Chapter 117

: Second day, wallflower

Sorry. Having you do something similar to a bodyguard

[No, don’t mind it. Also, if I came to this kind of place by myself, I wouldn’t know how to behave and that would only trouble me. It’s great that I was invited by Rembrandt-san]
In truth, I am following around half a step behind him like an extra.
Dance hall (I have never went to one, so I don’t know if that’s truly how it is called here though). I don’t know the proper way of acting in this kind of place after all.
Second day of the school festival. Finishing work more efficiently than the first day, I met with Rembrandt-san, who I had an appointment with, and arrived at the academy. For about half a day until the buffet-format dinner finishes, there will be a party to assess etiquette, or so it seems. There are relatives of students and people that have been invited like me, but the atmosphere is clearly different from the places I am normally in.
For guests like us, it is okay to just enjoy the party, watch over your student relatives, have chats, act in however way you wish. Rembrandt-san has already greeted several merchants and has received greetings from several people.
The students, who are the original leads, are participating in this event complying with the classes they attend to, and their actions and conduct will be evaluated, or so I heard. So they are being tested for half a day here huh. Honestly, I pity them.

If my wife Lisa came along with me on the trip here, Morris would have to take the duties of the company and there is the chance he wouldn’t be able to handle the problems that appear. Having you close is reassuring
(Rembrandt)
[What’s most important is that your wife has safely recovered. It would be nice if Morris-san were to come next year too]
The reason why I came here with him is because of Morris-san’s absence, and that’s why I am acting as his bodyguard. But the truth is different. Half of the reason is because his daughters told him to bring me here, and the other half is to introduce me to a trading place, or so I think. The second reason is one that I thought of when I got here.
If he really needed a bodyguard, it is fine to just hire one, and his wife coming after because she has something to do first just sounds made up. The people Rembrandt-san greeted, and the people that came to greet him, he looked at me and introduced my name and the name of the Kuzunoha Company. Even the dense me knows what he is actually doing.
His wife is most likely going to come a little later after the party begins and reunite with Rembrandt-san. While feeling a bit uncomfortable, I greeted a few active merchants and a number of nobles. When they first saw me, they had surprised eyes as if startled, eyes that clearly looked down on me, eyes that judged me as a slave Rembrandt-san brought along with. There were a lot of types, but maybe they slightly understood after I explained them my standing, most of them accepted at least a handshake. In truth, I am conscious that I am quite out of place here. As long as I get a handshake and introduce myself, it can be said I have done pretty well already.
There isn’t a single demi-human here after all. There’s only hyumans. And they are all dressed up in extravagant appearances. The women that are wearing dresses of vibrant colors are dancing in the hall and it’s truly a spectacle. After all, there’s not a single one of them whose appearance is outshone by their dress. I am the only one that’s losing to my clothes. After Rembrandt-san finishes one round of greetings and reunites with his wife, I will just quietly stay at the corner of a wall and look at the state of the sisters.

Dear, sorry for being late

Hm, the wife has appeared huh. The time I met her when I went to Tsige in summer I thought this as well but, she is truly beautiful. It tells me all over again why Rembrandt-san doesn’t have lovers. Just with her outward appearance it already makes me think that way, so she is probably amazing in many other aspects <( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)>. No matter if male or female, after they pass their thirties, their way of life begins to show in their outward appearance as well, is how I think.
Her body makes you wonder if she really had two children. Her face as well, when comparing it with her true age, she looks quite younger. An unrivalled young-looking Caucasian.
I have seen a decent amount of hyumans, so now that I have seen her for the second time, I am able to slightly distinguish her age. The first time I saw her after recovering from her ghoul state, I thought she was the elder sister.
… If I were together with my elder and younger sister, the people might mistake me for their uncle. I simply don’t like that. Being treated as the only one growing old.

Ah, Lisa. Today you decided on the blue dress huh. It looks good
(Rembrandt)
[It’s been a long time. Are you not tired because of the long journey?]
Ah.
Damn. Was I supposed to praise her dress too? I unconsciously talked to her the way I normally do.

Thank you. They went through the trouble of bringing it here after all. I thought the dress would be sad since I haven’t had the chance of using it ever since I bought it
(Lisa)
The madam responds merrily to Rembrandt-san and makes a turn to show off her dress. A slightly tight blue dress that gives off a deep impression. It certainly does seem like there’s not many chances to wear it. But in this kind of party, it really shines. Well, for the Rembrandt household, there’s no way there won’t be chances like this though.
… Ah, the time she was a ghoul huh. In the time she was inflicted with the curse disease, she wouldn’t be able to accept invitations, and she wouldn’t be able to welcome anyone as a representative. It’s great that I remembered this before saying anything imprudent.

Raidou-sama, sorry for making you, our benefactor, the bodyguard of my husband. It seems you are also taking care of our daughters at the academy, so it is like we are always asking you favors
(Lisa)
[Your daughters are exemplar, so I am not doing anything worthy of calling ‘taking care’. From my side as well, the people in my company at Tsige are being taken care of]

I will substitute you in the protection of my husband, so Raidou-sama, please go look after Sif and Yuno. The two of them will surely be happy. Also, it was called energy drink, right? The drink I received. Thanks to it, the fatigue I felt when I arrived at Academy Town disappeared as if a lie. Thank you very much
(Lisa)
[Glad to hear that. Ah, looks like it is about to begin]

Ara, really. It seems I have arrived quite slowly. So embarrassing
(Lisa)

This isn’t such a stiff place anyways. No need to mind it. Well then, Raidou-dono. Sorry but, we will be heading to our seats first
(Rembrandt)
[Take your time. Please call me again when you are leaving. I will be at the guest seats]
Yeah. In this hall, since the beginning, the seats are divided, or more like, the places are divided.
I am not the relative of a student and have just received an invitation from a relative. That’s why the treatment is a little different from them. I originally didn’t plan on being a third wheel between the married couple, so this fits better.
I look at the back of the two that are linking arms. How affectionate.
Looking at the back of the married couple, I wished for my height to increase while receiving a drink from the waiter and mobilizing. The corner, the corner.
In the way, I pass beside a number of people Rembrandt-san presented me. While bowing slightly, we pass by each other. Are they also on their greeting rounds? How dedicated.
For me, the main objective right now is to spread the medicine and the management of the company, so things like… lobby activities? Groundwork? Creating connections? Well, I haven’t really done much of those kind of things. I didn’t think of it as necessary, but maybe it is.
If we are beginning a business in a new place, we don’t just greet the guild, it is also an effective method to create individual connections with the merchants in the surrounding, the nobles, and the powerful people. It certainly does make sense.
If I had to talk about the connections I have made, it would be Rembrandt-san and… that priest would probably count as well. No, I feel like that can’t be called a connection yet.
Yeah, it really is lacking.
In terms of inhyuman alignments, I have two superior dragons, the calamity spider, and well, if it’s to the level of just talking, I have talked to Gods. How extravagant. In terms of antagonism, one superior dragon and one God (?). If we subtract, what’s left are my retainers, one dragon and one spider huh . Well, I don’t know if subtracting is okay in this case though.
Maybe I should try a bit more in creating connections at the hyuman side. The potential candidates are probably the two heroes and the people around them. As earthlings, there’s the chance we can get along after all.
While thinking that, I look up. At the second floor seats. The place where the nations invited by the academy are seated in. If they have any business they will come down, but they normally just talk among other countries. Even if they come down, it would just be a problem with the bodyguards. In the people that are chatting and dancing, there are probably some wishing for someone in the second floor to take an interest in them and getting a bite of that cake.
Oh.
The ones there are the Rembrandt sisters. Also, eh? Could it be, Amelia is also participating?
Make up and dress. Both of those become like magic, creating an incredible gap in their image. I normally only see those three running around, so it stands out even more, but the change is amazing.
I look at them from afar as they go around introducing themselves. Well well, watching them from here, they have a charm that would make me think they are not the same age as me. Sif is red, Yuno is a soft pastel color blue and Amelia a lustrous emerald green dress. The dress also varies. Sif has cloth even at her shoulders and the hem of the dress reaches close to her feet; a calm, no, it gives off a harmonizing sensation. Yuno has her shoulders exposed, and, from here I can’t see too well but, her hem is short to the point that it barely covers her knees; quite daring. Amelia has a haler neck dress and it’s the type that shows the line of her body beautifully. The three of them seem to not like parties that much, but they are showing a smile that doesn’t lose to their dress while chatting with the people around.
Sif and Yuno
The students here are really good at doing those kind of things naturally. I do think it is pretty impressive. Amelia is a scholarship student and was born in a normal household, so she must have learned all of it when she came here. I can’t even see a trace of the girl that gives battle directions along with Jin.
I’m glad I’m looking at this from afar. If those three were to suddenly come to my side, I might get embarrassed and turn weird. Rembrandt-san must be looking at the sisters from a closer place. I can tell that his face has loosened up. And while at it, he is giving off a fearsome bloodthirst to the men that try to woo them. Well, if only there were people that had so much guts as to woo others in front of their relatives that is. It’s unthinkable for me, but in this academy, there are students that are already married and there are some that propose to teachers out of self-interest, so I can’t say there are none.
Oh, it seems they noticed me. Well, we do have quite the distance so they won’t come immediately. They didn’t wave either. In exchange, the three of them directed a smile at me. I thought it was a bad idea to wave, so I lift my hand slightly higher than my shoulders and respond with a smile too. It didn’t compare to the smile of those girls that gathered the attention of the surroundings though. Hah, I have to study a bit about this too.
After a while of not much happening and just looking at the state of the Rembrandt sisters and Amelia, the BGM changed. From the pain in the ears music that had no pace to it and has been playing in the hall till now, to one that you can feel the movement and flow. Ah, a dance accompaniment is probably like this.
There doesn’t seem to be any tools to replay music, so it is most likely being played by a chamber music group. Live performance. Thinking about it that way, it does sound luxurious.
Obviously, the dancing started. For me who can’t dance, it doesn’t matter much. Rather, I want to eat something that’s not appetizers and drinks. Even if I look at the dance, I would understand practically nothing anyways. Dango over blossoms . Looking at beautiful people won’t satisfy my stomach.
Ah right. If there’s sliver of a chance someone invites me to dance, it might be difficult to refuse. Even if a say chance, it is practically none though.
Maybe I should move to a deeper corner.
Eh, what is it?
While just moving my eyes to see the second floor, I drink a sweet drink with my back to the wall. Maybe the surroundings are also resting, I can see a few people doing the same.
A scene that shouldn’t be a problem (I think). And yet, the right side is being noisy.
A mass of unnatural people is approaching.
Well then, could it be guests for me? No, I don’t know anyone who would gather this much attention…
?!!
Could it be, Root?!
Today I didn’t make any arrangements with him though! Also, honestly speaking, I don’t have the resolve to meet him today you know?!
Confusion begins to reign over me.
The moment I was thinking of escaping and was about to lift my back from the wall…

It’s Raidou-sama right? Could you please give us a bit of your time to talk?

Who are these guys?
In the place where a bunch of heavy-looking escorts are present, the one who opened its mouth was a woman that looked docile at a glance.