Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! Volume 7

by Funa

  And of course, there was not a single person in the Aura household who objected to this approach.

  So that these commoners, who had little concept of what went on at noble gatherings, would not find themselves lost, the Baron had suggested that they include only things with which their guests would be familiar. However, Bundine refused. These commoners were expecting to experience a noble’s celebration—something new and exciting. What did the Baron think would happen if they didn’t give them what they wanted to see?

  Bundine was right, of course, so the Baron consented and set about preparing a party fit for nobles.

  “Whoooooooaaaaaa!!!”

  The invitees, who included the owners of businesses both medium and small, raised a cry of astonishment at entering the ballroom of a noble household, the likes of which they had never seen before, and taking in the sight of the splendid dishes that were lined up upon the banquet tables.

  Among nobles, a baron was more or less the lowest of the low—and in fact, the food that he had put out was still cheaper than what would normally be served at a party. Yet there was still a clear enough difference between these dishes and the food of a commoner’s banquet for them to be surprised.

  That said, a real party thrown by nobility would also feature plenty of nobles talking and laughing and dancing, so the ballroom, mostly empty, was really little more than a big and fancily decorated room filled with lots of gourmet food. One simply could not think of inviting commoners to a party that was truly meant for other nobles. Honestly, what would the other noble families have thought?

  “Thank you truly, all of you, for lending my daughter, Leatoria, your strength…” said the baron’s wife, lifting the hem of her skirt in a curtsy, followed by her eldest daughter, which was echoed by her second daughter, and then her third daughter, Leatoria herself. The baron’s eldest son offered a noble greeting as well, though the baron himself stood apart, smiling from a short distance away.

  Even so, for a commoner to be greeted by the wife, son, and daughters of a noble in such a manner was unthinkable. This was literally a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the first and last time they would ever witness such a scene. The invitees were all trembling with emotion.

  “It seems to be going well…”

  “Yeah, Lady Aura and the others are really giving it their all.”

  “At this rate, I’m confident that the house of Aura will come to be thought of as good nobles, who are sincere and keep their promises even with the common folk. Plus, tales of this day are going to be told over and over again, all over the place. Nothing like this has ever happened before, so the rumors are sure to spread widely. Which means that, one of these days, the rumors that the Aura family are allies of the common man might even reach the palace…”

  Indeed, just as Mile implied, the growing reputation of the Auras as a family who truly valued common folk might in fact prove to be of use to them someday. After discussing this with Mavis and Pauline, she decided to go and convey the sentiment to the baron, his wife, and his children.

  The Auras truly were thankful for all of the people who had helped them out in the incident with the medicine. As such, hosting this party was both in their own self-interest and a genuine act of gratitude.

  “Thank you so much, everyone! My good health is all thanks to you!” Leatoria said warmly, shaking each of the guests’ hands.

  Secretly, the baron was very reluctant to go along with this, but he plastered a forced grin upon his face as he stood watching. After all, no father in the world would be happy to see his daughter holding hands with strange men.

  “You all really did it this time, huh?”

  “Hm? We never lied to you, did we? This all turned out to be quite the boon for you, didn’t it?”

  “Ngh…”

  Later, the Crimson Vow and the Servants of the Goddess chatted with one another, stuffing food from overflowing plates into their mouths.

  The Servants had already made their introductions to the Aura family. Naturally, there was no way that the family could entrust their dear girl to anyone without scrutinizing them first. However, it seemed like they had safely obtained the family’s approval.

  Of course, Bundine had already told the family what he knew of the Servants, and a background check had been conducted via the Guild. The Baron was exactly the sort of father who would hire a private eye just to learn more about his daughter’s associates.

  The hunters could talk Leatoria’s ear off at any time they pleased, so for today, they left her to the other guests, content to chat among themselves as they scarfed down the delicious provisions. Leatoria had been informed of the same and instructed to give her all in entertaining the invitees. Without such instructions, she probably would have stuck to the hunters like glue.

  Still, Leatoria was no dummy, and she knew that she would have plenty of opportunities to spend time with her new friends from now on, so she dutifully followed her orders.

  Now, while the Servants of the Goddess talked among themselves, the Crimson Vow huddled in together as well, discussing in hushed voices.

  “It looks like we’ve cleared all the side quests in this town now…”

  At this point, the others understood perfectly well what Mile meant by “side quests.” They had gotten the general idea from the recurring elements that tended to pop up in her Japanese folktales.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Mavis agreed. “Guess we should be rolling out soon.”

  The Crimson Vow was still a party on the move. It wasn’t as though they were hurrying forward, though they did strive for continual progress. If they didn’t take the time to stop and learn about each country they passed through, they would be little more than tourists. Thus, it made the most sense for them to stop and stay a while, understand what they could of the land, take on some exciting jobs, and build their reputation—not among the common folk, mind you, but among the guild staff and local hunters, at least.

  However, this still did not mean that they could stay indefinitely. If everyone in the region at least got to know them well enough, their reputation would remain, and they would be known as young hunters off on a journey of self-discipline.

  For these reasons, Mile and Mavis were beginning to suggest that it was time to go.

  “Oh?” Reina tittered. “I’m surprised, Mile, I thought you’d be all, ‘But, the catgirl! Let’s stay here a bit longer—scratch that, let’s stay forever!’”

  Pauline giggled in turn. “I was thinking the same…”

  “Wh… Well I was thinking that you would be saying, ‘Oh, but I can’t leave ‘big sis’ behind!’”

  “Wh-wh-wh-wha…?” Reina went red in the face at Mile’s unexpected retort.

  “Got something to say?!”

  “Do you?!”

  “Gnrrrrrrrrrrrrgh…”

  “Okay, okay, okay, okay!”

  Mavis hurriedly intervened. Naturally, as a daughter of a noble family, Mavis’s sensibilities would not permit such an argument to unfold at a formal party. The only area in which Mavis was lacking was when it came to things that were common knowledge to the masses. At least as far as most nobles would be concerned, she was a perfectly sensible individual—except, that is, for her exaggerated impression of the abilities of mages and knights, which had been shaped by various legends and the hyperbolic boasting of her brothers.

  As the party slowly separated into three groups—the commoners and the Aura family, the Crimson Vow, and the Servants of the Goddess—everyone talked, ate, and drank their fill, and the rest of the celebration went off without a hitch.

  Yes, as long as the invited guests got to speak with the daughter of a noble—and as long the two hunting parties got to eat delicious food until their bellies were bursting—everyone was happy.

  ***

  I still don’t know if I’m happy about this…

  As Leatoria spoke cheerfully with the merchant guests, a mildly troubling thought crossed her mind.

 
She really had wanted to travel with the Crimson Vow. Thanks to her illness, she had thought that she was going to live the whole of her short life as a caged bird, and they were the ones who had come and flung open the doors, letting her fly out into the big, blue sky.

  I bet they spend their days on strange and exciting adventures—things that other hunting parties could never even dream of, she thought. They’re a mysterious, wonderful party.

  I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to travel with them, to be a member of that strange and marvelous party…but alas, that’s impossible.

  Among the four of them, there isn’t a niche for me.

  Plus, for someone like me, who can’t possibly abandon their home and family, there’s no benefit to my trying to go with them. Someday soon, I’ll be married off into some other household somewhere, so for the few short years that remain until then, the greatest freedom I can have, and the most valuable thing I can do, is to work from home as a commuting hunter.

  That’s why I decided to go along with their charade and join the Servants of the Goddess. It’s what everyone wants, and the most valuable choice that I can make right now.

  There’s no other path for someone without any special abilities—someone like me.

  Besides, it’s not like I hate the idea of joining up with the Servants. Unlike the members of the Crimson Vow, they’re all normal girls, doing their best, just like me. They’re a wonderful party.

  I have to make the most of these next few years. I have to give it my all and have lots of fun. And then, someday, when I meet up with the Crimson Vow again, I can tell them all about what the adventures of a “normal girl” are like…

  And so, the tale of Leatoria von Aura, a young noble maiden who thought of herself as a “normal girl,” began…

  Chapter 60:

  The Girl with Seven Faces!

  “We have a special request we would like you to take on.”

  When the Crimson Vow next stopped in at the guildhall, they were beckoned over by Felicia, the clerk, who then escorted them up to the guild master’s office on the second floor. The moment they stepped through the doorway, they were hailed by the guild master, who spoke the words above.

  “Huh? Well, um, I mean, we can’t accept it without knowing the details…” said Mavis, the leader, seeking an explanation.

  Even if it was the guild master who was doing the requesting, they were not going to accept any outrageous jobs. It would be no different if it had been a noble or even a member of the royal family. That was a rule that they had decided upon when the party was first formed.

  Of course, “outrageous” for the Crimson Vow did not mean “difficult” or “dangerous.” Such conditions were of little relevance to the girls. For the Crimson Vow, “outrageous” meant jobs that asked them to do something they didn’t agree with or ones that someone with influence had pushed through on the strength of their own power alone.

  “I suppose that’s fair. I mean, most people would accept a direct request from a guild master without a second thought, details or no, but I do believe caution is the key to a long and healthy life…” he said with a wry smile before launching into the details of the job.

  Apparently, there was a spot near a town about four days from the capital where travelers were being attacked with some frequency. The brigands would target any traveler who appeared to have a bit of money about them, whether they were traveling by carriage or on foot. The men and the elderly would be killed, the valuables and cargo stolen, and the women and horses spirited away. Perhaps because they would be too easy to track, the carriages were usually left where they were. With a cart, the brigands wouldn’t be able to go far from the road, and even if they were to sell it, a little bit of investigation would reveal the cart’s origin, which meant that was out of the question as well.

  If it were merchant caravans or commuter carriages that were being attacked, the local lord would have to step in. After all, such a thing could have huge effects on the economics of the region. However, travelers who were merely passing through were none of the lord’s concern. People who didn’t think to hire a sufficient guard force reaped what they sowed. In fact, if the brigands sold their stolen goods off for cheap within the territory, it was actually an economic boon. There was no reason for the lord to bother with something as foolish as setting aside the budget for hiring more soldiers to guard the roads, and furthermore, allotting funds to treat any injuries that might arise when the soldiers fought against the brigands.

  Of course, no truly noble lord would ever abide by such logic, but if every lord in the land were wise and just, then such suffering as this world saw would never have existed in the first place.

  Even if the brigands’ victims were not citizens of the town, the people of the region could not simply let things be, so the local Merchants’ Guild had gathered up the funds to hire on hunters. Yet no matter how they searched, they could not find the bandits.

  They had tried hiding hunters within traveling carriages departing from the town, but for some reason, these carriages had entirely failed to attract the attackers. Since the attacks had yet to stop, the townspeople were still quite vexed.

  That was when the townsfolk finally realized why it was that the brigands attacked only travelers and not the people of the town. The bandits had realized that, should they attack the townspeople, an extermination force would quickly be organized. They would face soldiers hired by a wary lord who feared reprimand from the crown for not upholding his basic duties of collecting taxes and protecting the populace—and by hunters, hired by the families of their victims and any merchants whose businesses had been hurt…

  How could the bandits tell? How could they be certain that the people they were targeting were travelers and not townsfolk—and only travelers with valuables on them, no less?

  It was because they had an inside man. In other words, someone had infiltrated the people going in and out of the Hunters’ Guild, thus protecting the bandits from being fooled by the disguised hunters.

  With this assumption in mind, this time, the local Merchants’ Guild had decided to place a request not with their own Hunters’ Guild but with the capital branch. And so the bandit-hunting request had been made.

  “Is that so?”

  Thanks to the guild master’s thorough explanation, the Crimson Vow now had the gist of things. They also understood why this was a job being assigned to a group of newcomers like them.

  First off, all they would have to do would be to change their clothes, and no one would have the slightest clue that any of them were hunters. Second of all, no one in the town would be familiar with them—hunters and guild staff included. And thirdly, they were more than strong enough to wipe out any bandits.

  The four looked to one another and gave an emphatic nod.

  As one, they said: “We’ll do it!”

  “Um…” Pauline then continued, “Will you be providing us a stipend with which to purchase disguises?”

  When the guild master insisted that the fees for necessary expenses were included in the reward, Pauline cajoled him into footing the bill for their disguise purchases at a clothing store, arguing that women’s clothing, particularly that of a rich young lady, was quite expensive. The guild master fought back tooth and nail, insisting that the Guild would only finance clothing purchased from a secondhand shop. It was a knockdown, drag-out defeat.

  “We’ll be heading out tomorrow, so today is for preparation and relaxation!”

  Starting the next day, they would be walking for four days, so for now, it was best to let their feet get some rest. However, before that…

  “Now, it’s off to the clothing store!”

  “Okay!!!”

  Even if they were only buying secondhand, going clothes shopping was still fun. And going clothes shopping on someone else’s dime was all the more exciting.

  A few days later, when the guild master received the bill, he went wide-eyed with shock.

  “D
amn it! If I don’t handle this right, it looks bad for the Guild, but if I just go along with this and pay the bill, people are going to start getting carried away…” the guild master grumbled, gripping the paper in his hand.

  A nearby female guild employee looked over the paper. “Oh? But that’s rather cheap… Sir, you have no idea what the typical prices of women’s clothing are, do you?”

  “Hm?” he replied. “I-Is that so? Wait, is women’s clothing really that expensive?!”

  “Well, I mean, not necessarily for normal clothing, but slightly nicer garments, stuff like this—it does cost a bit more.”

  “………”

  The guild master, who had three daughters, all still young, was aghast.

  “I better start saving up…”

  ***

  “Just a little further,” said Mile.

  “Yeah, we should be seeing it pretty soon,” Mavis agreed.

  Just as the two suggested, their destination, the town Zarbef, was just a little farther down the road. For normal hunters, it would have been about a four-day walk, but for Mile and the Crimson Vow…it took about four days as well.

  Had they gone into “sonic speed” formation, their swords and staves stored away in Mile’s inventory, it would have taken them no more than three and a half days. But for some reason, Reina, Mavis, and Pauline had insisted that they all carry their own weapons and luggage—not the extra-light, false gear that they normally used, but their actual, fairly heavy gear and canteens.