Extra 17

Extra 17: A certain day at Tsige ~What happened at summer 2~

Jin Roan and the other students taking the classes of the temporary teacher, Raidou, were using this summer vacation to acquire a battle style that fits to their own and polishing themselves.

They have already drawn a slight rough picture of their ideal and are trying to make that reality.

The current state varies between each of them. But there are two who are acting separately from their other classmates -the two daughters of Tsige’s wealthy merchant, Rembrandt; Sif and Yuno.

This summer vacation, they resolved themselves to do the supplementary lessons they somehow managed to have Raidou accept to do, and their own personal training, so the two sisters didn’t plan on returning to Tsige.

Unfortunately, their father Rembrandt is acquainted to Raidou as a merchant, moreover, Raidou seems to be fond of Rembrandt.

It was easy to refuse the request of their father to return to Tsige, but when it came to their benefactor Raidou who had cured their cursed disease, it was hard to reject it —no, they couldn’t reject it.

With this unexpected development, Sif and Yuno ended up passing the second half of their summer vacation at their home.

The two sisters felt sluggish at the current situation, but there was a big possibility that changing their environment rather than staying all their summer in Rotsgard would be beneficial for them. That’s why it wasn’t settled yet that what their doting father did was a minus for them.

Just in case, Raidou told them softly to the sisters when they were leaving to Tsige to not blame their father too much and had told them the aforementioned details while choosing his words properly.

Sadly to say, the ‘Understood’ that came from them as a response and their expression showed clear signs of not being in favor of this.

Raidou, who had sent the two girls off out of a sense of duty towards Rembrandt, thought: ‘oh well, things should work out someway or another’, as he hid his bitter smile and saw off Sif and Yuno.

“This is Tsige, right?”

“Yeah. This is the last stop, so…it probably is.”

After a few days, the Rembrandt sisters crossed the gates of their hometown, and the both of them had their eyes wide open.

There should be someone meeting them there, but before they could search for that person, they had frozen.

The Golden Highway is one of the commercial routes and a gate there connects to the town of Tsige.

Tsige is a special place located at the frontier that is the wasteland.

There’s not a single teleport formation in the town. You can’t enter or leave the town or head to the wasteland without traversing through the gates.

That’s why, the place the sisters are currently in, if an example were to be given, it would be like being in front of the station.

It is one of the places where it is the easiest to see the development of the town.

Due to the circulation of goods doing well these days, this is a place where the hustle and bustle doesn’t stop.

“From what I can see from here, only the Rezo Street looks familiar…” (Sif)

“There’s a hell lot more people. When we were leaving to the Academy, there were quite a bit of people as well, but…this is incredible.” (Yuno)

The most conspicuous street that extends from the Golden Highway to the town’s center, the Rezo Street, hadn’t changed in appearance.

But most of the buildings that were lined up at its sides were not familiar to them, moreover, the people and carriages filling the street was heavily different from the town that the two remember.

They felt as if the liveliness was a lot higher than that of the Academy Town.

After being away from their hometown for a while, they were once again reminded that the entering to the wasteland was prospering and was in a state where the business was in continuous rise in Tsige, which overwhelmed the two.

“Sif-ojosama, Yuno-ojosama!”

“We are back.” (Sif)

“Morris!” (Yuno)

“Welcome back. Those faces, as expected, it surprised you, right?” (Morris)

“Yeah, it is incredible. It hasn’t been long, and yet, it has become so amazing…” (Sif)

“It was a shocker! Don’t tell me our house has changed as well?!” (Yuno)

“The construction work around this place had finished just recently, so even I am not used to the level of liveliness here yet. Yuno-ojosama, the residence has not changed at all since the time you left to the Academy.” (Morris)

A low but clear voice was directed at Sif and Yuno. It was the butler serving long in the Rembrandt household, Morris.

Since the two ladies had returned, he went to pick them up.

Even though he is already old, he had a beautiful upright posture.

The unchanging figure of Morris had relieved the two.

In reality, Rembrandt planned on going to pick them up himself, but because of a sudden business discussion, he had no choice but to give up on it.

He tried to give up on the business discussion instead, but his wife and butler hurriedly stopped him and the job of picking the two up was moved to Morris.

“I see. There seems to be a lot of places worth checking out. Even though this is the city I was born and raised in…it feels kind of strange. Also…I was sure father would be the one coming, but Morris was the one, that’s also strange.” (Sif)

“Ah! Right, father! Doing something underhanded like using Raidou-sensei! I was thinking about complaining to him!!” (Yuno)

“A sudden business discussion came in, so I have come here in his stead. If you are going to be taking an outing, I will prepare the necessary, so first, please head to the carriage. Let’s return first before doing anything.” (Morris)

“Mother and Morris must have it tough. At times, I wonder how father was able to become a merchant that could make such a big company.” (Sif)

“…Since it is father we are talking about, I thought he would cancel the business discussion, but it looks like he still has a bit of a head on his shoulders.” (Yuno)

A sudden business discussion.

With those few words, Sif understood the situation somewhat , but Yuno made a statement that gave out remaining trust towards her father.

Their mother and Morris let out a dry laugh at this and both of them invite the two to the carriage that has a mark on it.

Even though it is terribly congested, the carriage was moving smoothly as the people and things moved to the sides like sea splitting.

It was a scene that made clear how much power the Rembrandt Company had in Tsige.

***

“And so, I tried coming to the Adventurer Guild, but…” (Yuno)

Yuno Rembrandt rubs her eyes.

There’s the Adventurer Guild right in front of her eyes.

There’s none in Rotsgard, but it is a familiar location for adventurers looking to do requests.

The paths increased and new buildings were constructed, which confused her a great deal, but she somehow managed to make it all the way there.

It should be something easy to do, but she felt strangely accomplished as if she had achieved something difficult. That’s how it is, but…

“Why are there two guilds?” (Yuno)

That’s right. In front of Yuno, there’s two buildings with similar structure lined up next to each other. Both of them with the sign of Adventurer Guild.

This is a mystery.

If she had begun to search for differences, she might have noticed, but Yuno simply rubbed her eyes and had a glance at it, so without much hesitation, she entered the guild to her left.

‘When in doubt, go to the left’, is one of her policies.

“Uh.” (Yuno)

An incredible heat covers Yuno.

Because of all the people, she couldn’t see the reception desk.

Yuno has come here many times before, but it still flustered her.

“You are in the way, move.”

“Don’t just stand still in the entrance!”

“Ah, sorry.” (Yuno)

Being shouted at, Yuno reflexively apologized and moves to the side.

If it were her past-self before she was ill, she would have used her Rembrandt name to torment them.

There’s the possibility that they might look down on her because of this, but this is an action that proves she has grown as a person.

Morris, who was silently watching over Yuno from the shadows without being noticed by her, had a teary eye when he saw this.

“…I see. This guild is solely for the wasteland huh. I can’t go entering the wasteland. Looks like I picked the wrong one.” (Yuno)

After surveying the surroundings, Yuno understood the situation.

In the past, the requests regarding the wasteland and those that were not were separated by boards. Now, maybe because the amount of requests increased, it has been separated in buildings.

She silently leaves and enters the other guild.

There were a good amount of people, but it didn’t give out a chaotic atmosphere.

Yuno felt a sense of relief at the familiar atmosphere of the guild and stops her gaze at her objective.

She approaches the reception desk and places her elbow on the counter.

“Welcome! What can I help you wi—wait, Yuno! What! When did you return?! It is been so long!”

“Yeah yeah. It is admirable that you are seriously doing your work.” (Yuno)

“Talking to me on a pedestal huh, you~. It is my job after all, I will obviously do it seriously. It is not as busy as the other one, but it is still a tough job in this town.”

“It is been a while since I have been here and the guild increased to two after all. It gave me a shocker. And the townscape has changed completely as if it were a completely different one.” (Yuno)

“Calling it a completely different one is an exaggeration~. Ah, but the adventurers that have returned after several months of being away, there are times when they would even ask people to guide them.”

The one Yuno saw was an old childhood friend of hers.

While being happy about reuniting with her old friend, they began to have a casual talk.

There’s not many adventurers coming to the reception desk, so it is a situation that can be allowed, but the two of them didn’t mind it.

“It has changed quite a bunch, so I can understand that. A-chan, when are you done with your work today? You got this job through a connection, so can’t you slip out?” (Yuno)

“Let’s see, around one more hour. Wait, did you come all the way here to meet me? The little Rembrandt princess has? Also, don’t call it connection. I am working seriously, you know.”

“It was a coincidence. I came here to check out requests that I might be able to do and saw you here, so I spoke to you. It is not necessary to take a request today, so let’s just say I am prioritizing my friend.” (Yuno)

Yuno easily shakes her head to the sides.

“Saying that it was just a coincidence so readily… Then, go search for requests while waiting. I will guide you to recently popular places. It will be your treat.”

“Eh?! I just came back, and yet, I will be the one treating?!” (Yuno)

“It is the penalty for your previous statement that showed a lack of understanding towards a lady’s heart.”

Yuno was muttering out complains, but, maybe she decided on doing her original objective, she began to fish for requests. She leaves the reception desk and heads to the request board.

They were friends in school, but they were also rivals. In other words, a friend that you have to be on guard with. But for Yuno, she is also a friend she can truly relax herself with. If she had to compare them to the school friends she has, she would be classified as one of her lax friends.

Maybe that’s why Yuno, who has a good-upbringing, was able to become friends with her slightly easily without getting haughty.

“Hmm, is there a request for an individual that’s recommended to be around level 70 or party ones for around level 50.” (Yuno)

Yuno flips around the catalogue of requests she borrowed while looking at the request board as well.

She has returned to her hometown, but she wasn’t planning on slacking.

She was narrowing down the requests, prioritizing experience over the reward.

Yuno Rembrandt still hasn’t found her own fighting style. She felt that something was missing.

That’s why she is thinking of grasping that something no matter what.

“It makes me impatient whenever I see Jin-senpai already pushing through the path of the dual-sword style. The spear-wielding of Shiki-san is mainly concentrated on spells, and the bow style of Raidou-sensei is just abnormal.” (Yuno)

Receiving the teachings of Raidou, Yuno has advanced quite a bit in the path of magic, but it is not something she can use as her main style in battle.

When it is about battle, it is better to use your weapon of choice.

She has registered as an adventurer in the guild and has a class job of her own. Of course, she has also acquired a good amount of special skills, so if she were to put them in action, she would be able to fight decently.

But Raidou has told them not to rely too much on skills, especially the ones that have easy arias and have to be intonated to cast.

A style centered in skills is the usual with adventurers who have the warrior job, and many students in the Academy fight in this way. That’s why Yuno felt incredibly strange at that instruction, but she understands the reason for it at present.

The skills -especially the ones that you have to intonate to cast- move your body forcibly. For example; the High Slash that is known widely mostly around the lightweight warriors. It is a skill you can use when your feet are on the ground, and it makes you jump high up to cut down your target. You can’t move freely until you have finished the attack. In cases like when you miss, a fatal opening would be created.

Of course, you will be obtaining jumping strength that surpasses your usual ability, and it has its own advantages so, depending on how you use it, it could be useful.

Yuno had interpreted the words of Raidou as ‘learn to move your own body in battle properly first in order to bring out the best of your skills’.

Even so, when the time comes when she has to use those skills, it proves quite the hurdle.

Yuno has been hiding under the convenience of the skills for a long time, but now, she has begun to worry about her own fighting style and is currently passing her days with headaches.

By the way, Raidou can’t use a single active skill.

Even if he has a few choices with the low level ones, but since he is level 1, it is understandable that he has not obtained a single one.

All the jobs that Root has set-up in his system, you can’t be any of those if you are level 1.

‘I can’t teach what I don’t know’, was actually Raidou’s reason. The reality of things was actually pretty pathetic.

But misunderstandings sometimes create incredible miracles.

Jin couldn’t use skills in the tournament, so he felt as if they were telling him to train with the premise that he can’t use them to begin with, and he has been working hard in this way.

The active skills are one of the benefits of the Adventurer Guild.

There were no few places where the use of them were prohibited, like for example; in events where you compete with martial arts.

Of course, Raidou doesn’t know about that.

In the end, Yuno was unable to find a good request and left the guild together with her friend at the stipulated time.

***

Yuno was passing a fun night with her friend A-chan -actual name, Ates.

However, this night surpassed the danger levels she expected by a lot, but sadly, she wouldn’t know this until she was already caught up in the trouble.

“W-What should we do?” (Ates)

Yuno was thinking the same thing as what Ates voiced out at her side.

Most problems could be wrapped up by bringing out the name Rembrandt, but there are exceptions -in the cases when they are hostile towards the Rembrandt Company, or when they are not sane.

Tonight was the latter.

Intoxicated by alcohol.

Yuno is strong, but that’s in student standards.

She remembered him because he shouted at her when she had entered the wrong guild, but if asked whether she can fight him off, the answer would be no.

The option of peacefully settling this with a talk was already out the moment he got involved with them randomly. He was quite drunk.

But even if he is drunk, he is an adventurer that completes wasteland requests. Yuno is around the standard in ability. He was not an opponent she could go against.

The surroundings felt as if they were uninterested or taking the stand of observers.

(The best choice would be to make as much of a ruckus as possible so someone that knows me helps us out. Looks like silently leaving the house has come to bite me.) (Yuno)

Even with that, Yuno was calmly thinking about a solution, but…

“Kya! Kugh!” (Yuno)

In an instant, at the moment when she was thinking whether there’s an acquaintance around and her gaze had left the two troublemakers that came to complain to them, Yuno was lifted up from her neck with one arm by the man.

She thought that was quite the sharp move for someone drunk.

When she confirmed the state of her friend, it looked like the other man was on top of her, using both arms to keep her pinned on the ground.

She wanted to do something about it, but she was currently caught from the throat and lifted up, so she was in a state where she can’t even breathe properly.

(First of all, what to do. Ah geez. This is my hometown, but what bad security this town has…) (Yuno)

It was painful, but Yuno still wasn’t falling into panic.

If the name of Rembrandt doesn’t work, there’s no way to deal with the adventurers that head to the wasteland. But in the other hand, this also meant that, normally, there’s no adventurer in this town that Yuno can’t deal with.

And in reality, the fate of the adventurers currently cornering Yuno and her friend has already been sealed.

No matter how they act from now on, they have stirred the rage of the Rembrandt Company’s representative, and will most likely disappear from this town by tomorrow.

But that doesn’t solve the problem now.

What will save her right now would be…

“Now then, let’s leave it at that.”

A soft voice echoed within the onlookers of the bar.

Even though this is the time when you would be soaking your entrails with alcohol in order to spit out the tiredness of the day, there was a single man wearing a butler suit.

He stepped into the scene where Yuno, Ates, and the two men were in, and then, as if nothing, he lightly hits the right arm of the man holding the neck of Yuno around his elbow.

“Ah? You…do you know who I am—-Uoah?!”

Even though he didn’t hit that hard, the big man released Yuno and drew in his arm.

Gasps of surprise were let out.

But the butler didn’t mind it. He carries Yuno on his arms and directs his gaze at the other victim of this.

‘Excuse my intrusion’, is what he says as he fixes his glasses.

“Ates-sama, banzai.” (Morris)

“Eh?” (Ates)

“Lift both arms up.” (Morris)

“Ah, okay.” (Ates)

“Eh, what are you doing, girl?”

Being suddenly told a strange thing from the elderly man, Ates was dumbfounded while she raised her arms just as he instructed.

When she did this, the man that was on top of her was pushed heavily up.

Everyone was concentrating on the elder man, making this action possible.

The butler in question laughs.

“Well then, now rise your knees with full strength.” (Morris)

“Knees? Like…this?!” (Ates)

“Gagh!!”

“Ah.” (Ates)

“Perfect. Now, come over here.” (Morris)

Lifting up her knees with all her strength as she was told, she finally understood the result of it.-her knees had hit right at his nether region. And it was without any sort of restrain, she simply did it as she was told.

When she felt that the man had loosen his strength, Ates hurriedly takes refuge towards the man that gave her advice.

The pitiful man was letting out unintelligible words, that can only be interpreted as cries of pain, and his mouth was foaming with his eyes showing white.

“M-Morris-san! I was so scared~!!” (Ates)

“It is safe already, ladies. Ates-sama, Yuno-ojosama, please.” (Morris)

“Ah, yes.” (Ates)

“Ugh *cough *cough*…Thanks, Morris.” (Yuno)

“Yuno-ojosama, I got shivers when I couldn’t see you anywhere. I will deal with this immediately, so let’s return home…… Milady is waiting.” (Morris)

The word Milady that Morris added at the end made Yuno groan.

She must have understood that what awaits her will be a scolding.

Morris takes off his coat and fixes his collar as he approaches the man that had taken Yuno by the neck.

“You bastard! I am an adventurer that gets a living from the wasteland, you know?! I can go all the way to the Ando Base, a big deal!! Don’t you get that?!”

“Ando, the second base, isn’t it. If it were half a year ago, I wouldn’t have minded giving you a few claps for that, but in this present time, I would say that’s not really a big deal. Not the level of someone that would warrant not fearing the Rembrandt.” (Morris)

“Ha! Don’t think that a mere merchant can act all big forever! You see, my level is one hundred thirt—Buagh!”

Morris’ thin right leg digs into the stomach of the big man.

“I am ashamed my level is not great. It is only around 300.” (Morris)

Saying this, the elderly butler places strength in his remaining left leg. Yuno associated this action with a spring contracting.

The next instant, Morris’ left leg separated from the ground, and with refined movements, the butler turns over in the air. The moment he released that pent up strength, his left leg sprung forth and crushed the lower jaw of the man.

As if the right leg that was still in the man’s stomach was chasing after the left one, it separated and Morris turned around in the air as he lands.

He calmly cleans the dust from his sleeve.

Those were acrobatic movements. Movements you wouldn’t think possible from an elderly man.

“Good grief. When the rude younglings increase, the amount of times my old body needs to act increases and it is troubling.” (Morris)

As if singing along to the words of Morris, the sound of cheers and glass clanking each other echoed through the bar.

Tonight, the bar was the most heated up.

Ates also shouted ‘kya~!’ as she held Yuno and hopped up and down.

Within this, Yuno was looking at Morris with a dumbfounded expression.

“Now then, Yuno-ojosama. Let’s return.” (Morris)

“…I have found it. This is it.” (Yuno)

“Ojo-sama?” (Morris)

“Morris!!” (Yuno)

“Yes? What is it?” (Morris)

“Teach me things like the ones you did just now!” (Yuno)

“…Hah?” (Morris)

Yuno felt her whole body trembling.

The butler serving her father, Morris. He has always been by their side since young and he is basically family.

She has heard before that he is strong, but she didn’t have the chance to know with what weapon and in what way he fought.

She was obviously surprised that Morris could easily defeat a wasteland adventurer and a pretty decent one at that as if he were beating up a kid. But what made Yuno tremble even more was the splendid physical technique.

For Yuno, who was troubled over the spear or the bow and was worrying over which direction to take, the movements Morris showed looked like they were a heaven-sent for her.

She understands her own ability to assimilate things. She has the trait of being able to use most weapons to a decent degree. This had the strong point of being all-purpose, but it also meant that she was a jack of all trades and master of none which led to her worry.

But Yuno had seen a light in the path she should walk on.

The technique that would serve as the core to connect the usage of a variety of weapons.

She has finally met a martial art that could serve for her flexible style.

At this moment, she for the first time was grateful for her father forcefully making them return to Tsige.

Yuno’s summer vacation began to move in this way.