Volume 7 Chapter 21 Team Clockwise
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The scene shifted to Team Clockwise. Emily, acting as the Captain for the entire expeditionary force, led the charge and directed the ongoing investigation. The lake’s circumference was just under fifty kilometers – roughly the size of Lake Inawashiro¹, Japan’s fourth-largest lake. Engaging in constant skirmishes meant it would take nearly four hours just to cover half the distance.
”It seems the closer we get to the water, the stronger they get,” Emily noted.
”It appears so,” Cassandra replied.
Emily had initially divided the knights into separate parties, placing Cassandra in charge of the second unit. However, after confirming the enemies grew more formidable near the shore, she reorganized the ranks. Now, the high-level knights handled the inner perimeter closest to the lake. Naturally, as the unit’s second-in-command, Cassandra remained in the same party as the Captain. The strength of the elementals was still manageable. Since both Emily and Cassandra possessed power equivalent to B-Rank adventurers, C-Rank elementals posed little threat.
The two adventurer parties assigned to the team were also proceeding with their culling without issue. In particular, the members of Golden Dragon’s Breath were making quick work of the enemy, with Moritz using his magic unsparingly. Though his personality left much to be desired, he was working hard, likely due to his personal ties to this region.
”At this rate, there’s bound to be something waiting in the center of the lake. Scout, check the middle and report back,” Emily ordered.
”Yes, ma’am!” the scout replied.
Conducting a thorough investigation or cull while actually inside the water was too difficult, so they remained on the shoreline for the time being. Emily suspected something was lurking in the center, but the distance was at least three kilometers out – far beyond the range of normal vision. A Scout-class, however, could bridge that gap using vision-enhancing skills.
”Alright, since there aren’t any monsters in the immediate area, let’s take a break. The situation isn’t as bad as I expected, but it’s not exactly good either,” Emily said.
”Yes. The abundance of weak individuals is a mercy, but they are still a threat to civilians. Their activity levels are quite high as well,” Cassandra added.
Emily watched her Vice-Captain as they spoke. While Cassandra’s inflexible nature was a bit of a headache, Emily deeply respected her hardworking, serious demeanor. She was a Vice-Captain Emily could trust. Cassandra, in turn, trusted Emily’s ability and character implicitly. While she wished the Captain would stop teasing her, she understood that Emily cared for her, which made it impossible to stay truly angry.
Because Eierschecke Village was remote, the average level was higher than in the Royal Capital, but the number of people who could actually fight elementals was limited. Even the weakest elemental was on par with a D-Rank adventurer – the rank where one is considered a professional after years of experience. There was no way the villagers could handle a swarm of hyper-active elementals on their own.
”Reporting! I have confirmed a massive Water Elemental in the center of the lake. It’s significantly larger than the others; it’s likely the regional boss,” the scout said.
”Good work. So there really was a boss in the middle,” Emily mused. “That thing is probably the source of the surge. If we take it down, things should settle, but I’m not sure how we’ll reach it. My weapons won’t hit from this far, and Cassandra is in the same boat. Moritz is a Magic Swordsman, but even his spells would fizzle out before they got that far. We’ll have to rely on Daisuke and his freakish abilities, or Kazuya – he looks like the type to hold onto a trump card.”
”Unfortunately, I believe you are right,” Cassandra sighed.
Considering the surroundings, their current assets, and the projected strength of the boss, their options were slim. Attacking a target three kilometers away required specialized means. Even using magic, they would need a boat to get within range.
Cassandra loathed the idea of relying on adventurers, but none of the knights possessed the necessary reach. Weighing the pride of the order against the risk of mission failure, she reluctantly agreed. To Emily, calling Daisuke “freakish” was a high compliment. She suspected his power exceeded her own, and she had a gut feeling that the woman Kazuya had summoned was far from ordinary.
”Well, we can settle that once we regroup with the other team. By the way, Cassandra, are you getting along any better with Daisuke?” Emily asked.
”Our relationship is professional,” Cassandra replied.
”Hahaha! If it’s ‘professional’ by your standards, then poor Daisuke must be suffering!” Emily laughed.
”Is that so?” Cassandra asked.
From Daisuke’s perspective, her attitude was likely ice-cold, but for the adventurer-hating Cassandra, this was her being polite. Having never dated a man, she was entirely unsure of how to interact with the opposite s*x.
Emily knew this well and found the predictable response hilarious. Cassandra’s disdain for adventurers was famous within the Knights’ Order, and Emily had long been concerned by it. Emily had dealt with plenty of scum, but she knew good adventurers existed. Just as there were noble and corrupt knights, adventurers were simply individuals.
With the Demon King’s resurrection looming, cooperation with the Guild would become frequent. Emily felt it was her duty to resolve Cassandra’s prejudice. That was why she had goaded Cassandra into that duel and forced her to accept the slave contract² as the stakes. Emily’s logic was simple: if Cassandra lost to an adventurer while giving her all, she would have to respect their strength. Unfortunately, Cassandra’s stubbornness was even deeper than Emily had anticipated.
(I’ve been watching you two. Do you actually hate the man?)
”I have no reason to like an adventurer,” Cassandra stated.
”I’m asking about Daisuke, not ‘adventurers’ in general,” Emily countered.
”Daisuke is an adventurer. Is he not?”
”He is, but he isn’t a typical one. You can see that much, can’t you?”
”…I suppose,” Cassandra muttered.
Emily was also under the effects of the Ordeal skill, which made it difficult to feel romantic affection toward Daisuke, but she could still judge his character fairly. She hadn’t earned her rank through luck. Cassandra, however, seemed to be avoiding the realization entirely.
”Tell me this. Has Daisuke actually done anything to genuinely mistreat you?” Emily asked.
”…No.”
”Has he given you any cruel or impossible orders, even though you’re technically his slave for this trip?”
”…No.”
”Has he looked at you and called you a ‘leftover woman’ or treated you poorly because of your age?”
”…No.”
Emily felt responsible for the arrangement and had been keeping a close watch. If anything had happened, she would have intervened, but Cassandra’s own memories were proving Emily’s point.
”Cassandra, I know your history with adventurers, and I understand why you feel this way,” Emily said gently. “But some people don’t fit the stereotype. Pushing someone like Daisuke away just because of his job is a waste, and frankly, it’s disrespectful. You’d be furious if a stranger called you an ‘old maid’ and treated you like garbage without knowing a thing about you, wouldn’t you?”
”That is…”
”I’m not saying you have to fall in love with him. But your mission for the rest of this expedition is to face him as a person, not a category. Understand?”
”……Yes,” Cassandra replied.
Emily’s words hit home. Cassandra realized she had been blinded by her own hatred. It was a major turning point for her – one made possible by Daisuke’s consistent efforts to treat her with respect.
”Plus, Daisuke-san is rich! And his snacks are delicious!” Mercedes chirped as she joined the conversation.
”That’s just your personal preference, Mercedes,” Cassandra snapped.
”It’s an important metric! Good food makes you forget all your troubles!”
”Now that you mention it, you’ve been mooching off him every day,” Cassandra noted.
”Guilty!” Mercedes laughed.
”Good grief, Mel, you’re far too carefree,” Emily sighed. “You have plenty of your own failings to reflect on. You’d better work twice as hard to make up for them.”
”I’m already at my limit, so I’ll take my leave!” Mercedes shouted, turning to run.
”Not so fast. I have extra lectures for people who try to flee,” Emily said. In a blur of motion, Emily intercepted her with a Flash Move³ and forced the girl into a formal sitting position.
”I don’t care if you get sweets from Daisuke, but you have to do your job,” Emily scolded.
”But that’s Vice-Captain work!” Mercedes whined.
”You’re her proxy for this trip, remember? I thought letting you walk a mile in Cassandra’s shoes would do you some good, but clearly, you need more ‘experience’.”
”No, I’ve had more than enough! If I do any more, something terrible will happen!” Mercedes cried.
”Something terrible?” Emily asked.
”I’ll end up a perpetually single old maid like Vice-Captain Cassandra! I don’t want to die alone!”
”Mel…” Emily groaned.
Cassandra said nothing, but her silent fury was palpable. She had no interest in marriage, but being mocked as “leftover” by her subordinate was an insult she wouldn’t ignore.
”Captain Emily,” Cassandra said coldly.
”I know,” Emily replied. “Tell you what, Mel – you can take over my paperwork too.”
”Nooooo!”
”Once we’re back, I’m going to train you until you’re so tough that being an ‘old maid’ is the least of your worries. Look forward to it,” Emily added.
”That doesn’t make it better at all! Are you guys actually mad?! Mercedes screamed.
”You never learn, so I suppose I’ll have to teach your body a lesson,” Cassandra muttered, her hands tightening.
”Ow-ow-ow-ow! My head! It’s gonna split! Captain Emily, help! Adalgar-san, don’t just look away! Aaaaaaaghhhhh!”
—
Summary:
Team Clockwise continues their investigation of the lake, encountering increasingly powerful elementals near the shore. Emily confronts Cassandra about her rigid prejudice against Daisuke, forcing her to reflect on his genuine character. The chapter ends with comedic relief as Mercedes is punished for her blunt remarks regarding Cassandra’s age.
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Trivia:
- The lake is roughly 50km in circumference.
- Emily and Cassandra are B-Rank adventurer equivalents in strength.
- The ‘Ordeal’ skill suppresses romantic favorability, making the protagonist’s life harder.
- Elementals are at minimum D-Rank threats, which is ‘expert’ level for normal humans.
- Daisuke has been giving Mercedes sweets, which influences her positive opinion of him
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Character Insight:
Cassandra experiences a breakthrough; she realizes her hatred for adventurers is a blanket category that doesn’t apply to Daisuke’s actions. Emily shows her leadership by balancing tactical command with the social development of her subordinates.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The comparison to Lake Inawashiro grounds the fantasy scale in a real-world Japanese reference common in web novels to help readers visualize the environment.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Emily – Thirty-year-old Captain of the Knights’ Order and expedition leader for the lake subjugation, he’s a B-Rank Adventurer equivalent with striking purple wolf-cut hair, wavy and tied back, a powerful aura, and a wicked smile that radiates an older-sister vibe. Married and commanding the Third Unit, he chaperones a high-school girl party while enduring overload from the Knight Commander—often late, professional yet haughty, he teases subordinates and Daisuke with disciplined charm.
• Ina – Otto, a summoned Heavy Warrior now known by his soul name, appears as a thick‑set man in his fifties with a buzz cut. He works as a general‑staff clerk, acting like a veteran to juniors yet bowing to bosses, and was a former colleague of Yuko before joining Osamu’s group, accompanying Yoshikawa Osamu on the train.
• Cassandra – Standing 175 cm tall with short brown hair, she is muscular, sturdy, and has a calm, stoic beauty and unyielding aura. Former Royal Knights Vice‑Captain dubbed ‘The Ogress’, she despises adventurers and remains emotionally distant, now leading the Third Unit as a neutral Guild witness to Daisuke. A dignified, rigid knight and slave to Daisuke—highly capable yet recently overwhelmed—her cold exterior masks a fractured loyalty.
• Moritz – Mid‑30s deer‑type beastman, B‑Rank magic swordsman and leader of Golden Dragon’s Breath, formerly of the Shining Horn party. He serves as Vait’s instructor, guard and sycophantic attendant, proud and resentful. He broke his own horns in a duel with Daisuke, took a hostage, then was brutally beaten by Daisuke.
• Daisuke – Mid‑40s Japanese reincarnated adventurer with a youthful face, B‑Rank (Lv69) blessed by the Green God. Wields a one‑handed sword and buckler, uses Earth/Wind and regeneration magic, stealth, speed, transformation, Item Box, healing and “Massage” skill. Manages slaves Ilse, Liese, Camilla; mentors Rin & Cassandra; dates Ines; pursues Regina & Dietlinde; leads a lake‑investigation party. Runs a harem, cooks expertly, coordinates Royal Knight missions.
• Kazuya – A scrawny, lazy-talking transferee youth who assists in subjugations with informal yet polite speech, once a Leeman summoner obsessed with 2D girls over real women—his freckles vanished, he spends days grading 20+ summoning spells alone, treating each summon as an emotional anchor, but fixates solely on Toria, his idealized past-life fantasy character, whom he’s spent a year summoning to live with forever, refusing to depart until she’s his.
• Mercedes – Mercedes (Mel), a brown‑haired noblewoman and highly‑leveled knight, Home Secretary of Maultasche and mother of Patrizia, dubbed the “Disappointing Beauty.” She wears a white frilled gown, feeds Daisuke intel, fears Vice‑Captain Cassandra, despises goblins, sees dungeons as divine trials, loves sweets, seeks a Reincarnator boyfriend, balances regal poise with chaotic charm, and often breaks walls in enthusiasm.
• Adalgar – He stands tall, his short red hair framing a serious, stoic demeanor; a married Guide Knight who serves under Captain Emily.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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