Summoned Slaughterer - Book 4

by Ido Masayoshi

  Though it is completely a sophism, it will be perfectly fitting if the goal is to provoke them, Hifumi is smiling.

  “All of you, draw your swords! This guy is a criminal who only calls himself a noble!” (Soldier)

  Upon those words every soldier present drew their sword.

  “You drew them, eh?” (Hifumi)

  Looking around by turning in a circle, Hifumi made sure that all soldiers set up their swords and muttered a single question.

  Promptly jumping off the horse, he bisects a single soldier without hesitation.

  While standing up, he wards off another’s sword to the side and slices him with a reverse hassou stance. (T/N: Now this one was a major pain to translate. The way he kills the soldier is a kendo move called suriage [gives a point in a kendo match], describing the motion fully is way difficult so your best choice is to watch a video or a kendo anime. The hassou no kamae is a stance of having the sword grabbed with both hands and raising it upwards at one side near the shoulder, now do the reverse and you got it… whatever that would actually mean in kendo stances)

  As the encirclement was broken by two soldiers having collapsed, he let the horse get away.

  “Hey, if you draw, you have to slash. If you hold your weapons, you have to kill.” (Hifumi)

  “Gugugu… get him!” (Soldier)

  The soldier, with a deep red face, chose to have them, including himself as well, slash at Hifumi at the same time, but the outcome was something tragic.

  Some have their heads sent flying, some are dumbfounded at having their bellies sliced and are staring at the sight of their own organs spilling out and some have fainted in agony due to losing their limbs…

  The last remaining soldier came assaulting with his sword in total desperation, however having him drop the sword by striking its middle part with the left hand, Hifumi makes a full revolution holding the katana and cuts off the lower part of the soldier’s right arm.

  “Aguu…” (Soldier)

  While shedding large quantities of blood from his arms, the fallen soldier before long dies of blood loss.

  The people, who saw the entire spectacle unfold, are looking at Hifumi with completely frightened facial expressions.

  “Good grief…” (Hifumi)

  At the time he put his katana back into its scabbard after wiping it with a paper, the soldier, who had his arm loped off, died.

  “Because my area’s territorial soldiers will come here a few days later, it’s fine for you talk to them if you feel like it. Rather than those fellows, they will treat you properly, probably.” (Hifumi)

  Hifumi, who found the horse that had come back, ran up to the horse in joy and gently brushed it. Once he nimbly mounted it, he quickly went his way.

  While the people, ending up not having to pay any money, don’t comprehend what has just happened, they pull themselves together and continue walking.

  ☺☻☺

  “Am I fated to be chased by work no matter where I go… ?” (Sabnak)

  If it was to be like this, it would have been alright to rest at the place of brother-in-law for a bit longer, Sabnak lamented in his newly provided office within the king’s castle.

  At the same time as Sabnak returned to the capital, an official ceremony was held for the first founding of the Royal Knight Order due to Imeraria’s coronation. The captain was Sabnak and the vice-captain was Vaiya. Several people were chosen from each, the Second and Third Knight Order.

  Consolidating all the remaining knights, those were reshuffled into an organisation that was merely called knight order. The former captain of the Third Knight Order, Lotomago, was appointed as its captain and there were three vice-captains including Midas.

  There is no hierarchical relationship between the two knight orders. The main duty of the Royal Knight Order is the protection of the royalty as well as the castle. The knight order leads the army to maintain the public order and for military activities.

  Having been appointed in a hurry, Sabnak was dressed in the new order’s uniform that was handed to him by Imeraria herself. The first assigned task for him is to draft and practise the security protocol of the coming coronation ceremony. It was major task.

  “Why is there so much work?” (Sabnak)

  Having dispatched Phyrinion to the Fokalore territory as my replacement, I feel relieved in my heart, but being responsible for that side might have been better if it’s like this, he clearly judges.

  At any rate, since it is a fresh unit that has been formed just recently, let alone cooperation, the order’s members just finished meeting their comrades. No matter how much Imeraria is the only protection subject, I can’t help but feel there will security holes in this wide royal castle and its surroundings even if I wrack my brain devising a plan.

  “Excuse me.” (Maid)

  The one to enter the office was the new maid, who was assigned to Sabnak.

  “A letter has arrived from Royal Knight Order Vice-Captain Vaiya.” (Maid)

  “Ah, thanks.” (Sabnak)

  The given letter was a rolled up parchment having a thorough wax seal.

  “What!? Such exaggeration…” (Sabnak)

  While tearing off the wax and reading the contents, Sabnak spilled tears.

  The letter from Vaiya states that while waiting for Hifumi in Fokalore following Imeraria’s instruction, there are requests from other fiefs flooding in to train their soldiers and educate their civil officials. He lightly and in a comprehensible way writes that even the former Vichy territories are in the process of switching over to the same political system as Fokalore. At the end he wrote to report about the “Engagement to Phyrinion-san” to report about it to his superior officer, Sabnak.

  “What the hell is this? Though I’m not able to enjoy food and women as I’m busily running about…” (Sabnak)

  “Captain-sama.” (Maid)

  “Isn’t this way of calling me weird? So, what is it?” (Sabnak)

  As he asks while holding a handkerchief to his eyes, the maid says expressionlessly,

  “If you like, you can join me for dinner?” (Maid)

  “… Won’t you stop it, if it’s out of pity?” (Sabnak)

  “No, it isn’t.” (Maid)

  This maid is outrageous, he shook his head.

  “I just wondered whether this was a chance to gain money and power by marrying a rich and powerful man.” (Maid)

  Sabnak cried. (T/N: Owned, lol)

  Chapter 69: My Way

  Next to the feudal lord’s mansion in Fokalore there is a large second residence built by the previous feudal lord. His lovers and the servants lived there. Currently it is functioning as staff’s dormitory.

  Since there were rooms left, it was decided that the unmarried aspirants desiring to work as staff among the group of immigrants from Horant will live there temporarily. Because it’s the staff’s dormitory to begin with, they are provided with three meals per day in the dining hall.

  In addition, those wanting to join the feudal army will enter the dormitories for families and singles of the territorial troops. Those hoping for employment and those, who possessed skills in carpentry and blacksmithing, were moved to inns in the whole town and dormitories for the pupils of craftsmen.

  The people, who chose the path of becoming a staff member, were given a probation for studying first.

  It’s quite different from the image they had of the territory’s circumstances, but currently Fokalore is becoming a cutting-edge training centre in this world, let alone within the country.

  Including even those who have left the alienated Vichy, where education is compulsory, there are many people like the sons of the coming and going merchants and those who are working as civil officials in the neighbouring cities and other noble’s fiefs, who are gathering in Fokalore for “studying abroad” to receive education.

  In addition to learning the basics in what is called advancing through a set curriculum, there was a charm in being taught anything without reser
ves concerning the territorial administration of Fokalore, which has accomplished a successful expansion.

  Even with only this education service, the Tohno territory’s operation budget is profiting quite a bit.

  Although the population is growing, the staff members got used to handling the citizen’s information and the registration in the family register. Rather, the situation has begun to settle down within the mansion of the feudal lord. Although the immigrants from Horant caused some temporary noise, it reached the point that the staff could take a little vacation, even including the civil official slaves.

  There is one person that doesn’t find such situation amusing.

  “Recently the opportunities to build remarkably interesting things vanished.” (Pruflas)

  As group leader of the development team the dwarf Pruflas hadn’t even the time to sleep for an hour. Nowadays they are building office supplies like tables and chairs. They bid farewell to the calm days where they could leisurely drink sake.

  “Something interesting?” (Vaiya)

  His conversation partner was Vaiya.

  Participating in the training of the feudal army in the beginning, he asked Miyukare, who is the person in charge of military affairs, to teach him the management of troops and the unique way of thinking to implement three man cells within the ranks, but he ended up being driven away by her, who was extremely displeased over being separated from Alyssa.

  There was also the matter of the place being a room within the lord’s mansion.

  “Guys, who are emitting an aura of happiness, should just leave!” (Miyukare)

  This shout of Miyukare became a famous saying handed down amongst the staff on the second floor.

  Contributing to the increasing number of couples between the single staff members appearing, Miyukare has completely solidified her position as “Court Lady-sama” with those few words.

  “Now that you mention it, the wagons and spear throwers, used by the feudal army, apparently were developed here.” (Vaiya)

  “We built them, but the idea came from the Lord. The platform wagons were wagons with wheels attached for travelling within the territory having the name rail car at the beginning.” (Pruflas)

  “They didn’t run well and were terrible.” Pruflas laughs while gulping down the sake he held in one hand.

  “We build this and that. There were also thing’s that couldn’t be used as weapons at all. There is the collapsible fan called “Folding Fan.” Did you see them being sold as souvenirs in Fokalore? That thing is something we originally tried to make out of wood as a trial at the time we produced the iron-ribbed fan Origa-jou-chan possesses. Though it was the Lord who gave it its name.” (Pruflas)

  The more he heard, the less Vaiya could understand the character called Hifumi. Before he noticed it, he was making a troubled face. Pruflas laughs.

  “What are you making such weird face for? If you want to know about Lord-sama, you simply have to ask Origa-jou-chan. Though she hasn’t returned yet.” (Pruflas)

  “I see…” (Vaiya)

  “Putting that aside, you are a knight-sama, aren’t you? If you are curious, there are spares of the weapons Lord-sama uses. Do you want to have a look?” (Pruflas)

  “Is that alright?” (Vaiya)

  Seeing Vaiya saying this delightfully, Pruflas became happy as well.

  “Aye, you can say it’s fine because we are steadily receiving requests to produce weapons from Lord-sama. I won’t mind you taking some with you, if you are pleased with them.” (Pruflas)

  Pruflas, who stood up, took Vaiya and moved to the testing room, that also functioned as storage, which existed within the work room.

  The testing room, with its wide, bare ground, has countless weapons and kimonos lined up on one wall. Most of them are made out of wood and iron, but there are also items with unknown materials on the right side that might have monster materials within.

  “This is amazing. I have never seen something like this, even not at the training field of the knight order. Can I also hold them?” (Vaiya)

  “Of course.” (Pruflas)

  The first thing Vaiya held after receiving permission was the kusarigama. After gazing at the sickle, he intently stares at its chains and the counterweights with their pointed ends with great interest.

  “A strangely formed… weapon, is it?”`(Vaiya)

  “Seems so. I repaired it several times, however it was interesting at the time I was shown the place where it was used for testing.” (Pruflas)

  Though he had heard about the way to use it, it was said that you could swing the end part of the chain, hit with its weight, cut with the sickle and throw and pull with it. Vaiya wasn’t able to understand most of it.

  Furthermore, beginning with the suntetsu and sansetsukon and arriving at the tokko and caltrop, he couldn’t imagine how to use those.

  Because Pruflas was able to explain about the shuriken and the jitte for enforcing orders and regulations, Vaiya earnestly and carefully listened to him without missing anything. He tried to throw the shuriken several times to test it.

  “Such small and hand-held weapon with high adaptability is great. It can be used by guards within the castle…” (Vaiya)

  “If you are interested in it, it’s fine to ask that arrogant Caim.” (Pruflas)

  The name of an unexpected person appeared at this place from Pruflas. Vaiya tilted his head to the side.

  “Caim-dono, it is?” (Vaiya)

  Even Pruflas himself considers the question, why the name of that civil official appeared here, to be strange.

  “That expressionless arsehole knows the basic details of the weapons in this place. It seems he was taught the way of using them to some degree by the feudal lord. He is practising his usage of the shuriken and kusarigama in this testing room every morning.” (Pruflas)

  Furthermore it appears that the other civil official slaves practise here sometimes as well.

  “Aren’t they slaves, and even more civil officials? Why are they training?” (Vaiya)

  “I don’t know. I don’t care since I wasn’t told about it. If you are worried about it, go and ask them directly.” (Pruflas)

  “Haa.” (Vaiya)

  Vaiya was bad with the type of person like Caim. He couldn’t keep up a conversation with Caim, who doesn’t show his emotions on the surface, since he doesn’t know what he’s thinking about.

  “Well, since I gave you the permission to come and go here, it’s fine if you do as you like.” (Pruflas)

  “Thank you very much.” (Vaiya)

  “Please stop. I’m a slave as well and will be troubled if a knight like you bows his head to me.” (Pruflas)

  Vaiya smiles bitterly as he is watching the back of the leaving Pruflas who is laughing.

  “I can’t see the slaves here as slaves at all.” (Vaiya)

  Pulling himself together, he decided to go meet with Caim. He considered to adopt these weapons in the Royal Knight Order.

  ☺☻☺

  The guards in the border fortress on Horant’s side still hadn’t been replaced. Although it’s uncertain whether the previously killed group was the guard unit, there are no soldiers at all.

  In the vicinity of the fortress the common people, apparently families and couples, were sitting in countless groups.

  Once he passed the border on the highway while riding on his horse, there are soldiers properly standing guard on Orsongrande’s side.

  “Earl Tohno-sama! Welcome home!” (Soldier)

  The two soldiers, apparently on guard duty, greeted him while smiling. They probably were able to earn some good income during the time of Hifumi’s invasion in Horant.

  “Ah, the refugees from Horant won’t come following from behind?” (Hifumi)