A mid-level (middle-aged) office worker's laid-back industrial revolution in another world - Chapter 120

Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse

Takeo and Alice arrived at the top of the castle gates.

A few men had taken up position there for a session of heavy drinking with a mock battle on the side. At this point, 6 barrels of liquor had been finished among them… As always! Drunkards!

“Alice. Takeo. You both deserve a rest after that,” said Grandpa Elvis.

“Nee-sama. Takeo-sama. Good job, both of you,” said Frederick.

“Lady Alice. Takeo-sama. Good job,” said Smith.

“Grandpa, Smith, Frederick – are you enjoying yourselves?” asked Alice.

“Elvis-san, Smith-bouchan, Frederick-san – thank you for watching,” said Takeo.

With that, everyone had exchanged their greetings and formalities.

“It looks like you all… are having fun,” Alice said, looking at the other four men cheerfully, but with a slight hint of “have you all had too much to drink?” in her expression.

“Yes,” said Smith, “We have fully enjoyed watching this mock battle between the two of you. I must add, Kitamizato-sama, you were excellent.”

“Hmm? It was a draw, you know?” asked Takeo.

“Well, what I mean is, that you proved that you could compete with Lady Alice… “Scarlet Alice”, that is. This is a great achievement,” said Smith.

“…? …We were just messing around. There’s no great achievement, here,” said Takeo.

“What!?” Smith and the four drinking buddies all cried out in surprise.

“…You call that just messing around?” asked Smith, in shock.

“We weren’t holding back with our fighting, but it’s not like we went all out like our lives were at stake… at least Lady Alice didn’t…” said Takeo.

“…Is that so…” said Smith.

“If we fought for real, I don’t think I would stand a chance,” said Takeo, smiling bitterly.

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“Do you have some time before the next large scale practice, today?” asked Grandpa Elvis.

“Yes. We will be returning to the mansion, now, so that Lady Alice may change out of her battle clothing,” said Takeo.

“Takeo-sama,” said Frederick.

“Yes, what is it?” asked Takeo.

“We have brought Lady Alice’s clothes here, with us,” said Frederick.

“Really? How thoughtful of you,” said Alice, surprised.

“Well then, Lady Alice, why don’t we get you changed into your everyday attire? Let’s go borrow a room in the army barracks,” said Takeo.

“Yes,” said Alice, lifting a box with a complete set of her clothes with ease. 

As Alice and Takeo were leaving, Alice said, “Takeo-sama, I can go by myself. Would you please wait for me here?”

“…As you wish…” said Takeo, in reluctant agreement, “Oh, and do you have your trenchcoat?”

Alice put down the box, and upon opening it, pulled out the trenchcoat.

“Yes, here it is,” she said, and handed it to Takeo.

“Alright, then. I’ll see you afterward,” said Takeo.

“Yes, see you then,” said Alice, lifting the box of clothes again and leaving the area above the castle gates.

“Rejected,” Grandpa Elvis said to Takeo.

“No, no, not just yet,” said Takeo, smiling bitterly.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]

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“Shopkeeper Taylor,” said Takeo

“Yes, yes, what is it?” asked Taylor.

“Were you watching?” asked Takeo

“Yes, from the very beginning,” said Taylor.

“Your assessment on the rifle, please,” said Takeo, at which Taylor perked up and took on a professional air. 

“…Yes, well then, with your permission, I shall give you my report,” said Taylor, “Regarding the power behind the rifle, Lady Alice’s full set of armor already had powerful magic applied to it in the first place, and with the added influence of her Odd Eye,  its effectiveness rose even further. The bullet you shot was deflected, but did you notice any external damage on her?”

“Lady Alice herself told me that her armor was very slightly dented,” said Takeo.

“I see… well then, if we converted the rifle’s efficacy to magical terms, it would have about upper-middle power, I would say,” said Taylor, “If a set of armor took the bullet without any magic applied to it, I believe it would either leave a large indentation or apply such a large impact as to blast it backward.”

“I see. I will verify your hypotheses with some shooting tests on Harold soon,” Takeo said, quite frighteningly.

“How was Lady Alice’s first hit on the rifle? It seemed to withstand the attack quite well, Kitamaizato-sama,” said Taylor.

“Take a look,” said Takeo, as he handed Taylor the rifle.

Taylor, along with a few others sneaking a peek, looked at the rifle in shock. The rifle that had been hit with Alice’s sword was badly dented.

“She broke through a shield, which dampened the blow, and still this is the result…” said Takeo.

“…She broke through?” asked Taylor.

“…I layered Shield x10, and yet she broke through them all.”

“What!?” Grandpa Elvis, Smith, and the 3 other drinking buddies cried out in surprise.

“Of course, if I didn’t resist the blow, and let the momentum of the sword hit the rifle back, it wouldn’t have taken this much damage,” Takeo said.

“…It seems to me that Lady Alice’s sword attack packs as much power as a large-scale magical attack,” said Taylor. Everyone but Takeo grimaced at the sheer implications.

“Ah, by the way,” said Takeo, “do you have a strengthening jewel with you now?” 

“Yes. I bought one before coming here,” said Taylor.

“Well then, would you please adjust Alice’s trenchcoat as you did my garments so that it too is continually strengthened?” asked Takeo.

“Yes, of course,” said Taylor, and took the trenchcoat from Takeo, and began his work at once.

“Takeo, you had adjustments like that done on your clothes?” asked Grandpa Elvis.

“Yes, before I took them off, I took an attack from Lady Alice’s sword on my arm, and I was able to withstand it because of the adjustment,” said Takeo.

“Ah, I see…” said Grandpa Elvis, “Ralph!”

“Yes, my lord!”

“When the three of us’s trenchcoats are finished, have Taylor apply his strengthening process at his store,” said Grandpa Elvis.

“Understood, my lord. I will bring them to Taylor in the afternoon, tomorrow,” said Ralph.

“I will be expecting them,” said Taylor, “The strengthening process itself is very quick, so I will have them all be ready by evening.” 

“Yes, please do,” said Grandpa Elvis.

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“I’m back,” said Alice, as she returned to the top of the castle gates in her everyday clothes.

“Welcome back, Lady Alice. Hmm? Where is the clothing box?” asked Takeo.

“I asked the soldiers of the 4th platoon to return them to the mansion along with my full armor,” said Alice.

“Understood,” said Takeo.

“Mmm. Takeo, what have you planned for the next large scale practice?” asked Grandpa Elvis.

“Ah, yes. I just spoke to Lloyd the knight and army commander about it. He supposed we should make ‘restraint by powerful magic’ the focus of this coming training session. On the other hand, I believe we should focus on ‘encounters with large-scale bandit groups during travel’,” said Takeo.

“I see. I suppose that is why Alice had to change into everyday clothes. And yet, what luxurious clothes this supposed bandit wears!” said Grandpa Elvis.

“Yes. Moving forward, I would like to travel with Lady Alice, as well. I wanted to motivate Lady Alice to travel with me, so I arranged this training session,” said Takeo.

“Hmm? I wouldn’t mind at all if you simply went on a trip together, you know?” said Grandpa Elvis.

“No, there is no way I could expect your sheltered daughter to fight on a trip… Well, I guess I could… Anyways, I’ve decided that we shouldn’t go on any trips if this training yields bad results,” said Takeo, smiling bitterly.

Alice stood at the ready and full of motivation, and said, “I’ll make this training session a success, for the right to travel with Takeo-sama!”[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]