Kuro no Hiera Glaphicos Vol 2 Prologue

Marriage Hunting’s Advice

Due to lead being inserted into the iron wick that coursed through its centre, the bokken became slightly heavier than Jakieruka (ジャギエルカ, his sword’s name). If he couldn’t swing this for dozens of minutes and still remain fine, then he was totally unsuitable for actual combat.

The colleagues from his Seal Chivalric Order’s (Furigana: タンプリエス⋅アイギエス) days didn’t take such training very seriously. Hence for better or worse, it was the only time for Dimitar, who was completely isolated from that group, to train alone quietly.

If he was to be evaluated now, he’d have a childish rebellious spirit. However, the Dimitar from those days would swing his sword earnestly, sacrifice sleeping time to study magic and read to increase his knowledge, as he wholeheartedly didn’t want to lose to the surrounding n.o.bles who only have their high pride. Eventually, that endeavour wasn’t useful in aiming for the top of the Chivalric Order, but instead became a great weapon in his life as a crest officer.

However, this weapon rusts very easily.

Therefore, Dimitar would polish it whenever he was free.

In the inn’s back yard, he was continuing his practice that looked simple from a third person’s view and the landlord’s daughter was grumbling imprudently at such Dimitar.

「&h.e.l.lip;How can you swing that thing day after day without getting bored of it?」

(TN: Mercier’s p.r.o.nunciation is slightly off, so some words are misspelled intentionally.)

Stepping on a stool to air the washed clothes, Mercier (メルシェ) looked at Dimitar and mixed in a sigh.

「You aren’t a child. I don’t understand why Dimi-shan who is old enough to know better would amuse yourself with swordplay」

「That’s because it’s a world unrelated to you. It’s fine to not know anything」

Mercier was still seven years old; hence she didn’t know what kind of work Dimitar did. Simply put, even if she saw him practising with the sword like this, she might never have thought that it was a necessary training for his work.

Therefore, Dimitar permitted the girl’s cheeky speech and conduct. Besides, if he was untactful and angered her, it was likely that he would have to air the remaining washed clothes by himself. At any rate, the washed clothes which the perspiring girl was airing included Dimitar’s too.

「—About that, Dimi-san isn’t wandering from place to place, so won’t it be better for you to get your hands on some jobs?」

Unaware of Dimitar’s open-mindedness, the blameworthy and smooth-tongued girl said things at her own convenience.

「If not, you won’t be able to marry even if you want to. Why not take the son of the bakery across the street as your bride? He’s eighteen」

「Is that so?&h.e.l.lip;However, if I were to get married, then I can’t stay in this inn anymore. I’ll have to rent and move into a house somewhere else」

「&h.e.l.lip;In that case, that’ll be troubling」

Mercier who had almost finished airing the clothes dried her hands on her ap.r.o.n and murmured.

「If Dimi-san isn’t here, the income from the rent will decrease」

「Rather than decrease, there’ll be none right?」

Mercier’s house was both an inn and a bar, but for these several years, Dimitar was the only lodger. It was uncertain if something was wrong, thus it didn’t accommodate tenants; if the bar where vulgar men gathered was kept at a distance, it might be unthinkable that someone lived here (inn).

「Anyway, if that’s case, it’s better if I don’t marry」

「That makes sense&h.e.l.lip;come to think of it, Otou-san always say being single makes him feel at ease」

「The problem’s solved then」

「Everything ends well I guess」

Mercier readily changed her opinion and started walking to the main building while holding the empty pail in her arms. The praiseworthy girl, who lost her mother early and had a.s.sisted her father since she was a child, seemed just a little weak-willed.

「&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;」

After moving his body for another five minutes, Dimitar finally lowered the sword.

Dimitar had been free ever since returning from the mission in Seriba a few days ago. While restoring and recovering his magic crests (Furigana: ヒエラテイカ), unless Valeria was designated for the next mission, it was natural that the turn of Dimitar who was her exclusive crest officer wouldn’t come along.

As a matter of fact, since Valeria’s achievement of suppressing Seriba’s insurrection together with the on-site garrisoned troops was highly evaluated, Dimitar’s reputation also rose.

However, it was still insufficient. Unless he accomplished more merits and gained the surrounding people’s recognition, he wouldn’t be of use to Lucius and company in a truest meaning.

Therefore, in such times like these—he concluded that he shouldn’t let them go to waste —yet Dimitar was feeling impatient.

Leaning on the bokken that was thrust into the ground, Dimitar was arranging his breathing while wiping off his sweat when he suddenly felt an undivided gaze on him and turned around.

「Dimitar-san, Dimitar-saan!」

From the arched back gate’s shadow, a short but wide figure with a mantle pulled over her head stretched out a pink hand creakily towards Dimitar and beckoned him over.

「&h.e.l.lip;Are you always in this get-up?」

Dimitar accommodated Bettina with an amazed expression.

「I know that your appearance is conspicuous, hence you wear that mantle, but won’t it be better to just take off Bachu (バチュ, Bettina’s armour’s name) somehow in the first place?」

「I, I was in a rush!」

「What’s the matter?」

「O, Oji-sama! Oji-sama was!」

「&h.e.l.lip;Chief Engineer (Furigana: マエストウー ル)?」

「He, he was abruptly taken away by people from the castle!」

「———」

Brushing up his forelocks that were damp with sweat, Dimitar closed his eyes partly.

End of Prologue