Chapter 190: It’s Easy to Be Sarcastic Towards Longdagger 1
Adventurers are symbols of freedom.
In most countries, simply being an adventurer, or intending to become one, grants you the liberty to travel freely within its borders, and even movement between nations is considerably unrestricted.
Yet, even for such free adventurers, there are things one cannot escape.
Funerals and taxes.
The former includes one’s own, which makes it quite ironic, a sentiment I rather like.
And I’d like to add one more thing to that list.
A summons from Margrave Makikomarkrow.
I sighed in the living room of my home.
What is with these clothes covered in frills?
I tilted my head at my reflection in the full-length mirror. It feels incredibly out of place, regardless of whether it suits me or not. When was the last time I wore clothes made with more than two colors?
Above all else, these are clothes made of simple cloth. Not monster hide, nor woven from monster-derived thread.
It looks like even a kitchen knife could pierce it if I were stabbed.
I recall being made to wear formal clothes once before, back in my homeland, the Faltar Kingdom, when I accompanied my friend, Jenniferlin Pantile.
But that time, it was formal wear for commoners, not the noble-like formal attire I’m wearing now.
Noble formal wear has far too many frills. And this is after I firmly refused the frills on the sleeves and hem, so the number of frills has actually been reduced.
I fastened the buttons on my jacket.
Incidentally, the buttons are processed gems—the lesser ones dropped by the Jewelhead Bunnies I hunted relentlessly in the Forest of Fools while trying to obtain a jewel to gift Erika.
Unpleasant memories resurface. Damn that rabbit.
Just as I almost crushed the button I’d fastened, a voice came from behind me.
“It suits you very well.”
It was Erika. A complaint slipped out involuntarily.
“Can’t I just wear the same as you?”
Turning around, I saw Erika in her usual adventurer gear. In other words, beautiful.
“While I am already just an adventurer, Shin, you are a noble. It would surely be disrespectful to visit the Margrave-sama dressed as an adventurer when summoned.”
Hmm, it’s not like I have any future as a noble, and eventually, I’ll just become an adventurer, so wouldn’t it be fine to dress like one now?
I looked down at myself. I was even wearing white gloves. I can’t think of any use for gloves other than for duels (picking a fight).
“—So?”
I looked Erika straight in the eye.
“Honestly?”
Does it suit me? Erika gently averted her gaze from my questioning look.
Well, I suppose that answers that.
“Still, you really did run and hide, didn’t you?”
Erika said this with a tone both exasperated and surprised, just as I finished putting on the noble-like clothes and was taking a breather with some tea.
Her jade-green eyes, watching me from across the table, held a mischievous glint that seemed to say she found my prolonged evasion rather amusing.
“I didn’t exactly intend to run away, you know?”
“Shall I tell you how many times I informed the Margrave-sama’s messenger that my husband was absent?”
I immediately threw up my hands in surrender.
“Well, I really angered him. I wanted to get things sorted out before the Margrave-dono sinks his teeth into my neck.”
Time flies; it’s already been three weeks since the City of Hecate was attacked by the Majin.
There’s another reason why I delayed answering the summons until now, but while I was writing letters to my homeland, I desperately dodged the Margrave’s summons.
Sometimes in the storage shed, sometimes on the roof, I immersed myself in the unfamiliar task of writing letters.
“Shin, you saved the city, so shouldn’t you be thanked?”
Didn’t Erika see the Margrave shouting at the scene? That look on his face, that tone in his voice… he was dead serious, wasn’t he?
“I’m aware I caused quite a bit of chaos.”
Besides, the miraculous lack of resident casualties was thanks to the city’s adventurers, Knights, and the church.
All I did was finish off the self-proclaimed Longdagger-san who didn’t mind having his head blown off. Other than that, I just filled the Sewers with Majin corpses and split a building vertically a little.
It’s no good, he’s definitely going to bite my neck. I wonder if he’ll let me off with just a gentle bite?
“Besides, I kept him waiting.”
After entrusting the painstakingly written letters to Merseja, just as I psyched myself up with Guts, thinking, ‘Alright, time to answer the summons!’ I realized I didn’t have any clothes suitable for meeting the Margrave-sama.
So, swallowing my pride, I had them wait. Personally, I think any clothes should be fine, but this becomes an issue of the Margrave-dono’s honor.
If I went to meet him in just any old clothes, it would raise the question of whether I thought he was only worth that much respect.
Troublesome, nobles are troublesome.
“Seeing you dressed like that, I’m sure he’ll think it was worth the wait.”
Didn’t you just look away earlier? I wanted to retort to Erika’s words.
Incidentally, in Erika’s initial design proposal, there were even more frills. Never mind the frills, for some reason, there were tons of strings attached to the upper arms.
What on earth was the point of those strings? Were they some kind of decorative intimidation?
Shara was clutching her stomach, roaring with laughter.
“If we had more time, I would have made it sparkly, but it’s a shame.”
Sorry, Erika, but I was grateful we didn’t have time.
“Well, anyway,”
I drained my tea.
“I hope these frills will hide my neck a little.”
Erika tilted her head at my words.
Author’s Note:
Thank you very much for your patience.
Updates will resume.
Though they will be irregular.