Chapter 45 – The n.o.ble’s Daughter Longs for the Wide World 8
“Too slow!! Put more power into it!! 100 more laps!!”
“I, I can’t, do it anymore … e, even … my n.o.ble … super athlete self … can’t run … any … more …”
Montavo fell to his knees on the street and was breathing roughly.
Having been made to run from late at night to the break of dawn, Montavo was on the verge of death.
He was completely overworked.
However, releasing him after only this would render the whole thing meaningless.
“Huuuh? You’re pretty spoiled for a joke character. So it’s not just your gla.s.ses that don’t have frames, you don’t have guts too! Stand up right now and run, run to the setting sun!”
“Um, that’s not the setting sun, that’s the rising sun…”
“Montavo … when did you become such a big shot that you think you can gainsay me? That’s the setting sun, GOT IT?”
Transformed as Kai, I thrusted my sword at Montavo’s neck.
“Y … yes you’re right … that’s the setting sun! It was my elite and idiotic self’s mistake!”
“Right, if you understand that THEN RUN!! Run if you want to win against Yuutarou!!”
“Y … yes …”
Montavo staggered and began to run.
I folded my arms and made an imposing pose, observing Montavo.
This one week, Montavo had been going through my bootcamp-like training program.
It’s not because this training will make him stronger.
Getting stronger through overwork is just an illusion.
It’s nonsense.
There’s another goal I had in mind for this spartan training.
“My my you’re lively this morning, too”
An old man on his morning walk greeted me.
Old people wake up early in any world.
“Good morning to you. I apologize for being noisy. … MONTAVO!! GET YOUR a.s.s OVER HERE AND SAY h.e.l.lO!”
“Y, Yes …!”
Montavo stopped his running and came over.
“Good morning!!”
Montavo stomped his feet together, straightened his back, and made a deep bow.
Hm, it was a perfect bow just like I taught him (with threats).
“Oh, you’re so polite even though you’re young. I heard the rumors say you’re a stuck up n.o.ble but you’re really a good young man aren’t you. I’ll be rooting for you against Yuutarou”
The old man praised Montavo with a smile.
“Y, yes … ! Thank you very much! I’ll do my best!”
Montavo thanked him with tears in his eyes.
Originally, Montavo wasn’t so agreeable.
If you praised him, he would grumble “A commoner like you valuating my n.o.ble self? Aren’t you mistaking your position?” I’ll beat you to death
But now, because of my prolonged hard training he was at his limit both physically and mentally.
He had no mental power left for sarcasm.
Praised in this condition, he would be touched.
“………”
I glanced at our surroundings.
Early rising old people and housewives were watching Montavo.
Their gazes were generally favorable.
The people like down-to-earth n.o.bles.
The housewives and old people here would see Montavo and think “so honest and friendly” and spread the word.
Little by little the general opinion would be “maybe Montavo winning isn’t so bad”.
Unless we slowly but surely create a mood like that, we won’t win against a Protagonist.
We have to become a Protagonist that the people would cheer on as well —
Well, it was a gra.s.sroots movement with little effect, but — my Montavo Makeover had only just begun.
“Right, we’ll stop here today. Rest yourself. Don’t go playing around. Especially don’t play around with women!! There’s no protagonist out there who plays around with women!”boomerang
The makeover begins for real tomorrow.
I’ll remake this small fry into a “Fake Protagonist”
Right after Montavo’s grueling training, I turned towards the town’s central district.
That was where the Lord’s mansion was.
Kirisha’s house.
It was a house in the middle of town, so it wasn’t large, but the wooden house gave off an air of history and majesty.
Like out of an English drama.
I transformed into a random person and looked toward the gates from afar.
“Oh, they’re coming out”
A charming lady with a pair of twin young girls in tow.
The woman gave off a definite evil vibe, she was Kirisha’s stepmother.
She climbed aboard a coach that had been on standby in front of the mansion.
“Hmm …”
With that woman in the same house, no wonder Kirisha had no place at home.
Villains care about blood.
They had no trust in anything but “themselves”, nor interest in anything but “themselves”.
That woman pampered her own children and neglected her stepdaughter. It was written all over her face.
“Well, I’ll make use of her as much as I could”
For me and for Kirisha.
“Uncle! I’ve been waiting!”
In the forest, Kirisha greeted me happily.
She smiled like a blooming flower, the sunflower ornament in her hair really suited her.
Haah … so great.
This, this is it.
Healing that none of the other heroines posessed …!
“Uncle, Kirisha brought handmade food again today desuyo! Eat this, the avocado Kirisha raised on Kirisha’s own!”
“You did well raising it …”
“Kirisha wants to try raising durian next desuyo!”
“At least try something like a strawberry first”
This and her “Tamer” power, she excels at handling plants and animals.
Probably, in her own world, she was wanting to gather more friends.
“Kirisha made it into a salad so please eat up! Kirisha will split it up desuyo! Kirisha’s got plenty of girl power nanodesu!”
“The ‘girl power’ image is lacking, but … ah, thank you very much. It looks delicious”
“Hehem. The intriguer Kirisha had successfully put the bigger avocado in her own part! Kirisha has a cunning side as well!”
Oh G.o.ddess so cute ….
Kirisha acting the baddie for only that, so cute.
The woman-stealing actual trash (moi) ought to hear about this.
I sat beside Kirisha and ate.
We had silly banter.
Sharing food = playing family in the forest.
She must be looking for “family” by relating to me.
But that aside —
“Avocado is delicious desuyo~ ♡”
Haaaah … so cute.
Forget all the difficult things. Kirisha’s cute. No need to think about anything. So cute.
Then Kirisha stopped eating and looked blankly at the sky.
She looks to the sky a lot.
She stared, as if she would discover something there by doing that.
“Kirisha always thinks it’s strange,” said Kirisha suddenly, “why do strong people like to settle thing by fighting? There are lots of things you’re supposed to do before that”
She must be talking about Yuutarou.
She was thankful that Yuutarou would duel for her sake — but she couldn’t understand why he’d do that.
Kirisha, who always sought safety, couldn’t understand.
Even though he had the power to not be hurt by others, even though he was a stable existence, why would he deliberately clash against others —
“Why do strong people like to fight? Isn’t it obvious?”
I gripped Kirisha’s hand and said.
“— it’s because they’re weak”