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Kendama Again
The next morning. The Slowletts gather for breakfast. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「……Nord-tousan, you seem quite tired」
「It has been a while since I attended a gathering like that, it is exhausting」
Nord-tousan is basically a monster when you consider his stamina, but it seems like he exhausts both his stamina and mental energy intensely at an unfamiliar noble gathering.
Nord-tousan usually shows up sharply in the morning, but he looked a little haggard this morning.
Looking over to Sara - who is standing by near the wall -, I discover her letting out a small yawn.
When she realized I saw her, she looked down with her cheeks flushed, embarrassed.
「Elna surprisingly looks fine, eh?」
「That was because I was able to get a break in the middle」
Although Elna-kaasan said those things with a smile on her face, I could tell that she was keeping up her appearance because she was in front of Nord-tousan.
In reality, I’m sure she just wants to carelessly lie down on the sofa complaining about the tea party.
「So at what time did you two return yesterday?」
「About two hours after Al flew off to the dream world」
「Thank you for your hard work」
Meaning, they returned when it was nearing midnight.
Apparently, things progressed the way just as Mina and I imagined it to be.
If it’s a popular noble who rarely shows themselves in the royal capital, there’s no doubt people will want to talk with them or form connections while they are staying in the royal capital.
「Does it mean, you receive an invitation for a tea party or something else today?」
「「…………」」
When I tried asking that, Nord-tousan and Elna-kaasan fell quiet.
There seems to be a tea party or a social gathering judging from their expressions. How pitiful.
「Did Al manage to buy the souvenirs?」
Perhaps she thought talking about tea parties and parties in general were no fun, Elna-kaasan changed the topic. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Un. I was able to buy souvenirs for Eleonora-neesan and Sylvio-niisan」
「I am pretty sure that Lazur spices are quite expensive, right? Did you have enough money?」
「I bought them without a problem. I got a discount since I bought a lot」
「That’s good then」
Just that, I didn’t buy it in the Kingdom’s Lazur spice store but at the Lazur kingdom spice store.
Rassha gave me a small discount so I wasn’t lying.
As I pretended to be calm, Elna-kaasan stared at me.
……no way, did she become suspicious?
Learning from my previous experience, I properly apply sunscreen on myself so my skin doesn’t get sunburnt.
I immediately went to take a bath yesterday so I shouldn’t smell of spices or perfumed oil.
There should be no proof that I went to the Lazur kingdom.
「Say, Al.....」
「What?」
I somehow managed to stop my voice from cracking and calmly ask.
「……I wonder how much curry you can make with the spices you bought this time?」
I almost fell from Elna-kaasan's question.
Please don’t ask such a pointless question with such a serious expression on your face.
「Of course that depends on how many times we’re going to make the curry, but I think I will be able to keep making curry for three months if we eat curry with everyone in the family once a week」
「……so it can only last for three months」
「Isn’t that enough? Lazur spices are luxury goods after all」
Nord-tousan - who looked flustered - calmed down Elna-kaasan as she said that with a grim look.
Even with the enormous amount of income from the interest in things like spaghetti, reversi, shogi, spinning top, and table tennis, Nord-tousan’s sense of money is still at the level of commoners.
Though it would be bad if the whole family were to be honest with their desires I really want Nord-tousan to stay that way.
「We can just ask Lazareth-ojiichan to send it to us if it’s not enough」
It seems like he is making a decent amount of money from the sales of the spinning top I developed so he’s going to splurge if it’s his cute daughter and grandson’s request.
「Ah, speaking of ojiichan, we are going to ojiichan’s house tomorrow」
Maybe it’s because the topic of ojiichan came out that Elna-kaasan said that as if she just remembered.
The last time I visited was at the last Exchange Meeting so I guess it’s been a year already.
「So keep your schedule tomorrow free, alright?」
As I silently reflected deeply, Elna-kaasan sharply warned, perhaps she thought I was thinking something disturbing. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「I’ll make sure to be free」
「All right」
When I properly replied, Elna-kaasan nodded as if satisfied with my answer.
●
After seeing off Nord-tousan and Elna-kaasan who headed for the tea party, I was once again left alone in the Misfid house mansion.
I was able to play willfully by myself yesterday, but it was a tough schedule one way or another.
It was mainly because of Salva it got so tough, but it is a fact that I was mentally and physically tired.
「Let’s relax at the Misfid house mansion」
It’s best to comfortably stay indoors after having fun outside the day before.
When I was about to go back to sleep after deciding my plan for the day, Loretta came walking towards me.
「Alfried-sama, you have a guest please come to the recreation room」
A guest? Unfortunately, I have barely any acquaintances in the royal capital.
「Eeh? Is it Gregor?」
「No, it is Alicia-sama」
Why would such an important noble come visiting one after another? Oh well, it’s called the royal capital for a reason. I wonder what on earth made her come this time.
「I feel like relaxing in my room today though……」
「Do you think you can do so?」
I can’t, huh.
「……I’ll go there right away」
The Ringrande house is one of the few Duke houses. A trivial Baron family will have no choice but to come if they call for us.
Loretta guided me toward the recreation room on the third floor.
When she knocked on the door, Ra-chan’s lively voice replied from inside.
Inside the recreation room, Alicia and Ra-chan were sitting comfortably on the sofa.
Behind Alicia is her servant Lim who is on stand-by, who is also suppressing her sense of presence today.
We also have a recreation room back in our mansion, but the Misfid house’s recreation room is something else entirely. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
If Eleonora-neesan were to see such a large room she would say something like 「You can practice swordsmanship here!」.
「It’s been a while……or so I would like to say, but it doesn’t feel that long does it?」
Perhaps she’s not fully satisfied with what she said, Alicia corrected herself while tilting her head slightly to the side.
「You just came to our mansion to play a while ago after all」
It’s not too long ago since Alicia stayed in our mansion, but the events at that time felt so strong inside that they left such an impression even though I felt like it wasn’t that long ago.
「Have you been well since then?」
「Yes, it has been the same as usual since I returned, it is boring」
How enviable. I want a more boring and slow-paced life, but I can’t seem to obtain it.
「Al is......ufufu, it was really a disaster, wasn’t it」
I guess she already knew the reason we came to the royal capital since Alicia covered her mouth and chuckled as if she just recalled something.
「Hey, just how widespread has the rumor gotten?」
Even if I take a step back and concede that I was in the wrong, it would be fine for me but it would be too sad for Ra-chan.
It seems like the sense of virtue for noble women in this world is much more important than I imagine.
「Please don’t worry. I am the only one who knows」
「I, I see……」
The Misfid house is also unwilling for the scandal to spread and the magic tool given to me is also considered hush money. And we won’t spread it around either.
Even so, how could the Ringrande know about it.
Although it’s a problem that you can’t feel at ease about, Alicia likes Ra-chan so she probably won’t go around spreading anything that would harm her reputation.
「I could tell from your relaxed expression that the problem was solved, right?」
「It was a misunderstanding after all」
Err, this is my normal expression you know.
In any case, I could understand the meaning of what Alicia was trying to say let’s ignore it. She doesn’t mean any harm. It’s just the nuance.
「What is Alicia here for today?」
「I heard that Al was coming to Ra-chan’s mansion to play so I came 」
「She came here to play kendama!」
Ra-chan told me after Alicia gracefully answered the question.
As expected it looks like she got a little embarrassed since she’s blushing.
「Come to think of it, you also got addicted to kendama after playing it back in my mansion」
「Yes, I’ve been practicing a lot since that time」
After clearing her throat as if to collect herself, Alicia took out a kendama from her pocket.
「Take a look」
Alicia stood up in front of the sofa with a serious expression on her face, lowered her hips firmly, and used the motion from standing up to swing the kendama.....but the ball didn’t land on the tip.
「A, eh? It usually went well though……」
「It’s fine. You just got nervous in front of others」
Alicia tilts her head slightly to the side and tries again. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
The second time, the ball was repelled by the tip, but Alicia succeeded on her third attempt.
「Ooh. amazing!」
「Now Alicia can do it too!」
「Indeed. I just made a mistake earlier, but I’m usually able to do it consistently」
When Ra-chan and I honestly praised her, Alicia - who had been looking dissatisfied - brightened up in an instant.
I don’t know what she’s thinking normally, but she showed an expression appropriate for her age when she’s playing a game.
「Then, let’s try the candle trick next」
「Candle trick?」 1
「It’s a trick where you hold the tip and place the ball on the base dish」
In kendama, the part that corresponds to the metal part of a hammer is called the big dish, the small dish opposite of that is the small dish, and the part at the bottom when the main body turned upside down is called the base dish.
I explained and held the tip of the kendama with my fingers, raised the ball straight up and placed the ball on the base dish.
「This is a candle」
「Eh? Could you please do it once more?」
It seems like Alicia couldn’t understand it so I showed her the candle trick once more. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Eh? Kendama, it’s not just a game about inserting the ball to the tip?」
「It’s not. It’s a toy that uses its various parts like the big dish, small dish, and base dish to develop different tricks and to compete with others」
「I, is that so……」
I don’t think a toy where you can only perform a Tomeken your whole life is interesting. 2
「I also want to tryー!」
「Sure. Let’s have everyone try」
Apparently, she had brought extra kendama for us as Lim politely hand us kendamas.
She’s really enthusiastic to play kendama.
「You hold it here and……like this?」
After Ra-chan casually held the handle, she directly flung the ball up and placed it on the base dish.
「Eh, amazing! Ra-chan, you succeeded on your first try!」
「Ehehe」
Ra-chan grins.
She also succeeded on her first try when I showed her Tomeken back in our mansion so maybe Ra-chan has a talent in kendama. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Then, me too」
Giving a sidelong glance at Ra-chan who succeeded on her first try, Alicia also tried challenging the candle trick.
However, her ball didn’t go flying straight up but bounced hard after hitting the base dish.
「One more time!」
She tried the second, third, and fourth time, but Alicia couldn’t successfully do the candle trick.
Next to her, Ra-chan managed to do the candle trick on her second, third, and fourth try.
Alicia - who couldn’t get the hand of it after many tries - and Ra-chan - who grasped it effortlessly - made for a striking contrast.
「Are you alright? Alicia, do you understand?」
「Y, yes. No problem. I should be able to do it with a little practice」
Even though Alicia is usually the oneesan, when it comes to kendama their relationship is reversed, it’s interesting.
「Al, is there another interesting trick?」
「Then, let’s try a little more difficult trick now」
「Un!」
This time, I started by holding the ball and left the handle hanging down.
I pull the handle towards me, do a half-turn, and then stab the ball to the sword.
Even though this is a beginner-level trick in kendama, it’s a little difficult and is called 『Airplane』.3
「Waa, you're swinging the handle, not the ball!」
「Un. It’s called 『Sword Swing』, do you think you can do it?」
「I’ll try!」
Since there are no airplanes in this world, I named the trick with an easy-to-understand name.
Ra-chan grabbed the ball with her small hand and pulled the sword toward her, and turning it around.
Her eyes were firmly fixed on the tip of the sword part and she lowered herself to absorb the impact.
The tip of the sword spun around and firmly stabbed into the ball Ra-chan held. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Amazing! You also succeeded in one try!」
「Ehehe, I’m amazing?」
「Un, very amazing!」
For people with good sense, succeeding in doing Tomeken and candle trick in one try is possible, but there might not be many who can succeed in Sword Swing in one try.
As expected, Ra-chan has a talent for kendama.
「Eh? Hold the ball in your hand and swing the sword part?」
「Like this!」
In front of the puzzled Alicia, Ra-chan succeeded in doing Sword Swing.
It’s the sight of a young girl who mastered it as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
「……I’ll give it a try」
Perhaps influenced by Ra-chan, Alicia tries the Sword Swing trick.
I think it would be a difficult technique for Alicia - who can’t even do the candle trick - but she’s free to try and I’ll just watch over her without saying anything.
Alicia took the ball in her hand and carefully pull the handle towards her and swung it.
The sword part soars, drawing a beautiful arc.
Before long, it was pulled by gravity, and the sword part fell downward and continue falling――and stabbed Alicia’s finger.
「It hurts!」
「Ojousama, are you all right?」
「Ye, yes. I’m fine」
I guess she swung the handle with more strength than she intended since the energy of the fall was concentrated on the tip of the sword. She’s trying to sound tough but that looks painful.
「Alicia, is really clumsy after all?」
「……no, it is just that the two of you have outstanding talent for playing, while ojousama should be.....very skillful and capable 」
The maid Lim answers Ra-chan’s candid comment with a complicated look on her face.
She seems to be a perfect young lady famed for her attractive features and figures, accomplished in both military and literary arts, but from our perspective, she is just someone who shows odd interest in unusual toys only to fail every time she tries. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
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TL Note :
1. Candlestick, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k182pcI5yR8
2. Tomeken is the one that Alicia is finally able to do. Ball to the tip/sharp point.
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dR9hG39zh0
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Thanks for the chapter!! 😉
ReplyDeleteAnd for the links too 😁👍
I could see now why the swing trick hurts 🥲
👍
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