CH 136

“Umm…” Henblitz said, “these are saber boas, yes?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” I said.

“… So you meant, it would be a very small-scale attack?” Henblitz continued.

“No, I wouldn’t know,” I said. “There are usually dozens of them every year, I think.”

“…………”

Now Henblitz was completely silent.

Saber boas are certainly dangerous animals. Children, let alone adults, are opponents who can easily be blindsided if they have no hunting or combat experience.

Conversely, if you have a certain amount of experience, you can control their numbers, but even so, it doesn’t mean that the danger is completely gone. I can understand Henblitz’s concern.

“Henblitz,” Alexia said, calling out to him with an indescribable expression on her face.

“……Oh, yes,” Henblitz said, relaxing his stony face.

“Master… no, Bidden Village is such a place,” Alexia said.

“………”

And with that, Henblitz fell silent again.

Or rather, I think Alexia’s way of saying it means they’re pretty much the same. What is she implying, exactly?

Frontier villages are indeed dangerous. People who live in the city may think that you can leisurely spend your days in peace, but that is not the case. Whether farming or hunting, every day is harsh. That said, I don’t want or expect everyone who complains about it to experience it.

Well, even if those things were subtracted, I don’t think life in the village itself was that bad.

The taxes aren’t that heavy—they’re not particularly light, either—but the monsters and bandits aren’t always springing up. Although it is a frontier village, there are proper trade routes, and adventurers, mercenaries, and merchants from outside also visit.

After witnessing Miu’s actual situation, my so-called peace-obsessed thinking has changed a little, but even so, it’s basically a peaceful, good village, and nice countryside.

Saber boas are certainly a threat, but compared to Xeno Glaive and Lono Ambrosia, who I both fought before, the danger is much lower. Although I have a feeling that monsters like them won’t just appear out of nowhere.

“However……” Henblitz said with a quiet voice and a subtle expression.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Even without outside assistance, Bidden Village can handle saber boa invasions… do you mean to say they’ve got the strength to repel them on their own?” Henbiltz asked.

“Hmm,” I said. “I think it is as you say. I’m planning to return and there are also students in the dojo. Above all else, there’s my Old Man.”

If this was a small village with no military strength being targeted by a swarm of saber boa, it would certainly be a big incident. Assistance from adventurers and knights will be sought as soon as possible.

But in that village, there is my father, Mordea Gardenant. He’s already old, enough to have had grandchildren if I married, and he’s been suffering from back pain lately, but he’s still the best swordsman I know.

Even though my skills don’t reach his, I join him, and the disciples join in, too. Furthermore, now that Landrid is joining us, we’ve got far too much force for the situation.

Of course, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that all of my disciples are at the level where they can fight wild monsters on their own, but I still think they have enough strength to push them back. In fact, that’s exactly how they’ve been managing all this time.

“If Mr. Mordea is still able to move, I don’t think there is much reason for you to return, Master,” Alexia said.

“It’s also probably because he wants to see Miu…” I said.

“So I see……” Alexia said.

Miu is not my child. In other words, he’s not the Old Man’s granddaughter, either.

However, even so, I’m suddenly taking care of a kid without even showing signs of a lover, let alone a wife, for so many years. You can’t help but worry then.

It would have been possible to keep Miu hidden, but even so, as long as I didn’t cut ties with my parents, they would eventually find out.

And I have absolutely no intention of severing ties with my family, and I intend to return to the dojo someday. When that time comes, if it’s okay with the people involved and his family, I’d like to have Landrid formally become a deputy dojo master.

Until then, what do I do with the unreasonable behavior of the Old Man? Just put it aside for the time being.

…… I mean, it’s already too late, but I’m supposed to be the master of that dojo.

I should be the greatest.

Of course, my parents don’t respect me, but the Old Man is already retired. Ever since I came to Baltrain, I’ve been constantly caught-off guard, so I didn’t have the luxury of worrying about them at all, but when I think about it, there’s no reason to listen to such an unreasonable order.

Yes, let’s do it. When I return to Bidden Village with Miu, I should complain to the Old Man.

No, of course, I know that he was worried about me.

If you think about it with common sense, it’s necessary to have an heir to the family dojo, and it’s understandable as a parent that you’re worried that there’s not a single exciting thing happening to your child at his age.

If it is said that the head of the family must pass it on to the next generation, I understand and agree with it so much that I can’t even grumble under my breath.

All that said:

Ultimately, it’s a little different to forcibly kick said son out of the house, isn’t it? Even if there was a chance encounter of Alexia’s visit and my becoming a Special Instructor.

“…… Master?” Alexia asked.

“Nn, oh, no, sorry. I was just thinking about it,” I said, my consciousness returning to the present.

Moving all that aside, I don’t think now’s the time to be worrying about that. It’s too late now, so I’ll think about whether or not to actually complain after I return to my parent’s house.

And as I said before, as a result, I’m not particularly dissatisfied with my current life.

It is difficult. There is also pressure. Even the magnitude of responsibility is incomparable to that of a swordsmanship dojo master in a remote countryside.

But even so, the sense of fulfillment in the current situation and the resentment towards the Old Man is also separate things.

“Well, that’s why I’m going back to Bidden Village at once,” I said. “I also want to introduce Miu.”

For the time being, in the sense that the story and my thoughts will match, I will speak about my future plans again.

As asked by Alexia, I have to think again about when I’m going to leave, but after today’s training, I’ll talk to Miu, and think about preparations, so it will be 2 or 3 days later at the earliest. Although it also depends on the speed of the document processing on the Knights’ side.

“I would have loved to go with you,” Alexia said.

“No, no, we don’t need that much help,” I said.

Adding Alexia to the militia would be too much power. Above all, I can’t keep the Captain of the Knights of Rebelio in custody for a long time because of a situation in a remote village.

She has many jobs and roles that only she can do. Of course, the dispatching of her Knights should be a joy to us, but it’s a little too light of a burden to ask people of their standing.

“Is that so……?” Alexia asked.

“You’ve never come back after, have you?” I asked. “You shouldn’t be that down…”

Certainly, when Alexia was studying at my dojo, we had subjugated saber boas together. That much is true.

But as I said, she never bothered to come to Bidden Village to help after she graduated. Of course, that was also mentioned in her regular correspondence, but more than that, it was because she was busy. And she’s still as busy as she was then. Rather, since she has an important position, the stacks of work for her are only growing faster.

Even if it was just a mistake, it’s not big enough of an incident for the Captain of the Rebelio Knights to come over on official business.

“Well then, we’re done talking so let’s start training, shall we?” I asked.

“… Yes, that’s right,” Alexia said. “Time is finite.”

“No doubt about that,” I said.

All that aside, I didn’t come to the Knights’ HQ just to talk. I came here to train all of them. You have to complete the task given to you.

“…”

And while I talked with Alexia, I pick up the training wooden sword.

During that time, Henblitz’s silent and difficult expression left a weird impression on me.

Note from the Original Author: In Bidden Village’s defense, it’s a normal village.