Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 455: The Tamer
Despite Tauro and his companions’ hopes, the day arrived for Saint Matilda’s entourage to leave the Royal Capital and begin its tour of the Kingdom of Sart.
Prince Fleue had reportedly continued asking the Crown Prince to remove Tauro, Aeris, and Zion until the final preparations, but every request was denied.
Fleue therefore used what influence remained to add Ankh and Ragune to the expedition. They joined as adventurers assigned to protect and observe Aeris’s group, taking positions near the rear of the procession.
Tauro, Aeris, and Zion were treated almost like inconvenient extra baggage. To keep them away from Matilda, they traveled in a large rear carriage used by lower-ranking nobles, common-born specialists, and members connected to the supply train.
Inside the specially constructed coach, Aeris covered her mouth and whispered to Tauro.
“The Crown Prince is going to extraordinary lengths to force us along. He doesn’t seem particularly kind, does he?”
“You shouldn’t say that where other people might hear you,” Tauro whispered back.
“They can’t. I placed a small barrier around us. No one outside it can hear our voices as long as we hide our mouths and don’t make it obvious that we’re whispering.”
Aeris sounded rather proud of the technique.
“When did you learn to do something this precise? Was it part of your training with Maria?”
“I adapted what Maria taught me. The barrier surrounds your face, mine, and Zion’s, so only the three of us can hear this conversation.”
Tauro had already noticed how much Aeris had matured during their separation. Her control over magic had improved even more dramatically than he had realized.
A young man sitting opposite them suddenly leaned forward.
“You there. You’re a tamer too, are you not?”
“Me?” Tauro asked, startled by the interruption.
“Yes. There’s a familiar disguised as part of your belt. I can tell because I’m a tamer. What kind of camouflage-type familiar is it? I don’t mean to boast, but I can summon four familiars at once, mostly wolf types.”
The young man appeared delighted to meet someone else connected to the relatively rare profession.
“I have only one familiar, and it’s nothing worth boasting about.”
“You were selected for this expedition, so it must be exceptional. Is it a mimicry monster like a chameleon lizard? Perhaps it’s one of the high-ranking Phantom Mist species?”
“Neither. Its basic lineage is extremely common.”
A slime was the most elementary sort of monster a tamer might acquire. Pella, however, was a Slime Emperor variant, and Tauro knew of no reliable surface records concerning such a creature.
He couldn’t simply claim that it was a Mimic Slime either. Mimicry-capable slimes seen on the surface were rare, violent, and valuable. Revealing that Pella could imitate equipment might attract hunters, merchants, or people who wanted to steal it.
“There’s no reason to be embarrassed,” the young man continued. “The noble children around the Saint may have family names to rely on, but this carriage is filled with commoners and minor nobles chosen for their talent. Everyone has been discussing what they can do.”
He was clearly proud to count himself among those exceptional individuals.
“I wasn’t selected as a tamer,” Tauro said, trying to change the subject. He mimed drawing a bow. “My principal specialty is this.”
“Archery? I understand. Tamers often learn ranged attacks and support magic so they can assist their familiars. I also use some support magic. But what species is your familiar?”
The young man returned immediately to the question Tauro had tried to avoid.
“You should know better than to demand another tamer’s secrets before even introducing yourself,” Aeris said. “We’re adventurers as well, and adventurers don’t reveal every ability to strangers.”
“You’re right. I neglected the proper order.”
The young man straightened.
“My name is Mahodo. I’m a tamer serving as a guard in a marquis’s household. My finest familiars are two Spike Wolves. They’re rare and extremely difficult to tame. My lord purchased them from another country at great expense, and I was fortunate enough to form contracts with both.”
Once he began introducing himself, Mahodo quickly returned to boasting.
“I have two others as well: a Dark Wolf and a Stone-Throwing Monkey. They’re weaker individually, but they work together. The Spike Wolves normally handle the front line, and when I coordinate all four, no adventurer in this carriage could defeat them.”
He spoke loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, then looked expectantly at Tauro.
“Now it’s your turn.”
Tauro sighed.
“As I already said, I’m not participating in this expedition as a tamer, and I have no intention of advertising my familiar. Still, refusing to introduce myself may make the journey awkward.”
He sat upright.
“I’m Tauro Graunewald. I’m Count Graunewald’s eldest adopted son, though my younger brother will inherit the title. Prince Fleue recommended me for this expedition. I’m an adventurer and specialize in archery. The two beside me are my companions, Aeris and Zion. Will that satisfy you, Mahodo?”
“A count’s son? I-I apologize! I never imagined that a high-ranking noble would be riding in this carriage.”
Because Mahodo served a noble household, he reacted immediately. The other passengers also stared in surprise and began bowing their heads.
“Please don’t make so much of it,” Tauro said hurriedly. “I may be the eldest son, but Haku is the future heir. I’m little more than a noble in name and intend to continue as an adventurer. Let us simply get along during the journey.”
The passengers slowly relaxed, though Tauro hadn’t expected his identity to change the atmosphere so dramatically.