Chapter 1 TN: Hi guys, I decided to pick up a new series since there’s no ongoing series that I like and had been dropped by their translators. So I decided to just pick a (somewhat) random series by the author that wrote Hokuou Kizoku to Moukinzuma no Yukiguni Karigurashi that was translated by Kudarajin. Since I liked that novel, I hope this one will be a good read too.
Isset Sennel (TN: イゼット・セネル) was an ordinary knight.
His family home was a bakery managed by his mother, his uncle and his uncle's wife, and the taste inherited from three generations ago was loved by the surrounding inhabitants, so they were fairly prosperous.
From early age, he lived with his family without his father and had a life with difficulties, he was not strange or crooked, he had a straight-laced personality that could be said as too serious, but character wise he was a man who grew up at downtown.
His evaluation from his superiors was not bad but not good, he was not the type to get promoted.
The colour of his eyes that was reminiscent of fresh blood was an unusual combination with his slanted eyes, his black hair that was commonplace in his country and his ordinary thin face gave people a weak impression.
Isset who was 24 years old that year had the position of a common knight.
Even though he was in a position of dedicating his allegiance to the country for a decade, including the years of being a squire, he wouldn't receive a promotion examination unless he made a notable achievement, so his current state was to look up at his peers from below.
Isset was a member of the demon extermination group, the eighth knight order of the imperial guards, in other words, he was a person that was entrusted to the vanguards. By the way, this unit was famous as a gathering of problem children.
Such an Isset did his job only to the point of being given a passing mark, so it exposed a disappointing appearance and actions of having no ambitions.
Every day, the content of his work covered a lot of things from patrolling around the capital city, battle training, and receiving monster extermination requests from the observation unit.
That day, under the captain's training direction, the men's training was completed.
[—The ability of the troops depends on the skill level of the individuals. It's good to think that one troop is one big weapon. If there's a defect in one place, it's become ineffective.]
The person who was the leader of the members that stood in a row was a woman with a graceful body line that was wrapped in knight's uniform, Eisel Yesilmen. {TN: アイセル・イェシルメン}
She had been a knight for 14 years. The other day, as she turned 28 years old, she was delegated as the captain of eighth knight order of the imperial guards a month ago.
It was said that Eisel, who was a high noble and user of magic, was a talented person that ranked on top 10 among the knights.
Speaking of how Eisel was entrusted to be the commanding officer of the eighth knight order where only problematic children gather, Eisel herself was a cause.
[In a battle, disposition is the most important. Calmness, self-discipline, patience…]
Isset listened to the hot-blooded guidance of the captain and stifled a yawn.
They performed battle drills to the extent of not being able to keep their eyes opened, and when the bell rang to let them know the time, they went home.
[—Isset!]
When he was called from behind and turned around, he saw the figure of a colleague who once survived a hard training life together.
Since the other person was now a captain of a knight order, it was a person from olden days that he constantly came in contact with though they were of different rank.
[What is it.]
[You've been busy lately, why don't we go home together?]
[That's bad.]
That person, Ennis Alcan {TN: エニス・アルカン}, had a friendly atmosphere that was contrary to Isset as he made a smiling face that did not give off the feeling of tiredness.
[So?]
[E?]
[Things to do.]
[Aa~, yeah, I suppose today's dinner will be bread bought at Isset's family's bakery.]
[Even if you go there now, there're only old women at the bakery.]
[Old women… eeh!?]
[It's Shenai's {TN: シェナイ} turn to bake the bread for evening sale.]
[A, is, that so.]
Shenai was Isset's cousin, a year older than him at 25 years old.
She was a beauty in the neighborhood and there were many men aiming for her.
He was tired of being involved in men's affair up until now, but since he was an old friend, Isset would treat him adequately.
[See you.]
[Oi, wait! N, eh?]
Ennis grasped Isset's shoulder as he tried to return home and shook him lightly.
[Is there something else?]
[No, do your jewel earrings have such a colour?]
[Haa?]
He was pointed out and then touched his small jewel earrings with his fingertips.
The slippery surface didn't change.
Since it was on his ear, he didn't pay attention to it, but his old friend had noticed it.
[Did you buy a new one for the first time in 10 years?]
[No, it's the same thing.]
[Is that so? Somehow, it has a lighter colour…]
Since Ennis' face was getting closer as he peered on it, Isset took a great distance by strongly pushing Ennis' body.
[Hey, that's not a magic skill item isn't it?]
[What are you talking about.]
[But it's unusual for the colour of a jewel to change spontaneously.]
[If it's a magic skill item, my family wouldn't be baking bread.]
A magic skill item was an object that contained magic power in various ways and only few craftsmen in the world were able to make it, so one item was considered to be very expensive and valuable as there were not many available.
Magical tools for everyday life were overflowing in the world, but many magic skill items were rare articles that were treated as national treasures.
[I have an acquaintance at the magic division, why don't I introduce you to him?]
[What do you mean?]
[Because it would be grave if the colour changed due to a malfunction.]
Isset shook off Ennis' hold and returned home after refusing the offer.
It's because that he thought that he should ask his mother, the person who gave him the earrings.
When he arrived in front of the bakery that was his home, he could see that the interior of the shop was a battlefield. There were no other shops selling freshly baked bread at this time of the day, so the inside was flooded.
Isset went into the house through the backdoor without confirming the appearance of his mother and aunt who looked busy.
Instead of helping out at the bakery, Isset who came home early was forced on meal duty.
It's troublesome to change his clothes, so he took off the coat of his knight uniform so only his shirt remained on his upper body, and since he couldn't take off his pants, he firmly tied an apron around his waist so that it didn't get dirty.
First off was kindling the fire.
He took out the fire magic stone from the shelf, stroke the surface engraved with spell using his fingertips, and then threw it into the stove. With a little time, the fire from the magic stone gradually became bigger.
He poured water into the saucepan and put in smoked meat with bone.
He then added herbs with finely chopped vegetables before boiling for a while.
After boiling for a while and the soup turned cloudy, he then took out the smoked meat, scraped off the meat and then cut the meat into cubes before putting it in again.
He then removed the scum and the soup became clear.
Finally, he added some spices and the soup was completed.
When he checked the cold storage, he found a big fish. He took it out and placed it on the countertop.
He scraped off the scales, removed the head and placed the filleted body on 5 layers of filter paper.
The fish's body bone was placed back inside the cold storage to be used as soup stock for tomorrow. He didn't use the whole filleted fish, just half of it.
He sprinkled spices on the cut fish and left it for a while. He then chopped the vegetables while he set the fish aside.
He then placed the prepared fish on top of a plate and the finely chopped vegetables on top of the fish. He poured powdered cheese and sprinkled some alcohol before baking the dish in the oven.
While waiting for the fish to finish cooking, he piled the bread that was unsold during the day on top of the table.
The above dishes were completed in about an hour after he came home.
Since he had been helping his mother with housework since he was young, this much work was nothing for Isset.
After waiting for a while, his mother and aunt who were manning the bakery and his uncle and cousin who had finished cleaning the bakery's kitchen arrived.
[Ara, it looks delicious.]
[Isset-kun, it must be tiring, thank you very much.]
The two who were working from day and night helped with setting the table while talking about that day's sales.
[Isset, you're back. You finished early today.]
[Somewhat.]
[Oo, it's a feast today.]
[It's our usual meal though.]
[No, it was Shenai's cooking for the past few days.]
Since his uncle was being glared at by his cousin, Isset's uncle was discreet with his words.
Once all the family members were present, it was time for dinner.
In this way, Isset cooked the meal once a week. It's rare that he could rush out from his work as soon as his working hours ended.
After dinner, he talked to the back of his mother while she did the dish-washing.
[Oi, granny.]
[What is it.]
[These earrings, since when did you put these on me?]
[E?]
When his mother turned her back to look at him, Isset gestured to his earrings that were once dark green in colour.
[I don't know?]
[What?]
[Even if you say that, didn't you do it by yourself?]
[Wha, that's wrong! You were the one who did it to me!!]
[I don't know about that. What is that anyway. Those earrings are not that beautiful.]
When his mother's hand reached out so that she could see his earrings, Isset brushed her off with a displeased face.
'Bachin!', the sound rang the moment their hands met. His mother shrieked and fell down.
[Ha? O, oi, I didn't hit you that strong though!?]
He was just moving his hand to the extent of lightly shaking her off. While tilting his head due to the mysterious sound, he reached down towards his mother who fell down with exaggerated motion.
[…Ouch!?]
His mother's face became paler and she started shaking.
[Oi, what's wrong. Did you get overworked or something?]
While he helped his mother to sit on a chair, he did not receive any reply.
[Cut it out, granny.]
[That's, that's right.]
Thinking that she had a fever, he put a wet towel on his mother's forehead.
[Thank you.]
When he tried to leave the dining room to boil some water for a bath, he was pulled down.
[Isset, wait.]
[What is it.]
[I remember.]
[About what?]
[About your father.]
Ever since he could remember, Isset had no recollection of his father. He had never wondered about him before, nor had he asked his mother about him.
[Did you forget him?]
[Rather than forgetting, it seems that some sort of technique was done to me.]
She then explained that it was his father who gave his earrings.
[Then, is this a magic skill item?]
[This, I do not know. Your father is not a person of this world.]
[I don't understand what you mean. Who is my old man!!]
[An incubus.]
[Ha?]
[He said he was a person from the world of demon and evil.]
Before, in the days of ancient when the world was developing magic, summoning of otherworld people were practiced.
Among them, summoning a "person from the world of demon and evil" could only be done by magicians with high magical power and was said to bring forth great power.
In modern time, there were only a few people who could use magic, and summoning was regarded as one of the forbidden arts.
[How can I believe a story like that!?]
[But in your body, that incubus' blood is flowing!]
[I don't understand what you mean!! Besides, what the heck is an incubus!]
[Demons that convert human energy into magical power. …Perhaps those earrings act as a seal, and if the colour of the jewel became transparent, the blood of the incubus flowing in your body will begin to act violently.]
While it's hard to believe, Isset's mother had a serious expression. Based on the atmosphere, she was not joking.
While looking down on his mother, Isset was lost for words.
TN: So how is it? I’ll translate the first 3 chapters before deciding to continue or not. Let me know about what you guys think.