CH 12

{Sword}

This lil’ shit closed the distance in an instant, just to aim at my wrist. Sure I didn’t take him serious, but it ain’t like I was careless or anythin’ like that. And yet it looked like my defenses wouldn’t be in time thanks to his astoundin’ speed and precision.

…Yep, just as I thought, he ain’t no ordinary youth. I’m damn sure that this can’t be that noble lady Indra, leavin’ the question, who’s this guy, or rather, “what” is he…?

…No, he’s gotta be a human after all. He’s fightin’ with a proper style after all. This is also the reason why I’m able to pull through with some leeway, though.

I deliberately led the battle into a lockin’ of swords in order to take a look at his power. …But this part truly surprised me.

…We’re friggin’ even in strength! Moreover, magic elements are swellin’ up in him!

What a blunder. Didn’t expect him to be this strong. This crude piece of wood won’t hold out much longer either.

I swiftly recited a spell to raise my physical abilities, and send him flyin’. The brat’s body went airborne, and his torso became defenseless as he threw up his hands in response to bein’ sent flying. The instant I swung my stick horizontally, tryin’ to land a hit on his unprotected belly, that pipsqueak kicked up my wrist with superb timin’!

“Ughh!”

…Fuck, my bones might be broken.

The brat landed, and even while staggering, closed the distance right away…

“Wait, I give up. Let’s end this here.”

He stopped at the last moment. Seein’ how he’s come to a halt, I swiftly take out a healin’ potion, chug it down, and get ready for the next set of attacks, but…

“I see. …So, what do you think? Does it look like I could become an adventurer? Or do I still lack strength?” He asked casually after releasin’ his combat stance, makin’ me wonder what I should do about this…

＊＊＊

{Indra}

“…Now listen, let me get this straight first. ――You! Completely and utterly! Lack anythin’ resemblin’ common sense!!!”

Eeehh…?

“You don’t really have to stress it so much…”

“I felt like sayin’ it! No matter how much you trained by yourself, and even if you say you got not one to consult with, there’s a friggin’ limit for everything!! Why the hell would you think you lack strength!?!”

That’s why I told you that I don’t know about other people.

“Rather, how the fuck did you become so strong!? Speed, power, and everythin’ else ain’t nowhere near the level of a brat! On the contrary, even a grown man wouldn’t be able to pull this off!!”

Ah, so it’s as I thought after all. Since this world is a fantasy, I thought around this much would be commonplace though.

“…I vaguely sensed that it’s weird.”

“Vaguely!?!”

He spat out a deep sigh.

“…You human?”

He asked…

Did he think that I came here on a spaceship from some veggie planet? I don’t have a tail, you know?

“…I don’t get the meaning behind your question, but the one who gave birth to me was human, I think. Though she pulled faces like a devil, and her way of treating me was just like that of a devil as well… The man, hmm…for better or worse, it’s clear that one of the men she partnered with is a human, but most likely only the woman who gave birth to me knows the full truth. But since she’s already dead, it’ll remain an unresolved mystery for eternity.”

This made him dumbfounded. Then he spat out another deep sigh.

“…Gotcha. Well, means your an outstandin’ kid. But! Without any common sense!”

Once again he labeled me like that.

“Common sense doesn’t matter as long as I don’t get involved with people. …Anyway, does it seem like I could become an adventurer?”

“Your belief that you ain’t goin’ to have anythin’ to do with people as adventurer is already perfect proof of your lackin’ common sense.”

Whaa! Looks like it’s necessary after all. And it looks like my dream of becoming an adventurer might fall through because of lacking common sense rather than lacking ability!

Watching me brood, he scratched his head.

“…Well, this is gotta be some kind of fate. If your sayin’ you wanna become an adventurer, I’ll look after you for a bit. Also, you seem like you’d be a great trainin’ partner.”

…or so he told me!

“…Despite pulling a face like a gangster, you’re an unexpectedly nice person.”

When I praised him like that, “Who’s a gangster here!? Rather, you really have no common sense whatsoever!”

I got scolded.

“So? Training over with this?” He asked.

Shaking my head, I answered, “We already worked out so the physical training has been covered. It’s about time for lunch now, and afterwards it’s going to be training in magic arts until evening, I’d say.”

“Eating lunch? How refined.”

Is it?

“…Not eating lunch would fine as well, but I’ve reassessed that it’d be better to eat three meals during my childhood for my body to develop properly.”

“…You know….your quite cheeky, no, it’s more like I’m dealin’ with a geezer who’s been ’round for many, many years.” He told me and added while he was at it, “So, lunch, was it? You mentioned that you could also aspire to become a cook, didn’t you? Then let me have a taste.”

“Ehh.”

“Whoa, you look so totally ‘gainst it.”

“I’m not aspiring to become a cook. Besides, good adults don’t sponge off children.”

“This is why I’ve been tellin’ you that your cheeky. Just let me get this straight for you who’s got no common sense, that was no praise, ‘kay?”

“I know, I know. Today you taught me various things, so let’s make this your reward. And while we are at it, please teach me a bit about common sense. Also, wash yourself. You stink like a skunk.”

“…Is it just me, or is your treatment of me gradually becomin’ crude and unrestrained?”

I won’t deny that part, but he still stinks.

The man suddenly threw his eyes wide open.

“…Ah, I got it! You sure are pretty neat considerin’ your filthy outfit, aren’t you?”

“I’ve been washing myself here every day. Since no one came here…well, until you showed up at least…I washed my body outside.”

“…Here? In these woods?”

He restlessly looked around himself.

“It’s because I can also use soap and scrub. Let’s wash our bodies before eating lunch. The smell is going to waste all the good food.”

He looked at me, super unwilling to go through with this.

“Gotcha. Still, your not lovable at all,” he barked.

＊＊＊

{Sword}

When the brat told me to take off my clothes, I looked suspiciously at her, asking, “What about the water?”

“I’m going to produce it right away.”

He said, followed by rain startin’ to fall at a spot slightly away from me.

“Hah!?”

…Don’t tell me…

“Wet your body by letting that pour down on you. Once you’re wet, step out for a moment, and use this. Smear this on your body. For your hair, use this over here. Spread this on your hands and rub it against your head. Then you wipe your body, but not the face, with this cloth!”

While I was completely flabbergasted ’bout him bein’ able to use magic, this n’ that was pushed into my hands. Since I was pestered to take off my clothes while I was still dazed, I surrendered myself to the unavoidable, took off my gear and headed over to the spot he’d pointed at.

Water was rainin’ down from above at a place beneath interwoven branches…

“The hell!? This water is warm!!”

“Even during the hot seasons your body can get chilled when bathing in cold water, right? All the more so out here. …Aww, you’re really a lost case, sheesh. I’m going to show you how to do it, so watch!”

He said and started to take off his clothes. Havin’ become stark naked, his body was astonishingly white, slender, and…

“You were a girl!?”

…womanly.

＊＊＊

{Indra}

How upsetting!

“It’s obvious at a glance that I’m a girl!? Or do you see anything on me that would point to me being male!?!”

I had only checked myself out through my reflection on water, but I’m a pretty beautiful girl! Fair-skinned, and although I possess startling strength like those people from the veggie planet, I’m quite slender!

“You were Indra herself!?”

“Of course, or what did you think!?”

Did he talk to me on the basis of it being a false name!?

“Your a noble, so what’s with that hair of yours!? Even among commoners you ain’t gonna find any women with such short hair!!” He thundered, just to look taken aback in the next moment, “…No way, you tellin’ me someone cut it off like that?”

“Well, the one who cut my hair was the family head’s daughter, so you’re not wrong about that.”

“That means…”

“At first she cut it while looking somewhat absentminded, but these days she has fun doing it. Well, it just confirms my suspicion that she’s fast at adapting to new situations. Quite the flexible one, or maybe I should call her forgetful?”

“You had her cut it for you!?”

Don’t raise your voice over each and every little thing, for heaven’s sake!

“Anyway, imitate me. …You’ll understand once you’ve washed your head, but long hair is a pain to keep clean. There’s not a single benefit in having long hair when training either, or to be more precise, the only two options for getting my hair cut were me doing it myself or having her do it for me, so it’s also true that having short hair is still better than long hair that got messily cut with a child’s skill.” I explained while rubbing myself with the body towel after smearing the soap on my body.

“…For fuckin’s sake, you really got no common sense at all… Wait, somehow something’s foamin’ on you?”

“Want me to explain the underlying principle in detail? I don’t know whether you’ll be able to understand half of it though, okay?”

“Give it a rest. …Are you a sorceress or somethin’?”

Sorceress somehow sounds pretty cool!

“No, it’s just my common knowledge.”

When I shook my head, he stared at me, an eyebrow lifted.

“But your usin’ high-level magic like it’s nothin’? Without chantin’, and on top of that, I’ve never heard of any spell that allows you to produce hot water.”

…

“So this was magic after all!?”

“That’s where we gotta start from!?”

He shouted again.

The smelly guy washed himself, and using the occasion, I washed myself as well, even though I didn’t stink. When I dried us with hot air, it triggered him to run his flap again.

Dude, you’re so damn noisy.

After the drying was done, he looked like he had just enjoyed a nice hot bath, saying, “Ah, this was really refreshin’.”

“That’s great to hear. For both of us.”

Muttering that earned me a glare. But, why!

“Oi brat…err, missy, just what the hell is this thing?” He pointed at the soap.

“It’s something called soap or soap. In this world you call it 【Detergent】, I think.”

“How did you get your hands on it?”

“I made it.”

He glared at me once again. But, why!

“How?”

“The base materials are water, salt, and oil, but it’s the result of running many, many tests, okay? It’s nothing you can make on the fly. It was super difficult, as a matter of fact.”

The reason is electrolysis. That one was really tough, and ultra dangerous!

“…You really not a sorceress? How old are you actually? You not goin’ to come around the corner with a punchline like bein’ 700 years old or some shit like that, right?”

“I’m 700 minus 693 years old. I don’t know what kind of a person a sorceress would be. Rather, I’d prefer if you were to call me a prodigy.”

The man shrugged his shoulders as if having given up.

“Ms. Prodigy, I’m lookin’ forward to your cooking.”

“Got it, so please teach me.”

“What would I be able to teach a prodigy?”

“Common sense. …I’ve been using magic arts, haven’t I?”

He rolled his eyes at me.

“What did you think you were usin’?”

“I was troubled because I didn’t know. Describing it properly it’d be like 『I gave it a go and somehow succeeded. Tehe ☆』.”

He burst into guffawing.

“So, is it normal to be able to use magic?”

“Those with talent can use it. But what your usin’ is anythin’ but normal. Your not chantin’ any spells, are you?”

“I don’t. It’s not like anyone taught me how, and it wasn’t written in the books either.”

“You read books, huh?”

I nodded, “Those only covered the general concept. But I managed somehow.”

“That’s weird as fuck. Rather, how did you do it in the first place?”

“Can you use magic arts? Then again I wouldn’t be able to tell even if you told me you can’t.”

The man held up a hand, and then, after quickly babbling some incomprehensible words, fire flew out of his hand.

“Oohh! A classic has appeared!”

“Don’t you know your stuff then?”

He retorted like that, but I wouldn’t ask if I knew, hmph!

“No, I don’t. However, I imagined using magic might be just like that with the tiny amount of knowledge I possess. The words you said just now were a chant?”

“Aye. …Still, you ain’t even surprised about me bein’ able to pump out such powerful spell without a wand, eh?”

“You held back quite a bit, didn’t you? I mean if things went badly a powerful fire spell would turn into a wildfire, wouldn’t it?”

“…Just gimme a break already. Your a natural at tickin’ me off.”

Eeeeehh, why!?

When I pouted my lips, the man ruffled my hair with a smile.

“…True, lookin’ closely, you’re a woman, and you seem to be of noble origin. The gloss and whiteness of your hair as well as the smoothness of your skin resemble those of a young noble lady.”

“Nah, anyone can look like that if they wash themselves with detergent.”

When I coolly replied to his comment, it earned myself another glare. Moreover, he pulled on my cheeks. Why!

“Unless your a noble, keepin’ yourself clean everyday is a pipe dream.”

“Eeeeeehh!?”

No way! Filthy! Dirty!

“Don’t look at me as if I’m trash! That’s why nobles are such pain to deal with!”

Bah… Am I going to act like him once I become a commoner? No, let’s not imitate that part. Definitely not.

While talking about these things, we headed over to the cooking spot.

“Hoh! I see, I see. Quite proper, this place.”

“…If you say so.”

I think it’s terribly simple, though. Then again, my common sense doesn’t work here. This is a crucial piece of information.

After warning him to behave, I prepared the meal with the ingredients I received at the kitchen. Since I had an inkling that he’d be a glutton, I decided to make a somewhat bigger portion this time. Since the cook was also a big eater, she ate up almost everything I created at first.

I’m a woman who’s capable of learning.

“Come to think of it, you ain’t usin’ magic tools despite all that weird knowledge of yours, Ms. Prodigy?”

I whirled around.

“S-Sup?” He faltered even though I had just turned around.

“Do you know how to make magic tools?”

“Look, there ain’t no way I would. Told ya I’m an adventurer, didn’t I?”

Hmm, I see. No luck, huh?

For me as someone who’s interested in all kinds of things, I’d love to make my own magic tools. …Anyway, I kinda feel like this guy is gradually treating me worse and worse.

“Let alone having touched a magic tool, I haven’t even seen one so far, so it’s the very definition of an unknown for me. I’m praying that I’ll be able to take a look at one at least once before I die.”

“Your exaggeratin’. Just how old are you anyway? Also, clocks are magic tools.”

“No exaggeration. I might die tomorrow, and I know about clocks being magic tools. But, I don’t have one. I’m not allowed to have it. I just know about it.”

The man fell silent.

“You sayin’ Her Noble Ladyship doesn’t have any clocks?”

“It’s not wrong to call me a noble, or at least something like that. But in the end I’m seen as a freeloader, and thus don’t get anything. Manners were the only thing driven into me, physically, until I turned five, so I’m perfect at those if I feel like it.”

I don’t really feel like taking lessons while being abused, and me having frantically learned out of a desire to get praised is part of my dark past. I’m going to dump my nobility anyway, and right now it’s pretty much as if I’ve already discarded it, so it’s no problem even if I don’t do any of it either.

“…… Here.”

I caught the object tossed my way by reflex.

“…This is…”

“Gimme the thing I used for washin’ myself earlier in exchange for this.”

I got a watch in exchange for soap. From a straw to a millionaire!