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Translator’s Note:
At long last we have reached Volume 15 of Hachinan tte, sore wa nai deshou! It’s been a long journey up to this point – 13 volumes worth of content over the last 6 years.
I wanted to use the opportunity of having translated two third of the currently available volumes to thank you, the readers and all the patrons, who have been supporting my translation over the years. It’s no lie to say that it’s been your comments, likes, and support which have kept me going with this series.
In the past, many have asked me in comments, mails and on Discord to increase the release speed of this novel. Those following me for a while know that I’m the kind of TL who rather picks up a new novel than increasing the speed of an existing one. Still, in accordance with what I said above and with some free time now available, I’m offering you, the readers of this series, to boost the release speed in the shape of a community game. On my Patreon I’ve set the goals for 1,5 chapters per week at 450 patrons and 2 chapters per week at 500 patrons (Sunday and Thursday), and added a manually-updated counter at the sidebar. As long as we reach those numbers, I’ll accordingly release chapter parts. Take it or leave it, your choice. 🙂
Of course, whichever you choose, I’ll continue to translate this series, be it over the next 3 or 6 years, as long as I see people interested in reading it and I’m not stopped from doing so by external factors.
Thus I hope you will keep following this series, and enjoy the translation for the next 7+x LN volumes to come.
– Your local translator, Shasu
“…That’s all. Okay, today’s lesson is over.”
“Stand up! Bow!”
“”””””””””Thank you very much!””””””””””
The new adventurer prep school in Baulburg has mostly become like any other normal prep school…is what I hear. I don’t know about the other prep schools, but I have introduced the custom of greeting and bowing at the beginnings and ends of lessons, making use of the experience from my previous life.
At Breitburg’s prep school, there was no such custom. Depending on the teacher, we have at least bowed at the end of a lesson with everyone. And even the teachers quickly left the classroom as soon as the lesson was over.
Because of the situation being like that, I introduced the same greeting custom as it was used in Japanese schools. At first I thought that it might run into opposition, but as it defined clear borderlines, and since the teachers didn’t seem to dislike being politely greeted by the students either, it became a common practice within a short time.
Headmaster Hendrick, who visited to inspect the school, also liked it after seeing it practiced here, and has apparently tried to introduce it at the capital’s prep school, too.
『Many among the kids wanting to become adventurers have no clue about manners. If they can learn at least some, their future prospects might improve somewhat.』
Hendrick, who was a veteran adventurer, is fully aware that there’s a long life ahead after quitting the adventurer job. As there are also times where the students will take up jobs other than adventurer, depending on the circumstances, he seems to think that they must be taught a basic understanding of courtesy, but he apparently struggles with the implementation.
The students believe that it’s more profitable to use that time for hunting as a part-time job, or want him to teach them other combat-related skills.
If it’s just a greeting at the beginning and end of a lesson, it doesn’t take that much time. Since they are taught by someone, it’s possible to educate them that they should at least express their gratitude. It’s not that they don’t think about doing it from the get-go, but among adventurers there are bad apples who won’t even greet others. I haven’t met such a bad case yet, though.
“Who’s in charge of sweeping today?”
“It’s us.”
“We will do it quickly.”
“I will do my best.”
In addition, I created a rotational cleaning duty system at Baulburg’s prep school.
Because the grannies and housewives in the neighborhood are in charge of cleaning as part-time jobs at other prep schools, the students don’t clean themselves there.
However, given that we’re so short on hands that we barely managed to find a dormitory mother right before the dormitory’s opening, I set up a duty system where we clean our school by ourselves.
The cleaning duty would make a full round in the magician class once every ten days. Today six people including Agnes, Cindy, and Betty are in charge of the cleaning.
“Well, it’s because we’ve got different rules than the other classes. Anyway, let’s start the cleaning.”
“”””””Okaaaay!””””””
After Agnes’ group gives an energetic reply, they begin to clean, using their 『Telekinesis』.
The cleaning of the magician class also serves as magic training. First they lift up the chairs in the classroom with 『Telekinesis』, placing them atop the desks. Next they move those desks into the back of the classroom with 『Telekinesis』.
“Make sure that the chairs on the desks don’t fall down. Have the desks moved side-by-side.”
“”””””Okaaay!””””””
Since I’m supervising the cleaning, Agnes and the others use their magic with utmost effort, moving the desks around.
“Once you’re finished with that, you will gather up the dirt with dustpans and brooms.”
“”””””Okay!””””””
Of course I have them move the brooms and dustpans with 『Telekinesis』. I gave them advice whenever their way of sweeping was wrong, or they didn’t manage to scoop up the dirt because of a bad placement of the dustpan.
“Next you will wring the dust cloths.”
“”””””Okay!””””””
They draw the dust cloths that had been drying outside the classroom to themselves with 『Telekinesis』, wash them out properly after soaking them in the water of a bucket, and wring them tightly. I had them redo it whenever their wringing was half-baked, their washing was too crude, or the water spilled out of the bucket.
Once that was done, they wiped the area of the floor assigned to them with the dust cloth. Of course I had them redo it if their way of wiping the floor wasn’t good enough.
“Pheeew…it’s quite tough.”
“Right? Even if it’s just cleaning, it turns into magic practice if you come up with a good method. Precisely controlling what you’re targeting will also be of help when hunting monsters.”
Once the cleaning was done, I had them move the desks to the front. Afterwards I had them repeat the whole process for the back part of the classroom.
Oh, right, they will also need to clean the windows.
“I’m tired.”
“Even cleaning is surprisingly difficult if you do all of it with magic.”
“If you’re worn-out, it’s hard to focus on the control.”
It’s Agnes, Betty, and Cindy, the top three of the magician class, but they are down in the ropes because of the cleaning with unfamiliar magic attributes.
“As you can see, cleaning is also a part of the training. Make sure to do it seriously.”
Since I have theoretically explained the advantages of cleaning in the magician class, doing the cleaning in turns became normal for them after this. But…
◆◇◆
“The other classes are completely lost cases!”
“It’s because it’s not like cleaning will become training for them, right?”
“But it will, won’t it?”
“You might be able to trick a noble wife with lacking exercise into that, but they’re adventurer rookies. Their amount of exercise is great to begin with, and since there’re many hunting spots around Baulburg, they actually incline towards hunting part-time rather than cleaning, you know?”
Just as Erw says, the system of cleaning in turns hasn’t really stuck with any class other than the magician one. Or rather, at least clean up after yourself!
＊　　　＊　　　＊
“Dear, the school has finally settled down, hasn’t it?”
“Elise, you’re soon going to enter your stable period, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Around the time when the prep school in Baulburg finally started to run smoothly, the bellies of Elise and the others had become big, and they were apparently entering their stable periods.
“The stable period, huh?”
“Yep. I think now it will be alright as long as they don’t do anything unreasonable.”
Since Amalie-san has given her approval as well, I feel some relief.
“However, it’s rather difficult to hold lessons with this belly.”
“I wonder whether it would be better to stop for now.”
After we’ve built the prep school in Baulburg, Elise and my other wives have been working there as temporary teachers while making sure to not overdo it, but as expected, it might be high time for them to take a break.
“Will it be okay if so many temporary teachers take maternity leave all at once?”
“We’ll manage one way or another.”
It makes Ina worry, but Elise and the others were temporary teachers to begin with. At this point, I just have to do my best as a soon-to-be father.
“I mean, there’s just one magician class anyway.”
It’s just as Luise says. Given that the other classes don’t have any magicians, there’s nothing that could only be taught by Elise and the others. Because Erw and my retainers also give lectures about weapon handling, camping methods, and practical hunting skills every now and then, our prep school enjoys a good reputation for having a curriculum catered more towards actual battle than other prep schools.
As a result of that, the number of applicants seems to have increased for the following years. Headmaster Percho is very busy with the necessary preparations. Headmaster Percho was a veteran adventurer in the same party as Headmaster Hendrick. He’s become the headmaster of Baulburg’s prep school on the recommendation of Headmaster Hendrick, but with him being new in the position of headmaster, he appears to be swamped with the management of this school that’s growing in student numbers.
Prep schools with a long history have few places where you can earn some money with part-time hunting nearby, but because it’s easy to earn money as there’s plenty of hunting grounds close to Baulburg’s prep school, it also boosts the number of applicants for the school.
“Are the numbers of school buildings and dormitories going to be enough?”
“That part should be alright.”
“You sure are confident there, Wendelin.”
“I mean, Headmaster Percho is there.”
I’m Earl Baumeister. It’s not good for me to do everything myself. Leaving tasks to those capable of them is very noble-like.
“That’s correct, but somehow I have a bad feeling about it.”
That damn Therese, she makes it sound as if I’m dumping all the troublesome work on Headmaster Percho. Well, it’s the truth, though.
“And that’s why…”
“Switching the topic all of a sudden?”
“I have entrusted the management of the school to Headmaster Percho after all. Anyway, I have a nice suggestion.”
“Nice suggestion? What kind of, hubby?”
“I thought we could hold a school festival. I’m sure it will be fun.”
“”””””””…””””””””
Huh? Even though it should be a very great idea, everyone has gone silent for some reason. I mean, even if it’s a prep school, it’s still a school, right? Since it only lasts a year, I’m confident that it’s something great to make wonderful memories by doing a school festival.
So why is everyone staying silent despite that?
“Say, Wend. A school ceremony means you’re going to hold a festival at the prep school, right?” 1
“What else could it mean?”
“School, ceremony, so that’s why doing a festival? Everyone thinks the same, right everyone?”
All of them nod upon Erw’s question.
“Why would you do a festival at a school, hubby?”
“Because it’s fun.”
“Just that?”
“…”
Huh? Just now I have realized it for the first time after Katia pointed it out: I wonder why are Japanese schools holding festivals?
I know that it has the slogan of being linked to education, but how has education anything to do with selling takoyaki and yakisoba at stalls, or running coffee shops?
If you say it’s for the sake of opening a restaurant in the future, I guess it’d turn into social studies on how to prepare a restaurant, buy tools, and stock up on ingredients as cheaply as possible. Putting it like that, it might actually be quite useful in this world.
Alright, I’ve consolidated my thinking.
“In the first place, the majority of the adventurers at the prep school will need to do normal jobs after retiring, right? Especially the students who aren’t magicians.”
Excellent talents likely won’t have any troubles in their second lives as they’ll be hired by nobles to capitalize on their experience or become teachers at a prep school.
However, all others will need to do other jobs after they stop being adventurers. That means, running a stall or shop during the school festival will be for the sake of that time.
“In short, it’s a kind of social studies.”
“Adventurers are crude, and there are some who are also considered a nuisance by ordinary people. That means, it will allow them to invite and mingle with visitors from outside by running shops.”
“You got it!”
Lisa is really quick-witted.
Given that they won’t acquire any social skills by going back and forth between the prep school and the hunting grounds for their part-time work, I will have them run shops at a school festival, and also invite Baulburg’s residents. By doing that, I’m going to aim for an improvement of their image through the suggestion that adventurers have many normal people among them as well.
In that case, it’ll also be easier for them to spend their second life in the Baumeister Earldom after their retirement. Of course, those, who achieved greatness as adventurers, will be able to do as they please as long as they don’t commit any crimes.
“I will have them set up shops, prepare the tools and ingredients, and of course keep books. I won’t mind giving those students, who sold the most, a reward either.”
“Well, it’s a common pattern for adventurers to start restaurants after retirement. I guess it’s fine for them to get a feel of it during a time like this.”
“There’s many of such people, yeah.”
“Some of my acquaintances have done the same. There’s also some who had to quit after failing at it, though.” (Katia)
Indeed. There are many people who succeed in saving a decent amount of money before their retirement as adventurers.
It looks like there’s also adventurers who use that money to start a restaurant after retiring, but there’s naturally a never ending stream of people, who fail at it as they were in a 『combat occupation』. Katia’s acquaintances might be like that as well.
“Normally you would work at other restaurants, and then open your own after getting some practice.”
“Wilma, your opinion is sound, but there’s people who don’t consider things that far. It’s because they’ve got the money anyway.”
Because they have money, they open a restaurant on a snap decision, and go into the reds because of a lack of customers. Since adventurers tend to be ignorant of the world, there’s apparently many among them who do badly or have their money stolen by their employees.
“Okay, I see. So that means the number of adventurers running into such failures after retiring will decrease if you have them actually do it at that school ceremony of yours.”
“That’s how it is. After all this is also linked to education.”
I explain to Luise that the school festival ultimately is a place of learning.
“Wend, if you want to do it, just go for it?”
“Okay, then let’s do it.”
It’s decided with this. I will hold the very first school festival of this world at the adventurer prep school of Baulburg.
“Umm, dear.”
“What’s wrong, Elise?”
“How about you make presentations of what’s usually studied in class, while you’re at it?”
Nothing less of the diligent, perfect superwoman Elise. For her to notice the part that’s lacking the most in a school festival…although this would actually be the correct content…and is usually covered by a cultural festival…
However, I’d like to exclude that part since it’s boring. On a day, where I’d be forced to listen to presentations with a strong tendency to make you sleepy while being told stuff like 『Sensei, please listen』, I’d definitely keep nodding off. I’m going to cut out this element, which seems to be the original intention behind school festivals, on this occasion.
As if I’d allow it to spread in this world!
“Doing something different from normal also serves as recreation. It’s a good idea to at least separate the period of the school festival from everyday’s lessons and studying.”
“I see. It has the objective to change the mood a bit.”
“Correct.”
A school festival also has the goal of being refreshing. Well, that’s a fairly lame excuse, but it saved me because Elise doesn’t know about real school festivals.
I ended up feeling slightly bad about it, but either way, I’ve decided to hold a school festival at the prep school.
＊　　　＊　　　＊
“Therefore, let’s split the magician class in around ten teams and set up shops. I will also provide a reward to the teams with good sales. Also, since the people of Baulburg will also attend on the appointed day, make sure to run the shops properly. The other classes will set up shops in the same way, but please coordinate with them so that there won’t be too many overlappings in what’s being sold.”
I explained to the students that we would run a school festival in a week, and what a school festival was about.
Given that the explanation is done now, I leave the rest to Agnes.
It’s not like it’s been officially decided or anything, but before I realized, Agnes had become something like a class president.
“We will go with the same teams as for the cleaning duty, okay?”
“””””””””Okay!”””””””””
Her classmates immediately accept Agnes’ suggestion.
Nothing less of a class president.
Moreover, using the teams for the cleaning duty is a rather decent idea.
After all it’d take time if they started to argue about the compositions of the teams.
If people were to be left out, I’d hate it since it’d be like bullying.
“Also, let’s make sure that the ten shops don’t sell the same stuff. All teams, please decide what you want to sell, and write it down on the blackboard.”
“Agnes is really doing well, isn’t she?”
I don’t think I could pull it off so well as someone who has never been part of the class committee in my previous life.
“Then, please discuss it among the teams.”
Agnes is truly excellent.
And then, ten minutes later, every team has written down what they plan to sell on the blackboard.
“Juice, juice, juice, juice…baaahh───! Don’t you guys have creativity, or what!?”
I scold the students only now that I have become a teacher myself.
“Everyone going with juice, the guests’ bellies will bloat!”
“Sensei, that’s not the biggest of concern here.”
It looks like I have lost my cool a bit too much.
Having my wrong focus pointed out by Cindy, I calm down.
“Everyone, no matter what shop you’re going to run, you will sell things that have to be made with magic. After all this is magic training, too. Make sure to do it seriously. As for juice, did you consider whether you can stock up on so many fruits in Baulburg?”
In the first place, something like juice shops should be highly contested by the other classes.
This magician class won’t be approved of doing this in the first place.
“Please make sure that the shops don’t overlap as much as possible.”
“Okay, since I’m good at ice magic, our team will run a sherbet stall.”
“That’s a great idea.”
A male student, who can use ice magic and ranks highly within this class, suggests that he wants to do a sherbet stall using fruits.
Something like this can only be done by a magician, or rather, since it’d be expensive to borrow a magic tool, it’s better for our class to handle this part.
“Next?”
“How about I sell meat while showing off how it’s grilled with magic, seeing how I can’t use anything but fire magic? It’s something I’ve seen being done in the capital.”
“That’s fine as well.”
What, so they can come up with proper ideas, if they want, can’t they?
It’s common for the goods of stalls to overlap on festivals, especially big ones, but if there’s a performance along the lines of showily grilling meat with magic, it likely won’t pose a problem even if it’s similar to other stalls.
“What else?”
“I have made wine with grandpa in my childhood. It’s not really all that delicious, though.”
“Not delicious?”
“It has no taste. It actually only has the alcohol component, so grandpa drank it after diluting it with fruit juice.”
“It’s easy to obtain the fruits of the Demon Forest in Baulburg. It won’t pose a problem if you dilute it with the juice of those fruits, and sell it like that.”
I see.
With her magic, I guess this female student can’t produce anything but a white liquor-like wine with just the alcohol content.
I can do it as well, but depending on your ideas, it might be actually quite convenient since you can produce various alcoholic beverages with it.
Let’s adopt this one as well.
“I wonder whether I should catch fish at the river and grill it with fire magic?”
“How about selling fruits that have been cut with 『Wind Cutter』?”
“Let’s use both!”
Being young is wonderful.
Good ideas appear in succession, and it looks like the preparations for the school festival will go well.
◆◇◆
“Uwaaah, what a beautiful ocean.”
“This lets me really feel that I’m in a southern region.”
“Sensei, let’s swim.”
“Cindy, leave that for later.”
Since all the stands that will be set up for the school festival have been decided, we’re going to obtain the ingredients that can be procured, or rather, can be caught outside the Demon Forest today.
The location is where I previously enjoyed a seafood barbecue with Wilma. It’s a coastal area that has sandy beach patches located south of the Demon Forest.
Come to think of it, back then Wilma beheaded a serpent with one swing of her big ax, didn’t she?
What a nostalgic memory.
“Wend, you sure are amazing to conclude something so outrageous with 『nostalgic memory』, though.”
“I’m sure Wilma thinks the same.”
“Well, Wilma is someone who doesn’t get excited easily…”
Today Erw has come along as guard in addition to Agnes, Cindy, and Betty.
“Sensei, are we going to sell a serpent at the stalls?”
“As expected, we won’t find any around here, don’t you think?”
I answer Agnes’ question.
A port has already been built close to this place, and because the guards of the Earl Baumeister House are naturally stationed there, serpent sightings have mostly come to a stop, it seems.
Do the serpents consider it bothersome as they will be attacked at places with many people? They apparently stopped appearing right after the port was built.
I suppose this is why they don’t appear often near port cities.
“Today’s objective is the seafood of the southern seas.”
As a result of discussing with the class what stalls to set up, the idea of grilling sea food with fire magic had been put on the table.
There will also be stalls selling grilled river fish with salt, but after all, there’s nothing better than seafood coming out of the ocean.
However, procuring that in Baulburg is expensive.
Accordingly, Agnes’ group and I have come here to catch it on-site.
Besides, because I’m also planning to provide ingredients for many other stalls that will be run by the other classes besides the magician class, this is nothing you could call favoring or stealing a march.
“Given that we have to catch a lot, it will be quite difficult.”
“Procuring it in the nearby port city would be cheaper, no?”
“Humph!”
“Uguh!”
Damn you, Erw, don’t bring up a sound argument here all of a sudden.
“If we were to buy up a huge amount of seafood today, it might backbite us since it could increase the prices for seafood in Baulburg.”
Because I’m the lord, I must make it possible for my fief’s population to buy things at stable prices.
“Sensei, you’re a sensei after all.”
“On top of being an amazing magician, you’re even gentle as a feudal lord.”
“You have my deep respect.”
See!
Aren’t Agnes and the other two properly acknowledging my conduct?
“Additionally, I’d like to keep the prices of the goods sold at the school festival as cheap as possible since the citizens will be invited as well.”
Once a year I will have normal people come into the prep school, and if I can have them mingle with the adventurer rookies to some extent, it’ll probably make it easier for the students to work as adventurers after they graduate.
Since it will also serve as a place of mutual understanding, it’s better to keep the goods for sale as cheap as possible.
If we were to sell them too cheaply, the merchants of Baulburg would possibly get angry, but I’ve talked it over with them in advance, telling them 『They’re amateurs running stalls on a festival that will be only held once a year』.
Even considering the number of students, there are limits to how much we can sell at the festival.
“Hence you see, Erw-kun, a lord must consider such things as well, okay?”
“Sensei, you’re a magnificent person.”
“I was also deeply moved after hearing your arguments just now, sensei.”
“Nothing less of our sensei.”
The praise from my cute students feels really great.
“Even though it’s just because you wanted to do it yourself…”
“Humph!”
That shitty Erw, his abs are damn hard.
“I’ve told you that it hurts, dude!”
My elbow has started to be painful.
Still, it’s no surprise, seeing how that damn Erw has hung around with me for a long time now.
He has immediately realized my true motive.
“Anyway! Today you will catch the seafood you can catch here. Since the other three members of your team are doing their best in building the stall, you’ve got to give them a peace of mind by catching a lot.”
“””We will do our best!”””
“Should I help out, too?”
“Of course.”
Erw is a precious male helper.
What’s the point in not putting him to use.
“I’m your guard…”
“There won’t be any assassins in a place like this.”
“You can’t say that with absolute certainty…”
“Erwin-sama, we’re here as well.”
“If something should try to attack sensei, I will burn it with my 『Flame』!”
“I will tear it to pieces with my 『Wind Cutter』!”
“Your students are scary.”
Erw smack-talked Agnes and the other two, but it’ll be fine if I punish him by working him like a horse later. We started the gathering of seafood at once.
◆◇◆
“Erw, did you manage to catch some?”
“I got plenty, but not at the level of Wilma.”
“Wilma is a professional. It looks like Agnes’ group is doing well, too.”
We’ve started catching seafood, but the point is to not lay too much waste in the area.
Each time Erw dove down with his great motor reflexes, he caught a great amount of big shrimps and shellfish.
If you could catch such big amounts in Japan, I’m pretty sure that plenty of fishermen would flood the place.
“Sensei, I’ve got lots.”
“I managed to catch this many, sensei.”
Agnes and Cindy covered only their head with a modified 『Magic Barrier』, and caught fish by diving for extended periods of time in the ocean.
It’s such a big haul that they have Betty carry it in an additional net.
“It’s Agnes’ and Cindy’s victory.”
“I can’t use magic, so my time underwater is limited, though…”
Erw complains to me that it’s no real match since the handicap is too big for him.
“The scenery is really nice.”
Since we’ve come to catch seafood by diving today, Agnes and the other two are wearing one-piece swimsuits.
I prepared those since they’re necessary for fishing.
I prepared them because they’re necessary! It’s not like I did it with any ulterior motives, okay!?
I’m different from Erw whose eyes immediately became lewd after seeing the three in their swimsuits.
“You’re saying that, but seeing you in your swimsuit is an ugly stain to the scenery, Erw.”
“As if you could say that about others!?”
The assessment of a dude in trunks is mostly the same in any world.
“Wend, how did it go for you?”
“I caught plenty.”
Using a fake trawl with Betty, we succeeded in catching a great amount.
This will also be kept fresh by putting it in my magic bag. I’m sure it’ll sell for good money if we sell it after grilling it on the festival day.
“Sensei, next I will pull the net.”
“And then it’ll be my turn.”
Given that it’s a special training of pulling the net by synchronizing with two people while floating above the sea with 『Flight』, I pulled the net with Cindy next, and afterwards with Agnes, allowing us to catch lots of fish.
While I was pulling the net with one of them, the other two caught shrimps and shellfish by diving into the sea.
“Pulling a net while flying through the air is also a training to use other magic and move around at the same time as you use 『Flight』. Being able to act above the sea is overwhelmingly advantageous for an adventurer. Even though it becomes difficult to hunt monsters as you grow old, you might be able to earn money with fishing.”
“Sensei, you’re amazing after all!”
“There’s no waste in your training, sensei, is there?”
“I will put in more effort, too.”
Maaan, the praise by my students really feels wonderful.
“…Those girls are alright since they’ve got magic, but I’m already at my limit…”
Which reminds me, Erw should have been catching seafood by diving all the time, but I wonder how it’s going on his side? As I pondered about that, Erw collapsed completely exhausted on the sandy beach.
◆◇◆
“I’m totally spent…but grilled shrimps are great.”
“Erwin-sama, we’ve also grilled shellfish. Sprinkling them with the soy sauce we received from sensei…tad-ah!”
“This is also quite delicious.”
We’ve managed to secure the planned amount of seafood within a few hours, and thus we’ve decided to grill them over a net and eat them as lunch.
Erw, who has been diving all the time since morning, seems to be completely exhausted, but once he received grilled shrimps and shellfish from Betty, he heartily dug in.
He should also be delighted over being waited upon by a cute girl.
“Sensei, is this going to be enough?”
“It’s not good to catch too much.”
There are limits as to how much the prep school’s students can cook and sell in a day, and if we catch too much, the seafood around here will be completely gone.
“Sensei, what are we going to do if they’re sold out?”
As might be expected of someone having a big bro who runs a restaurant, Betty pays attention to such things.
Given that her brother has been like this in the beginning, she thinks that it’d be better to be able to provide food for as many customers as possible.
“It’s an event lasting one day, and it won’t be professional restaurants either, so it’s better to make sure to not have too many leftovers instead. Having slightly too little might also turn into a great incentive for the visitors to get excited over the next years.”
It’s because the guests will come again to get to eat at the school festival’s stalls next year for sure.
“Besides, the guests, who will still be hungry, will go to the nearby restaurants on their way back home. Since it’s not our main occupation, it’s a bad idea to steal all customers from the neighboring restaurants. After all it’s also an event for the sake of mingling with each other.”
“I see! As expected of you, sensei!”
“For you to have thought about it so deeply!”
“Amazing!”
Maaan, it’s just old man’s wisdom, including some knowledge from my previous life, but it sure feels nice to be praised by my pupils.
“Seriously, how skillful of you to come up with such fake reasons for the sake of satisfying your own greedy desires.”
“Humph!”
“Uguh…I hit bull’s eye, eh!?”
Erw, who received my elbow strike, continues to further counterattack while looking pained.
What a persistent guy.
“Umm, Earl Baumeister-sama, how did you fare today?”
At that point, an elderly fisherman, who lives in the nearby port city, shows up to check on us.
He’s the one who provided the information about this place, but it looks like he’s been curious about the outcome of the seafood gathering.
“It went well thanks to you.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
We continue to chat while also offering some of the grilled seafood to the fisherman.
“Which reminds me, it seems you didn’t manage to catch any of the『Devil’s Familiar』.”
“Devil’s Familiar?”
“Yes. The places where you can catch them are limited, but they’re as big as a person, possess eight legs, and their body’s surface is slimy. Since its outward appearance is abominable and eerie, the locals call it familiar of the devil.”
Hmm, it must be that creature, no?
They are normal in the northern regions, and the people of Mizuho love them too.
“It actually has a light consistency if you boil and eat it. This will taste quite good.”
There’s no mistake.
Going by his words, it’s slightly bigger than the ones in the north, but I guess they live here as well, huh?
An edible octopus.
“Sounds like unusual seafood. We will catch it and go back home.”
“You’ve decided way too fast there!”
Erw raises his voice in surprise due to my prompt decision.
Or rather, Erw, even though we’ve been hanging out together for such a long time, you believed that I’d make any compromises when it comes to food?
“But, sensei, I’ve searched most of this area, but didn’t find any such creatures.”
“I haven’t seen anything like that either.”
“Me neither.”
Agnes’ group tells me that they haven’t spotted any octopuses.
Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any myself.
“The Devil’s Familiars live inside holes in rock walls, anyway, places where it’s easy to hide. Searching while focusing on places where a Devil’s Familiar might be is the trick behind catching them.”
I see. You search by concentrating on spots where an octopus would want to hide.
I guess you could call it searching by understanding an octopus’ feelings.
“Well then, let’s tackle this at once…”
“Sensei, I will do it!”
Agnes volunteers, resulting in her going to dive first.
“I think around here should be good.”
“Understood, sir.”
Following the elderly fisherman’s advice, Agnes dives into the sea.
And then, after several minutes have passed, “Is that girl going to be alright?”
“Yeah, she’s fine.”
I mean, Agnes has secured herself some air to breathe by covering her head with a spell that uses an application of 『Magic Barrier』.
“To be able to dive for such a long time, magic sure is handy to have around.”
The fisherman admires Agnes, saying that there’s only few even among the diving masters, who can stay underwater for such a long period of time.
“She’s coming up.”
As we’ve been chatting, Agnes seems to have caught something.
Once she surfaces, Agnes splendidly lands on the sandy beach after further using 『Flight』…as I thought that, something was wrong with her.
“Senseiii───! I can’t get it ooo───ff! Somehow it’s slimyyy───!”
Oh, I got it.
I grasp the situation in an instant.
A huge octopus that’s bigger than Agnes is coiled around her body.
The octopus’ legs are crawling across her one-piece swimsuit. With the octopus’ mucous being slippery, it’s turned into a considerably terrible situation.
“Ooohh! This is great!”
“Is that the right time to say that!?”
“Ouch!”
I drive my elbow into Erw’s side who blurts out incomprehensible stuff.
It’s really bitter that I can’t drop my fist on his head due to our difference in height.
“I recall my younger days…with grandma…”
By the way, the fisherman geezer was the same type as Erw.
Or rather, just what the hell did you do with your wife in your younger days!?
“This is not the time to think about unnecessary stuff! Agnes, calm down and let sensei handle it!”
“Okay.”
Given that I can’t get close if Agnes keeps struggling, I first tell her to calm down.
Because she becomes docile right away, I stab a long auger, which I took out of my magic bag without a moment’s delay, between the eyes of the big octopus.
Using a long auger is necessary since it’s a big octopus.
“Agnes, you okay?”
“Sensei, you saved me.”
I feel like she’s exaggerating way too much, but since a big octopus looks like that, it might be very disgusting for a girl.
“Somehow I’m slimy all over.”
“It will be fine if you wash it off with ocean water.”
“Sensei, you’re a calm, adult man, aren’t you? Thank you very much.”
Agnes thanks me and starts to wash herself in the ocean.
“By the way, this thing is quite eerie.”
He might have seen a big octopus for the first time. Erw looks as if saying, 『Is this really edible?』.
“It’s very tasty, but because of its appearance, it’s unpopular. Since the church’s priest in the port city preaches, 『It’s the Devil’s Familiar!』, that nickname has stuck in the people’s minds.”
As obvious if you look at Agnes, it’s difficult to catch them, and they won’t sell either. Because of that it’s an ingredient that’s only being enjoyed by the fishermen or locals, the old fisherman explains.
“It’s something you will understand as soon as you try tasting it.”
We decided to cook this big octopus at once.
“You just have to remove its intestines and its mouth part, and properly rub the slimy patches with salt.”
“Wend, you’re strangely well-informed about this.”
“That’s because it’s easy to imagine.”
Of course I actually knew about it, though.
“We prepare it in the same way, too.”
“Sensei, I’ve boiled water in a big pot.”
“Thanks, Betty.”
Once the big octopus’ slime comes off, I put it into the pot with the boiling water, legs first.
It’ll take some time since it’s a big octopus, but the preliminary preparations will be done once it’s completely boiled.
“Let’s sample it.”
I cut off the tip of its legs with a knife, and eat it after dipping it in soy sauce. My first octopus in a long time was delicious.
It might have been even better if I had wasabi.
“It’s got a deliciousness that doesn’t match its appearance.”
“It was worth all the trouble.”
“The moderate consistency is nice. Since its taste is light, it might be usable for many various dishes.”
“Sensei, I want to eat more of it.”
We enjoyed the boiled octopus body to our hearts’ content.
“Then, next I will go as well!”
There’s still a lot of the octopus left, but the amount is definitely lacking to use it for a stall at the school festival.
Accordingly Cindy declares that she will catch a big octopus as well, and starts getting ready.
“Cindy, Agnes has gone through such a terrible experience, so I don’t think it’s necessary for you to be unreasonable.”
“No! This is also an ordeal to improve my magic! Given that Agnes has accomplished it, I will also do my best!”
“But…”
“I’m off!”
Cindy throws my objections to the wind, and dives into the sea.
And once again, several minutes later…
“Senseiii───! Why is it clinging all over my bodyyy───!? Is it because it’s a devil’s familiaa───r!?”
A predictable tragedy has struck again.
Cindy, who had a big octopus cling to her whole body, forcibly uses 『Flight』 and lands on the beach.
It’s a spectacle that makes me kinda feel like some kind of instinct is triggered at the bottom of my heart.
“Oohh! It appears like something inside me is changing…”
“Don’t!”
I delivered an elbow strike against Erw who blurted out something weird, following the same pattern as with Agnes.
“In my youth, with the neighboring widow…”
Come on, geezer, I’m telling you that no one cares about stories of your youth.
I bring down the octopus once again by stabbing the long auger between its eyes.
“Sensei, thank you.”
“I’m next. Leaving aside big bro, I might be able to teach Rosa-san about a good ingredient. I’m off!”
“It’s not like you have to catch it yourself, though…”
As Betty seems to feel left out as she’s the only one who hasn’t taken on the ordeal, she ignores my objections, and jumps into the sea.
And then, as expected…
“Why is it twining itself around a place like thaa───t!? You damned devil’s familiar! Don’t touch that place!”
Unfortunately, what has happened twice, happens thrice.
Betty also lands on the beach while having her whole body covered by octopus legs.
“Don’t put your legs into my swimsuiiit!”
“Go for it, Devil’s Familiar!”
“That’s not what you’d cheer on here!”
How many times does it make today?
After delivering an elbow blow against Erw, I kill the octopus with the long auger.
“I see, if I get young women to catch devil’s familiars from now on…”
This fisherman is planning something outrageous there!
Agnes and the other two were fine since they could escape the ocean with 『Flight』, but for people, who can’t use magic, that’s a dangerous way of fishing.
“Really? Won’t it be fine as long as they stab the octopus between the eyes with a long auger?”
“That’s true, but…”
Afterwards, the catching of big octopuses proceeded well, and we succeeded in catching a lot more than expected during the ingredient gathering of that day.
＊　　　＊　　　＊
“Well then, it’s the start of the adventurer prep school festival!”
At last it’s the long-awaited day of the school festival.
At the same time as I launched a 『Fireball』 into the sky as replacement for fireworks signaling the start, the gates open, and many residents of Baulburg stream onto the school’s premises.
All sorts of stalls are lined up on the grounds, which are usually used for training, after having been prepared for this day over the course of the last week. Baulburg’s residents immediately buy the food that piques their curiosity, and start eating.
Because of the cheapness of the amateur stalls, the goods sell like hot cakes everywhere.
The students also seem to be very busy with cooking and serving their customers.
“Come, come, and look! I’m going to throw fruits into the air like this and cut them up in bite sizes with my magic.”
“They have been frozen with magic in advance.”
“These boar skewers freshly roasted with my prided fire magic are piping hot as you can see.”
“We’re selling big shellfish, shrimps, and fish we’ve procured through a special route. Please try them out, no matter what.”
“Grilled meat of valuable guinea fowls that were brought down with magic at such an unbeatable low price! It’s first come, first served.”
“How about some shaved ice? We will finely shave it with our secret magic! There’s also plenty of different syrup flavors!”
The magician class, and also the other classes are more successful than expected, selling their food really well.
I will provide a reward to those selling the most, and since the earnings at the stalls will be evenly split among the stall members, everyone is working at the stalls full of motivation.
Among all that, Erw and I head to the stall run by Agnes’ group.
In reality I wanted to bring Elise and the others along as well, but with this crowd of people, it would be problematic with their big bellies.
I mean, Roderich protested against it vehemently.
“I think I will bring back some souvenirs later. For Haruka-san.”
“You’re right. I will do the same for Elise and the others, too.”
I’m pretty sure that they feel disappointed about not being able to come here even though it’s the long-awaited school festival.
At least bringing back some souvenirs is the duty of any kind husband.
“Come to think of it, dishes using that devil’s familiar are being sold at the stall of your pupils, aren’t they Wend? Is it going to be alright?”
“Fufu, it’s fine, it’s fine. After all, it’s a stall that was designed by me personally.”
“Isn’t that kinda unfair?”
“That’s why they will be excluded from the sales competition.”
As expected, even my partiality won’t go that far.
Since their sales should do accordingly well, I think they will earn more than enough money if they split the profits.
“You sure are confident…Wut!? It’s really crowded!”
Just as I had predicted, many people are lining up at their stall, which is selling food using big octopus, probably because of its novelty value.
“They’ve got an iron plate with a fairly peculiar shape, don’t they?”
“I’ve made a special order. On my authority as Lord.”
“You’d go this far…”
I think you can make a rough guess, but the dish I have Agnes’ group cook is 『Takoyaki』.
Because I’ve gotten my hands on fresh octopus at long last, it woke the urge to make takoyaki in me.
The boiled octopus is the catch from the other day. Wheat flour and eggs can be bought anywhere. Soup stock, red pickled ginger, tenkasu, green dried seaweed, katsuobushi, and green onion is cheaply sold in Mizuho.
I could also procure the sauce and mayonnaise at a low price from the Arterio Company.
The iron plate was somewhat expensive because it was a custom order, but it’s no problem since it’s reusable.
Once I had gathered all the necessary components, Agnes’ group only had to repeatedly practice how to properly roast the takoyaki.
Given that it’s necessary to allow the takoyaki iron plate to blend with oil, Agnes and the others started their practice three days ago.
Moreover, they’re using magic.
The regulation of the heating, smearing the oil on the plate, pouring in the batter, adding the octopus and other ingredients, and flipping over the roasted takoyaki, all of it is done with magic as a demonstration to the customers.
In other words, the more customers visit their stall, the more of a magic training it’ll become for Agnes’ group.
“What spartan training regime.”
“I think Agnes and the five others will be able to continue roasting takoyaki until they run out of ingredients. The school festival is training, too.”
Even the other classes besides the magician one have obtained their ingredients, such as meat and river fish, through hunting and fishing by themselves.
They have borrowed the necessary tools by negotiating with the neighboring restaurants, and they’ve also negotiated the prices so that they could stock up at fair prices. The school festival is a place of learning, not only as adventurers, but also as fully-fledged members of society.
Though, the word describing a fully-fledged member of society doesn’t exist in this world.
“Everyone, how is it going?”
“No matter how much we grill, there’s no end in sight.”
Agnes is grilling takoyaki with an air of busyness.
She must concentrate since she’s roasting them with magic, so it’s probably better for us to not get in her way any longer.
Because I’m the owner of this prep school, I must inspect all stalls. While buying skewers at times and eating them with Erw, I continue my rounds.
Once lunchtime came around, the number of guests grew even further. Since all stalls were completely sold out about two hours after that, that spelled the end of the school festival.
As it was much more of a hype than expected, the school festival was a full success.
At this rate, I think the next few years will be fine as well.
The awarding for the sales was carried out afterwards. A team that had been selling grilled meat skewers, which used the boar and rabbit meat they had procured through hunting, won the monetary reward.
Of course the takoyaki stall of Agnes’ team sold the most, but it’s been excluded as per my initial rule.
“Meat can’t be taken lightly.”
“It’s what you’d want to eat first of all, I guess.”
People probably get an urge to eat meat once they see a place where it’s actually grilled.
Once the awarding ceremony came to an end, it was a bonfire & dancing event for only those involved with the festival.
But then again, since the nights become quite dark in Baulburg as there’s few street lamps, it only lasted until the sun went down.
The students had some fun while exchanging their respective dishes and ingredients they set aside.
“Sensei, I’ve become quite skilled.”
Once I head over to the takoyaki stall, Cindy holds out a takoyaki she has grilled herself.
When I sample it, it has the same taste as the takoyaki I ate in my previous life.
“This might be something that big brother’s store could sell as well.”
“I think that would depend on the ingredients?”
Since it’s a dish that heavily relies on Mizuho ingredients, it might be necessary to make the takoyaki with ingredients that can be procured locally to keep it cheap. I explain all that to Betty.
“I think he’s capable of at least coming up with a trick for that. Brother is more or less a cook as well.”
“I guess so.”
As always, Betty is quite strict with her big brother.
Though, without that strictness, he might drift off into a weird direction again.
“Sensei, we’ve also prepared a share for your wives, so please take them with you.”
“Thanks, everyone. I appreciate you looking out for me.”
“It was lots of fun.”
“I want to do this next year, too.”
“Cindy, repeating the class doesn’t work at the prep school.”
“Argh, you’re right!”
Like this, the school festival ended safely, and it was decided that this event would be held in the coming years as well.
Moreover, Headmaster Hendrick, who came to have a look at the school festival, introduced it at the capital’s branch as well, and following that, the event called school festival continued to spread among the other prep schools.
＊　　　＊　　　＊
“It’s quite delicious. But…”
“It’s good, but…”
“You’re right, it has a good taste.”
“It’s great. But, I have a question.”
“Yep, me too.”
“That’s true, for what reason, right?”
“Is it the local cuisine of some place?”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
I brought back the takoyaki made by Agnes’ team as a souvenir, but Elise and the others seemed to have an issue with the dish called takoyaki after tasting it.
They gave praise to its taste, but they ate it while tilting their heads in confusion.
“Is it that weird?”
“Say, Wend-kun.”
“Yes?”
“I wonder, why did you put your back into the devil’s familiar, which you caught in the south, for this dish? I feel like it would have also been fine to go with meat, fish, vegetables or even cheese as filling.”
“Why, you ask…”
Now that she mentions it, she’s certainly right there.
Why are octopuses put into takoyaki?
It’s something I’ve never thought about.
“Isn’t it because it’s delicious?”
Since I honestly don’t know myself at all, I answer Amalie-san’s question with an evasive reply.
◆◇◆
In the end, octopuses didn’t spread in Baulburg at all. Takoyaki imitations reached the point of being sold even at street corners, but it was commonplace to use fillings other than octopus, such as meat, fish, or cheese.
Unfortunately, the popularization of true takoyaki would only take place in a far more distant future.
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