Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 415: For Fun and Games
The Marquis Mulan’s knight commander seemed to have conducted a thorough investigation. Several locations where medicinal herbs, antidote herbs, and magical power herbs were found were marked on the map. Among them, it appeared that they would be heading to a location relatively close to the capital of the territory this time.
“This will be our destination. I’ve put up signposts to prevent others from taking it, so it should be fine.”
Will it really be fine? Putting up a signpost is basically the same as announcing, “Here it is.” Well, even if that spot is taken, there are several other candidate locations nearby, so it should work out. If things become difficult, I can just use my “Search” skill.
“We will depart in the afternoon. Please make your preparations by then.”
With those final words from the knight commander, the gathering was dismissed. Perhaps excited about their first adventure, Fabienne and Carol had flushed faces. They returned to their rooms along with their attendants, likely to change into more practical gear. They had been preparing since the previous day, after all.
“Julius-sama, we should also get ready.”
“You’re right. It looks like Gile and Christopher will be coming along too, so after changing, let’s go check on the knights.”
“Julius-sama, is it alright if we come along as well? We’d like to greet them first.”
“Of course. Let’s meet at the knights’ quarters.”
After parting ways with Axel and Isidore, I returned to my room to prepare. I changed into clothes that were easy to fight in and equipped my sword. I was glad I had brought it just in case. Nero also seemed ready, with a short sword strapped to his waist.
When we arrived at the knights’ quarters, Axel and Isidore were already there. They were chatting with Gile and Christopher.
“Did we take too long?”
“Not at all. There’s still time before we head out. Once greetings are done, we should warm up a bit.”
“So that’s what you were aiming for, Axel.”
“Haha…”
He tried to laugh it off, but it was clear that he wanted to train with me. I had no reason to refuse, and watching my disciple’s growth didn’t sound bad. Well, something like that. After making my rounds to greet the knights and check on the preparations, it was time for a mock battle.
I didn’t just spar with Axel—I also fought against Nero, Gile, and Christopher. Naturally, I won with ease.
As a joke, I gradually increased the number of opponents. More and more knights gathered to watch, but I paid them no mind and continued. In the end, I was fighting against all four at once. Of course, I still won easily.
“You still have a long way to go.”
“You’re a monster…”
“That’s harsh, Axel. Calling someone a monster like that.”
“But, Julius-sama, you’re just too strong…”
Christopher was whining. If he was going to break down over something like this, he needed to toughen up his spirit. Perhaps it was time to add mental fortitude training as well. There was a murmur among the surrounding knights, but I ignored it. In the Heine Count’s Territory, this was nothing unusual.
“Julius-sama, you truly are strong.”
“Oh, Fabienne, you were watching too?”
Fabienne stood there in pants-style riding attire. Was that an outfit for horseback riding? Her sleek silhouette made my heart race. I hadn’t expected Fabienne in such a fitted outfit to be this captivating. On top of that, the outfit emphasized her chest more than usual.
“I was watching from the moment you all started fighting. I never thought you would actually win, though.”
“Axel said that Julius-sama was much stronger than him, and it turns out he was right.”
Carol was dressed almost identically to Fabienne. She also had a sleek and refined appearance. Neither of them seemed to be carrying any weapons, suggesting they had no intention of fighting. Well, that made sense. If something happened, they needed to focus on escaping.
“You both look great. With this, you should be able to walk through the forest safely.”
“Thank you. I’ll do my best not to hold everyone back.”
“If anything happens, I’ll do my best to run away.”
“Don’t worry. No matter what happens, Carol, I’ll protect you.”
“Axel…”
Leaving the two lost in each other’s gaze, I turned my attention to the knights who had just gathered, collecting information about the forest. We already knew our destination, but I wanted to understand the current state of the monsters during the investigation phase.
According to the knights who had gone to scout, they had ventured deep into the forest but saw no signs of any monsters. It seemed the usual quietness of the forest had returned.
Hmm… that actually made me more concerned. While it’s true that the monsters attacking this area had been defeated, there’s no way every single one of them was wiped out. Some must have escaped back into the forest. The question is—where did those monsters go?
On our way to the Mulan Marquisate, a village had been attacked. The attackers were a group of monsters. If that was the case, it wouldn’t be surprising if another similar group had formed somewhere in the forest. The fact that no lone monsters had been found in the forest was troubling.
When I brought this up to Lionel and the others, they agreed it was a valid concern. However, some of the knights had their own doubts.
“Julius-sama, for monsters to act in groups, they would need a leader to unite them. What do you think about that?”
“That’s true… Lionel, was there any monster among those that attacked the village that stood out as a leader?”
The knights fell into deep thought. The fact that they couldn’t answer right away meant there hadn’t been any particularly strong monster leading the group. That would imply that somewhere in the forest, there was an even stronger monster capable of commanding the others.
“I see, so that’s what you mean. There was no such monster among them. That would mean a powerful creature controlling the monsters is hiding somewhere in the forest.”
Lionel’s words brought a heavy silence over the group. It made sense why the army of the Eastern Frontier Marquis was still investigating the forest—they must have realized this possibility. If that’s the case, then this powerful monster has likely been pushed further into the depths of the forest by their forces.
That means the area we’re heading to should be relatively safe, right? The knights who scouted ahead didn’t find any monster groups, and as long as we don’t venture too deep into the forest, we should be fine.