I¡¯m with you!¡± ¡°......Why are my gramp catching a stray suddenly?¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô Following the elaborate disguised traces of the supposedly prime suspects to the depth of forest, Tim and Kurushina arrived nearby a decayed statue, and a wooden cover placed around it. The signs around¡ªlike the disturbed soil and vegetation that must have been covering the top of the cover, or the displacement of the statue¡ªclearly sketched a picture that the cover had been recently opened. Aide Kurushina vigilantly removed the cover, revealing the stairs that lead to the underground. ¡°Don¡¯t move! I know you¡¯re there!¡± Kurushina yelled, facing the underground passageway. Receiving no reply, Tim readied his sword and shield, and slowly, but with galant steps, went down using stairs, his expression wincing at the sight. Right before his eyes was the almost endlessly continuing underground passage, and the traces of mana vehicle¡¯s tires. ¡°What in the name of heaven... with the direction it is leading to, it have to be a secret passageway meant to escort VIPs at the moment of emergency.¡± ¡°B-but how did some thieves even learn about the secret that not even knights are aware of?! No, wait, that means¡ª¡± Tim¡¯s eyes narrowed with a stern gleam. ¡°......We will have plenty of time to dig out the rat, but capturing the culprits takes the lead first. I will be chasing after the suspects. Kurushina, you inform Airu of the situation! Promptly confirm where this secret passageway leads to from Marquis Valcus, and immediately arrange the force to seal that seat!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°We¡¯ve been traced. ...It¡¯s one person, but he¡¯s fast. He must be a knight, and seemingly an expert undoubtedly.¡± Rio murmured in a low voice, glancing at the pitch black passageway they¡¯d just tread on. The straight passageway like the current one often easily gives away the sign of any people, though Gil couldn¡¯t feel any presence himself, he believed it should be so if Rio said it. ¡°The fame of Yuglia¡¯s Knight Order is really not in vain. Even with all the effort to erase our tracks, they still caught up to us. ...Hmm, would you be able to handle them, Boss?¡± Rio crooked his neck at Gil¡¯s inquiry. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say without knowing the other side...... but it would be a gamble to throw hands against them. Alright, that may not go easy for us, too, however I am destroying one of them.¡± Rio, after remarking the following, bruteforce to remove the pillar and beam supporting passageway and used his sword to stab on the ceiling. Then, just as the soil slipped down, and the cracks turned to slowly break the passageway, he opened the distance. ¡°Gil.¡± ¡°Right away!¡± Gil had conjured three fireballs from the tip of the wand he was carrying on his right hand, and affirming the countdown to collapse of passageway, the two hurried up to move forward. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°So they escaped...¡± A look at Tim¡¯s grim expression, who had returned back to the Headquarter, was all Airu needed to know what the situation was. ¡°Mm. I did make sure I left no traces, but I failed. The passageway was destroyed from quite a bit ahead. This really isn¡¯t a paper chase, but a wolf hunt. They¡¯re also quite quick in their decision. It¡¯s not impossible to make a path through the soil and all, but they would probably try to block the path again. It would be a big hurdle to chase from behind, so I decided to change strategy. Have you pinned down the exit?¡± Tim explained the situation, and then inquired about the follow up but, Airu wore a similar grimace expression at the question. ¡°That is, er... Viscount Valcus has been saying he has no idea there exists such a secret passageway. And that, he would have already informed us if knew such firsthand...¡± A sharp gleam flashed in Tim¡¯s eye and glared at Viscount Valcus. With seemingly an expression that wants to cry but had no tears, Viscount objected to the treatment. ¡°I, I swear this is the truth! And even if I had, I would never in my seven lifetimes tell about it to thieves of all... it¡¯s just, impossible!¡± Just then, Viscus Capione, who had been summoned by Airu, happened to enter the room and doubled down on him. ¡°What a barefaced liar! Are you telling me you, head of the Viscount Valcus, one that governs the Eclair, had no idea about the secret passageway of all? Bullocks. Now you¡¯ve just turned our desperate search into a mockery! Hurry up and speak where the exit is, you rebel!¡± But behind the sharp remarks, Viscount Valcus undoubtedly noticed the mockery hidden beneath that gaze. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°You, what?! You aren¡¯t going to tell me that when your family had inherited Eclair from House of Capione at the order of the late king, you missed on such crucial information?! And with the circumstances back then, which could have easily marked us for treason, it would¡¯ve been impossible to go against the decree! Ah, just to be clear, I haven¡¯t heard a single word about the passageway from my predecessor at all. I mean, it has been, like, several decades since Former Capione County has been ceded! And yet, to not grasp something as crucial as the existence of a secret passageway is akin to inviting thieves to your house, and is admitting that you, the one managing the Eclair, had been incompetent which even risked it to fall into enemy hands!¡± Viscount Vlacus tried to open his mouth several times, seemingly wanting to say his piece, but ultimately swallowed those words. It was impossible to know who created such a passageway when. In such a situation, the liability indeed fell over the House of Valcus shoulder, that Viscount Capione had described. He would only be playing in Viscount Capione¡¯s hand if he accused him without concrete proof. ¡°......Capturing the culprits takes precedence right now. Anyway, there would be no merit in thieves to move inside Eclair, which means the exit must be leading to somewhere outside. With the effort it would take to maintain it, I believe it shouldn¡¯t be extending that long. We need to first make sure they don¡¯t escape, so do another three-fold defense perimeter around Eclair. Hopefully, it¡¯s not too late by then......¡± Tim explained, his last sentence trailing off as his gaze scurried around the Headquarter. ¡°...Allen Rovenne... where have the two gone to?¡± Airu directed her gaze to the personnel on standby there. ¡°Yes! A bit after Airu-sama had departed, the two said they¡¯re going to check out the landslide affected area, and promptly left for there! Err, there were some words like sightseeing Eclair¡¯s plum blossom, and after asking about other local noteworthy places, they cheerfully left......¡± As soon as the name of the landslide disaster area came up, Viscount Capione¡¯s eyebrow jumped up. ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re on some trip...... It reminds me, the two had quite an interesting take on the situation. Now that I repeat it again in my mind, it¡¯s like they¡¯re expecting situation to roll in this directi¡ª¡± Airu then began to explain about the possibility of mole inside, and how the two suspect landslide disaster area might be compromised with the positioning of police during the first day. ¡°If the exit of the underground passageway happened to be somewhere around the landslide area...¡± Tim¡¯s expression pulled the biggest grimace of the day and shouted, ¡°Prepare the horses. The two are in danger! We¡¯re chasing after them!¡± T/N - Heya everyone, I hope you all are doing fine. I really didn''t expect for the update to stall for so long. My health hadn''t been quite great last month, and when I finally thought I am alright, it doubled down. Turn out it was typhoid. It had been quite a long wait, but I will try to shorten down it soon. Right now, it''s 2/13 chapters huh. Vol. 1 - Chapter 226 - Road Trip (8) "Holy heavens, It''s my first look at an underwater cherry blossom storm, and that was stellar. You could¡¯ve told me I am in a different world and I would¡¯ve blindly believed it.!" I tried to lighten the mood with my comment, but Viz¡¯s voice cracked as he fumed with anger. "What nonsense are you talking about?! Those flowery words aren''t any help in the situation! You tell me to deal with the situation, nooowww!!" The source of his anger was the Railgators¡ªthey''re crocodile type monsters, and their inhabitant was around Lake Eclair¡ªchasing after us. And it wasn''t just one or two¡ªtheir entire swarm was trying to besiege us, jumping at us from every direction possible as we ran down the rural path. It was a literal stampede situation. Wait, wait, wait. How did we suddenly skip from the soul stirring scene to the maw of the Railgators you ask? Good question. I would like to know too. Tracing back the details that come to my mind, the order of events went something like this; after learning about Lake Eclair''s plum blossoms from the soldiers at the headquarters, we left the place and journeyed to Lake Eclair to witness the absolute thriller of nature. But we had just been immersed in the scenic view when one of the Railgator swam up to us, opening its massive jaws wide. We narrowly dodged the jaws of death by hair''s breadth, extracting ourselves from the immersion of the scenic view. Railgator''s hide was pretty tough, so we had to put some effort but we managed to put it down. But, just as we were dealing with it, more and more Railgators started crawling out of the lake¡ªtwo, three at a time. Realizing we couldn¡¯t fight them all, we rushed to the bike and escaped in a panic. I thought I could scare them off with my wind magic, but apparently, that only angered the Railgators even more. Soon, they started appearing from the mountains and the lake, almost pouring out from every direction. No, seriously. Where in the world were they hiding all this while? And the thing about wind magic was that it¡¯s not quite compatible against monsters that hunt in groups. This was the conclusion I had reached after the subjugation mission of Dark Wolves. If I take my guess; maybe these creatures used the mana particles in the air or the released mana to communicate in some way, and disrupting that really ticks them off. That seemed to be a common trait for such monsters... Well, so I just had to stop using wind magic, right? However, that''s where the problem arose. We were completely surrounded by the Railgators so my wind magic was indispensable to track for opening and make an escape path. I would be shooting at my foot if I stopped at this juncture. And then, as the wind magic lingered around the area, more and more Railgators appeared out of their hidden spot. It was the re-enactment of the Dark Wolf situation. So I guess, you could put blame on my head, but that was completely unintentional. And I really tried my best, but it''s just that type of thing; inevitable was stopped by no one. Yes, to conclude it, I, or anyone else for that matter, weren''t at fault here. As I told myself firmly, I pointed towards a steep incline on the left side and gave instructions to Viz. "It''s do-or-die moment, Viz. We have to somehow shake them off with the bike. Oh, climb that slope to the left, Viz." Amidst the escape, I pointed out a direction to Viz. He hurled his gaze in the direction and grimaced. "Holy heck, dude. Are you insane? Ain''t no way you think it''s that easy to get on that slope with two of us riding on the same vehicle!" "But we''re dead either way if we continue to move straight. They have formed a full siege to capture us. Or well, I think it''s a prickly situation. Anyway, we atleast need to sort out their number from the right side of the lake to escape." "What do you mean die?! Aargh, you''re asking for the impossible!" Viz uttered a frantic shout¡ªand although he retorted back, he had a determined expression as he positioned the front wheel on a less bumpy part of the slope. He further twisted the accelerator, making the bike run at full power as it galloped on the slope. Weaving through the scattered bushes and the gathering Railgators, the bike zigzagged up the pathless incline. "You knew it was going to happen, right, didn''t you?! Hey, confirm this, Allen!" Hey, hey, can you not slander my good name? What do you think reality is? A game with an unlimited lifeline? You would have to be absolutely unhinged to seek threats to find... that... thr...ill? I shook my head to negate Viz''s claim, and had just looked back when my detection took notice of three people. *Hoho?* "Sheesh, there''s nothing escaping from the eyes of great detective Viz... you''re right, everything was all according to plan." ¡ô¡ô¡ô "We¡¯ve reached the end, Boss. According to the client''s word, the exit should be around here... Ah, there it is." Gil cautiously felt the wall with his hand, and found something resembling a handle hidden there. "Time¡¯s running out, so let¡¯s open it quickly. As for what can be behind it, only god knows." At the confirmation of Rio, Gil channeled his mana and pulled on the handle. Momentarily, a ''clunk'' sound¡ªas if something had come apart¡ªresounded and the hidden revolving door slightly moved while the settled soil fall down. Gil paused for a moment to confirm the outside situation from the opened crevice, and seeing it was all clear, he carefully turned the door. And just as they''d heard, the exit had opened on the belly of a small hill with the breathtaking vista of Lake Eclair. Below their gaze was a rural road continuing toward the south. Of course, they also had heard the path ahead was cut off by debris. If everything had followed their original plan, this area would''ve been devoid of any force, however the entry of the army over the matter should''ve put more guards around. "Boss, this way." Gil and Rio cautiously left the shade of the hidden passageway, and heard the voice of Jin from behind a rock. The situation had been unpredictable, and was full of risk, so their team had disposed of one of the three mana vehicles in an abandoned well of forest southwest of Mingua. And to make sure they''re not set up, Gin¡ªamong the team, he was specialised in ambush and information gathering¡ªhad split from their team and had arrived nearby to secure the exit. "Never losing on your feet, eh, Gin? But we''re not that fortunate, and now have pursuers behind us. Well, after destroying the path on the way, they shouldn''t be still coming after us. ...How is the path ahead?" "The debris slope is quite big, but once we get past those rocks, we should be able to get out on the other side of the disaster site easily. The new carriage we had planned should be the¡ª." Rio and Jin were just sharing details when the two suddenly fell to the ground behind the boulder. Gil quickly followed suit, suppressing his presence. The reaction was due to the gradually approaching sound of the mana vehicle''s engine. They''d just hidden themselves when they saw a two-wheeled mana vehicle leaping from below the slope in their blind spot, causing their eyes to widen in surprise. "W-What am I seeing..." A shocked murmur escaped from Jin. He had never expected a mana vehicle could run over that slope. It was absolutely mind boggling. "So this is... the true meaning of ''Yuglia''s Future'' huh. What incredible mobility. I want them in our Wings too." Rio''s eyes shone in an excited gleam, like a young man spotting his cool toy. But their amazement aside, the group of three carefully concealed their presence. Their soul should''ve been something no one would visit just by sheer coincidence. And yet, the mana vehicle continued its dash in the straight line, and stopped just 20 metres in distance from them. They¡¯d require no second hint to know they''ve been found out. The group''s eyes trailed at the mana vehicle, and then on the driver¡ªthe riders were two young boys, not even adults. One of them had wore a mask with a repulsive expression, as if luring you to punch that face, and the jet black mantle of Knight Order draped on his back. All of the evidence and their information hinted the masked guy should be Allen Rovenne. "Leave behind the mana vehicles and vanish from our sight if you value your life." Allen Rovenne remarked as soon the mana vehicle stopped. ''Kukuku,'' However Rio just grinned as he came out from the shade of the rock. "I admire your guts to arrive here with just the two of you. Hmm, you guys are plenty strong, that I gave you. And must be invincible among your peers, eh? But you know... those that die straight in the battlefield aren''t weak?" Rio gave his beloved longsword a shake as he spoke. However Allen ignored his words, and began a countdown, his voice now tinted with annoyance. "Are you deaf? I said shoo away if you don''t wanna die. I will count to three. ...1...2..." Rio heightened the inner circulation of his mana, and unleashed every ounce of his trained battle intent. "And you know, it''s the arrogant folks like you who don''t even bother understanding where you stand in the battlefield¡ª...and 3." "Whatever, have a pleasant death. Viz." After remarking what seemed to be final words, Allen urged Viz who then operated the mana vehicle at full power. The sound of engine resounded in the area and they dashed out of the place within the blink of an eye. "...They just escaped... What did they even come for...?" Gil let out a confused voice. Everything had been so sudden, and meaningless, that it left the trio dumbfounded as they watched them escaping. However that moment of confusion only remained for a second before a shiver ran down their back. They saw a swarm of Railgators rushing from the direction a steep slope mana vehicle had just appeared. Appearing in the stream, the swarm was like loctus covering every piece of ground they could see, their blue eyes giving a ferocious glint. And it was in this situation the calmness disappeared from Rio''s expression for the first time. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Holy shit! That guy at lead is mowing down the jaws of Railgator like nothing! Are all thieves like them......" In contrast to my astounded remark, Viz just let out a sigh, apparently given up on the whole situation. "...Haa. So, what''s your next plan?" "Good question... I really don''t want to hover nearby that yikes guy, but let''s see, if we can get them to have an opening. We can steal at least one bike. It''d be impossible for us two to carry the three of them either way. I can ride the other, which would give us more edge on mobility, and we should be able to shake off the chase of Railgators as well. Airu-san was right. Why waging our lives on dangerous gamble when they would be soon available to buy." "......But you put me to stake my lif¡ª......*Sigh* you know what, never mind. ...So, how are you going to throw them off-balance?" "I noticed Railgator''s chase had slowed down when we were on slope. If we can split them up, they wouldn''t be able to surround us. And here, if we can somehow lure them near those thieves, and have them distance from the machines, we would be set. And don''t you think their population is too much? We would also be doing a service to get them in number. Alright, let''s do it." ¡ô¡ô¡ô Protecting Jin and Gil behind him, Rio was unleashing his might to fend off the stream of Railgators. A several dozen carcasses of Railgators had already piled around him. But amidst all of that, Rio was feeling perplexed. He had been slashing down any Railgator that leaped in his direction, and still, somehow the swarm''s aggro was not on them. It was as if there was a bigger offender that had been receiving swarm''s hatred. And in an attempt to rush toward that ''offender,'' the stream had split into left and right. Perplexed at the situation, Rio enhanced his hearing via mana to see if he could find any clue, and heard the faint, peculiar noise of mana vehicles from the surrounding area. "Tsk, that bastard is setting us up... He''s probably using something kind of lure bag or what, and is taunting these gators to move in that direction. And... the objective is probably to distance us from the mana vehicles, huh?" Rio''s gaze fell on his subordinate. Jin had his shortsword and shield hoisted up, barely resisting the swarm, but the mage Gil was struggling much. "Gil, and Jin. Slowly move away from the mana vehicles. We''re going to lure them out." T/N - Sorry for the delays. I was out for travel and had chapter on auto-schedule, but somehow it didn''t update them. Vol. 1 - Chapter 227.1 - Road Trip (9) "Hmm, it appears our plan is a success. They''re distancing themselves from the two-wheelers, and Railgator''s numbers have been dropping as well. I think it''s time to make our move. They would most likely notice us with the sound of the engine, so we have to be extremely quick." The guy with the yikes vibe was sweeping down the Railgators easily, though a lot of it was because Raulgator''s movement had slowed down¡ªthey''re not great at climbing the slope¡ªso some of them fell outside of my wind magic range. So their swarm was thinning down at a steady rate. "Right-o." ".........Do not let down your guard, alright?" "Right-o." Viz responded in a deadbeat-esque tone of a grocery owner, or a disinterested parent who is just nodding along the flow, and while this had me worried a bit, I focused everything on getting closer to the mana vehicles from the opposite direction of their positioning. Also, I just noticed, but there were only two bikes, instead of three. Perhaps, the last one had been carried off by someone else, or they''d disposed of it because it proved impossible to carry all of them at once. I hoped I could retrieve the special unit designed to work with wind magic. I mean, it wasn''t because I had wanted to keep others from finding about it¡ªafter all, no one should''ve think this bike was the first prototype of flying vehicle currently in development¡ªbut that it had been built with some super precious materials, and it would be one heck of a challenge to reassemble it. Viz charges up the slope, dodging the railgators and taking the shortest route to the mana vehicles. With this distance, they should have realised our approach, but they appeared busy just fending railgators, and showed no sign of acting against us. ...No, they hadn''t even turned to glance at us. The alarms blared in my mind, but we were already too deep to take a u-turn. We had been only several tens of meter in distance from the mana vehicle, and were nigh close to closing the distance when that young man with yikes vibe suddenly turned around, unleashing his Body Strengthening magic at full throttle and rushed in our direction, seemingly on intent to jump over the stream of railgators. His speed was stunning, and it was as if those railgators didn''t exist for him. The earlier lukewarm expression from his face had also shifted to a menacing look. Along with his flared up battle intent, we were slammed with his bloodthirst, hinting that escape wasn''t an option. It was if¡ªit would be a game over for them if we aren''t killed. "Become my stepping stone! Allen Rovenne!" Almost out of reflex, and also to earn us a time, I shot an iron arrow at the young man, but he easily dodged my attack. "Tsk! We have been baited! Keep the ride steady, Viz! The bumping is shifting my aim too much!" "...Right-o!!!" The ride was getting a bit too adventurous so I had requested Viz to see if he could take it easy. And he instead drove up on a small-mountain like hill and used the slope as a route to leap into the air with a mana vehicle. "What the heck......" Of course, the young man was completely floored when he came face to face with Viz unprecedented manoeuvring, and that sudden surprise showed an opening. It was like he realised he messed up the hard way due to that astonishment, and was almost shit scared. Kukuku. But, my oh my, dear Viz. You really overdid it! You know, even I almost wet myself when I saw the sky suddenly greeting me with the weightless sensation!! I mean, alright. There was no bump to feel in the air, but like, seriously, what makes him think I could shoot an arrow in our current position without never actually training in it?! Heck, I was more worried if he could do a safe landing! I really fear the machine might just completely break from the impact of landing. But the situation forced me to swallow my complaint against Viz, and prepared myself¡ªfor something I had never wanted to. And then, I took a...backflip of faith and jumped down from the bike. Since Viz remained first in sight of the young man, my jump was in his blindspot, and he probably missed the timing to adjust himself. I drew my bow once again, and tried to target the Young Man from behind Viz. Viz had no confirmation I would actually jump from the mid-air, But he still pulled the move, and then changed his posture¡ªit was a signal ''I will be cutting to the left as soon as I land.¡¯ The next moment, Viz made his landing, and before he could make his cut for the left, I shot my arrow at the defenseless young man. The young man narrowly snapped back to his senses and dodged the arrow by jumping sideways. But I also didn''t rest my hands yet. He was undoubtedly stronger than me. At our current situation, my best best was to use the opening Viz had helped creation, and settle down the situation. For a moment, the white ceiling of a hospital, the place where I had closed the chapter of my previous life, one world that I had left without leaving any legacy of mine, flashed before my eyes. ?*Beep, Beep, Beeeeeeeee¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª*? My past self should''ve been no resemblance to hear it, but the sound heralding the death of my heart echoed within my ears, and along with it, a strong regret pounded me. If I don''t kill him...the next corpse lying amidst the pile of railgator''s carcass would be mine. I somehow pressed down the seething emotions to the depth of my heart, nocked an arrow, and shot it while reversing the wind flow. The young man had long regained his calmness, and he immediately used his burly arms to deal with the arrow. But right before that arrow and Young Man''s arm could make a contact, I unleashed the ?Howling Dragon?¡ªwhich was basically lowering the atmospheric pressure¡ªwhile shooting another arrow, except this one had McAqate arrowhead. Promptly, the tailwind drifted in the opposite direction, and the Young Man faintly stiffened under the influence of Howling Dragon. Compared to the first arrow, McAqate arrow traced the trajectory at an remarkable speed, and pierced the Young Man''s right left within a heartbeat, despite his attempt to jump. The Young Man fell on the ground, but within the same moment, he also rose up to his feet. "Gil!" However before the subsequent event could be played out, a scream suddenly came from one of his apparent comrades. The Young Man darted his eyes in their direction. It appeared another of their comrades, seemingly a mage from the analysis of the wand he held, had been unable to contain the swarm of Railgator and was moment away from becoming their lunch. The man who had raised the shriek was unable to provide any help as he himself was barely handling the swarm. "Tsk!!!" The Young Man unhesitatingly gave up on dealing with me and turned on his heel. But with the arrow lodged in his leg, his agility had visibly lowered. I nocked another arrow, turning its direction toward the back of the defenseless Young Man, and after a moment of hesitation, shot it¡ªtoward the Railgator that was just inches away from his comrade. *Grrraaarg!* The arrow easily pierced the inside of Railgator''s mouth, causing it to raise a shrill roar from the pain. "......What''s the meaning of that?" The yikes vibe Young Man turned around, his face devoid of any emotions. "What else do you think, doofus? I can bet if he dies here, this would become a personal matter that you would never give up. But excuse me, I don''t swing that way to be rejoiced at the hot chase of a yikes guy like you." The Young Man gave me an intense glare as he extracted the arrow from his leg, and remarked further. "...Since when did the Yuglia''s Knight, one that can even make a crying kid silent, be so forgiving? ...There''s no free lunch in this world, so what are you planning?" I hopped on the stolen bike, and turned on the engine with kick start before commenting. "Hmph, I''m not blind enough to lose my rationale at the deliberate action of my enemy. You would have dodged the arrow either way. Since you want these machines so much, I will give you one. But I doubt you can even make it out alive from this kingdom with that." I said while jerking my chin, pointing out at the third machine, and twisted the accelerator to make a run. However my action only served to make that young man take aback. "Wait! ...I am Rio. Riopord¡ª... and no surname. At Least show your face, Allen Rovenne!" What a retard. Did he seriously think I would follow his saying, who''s obviously the stalker stype? "Buzz off. I repeat. I don''t swing that way to enjoy the hot chase of a yikes guy like you." I spun 180 degrees while using the technique of an axle turn, and sent the railgater flying.I had the "Let''s go, Viz." And this time, I didn''t stop, and dashed away. But in the escape, Rio''s remark further remark reached my ears. "......The other machine is dumped inside the discarded well, 500m south of the forest in Mingua''s southwest, near the campsite! I will return that favour one day for sure. Remember my name!" "...Back at you. Do not forget that the one who saw through your plan, and the one who doused water on it is Viskus Levancool!" "...........Allen, you bastard!" T/N - And next would be the last chapter of the theft incident. Given the POV of WINGS, I had kind of expected this situation. T/N 2 - Heya everyone, I hope you all are doing fine. I really didn''t expect for the update to stall for so long. My health hadn''t been quite great last month, and when I finally thought I am alright, it doubled down. Turn out it was typhoid. It had been quite a long wait, but I will try to shorten down it soon. Especially for our dear patreon readers. Can''t keep the monthly subscription to nothing, eh? Right now, it''s 2/13 chapters huh. Vol. 1 - Chapter 227.2 As Allen Rovenne and Vizkus Levancool made their escape, the railgators ran behind them to give chase, and it reduced the swarm around Rio and his subordinates. "I''m sorry, boss... that arrow... he definitely meant he could have killed me anytime. ...I doused water on everyone''s effort." Rio turned to clean out the remaining railgators when Gil approached him, and apologised. "Don''t put your mind on it... any mage would be unable to cope up with this much ruckus. Well, though I heard the mages in Yuglia''s Knight Order can do some hand-to-hand fights. Anyway, I am not generous enough to lose your life to a mere machine." Jin was applying salve on Rio''s wound, and inquired in a reserved tone as he wrapped bandage on it. "...The jump with the machine was truly mind blowing. But Boss... was it hard to dodge the arrow?" They may not have enough skill to back them, but Rio was their boss for a reason. It''s hard for him to swallow that Rio would just let himself be shot given that distance. And he wasn''t some rookie that would lose in the moment of surprise like the stunt that mana vehicle had pulled. "It was. I can''t properly explain what actually happened... but I believe it must be the work of, what was it, Wind Magic? that Allen Rovenne is researching. The rumours in the royal capital are that he purposely made it appear like something to satisfy his pervertness, but that was all a simulacrum and the true objective was to pioneer a new technique for sailing. ...But, my personal theory? I am sure even that is another veil that hides his true objective." Rio narrowed his eyes, recalling the moment of their confrontation¡ªthe only thing he could tell was the direction of wind that had suddenly changed, and he was blasted with cold wind. "But that said, I had thought the the hope of Yuglia, one that has been selected for that unrivaled Royal Academy, would be more righteous in their action. But they¡ªthey seemed like the outlaw type who would rather save their wool first. ......Allen Rovenne, and the other was, Vizkus Levancool?" "Outlaw huh..." Rio mumbled back, and recalled another, negligible point about Allen. He could tell from their initial confrontation that ''he''s never killed someone''. There''s a striking difference between one who has crossed that line, and one that hasn''t. After the time he had spent on the battlefield, he was quite sensitive to such stuff. It might appear a virtue, but when the scene is drawn to a mortal danger, this one factor could rewrite the whole situation. In the moment Allen had drawn the arrow and targeted his heart, he saw how the boiling emotion had vanished without a trace from Allen. It was like he had completely concealed his bloodthirst like an assassin. But a moment before that arrow was shot, he definitely had felt conflicting emotions. Rio only felt a chill down his spine when he recalled Allen''s expression at that moment. It would be too cheap to say he was oozing with bloodthirst. It was something more profound, like... the presence of ''death'' itself. In that moment, he felt he had been under the scrutiny of a grim reaper. Maybe, the true reason he had turned around wasn''t that Gil was in danger, but that he himself was¡ª "...But you sure appear happy with that big smile, Boss. Are you saying you accept that''s your loss?" Rio''s train of thought came to an abrupt halt when Jin made a teasing remark, and realised his expression. Rio''s gaze trailed the gradual orange glow that had started to color the sky in its shade, seemingly in rumination of the experience. "Yes... you''re right. It was... my loss." And at the end, his lips twisted in a fierce grin. "But not for long. I will pay him back for this one day. ¡ªAnyway, let''s make escape before those scary knights find us. We can keep the mana vehicle huh? It''s our souvenir alright!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô We somehow managed to shirk away the siege of railgators and made our way to the lakeshore of Lake Eclair, where we crossed paths with Tim-san and Airu-san, both rushing on their horses along with a squad behind them. "So you''re safe... I''m glad nothing bad happened. What happened around here?" Airu-san affirmed our safety before seeking an explanation for the situation, her eyes on the second mana vehicle I had retrieved. I briefly described the situation. "Good heavens, this is some reckless move... You two return to the Headquarter and wait for us there. Kurushina is undertaking the command there, so you just report him the same. Kurushina would know what to do next." "Ah, one of them is quite a tough guy. And I doubt your horse can take you down a slope. I can guide you if you want..." I offered my help, but Tim-san gently shook his head. Instead he placed his one hand on Viz''s head, while the other peeled away his fingers from the handle one by one. Maybe keeping a tight grip on the handle had affected his hands, or the situation we had experienced had been holding such a grip on his heart, Viz''s hands were trembling. "What you ought to do is take a rest first. You may have trained to put your body in action from rest, but do not underestimate the trial and actual battle. Just leave this place to us, and... you did well in staying alive. I''m proud of you." Airu-san showed a similar gentle smile and nodded to show she shared the same feeling. "Your friends from Magic Car Club have also been at Eclair. I could tell from their expression they''d been extremely worried about you. You should show yourself there quickly." ...Oh? Dui and others have arrived? I was torn between my guilt that I couldn''t secure the last bike, and my feelings to meet them immediately. "...Understood. Please take care of the rest... and be careful." The two nodded and turned on their heels, jumping on their horses respectively. Immediately, the gentleness of their expression switched to steep looks. "Chase after the thieves!" ¡ªNo thieves can outpace them. From their departing back, I felt their unwavering confidence as the leading figures that were Kingdom''s Knight Order. "...We should be on our way then, Viz. Let''s have a race till Eclair. Loser will face a punishment game!" I said, giving Viz''s shoulder a nudge, though he only replied with a dispirited sigh. "Fine... but you''re dreaming if you think I will lose in speed, Allen!" ¡ô¡ô¡ô The pursuit force, commanded by Tim and Airu, and as well the force of Yuglia were ultimately unable to catch up to thieves. On their chase, they had ended upon an abnormal outbreak of railgators, meanwhile the terrain had been unsuitable for horses, thus delaying their arrival at the scene. However, mapping the path that thieves should have taken, everything¡ªthe broken encirclement near the rocky mountain, just beyond the landslide affected area, the traces of a carriage preemptively lying in wait for their arrival, and the further manoeuvring in their escape¡ªalluded to the fact that they''d a traitor. For a period of time, having outsmarted the famed knight order of Yuglia, and even picking up intel from their confrontation against that Allen Rovenne, the mercenary group ?Wings? became the overnight sensational figure of the underworld. However, unlike what one would have expected, Wings choose to lay low and focus on strengthening themselves. It remained a question to speculate for many; how far he had seen trough this situation, or when had the fate taken a twist for Wings? No one knew the answer, but one thing was for sure¡ªAllen Rovenne had played a card beyond and took it out of equation to theorize. If this was a game of Othello, then what Allen Rovenne did was taking his pieces outside of the game board. And, there was just one person who was privy to all this; Vizkus Levancool. T/N - Hmm, I am not sure what the author actually meant at the end honestly. Vol. 1 - Chapter 228 - Dragreid Dragreid, the capital city of Dragoon Marquisate, was a tad unusual major city due to residing within the centre of rugged mountainous terrain. Situated in the heart of two colliding mountain ranges, the region was far from the idle place to leave, let alone to travel, due to the over 20 varieties of volcanoes in the area, such as stratovolcanoes, or pyroclastic cones. In the past, the drastic topography had shown how inconvenient the place was for living, and so, few would dare to venture into the land. But, now the same place trends as one of the cornerstones of Yuglia, and was the heart of a Marquisate, and it was all due to the one reason; it was the paradise of natural resources, especially the mines. However, there was no definite record when the first person claimed this place as their home. A part of the land had already seen the development of human hands by the time Moon Dragoon¡ª the founder of Dragoon family, and almost a legendary Artificer¡ªbrought the lords of the region under his command and pledged his loyalty to the founding king of Yuglia, King Arthur. Apparently, Dragoon family back then was a mere small clan residing within the region even before the genesis of Yuglia, and imparting the knowledge of ancient mana tools crafting technique to the locals. With a history behind their back, this place had managed to carve out its own unique identity among many other places when Yuglia took its inception, and a big part, aside from the natural resources, was the pride of the craftsman who wouldn''t let others best them. At night, the streets of Dragreid would glow with the distinctive red lanterns, and the alleys and stone stairways twist and wind like a labyrinth, giving the city an eerie charm. Blessed with a rich past, and graced with rustic scenery¡ªthis was the image of Yuglia. ¡ô¡ô¡ô I parted ways with the Magic Car Club at Eclair, and traced the path to Dragreid solo. Well, as much as I was curious about the ordeal of the thief chase, my turn had been used up. Besides, I also had a business to deal with as an explorer¡ªprimarily the request from Satowa, so I ultimately decided to arrive prior to the appointed time. I left the scenery of Eclair behind my back at the first crack of dawn, and struck Dragreid on the night of the same day. It was quite a short trip, compressing the 3~4 days journey by carriage into a single day. I was a bit worried that the theft incident would shake my schedule, but considering the time to meet Satowa was the day after tomorrow, it wasn''t that bad. Dragreid had two so-called gatehouses¡ªa checkpoint that could also be used as a rampart¡ªthat served as main entry points. The entrances were open 24 hours a day, and there was no limit on the crowd of people. And boasting a glimpse of bygone history within themselves, gatehouses were seen as scenic spots too. "You, sir. Yes, the one on a mana vehicle. I request your company." I had been crossing the Janji Moot Gatehouse in the southeast of the city on my bike when a suave knight stopped me. His tone was quite blunt, however he didn''t appear to rub his authority, so I decided to quietly follow him. Inside the stone building, which had clearly weathered the years of changes, I followed the knight¡¯s guidance through the complex interior, and stopped before a room. I entered inside, and... crossed eyes with Fey. You could say, I was half expecting this setup. A capable, secretary-esque person stood behind her. With the mountains of documents stacked on the table before her, she must have been going through them. "If it isn''t a fancy meeting, eh, Allen? I was expecting you. It''s been so long, I am happy to see you." Fey initiated the conversation with her signature grin. "It''s been a while indeed. ...How did you know I would be coming here?" I inquired back in scepticism, though Fey chuckled it off. "Pfft! Well, after Eclair was imposed with a State of Emergency, the news was bound to make its way, regardless of whether I had wanted to hear or not. And I received the words via magic bird that you departed from Eclair this morning, so I guessed you would drop around this timing. So, you''ve become news again, huh." She narrowed her feline eye''s with a gleam, and asked out of curiosity. ...Huh, ah, right. I thought she was in her stalking mode again, but I forgot she was more or less the head of the Dragoon family. I should''ve expected the news to reach her ears. In that case, there was no need for me to elaborate on the details. "....There was a bit of slipup, which caused a ruckus, but it''s not something serious. I was mainly around for road trip along with others. Anyway, is there a reason you''re waiting for me?" I narrated in a disinterested tone, and cut through the case. "Kyahaha! A road trip that ended in thieves stealing ''Yuglia''s Future'' which pushed even the army to take action, and you''re saying it was just slipup? You really do know how to have fun, huh. Haha! I bet all the factions should be now scrambling to amass the information about the situation. And to your question, well, it''s nothing much. You''re here for the nomination request from Satowa Fjord, right? You know, the rumours would be all around soon when you enter Dragreid with that eye-catching two-wheeler machine of yours. And that would make your explorer work as ''Ren'' a tough nut, no? I just wanted to say you can park it in Dragoon house." .....Ahh, I really didn''t think of it. If I travel around with that bike as explorer Ren, no explanation would be enough to fill that blunder indeed. I didn''t think the emergency was that big deal, or maybe just a *tiny bit* overblown, but I really would be digging my own grave if this is attracting so much attention. "Thank you. I really didn''t think of it that much. Well, I would be returning back by train actually, so you can return the two-wheeler to Dui. They should be arriving here the day after tomorrow." I lowered my head in gratitude. Fey saw that and grinned. "Hehe. Don¡¯t worry about it, okay? If the future of this country ends up parked somewhere, and a theft happens again, we would have to declare a state of emergency in Dragreid. And well, you¡¯d end up tripling this mountain of paperwork again, like now, you know? Pfft!" I let out a dry laugh, turned on my heel, and left the room. ¡ô After Allen left the room. ¡°...That wasn¡¯t like you, Fey-sama. Things were going well, so why the sudden jab at the end? Hadn''t you planned to invite him for dinner?¡± Fey¡¯s secretary, Selen, asked with an exasperated look. "Hmm, I wonder why? It''s somewhat obvious from his gestures that he will hardly entertain the thought, and I guess, my annoyance got the better of me when he didn''t show any interest in my dress. And we had put so much effort into finding it. It¡¯s really frustrating how he''s mute to women¡¯s hearts at all. Or maybe, do you think he doesn¡¯t like this kind of outfit? ...Then again, it''s not in my nature to adjust my clothes for other''s preference..." Today, Fey was wearing a knee-length dress with rose embroidery. It was a one-piece dress that she and Sera had carefully selected, squeezing it into a tight schedule when they got word that Allen was coming. It had taken two hours of deliberation to find it. Fey pulled at the hem of the dress, mumbling to himself as he continued his ramblings. Sera watched quietly, offering a wry smile but remaining silent. ¡ô "Excuse me!" I was at an inn, but saw no personnel on the counter, so I called out toward the back of the inn. A woman in an apron appeared. She looked to be just under fifty. "I''m Explorer Ren. I¡¯d like to book a room for three nights starting today. Is there a room available?" "Right, Ren, is it? We¡¯ve got rooms available. It¡¯s 60 Rea per night, with breakfast included. Payment is required in advance." I placed 180 Rea on the counter. After parting ways with Fey at the Janji Moot Gatehouse, I strolled through the streets of Dragreid, illuminated by the red lantern, and bought street food along the way as I went. The Dragreid was bustling with tourists, perhaps lured in by the warmth of spring, though the old inn, located quite in distance from the centre, didn''t appear crowded. Of course, I was here as Ren, so I didn''t put my surname. It was the same inn my parents always stay in during their visit, so I also came to choose this cozy, down-to-earth inn. But it appears the homemade butter roll that my father so praised wasn''t enough of an incentive to bring in customers. After checking in, I crashed onto the bed earlier that day as the exhaustion from the day long journey weighed down on me. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The next morning¡ª I woke still within the darkness of early dawn, completed my usual morning training before the inn, and turned to have breakfast on the first floor. Apparently, the breakfast of this inn followed a self-serving style. You pick up the fresh, fluffy butter rolls straight from the oven, cut them and fill them with the smoked chicken, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, and marinated mushrooms or other ingredients of your liking. Waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the inn must be quite a pleasant experience. The taste? The light, fluffy butter rolls enhanced whatever they were paired with, highlighting the quality of the ingredients. It was a simple, wholesome flavor. Well, certainly, the bar might not be high for my father, a mere rural viscount, but nobles wouldn''t be making this self-service breakfast a regular choice, no matter how great the bread was. I guess my indifference to appearances might come from my father¡¯s influence. After finishing breakfast, I headed to the Explorer¡¯s Association. It''s not an everyday thing that I drop by to Dragreid, so I wanted to see for myself the style of requests that appeared for the explorers of this region. Since I had come all the way to Dragreid, I wanted to spend the day experiencing the unique quests of this town. The Dragoon branch of the Explorer¡¯s Association had a distinctive layout, utilizing a large underground space, about the size of a sports field. This area was probably once a mining site. From the quick glance I took, there weren¡¯t many explorers around, but most seemed to be tough, veteran types. Unlike the typical scene in the Eastern Branch of the Royal Capital, where low-ranking young explorers would rush to snatch up the high-reward jobs first thing in the morning, this place showed no such behaviour. I had heard the monsters around the Dragreid were quite strong, so it was an experience reflecting the scene. Just as I was getting worked myself over at the sigh of strong veterans, a sight that I sought so much, my ears captured some noise coming from the entrance "Hey, isn''t he..." "Yeah, that''s Red Demon Dio..." "So, he''s the rumoured ''Old Rookie,'' ... I heard he''s going to take the A-rank promotion test..." "As strong as an ogre? That certainly isn''t far fetched from his sharp aura..." There stood the same person who had taught me spear techniques when I was heading to the Royal Capital for my exam. Dio gave a sharp glance around, then snorted through his nose with a sense of authority, walking confidently inside. I¡¯m sure he was a C-rank explorer... If he¡¯s taking the A-rank promotion exam, that means he must have advanced to B-rank within the past year. Ah, wait. Now wasn''t the time to think that. He obviously knows me, but he shouldn''t know about my Ren persona thing. Ugh, I need to somehow¡ª "Damn, why the hell are you here?" And just as I was distracted by Dio, a familiar voice suddenly spoke from behind. "...I¡¯m Ren, an explorer based at the Royal Capital East Branch... and who might you be?" I slowly turned around and replied to Parry-kun, hinting him with a wink to ''read the room.'' However, hearing me, an unfamiliar¡ªalright, I think maybe not so unfamiliar, but I couldn''t recall who he was¡ªold man standing nearby shouted. "Ack, you''re the M-Mad Hooound!!" T/N - Sorry for the delays. I was out for travel and had chapter on auto-schedule, but somehow it didn''t update them. Vol. 1 - Chapter 229 - Reunion with Dio "Y-you''re Mad Hound from Royal Capital, aren''t you!!" A middle-aged man''s¡ªhis visage looked familiar, though we''ve not interacted for sure¡ªa loud scream reverberated across the entire building, inviting everyone''s gaze toward our direction. However, the bonafide explorers they''re¡ªI heard Dragreid''s explorer branch was easily among the top two in skills¡ªtheir gaze carried only a curiosity and puzzlement at the sudden shout. They didn''t stir up from the sudden situation, or caught up in the flow. If anything, it appeared more like they''re appraising us. If you ask me, that middle-aged explorer from Royal Capital was dirtying the somber expression of this place with his nonsense. "Oh? So he''s the rumoured ?Mad Hound? huh..." "Ah, the mad dog of the royal capital!!" However, as expected from a guild branch known to have some of the most highly skilled explorers in the kingdom, the looks they cast weren''t filled with panic or confusion. Instead, they seemed to carry a mix of curiosity and mild suspicion¡ªmore like evaluating the situation than reacting in alarm. "Rumours were that he hadn''t been seen since he stormed the base of Rose Family, who had some shady dealing, and brought down everyone from lowest riff-raff to even their leader to their knees with his fists. ...So he''s alive huh. I wonder why he came here...?" "Ah, I also heard he had swooped at ?Frenzied Tyrant Shell? with an iron pipe to prove his strength instead of greeting him like normal. This is why he''s been called a ruthless bashing machine... hmm, he does have that menacing aura going with him, especially those stony eyes." With a dead dispirited gaze like a dead fish, I listened to the scandalous rumours. Amidst that, Dio approached me. He had only raised his eyebrows when my, unwanted and absolutely ludicrous, nickname ''Mad Hound'' came up, but otherwise there was no confusion on his face. If anything, there was a subtle hint of amusement, or perhaps even a faint sense of pleasure, on his usually stern face. And speaking of, Dio wasn''t a servant of the Rovenne family. Formally, he was only an explorer using Rovenne territory as base for his explorer activity, and my mother was merely a client, and the wife of the territory lord, who occasionally put some request to him. Even when he had helped me when I was preparing for my exams in the capital, there was no sign of him treating me with any particular respect as his noble master. In fact, in the beginning, he had despised me because I was the typical image of ''prodigal son of noble'' and had always kept distance from me. He clearly wasn''t keen on being loyal for the Rovenne family. According to my mother, Dio had abandoned his Ringart family name long ago and remained loyal to her as an independent explorer.I presumed he chose this path in lieu of the financial situation of the Rovenne family, and the emotional burden it placed on my mother. I approached Dio as another explorer and lightly tapped the left side of his chest, protected by his bright red leather armor. "It''s been a while, Dio. And you''re already promoted to B-rank? Wild huh. ...But I haven''t forgotten the debt from when you beat me up back then, you know?" As I grinned and spoke those words, a murmur ran through the guild branch, with whispers of gossip filling the air. "Has it been a year already? Look at you, at least you grew out of your brat phase, boy. Well, I have spent more time rehabilitating my rusty body for the last year." "Haha!" I couldn''t help but laugh out loud. Even now, from time to time, I would imagine him as my imaginary training partner, and simulate his moves to fight through. Having been trained at the academy and sparring with geniuses of generation classmates, I could sense that my skills had improved considerably over the past year. But frustratingly, I still couldn''t visualize myself beating Dio like I had hoped. So, a laugh was all I could muster when I heard the same man wasn''t even in his ''final form''. I guess, revenge was still a long road for me. "...They''re supposed to be the beloved of heaven, but at least, the time that had stopped for them¡ª" Dio narrowed his eyes, and chuckled in a soft voice, seemingly reminiscing of the past memories that had begun to unearth again. "¡ªslowly, but surely started to move." It was my turn to narrow my eyes. Until a year ago, he was like a withered branch, or an old man at death''s door, drawing a contrast to his strength. But he looked now like a towering tree, exuding vitality from every inch of his body. "...I heard rumours. You sure are making your bounce terrific." "Haha!" A chuckle¡ªmore like, a bitter smile¡ªescaped from my mouth. "Oh, you''re here, Ren-kun." As I exchanged a silent glance with Dio, reminiscing about old times, Satowa emerged from deeper within the branch. His calm, approachable demeanor still resembled that of a humble civil servant, but his movements betrayed no opening. "Ah, Satowa-san. My apologies for being so late..." I lowered my head in a polite bow, and Satowa waved it off with a smile. "Not at all. I heard you were quite busy. Well, given your essential role in this request, I was a bit worried we would have to postpone, but it''s good to see that''s not the case. Oh, and for this mission, I¡¯ve specifically requested three people, and two of them are you and Dio-san here. Hmm, are two acquaintances?" Satowa asked this with an air of mild surprise, but he was the vice president of the Explorers'' Guild, so it was only natural that he would be aware of Dio¡¯s background in the Rovenne territory and his achievements there. I presume he must have considered this a possibility too. Well, I had no secrets to hide, moreso since Satowa already knew my identity, and Dio probably didn''t care about such matters now that mother''s identity is already all over. But it color me surprised though. I wasn''t expecting we would be joining in the same request. Fine by me though. I too am looking forward to seeing how much ''rust'' he had shaken off from himself. It appeared Dio was unaware about this setup just as much, and an expression of surprise flashes on his face, but that expression twisted into a smile a moment later. "Well... we¡¯re not exactly close, but you could say he¡¯s someone who helped me learn the proper range with a spear. A benefactor, in a way." As I explained, Satowa smiled warmly. I noticed that Parry-kun¡ªI almost forgot about him¡ªtwitched his eyebrows ever so slightly. "It''s certainly a good thing if you two are acquaintances, that will help the party''s coordination. Oh, and yes, depending on the outcome, Dio-san may get his A-rank promotion at the end of this quest, so make sure to give your best shot." The A-rank promotion test, if I remember correctly, involved a guild executive with A-rank qualification to issue a nomination request and directly assess the candidate. I¡¯m not sure about the pass rate, but the number of B-rank explorers were incredibly low compared to those below C-rank, so even getting the chance to take on a promotion-related request could be seen as a rare opportunity. Naturally, the difficulty of such requests would always be equivalent to A-rank. "...I just need to focus on my usual work, I know. By the way, you mentioned assigning requests to three people, right? Who is the third member?" Dio asked in a calm tone, inquiring about the remaining party members. "The third is Ignis-san, an A-rank explorer based in Dragreid. Have you heard of him?" At this, the other explorers in the vicinity, who had been listening in, murmured among themselves. He must be a well-known figure. "?The Giant Aragan? is all I know about him..." It seems Dio was familiar with the name. "What kind of person is this Ignis?" I tilted my head, having no knowledge of any explorers in Dragreid, and Satowa proceeded to give me a brief profile. "Ignis Rafador. At the young age of thirty-two, he¡¯s already an A-rank explorer and also serves as the head of Muto Stoneworks, the largest stone mining company in Dragreid. Ren-kun, are you familiar with the martial art known as Bufu?" Bufu, huh? This was a martial art with more prevalence in the Dragoon region. I heard this technique had been passed down since ancient era. It followed rules similar to sumo, where it¡¯s acceptable to touch the ground with your palm. It retains ceremonial elements meant to pray for the safety and success of hunts, which also makes it resembling sumo in some respects. The elementary schools in Rovenne territory also taught it, so I had some experience in it. I nodded, and affirming that, Satowa continued. "Ignis-san is the first person in the last 50 years to strike five-time consecutive victories in the Bufu competition held in Dragreid. In the achievement of so, he had been conferred the ?Giant Aragan? title. At a young age, he¡¯s already one of the most influential figures in this city, and he¡¯s regarded as a symbol of Dragreid¡¯s pride. I can vouch for his character as well as his abilities." The Bufu competition was held annually in Dragreid. Winners were given titles based on animals: the champion receives the title "Aslan," which means lion, the runner-up gets "Zarun," meaning elephant, and the top four are awarded titles like "Tsaga," meaning horse. The title like "Giant Aragan" was even more extraordinary, awarded only to those who win five times in a row. I was now finding myself looking forward to seeing the person. Of course, grand titles and influential positions in the city weren¡¯t the cause. To be truth, since this was one of the few chances I would be staying in Dragreid, I had been hoping to get some more commission related to ore gathering, aside from Satowa''s request. I had already dispatched my ore mining related tools to this branch from Royal Capital. What truly struck a chord with me was the fact that he served as the head of Muto Stoneworks. I was hoping that during my stay in Dragraid, I could not only fulfill the bodyguard request from Satowa but also secure some mining-related requests. I couldn''t return without swinging My Pickaxe. I had it crafted by a certain blacksmith I met in the royal capital. I was determined to put it to use. The world of craftsmen often follows an apprenticeship system. According to the blacksmith, the world of stone adheres to this model; It starts with a young apprentice doing menial tasks like cleaning the tunnels, known as small fragment sweeping. Then, you progress to hauling stones, followed by becoming a stonemason. From there, you move up to mid-level management positions like foreman, and eventually, you become a supervisor. Ignis-san might not be the owner, but from his achievement alone, I believe he must have overcome every challenge alone to reach the pinnacle of the craft through his own merit in the meritocratic world of craftsmen. ¡°...We don''t have to dilly-dally around here then. Let''s get on our way to meet him. I want to learn Ignis-san¡¯s rhythm, his timing, as much as I can today.¡± I didn''t know if rhythm or any other shit even matters for mining, but the more you learn, the better. You never know! ¡ªNah, scratch that. I really want there to be some just for the enigmatic factor alone! It might be a stretch, but I would be more than happy to get some tip on super moves as well. After stuffing my holiday''s schedule as much as possible, with every second in it counting, I urged to quickly get on our way with an impatient expression. Satowa seemed slightly taken aback, but he quickly smiled. "Truly, I''m impressed to see you still have that cautious, and mindful personality despite the success, which can even the best lose their sight. I¡¯ve just received word that Ignis-san is currently on site at the most dangerous part of the quarry, ?Area 81.? Let¡¯s head there right away." "Really?! Thank you so much! I¡¯ll go pick up the gear I sent to the branch!" "I will follow along. It''s good to meet others earlier for better party coordination, and I am curious to see the boy''s growth myself." Dio also showed his affirmation. Hehe. I might be swinging my pickaxe for the first time, but I have perfect the image in my mind with countless hours of simulation. I bet he wouldn''t have words left to say at my skills. I immediately rushed to the counter to grab my gears. "Hey!! Remember I am here as well!!!" Parry-kun, whose existence I had completely forgotten, skipped over and said from behind. T/N - Next update - Tomorrow. We have another editor so update wouldn''t be postpone again. Vol. 1 - Chapter 230 - Area 81 (1) Reid stone, after which the later half of "Dragreid" had come up, was primarily a building material. The reid stone was durable and easy to process, making it a prime material for construction, however what its heart''s delight, as well as value soar, was another of its properties; the fine, invisible pores on its surface. Buildings constructed with this stone were said to have a warm, distinct acoustic quality. The stone¡¯s beautiful, calming milky-white hue, combined with its rarity¡ªsince it''s only found in this area¡ªmakes it highly sought after as a luxury building material. Dio, Satowa, Parry-kun¡ªI have no inkling why he was even here¡ªand I found ourselves heading to "Area 81," a mining site for said stones. Parry-kun had proposed to come along with us, and of course, I tried to shoot him down, stating "We''re not here to play." ¡ªWhat about myself, who had been so uppity about this whole trip? Of course, I had the discretion when to be serious! "Area 81" was notorious for being a dangerous zone¡ªso much so that the escort missions for the mason were often asked for B-rank explorers. For a D-rank like Parry-kun, it shouldn''t be something he could handle. However, to my surprise, Satowa, our client, readily agreed to let him accompany us. "Parry-kun has been spending the duration of his spring vacation tirelessly handling escort duties throughout the day around here. He is also the top-runner among D-rank explorers. In fact, the branch manager of Dragoon has even personally pushed to promote his rank. Well, it would be impossible to bring him along at tomorrow''s request, however with my presence, it should be alright if he accompanies us to Area 81. I believe this should be a refreshing experience for him as well." This was the reason he gave. From his perspective as vice-president of Explorer Association, he might have wanted to watch over their future leading generation. It could also be that he wanted to affirm Parry-kun''s ability firsthand before proceeding. Apparently, Parry-kun had trained himself through actual battles with monsters this vacation. It seems that Pali-kun has spent this spring break focusing on gaining real-world combat experience with monsters. He must have been quite determined if he had decided to come here instead of Abenil County, given the strong monsters that roam around here. I guess he couldn''t forgive himself for putting the class into danger due to his own lack of actual experience during Outdoor Orientation that I had heard from classmates later. ?I have no interest in my rank... I just want to straighten out my flaws. That said, I will not be moving ahead with my career as an explorer. But I hope you can allow me to accompany you." Parry-kun gave his explanation, upfront with his intention. Satowa, too, didn''t appear upset, and after listening to everything with a serious expression, he remarked. ?You know, not even in my dreams had I ever thought I would become a member of explorer association. In fact, I had always thought of servicing this nation by becoming one of bureaucrat. But... life is such an unpredictable thing you never know what may await you in future. However, I believe it''s good to have more than one option for any occasion." Parry-kun silently bowed his head, though it was ambiguous if he understood the meaning of Satowa''s remark. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The vast Reid Stone mining site began with stretching in fence digging style, where the stone mountains were dug horizontally. Then followed by flat area digging, where columns were left behind as the mine was dug deeper. This underground excavation method helped avoid layers of stones with poor color or low market value. Our destination, Area 81?, was located at the deepest part of this underground mine. After constant excavation over many years, a vast underground space had been gradually dug deeper into the earth, reaching depths of several kilometers. Since mining started near the surface, where the stones were easier to extract and transport, numerous tunnels from various entrances crisscrossed inside, forming a labyrinth-like maze. Recently discovered zone¡ªArea 81 was home to a natural underground cavern and an underground lake. The subterranean lake, quietly holding water that flows in from somewhere, exuded a pale emerald green hue, a scenery so epic truly illustrating the image of ''nature''s wonder.'' The lake''s water, however, was overabundant in minerals, making it unsuitable for human consumption. But, on the flip side, it was particularly appealing to monsters, especially earth-type creatures, attracting a dangerous number of them to the area. But the catching aspect about this place was the Reid Stones that could be found here. While the Reid Stones were already a high-class commodity, these variety of stones gave off green hue, reminiscent of opals, and iridescence in nature (in short, they would give off rainbow glow depending on the angle of light). Their captivating beauty had, unsurprisingly, made themselves a much-sought-to-be item. Hence they''re traded at price as far as two orders of magnitude more than usual Reid Stones. With the constant swirl of beauty and monsters inhabiting this place, Area 81 started the ever-so familiar event¡ªGold Rush. And with dreams of making it rich overnight harboring inside them, many humans began to gather around, turning this into a high-risk, high-return area. ¡ô Upon arriving at Area 81, we were introduced to the final member of our party, Ignis Rafador, assigned by Satowa. "I¡¯m Ren, an explorer from the Royal capital, who has also received this nomination request from Satowa-san. Of course, I do am aware of my inexperience, but I will do my best to not be a hinder. I hope I can learn much from you." Ignis smiled brightly at my enthusiastic self-introduction. "Hey, I have heard a lot about you from *many sources*, and welcome to Dragreid! Must I say, I had thought you to be quite a fierce guy given that alias of yours, but you''re really an adorable lad! Yup, I''m Ignis, and feel free to ask anything!" Though his words had a bit of an undertone, I couldn''t quite place it... With his distinctive canine teeth glinting, something that was rare to see in this world, Ignis laughed freely like a boy without a care. He was 32, but he looked like he was in his early twenties¡ªquite youthful. Ignis, clad in the distinctive Bufoo-style tunic made of monster hides, didn¡¯t quite resemble the towering figure one might expect from someone with the title of ?Giant Aragan.? In fact, he was shorter than 170 cm, which would make him quite small for a top-tier explorer. Rather than being muscular in the traditional sense, he had a more flexible and agile appearance. But when he offered his arm for a handshake at my initiative, the muscle in his upper arm was far beyond what would be considered normal. And when I shook hands with him, I could clearly feel the supple yer firm muscles of his palm. It was apparent he must have gone through rigorous training. "I will be having you, Ignis-san, as the leader for this escort mission''s party. Dio would be the attacker, while Ren-kun would be a scout. Is there any objection?" Satowa smiled brightly as he looked at me and Dio. "Of course not. Ignis is an A-rank explorer and a seasoned veteran, so I have no issues on my end." "...I don''t have any issues either. I''m Dio. Nice to meet you." Dio followed after me, and remarked. Ignis-san''s eyes flashed with curiosity as he held out his hand toward him. With that, Ignis extended his hand with a look of curiosity. "So you''re the ?Old Rookie?! I had been wanting to meet you after hearing about you so much. Well, I do be lacking age unlike you, but this place is almost like my backyard. You can be rest assured about the rest." The two shook hands firmly and exchanged knowing grins. I had to admit, he was the kind of person who knew how to quickly get into someone''s good graces. "So, who''s this young lad? I believe I heard you saying it would be a party of four, Satowa-san..." Ignis-san said while pointing at Parry-kun. Satowa stepped in to anwer. "Right, he''s Parry Abenil. He said he had wanted to take a look around. He¡¯s a promising young man, so I decided to let him come along today." Listening to Satowa''s explanation, a grin crept on Ignis''s face. "Ah, you''re the son of Nics, the big shot from the branch, huh? I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. I like young people with drive. Nice to meet you." "...You know my father?" "As the man commanding the Dragoon''s army, who doesn''t know him? I had received many lessons from him during my earlier days. I get some request via him." Perhaps hearing his father''s name coming out, Parry-kun didn''t push away his stout behaviour, and performed a bow, something that was rare from him. "I''m Parry. I hope to learn many things from you." After the introductions were done, I immediately jumped on my main objective. "Please, take me on as your apprentice, Ignis-san!" I bowed deeply at a perfect 90 degree angle, but before I could finish my formal gesture, Ignin-san replied unhesitatingly. "Alright." "Wait, really?!" I mean, I had asked for it myself, but I was completely ready to be turned down with the man of status and ability he was.And maybe he would have given me trials to overcome before formally accepting me... My surprise must have been written on my face as Ignis-san burst out laughing. "Pfft! What¡¯s with that look? Hahaha, I really don¡¯t mind. Honestly, I enjoy mentoring juniors, but lately, everyone¡¯s been so polite and stiff that they don¡¯t even make eye contact! Sure enough, youngsters have to have some spin like you, Ren-kun!" Wow! T-that''s really the thinking of a first-class explorer! Asking was the right move after all. With a big grin on my face, I expressed my thanks. "Thank you so much! I¡¯ll do my best!" Parry-kun watched all of this with an astounded expression, but the next moment, seemingly stealing his mind, he took a deep breath and turned to Dio, bowing his head. "...Red Demon Dio. I¡¯ve heard plenty of rumors about your unparalleled spear skills at the Dragreid branch. Would you consider teaching me how to wield a spear?" "No." Dio answered in a heartbeat, without missing a beat. ¡ô¡ô¡ô "Haaaa!" Parry-kun¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he thrust his cross spear at the Steinfrosh, a one-meter tall earth-attribute frog monster that had leaped out of the subterranean lake. The Steinfrosh was a fairly common sight in the Dragreid region during early spring, a D-rank monster that Parry-kun had killed more times than he could count during his spring break. However, this particular one, with a slightly different hue compared to the usual kind, effortlessly deflected Parry-kun¡¯s spear that would have reap its life otherwise. In the next moment, the Steinfrosh turned its eyes toward the underground lake behind it, and with a snap of its mouth, extended its tongue¡ªnearly two meters long¡ªtoward Parry-kun¡¯s right ankle. "Ack, this guy!" The tip of the Steinfrosh¡¯s tongue had the same suction effect as an octopus''s suckers, instantly adhering to whatever it touched. Parry-kun should''ve been aware of this, but Steinfrosh''s movements were probably far more quicker than what he had imagined, and thus, failed in dodging. In a panic, he gripped the cross spear with both hands, raising it high above his head, trying to sever the tongue. But before he struck down with the spear, the Steinfrosh pulled him in with its tongue and dove into the subterranean lake. With a sudden, forceful tug on his leg, Parry lost his balance and fell. In the nick of time, he drove the spear into the ground with one hand, avoiding being dragged into the water completely. Yet, the Steinfrosh underwater relentlessly tugged on its prey, trying to pull him deeper. A fear crept onto Parry''s face as he glanced at the dark, bottomless subterranean lake, and darted his eyes toward nearby Dio, seemingly to seek help. However, Dio, who had his arms crossed and was observing the scene, didn¡¯t move a step, and a disinterested expression on his face. Parry, trying to free his tongue, repeatedly kicked at the sucker part with his left foot. But the awkward angle made it difficult for him to put any real force into it. The spear that had been thrust into the ground wobbled unsteadily. ¡ªI will die. Parry''s mind went blank as soon as that thought crossed his mind, but before anything else could happen, Ignis made a follow up. He grabbed the slimy tongue, stretched out like a taut rope in the middle, with his right hand and crushed it within his hand. The suction part came loose from Parry¡¯s foot. Without hesitation, he yanked it free. The Steinfrosh, still underwater, let out a croaky ¡°Gegoh!¡± as it was easily pulled out of the lake. Without missing a beat, Ignis kicked the frog like a soccer ball. The frog flew almost thirty good meters before crashing into the far wall of the underground lake and sinking back into the water. ¡°Can you stand up, Parry?¡± Ignis extended a hand toward Parry-kun, who was kneeling, panting heavily as he struggled to regain his breath. ¡°...Ah, yes, I¡¯m saved. Thank you so much, Ignis-san.¡± Parry, still pale, managed to stand and bow his head in gratitude. Ignis gave a hearty laugh, then gave Parri¡¯s backside a playful smack before turning a severe gaze toward Dio. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit harsh on the young man, Red Demon?¡± T/N - Heya everyone, I hope you all are doing fine. I really didn''t expect for the update to stall for so long. My health hadn''t been quite great last month, and when I finally thought I am alright, it doubled down. Turn out it was typhoid. It had been quite a long wait, but I will try to shorten down it soon. Especially for our dear patreon readers. Can''t keep the monthly subscription to nothing, eh? Right now, it''s 2/13 chapters huh.