Chapter 23: The Tin Knight and the Lion's Bloodline (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: The Tin Knight and the Lion's Bloodline (6)
‘…No, that’s not right. It’s not certain there’s treasure in this city. It’s entirely possible this city was just a coincidence, a place we happened upon on our way!’
‘I’m grateful for the training, of course, and I can’t really complain since I walked right into this myself, but still… couldn’t you show just a little mercy? Sob.’
While Dorothea and Adelaide were lost in their own complex thoughts…
[The ‘Tin Knight’ hums a tune as he looks at the new city!]
You were incredibly excited.
And for good reason.
A source of your inner dissatisfaction had finally been resolved.
The dissatisfaction you felt was that there were too few opportunities for growth.
It made sense, after all. The ‘Tin Knight’ was already a complete warrior.
Combat experience so vast it was impossible to guess how many long years it had taken to accumulate, engraved deep within his body.
The ultimate combat techniques and insight born from that experience.
Of course, the one wielding it all wasn’t the ‘Tin Knight’—the body’s original owner who had entrusted it to you and left—but you, the one here/outside the monitor. Still, that didn’t make him weaker.
You, for your part, were a seasoned veteran of these kinds of games, and the ‘you’ who had inherited the Tin Knight’s experience skillfully compensated for any discrepancy between a character controlled by a mouse and keyboard and reality.
In terms of software, you were a veteran among veterans, so you needed to level up the hardware. But in reality, there was no experience system, no status window to invest points in, and no attack power stats assigned to equipment.
Well, the last one might exist, it just wasn’t quantified and visible, but anyway.
And as for physical training, your body was a lump of metal. It would wear down with use, not grow stronger.
In other words, your physical growth was capped.
Thinking of it as a Level 1 cap or a beginner-gear-only challenge run was enjoyable in its own way, but in terms of content, it was bound to feel lacking.
Since the mission you received from the Tin Knight was to protect Dorothea, you had considered trying to train her.
Unfortunately for you, Dorothea wasn’t the type to obsess over strength.
To be more precise, she was the type to take care of her own needs without anyone having to tell her, so there was nothing for you to help with.
Besides, your class was Knight, and Dorothea’s was Witch.
Neither the you inside the Tin Knight nor the you outside the monitor knew the first thing about magic, so there was nothing you could teach her.
But now, before your very eyes, a newbie had appeared, one who claimed she would do anything to become stronger.
And she didn’t just come for growth; she brought along side quests that needed clearing.
How could you possibly resist?
Contrary to her appearance, which suggested she’d never lifted a heavy object in her life, Adelaide was remarkably sturdy.
No matter how hard you pushed her, she’d be fine again after a night’s sleep (though her expression was soured by muscle aches and fatigue, you didn’t care) and she seemed immune to the colds and illnesses that often accompanied a sudden change in living conditions.
She was like a gift from the heavens, sent for you to train as you pleased.
The Tin Knight’s superb insight was also adept at gauging an opponent’s limits, and you actively used this ability to push Adelaide to her breaking point.
Her growth was so visible it was like watching a progress bar fill up. As a Young-Ladymon trainer… no, as a mentor, it couldn’t be more rewarding.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ urges you to find an inn quickly!]
“…I never said we were staying here, you know.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ argues that you need to restock supplies anyway and wait for the Animal Compass’s cooldown!]
Dorothea’s expression was full of dissatisfaction, but she didn’t refute your words.
She had clear likes and dislikes, but she acknowledged what was necessary and didn’t throw tantrums. That was one of Dorothea’s strengths, in your opinion.
Dorothea’s gaze shifted to Adelaide.
Her round eyes, glistening with moisture, were filled with a desperate plea, as if she wanted to escape the hellish carriage training, even for a moment.
Though she seemed reluctant, Dorothea eventually nodded.
And so, you all set foot in the city.
*
Whether it was called a kingdom of old men sitting in armchairs telling tall tales, or a fox acting like a thug in a corner while a tiger and a bear growled at each other, the kingdom was not a small country, at least in terms of its territory on the map.
Even Albert, that paradise for criminals, was technically part of the kingdom’s domain.
The problem was its actual influence.
If the kingdom’s territory on the map was a 10, the royal family could only properly control about 40% of it, the area around the capital.
As for the other 60%, it was every domain for itself.
To put it more bluntly, each domain was a small country, and its lord was its king.
Domains with fertile farmland built up their power based on massive harvests and populations, those with mineral veins diligently developed their mines, and some grew into centers of trade by leveraging their geographical location.
However, not every domain was blessed with such favorable conditions.
The city the Tin Knight’s party had just entered, Lowefelt, was one such case.
Lowefelt had no special resources, no strategic location, and no rare local products.
Furthermore, the terrain was rough, making transportation inconvenient, and it was surrounded by monsters.
It was like hitting the random start button in a city management game and being given a starting territory saddled with every possible disadvantage.
And yet, Lowefelt was a prosperous city.
Its nickname, ‘The City of the Right Hind Leg,’ guaranteed that prosperity.
More accurately, it was ‘Lowefelt, the City of the Lion’s Right Hind Leg,’ but its citizens, who knew the virtue of brevity and compression, usually preferred the former.
The origin of the name was simple.
There were only five Lennart dojos on the continent.
If you connected their locations, they formed the shape of a giant lion, and this city was the one corresponding to the right hind leg.
The question of how five dots could possibly form a lion was meaningless. After all, constellations were much the same.
Of course, a certain witch in a foul mood couldn’t care less whether this was the city of the right hind leg or the city of the right hind ankle bone.
“I’m going to rest at the inn, so if you’re going to do a dojo challenge or whatever, do it yourselves.”
With only those words, Dorothea shut herself in her room.
Adelaide fidgeted nervously at the sight, but the Tin Knight was unconcerned.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ urges her to hurry up and go challenge the dojo!]
“I-Is that alright? The witch didn’t seem to like the idea of me visiting the dojo. Perhaps I should just wait quietly…”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ points out that if she really disliked it, she would have said so directly instead of beating around the bush!]
Adelaide fell silent.
Considering Dorothea’s words and actions so far, the Tin Knight wasn’t wrong.
However, another worry remained.
“But I’ve only been training properly for about a fortnight. Is that really enough to be recognized at the dojo?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ points out that nothing can start until you know what the test involves!]
“Well… that’s true, but.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ encourages her, saying that even if she fails, she can just try again!]
“Oh, you’re right!”
Adelaide’s face brightened.
The Tin Knight was right. What was important for her was to build up as many achievements and as much skill as possible within a year.
Unlike a real battle where defeat meant losing a great deal, failing here just meant failing a test once.
There would be plenty of chances to try again.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ tells her not to worry even if she fails!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ declares that he has prepared a special training course just for passing!]
“Ah. Yes. I see. Ha, haha. Wow. I’m so happy.”
The intonation vanished from Adelaide’s voice, and the light faded from her eyes.
A chance to try again, my ass. If she failed, only death awaited her.
Feeling the weight on her shoulders grow even heavier, Adelaide began to trudge along.
*
“So, where is the dojo?”
Adelaide tilted her head.
Having lived a life where a guide was always present when she needed to go somewhere, the experience of ‘finding her own way’ was extremely rare for her.
It would be one thing if she were in her home domain of Friedel, but she couldn’t possibly know the geography of a city she had just entered.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ informs her that when you don’t know the way, you just have to ask someone!]
Agreeing with the Tin Knight, Adelaide looked around.
Only a limited number of people could hear the Tin Knight, so Adelaide had to be the one to ask for directions.
She approached a nearby shopkeeper.
“Excuse me, may I ask for directions?”
“Huh? Wh-!”
The shopkeeper, who had worn a gruff expression upon hearing the words ‘ask for directions,’ gasped when he saw Adelaide.
It wasn’t just because of her beauty, which still radiated nobility despite her adventurer-style attire.
Golden hair and violet eyes.
A merchant doing business here in Lowefelt, of all places, could not mistake their meaning.
“Oh my, welcome, young lady! You’re looking for directions?”
“Ah, yes. I’d like to go to the Lennart dojo. Which way should I go?”
“For that, just follow this main road to the right. You’ll see a building with a flag bearing a lion.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, don’t mention it!”
Grateful for the kind(?) shopkeeper’s attitude, Adelaide was about to set off again when it happened.
-Hup, two! Hup, two!
A sound like shouting could be heard in the distance, and the pedestrians on the main road all began to move to the sides.
A moment later, the source of the commotion appeared.
“Hup, two! Hup, two! Hup, two!”
“Paulo! Your voice is too quiet! Guff! Your feet are out of sync! Whining after just a little run? You call yourselves disciples of our dojo! Answer me!?”
“We’re sorry!!”
In the middle of the city, dozens of men were sprinting down the main road, drenched in sweat.
Despite this act, which could be called a visual assault or an obstruction of traffic, the citizens didn’t seem particularly surprised or annoyed.
They simply waited for the men to pass with nonchalant expressions, as if it were a daily occurrence. Some even offered words of encouragement.
The shopkeeper let out a hearty laugh at Adelaide’s blinking, surprised face.
“Haha, you must be new to the city.”
“Yes. What was that just now? Are they the knights of Lowefelt?”
“Not knights, but they’re similar. They beat up bandits, hunt monsters, and basically do anything a knightly order would. Those are the trainees from the Lennart dojo.”
“I see.”
Adelaide watched the backs of the trainees as they ran off into the distance.
Her expression grew wistful.
Her hometown, too, once had many knights and soldiers who devoted themselves to training like that.
It was a sight that had become rare after her father passed away.
The Tin Knight stood beside her.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ questions whether they really need to do that on a busy thoroughfare!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ points out that while men might think their sweaty selves look cool, to others, it usually just looks shabby or gross!]
“Pfft.”
The sudden jab made Adelaide burst out laughing.
The shopkeeper gave her a quizzical look, but she didn’t notice.
“Y-You’re right. Running is fine, but they didn’t have to do it in a place like this.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists that a formal complaint must be filed for the honor of the Lion Duke’s bloodline!]
Adelaide nodded.
And then she realized.
Dorothea had said that even when the Tin Knight used terms she didn't know, she could roughly understand the meaning. She now understood what that was like.