Outbreak Company Vol 1 Chapter 4.1

Volume 1 Chapter 4 Part 1

Chapter 4: Thy Name is ‘Invader’

 

On a warm early afternoon, I find myself in a hilly area near the mansion.

The slopes of the hills have apparently been turned into a pasture, as I can see sheep that look like clumps of wool grazing here and there. This is a pastoral scene in the full meaning of the word. I feel like I might even hear a yodel anytime.

However......just by looking a bit upwards, everything changes.

The reason is because there is a school of fish flying there.

“......What is that.”

Umm, I think they’re fish. Are they?

At least, they look nothing like birds. Their basic shape is similar to that of scabbard fish. Wrapped in silver scales glittering under the sunlight, undulating their thin, long bodies through the gaps between clouds, they look like horizontal swords much more than birds. The thin, wing-like membrane gracefully extending from their caudal and dorsal fins is the sole part that gives credence to their identity as “living creatures that can fly in the sky.”

“Those are ‘heshiv icths.”

Miusel informed me while by my side.

“They are a variety of wind sprites that doesn’t travel in any set route, but rather goes wherever there is wind. They feed on wind and grow wind-eating grass. This area has been turned into a pasture for sheep.”

“......Uumu.”

‘Wind sprites’ and ‘wind-eating grass,’ eh?

As expected of a fantasy country. Miusel is most likely teaching me an extremely common piece of common knowledge here, but my ears can only register it as a fairy tale.

“In my country, grass is something that grows with sunlight, water, and nutrients in soil.”

“Is there no wind-eating grass in Danna-sama’s country?”

“Not to my knowledge, no......”

“Wind-eating grass feeds on the mana released by wind sprites. Even if you go to a desert, you can see it floating on the wind.”

(T/N: So the wind-eating grass doesn’t eat wind? Lol.)

“......the desert.”

In that case, can it technically be called afforestation?

That aside......the grass is not exactly dandelion seeds, but for it to float in the wind......this is a scene that is unimaginable back in our world. But that’s only natural, as there is no such thing as mana in our world. Another way of putting things is that it is because there is mana on this side that there is vegetation that has evolved thus.

Speaking of which......I’ve read that if the color of the sun is even slightly different, the pigments inside chloroplasts would make plants red rather than green. I suppose that is something like this.

“Same, but also different at the same time.”

I smile wryly while walking.

Indeed. This is a parallel world. Even the maid-san currently at my side is an elf girl who has elf blood and pointed ears that become visible when her hair sways.

“That’s why I don’t quite know exactly how effective my way of doing things will be......”

The place that we are heading to is a close by building.

To some it up in a word, it is a gigantic windmill.

No. It’s gigantic, so it probably shouldn’t be called as such.

(T/N: The word for ‘windmill’ in Japanese is 風車小屋, which can be broken down to pinwheel (風車) little house (小屋). He’s thinking that due to its size, ‘little house’ is not quite apt.)

Its height is like that of a five story building. Just like a cone stacked on top of a cylinder, the building’s appearance is similar to that of a stubby pencil, with enormous green vanes mounted near the top. Due to the wall being built with bricks, numerous black raindrop-like stains running vertically can be seen, hinting at the building’s significant age.

All around this building, a large number of people are moving about.

With metal trowels in their hands, they are painting what looks like plaster or concrete over the cracks and holes on the wall. For the particularly large places, they first pack some rocks, reinforce the part with lumber, then finish with some painting work.

What is going on here is, in other words, renovation construction.

Originally a disused windmill, this is something that the Eldant Empire has lent me——to be more exact, to the parallel world joint entertainment company AmuTec. The working force is also lent by the Empire——humans are a given, but there are also elves and lizardmen and even red-faced stubby people that I think are dwarves. All of them are currently working to fix this windmill.

These people actually are a combat engineer unit belonging to the Eldant Empire.

Although they are very unsuitable for delicate and neat work like building a noble’s mansion, their usual workplace is the battlefield——top speed construction is commonplace for them, and they are such reliable craftsmen that they can slap together a fort or two within three days. When I said “don’t sweat the details, just somehow repair this building to the degree where it is usable,” they all nodded with full confidence.

When I take a peek inside, I see that progress is smooth there too.

It’s just that the main labor force here isn’t soldiers from the Eldant Empire, but the JSDF.

The restructuring of the interior of the windmill involves clearing away the majority of the original installations, which were gears that relied on wind power to turn and mill grain, and installing instead electric cables and a small converter. Yes, we are turning this disused windmill into a wind power station.

The thing with using wind power to generate electricity, though, is that the output is unstable, as it depends on the strength and direction of the wind. However, this area has wind sprites flying around twenty-four seven, so I wonder how it’s going to turn out.

As a supplement to this wind power station, the JSDF has also brought over several solar panels. For now, all this electricity is available for AmuTec to freely use.

“Miusel, this way, this way.”

I go up a few steps of the spiral-shaped staircase installed against the wall, and gaze out through a window.

From this place above the soldiers, I can clearly see my mansion. And in a place slightly removed from my mansion, there is a building that was previously used as a grain warehouse. Of course, that is also currently being renovated.

“So you will be building a ‘school’ at that place......”

Miusel looks deeply moved.

Indeed. The grain warehouse is currently being renovated into an educational institution for the purpose of having otaku culture permeate into this world. This wind power station, as well as these solar panels, are both for the sake of supplying electricity to this ‘otaku training school.’

It has been about a month since I first came to the Eldant Empire.

For otaku culture to spread, a certain standard of foundational education is indispensable.

After having determined so, I made a request to Matoba-san and Petrarca to arrange these facilities. My attitude while asking had been “oh well, I’ve got nothing to lose anyways,” but to my surprise, both of them easily gave me the green light. Thanks to that, I was able to smoothly make a start upon my ‘otaku training school.’

To be frank, it’s a little scary how smoothly things are going.

Although I got all enthusiastic thinking “it’s Sim Akiba!”, I’ve been a home security guard only up till recently, so I feel slightly apprehensive when my decisions are moving so many people and so much resources.

(T/N: Sim Akiba -> Sim City)

In the midst of such thoughts——

“——Shinichi!”

My name was called.

That cute voice that I’ve already grown familiar with is——

“Ah. Petrarca.”

Before I knew it, a single magnificent carriage had stopped right next to the windmill. The carriage’s overall base color is white, and even the birds pulling it are white. And standing beside that carriage is the small bodied Empress vigorously waving her arms.

With her silver hair gently dancing in the wind, that figure of hers is, of course, extremely cute. If I told her that, then she’ll probably get mad and yell “don’t treat me like a child!” though.

Miusel and I go down the staircase in a hurry.

“So you were in a place like this.”

Drawing over to us, Petrarca spoke first.

“You weren’t in the mansion, so I came looking.”

“Eh? We were supposed to be on break for the study group today, weren’t we?”

“So I’m not allowed to come when there’s no study group?”

Speaking with upturned eyes, Petrarca sounded slightly reproachful.

“Hau?! Upturned eyes are, upturned eyes are cheating, Your Majesty!” is something that I can’t exactly say out loud, so for now I press down my moe-moe feelings and cover them up with a smile.

“That’s not the case, of course.”

“Then it’s fine.”

Petrarca nods with a somewhat relieved expression.

Ahh geez this Imperial Majesty is just so cute!! Every single gesture she makes gives off the lovable impression of a child trying her best to do something beyond her abilities. Furthermore......

“Today, I really wanted to show you this.”

Petrarca holds out one hand. At that moment, one of the knights that I think is accompanying her steps up, takes out a single book from somewhere, and places it onto her hand.

The book has the words “Kanji Study Book” written in hiragana on the front.

When I take the book that is being offered to me and open it, I see earthworm-like characters packed tightly within each and every page. How do i put this, every single kanji in here are simple ones taught during the early years of primary school, and the handwriting is terrible, but the quantity is quite impressive.

“This......is pretty amazing.”

When I gave my honest opinion as such, Petrarca’s face breaks into an enormous smile and she sticks out her chest—flat though it is—and holds her head high.

“I grant you permission to be amazed at my intelligence!”

“No, I am seriously surprised.”

That was not flattery nor exaggeration.

In the first place, this Kanji Study Book is something that I had ordered through Matoba-san. Of course, as a teaching material for the otaku training school. I then gave one book each to Petrarca and Miusel, but......

“I’ve read through the reports written by the coat of arms scholars that I had recording and researching the shapes of these ‘Japanese characters.’”

Uumu, as expected of an Imperial Majesty.

Such a large commotion for learning a single character. More like, whichever way you look at it, that’s cheating, isn’t it.

Because of that——Petrarca turns towards Miusel, who is standing beside me, and makes a declaration with a challenging face.

“I can’t lose to the likes of a mere maid, after all.”

“Eh? Ah, no, that’s......”

Of course, Miusel became flustered and incoherent. Well, being acknowledged by an absolute monarch as a rival in studying Japanese would leave anyone at a loss.

“This is a good opportunity. Comparing which of us has attained a higher level of proficiency in Japanese should serve as a bit of amusement.”

“Eh, th-, that’s......”

“Here I go!”

So saying, Petrarca drops into a stance like she’s just started a martial arts match.

Should I say this forceful pushiness is as expected of an Imperial Majesty? Suddenly having a match sprung on her, Miusel is completely flustered. But of course, there’s no way Petrarca would wait for her. Instead, Petrarca carries on all by herself.

“Namamugi namagome nama tamago!”

(T/N: Yep, a Japanese tongue-twister. It means ‘raw wheat, raw rice, raw egg.’)

“............”

I unconsciously stumbled with surprise.

No. Self-study is well and all, but why are you bringing that up here, Your Imperial Majesty?

“Au.........au au, na, nama, namamoge, tamago moge............?!”

Miusel agitatedly tried to repeat after her.

It sounded like her tongue had gotten twisted up, and she couldn’t say it at all.

Actually, this is wonderful as is. Even I cannot suppress shivers at the natural airheadedness of this maid-san half-elf dojikko Miusel who already has too many moe traits. Miusel, what a frightful child......!

“What’s wrong? If you can’t even do something so basic, then a maidservant’s learning ability must not amount to much!”

Petrarca laughs heartily with her nose in the air.

Well, duh. After telling Miusel to “not steal a march on me” but then assigning scholars to research Japanese and receiving supplementary lessons from those scholars herself, short of Miusel being a genius, of course Petrarca would pull ahead.

At this time——

“Shinichi-kun. And even Your Majesty......why are both of you here? Inspection?”

Minori-san called out to us.

Apparently, she is among the JSDF currently working on the windmill.

So this is why I haven’t seen her all morning, even though she’s supposed to be my personal escort......

“What about you, Minori-san? What’s up with that outfit?”

“There’s no ‘what’s up’ about it. This is my actual everyday uniform.”

The Minori-san who’s saying this is currently not wearing her usual tight uniform.

Dark-colored pants made with plenty of cloth, as well as durable black boots. Moreover, covering her upper body is a white tank top that is liberally exposing her shoulders and chest. On top of her head is a helmet with the words ‘JSDF’ printed on it.

Although this is the Minori-san with the gentle and calm aura, this get-up totally makes her look like the muscle-type contractor nee-chan. Clothes really do have a huge impact on visual impressions.

With that said......there are things that stay the same, regardless of clothes.

Rather, with even less fabric concealing her body, her physique stands out that much more. Especially worthy of note is her plentiful breasts, which are being pushed up by the tight-looking fabric. A splendid valley can be glimpsed from her collar. The overall outfit makes me quite troubled as to where to look.

“......tte. No staring, alright?”

Turning her body, Minori-san has her breasts take refuge from my line of sight.

“Shinichi. Are women with large breasts your preference, Shinichi?”

“Well, large breasts are one of the best appeal points that a character can have.”

“Don’t call me a character.”

Minori-san is glaring at me with slightly reproachful eyes.

“Fun......each and every one of you. It’s just having extra meat stuck onto the chest, is it not?”

With half of my consciousness stolen away by Minori-san’s breasts, I finally recognize who just said those words in a grumpy tone.

It was Petrarca.

“Eh? Ah, no, but, being big is not the be-all and end-all. Smaller breasts have their own unique charms too.”

I spoke while in a fluster.

There isn’t a single thing to injure Her Imperial Majesty’s mood.

I clench my fists and iterate with great passion.

“All breasts in the tsurupeta category, such as tiny breasts, small breasts, and washboard breasts, are of course, of great worth due to their reserved yet undeniable assertion of womanhood. Just like a hidden flower, or a flower bud on the cusp of full bloom, they possess a sense of purity and innocence that, when unveiled, engenders a truly perverted sense of eros. Having yet to be touched by anyone, tsurupeta breasts are the very exemplification of sensitivity, and are beautiful like untrodden snow is beautiful, which is a beauty that cannot be attained by any other types......”

After saying that much——I come back to my senses. All of the girls are looking at me with difficult eyes.

More like, to be blunt, all three are slightly drawing away from me.

......Even Miusel?!

“Ah! No, that’s! It’s because I was asked!”

“Talking about perverted and eros and all that. If this wasn’t Eldant, I would have sued you for sexual harassment, Shinichi-kun.”

“That’s not it. That’s not it, I was just——”

“Shinichi is indeed quite lewd, eh?”

So commented Petrarca while crossing her arms.

“And you even have an excessively large strike range, being fine with big breasts to small breasts.”

“As I’m saying, I was just giving an answer because I was asked!!”

“With this, I now know that I have to keep a sharp eye out, or else he will lay his hands on his maidservant and knock her up before I know it.”

“Kn-......Knock......?!”

Miusel lets out a moan with a crimson face.

“I won’t!! More like, girls shouldn’t say things like ‘knock up’——ugh?!”

“Alright, alright, be quiet for a moment, you.”

So said Minori-san as she suddenly grabs my head in a lariat and slowly drags me away from Petrarca and Miusel.

After that——

“That aside, Shinichi-kun.”

Minori-san’s tone has completely changed.

“Do you fully understand what it is that you are trying to do?”

“No, I really had no intention of sexual harassment......”

“Not that.”

At the edge of my vision, I see Minori-san taking off her magical ring before speaking again.

“This right here is a completely feudalistic society, remember? There’s no way they would accept ideas like freedom and equality.”

We sneak a glance towards Miusel and Petrarca, and see Petrarca saying something to Miusel. Judging by the fact that there’s no fear in Miusel’s face, Petrarca is most likely not rebuking her like last time. Then Minori-san continues.

“Many things are different from they way they are in our world. Right now, everything about us is still new and novel and mysterious, so the Eldant Empire side is in approval, but......to put it into words, you are trying to build an educational institution that will deny the very structure upon which the Eldant Empire is built upon.”

“......Could it be that a complaint came to Matoba-san?”

This past fortnight, I’ve barely seen Matoba-san.

After the establishment of this ‘school’ was confirmed, just as promised, he’s been taking up all of the detailed administrative and management paperwork and duties, which has made him travel between the Eldant Empire and Japan several times. Apparently, he doesn’t have much time for anything else.

“No, not really. Well......”

Minori-san’s face suddenly clouds over.

The resignation that I see harbored in her smile weighs on my mind.

“Shinichi!”

I turn around at Petrarca’s voice.

She points at Miusel and shouts.

“What on earth have you been feeding her?!”

“——Hah? ‘Feeding her’——just the same things we ourselves are eating.”

Such was my answer.

Incidentally, all meals are eaten together with Miusel and Minori-san and Blük. Whichever way you think about it, that way’s easier on Miusel, and since we’re living together in the same mansion after all, the food is definitely more delicious like that, so I was the one who suggested it.

At first, Miusel and Blük were being a bit reserved, but after receiving my ‘order,’ by now, they’re basically eating the same thing at the same place.

“‘Same things’?”

“Un. Same things.”

Astonished, Petrarca responds thus.

“Not dishes made from the leftovers?”

“Wouldn’t it be such a bother to make a second round of dishes?”

“Leaving aside it being a bother or not, muu......is that why?”

“What do you mean?”

“You peon, your breasts are bigger than I thought. It’s normally hard to tell by the ribbon around the collar though.”

“Y-......Your Majesty?!”

“Eh? It’s really as I’d thought?!”

“Danna-sama?!”

Miusel raises her voice almost in a shriek.

Damn, before I knew it, I carelessly——

“I understand now, Shinichi. You bastard, you’re making her consume nutritious foods with the intention of growing her breasts!”

No, it’s not the same as growing vegetables or fattening pigs.

Ah——but I think she does have a point?

Before my order for Miusel to eat together with us, her meals have apparently been quite plain. It was the same for Blük. Consequently, now that their diet have been bettered so, their complexions have visibly improved——well, in Blük’s case, he’s simply shed his skin though. It’s just that the molting happened a bit earlier than it normally would, which is apparently an indication that his metabolism has gone up.

As for Miusel, as she is still in the middle of her growth spurt, there is indeed the possibility that her breasts would suddenly grow in size.

Well, even though they’re both around the same age, and even though I’m sure Petrarca is taking in better nutrition of the two, when I look at the part of her that’s not growing......what can I say, all I can do is chalk it up to a difference in latent potential.

“Damn you, Shinichi......to think that you are that obsessed about breasts! Oi, half-elf! You better record down your menu! Find out what is it that you are eating that is making your breasts grow——”

“‘Not obsessed at all, not obsessed at all’——is something that I can’t really say, but not to that extent!!”

In a fluster, I quickly tried to defend myself.

I am not patient enough to actualize such a lightbulb idea.

Despite that——

“Ah, umm, Danna-sama.”

Miusel speaks to me timidly.

“That’s......if bigger is your preference, then I’ll, um, work hard to grow them......”

“Don’t you take this conversation into another ridiculous direction!”

My voice is starting to border on a shriek.

Am I currently being made out into a pervert who’s obsessed with growing Miusel’s breasts for the sake of indulging in them later?

........................But it’s a secret that from today onwards, I’m thinking of requesting cooking that uses a lot of milk-based cream, alright?

 

 

 

 

 

♥♦♣♠

 

 

 

Well, with this and that, time has passed.

My ‘job’ as the General Manager of AmuTec is slowly starting to get going.

But perhaps I really should give more thought to my ‘job.’

As is often said, the thing called entertainment is a gamble. There is no ‘if you do this-and-this, you will be guaranteed success.’ It is not rare for the same staff and methodology that produced a hit series to create a major flop next. I have seen mountains of such real life examples.

Which means——this can also be said.

If I tell myself ‘Well, no need to work so hard on it’ and ‘For now, let’s take a wait-and-see approach,’ some work or other will catch on all by itself in a place I don’t know. There have been too many such examples to count.

In the case of my ‘job,’ if asked whether this is a fortunate or unfortunate thing, I would have to pick the latter.

In other words——

“Come on. Shinichi. Hurry up.”

Petrarca is rushing me.

Today, too, we are having ‘class’ at the mansion.

Well, this hasn’t changed much in the past two months.

What has changed though, is the roster of participants.

More like, to be blunt——it’s multiplied.

“............”

“............”

In the usual Western style living room, there are roughly twenty young nobles—I think they’re all in their teens—sitting on improvised chairs alongside the wall and looking my way.

How do I put this? I feel like the room’s suddenly gotten a lot more cramped.

Incidentally, the current number is a result of us screening through all the ‘matriculation applicants.’ If we accepted all the applicants, I think there would now be more than a hundred people. Including the servants and attendants and what not, the number would be three times that.

Somehow, ‘the private in-house school that Her Imperial Majesty visits frequently’—referring to my mansion, in other words—has become a hot topic among the nobles. Leaving aside the time when she was still coming over incognito, now Petrarca comes to my place under the purport of ‘official business,’ so of course the other nobles of the Empire would come to know about my place. Discerning that ‘from now on, the Empire is going to proactively adopt this foreign country’s advanced culture as a national policy,’ and not wishing to be left behind in this ‘flow,’ those nobles decided to send their own young people to attend this ‘private school.’

Moreover......under this Holy Eldant Empire’s system of government, how well acquainted one is with her Imperial Majesty has become a standard to distinguish winners and losers. This being the case, getting noticed by Her Majesty is also another aim motivating the nobles to send their young ones to this ‘foreign culture private school.’

To be frank, this is one of the contexts behind why the construction of the school can be carried out at such a quick pace.

Of course......I do not intend on making otaku culture ‘something only for nobles.’ As my aim is ‘prevalence,’ I wish to get it to the point where the entire country, and depending on circumstances, perhaps even the surroundings countries, gets wrapped up in it.

However, at the moment, there’s just no room in this ‘private school’ for commoners to gain a foothold.

Not to mention the sharp difference in upbringing between noble children and commoner children. The fact that commoners do not know how to read and write means that they don’t even know how to properly use paper and pen and other such stationery. On the other hand, nobles and those on that side have sophisticated culture and are blessed with refined magical techniques, so even the way they think is completely different.

In the current situation, where this ‘private school’ is dependent on my own ability, nothing more can be done.

This is the very reason why having a physical building, as well as creating the school’s administrative organization, is so paramount.

Well, because of this.

“Alright, alright. So, for today——”

Having been urged on by Petrarca, what I am now opening is—a new publication.

The number of manga that Matoba-san has brought over per my requests has long reached the thousands. Even if I read aloud one series per day, we have enough to last a while more. Furthermore, we are currently bound to easy-to-understand fantasy works for Petrarca’s sake, but eventually, when she becomes more familiar with Japanese culture, we can move onto the school life genre, or perhaps even the romantic fiction genre.

While thinking such things——

“Fua......”

I couldn’t help letting out a yawn.

For the past while, I’ve been consulted for my opinion and asked to confirm so many things related to the construction of the school and the setting up of the organization that it’s been quite hectic. Fatigue is piling up, and my sleeping hours have been slightly decreasing.

“Shinichi.”

Petrarca is looking up at me with reproachful eyes.

By the way, after the first time I ever showed her manga and read aloud to her, Petrarca has apparently claimed the top of my knees as her personal seat.

As can be expected, this is quite embarrassing in front of the other ‘students,’ so I’ve pleaded to Petrarca to spare me, but she stubbornly refused. Rather, she’s continued to sit on top of my knees, almost as if she’s purposely showing off to Miusel and the other students.

Therefore, at this very moment, Petrarca is pushing her head against my shoulder to look up at me, but that action is just—if I say this out loud, she’ll definitely get angry—so much like a child that it’s quite adorable.

“Is it so boring when I am here?”

The question was delivered in a whisper of a voice.

More likely, the other students, who are against the wall, did not hear it.

“No, su-, such a thing is unthinkable, of course.”

I quickly shake my head in a fluster.

“But you know, Your Majesty—I mean, Petrarca—I’m just a little bit tired.”

“Muu.”

“More like, if it’s just reading aloud, even Minori-san or Matoba-san——”

“No.”

Petrarca instantaneously shot down my opinion.

“Shinichi’s lessons are good as they are. It’s fine listening to Shinichi read aloud, just like so.”

So she said while squirming and moving her butt on my knees to readjust into a more comfortable position.

Alright seriously, Your Majesty. Doing something like that too much will be kind of bad for me. I’m glad that that place hasn’t woken up yet, but I feel like it might wake up soon, you know?

“Do you truly love this manga of yours?”

“Eh? Well, of course I do.”

That’s why I’m doing this kind of work. Isn’t it obvious?

“......You know, I’ve previously met with evangelists and missionaries and their like, many times.”

Petrarca is speaking in a slightly serious tone of voice.

“The majority of the lot had blatant ulterior motives. If they were accepted by my empire, then they would gain gold or renown—those sorts of intentions. There have been so, so few who would bring in entertainment as entertainment......”

“............”

I am at a loss for words.

Indeed, I am bringing otaku culture into this Eldant Empire as entertainment for its own sake. However, that’s probably not the case for the people behind me, namely, the Japanese government. There is surely some sort of profit within their calculations. I am not stupid enough to believe that a government would move because of a pure sense of good will.

However——

“You......really read like you’re enjoying it.”

Petrarca laughed a little while speaking.

“I-......is that so?”

“Umu. When I’m here like this, your breathing, your pulse, and things like that, are all conveyed to me. I can tell that you are truly enjoying this thing called manga. When the protagonist is in a perilous situation, your heart goes pit-a-pat. Your heart also goes doki-doki for the protagonist’s romance. Sitting here, I can feel all that. And I find it all so enthralling.”

So said Petrarca in a whisper.

“If I get careless, I might find it even more so than the manga itself......”

“............”

I feel like I’ve been stabbed through the chest.

This girl is the Imperial Majesty.

I have yet to hear the full details, but if she is the Imperial Majesty at this age, then it either means that her parents are both dead, or that they’re in a situation where they are unable to be installed onto the throne.

In other words, they are not by her side.

There are very few who could fly past the ‘Imperial Majesty’ part of her to interact with her as a girl named Petrarca. Or perhaps, there isn’t anyone at all.

Therefore......in all likelihood, there is no one for her to exchange true feelings with.

Even those ‘classmates’ of hers currently against the wall, they’re only thinking of getting close to Petrarca the Imperial Majesty. As for Petrarca the individual, they most likely—have no interest whatsoever.

The difference in status between the Imperial Majesty and her retainers means that the honne and the tatemae is always present, and that there is almost zero chance for Petrarca to be in touch with that honne. It’s almost as if every single person around her is an actor or actress.

(T/N: Honne and tatemae are words that describe the contrast between a person's true feelings and desires (本音 honne) and the behavior and opinions one displays in public (建前 tatemae, "façade"). ~Wikipedia)

From her point of view, it is as if there is a glass wall isolating her from everyone else. Now if Petrarca was stupid, she wouldn’t care about this, but for better or for worse, she clearly has a sharp mind. Which is why——

“Shinichi?”

Petrarca raises her voice in puzzlement.

Aah geez, how do I put this, I feel an urge to give this girl a really big, tight hug bubbling up from deep within. But that sort of thing is probably completely NG.

While I’m wrestling with an over-abundance of these vexing feelings——

“I have brought tea.”

Miusel comes in without knocking, instead announcing herself in a small voice.

Coming in with a small voice instead of knocking is to not interrupt my reading aloud. Incidentally, she needs to prepare servings for myself and Petrarca and all twenty ‘students,’ so she’s pushing a large service cart.

“Excuse me.”

This was also said in a small voice that was almost a whisper, after which she began preparing.

“Thank you.”

In response to my thanks, Miusel gives me a short bow——having finished lining up the tea utensils, and having finished pouring the tea, she bows once more before leaving the room.

As I gaze silently at that figure——

“......Fun.”

For some reason, Petrarca sniffs with displeasure from where she’s sitting on top of my knees.

 

 

 

♥♦♣♠

 

It goes without saying, of course, that Miusel is not participating in this ‘private school,’ aka the study group.

Since all of the participants in this study group are youngsters from noble families, it is all too obvious that Miusel joining in would be a sore thumb sticking out. Then again, as she and Blük are in charge of managing this mansion, she has to do the cleaning, the laundry, the cooking, and a gigantic heap of tasks—she herself doesn’t have spare time during daytime to join the study group.

Therefore——

“Alright, shall we begin?”

Sitting in one of the sofas in my office, the one who spoke was me.

“Yes, please.”

And the one who smiled while opening a notebook was Miusel.

I am giving Miusel one-on-one lessons before sleeping at night.

Well, when I think about it, Miusel was the first person that I met after coming to Eldant, and also pretty much my very first student. No matter how busy I’m getting, I would feel very uncomfortable abandoning her education.

To be honest, the study group in the daytime does tire me out quite significantly, but the sight of Miusel delightedly absorbing knowledge of Japanese from me is just so cute that I can’t help but be motivated to work harder. Petrarca did tell her to ‘not steal a march,’ but it’s just that Petrarca studies in the day and Miusel studies in the night, so it doesn’t count as stealing a march——that’s the way I see it.

However......

“Umm, Danna-sama.”

That day, Miusel abruptly raised this proposal.

“For a bit......just only a bit, can you take off your magical ring?”

It was a very sudden request.

“Why?”

“Please, only a short while is fine......”

When asked in such an earnest manner, I couldn’t really find it in me to say no.

Well, the magical ring is something that I put on and take off really frequently anyways—to have secret conversations—so I felt no reluctance in doing so. I grasp the golden ring on my left ring finger and smoothly pull it off—then I leave it on the tabletop.

“Alright, I’ve taken it off. Where do you intend to go with this?”

Only after speaking did I realize it.

Of course, my words should no longer have been comprehensible to Miusel.

The magical ring’s function of translating each other’s words—‘interpreting’ is more correct—only activates when both sides are wearing one.

“———”

With pronunciation like the sound of a rolling bell, Miusel was trying to say something.

Having lived in Eldant for about three whole months, even I can somehow understand that the words being spoken are in the Eldant language. I can’t catch the actual details of what is being said, but I’ve remembered at least a few words. For example, like retosam (Danna-sama) and sei (yes).

“——————shi”

Opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish, a husky voice escaped Miusel’s lips.

“Shiniti......Shini....chi, sama......is......dis......gud? Is, co-......corekt?

“——Eh?”

I involuntarily doubted my ears.

Though spoken falteringly and with a lisp, that was undoubtedly Japanese. It was quite hard to catch, but it was definitely my name. No. Being able to say my name wouldn’t have been that surprisingly, as Minori-san and Matoba-san and Petrarca have been pronouncing it so often. Being able to put it into a conversation, now that’s a completely different dimension altogether.

Of course, I had no memory of having taught her this far.

Did she cram in some self-study in order to give me a surprise?

By sacrificing her already diminished amount of spare time......?

“Uwah......”

Her exceeding studiousness made my chest a little hot.

“Shiniti......sama......?”

Most likely still lacking in self-confidence, Miusel raised a questioning voice while looking at me with upturned eyes.

I nodded deeply and answered thus.

“Un. It’s correct.”

“......glad......to heard.”

Looking relieved, Miusel gave me a broad smile.

Even though she always seems flustered and hesitant, at this moment she looks somewhat proud of herself. I believe it’s due to the joy of knowing that her efforts have paid off. That appearance was just so cute that I was spontaneously struck with a powerful urge to hug her tightly.

Kuh......subside, both arms of mine!

While such evil eye pretensions were unfolding inside my mind, I returned the magical ring to my own finger.

“That’s amazing. To think that you have become capable of holding a conversation in such a short amount of time!”

“Ah......Did it actually sound strange?”

That was said by Miusel.

“Well, if I really had to answer whether it was strange or not, there were indeed some parts that didn’t sound natural. But it was still a proper conversation. At least it was to the point where even without the magical rings, I could understand what you were trying to say.”

“I’m so glad to hear that.”

So said Miusel while pressing down her chest and looking bashful.

I dare say that she’s already able to use hiragana and katakana without much trouble. As can be expected, mastering the detailed grammar rules and the changes in particles within half a year is not possible, but......if it’s just getting intentions across, then she can likely make do.

“You’ve really worked so hard.”

“Since Danna-sama’s gone to the trouble of teaching me......And also......”

Miusel slightly casts her eyes down.

“The language of Danna-sama’s country......I wanted to become able to speak it.”

“Well, being able to speak the language would enable you to watch anime and things like that without needing a commentary.”

Incidentally, I am showing Miusel and Petrarca anime DVDs every now and then, but of course with me performing simultaneous interpreting. Since it’s impossible to use the magical ring on a DVD player.

“That’s not it. What I meant is——”

Turning her face increasingly downwards, to the point where she’s almost hanging her head, Miusel sppoke in a near-whisper while hunching her body up in an embarrassed manner.

“When Danna-sama returns to your country......Please bring me along with you......”

So said Miusel with a crimson face.

I totally screamed.

Actually, no. Don’t be deceived, Kanou Shinichi. This is one of Koumei’s traps. In the first place——it is because she is treated well while working for me that she said that, not because she wants to be by my side or something like that. Do not hold any strange anticipations. Anticipations would only blow up in my face, just like with my childhood friend.

While wordlessly opening and closing my mouth and being very conscious of my increased pulse rate......that was what I told myself for the time being.

 

Chapter end