New chapter of Single Old Man is out! (2/2 chapters)

 

 

The Hot Spring Town of Leredore

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

On the following day.

As we departed from the inn and were attaching the cart to Hikoroku, a single carriage approached. There were two men seated upon the driver’s bench. I thought that they seemed familiar, when suddenly the window of the carriage opened, and Verde’s face peered out.

“Ladies and gentlemen, a good day to you all.” (Verde)

“How noisy… Hey, do not subject us to that piercing voice of yours from morning. It is intolerably loud.” (Rosso)

“What do you mean by piercing voice? At the noble song gatherings, I was called a ‘beautiful voice’.” (Verde)

“I could not care less… Hey Ossan, are you truly going to travel together with Verde?” (Rosso)

Rosso spoke with a slightly exasperated tone.

“Well, it should be fine. It is not as if we are enemies.” (Gentoku)

“As expected of Gentoku. Fufu, that being the case, I look forward to your company, Rosso.” (Verde)

“Muu, well fine then. Let us depart.” (Rosso)

Once we boarded the carriage, Verde intruded and came into ours.

“Say, allow me to ride with you as well. Let us converse together on the way.” (Verde)

“Ehh…” (Rosso, Blanche, Ao)

“Th-there is no need for such expressions. Is that not so, Gentoku?” (Verde)

“Ahh, well, I suppose that is fine. Here, I shall prepare coffee.” (Gentoku)

The carriage began to move.

I ground the beans with a coffee mill and brewed the coffee with my handmade set.

The number was two, mine and Blanche’s share. For Rosso and Ao, there was fruit juice, and for Verde–…

“What is that?” (Verde)

“It is a beverage known as coffee. It is bitter but delicious.” (Gentoku)

“Ufufu, it seems to be an adult’s taste.” (Blanche)

“An adult’s taste… That sounds wonderful. Please give me that as well.” (Verde)

“Oji-sama, in mine I request milk and sugar.” (Blanche)

“Very well. Rosso, Ao, here is fruit juice. Take it.” (Gentoku)

“Thank you.” (Ao)

“Thanks Ossan. Mmm, tasty.” (Rosso)

Ao and Rosso gulped down their fruit juice.

I brewed the coffee and added milk and sugar into Blanche’s share. Blanche enjoyed alternating between drinking it black, with milk, or with sugar. Before I knew it, she had become quite the connoisseur.

“Verde, would you like me to add milk and sugar into yours?” (Gentoku)

“Uh…” (Verde)

At that moment, Rosso smirked.

“If you claim to be an adult, then you must not add milk or sugar, and instead savor the flavor as it is.” (Rosso)

“…Without, if you please.” (Verde)

“Wait, Rosso… Well, very well then.” (Gentoku)

I placed the black coffee before Verde, and she furrowed her brows.

“Pitch black… What is this?” (Verde)

“It is coffee. It is delicious.” (Gentoku)

I drank the black coffee.

Ahh, this bitterness is truly indescribable.

Verde stared intently at Blanche’s café au lait, then glanced at my black coffee. At last, she steeled herself and drank it all at once.

“Bfffoaaaaaa!?” (Verde)

“Ugehh, filthy!! So filthy!!” (Rosso)

Verde spat it out grandly, and the expelled coffee struck Rosso directly in the face. Blanche and Ao, perhaps anticipating this outcome, had already moved to the corner without my noticing. Incidentally, I was also struck.

“Verde!! Are you truly mocking me!? That is utterly filthy!!” (Rosso)

“Ueehh… Wh-what is this!? Rosso!! You deceived me, did you not!? What adult taste!? Lies!!” (Verde)

The two glared at each other, both covered in coffee. Ahh, so it came to this after all.

Ao handed me a rag and spoke quietly.

“Oji-san, you must take responsibility.” (Ao)

“…Ahh, yes, indeed.” (Gentoku)

Thus, I took the rag in hand to clean up the coffee.

 

—

 

That night.

We made camp by the riverbank. Rosso quarreled with Verde while they went to bathe in the river. Blanche and Ao accompanied them. As a result, the ones who remained were me and Verde’s two retainers. Now that I thought of it, I had not yet introduced myself.

I approached the two men as they prepared the tents.

“Um, can I assist with anything?” (Gentoku)

“No, do not concern yourself.” (Schwan)

“Yes, please do not trouble yourself with this matter.” (Miles)

One was a man with long hair tied back, wearing sunglasses, and the other was an elderly man with white hair.

I spoke to them.

“Now that I think about it, I have not properly greeted you. I am Gentoku, a magical tool technician.” (Gentoku)

“I am Schwan, protector of the Ojou-sama.” (Schwan)

“My name is Miles. I serve as both protector and attendant of the Ojousama.” (Miles)

So, the younger man is Schwan, and the elderly one is Miles.

I offered a suggestion to the two.

“Let us all share supper together. Tonight, I intend to prepare hot sandwiches, so I would like your assistance.” (Gentoku)

“…Very well, then let us dine together.” (Miles)

“Indeed. If there is anything we can help with, say so.” (Schwan)

This evening, we would make hot sandwiches.

Why hot sandwiches? Of course, because I wish to test the ‘hot sandwich maker’ I had created. I had made it as camping gear, but we had not used it during the previous camp. That is why I have brought it along to test it this time.

“That is… not a frying pan. It has quite a peculiar shape.” (Miles)

Miles observed the hot sandwich maker with curiosity.

I cut bread I had purchased in the mining town, placed cheese and bacon between, and closed the hot sandwich maker by bringing the two sides together.

“By doing this, I can bake both sides at once…” (Gentoku)

After holding it over the fire for a while, I opened the hot sandwich maker.

Yes, it looks splendid.

“Ohh, marvelous.” (Schwan)

“Now, please cut this and arrange it upon a plate. I shall bake more.” (Gentoku)

“Very well, leave the cutting to me.” (Miles)

Leaving the cutting to Miles, I handed another hot sandwich maker to Schwan.

As each of us prepared ingredients and cooked, I posed a question.

“Have you been with Verde for long?” (Gentoku)

“Well, about 10 years.” (Schwan)

“I have been with Ojousama since the time of her birth.” (Miles)

“Now that you mention it… Verde was originally a noble, was she not?” (Gentoku)

“Formerly. She is now but a commoner adventurer.” (Schwan)

Verde had said this cheerfully. Miles nodded in agreement.

“Ojou-sama has endured many hardships… A broken engagement, expulsion from her household. However, owing to her exceptional mana and her talent in wind magic, she ascended to the peak of adventurers, the Arc-en-Ciel.” (Miles)

“She is truly remarkable. She is still only around 17, is she not?” (Gentoku)

“Yes… It appears that she and the members of Scarlet Camellia do not see eye to eye, but I believe that if Ojou-sama could be more honest, she would certainly become both a good friend and a worthy rival to them.” (Miles)

Miles’s knife halted. Schwan also seemed to be pondering something.

“Say, why is it that she quarrels so constantly with Rosso and the others?” (Gentoku)

“It is all due to Ojou-sama’s faults. She sometimes behaves in a manner that flaunts hierarchy to those she meets for the first time. Because of that, she and Rosso quarreled terribly… To the extent that the adventurers’ guild building was destroyed.” (Schwan)

“…Seriously?” (Gentoku)

“There were even injuries, and for a time there was talk of revoking her adventurer license. However, because both had great achievements, they paid reparations for the guild building and covered the medical expenses of the injured, so it was somehow settled.” (Schwan)

“The cause was Ojou-sama. She said something that insulted Rosso’s companions, Blanche and Ao, which made Rosso furious.” (Miles)

“Ahh…” (Gentoku)

Well, Rosso would indeed lose her temper over that. Blanche and Ao are dear companions. Any insult to one of the three would have enraged the others.

“At present they continue in this half-hearted relationship… However, Ojou-sama has not offered a proper apology. Because of her nature, she may be unable to lower her head before Rosso and her companions, or perhaps she wishes to apologize but does not know how… ” (Miles)

“I believe Rosso and the others have not forgiven her. Perhaps they are waiting for her apology, or perhaps they simply wish no involvement. Yet Ojou-sama still wishes to become their friend and to adventure alongside them.” (Schwan)

“I see…” (Gentoku)

Rosso and her companions were now admired as exemplary adventurers, but Verde was not greatly respected. Because of her past misdeeds, many avoided her.

The two retainers believed that for Verde to truly begin anew, she must take responsibility and make amends.

“I desire for Ojou-sama to properly apologize.” (Schwan)

“I feel the same. However… Ojou-sama always hesitates. She speaks words that she does not mean, leaves her relationship with Rosso in a muddled state, and regrets it afterward.” (Miles)

“…” (Gentoku)

Verde surely did wish to apologize properly.

I resolved that I would attempt to speak with Verde about this matter that very night.

 

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(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)