Chapter 61: Detained teachers
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It was still early evening when the settlement negotiations with the Flame Hound were over.
There was still some time before dinner time, so the teachers were being held up by Rustock's
We went out to preview the facility.
This is the first place we will start on our next rescue mission, and if we are slowed down here, there is a risk of delaying our plans for the rest of the day.
The site where the teachers are being held is on the other side of the town of Rustock, as seen from the garrison.
The site is about the size of a schoolyard, with a two-story building the size of a classroom and a warehouse that doubles as a stable, and the rest of the land is cleared, and this is where the training seems to be taking place.
There are six teachers in custody, four males and two females, all middle-aged uncles and aunts, with the exception of the science teacher, Furukan.
The teachers, both knight and surgeon types, were trained as seekers!
"Lower your posture and move forward! You're in full view like that!
There are ropes and boarded-up obstacles placed on the ground, and the exercise of trying to figure out what's ahead of you while trying to avoid those obstacles is like the military training you see on TV.
'Don't be stupid, don't show your face! The kids will be wiped out along with you!
The knights of Riesenburg proceed with their training by saying that when they go into actual combat, the teachers will be leading their students through the forest.
The teachers are eagerly awaiting their students to learn that their abilities as seekers can mean the difference between life and death.
But, from what Basten has found out, it's a lie to get the teachers to work diligently on their training, and it's actually going to be used as a decoy to get them to walk in front of the Seeker in their day job.
If they can serve as Seekers, they can survive, but if they don't see the demons approaching, they'll be the first to fall victim to them, and I'm sure the officials don't think that's the role they're supposed to play in alerting the original Seekers to the demons' presence.
There are three Riesenburg knights in this facility, and they return to the garrison at night, leaving one person in charge of the innkeepers in charge.
The teachers live on the second floor of the building, which has a private room a little larger than my room in the boarding house, as well as a communal toilet, bathroom, and kitchen, and the stairs to the second floor are locked at night.
All the windows are fitted with iron grates, and if a fire breaks out in the middle of the night, it would be a total disaster.
Nevertheless, with only one innkeeper for every six students, it seems a bit thin, but it is said that the students will be punished if they escape, so the teachers can't seem to plot their escape.
And since they are not allowed off the premises, they have no idea what's going on outside, and they can't seem to even plan an escape.
It's a good thing for us that we don't have much security at night, so we'll be contacting them before we decide on an operation to have them prepared.
During the rescue mission, we'll let the knight in charge of the innkeeper sleep, unlock the stairs, and have Zae tow the small carriage we left behind to move to the garrison and meet up with our classmates, and from there we'll move to Volzard.
I've already confirmed that the key to the stairs is hung at the entrance to the room for lodging, so I plan to lock the sleeping knights upstairs.
''And yet........you look kind of dingy and disheveled.......''
''I can't say I'm being treated very well, so I suppose it can't be helped.
I heard that they have all the facilities for living, but they have to provide their own water and fire.
It seems that they pour magic power into their magic tools to produce water and light fires for cooking and for boiling water, but they are so exhausted from training that they can barely provide the minimum amount of water and fire.
Water enough to fill a bath tub and the fire to boil it seems to be limited to once every few days.
'The bath is every few days, we have trouble with water for washing, we can't cook well, and we're not even given any good food.'
"I see...
My homeroom teacher, Mr. Sato, used to wear a lot of make-up when he was in Japan, and when I saw his face without make-up, he looked so old that I couldn't tell who he was.
The other teachers also looked much older to varying degrees.
All of them looked like they had lost their liveliness, and I got the impression that they were just trying to get by on their own energy.
With this, no matter how much I intend to make them disposable, I feel like they're useless.
''Fred, do you think the information about your classmates has been passed on?''
'I don't think they've told us that either. I don't think they told us what happened to Hunayama, that five or fifty of the men who went to fight in the field never came back.
'Is that to prevent teachers from being upset or repulsed by bad information getting out?
'We believe that's true, and they seem to avoid contact with students as much as possible after this.
In any case, even if we contact the teachers, it will be after the night when the knights are alone, so we'll ask Amanda to bring something to bring us.
Once I return to Volzard, I decide to report to Donovan-san and finish my dinner before coming back out.
Before returning to the guild, I went to the wall construction site where my classmates were being worked on.
Takayama and the others, who had been rebellious at the time of this morning, were rounded up by Klaus-san's storytelling and were motivated, but since the construction of the castle wall is hard work, I was worried that they might get into a ruckus or a dispute, but it seems that their fears were unfounded.
With Kondo and the others in charge of the construction and the garrison who were overseeing the work, they were washing their hands and faces and talking congenially about their impressions of the day.
Well, Gase Megane was blurting it out as usual, but the new and old duo and Takayama joined the circle, and I felt a sense of unity.
I feel like I shouldn't show my face here.
Looking at the expressions of the supervisors, today's work seems to have been completed without any problems, and at this rate, I feel that the day when everyone is accepted by the people of Volzard is not far away.
Kondo, the new and old duo, and Takayama are all much higher than me when it comes to gymnastics and basic specs, and if they work diligently, they deserve to be accepted.
I suppose it would be the best form of socializing with the people of the city in this way, where I'm not present, but since I'm the only one not participating, I feel a little bit alienated.
I think I'm going to feel self-hating if I'm a really small-minded guy.
After regaining my composure, I moved to the guild and reported to Donovan-san about the Flamehound one.
I explained to him in order from the commotion in front of Amanda's shop to the resolution, but as expected of Donovan-san, he couldn't hold back his laughter when he decorated the meowns with ribbons.
Yeah, I feel like I've got one.
'I see, so that means those guys are back to the trio, right?
Yes, I think it probably will.
Did I do something wrong...?
Well, let's just say, they'll get tired of the money and do all kinds of things to you, just be a little more careful...
That being said...
If there's going to be a problem involving the Orlando store, it's definitely going to be because of my relationship with Beatrice, and I'm not trying to take it from me, but I'm not supposed to be dizzy.
'Hmph, a man is supposed to take care of a woman's misbehavior.
Huh....I'm not used to this kind of thing...
So consider it a lesson, then, and do something about it, or you'll get in trouble with the lodgers again.
Yeah, I understand.
You still have to prevent Beatrice from approaching you, and roadside chewing is poorly done.
Next time we meet, we'll make sure to nail it right.
Since I had already reported to Donovan-san, I went back to the boarding house and told Amanda-san what had happened and asked her to bring some food to take to the teachers.
'Utterly, what a horrible way to treat them, I'll make it up as I go along with my arms.
'Thank you, but I just don't think my body will accept it if I increase the volume too quickly...'
All right, I'll do the cooking, Dawn.
Yes, please.
There seemed to be a little more time before dinner, so I went to see the training of all of my subordinates.
The destination I flew to with Reinhardt as my landmark seemed to be quite deep in the Demon Forest.
''Reinhardt, where is this area?''
"Just a couple of days' walk south of the Devil's Forest,
Speaking of which, what's the terrain like around here?
"As you saw on the map in Camilla's room, the Devil's Forest extends from the rugged mountains in the north to the cliffs of the southern coastline as far as the south.
The map I saw in Camilla's room showed only the old Riesenburg, now Riesenburg and Landshört, but it was a steep mountainous area with perpetual snow in the north and the sea in the south.
The Devil's Forest stretches across the land that leads to another continent to the south, and it was originally created by a mass outbreak of tree demons, Trent, from the next continent.
The southern continent is said to be the continent ruled by demons, and it is believed that the mass outbreaks of demons came from the southern continent.
''Well, does that mean that they are moving in the direction where the density of demons is higher?
"How true it is, sir.
They were no longer able to deal with orcs at the level of orcs, so they moved in search of even stronger demons in order to train their cooperation in actual battle.
No skilled adventurers set foot in this area, and the forest was a dense virgin forest, with no signs of human presence.
In the midst of the virgin forest, there is a gaping hole about 30 meters in diameter where no trees grow.
If you look closely, you can see that there are no trees growing, but they have been cut down from the roots.
From deep in the forest, we could hear gurgling and the threatening roar of the alts, and after a while, a dozen or so ogres appeared.
As Alto and the others drove the ogres into the hunting ground, Twoo jumped out of the shadows and wielded his kukri knife, turning the ogres into pieces of meat in the blink of an eye.
While repeating these exercises, I've repeatedly strengthened it with the magic stones I got, so Twoo's movements seem to have increased in speed and strength, and I can no longer follow its movements with my eyes.
Yeah, I'm confident that if everyone attacked me, I would be killed in the blink of an eye.
Alto and the others also seem to be getting even more powerful.
I didn't want to make a difference in their abilities, so I called Marto and the others to strengthen them, but of course I took care to make sure they didn't lose their cuteness.
''Kent-sama, I'll leave the training on coordination until tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, I'm going to teach Zae and the others how to handle the carriage, and the day after tomorrow, I'm going to put everyone in position for the dark days of the week by noon.''
'Yeah, okay, well, I'll see if I can borrow the garrison's carriage for the day after tomorrow. And I've got to arrange for some sleeping pills.
'I've identified the time of the patrol of Rastok's knights and the knights on duty. I think it's all clear for now.
"Be ready to go on your mission in three days' time and be ready for anything.
"Yes, sir. Leave it to me.
When I returned to the boarding house, it was just dinner time and Amanda had made a potful of soup and a pile of sandwiches for us to bring in.
'Wow, so much, thank you so much, please charge me for it later,'
That's okay, I've had Kent protecting the city many times, it's a service.
'No, no, I'm sorry you're doing this to me, I'll pay for it on top of my lodging fees.
It's okay, kid, don't hold back!
But I'll get you something to eat next time, like cookies and cake.
Cookie! I like the henhouse cookies!
As soon as I heard the word "cookie", Maysa reacted.
If Meisa had a tail, she would be buzzing around.
'Yes, yes, cookies from the hen house, yes, sir.
Speaking of which, Kent, what's going on with those ragpickers, have you made any arrangements?
Yes, I've been following up on the story, so I'm sure the flamehounds won't be bothering you.
How did that ribbon work out for you?
Yes, of course.
When I explained the series of interactions with the Flame Hound, including the use of the ribbon, Amanda rolled over laughing, Meline held her mouth and shook her shoulders, and Meisa gave her a subtle look.
Perhaps she wasn't happy with the way the beautiful ribbon she wanted was used.
After dinner, we had a quick sweat and change of clothes before heading to the care of the chairperson.
I didn't see Manon or Beatrice today, but I shouldn't be sweaty.
''Kento, you were friendly with the other girls before you came here, right?
'No, I didn't, I haven't hugged or kissed anyone today.
'Then why do you smell like soap today?'
'I moved around so much today, I sweated all over the place, so I took a bath before I came here so I wouldn't smell like sweat.
The chairman of the committee seemed to finally understand after staring into my eyes.
Yes, it's all because of my bad behavior on a daily basis.
"Sorry for doubting you........
'Nope, looking back at myself on a daily basis, I don't blame you for being suspicious...'
'Ugh, it's true, I'm coming to see a girl and you're coming to see a girl and you're smelling two different girls, you're not a boyfriend...'
What's your boyfriend's...?
When I expressed my doubts, the chairman of the committee kissed me on the cheek.
'So much kissing, so much kissing, isn't it...?'
'Well that's........'
'Hmmm I guess we'll have to go head to head with Volzard after all.
No ... it's just ... well ...
Don't worry, you're going to be in Volzard in four days.
'Hi, I'm afraid so...'
I won't lose...
The chairperson rests her head on my shoulder and hugs me tightly until Erna comes back.
Leaving the chairman's room, we now head to the building where the teachers are being held.
To my surprise, the knight in charge of the innkeepers had even brought a bottle of liquor with him, and he is chittering and licking the liquor while playing a chess-like board game.
If I waited for him to fall asleep on his own, it would take him a long time to fall asleep, so I administered a sleeping pill and asked him to leave.
I made sure that the knight in charge of the innkeepers had fallen asleep and moved upstairs where the teachers were.
The upstairs seems to be quite dim, with only a few small nightlights lit, if you are not blind at night.
There was nothing to do, and the teachers, exhausted from the daytime training, seemed to be already on the floor.
I knocked on the door of my homeroom teacher, Ms. Sato, who I had asked Basten to check for me.
Sato-sensei, wake up please....
I knocked on the door and called out, but there was no immediate answer.
''Sensei........Sato-sensei......''
Who... what do you want at this hour?
Doctor, it's Kokubun. I've brought you some food.
As soon as I said my name, the door was opened with great force.
"Kokubun-kun........you're safe, aren't you.......
S-Sir, it's painful...
'Oh, I'm sorry... yeah, but how did you... you can't be a ghost...'
It's okay, I've got legs, you know...
I asked Sato-sensei to wake up the other teachers and have them gather in the communal space.
They hadn't been given any information about my classmates, but they had been told that I was headed to the demon forest alone and had already fallen prey to the demons.
When I showed up, not only Sato-sensei but other teachers suspected that I was not a ghost, and then they rubbed it in that I was well alive.
They heated up the soup we brought in for them and ate it with their sandwiches, which they hadn't had properly cooked in a long time.
After the teachers ate the food and got comfortable, we talked about the situation so far and the rescue operation.
When I told them that Funayama was dead, they were speechless, sad, angry, and unable to control their emotions.
'So three nights from now, probably around this time, I'll come for the teachers. After that, we'll move to the garrison where my classmates are, and then we'll all go to Volzard.
Do we have to go on foot? Wouldn't it be faster to take the carriage?
I'll have my wagon pulled by my undead lizardmen for transport.
You're letting the monster pull you instead of the horse.
Yes, with a horse, you need to tie it to the chariot and give it instructions, but with my family members, I can pull the chariot myself and I don't have to give them detailed instructions.
To avoid surprises on the day, I introduced Zhae on behalf of the group, and everyone was surprised to see how much they were sitting up.
''I'm Zhae, a member of Kent-sama's household, and I'd like to make your acquaintance...''
The teachers finally seemed to be relieved when Zae spoke fluently and showed them a knight's salute.
As an added bonus, I asked Basten and Milt to come out and complete the introductions.
'Teachers, I'll give you a class-by-class list of your remaining classmates in the Rustock garrison on the day, so please take roll call of your homeroom class.
How many carriages do we need?
Five vehicles.
Can't we get another one?
'Another one... hmmm...'
The reason Mr. Kato, the Health and Physical Education teacher, suggested that we have more carriages is because we have six classes in our grade.
If you want to put six classes in five carriages, then of course one class or each class would have to split up to ride in a separate carriage, which could be confusing.
If you put six classes in six carriages, you can just assign a carriage to each class and there will be less confusion.
''It would be impossible to have only one carriage towed by a horse, so let's select a few from the alts to tow...''
"Master Kent, would you like me to pull you?
Basten, are you okay?
'I couldn't do it in the flesh, but I have no problem with it now.
'Okay, we'll figure that out with Reinhardt and the others when we get back. Kato-sensei, please put that on hold for a moment.
If it's difficult to get six cars, talk to me and I'll try to split my class to get them on board.
Yes, I'll let you know how it goes.
The first thing to rescue the teachers was to get all of my classmates together, even though we were sometimes far away from each other in places.
When we rescued fifty people, the Riesenburgers had organized us into groups or squads, so we were able to work together.
However, this time, the number of people in the group would increase without such a structure, so I felt it would likely take longer to get them to work as a group.
So I decided to have them act as a class, with the teacher at the center.
'Well then, I'll be back to contact you before we decide, so be ready to get ready so they don't find out.
'Leave it to me like you're on a big boat with Dawn!
When the youngest teacher, Furutate Sensei, tapped his chest and showed them his smile, the other teachers also smiled.
But you know, I don't think that's good enough.......
''Furukan-sensei, please don't look so cheerful just now. If a teacher who looked like he was about to die until yesterday suddenly became energetic, it would definitely be suspicious.
''Ugh ... sure, then ... please Kokubun, help me quickly ... like this?''
Dr. Furukan-sensei tried to act like he was dying, but he was quite rad, and the other teachers laughed at him.
Anyway, I promised to contact him before the day of the mission and returned to Volzard.
Now, I'm starting to feel like it's time to go to work.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
It was still early evening when the settlement negotiations with the Flame Hound were over.
There was still some time before dinner time, so the teachers were being held up by Rustock's
We went out to preview the facility.
This is the first place we will start on our next rescue mission, and if we are slowed down here, there is a risk of delaying our plans for the rest of the day.
The site where the teachers are being held is on the other side of the town of Rustock, as seen from the garrison.
The site is about the size of a schoolyard, with a two-story building the size of a classroom and a warehouse that doubles as a stable, and the rest of the land is cleared, and this is where the training seems to be taking place.
There are six teachers in custody, four males and two females, all middle-aged uncles and aunts, with the exception of the science teacher, Furukan.
The teachers, both knight and surgeon types, were trained as seekers!
"Lower your posture and move forward! You're in full view like that!
There are ropes and boarded-up obstacles placed on the ground, and the exercise of trying to figure out what's ahead of you while trying to avoid those obstacles is like the military training you see on TV.
'Don't be stupid, don't show your face! The kids will be wiped out along with you!
The knights of Riesenburg proceed with their training by saying that when they go into actual combat, the teachers will be leading their students through the forest.
The teachers are eagerly awaiting their students to learn that their abilities as seekers can mean the difference between life and death.
But, from what Basten has found out, it's a lie to get the teachers to work diligently on their training, and it's actually going to be used as a decoy to get them to walk in front of the Seeker in their day job.
If they can serve as Seekers, they can survive, but if they don't see the demons approaching, they'll be the first to fall victim to them, and I'm sure the officials don't think that's the role they're supposed to play in alerting the original Seekers to the demons' presence.
There are three Riesenburg knights in this facility, and they return to the garrison at night, leaving one person in charge of the innkeepers in charge.
The teachers live on the second floor of the building, which has a private room a little larger than my room in the boarding house, as well as a communal toilet, bathroom, and kitchen, and the stairs to the second floor are locked at night.
All the windows are fitted with iron grates, and if a fire breaks out in the middle of the night, it would be a total disaster.
Nevertheless, with only one innkeeper for every six students, it seems a bit thin, but it is said that the students will be punished if they escape, so the teachers can't seem to plot their escape.
And since they are not allowed off the premises, they have no idea what's going on outside, and they can't seem to even plan an escape.
It's a good thing for us that we don't have much security at night, so we'll be contacting them before we decide on an operation to have them prepared.
During the rescue mission, we'll let the knight in charge of the innkeeper sleep, unlock the stairs, and have Zae tow the small carriage we left behind to move to the garrison and meet up with our classmates, and from there we'll move to Volzard.
I've already confirmed that the key to the stairs is hung at the entrance to the room for lodging, so I plan to lock the sleeping knights upstairs.
''And yet........you look kind of dingy and disheveled.......''
''I can't say I'm being treated very well, so I suppose it can't be helped.
I heard that they have all the facilities for living, but they have to provide their own water and fire.
It seems that they pour magic power into their magic tools to produce water and light fires for cooking and for boiling water, but they are so exhausted from training that they can barely provide the minimum amount of water and fire.
Water enough to fill a bath tub and the fire to boil it seems to be limited to once every few days.
'The bath is every few days, we have trouble with water for washing, we can't cook well, and we're not even given any good food.'
"I see...
My homeroom teacher, Mr. Sato, used to wear a lot of make-up when he was in Japan, and when I saw his face without make-up, he looked so old that I couldn't tell who he was.
The other teachers also looked much older to varying degrees.
All of them looked like they had lost their liveliness, and I got the impression that they were just trying to get by on their own energy.
With this, no matter how much I intend to make them disposable, I feel like they're useless.
''Fred, do you think the information about your classmates has been passed on?''
'I don't think they've told us that either. I don't think they told us what happened to Hunayama, that five or fifty of the men who went to fight in the field never came back.
'Is that to prevent teachers from being upset or repulsed by bad information getting out?
'We believe that's true, and they seem to avoid contact with students as much as possible after this.
In any case, even if we contact the teachers, it will be after the night when the knights are alone, so we'll ask Amanda to bring something to bring us.
Once I return to Volzard, I decide to report to Donovan-san and finish my dinner before coming back out.
Before returning to the guild, I went to the wall construction site where my classmates were being worked on.
Takayama and the others, who had been rebellious at the time of this morning, were rounded up by Klaus-san's storytelling and were motivated, but since the construction of the castle wall is hard work, I was worried that they might get into a ruckus or a dispute, but it seems that their fears were unfounded.
With Kondo and the others in charge of the construction and the garrison who were overseeing the work, they were washing their hands and faces and talking congenially about their impressions of the day.
Well, Gase Megane was blurting it out as usual, but the new and old duo and Takayama joined the circle, and I felt a sense of unity.
I feel like I shouldn't show my face here.
Looking at the expressions of the supervisors, today's work seems to have been completed without any problems, and at this rate, I feel that the day when everyone is accepted by the people of Volzard is not far away.
Kondo, the new and old duo, and Takayama are all much higher than me when it comes to gymnastics and basic specs, and if they work diligently, they deserve to be accepted.
I suppose it would be the best form of socializing with the people of the city in this way, where I'm not present, but since I'm the only one not participating, I feel a little bit alienated.
I think I'm going to feel self-hating if I'm a really small-minded guy.
After regaining my composure, I moved to the guild and reported to Donovan-san about the Flamehound one.
I explained to him in order from the commotion in front of Amanda's shop to the resolution, but as expected of Donovan-san, he couldn't hold back his laughter when he decorated the meowns with ribbons.
Yeah, I feel like I've got one.
'I see, so that means those guys are back to the trio, right?
Yes, I think it probably will.
Did I do something wrong...?
Well, let's just say, they'll get tired of the money and do all kinds of things to you, just be a little more careful...
That being said...
If there's going to be a problem involving the Orlando store, it's definitely going to be because of my relationship with Beatrice, and I'm not trying to take it from me, but I'm not supposed to be dizzy.
'Hmph, a man is supposed to take care of a woman's misbehavior.
Huh....I'm not used to this kind of thing...
So consider it a lesson, then, and do something about it, or you'll get in trouble with the lodgers again.
Yeah, I understand.
You still have to prevent Beatrice from approaching you, and roadside chewing is poorly done.
Next time we meet, we'll make sure to nail it right.
Since I had already reported to Donovan-san, I went back to the boarding house and told Amanda-san what had happened and asked her to bring some food to take to the teachers.
'Utterly, what a horrible way to treat them, I'll make it up as I go along with my arms.
'Thank you, but I just don't think my body will accept it if I increase the volume too quickly...'
All right, I'll do the cooking, Dawn.
Yes, please.
There seemed to be a little more time before dinner, so I went to see the training of all of my subordinates.
The destination I flew to with Reinhardt as my landmark seemed to be quite deep in the Demon Forest.
''Reinhardt, where is this area?''
"Just a couple of days' walk south of the Devil's Forest,
Speaking of which, what's the terrain like around here?
"As you saw on the map in Camilla's room, the Devil's Forest extends from the rugged mountains in the north to the cliffs of the southern coastline as far as the south.
The map I saw in Camilla's room showed only the old Riesenburg, now Riesenburg and Landshört, but it was a steep mountainous area with perpetual snow in the north and the sea in the south.
The Devil's Forest stretches across the land that leads to another continent to the south, and it was originally created by a mass outbreak of tree demons, Trent, from the next continent.
The southern continent is said to be the continent ruled by demons, and it is believed that the mass outbreaks of demons came from the southern continent.
''Well, does that mean that they are moving in the direction where the density of demons is higher?
"How true it is, sir.
They were no longer able to deal with orcs at the level of orcs, so they moved in search of even stronger demons in order to train their cooperation in actual battle.
No skilled adventurers set foot in this area, and the forest was a dense virgin forest, with no signs of human presence.
In the midst of the virgin forest, there is a gaping hole about 30 meters in diameter where no trees grow.
If you look closely, you can see that there are no trees growing, but they have been cut down from the roots.
From deep in the forest, we could hear gurgling and the threatening roar of the alts, and after a while, a dozen or so ogres appeared.
As Alto and the others drove the ogres into the hunting ground, Twoo jumped out of the shadows and wielded his kukri knife, turning the ogres into pieces of meat in the blink of an eye.
While repeating these exercises, I've repeatedly strengthened it with the magic stones I got, so Twoo's movements seem to have increased in speed and strength, and I can no longer follow its movements with my eyes.
Yeah, I'm confident that if everyone attacked me, I would be killed in the blink of an eye.
Alto and the others also seem to be getting even more powerful.
I didn't want to make a difference in their abilities, so I called Marto and the others to strengthen them, but of course I took care to make sure they didn't lose their cuteness.
''Kent-sama, I'll leave the training on coordination until tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, I'm going to teach Zae and the others how to handle the carriage, and the day after tomorrow, I'm going to put everyone in position for the dark days of the week by noon.''
'Yeah, okay, well, I'll see if I can borrow the garrison's carriage for the day after tomorrow. And I've got to arrange for some sleeping pills.
'I've identified the time of the patrol of Rastok's knights and the knights on duty. I think it's all clear for now.
"Be ready to go on your mission in three days' time and be ready for anything.
"Yes, sir. Leave it to me.
When I returned to the boarding house, it was just dinner time and Amanda had made a potful of soup and a pile of sandwiches for us to bring in.
'Wow, so much, thank you so much, please charge me for it later,'
That's okay, I've had Kent protecting the city many times, it's a service.
'No, no, I'm sorry you're doing this to me, I'll pay for it on top of my lodging fees.
It's okay, kid, don't hold back!
But I'll get you something to eat next time, like cookies and cake.
Cookie! I like the henhouse cookies!
As soon as I heard the word "cookie", Maysa reacted.
If Meisa had a tail, she would be buzzing around.
'Yes, yes, cookies from the hen house, yes, sir.
Speaking of which, Kent, what's going on with those ragpickers, have you made any arrangements?
Yes, I've been following up on the story, so I'm sure the flamehounds won't be bothering you.
How did that ribbon work out for you?
Yes, of course.
When I explained the series of interactions with the Flame Hound, including the use of the ribbon, Amanda rolled over laughing, Meline held her mouth and shook her shoulders, and Meisa gave her a subtle look.
Perhaps she wasn't happy with the way the beautiful ribbon she wanted was used.
After dinner, we had a quick sweat and change of clothes before heading to the care of the chairperson.
I didn't see Manon or Beatrice today, but I shouldn't be sweaty.
''Kento, you were friendly with the other girls before you came here, right?
'No, I didn't, I haven't hugged or kissed anyone today.
'Then why do you smell like soap today?'
'I moved around so much today, I sweated all over the place, so I took a bath before I came here so I wouldn't smell like sweat.
The chairman of the committee seemed to finally understand after staring into my eyes.
Yes, it's all because of my bad behavior on a daily basis.
"Sorry for doubting you........
'Nope, looking back at myself on a daily basis, I don't blame you for being suspicious...'
'Ugh, it's true, I'm coming to see a girl and you're coming to see a girl and you're smelling two different girls, you're not a boyfriend...'
What's your boyfriend's...?
When I expressed my doubts, the chairman of the committee kissed me on the cheek.
'So much kissing, so much kissing, isn't it...?'
'Well that's........'
'Hmmm I guess we'll have to go head to head with Volzard after all.
No ... it's just ... well ...
Don't worry, you're going to be in Volzard in four days.
'Hi, I'm afraid so...'
I won't lose...
The chairperson rests her head on my shoulder and hugs me tightly until Erna comes back.
Leaving the chairman's room, we now head to the building where the teachers are being held.
To my surprise, the knight in charge of the innkeepers had even brought a bottle of liquor with him, and he is chittering and licking the liquor while playing a chess-like board game.
If I waited for him to fall asleep on his own, it would take him a long time to fall asleep, so I administered a sleeping pill and asked him to leave.
I made sure that the knight in charge of the innkeepers had fallen asleep and moved upstairs where the teachers were.
The upstairs seems to be quite dim, with only a few small nightlights lit, if you are not blind at night.
There was nothing to do, and the teachers, exhausted from the daytime training, seemed to be already on the floor.
I knocked on the door of my homeroom teacher, Ms. Sato, who I had asked Basten to check for me.
Sato-sensei, wake up please....
I knocked on the door and called out, but there was no immediate answer.
''Sensei........Sato-sensei......''
Who... what do you want at this hour?
Doctor, it's Kokubun. I've brought you some food.
As soon as I said my name, the door was opened with great force.
"Kokubun-kun........you're safe, aren't you.......
S-Sir, it's painful...
'Oh, I'm sorry... yeah, but how did you... you can't be a ghost...'
It's okay, I've got legs, you know...
I asked Sato-sensei to wake up the other teachers and have them gather in the communal space.
They hadn't been given any information about my classmates, but they had been told that I was headed to the demon forest alone and had already fallen prey to the demons.
When I showed up, not only Sato-sensei but other teachers suspected that I was not a ghost, and then they rubbed it in that I was well alive.
They heated up the soup we brought in for them and ate it with their sandwiches, which they hadn't had properly cooked in a long time.
After the teachers ate the food and got comfortable, we talked about the situation so far and the rescue operation.
When I told them that Funayama was dead, they were speechless, sad, angry, and unable to control their emotions.
'So three nights from now, probably around this time, I'll come for the teachers. After that, we'll move to the garrison where my classmates are, and then we'll all go to Volzard.
Do we have to go on foot? Wouldn't it be faster to take the carriage?
I'll have my wagon pulled by my undead lizardmen for transport.
You're letting the monster pull you instead of the horse.
Yes, with a horse, you need to tie it to the chariot and give it instructions, but with my family members, I can pull the chariot myself and I don't have to give them detailed instructions.
To avoid surprises on the day, I introduced Zhae on behalf of the group, and everyone was surprised to see how much they were sitting up.
''I'm Zhae, a member of Kent-sama's household, and I'd like to make your acquaintance...''
The teachers finally seemed to be relieved when Zae spoke fluently and showed them a knight's salute.
As an added bonus, I asked Basten and Milt to come out and complete the introductions.
'Teachers, I'll give you a class-by-class list of your remaining classmates in the Rustock garrison on the day, so please take roll call of your homeroom class.
How many carriages do we need?
Five vehicles.
Can't we get another one?
'Another one... hmmm...'
The reason Mr. Kato, the Health and Physical Education teacher, suggested that we have more carriages is because we have six classes in our grade.
If you want to put six classes in five carriages, then of course one class or each class would have to split up to ride in a separate carriage, which could be confusing.
If you put six classes in six carriages, you can just assign a carriage to each class and there will be less confusion.
''It would be impossible to have only one carriage towed by a horse, so let's select a few from the alts to tow...''
"Master Kent, would you like me to pull you?
Basten, are you okay?
'I couldn't do it in the flesh, but I have no problem with it now.
'Okay, we'll figure that out with Reinhardt and the others when we get back. Kato-sensei, please put that on hold for a moment.
If it's difficult to get six cars, talk to me and I'll try to split my class to get them on board.
Yes, I'll let you know how it goes.
The first thing to rescue the teachers was to get all of my classmates together, even though we were sometimes far away from each other in places.
When we rescued fifty people, the Riesenburgers had organized us into groups or squads, so we were able to work together.
However, this time, the number of people in the group would increase without such a structure, so I felt it would likely take longer to get them to work as a group.
So I decided to have them act as a class, with the teacher at the center.
'Well then, I'll be back to contact you before we decide, so be ready to get ready so they don't find out.
'Leave it to me like you're on a big boat with Dawn!
When the youngest teacher, Furutate Sensei, tapped his chest and showed them his smile, the other teachers also smiled.
But you know, I don't think that's good enough.......
''Furukan-sensei, please don't look so cheerful just now. If a teacher who looked like he was about to die until yesterday suddenly became energetic, it would definitely be suspicious.
''Ugh ... sure, then ... please Kokubun, help me quickly ... like this?''
Dr. Furukan-sensei tried to act like he was dying, but he was quite rad, and the other teachers laughed at him.
Anyway, I promised to contact him before the day of the mission and returned to Volzard.
Now, I'm starting to feel like it's time to go to work.
It was still early evening when the settlement negotiations with the Flame Hound were over.There was still some time before dinner time, so the teachers were being held up by Rustock'sWe went out to preview the facility.This is the first place we will start on our next rescue mission, and if we are slowed down here, there is a risk of delaying our plans for the rest of the day.The site where the teachers are being held is on the other side of the town of Rustock, as seen from the garrison.The site is about the size of a schoolyard, with a two-story building the size of a classroom and a warehouse that doubles as a stable, and the rest of the land is cleared, and this is where the training seems to be taking place.There are six teachers in custody, four males and two females, all middle-aged uncles and aunts, with the exception of the science teacher, Furukan.The teachers, both knight and surgeon types, were trained as seekers!"Lower your posture and move forward! You're in full view like that!There are ropes and boarded-up obstacles placed on the ground, and the exercise of trying to figure out what's ahead of you while trying to avoid those obstacles is like the military training you see on TV.'Don't be stupid, don't show your face! The kids will be wiped out along with you!The knights of Riesenburg proceed with their training by saying that when they go into actual combat, the teachers will be leading their students through the forest.The teachers are eagerly awaiting their students to learn that their abilities as seekers can mean the difference between life and death.But, from what Basten has found out, it's a lie to get the teachers to work diligently on their training, and it's actually going to be used as a decoy to get them to walk in front of the Seeker in their day job.If they can serve as Seekers, they can survive, but if they don't see the demons approaching, they'll be the first to fall victim to them, and I'm sure the officials don't think that's the role they're supposed to play in alerting the original Seekers to the demons' presence.There are three Riesenburg knights in this facility, and they return to the garrison at night, leaving one person in charge of the innkeepers in charge.The teachers live on the second floor of the building, which has a private room a little larger than my room in the boarding house, as well as a communal toilet, bathroom, and kitchen, and the stairs to the second floor are locked at night.All the windows are fitted with iron grates, and if a fire breaks out in the middle of the night, it would be a total disaster.Nevertheless, with only one innkeeper for every six students, it seems a bit thin, but it is said that the students will be punished if they escape, so the teachers can't seem to plot their escape.And since they are not allowed off the premises, they have no idea what's going on outside, and they can't seem to even plan an escape.It's a good thing for us that we don't have much security at night, so we'll be contacting them before we decide on an operation to have them prepared.During the rescue mission, we'll let the knight in charge of the innkeeper sleep, unlock the stairs, and have Zae tow the small carriage we left behind to move to the garrison and meet up with our classmates, and from there we'll move to Volzard.I've already confirmed that the key to the stairs is hung at the entrance to the room for lodging, so I plan to lock the sleeping knights upstairs.''And yet........you look kind of dingy and disheveled.......''''I can't say I'm being treated very well, so I suppose it can't be helped.I heard that they have all the facilities for living, but they have to provide their own water and fire.It seems that they pour magic power into their magic tools to produce water and light fires for cooking and for boiling water, but they are so exhausted from training that they can barely provide the minimum amount of water and fire.Water enough to fill a bath tub and the fire to boil it seems to be limited to once every few days.'The bath is every few days, we have trouble with water for washing, we can't cook well, and we're not even given any good food.'"I see...My homeroom teacher, Mr. Sato, used to wear a lot of make-up when he was in Japan, and when I saw his face without make-up, he looked so old that I couldn't tell who he was.The other teachers also looked much older to varying degrees.All of them looked like they had lost their liveliness, and I got the impression that they were just trying to get by on their own energy.With this, no matter how much I intend to make them disposable, I feel like they're useless.''Fred, do you think the information about your classmates has been passed on?'''I don't think they've told us that either. I don't think they told us what happened to Hunayama, that five or fifty of the men who went to fight in the field never came back.'Is that to prevent teachers from being upset or repulsed by bad information getting out?'We believe that's true, and they seem to avoid contact with students as much as possible after this.In any case, even if we contact the teachers, it will be after the night when the knights are alone, so we'll ask Amanda to bring something to bring us.Once I return to Volzard, I decide to report to Donovan-san and finish my dinner before coming back out.Before returning to the guild, I went to the wall construction site where my classmates were being worked on.Takayama and the others, who had been rebellious at the time of this morning, were rounded up by Klaus-san's storytelling and were motivated, but since the construction of the castle wall is hard work, I was worried that they might get into a ruckus or a dispute, but it seems that their fears were unfounded.With Kondo and the others in charge of the construction and the garrison who were overseeing the work, they were washing their hands and faces and talking congenially about their impressions of the day.Well, Gase Megane was blurting it out as usual, but the new and old duo and Takayama joined the circle, and I felt a sense of unity.I feel like I shouldn't show my face here.Looking at the expressions of the supervisors, today's work seems to have been completed without any problems, and at this rate, I feel that the day when everyone is accepted by the people of Volzard is not far away.Kondo, the new and old duo, and Takayama are all much higher than me when it comes to gymnastics and basic specs, and if they work diligently, they deserve to be accepted.I suppose it would be the best form of socializing with the people of the city in this way, where I'm not present, but since I'm the only one not participating, I feel a little bit alienated.I think I'm going to feel self-hating if I'm a really small-minded guy.After regaining my composure, I moved to the guild and reported to Donovan-san about the Flamehound one.I explained to him in order from the commotion in front of Amanda's shop to the resolution, but as expected of Donovan-san, he couldn't hold back his laughter when he decorated the meowns with ribbons.Yeah, I feel like I've got one.'I see, so that means those guys are back to the trio, right?Yes, I think it probably will.Did I do something wrong...?Well, let's just say, they'll get tired of the money and do all kinds of things to you, just be a little more careful...That being said...If there's going to be a problem involving the Orlando store, it's definitely going to be because of my relationship with Beatrice, and I'm not trying to take it from me, but I'm not supposed to be dizzy.'Hmph, a man is supposed to take care of a woman's misbehavior.Huh....I'm not used to this kind of thing...So consider it a lesson, then, and do something about it, or you'll get in trouble with the lodgers again.Yeah, I understand.You still have to prevent Beatrice from approaching you, and roadside chewing is poorly done.Next time we meet, we'll make sure to nail it right.Since I had already reported to Donovan-san, I went back to the boarding house and told Amanda-san what had happened and asked her to bring some food to take to the teachers.'Utterly, what a horrible way to treat them, I'll make it up as I go along with my arms.'Thank you, but I just don't think my body will accept it if I increase the volume too quickly...'All right, I'll do the cooking, Dawn.Yes, please.There seemed to be a little more time before dinner, so I went to see the training of all of my subordinates.The destination I flew to with Reinhardt as my landmark seemed to be quite deep in the Demon Forest.''Reinhardt, where is this area?''"Just a couple of days' walk south of the Devil's Forest,Speaking of which, what's the terrain like around here?"As you saw on the map in Camilla's room, the Devil's Forest extends from the rugged mountains in the north to the cliffs of the southern coastline as far as the south.The map I saw in Camilla's room showed only the old Riesenburg, now Riesenburg and Landshrt, but it was a steep mountainous area with perpetual snow in the north and the sea in the south.The Devil's Forest stretches across the land that leads to another continent to the south, and it was originally created by a mass outbreak of tree demons, Trent, from the next continent.The southern continent is said to be the continent ruled by demons, and it is believed that the mass outbreaks of demons came from the southern continent.''Well, does that mean that they are moving in the direction where the density of demons is higher?"How true it is, sir.They were no longer able to deal with orcs at the level of orcs, so they moved in search of even stronger demons in order to train their cooperation in actual battle.No skilled adventurers set foot in this area, and the forest was a dense virgin forest, with no signs of human presence.In the midst of the virgin forest, there is a gaping hole about 30 meters in diameter where no trees grow.If you look closely, you can see that there are no trees growing, but they have been cut down from the roots.From deep in the forest, we could hear gurgling and the threatening roar of the alts, and after a while, a dozen or so ogres appeared.As Alto and the others drove the ogres into the hunting ground, Twoo jumped out of the shadows and wielded his kukri knife, turning the ogres into pieces of meat in the blink of an eye.While repeating these exercises, I've repeatedly strengthened it with the magic stones I got, so Twoo's movements seem to have increased in speed and strength, and I can no longer follow its movements with my eyes.Yeah, I'm confident that if everyone attacked me, I would be killed in the blink of an eye.Alto and the others also seem to be getting even more powerful.I didn't want to make a difference in their abilities, so I called Marto and the others to strengthen them, but of course I took care to make sure they didn't lose their cuteness.''Kent-sama, I'll leave the training on coordination until tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, I'm going to teach Zae and the others how to handle the carriage, and the day after tomorrow, I'm going to put everyone in position for the dark days of the week by noon.'''Yeah, okay, well, I'll see if I can borrow the garrison's carriage for the day after tomorrow. And I've got to arrange for some sleeping pills.'I've identified the time of the patrol of Rastok's knights and the knights on duty. I think it's all clear for now."Be ready to go on your mission in three days' time and be ready for anything."Yes, sir. Leave it to me.When I returned to the boarding house, it was just dinner time and Amanda had made a potful of soup and a pile of sandwiches for us to bring in.'Wow, so much, thank you so much, please charge me for it later,'That's okay, I've had Kent protecting the city many times, it's a service.'No, no, I'm sorry you're doing this to me, I'll pay for it on top of my lodging fees.It's okay, kid, don't hold back!But I'll get you something to eat next time, like cookies and cake.Cookie! I like the henhouse cookies!As soon as I heard the word "cookie", Maysa reacted.If Meisa had a tail, she would be buzzing around.'Yes, yes, cookies from the hen house, yes, sir.Speaking of which, Kent, what's going on with those ragpickers, have you made any arrangements?Yes, I've been following up on the story, so I'm sure the flamehounds won't be bothering you.How did that ribbon work out for you?Yes, of course.When I explained the series of interactions with the Flame Hound, including the use of the ribbon, Amanda rolled over laughing, Meline held her mouth and shook her shoulders, and Meisa gave her a subtle look.Perhaps she wasn't happy with the way the beautiful ribbon she wanted was used.After dinner, we had a quick sweat and change of clothes before heading to the care of the chairperson.I didn't see Manon or Beatrice today, but I shouldn't be sweaty.''Kento, you were friendly with the other girls before you came here, right?'No, I didn't, I haven't hugged or kissed anyone today.'Then why do you smell like soap today?''I moved around so much today, I sweated all over the place, so I took a bath before I came here so I wouldn't smell like sweat.The chairman of the committee seemed to finally understand after staring into my eyes.Yes, it's all because of my bad behavior on a daily basis."Sorry for doubting you........'Nope, looking back at myself on a daily basis, I don't blame you for being suspicious...''Ugh, it's true, I'm coming to see a girl and you're coming to see a girl and you're smelling two different girls, you're not a boyfriend...'What's your boyfriend's...?When I expressed my doubts, the chairman of the committee kissed me on the cheek.'So much kissing, so much kissing, isn't it...?''Well that's........''Hmmm I guess we'll have to go head to head with Volzard after all.No ... it's just ... well ...Don't worry, you're going to be in Volzard in four days.'Hi, I'm afraid so...'I won't lose...The chairperson rests her head on my shoulder and hugs me tightly until Erna comes back.Leaving the chairman's room, we now head to the building where the teachers are being held.To my surprise, the knight in charge of the innkeepers had even brought a bottle of liquor with him, and he is chittering and licking the liquor while playing a chess-like board game.If I waited for him to fall asleep on his own, it would take him a long time to fall asleep, so I administered a sleeping pill and asked him to leave.I made sure that the knight in charge of the innkeepers had fallen asleep and moved upstairs where the teachers were.The upstairs seems to be quite dim, with only a few small nightlights lit, if you are not blind at night.There was nothing to do, and the teachers, exhausted from the daytime training, seemed to be already on the floor.I knocked on the door of my homeroom teacher, Ms. Sato, who I had asked Basten to check for me.Sato-sensei, wake up please....I knocked on the door and called out, but there was no immediate answer.''Sensei........Sato-sensei......''Who... what do you want at this hour?Doctor, it's Kokubun. I've brought you some food.As soon as I said my name, the door was opened with great force."Kokubun-kun........you're safe, aren't you.......S-Sir, it's painful...'Oh, I'm sorry... yeah, but how did you... you can't be a ghost...'It's okay, I've got legs, you know...I asked Sato-sensei to wake up the other teachers and have them gather in the communal space.They hadn't been given any information about my classmates, but they had been told that I was headed to the demon forest alone and had already fallen prey to the demons.When I showed up, not only Sato-sensei but other teachers suspected that I was not a ghost, and then they rubbed it in that I was well alive.They heated up the soup we brought in for them and ate it with their sandwiches, which they hadn't had properly cooked in a long time.After the teachers ate the food and got comfortable, we talked about the situation so far and the rescue operation.When I told them that Funayama was dead, they were speechless, sad, angry, and unable to control their emotions.'So three nights from now, probably around this time, I'll come for the teachers. After that, we'll move to the garrison where my classmates are, and then we'll all go to Volzard.Do we have to go on foot? Wouldn't it be faster to take the carriage?I'll have my wagon pulled by my undead lizardmen for transport.You're letting the monster pull you instead of the horse.Yes, with a horse, you need to tie it to the chariot and give it instructions, but with my family members, I can pull the chariot myself and I don't have to give them detailed instructions.To avoid surprises on the day, I introduced Zhae on behalf of the group, and everyone was surprised to see how much they were sitting up.''I'm Zhae, a member of Kent-sama's household, and I'd like to make your acquaintance...''The teachers finally seemed to be relieved when Zae spoke fluently and showed them a knight's salute.As an added bonus, I asked Basten and Milt to come out and complete the introductions.'Teachers, I'll give you a class-by-class list of your remaining classmates in the Rustock garrison on the day, so please take roll call of your homeroom class.How many carriages do we need?Five vehicles.Can't we get another one?'Another one... hmmm...'The reason Mr. Kato, the Health and Physical Education teacher, suggested that we have more carriages is because we have six classes in our grade.If you want to put six classes in five carriages, then of course one class or each class would have to split up to ride in a separate carriage, which could be confusing.If you put six classes in six carriages, you can just assign a carriage to each class and there will be less confusion.''It would be impossible to have only one carriage towed by a horse, so let's select a few from the alts to tow...''"Master Kent, would you like me to pull you?Basten, are you okay?'I couldn't do it in the flesh, but I have no problem with it now.'Okay, we'll figure that out with Reinhardt and the others when we get back. Kato-sensei, please put that on hold for a moment.If it's difficult to get six cars, talk to me and I'll try to split my class to get them on board.Yes, I'll let you know how it goes.The first thing to rescue the teachers was to get all of my classmates together, even though we were sometimes far away from each other in places.When we rescued fifty people, the Riesenburgers had organized us into groups or squads, so we were able to work together.However, this time, the number of people in the group would increase without such a structure, so I felt it would likely take longer to get them to work as a group.So I decided to have them act as a class, with the teacher at the center.'Well then, I'll be back to contact you before we decide, so be ready to get ready so they don't find out.'Leave it to me like you're on a big boat with Dawn!When the youngest teacher, Furutate Sensei, tapped his chest and showed them his smile, the other teachers also smiled.But you know, I don't think that's good enough.......''Furukan-sensei, please don't look so cheerful just now. If a teacher who looked like he was about to die until yesterday suddenly became energetic, it would definitely be suspicious.''Ugh ... sure, then ... please Kokubun, help me quickly ... like this?''Dr. Furukan-sensei tried to act like he was dying, but he was quite rad, and the other teachers laughed at him.Anyway, I promised to contact him before the day of the mission and returned to Volzard.Now, I'm starting to feel like it's time to go to work.
