Volume 1 Chapter 10, “Take up the Sword, my Master”

—— The Village of Wintering, early Winter, the Diary of the Little Maid Sister

It’s the third winter since I’ve come to the Mansion. This is the first snow of the year. The sky got lower and lower and the clouds rolled across the sky. I thought it would surely rain, but it snowed instead. It snowed really heavily.

Without the Mistress and the Ms Spectacles, the house has gotten a lot quieter. Sis and I take turns to make dinner now. I can relax about the cleaning now, so I work hard to make a great dinner.

Today, I went to the pub to learn how to cook properly. I learnt how to make roast rainbow trout today. Sis found a cookbook from among the huge pile of books that the Mistress has. It was dirty, and I was afraid it would become blurry and I wouldn’t be able to eat the delicious food in it, so, now, I’m writing it all down again. It’s the first time that practicing how to write has been so convenient!

Pie is such an interesting thing. It seems you can wrap anything up in bread and then bake it. I’d like to make some pie. Since the Mistress hasn’t been around, the Hero has probably been really lonely, I’m sure he would like to have some pie.

—— The Village of Wintering, the Mansion of the Demon King, the Guest Room

Little Maid Sister: “P-please come this way—”

Young Merchant: “Ohh, young lady. Don’t be so nervous, now.”

Little Maid Sister: “I-I’m not nervous.”

Young Merchant: “You’re swinging your right foot and your right hand at the same time when you walk.”

Little Maid Sister: “T-that’s okay!”

Young Merchant: “Ahahaha. Sure.”

Opens door.

Little Maid Sister: “P-p-please come in here!”

Young Merchant: “I’ll just take a seat then.”

Little Maid Sister: “Then, I’ll go and call Sis… No, I mean, the Mistress to come down. Please wait just a momer.”

Young Merchant: “A momer?”

Little Maid Sister: “Ah. Ahh!” Sobs.

Young Merchant: “Ah, don’t cry, don’t cry!”

Little Maid Sister: “Sis! What should we do?”

Elder Maid Sister: “We’ve got no choice. Let’s use the ring the Mistress gave us.”

Little Maid Sister: “Y-yeah…”

Elder Maid Sister: “Make some tea.”

Door opens slowly.

Elder Maid Sister: “I apologise for the long wait.”

Young Merchant: “It’s been a long time, Scholar.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Indeed it has, you haven’t changed.”

Young Merchant: “Yes… Business has been smooth recently.”

Elder Maid Sister: “…”

Young Merchant: “…”

Elder Maid Sister: “Then, today.”

Young Merchant: “I’ve come to bring the designated reports, receipts, invoices and inventories over. I usually send it over on a ship that’s heading in this direction, but I thought that’d I’d come personally since I missed your splendid figure. I’ve come all this way just to see you. It’s a bit embarrassing.”

Elder Maid Sister: “That’s umm… I don’t know how to answer.”

Young Merchant: “Well. Yes. That being said, Scholar, what do you think about redyeing?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Sorry?”

Young Merchant: “No, no. The Conquest of the Isle of Light was successful. The South-West trade route has really picked up and the number of ships plying the route have increased as well. As you can expect, there are all kinds of goods entering the Kingdom of Winter.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Y-yeah.”

Young Merchant: “As far as merchants like us are concerned, having a sharp eye is extremely important. Goods like wheat absorb water and hence increase in weight when they are being transported across the sea. In order to make them lighter and cheaper to transport, there are those who use inferior wheat. Merchants who ship these sort of things are second-rate merchants. When I was just a beginner, my father would often beat me up if I tried to ship things like that. It’s embarrassing. Ahahahahaha.”

Elder Maid Sister: “…Th-that’s.”

Young Merchant: “Well then.”

Door opens.

The Hero: “Elder Maid Sister, that’s enough.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Y-yes. B-but.”

The Hero: “No, that’s enough. This guy’s already seen through you.”

Elder Maid Sister: “…Th-that’s.”

The Hero: “You’ve indeed got a sharp eye. You’ve got a remarkable ability, like you said.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Excuse me.”

Opens door. Runs off…

Young Merchant: “Ah, what a great technique. Was it an illusion?”

The Hero: “Yeah, it was. I didn’t expect you to see through it straight away.”

Young Merchant: “No, no, you’ve got it wrong. For this sort of thing, you need to use your instincts. It would be difficult to see through it with your eyes alone.”

The Hero: “You’re quite scary.”

Young Merchant: “Ahahahaha. It’s nothing big. More importantly… It’s been a long time, Hero.”

The Hero: “Yes it has. It’s been three or four years, has it not?”

Young Merchant: “Indeed. How nostalgic.”

The Hero: “Ah—I’m pissed! I’m really pissed at you! You make me want to obliterate you with my High Impact Area Lightning Destruction Spell!”

Young Merchant: “Sorry? What do you mean?”

The Hero: “Didn’t you cheat me back then?!”

Young Merchant: “Ehh?! What are you talking about. It was nothing. I didn’t really cheat you.”

The Hero: “You took fifteen gold pieces from me?! You said you would invest it and it would become more than a thousand gold pieces!”

Young Merchant: “Ahh, that performance made me some money. Thank you so much.” Smiles cheekily.

The Hero: “You’re impossible.”

Young Merchant: “Didn’t you pay me according to the terms of our contract?”

The Hero: “You made me consent to it when I was too young to understand!”

Young Merchant: “That’s one way of winning a bargain.” Smiles.

The Hero: “Well, I guess it is…”

Young Merchant: “You were alive?”

The Hero: “Huh? Oh. Yeah, I’m alive and kicking.”

Young Merchant: “Hmm…”

The Hero: “What are you thinking about?”

Young Merchant: “How to continue the rest of this conversation.”

The Hero: “You are… slightly different.”

Young Merchant: “Really?”

The Hero: “When I saw you four years ago, you were a person with no connections, with completely nothing and nowhere to be, if I remember correctly.”

Young Merchant: “Well, you seem to have become rounder over these four years. I should probably retreat into the shadows soon. Ahahaha.”

The Hero: “But, I wouldn’t like to be your enemy right now.”

Young Merchant: “Oh my, what a coincidence. I’ve been thinking the exact same thing.”

The Hero: “…You’re not even surprised to see me here.”

Young Merchant: “No, no, I am surprised. But, I suppose surprising things like this have been happening a lot.”

The Hero: “…”

Young Merchant: “If I have changed, it’s probably because of that person. When you meet with an existence which completely destroys your personal common sense and the economics you’ve learnt up till then, what should you do? She taught me what it felt like to have my guts in a knot.”

The Hero: “Her?”

Young Merchant: “That’s right.”

The Hero: “I see…”

Young Merchant: “‘Those who act as intermediaries, collaborators and traders between light and darkness.’ That’s how she described the path which a merchant takes in his life. Truly words I had never heard before.”

The Hero: “She did?”

Young Merchant: “That’s right, when I first met her. So I had my hunches that you would appear over here as well.”

The Hero: “…Are you going to keep your end of the contract?”

Young Merchant: “Sorry?”

The Hero: “The contract from four years ago.”

Young Merchant: “Well, I said it, but…”

The Hero: “That was a lie? …You said when I came back you would throw a banquet for me!”

Young Merchant: “Ohh, that’s right! You really remembered. That was indeed so. Alright. I shall uphold the contract. I’m free anytime.”

The Hero: “Right, I’ll hold you to your word then.”

Young Merchant: “Yes, of course.”

The Hero: “In that case, right now.”

Both teleport away.

—— The Demon World, the City of the Gate, a Hill outside the City

Teleports in!

Young Merchant: “Th, this is…” Gulps.

The Hero: “You’ve got teleportation sickness. Take a few deep breaths and you’ll feel fine.”

Young Merchant: “Was that… a teleportation spell?”

The Hero: “Yep.”

Young Merchant: “Where… Where are we!”

The Hero: “For some reason, there are a lot of auroras over here. They say it has something to do with magnetic fields, but I don’t understand what that means.”

Young Merchant: “Amazing…”

The Hero: “Nightmare Thrush!”

Nightmare Thrush: “By you side.” Teleports in!

The Hero: “Go to the Lady and get some wine. We’ll be right here.”

Nightmare Thrush: “I understand.”

Young Merchant: “A Demon…?”

The Hero: “A summon. He’s very convenient.”

Young Merchant: “Don’t tell me this place is—“

The Hero: “It’s the Demon World.”

Young Merchant: “!?”

The Hero: “I wanted you to understand what I meant, so I brought you here.”

Young Merchant: “Don’t tell me, that person is…”

The Hero: “She’s a Demon.”

Young Merchant: “I had my suspicions…”

The Hero: “…”

Young Merchant: “Even the air here smells different.”

The Hero: “Mm. Probably. But ports always smell like ports, and cities always smell like cities, don’t they?”

Young Merchant: “What’s that wall there?”

The Hero: “That’s the City of the Gate… It was a Human territory until recently.”

Young Merchant: “Ahh, that’s the city from which the Commander ran away and returned to the Demons.”

The Hero: “The rumour is that once he left, the thousands of Human Merchants in the City of the Gate were slaughtered by the Demons.”

Young Merchant: “Weren’t they?”

The Hero: “They’re still carrying out their businesses now.”

Young Merchant: “Huh?”

The Hero: “Because the suburbs and wastelands around the Gate aren’t completely stable yet, it’s probably difficult to establish communications with the Human World, but the merchants from the Union are still over there.”

Young Merchant: “For real?!”

The Hero: “I’m not kidding.”

Young Merchant: “That’s…”

The Hero: “Hey, you’ve spoken to her, haven’t you?”

Young Merchant: “Ah… Yeah…”

The Hero: “Then you know what she wants to see, right?”

Young Merchant: “Hero…”

The Hero: “She bought you, didn’t she?”

Young Merchant: “…”

The Hero: “She’s a worthy adversary to the Human World, eh. I’m not her, I don’t know how to plan or to speak like her, I can’t outline the structures of loss and profit like she does either. But, I definitely don’t like to leave her. How do I put it. I feel… Umm… Lonely. Going back to being just the Hero is—lonely.”

Young Merchant: “…”

The Hero: “That’s why, I’m showing this to you. This is the City of the Gate. This is the only city in the universe in which Demons and Humans live and interact together.

Of course, there are quite a few issues. There are small conflicts every day. It’s true that there are reports of murders of Demons by Humans and vice versa, these are… unavoidable. But there are those who have become close friends and acquaintances, who even go into business and commerce together. That’s right. Without working together, even daily life becomes difficult.

There are approximately 32,000 people in this city. That’s more than the Capital of the Kingdom of the Lake. Even the Demon King recognises the status of this city as a crossroads between our civilisations. It was declared a Free City, and is governed by a City Council. One third of the Council are Humans. The Council Chairman himself is a former Human General; the Councillors include powerful members and nobility in the Demon World…”

Fire Dragon Lady: “My husband—“

The Hero: “Oh dear…”

Fire Dragon Lady: “My husband, I have come like you requested. I have been informed that you have requested a banquet. As a member of the Fire Dragon Race, we take pride in the hospitality we show to our guests, and in trying not to be disrespectful, I have begun to set up the banquet!”

The Hero: “Ah—I didn’t ask for anything big, I just wanted some wine.”

Young Merchant: “I’ve already had a lot, I think I’ll pass.”

Fire Dragon Lady: “No you won’t.”

The Hero: “Yeah, it’s best that you drink. If a Fire Dragon hears you reject anything, you’re in for a very tough time.”

Young Merchant: “What!? That’s unreasonable!”

The Hero: “It’s the Demon World.”

Demon Girl: “U-umm… Sir Black Knight, please…”

Brings a platter of food.

Young Merchant: “That’s more than enough, please stop.”

Fire Dragon Lady: “Man up, show your worth through your glass, don’t say things like that.”

Young Merchant: “What kind of place is the Demon World?!”

The Hero: “Oi, Merchant.”

Young Merchant: “What, Hero?”

The Hero: “How are they?”

Young Merchant: “What do you mean?”

The Hero (small voice): “The boobs, the boobs!”

Young Merchant: “What?!”

The Hero: “You told me you would create a whole party of people with great boobs, the kind that make people squeal, if I agreed to go to the Demon World!”

Young Merchant: “Ah. Ahahahaha! Is that so? Ahaha. How terrible. I said I would, didn’t I? Ah, me as a young man, how unscrupulous I was.”

The Hero: “How is this?” Makes a serious face.

Young Merchant: “Yeah, that’s a very official face you’ve got there.” Smiles.

The Hero: “Which one is better?” Makes a serious face.

Young Merchant: “Hmmm, both of them will get you the Princess for sure!”

The Hero: “Ahahahahaha!”

Young Merchant: “Ahahaha. Ahh. How nice. It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed like this.”

The Hero: “The wine is great.”

Young Merchant: “I’m a merchant, so I’ve tried wines from lots of countries. But this wine is really something special.”

The Hero: “Oi, Merchant.”

Young Merchant: “What is it, Hero?”

The Hero: “The auroras sure are beautiful!” Smiles.

Young Merchant: “Indeed.” Smiles.

Fire Dragon Lady: “They’re like children.”

Demon Girl: “Yes… But the wind sure is nice.”

Young Merchant: “The auroras are great, but what sort of compromises have you made to get this far, Hero?”

The Hero: “That person said this, ‘A merchant is a person who seeks Permits’. Permits of use, permits for entry. A new land is a new market that can provide new goods. A place like this is a place of commerce.”

Young Merchant: “Yeah.”

The Hero: “And how is the market in this City?”

Young Merchant: “Well, it’s as if… gold pieces are fruits hanging richly from the branches of fruit trees.”

The Hero: “I’ll sell you a permit.”

Young Merchant: “Is that alright?”

The Hero: “I don’t mind.”

Young Merchant: “What do you want in return?”

The Hero: “I’m not the same as that person. I do not know what an appropriate price is. I don’t know what is balanced or what is unbalanced. I’ve lived up till now without thinking about these sorts of things at all.”

Young Merchant: “…”

The Hero: “That’s why it’s hard for me to answer you about that. But, well… As a merchant, I’m sure you’ve considered all the losses and profits.”

Young Merchant: “Yeah.”

The Hero: “How do I put this. Many people see merchants as monsters who are only motivated by profit and enlargement, but, the way she sees it, it isn’t that way.”

Young Merchant: “…”

The Hero: “A merchant, who, above all, lives to further his own gains, who earnestly calculates every loss and profit, is probably the first to see that the gains and losses in the world are something indivisible.”

Young Merchant: “Hero…”

The Hero: “Perhaps, I ought to think more about this whole price thing. I’ll probably be killed by that person later. But, I want to see that… that indivisible thing.”

Young Merchant: “Hahaha. What’s that?”

The Hero: “Both she and I will need your support to achieve our goals then.”

Young Merchant: “Yeah, that’s right. What a foolish feeling! Ahh, I’m happy. I’m not sure why, but I’m happy.”

The Hero: “…”

Young Merchant: “It’s fine, I accept your proposal. If I become the head and leader of the Union, then I’ll surely do my best to make sure that your dream happens.”

The Hero: “I’m counting on you, then.”

Young Merchant: “What a letdown.”

The Hero: “?”

Young Merchant: “I’ve heard of the relationship between you and that person, but I didn’t back down. To continue to fight on despite being at such a disadvantage, I’m such a stupid person.” Smiles.

—— The Village of Wintering, the Mansion’s Stables

Horse whinnies.

The Female Paladin: “There, there. You’re a good boy.”

The Hero: “You’re truly a Paladin. You’re very good at controlling horses.”

The Female Paladin: “What are you saying? If you can’t ride him that would be a problem.”

The Hero: “I think running would be faster though…”

The Female Paladin: “It’s an issue of image.”

The Hero: “I get it. Alright, have an apple.”

Horse rejects apple.

The Hero: “Wh-what is it doing!?”

The Female Paladin: “Act like an adult.”

The Hero: “What’s this horse doing?!”

The Female Paladin: “Are you angry?”

The Hero: “Hmph! Eat this apple? You cute, cute boy.”

Horse rejects apple.

The Hero: “Ugh! How rude! Eat the apple!!”

Horse whinnies angrily.

Horse kicks around.

—— The Village of Wintering, the Mansion’s Stable

The Female Paladin: “Jeez, you even fought with the horse.”

The Hero: “But…”

The Female Paladin: “You’re the loser when you do something like this. Look, your horse has lost faith in you.”

The Hero: “Not my fault.”

Horse snorts derisively.

The Female Paladin: “Here, look, you’ve got to take care of the horse.”

The Hero: “…”

The Female Paladin: “No matter how much of a Hero you are, surely you’ve got to know how to ride a horse? If you join things like parades, you’ll need a horse to look presentable.”

The Hero: “That’s true.”

Horse whinnies and clops.

The Female Paladin: “?”

The Hero: “Peace sure is better than war.”

The Female Paladin: “That’s obvious.”

The Hero: “That may be obvious, but why is that so?”

The Female Paladin: “I don’t know, I’m stupid.”

The Hero: “Ahh. When I’m with the Demon King I get hurt, but when I’m with the Female Paladin I get healed.”

The Female Paladin: “What do you mean?”

The Hero: “What do you mean you’re stupid?”

The Female Paladin: “Do you guys fight?”

The Hero: “No, no we don’t.”

The Female Paladin: “Dammit, when I’m with you, all you do is spew nonsense.”

The Hero: “That’s good too isn’t it?”

The Female Paladin: “?”

The Hero: “It’s good to do that isn’t it? I guess you don’t get it.”

The Female Paladin: “…”

The Hero: “That I like to spew nonsense to you?”

The Female Paladin: “Eh… Well.”

The Hero: “?”

The Female Paladin: “…Thank you.”

The Hero: “…That made my skin crawl. Go back to normal.”

The Hero scratches.

The Female Paladin: “What’s up?”

The Hero: “No, my hair got in my eye.”

The Female Paladin: “Yeah, it’s really long.”

The Hero: “Should I cut it?”

The Female Paladin: “Well, is it alright?”

The Hero: “Yeah, why?”

The Female Paladin: “Ah. No… Nothing. It’s nothing, but don’t cut it.”

The Hero: “Why?”

The Female Paladin: “Nothing… That’s right, make a circlet. You can keep your hair behind it, and it won’t get into your eyes.”

The Hero: “How troublesome.”

The Female Paladin: “No, it suits you. It’ll probably make you look pretty cool.”

The Hero: “Oh! Really? It’ll make me cool?”

The Female Paladin: “Yeah, let’s make something that fits you.”

The Female Paladin slices off a lock of hair.

The Hero: “Wh-what?”

The Female Paladin: “No, I was just checking your hair. I think we should have a brass circlet with green gems. It’ll look good.”

The Hero: “Really?”

The Female Paladin: “Yeah. I won’t be cutting it, but surely she’ll let us do this much, right?”

The Hero: “Yeah. It’s probably too early to cut it now.”

The Hero: “…” Scratches head.

The Female Paladin: “…”

The Female Paladin: “Hey, Hero.”

The Hero: “?”

The Female Paladin: “You belong to the Demon King, right?”

The Hero: “Eh. Yeah… We’ve signed a contract.”

The Female Paladin: “Is that so…”

The Hero: “Well, lots of things have happened. But that’s how it is.”

The Female Paladin: “And the Demon King belongs to you?”

The Hero: “Yes, well, it’s reciprocal.”

The Female Paladin: “So, if the Demon King does something terrible, you would protect her.”

The Hero: “That’s hard to say. But I’m the Hero, right? If someone tries to mess with her, I’ll protect her.”

The Female Paladin: “Well, that’s easy to understand.”

The Hero: “I’m not sure why, but I feel a bit stressed and my heart is beating very fast.”

The Female Paladin: “Really?”

The Hero: “I don’t have any instinctive reason for it, but yeah.”

The Female Paladin: “Rather than instinct, if you had the ability to read the mood of those around you, it would really help a lot.”

The Hero: “What do you mean?”

The Female Paladin: “No, don’t think anything about it. I’m being stupid. —But, it really is regrettable.”

The Hero: “?”

The Female Paladin: “In other words, you’ll protect her. You will only defend her. Well, that’s tough on you too. There’s something I want to give you.”

The Hero: “Are you talking about the circlet? The sparkly one?”

The Female Paladin: “May I give you something?”

The Hero: “Mmhmm. A sparkly item—Well, if it’s from you, of course I’ll accept anything.”

The Female Paladin: “Is that so? …I’m happy you think that.”

The Hero: “This is very weird—You’re not behaving like yourself at all.”

The Female Paladin: “Hero.”

Kneels.

The Hero: “What is it, Female Paladin?”

The Female Paladin: “Shut up and stand up.”

The Hero: “Why are you kneeling down?”

The Female Paladin: “I… have accepted the grace of the Spirit in the Kingdom of the Lake, and pledged my life to the service of the Light. During the course of our long trip together, I committed myself, the Female Paladin, and this sword, to the cause of the Hero.”

The Hero: “…”

The Female Paladin: “My sword, my power, my body. Everything from my soul, to my loyalty, to my purity, belongs to the Hero. You are the master of my soul, you are the keeper of my hope.”

The Hero: “Wait, Female Paladin.”

The Female Paladin: “I can’t wait. Hero, this sword is yours.”

The Hero: “Stand up.”

The Female Paladin: “I will not stand. Until you accept what I give you, I will not move.”

The Hero: “This is such a childish thing to be doing.”

The Female Paladin: “I don’t care if I’m childish as long as I can offer this to you.”

The Female Paladin: “I understand that you belong to the Demon King. There’s nothing for it… I was too late.”

The Hero: “…”

The Female Paladin: “The Demon King is amazing. She’s strong, and she has a truly noble dream to fulfil, she far exceeds me.”

The Hero: “…”

The Female Paladin: “That’s why I don’t want anything like for you to belong to me. Since you belong to the Demon King, if I said there’s nothing for it, then there really is nothing for it. Of course… if the Demon King leaves some sort of gap in your relationship with her, then I will not hesitate to fill it.

However, as it stands, I belong to me. At the very least, I want to offer myself to the Hero. Since I became a Paladin, I have never yet offered my sword to anyone, but that’s not a very smart idea. If I were to offer my sword to anyone, it would be you. Once I offer you this sword, my master will never change. I am that kind of Paladin.”

The Hero: “…Do you really have to do this? Especially in such a place? Th, this is a really big thing, isn’t it?”

The Female Paladin: “Wherever and whenever I do this makes no difference. I want to do this. If the Hero is to venture into the future beyond, I want to be somewhere close by. I…… I don’t want to be left behind again.”

The Hero: “I’m sorry, but…”

The Female Paladin: “You said you would accept anything I offered, is that right?”

The Hero: “Ah. Y-yeah…”

The Female Paladin: “Take up the sword, my master. It’s alright, I will not betray you.”

The Hero: “…” Flinches.

Takes the Sword.

The Female Paladin: “Right… That’s settled then.”

The Hero: “Yeah.”

Horse whinnies.

The Female Paladin: “With this, my sword now belongs to the Hero. My heart, my body, all belong to the Hero. Yeah, this is a really fulfilling feeling!”

The Hero shudders.

The Female Paladin: “How are you, Hero?”

The Hero: “No, I’m just a bit cold. Umm, umm, Female Paladin.”

The Female Paladin: “?”

The Hero: “Can I maybe return the good, or cancel the contract?”

The Female Paladin: “Do you think you can?” Glares.

The Hero: “…”

The Female Paladin: “It’s alright. I know what you mean when you say you’re feeling cold. We’re best friends after all.”

The Hero: (Best friends ～!?)

The Female Paladin: “If you just tell me straight to my face, I’ll understand.”

The Hero: (Wh-why is she so strong-willed!)

The Female Paladin: “I will protect you.”

The Hero: “No, seriously now.”

The Female Paladin: “?”

The Hero: “Forgive me just this once.”

—— The Village of Wintering, the Village Centre

Thin Villager: “Hey! Good afternoon!”

Middle Aged Villager: “It’s cold.”

Huntsman: “It really is. Ahh, that’s.”

Little Maid Sister: “Good afternoon!” Skips about.

Thin Villager: “Good afternoon—!”

Elder Maid Sister: “Good afternoon everyone!”

Middle Aged Villager: “This is for the mansion. Good afternoon.”

Huntsman: “I hope you’re doing well. Good afternoon.”

Elder Maid Sister: “It’s nice to say pleasant words to each other.”

Little Maid Sister: “Eh? Really?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Not you.”

Little Maid Sister: “Wha—“

Thin Villager: “How is everything today?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Umm, we’re on our way to say hello to the Holy Order and the Village Chief. They’ve really done a lot for us.”

Little Maid Sister nods.

Middle Aged Villager: “What’ve you got there?”

Elder Maid Sister: “We’ve got a whole bunch of spring onions. It really helps to preserve other food products.”

Little Maid Sister: “That’s right. We’ve also lost some of the wild strawberry wine we were brewing.”

Thin Villager: “That’s a catastrophe!”

Huntsman: “I wish we could do something about that.”

Little Maid Sister: “Oh my god—!“

Thin Villager: “?”

Huntsman: “Do you mean this?”

Little Maid Sister: “!”

Huntsman: “Calm down, calm down. You’ll see them everywhere. This is just some wild fowl, mountain quail to be exact.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Oh no, she’s a real glutton.”

Little Maid Sister: “Wild fowl? Is that different from quail?”

Huntsman: “Well, it’s still a young mountain quail. It’s delicious. Take it with you.”

Little Maid Sister: “Alright!”

Elder Maid Sister: “Hey! I sincerely apologise. This kid always acts this way.”

Huntsman: “It’s fine, it’s fine! From the beginning, we’ve been extremely grateful to the Scholar for everything she’s done for us.”

Thin Villager: “That’s right. We’ve got the Scholar to thank for ensuring the entire village has paid its tax, and hence we can rest easy even in the Winter.”

Elder Maid Sister: “That’s…”

Thin Villager: “It’s true. She thought us how to make soap, and how to make warmer clothing.”

Middle Aged Villager: “Our wool clothing is a lot thicker now.”

Huntsman: “That’s right, that’s right. All the settlers and even the serfs are really grateful to her.”

Elder Maid Sister: “—“

Little Maid Sister: “…What’s wrong?”

Thin Villager: “Yeah, what’s wrong?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Ah, nothing’s wrong.”

Middle Aged Villager: “We’ve been feeding the pigs clover like you taught us! Even in the Winter, the pigs are growing well. We forgot to extend our house, which means even inside, there’s lots of oinking going on.”

Huntsman: “Ahahahaha! There’s no choice. It’s your own fault.”

Middle Aged Villager: “Damn.”

Thin Villager: “But we’re really grateful. We’re thankful to the Chief Maid and for you kids as well.”

Huntsman: “Thanks to the medicine she taught us how to brew, only four people have died this winter.”

Elder Maid Sister: “The Chief Maid—“

Little Maid Sister: “Ms Spectacles—?”

Thin Villager: “?”

Little Maid Sister: “I didn’t know she was doing something like that?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Y… Yeah.”

Thin Villager: “Eh? Really? Did she not say anything about it?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Nope, nothing.”

Huntsman: “Really? I wonder why she would do that?”

Elder Maid Sister: “No, no. It’s just… It’s excellent that everyone could keep strong and warm this winter.”

Thin Villager: “Thank you!”

Middle Aged Villager: “Mmhmm.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Right, let’s go the Holy Order.”

Little Maid Sister: “Yeah.”

Thin Villager: “Have a safe trip!”

Middle Aged Villager: “See you soon!”

Huntsman: “I’ll bring you some deer next time!”

Sisters walk off.

Little Maid Sister: “Lalalala! Potatoes, spring onions, how delicious — ?”

Elder Maid Sister: “The Chief Maid…”

Little Maid Sister: “What’s up?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Nope… Nothing.”

Little Maid Sister: “Really—Mountain Quail ?”

Elder Maid Sister: (…I thought the Chief Maid really hated serfs. But, to go so far… She’s changed.)

Little Maid Sister: “It’ll be delicious baked in an oven with butter — ?Right, sis, wouldn’t it?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Definitely… If we get some eggs, let’s make some as well, shall we? Don’t you like omelettes?”

Little Maid Sister: “Yep! I love them! Sis, I love them!”

—— The Kingdom of White Night, the Palace of White Night

One-Eyed Commander: “Hey! Shut up! Shut up!”

King of White Night: “Hmph. Don’t panic.”

One-Eyed Commander: “Argh. My eye is so itchy. Servant! Wine! Bring some wine!”

Servant: “Y-yes…” Scampers off.

King of White Night: “I’d prefer it if you didn’t abuse the people in my Palace.”

One-Eyed Commander: “Shut up! My eye!” Scratches eye.

King of White Night: “Haha, poor you.”

One-Eyed Commander: “That’s right, poor me.”

King of White Night: “—That was your sentence?”

One-Eyed Commander: “Yeah, I’m thankful though. You saved me from that dungeon just as I was preparing to die there.”

King of White Night: “Hehe, that’s right. From that pit of filth and uncleanliness… The one who pulled you out from far below the House of Nobles, from the bottom level of the Tower of Interrogation, where the River of Death runs so close you can almost taste it, was me.”

One-Eyed Commander: “…”

King of White Night: “Do you remember it? That darkness?”

One-Eyed Commander: “The rats. The rats were crawling around, and they took my eye. My eye, my light… Ugh. It’s itchy. My eyelids. I can see it. That pitch black darkness. The darkness infested me. It hurts. My whole body hurts. I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you! East Fortress Base Commander! You disgusting Demon Race! You broke me, you made a fool out of me!”

King of White Night: “That’s right, they made a fool out of me as well.” Glares.

One-Eyed Commander: “…”

King of White Night: “That brat from the Kingdom of Winter. He made a mockery out of me. What the hell is an ice floe? What the hell is an agricultural revolution? What the hell is productivity? What kind of jargon is he throwing around. How could the Spirit of Light recognise such a person.”

One-Eyed Commander: “That’s right, they’re traitors. Traitors who want to see this world submerged in darkness. Rotten, disgusting, half-humans!”

King of White Night: “That sly brat is now reaping massive profits off the trade routes plying West. The Isle of Light was supposed to jointly belong to the Southern United Kingdoms. No, the blood that was shed on that Isle was mostly from the Kingdom of White Night! So why is it that that brat gets all the profit? Where is my profit?”

One-Eyed Commander: “Heeheehee, heehee!”

King of White Night: “And that Iron Fist King, that Queen of Ice and Snow, they’re no heroes, they’re nobodies, they’re just volunteers clinging on to the coattails of the Kingdom of Winter. I have to endure the freezing winters of White Night, I have to continue living in such poverty, and yet, they mock me, they make me feel small and they steal the profits which are rightfully mine. How can the Spirit allow this to continue happening!”

One-Eyed Commander: “Ahahahaha! Leave it to me. I will do this even if I die. That unholy brat who does not know his place, I will cut off his head. Hahaha. Lend me an army! I will use them for this purpose! Chop, chop, chop them all up!”

King of White Night: “Wait a while more. Hehehe.”

One-Eyed Commander: “Why…”

King of White Night: “I can kill those people at any time: just one drop of poison in their glass, or one thrust of a short sword while they sleep.”

One-Eyed Commander: “Heeheehee.” Scratches eye.

King of White Night: “But, killing them would be far too lenient. I’m going to let them taste what I tasted, what a high noble like me tasted, that humiliation, but a thousandfold! How about that?”

One-Eyed Commander: “That’s right! Humiliation. Let those treacherous backstabbers feel so humiliated they would want to bury themselves in the deepest depths of Hell!”

King of White Night: “Take a look at this document. Even His Eminence is my ally. With this document, I will drag the Kingdom of Winter to Hell.”

One-Eyed Commander: “…Eh? Haha. Ahahahaha! This is great! That’s great! Ahahahahaha!”

King of White Night: “Hehehe. King of Winter. All the treasures of your Kingdom will soon be mine. Ahahahaha!”

One-Eyed Commander: “Ahahahahaha!”

——The Village of Wintering, the Holy Order of the Lake

Templar: “Ah! This is bad!”

Templar: “What’s going on?!”

Templar: “Something horrible has just happened. I-it’s really, really bad!”

Templar: “Drink some water and explain it clearly.”

Templar: “Not right now. Where is the Grandmaster? Call the Female Paladin. No, look for her. We haven’t got a minute to lose! Hurry up and find the Female Paladin!”

—— The City of the Gulf, Merchant’s Quarter, in a Large Office in the Chambers of Commerce

Shrewd Accountant: “Important news, Councillor!”

Young Merchant: “What is it, you seem very flustered.”

Shrewd Accountant: “Something big has happened. Th-this is… In any case, this report.”

Throws report on table.

Young Merchant: “…Wh-what?! This must be because of the Election. We’ve been too careless. How could we let this development occur—Get a ship ready to leave as soon as possible!”

—— The Village of Wintering, the Mansion’s Kitchen

Little Maid Sister: “Hero, you’ve got to work more seriously—“

The Hero: “Oh, okay… Ehh.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Be gentler and do it properly, Hero.”

Little Maid Sister: “Heeheehee ? Butter, butter ?”

The Hero: “Why am I involved in this as well?”

Little Maid Sister: “No slacking off!”

Elder Maid Sister: “It looks like milk and it sure smells great.”

Little Maid Sister: “Mmhmm, it’s probably because the wheat flour is so fine.”

The Hero: “Well, the finer the flour, the more expensive it is. Wait, this has got to be really expensive? Is it really okay to throw money around like that?”

Little Maid Sister: “But in order to make good Pie Dough, finer flour is better. When you’re used to it, we can try using different flours like barley or Buckwheat.”

The Hero: “Pie? We’re not making bread?”

Little Maid Sister: “Nope, it’s completely different.”

The Hero: “You just put some flour, mix it around and bake it, right?”

Little Maid Sister: “You’re really bad at baking…”

The Hero: “D, don’t be stupid? I’m a Hero, so I’m sure I can do something like this heroically as well! It’s just something stupid like baking…”

Elder Maid Sister is stunned.

Little Maid Sister is stunned.

The Hero: “Sorry……”

Birds chirping…

Elder Maid Sister: “We can probably start baking the first batch.”

Little Maid Sister: “Okay ? Let’s try.”

The Hero: “This is really quite troublesome. Making bread dough is so much easier, you just mix it a bit and it’s done right?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Umm, to make pie dough, the folding part over here to extend the dough is really important.”

The Hero: “Really?”

Elder Maid Sister: “It says so here in the book. My sister is much more familiar with this part… That girl has only ever read this book seriously before.”

Little Maid Sister: “Yayy ? Yayy ?”

The Hero: “She’s making a lot of happy sounds. Is she alright? She didn’t hit her head, did she?”

Elder Maid Sister: “She’s just really happy.”

Little Maid Sister: “Alright! All done!”

The Hero: “Did you do it?”

Elder Maid Sister: “How is it, did it rise?”

Little Maid Sister: “Wow! It’s pretty! It’s all golden and sparkly!”

The Hero: “Wow, it really is. How pretty.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Amazing. It looks like a sunflower.”

Little Maid Sister: “Alright! Let’s eat!”

The Hero: “Alright. Oh, it’s hot.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Hold it with a cloth, Hero.”

–

Explanation

Pie: A dish which is made from a dough made from wheat flour and butter, which is wrapped around a variety of other ingredients. Sweet fruits like apples can be wrapped within it. The special taste of the pie crust comes from the water content in the dough being trapped by the oil content from the butter and other ingredients, since the water cannot escape, the pastry becomes puffed up and soft.

Buckwheat: Despite its name, it is not a wheat, but a plant from the rhubarb family. The fruit can be ground to flour and eaten. Not only is it capable of growing on poor quality soil and in cold weather, the harvest times are short and can be harvested many times. However, compared to wheat, the same area of buckwheat only results in a third of the yields. In Japan, buckwheat is chiefly used to make soba noodles.

–

Little Maid Sister: “It’s just been baked, of course it’s hot.”

The Hero: “This girl! What’s inside? Potatoes and bacon?”

Little Maid Sister: “That’s right, it’s a potato and bacon pie ?”

The Hero: “Delicious, this is slightly amazing, isn’t it? It has a very homely taste, but at the same time it’s quite complex and luxurious. Amazing! It really isn’t bread!”

Little Maid Sister: “I said it wasn’t anything like bread.”

Elder Maid Sister: “It’s good. You really did well, Sis!”

Little Maid Sister: “Yayy ? Yayy ?”

The Hero: “You’ve really got talent. She’s really not bad, isn’t she?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Yeah, full marks.” Nods.

Little Maid Sister: “Ehehehe—“ Blushes.

The Hero: “Can I have another one?”

Little Maid Sister: “Of course!”

The Hero: “Yum, yum.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Well, if we used a lower grade of wheat to control the original price, we could really develop a great dish here.”

The Hero: “Original price?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Well, we’re using a really fine wheat flour and that’s very expensive, we’re also using butter and milk. If we’re trying to come up with something that’s not a royal dish, but a meal that anyone can eat, we’ve got to control the price.”

The Hero: “That’s difficult.”

Little Maid Sister: “Probably impossible.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Not impossible. It’s so delicious, after all. If you put your energy to it, I’m sure you could make it better.”

Little Maid Sister: “Really?”

The Hero: “Yeah, really. Let’s see what we can change the filling to?”

Little Maid Sister: “Hmm, well, herring, mushrooms or mutton should taste good. We could also introduce some sweet flavours, like plum or apples. We could even make it sweeter by adding jam. ?”

The Hero: “Haha, I bet I’ll start seeing this at the bar soon.”

Elder Maid Sister: “Yeah, you can just reheat it and it’ll be good, and it even tastes better in a stone oven.”

Little Maid Sister: “Hey, hey, am I a chef now?”

The Hero: “What? A chef?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Yep!”

Little Maid Sister: “Yayy! I’m a chef ?”

The Hero: “Why are you so happy?”

Elder Maid Sister: “She’s a glutton after all.”

Little Maid Sister: “Ehehe, but this is work, right? I want to make food and become better at it so everyone will have good food to eat ?”

The Hero: “Really?”

Elder Maid Sister: “…” Nods.

Little Maid Sister: “Hey, hey? Is it good? Is it good?”

The Hero: “Delicious.”

Elder Maid Sister: “It’s delicious. Good job.”

Little Maid Sister: “There’s a lot! We made a lot!”

The Hero: “Huh. So you’re a chef now, good job.” Smiles.

Little Maid Sister: “Yep.”

The Hero: “And what would you like to be?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Eh?”

The Hero: “What would you like to be? —Perhaps a housewife?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Umm, I don’t think I…”

Little Maid Sister: “Sis wants to become a Ms Spectacles ?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Hey, she said she’d scold you if you called her that, right?”

Little Maid Sister: “—”

Banging on door.

The Hero: “Eh? Who’s that?”

Banging on door.

“I apologise for the lateness! Is anybody there?! Is anybody at home?!”

—— The Kingdom of Winter, the Winter Palace, the Audience Chamber

Hits table.

Lone Winter King: “What?!”

The Hero: “Did you not hear? In that case, I will repeat it for you once again.”

Lone Winter King: “…”

The Hero: “There is a scholar presently residing in the Kingdom of Winter known as the Crimson Scholar. With regards to this person, there are several doubts to her nature.

Firstly, she has been accused of taking advantage of the Holy Order of the Lake in order to encourage the cultivation of potatoes, an unholy fruit from the Demon World.

Secondly, the agricultural methods she has been propagating, whether about technology or fertiliser, goes against everything the Spirit has taught us. She is suspect of heretical teachings and collusion with evil.”

Lone Winter King: (But it’s her teachings… That saved the people!)

The Hero: “Thirdly, in setting up a school and accepting numerous students, to establish a school without any form of sanction from the church is disgraceful and pollutes the minds of the students there.

Fourthly, at the Divine Academy at the Holy Empire, no records were found which indicate that anybody known as the Crimson Scholar has ever graduated from there.

As a result of the above report and accompanying discrepancies, the Crimson Scholar is considered to be a highly suspicious and dangerous element. Take her into custody immediately, and prepare to transfer her to us.

The Spirit of Light be with you,

The Holy Church of Light, Bishop of the Inquisition

—— There, it’s an official document from the Church.”

Lone Winter King: “S-surely… There must be some kind of mistake, Hero.”

The Hero: “It’s best that you watch what you say, your Majesty! Whether or not this is the truth, the Inquisition has been mobilised to conduct investigations. If these Bishops, who claim to preach the word of the Spirit of Light, find even one problem in a thousand, in ten thousand, then surely the King of these adherents should know about it as well?”

Lone Winter King: “…”

Butler: “S-such a thing…”

The Hero: “Of course, if the bishops are smart, they would have thought of this as well. I fear that your Majesty, and even the Holy Order of the Lake may be implicated into the treachery with the heretical Scholar, and become victims of this scandal.”

Lone Winter King: “!”

Butler: “…”

Lone Winter King: (…This is the result of the jealousy of someone in the Central Continent. Or maybe someone from the Southern United Kingdom with connections to the Continent. The Holy Empire, the Holy Church of Light! Is it so wrong for her to want to free the Southern United Kingdoms from poverty? Even if she used methods that weren’t completely orthodox.)

The Hero: “What will your reply be, your Majesty?”

Lone Winter King: “…”

Butler: “…”

The Hero: “Do you understand what it means to oppose the Church in this world, young King? The religion is Light, the Church is the World. To go against that, to become an apostate, is to become an enemy to all mankind.”

–

Explanation

Inquisition: A court established by the religion to identify and charge people suspected of being opposed to the official religion. During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Inquisition trialled and executed many Christians accused of anti-Catholic practices using horrible punishments. This was common in many parts of Europe such as Spain and France.

Bishop: A high rank within the Church. Above the rank of a deacon, but below the rank of an archbishop. There are many within a country, and he is responsible for a fairly large area known as his diocese. Deacons and priests help him to fulfil his duties. During the Middle Ages, there were even bishops who held temporal power and ruled over entire countries and cities.

–

Lone Winter King: “…”

The Hero: “The Holy Patriarch hasn’t threatened to excommunicate you yet. However, he did say it was ‘regrettable that believers and heretics could live together in one country’. We need to erase these doubts the Patriarch is having, your Majesty.”

Lone Winter King: “Th-that’s…”

Butler: “Young man…”

The Hero: “So?”

Lone Winter King: “Send out… the Army. But, the Village of Wintering is really far, it’ll take time to get there…”

The Hero: “Alright. But, be careful, your Majesty. If the Crimson Scholar manages to slip through your fingers, neither you, nor this country, nor even the Holy Order of the Lake may be able to avoid being charged for high treason!”

>

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Novelsays.Com