Chapter 67: Sorry for Teasing You About Being Ugly (1)
Chapter 67: Sorry for Teasing You About Being Ugly (1)
“La la la la~♪ Ra la la la la~♪”
Even a young maiden in the throes of a new spring romance wouldn't be this bubbly.
Seeing a soldier clad in armor with two swords strapped to his waist acting like this didn't exactly paint a pretty picture. Instead, it only made people think, 'What's wrong with that crazy bastard?'
“What are you doing, Oliver?”
“Hahaha. Can’t you tell just by looking? I’m expressing my joy with my whole body!”
“What’s there to be so happy about?”
“Sanson became a knight. I mean, that’s great and all, but…”
Looking at his comrades, Oliver wagged his finger back and forth, his expression practically screaming, 'You clueless greenhorns.'
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You clueless little fledglings.”
“…Wow.”
“He’s really being a prick.”
“Let’s throw stones. Stones!”
Seeing his comrades actually picking up stones from the ground, Oliver hurriedly spoke up.
“No, wait! Listen to me, you guys.”
“What is it?”
Oliver addressed his comrades, who were still clutching stones in their hands.
“The Young Master has left for the Academy.”
“So?”
“If the Young Master isn't in the territory, who’s going to push us into a living hell?”
“April… Oh? She went too, didn't she?”
“Really? She went as well?”
“She said she was following the Young Master. Didn't you hear?”
“I’m hearing it now. Wait, if that’s the case…”
Oliver straightened his back and laughed.
“Hahaha! Do you get it now, you fools? We are finally liberated from hell. Finally!”
No Patrick, no April.
That meant no more hellish training.
As the reality sank in, the corners of the soldiers' mouths began to curl upward involuntarily.
“Ahem, well, is that how things are turning out?”
“Well, we still have to train, right? Don't we?”
“Oh, right. We should train. Diligently, but only to the point where it doesn't harm our health.”
“Mhm, yes. We should conduct diligent, normal training.”
The expressions of the soldiers as they looked at each other brightened significantly.
In truth, they knew.
The reason they—men with no particular talent—had all managed to step into the 3-Star Level or higher was thanks to Patrick’s training.
Were they grateful? Of course. They were grateful, but…
'Honestly, was that something a human should do to another human?'
'Even if you brought a Goblin and made it do that, it would reach 3-Star.'
'If I could turn back time five years, I’d beat myself to death to stop me from joining.'
They say there is no gain without pain, but the hell they had endured was the kind that brought tears to their eyes and made their parents' faces flash before them in the sky just thinking about it.
How could they not be happy to be liberated from that agony…
“Everyone, fall in!”
The voice that reached their ears was Sanson’s thunderous roar.
They dashed to the training ground and assembled, only to find Sanson standing there with a grim, demonic expression.
“From today, I will be in charge of your training.”
“Uh, Sanson.”
“In the training ground, address me as Sir Kainel.”
“Yes, Sir Kainel. I have a question…”
“I’m not taking questions.”
“Yes. What I mean is… Huh?”
“I said I’m not taking questions. From now on, no questions will be allowed during training hours. Keep that in mind.”
“…….”
'What? Is that really Sanson?'
'He doesn't seem like the Sanson we know.'
As the soldiers whispered among themselves, Sanson spoke again.
“While the Young Master is at the Academy, everyone is to raise their realm by at least one star. To achieve that, I will push you relentlessly.”
“When you say 'relentlessly,' what specifically do you mean?”
“I repeat: no questions. Just trust me and follow.”
Sanson gestured, and from the other side, a group of muscular, green-skinned giants stomped toward them.
“Tutan, thank you for coming.”
Leading the group was Tutan, the son of Turanta, the young warrior and chief of the Orc tribe.
“It is fine. The Great Warrior asked. So, I comply.”
“Thank you.”
Sanson then addressed the men.
“You all saw the one-against-a-hundred duel I had a few days ago.”
“…Yes, we saw it.”
“We saw it, but…”
“Surely, San—no, Sir Kainel, you don't mean…?”
To the anxious soldiers, Sanson said:
“I won't be so unreasonable as to ask you to face a hundred Orc warriors all at once.”
Of course not.
Just as the soldiers were sighing in relief, Sanson continued.
“Since space and time are limited, let’s start with ten. However, you must face all ten simultaneously.”
The soldiers' jaws dropped.
Every single warrior of the Red Rock Tribe was a formidable fighter. And they were expected to face ten of them at once?
This made no sense.
They were just starting to think that facing a hundred of them one by one might actually be easier when…
“Tutan, if you please.”
“Hmph. Understood.”
Ten hulking Orc warriors stepped onto the training ground. And then…
“Oliver, you’re first. Get up there.”
Even without Patrick, even without April, the hardships of the Schneider Family soldiers continued.
* * *
White Town.
The capital of the Atronia Kingdom, it was a place filled with white buildings, just as its name suggested.
Because it was a region with intense sunlight, people had begun painting their exterior walls white to lower the temperature of the buildings even slightly. Over time, the entire city had turned white.
Looking down at the city from a high vantage point, the sight of the clean, white buildings was quite a spectacle.
A carriage entered the city.
It looked like a carriage used by nobles, but it wasn't particularly luxurious. It was just a very ordinary two-horse carriage.
However, the people of the capital couldn't take their eyes off it.
Their gazes—filled with admiration, wonder, and even shock—came mostly from the women.
Regardless of age or status, the women nearby were staring at the carriage with enchanted eyes.
To be precise, they couldn't look away from the blonde butler driving the carriage.
“Waaaaah…”
“Oh my, oh my goodness…”
“How can someone look like that?”
“I can’t even. I really can’t.”
The women’s hearts were practically melting into liquid and pouring out of them.
Neatly trimmed short blonde hair and cool, light-green eyes.
A face of perfect beauty, as if sculpted by a god.
A crisp, well-fitted butler’s uniform.
These women had never seen such a handsome man in their lives.
Even though he was just driving a carriage, this handsome butler looked like he could slap a prince on a white horse right out of the saddle.
The butler stopped the carriage, stepped down, and politely opened the door.
“Young Master. We have arrived in White Town.”
“Yeah. Good work.”
The women looked toward the carriage door with high expectations.
If the butler was that handsome, what would the Young Master be like?
There was a certain level of anticipation, wasn't there? If the butler looked like that, shouldn't the Young Master be even more handsome?
The women focused on the carriage entrance, prepared to be blinded by beauty.
Then, a man with a bored expression stepped out, stretched, and spoke.
“Uuuugh… carriage travel is seriously exhausting. Next time, I’m just going to ride a horse.”
Seeing him, the women…
“Haaaa…”
“Right, that’s reality for you.”
“It’s not that he’s ugly… I mean, he’s not, but…”
“Honestly, the comparison is too much.”
“Isn't that just wrong? Shouldn't they switch places?”
“He has no conscience.”
The women whispered among themselves, thinking they couldn't be heard, but…
'I can hear everything, you people.'
Patrick, the "just okay-looking" Young Master, felt the veins on his forehead throb as he struggled to maintain a calm expression.
In fact, this had been happening throughout the entire journey to the capital, but he couldn't get used to it at all.
'Seriously, if I were losing to a man more handsome than me, I wouldn't say a word. You blind women! Can't you even recognize another woman?'
The handsome butler, who looked ready to steal the souls of every woman in sight, was April.
To explain how this happened…
Patrick had expected that April’s beauty would cause trouble once they left the territory. However, the problem was far worse than he had anticipated.
She didn't smile; she didn't even look at those around her. But her mere existence made people lose their minds and stare. And then…
[Please marry me!]
[I fell in love at first sight!]
[I love you. Please accept my heart. If not, I’d rather you kill me!]
People like this began to appear in droves.
When the idiot who asked to be killed showed up, April actually reached for her sword, and Patrick had to hurriedly stop her.
“Hey, you! Go home!”
Eventually, Patrick’s irritation exploded, and he snapped at April to go back.
They hadn't even reached a crowded area yet, and it was already this bad. He felt dizzy just imagining what would happen if he took her all the way to the capital.
To Patrick, April had said:
“There is a way once we reach Parmas. Please wait until then.”
“What way? Are you going to overhaul your face? Huh?”
“If you permit it…”
“I told you not to! My mom will kill me!”
If a single scratch appeared on April’s face, Ava would be the first to fly into a rage. Ava, who cherished April like her own daughter, was far scarier than Baron Schneider when angry.
Eventually, they managed to reach the County of Parmas. There, April said she would be away for a moment and left Patrick’s side.
At that moment, Patrick briefly considered:
Should I take this chance to ditch her and run?
But then…
'Eh, even if I run, it’s just to the Academy.'
Running away when the final destination was already known had no strategic value.
So, Patrick spent his time idling at the inn. When April returned that evening…
“Hey, you… You?”
“I borrowed Red’s help.”
“Red… Ah, right. That bastard existed.”
April was in perfect male disguise.
She had shed her maid outfit for a butler’s uniform, and her flowing, waist-length blonde hair had been neatly cut to just above her neck.
'If Mom finds out she cut her hair, she’ll try to kill Red. Oh well, does it matter?'
If Red had known, he would have protested, 'Why wouldn't it matter, you jerk?' but who cared?
“A male disguise. Well, it’s not bad…”
Patrick looked April up and down.
The quality was high. Red, being a specialist in cross-dressing, was clearly skilled at disguising a woman as a man as well. However…
“Will people be fooled?”
“If one acts with confidence, people tend to accept it.”
“I suppose that might be true, but…”
“This should solve most of the issues.”
“Hmm, usually problems are solved by beating them down, though?”
“Sometimes, a different approach is necessary.”
“I’m still uneasy. Well, I guess it’s better than nothing.”
And so, it was decided that April would accompany him in disguise. For the time being, it wasn't April the maid, but Ace the butler who would serve Patrick.
April had been confident, but the problem wasn't solved.
Despite the male disguise and the butler’s uniform, she still drew the gazes of everyone around her. The only difference was that this time, she was primarily drawing the gazes of women rather than men.
Seeing April maintain a stoic expression while soaking up the stares of the capital’s women, Patrick let out a sigh.
“Well, I guess it’s a bit better since you look less approachable than a maid.”
Sighing, Patrick walked ahead, followed by April in her butler’s attire. And then…
“Oh my, oh my, how can he do that?”
“If he had a conscience, shouldn't they switch?”
“There’s a limit to how shameless one can be.”
Hearing the whispers of the women around him, Patrick felt his eyes sting.
The trouble had decreased now that she was dressed as a butler, but a different set of problems had increased.
Under the judgmental glares of the women, Patrick suddenly missed a friend from his previous life.
'Sorry for teasing you about being ugly.'
Do you get it now?
At the Academy, even nobles were not allowed to enter by carriage. Unless one was royalty, the rule was that everyone, noble or not, had to walk inside the Academy grounds.
Thus, Patrick arrived at the Academy entrance on foot.
“Halt. State your business.”
The guards at the entrance blocked Patrick and April’s path.
“This is Young Master Patrick Schneider of the Schneider territory. He is here for admission to the Academy.”
“It isn't the admission period right now.”
“He has received a special recommendation from the Margrave of the East, Count Parmas, and has been granted mid-term admission. Here is the letter of recommendation.”
April responded with the practiced ease of a butler and produced a document from her coat.
The guard took the letter and checked it. It was undoubtedly stamped with the seal of the Eastern Margrave.
“Understood. I will escort you inside.”
“Thank you.”
With that, Patrick and April were led into the Academy.