Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 270: Just One Step Forward
“Hey, Lutz…”
In the corridors of the royal palace, as Karin and Lutz were being led by Victor’s attendant on their way out of the castle, Karin called out to Lutz. Speaking while walking in the palace wasn’t very dignified, and since they couldn’t walk side by side due to their positions, Karin found it difficult to initiate the conversation with Lutz walking behind her. But she had to say it; this was a crucial turning point.
“Are you serious about joining the orc subjugation?”
He had declared it in front of the captain of the royal knights. There was no way it was a joke. Yet she needed to confirm it once more.
“Yes. I plan to return to the inn, gather my comrades, and then depart for the village.”
“Why go to such lengths? You don’t have an obligation to fight.”
“Why indeed… I’m not really sure myself.”
“Are you joking?”
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She inadvertently stopped and turned around. Lutz waved his hand lightly, denying it.
“No, no, I’m not joking. I don’t really have a clear reason. I just thought, why not lend a hand?”
“Don’t make light of this. Who risks their life with such ambiguous feelings?”
Karin felt a bit frustrated and regretted speaking to this idiot. Her brother had lost his life for the sake of defeating the three giant orcs. If those giant orcs were to increase in number and attack again, sticking her neck into that battlefield half-heartedly would be a disrespect to her deceased brother.
While considering whether to take the sword from the butler waiting outside and slash him, Lutz continued.
“…There are people in need in front of me, and I have the power to help them. So, I have no choice but to act.”
There was truth in those words, and Karin lowered the fist she had raised in her mind.
“If you see something you can solve, huh. That’s a bold claim.”
“Well, I can’t do it alone, of course, but I can with my comrades. At the very least, I don’t intend to be a burden.”
“Seeing injustice and ignoring it, is it?”
Karin smiled slightly, her lips tinged with a faint pink.
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“If you call it such a noble thought… well, it’s really just a feeling.”
“Hmph, hmph… Don’t be modest. Your balls are filled with masculine courage.”
“Uh, yes. Thank you…”
He didn’t understand the meaning of her words, but she was probably praising him. Lutz expressed his gratitude with a vague expression.
The two started walking again, and eventually, Karin muttered.
“Hey, Lutz, I also plan to go to that village.”
“Huh? Excuse me, but can Karin-sama fight?”
“I’ve learned a bit of swordsmanship, but I have no actual combat experience. Don’t worry, I don’t intend to go to the front lines.”
To Lutz, who tilted his head wondering why, Karin explained her thoughts while organizing them.
“I want to kick those incompetent idiots from the Thirteen Knights in the ass. And…”
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Her gaze, tinged with melancholy, was directed at the beautiful garden. A truly beautiful garden that had never been trampled for three hundred years. A paradise untouched by conflict. Being there felt frustrating, even sinful.
“I don’t want to remain an unrelated bystander anymore. I didn’t go to the battlefield, and I wasn’t with my brother when he died. Misfortune always came from faraway places unknown to me…”
“Karin-sama, you had the noble duty of protecting the territory. You don’t need to feel guilty for not being there.”
Lutz’s words were comforting and correct. It would have been far more problematic if Karin had abandoned her duty and clung to Leonard’s back. Nevertheless, it was far from satisfactory.
“There was nothing I could do, but I don’t want to dismiss it with such words.”
Her determination was firm. And when Lutz thought she was a woman Claudia would like, he wanted to fulfill Karin’s wish at all costs.
“If it’s alright with you, would you like to go together?”
Karin’s expression softened as if relieved by Lutz’s proposal. Despite not intending to fight, she still felt anxious about going alone.
“When our preparations are complete, I’ll come to your mansion to pick you up.”
“No, that will take too long. Let’s meet on the highway leading to the village.”
After discussing specific locations and dates, the two parted ways. Although there was still tension in Karin’s expression, it was the face of someone ready to take on a challenge, not someone waiting.
When Lutz returned to the inn, Gerhardt barged into the room immediately.
“Oi, Lutz, what’s going on now? I’m getting tired of waiting, it feels like mushrooms are growing on my back.”
Josel, standing behind Gerhardt, had a look on his face that said, “I’m sorry for the trouble.” Since the two who he was planning to call had come over to him instead, Lutz found it rather relieving.
“Well, you see, things have gotten a bit complicated…”
“Again! Are you cursed by some dangerous spirits or something?”
“I’d like to think not… Well, just listen for now.”
Lutz recounted what happened in Victor’s office. And that he intended to participate in the subjugation, and also that he was thinking of inviting Gerhardt and the others.
“How about it, won’t you come with us?”
Gerhardt’s face lit up with a smile as he clapped his hands together.
“A giant orc, huh? Interesting, very interesting! Lately, that Bolbis fellow keeps appearing in my dreams and won’t shut up, demanding blood occasionally!”
With hearty laughter, Gerhardt grabbed his sheath. Bolbis was an old friend of Gerhardt’s and also the blacksmith who forged Gerhardt’s sword.
Since it seemed unlikely that Bolbis would appear in the real world just to say something like that, Gerhardt was speaking on behalf of his own desires. It must be quite a nuisance for his soul. Or perhaps he was shrugging and laughing, thinking, “Gerhardt has always been like this.”
Lutz narrowed his eyes and watched Gerhardt, thinking he was a risky old man. But right now, he found him very reliable.
“What about you, Josel?”
When Lutz asked over Gerhardt’s shoulder, Josel rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“It’s a crisis for the people, even if it’s outside my domain. I definitely want to participate, but…”
“Is there a problem?”
“The issue is whether it’s acceptable for a knight to swing their sword freely in another lord’s territory.”
They had faced considerable difficulties with that during the previous orc extermination. To the troubled Josel, Lutz grinned and raised his thumb.
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“It’s okay this time. We’ve got explicit permission from Victor-sama, the Fourth Knight Commander, himself.”
“Oh, really? Is that true?”
Sensing a slight unease in Lutz’s demeanor, Josel sought confirmation.
“Well, um… When I asked if it was okay to participate, I was told, ‘Do as you like.'”
“That doesn’t mean it’s okay at all! It’s totally unacceptable!”
“Then shall we go back to wearing hideous masks and pretending to be the Masked Knight?”
“No, please give me a break.”
“Other knights are joining in, so they’ll laugh and forgive us. Victor-sama is that kind of person.”
“Alright, I’ll trust you, Lutz. I don’t want to be put on trial in the capital.”
With Lutz and Gerhardt nodding in agreement, and Josel giving a somewhat awkward smile, it was settled.
No matter how mighty the enemy, they could fight alongside each other. Everyone present felt that way.