Volume 3 Chapter 3 Part1 (1/2)

Translator Corner

This is Yukkuri demasu!

Sorry for the lateness. I can only say

September is a busy month.

I will be transferred to a district hospital

next month, so this month is kinda annoying as I need to finish all the

workload piled up before I transfer… My procrastination strikes back……

DISCLAIMER: There is no

guarantee that my translation is 100% correct. Please correct me if I was

wrong.

Translator:

Yukkuri Oniisan

Editor, Proofreader:

So-Chintzy

Postwar Arc

Chapter 3: The Negotiation A

There was a training ground

inside Van’s Castle. In that open air room, that was similar to a j.a.panese

archery range, I was facing the fully equipped Aisha. The red armored Aisha bared

her great sword[1] toward

my direction, while opposing her were me and the five medium-sized Musas.h.i.+ Boy-kun

dolls (It was in the middle between the small size,

that was as big as a stuffed toy, and the large size, that was as big as a

human).

「Then……

I will move, Your Majesty!」(Aisha)

「Come,

Aisha!」(Souma)

The referee, Liscia at the corner

of my field of view, raised her hand. At that moment, Aisha’s great sword

slashed down. In an instant, a visible shockwave flew towards me. I then moved

Musas.h.i.+ Boy-kun (equipped with s.h.i.+elds in both of its hands) to the front and braced

the s.h.i.+elds. When the shockwave hit, it produced a loud banging noise, but

Musas.h.i.+ Boy-kun A (Dual s.h.i.+eld) somehow managed to hold its ground.

「It’s

not over!」(Aisha)

However, without even a moment to

feel relieved, Aisha pointed her great sword towards my direction and set the

sword at her side, before thrusting it forward with all of her might. Even though,

Musas.h.i.+ Boy-kun A piled its s.h.i.+elds to guard against this attack, that

battering ram-like attack penetrated both the piled up s.h.i.+elds and Musas.h.i.+ Boy-kun.

(For real…… It pierced through those two bulky

s.h.i.+elds……) (Souma)

I was taken aback by the

unreasonable power, but currently, Aisha’s feet were stopped. Using this chance,

I sent Musas.h.i.+ Boy-kun B (Dual Sword) and Musas.h.i.+ Boy-kun C (Spear) from both

of her flanks and attacked from both right and left at the same time. But Aisha

stabbed the great sword, that had pierced through Musas.h.i.+ Boy-kun A to the

ground, and then, as if using the great sword as a pivot, she did a cartwheel and

evaded the attack by moving her body towards the air. Aisha ended up in a

position similar to a handstand by using the great sword.

「There,

【Precision

Shooting】!」(Souma)

The remaining Musas.h.i.+ Boy-kun D

and E (Bow) aimed and shot at Aisha, whose feet had left the ground and could

not move. Two arrows quickly flew towards Aisha.

「Naïve!」(Aisha)

On top of the stabbed down great

sword, Aisha rotated her feet and did something like a capoera handstand

roundhouse kick (I don’t know the proper name)[2]

and then kicked down the two arrows. Then, she stepped down and immediately

took out something from inside her pocket before flicking it towards me with

her thumb.

「No……way…」(Souma)

There was a ‘pacch’ sound from my

forehead, so I was greatly taken aback. In the middle of my forehead, there was

a ten yen coin sized piece of clay. If perhaps, this was a knife or a stone

from a slingshot, then perhaps I would already be dead. Well, since it was only

a “practice” match, I won’t die, but as expected, it’s depressing to be

defeated one-sidedly…… I then sat down on the spot.

「Ah, really……

I can’t even put up a proper fight.」(Souma)

「T-that

is……」(Aisha)

「Aisha,

I think it is important for the battle a.n.a.lysis, so just say it honestly.」(Liscia)

Liscia stopped Aisha, who was hurriedly

approaching me, and, just like what Liscia had said, I was currently verifying

my battle capability.

「Just

like what Liscia said. Speak honestly.」(Souma)

「T-then……

How should I say this, I didn’t feel any difficulty facing the ‘Party’ of

dolls. But I think the previous 『Everyone carries swords in both hands and swarms』 tactic is more difficult to deal with.」(Aisha)

「Ah,

the 『Pikmin Tactic』[3]…… But then, didn’t you just blow them all away together?」(Souma)

「So

in other words, it’s below the standard.」(Liscia)

「Uuu.」(Aisha)

I hung my head when Liscia

pointed this out. Since the Pikmin Tactic wasn’t effective, then this time, I

tried to use the combination tactic that was used by the adventurer party, that

Musas.h.i.+ Boy-kun partic.i.p.ate together with in the quest before, as a reference

(if I have to name it, it will be called 『World Tree Labyrinth Tactic』[4], but in the end, this tactic failed

「Since

an adventurer party will have a magician, after all. A s.h.i.+eld that has been

strengthened using magic would be difficult to pierce and, rather than arrows,

elemental magic would also be difficult to deal with.」(Aisha)

Aisha said this sketchily. Also,

rather than “impossible”, it’s “difficult”, so Aisha’s “above the norm”

standard was really obvious……

「Even

if you mention a magician. I can’t use elemental magic or support magic……」(Souma)

To say nothing of me, even if the

『Living

Poltergeist』 dolls that I control could use 【Whirlwind

Slash】 or 【Precision Shooting】,

they couldn’t use magic to put elemental effects on their weapon or to shoot out

flames or ice.

「I

wonder if you can learn how to use them from something like a magic academy?」(Souma)

「It

will be impossible. I have never heard a Dark Attribute user that can use magic

from other attributes.」(Liscia)

Liscia immediately vetoed it.

According to her, the four great attributes: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind,

created the phenomenon by manipulating mana in the air, while the Light

attribute meddled with mana inside the body to increase the healing rate or to enhance

the body. However, a Dark attribute didn’t have any ability to do this. In

other words, no matter how much I learn or study, I won’t become a Magician or

a Healer…… How should I say this? This is disappointing. I dropped my shoulders

and Liscia began to speak with a surprised expression.

「What

are you talking about? A Dark attribute is rare, you know? Even until now, I

only have seen three person possessing it.」(Liscia)

「Three

people? It’s me and Tomoe, right? …… Who is the other one?」(Souma)

「It’s

my Mother. But she never told me what her power is.」(Liscia)

Really……The previous Queen,

right? I met with her a bit when I was summoned. I’m certain the right to

succeed the throne was originally the previous Queen’s (so strictly speaking,

the previous Queen Regnant)[5]

and that the Queen was just entrusting the kingdom’s governance to her husband,

the previous King Albert? She was hidden behind the King’s shadow, so I don’t

really remember her, but whenever I see her, she was always smiling, so I feel

that she is a nice person.

「However,

it seems that my power is not enough to protect myself……」(Souma)

「Please

be relieved, Your Majesty! I will always guard Your Majesty’s life the entire time!」(Aisha)

Aisha hit her chest with a puff.

In front of her reliability, I feel pathetic.

「A

hero that is protected by a girl, as expected, is not cool……」(Souma)

「What

are you saying right now? Souma hasn’t been hero-like since the very beginning,

you know.」(Liscia)

Liscia slashed me down with a

single stroke. I agree with her…… But could she not use such a coa.r.s.e and indirect

expression?[6]

While I was thinking this,

「Isn’t

it Souma’s way to entrust things that you can’t do to people who can? Since you

couldn’t do it with your own power, then we will be the ones who will always

protect you.」(Liscia)

Liscia said this while blus.h.i.+ng. Aisha

also followed her.

「Just

like what the Princess said! Your Majesty is the one who has protected the

country where we live, so please let us protect Your Majesty’s safety!」(Liscia)

「…… I

see.」(Souma)

To have two beautiful girls

saying this to me, although it is pathetic, I am also happy. I am a frail

Hero(?), but I will protect the girls in my own way……

No, I want to protect them. It’s

from the deepest part of my heart.

「Your

Majesty.」(Juna)

When I turned my head at the

sudden call, I saw Juna-san in her Marine uniform making a bow with her hand on

her chest.

「Hakuya-dono

is searching for you, he wanted to talk about the city planning.」(Juna)

「I

understand. I will go to meet him right now.」(Souma)

I stood up and brushed away the

dirt. I asked the soldiers to tidy the training ground, as I and the girls

headed towards the government affairs office. I will do what I can do.

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