CH 45

Is it the straight line towards becoming a company slave?

***---***

After the leading exercise, brushing and hoof care, and helping with the stable cleaning, we returned the horses and finished the morning work.

I decided to have lunch at the garrison's cafeteria, but before that, I will go to Lastock to finish the chairman's care.

The chairman continued treatment with a blue face in the examination room.

Perhaps it's because I started taking care of her, but I'm worried that the chairman seems to be overdoing it more than ever.

"Saint-sama, let's finish the morning treatment here."

"OK ... I'll take a break ..."

The chairman dropped her body onto the sofa and layed down, then she sighed deeply and relaxed.

Erna, the caretaker, quickly placed a blanket on her and gave a small bow and went out of the examination room.

I asked Fred to monitor Erna and cast healing magic on the chairman.

"Ah ... Kent ..."

"You're really overdoing it Yuika ..."

"I'm sorry ... Kent, why didn't you come last night?"

"I'm sorry, I was consulting with Yagi and the others about the rescue operation and it became late, so I just cast healing magic so as not to wake you up."

"Is the rescue operation the next actual battle?"

"No, not that, we're planning on how to rescue everyone at once, so wait a little longer."

"Really?"

"Shh ... lower your voice."

"Ah ... I'm sorry ..."

Speaking in a hushed voice, I talked to the chairman about the rescue operatoin using sleeping pills.

The chairman was surprised when I told her that we started training to be coachmen from today.

"Hey, by any chance, Camilla's bedwetting ..."

"Oh, chairman did you hear about it too?"

"Everyone already knows, and the conflict with the knights is starting to occur ..."

According to the chairman, Camilla's story has been spread to our classmates, and there is a conflict over words that ridicule the matter.

Our classmates uttered teasing words to relieve the wrath of being oppressed, while the knights thought that the slaves were ridiculing the royal family and were more savage than ever. It seems that they are supposed to respond in a straightforward manner.

"Ah ... Is that the case, was it a failure?"

"No, everyone was so happy to laugh behind their backs, so it's not a failure."

"I hope so, but I'm a little worried about the conflict."

"That's why I tell everyone to be careful."

"Yeah, I'm counting you."

The caretaker, Erna, is back, so I quit talking and returned to Volzard.

While eating in a hurry, I reported the situation of Lastock to the five people.

When I talked about the conflict involving Camilla, everyone looked worried.

"Well, in that situation, if you hear rumors that Camilla wet her bed, you'll want to ridicule her."

"As Yagi says, if this makes it even harder to handle, they'll be in a trouble, and we'll need to be able to drive the carriages faster."

Everyone nodded at Kobayashi-san's words, and everyone was serious during the afternoon training.

In the afternoon, it was decided that we should experience horse riding in order to learn how to use the reins.

We were told that even if the basic rein handling is taught in words, the feeling cannot be learned without actually handling them.

That being said, no one had ever experienced horseback riding, so at first they had us carry a tow rope and just let them walk.

Yeah, if you don't do your best, it will take a long time.

After continuing training until evening and parting from the five, I headed to Donovan-san to report.

So far, I've only talked about rescue operations using the actual battle, so if I suddenly want to rescue nearly 200 classmates all at once, I'd have to let him know in advance.

Donovan-san is always busy, so I asked him to take some time and talked briefly.

"That means that nearly 200 people are likely to come here, right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry it's so sudden, but I don't want to leave them over there for too long."

"It's okay if you use a temporary dormitory, and it's okay if you let us know about their meals a little early."

"Then, is it okay to start at any time?"

"Yes, it doesn't matter what time, but just report to me in advance."

"Yes, I understand."

Donovan-san gave me an OK, so all I have to do is wait for us to be ready.

After finishing the report, I went from the shadow under the stairs of the guild to Lastock at once, took care of the chairman for the evening, and returned to Volzard again.

Before returning to the boarding house, I went back to the guild thinking about going to Muell-san's master's drugstore to buy additional sleeping pills, but what came into my eyes was Manon waiting in front of the entrance.

"Kent ... is now good ...?"

"It's fine, let's talk while walking?"

"Yes ..."

Manon, with a ponderous expression, nodded a little and entwined her arms around my left arm.

I tried to see her expression, but Manon turned bright red and looked down.

For the time being, we started walking out of the entrance of the guild to head towards Manon's house, but this time Nazario with a blue streak on his temple stopped us.

"This guy ... he's putting his hands on another woman ..."

Nazario, his four minions, and two young men who look like they're up to no good today are attending.

"Lend me your face a moment ..."

"Manon isn't involved, so let her return ..."

"Shut up! Come on, hey, bring the woman too!"

When Nazario gave instructions, the ill-mannered men flicked their knives so that they could be seen by me and not by those around us.

"I'm sorry Manon ... I'm involved in something strange."

"Ke, Kent ... who are these people?"

"Yeah, I'll explain it later, but I will never let them touch Manon, so don't worry."

"Yes ..."

Yesterday Nazario's behavior was somewhat pleasant, but today it's quite serious.

Maybe because he was busy moving around since morning, he was stressed and he was quite frustrated.

I was taken to the same back alley vacant lot as yesterday.

One of the guys is standing behind Nazario and the other is holding my nape the whole time.

"You may have fooled us yesterday, but that's not the case today. Both of them are C-rank adventurers, a chick like you can't do anything to them.

Yeah, it's a fox that borrows the power of a tiger so refreshingly.

Well, I don't have much qualification to say anything because I used Donovan-san to handle Gilik before.

"If you don't promise to stay away from Beatrice-san, that woman will be hurt ..."

"Don't screw with me!"

When I shouted at him, shutting him up, Nazario's body shook and he stepped back half a step.

"If you like Beatrice so much, be a man she can love, relying on an adult adventurer like this will only make you less attractive."

"This, this guy ..."

"What would you do if Beatrice fell in love with an A-ranked adventurer? Will you hire and threaten them with an S-ranked adventurer? Then what would you do if she fell in love with an S-ranked adventurer?"

"Shut up, shut up! If you go against me, that woman will be hurt too."

Another adventurer, signaled by Nazario, tries to walk up to Manon, but I block his way using a shield of darkness.

"What the hell is that ..."

"It's darkness attribute magic called the shield of darkness."

"You're a mage ... when did you chant ..."

The man whose way is blocked cannot hide his surprise.

"If you touch Manon, I won't forgive you ..."

"Won't forgive? What can you do against two C-rank adventurers?"

"Do you remember that horde of rock ogres came to Volzard the other day?"

Nazario, for a moment, didn't know what I was saying, and looked at the adventurer beside him.

The adventurer who received Nazario's gaze nodded, so maybe he was at the wall.

"Well, what about it?"

"Do you know that it was three skeletons that killed the entire horde of rock ogres?"

"Well, that happened ..."

"Did you know that dark mages can use necromancy?"

While talknig to Nazario, I tapped the ground with my toes.

"Ah ... ah ..."

"Uwa, a skeleton ..."

"Hii ... Uh, behind ..."

"Do something about the skeleton!"

"Don't be crazy, those guys can kill rock ogres instantly!"

"I haven't heard of these guys!"

I intended to call only Reinhardt, but all three evil skeletons have stepped out.

Behind me is Reinhardt, Fred is protecting Manon, and Basten is blocking the alley.

"These three fellows can overwhelm more than 200 rock ogres. If you're going to threaten me and the people around me, you'd better be prepared for it."

Nazario, his entourage, and the C-rank adventurers gathered together and nodded at me.

"Basten, they want to go home, so let them through."

With a nod, Basten sank into the shadows, and the seven ran away without looking back.

After all, I borrowed the power of the evil skeltons, but it's good.

I can't put up with things like this anymore.

"Thank you, Reinhardt and Fred."

[ Buhahaha, that rich kid is not likely to interfere with you anymore. ]

"I hope so ..."

Manon clung to my arm and watched Fred sink into the shadows with her eyes rounded.

"I'm sorry Manon, because of me, you got involved in something like this."

"It's okay ... are those the skeletons that protected Volzard?"

"Yeah, Reinhardt, Fred, Basten, the three were knights when Reisenburg and Landshelt were one country, and they were the captain and commanders."

"Is that right ... are they always with you?"

"I usually have Reinhardt escort me, and Basten and Fred collect information, but I"m planning a rescue operation for my classmates, so I had them come back."

"I see ..."

Manon looked up after looking down briefly and started talking, staring straight into my eyes.

"I'm sorry ... I heard Kent was struggling to rescue his friends ... I was only thinking about myself."

"Beatrice was really just treatment, and Marianne-san was there with me ..."

"Yeah, I heard from Muell-san, Kent, you've been promoted to B-rank, right?"

"Yeah, but thanks to Reinhadrt and the others for the rock ogres, the Gigawolfs happened to be during a good situation."

"It's still amazing, Kent is amazing ... or cool ..."

With that said, Manon looked down again.

"No, no ... I'm a little ... I'm not a strong person ..."

"It's my first time ... I've never felt like this, so what should I do ..."

"Manon ...?"

"I was thrilled when I was with Kent ... It was painful to see Beatrice-san kissing Kent ..."

Manon is crying with tears running down her face while hugging my arm tightly.

What should I do? It's the first time for me to be in such a situation ... but I can't let a girl continue to cry.

"I'm sorry ... I have just been bothering Kent ..."

"Manon ... Thank you."

I turned to Manon and hugged Manon by wrapping her with my right arm.

"Kent ..."

"I never got along with a girl, so I'm really happy to be liked by a cute girl like Manon."

"Eh, I'm cute ... I'm ..."

"Yeah, Manon is cute, I say you're cute, so you're cute!"

"Huu ..."

Manon turned bright red and fell down, but it seems that I manged to stop her tears.

"For now ... I have to rescue my classmates for now, so I can't face Manon properly, but after I rescue my classmates ... then I'll do it properly ..."

"Yeah, I'll be waiting ..."

When I gently hugged her, Manon turned her arm around my back and hugged me tightly.

I'm putting off the problem, but for now I should concentrate on the rescue operation.

"Although it's probably safe, I'll send you home."

"Yes ..."

Manon is squeezing my left hand with her right hand and her left hadn is squeezing the sleeve of my shirt.

After I sent Manon home, I went back to the boarding house and took a rest until dinner, and turmoil broke out again.

[ Kent-sama ... the actual battle will be held ... ]

[ Eh ... at this timing? ]

[ It seems that the knights are quite repulsed by the conflict caused by Camilla's rumor. ]

[ What time is the actual battle? ]

[ Day after tomorrow ... ]

[ The number of people is likely to be higher than last time. ]

[ Okay, can you continue to collect information? ]

[ Roger that ... ]

[ Check the number of people and the selection of people. ]

After Fred and Basten returned to Lastock, I inadvertently held my head.

[ Hmm ... Just when I was thinking of devoting myself to the rescue operation ... ]

[ Kent-sama, things change, and it's not always a bad thing to change. ]

[ But if I work towards rescuing the combat unit, I wouldn't be able to train as a coachman. ]

[ That's right, but even if there is a difference, it will only be a few days, and if you train the newly rescued people as coachmen, the carriages will be ready faster during the rescue operation. ]

[ Well, we'll have to start with connecting horses to a number of carriages, so it's better to have more people involved in the preparation. ]

As Reinhardt says, considering the carriage preparation, it is certainly better to have more manpower.

If you think so, it's like going to headhunt for coachman human resources.

[ Yeah, I feel better. ]

[ But Kent, one problem ... ]

[ Well, is there something wrong? ]

[ Yes ... ]

Reinhardt's unprecedently serious tone causes anxiety in my chest.

[ If the Saint-sama participates in the next actual battle, she will be able to come to Volzard as it is, but if she encounters Manon-jou ... ](TN:'jou' is a term for a young lady, it could be thought of as Miss.)

[ Uwa ... Yes, chairman ... wow, I can't put it off at all ... ]

[ Buhahaha, Kent-sama, this is where you show off your manliness. ]

[ What should I do to show off my manliness? ]

[ Buhahaha, if they want to complain, you should close their mouth with a kiss, in other words, keep quiet and follow me. ]

[ Eh ... That's ... ]

Anyway, I have to tell Donovan-san that an unplanned actual battle will be held, and I should ask the five people to prepare the dormitory ... and I have to have a meeting with the chairman. Ah ... if the Novice Hero comes out, but well, how can it be?

Somehow, when one thing is done, it seems that two or three new issues will be raised, and it seems that it feels endless, doesn't it?

After having dinner, I headed to the guild via shadow movement.

Even tonight, Volzard's strongest company slave is working overtime.

"Good evening, Donovan-san."

"Hmm ... what happened?"

"There is a high possibility that an unplanned actual battle will take place."

"Hmm, what is the schedule and number of people?"

"The day after tomorrow, the number of people is likely to be higher than last time."

"Then, will they arrive here in the evening three days later?"

"That will be the shortest, but whether things will be as smooth as last time ..."

"Well, don't force yourself to sacrifice."

"Yes, I'll be careful."

"As for Kartz ..."

"Tomorrow, I'll let him know while talking to the five people."

"Yes, I understand ..."

Donovan-san, who cut off the conversation, smiled a bitter smile.

"That ... what?"

"Kent ... you're going to follow the same path as me ..."

"What? That's ..."

Donovan-san didn't answer my question and looked around the empty guild staff space.

"Well ... maybe you work until this time every day?"

"Hmm, that's probably the case."

"Uh ... surely ... but once the rescue of my classmates is over ..."

"Don't worry, the next job will definitely roll in."

"Eh ... That's ..."

"What's wrong, can't you go home and rest today?"

"Uh ... after this, to Lastock ..."

"Kukuku ... That's right, work, work."

"OK ... I'm sorry ..."

If fake glasses is on a straight line to becoming a NEET, am I on a straight line to become a company slave? Why is the different world so black?(TN: As in a black company.)