“Basically I’m able to do it. At the time when I release my hand from the nocked arrow, there are occasions when the aim is slightly off because of a slight shaking.” (Karla)

“I see.” (Wendelin)

Although they had caused such a disturbance, no messenger from Browig’s side has arrived yet.
Since it can’t be helped, we continued our protective occupation of a part of the east’s domain while immersing ourselves in killing time at the headquarters of the Earl Baumeister feudal army.
Thomas and the others were sent to the villages and cities, which we declared occupied, and spent every day busily leaving for the territories of the n.o.bles, who were released on conditions. Moritz was occupied with a.s.sisting Margrave Browig in protecting the encampment.
However, we have quite a bit of spare time.
Although there are occasionally doc.u.ments delivered together with the supply goods from my territory, it looks like they have a policy of not burdening me much at this point in time.
Nothing but the situation reports from Roderich arrived here.
The territory seems to be making good progress at the development even though they are still lacking manpower.
Once I check and sign those doc.u.ments, I spend my days by training in magic or taking lessons in archery from Karla who’s already treated as a guest.
In reality I wanted to go hunting in the Demon Forest as well, but since it’s wrong to leave the headquarters during war time as one might expect, I used all my free time like this.
The one who is the most busy among us is Elise who has become a temporary priestess.
Although there’s no battle, there are occasionally injured people appearing due to work or hunting for the sake of food provisions. It goes without saying that there are sick people as well.
Ina trains her spearmans.h.i.+p in-between the preparations of meals and such.
Luise had time off?
She seems to be teaching the basics of the magic combat style to Wilma.

『Whoaa! You are quite talented…』 (Luise)

It was easy to regard Wilma as power fighter due to her hero syndrome, but in reality she was the technician type.
Her learning rate of the magic combat style is great, too. Being also taught stuff like archery and knife throwing techniques from Karla, she has been told that she has talent by Karla, too.

『Instead she doesn’t have any ability in leading soldiers though.』 (Moritz)

According to the a.s.sessment of Moritz, who’s her blood-related elder brother, she has absolutely no ability to lead soldiers as commander.
At any rate, as she excels in power and martial arts, the best way of using her efficiently is to currently have her guard Elise and me.

『Don’t release your mana all of sudden there. Imagine it as long stream of mana, just like a thin string, as much as possible.』 (Burkhart)

『Yes.』 (Katharina)

And Katharina received special training in magic from Burkhart-san.
Since she has little experience like me, she took lessons in mana control, she was weak at, for long periods every day.
Appropriate to her nickname 『Storm』, she seems to be best at firing off showy magic.

“Like this?” (Katharina)

“You are improving gradually.” (Burkhart)

It seems that Katharina is actually feeling the training to bear noticeably results. She is earnestly following the coaching from Burkhart-san.

“They are mostly hitting the central part of the target now.” (Karla)

“It’s a good style.” (Wendelin)

With merely 2~3 days of coaching, my archery skills improved to a degree that it was obvious to me, too.

“However, it was unexpected. For you to be skilled in archery in addition to magic.” (Karla)

“My family’s home is that s.h.i.+tty countryside after all.” (Wendelin)

I concealed my magic as long as possible in my childhood. I earnestly trained my archery after considering situations where I used up my mana.
Also there was something like an atmosphere at home of 『you must be at least able to use the bow well』.

“If you can’t catch prey, you won’t eat meat.” (Wendelin)

“It was the same for me, too.” (Karla)

The home of Karla’s mother in the capital is poor. It looks like the didn’t get to eat meat if she didn’t go catching prey with her bow.

“Otherwise the livelihood of a freeloader is quite limited.” (Karla)

In spite of expecting a small allowance from Margrave Browig, her grandparents, her uncle, who’s the family head, her aunt, her cousin, all of them without exception, treated her as nuisance.

“Having said that, since I was treated as non-existing person even in the Browig household…” (Karla)

Being called all of a sudden, she looked after her father, she doesn’t even love, and was forced as far as becoming a decorative Supreme Commander.
In all honesty, she wants to return to the capital quickly and earn money to support a livelihood with only her mother.

“Umm, how to say it…? Feel free to consult with me at any time…” (Wendelin)

I didn’t have any intention for her to become my wife, but once I saw a beautiful girl being struck with grief, I ended up opening my mouth just like that.
After all a beauty is a gain for the world, I think.

“Thank you very much.” (Karla)

After training for a while, it has become lunch time. We decide to eat lunch as Elise’s invitation came about.
It was a peaceful lunch as usual, however this was likely due to the successful large-scale Area Stun we did our best with.

“I want to go hunting.” (Ina)

“Yea, you’re right…”

Not just me but also Elise, Katharina and Karla reacted to Ina’s grumbling.
Going by Karla’s words, at such times she wants to leave even a minute earlier to go catching prey.
I can’t see her as daughter of a major n.o.ble at all, but since her livelihood wasn’t overly different from ours until now, it was proof of her job as Supreme Commander representative being nothing but something painful to her.

“If that’s the case, how about becoming an adventurer and going hunting in the Demon Forest with us, Karla-sama?” (Erwin)

“That’s a great idea.” (Karla)

Karla responded to Erw’s invitation, where one doesn’t know whether he’s joking or meaning it seriously, with a smile.

“If you go with us, you will be able to avoid risks quite well. Ah, yea, actually I’d like you to teach me archery as well.” (Erwin)

“Okay. That’s fine.” (Karla)

Keeping at it, Erw implores Karla to teach him archery and she accepts that without any particular hesitation.
After finis.h.i.+ng lunch, Erw shot arrows at the target while happily receiving coaching from Karla.

“You are skilful as well, Erwin-san.” (Karla)

“I can’t win against you though, Karla-sama. It’s magnificent how skilled you are at teaching, too.” (Erwin)

Erw, who praised Karla’s archery skill, continues to chat cheerfully with her while showing a loose smile.

“That idiot…” (Ina)

“He’s incredibly easy to understand…” (Wendelin)

Ina, who spied on his state from a distant place together with me, noticed it after all.
The fact that Erw has fallen in love with Karla, that is.

“Let me see…” (Luise)

Next Luise looks at the situation of the two, but she noticed it right away as well since she had been a.s.sociating with us for a reasonably long time now. Copyrighted by Infinite Novel Translations!

“Erw has a total crush on her.” (Luise)

Luise found fault with him from the bottom of her heart after having seen Erw’s dreamy look towards the beautiful Karla.
In the first place, Erw works as my guard.
Even if he doesn’t particularly do so, there’s no kind of problem since Moritz has deployed his subordinates in our camp, but to play hooky isn’t good either.

“Your teaching is skilful as well. Very different from Luise.” (Erwin)

“Really?” (Karla)

“Yes, if I compare her with you, it’s really just like 『day and night』, Karla-san.” (Erwin)

“That a.s.shole…” (Luise)

Certainly, Karla was an archery genius who wasn’t just skilled herself but was also good at teaching others.
Luise, labelled as being bad at teaching by Erw, begins to send a sharp gaze at him while lowering her voice.
However, it didn’t reach Erwin, who is dyed in the colour of silliness, at all.

“Now, now, You are strong and cute, Luise (Erw you big fool).” (Wendelin)

Since Luise wouldn’t hesitate to give Erw a good beating at this rate, I began to soothe her in a hurry by hugging her gently from behind.

“The magic combat style and archery are different. I will make you my wife because I consider you cute, Luise. Something like the opinion of a third party, just ignore it.” (Wendelin)

“Is that so?” (Luise)

Although those were compliments which set one’s teeth on edge, I was relived in my mind since they apparently fixed Luise’s bad mood.

“Stupidity has its limits, too.” (Katharina)

“True. To begin with, it’s impossible.” (Ina)

Katharina and Ina had sharp tongues too.
For a retainer to fall in love with a daughter of a n.o.ble who has been made into a prisoner for form’s sake.
It would be permissible if it was a tale, but in reality it is nothing but a bother.

“Does he have hope, I wonder?”

As soon as they see it, anyone would understand, but Erw’s expression with his feelings towards Karla is foppish.
How pathetic, even though he was born with a better-looking face than me, he looks somewhat ugly because because of his overly sloppy expression.
It seemed like Katharina, who has taken a distance from Erw to begin with, regards him as someone creepy. Ina calmly reproaches Erw who has fallen in love with someone of a different social standing.
And there was me, but more than anything else I was bothered what Karla was thinking about this.
I thought that probably even Erw won’t do something strange or confess his feelings in this situation.

“Karla-sama is an adult, I believe. She shouldn’t be particularly aware of Erw.” (Wilma)

The one who answered exceedingly calm was the youngest among us, Wilma.
She seems to be poorly informed about the deeds between men and women who became lovers, but she is unexpectedly sensitive to the subtleties of men and women.

“Karla-sama understands that she is blessed with her current treatment. That’s why she answers Erw’s lechery expression with a smile.” (Wilma)

Wilma’s speech was unusually long, but its content was filled with a sharp and brief opinion.
To put it simply, Karla attends to Erw with a lip-service att.i.tude.

“Is that so? Doesn’t it look like she isn’t as dissatisfied with it either?” (Wendelin)

“Wend-sama, I think you are still taking a woman’s discerning eye too lightly.” (Wilma)

“That’s harsh, Wilma-san.” (Wendelin)

I end up caving in somewhat within my mind due to Wilma’s pointer.

“Wilma-san, you are as direct as ever. It’s a love that won’t ripen anyway.” (Katharina)

Just as Katharina says, no matter how much she is treated as unwanted daughter, Karla is still the daughter of Margrave Browig.
There weren’t any expectations for her to become something like the wife of the retainer Erw.

“Wendelin-san, how about if we opened his eyes a bit?”

“He will likely sober up very soon anyway. Personally I feel like wanting to support him, but…” (Wendelin)

Now that it has come to this, my position as n.o.ble is a heavy burden.

“What do you think, Elise?” (Wendelin)

“Me!?” (Elise) This translation is owned by Infinite Novel Translations

As they thought that the diligent Elise wouldn’t do something like peeping by any means, everyone except me didn’t realize her presence.
When I called out to the secretly peeping Elise, she apparently didn’t expect to be found by me.
She answered while having a shrill and nervous voice.

“You like such things fairly well, too, Elise?” (Luise)

“Luise-san, even I have some interest in such things.” (Elise)

Elise, who answered Luise’s question while blus.h.i.+ng, was quite adorable.

“After all Karla-san was someone drawing the attention of men at the time when she was in the capital.” (Elise)

Different from Elise and Katharina, Karla is a beauty that has a sense of translucence if described with few words. Even from my point of view, she is a type I like quite a bit.
Since her face is slightly plain, she has a beauty that is a bit nostalgic for me who is a j.a.panese.

“She is beautiful, has a good style and is skilled with things like cooking.”

“In Karla-san’s case, she diligently learned things such as domestic ch.o.r.es in the church until she returned to the Browig household.”

There are also the circ.u.mstances that her home, where she was free-loading at, can’t employ someone like a maid due to economical reasons. Apparently she was able to promptly do stuff like preparing meals after mingling with Elise and the others.
Of course she caught the attention of many men, but everyone ended up shrinking back after getting to know her lineage.
As things continued like that, she didn’t have many male figures at her side, it seems.

“They didn’t want to turn a Margrave into their enemy over a love of different social standings, huh?”

“Yes.” (Elise)

“Although he knew that, love has sprout in Erw?” (Wendelin)

“No, even so…”

Elise had recently quite a few chats with Karla during cooking and such in this place, but she heard that Karla desires sincerity from a man.

“It seems that the type of men she hates most are those like her father, Margrave Browig-sama.” (Elise)

Watching the treatment of her own mother, it’s likely difficult for her to look at Margrave Browig favourably.

“Erw is…”

Erw, who was taught womanising by Burkhart-san, might be considered to be lacking sincerity a bit.
Even Moritz’ group restrains themselves from talking about such things since there are many women in our encampment, but it’s not like they abstain completely from it either. Women are sensitive to such secret talks.
Karla will end up noticing it as well since Erw amuses himself by talking about juicy topics while drinking booze together with the other retainers to get quickly familiar with them as Erw’s situation is a bit special.

『Moritz-nii-san is a vulgar person.』 (Wilma)

『More or less all men are like that!』 (Moritz)

Since Karla ended up hearing the sad conversation between a certain elder brother and his younger sister a little bit ago, she might end up believing that Erw’s the same kind of man.
A certain elder brother being treated as filth by his younger sister, I remember the elder brother was on the verge of tears.

“What’s up with that guy? He’s making such sloppy face.” (Burkhart)

Moreover, showing his face at this place, Burkhart-san inspected Erw’s hopeless state while being astonished.

“He is troubled with love.” (Wendelin)

“How pitiful. Even if Erw-boy got a crush on her, Karla-sama will ward it off easily.” (Burkhart)

Once Burkhart-san, who has a rich amount of life experience, observes Erw, it can’t be seen as anything but the countdown to Erw’s broken heart.

“Even he should know that, I think, but… Ah, right.” (Burkhart)

“What happened?” (Wendelin)

“Tomorrow a negotiation team from the Browig household will come in order to negotiate the arbitration.” (Burkhart)

“Eh? Aren’t those major news?” (Wendelin)

I didn’t know what face they would be making having caused such an incident in the end after breaking off the arbitration negotiations that had commenced once, but with this it finally looked like the beginning of the end of the long-lasting dispute. Reading this anywhere but at Infinite Novel Translations means you are supporting thieves!

“I wonder whether it will go that well?” (Burkhart)

“There’s no meaning either way if we don’t start the negotiations first though.” (Wendelin)

“That’s certainly true, but…” (Burkhart)

Burkhart-san’s worries became reality and weighed down on us the next day.