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Chapter 240 Part 2

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Translator: “Hakou”                             Editor: “Weasalopes”

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Warm sunlight pours down from the sun in the center of the sky onto the earth.
This is a plain located in the northern part of the imperial capital. Since there is little snowfall in this area, only a little snow remains on the mountains.
A wide highway connects the imperial capital to the northern city. There was a group of more than ten Knights who made a turn to the road that branches out to the west.

『I apologize that we have to take a detour like this』

The voice of the external sound system came from the black colored Knight leading the way. The silhouette of the Knight, with its shoulders, chest, and legs considerably bulging out, indicated that it was an A-class Knight.
On top of that, there was a big red rose dyed on its chest. It was clear that this was the beloved Knight of Count Rosehip, the leader of the Rose Knights.

『No no, I was the one who insisted to begin with. Please don’t worry about it』

The one who replied was another A-class Knight next to him. This one is also black, but has an austere lacquered look to it.
In contrast to Count Rosehip’s Knight, this one looks rather rugged and plain. But it holds a beautifully decorated shield in one hand that strangely doesn’t look out of place.
This is a Knight of the old warrior who is the commander of the Imperial Army.

『Count Rosehip too haven’t return to your territory for some time, right? His Majesty has also asked me to stop by』

In the cockpit, Count Rosehip’s large body was moved by a feeling of gratitude.
On the way to the northern city with the old warrior, he decided to spend the night at his castle.

『We can see it now』

As they crossed the hill, the proud voice of Count Rosehip echoed.
What can be seen there is an elegant white chalk castle standing on the bank of the river. The castle, with its many arches and thin spires, could be described as a work of art.
In the garden on the opposite side of the river, many flowers of various colors were in full bloom.

『Now this is quite an amazing place』

A white castle and primary colored flowers with a blue sky in the background. With the castle reflected on the surface of the water, it was very beautiful.
Rose Castle, the residence of Count Rosehip. He had heard rumors about it, but this was the first time he had seen it.
Count Rosehip happily explains to the old warrior.

『Those are all roses. We collect and grow different species so we’ll always have some that blooms throughout the year』

It must have taken a lot of effort and money. He could not help but be amazed when he thought about it.
They both arrived while chatting about roses. Leaving the Knights in the parking lot, they headed for the castle on foot.

「Welcome back」

A wide white marble staircase in front of the castle.
Footmen were lining up on both sides to welcome the lord of the castle. The clothes they wear look like a more simple version of a butler’s uniform.

(How thorough of him, not even a single woman in sight)

There was also no sign of a man with slim build, all of them had the physique of a rugby player. This type of man is probably the lord’s favorite.
Then, a muscular young man with short black hair in a maid’s uniform appeared. He walked down the stairs and approached Count Rosehip nervously.

(What’s with this guy?)

He glanced at the white short-haired big man standing next to him and his face was clearly frowned.

「W-Welcome home, Otou-sama*」
(*TL Note: Esteemed Father)

With those words, the old warrior remembered this young man. He was the son of the Count Rosehip, who had belonged to the Imperial knight order until recently.
It seems a part of his spirit was broken in some way when he went to the Kingdom as a diplomatic delegation.
At his father’s request, he was allowed to leave the knight order and return to his hometown.

「You bastard… So you still haven’t taken off that clothes huh. It seems your guts haven’t returned yet」

He spat out such words in an angry tone.
The old warrior doesn’t know it, but the act of wearing a skirt in Rose Castle is the same as saying, 『Please use me freely』.
His son had forgotten how to use his front and started to beg for men with his butt. As a punishment, he had ordered him to wear a maid’s uniform.

(If he had some backbone, he would’ve rebelled and taken it off already. But this guy just accepted this situation)

In contrast to his father, whose forehead was covered with veins, the muscular, short-haired black male maid made a depressed face with his cheeks dyed red.
Seeing him, the members of the Rose Knights behind the old warrior began to whisper to each other.

「Hey, wearing that kind of outfit means “that”, right? Is it really okay?」

「He looks exactly like the painting of the commander when he was young. I want to make him cry…」

The old warrior pretended not to hear them, and Count Rosehip who picked up on it attentively.
The white short-haired commander turned around and said in a loud voice.

「Of course it’s fine. There are no exceptions in this Rose Castle!」

“Whoo-hoo!” The members of Rose Knights jumping around in joy. The young man in a maid’s uniform gets redder and redder.
In the midst of this, Count Rosehip calls out to the old warrior.

「We have the custom of holding a feast called 『A Pond of Wine and a Forest of Meat』 on the night of our arrival but… what will you do?」

The old warrior, who had anticipated this invitation, replied with the answer he had prepared.

「Maybe because I’m already at this age, I get tired easily, you see. I’m sorry but, I’ll be resting early」

Count Rosehip was convinced without a hint of displeasure. He knew that the old warrior had no interest in this.
He just invited him for the time being as a courtesy.
After parting in the entrance hall, the old warrior was led to a guest room in a separate building.
There he ate a rather luxurious dinner alone, took a bath, and went to bed early. In the middle of the night, he felt the need to pee and went to the bathroom.

(Was it this way?)

He felt bad about calling a footman just to show him the way, so he went down the wide corridor, relying on his memory.
On the way, he passed by a pair of massive doors.

(Oh shit. Isn’t this the venue?)

The old warrior lightly struck his own temple with his hand. Even though the door was closed, a muffled commotion could be heard from inside.
It was the shouts and screams of men. The sounds and vibrations of beating and pounding continued continuously.

(Those who know nothing would thought it was a brawl or something like that)

While in actuality, this was a huge feast of alcohol and meat.
On the marble plaque above the door, the words 『Mixed Venue』 were carved in gorgeous handwriting.
As he stared at it with half-closed eyes, the door creaked with a loud crash. The son of Count Rosehip appeared through the slight opening, covered in slimy liquid.

「Please help me!」

A muscular young man covered in liquid comes up to him like a zombie, completely naked.
The old warrior who saw that figure. He should have rung with boldness, but he reflexively jumped to the wall behind him.

「Come here, you brat!」

「It’s too early to get exhausted! There’s still a long line waiting for their turns, you know!」

The pilots of Rose Knights shouted from behind the black short-haired young man. The young man who got knocked face down on the floor was grasped by his ankle and pulled inside the venue.

「Please, no more… I’m at my limit already…」

Even when he stretched out his hand as if begging for help, the old warrior could only look away and closed his eyes.

(Good grief, how intense they are)

He felt the door close and slowly opened my eyes. He then let out a deep breath, remembering the scene he had just seen in the venue.
It was the beastly pilot tearing off the servant footman’s clothes and pushing him down to the floor.

(They all have the stamina of a beast so they’ll probably continue until the dawn)

He shrugged his shoulders and headed back to his room after stopping by the bathroom.
Fortunately, once the door to his bedroom was closed, the sound was almost inaudible. The old warrior enjoyed his sleep comfortably.

***

The sun had just set over the western ridge and the royal city was enveloped in darkness of the night.
This is a large brick building near the eastern gate. Compared to its size, it has very few windows, and only a few lights.
This facility, which looks like a warehouse or a factory, is a hangar for the merchant guild’s Knight. It is where the Old Lady is kept and receives her daily maintenance.

「That’s it for today, I guess」

The Old Lady is lying on her back on the workbench. The mechanic who had been working on her side stood up and stretched his back.

(We sure move back in time now aren’t we?)

He has a slim body and a timid look. The young man that gives off herbivorous atmosphere sighed while tapping his left shoulder with a wand, one of his tools.

『Simplification』

That’s what he would say if he had to describe what he’s been doing now in one word. He is removing the installed auxiliary magic formation one after another.
Once it finishes, it will be a very primitive type of Knight. You can even say that it’s more of a golem than a Knight.

『Auxiliary magic formation』

It is a mechanism to increase the output of the Knight while suppressing the magic power consumption of the pilot.
It is created by precisely combining magic circles with various functions to suit the purpose. It can be said that it’s a breakthrough of Knight manufacturing technology.

(And to destroy all of it, if my teacher were to hear this, he’d be stunned for sure. No, I guess he wouldn’t even believe it)

What floated in his mind were the teachers of the school where he attended to learn the art of blacksmithing.
What he was doing now could be seen as denying the latest technology. It was only natural that they would react that way.

(However, it is true that the output will increase if it’s removed)

After spending some time experimenting, he found out that the auxiliary magic circle was nothing but a hindrance.
The Old Lady with Tauro riding it would lose power if the auxiliary magic circle was loaded, and would return when it was removed.
The auxiliary magic circle that remained. When he removed some of them, the power output increased slightly.
He doesn’t understand the logic behind it, but since it’s true, he has no choice but to admit it.

『At this point, let’s just get rid of everything but what Tauro-san uses』

It was half burned out, but the herbivore mechanic himself had decided upon a plan.

(How unreasonable, good grief)

With a bitter expression on his face, he recalled the time when they fought the Heavy Stone Golem in the mountains north of the royal capital.
He wanted to know how Tauro fought no matter what, so he insisted on accompanying him.

(That was dangerous)

The Old Lady lost her power while spewing out white smoke. If things had remained as they were, the Old Lady would have been destroyed, and both Tauro and himself would have lost their lives in the cold mountains.
However, immediately after the white smoke subsided, the Old Lady suddenly unleashed more power than before. She tore off the arm of the Heavy Stone Golem with her bare hands.

(The white smoke was the result of the auxiliary magic circle burning out)

That proved that the mechanism that was supposed to assist the pilot was, on the contrary, a hindrance.

『Technology is something that develops over time』

As someone who believes in this idea, the herbivore mechanic has a hard time accepting it.
That’s why he has been investigating a different possible cause. But now, he has to admit it.

(This Knight, has become a Knight that only Tauro-san can handle)

He put his hands on his hips as he looked at the old lady.
An ordinary B-class pilot might not even be able to get her on her feet, while the best C-class pilot might not be able to move a finger.

(Just who in the world is that man? He doesn’t seem to be an elf or a half-elf)

He crossed his arms and turned his head around as he pondered again.

『Compensate the lack of magic power with the power of technology』

This is true not only for Knight-manufacturing techniques, but for magic in general. Tauro, with his excessive amount of magic power, has a different starting point.

(I guess I shouldn’t worry about it. The guild master and vice-guild master don’t seem to see it as a problem)

He’s not a bad person. That much is certain.
He must have been born with a lot of magic power, a special individual, a so-called genius. If that’s the case, even the person himself must not know the reason.

「Alright, let’s go home!」

The herbivore mechanic said in the room where there was no one else but himself.
It was still evening. It is unusually early for a man who often leaves the hangar after the date has changed.

『To think you would go home on time, do you have a matter to attend to or something?』

If it had been a boss at work, where overtime was the norm, he would have said so without a second thought.
No one is asking right now, but let me tell you. He does have a matter to attend to.

(If I grab a meal first, I can be on time for the appointment)

Looking back at the clock on the wall, the herbivore mechanic thinks.
He was heading to a lower class brothel. For the first time in his life, he had a store and a woman he was comfortable with.

(I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been holding myself this entire week)

He immediately locked the office door, greeted the security guard, and went outside.
Despite his gentle appearance, he is a herbivorous mechanic who turns into a beast once he crosses a certain line. For this reason, many stores have banned him from their establishments.
But then a woman comes along who thinks that he’s wonderful.

(Since I’m also not jerking off by myself, my juice should have gotten thicker too)

What popped up in his mind was a girl with braided red hair. She has a plain appearance and cute freckles. While thinking about her, he walked with light steps, heading west along the main street.

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