Life has its mountains and valleys, and is ever changing.
After hearing from Marito about his sibling relationship with Mix in the past, it had turned a bit serious or somewhat solemn, but the next day was an extremely noisy day.
To give a rough explanation about it, Gradona appeared in Taizu. Or more like, he was found sleeping in a garbage dump early in the morning.
I guided him to Ban-san’s place first and he welcomed me with a pretty warped smile.
After that, I was consulted about where the training spot of Wolfe should be.
Of course, it is not like I can have them train at the backyard of Ilias’s house, and so I gave the safe proposal of using the training grounds of the knights in the castle.
The knights noticed the presence of Gradona thanks to that.
Lord Ragudo appeared after a crowd was made…and a duel began after just a few seconds of conversation.
“And that brings us to the present.”
“Shishou, what’s the matter?” (Wolfe)
“It is a bit rough to follow this sudden development, you see. I was looking back at it inside myself.”
It goes without saying that Gradona provoked Lord Ragudo, and Lord Ragudo bought that fight.
This isn’t my first time witnessing a battle of the inhuman, but they are within the strongest in the world. They were so fast I couldn’t follow them with my eyes.
There would be super thunderous sounds ringing every now and then, and the shockwaves reached my way.
Wolfe created a simple mana wall at my side to block it. You have gotten pretty skilled in the time I wasn’t watching.
As for Ilias, she was looking at the moves of Lord Ragudo with sparkly eyes.
This is a battle between people stronger than her, so it would be more impossible to tell her to not be excited about it.
But judging from the shouts I can hear from Lord Ragudo every now and then, they are most likely fighting there with the intention to kill.
It should be about time to stop them.
“Wolfe, would you be able to stop them?”
“Impossible.” (Wolfe)
“Yeah, makes sense… Can’t be helped. Let’s stop Lord Ragudo at least.”
“Muh, you can do that? Even I wouldn’t be able to stop that Lord Ragudo though… Are you going to be calling His Majesty?” (Ilias)
“No, it is a more simple method… Riae-chan.”
I mutter the name of Lord Ragudo’s grandchild.
The moment I did, Lord Ragudo swiftly moved here and searched the vicinity.
“I think I felt the presence of my grandchild just now…” (Ragudo)
“Lord Ragudo, it would be troubling if you were to rampage more than this.”
“…You’ve got me there, huh.” (Ragudo)
This reaction speed just from mentioning the name. Lord Ragudo must be super doting on his grandchild.
I have met her once and she was a cute child. He told me ‘If you put a hand on her, I won’t forgive you even if you are the friend of His Majesty’, but 10 years old is obviously outside my strike zone.
“Hmm? Salve, you are done already~? Pfft, weakling~.” (Gradona)
“Gradona, if you get too rowdy, there won’t be any establishments that will sell you alcohol in this city, you know?”
“Yes, sorry for being so conceited.” (Gradona)
Gradona groveled at incredible speed. You want alcohol that much? Definitely.
He stinks of alcohol even now. Is it really okay to entrust Wolfe to this guy?
“To think you would be able to stop these two so easily…” (Ilias)
“Only temporarily though. I feel like these two will try to kill each other if we leave them be.”
“I can’t deny that.” (Ragudo)
“Please deny it. That said, it can’t be helped with the personality of Gradona though…”
“Eeh, you are taking his side~? Discrimination is not good.” (Gradona)
“The one who would be troubled if you caused problems is Wolfe. I won’t forgive anyone who causes trouble to Wolfe.”
“Overprotective~.” (Gradona)
“Shut up. Don’t fight with the strongest of Taizu. If you want to fight, use disciples to compete against each other.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. Here would be Wolfe, and yours would be Ilias?” (Gradona)
That would be like making my friends fight, but well, I won’t say anything here.
“I am the subordinate of Lord Ragudo though…” (Ilias)
“Isn’t that fine? The division of Salve is full of geezers, right? How about polishing up this promising girl already, Salve?” (Gradona)
“Lady Ratzel, huh. She certainly is reaching the point where you can see what lies ahead with self-training. Fine, Gradona, I will accept your provocation.” (Ragudo)
“U-Uhm…and that means…?” (Ilias)
“I will coach you when I have free time. I will be harsher than ever before, so be prepared.” (Ragudo)
“Y-Yes!” (Ilias)
Good grief. It has calmed down for now, huh… But this Gradona, did he provoke Lord Ragudo because he predicted this would happen?
He obviously has personal feelings included in this. What a nasty guy.
“Wolfe is getting trained by Ekdoik too anyways. It would be easier to train her outside the walls.”
“Maya, Ekdoik, Gradona-sensei, and also Shishou. There’s a whole lot!” (Wolfe)
He calls Gradona sensei, huh. Normally, Gradona would be in the shishou position, but it seems like I am sitting tightly in that spot for Wolfe. Gotta admit I am happy about that.
But the amount of training is way too different between Ilias who only has around 1 day off a week while juggling training and human relationships, and Wolfe who trains almost every day.
Considering the current gap in their strength, that does feel fair in a way… I feel like increasing her days off would lower her motivation instead though.
It can’t be helped. I will try to match the training days of Lord Ragudo as much as possible whether it is the days off or in her bodyguard duty days.
“Hmm…”
“What’s the matter, Shishou?” (Wolfe)
“Lord Ragudo is going out of his way to train Ilias, so I plan on sparing time for her as much as possible, but I was wondering how to use my time to look after you too, Wolfe.”
“Wolfe is fine.” (Wolfe)
“Even if you are fine, I want time to be together with you.”
“…”
“Aah, right, I just have to make Ekdoik my bodyguard.”
“Him…? What would His Majesty say?” (Ilias)
“It is okay. I did know that it would be rough for only Lord Domitorkofucon after all.”
Marito appeared nonchalantly. Of course it would enter his ears if they fight so flashily, huh.
Lord Ragudo averted his gaze and is acting as if he had no part in this. What an example to follow.
“You accepted it pretty easily -even though he was one of the kidnappers.”
“I certainly do have my thoughts regarding that, but he is a capable person you would want, right?” (Marito)
“You could say that.”
I am grateful to have a bodyguard that’s purely strong like Ilias, but it is true that I would also like a bodyguard like Ekdoik who specializes in moving in the shadows.
You can leave most of everything to Ekdoik after all. He also doesn’t get hit by the restriction of chivalry.
He is far from being an Anbu-kun, but having a ninja-like bodyguard is pretty enticing, don’t you think?
“Wolfe also agrees. It is better than Cara-jii!” (Wolfe)
“…Just how much do you hate Cara-jii?”
I thought they had gotten along a bit better now, but is it just that she can now show her disdain on the outside…?
In the eyes of Cara-jii, Wolfe is the girl that we saved together from a pitiful environment.
If Wolfe were to hate me this much, I might not be able to recover from the shock.
Should I ask for the reason? I don’t know.
“The fastest method would be for Wolfe to become your bodyguard though.” (Marito)
“She isn’t bad if we are talking just about battle power, but considering her readiness, I would like her to work a bit harder.”
“So he says. That means you are just one small push more, Wolfe.” (Ilias)
“Yes, I will become stronger fast so I can protect Shishou!” (Wolfe)
“Not become strong so that you can protect me, but become strong enough to protect me. You can still aim for even higher heights, Wolfe.”
But when Wolfe grows to that point, I will end up being shackles for her.
Being the bodyguard of the king’s friend might be an honorable job. Ilias is doing her work as if really satisfied by this after all.
But I would like Wolfe to do something bigger.
Like maybe the fun of adventuring that she tasted in the Gold Demon Lord’s simulated world.
It might be difficult while Wolfe is still dependent on me. Should I go on adventures with her…?
It is about time I begin thinking seriously about a roadmap for my life.
“Shishou, absentminded.” (Wolfe)
“It is called sinking in thought.”
“Sinking?” (Wolfe)
“…Absentminded is fine.”
After that, we dragged Gradona to Ban-san’s place and entrusted him to Ban-san -this also included contacting Ekdoik.
When I told him about how Gradona and Lord Ragudo immediately began killing each other the moment we brought him to the castle, Ban-san sighed heavily.
“I’ve already had enough of this legend… Right after I told him not to cause problems in other people’s countries…” (Ban)
“It is not a problem though. I was just having a simple test of strength with my rival.” (Gradona)
“It is going to get busy for me! I beg you, please don’t cause any more trouble!” (Ban)
“You are going to get busy? Do you have an event or something, Ban-san?”
“A merchant from Kuama got interested in the goods of the black wolfkin forest, they said they want to make a simple branch store here and will be coming to Taizu. If they are going to take root and do business here, it would be beneficial in a lot of ways to look after them when there’s the opportunity.” (Ban)
“Kuama, huh… What kind of merchant are they?”
“A younger man than me. He is a merchant that grasped success in Kuama and his desire for business as a merchant has not dried out yet.” (Ban)
Considering the age of Ban-san, it would mean that he is an old man of around 40-50 years old.
He has the funds to open up a branch in a foreign country and can make decisive moves, so he must be quite the big deal.
If I get along with him, I might be able to ask him about the state of things in Kuama. I am looking forward to it.
…No, no, it would be bad to get too deeply involved.
What am I doing trying to gather information about the Demon Lord all so naturally. I don’t have a reliable weapon anymore.
Of course, there are many things a person who has no battle capabilities can do, but there’s no necessity to get involved in the first place.
Let’s interact with him as a merchant. Yeah, let’s do that.
It should be okay to show myself in the negotiations of the black wolfkins…but I have been busy with the magic research recently.
Ilias is getting trained by Lord Ragudo, Wolfe has her training with Gradona, and I have my magic research and exchange of information about the isekai… So it would have to be on the days where there’s none of that… Hehe, when would that be?
I would like a schedule book. I didn’t expect I would want one in this world.
It is not like they sell them in the market. Let’s buy the materials since there’s the opportunity.
“Wolfe, I will go shopping for a bit. Want anything? I will be heading to the magic research facility after, so I can’t buy too much stuff though.”
“Right, it has been a while since we have come to a place like this. It is a good idea to drain his wallet.” (Ilias)
“Hey, Ilias, just for your information, I am the one shouldering the alcohol expenses of Rakura. Well, I am fine if it is to buy stuff for Wolfe though.”
“E-Eh, uhm…ah, this…” (Wolfe)
What Wolfe pointed at was an accessory box. It is a lot smaller than the treasure container I have.
She did get interested in it when I spoke about my habit of gathering things. Did she get influenced?
Wolfe doesn’t have too many personal possessions. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for her to begin her journey with a box.
“That’s fine. An easy request.”
“Thank you very much!” (Wolfe)
Despite its size, it is the same price as my treasure container, but it is cheap compared to the cost of making the gauntlet. Right, I will have to find time to give it maintenance.
I buy the box and we return to the castle. Wolfe is hugging it as if treasuring it and she is wagging her tail.
Mine is a big rustic key, but Wolfe’s is a small key. It is not fancy, but you could say it is feminine.
I am looking forward to what kind of collection she will have.
After that, we begin our magic research job at noon.
Ruko does her gardening training -which she must prioritize- in the free time of the artisan employed by Marito. They were free in the morning, so the magic research began in the afternoon.
We proceeded with the research we originally had planned, and thought of a spell for entertainment in our break time.
This has been our routine lately. Casually thought up original spells like this can become triggers.
By the way, today we began with Ruko mentioning how she is jealous of Wolfe’s pretty hair.
After a boisterous discussion, Nora created the spell.
The result was this…
“N-Nii-chan has…” (Nora)
“S-Shishou…” (Wolfe)
“Don’t mention it. I lost in the raffle, so I have no complaints.”
“Y-You look good, Mister Friend… Pfft!” (Mix)
“Uhm…it is the same color as mine in a sense. There’s no need to be bothered by it.” (Ilias)
Yes, the peculiar hair of a Japanese person has turned to a similar blonde to that of Ilias.
It is a spell that changes the hair color, but to put it bluntly, isn’t this just decolorization?
I remember having dyed my hair brown in my college days, but I haven’t made it this blonde before.
By the way, the color of my eyes has changed from black to dark red. I am completely in the appearance of a resident of this world.
You could say this is the most adapted I have been.
“But it doesn’t suit you to a shocking degree… Would it suit me a lot better if I were to make my hair black?” (Ilias)
“That color looks good on you, Ilias…”
It is painful. What’s painful, you ask? This spell has mana that specializes in changing the pigments on the eyes and hair.
The way to undo it is simple. If you emit the mana to the outside, the mana will come off, and you will return to normal.
But I have no mana to force it out.
As such, I will be like this for the near future until the mana disappears naturally.
I don’t know about doing such a grand image change at my age, but it is not like my face has changed or I have shaved my hair off.
It is simply a guy that had the eyes of a bad guy to begin with having blonde hair and colored lenses now, increasing that look of being a hoodlum.
Let’s enjoy this in its own way. I would like an aloha shirt and sunglasses. I should have Ban-san make them.
When I showed this appearance to Marito, he bursted out laughing. I was presented with the rare sight of the Taizu king rolling on the floor laughing.
It has been so hectic since morning, it is dizzying, but I can’t deny the fact that I have gotten pretty used to this.
No, no, having Wolfe be coached by one of the strongest martial artists in the world and me changing the color of my hair and my eyes is pretty rare though.
Maybe it has gotten harder for me to get shaken mentally because of all the things that happened revolving around the Gold Demon Lord.
I also feel like I have closed the distance a bit with the people around me.
This is a good trend. I hope the peaceful days continue.
———
The ramparts surrounding the capital of Taizu are coming to sight.
What’s advancing through the road is a single carriage. An extravagant one that’s often used by affluent merchants.
The one pulling the reins of the carriage is a man in his 50s. His eyes are hollow.
There’s a whole lot of luggage inside the carriage, and a single beautiful lady sitting there.
“Aah, so this is Taizu. Moving by carriage really does take time, isn’t that right?”
She spoke to the driver, but there was no response.
He continued driving the carriage with his blank eyes.
“Oh my, not good. Did I use it for too long? Gotta give it a little bit of a break or they will find it suspicious.”
The lady moved inside the carriage and approached the driving man to a distance where her hand could touch him.
Her hand touched the back of his neck and she poured mana.
“Now, now, please wake up. We are arriving at Taizu already, you know?”
“…Y-Yeah! Did I doze off?”
The man woke up as if he had suddenly regained his senses and looked around.
The lady laughed gently and sat inside the carriage.
“Yes, you were looking pretty wobbly there. You must be tired from the long journey. Let’s take it easy at the inn, okay?”
“Right. You must be tired too from all the shaking. Let’s move the greetings to Ban-san for tomorrow and rest for today.”
The carriage picked up speed a bit after the man regained consciousness. The woman looked inside the carriage silently and muttered lowly.
“You guys hide outside for a while, okay? I will guide you little by little, alright?”
The shadows inside the carriage move, matching that voice.
They crawled inside the carriage, split into several shadows, and moved out from the carriage, scattering inside the forest.
“Did you say something just now?”
“No, I was simply speaking to myself…that I am looking forward to this.”
The lady laughed again. There’s no lie in her smile.
The Purple of Enticement; the Purple Demon Lord repeats this as if usual.
It is the same as the time when she enticed the many settlements of Kuama. There’s no need for the power of the devils there.
She was going into Taizu on her own with a carefree face.