NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: The Lolibaba Arrives!!! (Part 1) / Entrusting Everything to This Person!
“You know… the royal family wishes you were dead.”
Eh…!? (Taken aback)
No, no, no, no, Trude-san.
What are you saying???
Since I was twelve, I’ve been fighting on impossible battlefields and winning every single time. There’s no way that could be true…
“Well, it should have been obvious.”
I don’t understand at all! I need some clarification!
“They took a blatant step against you. First, they placed you near the Urus Kingdom despite the ongoing Cold War.”
Um, yeah. I felt uneasy about that.
But a country doesn’t have infinite land, right? As a newly noble commoner, I thought getting to a strange place and accepting it was inevitable.
“And then, there’s that woman. The war criminal, ‘Nina, the Flame Witch,’ they sent her to you, which is the worst.”
Eh, ah—that’s Nina-chan, who’s now a silver-haired, busty, beautiful maid.
Yes, she tends to be extreme in her words and actions; honestly, I get scared whenever I see her. But so far, she’s been obedient, so…
“The Urus Kingdom must be furious. After all, the armed guerrillas and refugees that Nina burned were their citizens.”
Ah…aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?
Th-th-th-th-that’s right!
She’s like an archenemy to the Urus Kingdom!
Then, it wouldn’t be strange if their army attacked us at any time…
“Huh… (Ah, I completely forgot about that. Well, I only skimmed over the military tribunal documents for incidents caused by non-unit members… I’m laughing at my stupidity…).”
“Ho ho. That smile, does it mean you’re ready for it?”
It’s not! It’s a self-deprecating smile!!!
“So, it seems the upper echelons of our empire are planning to provoke the Urus Kingdom into attacking and getting you killed in battle.”
Eh~~~… That’s a conspiracy.
Why would they do such a thing to me, someone who worked hard?
“I don’t understand the thinking of the noble Blue Bloods. Why would they do such a thing to a commoner like me?”
“Hah, you know why? Don’t say it sarcastically.”
I don’t understand, and I’m serious!?
“It’s fear, the existence of ‘Hero Alvatros.’ A commoner who has gained immense achievements, enough to become a landowning noble, and is extremely popular among the people… Such a man continuing to rise threatens their limited seats and lands.”
Eh?! So, my life is being targeted…!?
“Eh?! So, my life is being targeted…!?”
All I want is a house near a station and a kind-hearted wife. That would be enough for me.
But why do I have to end up with a crazy war criminal in a territory close to the enemy…
“Good grief… It’s terrifying (Eek, I’m scared…!).”
“Hahaha! Don’t joke, Alvatros! I’ve heard that on the day your territory was decided, you were laughing alone in your room, weren’t you?”
Eh!? What are you talking about?
“The subordinate who brought Nina said, ‘Lord Alvatros is enjoying this trial.'”
That subordinate who brought Nina… Ah, right before I met Nina!
Indeed, I was laughing just before the subordinate knocked on the door!
But that wasn’t because I was enjoying it; I was just trying to cheer myself up from the depression of receiving such a weird territory!
“Is this the so-called courage of a hero? Indeed, a hero celebrated by the world is different, isn’t he?”
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that’s not it…
“Trude… You’re misunderstanding. I’m not cut out to be a hero.”
On the surface, I may appear as a cold-hearted soldier, but inside, I’m just a fluffy, ordinary person…!
I’m terrified! Don’t give weird evaluations to someone like me!
“Ah, I understand. You certainly don’t have praiseworthy human qualities.”
Eh, you understand, Tru-chan!?
Yay! Not only cute but also smart, Tru-chan, mwah mwah!
“Rather than a hero, you are more like a ‘beast.’ The harsher the battlefield, the more your blood boils, and you joyfully devour all enemy soldiers… a dangerous person.”
What, that’s not it at all!?
What kind of evaluation is that? Are you joking!?
“And yet, you loathe this true nature of yours. If you just completely surrendered to the bloodlust, it would be easier…”
I don’t know! What is this character setting!?
“Huh. Unlike those young upstarts who are only praised, I understand…”
Stop acting like you understand.
“So, without the nobility noticing, I’ve mixed some military equipment with the supplies. Use them when the time comes; it’s all free.”
“Trude… (Oh, that’s appreciated, but…)”
Hmm, I preferred an asylum route…
But if our military capabilities get too strong, I won’t be able to order my subordinates to “run away because there’s no other choice,” right? If they don’t run away, I can’t either, and the only option becomes to fight, doesn’t it!?
“With this, if the Urus Kingdom attacks, we can fight to the end! Hahahaha!”
“Yeah, right… (Don’t talk about ‘the end,’ okay!?)”
I’m saying I don’t want to fight!
◆ ◇ ◆
The Great Merchant Trude Tot Tote
In her later years, Trude thought about giving up on her country.
The Sacred Weiss Empire was a great power, occupying most of the central continent and continuing to prosper and advance, leading to the following conclusion:
“It’s laughable. To have every neighboring country as an enemy…”
Before she realized it, she was surrounded by enemies. It was a fitting end for a great country that advanced without restraint.
But in the end, Trude couldn’t escape.
She was two hundred years old. Thanks to the [Preservation Art Formula] she hosted, she lived more than twice the life of an ordinary person in the appearance of a child before secondary growth.
This resulted in her having too many dear people.
Not only work colleagues and friends but also the children and grandchildren of former friends, their disciples, siblings, and partners…
Bonds gave birth to new bonds, and before she knew it, there were too many precious people to abandon.
“Living too long is also not good… The burdens of life become heavy. Everyone around starts looking like children, and they become too dear…!”
This kindness led to the following outcome:
Trude, who was conducting logistics, was attacked by a group of soldiers in black, along with her merchant group, and was kidnapped.
“I’m sorry, but this is also a mission…!”
“If we secretly hand you over, we can escape this hellish battlefield and even get paid…!”
“If you’re going to resent someone, resent the royal family and the nobles.”
The ones who kidnapped Trude were soldiers from her own Weiss Empire.
The masterminds were the royal and noble families.
The reason was clear.
At that time, there was a rumor among the upper classes that “if one mingles with the ageless Trude, one might receive the benefit of eternal youth.”
“What nonsense,” thought Trude.
Her lack of aging was solely due to the excellence of her [Preservation Art Formula].
“It’s common for others to have the same magic. But apparently, I was a genius.
The quality of magic is determined by imagination and sense.
In her case, she had to accurately envision the object she didn’t want to deteriorate, including its shape, structure, rigidity, temperature—every single state, and keep it fixed in her mind.
It was extremely difficult.
Even trained [Preservation Art Formula] users often intermittently damage their image and degrade the object.
Compared to them, Trude, who remained ageless for nearly two hundred years, was no longer human.
“That’s why, isn’t it? I inspired strange dreams in those around me, leading to this…”
This was the result.
She sighed at the thought of being kidnapped near the battlefield.
Probably, the royal and noble families planned to declare Trude “missing in the chaos of war” while keeping her as an immortal sex slave secretly.
“I don’t blame them for dreaming. I mastered this magic because I didn’t want to grow old and die ugly…”
But…
“To use escape from the battlefield as bait and turn soldiers into criminals… I find this mentality repulsive. Truly rotten to the core.”
This country surely won’t last long.
The decayed upper echelons at the end of their prosperity and the current situation with enemies on all sides.
It’s completely checkmate. The Weiss Empire will soon meet its end.
“Indeed, one should not live too long. Not only watching friends but also witnessing the country rot and end…”
While restrained, Trude quietly despaired.
From now on, countless people, including her company’s subordinates and the descendants of old friends, would die.
Imagining such a future, she was about to close her eyes firmly—when firmly.
“Stop right there.”
A commanding voice shook her eardrums.
“What, who are you!?”
“Wait, this guy, could it be…!”
“The one who achieved a miraculous victory at Black Wing Mountain—!?”
Trude widened her eyes in wonder.
Then, she saw him.
The hero who descended on this dying empire “Vincent Alvatros.”
“That stature and voice… I remember. You’re from the Seventh Squad, aren’t you? What on earth are you doing…?”
“This is…!”
“Why are you sworn to protect the country, kidnapping children…?”
“That’s not, well—!”
“No excuses.”
What followed seemed like a dream.
The enemy was a company-sized force. Over a hundred men.
Yet Alvatros faced them without fear, striking each with fatal precision.
His iron fists smashed every soldier without letting a single one escape, reducing them to spitting blood and half-dead.
“You evil ones are unforgivable. Be grateful you’re not dying here.”
The man’s face was filled with fierce anger.
It was beyond ordinary human affairs. His terrifying presence, almost shaking the air, was like a demon god.
“Ah, ahh…!”
That day, Trude was certain.
Surely, he would change the country.
Like a demon of war unknown to fear, this man would surely save her precious people.
“Young girl, your name?”
“I’m Trude, it is…!”
“Right. I’m sorry you had to witness such a scene. I got too carried away…”
A small smile, barely a smile, appeared on his face like a rock.
Surprised by it, Trude swore.
Someday, she would place this man at the center of the country!
Meanwhile…
“Then, I must go… (Damn it! Looking for a place to relieve myself, and these guys go and cause trouble…!).”
Trude didn’t know.
The man in front of her was desperately holding back a bowel movement…!
His angry expression and intense aura were just because his anus was at its limit…!
“Wait, at least let me introduce myself!”
“Uh (What!?)”
And so, the great merchant witch Trude entrusted her future to a completely unreliable, pathetic guy…!