Kays Translations

Chapter 7: The Villainous Aristocrat Becomes an Apprentice to Become Stronger.

Father, along with a dozen able-bodied residents, set off to exterminate the goblins.

Riding magical powered two-wheeled vehicles fitted with improved brakes and suspension.

From afar, I heard a post-apocalyptic Mohawk shoulder pad-like voice shouting, "Hyahhahhh!!!" but it was probably just my imagination.

All I could do now was wait.

"It's going to be alright, Kunou."

"Mother..."

"Your father might be lax, but he's a hero who survived the Human-Demon War. There's no need to worry."

The Human-Demon War.

It was a large-scale war that happened over a decade before the main story of "Fantasista Stories," involving humans and the demon race.

Father earned his title and territory from the king as a reward for his achievements as a mercenary in that war.

Maybe everything will be fine.

They believed me about Goblin King being there and the trap.

So, I want to believe that everything will be fine.

As I returned to my room, I noticed that something was missing.

"Huh?"

"Onii-sama, what's the matter?"

"Uh, well, the flamethrower dryer is missing. Do you know anything about it?"

"In that case, I saw Father taking it with him for the goblin extermination!!"

"Huh? Seriously?"

I can't help but imagine it.

Father riding the magical powered two-wheeled bike, wielding the flamethrower dryer in one hand, shouting, "Hyahhahhh!!!"...

...He's totally a post-apocalyptic human, isn't he?

"When Father returns safely, maybe I should give him some shoulder pads."

Might as well make a Mohawk hat to go with it.

"...Just making them might not be enough."

This world is filled with danger.

While enriching one's lifestyle is important, the priority should be one's own strength.

Even if you make a gun, it's meaningless if you don't have the power to handle it.

Alright, I've made up my mind.

I dashed out of my room and headed to the kitchen.

"Oh, young master. It's not mealtime yet."

"Don't call me a glutton, Martha."

Martha.

She's the so-called maid who takes care of cleaning and preparing meals in the mansion where we live.

In this world, she's a sprightly seventy-year-old woman, but she has another role besides being the maid in the mansion.

That's right, she's in charge of guarding the mansion.

You might think, can an elderly lady really handle such a job?

Don't underestimate Martha.

Although she's stepped back from the front lines, she's the person who could knock out Father, who earned his merits in a major war, without moving a step, using just one hand.

Her skills are top-notch.

If you want to learn hand-to-hand combat, there's no one else to become an apprentice to but her.

"Martha, please teach me how to fight."

"Oh my, I didn't think young master had an interest in such things..."

"I just became interested recently."

"Hmm... To what extent?"

It probably meant, how strong do I want to become.

"To the point where I can protect myself and the people close to me without any weapons."

"I understand. However, if I were to thoroughly train young master, I might incur the mistress's wrath, so let's keep it a secret."

Thoroughly train... That sounds a bit intimidating, but well, she does seem reliable.

"Thank you!!"

"...During this time, the mistress is likely organizing documents in her room. Shall we start right away?"

With that, Martha walked out to the garden, carrying a mop used for cleaning.

Wait, is she going to fight with a mop?

I blinked in surprise, and Martha straightened her bent back.

Then, she moved her entire body, and a creepy cracking sound echoed through the garden.

"Young master, what do you think is the most essential thing in combat?"

"Um? S-Strength, maybe?"

"Strength is certainly important. However, even more crucial is your eyesight."

"Eyesight?"

I tilted my head.

"Most of the information humans obtain from the outside world comes from vision. That's why we'll start by training your eyesight," Martha explained.

"How do you train your eyesight, though?"

"Like this."

"Huh? Uwaaargh!!"

*Swish!!*

With a sound like cutting through the air, Martha's figure blurred.

Before I could react, I received an incredibly heavy blow to my neck and was sent flying.

I rolled on the ground for a while before finally realizing what had happened.

It was the mop.

I had been knocked away by a mop to the neck. That's it.

"W-What speed..."

"Young master, you need to learn to dodge or defend against this first. Of course, without magic or weapons. Now, again."

"Huh? W-Wait, I'm not ready—"

"In real combat, your opponent won't wait for you, you know? Come on, come on, come on!!"

Martha seemed oddly delighted.

Hey, battle maniac!! I'm just a ten-year-old kid here!! Can't you be a bit gentler??

Well, I did ask for her guidance, but still!!

"*Gah*, *cough*, *splutter*, *retch*."

To be honest, it didn't hurt that much.

Well, it was painful, like writhing-in-agony painful, but it wasn't the kind of serious blow that leaves bruises.

Or, at least, it shouldn't be...

It was completely one-sided.

Is this what it feels like to be a fighting game character trapped in a barrage of combos?

As I continued to endure Martha's attacks endlessly, I began to understand something.

Her attacks were fast, incredibly fast.

It's like every move is meticulously planned out, with each motion seamlessly integrated into the next. 

Her movements seemed efficient and rational, leaving no room for wasted effort. Even when I tried to rely on intuition to dodge, the mop attacks accurately homed in on me.

Her attacks were so swift, so rapid.

However, I lacked the necessary visual reflexes to anticipate and counter those attacks.

I see, this is why eyesight is crucial.

"Grr, take this!!"

I couldn't afford to be defenseless. I clenched my fist and assumed a stance.

And then, I forced my eyes to adjust to Martha's onslaught.

"Hmph!!"

"Raaargh!!"

I barely manage to avoid Martha's mop attack by twisting my neck.

I barely managed to twist my neck to evade Martha's mop attack.

But that was as far as I got.

In the split second I thought I had dodged, the next mop strike punched through my jaw.

I was sent airborne and crashed onto the ground.

K.O.!!

Thankfully, the ground was soft soil.

If it had been concrete, I'm pretty sure I would have been bleeding for sure.

"Heh, heh, your movements are too random!!"

"Well, that's what you get for underestimating an old woman."

I wasn't underestimating you!! I was taking this quite seriously, thank you very much!!

"But honestly, I was surprised. I didn't expect you to evade at all. Kids these days have good memories, huh? Just the other day, Miss Wendy... Oh!"

"Wendy? What? What are you talking about?"

"Uh, well, heh, heh."

"Hey, cut it out! Don't try to laugh it off!!"

Later, when I pressed Martha for more information, it turned out that Wendy had asked her to teach her how to fight, just like me. 

Apparently, every day while my mother was studying with Felsy, Wendy secretly received combat lessons.

Hearing this, I was taken aback.

Come to think of it, Martha's movements were exactly like Wendy's in the game.

In the game, Felsy was a versatile mage capable of healing, attacking, and defending, while Wendy was a typical martial artist.

She was a cute and powerful heroine who specialized in devastating critical hits.

I see, it all made sense now.

Perhaps the Wendy from the game had secretly become Martha's apprentice, seeking strength behind the scenes, away from the teasing of my mother and me.

"…Well, I will keep it a secret from Mother."

"I-Is that alright?"

"It's what Wendy wanted, right? I can't stop her. But please, stop her from training in a way that could cause serious injuries. Absolutely. If she does, then at that time…"

"At that time?"

"I'll tie her up and drag her through the territory with a bike."

"Ho ho ho, that's quite violent."

While we were talking, the day turned into night. The next morning, Father, battered and bruised, returned from the goblin extermination.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter