Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – The Completely Continued Family Precepts

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Walt House’s family precepts for taking wife.

There was six of it. It seemed one more precept was added at the fifth’s era, but fundamentally just fulfilling the five requirements from the first was really hard. After all the requirements that were sought from Walt House’s wife were extremely strict.

First, a woman that has excellent physical appearance.

Second, she is healthy.

Third, she is robust.

Fourth, she is smart.

Fifth, she has beautiful skin.

And then the sixth, at the era of the fifth head the house was already a baron house, so a necessity to seek ability in regard to magic appeared. Because of that──.

Sixth, she excelled in regard to magic.

These six requirements are the family precepts of Walt House in taking wife. Woman who didn’t fulfill these requirements wouldn’t be allowed, that was the important family precepts of Walt House that the first decided. He was but……. By the way, you mustn’t say that the second and third precepts are similar. It seemed that even Walt House at first was troubled by it, but the second precepts meant to be not sickly. The third meant to have excellent physical ability, it was decided to settle down with that understanding.

Such family precepts were created and it became a source of trouble throughout the generations but……apparently the first didn’t remember ever saying such thing. It seemed that it began from some kind of misunderstanding but, my impression after hearing that was──.

「Is Walt House alright?」

──Like that.

Darion’s adventurer guild.

We were guided to one of the room at its third floor and greeted the woman who was chosen to be our instructor. She had curly short brown hair and comfortable appearance. Seeing that she wasn’t wearing any adventurer like equipment, it seemed that she was thinking to only do introduction today. In addition of her tanned skin, several scars could be seen on the part of her body that was exposed.

Hawkins-san introduced her to us.

「She is a veteran adventurer in Darion. She has worked as adventurer for more than ten years, the guild sometimes also requested her to do work. Her strength is guaranteed.」

The woman in front of us two,

「I’m Selphie. Even so, there really are two rookies intending to hire an exclusive instructor huh.」

Selphie-san looked at the two of us and judged that we are rookie. But, perhaps it couldn’t be helped with our appearance. After all we still hadn’t even purchased proper equipment.

「……Is that young lady there a magic specialist? And, this young man here is a vanguard type? The balance of the two seems fine though……you two are quite trained, where did you learn fighting from?」

Hawkins-san coughed at Selphie-san who was probing into us.

「Selphie-san, it’s frowned for an adventurer to question the other party’s background.」

Selphie-san too seemed to be unable to go against Hawkins-san.

「Don’t be so angry like that boss. It’s for grasping the real strength of the two I’m going to instruct. Now then, I’ll do my work but……let’s decide first before that whether I’ll accept this request or not.」

Did the instructor had the right to choose whether to accept the request or not? When I tilted my head in puzzlement thinking that, Selphie-san said.

「Adventurer will do work if they receive money, if that’s what you think then you should change that thinking. Accepting request that you are able to accomplish is the basic as adventurer. Not getting involved if you think it’s impossible to accomplish will be for your own sake and also for the guild’s sake.」

What you could do and couldn’t do──it was important to firmly grasp that. The second talked from inside the Jewel.

『That’s important. It’s something basic but, it’s essential. I think it won’t be bad if you get instructed by this adventurer.』

Selphie-san gave conditions to me and Novem.

「First, don’t complain at my policy. Second, don’t be particular with choosing request. Third──」

From the instructor side, it would be impossible to give instruction if the student wouldn’t obey the instructor’s policy and being picky of choosing request.

「──Third, you have to find one more comrade at the very least. Originally, at the stage when you are receiving exclusive instructor it’s normal to have quite a number of comrades already. But, there are only two of you. if you are going to continue being adventurer ahead from now it’s important to have comrade. You absolutely have to look for comrade.」

Hawkins-san also straightened up his back while agreeing with Selphie-san’s opinion.

「Certainly the survival rate will increase if there are three of you. Besides, there are a lot of cases where it will be preferable if there are more than three people when asking someone to do request.」

I didn’t think about having comrade. Certainly that might be necessary. The sixth gave me advice.

『Number is simply strength. If you are going to continue as adventurer sooner or later you will have no choice but to increase your number. Lyle, it won’t be bad to follow what they are saying. Rather, using this chance to ask for opinion from Selphie while gathering comrades also wouldn’t be bad.』

Gathering comrades while listening to Selphie-san’s opinion. Certainly that way would result in fewer mistake compared to thinking it with only me and Novem. We were mostly clueless in regard to being adventurer. Opinion from a veteran was desirable in order to avoid failure too. When I looked at Novem, she accepted my gaze and nodded. It seemed Novem was also feeling the same.

「Understood. We will obey Selphie-san’s policy and won’t be picky in accepting request. But, we wish to receive advice in regard of gathering comrade too.」

Hawkins-san nodded hearing my words. Selphie-san was making a bit of surprised face.

「I thought you are a spoiled noble from somewhere but, you are really obedient aren’t you. Well, I’m going to speak out in regard to your comrade gathering whether you like it or not though. Now then, if you accept my conditions then there is no reason for me to refuse this request. Boss Hawkins, I’ll accept this request.」

Hawkins-san nodded and handed a sealed envelope to Selphie-san. It seemed there was paperwork inside. A pen and ink were placed on a nearby table, using that Selphie-san signed the paperwork.

Selphie-san handed the paperwork to Hawkins-san and looked our way.

「Now then, I’ll teach you two the important matters first. Because of that, today will be classroom learning. Boss, let me use this room──」

「I understand. Please call me when you are finished. Well then, I’ll go taking care of the procedure.」

Hawkins-san went out of the room with a smile. At the end he turned toward us and said 「Please do your best」. After seeing off Hawkins-san, I and Novem sat down on the table facing Selphie-san at the other side inside the small conference room.

「I said it just now but, I’ll teach you two the basic today. Things like our schedule from here on, I intend to teach them to you beforehand here.」

Then Novem took a confirmation from Selphie-san.

「Can I ask something first before that?」

「What is it?」

「We were told that beginners like us hiring exclusive instructors almost never happened. But, is there no young people of nobility making this kind of request?」

Setting aside someone like me who was driven out, if it was the general young people of nobility surely it would be possible for them to save money and hired exclusive instructor. It couldn’t be said that there wouldn’t be anyone having such hobby or preparing to become adventurer for the sake of leaving the house. Selphie-san laughed slightly.

「This is a city that is convenient for beginner. Certainly, perhaps there are that kind of guys, but people with that kind of money will go to a bigger guild. Although, around this area it’s only Darion that has a program that dispatched instructor like this. Other place doesn’t do something like this, you can consider it something unique to Darion.」

The third’s voice came from inside the Jewel.

『Conversely speaking, this is also a city that is inconvenient for anyone other than beginners. I see now. Those with money will go to a bigger town or city to become adventurer. Even so, this instructor is a bit curious.』

I didn’t know what the third was getting curious at. And then, Selphie-san told us story of adventurer in general.

「Normally you will gather comrades, then five or six people will pay the fee three, or four gold coin each and hire an exclusive instructor. There are also those who joined veteran party and ask them for training. Well, people like you two are the rare one.」

After that Selphie-san taught us the basic about adventurer──or rather about human. It was regarding the manner written in the booklet. Keeping to the appointed time. Accomplishing the work that was requested properly. Don’t point weapon to citizen carelessly. And then, the talk moved to the guidance plan from here on.

「Fundamentally around the first month I’ll have you two accept odd jobs request in Darion. Job like construction work or the like, there are many sundry request. They are just right for you to learn about the basic of request. Originally beginners would live off from that kind of request while preparing their equipment before going outside but……you two don’t look like you need it.」

Certainly in regard to equipment Novem possessed a magic tool that was heirloom of her house. I’m unarmed, but I could fight using magic if I want.

「At the second month we will go out of the city and I’ll have you two defeat monster. For the third month, there is sufficiently severe place around this area. I’ll have you two fights there. Until then I want you to add at least one more comrade. But, you two……do you plan to leave Darion in the future?」

I honestly nodded.

「We plan to leave at the future.」

Selphie-san nodded in response and asked.

「Then, you better search for someone who also plan to leave Darion in the future. There are also those who will continue being adventurer in their birthplace, so it will be troublesome if your party breakup when it’s time for you to leave here.」

Novem got a question after hearing Selphie-san’s opinion.

「Excuse me, I can understand increasing the number of people. Besides, searching for adventurer who will also leave Darion like us is also understandable……but, is quality not a factor in choosing comrade?」

In response Selphie-san started talking about her pet theory.

「Something like quality will change depending on the area you stressed on. Besides, even if they are strong but if they are someone with troubling personality what are you going to do? Being careless with time, slacking off in doing request. No cooperative spirit, unsociable. ……But strong when fighting. Someone like that, compared to someone of opposite nature, which type you two will want to choose as comrade?」

In my thinking, I would obviously choose the later if I had to choose between the two. However, Novem’s thinking was different.

「I’ll have to refuse both of them. They are leaning too extremely to one side.」

Selphie-san smiled. Was that kind of answer allowed?

「That’s really close to the correct answer. That’s right, both of them are problematic. But, depending on the party there are also times when your fighting strength is in order and you want someone diligent. There are also times when you are lacking in fighting strength and you have to shut your eyes to someone’s problematic personality to a certain degree. In the end it comes to what kind of personnel you are searching. But see……if it’s someone quite diligent, they will become strong enough to be counted on if they have proper equipment and learned how to fight. That’s how it is in Darion. The feudal lord here is reliable, so the dangerous monster will be taken care of by the knights and soldiers.」

There was feudal lord who proactively exterminated bandit and monster in order to protect the public order of the territory. In that case there would be less work for adventurer instead. But, if the public order was good than the citizens could live in peace. The feudal lord of Darion must be carrying out his ruling properly.

「I didn’t plan to say it because it would only make you two anxious but, if you are thinking about the future it will be better for me to say it. In Darion I’m a veteran. My strength is also highly ranked here. But see, if I go to other place I don’t know if I will be as effective there. Depending on the place the necessary ability for adventurer there will change, if you go to Beim then people with strength at my level will be all over the place.」

In other words, even if we gathered skilled comrades, we had to search for people that we could accept. However, the third said.

『Well, whether human or tool it will depend on how you use them. But, I think it’s important to search for talented person who is necessary for yourself.』

──Even though the third was famous as a righteous general, from listening to his words and watching his act in these few days, I came to think that perhaps this person was actually black-hearted. Selphie-san laughed.

「Well, the basic will be useful no matter where you are, so I’ll beaten them up fully into you two. Also, it won’t be necessary for a while but, it’s regarding your weapon. Novem has that staff so it’s fine but, what kind of weapon you are specialized in Lyle?」

When I’m asked what kind of weapon I’m specialized at, as expected it would be saber.

「I use saber.」

Then Selphie-san made a complicated expression.

「Saber huh. Can you use anything else? Like normal double-edged sword, or shield……even spear is fine you know?」

「As I thought is saber no good?」

Selphie-san spoke with a troubled look.

「I don’t say that. But, a lot of the time that kind of weapon is used for decoration or only to be hanged on the waist. Besides the cheap one that is badly made is thin so it’s easy to snap. I won’t stop you if you are fixated to it but, few shops in Darion are selling it. Besides, even the cheap one will still cost quite much I think, so it will be quite a burden for your money situation if thinking about preparing the reserve weapon too.」

Rondo-san’s party also told me various things regarding weapon. It wasn’t like I could only use saber. I was taught the basic of various weapons. But, I’m troubled of what to do. Even if I consulted the ancestors, they each would say different thing and couldn’t be relied on.

「Well, I’ll have you do requests inside the city for a while. I’ll show you some shops when there is free time so prepare your own tools by yourself. Oops, I forgot to say something important.」

Selphie-san said to us.

「Beginners often fail. It was also the same for me. Listen well, your body is your capital as adventurer. Even if you are only doing odd job request, you absolutely mustn’t forget to rest. After all there are also a lot of idiots who forced themselves and broke their body. If you are doing odd jobs then rest for a day each four or five days. If you are going outside to fight monster, you have to rest your body no matter what the next day. You also mustn’t forget replenishing and maintaining your tools at the holiday. You understand?」

I and Novem nodded. But, I was also feeling a bit anxious wondering just how far I could do my best as adventurer under Selphie-san’s guidance. In the first place I wasn’t even that enthusiastic of becoming adventurer. Then, Selphie-san quickly showed a piece of document to us.

「Then, let’s try having you doing a request right away. This one is really troublesome, on top of that most adventurers are avoiding this job.」

I confirmed the content of the document──the request paper.

「Selphie-san, this paper mentioned cleaning the gutter though?」

Selphie-san smiled.

「Yeah, that’s right. It’s really dirty, so it need to be cleaned periodically and cleaning request is given to the guild. Adventurer who don’t receive this kind of request won’t receive it for his whole life after all. It’s an important experience right?」

Selphie-san said 「Don’t tell me you are going to suddenly say no right at the beginning?」 while watching both of us smilingly.

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Darion’s downtown.

I who entered into a gutter at the roadside there became covered with mud. I was wearing outfit made from slick leather for cleaning. My mouth had clothes wrapped around it as mask. But, it still smelt terrible. I thought it would be just removing mud using a shovel. But, in reality what got shoveled out had to be carried away. There were also other adventurers other than me who received the same job and the mud was carried away one after another using wheelbarrow.

「Ly, Lyle-sama, I will take turn so」

In contrast, Novem was helping with Selphie-san who was monitoring the work and only watched while wearing a mask. Selphie-san said how Novem was a girl and didn’t let her participate. No, the ancestors inside the Jewel were objecting telling me to absolutely not let her participate.

『Novem-chan really is a good girl. Compared to her, your work isn’t progressing at all since before. Oi, work diligently you bastard!』

I was removing mud inside the gutter while listening to the first’s voice. Sometimes there would even some garbage appearing, emitting a terrible stench. Selphie-san said.

「The way people treat the gutter is terrible isn’t it. They threw trash into it, even vomiting or excreting……the reward is quite big but, no one wants to do it.」

Hearing what was the source of the stench, the sixth and the seventh screamed seeing my situation that was doing something like this.

『Why is something like this……even though Lyle’s bloodline is a proper one even like this!』

『As I thought adventurer is hateful! Lyle, change the instructor right away. You mustn’t do something like this!』

The fifth spoke disinterestedly at the two who were like that.

『Proper bloodline, so what? He got driven out from the house already. This is something necessary so Lyle can survive by himself.』

The third spoke while laughing.

『Yep. Besides, at my era we were even doing farm work. It will be worrying if Lyle throws in the towel just from this much.』

Then the sixth mentioned something really important in regard to my background.

『Don’t say stupid thing! Lyle is, a child who succeed the bloodline of Centras Kingdom──its royal family!』

The Centras Kingdom that the sixth mentioned was the country that united the continent which existed before Vanseim Kingdom. When Centras Kingdom perished and Vanseim Kingdom was founded, several countries were born in the continent and broke away. It was an unexpected information about my bloodline but, hearing about it while I’m standing in the worst place that was this gutter that was filled with mud, I couldn’t really comprehend it for real. I quietly shoveled up the mud. The fourth seemed to be interested.

『Centras Kingdom’s royal family? I thought they had all died out but, there was survivor huh.』

The seventh explained angrily.

『Obviously! The blood of noble is something polished in order to use magic. Speaking about the bloodline of Centras royal family at that time, that was something really priceless. There is no idiot that would let it be lost! My wife Zenoa inherited the blood of that Centras royal family! That’s why if times were better the possibility that Lyle would become duke──』

However the third laughed it off.

『But, right now he is an adventurer and a gutter cleaner isn’t it? Well, surely it’s unpleasant that such priceless bloodline is cleaning gutter but, this is reality. Or rather, Lyle should know more about the world, so I think this kind of experience is necessary. I believe that adventurer called Selphie is a good find, so I think Lyle should keep staying under her guidance like this.』

The second was slightly moved emotionally.

『So Walt House was joined by that kind of bloodline……perhaps even my hard work was slightly rewarded if it’s like that.』

But the fifth expressed a negative opinion.

『……Why did you accept that kind of troublesome bloodline? Or rather, if there was that kind of bloodline the royal family should be the one to receive it rather than Walt House.』

The seventh explained about the circumstance of that matter.

『It could only be said that the timing was bad. At first the surviving royal family resented Vanseim and took distance from them. It would finally get reconciled at my era with the daughter would marry into Vanseim royal family, but various things happened at that stage and Zenoa’s house, a duke house revolted……the royal family couldn’t just accept Zenoa because of that and it was also impossible to execute her, so it was me who received her. She was also a woman who fulfilled the family precepts, so I desperately wooed her and won her heart. There was also a plan to aim becoming a duke house through Lyle or his son tying a marriage with the royal family.』

I was listening to that secret of my birth, but me who was the central person of that plan was busy with cleaning gutter. The first after listening to the story until this point──.

『Hei hei, no way you can work properly with that kind of weak kneed attitude. And you call yourself someone with royal blood flowing inside you huh?』

──was provoking me. While I’m working in irritation, the fifth noticed something.

『……Hey, that lineage of Centras Kingdom, you mean……it isn’t the lineage of the country toppling beauty Agrissa right?』

The country toppling beauty Agrissa──no way, I thought, but the sixth seemed to be hesitant to speak.

『……No, look. That girl, Zenoa herself was a good girl, and the surviving bloodline, there is none other except Agrissa’s descendant so…』

The first got boastful.

『Look at that! With this the proof that Celes is the evil god’s child is gathered! If she inherited Agrissa’s blood, it won’t be strange even if someone charmed by the evil god showed up, just like I said!』

But, the surrounding’s reaction was cold toward the first. There was also the case with the family precepts. His story about evil god whatever still wasn’t believed. Or rather, the trust toward the first had dropped rock bottom due to the case of family precepts. The second coldly spoke.

『……How great for you. Now then, I understand about Lyle’s circumstance. He inherited the bloodline of the old royal family, and if everything went well it wouldn’t be strange even if he become the next duke in his position. No, I should use past tense there huh.』

Apparently the seventh wanted to turn Walt House into duke house by marrying me or my child with the royal family. Certainly if everything went as it should, I would be in that kind of position. However, the third’s opinion was candid.

『But, he is just an adventurer right now, so something like that is unrelated.』

The sixth muttered in vexation while looking dejected.

『……Unlike you guys he is a genuine aristocrat you know.』

The third spoke as though in surprise.

『No, even if you called him genuine, even us are genuine noble more or less. Though certainly we cannot be called as excelling in magic. But even me am able to at least handle several simple ones.』

The second was surprised.

『Eh!? You could use magic!?』

The third spoke nonchalantly.

『I could. The fourth was better than me, right?』

The fourth sighed while,

『I can use magic if it’s the basic bullet type. Well, my wife was able to use magic definitely better than me, so it feels presumptuous to say that I could use it.』

Presently in Vanseim Kingdom, even if they called themselves noble only baron house and above could use magic. Houses other than that in general could only use several magic or couldn’t at all.

──I was getting unsteady on my feet when the ancestor started to talk really enthusiastically with each other.

「Lyle-sama! Rest. Please rest! I’m going to take over the work, that’s why!」

Novem was worried at the unsteady me and said that she would replace me. Selphie-san was slightly worried looking at me. She wasn’t worried about my condition, but about from here on.

「You have less stamina than I thought. Even though this is a work that you aren’t used to, I wish you will work harder……like this, it will be necessary to make you do several harsh work to build up stamina……」

I was evaluated as though I’m someone frail, but fundamentally it wasn’t my stamina but my magic power that got consumed which caused me to be staggering like this. Even like this I had trained my body. I’ll recognize that this is a work I’m not used to, even so……

『Come on, get into it! I won’t allow Novem-chan to get dirty replacing you!』

There was no problem as long as Novem didn’t get dirty, the first said. I listened to that voice while thinking. ──Then shut up for a bit.