Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Lilia
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 14 – Reluctant Interview
Cadenta Olheim.
She was the eldest daughter of the prestigious Olheim family and the captain of the military’s secret unit “Temperance” (Righteous Unit).
Temperance was in charge of supporting the Tail Kingdom’s national defense system. They were notorious among other nations because they would resort to anything to accomplish their goal, including assassinations and kidnapping. Cadenta was the talented woman who was entrusted with the command of this secretive unit.
She was also my classmate back in my days as a student at the adventurer school.
“The other party is expected to arrive soon.”
After guiding us to one of the several guest rooms in the royal castle, Cadenta stepped backward and struck a stiff, military-style pose.
“Thanks for taking care of everything.”
“Even if you looked all over the continent, you are the only person who would use me as a mere intermediary.”
“Isn’t it you who took the role of mediator without permission…?”
When I pointed out that I hadn’t specifically made such a request, Cadenta snorted.
“That’s obvious. I don’t think in the slightest you’d be able to negotiate something like this. Moreover, since you are on hiatus from being an adventurer, you can’t even ask for help from those crazy women.”
She casually dissed my former party members.
I thought they were generally good people, but well, when you look at them from the outside, I could understand how they were seen as…unconventional people.
“Now what? Now that you’ve entered the royal castle, you don’t need me anymore? Geez, it seems like you’ve become completely tainted after entering society.”
“No, no, you really helped me a lot, and I’m very grateful. You’re the only one I can rely on in times like this.”
“……Fuhn, it seems you finally realize how important I am! Geez.”
Cadenta grinned, revealing her sharp teeth.
During our school days, I had been bitten by her several times and it was really painful.
“Come to think of it, I heard you were the one who took command of the joint military exercise with the northern empire.”
“That’s obvious. Because of the annoying association with the strongest adventurer Haruto, I can’t refuse.”
I had heard about the news through rumors, but to confirm it with her was still a slight surprise. It seemed she was highly successful in her intended career, unlike me.
It wasn’t that I didn’t think it wasn’t weird for a captain of a secret unit to take command of a joint military exercise, though……
It was just a guess, but maybe they were doing some sort of tactical experiment using the excuse of a joint military exercise……
“Muu~……”
We were just having a conversation about our recent situation to kill time until the other party arrived, but Erin was acting strange.
She looked at me and grunted in dissatisfaction.
“What’s wrong?”
“Not really… I just thought you two get along well.”
“Well, we’ve known each other for a long time after all.”
“Right?” was what I said expecting Cadenta’s response, but she was just staring at Erin.
Naturally, Cadenta knew more about the inner workings of the SwordX family than I did.
I thought she knew something I didn’t but,
“……Haruto, you can actually have a normal conversation with a girl like that? Isn’t that impossible?”
“I can! I’m a teacher! What good teacher would I be if I couldn’t talk to my students?”
That was too much.
What did everyone think of me?!
“T-teach’ certainly acts weird when he’s with us, but he’s doing his best!”
“Erin-dono, that doesn’t sound like a supportive follow-up…… but well, it’s Haruto after all. I guess it can’t be helped.”
“Yes, well, it’s teach’ after all……”
It seemed both of them had come to some sort of common opinion about me.
They looked at me and shrugged their shoulders.
They totally looked down on me. They were doing their best at that too.
“You see, as a teacher, I also────”
Just as I was about to retort, the three of us stopped moving.
The sound of heavy footsteps came from the outside of the guest room. Somebody was walking toward us.
As soon as we stood up, Cadenta silently headed toward the door and opened it.
“Oops, did I keep you waiting? I apologize for that.”
The person who came in through the open door was a fearless and powerful man with short black hair.
Even his formal attire couldn’t hide his rough appearance: there were scars carved all over the back of his hands, neck, and right cheek.
“No, we didn’t wait long…… How should I refer to you?”
“Oh, Erin is here too. In that case, you can just call me Zanba.”
“Then, Zanba-dono. Please, have a seat.”
When I said that, the man smiled and sat down on the sofa across from us.
A tingling sensation flickered across my skin. I steadied myself so I didn’t flinch.
Erin, who was next to me, bounced her shoulders uncomfortably. The man obviously did something on purpose.
The man was acting as if he was visiting a social gathering and wore a harmless smile.
Yet, he subtly showed some killing intent to try to bait us.
It might be dangerous if I wasn’t already used to ignoring these feelings from my experience with Kuyumi.
“Once again, I’m Zanba SwordX. I apologize for requesting a sudden interview.”
“No, it’s no problem. I’m Haruto, and I’m currently the homeroom teacher for Erin-san and other students.”
I responded to his smile with my smile.
I could tell that my lips were twitching.
Then Cadenta, who had quietly moved to the back of the sofa, put her mouth next to my ear and whispered.
“……Do you understand, Haruto? That’s the façade you should put on to avoid making enemies in society. Make sure to learn well.”
“…..Oi. Intermediaries shouldn’t attack one party.”
What’s the point of you being an intermediary, if you’re only saying unnecessary things?
Zanba SwordX.
He was Erin’s foster brother and the third son of the SwordX family.
“This time, I would like to report on Erin-san’s experience fighting a demon the other day.”
Zanba was the person who sent the letter.
Even if the original purpose was different, I was personally interested in him, so I had no reason to deflect or delay the meeting.
Zanba read the battle report I created for the battle with the demon with great interest.
“Excuse me, Zanba-dono, do you have any experience fighting demons?”
“I encountered three intermediate demons the other day and cut down all three of them.”
Wow.
As expected of the SwordX family.
They weren’t such a high-ranked family for nothing.
If one made a ranking of various families’ contributions to the Tail Kingdom, the SwordX family would be among the top.
They were an incredibly talented family who devised military tactics and supervised equipment innovation.
Rather than just ranking among the top, perhaps they were the number one.
“I see, I understand.”
It was a fairly thick report, but Zanba finished reading it in no time.
This was the reason they were so prestigious. The SwordX family weren’t just battle junkies; they produced talented people skilled in both literature and martial arts.
It seemed that in order to fulfill the concept of becoming a blade being wielded for a great cause, they needed to be extremely talented as a soldier. This meant having both brains and brawn.
“I think I could have won. By demonic standards, frankly speaking, it was a weak opponent.”
“……Well, you’re right,” I admitted.
I heard Erin gasping next to me.
Well, I guess it was natural.
Lesser demons were garbage.
When a demon was involved in a local incident, such as the brutal murder of a family, it was usually a lesser demon.
Although when occurring in urban areas, the damage might be higher, even patrolling knights would be able to kill them with ease.
Intermediate demons were more varied.
If they appeared in a village and the military couldn’t arrive in time, the annihilation of that village was almost certain.
But if troops could respond accordingly and surround it, it wouldn’t be difficult to destroy them.
In fact, even Erin’s group managed to overpower one by using their combination attacks.
As for greater demons……it would be better if they didn’t appear.
They destroyed cities effortlessly, like breathing.
If the current Erin’s group were to encounter a greater demon, the only option was to escape.
If Candenta or I were there, we would be able to deal with it, but without anyone at our level of power, it would be too much to deal with.
“I guess the standard would be the greater demon after all.”
“That would be it if you encounter one.”
The reason for such widespread terror of the Demon Lord’s subordinates could be attributed to the greater demons.
I thought that was the case.
Although a greater demon was a force that could destroy a city, only the Demon Lord could mass-produce something like that.
The Demon Lord was sleeping now, so it was a relief that their numbers wouldn’t increase on their own.
“Greater demon…I haven’t met one yet.”
His hand slowly reached for the hilt of the swords that were attached to his waist.
Like Erin, he wielded two long swords, one big and one small.
“Do you think I can cut them down?”
“I couldn’t tell.”
Zanba’s gaze moved slowly downwards.
He was looking at my cheap sword for self-defense (and for emergency activation of my skill).
“Then how about we have a match……”
“I don’t wield my sword for such a reason.”
I immediately declared so clearly.
I already knew that this third son of the SwordX family was a battle junkie.
One shouldn’t be fooled by his soft demeanor.
Behind the scenes, there was a madness that was just one step away from destruction lurking, wanting to fight strong opponents in a deathmatch.
“That’s too bad.”
“……Even though you’re from the SwordX family, remember that you’re still in the royal castle.”
“Hahah, please excuse me.”
Cadenta put a stop to it, but Zanba just laughed it off.
“Then about the report-”
“I don’t mind you taking it home with you. In fact, I think it would be better if it was given to the SwordX family, as they would make good use of it.”
“Then I’ll gratefully accept it.”
Zanba held the report under his arm and stood up from the sofa.
Huh?
Eh……That was all?! Seriously?!
I definitely thought it would be more of a dull discussion since someone from the SwordX main family was visiting!
Uwah~ I was really biased, sorry……
“Aah, that’s right. Erin, what’s that?”
“Eh?”
Then Zanba, who had not even looked at his little sister until now, suddenly pointed at the stuffed bear.
Since it couldn’t be put away, it had been kept by her side after all.
“A-ahaha, um… I bought it a while ago.”
“I see. So you’ve become able to have interest in that sort of thing.”
Zanba had an expression that made him look as if he was happy with his little sister’s emotional growth.
“That thing isn’t necessary for SwordX.”
──Only the sound of the sword being sheathed could be heard.
The moment the sword was drawn couldn’t be seen at all. It was a slash that ignored distance.
It was aimed at the stuffed animal Erin was holding, but it crashed into my palm first, causing my blood to splatter.
“……Eh?!”
“Hou?”
As expected of the SwordX family. It’s amazing that even a third son is capable of this much.
Erin blinked her eyes in disbelief, and Zanba had an amused smile on his face.
“Oi.”
A presence swelled behind me.
He had drawn his sword inside the royal castle ── and of all things, in front of Cadenta.
“No, it’s fine.”
I stopped her with my hand before she could say anything.
I think Zanba knew I wouldn’t make a big fuss about it, so he dared to try it.
“But……!”
“T-teach’, are you okay……?!”
The blood dripping from my palm dripped onto the carpet of the royal castle.
“I seem to have forgotten to tell you. Erin-san has a serious attitude in class and is doing well. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
“……It seems like the ethos is different from the SwordX family though.”
“It’s a teacher’s job to provide a truly effective education while protecting his student’s freedom.”
As I said that while smiling, Zanba’s expression lost interest.
“……I’ll come to visit next time.”
“You mean at the school?”
“Yes, let’s meet again. I hope we can talk properly then.”
After saying that, he left the room.
Thanks to my activated passive skill, the bleeding had already stopped.
I turned to Cadenta while waving my bloody red hands.
“I don’t have to compensate for the carpet, right?”
““That’s not the problem here!”” As the two girls’ yells overlapped, all I could do was smile.
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