TL: Double Chapter today! Make sure you didn’t miss previous chapter!
Tsige 5.
It is the group of performers that have suddenly become really popular in Tsige.
In my eyes, it is an idol group you could find anywhere though…
That was how it was in Japan though, and I didn’t think I would be able to see it in a world of sword and magic.
“And so…uhm…can I ask this of you?”
There’s no way, right?
One of them has come to our company and is talking to me, which is hard to believe.
“I have been told by a lot of people that my father has been rude to you, so I am aware that you would think even the daughter is like that! But now that things have turned out like this -regardless of how nonsensical it is- I wanted to do things properly!”
I thought she was a girl I didn’t know at all, but it turned out she is actually a receptionist at the Adventurer Guild who I have met face to face a number of times.
Wow, she has a lot of character traits.
When I asked her for her full name, she told me that she is the daughter of the Batoma Company who I have also met a number of times recently.
The daughter of a big company and the receptionist of the Adventurer Guild.
…Quite the connection.
But it seems like she is working seriously, and she is actually a hard-working girl that I can even sympathize with.
This might actually be her acting skill at work here.
If that’s the case, I am falling right into her trap.
I invited her into the room to at least hear what she had to say, and the first thing Ates Batoma-san said was an unexpected request.
“Uhm, Raidou-sama, are you listening?” (Ates)
“Ah, yeah. Of course.” (Makoto)
“……”
“…”
“What was the name of the group I am affiliated to?” (Ates)
“Tsige 5, right? I personally recommend that your official name be a different one.” (Makoto)
“…So you really were listening. Merchants occasionally think of something else as they just nod in response, so I ended up being a bit confrontational there… Sorry.” (Ates)
Is her father one of those cases?
I certainly don’t remember a few parts of what she was saying.
She had such a loaded background with her being in an idol group, us knowing each other, and on top of that being the daughter of a business partner, so the impact of it made me zone out a bit there.
It was a bit of a bigger shock than the Rembrandt sisters.
I heard her mention Yuno and Rembrandt-san a number of times, so she is most likely the friend of the little sister which was surprising as well.
“Unlike the other groups, you don’t have any Skills or effects in your performances. You were getting on stage with only raw dancing and singing, so it is natural to be worried about a variety of things regarding the future. It seems like you already understand that with flashy stages like that, this is not a job that one can continue for the rest of your lives.” (Makoto)
Truly an idol.
Considering the suitable age of marriage in this world, this job is the very definition of blooming for a short while and scattering right after.
“Yes…” (Ates)
“You asking to learn archery as a part of your personal traits is…quite the haphazard idea.” (Makoto)
Right. Ates came to my place because she wanted to learn archery.
When I asked her where she got this information, she said that it was the elf of the Alpine adventurers, Louisa, who told her about it in a drinking party.
Ates is also a resident of Tsige. She may not have the ability to go to the wasteland, but it seems like she has raised her level as an adventurer to a decent degree, and her class is apparently archer.
And so, she had gotten interested, and when she saw the archery gi that I sent to Luisa, she felt that this was it.
She hurriedly added that it was also because archery is a healthy exercise to keep her body in good shape.
She is quite the hard to hate girl.
She evaluates herself as someone who likes to take it easy, but from what I am seeing, she is actually a very diligent girl at her core.
“I have learned a decent amount of Skills in the bow, and I thought that archery is most likely what would be best for me. Louisa-san has told me that archery is a hard to touch topic for you, and she…has warned me to not bring it out lightly. But I am by no means asking this of you with light feelings…” (Ates)
“Alright, I’ll do it.” (Makoto)
“Figures! Not only are you a busy man, teaching the daughter of Batoma would just be—hm?” (Ates)
“I don’t mind teaching you. Archery is in a sense a sacred thing for me, so Louisa did have that right, but that doesn’t mean I would push that ideology to others. No matter the objective, if you want to seriously learn archery, I welcome it.” (Makoto)
“R-Really?!” (Ates)
“Yes. However, just as you said, it is not like I have much free time. So keep in mind that I won’t be able to teach you one-on-one, and I would like you to carry it on after teaching you to a certain degree… If you can agree to that, I can teach you archery.” (Makoto)
Or more like, Louisa isn’t coming back.
To be more precise, everyone from Alpine hasn’t come back.
If they were back, I feel like I could just introduce her to Louisa.
Well, fine.
Regarding archery, I have been teaching it to the Weitz Orphanage as if it were radio calisthenics every now and then.
She can just add herself in that.
At the time when the orphans grow and aim to become adventurers, it would be better to be familiar with as many weapons as possible.
Preparing actual game to practice archery as if doing hunting isn’t something that can be done often, but archery itself can be done plenty well inside a city.
My style of archery is too formal for this world, so what I teach the children is a slightly milder version, leaving aside Louisa.
Ates should be able to handle it plenty enough.
“Yoshaaa!” (Ates)
“’Yosha’, you say.” (Makoto)
“!…” (Ates)
“…Uhm, well then, I have preparations to do, so can you tell me the days you are available the day after tomorrow?” (Makoto)
“I would like it to be the day after tomorrow. Uhm, also, please forget what you heard just now. I am still unmarried, you see.” (Ates)
“If you are going to be working as an idol, you will soon be able to choose whoever you wish. Okay, then the day after tomorrow. It will be at the Weitz Orphanage.” (Makoto)
“Weitz…! Got it.” (Ates)
Maybe because of the relief, her real self was beginning to show.
She is a guild receptionist that doesn’t deal with wasteland matters.
Cheerful, kind, and high communication skills.
Her looks are also good which matches her job as a receptionist.
It is a job where you have to deal with adventurers who are mostly composed of rowdy people, so those kinds of abilities are required, and she obviously has a different side to her outside of work.
It may not be the complete opposite, but it is understandable that she would have parts that she wouldn’t show in her job.
I see, that means she had the makings of an idol.
I don’t know how much of it was calculated and how much of it was a revelation since it is Rembrandt-san we are talking about here, but I think Ates was a really good choice.
I am still in doubt as to whether idols will actually be able to become a thing in Tsige though.
“Excuse the intrusion.” (Mio)
“Aah, Mio.” (Makoto)
“Mi! Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mio-sama?! Aah, no way, I am not even a guest, so there’s no need to mind me! I will be leaving soon, so there’s no need to bring tea for me…haaaaah….” (Ates)
Oi.
Isn’t your attitude a bit too different when in front of Mio when compared to me, Ates?
…Well, Mio does go to the Adventurer Guild every so often even when I am not in Tsige.
I can understand how she is well-known.
But the difference is way too extreme.
Also…what’s with that?
Rather than fear, it looks more like she is getting flustered from excitement, you know?
“I have brought tea.” (Mio)
“Thanks.” (Makoto)
“…Consulting about something?” (Mio)
“Eh, yeah. This girl here is a receptionist of the adventurer guild. Her name’s Ates. She was apparently chosen as one of the members that did live performances at the area around the outer walls at night.” (Makoto)
“Oh my. If I remember correctly…it was a group that was given a pitiful name like Tsige 5.” (Mio)
“Hahahaha…” (Ates)
‘Hahaha’, you say.
Why is your face bright red, Ates?
You are not gonna be saying something like ‘what’s wrong with a woman liking a woman’, right?
You are already a bundle of character traits, so putting even more to your roster is pretty risky, you know?
You were talking about marriage and stuff just a moment ago, so restrain yourself.
“That’s right. And so, we were talking about how I wanted to learn archery as one of my personal traits as an idol.” (Ates)
“Heeh, archery, huh. Personal lessons from Waka-sama?” (Mio)
“No, I am thinking about teaching her together with the children of the Weitz Orphanage. It won’t be like with Louisa.” (Makoto)
“Then she would just be added to what you are already doing, huh. Oh my, but…” (Mio)
Oh, as expected of Mio.
Looks like she has picked on what I wanted to ask.
This kind of stuff makes me happy.
“Can I ask this of you?” (Makoto)
“Understood. I will make the arrangements. It can’t be helped since it will be in the morning two days from now.” (Mio)
“Please do.” (Makoto)
“Then, I will be taking my leave. Ates, since I have already prepared it, it is only proper to give it a taste. Take your time.” (Mio)
Alright.
With this, the archery gi of Ates is good to go.
There’s nothing else to talk about, so let’s have a casual talk as we drink tea before wrapping it up.
“I-I-I have spoken to her! Spoken directly with Mio-sama!” (Ates)
…Could that even be considered a conversation?
I don’t think it counts as one…
“She is an employee of ours, so of course it is possible for that to happen if you were to come here.” (Makoto)
“Raidou-sama, about Mio-sama you see…!” (Ates)
“Eh, ah…yes?” (Makoto)
And then, I was told in great detail about a part of the deep deep darkness of this city.
It is in a sense more deeply rooted than even the Dusk Street, and it has eroded into my daily life without me being aware at all.