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TL: ALT
Chapter 46 – Practical Experience
At night, five men gathered in a soundproof chamber.
An alchemist’s magic lamp lit up the room.
The youngest appeared to be in their teens, while the oldest looked to be around sixty years old.
Their bodies were lean and toned; none of them was obese or out of shape.
They had knobby joints, tough-looking skin, and animal-like ears—they were clearly not pure humans.
One of them muttered quietly.
“That was close…”
“Yeah, I never thought we’d be spotted. We had invisibility and aura suppression. How could they possibly have noticed?”
“I can’t believe our concealment was broken. I knew they were skilled, but who could it have been?”
“One seems to be from the Golden Tiger Clan. I almost got hit by a rock, shishishi.”
“They must have heightened senses. With monsters like that around, we really need to stay on guard.”
Their voices carried a thick layer of caution.
They had managed to slip past various security measures while gathering information while working in the capital.
They were top-tier spies, capable of infiltrating and carrying out operations while evading spells designed to expose enchantments.
This time’s near-exposure made that all the more chilling.
They had entered Southern Ship Town a mere two days prior.
They still lacked sufficient intelligence regarding the existence of such skilled adversaries.
The oldest man sighed.
“Honestly, our master gives us such cruel orders.”
“Quite so. If this were to be discovered, it would cause a huge uproar.”
“Still, what shall we do?”
“We can’t just leave it be. But getting too close is dangerous. I’m not ready to lose my life just yet.”
“Should I go?”
“No, no. Life comes first. Shouldn’t we just observe from a distance?”
“That’s wise. Honestly, that magistrate. What does he mean by ‘This town is safe and full of easygoing folk’? What a fool.”
The older man grumbles, likely in his later years, and the slightly younger man comforts him.
“Come now. The Adventurers’ Guild doesn’t seem to have anyone particularly impressive.”
“Monsters like that aren’t common.”
“That’s true. So, we’ll just keep an eye on things.”
“That’s settled, then.”
That’s how it was decided.
Their top priority was to remain undetected.
It was only worthwhile to risk danger to gather information when the stakes were high enough.
Right now, protecting their master’s order was paramount, and this wasn’t the time for that.
〇〇〇
The morning after, Wataru visited the tailor in the other world.
After breakfast, Aire requested training.
She was upset that she hadn’t noticed the unknown group approaching last night.
She had expressed a desire to move her body several times before, but her tone was stronger than usual this time.
As she spoke, Aire waved her hand lightly.
“Hmm… I’m definitely rusty. It’s a subtle difference in sensation, but…”
“You’ve been away from actual combat for a while, after all.”
“Personally, I don’t want you or Cloche to put yourselves in danger.”
Still, he couldn’t insist too strongly.
Even though Wataru hadn’t recognized it himself, he had nearly been attacked in complete darkness.
The thought of someone lurking unnoticed was terrifying.
Nevertheless, he wanted to avoid situations where either of them might lose their lives.
Frankly, from Wataru’s perspective, both Aire and Cloche were so sharp that calling them “rusty” didn’t seem right.
The gap in their abilities was simply too vast. They operated on a completely different level, which made it difficult for him to grasp.
But Aire just shook her head slightly.
“If you only do safe things, you’ll actually be more vulnerable when it really matters.”
“Your skills have dulled considerably since your prime, after all.”
“Shut up. You still lost to me, so don’t act so high and mighty.”
“Mmmph… When you put it like that, I have no retort.”
Defeated in the argument, Cloche pouted in dissatisfaction.
Unused abilities decline.
Even Aire, with her exceptional talent, was no exception.
She could regain her feeling with a bit of training, but to maintain peak condition, she needed to keep using her skills.
Since Cloche arrived, Aire had been training with her during the relatively cooler hours of the early morning or evening.
However, this still seemed insufficient to fully regain her combat instincts.
Besides, they couldn’t swing weapons around, so their training was limited to unarmed combat.
Wataru looked at Aire’s face.
She wore a serious expression, and he wanted to grant her wish.
“Still, I wonder what to do. I have a business meeting that day, and I’d like Aire to escort me. Even though it’s by referral only, sometimes people with a bit of a quirk show up.”
“Then a day when you’re off is fine.”
“Master, if Aire is saying this, I believe she has her reasons.”
“Exactly! Mariel really understands me!”
Not all business meetings had gone smoothly up to this point.
Some clients seemed troublesome.
But they avoided trouble by conducting meetings at locations they specified or arranging situations where they faced multiple people.
Even though Aire looked like a cute girl, she had proven to be an extremely helpful bodyguard.
“What do you plan to do about the opponent? Iida-san keeps calling for a rematch at any time.”
“I plan to fight monsters near Southern Ship Town. Our martial arts are incredibly stimulating, but it’s not life or death, so let’s save it for another time.”
“Got it. Then, on my days off, I’ll try to stay home. Let’s give Aire free rein.”
“Sorry about asking you to do this.”
“You did that for me, too, didn’t you? Thanks. Sorry, Mariel, but let’s just find something to do at home to kill time.”
“Yes, I don’t mind at all. I have plenty of books I want to read, and I get to have my master all to myself.”
“Nyan! That’s a bit enviable-nya!”
“Well, I hope Aire gets stronger.”
When Wataru stroked Aire’s head, she happily narrowed her eyes.
Perhaps because she has feline traits, Aire truly enjoys being petted.
Even now, she purred deeply and rubbed her head against him. Adorable.
Cloche watched Aire, seeming both resentful and envious.
“I really should try to get closer to Cloche soon, too,” Wataru thought.
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