A mid-level (middle-aged) office worker's laid-back industrial revolution in another world - Chapter 81

Translator: Shaini | Editor: Darling

“Well, I’m fine with whichever rank.”

“No, it’s not fine!”

Alice protested.

“Eh? But I plan to be by your side at all times Lady Alice so I thought that it wasn’t really important….”

“Uhh……….if you put it like that then I can’t really say anything…………..are you teasing me?”

“Ah, you figured it out?”

“Sir Takeo!”

Alice protested with a red face.

“Haha, well isn’t it good?

Since it’s important let’s decide it again.”

“Uuu…..”

Alice glared in protest.

“After that, I went to the soldier station and had a chat with the soldier chief and platoon leaders. At that time I also told them about the trench coat and the subsidy of 2 golds per coat. I informed them that the method of payment could be done in either 1 single payment, 4 installments, or 8 installments. The other details will be decided at the meeting at the tailor shop tomorrow.”

“Hmm, that’s good.”

“Thank you.”

“So Platoon leader North saw the ring on my finger and that’s how the exercises began.”

“Ahh………as expected.”

“Yes, it was as I had assumed.”

Grandpa Elvis and Takeo smiled.

“? Sir Takeo, did you think things through till there?

You thought that that would happen?”

Alice asked.

“Yes, after all, I’m also a man. I understand his feelings.

I did expect that to happen.”

“I don’t understand?”

Alice asked with a confused expression. Her face seemed to ask ‘what feelings?’.

Smith didn’t seem to understand either.

“…………….Do you want to know?”

“Yes.”

They said.

“I don’t want to say it.”

Takeo refused.

“Why!?”

They asked in protest.

“…………….”

Grandpa Elvis, Takeo, and Fredrick had a strange expression.

“Eh? Is it something that you cannot say?”

“No. I can say it but I don’t want to.”

That was all that Takeo could say.

“Even though it’s become even more confusing?”

“It’s not something that you need to know Lady Alice.”

Grandpa Elvis and Fredrick nodded at Takeo’s words.

“Uuu…..

Ah? Something that I don’t need to know………..then how about Smith?”

“………..Young master Smith will experience it sooner or later.”

Grandpa Elvis and Fredrick nodded at Takeo’s words.

“Eh? I’ll experience it as well?”

“Well, sooner or later.

………….We deviated from the story.

So where were we?………..

Ah, at the start of the battle.

The first 2 fights were 1 x 1, then 2 x 1, 3 x 1, 4 x 1 and then finally 5 x 1.

I defeated maybe………8 or…………9?”

“Sir Takeo…………the calculations don’t match?”

“No. For example, I were to defeat 2 out of 3 attackers and you add one to that then it becomes 3 again……….the opponents overlapped.”

“Uwahh, that sounds tough.”

Smith sympathized with him.

“Yes. Well, I kept restoring my strength so I was fine but I couldn’t think of any other tactics.

I was only thinking that I needed some range attacks.”

Takeo smiled.

“Hm, I see.

Were the opponents regular soldiers?”

“I don’t know whether they were regular soldiers or not but I defeated at least 5 platoon leaders.”

“HA?”

“Eh? Because I defeated the 1st and 2nd platoon leaders and 3 platoon leaders from number 3 to 6.”

Takeo counted on his fingers.

“…………..Takeo…..you don’t know martial arts right?”

“Not even a bit.”

“How did you do it then?”

“Basically I blocked their swords with [Shield] and then hit their open abdomens with [Exxs]?”

“…………..”

Everyone was silent.

“Eh? Was that wrong?”

“No………….that’s not the case.

That tactic is easy to think of.

But extending your hand out to an opponent who is swinging a sword is…………if you were to make a mistake……..it’s really really scary right?”

“No, I tested the strength of the [Shield] in the 1st one on one fight so I dealt using that. 

More than scared I was desperate to do something.”

“………..You can turn swiftly right?”

“Basically I was thinking about it since yesterday.

But I knew that I can’t take on multiple attackers.

It’s like the manager of the magic goods store mentioned, I can’t become a soldier.”

Takeo smiled.

“Anyway, it seems that you can protect yourself.”

“Yes, seems to be so for now.”

“So Lady Alice appeared when my fight against 5 of them started and I defeated 1 of them.”

“Ahh…………Alice invaded the place……..”

“……..Grandfather……saying ‘invaded’ is……….going a little………too far.”

Grandpa Elvis remembered the Alice that left the mansion at that time and darkened.

According to Takeo’s story earlier, he wasn’t the one being bullied but he was able to handle them. Alice felt embarrassed.

“Hn? Well, according to the spectators it might have seemed that way.”

“Ta…………..Sir Takeo………”

Alice appealed to him with teary eyes. “Don’t hit out at me.”

“Lady Alice’s appearance was really cool.”

Takeo smiled and said.

“Eh? Sir Takeo? You weren’t frightened?”

“Why is it necessary for me to get frightened?”

“No………..because…………it was in the way of your fight.”

“Not at all. In fact, I’m grateful.

For me, you came at a very good time.

It would have been too much for me to be up against 5 people. I was prepared to be defeated.

I came to love Lady Alice some more I think?”

“Uuu……..Sir Takeo, thank you.”

Alice said that as a half-apology and half gratitude.