Translator Corner
Minasan oideyasu. This is Yukkuri demasu!
Here the new chapter… Should be releasedyesterday, but I am so tired by the barrage of RL duty that I can hardly evade…This is the cost I need to pay to have a paycheck on my plate.
Another chapter will follow soon……
Also thanks to the Patreon pledgers. I willuse the pledge money to secure new LNs (Genjitsu Volume 3!) and for the monthlyInternet cost (about ~10$ per month).
In case you didn’t realize it… I leave certainj.a.panese word as it is. After all, I am not in the “full localization” cliqueas I am not really that fluent in English and English’ finest parts elude me.
DISCLAIMER: There is noguarantee that my translation is 100% correct. Please correct me if I waswrong.
Author:
Dozeumaru(どぜう丸)
Translator:
Yukkuri Oniisan
Editor:
So-Chintzy
Postwar Arc
Chapter 6: In Which I was Baiting Sea Bream with a Shrimpbut Caught a Shark Instead[1]A
There was a tiger in the middleof darkness, closing his eyes, while remembering the events of that day.
◇ ◇ ◇
When he opened his eyes, thefirst thing he saw was a familiar ceiling.[2]While his mind was still hazy, he was staring at the patterns on the ceiling,but when he was fully conscious, he noticed that he was lying on a soft bed.This was strange. The last scenery that he saw should have been the prison. Whenhe remembered this, he turned his neck, and found someone sitting on a chairbesides the bed. That person was a young man who was looking over doc.u.ments.
After he stared at the young manfor a while, the young man seemed to have noticed his condition.
『Hm? Yo.Did you finally wake up?』(A Certain Young Man)
The young man put the doc.u.mentsdown and handed him a hand mirror that had been placed under the chair.
『You mighthave many things to ask, but first, please look at this.』(A Certain Young Man)
As what the young man had said,he peeked at the mirror that was given to him. A tiger-faced beast-kin wasreflected in it. A gold and black striped pattern that unmistakably belonged toa tigris(sword tiger)[3] (it was bigger than Earth’s tigerand had long canines as its special trait). This overwhelmed him and caused himto gape as the young man spoke with a smile.
『Youare a tiger. So you will be a tiger.』[4](A Certain Young Man)
He didn’t understand what the young man means by it, so he didn’tsay anything, but the young man was scratching his head as if he wasembarra.s.sed.
『Well,umm, after all…… don’t merely push things on me. You need to bear it a bit,too.』(A Certain Young Man)
◇ ◇ ◇
「Kagetora[5]-sama」(?)
Someone was calling for him. Hisconsciousness returned, and he saw a man wearing a black dog mask kneeling onthe floor.
「Soit is you Beo-…… Inugami.[6]」(Geo- Kagetora)
「Yes.It seems that the Mountain has moved.」(Beo- Inugami)
The dog masked man who was calledInugami, bowed his head while reporting.
「…… Isee. It has been one month since then. Unexpectedly, it is early.」(Kagetora)
「Thatis true. Even though I thought that it should have taken a bit longer.」(Inugami)
「Fumu……Even if it is early, it is not a bad thing. After this, whatever happens onthis land will be reported to His Majesty without omitting a single detail.This is our duty, the 『Black Cats』!」(Kagetora)
「「「Weunderstand. We accept the command.」」」(Black Cats)
Receiving Kagetora’s order, beginningwith Inugami, the Elfrieden Kingdom King’s Guards Special IntelligenceOperations Squad, the 『Black Cat』 began to move.
◇ ◇ ◇
「King~, let’s play~」(Girl)
「King,shoulder ride~」(Boy)
「……」(Cat-Girl)
A lively and cute 3 year old wolf-earedboy and a human girl came to play with me. The last one was a cat-eared girl asold as the other two, who had occupied my cross-legged lap and had fallenasleep not long ago. The cat tail that came out from her end was movingflip-floppily.
「Ummm,I can’t move, so please don’t climb on me on your own.」(Souma)
「「Yes!」」(Girl)(Boy)
The two of them then began toclimb on my back and playing happily. Yep, really cute, right? Even when theyhad climbed on my shoulders and then patted my face, this was something that Iwas used to.
「Fufufu,Your Majesty is really popular with the children.」(Tomoko)
My lovable step-sister Tomoe-chanand her biological mother, Tomoko-san were smiling at me while folding thechildren’s laundry. This place was the day nursery that was established insidethe castle not long ago. It was for taking care of the children of the peoplewho were working in the castle, like the maids and others. Then the relative ofTomoe-chan, who was semi-forcibly adopted as step-sister, Tomoko-san wasworking in this place as a live-in nursery worker. By the way, the wolf-earedboy who was touching my face with hands covered in drool was her eldest son(Tomoe-chan’s little brother), Rou-kun.
「Nii-sama[7],I am happy that you play with Rou-kun and the others, but will this be alright?Won’t nee-sama[8]will be mad at you again……?」(Tomoe)
She was asking me while cuddlingan infant in her arms. Without any animal negotiation duties, like the one withthe Rhinosauruses, outside her lesson hours, Tomoe-chan will help her mother work.Considering that Tomoe-chan was still a ten-year old, she was a very reliablegirl.
「It’sfine, since I am not crowded with work right now. In addition, I properly left the【LivingPoltergeist】 working at the GovernmentAffairs Office.」(Souma)
「Isthat so? Then, you can play a lot. That’s great, right Rou-kun?」(Tomoe)
「Yes!」(Rou)
Rou-kun raised his hands up. How cute.I really like children. I could keep watching the tiny toddlers step, walkingunsteadily all day long. By the way, it’s not because I am a Lolicon orShotacon! It’s because this scene tickled my guardian instinct[9].When my grandparents were still healthy, I helped at the recital in the neighborhoodnursery. Because of this, I played with the children for a short while.
「Whatan amazing appearance you have, Master.[10]」(Carla)
When I turned around to the onewho was greeting me, there she was, Carla, in the maid uniform.[11]
「Really?It isn’t something that the current Carla can say herself, though.」(Souma)
「Thatis…… You’re right.」(Carla)
Carla dropped her shouldersdejectedly. However, looking closely……
「Themaid uniform surprisingly doesn’t suit you.」(Souma)
「Pleasedon’t mention it…… I already thought about that myself.」(Carla)
In the first place, Carla was a dragonewt,so compared to a normal human, they had a lot of additional parts.[12]She had a tail, she had dragon wing, and she also had small horns growing onher. To wear a maid uniform on top of these… Perhaps it could be said as an unbalancedidiosyncrasy.
「Moreover,isn’t the skirt’s length awfully short?」(Souma)
「P-pleasedon’t look.」(Carla)
While saying this, Carla graspedthe front end of her skirt. Every castle maid wore a cla.s.sic long skirted maiduniform, but what Carla was wearing right now was something that wouldn’t beout a place at a maid café: a knee-length puffed-wide dress.[13]It was evident that the style selection itself was excellent.
「Uuu……The head maid…… said to wear this……」(Carla)
「Ah,so this is Serina-san’s “tease” huh?」(Souma)
Not a “prank” but a “tease”[14].It was not bore out of malice, rather, perhaps, it can be said as a form ofemotional “affection(tease)”. The core of it was to instigatethe target’s shyness. As a maid, the head maid Serina was capable, but it seemsthat she had a sadism habit, limited to cute girls. Furthermore, if the targethad a determined spirit, then they would be “teased”, so someone like Lisciaand Carla was right in her strike zone. Liscia had told me about this beforewith a thousand yard stare on her face. I offered my prayers.[15]
「Nevertheless……It has been about one month, huh? Isn’t your maid training already over?」(Souma)
「T-training……wh-…whoaa……」(Carla)
The moment I mentioned training,Carla was squatting and holding her head. Oh my, something did happen. To enterthe maid corps, someone will receive training for the necessary skills, right?
「Wh-……whip……」(Carla)
「Whip!?」(Souma)
「Hitting……with a whip……」(Carla)
「Is thetraining that hard!?」(Souma)
「Furthermore,that whip is custom made, so even when it strikes the body, it won’t leave anywounds…… but somehow it leaves me half in pain and half in pleasure.」(Carla)
What the heck is that whip!? Ratherthan for training, that was for animal taming, right?[16]
「Thehead maid-dono said, 『Since the pain will obstruct you from feeling pleasure,when you are enduring pain, then you will also feel pleasure as well.』[17] Since I didn’t want to feel useless even though I hadended up as a slave, I planned to study and work hard as a maid…… But that whipis too scary. Soon I might be able to easily fall into the pleasure.」(Carla)
「Themaids corps are the Master’s dogs. There is no place for a sow(female pig)……」(Serina)
「Hiiii!?」(Carla)
When I turned around, Serina-san wasstanding there with a refined smile. Or rather, Carla who could plunge into thebattlefield without fear, was yelling in such a frightened state…… Just how intensewas her fear?
「Issomething wrong, Your Majesty?」(Serina)
「……Nope, nothing.」(Souma)
I felt bad for this, but I decidedto play dumb so that the spearhead wouldn’t be pointed at me. It’s alright,Carla. You won’t die…… Though, I don’t know what will happen to your mental state.
「Nowthen, Carla-san. Shouldn’t you make the bed in the Government Affairs Officewhere His Majesty resides?」(Serina)
「No,it’s just…… to enter a male acquaintance’s room, as expected, it is embarra.s.sing……」(Carla)
「Whatare you talking about? If you become a maid, then in the future you will haveto make the bed where His Majesty and Princess Liscia zealously 【Self-Censored】, 【Self-Censored】into 【Self-Censored】and 【Self-Censored】, with a composed face.」(Serina)
「T-then,as expected, I wish to be excused from it‼」(Carla)
Carla was shouting with a deeplyred face… But, huh? But didn’t Serina-san just indirectly insult Liscia and I?Right now, I felt really uneasy, though.
「Bythe way, Your Majesty. Will Your Majesty’s sides be alright?」(Serina)
「Eh?」(Souma)
「Well,behind Your Majesty, I caught sight of someone running towards this place.」(Souma)
I turned my head to look at whatmade Serina smile when she said that…
「Awc.r.a.p.」(Souma)
I put down Rou-kun who was ridingon my back and then just as I was about to run, my neck was firmly grasped.
「Guagh!」(Souma)
「Hahahaha!I have been searching for you, Your Majestyyyy.」(Owen)
When I looked over my shoulder,there was a swept-backed brown-haired hair, with the same brown-coloredmoustache, muscular middle aged man standing with a smile on his face. It was oneof the people who didn’t yield to my coercion at Castor and Carla’s trial and defendedthem both, Owen Javana, the head of the Javana House. Since that trial, he hadbeen appointed as my educator and advisor (and martial arts instructor). By theway, the () part will be described later.
Ah, by the way the other one whoprotected the Valgas father and daughter, was Piltory Saracen, the head of the SaracenHouse. When he heard the misdeeds of the previous head of the Saracen House(his father), he said,
『Whata thing…… To think that Father had done such deeds. I am even too ashamed toask for an apology. Therefore, I offer this life to Your Majesty until it isdissipated. No matter how dangerous a task it will be, I will obey.』
He had spoken his honest mindjust like his honest and young n.o.ble appearance. So just like he requested, I hadappointed him to a dangerous position. 『The Special Amba.s.sador of the Elfrieden Kingdom’s Emba.s.syat the Grand Chaos Empire』 (shortened: Amba.s.sador to the Grand Chaos Empire) was quite a dangerous position(since it was still experimental and it still wasn’t clear how muchextraterritoriality[18]could be accommodated, it was practically a dangerous position).
So, let’s return the story backto Owen. Owen was a person who will talk bluntly and fairly, even when theother party is his superior. According to the person himself, 『Thereis not much life left on these old bones, so let’s live the few remaining yearshonestly!』 (even if he does say that there’s not much time left,he was someone who won’t die even when killed……). To have someone who could evenspeak bluntly to the ruler on my side, then the risk of me straying from thepath will also decrease. Even though I had ordered Carla to kill me (and shedie as a result) when push comes to shove, but if it is possible, I want to it toend without any need for me to be killed during my lifetime.
Well, for that reason, Iappointed Owen as my educator, but……
「Guahaha,Your Majesty! Please tell me when you are free from the government tasks! Now,now, let’s start today’s lesson!」(Owen)
「……」(Souma)
『Physical Education』was alsoincluded in Owen’s education, so as soon as I was free from any government duties,I would be roped into training. If I was caught, then right after that, I neededto deal with the training menu of running, swinging practice, or mock combat,that was usually imposed on newcomer soldiers. Of course, not with the dolls,but with my own body.
「No-no,if it’s practicing, then I can do it with Aisha, so……」(Souma)
「Whatare you talking about! Isn’t the G.o.d ProtectedPrincess(Aisha-dono) too skillful for Your Majesty’slevel? It would only be a practice for doll manipulation!」(Owen)
「Yourvoice is too loud…… But, I can fight, barely, by manipulating dolls.」(Souma)
「Thenwhat will happen if somehow the dolls can’t be used? Your Majesty’s life is thesame as this country’s life. For example, when a.s.saulted by a.s.sa.s.sins, if YourMajesty could defend the attacks for fewbouts or even just one bout at the lowest, then it might buy enough time until theGuards arrive. That one bout might keep our country’s downfall away and thatone bout could bring glory for our country.」(Owen)
Ugh…… I couldn’t make anycomebacks for this sound argument. I dropped my shoulders and Carla, who wasbeing caught on the neck by Serina, looked at me with slightly pitying eyes.
「Master,too seems to be in trouble.」(Carla)
「Lookwho speaking!」(Souma)
「Nowthen, if Your Majesty can understand, then let’s move to the training ground!」(Owen)
「Carla-santoo, please learn how to make a bed quickly.」(Serina)
Then Carla and I, each of us werebeing dragged towards different directions.
Hasta la vista, baby.
☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽
In the last part, I imagine Souma beingdragged while showing his thumb up.
But, isn’t it should be: I’ll be back?
Next Chapter! Another time skip!