A mid-level (middle-aged) office worker's laid-back industrial revolution in another world - Chapter 117

Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse

Above the castle gates, a number of men had taken their places to await the start of the mock battle. At this point, one cask of wine had already been spent between them.

“Hmm… Takeo’s taking this seriously,” Grandpa Elvis muttered.

“Yes, the intensity in his eyes is quite evident,” answered Smith.

“Hm, and Takeo had said that he had no knowledge of how to do battle?” asked Grandpa Elvis.

“Yes,” answered Frederick, “He said that in front of everyone, including me.”

“And yet, he possesses this intensity… How has he trained it, then? An average soldier would need a lot of time in training to reach that state of mind, I think,” said Grandpa Elvis.

“He must have experience with holding great responsibility…” answered Frederick, “Alice may be in a dangerous spot, here.”

“Huh? Are you saying elder sister may lose? Even with her demon eyes?”

“…Yes. Takeo doesn’t even consider the demon eyes to be very powerful,” Grandpa Elvis said.

“What???” The tailor, the magical goods shopkeeper, the produce vendor, and the liquor vendor all shouted in surprise at once.

“Hmm? What? You’re all so shocked,” Grandpa Elvis said.

“Kitamizato-sama doesn’t believe the lady’s gift to be powerful?” asked Ralph the tailor.

“Yes, he certainly seemed to say something along those lines, didn’t he?” said Grandpa Elvis.

“Yes. To be precise, he said, ‘The intimidation and influence they hold are brutal, but that’s about all.’” Fredrick said, and all four old men fell speechless.

“Yes.”

“…Well, he is the lady’s fiancee, after all…” mumbled the produce seller.

“Hmm? You knew about that?”

“Yes, during the last practice, we realized it, and Kitamizato-sama confessed it, himself,” said Taylor of the magical goods store.

“I see… how many people know?”

“Well the four people here, and… about half the city, I suppose?”

“I see word travels quickly. Ah! It looks like it’s about to begin.”

The men turned their attention to watching the mock battle.

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With Harold’s signal, “Begin!” Takeo immediately activated “Aqua x5, Ex x5, Frost x5” on the ground between himself and Alice. Concealing his body, he crouched down and got into position to fire his rifle. As the mist cleared quickly, he saw Alice on her guard, aimed for her left thigh, and fired.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]

As the shot rang out, a metallic sound of deflection also sounded, and Takeo thought, “Ah man, deflected after all.”

Then, as Alice’s look of astonishment changed to one of rage, the intensity level exuding her body changed, as well.

It was overwhelming to Takeo, and it felt as if someone was holding his body down. Takeo was trembling unconsciously. It was unclear whether this was due to fear or just pure adrenaline…

“So these are the… demon eyes…” Takeo mumbled, and at the same time, Alice dashed in towards his left side. She was fast… But he could still track her.

Takeo remained crouching and holding both ends of the rifle, he held it across his left side as Alice came in brandishing a wooden sword.

“Shield x10 in front of the rifle,” Takeo activated, and this received Alice’s sword attack and stopped it… or it should have. 

A shattering sound rang out followed by something hard-hitting home on the rifle and pushing down on it. Takeo, in a slight panic, activated “Protes x15” on his rifle, and grunted while gritting his teeth, holding back the sword.

Then, Alice looking surprised, broke away from the attack. She put some distance between herself and Takeo.

Takeo stood up and checked on how Alice was acting.

Takeo wasn’t showing it in his face, but he was shocked that she had destroyed an activated “Shield x10”.

Takeo began to wonder, “…What am I supposed to do against that…”

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Alice thought that since Takeo had conjured the mist, he would use it to charge through at her unseen. However, the moment the mist cleared, she saw him crouching with a rifle at the ready.

“Oh, no!” Alice thought, panicking.

“I already knew he wouldn’t clash swords with me, too!” she thought, but Takeo quickly pulled the trigger, and as the shot rang out, the bullet hit her left thigh… but, a sound like metal hitting metal rang out, and the bullet deflected. At the spot where the bullet hit, there was a small indent.

“Takeo-sama is serious… This is bad!” thought Alice, and changed her attitude. Her flippant attitude from a moment was gone. She accepted the fact that she had to commit to a serious fight, or she would lose. As she accepted this fact, she felt like her body grew lighter than it had been thus far. Then, she started a dash to close the distance to Takeo so she could slash at him.

Takeo was still crouching, in the firing position.

“…If I mow him down from the right, I’ll blast him away!” Alice thought, and as she readied her sword, Takeo held up his rifle like a shield.

Alice swung at the rifle, intent on blasting it away. Then, the sound of something giving out beneath her sword, and then hitting home on Takeo’s rifle. Yet, the first thing she had hit and broken through seemed to have absorbed most of the power of her hit, and Takeo had not been blasted away as Alice had hoped.

She decided that it would be best to stop for a moment, put some distance between her and Takeo, and watch how he reacts.

Takeo stood up, but as usual, she couldn’t read his feelings through his facial expression.

Now that there was some distance between them, Alice went back to thinking. He was able to stop her sword attack even when she had expected to blast him away.

…Alice began to wonder, “…What am I supposed to do against that…”

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“OHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” the crowd cheered with raised voices.  However, the two of them could not hear any of it.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]