T/N: Back to the main story
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As I Have Previously Explained [Part 1]
“Uh… Yeah. As I have previously explained, participants will have to sleep in a carriage or tent prepared individually. As you can see from the surroundings, there are no residential houses near the barrier, let alone a lodging facility. We asked you to be accompanied by your guardians… a servant to take personal care of you and a guard to deal with monsters in case we encounter them… with that reason… but… um, uhh, pardon me… Count Stuart?”
All was well and good until the first day of the extracurricular lesson when (the fierce-looking) Monster Science teacher and (the stern) Practical Skill of Hunters teacher held a meeting with the students and their guardians to give an overview of the activity.
The students and the accompanying guardians were noisily talking among themselves.
Even the experienced teachers were also bewildered.
“Hm? Is something the matter? Mr. Wolfgang?”
Leonard looked up in confusion when he was suddenly called out in the middle of the briefing.
“…Excuse me for asking, but if I’m not mistaken, is your whole family participating?”
Although Wolfgang couldn’t believe his own eyes, the guardians standing behind the three Stuart siblings were, without a doubt, their father, Count Leonard Stuart, their mother, Countess Melsa Stuart, and even their uncle, Arban Stuart themselves.
“Uncle, Uncle, look! Everyone is surprised because you are here.”
“Uncle Arban is surely a celebrity in the Royal Capital because you graduated from university with exceptionally excellent grades!” Emma chuckled to Arban as she looked at the other participants, who were chattering while repeatedly glancing at them.
“…Nee-sama? That’s not it, okay? The rumor that Nee-sama is on the verge of death has spread everywhere in the academy, so everyone is… greatly shocked, like they’re seeing a zombie, okay?”
With a sigh, William reminded his carefree older sister.
“Hm? The other guys’ guardians… How come many of them look like maids and guards? Ah, so they weren’t referring to parents when they said ‘guardians’…”
George realized the difference between the teams of participants around him and his family.
“Oh my, did I misunderstand the definition of a guardian? What should we do, Dear? We will end up standing out… I’m sure everyone is wondering about either one of the things our children said.”
“It’ll be bad if we stand out…” Melsa put her hand on her cheeks and turned to look at Leonard with a troubled face.
“It’s all of them!”
The teacher cut in on the Stuart family’s conversation.
“ “ “ “ “Eh?” ” ” ” ”
“It’s all of them. Yes, YES, everyone’s wondering about ALL OF THEM, alright!? Why is Dr. Arban Stuart here when he is supposed to be working as the Acting Lord of Palace? Oi, Emma Stuart, is your body alright?! I’ve been worried about you, you know? Also, the Count and Countess will participate?! How about the maids?! Who will tend to your personal care?! Having several young ladies participate this year is already a surprise, yet, to think that even a Countess will come to a dangerous place like this…”
The Monster Science teacher, Wolfgang Galliano, expressed the thoughts of every participant in a single breath.
“Hm? Ah, yes. I had been waiting for my cute niece to return home during summer vacation, but she didn’t… so I came to her place instead!”
“Ehehe,” the niece-con Arban scratched his head bashfully.
‘Why does he sound like a girlfriend who suddenly came to her boyfriend’s apartment in the middle of the night… I’ve never had that kind of experience, though.’ William inserted a sad retort in his heart.
“I have discussed it with our relatives during our get-together, and (after a big fight over who would go to see Emma) I have entrusted (forced) Palace’s management to my father’s cousin. So no need to worry.”
“He will protect the borderland well on the acting lord’s behalf.” Arban gave a thumbs up, full of confidence.
“Professor! I’m doing great!”
Here, here~ Emma raised her hand energetically to display how healthy she was to the teacher.
Because she moved with too much vigor, she accidentally stumbled over a pebble at her feet. Arban immediately propped up her body with slick moves before she face planted.
“Emma, are you okay?”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
It was just a casual gesture between a niece and her uncle, but the participants choked up when they saw it.
‘—Emma-sama doesn’t have much time left.
That fact won’t change.
Even Dr. Arban, who is supposed to be in the borderland, hastened to come because her condition continues to worsen.
But as the children of a borderland lord, George and William cannot possibly skip out the extracurricular lesson.
If that’s the case, Emma-sama made up her mind to participate in the extracurricular lesson by exerting her weak body so she can spend what little time she has with her family…
Oh no. We can’t. We mustn’t cry. We will only throw a wet blanket over Emma-sama and her family’s efforts to face their situation courageously if we cry…’
The participants desperately sniffed as they held back their imaginations and tears from overflowing.
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Readers’ Corner:
[Reader A’s comment]
I thought Uncle Arban was a relatively normal person, but he’s been a true Stuart all along…
[Author’s reply]
The curse in their blood is too strong.
‘Emma will definitely come because she will be on summer vacation for two whole months. What should I do? What should I buy for her? How should I respond if she says she wants to have a sleepover in my room?’ Arban had been counting down the days in anticipation for Emma’s return, y’know.
[Reader B’s comment]
To think that not the whole family but the WHOLE CLAN dotes on Emma… Ah, but maybe because she recovers their financial situation through her extreme modification of silkforms, the clan treats her like their savior.
Emma starting a fire and cooking rice…
In other words, “Emma’s home cooking”!
I can smell the impending bloody battle already (lol)
[Author’s reply]
Miss Emma is the first baby girl born in the clan after a very very long time, so they dote on her like crazy.
The Stuart clan mainly consists of a bunch of muscular, rough men. (Arban and William types are rare)
