The Tale of A Man Who Believed That His Reincarnation Had Granted Him A Japanese Sword And The Greatest Battle Sense, Only To Have The God Finally Inform Him "Huh, I Didn't Give You Any Combat Sense… That's Scary…" - Episode 11

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Enri-kun! I’m really sorry, but since I’ve never seen a kid like you before, I just couldn’t help but want to check a few things, haha.”

Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep with my face down on the table at the Horse’s Hearth. I woke up to Sophia-san’s apologetic voice. Looking at the grandfather clock in the shop, exactly four hours had passed since I last saw Sophia-san.

Circling thoughts. Apologizing to Ms. Utsuho, who is supposed to be waiting outside, wondering if waiting for four hours is part of Ms. Lyra’s plans, and how to get to Redinbara, where Ms. Lyra asked me to go. Questions piled up one after another, but when I saw Ms. Sophia’s chest gently swaying through her apron and her cute face blushing with excitement, I decided to abandon my thoughts and figured it would all work out

“For now, I sharpened the blade, oiled it, and forged and reinserted all the nails in the grip section to make sure they fit properly.”

Ms. Sophia returned the reincarnation bonus katana with the name Hashihime Ichimonji engraved on it to me and continued with a few words.

“After checking a bit… um, I’m not sure how to explain it, but this child definitely has some kind of special blessing… so as long as you keep using it as you have been, it’s all good!”

“However, if something seems off with the unknown blessing of a weapon you’ve never seen before, bring it to my place right away!”

“Understood! Thank you very much, Sophia.”

“Oh! And while you were sleeping, I took some quick measurements of your waist. So, I made a belt to hold that katana of yours, even though it’s a bit rough around the edges. Take it with you.”

After handing over the katana, Sophia went to the back room and returned with a black leather belt. Approaching me while holding the belt, she pressed her body against mine and skillfully attempted to fasten the belt for the katana.

“Um… sorry, Enri-kun. Just hang in there a bit, the last hook isn’t catching properly.”

The metallic smell, the rich floral scent like lilies, and the smell of sweat all waft through the air at the same time, and no matter where I touch Ms. Sophia, her wonderfully soft body presses against me, shaking my reason violently. I have to endure, I have to endure… If something goes wrong here, Ms. Lyra will probably look at me like I’m garbage…!

“Phew! Finally got it! So, this is everything I’m giving you. There’s still quite a bit of money left from what I got from Lyra-chan, so really, really! If anything weird happens to her, come right away, okay~!”

Having successfully suppressed my instincts with reason, I waved goodbye to Sophia-san and stepped outside the horse’s forge. Looking up at the sky, the clear blue sky that was there before I entered the shop was now already turning orange.

Wow, this is bad. Utsuho-san is definitely angry. When we met in the store, it felt like she was about to leave in about five minutes. Lyra-san changes a lot between work mode and off mode, which is scary in its own way, but Utsuho-san is definitely the type to be scary if you make her angry…

“I’m sooorry! Utsuho-san! I’m late~! Where are you~!!”

“Good evening, Lord Enri. You’re back early.”

“Wh-!? Right behind me!? Eeeek!! Utsuho-san, I’m really sorry!!!!”

When I called out loudly for Utsuho, I heard a voice right behind me at that moment. When I hurriedly turned around, Utsuho was standing there in her usual maid outfit with a smile. However, the atmosphere was far from peaceful or tranquil; the word “battlefield” suited it better.

Immediately, just like when I first met Lyra, I perform a dogeza faster than the speed of sound. I press my forehead firmly against the cobblestones, bringing my hands together in front of my forehead to maintain a pure and proper dogeza posture.

“Lord Enri, I never imagined that you would stay in the Horse’s Forge for four hours. What on earth were you doing in that building?”

“I, um, asked Sophia to take care of the sword I always use, but I ended up falling asleep before I knew it… and now… it’s already night…”

“Hehe, I understand, Lady Enri. Actually, Ms. Sophia came out halfway and informed me that she would be taking some time.”

“Really now!” I said with a smile, and as I lifted my face from the bowing position, I locked eyes with Utsuho-san, and the chilling anger conveyed through her words, “I didn’t hear anything about you sleeping.”

In the end, after begging for forgiveness from Utsuho in a kneeling position for about fifteen minutes, Utsuho’s face lost its angry expression, and I was allowed to return from being a kneeling invertebrate to a walking vertebrate.

“Well then, shall we head to Redinbara together, Lord Enri?”

“Huh? Are you going to the town where Lyra-san is waiting with me?”

“Of course, Lord Enri. After all, you don’t even know the location of Redinbara, and you can’t ride a horse either, right?”

“Ah… uh… yeah, I guess… not knowing the place is one thing, but not being able to ride a horse is really bad, right?”

Utsuho-san lightly jumped onto the horse parked in front of the shop a little distance away from the stable, then slowly approached me and let me ride on his back. We proceeded through the streets of Lainchester, which were gradually transforming into a nighttime atmosphere. Passersby glanced at me sitting on Utsuho-san’s back.

Is the situation where a man with an unfamiliar weapon is being allowed to ride the maid’s horse what’s drawing attention, or is it simply the unusual sight of a maid’s horse being ridden that’s catching people’s eyes…? It’s kind of embarrassing…

“Hey, that guy…”

“Oh, that, right? The one where they say [Rai] cut the lightning of [Rai] who got caught by the Cat’s Widow.”

“That’s one seriously curved weapon, the sword he’s got at his waist.”

“Seriously, you’re still just a kid. Did you really do something about the Roga’s Thunder?”

As we headed towards the outskirts of the city with Utsuho, we could hear the voices of people walking through the city. It seemed that the incident of cutting down the lightning was being talked about, and many eyes were on us.

Amidst the noise, as the sound of hooves echoed, Mr. Utsuho sped up the horse as they headed out towards the Lancaster checkpoint.

“Lord Enri. Lady Lyra has asked me to discuss the swordsmanship tournament with you, so I will talk about the tournament during our journey to Redinbara.”

Whoosh! Amid the intense sound of the wind, I can hear Utsuho-san’s voice. If I focus on listening to her voice, I might fall off the horse’s back, so I press my body against Utsuho-san, who is holding the reins, and wrap my arms around her waist. …Utsuho-san’s body is warm. It feels somewhat like the warmth of the dog I had when I was little in my previous life.

“Enri-sama. What on earth are you thinking, clinging so tightly to my body like that?”

Utsuho, who was about to talk about the swordsmanship tournament, fell silent for a moment and then muttered softly. It wasn’t the tone of anger, nor the tone of exasperation; it was simply the air of curiosity and inquiry.

At first, I thought I was yelled at because I was too close, but it seems that’s not the case… thank goodness. Since coming to this other world, I’ve been bombarded with different cultures, unfamiliar knowledge, and the common sense of this world, which has been quite overwhelming. So being with someone in this quiet setting is really comforting. How should I put it, is it okay to say I’m chilling?

“Utsuho-san’s body is warm, and, um… how should I put it, it reminds me of the dog I used to hug when I was little…”

“Oh? So, does that mean for you, Lord Enri, this Utsuho is the same as the dogs in the mountains?”

“No, that’s not it. It’s not that I remembered the dog, but rather the warmth. It’s been a while since I remembered the warmth of being close to someone or something.”

For a moment, Ms. Utsuho fell silent. Then, as if choosing her words carefully, she opened her mouth to speak.

“Lord Enri, to be honest, I have not been fond of you.”

The horse cuts through the night wind and proceeds along the night road. Amidst the sound of the wind, what can be heard are Utsuho’s unadorned words from the heart.

“When you were instructed by the master to take care of him at the mansion, I questioned the decision to welcome you and Miss Lyra as guests.”

“Because you smelled so much like my kind that I couldn’t help it.”

“What do you mean by ‘same kind’?”

Utsuho-san tilted her body slightly towards me and showed her face. She looked down a bit and then up at me, her beautiful green hair fluttering in the air with the horse’s movements. That’s when I noticed. There was something in Utsuho-san’s hair, and I realized it was something she had just torn off.

“Before serving the Grosvenor family, I made a living as an assassin. Born into the assassin guild that controls the underbelly of this kingdom, I was born a dog beastman, and I had my dog ears cut off as they hindered my stealth.”

“Drowned infants, sold children, beheaded men, stabbed women, tortured the elderly, killed kin over and over again.”

“That’s why… we’re kindred spirits. I’m also someone who takes lives without any hesitation. I sensed the same smell and presence from you.”

Suddenly, Utsuho pulled the reins, and the horse came to a stop. Utsuho leaned towards me, bringing her face closer. Her left hand grabbed my shoulder, and her right hand reached under her skirt.

Pure, unadulterated killing intent. A clear expression of intent that doesn’t even need the words “I’ll kill you if you move even a little.” Perhaps, at this point, I should be cowering, trying to counterattack, somehow forcing words out from the back of my throat, or maybe even taking actions to calm Utsuho down.

Even when surrounded by more than twenty bandits or struck by a lightning-fast attack that I couldn’t even perceive, my body moved on its own thanks to the combat sense from my reincarnation bonus. However, my body didn’t respond at all. Moreover, I didn’t think Ms. Utsuho was seriously trying to kill me. Perhaps she was trying to confirm something in her own way and seeking assurance.

“Utsuho-san”

Utsuho’s eyeballs move. She looks at me with just her eyes. Then she opens her mouth.

“I’m hungry, so when we get to Edinburgh, please take me to a good restaurant. A hidden gem that even Lyra doesn’t know about.”

“……..Huh?”

“The meals at the mansion are delicious, but they’re always so formal, you know? I mean, something more junky… if that’s the right word. Something easy and more down-to-earth, that’s what I like!”

After a few moments, when Utsuho’s movements completely stopped.

“Hehehe, yes, I understand.”

Showing a wonderful smile that bloomed like a flower, Utsuho turned forward and grasped the reins again.

“Lord Enri, I sincerely apologize for having committed such a rude act this time.”

“No, it’s not like I was killed or stabbed or anything. Besides, I somehow felt that Utsuho-san wanted to confirm something.”

I decided not to ask her what exactly she wanted to confirm. It was probably something far removed from general concepts like master-servant relationships, loyalty to the master, or the pride of being a maid. So, she must have wanted to test it in a place where no one else was around, so that no one would know. And if Ms. Utsuho, who always takes care of me, is satisfied, that’s enough for me.

Well, since it seems like now would be a good time to get a little closer, I’ll cling tightly to Utsuho-san. After that, Utsuho-san and I continued on the road to Redinbara, chatting cheerfully.