Kays Translations

Chapter 34

“Oh? You weren’t supposed to be on gate duty today, were you?”

“Ah, Captain! Well, I was cleaning the garden, but I switched shifts to guide a guest in.”

“Hmm, a guest… If I remember right, Letty was the acting leader while I was away today. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

As the setting sun painted the Clan Home in shades of red, its master, Schuris, and her attendant Alice returned.

When Schuris asked why someone different was on gate duty, the response wasn’t exactly reassuring, and both of their expressions turned grim.

“Letty was told not to let anyone in when she’s in charge… You’re going to have to apologize again, Captain…”

“Then I’ll have to punish the gatekeeper too, if anything happened to the guest… So, who was let in?”

“Well, apparently it was a special guest… I think the name was Same—”

The moment the name was spoken, Schuris took off running toward the Clan Home before even hearing the full answer.

It was a hunch born of the unfathomable presence she had once felt from Same, and the ferocity he had shown when confronting Alice in the past.

“I’m back! Is Same here!?”

“Ah, Captain…”

As soon as he stepped inside, Schuris immediately sensed that the atmosphere was different.

She instinctively understood: “Something has happened.”
She walked straight toward the girl sitting in the lounge—the one who had likely caused it.

“Letty… you did it again, didn’t you?”

“…Yes, but—”

“No ‘but.’ I told you there wouldn’t be a next time. I said I wouldn’t spoil you anymore. I also told you clearly: if you mistreat a guest again, you’ll be expelled.”

“B-but…”

“You’re expelled. Pack your things and leave within two days.”

“No way!!”

Letty had already been formally warned. But that also meant they had let her off the hook multiple times in the past.

However, this time, others were backing up the situation—with facts.

“Wait, Captain. Even if he was a special guest… I’m the one who let him in, knowing Letty was in charge. And… the guest is still here, waiting in the reception room. He wasn’t turned away.”

“Hmm? If he wasn’t turned away… then that changes things. What happened exactly?”

Indeed, Same hadn’t been kicked out.
Even now, he was still in the reception room, for some reason folding scattered towels and clothing neatly and organizing papers on the desk… basically cleaning the room without permission.

“The young lady said she had a reason—she fought a match with the guest.”

“Y-yes! He said something like ‘I’ll make you pay!’ to me! The duel was justified!”

“…But Letty-san, you’re the one who provoked him first. Sorry, but I’m going to report it as it happened. I pledged loyalty to the Captain—I won’t lie to her.”

“Ugh…”

The gatekeeper explained in detail what was said and how things escalated into a duel.

“…So you lost, huh?”

“……”

Letty said nothing.
And that silence was all the answer needed.

“…It wasn’t even a real fight. The difference in level was insane. I mean, usually, we—and the young lady—know when we’re up against someone dangerous and back down.”

“He completely changed. Like a different person. Even if all of us fought together, we wouldn’t win.”

They recalled Same’s transformation during the battle—his untraceable movements, his merciless, brutal strikes, and how quickly he returned to calm afterward.

It was a terrifying display of sheer difference in ability, leaving everyone in awe and fear.

“…So my bad feeling was right after all. But at least there’s no serious injury.”

“…I’m sorry. I had her use a potion from the clan’s treasury.”

“Hmm? What happened?”

The member who had been attending to Same rushed to explain.

“Oh, I found it when I was organizing the storage the other day. I think it’s one of those high-grade elixirs passed down from a past operation. It was gathering dust, so I figured it’d been forgotten. Since the young lady was pretty badly hurt, I used it on her…”

“Honestly, it was a serious injury. If we hadn’t used that, she might’ve been left with permanent scars.”

“…I see. That’s fine, I won’t blame you. I had been neglecting the storage too, after all.”

Schuris felt conflicted.
Rationally, they were in the wrong. But emotionally, she wanted to complain a bit about how far Same had gone.

Still, Letty would have been expelled outright had she forcibly expelled the guest.
The only reason she wasn’t was because Same stayed, and technically wasn’t turned away, as promised.

So… maybe it wasn’t her place to say anything.

“Alice. Prepare tea and sweets for the reception room.”

“Yes, right away—wait!!!!!! You sent him to the reception room!?”

Even Letty jumped in surprise as Alice raised her voice.

“That’s basically the Captain’s bedroom!! You let a guest in there!?”

“Ah!!!! You didn’t clean it today, did you!?”

“I’ve been at the royal palace since morning!!”

“Oh no… we really screwed up…”

Alice rushed toward the reception room.
Meanwhile, the very person who had just carried such a serious atmosphere was now completely red-faced, having revealed their embarrassing personal habits to both their team and the guest.

“Ugh… If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have attended today’s meeting…”

“You can’t just ignore a summons from the royal palace… Maybe you should change and head to the reception room?”

“Yeah… I guess I should…”

“Alright, that should do it.”

———————–

Back on Earth, I had taken turns handling household chores, so I’m no stranger to cleaning.

Compared to the usual state of my room, this kind of mess is actually kind of cute.

“But if the reception room was in this state… something must have happened. It’s a pretty big clan home—maybe they were doing renovations somewhere.”

Maybe they temporarily moved the changing area here.

It seems like guests usually get turned away, so they probably hadn’t planned to use this room anyway.

Just then, a knock echoed through the room, snapping me out of the focused cleaning trance I had been in.

Crap. I might get in trouble for touching things without permission.

“Excuse me, is Same-san here?”

“Yes, this is Same-san.”

“…Really… why are… you here…”

Hm? She’s mumbling something.

The door opened, and the woman who had spoken to me at the public bath before—Alice, I think—appeared.

She walked in with an incredibly apologetic… no, more like a resigned expression.

“It’s been a while, Alice-san.”

“Uh… um, Same-san? Was this room always like this?”

She asked, her expression shifting like someone who had seen hope after being on the brink of despair.

“Ah, sorry. It was messy, so I tidied it up a bit. I assume this is being used as a temporary locker room during renovations?”

“……Ah! Yes! Exactly!!!! The locker room next to the training grounds has become too run-down!!! So we’ve been temporarily using this room!! I’m terribly sorry! To have shown such an unsightly place to a guest!”

“Ha-ha, no worries. Please don’t stress about it.”

She must’ve been mortified. She gave her explanation with an oddly loud voice, clearly trying to cover her embarrassment.

“Please continue waiting here. I’ll bring you some tea shortly. The commander will join you once she’s ready.”

“Please, don’t go to any trouble.”

If I remember right, she was summoned to the royal palace.

Being summoned there must mean she was attending a national-scale event or some kind of high-level meeting.

For someone to be summoned like that, this clan must really be elite—highly trusted by the nation.

Honestly, I hadn’t planned to get too involved with them at first, but if they’re that well-connected to the kingdom, it might be worth building some ties.

…Ah. Nope. I beat up some of their members. That’s not good.

“Excuse me, I’ve brought your tea.”

I had been lost in thought while standing, so I quickly sat down on the sofa.

Acting sketchy isn’t a good look. I guess I’m still a little flustered.

Not only did I cause a commotion, but now I have to make a bold request that’ll likely be rejected—under these circumstances, no less.

“The commander will be here shortly.”

“Thank you, Alice-san.”

The aroma of the tea helps calm my nerves a bit.

After Alice leaves, another knock comes at the door.

I rise to greet the clan leader.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Same-san.”

“No, not at all… I should be the one apologizing for causing a scene.”

“Let’s not get into that right now, shall we? I’d like to hear your request on neutral ground.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

From the looks of it, she’s extremely composed… or perhaps just very good at hiding her emotions.

She encourages me to get to the point as if we were making small talk.

“Then… the reason I’ve come to the clan home today is because I have a matter I’d like to consult about.”

“A consultation… is it something related to adventuring, as you mentioned before?”

“Not adventuring, per se. It’s more about combat and security.”

Hearing that, Shuris-san touches her chin in thought.

Quite the picturesque sight—she really fits the image of a noble knight or lady.

“Can you give me the specifics?”

“Yes. Apparently, there will soon be a large-scale auction held between merchant guilds. However, I’ve heard it’s a tricky event—one that could even attract attacks.”

“Ah, that auction. Yes, I’m aware. It’s like a test for the merchant guilds—meant to determine whether they have the resolve and qualification to deal with both the light and dark sides of this city.”

“So you already knew. Well, I’ve come to see if someone from your group might be willing to take on a job guarding the warehouse of one of the merchant guilds during that auction.”

Perhaps it’s a bold request.

But among the people I know with status and credibility, she’s the only one I can turn to.

“You want us to guard an auction that’s practically a black market? Don’t tell me… the merchant guild in question isn’t ‘Curseface,’ is it?”

“No, it’s not. It’s a relatively new guild in this city—‘Pigeon Trading Company.’”

“Hmm… that name doesn’t ring many bells. So then, why are you the one negotiating on their behalf?”

“Well, I actually came to this city together with them. One of the items I brought will be auctioned off under their name, so I’d like to help out.”

I try to explain sincerely and truthfully.

“I see… but wouldn’t it be easier for you to just handle the security yourself?”

“Yes, under normal circumstances. But for my own learning, I’d really like to observe the auction up close. Apparently, they were going to request help from the royal knights, but due to some incident, that seems to have become difficult. So now they need to find trustworthy guards, but as a new guild, they don’t have any connections here. They’re quite troubled by it.”

“Hmm… well, your reasoning is sound enough.”

It would be difficult—emotionally, too.

Even if something inappropriate happened at the public bath before, using that as leverage to make a request felt disproportionate.

So, even if this person comes to hate me, I’ll play this card just this once to push things through.

“Actually, I’m expecting to receive the auction profits, but if I don’t, I might go bankrupt. I recently spent almost all of my assets to purchase a rare potion. That potion was also supposed to be put up for auction, but… it was lost in an accident—just recently.”

Now, what’ll it be?

Will she understand the meaning behind this, and why I’m revealing it here and now?

“I see… Ah, so that’s what happened. Come to think of it, we already owe you a great debt… don’t we? Either way, we were interested in observing the auction as well. As for the warehouse and the venue security—we, the Glory Knights, will take on both responsibilities. Can you introduce us to the Pigeon Trading Company tomorrow?”

As expected, she caught on quickly—and made a decision just as fast.

…Honestly, I hadn’t given her the potion out of pure goodwill. I’d hoped it would serve a purpose. Looking back, my methods are pretty underhanded. I guess this is thanks to having absorbed Same’s experience and knowledge.

“Understood. I’ll visit Pigeon Trading Company tomorrow, so if you can assign the personnel, that would help. I’ll come to escort them.”

“Got it. I’ll have that ready. Three skilled members for the warehouse, and as for the venue… I’ll go myself.”

“That’s… more effective than just security. For the company, I mean.”

“Hehe, perhaps so.”

She’s got her own plans, clearly.

Sure, it’ll add prestige to the Pigeon Company, but volunteering like this? She seems eager to be involved with the auction. Something’s going on in this city, no doubt.

“…Still, you really are extraordinary, aren’t you? You wrapped up the negotiations so skillfully. Almost like blackmail—but incredibly efficient. There are only a handful of people who could pull that off with us. You’ve piqued my curiosity enough that I almost want to say something rude to see how you’ll react.”

“I’m an adult. I can handle thoughtless remarks and insults when I know they’re not from the heart.”

“Hehe, I’m sure you can.”

…What would happen if I fought Shuris?

Honestly, I don’t know. I could never say it’d be an easy win. I don’t even want to imagine it.

She has that kind of presence. That kind of aura.

“Well then, that’s all I had. Unless you have anything on your end, I’ll be taking my leave.”

“Oh? I was hoping we could have dinner together.”

“Haha… if I do, my companion will sulk.”

“Oh? You have company?”

“You already know that much, don’t you?”

“Hehe, do I? Well then, I’ll save that for next time.”

“Sorry, and thank you for the kind invitation.”

Shuris remained smiling until the end.

But I never had a clue what she was really thinking.

If there’s a skill for not letting others see your true thoughts, she could rival the head of a trading company.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Yes, take care. Give my regards to the fox.”

“…I will.”

She did know.

Really, she’s not someone you can afford to let your guard down around.

“Haaaaaahhh! Thank goodness I managed to cover it upppppp!”

Left alone in the room where Same had just departed, Shuris clutched a neatly folded change of clothes and a towel, letting out a deep sigh.

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