———


  Even if I do say so myself, I believe my life was tumultuous.

  The torture in the pretext of training, being taken around everywhere in conflict areas with a ‘going for a stroll’ frame of mind.

  During those turbulent days, I had become United Japan’s 37th Special Covert Operative… …the so called ‘Agent’.

  Thereupon I met my comrade, and together, I continued to fight.

  Spending all of my time fighting, at around the time I had passed 50 years of age, I retired and became an educator for the next generation.

  ‘Education’ was something that was difficult, but I believe that the days that I spent engrossed in it were enjoyable.

  During those pleasant days, behind the scenes, a certain shadow organisation proceeded with secret maneuvering to have the world subverted.

  The people who were to obstruct that shadow organisation’s size of an enterprise were, after great consideration, cautiously chosen.

  And then… …I was selected.

  I once possessed skills that made a name for me in the world; the selection is the result of my credibility and achievements.

  But in reality, ‘it’s a retired ossan, so there’s little harm in it, even in the worst case scenario where he dies’… …is an afterthought based on the organisation-esque calculations of profits and loss.

  ‘No matter how you look at it, it’s a conspiracy’… …is how my comrade objected, but I accepted that.

  It is because if I succeed with the elimination of the target, my comrade was promised to become part of the organisation’s senior management.

  After being made to make a blood-sealed pledge, I make preparations, and attempt the operation.

  The result… …I am dead.

  Although it was a drawn out telling, I want you to think of me as having had spent a life that was by far, widely removed from those ordinary people. Having also gotten older, I take pride in having an iron heart that is not perturbed by ordinary occurrences.

  And yet… …I am shamefully flustered.

  “Au―, Auaua―!”


  Why have I become a baby!

  Even though that’s what I wanted to yell, probably as this body’s vocal cords aren’t developed, even words are impossible. These surprisingly tiny hands and feet, this body which won’t move to my satisfaction even though it is my own body. Despite being an absurd state of affairs, I somehow clearly understand that I had become a baby.

  No matter how optimistically I had lived my life in my previous existence, these state of affairs are unacceptable.

  As my confused self and composed self quarrel with one another, a shadow is cast over my face.

  “———……——……—”


  A woman is looking at me and speaking.

  However, without my undeveloped ears successfully picking up the words, I don’t even know what is being said.

  Calm down, let’s try to sort out the situation a bit. With composure, I quickly and accurately transition to analysis. To calm myself, I look back through my memories.

  At what probably became my last operation, I disposed of the man who was the target, but I had myself suffered a fatal wound. Escape had become impossible, and to also include the destruction of evidence, I chose to to disappear together with the building.

  When I awoke, I was a baby.

  … …yea, I’ve calmed down but ultimately I don’t get it. Even though I undoubtedly should have died, for some reason I became a baby. That I had gone through [Reincarnation] makes sense but, why do I still have my ego and memories?

  Moreover, despite being able to recall the life I had led, I can’t recall the names of my former comrade and apprentices. The pinpoint holes in my memories, the situation in which I couldn’t obtain any information, and this body. In the present condition, I am unable to come up with answers no matter how much I think about it, and there’s also nobody that can give me answers either.

  Stopping at the thought of ‘anything more than this is useless’, for the time being I tried observing the person in front of my eyes.

  A woman with grey hair tied up in a bundle behind her head, with sky blue eyes.

  There are a few wrinkles on her face, so she was probably approximately past marriageable age, but all flattery aside, she is thoroughly a beautiful person. If I wasn’t a baby, I may have made advances on her.

  However, I wonder why she is wearing maid clothing? Cosplay? No, from her appearance, is this a foreign country? While I was absentmindedly thinking, she gently held me up in her arms, and started to hum something that sounded like a lullaby. I don’t understand the contents nor the words. But at her gaze filled with kindness directed at me and the restful rhythm of the humming, my awareness becomes distant.

  Although there’s a heap of things that I must consider, without resisting the pleasant feeling, I let go of my consciousness.

  One month had lapsed since I had awoken.

  The world that I know of is still this room only.

  Approximately 6.5 tatami in space, there was nothing but the low-height bed which I slept on, a table and a closet. This room that doesn’t even have any books, can be summed up perfectly in one word; dreary. The material of the coverlet also has a slightly harsh texture, and with the various other things, there’s a somewhat out of date feel to it.

  Well now, it was a month where I did nothing but eat and sleep, but my body is developing favourably.

  Unlike before when sounds were difficult to hear, as if coming from a broken speaker, my ears had also become able to clearly distinguish sounds. And although I can’t walk yet, I have become able to move my body somewhat. However, inversely proportional to that, fuel consumption had exceedingly worsened. In other words, I had become hungry.

  If it were as usual, the food arrives with the best timing, as if you’d question whether they were surveilling me, but today of all days, it’s late. ‘I must think up some kind of plan for this’… …I had started to think of countermeasures, and at around time, the door opened.

  It was the entrance of the grey haired maid-san who is taking care of me. Speaking of that, even though a month has gone by, I haven’t seen anybody else other than this maid-san, have I?

  “———……——————”


  Yep, as usual I don’t know what she’s saying. My ears had become able to hear what they are saying, but I’m completely ignorant of the language. As I had flown about throughout the world in my previous life, I was proficient with languages, but not one of those languages has any consistency with this one.

  However it’s not that big of a deal. As long as I’m listening, I’ll probably eventually remember it, so I decide that ‘now is the time to prioritise the meal’.

  “——? ——————”


  Oh? It appears that today there’s not only grey-haired maid-san but one more person.

  Let me see…I wonder what kind of person—…………whah?

  “——, ———, ———”


  The grey haired maid-san gave instructions to the other person and left the room.

  No no, wait a moment. Who on earth is this woman who is approaching me with a smile on her whole face? She’s wearing maid clothes, so she probably came to help take care of me, but there’s a point I sort of want to retort to.

  This girl, why in the world does she have [cat ears] on?

  Seemingly full of life, her age is probably somewhere between a young lady and an adult. With red hair in a ponytail, she is a considerably adorable girl. But the cat ears on her head bothers me. It’s not that I particularly dislike them, but the first thing that comes to mind is a cosplay cafe. That’s what came to mind but, no matter how you look at it, these ears are moving. And even with a lovely *blip blop*.

  “——, ———?”


  Moving the surprised me, the girl in front of me held out a spoon with the food on it. As there isn’t a baby bottle or anything, I am being fed this way with a spoon.

  I still have questions, but I’m hungry so I decide to eat. Although, it’s something like milk with some kind of food mixed in it and doesn’t really taste nice.

  “——! ————”


  Every time I eat from the spoon, she squirms delightfully.

  It’s a bit annoying, but for the time being, I devoted myself to eating silently.

  Although the meal had ended, cat ears-san was smiling and gazing at me without getting tired of it. You’re one of those people aren’t you? The type of person who has a weakness for cute things, right? Although, as there are no mirrors here, I don’t even know whether my appearance is cute or not. Leaving aside my appearance, now that my stomach is now bloated, let’s resolve one question shall we?

  Honestly, are those cat ears real?

  I point at the cat ears and try to appeal to her that I wanted her to let me touch them. No, not grab your finger, your ears for crying out loud. Even though she thinks about it for a little bit, cat ears-san brings her head closer and let me touch her ears. Yep, warm. I tried checking as far as the roots, but they’re definitely growing from her head. This is real, this is.

  “——! ——,——————,——……”


  I’m immersed in an indescribable feeling, and cat ears-san claps her hands as if she had thought of something. She closes her eyes, raises her index finger and with a *murmur murmur*, is muttering something.

  “———!”


  Right after having uttered a cry with her fighting spirit, at that instant, a flame suddenly appeared at her fingertip.

  ……eh, fire? But there’s no lighter or anything, from where exactly did the flame? Ahh I see, is it something like a sleight of hand? But I don’t think ‘fire’ is something that becomes such a beautiful sphere and floats in mid-air.

  “———?”


  I’m confused over here, and in front of me cat ears-san is happily rotating her finger.

  While the sphere of fire is doing impossible movements and is matching that rotation, it flew about in cat ears-san’s surroundings. I can’t find any trick-like objects.

  Is this possibly [Magic]… …maybe?

  “——!”


  “—!?”


  At the same time as that conclusion arose within me, grey haired maid-san returned.

  Having realised that, cat ears-san’s movements stop, and at the same time the sphere of fire also disappeared. Without speaking, grey haired maid-san beckons over cat ears-san. With a scary ‘come here’ smiling face. The ears and the tail of the cat ears-san that was heading that way is dejectedly drooping; it was somehow soothing.

  Cat ears or tails which don’t exist on normal humans, and the existence of magic.

  Things that absolutely didn’t exist in my previous life where the whole world had been unravelled.

  I had presumably stepped away from intellection, but it seems that I must soon obediently accept reality.

  This is… …nooot Earth.

  Three months since I woke up.

  My neck is steady, crawling movement was possible.

  When the pair of maids aren’t watching, I break out from bed’s fencing, and devoting myself to gathering information from my surroundings; it’s how I’m spending my time everyday.

  Making various rounds like that, I was deepening my understanding of the current situation anew. I confirmed that this isn’t Earth, and as there are things such as magic, it’s probably okay to call it an [other world].

  Well well, that the [other world reincarnation] that my otaku colleague had spoken so much about would happen to me. Although I have already died once, ‘life’ is something incomprehensible.

  The level of civilization here is, if in Earth terms, probably closest to Europe’s Middle Ages. Among other things, candles are the main for light and there’s no trace of things like electrical appliances so it seems inconvenient, but instead, there’s magic.

  I move in search of new discoveries, but it’ll be meal time before long.

  I decide to return to my room before maid-san comes. Today it’s probably cat ears-san’s turn to come.

  “Here we are, it’s time to eat. I’ll feed you a lot. Aaan?.”


  Oh yeah, I had finally become able to understand the previously incomprehensible language. It’s probably also due to the learning speed of a baby, but I think it’s largely thanks to this cat ears-san. As this girl is immensely officious and at the same time loquacious, she comes to speak to me, to the extent of being arduous. If one is covered in the native language, then its acquisition is also fast. Being able to understand the language, naturally I also confirmed my name.

  Sirius… …that is my new name.

  The actual situation is unknown, but thus I gained a new life.

  My name in my previous life has disappeared, but so long as I have my ‘self’, I think i’ll live properly as ‘Sirius’. I might be saying something cool, but the me in reality is in the position of being fed by someone else, so there is a discrepancy.

  “I wonder if the meal is finished?”


  Grey haired maid-san, amended to Erina-san, came to check up on me. With her impeccable outfit, she has on the captivating presence of an expert maid today too. Although she’s probably younger than I was in my previous life, holding respect for the other party when they’re a professional is my own way of thinking.

  “Ah, yes. At any rate, Sirius-sama eats neatly doesn’t he? Although I had heard that babies meals were harder to handle?”


  “It’s probably true for normal children, but Sirius-sama is special. He will undoubtedly make a name for himself in the future.”


  An expert maid, but somewhat containing a doting parent.

  I had certainly considered whether Erina-san was my parent, but after hearing conversations it seems like she’s not. Her speech and conduct is that of towards one’s superiors, and I have the feeling that she’s closer to a lady-in-waiting rather than a maid. For that reason, the ‘doting parent’ expression is also a bit strange, but the eyes aimed this way are completely the eyes of a parent. Considering my age, rather than a doting attendant, there’s no mistake, it’s the expression of a doting parent.

  “I know right. It’s almost as if he understands my words. Aah, even so, he’s really adorable.”


  The name of cat ears-san who is entranced with me, is Noel-san.

  She’s in the middle of her maid training at Erina-san’s side, but she still has a long way to go, as she hasn’t left her age-appropriate childishness.

  “I wonder how soon he’ll call me ‘onee-chan’? Ah, but ‘onee-sama’ is also difficult to give up…”


  Yep, this girl is fine without an honorific title.

  “The meal is over now, right? I’ll ask that you do the cleaning next.”


  “Understood!”


  Noel gives a reply filled with vigor. From behind her, Erina-san comes and affectionately holds me in her arms, and left the room with me. Heading towards the entranceway as is, it had been decided that I am going outside for the first time in my life.

  I don’t know whether this world has four seasons or not, but outside the weather is fair and warm. It seems as if I were to take something like an afternoon nap, it’d be comfortable.

  “Today the weather is warm, isn’t it? Let’s take a stroll outside for a bit shall we?”


  “Ai—”


  “Yes, please leave it to me.”


  Brought along by Erina-san, we take a leisurely stroll around the house.

  The exterior of the house is a splendid two-storied wooden construction. There are six rooms, and I think it’s a house a bit more spacious than the average house. As they add a [-sama] to my name when they address me, I’m thinking that I’m living in a mansion as an upper class noble. This yard is quite large, and in several places the planted vegetable gardens, trees and shrubs were neatly arranged.

  And then after going around the house once, I incidentally notice it. But this house, it’s perimeter is completely covered by the forest and not one sign of other residences can be found? At best, there’s only a maintained path that continues ahead of a main gate-esque structure, and what was left of the surroundings, the forest is the only thing visible. It’s the kind of remote region that can’t be passed off as a rural area.

  I occasionally see a rabbit that has sprouted horns, jumping out from the thicket, making me believe that ‘this is really another world isn’t it…’.

  “Sirius-sama, that is called a [Horabi]. It has a timid disposition, but it is a monster so you must not approach it.”


  Yeaah, although I had expected it ever since I was aware that ‘there is magic’, sure enough it’s a world with monsters isn’t it?

  It seems that it’s usual for there to be things like dragons and other creatures which were just imaginary in my previous life, so it seems like it’s better if I start training my body from tomorrow onwards. Should I stop pretending to be a baby to some small extent and start training? If I show them that I can crawl after a while and they get used to the speed of my development, any distrust of the abnormal development thereafter will also probably fade. It would be ideal if, one month after I become able to walk, they’d smile and watch over me even if I jogged.

  “……Erina-sama.”


  “Ara, is the pruning complete perhaps? ”


  “Yes.”


  Turning towards the voice, an onii-san with pruning shears in his work clothes appeared from between the trees.

  To me, he is the third human discovered.

  He was a young man with short brown hair and sharp eyes, he was also tall and in some respects engendered a ‘difficult to approach atmosphere’. If it was someone he was meeting for the first time, it seems like they would hesitate before accosting him.

  “Apus have grown. Let’s bring some out for today’s evening meal.”


  “Is that so? It’s Noel’s favourite food, so she will jump up and down with delight.”


  “Yes.”


  Perhaps he is not good at speaking with others, his words are few and direct. As his expression has not changed one bit for a while now, if it was the previous world, he would definitely be certified as having communication sickness.

  Perhaps she knew that I’m observing him, Erina-san introduced Dee to me.

  “Sirius-sama, this is Dee Mas. He’s our house’s gardener and chef.”


  “Erina-sama, it’s impossible for a baby to understand…”


  “That might be true, but if I don’t properly introduce you in advance…”


  “…..that’s true. Please call me Dee, Sirius-sama.”


  “Ai—”


  “!?”


  He probably didn’t think that I would reply, Dee’s expression slightly fell apart.

  It’s really meaningless, but I feel like I won.

  “……looking forward to the future right?”


  “Yeah, truly.”


  The pair’s eyes narrow, their gazes converge.

  The future……huh. If I was able to speak at this stage, I’d say something like ‘to be ready for any troubles that may occur, I’ll train my body’. Before that, there’s no sign of the people that would be the most involved in my future.

  I’ve never seen them, and since there aren’t anything like photos, I don’t even know their faces.

  As if avoiding it intentionally, the topic hasn’t come up at all. I also am pretending not to have noticed, but it’s suspicious enough.

  My parents—I wonder where they are?

  Volume 12, Intermission 2: The Pilgrimage of an Old Man

  “Uhmm… is it here?” (Lior)

  A road that was made by an overwhelming force suddenly appeared in the thickly overgrown forest.

  I came to the mansion where he used to live. It was a small house for nobles, but it was a nice place with a calm atmosphere.

  “Oh? It is unusual for a visitor to come to this place.” (Valio)

  I already noticed his presence. He was pruning the outside, and he spoke when he noticed me.

  According to him, there was an old man, like a butler, that almost the same age as me managing the mansion. Could it be this man?

  Since I surely looked suspicious, I had to explain first.

  “You have a different air compared to a bandit. Did you get lost?” (Valio)

  “I’m sorry, but you are… uhmm… I forgot the name. Anyway, I heard that there is a grave of a woman named Erina here, right?” (Lior)

  “Although that comes out of nowhere, shall we introduce ourselves first?” (Valio)

  “Alright. I heard your name from Sirius, but I forgot it. Sorry.” (Lior)

  He was looking at me suspiciously, but when I gave him Sirius’ name, he smiled and bowed. Hmm, there was no mistake that this man was someone whom I heard from him.

  “If you are acquainted with Sirius-sama… I guess that I can understand your impressiveness. Nice to meet you, my name is Valio.” (Valio)

  “That’s right, that is the name. By the way, I am Ikki-Tousen. Call me Tousen.” (Lior/Tousen)

  “Tousen-sama… is it? So, what did you come here for?” (Valio)

  “Hmmm. Actually, I came here to visit Erina’s grave.” (Lior)

  “Would you come inside for the time being? We’ll go out after some tea.” (Valio)

  “Ooh! Please, then. Although it wasn’t a big road, I am thirsty.” (Lior)

  I couldn’t see him being cautious, but I knew that he was being careful, even if he showed his back to me. The impressiveness and the presence clad on his body were considerable. Well, his muscles weren’t overwhelming, though. It was possible for him to become a strong warrior if he was trained, so it’s not worthy to feel obscure. More importantly, if it’s about tea, let’s definitely have some.

  “I see. Hearing you talk about Sirius-sama and the juniors, and about visiting Erina’s grave… Thank you so much for doing this for her.” (Valio)

  I explained the reason why I came here while eating the snacks and drinking the prepared tea, since I had no reason to hide.

  Nevertheless, the cookies and tea made by this man were delicious. They weren’t up to the level of Sirius’ and his attendants’, but I could taste his skills.

  He was grateful because I came here to visit her grave, but since I came on my own, I thought that there was no need to thank me.

  “If it wasn’t because of that Erina, I would not have met that guy. I would like to personally give my thanks before the grave.” (Lior)

  “…You seem to be a very frank person, aren’t you? Understood, let me guide you. Will you be heading there soon?” (Valio)

  “Alright. Since I can go at any time, will that be alright for you?” (Lior)

  “Please, leave it to me. I’ll get ready right away.” (Valio)

  Since it still hadn’t pass midday yet, if everything went well, I would be able to go to the town by nightfall.

  And, with the guidance of Valio, who finished the preparation while holding various tools, we went towards Erina’s grave.

  —


  When we entered the mountain from the back of the mansion, the trees and weeds were naturally growing thick, but there was a way for people to pass. Although it could be seen only as an animal trail, I saw traces of obstructive trees being cut. This was obviously done by the hand of a person who entered this place before.

  “Hmmm… it’s easy to walk through.” (Lior)

  “It seemed that it was maintained when Sirius-sama lived here. Nonetheless, it is difficult to notice it without being aware of it.” (Valio)

  “Huhuhu, that guy’s done well, hasn’t he?” (Lior)

  After we walked on the mountain road awhile, we suddenly came to an opened space where the forest was cleared and the flowers bloomed. Hmmm… this place was also a good place.

  We stepped into the flower garden, and in the center of it, there was an impressive presence coming from the base of a huge tree.

  “That is Erina’s grave. But, will you please wait a moment? I won’t be long, since I just want to do some cleaning.” (Valio)

  “I want to help, but I will damage the stone. So, I will patiently wait.” (Lior)

  I decided to lie down around the area and wait until the cleaning was over.

  While having the leisurely air brush against my cheeks, I remembered the matter told to me by the boy whom I taught ‘Single Strike Ultimate Destruction Sword Style’ in the past. The boy certainly said that he fought a big tortoise that was as hard as a rock in this flower garden.

  I heard that Sirius was, somehow, able to overturn the turtle and that made its weakness appear, where the boy stabbed it, but… if it was me, I would cut it into two by slashing from the front.

  It couldn’t be helped, since the boy was a child at that time, but now that several years had passed since then, it would be natural to cut it in two, if it was at the level of rocks. By the way, if he couldn’t do it, I planned to cut him into two.

  When I was vaguely thinking about the growth of the boy, Valio had finished cleaning, so I took out some wine from my belongings and ask for his permission.

  “I heard that Erina liked to drink wine, is it alright if I put this on the grave?” (Lior)

  “It is alright, but… where did you get that?” (Valio)

  “Hmmm? When I asked for the most expensive wine in the nearby town, they gave me this. Hey, drink it to your heart’s content.” (Lior)

  “Th-that wine is worth of ten god coins… aah!?” (Valio)

  I sprinkled the wine on the grave, but Valio was strangely noisy. You’re not going to say it’ll give a stinky smell with a bottle of wine, right?

  I turned around after pouring everything inside, and Valio was staring at me.

  “What’s with that face? Aah, if it’s not enough, I have a spare…” (Lior)

  “Th-that’s good enough! Rather, I would like for you to drink that…” (Valio)

  “Welll… I actually drank a bottle before coming, but it was too refined for me. Since I don’t need it anymore, I’ll give it to you.” (Lior)

  “W-what!?” (Valio)

  I gave the wine to Valio, I stood up in front of the grave again and lowered my head.

  I haven’t met you even once, but… knowing that Sirius had an extraordinary strength, I respect you, who diligently brought him up, pouring your love and kept watching over him.

  And since you were there, I met Sirius, who revived me.

  So, there was only one word that I wanted to say.

  “…Thank you.” (Lior)

  After I finished giving my deepest appreciation, I stood up and turned my back to the grave.

  “…Is this alright?” (Valio)

  “Hmmm. There is no need for an outsider like me to bother too much. A word of appreciation will be enough.” (Lior)

  “Understood. Well then, let’s head back.” (Valio)

  An old man like me would trouble him if I prayed for too long.

  Following Valio, who walked out with a bit of a smile, I left Erina’s grave.

  —


  “Ooh… you are the owner of that mansion now?” (Lior)

  “That’s right. The Galgan Company sold it cheaply to me.” (Valio)

  Valio and I were walking while chatting, and the subject of the chat was about the ownership of that mansion.

  Originally, the owner of the mansion was Sirius’ father… No, it seemed he was a foolish noble; but, apparently, the financial capability of that foolish noble was dwindling, and he had to sell that mansion to the Galgan Company.

  And then, Valio, who served that foolish noble as an attendant for many years, quit, and it seemed that he bought the mansion from the Galgan Company in order to spend the rest of his life in peace.

  “Although it is away from the town, it is a good place to live leisurely. Besides… it is my role to watch over her tomb.” (Valio)

  Hmm… it looked like he was asked to do that. Looking from his figure, he didn’t look very strong, and there was a possibility of being attacked by something, but I wouldn’t say anything about it.

  While I was convinced with that alone, I came back to where I could see the mansion. However, I felt something disturbing, so I grabbed Valio’s shoulder and stopped him.

  “…Hold it. I feel the presence of people in the mansion.” (Lior)

  “There is nothing here, and the adventurers rarely visit this place. There is a possibility of thieves, but… do you know how many of them?” (Valio)

  “No more than ten.” (Lior)

  “If so, the possibility of thieves seems to be high. It is fine if the mansion only has food, but I’ll be bothered if this beautiful mansion is laid to waste.” (Valio)

  If it was about fighting, it was going to be my turn. I confirmed by feeling my partner, the greatsword, on my back… I went in front of Valio, and turned to him.

  “Let me see, this is as my gratitude. I wonder if I should go for a moment and blow them away.” (Lior)

  “…What? Uhmm, Tousen-sama doesn’t have to fight. It will be fine if you go to the town and call for the guards.” (Valio)

  “It’s troublesome. My stomach is hungry for competition, so I will forcibly blow them away. I won’t damage the mansion, so you don’t have to worry.” (Lior)

  “Tousen-sama!?” (Valio)

  Ignoring Valio’s words, I left the space of many trees, and headed for the presence in front of the entrance of the mansion.

  What was in front of the entrance was a suspicious group wearing good-looking weapons and armors. From the quality of the equipment, it was a group that couldn’t be seen amongst advanced adventurers; so, judging from my intuition that I had been using to hunt thieves all the time, there was no mistake that they were thieves.

  Among the group, there was a man who had a different presence. The man was unusually fat and he wasn’t good enough to play bandit. He looked like a noble that I didn’t like.

  “Bardomyl-sama?” (Valio)

  “Oo! Where were you, Valio?” (Bardomyl)

  Valio, who came after me, was surprised to see that fat man. Hmm… it seemed that he knew Valio.

  “I had something to do in the forest. Leaving that aside, what kind of business do you have here?” (Valio)

  “Uhmm, well, that depends on you. I want to lend this mansion to these people.” (Bardomyl)

  A noble named Bardomyl or ‘Meaty’ referred to the men he had around him, but Valio shook his head and said it clearly.

  “I refuse. Because I am no longer your servant.” (Valio)

  “Wha!? W-weren’t you a servant who had supported my household? Although you did quit, as your former Master, you should listen to me!” (Bardomyl)

  “My Master was your father. By the way, who are these people?” (Valio)

  “They are some recently rising thieves, and they are my new colleagues. I am planning to make this mansion into their base and play an active part.” (Bardomyl)

  “…Have you fallen that far?!” (Valio)

  Valio was exclaiming, but I was getting troubled.

  In other words, they were planning to make this mansion, which was away from areas where people lived, as a base and commit thefts from the surrounding roads?

  “The pride of a noble no longer exists within you, huh?” (Valio)

  “I need money more than pride! You better look at the equipment of these guys. If a powerful person has equipment at this level, they won’t lose against guards and adventurers, right?” (Bardomly)

  “It is certainly true that those are wonderful equipments… but aren’t they thieves? Since it’s still not too late, please rethink this.” (Valio)

  “Shut up! I am already understaffed. The women are almost running away, and my son has left the house. And the only things left are an annoying woman who wants valuables, overstocked magic tools, and my house. And you are no more, so what are you going to say to me!?” (Bardomyl)

  “I have advised you not to do so, but you didn’t listen, did you? Everything is your own fault.” (Valio)

  Valio seemed to be a former attendant of this meaty noble, but I completely gave up, since I could no longer see the need to restrain myself.

  Although he said that, the meaty noble was persistently stuck to Valio.

  “Even if it was my own mistake, it won’t be a problem if it makes me money! With these mithril-made weapons, the adventurers and monsters in this area won’t be their opponents. They are free to plunder!” (Bardomyl)

  I was thinking that they had very good-looking weapons… so those were mithril made? They were a bunch who lacked muscles and had good weapons made of mithril, but you didn’t question that matter?

  Maybe because Valio had a similar thoughts, he was sighing at the words from the meaty noble.

  “Even if they are mithril-made equipments, there is no guarantee that the person himself is strong. Let me ask you a question. Do you really think that they can win against a strong man like Sirius-sama?” (Valio)

  “Well, that monster is not here anymore. And he is a rare monster in the first place!” (Bardomyl)

  “Monster!? Although he has severed his relationship with you, isn’t he still your son?” (Valio)

  “He is not my son! That monster… I don’t want to see him anymore!” (Bardomyl)

  The moment Sirius’ name was said, that meaty noble trembled and his face turned blue.

  Although I was bothered with various things… I was about to confirm some things, so I pat Valio’s shoulder and turned him around.

  “I have a question. Is he Sirius’ father?” (Lior)

  “Yes, he is. Are you aware about him breaking off their relationship?” (Valio)

  “I have heard about it to a certain extent. In other words, he was the one who made Erina suffer, right?” (Lior)

  “Oi, who is this old man!? Is he your acquaintance?” (Bardomyl)

  Meaty was staring with a slightly frustrated expression because I interrupted him, but he was frightened and closed his mouth when I turned around.

  “So, am I right?” (Lior)

  “That’s right. He is the person who hated such a gentle lady.” (Valio)

  “Hmm, if that’s so, there is no need for me to hold back.” (Lior)

  In the first place, since I hated nobles like him, I definitely had no plans to restrain myself.

  When I came forward, the meaty noble got scared and retreated, and the surrounding thieves were drawing their weapons and got ready.

  “What are you doing, Valio? Deal with this old man quickly! You, who had serve my household, dare to disobey me!?” (Bardomyl)

  “As I said before, I clearly said this when I left Bardomyl-sama’s mansion. I am not a person who will serve you anymore…” (Valio)

  “Guhh… I intended to keep you alive, but it can’t be helped then. Oi, do it!” (Bardomyl)

  With the command from Meaty, the ten thieves wielded their weapons towards me, but… they were full of gaps. By just having good-looking weapons, I couldn’t feel the strength that the meaty noble was so proud of.

  Valio, who stood behind me, was instinctively sighing, he grasped his fists and took a battle stance.

  “I am not that good in a fight, but I also will help. If it’s one or two, I can somehow…” (Valio)

  “There’s no need for you to help. Just stay put, and it will be immediately over!” (Lior)

  I kicked the ground, jumped forward, and swung my partner at the nearest thieves.

  Normally, I would cut their bodies in two, but thinking about the place this time, I struck the opponents with the body of the sword instead of slashing them.

  After sensing the breaking bones of the thieves from my partner, I could barely confirm the appearance of the thieves, who flew away, above the forest.

  “““…””” (Dumbfounded Group)

  “Hmmm… they flew far, huh?” (Lior)

  The surroundings of the mansion would be dirtied if I slashed the thieves here. So the method to deal with them was to blow the thieves far away. Since I broke their bones and blew them away into the depths of the forest, there was little possibility of them being alive.

  While all the surrounding people, including Valio, were stunned, I was satisfied with their reactions. Cutting them in half would be the best, but it wasn’t bad to let them know the name.

  According to him, this was called ‘Home Run’ or something.

  “Hahaha! Come, come at me! If you come… I will do it! Next will be a Home Run!” (Lior)

  Shouting out those words made me feel good.

  I blew off the thieves one after another; but, of course, some of them tried to resist with their weapons. Well, their good-looking weapons couldn’t stand the blow of my partner and broke, and there was no change to being blown away by me.

  I finished blowing away all of the thieves, and then, I stood before the remaining meaty noble.

  “Are there no more thieves? I want to beat several times more.” (Lior)

  “Wha… that can’t be!? Those guys had mithril-made weapons…” (Bardomyl)

  “Those were made from Mithril, huh?” (Lior)

  I picked up the weapon that fell when I blew a thief away. I stood in front of the meaty noble, who was retreating to the back. And then, I grabbed the tip and the handle of the sword and used my strength. The sword, then, made a dull sound, and I broke the sword in front of the meaty noble.

  In other words, the thieves’ appearances were merely a bluff.

  “This looks like a fake. I would not be able to break it if it’s the real thing.” (Lior)

  “Uhh… That’s a lie… My last chance… with fakes…” (Bardomyl)

  It seemed he was driven into a corner, to the point of being cheated with fakes. He looked miserable, but… it didn’t matter to me.

  “Well, next is your turn. An arm or a leg… which one you want me to cut off?” (Lior)

  “Do you think that a mere adventurer can lay their hands on a noble!?” (Bardomyl)

  “Eh, sorry, sorry, I couldn’t listen well. I am an old man, anyways. So… is it your arm?” (Lior)

  “Hi…hiiiiiii—!?” (Bardomyl)

  The meaty noble boarded a carriage that seemed to be used to come here. He ordered the coachman to run away.

  It was troublesome to waste him here, so I just confirmed that the carriage was escaping and turned to Valio.

  “It is alright now, so I will take my leave. Although it was a short while, thank you for taking care of me.” (Lior)

  “I am saved but… will this be alright? The opponent was, more or less, a noble, and if you leave him alone, there’s the possibility of him making you into a wanted person…” (Valio)

  “I am not boasting, but I don’t mind fighting nobles here and there. I am used to it, anyway.” (Lior)

  “It was safe here, until now…” (Valio)

  I was crushing foolish nobles only, and my reputation wasn’t bad, since I exterminated thieves along the way. Even if somebody tried to get involved, it was all settled with the sword.

  “There is no need for you to worry. Besides…” (Lior)

  “Besides…?” (Valio)

  “I… haven’t said anything about them escaping.” (Lior)

  —


  The next day… I awoke in a bed of an inn.

  Yesterday, I came to a certain town after going to Valio’s mansion, and stayed in this hotel after some training.

  “Hmm… I’m sleepy.” (Lior)

  I got up from the bed and warmed up my body. And then, I came to the dining area of the inn to eat breakfast. I called for a waitress and ordered.

  “Give me everything on this menu.” (Lior)

  “Eh?” (Waitress)

  They were surprised every time I asked for meals like this… was it that unusual?

  While I ate the meals that were being carried out one after another, several rumors could be heard from the adventurers who stayed in the same inn as me.

  The most noticeable rumor among them was the rumor about a certain noble’s mansion having been destroyed.

  The mansion was sliced into two, and a part of the mansion was shattered into small pieces by a tremendous force. The noble, which was the owner of the mansion, was buried within the wreckage, but it seemed he had, somehow, survived. And the criminal was… unknown.

  “He had a strong case of bad luck, huh…” (Lior)

  “Hmm? Did you say something?” (Waitress)

  “No, it’s nothing. Well, is the next dish ready yet?” (Lior)

  “Oops, it is. Yes, I kept you waiting for the next dish!” (Waitress)

  By the way, I was training nearby the meaty noble’s mansion.

  I made a little mistake by unleashing slashing attacks with waves, and they flew towards the mansion… I didn’t aim for it though!

  “Well… it’s a little bit more to Elysion.” (Lior)

  To dispel the gloomy feeling, I didn’t feel like caring about what happened to that meaty noble anymore. So, after I finished eating, I left for Elysion.

  —


  A few days later… I arrived at Elysion.

  The reason for me to come here was to see the stubborn old man who made my partner, [Crimson Lotus].

  As a weapon, it was still reliable and as robust as ever, but I recently felt that something was wrong. Whatever it was, I thought that I wanted to show it to him at least once, so I expressly came all the way to the place of that stubborn old man.

  Assembling the information based on the appearance’s features, I tried to locate his shop, but… the name was lengthy, with something like destruction or indestructible. It seemed his poor naming sense didn’t change, after all.

  However, if you add ‘fool’ at the end of the name, it would be the perfect name.

  “When I thought that I felt this presence somewhere… is that you, idiot!?” (Grant)

  When I was looking at the signboard, a small, short legged, stubborn old man came out from the store. Let alone the naming sense, his appearance didn’t change at all.

  “You’re loud as usual, huh? Look, I came to show you my sword.” (Lior)

  “You also haven’t change! Isn’t it supposed to be, ‘Please look at it’, you idiot!” (Grant)

  “Noisy! I’m saying that the sword, that you made, feels weird!” (Lior)

  “Haa!? I made it to fit you, so it’s not weird, you idiot! If there is nothing, I’ll go back and start hitting with my hammer, you idiot!” (Grant)

  “It is superb! Do what you can do!” (Lior)

  He was an annoying fellow, but in regards of the sword, he was a reliable and stubborn old man. When I told him about the uncomfortable feeling, he invited me into the shop while wondering about it, and he started looking at the sword.

  He lightly hit the sword directly with a hammer, but the stubborn old man only tilted his head.

  “Hmmm… as expected of my masterpiece. There is a place where the blade chipped a bit, but the whole thing is not really distorted. What is weird about this, you idiot!?” (Grant)

  “It’s because the sword feels light.” (Lior)

  “It feels light because you have become stronger, you idiot! What is going on with your body!?” (Grant)

  “Hmm, I just found a goal. Not just power, but I am also learning various techniques. So, I want the center of gravity to be closer. Fix it immediately.” (Lior)

  “Fix it immediately!? It will take, at least, a few months, you idiot!” (Grant)

  “Hmm… there is no other way then.” (Lior)

  Because there was no compromise in regards of weapons.

  When I was looking for a replacement sword while waiting for my partner to be reborn again, I remembered an important matter.

  “Oh, yeah!? Oi, old man! Did a human named Sirius and some Silver Wolfkin siblings come here?” (Lior)

  “Haa? Yeah, they came, you idiot. There were a man whom I took care of in various ways, a cheeky child and a cute granddaughter.” (Grant)

  “Uhmm, they really came. So, did you give good weapons to Emilia?” (Lior)

  Since Sirius already had a splendid weapon, I wrote in a letter, asking him to give Emilia some good weapons. That boy… whatever was good for him.

  “Idiot! I sold the best knife I made for five silver coins!” (Grant)

  “What!?” (Lior)

  I instinctively slapped the desk. The desk broke by that slap, but it wasn’t so much.

  “Why did you receive the money!? You should’ve said to keep it as pocket money since you already had enough!” (Lior)

  “Idiot! I said that, but she refused! She was a straightforward and cute girl!” (Grant)

  “Of course she is! That’s because she is my granddaughter!” (Lior)

  “She is not your granddaughter, you idiot!” (Grant)

  And then, the discussion between the stubborn old man and I continued with fists. It was settled with Emilia being our granddaughter.

  I felt that my intuition caught something strange, but… I didn’t mind.

  —


  [An alternative sword!? You conceited idiot!] (Grant)

  Even though he said that, I was given a weapon that was similar to an iron lump, which resembled a sword, from him. Its weight was no different from my partner, so the feeling of shouldering it wasn’t bad. However, since it had no blade, it was close to a blunt weapon.

  Although I attracted unusual gazes, I was walking around the town while looking for a shop, without worrying about them.

  “If I’m not wrong, he said something about Gal Company.” (Lior)

  Dee and Noel, whom I met before, recommended that company to me.

  Since I heard that he lent his skills, creating variety of dishes for that company, I thought that there must be something that would surprise me.

  I saw a signboard that said “Galgan Company” after searching for a short while. It was a store that had an unusual and different air compared to the other buildings.

  “Hmm… This looks like the place.” (Lior)

  There were many customers in the store, and I could see the sight of them buying goods that were written as “Essentials for Travel”. But, I felt more interested with the neighboring building.

  When I checked the signboard, it seemed like a restaurant with meals and teas. I was going to this place just because I was hungry.

  “Hello. Welcome to Galgan Cafe. Is it for one person?” (Waitress)

  When I entered the store, which was written as… the birthplace of cake or something, I was guided inside by a waitress in a maid dress.

  Either because the time was good, or not crowded, I was able to sit down at a table without waiting. And when I was handed a menu and read it all the way, I decided to order as usual, for the time being.

  “I want all the dishes and cakes on this menu. I don’t mind the order, I want you to prepare the things that you can do.” (Lior)

  “Certainly.” (Waitress)

  “…Ooh.” (Lior)

  A voice of admiration unconsciously leaked out.

  I had ordered like this in various shops so far, and they certainly asked again, since it was impossible for them, and they would try to stop me.

  On the contrary, this store accepted the order without asking again. That guy had, indeed, lent his hand here.

  Well… weren’t they a bit too used to it? I had a feeling that… they frequently had this kind of order.

  While I was in doubt, the waitress started to arrange the cakes on my table.

  “To begin with, here is the store-boasted cake set. Please wait for the other dishes awhile.” (Waitress)

  They were the same cakes that Dee made, but… they were smaller. Dee and that guy would make were big round cakes, but the cakes that I ordered from this store were in small pieces.

  I used a fork and ate it in one bite, but I was still satisfied with it. The taste wasn’t bad.

  “Hmm… it’s not enough. Sorry, can you bring more of these?” (Lior)

  I ordered again from a waitress who was walking nearby, and when I was drinking a hot tea…


  “Good grief… Eat cake more elegantly, you know?” (??)

  I heard such words from nearby… but that voice made me unusually irritated.

  When I turned around to glare at him, there was a young man at the next table who could be found anywhere, and a man who appeared to have a certain ability sitting on a chair.

  The voice just now came from the unfamiliar young man, but… I completely noticed that voice, even if I wanted to forget it.

  That was known as a supernatural magic, and there was no difference from that abnormal elf magician. His appearance was different, but if it was him, he could do it. Perhaps, he was disguised with magic or tools.

  “You bastard… what are you doing here?” (Lior)

  “Can’t you see? I am having cake. Unlike you, I’m elegant, don’t you think?” (Rodwell)

  “That is elegant? You just used magic like an idiot, and you call that elegant?” (Lior)

  “That’s rude. It was my mistake to use the word ‘elegant’ for you, whom has no brain but a sword. Let me apologize.” (Rodwell)

  We were smiling, but since we were staring at each other while releasing bloodlust, the surrounding waitresses and customers were getting away from us when I noticed them.

  “Do you think that is enough of an apology? My eye was badly injured because of your magic! Aren’t you a fool for suddenly dropping a mountain?!” (Lior)

  I couldn’t forget it.

  That was a few years ago… At that time, I was participating to crush some groups of thieves at the request of the guild.

  This guy dropped a mountain-like rock from above when I attacked them. I cut a part of the rock to avoid it, but if it was done poorly, I would’ve been killed.

  “Was it not because you charged in on your own without listening to the strategy? And because of you, I couldn’t wipe out all of the thieves, maybe you’re the one who should apologize?” (Rodwell)

  “It was weird to drop a mountain on thieves! Don’t do magical experiments on the thieves, do it somewhere else!” (Lior)

  “I don’t need to say that you were killing them while laughing.” (Rodwell)

  “What!?” (Lior)

  “Alright… shall we settle this?” (Rodwell)

  The cup he placed on the table had started to subtlely vibrate because of our bloodlust, and then I picked up the piece of iron, which was the substitute for my partner.

  This opponent would not be easy with this weapon, but I would be able to do it at this distance.

  “W-wait a minute, Magna-san! I haven’t eat the cake yet, so I want you to stop that!” (Rodwell)

  “Impossible. I will be killed if I unskillfully intervene.” (Magna)

  Other customers were getting noisy because they were driven out, the moment I took a step forward to push this iron lump against him… a woman came in between us.

  “Yeah, yeah, let’s stop at that. This is not outside, but inside the shop, so if you act violently, you won’t be able to come here again, you know.” (??)

  Normally, I didn’t mind attacking, but the woman, who interrupted me, had power and dignity that made me unintentionally stop my feet.

  I had, somehow, calmed down and when I separated my hand from the iron lump, he also stood down and sat back in his chair.

  “Yeah, that’s good! If you want to have a go, please do it outside of the town. Ojii-sama too, you were also being immature.” (Lifell)

  “I have displayed an embarrassing figure.” (Rodwell)

  “…The Jou-chan is right. Thank you for stopping me.” (Lior)

  “Hi-hime-sama—…no, please stop interrupting this situation!” (Melt)

  “I can’t do my job if I am frightened by this degree. Aah, the order? Three sets of cakes.” (Lifell)

  “U-understood… ” (Melt)

  Hooo…She was a dignified and strong-willed Jou-chan, huh?

  An ordinary person would run away, but rather than just interrupting us, she casually sat on a chair and placed an order.

  “Ojii-sama, also, let’s eat cake without having a fight. This is a precious break for us.” (Lifell)

  “That’s right. Well then, Magna, quickly take that one whole cake. I will never forgive you for eating alone.” (Rodwell)

  I didn’t really understand, but this Jou-chan seemed to know that foolish elf. She wasn’t afraid of our bloodlust… she didn’t seem to be an ordinary person.

  The surroundings also regained its calmness, starting with the Jou-chan, who happily ate the cakes. Since I had sat on a chair and the dishes had arrived, I decided to focus on the meals for the time being.

  When I enjoyed the dishes that were unexpectedly delicious, even though they weren’t at Dee’s level, the Jou-chan from earlier sat in front of me. In the vicinity, there were two who appeared to be that Jou-chan’s attendants; a female rabbitkin, and a young man who didn’t have enough muscles.

  “Hmmm… what is it? Was it because the commotion earlier was bad?” (Lior)

  “I didn’t really mind about that commotion. Actually, I’d like to ask you something.” (Lifell)

  “If it’s alright to answer while I’m eating, that’s fine, then.” (Lior)

  “Thank you very much. I heard from the person who was indulging in cakes over there. Are you the famous Lior-sama?” (Lifell)

  The part when she mentioned my name wasn’t heard by the surroundings, so I decided to nod obediently. Since she had heard it from that elf, I thought that there was no need to conceal that fact.

  “Although the name matches, that is not my name at the moment. My name is Ikki-Tousen. I want you to call me Tousen.” (Lior)

  “Well then, Tousen-sama. My name is Lifell, and I am the royal princess of Elysion. To tell you the truth, I want to ask a favor.” (Lifell)

  “…I dislike royalty and nobility. So, I don’t want to hear it.” (Lior)

  When I had a bothered face, the Jou-chan named Lifell took out a bell from her pocket and rang it. And then a large roasted meat and a cake, which hadn’t sliced yet, were brought together from the kitchen and lined up in front of me.

  “Please help yourself, you don’t have to hold back. It is good enough even if you just listen to the talk.” (Lifell)

  “…Fine. I will only listen, so don’t ask anything.” (Lior)

  “Thank you very much. The talk is simple. I want you to teach the people in the castle the way of using the sword. Of course, the reward will be amazing.” (Lifell)

  “Is that it? It’s troublesome…” (Lior)

  “Alright then, you can just do a simulated battle. I want the castle guards to directly experience the strength of Tousen-sama. Because experience is important.” (Lifell)

  “Hoo… I got it. There is a possibility that I might break the opponents, you know?” (Lior)

  “We are well aware of that, and the opponents of Tousen-sama really desire it. Actually, Melt, who is next to me, also wants it.” (Lifell)

  “I want to become strong to protect this person. Tousen-sama, will you consider it?” (Melt)

  This man… didn’t have sufficient muscles, but the determination in his eyes were considerable. He resembled that small boy who tried to surpass me for that purpose.

  “I want the people in the castle taught at least once by the strongest man in the world. If there are troublesome nobles, they will be immediately silenced, so will that be alright?” (Lifell)

  “I’m not the strongest in the world anymore…” (Lior)

  I wasn’t the strongest in the world when I was defeated by Sirius. And he didn’t claim that title, he just left it vacant, but… would that be troublesome to explain?

  Besides, when I think about it, I still have to wait for my partner to be fixed… so should I go to the castle to spend my time?

  “Well… alright. Are you going to take the responsibility?” (Lior)

  “Thank you very much. Although this is too quick, I will also explain about the future schedules…” (Lifell)

  “Since that old man has low intelligence other than a sword, it will be useless to explain. It is good enough if you just give him meals again as a reward.” (Rodwell)

  “What did you say!? You also looked happy when it comes to magic, aren’t you!? The face that you had when you tested the magic at that time was deplorable!” (Lior)

  “You too have a sloppy face when you swing a sword. By all means, show that disillusion to the soldiers of the castle.” (Rodwell)

  “…Want to have a go?” (Lior)

  “Shall we?” (Rodwell)

  “Yeah, yeah, stop it right there.” (Lifell)

  When the elf and I stood up, the Jou-chan intervened once again, but unlike earlier, both of us were totally unwilling.

  This time, when I grabbed my partner and I couldn’t be stopped anymore… inexcusable words came out from the Jou-chan.

  “My sister has a friend named Emilia, and… she told us a bit about Tousen-san, is that right, Senia?” (Lifell)

  “Yeah. She told me that you are a strong and kind-hearted Ojii-san. And if a fight with such a person happened in the town…” (Senia)

  “Besides, there is a new cake recipe that Sirius-kun thought of in the letter that I received the other day. That’s too bad, Ojii-sama.” (Lifell)

  ““…”” (Lior/Rodwell)

  The elf and I were silently shaking hands.

  I thought of squeezing his hand, but I am a gentle Ojii-san. I’ll forgive you today.

  Thus, while I’m leaving my partner behind, I ended up playing with the soldiers of Elysion.

  And after I get my partner back, I would immediately go after Sirius and Emilia.

  Boy… did you properly expect that?

  Wait for me!

  Later… the days when screams could be heard from the castle continued for several days.

  —


  Extra

  During [The Reformation of the Silver Wolf Tribe], the parents were…


  “…Emilia has finally overcome it.” (Erina)

  “Yeah. It seems that Sirius also took the opportunity, so it turned out well, I guess? Hehe, she looks really happy. I’m jealous.” (Aria)

  “Since I entrusted everything to Emilia, that girl will continue to support Sirius-sama.” (Erina)

  “Yes, that was a good response. As expected of a child brought up by Erina.” (Aria)

  “Thank you very much.” (Erina)

  “Excuse me…” (??)

  “Ooh? Aren’t you Emilia’s and Reus’…” (Aria)

  “Nice to meet you, my name is Rona. This time your son and our…” (Rona)

  “Aah, no need, no need. You don’t have to use honorifics. Everyone here is equal. Because this is just a place to watch the children. By the way, please call me Aria.” (Aria)

  “Please call me Erina. Would you like to have some tea?” (Erina)

  “Tea!? Ooh… yes, please.” (Rona)

  “Anyway, that person who stumbled over his knees over there, is he alright?” (Aria)

  “You do not need to worry. Because he’s just unable to accept that his daughter was taken by Sirius-kun. Hey, isn’t she looking really happy? How long are you going to be frustrated?” (Rona)

  “Uhmm… I’m sorry about my boy.” (Aria)

  “No… instead of just saving your daughter and son, he is a gentle child who will make them happy. He knows that, but, after all…” (Erina)

  “I think that he will recovered soon; so, please, leave him alone. Leaving that aside, we have something that we want to tell you, Aria-san.” (Rona)

  “What is it?” (Aria)

  “Thank you for giving birth to such a wonderful child. Since Sirius was there, we were able to disappear with confidence. And Erina-san…” (Rona)

  “Yes?” (Erina)

  “Thank you very much for loving our children. On the contrary, you gave Emilia a new goal.” (Rona)

  “…That’s incorrect. I used your child for my own self-satisfaction.” (Erina)

  “No, even if it was, when looking at their happy faces, I don’t think that was a mistake.” (Rona)

  “Yeah! That’s why they are good with each other.” (Aria)

  “Yeah… right. Leaving that matter aside, shall we watch the children together?” (Erina)

  “No… We already had enough. We’re going to disappear like this.” (Rona)

  “Yeah… you’re satisfied, aren’t you?” (Aria)

  “Yes. The children are already adults, and it will be alright if we leave them to Sirius-kun.” (Rona)

  “Is that so? It’s weird to say ‘please take care’… so goodbye.” (Aria)

  “Ahaha, I certainly do not know what to say. Hey, how long are you going to be like that? Say something.” (Rona)

  “Aah… yes. My wife has said everything that I wanted to say, and I’m also grateful. Sirius-kun is a wonderful child.” (Felios)

  “Hehe… of course, that’s because he is my child. Well then, goodbye.” (Aria)

  ““Yes.”” (Rona/Felios)

  “They have gone now.” (Erina)

  “Yeah. By the way, Erina. Are you going to move on?” (Aria)

  “Are you kidding me? I still have to watch over Sirius.” (Erina)

  “Me too. Besides, that child is doing a lot of things, so I won’t get tired of watching him.” (Aria)

  “Exactly, but I think that he will face a slightly dangerous situation soon.” (Erina)

  “Aah, isn’t that natural when he is on an adventure? Besides, since he said that he wanted to become an educator, I wonder when he will settle down?” (Aria)

  “That will be good. If he settles down, we will soon see a child born.” (Erina)

  “Yeah. Since there are two bride candidates, I’m sure it will be right away.” (Aria)

  “Grandchildren… is it?” (Erina)

  “Yeah. They will look cute.” (Aria)

  “Yes. They will.” (Erina)

  “I’m looking forward to it.” (Aria)

  “Me too.” (Erina)

  Volume 12, Intermission 1: Sirius and Everyone in the Settlement

  The next day, we stayed at the house of the siblings’ grandfather, Garve, and I woke up because of a noise.

  “Uhmm… have you woken up?” (Garve)

  Since the house was not so spacious, there were only two rooms; the living room and Garve’s bedroom. Because of that, Emilia and Reese used the bedroom, while the guys, Reus and I were sleeping together with Garve in the living room.

  We could immediately notice who woke up in such a place. Then, I greeted Garve, who had woken up earlier, while yawning.

  “Good morning. Basically, this always happens at this time, so please don’t mind it.” (Sirius)

  “Aah. I’m going to head out for a moment, you should stay in bed.” (Garve)

  “Where are you going?” (Sirius)

  “It’s my morning training. I never miss doing this every day.” (Garve)

  “Ooh… can I go along with you?” (Sirius)

  “Have it your way.” (Garve)

  Thus, I decided to join Garve’s early morning training. I was wondering whether I should wake Reus up, but he was sleeping like a log because he made a lot of noise yesterday. Emilia was the same, she still hadn’t wake up yet.

  They were having fun, especially because they had reunited with their family. I decided to take it slow, for once. Therefore, only Garve and I went out.

  “Hundred Wolves-sama, please watch over us so that we can stay healthy for today, as well.” (??)

  “Hundred Wolves-sama. I wish for a good harvest this year.” (??)

  “Woof…” (Hundred Wolves)

  When we came out, we were greeted by Hokuto, who was sleeping next to Garve’s house. There were several silver wolfkin already praying in front of him.

  I thought that they were probably going to do farm work. Since they were wholeheartedly praying, Hokuto seemed to be unable to leave his spot. I slightly waved my hand to cheer him up, and then, Garve and I headed out into the forest.

  —


  Morning training seemed to start with running in the forest. Somehow, it felt like we were similar, and a strange sense of intimacy was swelling up.

  Maybe it was because we were running on a path every day. When I kept running in silence, until the path became smaller in the forest, Garve, who ran in front, looked back with a slackened mouth.

  “…So you can do it. Having stamina to catch up to me so easily… your victory was not a fluke, huh?” (Garve)

  “I guess so.” (Sirius)

  While running, I thought that the speed was strangely quick. Apparently, I was being tested.

  “Other than my son, the only one who can catch me with me probably you. If I have to say more, you are a human being. The world is truly wide.” (Garve)

  “Yeah, the world is wide, and there are different kinds of people. As far as I know, the one with the sword…” (Sirius)

  And then, I continued running with Garve, while talking about strong men like Lior. I heard this later, but the people who live in the settlement seemed to certainly collapse after this kind of running pace.

  After we finished our run, we headed to the settlement’s square.

  There were ten men, who seemed to be Garve’s disciples, lining up side by side. They started rearranging their postures and lines when they noticed that Garve and I were coming. It seemed that they had good discipline.

  Aery-san’s husband, Jiria, was also among these men. He raised his voice when he noticed my appearance.

  “Eh… is that Sirius? By any chance, are you coming for a visit?” (Jiria)

  “Well, I wonder about that. Anyway, I am curious about what kind of training is done here.” (Sirius)

  “Aah, Garve-san and us…” (Jiria)

  “Jiria, stop with that nonsense talk and go line up. I’ll be strict today!” (Garve)

  The training was a sparring session with Garve on a one-on-one basis.

  Not just fighting, Garve thoroughly proceeded while pointing out their weaknesses.

  The time for each person wasn’t long, but since they were constantly made to move, all of the men collapsed, filled with sweat after the sparring session. Even after after sparring everyone, Garve wiped off only a small amount of sweat.

  This way, Garve was forging himself by sparring with his disciples every day. At the lowest rank, there were also kids who were less than ten years old. However, Garve enthusiastically taught and treated them like adults.

  After all of the members had fought him once, the morning training was concluded. As I returned home with Garve, I discussed some points that I had in mind while he was sparring.

  “Say, Garve. When you were sparring with Jiria, I felt that your center of gravity was strangely unaligned. Could it be that your arm…?” (Sirius)

  “Is that so? Please tell me the details later.” (Garve)

  Even if the advice was from someone who defeated him, he was proactively listening in order to become stronger. He understood that even if it was this much, it could make him stronger.

  —


  There were no people praying before Hokuto when we got back home. However, there was a basket filled with offerings, such vegetables and dried meats, placed in front of Hokuto.

  Although he said that he didn’t need them, he couldn’t turn them down because the people firmly wished for it.

  Hokuto didn’t need to eat meals. But, since he already got it, I asked him what he wanted to eat. And then, Hokuto held the basket in his mouth and put it on my hands.

  “Woof!” (Hokuto)

  “…Are you giving me this? But isn’t this for you?” (Sirius)

  “Hundred Wolves-sama said it’s all good. It would be impolite not to accept them.” (Garve)

  It felt awkward to receive the offerings, but since Hokuto said so, let’s accept them. When I told him that I would brush him later, he happily wagged his tail.

  As we entered the house, Emilia and Reese, who were already awake up, stood in the kitchen and they were preparing breakfast. Reus, who was stretching in the living room, noticed us and greeted us with a smile.

  “Good morning, Aniki, Jii-chan.” (Reus)

  “Aah…Good morning, Sirius-sama, Ojii-chan” (Emilia)

  “Good morning. Breakfast is almost done.” (Reese)

  “Good morning.” (Sirius)

  “Morni—… Breakfast… Good morning.” (Garve)

  Garve was relaxing his expression as he replied to the morning greetings from his grandchildren, but he immediately switched back to his usual expressionless face. But when I saw him from the back, I understood that he was desperately trying to hide his joy because his tail was slightly trembling.

  I thought of giving them some help, but they drove me out and asked me to take a seat. Since it couldn’t be helped, I handed over the offerings that I got from Hokuto, waited and relaxed in the living room.

  “I made a dish that I learned from Aery-san.” (Reese)

  “It’s a unique dish, but I changed the taste a bit to suit ours. Whether it fits Jii-chan’s taste…” (Emilia)

  “Don’t worry about it. It is good enough just to have it prepared.” (Garve)

  The dish was cooked with beans and herbs. It was a roast on whole meat in soup, which was boiled with various meats and vegetables. The amount was huge for a morning breakfast, but in this world, it wasn’t unusual to eat a lot in the morning. It appeared that the silver wolfkin tend to have that strong tendency. I noticed it since the siblings also eat well.

  Garve ate the arranged dishes, and then… he hardened.

  “How was it? Ojii-chan.” (Emilia)

  “It is not up to Aniki’s level, but Nee-chan’s dishes are delicious, right?” (Reus)

  “…Uhmm. It has a slightly thick taste… but it is delicious.” (Garve)

  “The dishes here are lightly seasoned, for most of them, I think. Sirius-san, what do you think?” (Reese)

  “Yeah, it has a good taste. Both of you have improved.” (Sirius)

  Emilia and Reese were pleased and doing high fives because of our replies.

  I heard this from the silver wolf tribe. They said that Garve mostly had meals alone when his son, Felios, left.

  Since this Jii-san might be overwhelmed because there were suddenly four more people, including his grandchildren, but he was certainly pleased. As no one noticed that Garve was slightly in tears, we started to eat breakfast.

  —


  After breakfast was over, Garve headed out to hunt with the young men, and Reus said that he wanted to come along.

  Emilia, Reese and I visited the settlement and enjoyed a stroll.

  The young men headed out to hunt, while the rest in the settlement was working hard, doing field work, making necessary various goods, and repairing houses.

  “It is peaceful, isn’t it?” (Reese)

  Reese was right, this settlement seemed peaceful. No one was hungry and diseases didn’t spread too far. There were many monsters in the surrounding forests, but the silver wolf tribe was so strong in general, so there was no problem.

  We walked along the farming area, and I gave some advice based on my previous life’s experience. Since I had been to countries with food problem many times, I had some knowledge about farming.

  By the time it was late morning, I finished giving advice. When we returned home to prepare lunch, Hokuto came out with a basket filled with crops, once again. It seemed that he was worshipped again and was given crops. I gratefully accepted it.

  —


  After we finished lunch and the usual training, we were wondering what to do next. It was good to continue our training, but I wish there was something to change that.

  “Sirius-sama, let’s play Frisbee!” (Emilia)

  “Please, Aniki!” (Reus)

  When I thought that, Emilia took out the Frisbee that she always used. Do you always carry it around?

  That question was raised, but I didn’t complain about playing Frisbee. We immediately went to the square. And then I took a throwing posture after the siblings finished warming up.

  “First, I’ll throw lightly. Here you go, go get it.” (Sirius)

  The moment I threw the Frisbee… the air in the village changed.

  Children who were interested came…


  Housewives who were tanning pelts…


  The young men and women who were handling the meat…


  They were staring at the Frisbee all at once, as if a black hole attracted their eyes.

  The children came running behind the siblings, they were frolicking happily while waving their tails.

  “I got it, Nee-chan!” (Reus)

  “Kuh!? I will get it next time.” (Emilia)

  It was Reus who succeeded in catching it, but he seemed to have noticed the abnormal circumstances.

  While gathering attention, Reus returned it to me. I grabbed the Frisbee and stroked his head, and then, the silver wolfkin in the settlement crowded me.

  “Hey! What is this?” (??)

  “It’s an interesting projectile weapon. Can you make it for me?” (??)

  “Please, make it for me, too!” (??)

  I thought that there was some entertainment, but… was it up to this point?

  For the time being, other people joined in after I finished teaching them how to make it. Since the throwers were only me and Reese, we became unquestionably tired. It would be nice if another adult could throw it, but the thrower seemed to want to chase it after they threw it. Throwing was, somewhat, unpopular.

  A sight of nearly ten children chasing a single Frisbee all at once felt surreal.

  In this way, Frisbee is said to be a common thing for the silver wolf tribe.

  When I got home, after I had enough with the Frisbee, I received a basket that contained three times the amount of offerings from Hokuto. It was already like this. It made me feel that there would be no problems regarding our meals if I have Hokuto during my stay.

  Apparently, he was asked by a parent to bless their child. Since he had a large number of visitors, I decided to brush him thoroughly this evening.

  I spent several days in the settlement just like that, but I gradually noticed something wrong with Emilia. I vaguely understood the reason, but it wasn’t time to give her a helping hand at the moment. So, I decided to quietly watch her.

  And just when I thought about us leaving soon, I was invited by Garve for a nighttime stroll after dinner.

  I thought about having a thorough discussion for once. I also wanted to ask for his guidance to the sibling’s settlement, and he accepted it. I was, then, led to a small hill that was slightly away from the settlement.

  Garve and I were the only ones looking down on the settlement from that location. He poured some sake that he brought in two cups, and presented one of them to me.

  “Are you at the drinking age? Can you keep me company for a bit?” (Garve)

  “Well, then, just a bit.” (Sirius)

  Lightly bumping our cups, we quietly looked over the settlement while drinking. Garved poured a second cup and opened his mouth after making a big sigh.

  “My grandchildren… they are cute. Thank you so much for saving them.” (Garve)

  “…I accept your gratitude.” (Sirius)

  Garve finally opened his mouth of what he thought of the siblings. I didn’t say anything. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand his mixed feelings. I didn’t rescue the siblings because I wanted his gratitude. I just did it because I wanted to do it.

  “If they are cute, you need to properly say it, you know? The two of them care about you, but if you continue being like that for too long, you’ll be separated.” (Sirius)

  “I understand, but I don’t want my grandchildren to think of me as their family, until I mourn my son. That is… why.” (Garve)

  Drinking the poured sake in one go, Garve’s monologue continued while looking up at the moon, as if he bore the weight of something.

  “I couldn’t believe the love between Felios and Rona. I regretted it a lot, but that was burdening me the most. I regretted it so much, to the extent that I think it was better to die at hands of the monsters together with my son…” (Garve)

  “But, Garve. You are still alive. And you were able to meet your grandchildren, correct?” (Sirius)

  “Aah… I understand that. Regardless of how much I regret it, the past will not come back. And, the moment I first saw my grandchildren… my heart trembled as much as when my son was born. In recent years, I went to my son’s settlement while killing some monsters, everything I did was to mourn Felios, but they are the warmth that I haven’t felt in a long time. I also thought that it was good to be alive for my grandchildren.” (Garve)

  “But is it because of that? That’s why you had such attitude towards Emilia and Reus, huh?” (Sirius)

  “That’s right. Even if I am aware of it, I can’t convinced myself. I can’t move on until I mourn my son, I’m such a miserable man. I am not worthy to be called ‘Jii-chan’ by my grandchildren.” (Garve)

  At the end of those words, we kept tilting our cups without saying anything.

  I drank the first cup because I understood what this guy wanted to say, and then put the cup away. I looked at Garve, who was drinking his fourth cup.

  “Will you come with us?” (Sirius)

  “…Although I can be said to be shameless by relying on the young, I still want to follow you. Please… I want you to take me.” (Garve)

  Garve quietly placed his cup down and deeply bowed. But, he didn’t really have to bow. Even if Garve didn’t say that, I would have invited him, anyway.

  “Please, raise your head. You also have enough strength, and you know the location of the settlement, right? Moreover… aren’t Emilia and Reus your family? It’s alright for you to follow us openly. Before you say something shameful, please be nice to your grandchildren.” (Sirius)

  “I guess so. I will think about it… Sirius.” (Garve)

  “Stubborn old men are unlikable, Garve.” (Sirius)

  It seemed like it was going to take some more time before he could be more affectionate towards the siblings.

  Although there was an age difference, I enjoyed drinking under the moon together with Garve, who called my name like we were of the same age.