It's strange. Something truly strange has occurred. In front of me and Erin is a container with Bertra's soup which should have been spilled in the commotion just now.
How did it turn out like this-.
"So, why is Darryl-sama in a place like this? Didn't you decide to live in the heart of the mountains after you retired?"
"Ye-yeah, Ehm…… That's right! That Demon fell from the sky and stole vegetables from my field so I ran after it to teach it a lesson."
"This again…… It's a demon after all, huh?"
Because of you, you *******, the image of the demons might fall……
"Now that you mentioned it, why are you here, Bertra? And those two people behind you are-?"
――Guu~.
"Dahahahaha! I got hungry, because I chased after it before I ate breakfast."
"That won't do, ehm……As the soup spilled-"
Oh, Bertra reached for the preserved food.
What a relief, the preserved food is much better…… I can see that Erin had the same thoughts. I can really understand those feelings.
"Please use these and wait a little while I'm preparing the soup. In the meantime I will explain out current situation to you"
""Eh!?""
What did you say you would prepare now?!
What's the sense in making a new soup in the first place?!
"Oh, Bertra's soup, huh? It's been a long time~ I'm looking forward to it!"
""Haah!?""
What are you saying, you old man!! Are you getting senile, for you to look forward to that?!
～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～
"I see, so that's what happened? Zuzu"1slurping the soupefn_note]
Why are you eating it with such relish, you old man.
"Yes, and so we decided to launch a surprise attack on Figueroa, tomorrow. Zuzu"
Why are those knights eating this with great relish?
Wait, maybe the one before was a failure and this one is fine? Let's see, let's see-
Though the ingredients changed it tastes the same as the one from before. Is it just me? Is it my weird sense of taste that makes this soup so disgusting?
No……I don't think that's the case. Looking at Erin's face at least I'm not the only one that's weird……Let's put aside that shitty, disgusting soup for now and focus on that old man.
The master fighter Darryl, together with Bertra's grandfather was part of Alumgam's Strongest Pair……was it? It seemed to be a story from about 40 years ago. Was it around the time when I had a fierce battle with Alfred and made my first step to the unification of the Demon Realm? At that time I didn't care about the Human Realm at all.
However, the lower ranked demon's face had the imprint of a fist on it, which means that old man hit him barehanded, so it would be great to see his real abilities at some time…… Therefore, I'm curious.
"Old man, I want to ask you something"
"What? Me?"
"Why did you retire while still having these abilities? It wouldn't be weird if you still were in the King's Guards, no if you were on the frontlines fighting against the Demon Lord's army."
"Dale! That's-"
Bertra seems to panic, but why? Was it such a strange thing to ask?
"Bertra, I don't mind. It's a question from Sir Hero after all……Let's see"
As soon as he finished eating he lay down. You'll get fat like that, old man, you know?
"It might be a long story though……"
"Yes, yes!"
Don't act so important…… — Rather, I understand that Erin is also interested in this but she sticks too close to me.
"- - ckd out"
"Eh?"
"I was kicked out, because I cheated on my wife! Dahahahaha"
That's an amazing laugh, but…… Eh? Eh?
"Wait a minute, that's all?"
"That's right?"
That story you said might get long was over in one sentence! What's the meaning of this?! Why was it for that reason in the first place?!
"Kuh"
Kuh, you say. Why did Bertra turn her head down?
"No, no! Weren't you part of the King's Guard?! Weren't you part of Alumgam's Strongest Pair?! Why because of something like infidelity-"
"My wife was one of the former king's daughters."
Ah, I get it now.
"……You did well not getting decapitated"
"Just before I was sent there my sons and the current king persuaded him to just exile me to the middle of the mountains until my wife's mood got better, because of my past achievements, so I've been reflecting while living here until now"
"How embarrassing……"
Bertra was seriously crying.
"There, there"
Erin……Don't pat Bertra's head. Bertra looks strangely miserable
"Bertra, you don't have to cry for that *******, do you?"
"……Darryl-sama's wife, Salissama, is the younger sister of my grandmother……"
So it's a relative's shame. Even if that's the reason that's not a reason to cry.
"Well, I already grew old as well, so I left the rest to my sons and decided to retire to the heart of the mountains! Well~ my wife at that time is the most horrible thing I've seen in my life! Dahahahaha!"
This old man is useless.
"-Well then, enough of those old tales, about the thing tomorrow"
"The thing tomorrow, you say?"
The speed at which he changed that topic.
"It seems this was also a fated encounter. I intended to take part in that war."
"But, Darryl-sama!? -Agu!"
"Pugya!"
Oh boy, because she stood up so quickly she hit Erin's face with her head. That looks painful……
"Hey! Though I might have grown weak I can still act as a herald"
Even if you strike that pose to show of your muscles, old man. Hm? Something fell down.
"Oi, old man, you lost something. -Is that a letter?"
It was a very luxuriously decorated letter.
"!? That's! Return it!"
I was robbed of it at such a tremendous speed I wasn't able to see his movements at all just now……
"Eh? What, what? Show me, show me!"
"Ah, that! Give it back!"
The movements of Erin, who was brimming with curiosity, were amazing as well. She snatched the letter back in flash. I couldn't see them either just now as well……
"Eehm, what is it, what is it~"
"Heey! Don't read that out loud!"
As expected if she escapes into the air that old man cannot reach her. That bouncing figure of his looks ridiculous.
"To my dear Darryl. I have something to inquire about tomorrow morning, as it's an important matter don't! I repeat DON'T run away under any circumstances! From Salisa. Is what is said."
Didn't the sender of that letter, Salisa, appear in that old man's story just now?…… Ah, the old man froze up.
With this everyone understood what happened.
"Old man, you ran away, huh……"
"Darryl-sama, so you ran away……"
"Grandpa Darry, you ran away, right~……?"
At that moment the man called the master fighter, Darryl, fell to his knees, which was a rare sight.
References