Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
Beats me what Rina’s doing here, though.
If Almeria or Elvi had known about this, they’d probably have told me about it at least.
「I remember seeing that kind of magic somewhere…」, commented Rodje.
The masked girl who resembled Rina lowered her head again and left the ring. What could she be doing in a place like this?
「She might be one of my former allies. If it’s actually her, then… she’s kind of like the head offensive mage of the Heroes’ Party. You know what I mean?」
「Well, that explains it.」
「Yeah, I’ve seen that many times on the battlefield. For a whippersnapper like that to be able to wield such impressive magic, though…」
Isn’t the world large, lamented Dee, speaking as if the whole thing had nothing to do with her. We might be able to get a grasp of the situation by talking to Rina, I thought. Although it looked like the main event would start any time now, I got up anyway.
As a few of them had been mysteriously killed just a while ago, everyone backstage kept their guard up. That had no effect against me, though, because I had my skill — ‘Faint Shadow’, which I activated. Darting in between their fields of vision, just barely grazing the edge of their peripheral vision at times, I swiftly made my way to my target.
You might think that I’m searching for a needle in a haystack, but all I had to do was follow the trail of magicka that Rina had left behind. The path I found myself following was lined with rooms on each side, from which I could sense the presence of monsters and other beasts, no doubt those made to go head-on with slaves as part of the show.
I detected Rina’s presence from a door at the far back. Listening closely, I could make out a conversation going on.
「Good work, Rina-cha-a-an!」, crooned what sounded like a man despite the girly tone. 「You’re doing well! At this rate, we’ll receive a ‘Commendation’ soon!」
「Thank goodness… I guess. But those people I have defeated… I kind of feel sorry… for them…」
「No, no, you really shouldn’t! They’re all felons. I think the world will be better off without them!」
I had already watched a few matches, but this was still news to me. If they were really felons, wouldn’t the announcer have attached lengthy descriptions of their crimes to engage the audience further?
「If it’s like that… thank goodness, then. Poor things…」
「Aww, you’re too kind, Rina-chan.」
「How many more times does Rina have to fight…?」
「Just a few more, so do your bestest! The next match is in three days. I’ll come for you again, so just wait for meeee!」
Sensing that he was nearing the door, I hid in a corner and watched a well-built man walk out.
「…」
He looked considerably powerful. He’s probably the man who had been speaking in the nauseating tone. I approached the door again and confirmed that only one person was inside now. I opened the door gently, creating just enough space to peek inside. Seeing a waiting room of sorts inside, I entered and shut the door behind me.
「Rina.」
It’s been a while.
「…Roland?」
Without asking a thing, she ran over and gave me a hug around my torso.
「Roland, Roland, Roland… the real one…」
「Everyone reacts the same way.」
Scooping her up, she wrapped her arms around my neck.
「Rina thought she would never see you again…」
I patted her head to comfort her.
「You’ve grown a little, haven’t you?」
「Yeah, I’ve grown a little.」
We can catch up when we aren’t in the midst of the enemies.
「We can talk later. I know how to escape from this place. Can you leave immediately?」
That sissy was probably in charge of the area around where we were now. That means he could be returning anytime soon…
「I… think so…」
Using a pen and some paper left on the table, she began writing something down. Her penmanship was still rather clumsy, given her young age.
『I will make my leave now. I will return tomorrow.』
She nodded, returning where I stood and holding my hand.
「You won’t… go anywhere, again…?」
「Anything can happen.」
「Muu. Roland is Rina’s brother, so we must be together…」, she said sullenly.
I patted her head again to console her, and out we went. Rina had a pass that allowed her to head towards the stands without being questioned. I placed hearing Rina’s explanation and reporting back to the guild at the highest priority. Figuring out how these audience members had entered the stadium can be done later.
We went to pick up Dee and Rodje from the stands, then left via the emergency exit. Rina kept her hand glued to mine the entire time.
「A runt like this…」, said Dee, observing the young mage.
Still uncomfortable with strangers, Rina used me as a shield to hide from Dee.
「How can you say that as a vampire? Age doesn’t matter when it comes to magic and ability. It’s just how the world of magic works — for someone who hasn’t even hit double digits to already be more proficient than I am!」
「I know that, but…」
Natural ability can be hard to fathom, sighed Dee.
I didn’t have enough magicka left to blink again, so I had Rodje use the ‘Gate’ for us.
「Another kid…!?」, exclaimed a wide-eyed Lyla when we appeared at my doorstep.
「I’m Ri…Rina. Nice… to meet you…」
The three ladies were overwhelmed by her cuteness.
「Perhaps my motherly instinct has kicked in recently…」
「Same. It’s like I’m watching a baby animal…」
「Yeah, the desire to protect her is insane…」
Realising that she was being stared at, she hid behind me again.
「Stop treating her like some exotic animal. I have to report back to Chief Iris about this. I’d prefer to go even higher up, but I’ll have to get it through her, my immediate superior, first.」
We entered my house. The former slaves had been bathed, clothed and fed.
「Oi, what do you intend to do with these kids, human?」
「I’ll allow them to take the adventurers’ test if there are any takers. If they want to return to their respective hometowns, we’ll see that they get there to the best of our abilities. We don’t have a lot of time. Rodje and Lyla, can you hear what these kids have to say?」
「Hmph! Why do I of all people have to do something like that –」
「Sure, if you think I can.」
「Oh, if you’re entrusting Lylael-sama with it, then you can leave it to me too!」
Rodje’s mood swings no longer surprised me.
「Dee, go to the guild and see if they can help out with anything that doesn’t really amount to a quest. But if you do find anything, make sure that you have some money on hand.」
「Got it.」
The master-and-servant duo went to the back, where the kids were. Dee headed for the guild.
「Now then, we have some catching up to do.」
「…Yeah.」
Taking a seat at the empty table, Rina sat on my lap.
「…」
「…」
Fine, I’ll start.
I purposely left out the part where I killed the Demon King and simply went over what had happened after we all split up.
「Roland is working at… the adventurers’ guild…?」
「Yes, as of present.」
「That’s weird!」, laughed Rina.
Now that I had broken the ice, Rina told me everything in little snippets.
「King-chan got a lot of money, so he was gonna give quite a bit to Rina’s orphanage.」
The orphanage never received that money.
Most orphanages are non-profit, run by the lords of their respective areas for charitable purposes. For Rina’s, the current principal is a former priest that was entrusted with the orphanage by the previous lord. However, the lord was replaced, and this new lord has been subject to harsh criticism ever since he assumed the role.
It’s almost unthinkable that King Randolph would inject funds directly into his pocket.
The principal (who Rina referred to as Father) used to receive operating funds from the lord sporadically. But even this intermittent cash flow had since been cut off.
「Father said that if Rina did her best, everything would be fine, but… we didn’t receive a single cent, which he found strange. He said he would talk to Lord-sama…」
Not only was he turned away, but he was also eventually arrested under the pretext that he had tried to extort money from the landlord.
Rina wiped her tears away with her small hands. This was understandably more important to her than reporting the embezzlement of the funds to King Randolph.
「A man called Paska came and told me, ‘If you want to help your father, you’ll need money. I’ll show you how you can get some.’」
This Paska was probably none other than the sissy I had spotted earlier.
He’d somehow gotten wind of Rina’s situation. In fact, given his timing, he could very well have connections with the landlord himself. At any rate, today was the first day he’d brought Rina to the stadium.
「He said that if I win a lot, he can get Father out of jail…」
She might be an outstanding mage, but she hasn’t even been on this earth for a decade. Paska had preyed on her naivete and manipulated her to make money for his own selfish ends.
「That’s why Rina has to work harder.」
Is that so, I said, ruffling her hair.
「I like it… when Roland pats my head…」, she said, pressing her head closer to me.
Guess I had activated spoilt child mode in her, for she suddenly hugged me and wouldn’t let me go. I patted her back. She had had to deal with this alone all this time, hadn’t she?
As I thought about the entire situation though, instead of warmth, I felt an icy chill in my heart.
「Paska, was it…」
I’ve only seen him once, but I can already remember what he looks like.
Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
Beats me what Rina’s doing here, though.
If Almeria or Elvi had known about this, they’d probably have told me about it at least.
「I remember seeing that kind of magic somewhere…」, commented Rodje.
The masked girl who resembled Rina lowered her head again and left the ring. What could she be doing in a place like this?
「She might be one of my former allies. If it’s actually her, then… she’s kind of like the head offensive mage of the Heroes’ Party. You know what I mean?」
「Well, that explains it.」
「Yeah, I’ve seen that many times on the battlefield. For a whippersnapper like that to be able to wield such impressive magic, though…」
Isn’t the world large, lamented Dee, speaking as if the whole thing had nothing to do with her. We might be able to get a grasp of the situation by talking to Rina, I thought. Although it looked like the main event would start any time now, I got up anyway.
As a few of them had been mysteriously killed just a while ago, everyone backstage kept their guard up. That had no effect against me, though, because I had my skill — ‘Faint Shadow’, which I activated. Darting in between their fields of vision, just barely grazing the edge of their peripheral vision at times, I swiftly made my way to my target.
You might think that I’m searching for a needle in a haystack, but all I had to do was follow the trail of magicka that Rina had left behind. The path I found myself following was lined with rooms on each side, from which I could sense the presence of monsters and other beasts, no doubt those made to go head-on with slaves as part of the show.
I detected Rina’s presence from a door at the far back. Listening closely, I could make out a conversation going on.
「Good work, Rina-cha-a-an!」, crooned what sounded like a man despite the girly tone. 「You’re doing well! At this rate, we’ll receive a ‘Commendation’ soon!」
「Thank goodness… I guess. But those people I have defeated… I kind of feel sorry… for them…」
「No, no, you really shouldn’t! They’re all felons. I think the world will be better off without them!」
I had already watched a few matches, but this was still news to me. If they were really felons, wouldn’t the announcer have attached lengthy descriptions of their crimes to engage the audience further?
「If it’s like that… thank goodness, then. Poor things…」
「Aww, you’re too kind, Rina-chan.」
「How many more times does Rina have to fight…?」
「Just a few more, so do your bestest! The next match is in three days. I’ll come for you again, so just wait for meeee!」
Sensing that he was nearing the door, I hid in a corner and watched a well-built man walk out.
「…」
He looked considerably powerful. He’s probably the man who had been speaking in the nauseating tone. I approached the door again and confirmed that only one person was inside now. I opened the door gently, creating just enough space to peek inside. Seeing a waiting room of sorts inside, I entered and shut the door behind me.
「Rina.」
It’s been a while.
「…Roland?」
Without asking a thing, she ran over and gave me a hug around my torso.
「Roland, Roland, Roland… the real one…」
「Everyone reacts the same way.」
Scooping her up, she wrapped her arms around my neck.
「Rina thought she would never see you again…」
I patted her head to comfort her.
「You’ve grown a little, haven’t you?」
「Yeah, I’ve grown a little.」
We can catch up when we aren’t in the midst of the enemies.
「We can talk later. I know how to escape from this place. Can you leave immediately?」
That sissy was probably in charge of the area around where we were now. That means he could be returning anytime soon…
「I… think so…」
Using a pen and some paper left on the table, she began writing something down. Her penmanship was still rather clumsy, given her young age.
『I will make my leave now. I will return tomorrow.』
She nodded, returning where I stood and holding my hand.
「You won’t… go anywhere, again…?」
「Anything can happen.」
「Muu. Roland is Rina’s brother, so we must be together…」, she said sullenly.
I patted her head again to console her, and out we went. Rina had a pass that allowed her to head towards the stands without being questioned. I placed hearing Rina’s explanation and reporting back to the guild at the highest priority. Figuring out how these audience members had entered the stadium can be done later.
We went to pick up Dee and Rodje from the stands, then left via the emergency exit. Rina kept her hand glued to mine the entire time.
「A runt like this…」, said Dee, observing the young mage.
Still uncomfortable with strangers, Rina used me as a shield to hide from Dee.
「How can you say that as a vampire? Age doesn’t matter when it comes to magic and ability. It’s just how the world of magic works — for someone who hasn’t even hit double digits to already be more proficient than I am!」
「I know that, but…」
Natural ability can be hard to fathom, sighed Dee.
I didn’t have enough magicka left to blink again, so I had Rodje use the ‘Gate’ for us.
「Another kid…!?」, exclaimed a wide-eyed Lyla when we appeared at my doorstep.
「I’m Ri…Rina. Nice… to meet you…」
The three ladies were overwhelmed by her cuteness.
「Perhaps my motherly instinct has kicked in recently…」
「Same. It’s like I’m watching a baby animal…」
「Yeah, the desire to protect her is insane…」
Realising that she was being stared at, she hid behind me again.
「Stop treating her like some exotic animal. I have to report back to Chief Iris about this. I’d prefer to go even higher up, but I’ll have to get it through her, my immediate superior, first.」
We entered my house. The former slaves had been bathed, clothed and fed.
「Oi, what do you intend to do with these kids, human?」
「I’ll allow them to take the adventurers’ test if there are any takers. If they want to return to their respective hometowns, we’ll see that they get there to the best of our abilities. We don’t have a lot of time. Rodje and Lyla, can you hear what these kids have to say?」
「Hmph! Why do I of all people have to do something like that –」
「Sure, if you think I can.」
「Oh, if you’re entrusting Lylael-sama with it, then you can leave it to me too!」
Rodje’s mood swings no longer surprised me.
「Dee, go to the guild and see if they can help out with anything that doesn’t really amount to a quest. But if you do find anything, make sure that you have some money on hand.」
「Got it.」
The master-and-servant duo went to the back, where the kids were. Dee headed for the guild.
「Now then, we have some catching up to do.」
「…Yeah.」
Taking a seat at the empty table, Rina sat on my lap.
「…」
「…」
Fine, I’ll start.
I purposely left out the part where I killed the Demon King and simply went over what had happened after we all split up.
「Roland is working at… the adventurers’ guild…?」
「Yes, as of present.」
「That’s weird!」, laughed Rina.
Now that I had broken the ice, Rina told me everything in little snippets.
「King-chan got a lot of money, so he was gonna give quite a bit to Rina’s orphanage.」
The orphanage never received that money.
Most orphanages are non-profit, run by the lords of their respective areas for charitable purposes. For Rina’s, the current principal is a former priest that was entrusted with the orphanage by the previous lord. However, the lord was replaced, and this new lord has been subject to harsh criticism ever since he assumed the role.
It’s almost unthinkable that King Randolph would inject funds directly into his pocket.
The principal (who Rina referred to as Father) used to receive operating funds from the lord sporadically. But even this intermittent cash flow had since been cut off.
「Father said that if Rina did her best, everything would be fine, but… we didn’t receive a single cent, which he found strange. He said he would talk to Lord-sama…」
Not only was he turned away, but he was also eventually arrested under the pretext that he had tried to extort money from the landlord.
Rina wiped her tears away with her small hands. This was understandably more important to her than reporting the embezzlement of the funds to King Randolph.
「A man called Paska came and told me, ‘If you want to help your father, you’ll need money. I’ll show you how you can get some.’」
This Paska was probably none other than the sissy I had spotted earlier.
He’d somehow gotten wind of Rina’s situation. In fact, given his timing, he could very well have connections with the landlord himself. At any rate, today was the first day he’d brought Rina to the stadium.
「He said that if I win a lot, he can get Father out of jail…」
She might be an outstanding mage, but she hasn’t even been on this earth for a decade. Paska had preyed on her naivete and manipulated her to make money for his own selfish ends.
「That’s why Rina has to work harder.」
Is that so, I said, ruffling her hair.
「I like it… when Roland pats my head…」, she said, pressing her head closer to me.
Guess I had activated spoilt child mode in her, for she suddenly hugged me and wouldn’t let me go. I patted her back. She had had to deal with this alone all this time, hadn’t she?
As I thought about the entire situation though, instead of warmth, I felt an icy chill in my heart.
「Paska, was it…」
I’ve only seen him once, but I can already remember what he looks like.
