OMAKE 1 – MAYONNAISE AND THE EARL ARMSTRONG HOUSEHOLD

This was still during the time when we, included Wend, were sent away to cut us off aka studying in the capital. 
Today as well I received training in swordsmanship by Warren-sama at the training field within the royal palace. 
After it ended, I return to the mansion together with Ina, who received training in spearmanship at the same time. 
Arriving there, Wend was once again preparing a weird seasoning. 
 
“Mayonnaise is supreme! However, I must not forget its derivation friends here!” (Wendelin) 
 
Apparently today’s special training with doushi finished. 
He was working hard on the creation of a seasoning called the aforementioned 『Mayonnaise』 in the mansion’s kitchen. 
On top of the cooking table a largish bowl was floating in the air and a whisk was stirring its content at high speed. 
The deliciousness of the seasoning called mayonnaise was sensational, but it takes unexpected much time to produce. 
Before, I was told by Wend 『Erw, it’ll be training for your arms』 and prepared a large quantity of it. The next day I had muscular pain in my arms, I remember. 
 
『As expected, you have to have will-power.』 (Wendelin) 
 
『Hey, Wend, isn’t it alright to mix it with magic?』 
 
『As a matter of fact, I was short of mana due to today’s special training of doushi being intense.』 (Wendelin) 
 
If that’s the case, it would have been fine if you had done it tomorrow, too. Above all 『Don’t make this much!』, I thought. 
Little by little pouring oil into the bowl, where a well-mixed combination of egg yolk, vinegar, salt and pepper was put in, it is stirring patiently. 
Alongside the bowl, the container with the oil is floating in the air as well. 
A minute amount of oil is added into the bowl, flowing down similar to a string, from the container’s spout without slanting and is stirred by the whisk rotating at high speed. 
The spell 『Telekinesis』, which allows the free movement of many items by floating them through the air without the need of touching them with the hands, belongs to basic magic going by Wend’s words. 
Which reminds me, previously, at the shopping street’s plaza, a magician tried to gather money from the people coming to the city with entertaining sleight of hands. The spell 『Telekinesis』 is called a sleight of hand of elementary class magicians, I recall. 
It was a sleight of hand move that was easy to understand, but the magician gather more money than thought since there are only few magicians to begin with. 
Wend told him 『Do normal magic!』 and didn’t want to give him a single copper coin. 
 
“Mayonnaise will fail if you are inattentive. At any rate, it has to be stirred patiently.” (Wendelin) 
 
“Haa…” 
 
Mayonnaise is 『paradise after hard toil』 Wend says. 
Certainly, I’m actually feeling so as well. 
The majority of that accomplishment, once it becomes mayonnaise, will end up being eaten by Luise, who escapes afterwards. 
 
『Come help, Luise.』 
 
『I believe mayonnaise to be a job for men.』 (Luise)   
 
『As if that’s true! Then, hold back on eating a bit more!』 
 
『I’m, look, I won’t grow if I don’t eat more.』 (Luise) 
 
Luise’s body is overwhelmingly small even when compared to an average woman in the same generation. 
Although she is almost 14 years old, even now she isn’t seen as older than 10 years by people, who encounter her for the first time. 
Therefore she has taken the stance of growing quickly by eating as much as possible. 
At least until now there were no results visible from that. 
 
『(Is mayonnaise helpful for growth? Or rather, will it let Luise grow?) I pray the company, Wend sold the recipe to, will start selling the finished product anytime soon, even if it’s a day earlier.』 (Erwin) 
 
It seems there’s currently a workshop with a magic tool, that will do the work like mixing and such, being constructed at a quick pace. 
And, if that workshop starts its operation, Wend decided that the payment by that company will be a monthly fixed amount of mayonnaise. 
 
『Besides me, there are also other people, who will consume a lot of mayonnaise.』 (Luise) 
 
『Ah, for that person it’s almost an addiction, I think.』 
 
And another person, who loves mayonnaise as far as calling it abnormal, popped up. 
 
『For roasted meat and even for vegetables that were only washed. It even goes well with bread and rice! Baron Baumeister! Give more mayonnaise to me!』 (Armstrong) 
 
Since he received it dipped on roasted meat of deer by Wend an Luise during lunch in the break-time of their training, it reached the point that doushi has eaten anything with mayonnaise. 
Wend called him 『He is a mayora~*!』, but I feel like somehow understanding that nickname. (T/N: *mayonnaise lover) 
However, since doushi wasted a large amount of ingredients trying to make it himself due to being as clumsy that it was hopeless, it turned into him periodically visiting the mansion to get some. 
Such being the case, Wend is once again making mayonnaise for doushi. 
But, it seems he is challenging a new mayonnaise today. 
 
“Derived types? What’s this about, Wend?” (Ina) 
 
“I’m aiming for even more fulfilment by fiddling a bit with the mayonnaise.” (Wendelin) 
 
Wend answered Ina’s question, but she only tilted her head to the side.  
 
“Well, with this its friends are complete!” (Wendelin) 
 
Wasabi mayo, which had the wasabi, Wend obtained before, mixed in. Mustard type,shiso type, yuzu type and the most recommended, mayonnaise with curry powder.
 
“Really, you have come up with quite a few.” 
 
“It’s because people won’t survive without eating.” 
 
Since it’s indispensable to eat anyway, it will be a loss if you don’t enjoy it. 
Wend spoke something unusually philosophical. 
But that’s because it’s talk about food. In truth he isn’t philosophical at all. 
 
“And, is it an experiment to have doushi sample that new dish?” 
 
“Of course, he is already sampling it.” (Wendelin) 
 
Just when I thought that he wasn’t in the kitchen, doushi has already begun sampling the food with Elise as waitress. 
Also, it doesn’t seem like he denies being part of an experiment. 
Since there isn’t anything special like medicine in it, there’s no worry of him dying because it’s too disgusting. 
In doushi’s case, there’s also the image of him not dying even if there is a little bit deadly poison mixed in with the food. 
Putting down a large quantity of karaage, piled on a plate, on top of the table located in the living room, doushi dipped those with mayonnaise while throwing one after the other into his mouth. 
 
“Uge!” 
 
“Won’t that cause quite a sour stomach…” 
 
Ina and I liked the karaage, invented by Wend, but I doubt either of us would eat who-knows-how-many-kilos all at once by ourselves.  
 
“The one with mustard was pungently bitter, but… Also, the wasabi one has a calming bitterness differing from the mustard one… As for the shiso and yuzu ones, those are simply said, great ideas. And above all…” (Armstrong) 
 
The one, doushi was pleased the most with, was the mayonnaise with curry in it. 
Covering the remaining several kilograms of karaage with a large amount of it, he continued eating as if wolfing it down. 
 
“Won’t it become a disease of the wealthy, I wonder?” 
 
Diseases of the wealthy is an illness nobles and the rich, who are past middle-aged, are often suffering from. Once the symptoms advance, there would be gangrenes on the limbs and the eyesight would be lost. It was a frightening illness. 
However, it was an illness unrelated to commoners. 
 
“Talking about the curry rice from some time ago, curry powder is a wonderful thing! I want you to be even more flexible with this! Don’t forget about the other sorts of mayonnaise either!” (Armstrong)   
 
Doushi requested this from Wend with quite the strong tone and vigour. 
 
“Err… I don’t have that much curry powder.” (Wendelin) 
 
This 『curry powder』 was a strange yellow powder, which Wend made himself by secluding himself in the kitchen on his day off. 
Its uniqueness lies in the fragrance and bitterness. 
We had once again received a shock as well. 
Moreover, this was used for a dish similar to a relative of stew called curry rice as foundation, although this curry powder has a large weak-point. 
 
『The spices are expensive!』 
 
Since it had many spices, which have been used as medicine. and many spices, which couldn’t be cultivated anywhere but in the southern areas, it has become expensive if you want to stock it up by all means in the capital. 
 
『Of course, even though it’s expensive, it has its uses as well. Please sell the recipe to me, Baron Baumeister!』 
 
Artur-san, who is profiting from Wend’s ideas, wanted to sell 『curry powder』 as high-class ingredient. 
Also, the management of a fancy restaurant presents a full menu, which used curry powder. 
With one serving costing 100 cents, they serve stuff like meat dishes, which use curry powder, at the beginning and in the end they round it up with curry rice. 
There weren’t any salads and desserts using curry powder as expected, but the store is apparently flourishing every day. 
 
『Curry powder has its custom tradition!』 
 
『Aren’t there dangerous drugs?』 
 
『There’s no such illegality, but won’t you likely want to go once again after sniffing the fragrance of curry powder?』 
 
Surely, that merchant has many regular customers. 
In spite of its high price, the curry powder to be used at home seems to sell like hot cakes. 
Naturally, Wend’s purse was filled with a large amount of money. 
Honestly, I have ended up questioning for what he wants to use this much. 
 
“Ah, do you also want to buy an expensive wand, I wonder?” 
 
In my free-time I’m looking for good swords in weapon shops. 
For a swordsman, a good sword, to which you can entrust your life, is something like a part of yourself. 
Obtaining a good sword costs work, time and money. 
Nonetheless, since it’s something I will use for life, if I’m proficient enough for it to become a part of myself, I cannot afford to cut corners there. 
 
“Huh? But, if it’s Wend…” 
 
Now I suddenly thought about it. 
Even at the time he has been making mayonnaise with magic in the kitchen and also at the time he has been practising with doushi, I never saw him using a wand. 
Speaking of magicians, the image of someone clad in a robe and holding a wand is strong. 
Doushi is dressed in a violet robe and he has an extreme wand, that fits his appearance, equipped. 
A violet robe has been a noble colour of the Helmut Kingdom since the old days. 
Among the wizards serving at the royal palace, no one but the head, aka doushi, is permitted to wear it. 
It has been decided for the other wizards to wear blue robes, if they are apprentices or low-ranking, and red robes, if they are advanced. 
Since there aren’t overly many magicians, I didn’t understand myself too well either. 
 
“I haven’t yet seen Wend using a wand at the time of casting a spell…” 
 
As a matter of fact, in spite of Wend receiving numerous wands from his master as inheritance, there weren’t any of the usual traces of them being used at all.  
 
“What about me?” (Wendelin) 
 
“I just realized now. Why don’t you use a wand, Wend?” (Erwin) 
 
“Ah, a wand, eh…?” (Wendelin) 
 

Going by Wend’s words, the power of his magic isn’t overly much connected with a wand, it seems. 
However, while that may be true, that doesn’t mean that a wand isn’t necessary at all either. 
 
“It’s an indispensable item in practising new magic. The wand, which is made of fire drake whiskers and is coated in mithril left behind my master, quickens the effectiveness of learning new magic. The wand, which is made out of a phoenix tail and is coated in the vitreous of a water dragon, is…” (Wendelin) 
 
“That wand is?” (Erwin) 
 
Both, phoenix and water dragon, are ingredients, which are semi-legendary, and take quite the resolve for difficulty to obtain. 
Therefore, if one is officially possessing a wand using materials as those, that magician will obviously be recognised as elite. 
 
“At the time of an audience with important people, it’s great for putting up a show.” (Wendelin) 
 
“For practising and ceremonial tasks only?” (Erwin) 
 
“Right, but magicians, who aren’t capable, shouldn’t be able to obtain expensive wands either.” (Wendelin) 
 
“You can certainly say that.” (Erwin) 
 
Wend talked about a shocking truth to me, who thought that it’s wands if you are speaking of a magician. 
But, certainly, for magicians with no ability, it was a fact that they can’t obtain such expensive wands. 
 
“No, it’s not particularly all magicians that are like that!” (Armstrong) 
 
There, doushi comes entering the kitchen wanting a second serving of mayonnaise andkaraage. 
Or rather, he apparently plans to still eat more. 
In his both hands he held the large plate which became empty. 
 
“If your mana isn’t at least at an advanced level, the power of your magic will drop, if you don’t use a wand!” (Armstrong) 
 
The power and the efficiency of the used mana will drop around 20% – 50%. 
It depended on the individual how far it would drop, but for some reason, once you reach an advanced level of possessing mana, those apparently won’t drop even without a wand. 
 
“If your mana capacity is above intermediate level and below advanced level, it will be seen as difficult to distinct the border line, but in fact it’s quite simple!” (Armstrong) 
 
Even without using a wand, your magic’s power doesn’t drop. 
“That’s where the clear demarcation is”, doushi said. 
 
“In other words, Burkhart-san is?” 
 
“He is below advanced level, but his magic’s power doesn’t fall even if he doesn’t use a wand!” (Armstrong) 
 
However, it seems it was necessary to use a wand for acquiring new magic. 
Moreover, given that Burkhart-san has a wealth of life experience with that age, he is owning several robes and wands for the times of meeting important people and such. 
For magicians, robes and wands can be compared to the ceremonial dresses of nobles. 
Also, in addition, it was possible to wear it to all ceremonial occasions. In a certain meaning, it’s general purpose was quite high. 
 
“By the way, I’m above intermediate level.” (Luise) 
 
Entering the kitchen together with Elise, Luise gave karaage to doushi as second serving, but showed the shining ring, she wore on the ring-finger of her left hand, to me.
 
“Since Luise-jou’s main is hand-to-hand fighting using mana, she is using that ring instead of a wand!” (Armstrong) 
 
With a wand occupying one hand, it has bad compatibility with Luise’s combat style. 
Wend gave Luise a present as substitute for an engagement ring. 
 
“Also, the wand of a magician is a kind of magic tool! If you have the basics down, there’s no particular reason that it has to be a wand!” (Armstrong) 
 
Even other accessory, weapons, armours and living-ware, if you had the basic style under control, anything could act as substitute for a wand. 
 
“Really? I didn’t know.” 
 
“The society of magicians is small, therefore it can’t be helped!” (Armstrong) 
 
Their number is few. People, who can’t use wands, shouldn’t have interest in investigating the matters of wands in detail either. 
For something like official positions, where their figure is seen rarely, they are possessing wands usually. Normally one wouldn’t think of something like getting an expensive wand just to be seen as advanced level. 
Probably everyone is thinking like that. 
 
“However, doushi-sama, you have a wand, right?” (Ina) 
 
Ina, who was likewise in the kitchen making mayonnaise with curry powder in it, asks doushi about the large wand he has.  
It has a length of around 2 meters and is fully made out of mithril, he gathered as material in his time as adventurer. 
The shape of the tip is close to that of a mace. Likewise the tip is covering, as if protecting, a magic gem with a diameter of around 50 cm. 
It was a wand that could be loaded with mana and beat people to death as is, but it changes its shape to that of a large hammer once it gets loaded with doushi’s mana. 
It’s a transformation of mana into matter, however there were only extremely few magicians, who can use this magic. 
And, without doubt, if people are hit with such huge hammer, they will turn into minced meat. 
 
“This wand has the best efficiency considering my combat style!” (Armstrong) 
 
Also, the embedded magic gem is a supply source for doushi at the time he used up his mana. 
Even Wend charges spare magic gems with excess mana and he stores them in the magic bag. 
 
“In doushi’s case there is also the reason of constantly forging his body with the wand though.” (Luise) 
 
According to the words of Luise, who studies the magic combat style, doushi is moving while always holding this huge, heavy wand. Naturally that will serve as measure to train his body. 
 
“Therefore, he’s periodically changing the hand holding it.” (Luise) 
 
“Luise noticed after all!” (Armstrong) 
 
“Even as magician, the body is the foundation?” (Erwin) 
 
“It’s as Erw-lad says, but you can also say that it’s a tradition of the Armstrong family to train the body!” (Armstrong) 
 
The Armstrong household, which is doushi’s family home, is a pre-eminent, appointed Earl household of the military department with a history of serving the kingdom for more than 1000 years. 
With their hereditary posts being combat related only, their family’s males are exceeding a height of 2 meters for generations. 
Even without particularly forging their bodies, they seem to have muscular bodies. 
Additionally, without neglecting that, their outward appearance, like that of doushi, has become like that because of their original training methods handed down from generation to generation. 
I happened to see doushi’s older brother in the castle once before. 
Once he walks in the city, people like hoodlums and rogues should run away secretly. 
 
“But, doushi’s swordsmanship is…” 
 
At the fourth round of the preliminary contest in the martial arts competition, it felt as if he also was ill-prepared considering he was the contender of a combat family lineage. 
 
“My family is by nature weak at swordsmanship.” (Armstrong) 
 
Instead, they freely use their blessed bodies and power to beat their enemies to death. That is the strong point of their combat style. 
 
“Beat to death?” 
 
“Indeed! In my Armstrong family’s home a 『Hexagon pole』 made out of orichalcum has been passed on for generations!” (Armstrong) 
 
Since the olden days, generations of Earl Armstrong’s and their male relatives broke the enemy’s sword with poles, made out of steel. They were famous for their way of fighting by beating the enemies to death by aiming at the heads and such. 
 
“Around 300 years before now, it was still the era of warring with Holy Empire Urquhart!” (Armstrong) 
 
The Helmut Kingdom’s army, having run into an unfavourable situation a short while after both armies clashed, were ordered to retreat temporarily by the decree of the king at that time. 
But, because of the situation, a temporary retreat was also filled with the danger of being pursued by the enemy army. 
There, the Earl Armstrong of that time personally volunteered and acted as rear guard of the kingdom’s army. 
 
“Swinging his prided, steel pole, my honourable ancestor-sama beat more than 100 enemies to death and at last…” (Armstrong) 
 
Being surrounded by enemies, he was at last killed. 
 
“Killed in action, huh…?” 
 
“For my Earl Armstrong family it is an honour to be killed in action in such situation!” (Armstrong) 
 
Also, with the sacrifice of Earl Armstrong, the kingdom’s army successfully retreated safely. 
In that war, after successfully counter-attacking later on as well, they achieved peace with advantageous terms. 
 
“They achieved peace, right? Huh? But…” (Erwin) 
 
I have noticed that the war still continued for around 100 years unexpectedly. 
 
“At that time peace was connected to fighting. Dispatching troops once again towards somewhere, the attacked soldiers were also prepared for battle. Such was the situation back then.” (Armstrong) 
 
Quite long-termed armistices weren’t realized. 
And at the place of peace, the emperor of Holy Empire Urquhart at that time gave praise to his honourable ancestor-sama, who was his enemy. His corpse had its head reattached and was returned. 
 
“Reattaching the head…?” 
 
“It was a war, therefore it was common sense to collect heads as achievements. It was something that couldn’t be helped!” (Armstrong) 
 
Naturally, due to the enemy praising Earl Armstrong, the kingdom answered by granting a new weapon and rewarding a large amount of money. 
 
“The 『Hexagon pole』, which had been handed down in the royal family for an unknown time, was bestowed to the Earl Armstrong, who succeeded afterwards.” (Armstrong) 
 
That hexagon pole, with a length of 2 meters and a thickness of around 80 cm, is completely made out of orichalcum. 
Even the new Earl Armstrong, to whom it was bestowed, played a big part in the war using that. 
Breaking the enemy soldiers and the swords of the nobles, being their commanders, by giving a single strike with the hexagon pole, he beat the panicking opponents to death. 
The nobles of Holy Empire Urquhart feared Earl Armstrong as 『Beat to Death Demon』. 
Even as the generation changed, you can only say it was natural that the muscled giant, surpassing 2 meters in height, continued to beat their allied soldiers and nobles to death. 
And that hexagon pole became the exclusive weapon of generations of Earl Armstrong household family heads. 
 
“Also, there’s this hairstyle as well.” (Armstrong) 
 
Doushi’s hairstyle is, how to call it, eccentric? 
Having the side parts of the head shaved with a razor, only the area at the top of the head has a triangle-styled, firm-looking, frizzy hair stretching towards the sky. 
If you compare it, it had altogether parts, we experienced at a fruit called pineapple, which we discovered during our Demon Forest exploration. 
 
“It was the hairstyle of the honourable ancestor-sama, who died in action 300 years ago!” (Armstrong) 
 
The reason of this hairstyle is that even if you are shot in the head on the battlefield, the enemy will have it easier to hold it it after having loped it off. 
The likelihood of facing such end has come from the resolution of being the family head of the Earl Armstrong household. 
Thereafter it has been decided that all males of the Armstrong family would have such hairstyle. 
Since doushi is the second son of the current family head, he has this hairstyle since his childhood. 
 
“What to say, it’s somehow an amazing story.” 
 
“Though, for the last 200 years there hasn’t been a war either. Even the family hexagon pole hasn’t soaked in the blood of enemies at all. Although father and elder brother haven’t been negligent in their preparations for war, the real state is that it’s a fruitless effort in this situation!” (Armstrong) 
 
Is doushi thinking that that was good? 
Or does he consider this to be saddening? 
Just, at least I ended up thinking that I don’t want to see something like a muscled giant beating their enemies to death with a bloodstained hexagon pole on the battlefield.