chapter 67

It’s the following day after the pirate a.s.sault .

「I’m sorry but I don’t feel so great today so I’m going to take the day off . Please make sure no one gets injured while I’m away」

After saying that, I went out to talk with the people from Beryl .

「I’m going back to the village today . How about you?」

When I asked Root-san, he said . 1

「I don’t have enough supplies and tools for work so I’ll go with you」

After saying that, he gave the different construction groups instructions on what they had to do so that we could return to the village . As for the old men, they told me that they didn’t have any particular needs so they’re going to stay behind .

「Sorry that we’re in front of my house . Hopefully, you don’t mind . Also, since it’s a necessary expense, please use this to buy tools」

I handed several large silver coins to Root-san .

「Isn’t this too much?」

「You can just give me what’s leftover once you’re done . Well then, since it’s been a while since we came back, please enjoy your stay here to your heart’s content」

I just gave him a random reason then forcibly gave him the money .

「Oh, you’re talking about ‘that’ . Um, about what happened yesterday…… Uh, I’ve heard a lot about it」

「Ah, yeah…… Well……」

I’m not forbidding everyone to speak so it seems like a lot of rumors are going around .

「Ahー, er, my bad . I made you recall that incident」

「No, it’s alright」

Root-san said that he would report back the chief then headed towards the direction of the workshop .

「I’m backー」

「Hm? Was today the day you usually come home?」

Suzuran tilted her head with her hand on her chin while her eyebrows furrowed as she thought about it .

「No, I just came back because of something a bit unpleasant that happened . Where are the kids?」

「They’re out playing with Perna-kun and the others」

「I see」

After hearing that, I immediately hugged her chest and enjoyed the sensation of her slender chest .

「Hold me gently and pat my head」

She patted my head and also rubbed my back without even saying anything so I hugged her tighter .

We stayed like that for about ten minutes then I managed to regain my composure .

「Thanks . I’m already fine」

As I said that, I separated from her chest .

「I’ll make you some barley tea」

It seems like Suzuran was being mindful of me .

「Thanks」

She kept looking at me for a while but she just brewed some barley tea without asking me about it .

After receiving the cup of tea, I added sugar to it then slowly drank it as I looked down .

During that time, we didn’t talk and she didn’t ask me what was wrong . I think she probably already had an idea as to what happened . We continued leisurely spending our time without talking .

After a while, the children came back .

「「We’re back~」」

「「Welcome back」」

「Ah, Otou-san」「Papa~」

「What happened? Today is not the day you usually come back right?」

「Yeahー . I just had something a bit disturbing happen to me recently so I wanted to come back to see everyone’s faces」

After saying that, I gently pat their heads . Last time I came back, Miel didn’t want me to treat him like a child but even so, I still did .

The two of them looked embarra.s.sed but they just quietly let me stroke their heads .

「Otou-san! Train! Let’s train!」「We have been practicing after all!」

「Yeah yeah . I don’t really feel like it but alright . Still, you’re already being taught at school so don’t you think it’s too early for you?」

I’m feeling somewhat depressed but practicing with the children would probably serve as a great distraction from that .

「No way . I want to get strong as fast as I can!」

「Is that so? I guess it can’t be helped……… What about you Miel?」

「I want to be strong enough that I can escape from bad people」

「Hmmー, you don’t have to be that strong if you just want to escape」

「That’s no good Otou-san! Miel and I are going to make a party with Perna and the others once we become adventurers after all」

「As your father, I want you to be able to do what you want but I also don’t want you to do something that would put your lives at risk」

They’re probably at an age where they started admiring adventurers . I didn’t experience that though .

「But…… we want to be adventurers」

Hahaha, children are so innocent .

「Alright, alright . It doesn’t matter whether you work in town or become an adventurer, I’ll train with you since it wouldn’t hurt to learn new techniques to get stronger」

After saying that, I started my preparations .

「Soー, is Miel going to only use magic like last time?」

「U-un」

「I guess I’ll teach you how to fight without magic later . It’s fine to only use magic for now」

After I said that, they took their positions then we began the training .

While we were at it, Lily was able to get in a good hit on me . She hit the handle of the shovel and was able to take it from me but at that distance, I was able to retaliate by flicking her forehead .

They were only able to do that because I accidentally got hit by Miel’s magic at the same time but I’m happy about their surprisingly clean execution .

「Alright listen up . There are plenty of other ways a tool can be utilized aside from what it’s regularly used for . This shovel isn’t only for digging, it can also be used like an axe or a spear . And if you clean it properly with hot water, it can even be used as a frying pan . Keep in mind that every object can have surprising ways it can be used」

I began my lecture so the kids quietly listened .

「Let’s use a spear for example . I know that most spear users just use thrusting attacks but you can also swing it around and even throw it . I’ll demonstrate」

I thought that they would benefit from learning by example so I borrowed Lily’s training spear then had her stand in the position of the enemy . Taking a regular stance, I swung around the part where the stone tip would be like I was paddling a kayak then showed her how it can be used to strike an enemy’s head and flanks . After that I held it like a javelin, then threw it and accurately hit one of the thin fence posts where Suzuran was keeping the poultry .

To demonstrate naginata movement, I rotated to her back while showing her my own then moved as if I was going to sweep her feet . They won’t be able to carelessly take advantage of that instant you show your back since their feet would get swept or cut after all . 2

「Something like that . The spear is not only for thrusting, you can also use its length to keep the enemy in check . Now, I’m not saying that you have to use it this way since the basics are also important」

I returned the spear to Lily then borrowed Suzuran’s spear . After covering the tip with a thick cloth to avoid injury, I began sparing with Lily using the same type of weapon .

The spear was unexpectedly heavy but I’ll just keep that to myself . Did she drill through the wooden stick and put iron inside it?

At Miel’s signal, we began our mock battle with both of us using spears . She was almost able to get a good hit in on me so I let go of the spear then using the momentum of her thrust, I closed in on her and did a foot sweep into an immediate flick to the forehead which caused her to cry once again .

「Sorry sorry . That was immature of Otou-san」

After saying that, I helped her up then wiped the dirt off of her back .

「Next is Miel」

「Eh? Ah, un……」

「If you just want to escape, it would be enough to just buy time . How would you do that? Let me know what you think」

「Uhー, make them stop moving?」

「That would be ideal . How are you going to do that then?」

「Eh? Hmm~…… Tie them up with string or something?」

「Okay, how about you try it with papa」

After saying that, I took my distance then waited for his move .

He thought about it for a while but then I noticed some root-like things squirming from the ground which tried to catch me . However, it was too slow and I just ran straight for Miel then gave him a flick on the forehead .

「Too slow . You won’t be able to catch me like that you know?」

「Ugh」

「Listen . This is just how papa sees things but it doesn’t matter if it’s cowardly or mean, you need to use any means necessary to survive and escape . Using those root-like things to restrict someone’s movements is fine and all but it’s too slow . Since that’s the case, you should just use something much simpler」

「How should I do that?」

「How about blinding them? Papa also used that trick a lot」

「Eh?」

They looked at me like I just said something unexpected but I just ignored that and continued with my point .

「When you’re running away from someone, it’s better to prevent them from being able to see first before stopping them from moving . You might think it’s unfair but you can’t be picky with how you do it in order to survive . Now, how about you try to restrain me again」

I took my distance once more then waited for his move .

After thinking for a while, I heard him murmur something then everything turned dark . I was surrounded by a black mist that obstructed my vision .

I couldn’t see that well but I could still tell that Miel was trying to sneak around behind me so I turned my body around to let him know that I’m aware of what he’s trying to do . Then, I stepped out of the black mist then told him what his mistake was .

「The idea wasn’t bad but darkness isn’t always enough to blind someone you know? I guess you won’t know how it is without experiencing it yourself . I’ll only use it once so you join too, Lily . I would be better for you to experience how scary it is to lose your sight as well」

With that said, I used 【Flashbang】 without the loud sound to let them experience the bright light that feels like it’s going to burn your eyes . I guess it would have been better to say that I used 【Flash】 instead .

「Kya!」「Gah!」

They screamed for a moment then started walking around all dazed with their hands on their eyes so I stopped them by holding them on the shoulder .

After a while, the blinding effect subsided and once the two of them had settled down, I called out to them .

「How was it? You couldn’t do anything right? Sometimes, it’s better to make it like the sun is in front of your enemies rather than blinding them by making it dark like the night . Miel, you said you weren’t good at dark magic so you don’t have to force yourself to use it . Even papa’s not good at it…… Look」

I covered their bodies with【Pitch Black Sphere】 but they immediately got out of it and just looked at me .

「See? It’s difficult to make it completely dark . Since that’s the case, it would be faster to use something like the light earlier or even throw mud at your attacker’s face」

「I understand . I’ll try practicing it」

「Be careful not to look at that light too much since your eyes might go bad . If possible, close your eyes whenever you’re using that magic」

「Okay」

「Alright . Lily, did you understand the dangers of not being able to see from earlier?」

「……yes」

「Then make sure you stay vigilant against that sort of attack from now on」

「Yes」

How obedient . They were looking down on the tactic of throwing sand or mud on the enemy’s eyes so I wonder if they really understand .

「Since lunch is going to be ready soon, let’s rinse our mouths and wash our hands before we go back . Miel, how about you try to produce the water?」

「Un!」

With that energetic reply, 【Water】 started pouring out of his palm . It seems like he still can’t make it into a ball .

Hmmー . The older sister sipping water directly from the younger brother’s hand to wash her mouth…… That’s fine right now since they’re still kids but if they still did that after they’ve finished school when they’re around 8 years old, it would feel like such an immoral act . Am I the only one who thinks that?3

As for me, I created a 【Water Ball】 on my fingertip then just used that to wash up . At that moment, the children were staring at me as if they were trying to pierce a hole through me but I just ignored them .

While lunch was being prepared, Latte came back .

「Huh? It’s not the day you usually come home, is it?」

I told her the same thing I told Suzuran then we ate lunch . Since the children had their eyes on me the whole day, I had to wait until the middle of the night to get consoled by Latte .

In the end, I didn’t get attacked that night .

~Idle Talk~

Suzuran’s discretion

Caam wants to get spoiled like this from time to time but he does not ask for it more than once a day .

Just as I was wondering why he came back all of a sudden, he immediately hugged me while shaking his head back and forth then asked me to pat his head so I just complied .

I also patted his back and it seemed like he didn’t hate that . Quite some time had pa.s.sed and we still hadn’t said a word and until Caam was satisfied, I continued giving him head and back pats as he hugged me .

It seems like he also asked Latte to do the same . According to her:

「His mana and mind seemed to be disturbed . It also seems like he had to do some unpleasant things . Wellー, it’s also the wife’s duty to spoil their husband you know~」

She said the same thing a long time ago so whenever he comes to me to get spoiled, I try to spoil him as much as possible . She must be sensitive to those kinds of things since she’s from the succubus tribe . As for me, I can’t tell at all .

However, whenever the children are around, he never asks to be spoiled . Is he ashamed to let them see that?

I don’t mind if they see though .

Also, while I was spoiling him, I could smell a faint scent of blood from him .

If I remember correctly, even when Caam was asked to help with a large scale monster outbreak near the town, although he didn’t get hurt at that time, he still asked me to spoil him .

He also did the same during that one harvest festival where we helped butchering the pigs and sheep .

I have a feeling that he only does this when he has to do something that he doesn’t want to, like killing a large number of animals and monsters .

Maybe that’s why he came back home early this time .

Because of that, I didn’t ask and just made him some barley tea . I planned to attend to his needs as much as possible but he just looked at the cup like he was contemplating something . It was also unusual for him to add plenty of sugar to his barley tea .

While I was spoiling him, I felt a throbbing in my chest and started to want to kiss him but I just endured that feeling and gently did what he asked of me . It seems like Latte also did the same .

Whenever Caam asks to get spoiled, we don’t do it at night . As for Latte who was lightly dressed as she entered the bed last night,

「He was upset so even if I did seduce him, it probably wouldn’t work . That’s why I just kept on patting his head the entire time」

It seems like she just had to give up on that .

In the end, Latte and I decided to just let him relax without asking anything .

At any rate, I am a bit curious about what happened since the smell of blood on him was only faint . Should I ask the carpenter’s apprentice later? I could also just wait for our village’s three beastmen to come back and ask them but they might not be able to tell me if it’s something difficult to talk about so I shouldn’t press them too hard .

But still, I can’t forgive him for throwing the spear on the fence . After Caam settles down, I’ll give him a flick to the forehead just like what he did to the children .