《The Saga of Lioncourt》


 CH 1

    Translator:


    I¡¯ve decided to translate some new novels for a change of pace. This series isn¡¯t too long and seems quite interesting. I will be going with the light novel¡¯s title as it¡¯s way shorter.


    Bonjour! New World


    My name is Tadashi Tanaka. I am 41.


    A plain-sounding name, isn¡¯t it?


    I think so too.


    I was the third son, and was born in a countryside temple. I think my life was mostly ordinary.


    If I had to mention something that wasn¡¯t, maybe it was the fact that I went to a Buddhist high school?


    I was in the judo club¡­well, I was more or less forced into it. Thinking back, I have good memories, but I hated it then. Really.


    When I was 23, I got Yumiko pregnant, and so we got married. And I started work at the food processing company that my wife¡¯s family owned.


    It really was run entirely by their family, and so I had my own important position and would have eventually climbed to the top, you know?


    That being said, the job mainly involved managing the warehouses and my subordinates were all old ladies who were part-time workers.


    As for children, my oldest son, Kenta, was 18. Joji was the next and he was 16.


    They were both admirable boys, unlike me. And they attended a high school that was considered highbrow within the area.


    I was proud of them.


    Me? I went to some third-rate private university¡­ But, who cares about that?


    Well, I was happy.


    Because of my job, my wife definitely wore the pants in the house, but I had thirty thousand a month for allowance. I could buy cigarettes and alcohol.


    We took out a loan but were able to build a house. We had two cars.


    That wasn¡¯t bad for where we were living.


    I had life insurance and educational insurance.


    I don¡¯t think I was ever that worried about my children¡¯s future.


    Of course, I would have liked to see them grow to adulthood, but what can you do?


    The truth is, I am dying.


    Stomach cancer¡­ It had spread so much by the time that they found it. I was told I only had 4 to 5 months to live¡­ Well, what can you do?


    I was happy that I had lost weight, and look what happened.


    Well, I lived a full 6 months after that. They took away the pain now, and I feel better.


    It¡¯s a beautiful thing to not have to feel pain. Seriously.


    I think that I was happy.


    ¡­After all, there are people who are crying over someone like me.


    ¡­I was happy. I was. But¡­


    I don¡¯t want to die.


    I want to live longer.


    I don¡¯t want to die.


    ¡­


    Now, I am falling.


    No, I don¡¯t know what is happening, but it feels like I am falling.


    After I died, it was as if I seeped out of my body¡­and here I am now.


    ¡­Back at my parents home, I had once seen a picture of hell. A hell where you kept falling for eternity¡­ I think it was supposed to be the worst of the eight great hells or something¡­ Uninterrupted suffering or whatever¡­


    Hey, now. Are we just going to skip the river and the demons¡­? Was I that sinful of a person?


    Well, I did tell lies. Killed animals, ate meat, slept with women and drank¡­oh? Am I in trouble?


    But still, this was deep. I don¡¯t even know if I am falling anymore.


    Uninterrupted hell¡­ If I remember correctly, you would fall for a 1,000 years and then be eaten by a dragon or an ogre¡­ I¡¯m already dead, but please don¡¯t eat me.


    Don¡¯t.


    ¡­Oh? I can see something now.


    ¡­


    ¡­Ouch!


    I felt a sharp pain on my shoulder and I woke up.


    ¡°¡­Where is this?¡±


    The sound that came from my mouth was strange.


    That¡¯s not right?


    I felt an instinctive danger and looked at my surroundings.


    I had been in a hospital room, but now I was standing outside¡­and there was a frightening giant looming over me.


    I didn¡¯t know what the reason was, but it was incredibly angry.


    And huge. Just huge.


    I was 172 cm tall, but this thing was twice that height.


    And the face was intimidating.


    He had black eyes and black hair that was pushed back. The mustache was¡­stylish in a way, but he had two scars that streaked over his face in a way that I had never seen before. Not the most respectable looking, in any case.


    And this giant was standing in front of me and looking furious.


    He was even holding a wooden sword¡­ I¡¯m dead.


    What kind of punishment was this¡­ Ah, this really was hell.

 CH 2

    Goodbye, Tanaka


    Several days passed.


    I had realized it in some way, from the beginning. This was not Japan. It was probably not even the same time period.


    I could hardly believe that time travel was possible, but I didn¡¯t have much choice when the truth was right in front of me.


    It didn¡¯t matter if this was the countryside, it didn¡¯t make sense that there was not a single electronic device here.


    And even if this was some kind of strange community that deliberately lived with nature and away from civilization, you would think that they would keep the bare necessities. But they did not.


    And the giants.


    It turned out that it was actually quite the opposite.


    It was just me that was very small.


    I was currently in the form of a child.


    ¡­Can you believe it? I can¡¯t.


    I was in the body of a foreign child of¡­perhaps seven or eight?


    My hair and eye-color were black, which reduced the shock, but my face still looked very western.


    And I was apparently called Balian.


    And I think that the man and woman were my parents¡­well, I could get no confirmation due to the language, so you¡¯ll have to excuse me if I am wrong.


    But after that, it was presumed that I had lost all memory, and I was treated as if I were ill.


    A doctor came and had me drink some medicine, and once that proved to be ineffective, we visited a church and received prayers and purifications rituals and what have you.


    The priest or whatever the old man was, splashed water over me and sprinkled some sort of incense, but nothing worked.


    For a moment, I thought that they would try to exorcise a demon from me, but that didn¡¯t happen.


    But really, what was this?


    I thought that it might be transmigration, but would that really begin in the middle of childhood?


    And if you could reincarnate into a past person, what happened to the Balian who existed up until now?


    I didn¡¯t feel like doing anything for those past few days, and I just rolled around in my odorous bed.


    How long would this state even continue?


    Perhaps the real Balian would awaken one day, and I would be gone.


    Thinking of it like that, I had very little will to do anything.


    Tadashi Tanaka was dead.


    What right did I have to meddle with someone else¡¯s life¡­


    As Balian¡¯s mother looked at me worriedly, I recalled the words that my grandfather had once told me.


    ¡®You should not chase the past, the future will not wait. Just live strong and in the present.¡¯


    If I remember correctly, those were the words of Buddha.


    As I was raised at a temple, I heard many words like that as a child.


    ¡­Live in the present, huh? Those were wise words¡­


    Being imprisoned by what is long past or the future that hasn¡¯t happened yet¡­it really was pointless.


    Now that I think of it, I might have turned into a hopeless failure had stayed like that, just rolling around in my bed, wondering about something that would never happen.


    I thanked my grandfather then.


    ¡­Grandpa, thanks¡­ Sorry for being so harsh about not wanting to inherit the temple.


    I apologized to him in my heart, and slowly put my hands together.


    I had died already. But for now, I would do what I can¡­ It took me four days to reach that conclusion, but I¡¯m sure that could be overlooked.


    Still, I don¡¯t think it was time wasted.


    That time was necessary for me to accept the reality that was in front of me.


    I was not Tanaka, I was Balian, and this was the land I would live in.


    ¡­


    In any case, it was necessary for me to understand my situation before doing anything.


    As I began to inspect my surroundings once again, I realize just how uncomfortable this place is to live in.


    We had a thin, disgusting soup and dark bread twice a day for meals¡­ Well, that might have had to do with the fact that I was presumed ill, but it still seemed that the diet was rather poor here.


    As for the toilet, you just plopped it into an unglazed pot.


    Sanitation was dismal. They cleaned themselves with water, but there was no bathtub.


    Of course, no one washed their hands or brushed their teeth.


    There was no gas in the kitchen, and so they cooked with a stove and firewood.


    I did see a cast iron pot, so we were at least in the iron age.


    Still, there was no chimney in the kitchen, and the place was often full of smoke.


    The town was filled with plain houses built with stone, with some having straw-thatched roofs, and most were single story houses. The Balian house was a single story house as well.


    The people who walked down the streets wore wool or cotton.


    I¡¯ve seen people carrying swords and bows, but no guns.


    There were also lordly types that rode horses.

 CH 3

    9-11 minutes 04.06.2023


    Translated by Raizu


    Early morning.


    After the morning training in the garden of the mansion, everyone was taking a breather.


    In order to quickly become familiar with this world, I participated in the morning martial arts training of my retainers.


    I had to admit that there¡¯s not much training I could do as a 7 year old, but I knew that actively participating in activities like this was the key to getting used to a new organization.


    However, it¡¯s just to the extent where I stick behind and swing my sword so as not to get in the way.


    The training was mainly sword and shield. Apparently bows cannot be used in the royal capital.


    [Varian, how are you? Have you remembered anything?]


    After the training was over, my older brother Robel, who was also participating in the training, called out to me.


    Robel is a refreshingly handsome man with light brown hair and green eyes, just like his mother.


    He is 12 years old, five years older than me.


    [Sorry, anijahito, still nothing at all]


    I answered in the sloppy local language that I had finally learned.


    [I see¡­ Well, no need to rush things up. But don¡¯t call me older brother. It¡¯s too formal, you know.]


    Robel made a wry smile and scolded me for my use of words.


    I was using the ¡°anijahito¡± expression since he¡¯s after all my older brother. But, Robel apparently didn¡¯t like it.


    [Excuse me, then what should I use?]


    [Nii-san, or aniki maybe¡­]


    Robel seemed to be in a good mood after seeing my honest curiosity.


    It¡¯s almost like Varian was such a problem kid before I entered the scene. Apparently Robel and the other children didn¡¯t get along well with him.


    [Nii-san, today, I¡¯m going to church with my mother.]


    [Right¡­that¡¯s a good thing. Though, I won¡¯t be joining you. Church can be boring most of the times.]


    Today is a day to visit the church.


    I¡¯m not interested in the religion of this land.


    But, religion is like the OS (Operating System) of the society and often made of most of its common sense.


    Deviating significantly may prove dangerous¡­even the Japanese would get angry when foreigners steal Buddhist statuettes, or when a large rock that was the sacred object of some shrine was climbed or desecrated.


    In the Amoros Kingdom, where civilization had not developed much, it would be even more so.


    On the contrary, actions that are thought to be deeply religious should be highly favored.


    Thus, I need to learn about the religion of Amoros Kingdom.


    ===========


    I headed to the dining room to eat breakfast with Robel.


    In the Kingdom of Amoros, there are only two meals a day; a late breakfast and an early dinner.


    Everyone eats dinner together, but breakfast is often eaten quickly in the dining room or kitchen.


    The biggest room has a huge table, and I call it the dining room.


    The breakfast menu is black bread, cheese, and root vegetable soup.


    The bread is hard and the cheese has a strong smell and taste.


    The soup is halfway between simmered food and soup, and has a light taste.


    It seems that the culinary state of Amoros kingdom is not that good.


    ¡­it¡¯s bad¡­


    Even though I was disgusted in my heart, I still ate the meal.


    Varian¡¯s body has poor fuel efficiency, making me get hungry rather quickly.


    I shouldn¡¯t care about the taste.


    [Haha, Varian is eating eagerly, isn¡¯t he¡­is it good?]


    [Yes, I¡¯m happy to be able to eat this food.]


    Robel was visibly stunned for a short while upon hearing my answer.


    [Happy to be able to eat this food, huh¡­ Varian, you¡¯ve changed.]


    Robel muttered earnestly.


    [Varian, I like the you right now more than the previous you¡­ Everyone else probably also think so.]


    After saying so, Robel urged me by saying [Mother should be waiting for you by now].


    ¡­..To think that even my real brother would be happy that I lost my memory¡­ Varian must have been one hell of a troublemaker¡­


    I went to look for my mother with mixed feelings.


    ============


    My mother took me to church.


    Even though it¡¯s called a church, it¡¯s a simple one, with no stained glass or murals.


    There are only chairs lined up in a rugged stone hall.


    There¡¯s not even a divine object, just a radial symbol mark drawn on the wall.


    This is called the Sacred Heaven Church, and it spreads a religion with the sun god as the sole God¡­ I don¡¯t know, but it seems to be the mainstream religion in the Kingdom of Amoros.


    After everyone chanted a scripture-like sutra, the monk¡¯s sermon began.


    Today¡¯s monk was the same old man who tried to exorcize me¡­ Apparently, he seems to be a high-ranking man, and everyone is listening intently to his sermon.


    The doctrine of the Sacred Heaven Church is simple: ¡°if you do good deeds you will go to paradise or heaven, if you do bad things you will go to hell¡±. ¡­..I think it is easy to understand.


    The¡ºgood things¡»here are also set, and the scripture mentions about nine virtues; tolerance, patience, mercy, temperance, courage, faithfulness, humility, diligence, and belief.


    He¡¯s preaching about the preciousness of faithfulness today.


    After listening to the sermon, my mother and I met with the monk in a place like a special seat, probably because of our status as an Earl.


    This monk is Reverend Rinel, a high priest of the church who is about 40 years old.


    Rinel is a skinny monk with a smooth shaved head¡­ It seems that the priests of the Sacred Heaven Church shave their hair.


    [How are you doing, Varian-sama?]


    [About that¡­ I still haven¡¯t remembered much.]


    Reverend Rinel and Varian¡¯s mother, Rushieno, looked at me with pity.


    [Varian-sama listened to the teachings with great interest, are you interested in the teachings of the Sacred Heaven?]


    Reverend Rinel spoke to me kindly.


    [Yes. ¡°A husband should be true to a faithful wife¡±! Shouldn¡¯t it be that way? I understand it.]


    When I sullenly answered about today¡¯s sermon, Reverend Rinel and Rushieno opened their eyes wide in surprise.


    [Rushieno-sama¡­this is¡­]


    Rinel whispered something to Rushieno, but she shook her head slightly¡­ Did I say something bad?


    [Varian-sama, you¡¯re right¡­then, do you understand why people have to live faithfully?]


    [¡­if people are full of lust¡­the children will not understand who their parents are as their number keeps increasing, parents will not take care of their children, children will not respect their parents. This is what causes revolt in the world.]


    I just answered with the contents of the sermon just now¡­ It should be fine if I don¡¯t make any changes¡­but I¡¯m a little worried because I don¡¯t know where this is going.


    [No way, at the age of 7¡­ Varian-sama, do you really know what being faithful is?]


    [Yes. protecting something using the nine virtues¡­tolerance, patience, mercy, temperance, courage, faithfulness, humility, belief¡­umm¡­]


    I counted using the fingers on both hands.


    [Perseverance and diligence.]


    Reverend Rinel spoke to me kindly.


    [Rushieno-sama¡­this was surprising. Varian-sama is loved by God. His loss of memory must be the gift of God.]


    [But, Varian is¡­]


    Looking at the two of them, I realized that I was overdoing it¡­ If a 7-year-old child is interested in a story that 12-year-old Robel can dismiss as ¡°boring¡±, there is no doubt that it is unnatural.


    I still didn¡¯t have enough self-awareness as a 7-year-old.


    [Varian-sama will become a great high priest in the future¡­by all means.]


    [But, the monastery¡­]


    I kept hearing some suspicious conversations¡­


    This is no longer a joking matter. I have no intention of becoming a monk.


    Having made up my mind, I interrupted the two. All the while trying to be as childish as I could.


    [I don¡¯t want to be a monk because I want to help my brother, and the Lioncoeur family.]


    When I apologized to him, Rinel-san laughed and quipped, [I guess I was getting ahead of myself].


    [Varian-sama, it looks like you really love your brother.]


    [Yes, he¡¯s kind, and strong.]


    Hearing my words, Rushieno became teary eyed with emotion.


    She must¡¯ve been worried about the bad relationship between Robel and Varian as siblings¡­ it¡¯s normal for nobles to have siblings to fight over the family headships. It¡¯s not unreasonable to worry.


    [Then, what do you think about studying with us? Varian-sama is very talented, and we have a lot of books here in the church.]


    [Yes, by all means, mother, I want to study.]


    My mother smiled and replied with an [Of course].


    Thus, I ended up studying at Sacred Heaven Church.


    For someone like me, who was unfamiliar with the social norms of the Amoros Kingdom, this is a very welcome offer.


    From the next day onwards, I would train with my retainers in the morning and attend church in the afternoon¡­ if I continue like this, I should be able to acquire a certain level of skill by the time I become an adult.


    As I learned a little later, the literacy rate in the Kingdom of Amoros is extremely low, and it seems that there are almost no people in rural areas who can read and write, other than the clerics.


    Surprisingly, even lower ranked nobles are illiterate, saying that [being able to write their names is enough]¡­ I¡¯m really glad that my mother is a person who understands the importance of learning.


    I savored the happiness of being able to study under Reverend Rinel.

 Volume 1 - CH 1

    Bonjour! Isekai


    Translated by Raizu


    My name is Tanaka Sei. 41 years old.


    A plain name, isn¡¯t it?


    I think so too.


    I was born the third son of a rural temple guardian family, but I didn¡¯t lead a particularly unusual life.


    Should I also mention that I went to a Buddhist high school?


    And I also joined the judo club¡­half forced to join the judo club. Looking back, it¡¯s a good memory. But, I hated it back then. Very much so.


    When I was 23, I got married to my wife, Yumiko, and got a job at a food processing company run by her family.


    Because the company was completely run by the family, I was treated like a section chief, you know?


    That said, my job was warehouse management, and my subordinates were all local part-time aunties.


    Our eldest son, Kenta, was 18 years old, and the second son, Shoji, was 16 years old.


    Both of them were excellent, unlike me, and managed to attend high-level local school.


    I¡¯m proud of my sons.


    Me? I¡¯m a graduate of a third-rate private university¡­not that I mind that.


    Well, I was happy.


    Because of my work, my wife was the one who made up the most of the family expenses, but I was able to manage my pocket money of 30,000 yen a month, smoke cigarettes, and drink alcohol.


    I had to make a loan for it, but I had a house and two cars.


    For a rural area, I could be considered decent in terms of income.


    I had life insurance, as well as student insurance.


    My children¡¯s future was pretty much assured.


    Of course, I wished I could watch them grow into adulthood. But, it can¡¯t be helped.


    I mean, I¡¯m dying as we speak.


    Stomach cancer¡­ by the time it¡¯s found, it¡¯s been metastasized. I was diagnosed to have only 4 to 5 months left to live¡­ Well, nothing we could do about that.


    At least I got to lose some weight at the end of my life.


    Well, I was able to live for half a year after that, and the pain was taken away and I felt much better.


    I think it¡¯s really wonderful that it doesn¡¯t hurt, seriously.


    I think I was happy.


    ¡­..Because there were people who cried so much because of me¡­..


    ¡­I was happy, I was happy, but¡­


    I really don¡¯t want to die.


    I wanted to live longer.


    I do not want to die.


    ============


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    I felt like I was falling.


    No, I didn¡¯t know for sure, but I felt like I was falling.


    After I died, I slipped out of my body¡­ and before I knew it, it was like this.


    ¡­..If I remember correctly, in the picture of hell that I saw at my parents¡¯ house, there was a hell where we just kept falling¡­ Of the eight great hells, Mugen Jigoku or whatever¡­


    Oi oi, how come I didn¡¯t pass the yellow river and met Enma-sama before I got kicked out here¡­? Was I really so sinful?


    Well, I lied, killed, ate meat, had sex with women, and drunk¡­eh? I guess I was sinful?


    Even so, it¡¯s so deep. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I had been falling like this.


    Mugen Jigoku¡­ If I recall correctly, the sinful soul will keep falling for thousands of years before finally being eaten by either a dragon or a demon¡­ I¡¯m already dead, but I don¡¯t want to be eaten as well.


    I hate this.


    ¡­oh, I think I see something.


    ===========


    ¡­..ouch!


    I woke up to a feeling of sharp pain in my shoulder.


    [¡­..this is?]


    The voice that came out of my mouth felt unfamiliar.


    Is something wrong?


    I felt an instinctive sense of danger and looked around restlessly.


    I was supposed to be in the hospital room, but for some reason I was standing outside¡­and for yet some reason, an angry giant was standing in front of me.


    I didn¡¯t know why this giant was so angry at me, but he just was.


    He¡¯s big. Real big.


    I was 172 cm tall, and no kidding, the giant was twice as tall.


    And his face reeked of danger.


    The giant had black hair, black eyes, and a mustache that made him look dandy, but¡­ he had two streaks of scars on his face that nothing like I had ever seen before.


    But, why is this giant of a man going mad in front of me?


    What¡¯s more, looking closely, he was carrying a wooden sword¡­that¡¯s it, I¡¯m dead.


    What kind of divine punishment is this¡­ah, I¡¯m really in hell, aren¡¯t I?


    [ ¡Á¡Á¡Á! ¡Á¡Á¡Á!]


    This is bad. He¡¯s saying something, but I don¡¯t understand it at all.


    [¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á!]


    And then the giant hit me on the head with a wooden sword¡­ Naturally, I wasn¡¯t able to do anything.


    ¡­..this is painful¡­ I was getting beaten up¡­ahh, as expected of hell.


    Even though I just woke up, I quickly lost my consciousness once more.


    ==========


    Then, I woke up again.


    I¡¯m in bed? It¡¯s nice, but¡­ it¡¯s kinda dirty. And stinky.


    I got up and checked my surroundings.


    Tud.


    When I moved my body, the area that was hit by the giant¡­ My head and shoulders throbbed in pain.


    Enduring the pain, I kept looking around, and found myself in a dark, rustic room made of stone.


    If it weren¡¯t for the small window, I could¡¯ve mistaken the room for a prison cell.


    I heard a child singing from outside the window.


    The somewhat out of tune singing voice was mixed with cheerful laughter.


    ¡­..Outside the window?


    When I peeped through the window, which was located in a strangely high position, by tiptoe-ing with my unsteady legs, I saw a girl and a boy who seemed to be foreigners had their feet in the tub.


    I wondered if they¡¯re playing in the water¡­ No, they¡¯re stepping on something¡­ it looks like they¡¯re doing laundry.


    Washing with your feet? ¡­..this window doesn¡¯t even have glass in it¡­is it weird?¡±


    I twisted my neck.


    Looking closely, there¡¯s no lighting of sorts in this dark stone room.


    A filthy bed, a window without glass, a ceiling with no lighting¡­and to top it all off, there were foreigners outside the window.


    As I was thinking that it was unnatural, the children outside the window noticed me and hurriedly ran away.


    ¡­eh? I wondered why¡­


    When I was thinking for a while, the heavy door suddenly opened.


    The person who entered was a foreign woman.


    A woman in her 30¡¯s with a plump atmosphere, light brown hair and green eyes¡­ her features are well within the category of a beautiful woman.


    What¡¯s more, she¡¯s also a giant.


    [¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á, ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á!]


    I still didn¡¯t get the language she¡¯s talking in.


    I wasn¡¯t proficient in English, and not being able to communicate at all was extremely inconvenient. I¡¯m a little scared when someone I don¡¯t know speaks to me.


    Seeing my reaction, the woman frowned suspiciously.


    Afterward, the black-haired giant man emerged into the room and tried to talk to me¡­but I still didn¡¯t get what they¡¯re talking about.


    [Excuse me, is there anyone who understands Japanese? My name is Tanaka Sei.]


    A strangely high-pitched voice came out of my mouth.


    Hearing my words, the two giants looked at each other with dubious faces.


    ¡¸Do you know Japanese£¿¡¹


    Just in case, I also asked in English, despite not really being good at it. But, it still didn¡¯t work¡­ Here I thought they¡¯d understand English.


    [Nihao, Bonjour, Ciao, Guten morgen?]


    I tried to pronounce random greetings in different languages one by one, but none seemed to work¡­ well, it¡¯s not like I would understand if they reply in French or Italian, but at the very least give me a clue here.


    It¡¯s tough on my mental state not understanding anything like this.


    [¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á! ¡Á¡Á!]


    The woman crouched down and started crying.


    The giant man tried to comfort the woman, but it seemed to have the opposite effect, and the woman hysterically accused the man.


    Serve you right.


    Good, do some more.


    I was grinning as I watched the giant man grow fuzzy, but even if the giant is taken into account, it¡¯s still too much to call it a fight between foreigners.


    However, both of them have a strange appearance, or should I say, they have simple bodies¡­ I wonder if this is Eastern Europe or somewhere in the countryside?


    The giant man had a sword on his waist.


    All of the things I¡¯ve seen so far made me feel uncomfortable, and I thought that I might have been involved in something outrageous¡­ Then, I finally realized.

 Volume 1 - CH 2

    Goodbye Tanaka


    Translated by Raizu


    A few days had passed.


    I had a vague sense of it, but I think that this is not Japan, and that the time is probably different.


    Time travel should¡¯ve been just fiction, but I couldn¡¯t help but consider the possibility because of the reality before me.


    It¡¯s strange that there were no electronic appliances. Even if it¡¯s in the countryside.


    Even if it was a community that insisted on living a natural life away from civilization, they should at least use civilized things, but there was absolutely no such thing here.


    And about the giants.


    They looked huge to me not because they¡¯re actually huge. It¡¯s the opposite.


    It¡¯s me who was small.


    My present appearance is that of a child.


    ¡­..unbelievable, right? I couldn¡¯t believe it either.


    Right now, I look like a foreign boy¡­about 7 to 8 years old, maybe?


    Both my hair and eyes are black. And while my face doesn¡¯t look odd, I strangely looked grumpy.


    Apparently, I was named Varian.


    And apparently the man and woman from the other day are my parents¡­ I didn¡¯t get what they¡¯re saying, so pardon me for the insolence.


    Since then, I¡¯ve been treated as an amnesiac.


    I was given medicine(?) by someone who seemed to be a doctor, and when they found out that it didn¡¯t work, I was brought to a church-like building and received a lot of prayers and exorcism.


    I didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s by a monk or a priest, but I was sprinkled with water and doused with foul-smelling incense. But of course it had no effect.


    For a moment, I thought that I was exorcised as an evil spirit or something, but it seems that¡¯s not the case.


    What is going on here?


    If it¡¯s reincarnation, how come I directly reincarnated to a young boy instead?


    There are endless questions about what happened to Varian up until now, or whether I was reborn in the past in the first place.


    For the past few days, I¡¯ve been lying around in my stinking bed without even thinking about doing anything.


    First of all, how long will this state last?


    Maybe one day the real Varian will suddenly wake up and I¡¯ll be gone.


    When I think about it, I don¡¯t feel like doing anything.


    ¡ºTanaka Sei¡»had already died anyway.


    And I don¡¯t know what to do with the life of this unfamiliar Varian either¡­


    As I was rummaging around while Varian¡¯s mother worriedly watched, I suddenly remembered the words my grandfather had taught me.


    ¡ºDon¡¯t chase the past, don¡¯t wait for the future. Live as best as you could in the present¡»


    I¡¯m pretty sure he quoted it from Buddha.


    I grew up listening to a lot of stories like this because my parents¡¯ house is a temple.


    ¡­..to live in the present, huh? Buddha says good things¡­


    Trapped in the past or worried about the future that hasn¡¯t even happened¡­ it¡¯s certainly barren.


    If you think about it, you might have become a useless person by just rummaging around instead of going back to normal.


    I thanked my Grandfather.


    ¡­thank you, gramps¡­ I¡¯m sorry for ranting about not wanting to inherit the temple.


    I apologized to my grandfather in my heart and gently put my hands together with my grandfather in my heart.


    Even if I die, I¡¯ll try to do my best¡­ I¡¯m sorry that it took me four days to arrive there.


    But I don¡¯t think it was a waste of time.


    It was the time I needed to accept the reality in front of me.


    From now on, I will start living here as Varian, not as Tanaka.


    ===============


    For starters, I need to understand the current situation in order to do anything.


    When I looked around again, the environment here was noticeably inhospitable.


    The rice is thin and tasteless, and I eat black bread twice a day¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m treated like a sick person, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be a very good diet.


    The toilet is just an unglazed pot.


    Hygiene is poor; these people bathe, but they don¡¯t seem to have a bath.


    Of course, they don¡¯t wash their hands either. Not to mention brushing their teeth.


    There is no gas in the kitchen, so we cook with a hearth or firewood.


    Since there are cast iron pots, it is at least an iron civilization.


    However, the kitchen does not have a smoke exhaust system and is very smoky.


    The housings are mostly single-storied houses with rugged stone houses, thatched roofs, and thatched roofs. Varian¡¯s, no, my house is also a one-story house.


    Passersby are wearing crude wool and hemp clothes.


    There are people with swords and bows, but I don¡¯t see guns.


    Some are seen riding atop of horses.


    There are some barbarian-like people who wear fur on their jackets, but they may be of different nationalities.


    They are foreigners, Caucasians. Most have brown or blond hair. Black is apparently a rarity.


    The size of the town is large, and the rows of houses are quite continuous. There seems to be a wall on the edge of the city.


    From a distance, I could see something like a tall stone castle, but is there a lord or King?


    ¡­..how about that? At first, I thought it would be medieval Europe, but I feel that civilization is less developed than the medieval age I had in mind¡­


    Anyway, I have to observe and get myself accustomed to this world.


    And the bare minimum to survive in this land is language.


    Thus I desperately tried to learn the language.


    ==========


    About two months had passed.


    The season was summer-like and the sun was strong, but the overall climate felt refreshing, unlike Japan¡¯s heat and humidity.


    My language skills had improved enough to hold a conversation, and I was able to gather information.


    Acquiring a language in two months is amazing to me. But, it¡¯s not entirely my ability. It¡¯s because Varian¡¯s body remembers it, and the words come in smoothly.


    It just fits in the ears.


    Varian¡¯s full name is Varian de Lioncoeur. He¡¯s 7 years old.


    A fine name, isn¡¯t it? As expected of a noble.


    The Lioncoeur family is an Earl family, a great noble family that cannot be pushed around.


    The territory seems to be the Lioncoeur Basin surrounded by the Eastern Mountains in the far east.


    This town where I live is the capital of the Kingdom of Amoros.


    The head of the family is Rudolf¡­that black-haired giant. He was my father after all.


    Normally, you¡¯ll think that nobles are always stuck up and speak sophisticatedly, right? That¡¯s an outrageous scam.


    In the Kingdom of Amoros, the nobles and warriors¡¯ families are not separated like in Japan, and it seems to be a western style in which nobles are obliged to fight.


    ¡ºNoblesse Oblige¡», where nobility comes with obligations¡­or something like that.


    Rudolph de Lioncoeur was 32 years old, active as a warrior, and apparently started living in the royal capital after gaining prominence in the kingdom.


    He¡¯s also known as the Hawk of Lioncoeur.


    I could already tell from how he looked.


    My mother is Rushieno, that bright brown-haired beauty. She¡¯s 32 years old, the same as my father.


    Apparently she¡¯s a daughter of a noble family.


    I thought that noble women would not do housework, but it seems that they are doing housework under the direction of the maid servants.


    The maid servants were there to assist you, or so they say.


    Varian has two brothers and a sister, but this seemed to be a little complicated.


    The only brother who lives with me is the oldest, Robel.


    My other brother and sister seemed to have been born from my father¡¯s mistress, so they¡¯re not treated as my siblings, but rather as servants.


    In other words, even though I¡¯m the third son, I¡¯m treated like the second son¡­ It¡¯s hard to believe, but that¡¯s how it is.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s like Nobunaga Oda who had an older brother of lower rank.


    ¡­but I¡¯ve never heard of the Kingdom of Amoros before¡­


    I¡¯m not very knowledgeable about geography, but I¡¯ve never heard of the Amoros Kingdom or the Amoros region.


    It may be the name of a location somewhere in ancient Europe, but¡­there are endless questions.


    I made up my mind to live as a Varian¡­ However, my father always looked at me with some level of wariness, and there seemed to be a lot going on at home¡­ I wonder if I, who used to be just an ordinary office worker, can make it through.

 Volume 1 - CH 3

    Sacred Heaven Church


    Translated by Raizu


    Early morning.


    After the morning training in the garden of the mansion, everyone was taking a breather.


    In order to quickly become familiar with this world, I participated in the morning martial arts training of my retainers.


    I had to admit that there¡¯s not much training I could do as a 7 year old, but I knew that actively participating in activities like this was the key to getting used to a new organization.


    However, it¡¯s just to the extent where I stick behind and swing my sword so as not to get in the way.


    The training was mainly sword and shield. Apparently bows cannot be used in the royal capital.


    [Varian, how are you? Have you remembered anything?]


    After the training was over, my older brother Robel, who was also participating in the training, called out to me.


    Robel is a refreshingly handsome man with light brown hair and green eyes, just like his mother.


    He is 12 years old, five years older than me.


    [Sorry, anijahito, still nothing at all]


    I answered in the sloppy local language that I had finally learned.


    [I see¡­ Well, no need to rush things up. But don¡¯t call me older brother. It¡¯s too formal, you know.]


    Robel made a wry smile and scolded me for my use of words.


    I was using the ¡°anijahito¡± expression since he¡¯s after all my older brother. But, Robel apparently didn¡¯t like it.


    [Excuse me, then what should I use?]


    [Nii-san, or aniki maybe¡­]


    Robel seemed to be in a good mood after seeing my honest curiosity.


    [Nii-san, today, I¡¯m going to church with my mother.]


    [Right¡­that¡¯s a good thing. Though, I won¡¯t be joining you. Church can be boring most of the times.]


    Today is a day to visit the church.


    I¡¯m not interested in the religion of this land.


    But, religion is like the OS (Operating System) of the society and often made of most of its common sense.


    Deviating significantly may prove dangerous¡­even the Japanese would get angry when foreigners steal Buddhist statuettes, or when a large rock that was the sacred object of some shrine was climbed or desecrated.


    In the Amoros Kingdom, where civilization had not developed much, it would be even more so.


    On the contrary, actions that are thought to be deeply religious should be highly favored.


    Thus, I need to learn about the religion of Amoros Kingdom.


    ===========


    I headed to the dining room to eat breakfast with Robel.


    In the Kingdom of Amoros, there are only two meals a day; a late breakfast and an early dinner.


    Everyone eats dinner together, but breakfast is often eaten quickly in the dining room or kitchen.


    The biggest room has a huge table, and I call it the dining room.


    The breakfast menu is black bread, cheese, and root vegetable soup.


    The bread is hard and the cheese has a strong smell and taste.


    The soup is halfway between simmered food and soup, and has a light taste.


    It seems that the culinary state of Amoros kingdom is not that good.


    ¡­it¡¯s bad¡­


    Even though I was disgusted in my heart, I still ate the meal.


    Varian¡¯s body has poor fuel efficiency, making me get hungry rather quickly.


    I shouldn¡¯t care about the taste.


    [Haha, Varian is eating eagerly, isn¡¯t he¡­is it good?]


    [Yes, I¡¯m happy to be able to eat this food.]


    Robel was visibly stunned for a short while upon hearing my answer.


    [Happy to be able to eat this food, huh¡­ Varian, you¡¯ve changed.]


    Robel muttered earnestly.


    [Varian, I like the you right now more than the previous you¡­ Everyone else probably also think so.]


    After saying so, Robel urged me by saying [Mother should be waiting for you by now].


    ¡­..To think that even my real brother would be happy that I lost my memory¡­ Varian must have been one hell of a troublemaker¡­


    I went to look for my mother with mixed feelings.


    ============


    My mother took me to church.


    Even though it¡¯s called a church, it¡¯s a simple one, with no stained glass or murals.


    There are only chairs lined up in a rugged stone hall.


    There¡¯s not even a divine object, just a radial symbol mark drawn on the wall.


    This is called the Sacred Heaven Church, and it spreads a religion with the sun god as the sole God¡­ I don¡¯t know, but it seems to be the mainstream religion in the Kingdom of Amoros.


    After everyone chanted a scripture-like sutra, the monk¡¯s sermon began.


    Today¡¯s monk was the same old man who tried to exorcize me¡­ Apparently, he seems to be a high-ranking man, and everyone is listening intently to his sermon.


    The doctrine of the Sacred Heaven Church is simple: ¡°if you do good deeds you will go to paradise or heaven, if you do bad things you will go to hell¡±. ¡­..I think it is easy to understand.


    The¡ºgood things¡»here are also set, and the scripture mentions about nine virtues; tolerance, patience, mercy, temperance, courage, faithfulness, humility, diligence, and belief.


    He¡¯s preaching about the preciousness of faithfulness today.


    After listening to the sermon, my mother and I met with the monk in a place like a special seat, probably because of our status as an Earl.


    This monk is Reverend Rinel, a high priest of the church who is about 40 years old.


    Rinel is a skinny monk with a smooth shaved head¡­ It seems that the priests of the Sacred Heaven Church shave their hair.


    [How are you doing, Varian-sama?]


    [About that¡­ I still haven¡¯t remembered much.]


    Reverend Rinel and Varian¡¯s mother, Rushieno, looked at me with pity.


    [Varian-sama listened to the teachings with great interest, are you interested in the teachings of the Sacred Heaven?]


    Reverend Rinel spoke to me kindly.


    [Yes. ¡°A husband should be true to a faithful wife¡±! Shouldn¡¯t it be that way? I understand it.]


    When I sullenly answered about today¡¯s sermon, Reverend Rinel and Rushieno opened their eyes wide in surprise.


    [Rushieno-sama¡­this is¡­]


    Rinel whispered something to Rushieno, but she shook her head slightly¡­ Did I say something bad?


    [Varian-sama, you¡¯re right¡­then, do you understand why people have to live faithfully?]


    [¡­if people are full of lust¡­the children will not understand who their parents are as their number keeps increasing, parents will not take care of their children, children will not respect their parents. This is what causes revolt in the world.]


    I just answered with the contents of the sermon just now¡­ It should be fine if I don¡¯t make any changes¡­but I¡¯m a little worried because I don¡¯t know where this is going.


    [No way, at the age of 7¡­ Varian-sama, do you really know what being faithful is?]


    [Yes. protecting something using the nine virtues¡­tolerance, patience, mercy, temperance, courage, faithfulness, humility, belief¡­umm¡­]


    I counted using the fingers on both hands.


    [Perseverance and diligence.]


    Reverend Rinel spoke to me kindly.


    [Rushieno-sama¡­this was surprising. Varian-sama is loved by God. His loss of memory must be the gift of God.]


    [But, Varian is¡­]


    Looking at the two of them, I realized that I was overdoing it¡­ If a 7-year-old child is interested in a story that 12-year-old Robel can dismiss as ¡°boring¡±, there is no doubt that it is unnatural.


    I still didn¡¯t have enough self-awareness as a 7-year-old.


    [Varian-sama will become a great high priest in the future¡­by all means.]


    [But, the monastery¡­]


    I kept hearing some suspicious conversations¡­


    This is no longer a joking matter. I have no intention of becoming a monk.


    Having made up my mind, I interrupted the two. All the while trying to be as childish as I could.


    [I don¡¯t want to be a monk because I want to help my brother, and the Lioncoeur family.]


    When I apologized to him, Rinel-san laughed and quipped, [I guess I was getting ahead of myself].


    [Varian-sama, it looks like you really love your brother.]


    [Yes, he¡¯s kind, and strong.]


    Hearing my words, Rushieno became teary eyed with emotion.


    She must¡¯ve been worried about the bad relationship between Robel and Varian as siblings¡­ it¡¯s normal for nobles to have siblings to fight over the family headships. It¡¯s not unreasonable to worry.


    [Then, what do you think about studying with us? Varian-sama is very talented, and we have a lot of books here in the church.]


    [Yes, by all means, mother, I want to study.]


    My mother smiled and replied with an [Of course].


    Thus, I ended up studying at Sacred Heaven Church.


    For someone like me, who was unfamiliar with the social norms of the Amoros Kingdom, this is a very welcome offer.


    From the next day onwards, I would train with my retainers in the morning and attend church in the afternoon¡­ if I continue like this, I should be able to acquire a certain level of skill by the time I become an adult.


    As I learned a little later, the literacy rate in the Kingdom of Amoros is extremely low, and it seems that there are almost no people in rural areas who can read and write, other than the clerics.


    Surprisingly, even lower ranked nobles are illiterate, saying that [being able to write their names is enough]¡­ I¡¯m really glad that my mother is a person who understands the importance of learning.


    I savored the happiness of being able to study under Reverend Rinel.

 Volume 1 - CH 4

    Not even on Earth


    Translated by Raizu


    The name of this land I was in is the Okiden Continent.


    The Kingdom of Amoros is a kingdom that governs the northwestern part of the continent, surrounded by the sea to the north and west and mountains to the east and south.


    The northwestern part of this continent was unified by the Amoros Kingdom about 50 years ago, and since then it has been called the ¡°Amoros region¡±.


    ¡ºNo way, this is¡»


    It¡¯s been a few weeks since I began learning to read, write, and study from Reverend Rinel at the church.


    Today I asked a question about the Kingdom of Amoros, but¡­ the map that Reverend Rinel laid out was nothing like the world map I knew of.


    ¡­..Maybe this isn¡¯t a time slip, but another world? No, maybe the map is just rough¡­


    The map I saw before my eyes looks like it was drawn by a child, and it¡¯s hard to tell if it¡¯s on Earth.


    [Is something wrong?]


    [No, I was a little surprised¡­ Are there foreign countries outside of Amoros Kingdom?]


    Apparently Reverend Rinel was a little worried about my silence.


    So I asked him a series of questions which he gently answered.


    [There is¡­for example¡­]


    According to him, the Amoros Kingdom has few ties with foreign countries due to its topography, but there are countries across the ocean and mountains, and there seems to be a small amount of trade going on.


    [I see. The Amoros Kingdom is protected by the terrain.]


    When I muttered so, the reverend replied briefly with a ¡°Yes¡±.


    [The Amoros Kingdom has a King, right?]


    This is only natural. There¡¯s no way a ¡®Kingdom¡¯ doesn¡¯t have a ¡®King¡¯.


    However, while there are constitutional monarchies with a mere King, there are also absolute monarchies with absolute sovereignty.


    Varian¡¯s family is a noble family¡­ I would really like to hear more information about that.


    [Yes, the current King should be the eleventh generation. The Kingdom of Amoros was established 200 years ago.]


    According to my teacher, the Kingdom of Amoros is a feudal state, but the Royal authority is not very strong, and it seems that the King loosely reigns over the nobles who govern each region.


    It seems that the King is not an absolute ruler, but rather the largest lord of the Amoros region.


    Therefore, there are still rebelling lords from time to time.


    [I see, even the King can¡¯t give orders to other lords¡¯ lands.]


    [Indeed. It¡¯s going to be a big deal if the King does that¡­ However, the lord must listen to the King¡¯s orders, so it can be said that he can indirectly give orders.]


    I nodded with a [hum].


    [Each feudal lord should be plagued by rebellions. There were many different races in the Amoros region, but they were conquered and unified.]


    The Lioncoeur family was originally a knight family that served the King, but it seems that they were a noble family that was established 70 years ago as the Earl of Lioncoeur by single-handedly conquering the Lioncoeur Basin in the Eastern Mountains, which was ruled by a different race.


    The Lioncoeur Basin was an intractable country with more foreign races than the Amoros who ruled it, and rebellions occurred one after another, but assimilation between the ethnic groups progressed and it finally settled down in the era of the current head of the family, Rudolf.


    [The Lioncoeur family that lives in the Lioncoeur Basin¡­ it¡¯s somewhat confusing.]


    [Haha, Varian-sama says something interesting. Your family called themselves Lioncoeur because they rule the Lioncoeur.]


    I see, that seems to be the case.


    ¡­..This is the outline of the Amoros region that I learned at church.


    ¡ºSimply put, this place might not even be on earth¡»


    My situation wouldn¡¯t change much even if I wasn¡¯t on Earth¡­but how should I put it? It was still a shock.


    There are 360 ??days in a year, 7 days in a week, and so on¡­ Since the calendar is similar, I was completely convinced that it was time travel¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t change that I don¡¯t know anything about time travel or other worlds.


    The first thing is for me to get used to this situation.


    [Varian-sama seems to be interested in politics.]


    [Yes, I¡¯m interested in politics, everything in this world, actually. It¡¯s worrying not being able to remember a thing]


    Reverend Rinel nodded with a [Hmm]


    [Varian-sama, no need to be hasty. I tend to forget when I talk to you, but you are only seven years old.]


    With these words, Reverend Rinel closed the session, and today¡¯s class came to an end.


    ==========


    I greeted my teacher and left the church.


    It was evening, but the summer sun was still bright.


    I saw a man standing up at the edge of the garden.


    His name is Honore Giroude. A young man around 20 years old.


    He has the same black hair and black eyes as mine¡­ As a side note, there seems to be a lot of black hair in the Lioncoeur Basin.


    He¡¯s a little short, but his sturdy physique and square chin give him a stern impression.


    [Young master, I came to pick you up.]


    [Thank you, Giroude.]


    He¡¯s my bodyguard.


    He is a retainer assigned to me, the son of an earl family.


    He¡¯s a guard.


    The Capital is crowded, unclean and unsafe, and it feels uneasy for a child to walk alone.


    So, I appreciate having Giroude to escort me.


    What¡¯s more, the way his name is pronounced is similar to ¡®Jiro¡¯, which gives it some familiarity to me.


    We head to the Lioncoeur mansion while chatting.


    [Jiro should learn to write too.]


    [No, I will refrain¡­ It¡¯s scary to go to church every day.]


    I casually call him Jiro now, and this is also the result of the past few weeks.


    At first, I used to speak to him in honorifics only to get yelled at.


    Giroude isn¡¯t stupid by any means, but he doesn¡¯t try to learn how to write, and often waits outside when I meet Reverend Rinel.


    By the way, the language of the Amoros region is phonetic, so it¡¯s not difficult if you can speak it.


    All you have to do is remember a certain rule.


    When I returned to the mansion, I heard a nursery rhyme.


    The child of the mansion¡¯s servant¡­a brown-haired girl of about 10 years old.


    She seemed to be working on something, but as soon as she saw my face, she ran away.


    I let out a small sigh when I saw that.


    [Isn¡¯t that Rona?]


    Giroude looked at me with a faint smile.


    [Rona¡­ it will be difficult.]


    [Is something wrong?]


    When I started talking, Giroude just smiled disgustingly


    Oh, I forgot to mention that Giroude likes gossip.


    [There¡¯s a scar on Rona¡¯s forehead, right? That was from the stone Varian-sama threw at her, and her brother Rolo should have been pretty badly injured too.]


    When I heard that explanation, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a big sigh.


    [That¡¯s horrible¡­to put a scar on a girl¡¯s face¡­so unreasonable]


    I felt gloomy whenever I heard anything about what Varian did before I entered his body.


    [Jiro, I want to apologize to her.]


    When Giroude heard my request, he went [Hmmm]


    [That will be difficult too¡­ Rona is a slave¡¯s child. For Young Master to bow his head to her is¡­]


    GIroude muttered while scratching his head.


    Yes, there is slavery in this country.


    Rona¡¯s mother is a slave owned by the Lioncoeur family. Naturally, the children Rona and Rolo are also slaves.


    I was surprised when I learned that the people I thought were the maids of the mansion are actually slaves.


    When I say slaves, it¡¯s not like the image that Japanese people imagine, such as [I don¡¯t get fed, I¡¯m whipped and forced to work]. The difference seems to be large.


    [Then, Jiro, you tell her that I apologize for what I did before¡­injuring a girl¡¯s face is something unforgivable¡­]


    When Giroude heard my words, he gave me a small smirk.


    [You fell for her, didn¡¯t you?]


    [No, I¡¯m only seven, you forget?]


    Actually, I have no libido right now.


    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not interested in women, it¡¯s just that my body still doesn¡¯t react to it.


    Giroude, then replied, [I understand] and left with a light wink¡­what¡¯s that for? ¡­¡­so annoying.


    After seeing Giroude off, I returned to the mansion.


    It¡¯s about time for dinner.


    ==============


    After a while, I sat down at the dining table with my parents and brother.


    In the middle of the table was a wild piece of chicken¡­it wasn¡¯t even on the plate.


    My father cut it up and put it in front of us¡­as expected, he didn¡¯t use a plate.


    It seems that carving the meat is the head of the family¡¯s duty and honor.


    Nobody other than the head of the household is allowed to hold a knife while eating.


    How do you eat meat if you can¡¯t use a knife? ¡­¡­The answer is easy.


    Just use your hands.


    My mother Rushieno, also grabbed the chicken and bit it down with a [Aaahh].


    ¡­..it¡¯s exciting no matter how you look at it¡­


    It¡¯s always the case that I¡¯m overwhelmed by the robust dining scene.


    [Varian.]


    My father, Rudolph, spoke to me.


    [Yes, father.]


    [Varian, uh¡­how are you?]


    Rudolph hesitantly asked me about my physical condition¡­ Perhaps he was feeling responsible for causing Varian¡¯s amnesia.


    Rushieno glared at Rudolph.


    From her point of view, she was the husband who almost killed her child. There must be something to think about.


    [Yes, I¡¯m fine now. My memories aren¡¯t returning, but I have Jiro and Reverend Rinel to teach me about various things, so I won¡¯t be inconvenienced.]


    [Is that so.]


    Rudolf returned to his meal with a confused look on his face.


    He has a scary look on his face, but I¡¯ve gotten used to it lately.


    If you think about it, he¡¯s 32 years old¡­ I was older.


    [Reverend Rinel also praised him, saying that Varian is really smart¡­he can read, write, and do math.]


    [That¡¯s amazing! I can¡¯t afford to lose either.]


    Rushieno and my older brother Robel were having a happy conversation, but I got the feeling that Rudolph was subtly confused¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s my imagination.


    Rushieno and Robel share many resemblances.


    If anything, I think I take more from my father Rudolph¡¯s side if it¡¯s just from the color of my hair.


    When we finish eating the meat with our hands, we rub it on the wooden table and wipe off the fat on our hands.


    There are no useful things like napkins.


    After that, bread and soup came out, so I ate the hard bread while dipping it in the soup.


    The donkey meat soup had a strong peculiarity despite its bland flavor.


    ¡­Haa, I wish I could slurp at the bonito broth udon again¡­ I silently whispered to myself.


    Even though I¡¯m not satisfied with the taste of the food in my heart, I still ate it greedily.


    My parents looked at me with a smile on their face.


    ¡­Varian was such a lucky child¡­..


    Yes, I think Varian might have been a problematic kid, but his parents definitely loved him.


    Having stolen the position of the child from such a happy family, I ate with mixed feelings.

 Volume 1 - CH 5

    Washboard


    Translated by Raizu


    Few more weeks had passed, and autumn seemed to have arrived.


    I was so relieved to know that this world has four seasons too.


    After finishing breakfast, I absentmindedly watched the siblings Rona and Rolo doing the laundry.


    The two were trampling the laundry in a large bucket.


    Keep stepping on it for a while, throw away the dirty water when the water turns black, draw water from the well and put it in the bucket.


    Looking at it this way, doing laundry is quite hard work.


    ¡­it¡¯s still fine now, but it¡¯ll be a problem once the day gets a little colder¡­


    For a modern person like me, each and every one of these casual everyday things is unavoidable.


    After a while, the two of them noticed my gaze and clearly showed a sense of caution.


    It seemed that these siblings were bullied severely by Varian before I came in, and they still hate me.


    I had no intention of interfering, so I turned around and left.


    ¡­I want to properly apologize, but even that is not allowed¡­


    Rona and Role are slaves, thus it¡¯ll be a problem if I, Varian, who is a noble, bow my head to them.


    The values that I¡¯ve known up until now don¡¯t work here.


    I¡¯m trying to learn the common sense of this world as much as possible, so I try to follow the advice of others.


    ¡­Come to think of it, why don¡¯t the two of them use the washboard?


    It should be more efficient than stepping on it with your feet¡­


    I suddenly remembered the existence of the washboard.


    Speaking of old-fashioned laundry, the image of the washboard is strong.


    Even in the picture book Momotaro, the old woman should have been washing on the washboard.


    The washboard is secretly popular even in modern times, and it is an item that is also distributed through the jungle mail order.


    In addition to the functionality, cost, and environmental aspects, it should also have the meaning of preparing for disasters.


    At Tanaka¡¯s house, when shirt cuffs and socks are very dirty, they use a small silicon washboard, which is very convenient for washing small amounts of laundry.


    ¡­¡­Washingboard, if I have the chance, maybe I should make one.


    I vaguely imagined a wooden washboard.


    Actually, Varian did not know that the washboard spread unexpectedly late, in the 19th century.


    So of course, it hasn¡¯t been invented yet in Amoros Kingdom.


    As I was vaguely remembering the washboard, Giroude approached me with a grin.


    [Young Master, you looked troubled.]


    [No, well, yes, I am]


    When I answered vaguely, Giroude nodded his head proudly.


    [Young master, if it¡¯s about a girl¡­]


    I completely ignored Giroude¡¯s lecture, who seemed to have misunderstood.


    Since a while ago, he¡¯s been saying incomprehensible things like [There¡¯s an execution of a criminal this month, so invite Rona to see it].


    It¡¯s hard to understand why I should bring a woman to watch someone being tied up and whipped.


    In general, I don¡¯t want this square-faced youngster to explain how women should be treated.


    I had a wife and children, you know?


    I ignored Giroude and tried to remember the structure of the washboard, but surprisingly I didn¡¯t remember anything that should have been familiar to me.


    Shouldn¡¯t it be easy to make?


    Even if the material is wood, can you imagine the number, depth, and angle of the grooves?


    The groove of the washboard has a fixed front and back and a gentle U-shaped curve.


    If you inadvertently use it in the opposite direction, it will damage the fibers, so please be careful.


    [Hey, Jiro, for the laundry¡­don¡¯t we usually use a board like this?]


    I drew a washboard on the ground and showed it to Giroude.


    [Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know. Young Master may not remember, but when it comes to laundry, we do it like what Rona does, or beat it with paddle.]


    Apparently Giroude didn¡¯t know about the washboard yet.


    I guess I¡¯ll do a little more research.


    =========


    In conclusion, everyone didn¡¯t know about the washboard.


    The people that I questioned were Giroude, Rinel, Mom, and a few random servants.


    I consulted with Giroude about trying to make one, and asked him to lend me only suitable wood and a chisel, but this turned out rather difficult for me.


    In the end, I ended up entrusting most of it to Giroude.


    By the way, the groove was randomly set to 20¡­ I think it was something like this.


    I failed twice, but I managed to complete something that looked like it on the third try.


    It pitifully took a few days, but it¡¯s also thanks to Giroude¡¯s dexterousness it only took that long.


    [So, what are you going to do with this jagged board?]


    [Oh, let¡¯s try using it for a bit.]


    We asked Rona¡¯s mother to lend us two sheets of laundry.


    If you turn the curve of the groove downward and rub it vigorously, you can see that the black dirt seeps out.


    [Wash the laundry like this¡­ It¡¯s faster than stepping on it and replacing the water many times, and it saves water.]


    When I showed it to Rona¡¯s mother, she had a mixed expression of surprise and suspicion.


    Meanwhile, Giroude was mumbling a [Huh?] with a blank expression on his face¡­ perhaps he still didn¡¯t understand.


    [For now, I want you to try using it¡­ I want to improve it again, so I¡¯d like your opinion. Also, when you¡¯re done using it, turn the curve up so it¡¯s easier to dry.]


    I pushed the washboard against Rona¡¯s mother and left.


    I don¡¯t think she has good feelings for me for hurting her daughter, so I didn¡¯t want to stay too long.


    [Young Master, does that make washing easier?]


    [Maybe¡­ I wish I could improve the detergent, but that¡¯ll be impossible for now.]


    I thanked Giroude for going out with me, and told my father, Rudolph, about his ability during dinner.


    Rudolph listened with a strange face, but he may have suspected that Giroude was teaching strange things into the 7-year-old child¡­ Sorry Jiro.


    And just like that, I made my first footprint in Amoros Kingdom with the washboard.


    Now don¡¯t start calling me inventor or something. That would be pushing it too far.


    Thankfully, the washboard¡¯s reputation was excellent, so Giroude and I decided to increase production.


    My parents Rudolph and Rushieno also reacted by saying, [You¡¯ve come up with a good idea], and didn¡¯t seem to have any particular thoughts.


    I personally think that an invention(?) like a washboard would be just right, as it would be annoying if my true identity were found out.


    In the first place, this was meant as a present for Rona and Rolo who are doing their best.


    The washboard itself did not become very popular in the world, but it became very much used in the Lioncoeur family.


    ===========


    [Umm¡­ Young Master.]


    One day, Rona called out to me.


    [Thanks to Young Master, washing has been made much easier. Thank you very much.]


    Rona bowed her head awkwardly.


    I was a little taken aback since it came out of nowhere, but perhaps Giroude had pulled some strings here.


    [I¡¯m glad if it really makes things easier. You¡¯re welcome, and¡­ I¡¯m sorry for everything I¡¯ve done until now.]


    When I apologized in a low voice, Rona¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    As expected, bowing your head would be unpleasant, but since I casually conveyed it, no one would have heard of it. In short, it would be better if they weren¡¯t asked.


    [Excuse me, but what is the point of saying all that?]


    So, I boldly told Rona, [I want you to be my friend].


    Perhaps it¡¯s self-deserving, but Varian doesn¡¯t have friends of his own age.


    And in this mansion, there are only Rona and Rolo who are the same age as him. So, I want to make friends with the two of them.


    After all, it¡¯s unnatural to live as a Varian and not have a single friend. And I¡¯m a little concerned.


    Besides, as an adult, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for these siblings to continue to have memories of being unilaterally bullied by the noble Varian.


    [Young Master, umm, that will be a waste.]


    [¡­it¡¯s alright if you¡¯re not willing. I¡¯m sorry for saying that out of nowhere.]


    I realized after I said that, but when I thought about it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to say no if my employer¡¯s son said, [Let¡¯s be friends]¡­.. I did something naive.


    When I was about to leave, Rona raised her voice, [It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to!].


    I was a little surprised because I heard Rona¡¯s loud voice for the first time.


    [Both I and Rolo don¡¯t have any friends, so¡­]


    Rona lowered her head while fidgeting.


    When she looked down, I could see the scar on her forehead and my heart ached.


    [Just call me Varian. Because we¡¯re friends.]


    [¡­..Yes, Varian-sama.]


    Rona looked embarrassed.


    She¡¯s not pretty by any means, but she looks cute when she smiles.


    Suddenly, I sensed someone¡¯s presence, and when I turned around, Giroude and several other retainers were looking at me with a smirk.


    [Good for you, Young Master.]


    [Now they¡¯re going to be happily ever after.]


    [Hahaha, Young Master shouldn¡¯t make the young lady cry again.]


    They are making fun of us as much as they want.


    From an adult¡¯s point of view, this interaction between children must be heartwarming.


    Rona dropped her head down after being teased by the outfield. Red to the ears.


    But since I¡¯m mentally over 40 already, this much teasing won¡¯t faze me.


    [Yep, I¡¯m friends with such a cute girl. You must be jealous since you¡¯re still single, right?]


    When I gave Giroude such a reversal, the retainers looked at each other and burst out laughing.


    It¡¯s already been three months since I came to Amoros Kingdom¡­


    I finally have some time to spare. I guess I got used to it.


    Having repaired the relationship with Rona and Rolo, I feel like my heart has been lifted.


    As a side note, the ¡°execution date¡± that Giroude proposed was apparently common sense.


    Because entertainment is extremely scarce in the Kingdom of Amoros, it seems that whipping and hanging are a kind of thrilling show.


    The square where the execution will be held will be so crowded that there are even food stalls.


    In other words, it¡¯s something like a fair date in Japan.


    When in Rome, do like Romans do¡­ I¡¯m sorry for doubting you, Jiro. But no matter how I put it, it¡¯s your fault to have a square face that you aren¡¯t popular with ladies.

 Volume 1 - CH 6

    Goal


    Translated by Raizu


    It¡¯s already been a month since I became friends with Rona and Rolo.


    In my spare time, I taught them how to write, and in turn Rona taught me how to sing.


    Although they are children, they are still workers, and the difficulty is that they don¡¯t have enough time to participate in training or study at church.


    However, as I continued spending time with my friends, I noticed that the gazes around me had softened.


    That¡¯s right, it must have been eerie because one day I suddenly lost my memory and had a completely different personality.


    I was lucky to get accustomed to the people around me before I was judged to be possessed by a demon.


    The bed stinks and the food is bad.


    But, it¡¯s not like I have other options but to continue living here.


    ==============


    This morning as well, when I was washing my face in the well as usual, the appearance of the servants who came out to participate in the training was somewhat different from usual.


    Several men were armed.


    Their equipment includes swords, throwing spears, bows, etc., and carrying baskets.


    My older brother Robel was also there, dressed up valiantly with bow and arrows, as well as shin guards.


    [Elder brother, what are you going to do today?]


    I thought it was a battle, so I was a little worried, but I tried my best to calmly ask Robel.


    [Oh, it¡¯s going to be cold soon. So, we¡¯re going to gather firewood and hunt.]


    [Gathering firewood?]


    I was a little surprised.


    The image of a noble¡¯s son chopping wood and gathering twigs for firewood was something that never crossed my mind.


    [Yeah, there¡¯s a lush forest around a half a day¡¯s walk. I¡¯m planning to go back tomorrow.]


    Robel smiled refreshingly when he said that.


    He is a good-looking man who really resembles his beautiful mother.


    [Are you ready?]


    While Robel and I were talking, my father, Rudolph, approached us.


    Rudolph was also wearing shin guards and carrying a bow and a javelin.


    [Is Father going out too?]


    [Umu. Varian, while Robel and I are away, you and Rushieno must protect everyone.]


    After saying that, Rudolph departed with Robel and seven of his retainers.


    ¡­..honestly, they didn¡¯t even tell me in advance about this plan at all, and I was left behind like this¡­ but well, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d bring a 7 year old to hunt either way, so it can¡¯t be helped.


    I immediately looked at Giroude and he replied, [Not a chance].


    [I haven¡¯t said anything yet.]


    [I couldn¡¯t let you follow them. The ravenous bears and wolves in the forest will eat you.]


    It¡¯s obvious that Giroude was trying to scare me, but let¡¯s ignore that.


    I don¡¯t want to be separated from my parents too much.


    [No, I just wanted to go to the castle gate to see them off.]


    That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve only walked between my home and church until now. I was hoping for some kind of excuse, but so far I haven¡¯t had the chance.


    I would like to take this opportunity to broaden my knowledge and get a feel for the atmosphere of this world.


    [Haha, I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s up to the castle gate. Would you like to invite Rona too?]


    [Thank you, but Rona has work to do, so let¡¯s not invite her.]


    Jiro is acting strangely again. For some reason he thought that I¡¯m in love with Rona, and no matter how many times I corrected him, he wouldn¡¯t listen.


    [Let¡¯s go, father and the others are leaving.]


    I told Giroude to hurry and ran after my father.


    ==========


    ¡­..that¡¯s terrible, is this¡­a slum?


    After seeing off the small group led by my father at the castle gate, I looked at the townscape again.


    I felt the environment was bad when I went there, but I was desperate to follow my father, so I couldn¡¯t see much.


    After carefully observing the townscape like this, it was so filthy that it made me nauseous.


    Rough wooden houses like shacks are densely packed with no space between them, emitting an indescribable stench like puke.


    The public toilets in Japanese parks were much more hygienist than this.


    The road was strewn with horse manure, and it was almost impossible to walk.


    And for some reason, stray dogs and pigs are scavenging for garbage, and no one seems to care.


    [Jiro, there¡¯s a pig.]


    [Yeah, it¡¯s normal here. Pigs will eat anything, so if you leave them free-ranging for most of the year, they¡¯ll be a good source of food for winter.]


    From the way Giroude explained it, it seems to be normal here?


    The ramparts are about 7-8 meters high, and the sun doesn¡¯t hit the bottom of the ramparts at all.


    Wouldn¡¯t that be a problem?


    Will it be good for sanitation if there is feces lying around the well?


    I felt sick from both the shock and the stench.


    Maggots are springing up in the horse manure in front of me, and flies are flying around annoyingly.


    [Jiro, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m starting to feel sick.]


    [That¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll carry you on my back.]


    I clung to Giroude¡¯s back and closed my eyes.


    It¡¯s disgusting and I couldn¡¯t continue looking at the scene in front of me.


    [Jiro, is this a slum?]


    [No, it¡¯s a poor man¡¯s district, but it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a slum. It must be because it¡¯s the first time for Young Master has left the noble town since he lost his memory.]


    [Was it too stimulating?], Giroude laughed.


    I couldn¡¯t refute it because it¡¯s the truth.


    To think that I would feel unsanitary and unsafe in a noble town, which was supposed to be the best environment.


    ¡­I¡¯ve come to an unbelievable place¡­


    I was breathing through my mouth so as not to smell even the slightest bit.


    When I returned to the mansion, Rolo was exchanging bed straw with several other slaves.


    Speaking of straw beds, there was an anime in Japan in which a girl from the Alps sleeps on a fluffy straw bed. In reality, it¡¯s actually not that good.


    Straw is hard and has this particular smell.


    If you don¡¯t dry it out or replace it, the bed bugs will spring up in no time.


    ¡­..When I thought about it, I wondered how many slaves were needed to support Varian¡¯s lifestyle¡­ The life that I was complaining about was the highest standard in this world¡­..


    I was ashamed and thanked him.


    Then, I made a decision.


    I¡¯m going to use the knowledge I have to improve people¡¯s living standards.


    This is my goal with advanced knowledge.


    But, I couldn¡¯t rush things.


    I, Varian, am still nothing but a 7 years old kid.


    This grand ¡°goal¡± is something important that you can bet your life on, and it¡¯s not something that can be done in a hurry.


    [Jiro, I¡¯m feeling much better now¡­thank you.]


    I slipped down Giroude¡¯s sturdy, but sweaty back


    [Are you alright? Your face is pale.]


    Giroude was worried, but I pretended to curl my bicep to show off my energy. It¡¯s a little embarrassing, but the people here are exaggerating their gestures.


    I wash my face in the well and feel refreshed.


    [I¡¯m going to church after breakfast.]


    I told Giroude that and headed to the dining room.


    I had no appetite, but I still have to eat¡­ In this kind of environment, if you don¡¯t have the physical strength, you¡¯ll get sick in no time.


    I need to build a strong body.


    I dipped the hard bread into the soup and stuffed my mouth with the strong cheese.


    ==========


    A few hours later, I was in the church library.


    Reverend Rinel is a high-ranking member of the church, and he can¡¯t just be bothered only by me.


    Once I became able to read letters, when Reverend Rinel was busy, I often went to the library for self-study.


    Some of the literature are scrolls, but most are booklets.


    Expensive parchment is used, and since everything is handwritten, the circulation itself is small, and the book seems to be extremely expensive.


    The ingenuity that protects such expensive books from theft¡­is through [chaining].


    A lectern is placed in front of the bookshelf and cannot be taken out, so the books must be read on the spot.


    Most of the church¡¯s books are religious-related, but there are also medical books, military books, other specialized books, and even cookbooks.


    I decided to open a medical book, but the content wasn¡¯t as good as I thought.


    I don¡¯t know much about internal medicine using medicinal herbs, so I¡¯ll leave it aside, but the contents about bloodletting, enema, and cataract treatment are terrifying.


    Bloodletting is the removal of blood for the treatment of illness. It seems that it actually causes bleeding and sucks blood using leeches¡­ it seems that the purpose is to excrete bad blood, but to me it¡¯s occult and creepy.


    The content of the enema is also amazing. Dilute the body fluids of pigs and boars with vinegar and put them in through the butt¡­there¡¯s no way I¡¯d do that.


    There¡¯s also the cataract treatment. A sharp needle is stuck in the eyeball¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the risk of blindness.


    Everything is going like this¡­ There are other things that don¡¯t seem to have a placebo effect, such as dissolving the ashes of the whatchamacallit saint¡¯s amulet in vinegar and drinking it.


    At first, I thought that if we copied medical books and increased the number of doctors, we would be able to get closer to a hygienic life, but¡­the essential level of medicine itself isn¡¯t going so well.


    If penicillin could be made from blue mold, as in some manga, it would probably solve a lot of things, but unfortunately I don¡¯t have that kind of knowledge.


    =======


    By the time I sighed and closed the book, it was already dusk.


    [Varian-sama, what were you reading so intently?]


    A young thin monk started talking to me. He probably came to lock the door.


    In addition to Reverend Rinel, there are several monks in this church.


    It seems that at the Sacred Heaven Church, clothes are used to identify one¡¯s status, and only Reverend Rinel wears a long robe, while the other monks wear simple clothes dyed black.


    [A little bit of medical books, but it¡¯s difficult.]


    When I answered, the young monk nodded repeatedly as if he was impressed.


    [So, you studied medicine at the age of 7¡­what was I doing when I was 7? Haha, it¡¯s embarrassing.]


    The young monk closed the window while conversing with a smile.


    The room suddenly became pitch dark.


    [Excuse me, Varian-sama, the door has already been closed at a certain time.]


    In order not to disturb the young monk, I greeted him lightly and left the library.


    Outside the church, a bored Giroude was lying on the bench¡­apparently counting the nose hairs that he plucked.


    [Sorry to have kept you waiting.]


    When I trotted over to him, Giroude sat up and muttered, [Varian-sama really likes learning, aren¡¯t you].


    [Jiro should learn to write and read as well. You can study alongside Rona and Rolo.]


    [Nah, spare me that crap]


    Giroude and I headed home while talking nonchalantly.


    ========


    A few months had passed since I became Varian.


    I¡¯ve somehow found a goal¡­but the road is endlessly long.


    Don¡¯t rush it. Now is the time to gather strength.


    When I somehow looked up at the sky, the moon had already risen.


    ¡­..Come to think of it, if the arrangement of the stars is the same, it might be a time slip, and if it¡¯s completely different, it might be a different world¡­


    I stared at the twilight stars for a while, but I didn¡¯t know anything about the celestial bodies in the first place¡­ well, it¡¯s okay.


    I¡¯ve decided on my goal, whether it¡¯s a time slip, another planet, or a different world¡­But, what I want to do doesn¡¯t change.


    Right now, I¡¯m just doing my best.


    Slowly but surely, I move towards the big goal.

 Volume 1 - CH 7

    Waiting for Spring


    Translated by Raizu


    Two days have passed since my father Rudolph and his entourage went hunting.


    My brother Robel said [I¡¯ll be back tomorrow], so I thought that there must be some kind of trouble. But, my mother Rushieno said that it¡¯s a [common occurrence].


    Well, when you¡¯re dealing with nature, there¡¯s no such thing as always on schedule.


    During that period, the morning training was canceled, but I and Rolo had Giroude to teach us lessons in sword and shield.


    Giroude was reluctant at first, but in the end he listened to my request due to his caring personality.


    [Hyah, hyah, that¡¯s not it¡­ come on!]


    I received a strong impact from the top of my shield and was blown away.


    Giroude stabbed me. But even with a wooden sword it¡¯s still a fairly powerful blow.


    [Guk, that¡¯s hurt¡­damn.]


    When I fell and gasped in pain, Giroude stepped on me from above.


    [If you fall asleep during battle, you¡¯ll die.]


    [¡­..I yield.]


    After I surrender, it¡¯ll be Rolo¡¯s turn.


    But, he was also quickly overturned and forced to yield.


    [Rolo, stand up and hold your shield up¡­ like that. Block with your shield¡­ thrust with your sword, block with your shield, thrust with your sword. Shield! Sword! Shield! Sword!]


    Giroude enthusiastically taught Rolo.


    Giroude is actually a squire.


    He might be dull, but he¡¯s a formidable fighter on the battlefield.


    He¡¯s not someone a 7-year-old can do anything against.


    The class system in the Kingdom of Amoros is roughly divided into four.


    The first is the Lord class, such as nobles and knights, basically the ruling class.


    The titles are Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron, and Knight.


    There are also special honorary titles such as associate baronet and knighthood that are conferred only for one generation.


    Next is the class called commoners and citizens.


    They are common people with land and citizenship.


    And squires are commoners who serve the lord of their own free will. The squires are the lord¡¯s private army group, a small but standing army.


    By the way, commoners have surnames.


    And then come the free people, the landless class.


    Many merchants and tenant farmers belong to this.


    Having land and citizenship makes one a commoner, but failing to pay taxes will make one a slave.


    It can be said that this status can change fairly easily.


    Basically, foreigners are also considered free people.


    And lastly there are the slaves.


    They have no human rights, and their treatment is up to their master.


    However, the population of the Amoros region is small, so there is not much difference in treatment. People are a precious resource.


    Some say it¡¯s easier since slaves don¡¯t have to pay taxes or serve in the military.


    Freed slaves are treated as free people, but in reality they tend to be seen as lower than free people.


    By the way, it seems that it is customary to have a maximum of one social status difference in marriage.


    In other words, the lord may marry off his daughter to his favorite squire, but the lord¡¯s family and the free people will never marry.


    Except for the slaves, everyone who lives in Rudolf¡¯s mansion, including Giroude, is a squire.


    Although there were only 14 of them right now, they seem to have left squires in the territory of Lioncoeur in case of emergencies.


    [Thank you very much!]


    I could hear Rolo¡¯s voice.


    While I was drowned in my own thoughts, Rolo¡¯s turn seemed to be over.


    It¡¯s my turn again next.


    I called out to Giroude, saying [Please] and raised my sword and shield.


    [Young Master, you have this habit of swinging your sword when you¡¯re supposed to thrust.]


    Giroude showed an example by throwing thrusts several times, and I followed suit.


    It appeared that the image of the japanese katana is still too strong in my mind, that I ended up using slashes more often.


    The swords of the Amoros region are straight swords, and will break easily if swung around.


    [Now come.]


    [Here I go!]


    Thus I challenged Giroude once more.


    ===========


    After practicing hard for a while, Rudolph and the others returned from hunting.


    Even from a distance, I could see that two people were carrying the deer.


    [Jiro, isn¡¯t that amazing?!]


    [That looks like a big harvest. We¡¯re going to be quite busy later]


    Just as Giroude said, the mansion was in an uproar as soon as Rudolf and the others arrived.


    Women and slaves must all come out to dismantle and process the prey.


    The prey brought back by Rudolf and the others included a deer, a wolf, several rabbits, and a wild bird.


    They also brought back a large amount of firewood.


    Both Rolo and Giroude started to work busily, but I didn¡¯t know what to do and felt awkward.


    Both my father and mother were busy commanding the household members.


    So I decided to go see my brother to hear his story.


    He was in the middle of butchering a rabbit.


    [Big Brother, is there anything I can help you with?]


    [Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­the firewood is already taken care of by the slaves¡­then, pull this part out for a bit.]


    I followed Robel¡¯s instructions and pulled the edge of the rabbit¡¯s skin, and he peeled off the skin with a knife.


    [It was such a big hunt. It¡¯s amazing.]


    [Right? It was amazing how Dekos killed the wolf that was lured by the smell of blood. The javelin he threw went whoosh]


    I listened to Robel while nodding my head.


    Dekos is one of the retainers, a strong squire about 30 years old.


    [Alright, it¡¯s done. I¡¯ll be tanning the skin, so take the meat to the women.]


    Saying that, Robel stood up while holding the rawhide.


    Looks like he¡¯s changing workspace.


    =========


    As an aside, let me introduce how to tan hide here.


    If you¡¯re not interested, please skip through.


    The peeled skin is called ¡°rawhide¡±.


    As it is, the attached meat and fat will make it rot and unsuitable for use.


    First is the ¡°back plow¡±.


    This is the work of scraping off the meat and fat on the underside of the skin with a spatula or knife.


    Meat and fat must be removed carefully, since if you overdo it, holes will form in the raw hide, damaging it.


    After ¡°back plow¡± is done, the rawhide will be rinsed thoroughly with water.


    Next is ¡°fat removing¡±.


    After simmering, wash it with hot water until it is no longer greasy¡­ In modern times, it would be quicker to use detergent, but with medieval-level technology, there is no other way but to rub it carefully.


    ¡°Fat removing¡± is an important process that determines the quality of the hide.


    Then, it is ¡°soaked in a tanning solution¡±, and Alum is the most common tanning solution.


    In the Amoros region, it seems that vegetable tannins are used in the tanning solution.


    If you don¡¯t have any tanning liquid, you can substitute it by ¡°chewing¡±, but it would be difficult to produce a large amount of hide that way.


    The leather is soaked in the tanning solution with a weight on top of it to keep it in place for several days (according to the author¡¯s document, it is three days and three nights). If you alternate between the top and bottom, the unevenness will be reduced.


    After that, the tanning liquid is washed with water, and the skin is softened by rubbing and stepping on it with a stick.


    When it¡¯s soft enough, it¡¯s time for ¡°drying¡±.


    If it¡¯s dry and you¡¯re not satisfied with the texture, you can wet it again with water and step on it or rub it.


    The key is to destroy the fibers until they become soft and dry well.


    If you bang it on a board and stretch it out to dry, it will look good and can be sold at a high price.


    The last step is ¡°finishing¡±.


    Scrub the inside with a brush or stick to cleanly remove shavings and make the thickness uniform.


    Finally, let the flattened hair stand up and you¡¯re done.


    I think that if you tan a few pieces, you¡¯ll be able to find your own tricks, key points, and useful tools.


    I would like readers to take on the challenge.


    By the way, there is a different kanji for leather before tanning and after tanning.


    Now let¡¯s get back to Varian Tanaka.


    ========


    After that, the dismantling work continued, and by the time it had settled down, it quickly transitioned into the banquet.


    Wine seems to be a valuable commodity in the Amoros region, but since the water isn¡¯t exactly good, so instead of drinking water, they drink quite a lot of beer.


    Today, everyone is having fun and making a lot of noise as they celebrate a good harvest.


    The beer was like sake as it had no foam.


    I was chewing meat in the corner with Rolo and Rona.


    As expected, children don¡¯t get alcohol.


    [Eh, so the wolf will also be eaten!]


    [Yes, it¡¯s not very tasty, so it¡¯ll be divided among the slaves.]


    As Rona told me, my hands and mouth were greasy and greasy because I was biting into the meat with my hands.


    [It¡¯s salted and dried meat, isn¡¯t it?]


    [It¡¯s not delicious], said Rolo while desperately chewing on the meat.


    [It¡¯s not delicious?]


    [Yes, it can¡¯t be helped since there is no food during the winter¡­ salted food will spoils and gives you a stomach ache.]


    It¡¯s scary to imagine what it would be like to have a stomach ache after eating.


    [Outside the mansion, some people die from winter sickness or the cold. Stomach ache is the least of my worries.]


    Rolo spoke bluntly, but what the two children said was rather shocking.


    ¡­to even go as far as eating rotten meat¡­


    The food situation seems to get worse during the winter, but even so, eating rotten meat is terrifying.


    [Don¡¯t you have winter vegetables?]


    Since I¡¯ve had the chance, I¡¯ve decided to actively research.


    I, Varian, a noble, can¡¯t be used as a reference when it comes to the lives of commoners¡­ their stories are valuable.


    [Yeah, maybe turnips, cabbage, or green onions¡­ But, winter vegetables are precious. We can¡¯t grow vegetables when it snows after all.]


    [We hang wrinkled onions and white beet roots!]


    The two talked happily, but the content was not very pleasing.


    I thought that the ¡°winter sickness¡± that Rolo was talking about might be a lack of vitamins due to not eating vegetables.


    When people become extremely deficient in vitamins, they become ill. Beriberi, scurvy, pellagra, and rickets. The symptoms that modern people know as vitamin deficiency are unknown to those who don¡¯t know about vitamins. And it would be a terrible disease.


    ¡­..If I have the chance, I might want to try making sauerkraut as well¡­.. if I¡¯m not mistaken, I should be able to make it with salt and cabbage.


    Sauerkraut is salted shredded cabbage that can be stored for several months.


    Along with lime juice, it has a proven track record of being very useful in resolving vitamin deficiency among navigators during the Age of Exploration.


    [What are white beets?]


    [The leaves of white beets are delicious, but we slaves often eat the roots. It¡¯s edible, although not that delicious.]


    Rona told me about white beets, but I still haven¡¯t seen the real thing, so I can¡¯t imagine it.


    It seems that winter vegetables are valuable, and white beets are also a food that I should know about since they have a lot of edible parts.


    [White beets huh¡­ I¡¯m interested. Show me.]


    [Alright. Follow me.]


    Rona smiled at me.


    When I looked around, I saw people lying on the ground drunk.


    It seemed like the adults¡¯ banquet was coming to an end.


    =========


    [Varian, come over here.]


    After cleaning up the banquet, I was stopped by Rudolph when I returned home.


    Rushieno was also there.


    I remembered this atmosphere.


    It¡¯s when my parents scold me.


    I obediently answered ¡°yes¡± and approached.


    [Varian, I hear you¡¯ve been teaching letters and swords to slave children lately.]


    I muttered [there it is] in my mind in response to Rudolph¡¯s question.


    I always knew that if I educate Rona and Rolo, slaves, one of these days my parents would scold me.


    They say servants are easier to handle when they¡¯re stupid and obedient. It¡¯s the same even in this world.


    Even when I was still Sei Tanaka, temporary workers and part-timers who talked about workers¡¯ rights were avoided.


    I think what Rudolph wanted to say was, ¡°Don¡¯t give wisdom and power to slaves¡±.


    [Yes, Rona and Rolo have ¡ºtolerance¡» to forgive my past mistakes, ¡ºdiligence¡» and ¡ºmodesty¡». I learned the teachings of the Sacred Heaven from them, and they learned letters from me. We learned from each other. It¡¯s hard to find friends like them.]


    That was the answer I prepared in advance.


    I just think that it would be difficult for my parents to object if [God] was brought up.


    [Hmm, the teachings of Holy Heaven¡­ Didn¡¯t you learn them at church?]


    [Yes, but Reverend Rinel said that the teaching is meaningless unless one can apply it in their daily life.]


    Rushieno seemed pleased with that answer.


    I had the feeling that she¡¯s more religious than Rudolph.


    [I¡¯m glad you¡¯re studying at the church, Varian. But¡­ it¡¯s going to be hard if you get along too well with Rona.]


    Rushieno seemed to be worried about me and Rona becoming an item.


    Rudolf had a child born to a concubine, so it was no wonder she¡¯s worried.


    [Yes, I know I can¡¯t marry her¡­ it¡¯s true that we¡¯re on good terms, but I¡¯m a noble and she¡¯s a slave.]


    When I said it clearly, Rushieno let out a sigh of relief.


    [While I was studying at the church, I had a big dream. To make that dream come true, we need 100¡­ No, 10,000 Rona and Rolo.]


    I stared at Rudolph strongly.


    ¡°Church¡± is a useful word in this society, so there is no reason not to use it.


    [What dream?]


    Rudolf solemnly opened his mouth. It was so powerful that I think he wasn¡¯t drinking until just now.


    I scolded myself to get rid of the pressure.


    This is where I must hold out.


    If my parents approve, I should be able to expand my activities in the future.


    I strained my stomach.


    [Yes, I want to create a land where everyone can live a cleaner, less hungry and colder life. To do that, I can¡¯t do it alone. I need friends.]


    Rudolf showed a slightly surprised expression, but his expression soon turned serious.


    [Do you want the title of Earl?]


    [No, I don¡¯t care about the place. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s the capital or a foreign country, as long as I can make this dream come true.]


    I immediately denied Rudolf¡¯s concerns.


    Rudolf let out a sigh.


    [However, if you give power to your slaves, they will run away, and if you give them wisdom, they will rebel.]


    Rudolf keeps asking questions, but I could see that he no longer treated me like children.


    [Then, I¡¯ll provide them more profit to make them stay.]


    [I see, then that¡¯s fine. You can¡¯t bind people with just affection.]


    Rudolf nodded gravely.


    [Rushieno, when spring comes, return Varian to Lioncoeur. Give Varian an education as a warrior.]


    [Just him on his own?]


    Rudolf and Rushieno started discussing something.


    ¡­oh, has the wind turned unexpectedly?


    I twisted my head in my mind.


    [Varian, your goal requires strength. No one will obey a weak man. Train yourself in the land of Lioncoeur to become a warrior stronger than anyone else.]


    I was so surprised that I forgot to reply.


    I never thought that I would be leaving the royal capital.


    [Fufu, are you surprised?]


    [Yes, I am surprised.]


    Rudolf muttered pleasantly, and I bowed my head obediently.


    Rudolph recognized me early on and left me¡­ it¡¯s not something that can be done easily.


    [I hope you¡¯ll assist your brother.]


    [Yes. I promise that there will be no rift between me and my brother.]


    I swore to my father.


    As I was also a father before, I understand his concerns.


    Rushieno was flustered.


    [Rushieno, we¡¯ll be going back to Lioncoeur in the spring. We¡¯ve lived in the Royal Capital for two years. It¡¯s about time.]


    [Ah¡­ don¡¯t surprise me like that, I felt like my heart was going to jump out.]


    Rudolph and Rushieno began to create a friendly atmosphere, but they are both 32 years old and still young.


    I can understand the bewilderment of the two¡­ after all, this 7-year-old is actually 41 years old. I would hate to have a child like this.


    However, the two are working hard to be proper parents for Varian¡­ I bowed my head and thanked them.


    [It¡¯ll be in spring. Wait for spring to come.]


    Rudolf placed his hand on Rushieno¡¯s shoulder and headed to their room.


    ¡­maybe I¡¯ll have a younger brother or sister soon¡­


    I absent-mindedly watched my parents off while imagining something rude.


    It¡¯s a sudden development, but Lioncoeur may be more suitable for my goals than the Royal Capital, which is owned by someone else.


    I made a fist pose. It¡¯s a quiet guts pose.


    When the Japanese Major League, who was called a pioneer, achieved a no-hitter and no-run streak, he struck the same pose. Of course, I was the only one who knew about it in this world.

 Volume 1 - CH 8

    White Beets


    Translated by Raizu


    [Hmm, it¡¯s really difficult.]


    I was staring at medical books in the church library.


    It¡¯s all because I¡¯m thinking about improving public health.


    In fact, even in the Kingdom of Amoros, where no virus has been discovered, the concept of public health exists.


    It¡¯s just an empirical rule, but it seems that it¡¯s been known for a long time that diseases can arise from corpses, sick people, and filth.


    A bad atmosphere called miasma is generated from corpses and sick people, and there is a theory that this is the cause of illness.


    It is true that contagious diseases are more likely to occur in unsanitary places, and it is a correct way of thinking if we only consider ¡ºCause and Effect¡»that¡ºYou will get sick if you go to a polluted area¡».


    In fact, keeping pigs in the city is not only for winter food, but also seems to improve hygiene since the pigs feed on feces and garbage.


    ¡­but if pigs roam, wouldn¡¯t they carry infectious diseases¡­?


    I¡¯m confused, but it¡¯s difficult to explain viruses in an era without microscopes.


    No matter how much I tell them to ¡°keep it clean¡±, if I can¡¯t give them a convincing explanation, no one will follow me.


    ¡­how can we improve everyone¡¯s sense of hygiene¡­


    I was at a loss, but since I couldn¡¯t explain the reason, I came to the conclusion that the only thing I could do was to ¡°force¡± it.


    I¡¯ll have to become a feudal lord to even start with a forcible approach, like, ¡°I want to do this, so listen to what I say.¡±


    If the number of sick people decreases as a result, everyone should be satisfied.


    There is a way to approach the importance of hygiene from statistics like Nightingale did, but I lack the ability and data for this.


    A nurse, a statistician, and a social activist, Nightingale was a great person¡­ I now understand her greatness.


    It¡¯s not something that can be imitated easily.


    ¡­I have to reach a greater height¡­ if I don¡¯t get promoted and get a territory of my own, I won¡¯t be able to achieve my goals¡­


    At this time, a clear path to my vague goal was beginning to emerge.


    My father, Rudolph, told me to ¡°be strong¡±, but he may have wanted to tell me to gain territory through military exploits.


    ¡­..but, it¡¯s military exploits we are talking about¡­


    I sighed and closed the thick medical book.


    Then, I noticed the presence of people nearby¡­ Reverend Rinel and Giroude.


    ¡­isn¡¯t it kind of an unusual combination¡­?


    I tilted my head thinking about the relationship between the two.


    [Fufu, it looked cold outside, so I invited him in.]


    When reverend Rinel explained, Giroude scratched his head while laughing sheepishly.


    [I¡¯m sorry, Jiro, if only you could learn the letters¡­]


    [Young Master, you promised not to bring that up again.]


    Giroude interrupted my words and rubbed his nose.


    I don¡¯t know about such a promise, but if he himself wants to wait outside, it can¡¯t be helped.


    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m forcing my will on the adult Giroude.


    [Were you still studying medicine today?]


    Rinel asked after glancing at the book in my hand.


    [Yes, a bit of the miasma theory¡­ I believe that a clean life wards off illness, but what do you think, Reverend?]


    Reverend Rinel hummed at my question.


    [It is true that plagues are less likely to occur in monasteries that purify themselves according to the precepts and are kept clean.]


    But, he added a [However].


    [I can¡¯t conclude that it¡¯s because of the miasma. It could be the food, or it could be the protection of the Gods.]


    Reverend Rinel¡¯s answer was purely theoretical.


    It¡¯s true that epidemics are more likely to occur in cities, but it would be dangerous to conclude while the cause is still unknown.


    It is a common occurrence in the world that the damage spreads due to the wrong method that started with good intentions.


    My knowledge can probably be considered heresy here.


    [I understand well, I¡¯m telling you not to judge.]


    I nodded and the reverend smiled. It was a gentle smile.


    [As expected. It¡¯s a pity, if you become a monk¡­]


    [Reverend, you promised not to bring that up again]


    When I interrupted reverend Rinel¡¯s words by imitating Giroude, including his expression, the reverend burst out laughing. I couldn¡¯t help laughing too


    Giroude was dumbfounded.


    ========


    Rona happily ran up to me when I walked back to my house a little early.


    [Varian-sama, white beets have arrived.]


    [Really?]


    Rona remembered that I said ¡°I want to see¡± white beets before.


    Giroude said [Hehe, this is it] and walked away.


    This guy is always acting weird¡­ Could it be that it¡¯s Giroude¡¯s fault that my mother, Rushieno, was worried about the relationship between me and Rona?


    When I smiled wryly at Giroude, Rona took my hand and dragged me to the kitchen.


    Hers was a hard and rough palm.


    When we arrived at the kitchen, Rona¡¯s mother and Rolo were there.


    [Varian-sama, my child has done something rude.]


    Rona¡¯s mother frowned when she saw me and Rona¡¯s holding hands.


    Rona, realizing this, yelped an [Ah] and let go of my hand. Her acting fidgety afterward was really cute.


    [Nah, it¡¯s alright. She was just too happy.]


    Rona¡¯s face became bright red to the ears, as I joked around.


    [Really, Mom, just please get out for a moment!]


    Rona took it out on her mother and kicked her out of the kitchen.


    Such a girlish embarrassment.


    Rolo was also grinning, but immediately turned away when Rona stared at him.


    [This is it], said Rona with a bright red face, and placed the white beets on the table.


    [Eh, this?]


    I looked at it intently.


    It looked just like the ¡°radish¡± I know of.


    It has a slightly distorted shape, but it¡¯s relatively large.


    About the size of Varian¡¯s childish palm.


    [The leaves are also edible, right?]


    [That¡¯s right.]


    Rona answered my question.


    If I had to say, those leaves would be ¡°spinach¡±?


    It looks delicious when fried in oil, but in this world oil is a valuable commodity and cannot be wasted.


    [I want to try eating a little.]


    [Fufu, I thought you would say that.]


    Rona, who heard my muttering, said, [This is the soup], and showed me the pot.


    It appeared to be white beets boiled in salted water.


    [Hmm, let¡¯s see.]


    When I looked into the pot, there was a strong smell.


    I scooped out just one piece with a spoon and put it in my mouth, feeling a strong earthy smell. It smelled like a field on a rainy day.


    ¡­Ugh, this is¡­


    I exhaled through my nose then started chewing on it.


    ¡­..hmm, it¡¯s sweet¡­


    I could taste the sweetness from the white beets.


    However, it¡¯s hard to say it¡¯s delicious because the smell gets in the way.


    [It smells pretty bad, but it¡¯s sweet.]


    When I muttered, Rolo laughed and said, [I don¡¯t really like it either].


    ¡­..Hmm, sweet radish¡­ I feel like I¡¯ve heard of it somewhere¡­ I know spicy radish, but¡­sweet radish?


    I harrumphed.


    Next, I put only the broth in my mouth.


    [It¡¯s still sweet, but the smell is¡­]


    [I know right? It¡¯s easier to eat the leaves.]


    Perhaps I was making a strange face, as I saw Rona giggling.


    [Let me bite the tip for a second.]


    I broke the tip of the white beetroot and chewed it.


    [Ah, don¡¯t eat that part.]


    [You¡¯ll get a stomach ache.]


    Rona and Rolo warned me.


    There¡¯s no custom of eating raw vegetables in Amoros region.


    Is it because there¡¯s issues with the freshness?


    When I crunch the white beets, the smell was still strong.


    [Thanks. I learned a lot.]


    When I thanked them, they laughed and said, [Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s cheap].


    ========


    At dinnertime.


    Rudolph called out to me while I was eating with my family.


    [Varian, I reckon you were doing something in the kitchen.]


    Apparently someone was watching me, or at least telling on me.


    I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so there¡¯s no need to panic.


    [Yes. I was shown the white beetroot.]


    By the way, today¡¯s soup contains white beet leaves.


    Rona and Rolo said, ¡°The leaves are delicious¡±, but to me they are hard and gritty.


    [Hmm, why? Are you hungry? Doesn¡¯t it taste good?]


    Rudolph seemed to have taken an interest in my eccentricities.


    [I heard that the edible part is large, so I was interested¡­ I think I have come up with a new type of provision.]


    [Provisions? You, Varian?]


    It was my brother Robel who responded to my words.


    [Yes. I¡¯m thinking of making preserved food.]


    Researching military provisions is a convenient way to deal with criticism, but if preserved food is enriched, the winter food situation may improve.


    [Oh, did you come up with something?]


    [Yes, I read in a book that shredded cabbage will last longer if you pickle it in salt.]


    It¡¯s a lie of course. I hadn¡¯t read such a book.


    In order to popularize sauerkraut for vitamin supplementation, I came up with the idea that it would be good to make it a provision item.


    In Japan, there were many examples of retired military personnel bringing back provisions and spreading them.


    [Hmm¡­ not bad, but you have to carry fragile pots to carry pickles, and salt is expensive¡­ it¡¯s difficult.]


    I see, it seems to be difficult in terms of cost.


    Even so, Rudolph seemed to seriously consider my proposal.


    And that made me happy.


    [So Varian has been reading a book to help fulfill his gluttonous stomach!]


    Everyone laughed at Robel¡¯s exaggerated shocked response.


    My visit to the library seems to be seen as a kind of eccentricity.


    So I also joked back by saying [How did you find out].


    It¡¯s a good family.


    Both Rudolph and Rushieno are beginning to recognize my eccentricity as a personality, and Robel is someone I can rely on as my older brother.


    [Father, I want a younger brother. Because I want to be like my older brother.]


    When I pretended to be innocent and teased Rudolph, he choked and spat out the soup.


    [Oh dear, what shall we do?]


    Rushieno was delighted as if nothing had happened.


    The whitebeets will bring about a revolution in the Amoros Kingdom later, but this is still in the future

 Volume 1 - CH 9

    Life in Winter


    Translated by Raizu


    Winter has come.


    It¡¯s cold.


    And it¡¯s smoky.


    The reason why it was so smoky was because we had a fire in the house.


    When the top of the table in the largest room I had ever called the dining room was removed, a huge fireplace appeared from inside.


    It seems that the top of the table was placed on top of the stone enclosure.


    That way it could serve as a table in the summer and a hearth in the winter.


    When you lit a fire in the hearth, the smoke went all over the place.


    For the time being, it seems that the smoke is being exhausted from the ceiling, but it¡¯s not catching up at all.


    ¡­why the hearth¡­? The rest of the restaurant is Western-style, but why is this particular part Japanese-style?


    Tanaka Varian didn¡¯t know this, but it is said that fireplaces were invented in the 11th and 12th centuries.


    Moreover, since chimneys were quite hard to make, it was necessary to wait until the 18th century before they became common in ordinary houses.


    There are no fireplaces in the Amoros Kingdom yet.


    And, probably due to the cost of heating, in winter the retainers would gather around the hearth of the mansion¡¯s dining room to eat.


    ¡­it feels like home.


    I absentmindedly gazed at the dining room, which had become a place for the servants to rest.


    My mother, Rushieno, didn¡¯t look displeased either, so I¡¯m convinced that¡¯s what she¡¯s talking about.


    ¡­..although this looks like what primitive men would come up with¡­


    =======


    I was astonished when I first saw the retainers gathering in the dining room.


    Burping and farting sounds were natural.


    The servants scrambled for food, grabbed and munched on whatever their hands could reach, and threw away the bones and other leftovers without hesitation.


    Someone¡¯s dog ate it and ran away.


    At least, it¡¯s a dog I¡¯ve never seen in this mansion before.


    In addition to eating manners, there are some people who play unkind pranks on our female slaves, but they are unexpectedly easy-going, and with a certain amount of consent, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a problem.


    And here I thought their religion preaches about ¡°Faithfulness¡±.


    [Somehow, it¡¯s amazing.]


    I called out to my father, Rudolph, who happened to be by my side.


    [Umu, Dekos is a brave man, and he once ate up the thigh meat of a wild boar.]


    It seemed that Rudolph interpreted my ¡°amazing¡± as a compliment.


    But, I don¡¯t understand why eating a wild boar¡¯s leg is a heroic act.


    Dekos is a stout servant who deftly grabbed the soup in the middle of the table and slurped at it.


    I don¡¯t understand why they don¡¯t use spoons, but maybe that¡¯s what heroes are like in here.


    By the way, the squire¡¯s meals are the same as ours.


    I didn¡¯t know if this is normal or Rudolph¡¯s policy, but I understand that my father treats his squire with great care.


    Tired of the noise and smoke, I headed to the kitchen.


    The kitchen doesn¡¯t have a smoke exhaust system, so it¡¯s smoky, but it¡¯s better because it¡¯s not noisy.


    Rona and her mother were there.


    [Eh, Rona, you¡¯re here?]


    [Varian-sama.]


    Rona happily invited me to sit next to her.


    [Where is Rolo?]


    [Rolo should have gone out to fetch firewood with Giroude-san.]


    Rona answered my question.


    Recently, Rona¡¯s mother no longer tries to scold us even if we¡¯re getting along well, but what¡¯s going on with the change of heart?


    [Rona, have you been living in the royal capital all this time?]


    [Yes, we have been in this mansion ever since the old man started working here.]


    I let out an impressed [ehh] voice.


    To think that the loyalty has been passed down to three generations.


    After chatting for a while, I brought up the main subject.


    [¡­Actually, I will be returning to the territory come spring¡­]


    When I muttered, Rona made a sad face.


    [Yes, I understand. Master goes back and forth between the territory and the mansion every few years.]


    [¡­..I see.]


    After a short silence, Rona sang a song.


    The people of the Amoros Kingdom love to sing.


    Even though there is no alcohol in the lively cafeteria, there are always people singing loudly.


    Rona¡¯s singing voice today had a melancholic tone.


    She must be reluctant to part with me.


    Rona likes me¡­as expected, I¡¯m not so insensitive that I can¡¯t understand this.


    She is probably about 10 years old, two or three years older than Varian, but perhaps she thinks that I was kind and dependable because of my high mental age.


    However, as expected, I just can¡¯t invoke any romantic feelings as a 10-year-old child, and I¡¯m not even a romantic enough to throw my life away with a love that overcomes social differences.


    It¡¯s impossible for me to respond to her feelings.


    I also sang along with Rona.


    I learned this song from Rona.


    Before my voice changed, there was no reason for my body to match Rona¡¯s voice.


    And if I use the chorus tips I learned in music class when I was Tanaka, it seems that you can achieve a certain level of singing ability in this world.


    In other words, straighten your back, open your mouth wide, and sing without embarrassment¡­this alone makes a big difference.


    Before I knew it, Rolo and Giroude had returned, and even Rudolph and the servants who were making noise in the dining room were listening.


    ¡­That¡¯s right, let¡¯s teach Rona not only letters but also simple calculations, so that she can find a better marriage partner¡­..


    After our chorus ended, the servants cheered.


    I couldn¡¯t see Rona¡¯s expression.


    =======


    The year had changed.


    The calendar in the Kingdom of Amoros has 30 days in a month and 360 days in a year.


    There may be a leap month, but I¡¯m not sure about that.


    The winter in the Kingdom of Amoros is snowy and cold, and I think it¡¯s even colder since the heaters and clothes are underdeveloped.


    It¡¯s so cold that even wearing a fur jacket and arm covers can¡¯t keep the cold out.


    Unable to endure the harsh winter, the poor districts naturally overflow with starvation and freezing deaths.


    Although it is a matter of course, there is a hierarchy even among the poor.


    Even if you say poor people, there are those who have citizenship and have some income, and there are sick people who huddle in the corner and had to scavenge for garbage dump for food.


    In general, people without a place to live will die in the winter by the order of 1,000, and with the melting of the snow, new peasants will gather in the city.


    It seems that the population of the city is maintained in a perfect balance.


    By the way, the population of the Royal Capital is about 5,500 households, approximately 30,000 people.


    And about 60% of them are commoners with citizenship.


    Due to the fact that this is the ¡°King¡¯s home¡±, the Royal Capital seems to be of a higher standard than a normal city.


    ¡­..Public hygiene and nutritional value are important, but the cold is the worst¡­


    If you can¡¯t withstand the cold, you¡¯ll die.


    In the face of this reality, sanitation and nutritional value will come second.


    I was thinking of a way to warm myself while feeling the bitter cold.


    An idea crossed my mind.


    It¡¯s a ¡ºRocket Stove¡».


    This is a highly efficient wood-burning stove originally created to improve living standards in developing countries.


    It¡¯s very simple to make, just pass a J-shaped pipe inside the outer frame and fill the gap with heat insulating material.


    If you want to make one, you can make it with just an 18-liter can and an L-shaped chimney sold at a home depot.


    I knew pretty well how to make it since I already did with my own children back on earth.


    For the insulation, light stones such as naan sold at home depots are used, but if you don¡¯t mind the weight, it seems that sand will work as well.


    A rocket stove has a simple structure, and even a blacksmith in the Kingdom of Amoros should be able to make one.


    Since it was originally invented for a poor country with a low level of technology, it is a perfect fit.


    As the structure is simple, the size can be freely adjusted.


    If it were made larger and a chimney was placed around the room, the radiant heat would provide excellent heating.


    There must have been people in the world who made a strange seat called a ¡°heating bench¡± by applying the radiant heat from the chimney.


    If rocket stoves that can be miniaturized and carried around become widespread, the number of people who freeze to death should decrease at once.


    The rocket stove emits little smoke, so it should be able to eliminate the problem of smoke inside the mansion.


    Personally, it¡¯s quite disturbing to inhale the smoke every time.


    However, there is one problem¡­the only way to tell people that this is good is to show them the actual product, but as a 7-year-old kid, I can¡¯t make it with my financial strength and personal connections.


    When I desperately explained, they would probably get away with saying ¡®brat bullshit¡¯.


    ¡­I want to become an adult as soon as possible¡­


    I can¡¯t help but think about the same things that other 7-year-olds often do.


    Well, that¡¯s fine. Now is the time to stock up on ideas.


    I can try it out when the time comes.


    I decided to think things through.


    A rocket stove would be a groundbreaking invention.


    Perhaps, that itself would be an achievement.


    It¡¯ll be a bit of a shame if it¡¯s stolen by someone else.


    Let¡¯s keep the idea warm until I earn some kind of achievement and gain myself a territory.


    While I was idly looking at the snow and thinking, Rudolph went out with several squires.


    He went to the Royal Palace to say our new year¡¯s greetings.


    Even though I refer to it as a Royal Palace, it¡¯s a fortress-like building with unglazed roof tiles on rough stone walls.


    [It¡¯s warm this winter, it¡¯s a good thing.]


    Giroude suddenly called out to me.


    According to him, it¡¯s pretty warm compared to the preceding winters¡­ he¡¯s wearing a barbarian-like outfit with short sleeves and fur.


    [What? Didn¡¯t you go to the Royal Palace?]


    During the winter, everything is blocked by snow and there¡¯s not much you can do¡­it¡¯s boring.


    The other squires should have made a fuss about going to see the Royal Palace to beat their boredom.


    [Hehe, this Giroude-sama can boast that I¡¯m a squire when I¡¯m in the Lioncoeur mansion. But in the Royal Palace, I¡¯m just a vassal and a retainer¡­ a retainer of a retainer even.]


    Giroude muttered [and that¡¯s boring].


    I see, he seems to have some kind of obsession.


    However, there really isn¡¯t much you can do during the winter.


    There is barely any entertainment in the Amoros Kingdom.


    Even hunting, which was a pleasure in autumn, can¡¯t be done because of the snow.


    Everyone was so bored that they had to entertain themselves by singing children¡¯s songs.


    The lack of entertainment is probably one of the reasons why people make a fuss about their meals and are open-minded about sex.


    It took me a while to realize this fact because I go to the church library whenever I have time.


    [Let¡¯s think of something we can do in our room.]


    [That¡¯s fine, I¡¯d like to ask for a lively guy.]


    Giroude laughed happily.


    There¡¯s nothing that I take for granted in this land.


    Entertainment must have been a luxury in human history.


    ¡­Shogi, playing cards, reversi, sugoroku¡­ what else was there?


    I tried to recall my vague memories about tabletop games.


    The snow kept piling up.


    It won¡¯t thaw until a long while later.

 Volume 1 - CH 10

    Black Hair


    Translated by Raizu


    [Sugoroku*] was what I came up with to relieve winter boredom. (TL Note: *Japanese board game)


    Obviously not the board Sugoroku, but the picture Sugoroku.


    Why, you ask?


    Because it¡¯s easier to make.


    At first, I thought about using darts, but I gave up upon realizing that I¡¯m basically giving a bored primitive man a knife.


    In cooperation with Giroude, I drew simple squares on the board, and made dice and pieces that are slightly different to each other.


    I made it very simple, so it was completed in no time.


    By the way, the board was a repurposed washboard.


    [Is the dice for betting? The arrangement of the stars is interesting.]


    [Well, it CAN be used for betting.]


    Giroude was fumbling with a square 6-sided die¡­..it seems that he¡¯s seen something similar before.


    There were only 27 squares drawn on the board, but this is a good place to start.


    I didn¡¯t know how to translate ¡°Furidashi¡± and ¡°Agari¡±, so I wrote ¡°Battle¡± and ¡°Victory¡± randomly. Along the way, adds bonuses and traps as needed, such as ¡°roll the dice again¡±, ¡°advance 3 squares¡±, ¡°return 4 squares¡±, ¡°rest 1 turn¡±, and ¡°return to the start of the battle¡±.


    [It¡¯s done.]


    The result was an extremely simple Sugoroku game. We managed to fashion 4 pieces to go along with it.


    [Jiro, can you call Rona and Rolo over?]


    [At once.]


    Giroude quickly went to fetch the two of them out.


    [Wow, is this a new game?]


    [That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it amazing?]


    Giroude proudly lifted his chin when Rolo looked at the Sugoroku board and raised his voice.


    ¡­..Giroude and I hadn¡¯t even playtested it¡­


    I twisted my head and explained the rules to the three.


    [It¡¯s easy, isn¡¯t it?]


    Everyone nodded when I checked.


    Before I knew it, the squires who were staying at home had gathered.


    [Alright, let¡¯s play it.]


    When we started playing Sugoroku, everyone was watching intently.


    Since it¡¯s simple, everyone seemed to have understood it by the time they rolled the dice once.


    Giroude was currently advancing his piece.


    [Young Master, what is written in here?]


    [Advance 3 squares.]


    Giroude vigorously advanced his piece while excitedly saying [See ya!].


    The surrounding squires cheered for him.


    [Ah, it¡¯s 1 again.]


    [Hehe, I got 5.]


    While Rona and Rolo were progressing smoothly, I stopped at the ¡°Return to the start of the battle¡± square.


    [What is written there?]


    [Return to the start of the battle]


    When I shrugged my shoulders, the audience clapped their hands and shouted, ¡°Wow!¡±.


    ¡­..Hmm, what a mysterious tension¡­..


    I returned the piece to the starting point while feeling a bit of excitement due to the unexpected tension.


    [Young Master, if we win, what will happen?]


    [Hmm, I haven¡¯t thought about it, but¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better for everyone to think about that?]


    When I asked the squires, [Hey, what do you guys think?], they all started discussing with each other.


    They basically get along well.


    [Ah, return 4 squares¡­]


    Rona sighed as she returned the piece, and Rolo said, [Alright, it¡¯s a 6].


    Rolo was running ahead of the rest of us.


    [Kaah, it¡¯s a 2!]


    Giroude¡¯s dice didn¡¯t side with him, and Rolo won the very first Sugoroku game in the Kingdom of Amoros.


    The good thing about Sugoroku is that the outcome is determined by luck.


    Experience doesn¡¯t really matter.


    [What is the reward for the winner?]


    When I checked with the squire, they seemed to have different opinions.


    [Well¡­ how about I, who is at the bottom of the ranks, talk to Rolo in honorifics for just one day today?]


    [Ehh, Varian-sama is willing to do that?]


    Rolo raised a surprised voice, but this is a game.


    It would be a problem if the squires made unreasonable bets, and I think the reward should be something silly like this.


    When I jokingly said, [How do you like it, Rolo-sama?], the squires burst into laughter.


    For some reason, it felt like a punishment game for Rolo instead. But there¡¯s no problem with it.


    Then we let the squires try it out, while we¡¯re spectating.


    ========


    Half a day later


    The dining room was filled with great excitement.


    [Argh, it¡¯s rest for 1 turn!]


    [Fuck! It¡¯s 2 again!]


    The squires were playing Sugoroku without getting tired of it. Even Rudolph and his friends, who had just returned from the Royal Palace, were also participating.


    [Milord, please switch over!]


    [Well, it¡¯s still my third time! I haven¡¯t won once!]


    Rudolph also quarreled with his squire like a child.


    Apparently he intended to keep playing until he won.


    ¡­I didn¡¯t expect it to be so popular¡­


    Watching the adults get excited over a board game gave me a strange feeling.


    Cheers resounded again. I didn¡¯t know for sure, but it seemed that someone rolled 6 in a row.


    [I was completely kicked out.]


    Rona sat next to me.


    Apparently today is her day off somehow.


    Rona comes to my side more often nowadays.


    I guess it¡¯s a girl¡¯s way of expressing affection. It really made me smile when I see it from the perspective of someone who has raised a child once.


    [I never thought it would get so exciting.]


    [Everyone looks happy. Varian-sama is amazing.]


    Rona laughed when I smiled wryly, saying [You¡¯re exaggerating].


    [I will write you letter.]


    Rona¡¯s eyes widened at my sudden words.


    [I, that¡­]


    At that time, I didn¡¯t know, but in the Amoros Kingdom, where the literacy rate was low, letters were mostly related to politics or military affairs. Personal letters were only sent between nobles or high-ranking priests.


    It¡¯s no wonder Rona is surprised.


    [It¡¯ll be alright. I¡¯ll have a squire to deliver it.]


    However, I didn¡¯t hold back as I didn¡¯t know the communication situation in the Kingdom of Amoros yet.


    [I¡¯ve thought of another game. I¡¯ll make it with Jiro tomorrow.]


    [I¡¯m looking forward to it], said Rona shyly.


    =========


    During the winter, I will be thinking about playing games indoors.


    Bowling using firewood and wooden balls¡­ I couldn¡¯t make a sphere, so I used sliced ??wood to make a ball, but it was very popular.


    Chincirorin was also quite popular, but Reversi was a big hit.


    Sugoroku and Reversi became very popular among the squires, so Giroude and I ended up producing several of them¡­ Giroude is completely accustomed to woodworking and has the hands of a craftsman.


    Me and Giroude were currently working on the third Reversi in the storeroom.


    [Wouldn¡¯t you like to bring Rona to Lioncoeur?]


    [I can¡¯t¡­ at least right now. But, I¡¯ll be an adult 5 years from now. I¡¯m worried if I can endure having a woman by my side.]


    Giroude¡¯s eyes widened as if he was surprised by my words.


    [Heh, Young Master, do you know the way of Socchi?]


    [Well¡­ when you¡¯re 13 or 14, you can¡¯t think of anything else, right? At that time, try to have Rona, who has grown into a beautiful girl, by your side¡­ what would I do if I had a child that no one wanted?]


    Giroude was lost in thought after hearing what I said.


    While we were working in silence, he muttered, [I don¡¯t understand].


    [Are you really just an eight years old boy, Young Master? I don¡¯t know anymore]


    Giroude blew on the top of the Reversi to blow away the wood shavings.


    [If it¡¯s Roberu-sama who is talking about that, I can understand. He¡¯s pretty smart. But when Varian-sama said it, it¡¯s like I¡¯m talking to my old man.]


    [I see¡­maybe.]


    Giroude was about 20 years old at that time.


    It¡¯s true that my mental age is closer to that of his father¡¯s.


    [What about your father? How is he doing?]


    [Yeah, he¡¯s doing his best. He¡¯s old already, so he¡¯s staying at Lioncoeur.]


    Giroude smiled with a nostalgic look on his face.


    [My old man, you know, when he¡¯s serving the previous lord, he took part in the rebellion and went on a rampage¡­. He¡¯s become a gentleman now though.]


    [Eh, how come? Did my grandfather do something unreasonable?]


    Giroude grinned.


    [It¡¯s the other way around¡­ Young Master. Lioncoeur¡¯s people have black hair and eyes. This is their pride.]


    I simply nodded.


    [Young Master¡¯s ancestors attacked Lioncoeur and made it their territory¡­but the Lioncoeur people back then were so soft that they remained silent after being attacked by foreigners.]


    It would be so.


    There is no way the area will be brought under control if it is occupied and ruled by foreigners.


    [So, Young Master¡¯s ancestor thought, I should marry a lady from Lioncoeur¡¯s powerful family.]


    [I see, assimilation¡­ no, political marriage.]


    The ruler must have tried to assimilate them at the genetic level by having the daughter of a different race to give birth to their children.


    It¡¯s a common move.


    [Well, I don¡¯t know about difficult things like that¡­ in any case, the people of Lioncoeur wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything if a child is born.]


    Giroude started to carve the next piece from a block of wood¡­ he kept working while talking.


    [It continued for generations and generations. Starting with the Young Master¡¯s great grandfather, until the current lord was born.]


    [Ah, my mother was certainly a noble of Amoros Kingdom.]


    I tried to remember, but I can¡¯t remember where my mother was from¡­ I think it was Viscount Delaine¡­


    [Yes, putting that aside¡­ The Lioncoeur rebelled at every turn. It¡¯s a different country from the beginning, so it¡¯s not unreasonable¡­and then the rebellion stopped in the current lord¡¯s generation.]


    [Why?]


    I lean forward with a jerk.


    [The people of Lioncoeur thought that the current lord is their own kin due to the color of his hair and eyes. They believed that a true Lioncoeur had finally uprooted the foreigners¡¯ blood.]


    I groaned upon hearing that.


    I can understand the feelings of the Lioncoeur people.


    It¡¯s like overthrowing a hateful conqueror who couldn¡¯t be overthrown by using genes.


    ¡­that may have been the conqueror¡¯s intentions¡­


    I stroked my black hair.


    Lioncoeur seems to have complicated circumstances.


    [Roberu-sama is brown haired, while Varian-sama is black haired¡­ this might be problem later on.]


    Giroude¡¯s word left an impression in me.


    After that, we continued to play indoors, and when I tried sharing it with Reverend Rinel, he was very pleased.


    It will be discussed later, but Sugoroku became very popular among the monks and was considered ¡°the taste of the monks¡±.


    If it¡¯s God¡¯s grace that decides fate with dice¡­ I don¡¯t know, but it seems that various variations have been born.


    By the end of winter, the Lioncoeur family¡¯s mansion was bustling with primitive people who enjoyed playing ¡°blablahBasket¡±.


    Before I knew it, the sun was getting warmer.


    Winter is almost over.

 Volume 1 - CH 11

    Departure


    Translated by Raizu


    The boring winter had passed and spring arrived.


    I visited the church with my mother, Rushieno, and greeted Reverend Rinel.


    [I see. It¡¯ll be lonely here, but encounters and partings are a part of life.]


    [Thank you for teaching my son.]


    Reverend Rinel and my mother talked amiably. Apparently he¡¯s actually her uncle.


    In other words, he¡¯s my great uncle.


    Reverend Rinel was born from a concubine. He was put into a monastery to avoid succession troubles.


    But he wasn¡¯t discouraged, and actually worked hard on his sacred duties to get to his position now¡­ I think it¡¯s a good thing.


    Of course, it goes without saying that Reverend Rinel had the support of his parents, the Dolleine, and Lioncoeur family.


    Aristocratic societies and religious societies are strongly connected societies.


    [Varian-sama, you should be able to work as a civil officer in any noble household right now. Not only being able to read and write, you¡¯ll be an able officer who is also well versed in arithmetic and medicine]


    [Thank you very much. I won¡¯t forget Reverend Rinel¡¯s teaching and will continue to work hard.]


    Hearing my answer, Rushieno covered her face, muttering [ohh, Varian, that is admirable] while sobbing. ¡­..I guess the Varian before I entered the picture was a really irredeemable brat.


    [I will write you a letter, please teach me more.]


    [Yes, by all means, let¡¯s complete the collection of fables.]


    Reverend Rinel and I nodded to each other.


    The ¡°Collection of Fables¡± is stories that recount the teachings of the nine virtues in the style of old tales.


    For example:


    [Northern Wind and Sun] tells about tolerance


    Among others.


    Of course, they¡¯re arranged in Amoros¡¯ style.


    This is a project that was started to pass on the teachings of the Sacred Heaven to those who are illiterate.


    The story that Rinel authored himself had also been added to the collection. It tells of ¡°Faithfulness¡± and is actually quite adult-oriented.


    The book that compiled these stories was later called the Rinel Fables, and became known as the sermon instruction manual of the Sacred Heaven Church.


    Much later, it was re-evaluated as a fairy tale, and Rinel left his name in history as a ¡°man of literacy¡±.


    ========


    When I returned home with Rushieno, the mansion was somewhat noisy.


    They¡¯re preparing to depart.


    My father, Rudolph, noticed me and stopped me, saying, [Varian, come here for a minute].


    [Yes, father. I went to greet Reverend Rinel with Mother just now.]


    [Umu. Varian, this one¡¯s for you]


    When I looked, there was Rolo.


    He was kneeling on his knees with his head down.


    [Father, by ¡®for me¡¯ you mean¡­?]


    [It¡¯s just as I said. I give him to you. Do with him as you please.]


    Rudolph left after saying that, returning to supervise the squires.


    [What should I say¡­?]


    When I muttered vaguely, Rolo raised his head and stood up.


    [Varian-sama¡­ I, I mean, this slave has consulted with Giroude-san¡­]


    [Young Master, Rolo wants to follow you.]


    Giroude said from behind me.


    [Rolo consulted me, so I asked Master to make him a slave to Young Master.]


    Giroude muttered [you can¡¯t make children with Rolo] while giving me a wink.


    [Is that so¡­ but then Rolo will be separated from his family¡­ is that okay?]


    When I asked Rolo, he nodded strongly.


    [I believe my sister wants to follow Young master, but she¡¯s a woman¡­so, that¡¯s why, I¡¯ll follow you¡­ Young Master, in her stead.]


    Rolo spoke to me in a formal tone, which was probably unfamiliar to him. It¡¯s probably the common sense between master and servant.


    [Young Master, I need to tell you this¡­ but once we return to Lioncoeur, I might have to get married and inherit my family estate. When that happens, I will no longer be stationed to serve Young Master. In that situation, please rely on Rolo.]


    Jiro scratched his chin and said, [It¡¯s been fun], with a manly smile.


    [I had fun too, my friend.]


    When I grinned, Giroude frowned.


    [¡­..don¡¯t be like that, Young master. You¡¯re going to make me cry¡­]


    Giroude raised his voice and started crying.


    The people of Amoros Kingdom are so full of emotion.


    Crying, laughing, getting angry.


    Giroude¡¯s tears were nothing to be ashamed of.


    The surrounding squires approached us, wondering what happened.


    [Everyone! I was told by Young Master that I am his, Varian¡¯s friend! Nothing could make me happier than this!]


    Giroude laughed while crying.


    The squires also seemed to celebrate the occasion as well.


    The relationship between the master and squire of the Amoros Kingdom is not forced, but voluntary.


    Of course, the squires obey the lord as citizens, but it is not their duty as squires to accompany their master.


    Many follow their masters in search of fame and wealth.


    A strong and popular lord will have many squires.


    The lord gives his squires a place of honor¡­ in other words, a battlefield, and gives them wealth according to their work.


    It is not uncommon for masters and squires to develop personal friendships among them.


    And it was also a mutual honor.


    Although Giroude was a squire of Varian¡¯s father, Rudolph, he was still pleased with his friendship with Varian.


    Giroude put Varian on his shoulders and shouted, [We¡¯re friends!].


    The people of Lioncoeur are seclusive and stubborn.


    However, once they¡¯ve been won over, they¡¯re warm-hearted and have a strong sense of duty.


    The bond between the Lioncoeurs is extremely strong, and through Giroude, Varian gains the companionship of the Lioncoeur.


    ========


    The morning of departure had finally arrived.


    Several carriages with two horses were prepared, one of which was a luxurious one with walls and a roof for the lord¡¯s family to ride.


    Each type has four wheels.


    Several slaves boarded¡­or rather, they were loaded to the other carriages along with their luggage. They were completely handled like baggage.


    Rolo was also among them.


    [Varian, it¡¯s time to get in the carriage.]


    My brother Robel called out to me.


    Robel himself was riding on a horseback instead of the carriage.


    [Brother¡­alright.]


    My brother urged me to get into the carriage.


    I wanted to bid my farewell to Rona, but she didn¡¯t show up.


    ¡­..Well, if we see each other it might be harder to say goodbye¡­..


    My mother, Rushieno, was already sitting when I cut off my regrets and got into the carriage.


    [Varian, traveling by carriage might be tough. Bear with it, alright?]


    Rushieno encouraged me as I apparently looked brooding.


    ¡­..it¡¯s just a carriage, right? Is she talking about something similar to carsick?


    I didn¡¯t take Rushieno¡¯s words seriously and laughed it off, saying [I¡¯ll be fine].


    Rudolph¡¯s voice saying [Depart!] could be heard coming from outside the carriage.


    Under Rudolph¡¯s command, four carriages and nine cavalrymen, including himself, began to move.


    There were several large dogs running side by side. They are said to be carriage dogs.


    Their role is keeping wild dogs and the likes away from the carriage.


    Horse-drawn carriages accompanied by dogs have such a long history that they can be seen in Egyptian murals.


    Gatan


    The carriage shook violently, and a large impact was transmitted.


    Rushieno muttered, [Ah, God].


    [Mother, I¡¯m fine. Please let me know if you feel unwell.]


    [Varian¡­ don¡¯t push yourself too hard.]


    The carriage shook again.


    Rushieno closed her eyes tightly.


    The scenery outside the window moved along.


    I, who became Varian, spent only 8 months in the mansion, but I feel a little lonely leaving it now.


    When I looked out the window to see the mansion for the last time, I saw Rona waving her hand.


    [See you soon! Rona!]


    I felt like Rona laughed happily when I raised my voice.


    The carriage rattled and shook as the speed increased.


    We will now head east. Aiming for the land of Lioncoeur, at the far end of the east.

 Volume 1 - CH 12

    A Trip on Horse-drawn Carriage


    Translated by Raizu


    I might¡¯ve underestimated it.


    This thing is called a trip on a horse-drawn carriage.


    When you think of a horse-drawn carriage trip, the image that comes to mind is probably ¡°elegant¡±, ¡°high-class¡±, and ¡°comfortable¡±.


    I was too naive.


    The comfort level of the old carriage was the worst.


    Firstly, the road was in bad shape.


    The roads weren¡¯t paved. Cobblestones road was a rarity outside the main street of the Royal Capital.


    The road, obviously not well managed, was uneven here and there. Once the carriage gets stuck in a hollow, the slaves will have to desperately push it out.


    On the other hand, there were even cases where the carriage flipped due to the wheel being caught by a large stone.


    Secondly, the structure of the carriage itself was crude.


    The carriage has no suspension or rubber tires, so the vibrations are transmitted directly to the passengers.


    I learned later that the comfort of riding the carriage was jokingly called ¡°Hell¡¯s Torture¡±.


    That should illustrate how much the shaking was.


    My mother, Rushieno, was lying limp with a pale face.


    Also, since the wheels on both sides are linked to the axle, it cannot make sharp turns.


    To some extent, it seemed that the coachman¡¯s skill was enough to make a turn, but when making a big turn, he had to manually push one side to force the turn.


    [Alright, let¡¯s take a short break!]


    Outside the carriage, Rudolph, my father, gave instructions to the formation, and the group stopped slightly off the road.


    Thus, the so-called Hell¡¯s Torture also momentarily stopped.


    [Mother, are you alright? Shall I get you some water?]


    When I called out to her, Rushieno replied with a weak [¡­yes.].


    Perhaps it¡¯s too painful to raise her head, so she¡¯s lying down.


    When I got off the carriage, I noticed my older brother Robel looking exhausted.


    But, Robel didn¡¯t want to ride the carriage.


    ¡­..between the carriage and horseback, I wonder which one is easier to deal with?


    I tilted my head.


    By the way, the horses they ride are not thoroughbreds, but have a solid physique like a Hokkaido* child. (TL Note: *It seems a famous racing horse name)


    It¡¯s hairy and has a very large body.


    The horse that Rudolph was riding is the largest and may be over 180 centimeters tall.


    Its gigantic body seems to have a lot of horsepower.


    [Are you alright, Varian?]


    Rudolf called out to me, so I told him, [Mother is not feeling well, so I¡¯m worried.].


    Hearing that, Rudolph headed for the carriage with a bottle of water.


    He didn¡¯t look tired at all.


    ¡­as expected of a veteran warrior¡­


    I was admiring the back of Rudolph as I gazed at him.


    The slaves hurriedly got off the carriage and began some work.


    The pots with legs were lined up for cooking.


    ¡­..it¡¯s for meals, but it¡¯s an interesting design for a pot.


    Since I came to Amoros Kingdom, I¡¯ve been experiencing culture shock on multiple occasions.


    This pot with legs is one of those occasions. It has a very interesting shape.


    I spent time petting the carriage dog and watching the slaves at work, but Rudolph and Rushieno didn¡¯t show up even after the meal was ready.


    [Let¡¯s see how things are going], I heard Robel call out to the squire to see how things were going.


    Then, I felt uncomfortable.


    [Onii-san, no need to worry about it for now, let¡¯s wait.]


    [Why? Is mother feeling unwell?]


    Robel still tried to move forward, but I stopped him by pulling his sleeve.


    [What?]


    [No¡­well¡­then, gently approach and put your ears on the carriage.]


    Robel approached stealthily with a dubious face.


    and blushed.


    ¡­because the people of Amoros are tolerant of sex¡­


    I simply stared blankly at the creaking carriage.


    ===========


    After eating, we took a break for a while then continued the journey.


    The body odor of my parents wafted in the carriage, making me feel uncomfortable.


    Rushieno seemed to have recovered and was sitting in the carriage calmly, even though it was shaking.


    If obscene behavior can be used as a cure, then I think it¡¯s a big deal.


    It looks like you¡¯ve had a nice change of pace.


    With nothing to do, I once again observed Rushieno.


    Rushieno is a beautiful woman with a plump impression.


    As Varian, I¡¯m her son, but my consciousness is actually older than her.


    I can¡¯t help but smile while imagining Rushieno¡¯s love affair.


    [What is it? Varian, you look happy.]


    [Ah, no¡­ it¡¯s because mother got well¡­]


    I became somewhat embarrassed and muddy my words, but my eyes fell on Lucienne¡¯s breast and crotch, and my face softened.


    [Weird boy.]


    Rushieno smiled kindly.


    The carriage picked up speed and shook violently.


    ===========


    By the way, today¡¯s destination seems to be Dolerum Castle in the Dolerum Knight Territory.


    The lord of the castle was Rudolph¡¯s comrade-in-arms who fought side by side with him many times.


    It¡¯s a little exciting to be able to stay at the castle.


    I looked outside through the swaying carriage window.


    The plains were dotted with forests, and it doesn¡¯t really look like people live there.


    At the time, all I could think was [the nature is so rich]¡¯, but the population of the Amoros Kingdom is overwhelmingly lacking compared to the size of the land.


    Due to food shortages, cold winters, and frequent wars, the population of this land is small.


    People are valuable resources in a way.


    After taking several breaks, the group arrived at Castle Dolerum before evening.


    ¡­is this what they call a castle?


    I was shocked when I saw the building in front of me.


    The castle had an outer wall with only a crude fence on top of the castle wall that was just piled up with earth, and inside the outer wall was a plaza, a guard tower, and several wooden buildings.


    The building has a main building and a watchtower on the slightly elevated side, and the servants and slaves¡¯ tenements on the side of the lower plaza.


    The plaza was also equipped with stables, several work spaces and warehouses.


    A crude forge and a loom can be seen in the work space.


    In fact, stone castle walls, as envisioned by Tanaka Varian, were a style that spread in Europe after the Crusades, and before that, the common style of building castles was the motte and bailey style, in which earthworks and wooden fences were the main elements.


    Of course, there are also stone fortresses, but they are few in number, and they are either very important facilities, or areas rich in stone materials¡­or both.


    After the group crossed the bridge over the dry moat, we waited in the central plaza.


    [Oh! It¡¯s the Hawk! I¡¯m glad you came!]


    [Hey, immortal clown. I¡¯ll be in your care.]


    The man who must be the lord of the castle welcomed Rudolph and they hugged each other.


    ¡°Hawk¡± was Rudolph¡¯s nickname.


    This guy¡¯s name is Piero de Dolerum.


    The lord of Dolerum castle and a veteran warrior.


    A muscular man in his mid-thirties with curly hair and blond hair¡­a bushy beard that made him resemble a bear.


    [Looks like your son has grown up too!]


    Dolerum and Robel greeted each other, but only the voice of the former could be heard due to how loud it was.


    As the second son, I don¡¯t need to give my greetings at times like this, so I¡¯m having it easy.


    Dolerum instructed his retainers to take care of the horses and invited us to the castle.


    In the hall of the wooden mansion, there was a hearth in the center, and benches were arranged on the left and right.


    The floor was covered with hay, and there was a dog lying in the corner.


    [Lord Earl, it is an honor to have you here.]


    [Thank you. I will be intruding for the night.]


    Rudolph greeted the woman who seemed to be Dolerum¡¯s wife and sat down on the bench.


    The order of sitting seems to be fixed, so I sat down next to my mother.


    Once Dolerum and Rudolph¡¯s squires took their seats, the banquet began.


    No matter how big the hall is, it felt cramped with this many people.


    Dolerum drank the wine and laughed, citing that ¡°it doesn¡¯t taste good¡±.


    It seems that wine that has aged over the winter has a strange stickiness and a foul odor.


    However, the squires drank without hesitation and were already excited.


    They love meat and alcohol.


    I¡¯m a Japanese person who craves rice and fish¡­ I want to drink miso soup.


    As expected, Dolerum¡¯s squires were also making a fuss in primitive man style, eating the soup with their hands while making strange noises.


    ¡­Hmmm¡­it¡¯s boring¡­


    I couldn¡¯t drink, and I couldn¡¯t even join in the conversation, so I started digging at the hay that was spread out on the floor.


    Then poop came out, so I buried it again.


    ¡­let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t see it¡­


    I thought I had gotten used to this world, but it seems I was still naive.


    I just hope it¡¯s not human feces.


    Robel was having a blast with Dolerum¡¯s children, but they all seem to be in their mid-teens.


    It¡¯s an atmosphere that makes an 8-year-old like me hesitate to enter.


    Good grief, I might fall asleep now¡­ I could only hope there¡¯s no poop under where I lay down.


    I decided to curl up in the corner of the noisy room and sleep.


    Rudolph and Rushieno will have the guest room, but the others will be sleeping in the hall.


    The 8-year-old body seemed to have endured the carriage trip more than the fatigue I felt, as my consciousness immediately drifted off.


    [Oh my, Varian is already asleep¡­ he must be tired.]


    [Umu. look at his cute sleeping face.]


    Before I knew it, I was carried to the bedroom and fell asleep in the shape of a river between my parents.


    The journey was long.


    Lioncoeur is at the east end of the area after all.

 Volume 1 - CH 13

    Travel Experience


    Translated by Raizu


    I was awakened by the presence of people.


    An unknown room, and Varian¡¯s parents.


    Well, I was convinced that my parents carried me to bed.


    Come to think of it, I¡¯m still just 8 years old¡­ I¡¯m sure the two of them couldn¡¯t bear to let Varian, me sleep on the floor.


    ¡­..Even so, it¡¯s splendid¡­..


    When I saw my mother, Rushieno, in her sleep, I relaxed.


    For your information, the people of Amoros tend to sleep naked.


    I think this is because the quality of the clothes is low and it is uncomfortable to wear.


    I¡¯ve gotten used to it somewhat, but the linen clothes I always wear are itchy.


    I thought of pretending to be a little spoiled and licking the one closer to me, but I felt that if Rudolph, who was sleeping next to me, noticed, I wouldn¡¯t be able to explain myself, so I restrained myself.


    Rushieno enticingly mumbled an [Unnn] and moved.


    I found it to be sexy even though she¡¯s my parent.


    Since this scenery was too flashy for the eyes, I turned toward Rudolph instead.


    Anyway, he¡¯s very muscular.


    In particular, the bulk of the muscles around the back, abdominal muscles, and pectoral muscles are amazing.


    You need strength to ride a horse and swing a sword or spear.


    Countless scars decorated his body, which strengthened the feeling of ferocity.


    Both of them have bodies that are truly attractive and healthy.


    ¡­..At this rate, I think I can expect my body to grow into something similar too¡­..


    I watched my parents sleeping.


    After a while, Rushieno woke up.


    She immediately put on an underwear chemise.


    [Good morning, Varian. What is it? Were you surprised because you woke up next to mother?]


    She smiled kindly.


    [Good morning, mother. Well, I¡¯m a little embarrassed¡­]


    When I tried to hide my embarrassment, she smiled and said, [It¡¯s been a while].


    Looking elsewhere, Rudolph had also sat up and started putting on his underwear.


    [Varian, there should be a morning service, don¡¯t be late.]


    Rudolph quickly put on his clothes.


    In the Kingdom of Amoros, both men and women wear similar clothes.


    The men wear a long-sleeved tunic and loose-fitting trousers.


    Then, tighten the belt around the waist and put on the cloak.


    The women wear a long tunic like a dress, with a belt around their waist.


    Then, both men and women put on socks and fasten them with garters.


    When I was Tanaka, I thought that garters belonged to women, but this garter is not a sexy thing like a so-called garter belt, but a simple ring for fixing socks.


    It¡¯s necessary because you can¡¯t fix your socks without rubber.


    Both men and women put on their boots, and their outfits are completed.


    In addition, Rudolph and Rushieno wear bracelets and brooches to identify themselves as the Earl and Countess*. (TL Note: *there is no female form of Earl)


    The two are wearing high-quality wool clothes, but I¡¯m worried that the dyeing is loose or uneven.


    The morning service I attended with my parents was simple, and after chanting the scriptures in a room in the castle that was used as a chapel, I listened to a simple sermon and ended.


    The sermons of the monk of Castle Dolerum were less to the point and more boring than Reverend Rinel¡¯s sermons.


    My older brother Robel and the children of Dolerum were so bored that they just kept yawning.


    After the service ended, preparations for departure began in the plaza.


    [Oi oi, are you going already?]


    [Yeah, we still have a long way to go. Thank you for your hospitality.]


    Dolerum and Rudolph hugged each other and expressed their regret at parting.


    Looking around, Rushieno and Robel were also saying goodbyes to the Dolerum family.


    I was so bored, so I thought about asking around. But, everyone seemed to be busy.


    Giroude was taking care of the horses, and Rolo seems to be busy working with the other slaves.


    I ended up petting the carriage dog to pass the time.


    =========


    The road to Lioncoeur was long, and the journey continued on for days.


    I learned how to handle bows and horses from Giroude and the squires. I also learned the power of the sling string.


    The stone throwing sling had a simple structure with a cloth attached to the center of the string to hold the stone, but the stone thrown using centrifugal force had unbelievable power.


    The squires could use a sling to easily throw stones over 200 meters.


    On a good day, one can even afford to reach nearly 400 meters.


    Its flight distance is not inferior to that of a bow and arrow.


    Thinking back, the ancient King of Israel, David, used a sling to defeat the giant Goliath. Seeing this power firsthand, I felt that the myth is actually pretty convincing now.


    Eating the stone thrown from a sling at close range will probably break a bone or two, incapacitating the target regardless where it hit.


    Together with Rolo, I asked the squires to teach me, and they were very happy to help us practice hard.


    The great thing about the sling cord is the low cost.


    After all, throwing a stone with a suitable string and piece of cloth¡­coupled with the power.


    [This is a great weapon. For example, if you throw it side by side in a narrow passage¡­]


    [No, you can¡¯t do that.]


    The squire Dekos, who must have felt strange about my words, laughed.


    He is Dekos Yurban. A large man in his thirties with dark brown hair and dark blue eyes.


    His unkempt hair and unshaven mustache emphasize his strength.


    He¡¯s Rudolph¡¯s favorite squire, but judging from his appearance, he doesn¡¯t seem to be from Lioncoeur.


    [Why?]


    [That¡¯s because the stone-throwing sling can¡¯t be used unless you swing it around a lot.]


    At my question, Dekos laughed and said, [Please take a look first].


    [Hey, you guys, gather up!]


    When Dekos gave instructions, the squires gathered while saying, [What is it?]. He seemed to be in a leading position among the squires.


    [Look at me¡­ hey, dense formation!]


    At the direction of Dekos, the squires held their shields close together.


    Dekos grinned when I shouted [Ah, it¡¯s true!].


    [Do you get it now?]


    [Yes. It¡¯s hard to use in group fights. Can¡¯t swing the sling this way.]


    When I answered, the squires let out an exclamation of [Oh!].


    [Varian-sama will be a clever and good general.]


    Dekos powerfully stroked my head.


    [But, you can use the sling while holding your shield. If you¡¯re an expert, you should be able to defeat a knight just by throwing a stone while hiding behind your shield. If you take a hit at close range, the stone may even penetrate your body.]


    Dekos also teached me the benefits of the sling.


    Apparently, he tried to reprimand me so that I wouldn¡¯t overestimate it.


    Even so, it¡¯s amazing that it can penetrate the human body.


    The squires love me for being curious and teach me not only swords and bows, but also various other things.


    All of them are real experiences, and I have engraved their teachings into my heart.


    ==========


    The carriage journey continued, and I learned various things during the journey.


    [Varian, look.]


    My brother Robel urged me to see the training of Rudolph and his squires.


    The training was quite serious, and the squires were also armed.


    They wear drop-shaped helmets and chainmail, and some wear leather jackets and capes over the chainmail.


    Everyone had a shield each, but some hold it in their hands and others carry it on their backs.


    Weapons include spears and swords, but they vary, and some were carrying long-handled axes and clubs.


    Eight horsemen, including Rudolph, galloped following his orders and freely changed their formation.


    From 1st column to 2nd column.


    Deployed left and right from two columns.


    They spread out further and gathered again.


    Then formed an arrowhead-like formation.


    [Amazing!]


    Even an amateur like me can see the high level of skill they have.


    [Right? The elite cavalry can be freely manipulated to attack the enemy. That¡¯s why father is called the Hawk.]


    Robel proudly raised his chin and explained to me.


    [This is why father values ??his squires. This kind of cavalry won¡¯t just grow in a year or two.]


    [I see. I think I get why.]


    I nodded many times.


    Rudolph¡¯s squires are said to be divided between Lioncoeur and the capital, but if they had 20 and 30 horsemen, they would probably be able to wipe out hundreds of infantry soldiers in the days when there were no firearms.


    [Amazing.]


    I muttered again.


    =========


    On the 23rd day after leaving the Royal Capital, the party finally reached the eastern mountains and saw the Lioncoeur Basin.


    The carriage had broken axles and wheels due to daily movement, and had to be repaired many times.


    I learned the hardships of traveling through my own experience.


    [Varian, look, that¡¯s our land.]


    Rudolph called out to me who was riding atop the horseback.


    In fact, the skin on Robel¡¯s buttocks was peeling off from riding on horseback every day. So he was lying on the carriage this time.


    I borrowed a spare horse there and practiced horsemanship.


    I had only vaguely noticed that this Varian¡¯s body had really good reflexes.


    By adjusting the height of the stirrups, there is no longer any problem for me to ride.


    [Father, that castle¡­]


    A solid stone fortress could be seen ahead of us.


    I feel a height that would not be inferior to the castle walls of the royal capital.


    [That is the fortified city of Portu that protects Lioncoeur. The Lioncoeur Basin, surrounded by mountains, has this only road through which the army can come and go.]


    [in other words, if the enemy couldn¡¯t capture this fortress, they can¡¯t enter Lioncoeur¡­?]


    Rudolph grinned while confirming my question with a [Yes].


    Looking at the map with the north at the top, the Lioncoeur Basin is formed in the shape of an inverted C anti-sigma, making it extremely difficult to enter except through the west entrance.


    And at the extremely narrow entrance, the fortress of Portu, which was unparalleled in robustness, closed the lid as a checkpoint¡­..in other words, the entire Lioncoeur Basin was a large fortress.


    Of course, there are many routes to cross the mountains, but they are only for hunters and travelers, and it is extremely difficult for the army to march through.


    In addition, it is said that there are still foreign tribes that are not associated with the Amoros Kingdom in the mountainous regions.


    However, although the topography of the Lioncoeur Basin is convenient for protection, the nature is harsh and the population is extremely small.


    In terms of size alone, it has an area twice as large as a Marquis¡¯ territory, but the population¡­ so small that it barely qualifies as an Earl¡¯s territory.


    [Is this the Lioncoeur, my hometown?]


    I gazed at the expansive land beyond the fortress city.


    The capital of Lioncoeur is still a little further ahead.

 Volume 1 - CH 14

    Losing Virginity


    Translated by Raizu


    We stayed in the fortified city of Portu for only one night and headed for the territory capital of Lioncoeur.


    The word¡ºLioncoeur¡» is so confusing that when you read materials such as¡ºEarl Lioncoeur¡», ¡ºIndigenous people of Lioncoeur¡», ¡ºLioncoeur Basin¡», and ¡ºLioncoeur territory¡», it is a word that appears so often that you get confused.


    Therefore, it seems that the territory capital of Lioncoeur is often simply called ¡°the capital¡±.


    By the way, since there is only one [Royal Capital] in the Kingdom of Amoros, it is rarely called anything other than [Royal Capital].


    This capital is a little over a day away from Portu by horse-drawn carriage, but we didn¡¯t enter at night to let the people announce and prepare for the return of the lord.


    We decided to stay overnight in a nearby village and enter the capital the next morning.


    It¡¯s ridiculous to spend the night right in front of your own house. But if a lord returns at night, it tends to be equated to ¡°defeat¡± or ¡°escape¡±.


    Or something like that. The answer that I got was rather vague.


    When entering the capital, despite his sore butt, Robel chose to ride a horse. So I returned to the carriage.


    It seems that this is also an appeal to the people of the fief¡­Do they really care that much?


    There are three large cities in the Earldom of Lioncoeur.


    The capital.


    The fortified city of Portu, the protector of the west.


    And the mining city of Fehr at the eastern foot of the mountain.


    The capital is the residence of the feudal lord, but since the Earldom is protected by Portu, the capital does not have an actual strong defensive structure such as a fortress.


    All the fortifications are in Portu.


    However, located in the middle of the Lioncoeur Basin, the fief capital is the center of political administration.


    We entered the castle and headed to the mansion while being sent off by the citizens.


    Lioncoeur¡¯s mansion was a large one-story house with splendid plastered stone walls and unglazed roof tiles.


    If you look at it, it even has a stone tower.


    [ It was hard work! You should rest your body for a while!]


    Rudolph declared dissolution and the squires dispersed.


    The slaves stayed to do some cleaning up.


    [Young Master, I¡¯m here to bid you farewell.]


    Giroude came all the way to greet me.


    He was supposed to leave his role as my bodyguard since he has to get married and take over the family estate.


    He belongs to the class of squires who own land, and they have to exercise discretion over clans and slaves.


    Giroude will probably be busy from now on.


    We only knew each other for a few months, but he was my benefactor who saved me when I lost my way into this land of Amoros and didn¡¯t know what to do.


    [Thank you, Jiro.]


    When I thanked Giroude with all my emotions, Rudolph called out from behind me, [Honore, thank you very much].


    By the way, Honor¨¦ is Giroude¡¯s name. Honor¨¦ Giroude is his full name.


    [I think I¡¯ll leave Varian to Albert.]


    [Haa, Young Master¡­ to that Albert, huh¡­]


    At Giroude¡¯s confusion, Rudolph fearlessly laughed, [It¡¯ll be fine].]


    I clearly have a bad feeling about it.


    [Father, who is this Albert¡­?]


    [Albert is a member of our family and a butler.]


    I was a little surprised by Rudolph¡¯s words.


    If you think about it, the Lioncoeur family is an Earl family. It is no wonder that there is a butler.


    Butler? Butler, huh¡­


    Speaking of the image of a butler, there was a time when I thought that a butler must be an intellectual nice middle-aged man dressed in a tailcoat.


    =========


    [It¡¯s been a while, Rudolph. This fellow here is Varian?]


    [Albert, I leave him in your care.]


    The white-haired man and Rudolph only exchanged brief greetings, leaving only Albert and me.


    Apparently Rudolph would only bring Rushieno and Robel for the greeting tour.


    [So, you are Varian? Hmm, you look like a true Lioncoeur.]


    As soon as I saw the person in front of me, I immediately thought,¡ºThis is the guy¡».


    This Albert is an elderly person around 50 years old, but his face is amazing.


    On the left side of his face, he had scars that stretched from his mouth to his ears, and he had no left ear.


    The right half of his face was filled with shredding scars, leaving a twitch.


    His right eyeball was probably also crushed when he received that scar.


    ¡­Where is Albert the butler? You¡¯re an assassin, aren¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t it a fraud?


    I felt the ¡°butler image¡± of Seba*tian and Gary*n Tokita shattered into pieces.


    However, ¡±butler¡± refers to a position that supervises and executes the practical work of aristocrats. It is natural for a butler to be a warrior in a noble house like Lioncoeur.


    This is an aside, but real-life butlers almost never wear tailcoats.


    Someone who wears a tailcoat, is like advertising himself as a VIP to the enemy attackers.


    Real rich people are wary of kidnappings and tend to avoid standing out, and even the butlers wear ordinary suits.


    Back to the topic.


    [I¡¯m Varian. Are you Albert?]


    [That¡¯s right, I¡¯m Albert de Grote. I¡¯m a knight. I¡¯ll train you at Rudolph¡¯s request.]


    Albert let out a strange laugh, saying, [Be prepared].


    [We start now.]


    [Yes¡­]


    As soon as I answered, I received a strong impact on my face, and sparks flew in front of my eyes.


    I was beaten.


    It took me a few seconds to realize that fact while falling to the ground.


    [I told ya we start now, didn¡¯t I?]


    This was how Albert and I first met.


    ===========


    Albert¡¯s special training was extremely harsh.


    Over the course of the day, I practiced horsemanship, martial arts, and archery, and even though it was still chilly, I experienced sleeping outdoors several times.


    You could say he completely destroyed my spoiled modern sense of values.


    Giroude taught me how to use swords and shields, but Albert said, [There is no need for such elegant techniques], and made me practice with various weapons, occasionally killing dogs and goats.


    It seems that everything is ¡°practicing to kill¡±.


    I understand that the battlefield is not a beautiful thing, but dogs were tough for the 8 year old me, and I¡¯ve been in danger many times.


    Sometimes I would carry a spear for half a day and practice marching.


    The three people who received Albert¡¯s education were me, Albert¡¯s grandson Jean, and Rolo.


    Jean¡¯s full name is Jean de Grote, and he is a boy with blond hair and blue eyes who is one year younger than me and Rolo.


    You can say that Jean was my [classmate]. But honestly, I felt out of luck.


    I¡¯d rather become my brother Robel¡¯s [classmate] so that I can be taught by Dekos instead¡­.


    And, surprisingly, Albert didn¡¯t mind Rolo¡¯s participation¡­in fact, he was happy to have as many strong battle slaves as possible.


    And then, a memorable day for me came.


    [Hey, kiddos, kill these guys.]


    One day, Albert lined up four tied men and women.


    All of them were thin and shabbily dressed.


    [But, who are they?]


    When I asked what I thought was a natural question, Albert punched me.


    Sparks flew in front of my eyes, and a nosebleed erupted.


    [Don¡¯t talk back to me!]


    Albert threatened me, but I couldn¡¯t back down here.


    I couldn¡¯t condone blind murder.


    [No, no. In some cases, it¡¯s against the law. I can¡¯t let Rolo and Jean do that.]


    With my nose bleeding, I asked again, [Who are they?].


    [Tsk. sick slaves and criminals. Rudolph already know about this.]


    Hearing my words, Albert threw up in annoyance.


    [Learn how to kill. First, kill the slaves. One by one, stab them to death with a sword. Next, you three beat the criminals to death with sticks.]


    I was shocked when I heard Albert¡¯s words.


    The four bound people let out a small scream and begged for their lives.


    Gluk, my swallowed pretty hard.


    The criminals might deserve it, but is it right to kill innocent slaves just because they¡¯re sickly?


    ¡­..it can¡¯t be good¡­..


    One was a female slave. She was a skinny woman with black hair, about 30 years old.


    The woman desperately begged for her life.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯d kill her.


    When I realized that, my body shook violently.


    Albert raised his voice happily, [What¡¯s wrong? Are you still choosing?].


    I¡¯m thinking about stabbing Albert instead, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible.


    [Varian-sama. Let me¡­]


    Perhaps I should just let Rolo do it for me.


    ¡­..What was I thinking? Learning martial arts that are meant to kill people¡­ it will never be all flowery and beautiful!


    I grabbed the dagger and stabbed the woman in front of me.


    This was the [sword stab] that I learned from Giroude.


    [Gyaaaa!? Stop!! Don¡¯t kill me!]


    The woman burst into tears at the sudden event.


    [Not yet! She¡¯s not dead yet!]


    Albert scolded me.


    [Uwaaa!]


    I screamed and stabbed repeatedly.


    By the time the woman stopped moving, I might have stabbed her more than 10 times.


    The miserably sick woman died from blood loss.


    [Gufufufu, it¡¯s not bad, next time think about where to aim.]


    Albert tapped me on the shoulder.


    I stared absent-mindedly as Rolo stabbed the sick man.


    It¡¯s human we¡¯re killing.


    I killed an innocent slave.


    I killed someone for the first time in my 42-year life.


    That was the first time I lost my virginity.