Clang!
Now I feel better.
Clang! Clang!
The jerky was good, but moving around like this definitely lifts my mood.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I'm sure Sara and Mia's offer of a lap pillow would have been nice if only those two could stop fighting long enough over who would be the lap pillow for me to try it, that is.
Clang! Swoosh! Clang!
Nana did try as well, but her idea of having me cry into her chest was… well, it was deadly. I swear I saw god before I managed to pull away and gasp for air. Not to mention uncomfortable with the way my "Danger Sense" skill was going haywire the entire time I was trapped between those two death cusions.
Strangely, it wasn't Nana's attempt on my life that was setting off my "Danger Sense" skill. No, I felt an overwhelming sense of danger coming from the direction of Mia, Sara and Pearl, but it was probably the lack of oxygen making me misread the skills warning.
Swoosh! Dodge! Clang! Clang!
But despite my friend's efforts, it was Pearl who managed to cheer me up when she threw some training clothes at me and said:
"Let's have a sparing match, Master,"
While I was slow at first when the match started, it didn't take long for me to return to my former self. As our swords clashed, making sparks fly, and our feet kicked up the dirt as we danced around the garden, I really have forgotten, but the horrors I went through at that tea party.
Clang! Clang!
The rhythmic sound of our blades meeting was music to my ears, and the rush of adrenaline as we exchanged blows was just what I needed to shake off the lingering unease. Pearl's determination and skill were a perfect match for my own, and I found myself grinning from ear to ear as we fought.
Swoosh!
I leapt back, avoiding Pearl's swift strike by a hair's breadth, and countered with a powerful slash of my own.
Clang!
The impact sent shockwaves through my arm, but Pearl's eyes sparkled with excitement as she parried the blow.
"Mmm. Smile."
"She does seem happy,"
"Was I not enough, I inquire?"
I thought I heard Mia grumble and Sara sound unhappy, but I can't think of a reason why. It was hard to tell how Nana was feeling, but she was patting her oversized breasts for some reason.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
But I can't worry about that as Pearl unleashes a rapid series of blows that were powerful enough that the gust of wind caused by her swings nearly knocked me off balance. She must have taken off her power-limiting bracelet, but I can't complain since I forgot to put mine on.
"Was she holding back against us?"
"Must have. She didn't move that fast before."
Several knights and adventurers were also watching from the sidelines. They had come to challenge Pearl, but stayed for the show. There are some I don't recognise. I guess rumours of people travelling to challenge Pearl are true, then.
Swoosh!
I slash down at Pearl, but she side steps the blow before taking a step forward. We pass each other, our backs almost touching as we both spin around.
Clang!
Our blades lock for a moment, sparks fly before we leap back. We both smile as we surge forward, kicking up dirt while the ground cracks where we launched from.
Blink and Warp. Both skills make use of moves like lightning.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Swoosh! Clang! Clang! Swoosh! Swoosh! Clang!
Sparks fly, dirt fills the air like a cloud of dust, but neither Pearl nor I was ready to give in.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
I can't count the number of strikes we attempt each second, but neither one of us can break the other's defence. We both got close to winning at somepoint but somehow managed to keep going.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
"And I thought you were the only cheat, Master," I heard Arisa's voice, so the crowd must be growing.
"Amazin, sir!"
"I can't even see them!"
Pochi and Tama must be there too.
"It's hard but not impossible to track them," Liza comments. "If you watch their feet, you can just about make out their movements."
Unfortunately, there was one person who wasn't impressed.
<0>
"What do you two think you were doing?"
After our fight ended in a draw, both Pearl and I found ourselves kneeling in the garden staring at the manor house. A thick layer of dirt now coats the outside, and several creaks cover the garden and path. There are even some holes from where our feet kicked off the ground. We may have gotten a little carried away.
"Do you have any idea how long it will take to clean up this mess?" Lulu asks, shooting us a glare. "The maids already work hard to keep the manor clean and livable for us, and look at what you two have done."
In the end, Pearl and I had to scrub the manor with clothes until all the dirt was gone. I then used earth magic to fix the holes and cracks in the garden while Pearl swept away the dirt from the path under the watchful eye of Lulu. By the end of it, we both agreed never to make Lulu mad again.
<0>
The morning after the viceroy's wife's tea party, I went to the labyrinth gates to hand over the last of the supplies I was asked to prepare for the party from Seiryuu City. I had already handed over most of the supplies, so it was just the items with shorter expiration dates I needed to drop off.
Labyrinth City Celivera's Elite Training Corps were all assembled right outside the gate. They almost looked like a disciplined force, almost. Zena ruined the act when she started to runover to Satou, only to blush brightly and walk at a reasonable pace when some of her comrades saw what she was doing and started to tease her.
The members of the explorers' party, Silverlight, were also giggling. They were clad in silver body armour. The group was unique because they rarely used equipment made from monster materials, and all its members were noblewomen. Still, they were strong, with a quarter of the members wearing crimson badges.
"Zenacchi, looks like we're about to head out," Lilo called out as I finished handing over the last of the supplies.
The young knight in charge, Sir Hence, I think his name is, started ordering everyone to get ready. At least he isn't half-heartedly flirty with me again like he did at a small welcoming party we had. It was clear from everyone's reaction that it was something he was told to do rather than something he wanted to. It was probably the count who put him up to it, since even Henry looked like she was holding herself back from saying something that night. At least he was kind enough to back off when he saw he wasn't getting anywhere, unlike a few of the other men there. It was strange how they suddenly became afraid to look at me after I had to excuse myself for a few minutes to speak with Lulu in the kitchen.
"Everyone here? The Silverlights are joining us, so we're heading in!" Sir Hence announced after checking over the supplies.
Zena's companions started collecting their belongings and heading towards the west gate. The Silverlights were veterans, and I doubted they'd go anywhere too dangerous, so it was probably fine.
"Don't worry. I've always had good luck."
But Zena had to go and say something to make me worry. But then Satou also raised some flags when he said, "Once you return, I'll bring you to a really good restaurant."
There is probably nothing to worry about since they are professional soldiers and have some knights with them. Still, they shouldn't be saying things like that.
<0>
"Hey, Central," I say as I arrive on Twilight. "It looks like the repairs are going well."
"Yes, oh king," Central replied, flickering into existence in front of me. "The damage done by the demon lord was only minor and has already been completed, and testing of systems has shown no signs of any other problems."
"That's good." Even as we speak, I can see golems rushing about carrying crates and tools. "Will you be ready on time?"
"Yes, oh king," Central nodded. "We can take off at any moment."
Central seemed to be so happy about that; to be honest, it is hard to stop her from taking off right away.
"It will only be until the end of the month," I assure her.
"Yes, oh king," Central nodded again. "I eagerly await the order to let Twilight fly again."
Twilight, the floating island, will be our ride to the capital. I was planning on keeping it a secret and using it as a secret base, but after everything that happened with the demon lord, Hermina found out about Twilight. I only got the letter from the king this morning saying he wished to see the island for himself. It's going to be a real pain figuring out an excuse that explains why I didn't report finding something like Twilight.
"So, is it okay for me to start moving some supplies into the storehouse?" I ask, putting the excuse problem aside for now.
"Yes, oh king," Twilight nodded. "You can leave it here. I can summon some golems to carry them for you."
"Sure,"
I didn't have much, just some spare bedding, cleaning supplies and a few other things. The stuff like food, potions and the rest will come the day we leave.
"How's the farm doing by the way?" I ask once the last of the supplies is out of my storage. "No problems?"
"We've finished planting, and you need not worry, oh king. The sun's lights are working within expected parameters, and thanks to you, oh king, I can utilise the island's core to regulate the climate in this cave."
The fields aren't large, but they should grow enough for us. I don't even need to worry about the crops expiring if I put them in my storage, so I can stockpile quite a lot once it comes time to harvest. The only thing left to do is feed some cows and chickens, but I was planning on taking care of that once I reached the capital.
"We will have the building's interior finished by the end of the day, oh king," Twilight added. "I managed to meet all the requests you made, oh king, as well as the requests of your vassals."
"I look forward to seeing it."
I really was. While we planned to use one room, something everyone insisted on for some reason, I had the others take a room for themselves and decorate it as they liked. Maybe this way, when the island is inspected, there won't be as many annoying rumours about me spreading through the capital.
<0>
When I returned to the manor, I found it empty with everyone gone. It didn't take long to spot the maids in the garden hanging laundry, and not long after, I spotted some of my friends. Mia is the first one I saw after leaving the manor. I could hear her playing a song the moment I stepped out the front door.
"Cute," I muttered.
Tiny birds were sitting on Mia's head and shoulders as young fairyfolk boys and girls surrounded her. It was a sight that would fit into a fairytale, as everyone in earshot of the beautiful song Mia is playing can't help but smile. Mia seemed to be enjoying herself as she taught the kids to play instruments. I can only imagine how much her classes will grow once the instruments Satou said he would buy arrive.
I try not to interrupt Mia as I walk by her. She spotted me, so I gave her a quick wave and moved on.
Near Mia and her group, some elderly folks were teaching children woodworking and carving. These individuals were retired artisans and regulars at Mia's lakeside concerts. Through Mia, Satou had asked them to start offering training or DIY workshops for the children, providing them with more options for future employment. They were volunteering, but we planned to thank them with sake, pastries, and more.
"Have you gotten the hang of using the knife? I'll show you how to break down a hopping potato next."
Past the workshops, Lulu was teaching cooking classes. Lulu and some of the maids from the mansion were showing the children how to prepare hopping potatoes. Most of the students were girls, but there was a good number of boys too. All of them appeared very serious.
"When I grow up, I'm gonna be a chef like Lady Lulu!"
"I'm gonna start with a food cart and own a restaurant one day!"
I heard the kids say with smiling faces as I entered the orphanage. On the other side of the door, I was met by more smiles.
"Nanaaa!"
"C'mon, say larvae."
"Nana, let's play with building blocks!"
Nana was inside, surrounded by the smiles of children as she played with them. Despite her straight face, she seemed to be having a great time, so I carefully made my way around to continue through the hallway without interrupting. In a corner of the shared space where Nana and the kids were playing, a line had formed. I found out they were waiting to charge the electric fan-like magic device Satou had given them.
The children appeared to enjoy channelling their magical energy into the tool. It seemed that spinning rhythmically, like an electric fan, was also becoming a trend. Since they were apparently charging the fan with magic as a game, I had recently noticed more children beginning to acquire the "Magic Manipulation" skill. Because that was a very useful skill, Satou also supplied the orphanage and explorers' school with lamp magic tools, easy-to-charge wooden swords, and similar items, hoping that even more of them would develop it.
"Goat!"
"Nope, that one's 'goat meat.'"
"What?! Then 'goat' is totally right!"
"But Pochi and Tama called it 'goat meat'!"
A group of children was playing with practice cards in the corridor, using benches as makeshift tables. Watching them was charming, but I worried they might memorise incorrect information, so I politely clarified that "goat" alone was correct. When the child who had believed Pochi and Tama looked teary-eyed, I added, "If you see Pochi or Tama, you can tell them they were wrong." Nearby, an older child was slowly reading a picture book to a younger one, indicating that the education at the orphanage was progressing well. Arisa was even teaching some kids about spell casting in another room.
"No, grip it like this,"
"Yes,"
Out back, I found Pearl teaching some of the older kids swordsmanship. There are a few others there besides the orphans. They are kids hoping to join the adventurers' school during the next tryout. At first, we thought of turning them away, but they honestly wanted to learn, so we let them join the lessons in the end.
"No, show me you swing,"
I watch as Pearl instructs several students to attack a line of old scarecrows. None of them were strong enough to make the scarecrow sway, but they are starting to get the hang of using a sword.
"Huh?"
Just for a moment, one of the kids' practice swords has a red glow on the tip of the blade. It was faint; no one noticed but Pearl and me, but there was definitely a dim red light. Looks like one of the kids has a bright future ahead of them.
"Yes, that's right," I heard Sara's voice close by. "Make sure it's nice and tight."
I found her teaching basic first aid to another group of kids. Hopefully, they won't need it, but it is always a useful skill to have.
I was just about to head inside and play with the kids when I heard the sound of a rushing horse charging closer. Serval shouts from the children came from the front of the building, but they didn't seem scared. Nevertheless, I rushed to see what was happening. Maybe it was the image that flashed into my mind of the orphans living on the streets and what happened to them, or it could have been just muscle memory, but my hand went to my sword as I ran. But it wasn't an attack.
"Kura!"
Henry was getting off a horse as I arrived at the front of the orpthange. But the fear in her voice and panic in her eyes were too alarming for me to feel happy at the sight of my friend's unexpected arrival. One of the maids quickly took the reins from her as Henry made her way towards me with such speed that she nearly didn't stop in time.
"Kura! Please help!"