10 – Episode 10. Maple Leaf Village (1)
There’s a saying that goes, “Bad luck comes on a good day.” And it’s true.
“Nin-nin.”
Our party, having gathered at the guild for a light meal before setting off, was now walking through a massive crowd, being pushed and jostled from all sides.
I wonder if Hamlet, who pondered whether to go against the relentless waves of fate, felt like this.
We were inevitably swept away by the wave of people made up of commoners.
“Hmm, there are so many people. It’s uncomfortable.”
Saturn, who had been stepped on by a passerby, poked its snout out like an octopus.
Damn, it’s true that love makes you resemble each other. Bonita, who had been leading the way and cutting through the crowd, explained.
“Today is the start of the festival organized by Count Martolan. It’s open to commoners, and compared to other regions, it offers a splendid spectacle, so many people from different areas come. But it’s rare to have as many people as today… We just had bad luck.”
Count Martolan.
From what I confirmed last time, he seemed to be a clean person, except for being a fan of erotic novels and reading Yokai Bak’s books.
The latter had such a strong impact that the people’s evaluation of him had always been high, and I couldn’t sense any signs of abuse from the servants I personally checked.
Well, why not read some erotic novels.
If I have time, I’ll have to go back and return Martolan’s collection. I couldn’t help burning Yokai Bak’s book last time.
Clang. Clang.
As if the crowd was splitting, I looked up to check, and there were women in plate armor walking in a straight line.
Are those the female knights that Orpheus had only heard about?
Although it was a small group of about twelve knights, they were women with similar builds to mine, emitting the unique aura of unmarried women as they walked in an orderly manner, giving off a definite sense of dignity.
A completely different level from the offspring of this Earth who are insulted by pig monsters.
Our party also moved to the left to make way.
Well, it’s only natural for civilians to make way for soldiers, so there wasn’t much resistance.
Thunk.
Jina’s large luggage, which she was trying to move aside, hit the shoulder of one of the knights.
The knight’s face twisted in an instant, like an evil spirit.
Jina, who didn’t feel anything because the luggage was heavy, just kept walking.
“What the hell is this woman doing?”
Smack!
“Eek!”
The knight approached and stopped Jina, then slapped her cheek without warning.
Jina dropped her luggage and fell to the ground.
“What?”
I couldn’t comprehend the situation that happened in an instant and just stared.
Did she slap her because she didn’t apologize for bumping into her shoulder?
“Are you crazy? You hit me without even apologizing?”
The mindset itself was different from ours.
It was an idea that violence had become a way of life, like the yakuza.
“Sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was heavy.”
Jina, staggering, stood up and apologized. The bruise on her cheek was bright red, indicating how hard she had been hit.
“hahahaha, this is a really funny girl. Where is the apology that is only spoken?”
“Just a moment!”
Suddenly, Yakuzana grabbed Jina by the collar and lifted her up. Startled Bonita tried to intervene, but Yakuzana casually ignored her.
The knights stood still for a moment, watching the situation with cold eyes. No one tried to stop them.
From their reaction, it was clear that these guys were samurais who were united with a sense of superiority and nationalism. When I thought about it, suddenly, there was an explosion from the side.
“The knight → fell ↗ to the ground~!”
A scream mixed with Saetton’s extreme excitement.
Even people passing by from afar stopped and turned their heads towards this direction because of the tremendous noise.
“What, what is it.”
Confused by Saetton’s scream and the people’s gaze, Yakuzana twisted his tongue and let go of Jina.
Jina still had a dazed expression, as if she couldn’t believe what had just happened. Orpheus took her hand and led her towards the party.
“Is your ear clogged?! Didn’t you say you didn’t know it was heavy! To casually exercise violence against the citizens of the kingdom for no good reason! Can such a violent person be called a knight? You have forgotten your honor!”
Saetton’s outburst was not unusual, but this time I think it was justified anger.
As expected of someone who makes a living from words, his tongue is smooth.
“Who are you-“
“I am Saetton Namyakga, the third son of Marquis Saetton, and soon to be a leading figure in the ‘Hall of Artists’. Speak up! Who on earth are you to do such a foolish thing! Immediately reveal your name and affiliation, and apologize to her with respect! If not, I will report this to the ‘Erugal Kingdom Artists Association’!”
Chewing his words coolly, Saten overwhelmed the yakuza.
Although they were neither journalists nor artists, and I don’t know what they would accomplish by spreading the word to them, the yakuza seemed to be persuaded by the plausible group name and the word “expose.”
Somehow, their actions and words gave away that they had learned something peculiar. Saten must have been a nobleman too.
Indeed, in order for an otaku to survive in a harsh world, they must at least become a nobleman’s son.
But wait, he uses his family name as a pen name for writing erotic stories? There was a true madman among them.
Yakuza, whose face turned pale, looked at the samurais who were standing by as if asking for help.
With a sigh, a woman appeared in front of them. Judging by her commanding presence, she was the leader of the samurais.
“I am Irene Pitman, the head of the Iron Turtle Knights and the daughter of Viscount Pittman.”
“Uh, um.”
Irene’s gaze, as she introduced herself to Saten, was very cold.
Almost as cold as dry ice in a refrigeration warehouse.
Saten, who was intimidated, swallowed his saliva. He was a coward.
“Take off your helmet.”
Irene ordered the yakuza. The yakuza, sweating coldly, took off his helmet.
Smack!
“Oof!”
The yakuza, who received a slap from Irene, fell to the ground just like before. It was truly retribution.
“Stand up straight.”
Irene calmly spoke and gently turned her wrist.
The terrified yakuza, dripping with sweat, stood in front of Irene again, trembling.
Clap, clap, clap!
The Yakuzas were left in disarray by the merciless rhythm of the beatings.
Is this the reality of violence in the sports world?
“Apologize in person.”
After Irene finished her beating, the Yakuzas, with faces twisted like demons, bowed their heads towards the passing figure.
How monstrous these mixed breeds are.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Speak properly.”
“The knight couldn’t control his anger and resorted to violence on the street. I’m truly sorry.”
“It’s, it’s okay…”
Passing by, she accepted the apology with a touch on her cheek.
If Zina’s father saw this, he would explode with anger.
“You said you’re the third son of Marquis Saten.”
Suddenly, Irene looked straight into Saten’s eyes.
“W-Well, yes.”
Saten had become completely pitiful. Now he looks pathetic. You never trusted this bastard.
“I apologize for showing you such a disgraceful sight. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“Hmm, I understand. I shall forgive you.”
“Please check on her. Let’s go.”
The ironclad samurais lined up in an orderly fashion once again.
Everyone except for Orpheus turned their bodies mechanically and walked forward. They all seemed nervous.
I could feel the electric energy of Aileen and the samurais behind me.
It seems like I’m the only one in the group who feels this way, judging by how casually they’re walking.
The trash is trying to tail us.
The Iron Turtle Knights and Aileen Pitman? The only thing awaiting them on the day we meet again is “Mors Ultima”.
Since there hasn’t been a situation where innocent people are shedding blood today, we decided to let it go.
But we still need to do a “confirmation process”. I hope to wait in this neighborhood until the quest is over.
***
Perhaps because of the incident earlier, the atmosphere in the carriage was not pleasant.
Jester Saten wasn’t performing his tricks, and it’s getting uncomfortably quiet.
“Irene, commander of the Iron Turtle Knights. Have you heard of her?”
Finally, Saten opened his mouth, and everyone listened as if they had been waiting for this moment.
He’s still a mood maker in his own way.
“She’s a disciple of the Gentle Swordmaster. Rumor has it that she’s such a formidable warrior that she’ll become a member of the Holy Sword Society in a few years.”
“Gentle Swordmaster?”
What the hell is that? Still, I was curious about this show-off title and asked.
Holy Sword Society? Seven Swordmasters? After hearing that, it seems like there might be an SSS-class samurai clan in this world too.
I listened to the explanation because someday I’ll have to fight those guys.
“…So, the title of the Conqueror Swordmaster is said to be held by a knight wearing a golden armor. The title of the Swift Swordmaster is said to have gone missing recently…”
Boring as hell.
I was so fed up with that human Wikipedia nerd who kept explaining even the settings that no one had bothered to ask about, so I just asked Orphe instead.
“You said there’s a reason why there are more female knights than male knights. What is it?”
“Well… It’s a bit complicated… Mana is the source of life, that’s the definition of Matop.”
Sigh, damn it. I’m already getting sleepy.
From Noble mtl dot com
How uneventful must their lives have been to remember something like this?
Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of Orphe’s unhappy childhood.
Yakuzaslayer Begins, who can’t be seen without tears.
“When a woman conceives a child, the child takes a portion of the mother’s life force. That’s how all life is born, or so I’ve learned. That’s why female mana users are forbidden from having romantic relationships unless they reach their limits or fully settle down. Who knows what could happen with a mixed-gender knight order?”
I was so sleepy that I almost closed my eyes. I think I briefly saw the face of Buddha.
Orphe seemed to notice my lack of interest and picked up the pace.
“That’s why most families prefer to put their daughters in the female knight order rather than a mixed-gender one. On the other hand, men don’t face such risks, so they tend to join mixed-gender knight orders more. The women in mixed-gender knight orders are mostly looking for partners, so relationships are more freely pursued. As far as I know, most male knights are already married. They all have their reasons.”
In short, there are the “virgin knight order,” the “married knight order,” and the “couple knight order.”
So that Yakuzaslayer must have been throwing a tantrum about being a virgin.
But I have no intention of understanding.
If I have to listen to all these excuses one by one, I’ll turn into a bald ninja.
I’m still too young for that.
“Well, we’ve arrived. If you follow the path as shown in this picture, you’ll reach Maple Leaf Village. The carriage I brought you on has been traveling for quite some time, so once you’ve seen everything, just wait here. That’s it!”
hehehe!
The driver left with just a map. When I looked outside, the sun had already set.
“We’re not far from the village, so let’s go and find accommodation.”
“Nin-nin.”
I’m already tired, and I haven’t even started the quest yet.