T/N: Back to the main story
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The Hellish(?) Cooking of Noble Ladies [Part 1]
*clatter*
“That’s… You’re sure you’re not mistaken?”
The Lord of Skyte rose to his feet reflexively upon hearing the report from one of his hunters.
“Yes. The one who saw it was a hunter with a reputation for accurate monster identification… What should we do, Lord?”
The urgent report from the hunter on guard duty sent shock-waves through other hunters. They were gathering at the cafeteria to grab dinner when they heard the news and immediately rushed to their lord’s place at once. It was a situation where they had to race against time.
“At the moment, participants of the academy’s extracurricular lesson are setting up tents in front of the forest. I-If this year is the same as it is every year, His Majesty the King should also be together with them.”
“I-I heard there are also some escort knights, but! The knights can’t…”
“Just why today out of all days! Many hunters are staying at their own homes tonight in preparation for the extracurricular lesson that starts tomorrow… There’s not enough manpower…”
“Calm down. Let’s head out at once. Call everyone available and bring more shields!”
“ “ “R-Roger!” ” ”
Lord of Skyte’s POV
I sent out instructions to the shaken hunters. I was careless to think that even though monster appearances had been increasing, it should be fine as long as the participants didn’t go into the forest. There would be hell to pay if His Majesty the King got injured in our Skyte Barony. There was a limit to the responsibilities a mere borderland lord could bear. Not to mention that the second prince was also participating this time.
“Lord… His Majesty and His Highness are going to be alright, right?”
One of the hunters looked at me anxiously.
“We’re probably only going to lose our heads if they aren’t.”
I heard that the Second Prince faction’s supporters had been steadily increasing ever since House Stuart joined the factional strife. If the king and the second prince got attacked by monsters one after another, some people might start raising conspiracy theories.
“Lord… Are His Majesty and His Highness… still alive?”
Another hunter asked me timidly. He looked like he was almost crushed by panic. His question was the worry that had run through every hunter’s mind.
“Well, we can only pray that they are. They are led by the Monster Science and Practical Skill for Hunters’ teachers… so they should be able to hold out somehow…”
I knew.
What I said could give nothing but temporary peace of mind.
Other than rushing as fast as we could to the scene, the only thing we could do now was to pray to God.
If I had known that things would turn out this way, I would have refused to host the extracurricular lesson in our territory.
Monsters had been evidently increasing in the past year. Consequently, our territory’s financial situation worsened drastically.
Weapons were consumable goods.
Hunters, a life-threatening profession, couldn’t possibly be hired with cheap wages. Even after hunting, some monsters needed to be processed, and recruiting professionals in that area didn’t come at zero cost either.
The more monsters appeared, the higher the expenses and the more tired the hunters became.
The territory that hosted the extracurricular lesson would receive money to cover the cost of preparations and arrangements. I desperately needed that money so the people of Skyte Barony could survive winter.
“Father! I heard the news!!! I’m also going!”
“Kite! What ridiculous things are you saying?!”
While we were riding our horses to the extracurricular lesson’s campsite, my son, Kite, caught up to us.
“The more manpower, the better! It’s alright, I can do it too! House Stuart’s eldest son is three years younger than me, yet he said he has already gone monster hunting!”
“Listen well, Kite. The types of monsters that appear in the borderland differ from territory to territory. Theirs must be on a level where such a young child will go hunting there. Highly dangerous monsters probably don’t appear in the Stuarts’ territory.”
“Father!”
I could understand my son’s wish to be useful in an emergency.
However, all of my siblings had lost their lives during monster hunting.
Kite was my only son.
My precious only son who could succeed me.
“Who will protect this land if anything were to happen to me? You stay!”
“No! That day when Father came home with one of your arms bitten by a monster… I… I don’t want to experience that again!”
Kite broke away from us while I was stunned by his words and galloped his horse to the extracurricular lesson campsite.
“Kite! Please! Wait! I can’t afford to lose you too!”
“Lord, at this rate, Kite-sama will also…”
“We’ll chase after him! That thing is still impossible for him now!
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Author’s corner:
Crisis : “Takkaraput pop porunga pupiritt paro!”
Serious : Huh! Just how did I…
Crisis : Serious! Thank god! You’ve come back to life!
Serious : Crisis? What happened to me?”
Crisis : You got too carried away! Serious! From now on, live more carefully! Carefully, you got that?!
Serious : Crisis, there’s something I need to tell you.
Crisis : ? Oi, Serious! You… That’s a death flag…!
The author who drank plum liquor 20 days later: Crap, Baron Skyte’s son’s name… isn’t it going to be Kite Skyte… So lame…
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