Volume 3 Chapter 5 Brooke Taylor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
On the fourth day since our departure, we continued driving the carriage forward from early morning.
After a brief drive following lunch, inns began to appear scattered here and there along the highway.
Human habitations and farms gradually multiplied in the surrounding landscape.
We had finally reached the outskirts of Niver.
Once you made it this far, the danger of being ambushed by bandits was slim.
I lowered my gaze to the seat opposite me.
Mira¹ Brooke Taylor. She was the second daughter of the Brooke Taylor family, and she had mentioned being a noble from Niver.
Mira remained fast asleep on the carriage seat. She had been dead to the world for a full day now, showing absolutely no signs of waking up. I had told Nier to stuff a rag inside her underwear just in case, but it looked like she hadn’t wet herself.
I shifted my eyes to the corner of the passenger cabin.
An iron lockbox secured with a padlock sat there—an item we had recovered from Mira’s carriage. I had already verified its contents the previous night, using the key found inside the necklace-type case Mira had been wearing.
This iron box was less of a simple chest and more of a treasure hoard, containing an estimated two thousand gold coins alongside a promissory note. Since I still couldn’t read the script of this world, I had Nier read it for me. The note only bore the signature of the lender—Mila’s father. The absence of the borrower’s signature meant they were likely in the middle of transporting this massive sum to Grimm to finalize a loan.
Two thousand gold coins scaled out to roughly two hundred million yen by Japanese standards. Even for a major corporation back home, a sudden loss of two hundred million yen in liquid cash could easily trigger a fatal cash-flow shortage. I didn’t know exactly how wealthy the Brooke Taylor family was, but there was no way an amount that staggering could be considered chump change.
On the other hand, it wasn’t an impossible sum to me. Just the prey I had bagged during my special training in the Magic Forest had netted over sixty gold coins. If I ever seriously resolved to make money, I felt like I could rake in as much as I wanted.
If that was the case, it made more sense to return the coin out of the goodness of my heart and put them in my debt. To me, reliable connections were far more valuable than raw currency.
Protecting their daughter, securing their fortune, and returning it intact—doing all this should give me more than enough leverage over them.
As I was mulling over these calculations, Reina called out to me from the driver’s box.
”I believe we will arrive in Niver shortly.”
”Ah, finally. That took long enough.”
So we had finally made it to Niver. We had been cooped up in this carriage for over three consecutive days. Travel in this alternate world was an incredible time sink. Without a smartphone or a television to pass the hours, the boredom had been outright agonizing.
”Alright, time to wake this one up.”
First, I canceled the Fly spell. It would be disastrous if anyone spotted a carriage sailing through the air. From this point onward, we would travel by conventional means on the ground.
I tried casting Heal, Extra Heal, and Cure on the sleeping Mira in succession, but she showed no signs of stirring. Finally, I tried casting Cure All, and her eyes fluttered open.
”……Nn, ugh… where… am I…?”
Since ordinary sorcerers likely couldn’t cast something as advanced as Cure All, there was a very high probability that I was the only one capable of dispelling this status-effect coma magic.
Mira pushed herself up and adjusted her posture on the seat.
”We’re about to arrive in Niver. Well? Did you sleep well?”
”To Niver…? Ah!”
Mira pressed a hand to her cheek, staring straight at me. It mapped exactly to her recalling getting smacked across the face right before she blacked out.
”……”
Next, she clutched at her chest and darted her eyes toward the iron box sitting in the cabin. She had clearly realized that the necklace containing her key was missing.
”…Ah.”
Mira suddenly clamped both hands over her crotch and let out a sharp, choked gasp. She had discovered the cloth Nier had lined her underwear with. In the blink of an eye, her face flushed a brilliant, deep crimson.
”…I—I… J-ju……”
Her mouth worked soundlessly, flapping like a fish as she tried to form words, but nothing coherent followed.
”What is it? …Tsk, whatever. Just guide us through the streets once we hit Niver. I’ll drop you off at your place first.”
”…Yes.”
During the remainder of our approach to Niver, I pried various pieces of information out of Mira.
The city-state of Niver had apparently flourished since antiquity as a vital transportation hub, serving as a crossroads where trade goods from every corner of the world converged. From the north came resources harvested from the Magic Forest via Grimm. From the south came the distinct specialties of Sheena. From the eastern and western city-states flowed commodities originating from even further beyond, stretching from the MacNair Empire to the distant land of Jipan.
Like most city-states in this region, Niver was governed by an administrative body known as the Council, which wielded absolute authority over state functions and the high courts. Power was heavily consolidated within this single entity. It was the exact polar opposite of the separation of powers I was used to.
The Council itself was comprised of several high-ranking councilors, and Mira’s father happened to be one of them. In these autonomous city-states, a councilor was the functional equivalent of urban nobility. When I heard the word noble, I had envisioned titles like Count or Baron, but it turned out this society didn’t utilize a traditional peerage system.
While I was listening to Mira’s explanation, a massive settlement finally materialized at the end of the highway.
”Oh, is that it? Looks a hell of a lot bigger than Grimm.”
”Yes. I believe its area is easily large enough to swallow two of Grimm whole.”
The highway gave way to a gentle, continuous incline, leading to the city built atop a low hill. The stone walls sprawling out to the left and right were vastly more extensive than Grimm’s defenses. Watchtowers were erected at regular intervals along the ramparts; by all appearances, the place was a fortress.
Mira mentioned that Niver was locked in perpetual, minor border skirmishes with Sheena. The fact that this entire city possessed only a single entrance and exit via the North Gate was entirely due to those geopolitical tensions.
As we neared the entrance, I noticed the perimeter of the wall was flanked by a deep dry moat, spanned by a massive wooden drawbridge.
”Halt, carriage! State your business and present your identification!”
The moment our carriage reached the threshold, a gate guard stepped forward to block our path.
”Ryuichi, registered adventurer. Will this do?”
I thrust my hand out of the carriage window, flashing my Adventurer Plate.
”Th-this is… a Silver Class plate…? Gulp. My humblest apologies, sir! Please, pass right through!”
The gate guard’s demeanor instantly flipped to utter servility, and we rolled through the North Gate without further incident.
As Mira called out directional instructions to John, the carriage began to wind slowly through the bustling streets of Niver.
”I knew you had to be someone of incredible renown, but to think you were actually a Silver Class adventurer…” said Mira, her eyes shimmering with genuine awe as she looked at me.
”I only promoted very recently. Is a Silver Class rank really that rare around here?”
”Yes. I have heard there are only two others in the entire city.”
”Heh. You know their names?”
”Of course. Their martial exploits are famous throughout the region.”
According to Mira, the only Silver Class adventurers regularly spotted in Niver were Lagoon the Bald and Sylvia of the Crimson Flame. Lagoon the Bald… wow, that wasn’t a title, that was just a straight-up insult. She added that the Crimson Flame preferred to travel and rarely visited Niver. Both of them apparently possessed a laundry list of legendary feats that citizens gossiped about in the taverns. For what it was worth, there wasn’t a single Gold Class adventurer stationed in Niver either.
While we swapped information, the carriage continued its progress deeper into the urban sectors.
The city was undeniably grander in scale than Grimm, but the baseline infrastructure was depressingly identical. The thoroughfares were completely caked in horse manure, and the alleyways were littered with garbage and stagnant waste. It seemed a total lack of sanitation wasn’t a quirk unique to Grimm; this entire world was just inherently filthy.
As I stared out at the passing crowds with mounting disgust, a strange discrepancy caught my eye. I turned to Nier to clarify.
”Nier, are those people over there from Jipan?”
”No, those are likely Sheena natives. They look remarkably similar to Jipan citizens at a glance, but if you look closer, their facial structures and features are distinct.”
Slanted eyes and flatter profiles. They certainly resembled Japanese people, yet they didn’t feel entirely Japanese. So those were the people of Sheena. For a city supposedly locked in a border feud with them, Niver seemed to have an awful lot of Sheena residents walking its streets.
As we reached the heart of the city, we entered a massive central plaza that mirrored the layout of Grimm’s town square.
Past the plaza, the carriage finally came to a halt in front of a pair of towering wrought-iron gates. Mira leaned her head out of the window to address the sentries.
”It is Mira. Open the gates.”
”Welcome home, Mira-sama! Right away, please wait one moment!”
The gates swung inward, allowing our carriage to roll onto the sprawling grounds. Under the guidance of the estate guards, we pulled up directly in front of a grand manor. I stepped down from the carriage right behind Mira.
I had already instructed Nier and the others to remain inside the vehicle. I didn’t intend to stay here for a prolonged visit.
The moment my boots hit the gravel, an architectural structure far larger and more opulent than anything in Grimm filled my vision. The grounds boasted a meticulously manicured, expansive garden that stretched as far as the eye could see. Armed security patrols moved along the perimeters at regular intervals. It perfectly matched the textbook definition of a wealthy noble’s estate.
Mira led me straight to the main foyer, where a middle-aged man dressed in pristine butler attire stood waiting alongside a flanking line of maids.
”Welcome home, Mira-sama.”
”I have returned, Sebastian. This esteemed gentleman is Ryuichi-sama. Please escort him to the formal reception room. He is a guest of the utmost importance, so ensure he is treated with the absolute highest standard of respect.”
”Ha. I understand.”
”Ryuichi-sama. I must see my father immediately to report the full details of the incident. Please make yourself comfortable while you wait.”
”Yeah, got it.”
Guided by Sebastian, I was shown into a vast, high-ceilinged drawing room. I took a seat on an antique sofa, and within minutes, a maid rolled in a cart serving fresh black tea and delicate pastries. In a world where clean, potable drinking water was an expensive luxury, using it to casually brew tea was a blatant display of this family’s immense financial power. Naturally, I didn’t touch a single crumb or drop. There was always a distinct possibility the refreshments were laced with poison.
The iron lockbox containing the two thousand gold coins I had brought from the carriage rested heavily against the leg of my sofa. I stared at the metal container, mapping out the scenario in my head.
Right about now, Mira was undoubtedly laying out the entire story to her father.
And from her father’s perspective, the situation had to look incredibly grim. A massive transport of state-level funds had been ambushed, and the entire elite escort platoon had been completely annihilated. Given that the bandit force was described as an unnaturally large army, the logical conclusion was that someone had leaked the operational details of the shipment. Then, right on cue, a solitary, unknown sorcerer happens to pass by, decimates the entire army single-handedly, and takes absolute possession of the fortune. Now, he shows up at the front door holding the man’s daughter hostage, claiming he’s just dropping her off out of courtesy.
It was textbook suspicious.
If someone told me a lone spellcaster wiped out a military-grade bandit platoon that had effortlessly butchered a noble’s private vanguard, I wouldn’t believe a word of it either. It sounded entirely fabricated. In any reasonable scenario, the bandits and the mysterious sorcerer were working together to stage a rescue. If I were in the father’s shoes, that’s exactly what I’d assume.
Therefore, the most statistically probable outcome was that they were going to attempt to eliminate me right here. By liquidating me inside the manor, they could reclaim their two hundred million yen without paying a copper of tribute. In that case, the old man was going to walk through that door with a small army of heavily armed retainers.
Well, if that’s how he wanted to play it, so be it.
It would save me the trouble of being polite. I’d simply showcase the absolute disparity in our power levels, beat them into total submission, and establish a firm, unshakeable hierarchy right out of the gate. I could worry about selling them a favor after they learned their place.
Let’s see how the old man decides to open.
After waiting a few more minutes, the heavy oak doors of the reception room finally clicked and swung wide.
”Ya. Did I make you wait? I am the head of the Brooke Taylor family—I am Roman Brooke Taylor.”
He was a stout and dignified man.
He sported a Kaiser mustache that curled upward above his mouth.
His age appeared to be around sixty years old.
People from another world generally looked older, so one could not truly know without asking.
”I am Ryuichi,” I said.
Remaining seated on the sofa, I responded to the greeting by merely turning my face toward him.
Roman did not react at all to my impolite attitude; keeping a smile pasted on his face, he sat down on the sofa directly across from me.
Subsequently, Mira sat down next to Roman.
Oh? I thought.
Forget about armed individuals, there was not even a guard.
Forget about guards, there was no butler or servant either.
It was just the two of them, Roman and Mira.
”Is something the matter?” Roman asked.
I must have had a puzzled look on my face.
Perceiving that demeanor, Roman inquired.
”No, it’s nothing, I just thought it was strange that you didn’t bring guards to speak with me,” I said.
”Hmm, that matter. Indeed, before we discuss that, could you show me your Adventurer Plate¹?” Roman asked.
”…Yeah, here it is,” I said.
”Hmm, this is unmistakably an Adventurer Plate issued in Grimm. To think that that inflexible Sismond would actually recognize silver-rank capability…” Roman said.
Roman picked up the Adventurer Plate and was staring at it intently.
”So, what about it?” I asked.
”Oh, right, right. I shall return this Adventurer Plate to you. …We were talking about guards. Speaking of the silver-rank, it is proof of an extraordinarily powerful individual. When it comes to battle, they are a gathering of fierce warriors who display performance equivalent to an entire military unit. In fact, you yourself turned the tables on the bandits whom Mira’s guards were no match for. Against such an opponent, what meaning is there even if one gathers a mere number of people who are somewhat skilled? Guards and the like would not be of any use at all! Bwahaha!” Roman laughed.
”…I see,” I said.
So that was what the silver-rank felt like.
Even so, to not bring a single guard despite it being useless meant he was quite a gutsy old man.
”Mhm. Then shall we move to the main topic? I have heard the summary of the event from Mira earlier. I thank you for saving my daughter Mira. Let me express my gratitude. And so, it seems that in return for saving my daughter, you desire a compensation equal to my daughter’s life—in other words, Mira herself,” Roman said.
”What? Why?” I asked.
”Even I am not incapable of understanding the reason of things. There is surely some logic in your demand as well. It is certainly a life that would have been lost had you not saved her. She is the cute daughter whom I have raised with great care. I understand very well the feeling of you falling in love at first sight,” Roman said.
”No,” I said.
”Furthermore, if the opponent is a silver-rank adventurer, that is something even I am not unwilling to consider. Our Brooke Taylor family is a merchant lineage of successive generations. We lack nothing in economic power, but some anxiety remains regarding military force. Rather, if we can form a connection with a powerful individual like you, it is something we could not wish for more,” Roman said.
Because he was rattling on one thing after another, there was no space for me to speak.
I am really not good with these types of guys whose tongues roll so fluently.
”However! There is an order to things. First of all, coming to greet me first is the proper path, is it not? To use Magic² to forcibly put her to sleep and take Mira’s chastity—is that not far too hasty!? No matter how lovely a daughter Mira is, like a flower!” Roman shouted.
”…Chastity?” I asked.
When I cast my eyes upon Mira, who was looking down, she was trembling her shoulders with both hands placed as if to hide her crotch.
Roman placed his hand on Mira’s trembling shoulder to comfort her.
”Goodness, what a thing! No matter how much of a silver-rank adventurer you are, your violence goes too far. You should not be at an age where you lack discretion. Ryuichi, how old are you?” Roman asked.
”…I am forty years old,” I replied.
”Forty years old!? Is that true? You do not look it at all. Well, your age does not matter at this point. However, this Mira is still only thirteen years old!” Roman exclaimed.
(What! Thirteen years old!? Are you serious… I screwed up. I remodeled a child’s n**ples. Thirteen years old is a middle school student. It is basically like a child who has barely grown hair. If she were a high school student I wouldn’t mind, but a middle school student is no good… Damn, I messed up. That thing… can’t be changed back to the way it was anymore, right? I completely thought she was twenty or somewhere around there. Is it because of the makeup? I really don’t understand the age of white women. Come to think of it, when we met, she seemed to be called a young lady or something…)
”…Hey, hey! Are you listening?” Roman asked.
”Hmm? Oh, yeah, what is it?” I said.
While I was being tormented by a tiny sense of guilt, Roman’s talk competition seemed to have moved forward.
”I have been asking you what your family house is for a moments ago, have I not?” Roman said.
”Family house? Do you mean my surname? It’s Okabe,” I replied.
”Okabe, you say? It is a family house I have never heard of. Hmm, Ryuichi Okabe. Are you a nobleman of the country of Jipan?” Roman asked.
Crap. I let out my Japanese surname.
”No, well, it’s a family house of the past,” I said.
”Hmm, an ancient nobility that has fallen now. Ryuichi, do you have a wife?” Roman asked.
”Hmm? Oh, I do,” I said.
”I assume there is one, right? Is she a Jipan person?” Roman asked.
”Of course it’s one… well, if you say a Jipan person, I guess so,” I replied.
”If that is the case, Mira will become a concubine. Even though she is the second daughter of the legal wife. Mira, it seems you will become a concubine. It cannot be helped, right?” Roman said.
”Yes. I do not mind, Father,” Mira replied.
Mira raised her face and replied strongly.
”Mhm. Well, if you are a silver-rank adventurer and a descendant of nobility, we can somehow manage to strike a balance even if I give you the daughter of our Brooke Taylor family. You may well call yourself the head of the Okabe family,” Roman said.
”No, so wait—” I interrupted.
”Don’t say everything! I understand. It is about you, who are far too hasty. You probably saying you cannot possibly wait, right? However, Mira is still before adulthood. For now, we shall leave it in the form of an engagement. Getting married is a story for after she becomes an adult. Until then, taking Mira away is not permitted. It is a patience of two more years until adulthood, is it not? Stand firm and wait at least that much. In addition, even though you are a silver-rank adventurer, it will be troublesome if you do not become a man suitable to marry a wife of Brooke Taylor. Do you live in Grimm?” Roman asked.
”…That’s right. But as for the engagement—” I muttered.
”Then that is fine! Our Brooke Taylor merchant guild extends its roots widely into surrounding cities as well. Naturally, there is a branch store in Grimm too. As for the Grimm branch store, I have entrusted the position of branch manager to my eldest son Leon, who is also a councilor of Grimm. I shall tell Leon to arrange various conveniences for you. You should tell your dwelling to Sebastian later. How is it, did you understand the details?” Roman stated.
Roman cut off his speech and leaned his back against the sofa.
Roman’s machine-gun talk had stopped, and it seemed that my turn had finally arrived.
—
Summary:
Ryuichi deactivates his flight magic as the party reaches the fortified borders of Niver. After waking the noblewoman Mira via advanced curation magic, he coordinates her return to her family estate while evaluating the strategic worth of the recovered fortune. He sits inside the drawing room waiting to see if her father will offer a political alliance or an armed ambush
Moving quickly through the terms of their forced arrangement, Roman forcefully dictates the future status of his daughter Mira. Ryuichi is paralyzed into silence as his accidental revelations about his age and Earth origin create an irreversible misunderstanding. Roman completely runs over Ryuichi’s attempts to speak, leaving the young adventurer’s true counter-arguments completely
—
Trivia:
- The promissory note carried in the carriage only featured the father’s signature, indicating a transaction that had not yet been executed with a client in Grimm.
- Gold Class adventurers are entirely non-existent within Niver’s regional sector.
- The protagonist refuses to consume hospitality food or drink within the estate due to an explicit tactical paranoia regarding poisoning attempts.
- The mention that white women’s ages are hard to distinguish due to makeup references Ryuichi’s underlying Earth perspective.
- The Brooke Taylor family possesses enough local infrastructure to run a branch in Grimm overseen by a city councilor
—
Character Insight:
Ryuichi exhibits sharp transactional calculation, shifting from evaluating physical gold to valuing social networking and geopolitical leverage within the city-state’s hierarchy.
Ryuichi encounters an intense internal shift from casual confidence to crippling guilt upon discovering Mira is only thirteen, causing him to lose his footing in the negotiation entirely.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Brooke – The family lineage to which Mila and her father belong. The Brooke Taylor family holds substantial aristocratic and financial influence within the city-state of Niver. The noble family name carried by Mila. The lineage holds aristocratic status within the region of Niver.
• Taylor – The family name carried by Mila and her father, representing a prominent noble lineage in Niver. The secondary component of the aristocratic family name carried by Mila Brooke Taylor.
• Mira – The second daughter of the Brooke Taylor family. She is a noble from the city-state of Niver who was rescued from a bandit attack, carries herself with aristocratic pride despite immense embarrassment over her situation, and is highly knowledgeable about the geography and governance of Niver. The second daughter of the aristocratic Brooke Taylor family from Niver. She survives a catastrophic bandit ambush that slaughters her retainers and guards, subsequently using her high-born lineage and the promise of her father’s financial rewards to negotiate passage to Niver with a highly callous Ryuichi. A thirteen-year-old girl who wears heavy makeup that masks her true age, causing others to mistake her for being around twenty. She is the second daughter of Roman’s legal wife. A young woman who has her hair on the left and right sides in braids, brought to the top of her head in two tightly wound coils. Her dress leaves her shoulders completely exposed, has decorations heavily attached, and excessively emphasizes the thinness of her waist, with a skirt long enough to drag on the floor in a strangely swollen shape. She wears thick makeup, carries a strong scent of perfume, and is the second daughter of a Niver noble.
• Nier – A 27-year-old Japanese-esque beauty with long black hair, refined features, and large breasts, she is Ryuichi’s primary, devoted slave. Traumatized by the slave trade and separated from her daughter, she travels with him to find her child, managing domestic duties, cooking, and reading local script for him. Protective of other subordinates, she also explains world logistics and assists in his magic experiments.
• Grimm – The name of a large settlement and community located near the Forest of Magic. Grimm is a walled city featuring a bustling marketplace and diverse population, though it suffers from severe lack of sanitation and a legalized slave trade.
• Reina – A 19-year-old female archer, village hunter, and slave to Ryuichi, she has fair skin, a brown ponytail, a well-proportioned build, and wears a leather cuirass. Mobilizing with a shortbow and dagger, she serves as her party’s emotional heart alongside friends Allen and John. Highly competent in wilderness survival, she drives the carriage with John, vigilantly watching for ambushers or bandits, and holds immense, submissive respect for Ryuichi.
• Ryuichi – Poison Snake is a 40-year-old, bearded Japanese corporate-minded adventurer who recently achieved Silver Class rank. Moving toward Niver in a levitated carriage, this pragmatic sorcerer utilizes spatial, earth, and advanced elements (fire, ice, wind, Cure All, Item Box) with clinical efficiency. To survive and return to his original family, he views his massive power—and his slaves Nier and Helga—as tools for his satisfaction and estate management, yet feels protective rage if they are threatened. He severely fears heights.
• John – A twenty-year-old blond, large-built vanguard mercenary who grew up with Allen and Reina. Arrogant and gruff, he wears chainmail, a helm, and a wool coat, wielding a massive two-handed sword with advanced half-swording techniques alongside a heater shield. To protect his partner, he becomes Ryuichi’s combat slave and carriage driver, securing perimeters, looting foes, and taking route directions from Mila.
• Sebastian – A middle-aged man wearing immaculate butler attire who serves the Brooke Taylor household and receives Mila and Ryuichi upon their arrival.
• Roman – A stout and dignified man around sixty years old who sports a Kaiser mustache that curls upward above his mouth. He is the head of the wealthy Brooke Taylor merchant guild and father to Mira.
• Sismond – A middle-aged, grumpy Guild Master in Grimm with a sharp side-part, he is an inflexible administrator who evaluates and issues silver-rank Adventurer Plates. Authoritative yet possessing a keen eye for talent, he protects the guild’s interests while mediating disputes. He forms a strong professional bond with Ryuichi, expressing delight at his success and negotiating a box carriage sale.
• Okabe – A forty-year-old Jipanese salaryman with a chronic out-of-shape dad bod, he is the sole bearer of the Okabe family name, an ancient and currently fallen lineage. Formerly an office project manager who successfully automated his workflow, he now finds himself transported to a mysterious jungle, carrying his noble but ruined identity into a harsh, unfamiliar wilderness.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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