Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 18: Busy Days.
First, Ren had spent roughly ten days traveling from Clausel to the town with a magic-ship terminal. The magic ship then took almost a full day to reach Elendil. After staying there for five days, he had returned to Clausel by a route that required almost the same amount of time.
By the time Ren reached the Clausel estate again, he had been away for nearly a month.
It was around noon when he arrived at the old manor. He had barely finished unpacking when Weiss came to see him in its entrance hall.
“How was the Mighty Sword Style?”
“Edgar-san said I have an aptitude for it. He has agreed to teach me again, so I plan to return to the Imperial Capital when the opportunity arises.”
“I knew it! Knowing you, I was certain that would be the result!”
Weiss looked as pleased as if the achievement were his own, and his face folded into an affectionate smile.
After listening to Ren’s account of the Imperial Capital, Weiss said he had something to discuss and asked him a favor.
“I hear you intend to resume your survey of the monsters in the Eastern Forest soon. Would you allow the young lady to accompany you?”
“I have no objection to her coming, but has something happened?”
“Hmm… As you know, the final examination for the Imperial Military Academy’s Special Class may require candidates to fight monsters. I intend to begin preparing the young lady seriously for that portion of the examination.”
“Will it be safe? I’m worried the examination might turn into another incident like the one in the Baldor Mountains.”
“You may rest easy on that point. The Imperial Military Academy appears to share the concern and changed the final examination immediately after the last incident.”
The examination site had originally been kept secret to preserve fairness and prevent nobles from gaining an advantage over commoners.
Because that secrecy had contributed to the disaster in the Baldor Mountains, the academy would publicly announce the examination venue for the foreseeable future.
Behind the scenes, it was sparing no effort or expense to maintain fairness despite that change.
The examinations would probably cost more than ever from then on.
“Still, now that I think about it, will the Eastern Forest really be enough?”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“The monsters there would not provide Licia-sama with much training. I am not saying she should begin with powerful monsters, but the difference in ability is so large that fighting them may accomplish very little.”
Licia had already fought monsters effectively during the battle against Yelquq.
The most troublesome ordinary monster in the Eastern Forest was the Earthworm, which crawled underground inside a body covered by a hard shell.
Earthworms sold for high prices because they were troublesome to hunt, but that was the extent of their danger.
Even the Imperial Military Academy’s renowned Special Class would not normally face monsters as powerful as the ones Ren had in mind. Asval and similar abnormalities were exceptional cases.
The Eastern Forest would be acceptable if the purpose were merely to make Licia accustomed to fighting monsters.
That meant Ren’s objection slightly missed the point, yet Weiss nodded thoughtfully.
He too was considering Licia’s longer-term development.
“Personally, I think the area around Elendil would be better. Powerful monsters do not inhabit it because it is close to the Imperial Capital, but those found there are stronger than the monsters in the Eastern Forest.”
“I see. You know an impressive amount about the region.”
“I have studied many things.”
Weiss nodded and folded his arms.
Ren’s opinion was reasonable. Gradually increasing the difficulty of Licia’s opponents was important, but there was a limit to how slowly they should proceed.
Licia also had to devote herself to her studies, so they needed to use her time efficiently.
(Wait. Wasn’t traveling to Elendil also a problem?)
Realizing the contradiction, Ren spoke again.
“I’m sorry. Reaching Elendil takes a long time, so perhaps that would not be an efficient use of her time after all.”
Licia had declined to accompany Ren to the Imperial Capital precisely because she needed to prepare for the entrance examination.
Sending her to Elendil for training might put the cart before the horse.
Ren apologized for speaking without thinking, but Weiss waved the concern aside.
“Time will not be a problem. She can simply continue preparing for the examination while staying in Elendil.”
“Can it be handled that easily?”
“In Elendil, we can summon tutors favored by the nobility directly to the mansion. Now that the matter is settled, I shall consult the head of the family!”
“Wait—Weiss-sama!”
Weiss hurried back toward the main residence. Left behind, Ren laughed aloud.
“Is that really all right…?”
On reflection, there was no reason they could not do exactly that.
Moving Licia’s base of activity to Elendil would make many things more convenient.
Several dozen seconds later, Licia came to the old manor in Weiss’s place.
“Ren? Weiss rushed out of here. Did something happen?”
“He appears to have had an idea concerning your training, Licia-sama.”
“My training?”
Ren explained their conversation in detail.
The news made Licia’s heart leap.
“Hehe. You’ve been terribly busy lately, Ren. Won’t repeatedly traveling between Clausel and the cities exhaust you?”
“I’ll be fine. Besides, sending you away by yourself would be… well…”
“What would it be?”
(I cannot tell her that she seems too vulnerable to danger.)
Licia somehow understood what he was thinking.
With an angelically sweet smile, she stepped closer. Ren instinctively looked away in an entirely unrelated direction.
Licia reached up, took his face in her hand, and turned him back toward her.
“What would it be?”
The same words now sounded distinctly like an interrogation.
“No, um…”
“I know. I’ll make tea for you. You haven’t had an opportunity to rest since you returned, have you?”
“I was actually about to begin my work around the old manor.”
“I, Licia Clausel, grant you permission to rest.”
When the daughter of the lord supporting him said that, even Ren could not argue.
“I’ll accept your hospitality.”
Once he surrendered, Licia answered in a satisfied, buoyant voice.
“Please do.”
She turned toward the old manor’s kitchen, but stopped and looked back almost immediately.
“Y-you aren’t upset, are you?”
“What? Why would I be?”
“Because even though I was joking, I said something that sounded as though I were wielding my authority over you…”
Only afterward had it begun to trouble her. She anxiously studied Ren’s expression.
That concern was characteristically Licia. Ren smiled gently.
“It did not bother me at all. I’m the one who should apologize for nearly making a strange joke.”
“N-no! If it were you, I would be happy too—Ahem! I mean, it doesn’t bother me! …So you really were about to say something strange!”
For once, Ren had been the one to expose himself.
There was not the slightest hostility between them, and both broke into cheerful laughter.
Afterward, Licia listened with intense interest as Ren described everything he had experienced in the Imperial Capital.
When they had enjoyed their tea, Ren handed her a small vial.
Before he left the Lion’s Holy Office, Edgar had entrusted it to him for Licia.
“I need to put a scratch on the crystal?”
“Apparently. Even Edgar-san, a Sword Saint, needed a long time merely to leave a faint mark on his.”
Licia rolled the crystal curiously inside the vial, clearly wondering whether she could do it and whether she possessed an aptitude for the Mighty Sword Style.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Lessard listened to Ren’s proposal and granted them permission to travel to Elendil.
Lessard and Weiss joined the party as well. Lessard had work that would be more conveniently handled in Elendil, and once that was decided, Weiss agreed to accompany him.
They departed in December, a little more than a month after Ren had returned to Clausel.
(I’ve been making this trip often lately.)
Ren had that thought as he stepped into the Hanging Garden, Elendil’s enormous station.
“I have no schedule like the one during our previous visit, so I intend to rest at the mansion. Even so, I think Licia and I should visit the Imperial Capital tomorrow.”
“Father? I did not think we had any particular business there.”
“We are going to a clothing shop. The outfit you inherited is becoming too small, so it must be remade with new fabric.”
He meant the clothing Licia had inherited from her late mother. The white, military-inspired outfit emphasized both her loveliness and her dignified beauty.
“I understand. In that case, I would be delighted to go.”
“Weiss also has an errand, so we can handle it along the way.”
“Would that be acceptable? I could go by myself later…”
“It is no trouble. The errand concerns the blacksmith district, does it not? Licia would enjoy seeing it, so the arrangement is convenient.”
“Weiss! If you’re going to the blacksmith district, I want to come too!”
“W-well… If both of you say so, I shall accept your kind offer.”
With the matter settled, the party left the road lined with magic ships and entered the Hanging Garden on their way down to ground level.
Confusing to read as they change time periods and locations inbetween paragraphs.
Usually Japanese have their own unique way of speaking. So the conversation between four characters without explanation who are speaking is okay.
But when it was translated into English, it is difficult to know who is speaking what.