NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6 - Episode 6: Master Missing
Episode 6: Master Missing
Cea arrived at Tsurugi Village.
“I’ve come to see Arjena, the demon hunter.”
Arjena is the heroine of the wildly popular RPG Brave Sword Quest, commonly known as Breque. This story takes place five years before the main plot unfolds. Therefore, Cea is just a 10-year-old child. He visited her seeking the famous swordsmanship to become stronger.
The villagers sweated nervously.
“Sorry. It was just about a week ago when Arjena took on an educational job and left the village.”
“That’s unfortunate timing. When will she be back?”
“Um, was it in five years?”
“F-Five years!?”
In five years, the game’s scenario will begin to unfold. Cea will be recognized as a hero by the king, and the journey to defeat the Demon King will begin.
“It seems she’s earned the favor of a certain noble. She’s staying there to train the noble’s subordinates.”
“I see… By the way, who is this noble?”
“Uh, well…”
(I can’t say it’s Duke Zaus. He’s given us lots of high-quality vegetables as tribute. And he even took in a large number of orphans, building an orphanage for them. Strange rumors would cause trouble for him. Despite being children, they’re outsiders. We don’t know where rumors might spread from. I should answer cautiously.)
“Hahaha… I don’t really know the details.”
“You don’t know? Why not?”
“Even if you ask me…”
“I’m a man who’ll become a hero!”
He glared.
Under his gaze, the villager sweated even more.
(What a scary look… This kid…)
“Tell me. If you hide it, there will be consequences.”
“Eek!”
Cea grabbed the villager by the collar and pulled him closer.
His strength was incredible, nothing like that of a 10-year-old.
“Speak. Where is Arjena!?”
“Ugh… I-I don’t know!”
“Is that really true?”
“W-Well, um, the noble’s subordinates came… and took Arjena with them.”
“She was kidnapped?”
“Ugh… T-The noble was very polite and kind. A-And his subordinates were well-mannered…”
“A polite, kind noble…”
(Was there such a noble? Most nobles are arrogant…)
Cea searched for nearby nobles based on that information alone.
His determination came from the depths of his heart.
(I want to meet her. I want to meet Arjena. I don’t know why, but it feels like it’s my destiny to learn swordsmanship from her.)
This feeling is natural.
He’s the protagonist of Breque. It’s his destiny to become the disciple of Arjena, the demon hunter, to defeat the Demon King. It’s also part of the plot for them to become party members after defeating the mid-boss and for their relationship to develop into romance.
He must have visited over ten nobles.
From renowned dukes to poor barons…
Before he knew it, the carriage was falling apart, and the food was running out.
“I’m sorry. We don’t practice swordsmanship like that at this mansion.”
“I-I see… Then, have you heard any rumors about Arjena?”
“No. I haven’t heard anything at all.”
“Ugh…”
(With villagers, I could use force if needed, but I can’t resort to violence against nobles. Even though I’m a hero, retaliation from nobles would be troublesome. Besides, it seems like they genuinely don’t know.)
With no leads, he decided to return to Hajime Village.
“Why?! Why can’t I meet Arjena!? Who on earth is the noble who took her away!?”
As soon as he returned to the village, he swung his wooden sword to vent his frustration.
“Damn it! I want to get stronger! I want to get stronger!!!”
☆
Zaus’ Perspective:
Arjena’s combat training was effective.
After all, until now, it took three months for my subordinates’ levels to increase by just one. But now, it went up in just one week. The effect is undeniable.
I’m looking forward to five years from now.
Oh, right.
I need to train my swordsmanship too.
It’s no good just making my subordinates stronger.
“Arjena, I’d appreciate it if you could also assess my swordsmanship.”
“Huh!?”
“Why are you so surprised?”
“W-Well… Zaus is a man, right?”
“Huh? Is it wrong for a man to learn swordsmanship from a woman?”
“N-No, but I’ve never heard of such a noble. Besides, I’m 15 years old. I’m the same age as you.”
“Gender and age don’t matter. Whether it’s a woman or someone of the same age, it’s more efficient for someone with skill to be the teacher. I don’t mind.”
“Z-Zaus, you’re different.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s just… you don’t seem like a demon duke.”
Even if they say that, my skin is blue, and I have horns on my forehead…
“No, it’s not about appearance… It’s just that you don’t seem arrogant at all… And above all, you’re loved by your subordinates.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Everyone likes you.”
“Huh?”
Oh, brother.
They’ve got it all wrong.
It’s just a matter of mutual interests in the master-servant relationship.
The ruler provides food, clothing, and shelter. And the subordinates’ job is to do chores and protect the master.
Especially, I’m training my subordinates to be on par with the hero.
I’m only training my subordinates to save my own life.
I don’t care about monsters. What matters is my own life.
As proof, I’m giving them strict Spartan training.
I won’t go easy on them.
So, it’s unlikely that monsters like me.
Rather, they might resent me. That’s why I don’t believe in strange rumors.
Probably, when monsters say they like me, they mean they want me to ease up on the training. Hahaha. Did they think flattery like that would work on me?
I won’t allow such a thing. I’ll train them rigorously.
“Make sure to train those monsters rigorously. Don’t slack off. Whether they cry or scream, I don’t care. Give them a thorough education.”
“Huh? Y-Yes…”
“But, take a break once every hour. And when sweating a lot, make sure to take adequate breaks and stay hydrated.”
Hahaha.
If they get injured during training, it’ll lead to a decrease in combat effectiveness!
“Oh, and one more thing. Let the orcs take a short nap after lunch.”
That way, they can recover from the morning’s fatigue efficiently.
Meanwhile, she muttered something.
“He’s so considerate of his subordinates. He’s so kind…”
“Hm? Did you say something?”
“Training ends every day at 4 p.m. And we have Sundays off, right?”
“On and off are important. Training aimlessly won’t make you stronger.”
“…………”
“What’s wrong? Do you have a complaint? If you do, speak up. I’ll try to accommodate your wishes regarding pay and days off as much as possible. If you have any dissatisfaction, let me know.”
“N-No, it’s nothing…”
“Then teach me swordsmanship.”
“Y-Yes…”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“N-No reason…”
Come to think of it, she’s flushed.
“Are you feeling feverish?”
“…It’s not that.”
“If you have a fever, let me know. We have medical staff. If it’s a cold, you can take the day off from work and go home to rest immediately.”
That way, it’s more efficient and prevents the spread of colds.
If everyone catches a cold, training will be delayed.
Everything needs to be done efficiently.
“You’re… too kind…”
“Huh? Don’t misunderstand. Are you stupid?”
“I’m not stupid!”
Everything is about efficiency.
“Anyway, are you feeling okay?”
“Y-Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll teach you swordsmanship.”
Come to think of it, she was a popular character.
Arjena, the same-age rival of the refined older sister. She was a bit of a tsundere character.
The fans were divided between these two.
In Brave Sword Quest, there’s a part where the hero and heroine fall in love.
The hero and heroine form a party when they go to defeat the Demon King. Their relationship develops into romance during the journey.
I’m a completionist, so I remember it well.
You can only achieve romantic fulfillment with all characters through a hidden technique in the romance part. Since I was a completionist, I made everyone my lover and had a harem. Ah, good times.
My preference is for the refined older sister, but I don’t dislike her.
Her slight tsundere character is particularly cute.
But, she’ll probably fall for the hero.
I’m just a mid-boss in the tutorial after all.