Published at 18th of January 2020 11:59 am

Chapter 8, Idle talk 2 [8-1] Mark-kun, doing his best. 2

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Tl: Jun

ED: Jun

AN: [8-1] means it happened during chapter 8 part1

——————————————————–

A clanging noise of wood striking each other resounded.

The pioneer land on an early morning.

There was a group of people performing training by using wooden swords.

“That’s right boy, kind of like that. Don’t lie in wait, make use of your feet”

The early morning training that the four of the former third rank adventurer party carried out. They continued after migrating to the pioneer land and now the dogkin Mark has joined in. Yuuji had gone to the city so he was absent, but Yuuji usually joined in as well.

Mark had his hands on his knees and was breathing roughly. The training that the retired but top class adventurers carry out was intense to the thirteen years old him, whose body still wasn’t ready.

“What’s wrong Mark, done already!? I don’t remember raising that kind of child!”

The voice of Mark’s father, Yuuji’s slave dogkin Marcel, resounded from the shade of a tree. Why he was under the shade of a tree was a mystery. Did he want to watch over him from the shades or assist him? What he meant to do eludes us.

Besides him was the figure of Mark’s mother, the catkin Nina. She sometimes participates in the training with a bow, but today she seems to have decided to watch over him. She was a whimsy woman. Since she is a cat. No, she is a catkin though.

“One more time please!”

Mark raised his face and called out to the former adventurer’s party leader with undoubtedly sharp eyes. It was an awe-inspiring appearance. But then again, his appearance was that of a bipedal golden retriever.

“Alright, that’s the spirit!” the man said and accepted him. It seems the training will continue for a while longer.

“Tha- thank you very much!”

With short and rough breathing, Mark gave his gratitude to the former adventurers who had marked the end of training.

Perhaps using up his strength after saying that, he laid down scattered on the spot. His tail hung feebly. Mark, who had quit walking on two legs, was a clothes wearing dog.

Mark, currently is being trained by the former adventurers in the arm-strapped buckler and short sword style. It is in order to make the best use of the dogkin’s legs and to protect himself against attacks by moving around. Come forward, defend and shift it to the side after stopping it; such high level was requested of him however.

Perhaps finally having recovered his physical strength, Mark slowly got up.

There was still more left of his day after this.

　　□　□　■　■　□　■　■　□　□

“Heave-ho. Both Mr Yuuji and Alice-chan are amazing aren’t they. Making a reservoir like this without difficulty. I have to do my best too”

The watering place and reservoir that was created west of Yuuji’s house. Mark exchanged the jug that was placed in the watering place, took up the jug with water in it to a tent where one of the household are living in.

Transportation of water used for living is Mark’s job. This is his morning job immediately following the training. It seems other world’s children are hard workers.

“Alright! Next is helping dad!”

Having finished carrying the water jug, Mark headed to the agricultural land.

He plans to receive his father Marcel’s instructions and help out in farmwork. Due to being a pioneer land, there is lots of work there. There is no time to rest. It seems today was a day of nothing but ploughing in earnest in order to cultivate a new field.

“Say dad. Someday, dad is going to stop being a slave right? What will we be doing when that happens?”

In the middle of a break during the cultivating work, Mark talked to his father.

It seems he was concerned about the distant future, but the reason Mark asked was simple.

“Hm? That’s right, let’s see. It depends on Master Yuuji, but I’m thinking maybe we should live in this pioneer land. Nina is pleased with the forest it seems and on top of that…”

“On top of that?”

“Alice-chan is also here after all!”

While looking at Mark’s face, Marcel declared grinningly.

Mark sprung his shoulders with a start. It appears it was bull’s eye.

“So- something like because Alice-chan is here is, ah, but it’ll be lonely if I can’t meet her anymore,” Mark grumbled.

The father, Marcel, was gazing at his figure with a smile. He seems happy with his son’s growth. By no means did it mean he was enjoying his boy’s fleeting puppy love.

　　□　□　■　■　□　■　■　□　□

“Ah Mr Thomas, thank you for your hard work! How is the assembly hall?”

“Ah, Mark-kun! The assembly hall will be complete very soon! Everyone is going to live here in this year’s winter -su, you see~”

The sun was going down and Mark had finished today’s farmwork. When he was walking with his father Marcel, he met Thomas, who was on his way back like him.

Simultaneously with his greetings, Mark asked about the state of progress of the assembly hall/residential complex that the woodworker Thomas was working on.

“What shall we do, I wish I could be in a tent with my family,” the two exchanged a parent-child conversation with their hands connected. “I’m finye with a tent too,” Mark’s mother Nina, who approached before he was aware of, said and grasped his free hand.

Illuminated by the setting sun, the shadows of the three holding hands, stretched far on the ground.

The village the beastkin family once lived.

The despair that the three felt, seeing their own field becoming the stage of the battle with monsters and becoming ruined.

That time too, the three held hands with Mark at the center.

Even if there was compensation, they wouldn’t have been able to pay this year’s taxes. There was no choice but to have someone become a slave. And before long, their family would become disconnected.

The three, who were holding hands, could do nothing but only hang their heads and imagine their dark future.

That future was now.

Marcel had certainly become a slave.

However, through the arrangements of the peddler Kevin who came and went to the village, they spent time as a family.

Since then they had some anxiety about the place that will be pioneered, but when they tried going there, they received high treatment.

Both Marcel’s wages as a slave and Nina’s wages as Kevin company employee was high and his release from his slave status was easily in sight.

Now, the three, who were holding hands, could only talk together about a bright future with smiling faces.

　　□　□　■　■　□　■　■　□　□

“A, a birthday present for Alice-chan!?”

“Shh, Mark-kun! It’s a secret from Alice, so make sure not to tell her!”

The pioneer land at the time it was approaching autumn.

“This year we will do a harvest festival!” Yuuji announced, so Mark was aware of the harvest festival as well. However, the words of the present to Alice that Yuuji conveyed to him. Mark’s heart beat fast to the details of it.

Mark immediately pondered while grumbling, “What could be good for A- Alice-chan’s present? Something I can obtain.”

The voice of Yuuji conveying, “Now, I’ll be consulting with Marcel and Mrs Nina alright? If it’s something that needs money, then I’ll pay for it, so tell me something that we can prepare, alright?” did not seem to have reached him.

Since that day, Mark began busying himself about it.

First he consulted the former adventurers party during his break in training.

“What to do eh? Shall we buy something in the city? But I wonder about that though,” the four didn’t seem to have decided on anything and was talking together about various things. Even though the married couple and the man who courted their slave were in the party, they were the useless group of four. It goes without saying about the still single scout.

Next was consulting the woodworker Thomas.

“Ah, Mr Yuuji asked me to create a wooden box to put in the present-su. That’s why, I’d like you to tell me when you decided what to give her-su,” he quickly replied. It seems Mark could not rely on Thomas either.

He then consulted the two seamstresses.

“We have settled on something we have been requested to create by Mr Yuuji. But really, it is an amazing idea! We will be making it immediately though… There’s worth doing the difficult parts!” With eyes brightened, the two seamstresses told Mark. Upon closer look, there were bags under their eyes. Mark did not seem to be relying on these two either.

He then consulted his father and mother.

“Uhmm, a gift for Alice-chan… What would be good” Marcel pondered. Mark thought together with him. They both had their right hand put on their chin.

That time, Nina put out one idea.

“Mark, how about if you give her your first prey? Alice-chan rikes meat and if you get an inedibre beast, then you courd give her the fur courdn’t you?”

Mark turned towards Nina in a flash. That’s it! was the face he was making. Though it was the face of a golden retriever.

She is whimsy, but she seems to be a dependable mother.

There was only one destination where Mark headed to after immediately breaking into a run.

It was where Kotarou was at.

“… And so, I want to give my first prey to Alice-chan. Won’t you cooperate with me?”

Sitting in front of Kotarou, Mark talked to her in earnest. They were two dogs if one were to look at them from the side. To begin with, what is this dogkin doing, talking to a dog about his circumstances. Dogs normally do not understand human language.

Kotarou quietly stood up. She slowly began to walk and then turned her head towards Mark. As if to say, What are you doing? Come with me. She’s a dependable woman. She’s a dog though.

No, she understands human language. Is she a dog?

Where he was led to by Kotarou was where the party of four former adventurers were at.

Though tilting his head, Mark once again informed the four that he wants to give her his first prey.

“Ooh, then we’ll help you out until you take down a prey. The forest is still dangerous for you boy,” the four said and then excitedly began their preparations. It seems he was a godsend to them, who still could not come up with a present.

By Kotarou’s guidance and search as well as having secured his safety on the way by the former adventurers party of four, the group spend the whole day searching the forest for an appropriate prey.

And what they finally discovered was a fox.

Its coat of fur shined golden upon receiving sunlight and was tufty.

While they were made fun of by the movements of the agile fox, by the cooperation of the group by surrounding them in order to not let it escape, Mark managed to kill the fox.

Like this, Mark secured Alice’s present.

　　□　□　■　■　□　■　■　□　□

And then, the very day of the harvest festival.

At last, it was Mark’s turn to hand over the present to Alice.

The fox pelt, made into a muffler, in his hand, Mark stood in front of Alice.

Beside him was Kotarou. Marcel, Nina and the former adventurers party of four had lined up behind him. It was a present from each of them.

With his snout, Kotarou gently pushed the foot of Mark who solidified from nervousness. Do your best, is what she seemed to want to say.

“U- uhm, Alice-chan. He- here…”

Mark nervously held out the muffler.

“Th- tha- thank you!”

Alice’s tear glands seems to have broken down after receiving the muffler.

Kotarou rushed up to such Alice, seemingly saying Look now, you’re already nine years old so don’t cry, and licked her face.

Fueen, Alice cried, ran together with Kotarou and clung onto Yuuji.

“Ah,” murmured Mark.

It appears that he lost the timing to continue his words.

*plop* a hand struck on Mark’s right shoulder. Reflected in Mark’s eyes as he turned around was a smiling Marcel.

*plop* a hand struck on Mark’s left shoulder. Reflected in Mark’s eyes as he turned around was the complacently smiling face of Nina. Seemingly wanting to say do you rearry have a second chance?

Mark dropped his shoulders, crestfallen.

But he retook his motivation and immediately raised his face.

This is fine for today. But someday I’m going to protect Alice-chan.

Such determination hiding in his heart, Mark would busily spend his time while struggling hard with his daily practice, farmwork and water management.

But then again, such determination was not hidden in his heart at all and was exposed to his surroundings however. With the exception of Yuuji and the person in question, Alice.

———————————————–

A.N.

That one place, it did have a little meta speech with the narration, but please pardon me!

It’s an idle talk after all!

… Is she a dog?

Share