How To Live As An Academy Extra Villain

Chapter 13 – The Rat and the Fur (2)

“Let’s do that, then, and see you tomorrow. You’ve all worked hard, hehe.”

The long meeting came to an end, and only my father, some of his vassals, and some commanders remained to continue planning the monster extermination. Only after the last commander had bowed to my father and turned to leave was I able to speak to him.

“Father.” 

“Edwin.” 

He looked back at me, then patted me on the shoulder with his right hand. 

“So, how did you like your first meeting? It wasn’t boring, was it?”

“Boring? No, I actually regret not coming in sooner. I resent the past few years I spent as a good-for-nothing.”

“Ha ha! Good-for-nothing, what!”

My father burst into laughter and ruffled my hair this time.

“Listen, young man, even the prestigious noble houses usually start participating in family affairs after graduating from the academy. Even I, at your age, was indulging in drinking and debauchery.”

My father? When I thought about the father I knew, it was hard to believe that story. Perhaps he was making up stories like this to console me.

“So you’re actually a little ahead of the curve. Don’t fret too much. What good will it do to regret the past?”

“I’ll keep that in mind. But more than that, father, will the monster extermination begin immediately from tomorrow?”

“Yes, that’s right. Although it may seem a bit rushed, considering the extent of the damage, it was a unanimous decision not to delay further. The fact that spring has come ten days early means that the monsters are breeding more offspring. The regions have agreed to provide food, medicine, and other supplies, and we only need to muster our own troops, which shouldn’t take too long. The Mage Corps and the Knight Order will each provide a third of their personnel.”

“Ratmen and goblins, that’s fine, but what about that troll?” 

“Well. They say there were footprints, but I don’t think they’re very credible; I doubt if any villager has ever actually seen a troll. I’ve only seen them myself on rare occasions when I went on expeditions to other kingdoms in the past, and the last time a troll was definitely seen in the south was 26 years ago, when your grandfather was still the Head of House Reed.

And it’s not uncommon for people to report what they think are the footprints of a giant monster after seeing marks like pressed stones or fallen trees. Of course, the same is true on our territory, and although the old mountain man claimed to have seen it clearly, he had already concluded in his mind that it was a troll, so how could he have checked it out soberly, with a confused head and a pounding heart?” 

Even as I thought about it, my father’s words seemed somewhat persuasive. After shrugging his shoulders for a moment, my father continued.

“Even so, there’s always a chance, so it’s important to be at least prepared. That’s why we’re sending the commanders this time. It’s usually enough for the captains to lead the extermination of lower-level monsters, but they said they’d come along since they were bored anyway. They must have been itching for some action.”

Father, I would like to join this extermination as well.” 

“…Are you sure about this, Edwin?”

“Why wouldn’t I be sure? Like you said, the chances of encountering a troll are infinitesimally small, and the commander of the Knight’s Order and the Mages Corp are both coming. I thought I could have a real battle without any worries.”

When I expressed my desire to go, my father made a grave expression. 

I needed experience. 

If I think about the future, I may have to kill countless monsters, demons, and even humans. 

But my values were not of this world, and Edwin — before I regained his memory — had no experience of killing anything; at best, he’d swatted a mosquito or watched a pig being slaughtered from a distance. 

He’ll get similar training when he returns to the Academy, but this was one of those things where the sooner you get used to it, the better. 

In that sense, participating in the extermination of human-shaped monsters such as goblins and ratmen was a great experience. 

If the first thing I have to kill is a human, it would be too cruel for me.

“…Hmm.” 

The father pondered for a moment, and then said as if he had made up his mind, “Okay, I guess your words make sense. Very well, I’ll allow you to accompany the extermination. But promise me this. Promise me that you will not get carried away. You must remember that this is your first real battle.” 

“I swear. I will just follow the soldiers around like a shadow.”

“What? Ha ha, kid!” 

My father laughed heartily, as if he understood that I was joking. Let’s just leave this conversation alone, and I decided to finally bring up the main point I wanted to talk about.

“Father, there’s something else I want to say.” 

“Go ahead.” 

“About the last item on the agenda of the meeting, the problem of oversupply of grain. I think I might be able to find a solution.”

“What?”

“I’m not sure. It’s from the stories I heard while living at the academy and on my way down. In any case, it would be good if there was a way to dispose of the wheat without throwing it away or selling it at a low price. After this extermination, I’ll go on a trip for about a week. It might take a little longer. I’ll take a look around the territory and look for the method I mentioned. Can you give me permission?”

When my father heard my words, he seemed to lose his composure for a moment, and he made a face of surprise and doubt.

Of course, I had heard the stories, but they were just made-up. I couldn’t explain my true plans to my father, and even if I fabricated a fake plan in great detail, he would likely find the flaws.

The best way I could think of at the moment was to just bluff and pray that my father’s infinite trust in me would be manifested.

“…Edwin.”

My father was now looking at me with a serious expression.

“I hope… the method you’re talking about isn’t something that involves the dark side, right? I don’t want you to put yourself in danger for something like that. It’s true that we’re losing money right now, but it’s not a crisis that will make our territory wobble. You don’t need to suffer for that little bit of wheat.”

My father seemed to think that I might be involved in something related to smuggling or the like.  And in fact, that’s a rational deduction. It’s true that there’s no other way to solve it with ordinary thinking.

The fact that the method I came up with could be even more dangerous was a secret I could never tell my father.

“Don’t worry.  I have no intention of getting involved in such matters. I was simply saying that I’ll confirm the possibility and come back. Moreover, it’s an issue that could potentially harm the family. If I were the head of the family, wouldn’t it be natural to investigate it thoroughly?”

“…If that’s the case, then fine. I’ll give you permission to go, do whatever you want, and come back.” 

When I made a bold statement, my father finally showed a slightly relieved expression; now that I have his permission, I could proceed with my plan without hesitation. 

The holy water I’ve requested from the church should arrive by the time I’m done with the extermination tomorrow. 

So far, everything seems to be going well. 

I hope it stays that way. 

***

“Young Master, don’t you think the horse is weighing himself down? He’s the biggest guy in the Order, and I’ve never seen him grovel like that before.” 

“Shut up, Laurel. Is it okay for the commander to chat like that during an extermination?”

“Ha ha, do you think there are monsters roaming around on this main road, especially at sunrise? If they were that stupid, they would have gone extinct long ago. Then we wouldn’t have to bother them.”

“That’s not what I’m saying… Ugh, forget it.”

Early the next morning, we’re traveling from the main castle to the assembly point. Next to me, the Knight’s Commander, Laurel Hart, had been talking incessantly for two hours

Laurel was a descendant of a fallen noble family. She was a wandering knight who caught my father’s eye and joined our family; and she quickly rose to the position of Knights’ Commander thanks to her abilities.

Add to that her striking, blonde hair, and a mature and alluring beauty, she was a well-known figure in our territory.

Despite her many virtues, Laurel had a notable flaw — her penchant for complaining and arguing.

“But young master, I heard you were suspended. What did you do at the academy to deserve such punishment? Did you flip the skirts of some pious maiden from the capital? And why is your face so pale? What kind of shock did you receive to change you from someone who had no interest in monster extermination to following it so eagerly? I’m so curious that I can’t help but ask. Can’t you just give me a satisfying answer?”

“For heaven’s sake, Laurel, I told you to shut it. Why on earth did Father appoint someone like you as the Knight Commander?”

Laurel’s sharp tongue was a testament to her tough and rugged life before she joined our family.

She didn’t discriminate by social status, and there had been more than a few occasions when her candid remarks had left gatherings in an icy silence, even at important meetings between families.

And even Edwin, the young master of the family she served, was not an exception to her.

Even in the days when Edwin was a scoundrel, Laurel would bombard him with her rough talk whenever she saw him.

Unlike others, Laurel didn’t back down, and to Edwin, she was nothing less than a formidable adversary.

It doesn’t seem to be much different even now that my memories have been restored.

(End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . . )

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