Book 8: Chapter 1: Clarice the Grappler Girl

Making contact with the minority groups, as well as laying the groundwork to meet the Queen. That’s the overall gist of what we had discussed at the recent meeting, but either way, it will still take some time to prepare and implement both plans.

Right now, there’s nothing left for me to do.

It was as if the hectic pace of the previous meeting was a lie, my days went by in a leisurely manner.

Since Edith is away preparing for her mission, being the daughter of the queen despite removed from her status as princess, I’ve been strolling around the city all alone in my spare time.

It’s good to be at peace. If this mission goes well, these peaceful days will continue without any threats.

As I walked absentmindedly with this in mind, I noticed it was a bit noisier around the city plaza.

My curiosity got the better of me and I walked into the open square as if I was being sucked in.

The women formed a circle, watching someone doing something in the center. I, too, peeked through the gap to take a look at her.

This chapter is translated by rochenerorecormon of stabbingwithasyrige translations.

“Ooh……amazing.”

The one performing was a girl who seemed to be in her late teens. She has short twin-tailed hair, and eyes which seemed to possess unyielding power, which I find pretty impressive.

Overall, she has a toned body like a martial artist, but her breasts were large and soft, as they swayed attractively with every of her punch and kick.

“Sei! Yaaah!”

Her movements from kick to punch, fist to fist and punch to kick are supple and quick. I don’t know anything about martial arts, but I can already tell that she’s quite a skilled fighter.

There are about ten bricks piled up near her. The bricks are as high as her belly, and judging from her actions, it seems that she’ll be doing an axe kick on them. With a loud sound of something solid shattering, every single one of the ten bricks were destroyed by the girl’s heel.

Wow’s and Oooh’s of admiration burst all over the open square, making the girl express a face of satisfaction on her performance.

She looked around the gallery, making our eyes meet. Maybe it’s because I’m the only guy, that I stood out from the many. I hurriedly hid myself in the crowd.

“Hey! That man over there!”

But should I say as expected of a fighter’s sharp senses? She immediately called out to me, so I got no choice but to meekly present myself before her.

“Fight me!”

I fell off my feet at the sudden declaration of war.

“W-why me?”

“Because you’re the only man I see around here, so you should be the strongest of them all! Therefore, have a match with me!”

“N-No, that’s not how it works. Where did you even get that logic-“

She had just crushed ten bricks stacked on top of each other with only her heel power. I don’t think I would be a match for her.

“What do you mean that’s not how it works? Or is there someone else out there who is stronger than you? I heard there’s someone out here who has a martial arts background…”

She looks around at the people gathered in the square, quickly making the waves of people recede while averting their eyes on us. After all, there was no such daredevil among them who wants to have a bout with her.

“Looks like there’s no one here after all! Well then, I’ll take you on instead!”

“Hey, wait a minute! Look, you want to fight the stronger girls, right? You can’t fight me…”

“You speak like you know something about strong people. Fess up everything you know.”

The first person who came to my mind was Edith. And the first time we met, she instantly put a sword to my throat. While she might be able to beat this grappler girl, I don’t feel comfortable telling her name without permission, and it’s still not a sure bet that she’ll win.

Even so, I can’t just sit around and wait for her to come, because at this point this girl would have surely beaten me to a pulp.

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? There’s a stronger one out there, isn’t there?”

The grappler girl spoke as she approached me in a threatening manner. Other people who are stronger than me came into my mind, but I couldn’t mention anyone else’s name just like that, or else they’ll also beat me up regardless as punishment (especially Edith), but if I didn’t do that, she’s going to challenge me to a match instead, ending up getting beaten as well. In that case……

“”I’m the strongest in this city! But I’m not gonna fight you!”

All that remained was to say this, and run away as fast as where my feet would bring me.

“Ah, hey, don’t run away! Oh, come on!”

The girl’s high-pitched voice resounded behind me. I ran straight, without even looking at my back.

If I can get through this and keep a low profile for a while, I’m sure she’ll give up and search for a powerful enemy in the next city, well, hopefully.

I left the open square and headed throughout the city. Even if she were to chase me there, I have a big advantage over her as I know all the best spots that are inconspicuous to many, all from experience to prevent myself from being assaulted. Now all I have to do is lose her traces on me, and…

As I was thinking about this, a black shadow passed over me.

“Hey, it’s not cool to run away!”

“Uwaa!”

It jumped over my head and landed in front of me. Then I realized it was the grappler girl from earlier.

“The name is Clarice Colan. Come on, let’s fight each other!”

As she says those words, she takes a stance with a with a dubious look as if asking why I ran away.

‘What’s wrong?’ Come on, state your name and so that we can get over it today.”

“I, I can’t fight you.”

At my words, Clarice, the girl in front of me, furrowed her brows.

“Muu, why is that? Is it because of the way I look?”

There was a hint of sadness and anger in that voice. From the way she spoke it, she must have been persecuted for her looks as well. As it was a complete misunderstanding, I shook my head earnestly.

“No, it’s not like that. It’s that you’re so pretty that I can’t bear to put my hands on you, I swear.”

“So p-pretty, y-you say? S-still, that’s not going to stop me from taking a swing at you.”

Clarice stammers out her words, flustered by me replying about her beauty with a straight face. The way she was acting was adorable, but I shouldn’t forget that she had just smashed a bunch of bricks just a couple of minutes earlier. You can’t be fooled by looks here, Tomoaki. Remember, Edith is far worse than her.

Please support the translator by reading it in his own wordpress site. Thank you very much.

“That’s why I’m running in the first place! If I fight you, I’m gonna be in for a lot of hurt!”

Together with a shameful declaration, I decided to flee again. This time, I chose a more complicated route to run and hide, a strategy that makes the best use of the geographical advantage to shake her off.

Right and left, I run through the narrow alleyways. Even if her legs are faster than mine, if I pick a maze-like path, I should be able to shake her off once she makes a mistake and turn in the wrong direction at some point.

If I take even a single blow from her kick, it would certainly break me up to the bones, being a fragile human being as I was. I have to prevent that from happening at all costs.

There is no way to win, no matter how I think of it. It won’t even be a match.

I kept running and running, until my breath catches up to my throat. The air I breathe felt hot, and there’s already pain in my throat.

My legs were beginning to scream, and my thighs were not lifting itself as much as I ordered them.

I should have worked out more regularly if this was going to happen!

I wobbled myself around the corner and put my back against the wall of a nearby house so that I could slump down.

I don’t even have the energy to get up anymore.

However, as if Lady Luck has been blessing me, Clarice didn’t have the chance to grab me by the shoulders to seize me from behind.

I managed to shake her off, didn’t I?

The moment I was about to feel relieved――.

“Finally. You really gave me the trouble of catching up with you.”

Clarice jumped down from the roof of the house I was leaning my back into.

The big ‘Dun’ sound of her landing spoke volumes about the impact of her fall.

“I’ve been running after you from the roofs because you’re so short I easily lose track of you.”

Despite my surprise, I was so tired I couldn’t speak anymore. While sinking myself further on the floor, I looked up at the woman who’s now standing in front of me.

“Now then, let’s fight!”

Clarice spoke as she looked straight at me. It’s impossible to escape now.

“But first, name yourself.”

“Tomoaki. I’m Tomoaki.”

I spoke my name in resignation. From here on out, my survival will depend on how I’ll get through her with words.

“I see, so it’s Aki then.”

“Aki?”

While I was confused by the unfamiliar calling, Clarice took a stance.

“Come on, Aki. Hurry up and get ready!”

Perhaps it was for releasing some of her heat, Clarice kicked at the nearby wall.

The part that was directly hit shattered, crumbling down in large chunks.

“Hey, hey! You shouldn’t be destroying people’s homes!”

Forgetting my situation, I involuntarily scold Clarice.

Clarice looked at the wall she had kicked, and immediately fell silent.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not to me whom you should apologize, it’s the tenants! Also, you should take part in the repair as well!”

Reprimanding Claris who felt a bit guilty, I kept up the pace and tried to go the owner of the house to apologize with her.

“But a match is a match! I’m going to make a proper apology when we’re done!”

She doesn’t undo her stance and seems to start the fight like this.

”Fine, on one condition. Since I’m the one accepting the challenge, it’s okay for me to decide what rules we’re going to fight under, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll beat you in any martial art.”

She nodded with confidence. If we do this normally, it would be impossible for me to win, no matter what the rules are. If only I have the ability to get through this place without getting hurt…

Wait, ability? That’s right!

“Very well, let’s do this with a new martial art, a match by sex!”

“Alright! Fine by me!”

“You sure!?”

Even though I said it myself, it was so easily accepted that I couldn’t help but ask back.

“Yep, you heard it right! Whatever match that is, I just got to win!”

Clarise proudly declared, with matching hands on her hips. Then, she added.

“’But I don’t know what the rules are, so you’ll have to explain them to me properly first.”

“O-okay, okay.”

It wasn’t quite what I expected, but still, it was far better than getting beaten to a pulp.

With a relief on my chest, I decided to explain as I make up the rules to her.