Chapter 87
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 87 – That Poltergeist-like Thing
It had been several dozen minutes since Ain and his group had entered the territory of the former demon king.
If there was a problem, it was probably only because of what Ain had caused.
However, from Lloyd and Dill’s point of view, it was a better result than if he had gone out of control.
The group prepared a place to stay, but as expected, they were not willing to use the abandoned ruins, and entering the opened demon king’s castle was out of the question.
Therefore, the group pitched many tents and set up the cooking utensils they had brought with them.
The extreme cold they had experienced on the way to the former demon king’s territory had disappeared. Here, the weather was somehow blessed with spring-like weather, and everyone took off their winter clothes.
In other words, it was as if they were leisurely preparing for a spring camping trip.
When the demon king’s castle gates opened, everyone was on high alert.
But it was only for a few minutes.
After they waited and waited and nothing happened, Lloyd was the first to relax.
He still felt like they were being watched, but nothing had changed, so he finally ordered them to prepare for camp.
Since then, there was really no sign of anything happening, so they prepared while enjoying the spring weather.
“Lloyd-sama? Can we light the fire now?”
“Oh, yes! Just do it! Let’s eat some meat and prepare for the coming days!”
One of the knights called to Lloyd, who was standing near Ain.
He was a knight who was preparing lunch, and he immediately began to cook the lamprey rabbit he had just caught.
For example, if you went to a high-cla.s.s restaurant, you would probably be able to taste a dish that was extravagant and elaborate.
Even the n.o.bility would be impressed. That was the flesh of this monster.
But this time, there was no way to cook it that way.
…Except for the knights and Lloyd. And this time, everyone, including Ain, would rather eat as they pleased, barbecue style.
So they would be happier with this kind of cooking.
“Ain-sama. If you are so determined to endure, why don’t you just absorb them?”
“No. You shouldn’t speak the words of a devil like that. I’ve decided that after I eat the rabbit meat, this will be the last time.”
“I-I understand… I’m sorry.”
Ain couldn’t help but get nervous.
Dill thought that if he was going to put up with so much, why not just eat it?
But this was Ain’s way. This time, he had decided to hold out until the end.
Normally, the sight of someone holding a magic stone in his bare hands was unusual.
After all, the magical power emitted by a magic stone had a negative effect on the human body and corroded it.
It was a gesture that can only be made because of characteristics like Ain’s.
The ruins were bathed in spring sunlight.
There, the boy was clutching the magic stone… It seemed picturesque, but his emotions were not quite right, as he was only thinking about the ‘Feast.’
“Hold this. Here we go!”
“All right, stand up. Don’t bend it!
In some places, he could see knights in tank tops working.
They must have been getting hot as they moved. But they seem not to have forgotten the bare minimum, for their swords are neatly sheathed at their waists.
The march was all “men” in terms of gender.
Not that they made it that way, but when the grouping was done, it turned out to be a men’s festival.
Maybe that was why they seemed to act more freely than usual.
If only Mei, the angel of the cafeteria, had been there, how much more endearing she would have been to them.
By the way, the reason why Varra did not accompany them on this investigation was that she was not considered to be able to endure this schedule yet.
This was due to the fear that she would think she was being used as a p.a.w.n in the process.
“By the way, I didn’t know we had such a magnificent tent.”
Tents are made with magic tools to make the living s.p.a.ce comfortable.
By using magic stones as raw materials, air conditioning, and heat insulation functions are applied to create a comfortable s.p.a.ce for the user…
A number of these tents were a.s.sembled and quickly transformed into a spectacular sight.
“Don’t worry, of course; the ones used by Ain-sama are better than the others.”
“I wouldn’t mind the same.”
Even though everyone else was working hard, he felt bad that he’s the only one being treated like this.
But from the Knights’ and Dill’s point of view, this was better for them, as they would feel rather apologetic if Ain were treated the same way.
By the way, the tents Ain used were, of course, equipped with air conditioning.
It had a comfortable floor to walk on and was fully equipped with light protection. It was also equipped with some sound insulation.
Even though you were inside the tent, you could spend your time in a better place than the commoners there.
“Let’s go barbecue! Let’s eat the ones that are already prepared!”
The members of the cooking team shouted as they did so.
The fire was prepared, and the sound of the meat starting to cook could be heard.
Gradually, the fragrant aroma and the happy sound of roasting meat spread.
This boosted the morale even more, and the preparation went smoothly.
“Come on, Ain-sama. Shall we have something first?”
“Right, I’m sorry, but I think I’ll take some of that first.”
He was looking forward to the lamprey meat. Would such a thing be extravagant at noon? But for those who had walked a hard path, they preferred this level of heat.
Ain felt the same way, and his heart leaped at the thought of finally being able to fill his empty stomach with food.
＊＊＊
The sound of footsteps echoed through the wide hallway.
The sound seemed to stop suddenly, but then it started again, indicating that the person causing it was not that busy.
“U-um… Chris-sama?”
“Huh? Ma-Martha-dono… is something wrong?”
“I-I’m very sorry to tell you this, but um…”
Marshal Christina.
The woman was called Chris by Ain and those close to her.
She was strong enough to live up to her rank, and her exceptional beauty made her popular among female knights.
The woman who made busy footsteps in the hallway of the royal castle. It was her.
“There is a message for you. From Olivia-sama.”
Hearing this, Chris wondered what had happened. If it was an emergency for Ain…! She thought to herself. But the words Martha spoke had nothing to do with that.
“‘You’re making too much noise with your footsteps, go feed the twins…’ she said.”
Chris looked as if she had lost the color in her eyes, and then her mouth opened, and her expression became one of sadness.
She felt self-loathing at the fact that she was just being a nuisance.
“I-I see. Sorry, Martha-dono… but was it that loud…?”
The puppy dog’s look on her face makes it hard to tell her the truth.
But with the words of Olivia, her master, it was not easy to muddy the waters.
“…I think there was a little noise.”
Martha was a very caring woman.
Chris understood that. So it was a big blow to Chris when she said that there is a little noise.
If Martha cared enough to tell her that, then it was safe to a.s.sume that she was being somewhat loud.
Martha handed a bucket to a disappointed Chris.
A bucket…? She wondered, but when she saw what was in it, she understood.
“U-uh, well, you know… Olivia-sama told me to give this to Chris-sama.”
“You mean I should go and cool my head…”
There was a large amount of fish in the bucket.
The overflowing fish means it was food for the twins.
Since the twins hunted by themselves, they did not need much food in the castle.
So a bucket that could be held in one hand was enough for them.
“Thank you, Martha-dono. Now I’ll go outside…”
“P-please be careful when you go…?”
Chris walked slowly, looking a little worried and forlorn in the back.
Chris was satisfied in the end, but she still wanted to go to the Baltic.
“Hmm. The rumor spread by the servants is not to be taken lightly, is it?”
Didn’t Chris’ order of priority change from Olivia to Ain? That was the rumor.
The reason was not that they had a master-servant relationship but that Chris may perceive Ain as a member of the opposite s.e.x.
As a result, it was rumored that Ain may have become more important to her. This was the rumor.
Martha realized that the rumors were very real when she saw Chris, as she seemed to be right now.
——After walking in a slight daze, Chris walked out of the castle with a bucket in her hand.
The temperature around the royal capital was still high, and it was the time of year when walking outside felt hot unless you were wearing short sleeves.
At the water’s edge, where Chris arrived, the twins were happily swimming around, waiting to be fed.
“Here you go, you two! I brought you some food.”
Perhaps because Chris sometimes brought them food, the twins remembered her face and voice.
Hearing her voice, the twins came happily to the surface.
“You two have grown so big, haven’t you? Soon, you won’t be able to get into the waterways here…”
Feeling El and Al’s growth, Chris began scattering fish into the water, calling to them.
The twins happily nibble on the fish as they are scattered one by one.
The twins in this waterway were beginning to look more and more cramped.
They were getting bigger and bigger, and it would probably not be long before they could be seen from the castle.
“I wonder if you will grow up to be as big as that Sea Dragon? Hmm, but not quite yet, right?”
She thought back to the Sea Dragon disturbance off the coast of the port city of Magna.
She had taken a fleet of ships with her, but they were trapped in a situation where they were one step away from being destroyed.
Chris thought of that moment as her last, and she remembered thinking that she wanted to talk to Ain for the last time.
Like Olivia and Katima, Ain was smart, but he was free, did things he didn’t understand, and made people worry about him.
Ain was such a boy, but Chris felt that the hectic days were a gem.
For such a Chris, she can still vividly remember the moment when Ain came to her rescue.
At first, she was impressed that he was indeed Olivia’s boy, but after that, she felt she was drawn to Ain’s humanity as an individual.
“Will you both pray that we can go on the next investigation together?”
“Kyu? Kyu, kyu, kyu!”
“Kyuu!”
Although they could understand Ain’s words to a certain extent, they could not understand much of what Chris was saying.
Still, they could somehow understand that she was feeling lonely.
The twins stopped eating fish at one point and turned to Chris, moving their fins.
It was obvious at a glance that they were trying to comfort her.
“Fufu… thank you, you two. I bet I’m the first person ever to be comforted by Sea Dragons, aren’t I?”
To thank them for comforting her, she threw the remaining fish into the water at once.
The twins saw it and happily took a bite.
“Ahhhh… I wonder what Ain-sama is doing right now… I can’t help but wonder. Hahh…”
Various thoughts were running through Chris’ mind at the time.
Ain had arrived at the territory of the former demon king. He was now happily devouring the grilled lamprey rabbit with the same expression on his face as the Sea Dragons who were chewing on the fish.
＊＊＊
“This is what they call ‘tongue pleasing’…”
One bite and the juices spread? Such an obvious thought never crossed his mind.
Just the right amount of cooked spices and salt. It was a steak seasoned with just that… but he felt as if he had discovered a new world of meat.
Maybe “tongue pleasing” is not the right phrase to describe it.
Maybe “melt in the mouth” would be a better description.
The meat was so soft and tender that it seemed to disappear in an instant.
It was so tender that it could be torn apart by the movement of the tongue, and it melted in Ain’s mouth.
The taste profile was neither beef nor pork. And, of course, the taste was different from chicken.
What he felt in his mouth was a mature and rich aroma, like raw ham, and the sweetness of rich fat.
…He could not help but regret that he let the two lamprey rabbits escape.
“How do you like it, Ain-sama?”
Dill, who was also eating the meat, approached Ain.
He was also impressed by the taste, but he could respect his master’s opinion.
“I can’t sleep with my feet facing Lloyd-san anymore.”
[E/n: It’s a j.a.panese idiom taken from Buddhist cultures that the feet are considered unclean, and so it is rude to point the soles of your feet towards people. Meaning, Ain respecting Lloyd so much that he can’t sleep with his feet pointing in Lloyd’s direction.]
“Y-yes… I’m glad you’re happy, and I’m sure my father is too.”
He could tell from Lloyd’s joy as he cooked the meat that he enjoyed it as well.
Ain is grateful to have such a gourmet meal, and he enjoys the taste of the meat.
“We will save a good amount of it for souvenirs to take back to the royal capital. When we return, His Majesty and the others will be able to taste it as well.”
“That’s great. We have some good souvenirs.”
That’s what Lloyd was all about.
He also showed Ain his skills, which was good for Ain.
“It looks like you are having a good time.”
“Of course we are. It’s not easy to get food like this, and after a hard day’s work, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t feel better eating something like this.”
The salary of a Royal Guard was, of course, much higher than the average.
Still, it was rare to find such high-quality food.
Gastronomy was important, Ain nodded in his mind.
“I can’t wait to get this to my grandfather and the others as soon as possible.”
“Yes. We will finish this investigation safely and return to the royal capital together.”
As Dill mentioned, the first thing to do was to finish the investigation safely in the former demon king’s territory.
Since this was the first time for the first course, the schedule was for three days, including today.
Considering the fact that the gates of the demon king’s castle have been opened, a careful investigation would be conducted.
Safety was the top priority, and they wanted to return to the city of Baltic without any injuries.
Everyone who had tasted the delicious food could only pray that they could finish the three-day tour in the same good mood.
“By the way, Ain-sama? Will you be absorbing the magic stone from now on?”
“Well… I was satisfied with some of the meat. I was thinking of doing it tomorrow or so.”
“Huh? Is there something wrong with your health?”
Seeing Dill’s surprised expression, Ain felt a bit sad.
“I wonder if I was such a glutton…”
If there was a chance, he would weigh himself next time.
——Of course, he didn’t have much confidence in his ability to weigh himself.
＊＊＊
Since it was the first day, Ain and the others spent the rest of the day setting up equipment and taking breaks until late in the evening.
Therefore, they decided to take the rest of the day off. They decided to rest and recover their energy gracefully.
Ain also went to the prepared tent and cured his fatigue.
The prepared s.p.a.ce was about 8 tatami mats.
It was a large tent, but since it was transported in a smaller size by means of magic tools, it did not require much effort to carry it.
The engineers who developed the magic tools were to be applauded.
“And the sleeping comfort is not bad either.”
Even though it was a simple bed, it was still very comfortable.
Considering the fact that you were going to rest in a place like this, it would be unreasonable to expect anything more comfortable than this.
In this s.p.a.cious room, there were a few bags and a tank of water.
A large pillow was placed on the floor.
He looked at the clock in his hand; it was already 9:00 p.m.
Unlike during the day, the dinner they had prepared for themselves was something they had brought with them.
The preserved food was heated over a fire and eaten.
The taste was not as good as the daytime steak, but it was still prepared with great care and attention to taste.
“Where do we begin…?”
Thinking was an investigative activity.
Ain had no idea where to begin.
The territory of the former demon king was larger than expected. And Ain had no first-hand knowledge of how to conduct an investigation in such an abandoned place.
Therefore, it was easy to imagine that he would have to rely on researchers.
There was a building nearby that tickled his fancy, the demon king’s castle with its gates open, but as expected, this was not a decision that could be made immediately.
No matter how much was known to Ain, he never knew what might happen there. He felt a sense of urgency.
Suddenly, there was the sound of metal sc.r.a.ping outside the tent.
It was the sound of a knight in armor walking, a sound familiar to Ain.
What he wondered was, why were they wearing armor and coming this way now? That’s what he wonders.
And one more thing. The sound of heavy metal sc.r.a.ping against metal was a sound of armor that was somehow unfamiliar to him.
“Who is it? Has something happened?”
Ain went to the entrance and heard a new sound.
It was the sound of something huge falling to the ground as if moving through the ground.
It rang out in front of Ain’s tent.
Sensing that something was indeed happening, Ain rushed out of the tent.
“…What’s this?”
Then Ain’s eyes caught sight of two huge white lumps.
The two huge white lumps looked familiar to him. Not only did it look familiar, but it was the same creature he had eaten during the day.
“Lamprey… rabbit…?”
The two motionless bodies had a single scar on each of their necks when he looked closely at them.
When he touched them, he found that their bodies were already cold. They might have been bled out, but there was no sign of blood coming out of them.
“Who brought this…?”
There was no one around, and Ain was the only one standing alone.
The metallic sound that had been heard a few minutes ago. He could not hear it anymore.
“Could these be the two animals that escaped during the day?”
If so, he couldn’t understand why they were dead in such a place.
And what were those footsteps earlier?
“…Dear everyone in the royal capital. I have encountered a poltergeist in the former demon king’s territory.”
…A package from an unknown sender was just scary, wasn’t it?
‘In the meantime, let’s call Lloyd and the others. I need to ask them about it to see if they remember anything’ thought Ain at that moment.