Volume 2
Chapter 3 Part
2
Each Person's
Respective Speculations, Idle Thoughts 2
Translator : PolterGlast
"―Welcome!"
*Rattle*. Opening the
sliding glass door, Akira was greeted by a cheerful voice coming from behind
the bustle of the customers.
The heat and steam,
not to be outdone by the daytime heat, filled Akira's nostrils along with the
aroma of soba noodles.
The boy's still
childish appearance caused some of the customers to look at him curtly, but
their gazes immediately scattered as they seemed to notice that the boy was
dressed in the military uniform of protectors.
Soba is one of the
easiest and cheapest foods in Takamagahara, as it grows well even in the barren
highlands and sustains the stomachs of the commoners.
The answer that Akira
immediately came up with after consulting with his sad and empty pocket was
also soba noodle restaurants.
After placing an order
for the cheapest Kake Soba with a middle-aged man, who was probably the owner
of the restaurant, he sat down at a seat in the corner of the wall that was vacant
at that moment.
―Not again.
Although the blatant
stares were gone, they were replaced by glancing glances and fed-up sighs.
The only people who
can become a protector are basically those who come from nobility. That's why,
it is rare for them to sit down at a soba noodle restaurant in the downtown
area.
For the commoners who
have never had contact with the nobility, seeing a protector up close is
probably nothing short of a nuisance.
Akira had experienced
this to the point of exhaustion during the first month after becoming a
protector.
Dealing with stares
that come from curiosity could be difficult, and if something were to happen,
it would cause trouble for the Kuga family and Saki.
Akira decided to
ignore them, even if it was only a glance.
Akira's unresponsive
manner eventually caused the people around him to get tired of it, and the
stares he was receiving began to dissipate.
―After a while, a steaming bowl was placed in front of
Akira's eyes with a heavy thump.
Akira thrust his
chopsticks into the bowl, where scallions and soba noodles were swimming, and
stirred the soba from the bottom.
He took a big bite
while appeasing his stomach, which was complaining of hunger.
"May I sit with
you?"
Akira stopped his
chopsticks shortly after he heard the words, which were still fluent enough,
although there was a slightly strange accent in the tone of voice.
When he lifted his
eyes, he saw a foreign woman he had passed earlier in the day.
He quickly glanced
around. Although not conspicuous, there were one or two empty seats in the
restaurant.
There was no reason
for her to go out of her way to ask Akira to share a table with her.
―In other words, she wanted to sit with Akira.
"............
Please."
"Thank you.
―Waiter, I'll have the same as he does."
Smiling at Akira's
affirmation, the woman pulled out a wooden chair and sat down.
Once again, without
being rude, Akira observed the woman's figure.
Her hair is like
golden threads that extend slightly below her shoulders, her skin is porcelain
white, and her indigo eyes are slightly slanted, reminiscent of a cat's.
Because he was
familiar with Shuka, he was not surprised to see a woman who reminded him of
white porcelain art, which is rarely seen in Takamagahara.
What was unusual was
probably the surrounding people's reactions.
The hustle and bustle
of the surroundings, however, did not waver at all at the sight of a woman who
was even more foreign to them than Akira.
Instead, the owner
took the order and disappeared into the back of the kitchen, as would be
expected if an ordinary customer had just entered the restaurant.
―Is this some kind of technique?
Akira became certain
of the abnormality that was occurring.
He had heard that one
of the barrier techniques was intended to keep people away.
For Akira and the
others, this kind of technique is something they are familiar with. It is easy
to imagine that a similar technique would exist even in a country across the
ocean.
The question is why
Akira is outside of the influence of this technique.
Akira took a sip of
his soba noodles, trying his best not to let his emotions come to the surface.
It was flavored with
soy sauce and dried bonito flakes. The hot broth, slightly saltier than that of
udon, burned his throat and stomach with the aroma of soba.
Akira gulped down the
contents of his bowl vigorously, savoring the deep satisfaction of the taste.
When lifted his face a
little after he had finished the soup, his gaze was met with the same smile as
before.
Apparently, she had
been dutifully waiting for Akira.
―I can't escape from this.
Sighing at the
attitude of the woman who did not wish to let him escape, Akira straightened
his posture and took a listening posture.
"―Nice to meet
you, Sir Cavalier of Takamagahara."
"It's not the
first time we've met, though. We passed each other in front of the Kuga family
mansion a little while ago. And that's why you chose to sit in front of me,
right?"
"Yes, indeed. And
now I am sure of it. Concealment talisman is not working on you."
"Concealment? Oh,
is that why no one pays attention to you?"
"Yes. I was quite
confident in my ability, you know? That's why I was so frustrated that you
could see through it so suddenly."
She said it was
frustrating, but Akira did not feel her elegant smiling face wavering.
......But, it's
unlikely to be a lie either. Akira was sure of that.
She went out of her
way to make contact with a half-baked protector like him. There should be no
need for her to put his guard down with flattering lies.
"―I see. Having a
skillful person like you speak highly of me, I guess I can be a little more
confident of myself."
"Yes, I think you
deserve to be confident-..." "Then?"
The foreplay-like
exchange of words was not something that Akira liked. He interrupted the
woman's words in order to end the conversation quickly.
"?"
"You want to ask
me something, don't you? There's not much I can answer though."
"You don't think
it's a coincidence?"
"You're going out
of your way to cast such a technique on me, and deliberately choose to sit
opposite me? You must be joking. Besides, I don't think you're of a low
status."
"How did you
know? I am pretty sure that I am not wearing anything that would indicate my
status."
"I heard that
Vansuir is quite a faraway country. The reason why those people are willing to
spend the extraordinary expenses to come to Takamagahara is either for business
or diplomacy. Either way, unless you are a servant, you must be someone who
holds great status and money. ―And by the way, the two men standing in front of
the store, I assume they are your bodyguards?"
"......Correct.
It seems that contacting you turned out to be a blunder."
When he pointed out
the shadow of a man seen through the window glass, the woman smiled a different
kind of smile than before.
As expected, it seemed
that she had been treating him like a child. He was glad that his experience
negotiating as [Gensei] in the Talisman Association had come in handy, and he
braced himself for the main topic.
But Akira thought, he should
at least give the other party a head start.
"Well, how can I
help you? I'm just a commoner who had just become a protector. I have no
intention of answering your questions, and even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be
able to."
"Well, we can't
be so sure yet.
--Ah, right, I haven't
introduced myself yet. I am Benedetta Casarini, a noblewoman of Vansauirl. May
I ask this Sir Cavalier's name?"
".......My name
is Akira. But what is Cavalier?"
"Pardon me, I'm
still not familiar with this country's language.
Let's see. In this
country's language, I believe it would be samurai."
Samurai? Does she mean
protectors? It was unlikely that a woman who had just arrived from the other
side of the ocean would know the details of Akira's birth.
If this were the case,
there would be only one reason why Benedetta misunderstood Akira's status.
*Glance*. Akira
glanced at the Rakuyō Zakuro that was propped up beside him.
Benedetta, perhaps
noticing the meaning of that glance, nodded her head and pressed on.
"Yes.I have heard
that in Takamagahara, as in our country, only the samurai family members
possess spirit vessels. Therefore, I assumed that you are a nobility of this
country, Akira-sama."
"......That's
generally correct, but when it comes to me, you're mistaken. I am the exception
among the exceptions, but there are also other commoner-born protectors such as
myself."
"Is that so?
......Well, it doesn't matter. I had no intention of asking anything that would
be detrimental to you, Akira-sama."
"?"
A bowl of soba
noodles, the same as Akira's, was placed in front of Benedetta, who spun her
words calmly.
Benedetta happily put
the bowl in front of her and sniffed at the aroma of soba that rose in the air.
"A~a, what a
nostalgic aroma, I've been longing for it ever since I entered the restaurant.
May I ask what these
noodles are called?"
Well, if that's all
she asked, there was no need to keep silent.
Akira was a little
surprised, but he opened his mouth without any particular resistance.
"...... It is
Kake Soba."
"Soba, was it?
―It smells wonderful. I somehow remember it, but I wonder where did I smell
it?"
While muttering so,
she took out a metal spoon and fork from her pocket.
She scooped up a small
amount of the broth onto the spoon. With a graceful gesture, her cherry-red
lips swallowed the broth from the spoon.
Benedetta's cheeks
break into a pretty smile.
[It's a little salty,
but it's a delicious broth. ―It's like colatura, I think, though it's a lot less
salty compared to the one back home.]
The words were spoken
so quickly in Vansuir's language that Akira was unable to understand them.
However, Akira's
caution was relaxed a little when he saw Benedetta's lack of animosity toward
the familiar taste.
"―A~a, this is
nostalgic. Is it perhaps grano's pasta, or pizzuocelli, we used to eat it in
church."
"They have soba
noodles too, in Vansuir?"
"Grano? Yes. It
is a specialty of the north. Where I come from, it's usually cooked with butter
and cheese, but when combined with seafood, it has a different flavor and is
delicious."
"Is it normally
prepared with mountain ingredients? Sounds appetizing."
"Yes, it is one
of the most important blessings for surviving the winter."
It must be the name of
a dish in Vansuir. Although Akira had no idea what the word meant, he just
responded suitably.
But whatever it was,
Benedetta was happy to hear someone interested in food from her hometown.
She happily responded to
Akira's words with a nod of the head.
After a while, when
the bowl in front of Benedetta had only a little broth left, Akira decided it
was time to cut to the chase.
"......Can we get
down to business now?"
"Indeed, there's
no need for us to waste each other's time.
―Then, let me ask you straight to the point.
Akira-sama, what rank do you occupy among the nobility?"
"Like I said, I
am not from the nobility. I am a commoner who just recently became a protector,
and incidentally, this is the first time I've ever come to Kamotsu."
It wasn't a lie.
Both becoming a
protector and coming to Kamotsu were not of Akira's own volition, but merely
the result of his acceptance of the situation as it unfolded.
Perhaps Benedetta,
too, noticed that Akira was not lying. However, she tilted her head slightly with
an unconvinced expression on her face.
"In that case-,
............ No, that's fine. That's all I want to ask."
"Eh?"
Akira was anxious
about what kind of trouble he was going to be inquired about, and he felt
overwhelmed by the simple end of the question.
"Umm, that's
all?"
"Yes, sorry for
taking your time. I don't know if this could qualify as an apology, but let me
take care of the bill."
Akira, who had been
struggling to make ends meet, was unintentionally tempted by the offer to pay
his bill, even though it was only a small sum of money.
―But,
"......No
thanks."
Five coins left
Akira's hand and made a light clatter on the desk.
The clatter of the
five coins on the desk, dancing awkwardly, was Akira's determination not to owe
anything to the other party.
"I will report my
contact with you to my superiors. They are the ones to whom I owe a debt of
gratitude, and I don't want to disrespect them."
"That's
troubling, I don't want to make a big deal out of this.
―It's fine even if it's just for a short time, but
please keep this a secret."
Akira pondered.
The questions asked
and the answers given were not only random, but also nothing special.
Benedetta's status
might turn things problematic, but it's not something to keep one's mouth shut
about.
--A~a, so that's her
intention.
That's exactly the
reason he realized what Benedetta was aiming for.
After giving a brief
reply that he couldn't promise anything, Akira quickly left the restaurant.
Neither the content of
the conversation nor the location meant much.
What Benedetta wanted
was to make contact with Akira.
―By keeping it a secret, she could use it as a stepping
stone for an under-the-table negotiation.
[Benedetta, how did
the negotiations go? That guy had a very grim expression on his face.]
The man who stood in
front of Benedetta, replacing Akira, was Salvatore, who had been standing in
front of the store.
Salvatore, who was
trained to be Benedetta's bodyguard from a young age, is one of Benedetta's
closest friends because of their close age.
Benedetta, perhaps
wary of being overheard, responded to Salvatore's question in her native
language with a smile.
[Yes, I've done the
bare minimum confirmation.
―Why don't you join me and have some Salvatore? This is
really delicious.]
[Isn't that something
a barbarian would eat? I don't think it's suitable for us nobles.]
[Gosh, come on. We're
going to stay here for at least two weeks, it won't hurt to get accustomed to
the local food. Besides, once Takamagahara is officially recognized as a
Dependante, knowledge of the cuisine is a courtesy that will help you in your
negotiations.]
[............Well,
since it's saint-sama who recommends it, I suppose it's worth a try.]
After giving a wry
smile at his friend's forceful suggestion, Salvatore sat down in the seat where
Akira was seated.
The wooden chair
creaked in protest at his larger-than-normal frame.
[Trust me. It looks
quite different, but it's pizzoccheri. I remember it was your favorite food.]
[Pizzoccheri? I don't
see any cheese though.]
[I think Colatura soup
is the common one here. And Akira-sama didn't know about cheese either, so
maybe there is none to begin with.]
[Akira-sama? Is that
the name of the commoner guy from earlier?]
[Yeah. I learned a lot
thanks to him. ―First of all, my request didn't work on him.]
[Downright disrespect
toward the prestige of St. Ariadne!?]
Contrary to
Benedetta's calmness, Salvatore, who was devoted to the doctrine of the Holy
Church of Ariadne, became agitated ignoring the squeaking of his seat.
For Salvatore,
Benedetta's order is akin to an oracle to be obeyed.
It was hard to accept
the fact that a commoner boy had disobeyed Benedetta's order.
However, Salvatore's
rage was quelled by Benedetta's emotions, which were as calm as the surface of
a lake.
[Salvatore, calm down.
Takamagahara is not ours yet. It is our duty as shepherds of the Holy Church to
guide the heretics to the right path. We have no reason to be offended by
this.]
[If Benedetta says so.
............But, it's kind of troubling.]
[Indeed, but it's just
what I expected. If St. Ariadne's influence had reached this land, they would
have bowed on their knees before us a hundred years ago.]
[............ That's
true, but...]
[And maybe, just
maybe, Akira-sama will eventually stand in our way.]
[How can you be so
sure?]
[Even in the past, the
barbarian gods that have opposed us have always been able to bring the forces
they relied on to the final stage of the battle.
No matter how many
tricks we play, no matter how we weaken them, they never give up.
I don't know the gist
of the plan proposed by Sir Ambrosio, but there won't be an exception this time.
The divine pillar of
Shumon Province will definitely bring the best-selected forces in time.
Although Akira-sama
belittled himself as being a mere commoner, he was able to nullify all of my
holy arts. There's no way he's just a commoner.]
[I see. Since it's the
words of a saint, there's no doubt about it.]
[Yes, I feel certain
about it. ......Well, I guess we should get going. I'm sure Sir Ambrosio is
waiting for us, and perhaps we should also buy food for Sir Trovato.]
The two nodded and
stood up, just as Salvatore had finished eating his soba noodles.
Two foreigners, who
did not seem to fit the place, slipped between the people of Takamagahara, who
were enjoying their evening meals, and disappeared from sight.
However, those inside
the restaurant did not notice such an anomaly, and the hustle and bustle
continued as usual, undisturbed.
All that remains is a
trace that the two were there.
On the desk, where no
one was sitting, a single coin was left with a dull gleam.
――――――――――――
TIPS: About Shizoku (Social Class)
This is a common term
for both protectors and guardians from the nobility.
Basically, the
guardians in [Shrine Parishioner Lottery] only appear among the nobility, but
there are very rare instances of commoners drawing the protectors.
Since people with the
rank of protector and above are equally regarded as members of the nobility, a
distinction was made between them.
Although they have the
same rank, those who were promoted to the rank of protector from the commoners
are treated one level lower than those from the nobility.
Even though this is
the reality, there are a surprisingly large number of commoners who strongly
desire this status.
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