RATH 26

TL: Eevee

3. And so the story begins. (10)

#8 Their story: The future legendary host’s story.

“Tha… that was uncalled for…”

My entire body’s screaming. Ahh. This feeling. It’s been a while. I didn’t want to feel it but it was already too late.

“I apologise.”

In this case is it the instructor’s fault for always insisting on the alpha strike, or is it Sia’s fault who created this situation where he had no choice but to do it? Or, is it my fault for getting hit? Well, the last option definitely isn’t it.

“We survived somehow.”

“You really somehow managed to get away.”

“Sia didn’t bother taking us as hostages.”

The instructor nodded sagely to me who was currently sprawled out against the ground.

I don’t know what that nod is supposed to mean so I’ll just ignore it.

But.

“What happened to Sia?”

“She’s currently sleeping after a beating with the metal bat.”

“You didn’t kill her.”

“I don’t kill my disciples.”

At the all-too-calm answer I couldn’t help but sigh. No, even if he didn’t kill them.

“There are times when death is the more peaceful option.”

“Sia said the exact same thing when I told her what happened to Rood.”

“Rood was there as well?”

“No, I met him before I came back to the organization. He said he came to take me to the princess.”

Just what the heck did this instructor do, that ‘that imperial princess’ is also chasing after him? I’d heard a lot of rumours about that princess.

‘The most beautiful, but also the one with most thorns.’

The count’s daughter who sought me often at the club told me that. For the record, this person’s nickname in social circles was ‘thornbush.’

If a person who got that nickname by mercilessly rejecting the n.o.ble men that came after her, gave the princess that evaluation then just what kind of person would she be?

But rumours from others were also different.

‘I met Her Highness a while ago, she said she was raising black roses as a hobby. She said she was raising them to give to someone, and I thought that the princess had a unexpectedly girlish side to her. Ah, Rein, do you know what a black rose means in the language of flowers?’

I was reminded of the duke’s daughter who gave me a black rose she’d obtained. That was quite troublesome at the time.

In the language of flowers, a black rose meant ‘you’re mine.’

Unlike her girlish appearance as that duke’s daughter shyly gave me the flower, she was actually on the cusp of breaking through to the swordsmaster realm, as well as the vice-captain of the princess’s personal knight order.

Meaning, an administrator who directly serves the princess!

The words of an admin always has persuasive power.

Because of that I thought that the rumours from the social circles were all exaggerated.

The rumours from the outside weren’t great and most of them were from the Great War. How she had become terror incarnate in the hearts of enemy soldiers meant she was that skilled, and even when they discussed who was the most talented person among the imperial family, the princess’s name always came up.

I thought that the other n.o.ble ladies had just spread rumours out of jealousy of her beauty and talent.

But, at this moment, from what I heard from Sia and the instructor the truth was revealed!

As an active club worker, as someone who served women of n.o.bility, the language of flowers was a tool we used frequently, and to me who could recite the language of flowers off by heart, the meaning of a black rose meant ‘you’re mine.’

Because the other meanings were too dark and miserable! The n.o.ble girls don’t want to hear about that!

But considering what I heard from the instructor and Sia, and the obsession that could be compared to Sia and the meaning of ‘you’re mine’, then other meanings are naturally added on.

Resentment and hatred.

Wow, that fits really well.

I hate you and I resent you but you are still mine!

The image of the princess tending to a bed of black roses while chucking ‘fufufu,’ sends a shiver down my spine!

What the h.e.l.l! There’s someone worse off than I am! The imperial princess and Sia! Compared to that, I, who had to flee back to the organization just because of a sc.r.a.p between duke’s daughters am a joke!

If it’s that combination then any number of lives isn’t enough! You need to be able to flee officially or unofficially, but in this case you can’t run either in the light or the dark!

And the even more horrifying thing is that even the in the midst of all this the instructor is still running away perfectly fine! What the h.e.l.l, it’s scary! And physically the metal bat! It’s so scary!

And as I shook in fear the instructor said a shocking story, no a command.

“Pretend to be me and flee the organization.”

“Yes?”

If I get caught I’m dead. Not just dead, after I get the full imperial torture course to reveal the instructor’s location and have all my limbs cut off, they’re going to drop acid on my neck one drop at a time to kill me.

No, maybe even worse than that!

“In, instructor. I just want to die normally.”

“With this?”

“Hiiiik!”

But the instructor in front of me has the metal bat! To imagine a choice between one where I die cruelly in pain and where I can’t die cruelly in pain!

Why is my future so bleak?!

“Instructor, save me…”

“Just what is the princess to you that you’re doing this…”

“A Sia on a bigger scale?”

“I can’t refute that.”

He didn’t deny it. Yep. I’m dead.

No matter where I go the only path that awaits me is pain. I wanted to walk a path of flowers as a club host, but reality is a path of thorns no matter where I walk.

“Now, if you don’t leave soon you’ll have Sia to deal with as well as the princess.”

“Where are you going to go instructor…”

“Through another route, across the border where I’m going to live my days as a farmer in a kingdom at the end of the world.”

The moment I bait the princess I’m already dead right?

“So use these to convince the kids.”

“What are they?”

“The seals of their families. The Nermia county’s former head is a current head of a Magic Tower. If you can get help from them, not even the princess can easily lay her hands on them. Same with the other seals, all are part of families that can’t easily be ignored.”

It sounds logical enough, but would they really go as far as making an enemy out of the princess to help me? I think they’d just take the seals and wipe their hands immediately?

“And you also have that.”

“Although I think that it’s just going to be a hindrance as we’re escaping but… as a hostage it should be fine.”

The woman trussed up in a sack is a beauty on the outside, the reality is a spinster host club regular Sword Star.

Even if she looks like that she’s the little sister of the current Marquis Aserid, and a countess in her own right! But!

“If I use her as a hostage I think I’ll be the one that’s a hostage instead?!”

Right now she’s out and drooling but she’s the Sword Star! The most ill.u.s.trious with the sword! At the same time the most thuggish with the sword! Out of all the fighters that pick sc.r.a.ps for fun, she’s the number one fighter!

And because of that, I’ve got no shot of…

“And for that reason, I’ll give you that.”

“Re, really… are you really giving me this?!”

It’s here! Could it be! If that thing is permanently mine… I could possibly tread the path where death is a real possibility.

“Now, I’m fooling you anyway. The princess already knows this. Even if she’ll want information from you, she probably won’t torture or kill you. She was oddly obsessed about the people in my immediate surroundings. Although she might try to win you over to become her subordinate, she won’t kill you.

“Kurrrghh…”

Along with my sword, I can feel the weight of the bat. It’s light.

But at the same time it’s heavy. If the weak has a treasure then it is stolen by the strong. Can I protect it?

“Now, choose.”

“I, I’ll do it!”

But there is no choice! If you were a disciple of the instructor, who could refuse this seduction!

Not even Sia could forget the trauma from our trainee days and went to try to forge one herself, but all she made were failures! And even those failures were bought by the others of our cohort as they saved up their wages for them!

But I, I can have the original! It’s not the metal bat, but it’s still the chance for me to have the wooden bat!

“Now, this is your doppelganger. Use this to fool the empire’s troops.”

Pat pat.

As if telling me to do my best, the instructor patted me on the shoulder. I was filled with devotion as I yelled in a confident voice.

“I’ll defeat any enemy that comes!”

“You don’t necessarily have to defeat them. Well, good luck.”

“Good luck, instructor!”

Looking at the instructor walk away I was saturated in delight. Finally, the bat is in my hands!

“Now, No.17. Or should I call you by name from now on?”

“It, it’s okay.”

Although the kids are looking at me with somewhat repulsed expressions, I don’t care right now.

“Now, check if your family’s seal is in here somewhere.”

“Uh, yes!”

“Is the instructor not coming with us?”

“The instructor is going his own way. We just need to avoid the empire’s troops for a while, then get caught.”

“Bait?”

No.1000’s tilted her head as she asked me. Hm. Well, it’s right, right?

“You could say that.”

“It’s here! I found it!”

“Why do we have to?”

“Is the instructor not running away?”

No.1 who was staring at me with discontent, No.17 who was happy at having found the seal. And No.1000 who seemed a bit sad.

All unique children just as expected of the instructor’s disciples.

And they’re also kids that need to run around with me for a while for the instructor’s sake.

So. Let’s give them some motivation.

“Any complaints?”

“””None, sir!”””

As I slightly raised the bat, everyone’s motivation maxed out. Hmm. As always the bat is all-purpose.

“Over there! There’s a person over there!”

“d.a.m.n it, it’s His Highness’s orders! Find the one called Naruan!”

“The enemy has already faced off against over 200 of our elites. They are tired!”

“Don’t kill them, but disarm them!”

Sounds came far away from beyond the cave. And these voices that are getting closer are the empire’s soldiers as I expected. To think the empire’s army would get this close already. I need to hurry up and escape…

“Temporary instructor!”

“Can’t you call me Rei-uup?!”

“You dare… You……… dare!”

But a greater danger than the empire’s army came from a lot closer. Somewhere down the line the Sword Star had gotten free from the sack she was in and was glaring at us with eyes filled with rage.

Although there was nothing was in her hand, but to one of the greatest swordsmen of all time, and especially the one judged as having the greatest magic power, it seemed that the matter of actually having a sword or not was irrelevant to her.

“Mana sword?”

“You’re kidding me, right? That kind of magic power is possible?”

What was in her hand was a blue sword. That was sword ki, no, compressed mana, a sword where sword aura itself was compressed into a sword!

Sharper than any legendary blade, and more destructive than any magic, that thing gradually grew in shape and form.

It’s dangerous. It’s too late to run. In that case. Only. One. Way. Out.

Bat style, hidden moves!

“Star Destr… pathetic!”

Bat throw!

Thud!

The bat was thrown square in the face of the Sword Star who had been stupidly ama.s.sing mana in both hands.

As you’d expect from the Sword Star who had enough talent to fight for the t.i.tle of the Magic Sword, she blocked it with a magic barrier but that was her mistake!

This bat is a legendary item said to have been made from a branch of the World Tree!

Just it’s existence alone was enough to shred through magic barriers like paper, hit the Sword Star square in the face and the sound of the bat rolling against the ground was the only thing that filled the air.

And.

“Over there! The Sword Star is there too!”

“The enemy has engaged the Sword Star!”

“Wait, wait! Something’s wrong!”

“The, the Sword Star!”

“It can’t be!”

Shock and fear, surprise and disbelief were written on the empire’s soldiers’ faces, and sure why wouldn’t they.

Thud!

The Sword Star’s knees. .h.i.t the ground. Her hands that she’d raised to her head dropped.

Of course the Mana Sword had already vanished. Her face hit the earth of the cave and she collapsed just like that. As a result of having blessed to the max by the metal bat, she took in the pure pain from the wooden bat.

And because of that result I.

“The enemy has defeated the Sword Star!”

“Reinforcements! Call for reinforcements!”

“The enemy is powerful!”

Became the one who had defeated the Sword Star.

***

-Hurkhurk… good bye, little sister! You’re being sold off because of my bad owner, but we’ll meet again one day!

Leaving behind Rein who emitted the exact aura as a Sect Disciple receiving orders from a Sect Head in one of those old xianxia novels, while listening to the metal bat play out a third-rate soap opera I moved through another escape route I’d dug out.

But if you’re going to shoot a third-rate soap opera then do it properly, not even hukhuk but hurkhurk, if you weren’t listening properly you’d think it was laughing.

-Hiing, owner doesn’t know the pain of farewells! Pouring cold water all over a dramatic separation with my little sister!

-I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again but that thing was born first.

-Hmph, we’re tied together with a much thicker fate than just some worldly ties!

Since I am living a said worldly life, no more need be said. Right now for a worldly satisfying life it’s time to run away!

-So where’re we gonna go, are we really going to run away to the ends of the world and start farming?

“No, there’s no way I’d actually do what I told Rein.”

Very much unlike what you’d expect from my disciples, Rein actually has a loyal streak.

He takes care of his cohorts, and acknowledges his seniors as his seniors. Perhaps to teach my last cohort properly he diligently beat them with the bat as well.

Unlike the others who uses their comrades as meat shields, alpha strikes their seniors and sincerely beats the c.r.a.p out of their juniors Rein is oddly normal.

And therefore, the most abnormal of all my disciples.

Because of that, odds are if the princess just brings out a few of his acquaintances from his host days, he’ll probably spill everything.

She’d just have to bring out one of the duke’s daughters that were fighting over him, get them to spill some tears crying,

‘Rein… was it… all a lie?’

Then game over.

Most likely he’ll spill everything to prove his sincerity.

Since surprisingly enough, Sia took care of him, the organization didn’t notice his personality, and Rein didn’t make any mistakes either, but since the organization’s already done for then Rein’s mouth right now is nothing less than an open door.

So of course, a life as a farmer is unfortunately on hold for now. But I will do it one day!

Farming life! That’s a legendary lifestyle that only appears in legends!

Dream of a perfect farmer’s life! Not a farmer that beats up a demon king, not a villager that’s stronger than a hero,(1) but one that just grows fruits and vegetables, and sells them for a living!

-Thank goodness. I was scared for a second there that owner would transform me into a farming tool to plow the fields or something.

“…Genius?”

And I already have a farming tool!

And moreover, a farmer’s G.o.d’s tool that automatically blesses the land every time it’s plows the earth?!

No, would the land die in pain?

“I need to experiment.”

-Hiiiik, nyoooo! This G.o.ddess Arcadia would be used to plow land! Nooo!

“Just transform to your human form and poke the ground with your finger. Then we’d know.”

-Wiihn? Owner didn’t you not like it when I transformed into my human form because it used a lot of mana.

“You need to be in human form for a while anyway so it’s alright.”

-Where’re we goin’?

Since it’s been a while since she was allowed in human form, the metal bat’s words were filled with antic.i.p.ation.

Yes, a place to lie low from the princess for a while. It’s a place not even the princess who personally moved to capture me would think of.

-Hurry hurry! Where’s the place where this G.o.ddess descends? Where’s the place of my freedom! Hurry and tell me!

“Near the imperial capital.”

-Hiiik? You nuts? You’re moving right next to the princess’s place?

“Yes, to be precise.”

One of the empire’s greatest academies. The school that was the closes to the royal palace that the imperial family went to and from.

“The summoner’s school, Yugrasia.”