Trails with Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Author Note:
The North Ambria Arc, where I had a hard time writing, now begins.
That said, this chapter is only up to the point where they enter the town, so the actual field study activities will only begin the next chapter.
Thank you for the typo reports as always.
Chapter 043 – Fufufu, son. It’s The June Field Study
The students of Class VII of Thors Military Academy gathered at Trista Station and shared their thoughts about the field study destinations they were about to head to with each other.
Meanwhile, Group A frowned upon the fact that Group B wasn’t wearing school uniform, but casual clothes …… and thick ones, at that.
On behalf of group A, Emma asked Rean a question.
“Rean-san, what’s with that outfit?”
“This time, we are going to North Ambria for our field study and Instructor Sara told us to prepare cold weather clothes because it’s cold in the northern part of the continent. This time, the demand for your warmth is high, in addition to your healing skills, Celine.”
[“Why do I have to be taken along every time……?”]
Celine, who was already in Fie’s arms, thought so in resignation.
“Fie, me too……”
“Hm, okay.”
“Ah, me too, me too.”
Fie, who was wearing casual clothes that exposed her midriff, even though they were going to a cold region, handed Celine to Laura, who relaxed the tension in her face as she enjoyed the sensation of Celine’s soft fur, and Alisa also had on a smile as she stroked Celine.
It seemed like the circle of women had already become good friends.
“It’s the third time Celine is brought along for our field studies, and it’s surprising how we are already used to it.”
“That goes for us too. It looks like she will be accompanying Group B…… or rather, Rean, this time as well, but it already feels normal to have that cat accompanying the group in the field study.”
“But I heard that North Ambria has a harsh climate. As Rean said, holding Celine in your arms would surely make me able to withstand the cold a little more.”
“No, no, she’s not a portable heater, okay? ……Well, if it’s really that bad, it’s not for nothing that there’s a proverb that one would like to borrow a cat’s hand, so I’m not opposed to it……”
The boys watching the scene also seemed to have no objection to Celine’s participation.
Since Celine was taken along by Emma and Rean during the field study last month, it seemed that Celine was already recognized as a small classmate by Class VII.
“North Ambria, is it……?”
“Is there something, Emma?”
[“……Among us witches, it is said that a strange event had occurred in North Ambria 26 years ago, caused by a Divergent Law entity, known as the Salt Pale. It seems have calmed down now, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.”]
Emma whispered her thoughts to Rean.
Osbon and Roselia had mentioned that McBurn was an entity that fit the description of the Divergent Law.
Dad, if McBurn-san is the same as Salt Pale, does that mean he is capable of the same thing?
[“Fufufu, son. Not all Divergent Laws are the same. All of them have great power, but Salt Pale and Almighty Conflagration are among the extremes.”]
So, is he?
[“I haven’t seen him using the full extent of his powers, so I can only give a guess, but I think he is capable of something similar.”]
So investigating the Salt Pale will contribute to a strategy against McBurn-san?
[“I think that side of Rean-san is amazing.”]
Despite being told that the person likely had a combat power comparable to something that had devastated an entire nation, not only did Rean not flinch, he was even more motivated, and Emma was impressed by his positive outlook at things.
So much so that Emma wondered if she had a similar drive, she might be able to find her elder sister sooner.
“That’s right, Emma. Can I borrow your ARCUS?”
“Eh? I don’t mind……”
Rean smiled as Emma handed over her ARCUS without hesitation and grasped it tightly in both hands.
Emma was suspicious, then startled by the Power of Ashen that spreaded from both of his hands.
“R-Rean-san?”
“I imbued it with Power of Ashen through my dad. Using Emma’s ARCUS as a base, you should be able to use Brave Orders from what I could use, including one that I got from Roselia-san, so don’t hesitate to use it if you deem necessary. Gaius also seemed to have awakened his Brave Order, so I recommend consulting him for more details.”
[“Osbon-san?!”]
[“Fufufu, Miss Emma. It just means that my son isn’t the only one who has been strengthened by training.”]
{“Umu. I still don’t know what the hidden trial is yet, but it seems that I have learnt how to imbue my power to someone other than Rean. Feel free to use it, Emma.”}
[“It’s certainly reassuring, but it seems anything goes for you…… I see, so Gaius-san, who was supposed to be the last stronghold, had left me behind……”] 1
The light in Emma’s eyes gradually died as she let out dry laughs.
Class VII and Celine who were watching this was resigned to the fact it must be yet another of Rean’s weird antics and sympathized with Emma.
As they were doing that, the train had arrived, and after parting ways with Group A, Group B went together with Sara, who arrived late, to Lamare Province.
While taking a break on the train, Fie asked Sara again.
“Sara, is it okay that the location of this time’s field study is North Ambria?”
“It isn’t part of the Empire’s territory, but we got special permission for that.”
“But it’s quite different from what we’ve visited until now……”
“Since Group A went to Nord, just take the field study this time to investigate the situation outside the Empire.”
“But we are supposed to go there as part of the curriculum, so wouldn’t it be better if we change to our uniform……”
“…………If we go there with a mentality for learning, we won’t be welcomed.”
Seeing Sara’s expression becoming more serious than usual, Group B swallowed their words.
Rean recalled the information he had heard from Emma and Osbon earlier and asked for more information about North Ambria.
“If I recall correctly, the damage caused by the incident caused the land to become extremely harsh……”
“Yes. It’s already a cold region, due to the influence of the climate in the northern part of the continent, to begin with. Then the disaster wrecked both the land and industry. Crops couldn’t grow on the salted land, and the people who survived were left struggling in poverty. If you come to a place like that, like a tourist, you can’t avoid malicious gazes.”
While Group B groaned, saying how just imagining that situation already sounded tough, Fie narrowed her eyes as she nodded.
“I was an orphan too, so I know what it feels like to starve. The troublesome thing about that is the stress that accumulated from that makes you want to vent it out against those around you. If someone crosses that line, they could no longer move, though.”
“Fie……”
As the air became tense, Sara broke the atmosphere.
“As a result, the Jurai City State, with whom the Empire traded with, suffered economic collapse, and the Chancellor of Blood and Iron took over the city and turned it into a special economic zone, so it has an indirect Empire on the Empire as well. Although it wasn’t within the Empire, there would be an opportunity to get to know the land known as the Empire.”
“It seems that the field study this time will be different from the previous ones.”
No one responded to Rean’s muttering.
The four members of Group B were thinking about the land of North Ambria.
As Sara looked at the students—— especially Rean, she thought to herself.
I do feel the hope of possibility from you, Rean. The monster breeding facility in April, Panzer Soldat in May…… you have been exposing the darkness under the shadow of the Empire little by little, and if someone like you goes to North Ambria, something might change…… Or it might be just my wishful thinking.
Nothing would change unless one took action.
Like the Northern Jaegers who financed the poverty of North Ambria with foreign currency, some things might be saved and lost by those actions.
But if one didn’t take action, they would just keep losing.
Naturally, since it was outside the Empire and her homeland was already doomed, even if she sought change, nothing would change.
Sara knew well that in a region where food, clothing, and shelter were all in short supply, assistance at the national level was needed, rather than individual effort.
Even so, the fact she still sought change, despite everything, was nothing more than a struggle.
But I won’t let my ego hurt my student. My job this time is to make sure everyone returns to Thors safely…… But please try to behave, okay?
Sara knew she should be careful of Rean, who seemed likely to act on his own if she left him alone, so while thinking of her homeland —— North Ambria, she fell asleep.
＊
After traveling from Ordis to the North Languedoc Canyon Road, Rean and the others began their journey towards North Ambria.
In the previous field studies, the students traveled relatively short distances from stations in each region to nearby towns, but this time, they would be traveling a much longer distance to North Ambria.
Sara said that they could rent an orbal car, but they were students from a military academy, after all, so Rean and others were forced to travel on foot as part of their training on marching.
“Haah, haah, haah……”
“T-This is tough……”
“Machias, Elliot, would you like some water?”
“I-I’ll take it…… gulp. L-Leaving Instructor Sara aside, both Rean and Fie seem to not feel the toughness.”
“I trained for marathons, after all.”
“I have experience in marches, as well. It’s easier since I don’t have to carry a lot of luggage.”
“E-Even if you are just a former one, it seems that jaegers have it hard too.”
Fie had already told everyone in Class VII about herself being a former jaeger and her circumstances, something she had revealed to Rean before.
Everyone, especially Laura, seemed surprised at first, but it was good that they had all somehow completely accepted it.
Or so that was what Rean thought, but the common understanding of Class VII was that compared to Rean’s unconventional behavior, while being a former jaeger was surprising, it wasn’t something to be concerned about, and Fie felt foolish for keeping it a secret, so she pressed her head against Rean’s back.
“S-Shouldn’t there be at least a horse……?”
“Hm, it seems Rean has become quite a celebrity in Ordis, after all.”
“Don’t say something stupid. It is one thing if our destination is Raquel or somewhere nearby, but we are going to North Ambria, you know? There’s no way we can rent horses until we reach there.”
“I don’t think they will particularly mind, though……”
“We can’t let the horse get sick in North Ambria, after all. I’ll make sure to give you some rest every now and then, so do your best.”
“If necessary, I can carry you with Loa Valimar.”
“W-Why don’t you do it right away……?”
“I’ll carry you if you fall, so use your legs until then. Come up, I’ll pull you up if you want.”
“H-Hey, don’t suddenly increase the pace! It might be easier to walk, but it’ll put strain on my legs!”
“Should I hold your hand Elliot?”
“No thanks……”
Seeing Rean pulling Machias’s hand, Fie made such a suggestion, but Elliot, after hearing the screams of the person that was being pulled, declined despite showing signs of fatigue.
After traveling for about two hours, Sara found a rest area where Elliot and Machias could rest their feet.
As the two threw themselves onto the simple sofas, Fie handed them their lunch sandwiches as if she was feeding cats.
Although both of them inwardly complained, they lacked the energy to protest so they pathetically accepted it quietly.
Meanwhile, Rean was giving Celine the milk he prepared via Osbon.
“But now that we did this, one really starts to appreciate the benefits of the railway.”
“Hm. It has become essential for long distance traveling in the Empire.”
“North Ambria doesn’t have a railway or an airport, so when I got out from there, I was amazed at how well the infrastructure was.”
Sara’s words were heartfelt and had the power to capture the attention of her listeners.
On the other hand, there was also some prediction for the region of North Ambria.
“It’s not like there aren’t orbal cars there, but they’re generally owned by the wealthy while the majority of people don’t get to enjoy that benefit. There weren’t enough orbal lights deployed either, so the damage caused by monsters is no joke. Since the people there managed to survive in such a harsh region, many of them are quite tough.” 2
“So the request over there would be something like subjugating wanted monsters……”
“We’ll be doing tasks that the Northern Jaegers, which could be considered the vigilantes of North Ambria, can’t handle.”
“Are you okay, Sara?”
“Since my homeland is in danger, I can let go of any personal grudges I may have…… if that’s not the case, though, I don’t know what will happen. And instead of meeting face to face, I’ll have a bracer acquaintance act as an intermediary, so it’ll be fine.”
“……………?”
Rean furrowed his brows at Sara and Fie’s exchange.
He was considering asking something, but Osbon stopped him.
[“Fufufu, son. Let it slide, for now. It will be revealed during the field study eventually. The important matter requires a proper place and time to discuss, after all.”]
I guess that’s not something to ask when the other two are exhausted, huh.
Glancing at Sara, who seemed a little dejected, Rean handed Elliot and the others paper cups with straws and drink inside, then went off to have lunch to take a break.
“It will be a hellish walk from here on, huh……,” muttered the two who were more dejected than Sara, but what brought them relief was that Sara had asked an acquaintance to secretly arrange an orbal car to be brought to the rest area.
It seemed that the march ended at that point and the rest of their trip would be covered by orbal cars.
It was only natural the two’s eyes gleamed upon hearing this.
And so, Group B boarded the orbal car and set off towards North Ambria.
“So this is North Ambria.”
“It’s cold……”
Elliot, who had gotten off the orbal car and was looking at the scenery, hugged his scarf tighter and buried his neck in it.
It was June, the season of summer, but this piece of common sense didn’t seem to apply in North Ambria.
Having traveled a long distance from Trista, it was already evening and it wasn’t just the cold caused by the darkness of the dusk that was bothering them.
The temperature was indeed cold, but simply put, the atmosphere felt different.
The land as far as the eye could see was deserted and devoid of much life.
The place was naturally quiet and deserted at night, but here, one couldn’t even hear the sounds of insects or flowing rivers.
Rean vaguely felt that the environment was depleted.
While Group B rubbed their bodies, shivering from cold and other things, Sara clapped her hands to encourage the students.
“The weather is still quite pleasant today by local standards. It won’t feel like this in winter.”
“Is it really that bad……? By the way, where are we going from here?”
“We’ll go to the town where I used to live for now. I have a lot of acquaintances there, and as long as I am nearby, you won’t be subject to much prejudice for being a foreigner.”
Sara spoke nonchalantly, but Machias gasped at her words.
He didn’t think something like “there’s no way that would happen just by visiting.”
Machias himself was aware that if he had not clashed with Rean during the field study in April, he would still harbor prejudices against nobles.
He naturally became nervous, thinking that people would look at him the same way he used to look at nobles.
As Machias thought that, Fie’s small hand slapped him on the back.
“Ouch!”
“Hm, nice reaction.”
“W-what are you doing, Fie-kun!”
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
“There must be something, right!”
Fie followed Sara as she got back to orbal car, and Machias chased after the girl.
Rean and Elliot looked at each other and both laughed at how Fie expressed her consideration.
“We should go too.”
“Roger. Celine, do you want me to carry you?”
[“I can walk by myself!”]
As Celine let out a threatening hiss, Elliot let out a chuckle, while Sara and Group B rode the orbal car, continued along the roads of North Ambria.
Eventually, they reached a place where they could see the nearby town, but the sight that met Rean and the others’ eyes was beyond their expectation.
Although Rean could feel the presence of people, there was none of the hustle and bustle usually seen in the Empire, even when looked from a distance.
It wasn’t exactly an abandoned area, but there was still a biting cold that seemed to envelop the town.
“Well then, we’ll go on foot from here.”
“Eh, aren’t we supposed to go by orbal car……”
“If we can’t prove that it belongs to Northern Jaegers, there’s a risk of it being stolen. That said, most people aren’t energetic enough to do that…… but well, better safe than sorry.”
“Northern Jaegers ……?”
“Yes, that’s——”
“Wait a moment, Instructor Sara.”
As Sara was about to answer the question muttered by Elliot, Rean stopped her.
His eyes were looking in the opposite direction, but his hand was already on the hilt of his tachi, ready to be drawn at any time.
“Rean, is it the enemy?”
“I don’t know. But I could sense that someone is watching us. It’s not a monster, but a human’s gaze.”
“I-Is that so?”
Group B immediately went on alert after hearing Rean’s voice.
Before Sara could say anything, the person appeared.
“Wait, wait, I’m not hostile towards you guys. But really, that’s amazing, what an incredible perception you have.”
The person, who said that while raising both hands in a gesture of surrender, was a blond man in a white coat.
As this was their first meeting, Rean and the others were still wary of the said man, causing the blond man to sigh. His gaze was redirected towards Sara, who was behind them.
“Sara, didn’t you explain it to them beforehand?”
“Sorry, I was planning on telling them after we got into town.”
“Instructor Sara, do you know him?”
“Yes. I told you before, right? He’s the intermediary for this request —— he’s my fellow bracer.”
Group B’s eyes widened when they heard the word bracer.
But at the same time, their wariness disappeared and the blond man introduced himself with a wry smile.
“Let me introduce myself again. My name is Toval Randonneur. I’m a bracer who received the task to support your field study from Sara. Nice to meet you!”
Author Note:
Toval-san appeared right off the bat.
It seemed like all the members from the beginning of Cold Steel II have gathered.
Their casual clothes were similar, but Fie’s outfit in Cold Steel III really made me nervous because it might give her a cold stomach.
I was sure she chose clothes that were easy to move in, but considering that there were also cases like Shirley, was it some sort of obligation for a female jaeger to wear light clothing like that…?
Want early access to Cannon Fodder, Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer, and I Was a Man Before Reincarnating, So I Refuse a Reverse Harem? Support the translator on Patreon!
