Chapter 39: Fighting, Goat Ranch

Chapter 39: Fighting, Goat Ranch

Translator: LynneSuzuran

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After playing with the horses for a while, we moved to the goat area, perhaps the one that Saryuu’s been waiting for.

Ah, in the end, Saryuu didn’t come any closer than the side of the horses’ fence. In the future, I wonder if it’s difficult if he is unable to mount a horse like Taiga-san? That’s what I’m thinking about, but that can’t be helped, I guess.

The goats’ area is located higher than the horses’ place, and the slope is quite steep. Oriza-san and Minoa-san helped me to walk, but it’s still quite difficult.

“I’m glad I came here with a low-heeled shoes…”

“As expected, it is not recommended to wear high heels here.”

“Well, it is inevitable, right-“

Obviously, the maids are using shoes that are almost flat. There is no paved road, and that’s why I wish I could use sneakers here.

And, finally we arrived after struggling on, and although the slope is quite steep, the meadows are very green and beautiful, and the goats are currently eating the grasses. Occasionally, the goats’ ‘mee, mee’ voices could be heard, isn’t that great?

Since the horses here have bird heads, I’m more or less prepared to face what kind of goats they will have here, but if we just eliminate the fact that they don’t have any beard and that their front legs seem like they can be used to grasp things, then they are comparatively normal goats. For some reason, my wordings came out as quite weird, but that’s my impression about the goats here. Ah, their horns are plump, and I think that it would hurt if you were to be head-butt by those horns.

“This is the goats’ area. Godou usually buy the goat milk and meat from here.”

“You’re properly doing the dealings even for your relatives, eh?”

“But of course, since we are also doing business here.”

I guess so. Since you’d need to make a living in order to raise the horses and goats, even if he’s your sibling, you’d still have to properly make money with the trade. If the relatives are unintelligible, then it might become troublesome later on.

Just once, but the orphanage director has ever grumbled, too. He lent some money to his younger brother, and in the end the little brother never returned it back, so the director said.

…The director also has a little brother. I only heard it that time, so I completely forgot about it.

Little brother, eh. Which reminds me, Saryuu has been fidgeting around since some time ago. …Let’s try asking him about the cheese.

“Saryuu here loves goat cheese. Was it made using the goat milk here?”

“If it’s something that Godou acquired, then that’s likely the case. Even if we are mainly running a ranch, we are also producing cheese and butter.”

“I have ever eaten the things that Gadou made, but how do I say it, somehow the taste feels different…”

At Gadou-san’s words, Saryuu tilted his head in puzzlement. Maki-san slightly shrugged her shoulders, and spun her words.

“It seems that the flavor would be slightly different depending on whether it was made at the villa or at the ranch. Shiiya’s chefs are mostly processing meat and vegetables, and the reason behind that is quite understandable.”

“Ah, really, so the flavor changes depending on the location of production. …I will be receiving Godou-san’s cheese, but I would like to try eating Gadou-san’s cheese here, is that okay?”

“Yes. Please taste the cheese here and compare it with the cheese you’ve eaten. Whichever is more delicious, it will nevertheless be the pride of us brothers.”

When requested, Gadou-san bowed his head very deeply. No, I think it’s not something that exaggerated, though. I wonder if the name of Shiiya family is that amazing. Even until this very day, I still don’t actually feel like that.

“Ah-, Seiren-sama, it’s dangerous- let’s come down-“

“Eh?”

Towards Oriza-san’s slightly airheaded warning, I hurriedly raised my face. Eh-, somehow, one goat seems to be very eager to head over here. Since its horn is excessively big, I wonder if it is the boss here. Its front legs are kicking the ground, but it’s definitely now a bullfighting ox.

“Hey there, Gonzou! You, are you seriously eager to pick a fight even right before the young miss of the Shiiya family?!”

For a moment when I put myself on guard, I felt like wanting to fall over to Gadou-san’s voice. Gonzou, eh, is that the goat’s name?

Also, what did he mean by ‘even’1? That goat, does it have the disposition of eagerly wanting to fight? And then, as expected, goats do not understand anything about feudal lords or nobles, so I think.

Well, as I was taken aback by various unfolding things before me, Oriza-san pulled my arm over. When we hurriedly go down, there is a person who’s stepping forward in exchange.

“…Did you intend to confront me again? You’re so persistent, Gonzou.”

The one who’s cracking her knuckles while walking is Minoa-san. Gonzou’s eagerness to fight, could it be because Minoa-san is here?

“…Uhm, Gadou-san, what is that?”

“The boss of the goats here is Gonzou. Ever since he was defeated by Minoa-dono, it’s been an established custom for him to propose a rematch whenever she comes here.”

“…Could it be that he loses every time?”

“Yeah. Even though he’s invincible among the other goats.”

Watching Gadou-san’s expression as he deeply breathed a sigh, I couldn’t understand whether he is being serious or if he is only joking around.

Or should I say, Gonzou. Since you’re a goat, couldn’t you be satisfied with the fact that you’re invincible against the other goats? Well, if he could do that, then it wouldn’t be a problem in the first place.

“Oh my, oh my. As a goat, isn’t Gonzou-san quite old already?”

“That’s right. It’s about time for him to hand over his position as a boss to his junior, but as you can see, he’s still quite vigorous.”

Kuon-sensei laughed, it seems like she’s enjoying this situation. Saryuu somehow had a distant look on his face, hey, don’t you escape from reality. Kanna-san and Maki-san are having trouble to react.

Nevertheless, although her opponent is a goat, Minoa-san managed to gain victory each time? In the first place, she often boasts her own strength, but is she really that strong?

“…Oriza-san, is Minoa-san that strong?”

“That’s why she’s chosen as Seiren-sama’s attendant, you know?”

I couldn’t say anything back at Oriza-san who’s answering that with a cheerful smile.

Because she’s strong, she’s chosen as my maid. In other words, she’s also chosen to act as a guard at the same time, eh?

So that the daughter who’s finally returned after 18 years wouldn’t go again to somewhere that they couldn’t reach their hands to.

So that they could be reassured, those parents of mine chose a strong person to accompany me.

“Could it be that Oriza-san and Alica-san are strong, too?”

“If I’m serious, I think I can defeat even a male like the one over there-. Although it would seem tough to defeat someone like Taiga-san or several opponents alone.”

“The same goes for me.”

“…We’re still unskilled, though.”

After Oriza-san talked, Kanna-san and Maki-san followed. Ah-, so it’s the same case for the maids who are accompanying Saryuu. Which reminds me, it seems that Saryuu’s been conducting his independent practice early in the morning so that nobody would notice it.

Both in battle abilities and the ability to erase your presence so that nobody would be able to notice it.

Somehow, I think that perhaps the maids here are ninja.

“Ane-sama.”

Because of Saryuu’s voice, my consciousness returned to whatever is in front of me. The scenery that entered my line of sight is right at the moment when Gonzou, who’s finished his preparation to charge, kicked the ground.

Minoa-san received it with lightly letting her hips fall, ad then readied the other half of her body. The arms and are raised from her chest, it somehow becomes something like a shield.

“Fuu.”

With a light breath, Minoa-san firmly seized the rushing Gonzou-san’s big horns. And, making use of the momentum when he dashed, she lifted him up and tossed him down.

“Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!”

Ah-, this guy’s crying voice is also that of a goat’s. Somehow I feel relieved, wait, not that.

Just like that, Gonzou fell down head first—or contrary to my expectation, he rotated smoothly mid-air, and landed with his front legs. Ah, the front legs that are supposed to be clutched tightly, are now firmly grasping the grass.

“Today’s victory goes to me again, right?”

“Mee, meeee!”

Minoa-san’s triumphant expression is oddly adorable. On the other hand, Gonzou… I don’t understand the expression of goats, but he neighed as if saying, ‘Damn it, I won’t lose next time,’ and ran off just like that.

While seeing the goat’s back figure off, Kuon-sensei clapped her hands. Furthermore, the way she’s clapping her hands, how should I say it, it seems very similar to the way of clapping hands that I know, no doubt about it. If I am not looking at the horses and the goats, I won’t understand if this really is a different world, yup.

“It was a splendid performance, Minoa-san.”

“No. …I ended up showing something unsightly in front of Seiren-sama.”

Minoa-san is a bit bashful in response to Kuon-sensei’s commendation, but right after that, she faced my way and deeply bowed her head. I thought to myself, ‘what was unsightly?’, then I wonder if it is about her appearance during one-game match with Gonzou.

“Ah- no, more than anything, as long as you’re uninjured…”

Well, anyhow, that’s the only thing I can utter. Normally, one would get hurt if they were hit by a rushing goat.

Or should I say, that Gonzou goat, wasn’t he quite old in age already?

“Good grief. Just when is that Gonzou going to retire…?”

“Wouldn’t it be when he finally wins against Minoa-san?”

“Humph. Then, Gonzou wouldn’t retire forever, right?”

Do goats even have things such as retirement? I wonder if it’s just the goats here.

Or perhaps I should say, Minoa-san. In the first place, why would you seriously have a match with a goat? Well, it’s fine because you seem to be enjoying it, though.

Speaking about being serious.

“I should also try my best and get stronger. So that I won’t lose against Maki and Kanna.”

Saryuu who was staring fixedly at the confrontation between Minoa-san and Gonzou, strangely got motivated. It’s good to see that he’s clutching his fist in determination, but I wonder if that occasion2would happen.

Well, I understand that he’s doing his independent practice in the morning to get stronger in the first place. Probably, since it’s certain that he will soon pass my physical strength from now on, I can only say good luck.

“Yes, we’ll be waiting in anticipation, Saryuu-sama.”

“Ah, but please don’t compete with Gonzou, okay-?”

Oh well. Maki-san who answered normally is fine, but Kanna-san, your object of comparison is absolutely wrong.