༺ Studying And Training Is Such A Pain (4) ༻
There was a thing called personal space.
I couldn’t recall exactly what it was but to explain as best I could, it meant every person had their own sense of distance.
Sense of distance.
People all lived with an invisible ‘barrier’ around them.
About a radius of 2 meters.
There were those who ignored those boundaries and others who never let anyone cross that line.
Cariote was closer to the latter.
She didn’t give many opportunities to close that distance.
It’s difficult to get close to her, is what I’m saying.
But that same Cariote suggested that I “could work with her”, first.
There was no reason for me to refuse since I had always wanted to get along better.
We needed to discuss a few oncoming things.
I needed to ask about Elle Cladeco’s plan and had lots to say about Astarosa who was tied up in the basement.
Anyway.
Dinner time.
Brigitte said she’d be staying after hours to talk to Elle Cladeco.
「Go ahead and eat first. There’s a lot to discuss with Elle about the experiments so I’ll be late.」
The voice coming through the magic terminal was fascinating.
It was literally a cell phone.
It was actually amazing to be able to converse with someone from afar.
What was the principle?
Even if I knew, I probably wouldn’t understand.
I didn’t understand the principle of the 21st-century phone, either.
I just used it without thinking.
“Please leave the children to, I, Sifnoi…! This Sifnoi, in the absence of Master Judas and Brigitte, will completely defend this mansion…!”
When I was about to leave the mansion for a dinner engagement with Cariote, Sifnoi declared this confidently.
“If today’s babysitting goes well, I would like to formally draw a ‘labor contract’…! This Sifnoi would also like to receive… paid holidays and vacations…!
I see.
Sifnoi was pretty much free labor for us right now.
I was concerned about leaving the kids to her, but Enkidus also agreed to stay at the mansion.
With Enkidus there, anything that can happen will be manageable.
“Have a nice trip, Dad…!”
Naru came over from the mansion’s doorway to the garden and hugged my leg tight.
Cecily, who was sleeping over today, also came to see me off in the garden with a, “I’ll at least wish you a safe trip.”
And then she added this.
“I wouldn’t mind a fan made of peacock feathers that they sell downtown. Class B’s Antoinette was showing one-off.”
“Naru also wants a brush to brush Molumolu’s fur…!”
I see.
They’re seeing me off so they can ask me to buy them things.
They do indeed take after me in having a clear sense of purpose.
When I was young, I also asked for allowances if I organized the shoe closet or did the dishes.
It was a relatively effective method.
A brush.
And a fan.
They were good items to increase their princess power.
I was saving the items in my head when Cariote appeared.
“It took some time to get ready. Let’s go.”
For having taken some time, she looked the same.
Tight leather pants and sturdy boots.
The only thing different was a steel-plated leather coat, and with its length and sturdiness, it could work as armor or a place to hide weapons.
“That coat seems like a good one.”
“You can tell? I did hear that an outstanding thief’s aesthetic sense was as good as a haughty collector’s.”
Well, that’s true.
How can one steal expensive items without having a good eye for them?
As such, thieves need to have an accurate eye for evaluating objects.
I tend to steal anything, but those who specialize in things with artistic value such as book collections, paintings and calligraphy, music scores, and pottery, studied as if they were going for a doctorate.
Salome was exactly one of those.
She hasn’t been seen for the last few days probably because she’s targeting some ceramic in a museum or a painting in a rich person’s house.
Swoosh—
Cariote wore a hat on her head.
It had a long brim front and back and was V-shaped.
“You’re thoroughly covered.”
Having only seen her in lighter attire, it was interesting to see her wear so many items.
Sensing my gaze, Cariote spoke.
“An orderly demeanor allows for an orderly state of heart. If possible, always having an orderly appearance is beneficial for survival.
Beneficial for survival, is that it?
Cariote’s thought process was easy to understand.
It was true.
Neatness and cleanliness gave off good impressions to others and were also good for hygiene.
Ten out of ten people who actually succeeded were orderly.
And those in the back alleys who failed at life were all sorts of unclean.
“You learned that from your mother?”
Cariote’s mother, Lady Leone.
It must have been her teaching, I thought, when Cariote shook her head.
“It was my father.”
Wasn’t Cariote’s father a Barbaroi barbarian?
I assumed barbarians were all menacing and didn’t care how they lived but it seems I was off the mark.
Anyway.
With that, we headed towards the shopping district on Freesia’s 2nd Street.
The distance from 5th Street’s high-end residence to 2nd Street was relatively close so it was nice not needing any carriage or horse.
* * *
The shopping district on 2nd Street.
The streetlights were bright with magic and businesses were running even at this hour to attract customers.
One could easily picture the view of this place by imagining a downtown area on a Friday night, where youths paired up on dates or ventured around peers, friends, and colleagues.
A place where musicians performed in an overly-bright park and nobles were out for walks, moving down the streets elegantly.
Those in Freesia who considered themselves stylish seemed to all flock here, and out of all those different people, Cariote attracted quite the attention.
“Look over there.”
“So dark and gloomy.”
“Are they Barbaroi? What are they doing here?”
“I hope they don’t start anything.”
Though Cariote was a beautiful lady, with her face covered by a hat, she appeared to be a black blob.
Even from up high, she’d look like a drop of black ink in this bright place.
“You can erase your presence in a field of grass but can’t blend into this kind of street, I guess.”
“…….”
Cariote didn’t respond to my joke.
She simply gazed at everything that sparkled around her.
And then she quietly spoke.
“Honestly speaking, this district doesn’t suit me at all. Everything is too bright and reveals weak points.”
An immediate acceptance.
But she was the one who suggested we come here.
What I expected when offered to train was going into some kind of dungeon and raiding it together or something.
Why did we come here?
As I was pondering, Cariote continued.
“Judas, your aesthetic sense must be exceptional as the King of Thieves. As well, you were surprisingly knowledgeable about etiquette when attending the party at the mansion last time.”
The sense, sure, but knowing etiquette?
That was just average for a 21st-century citizen.
Of course, even an average 21st-century citizen would be considered quite refined compared to all the uncouth humans occupying the Pangaea continent.
So what was the reason behind those words?
I was wondering why all this roundabout talk when Cariote finally got to the point.
“I may need to change as well. The Ragdoll elders want to debut me into high society. They want to introduce their granddaughter, it seems.”
“Wow.”
“I was certainly thinking of refusing, but Cecily mentioned that her mother had been an elegant noble. If I don’t become that elegant noble, then I believe that I will never be accepted by her as her mother.”
I see.
She made a good point.
Cecily still growled saying, “I cannot acknowledge you as this Cecily Von Ragdoll’s father…!” every time she saw me.
Supposedly I was too much like an ill-mannered villain.
But it’s true.
Cariote must have had the same concern.
The fact that she was considering this meant that Cariote wanted to be acknowledged as a mother by Cecily.
I think I know why I was invited.
“Hm.”
I decided to think for a bit.
About 5 seconds passed.
“Let’s change your outfit first.”
Hearing my solution, Cariote questioned “Outfit?” in return.
I replied easily.
“The importance of orderly appearance, right? First of all, Cariote, you don’t look like a noble at all. More like someone who’s here to assassinate someone.”
“…….”
“There are tons of clothing stores so we can head inside anyone and start trying on clothes.”
“No, that’s not acceptable. To a hunter, this attire is a uniform. Is there anything else to do in order to acclimate to noble culture?”
Cariote was firm in her opinion.
I couldn’t exactly force her to take the clothes off and put them back on.
How to blend into a noble’s society.
If the external can’t be changed, then no choice but to update the software.
“Alright then. Follow me.”
“Where are we going?”
I walked the streets with Cariote.
With a destination in mind, there was no delay.
We soon arrived at a pretty big building.
One could call this location the opera house of Freesia.
“This is?”
“An opera house. A place to watch theatrical performances. Ever been here?”
“No.”
Swoosh—
I purchased two tickets for a strange play called 「Taming The Villainess」.
It was a questionable title but the only one available at this time.
Swoosh—
When we entered the theatre, there were quite a lot of people.
“Isn’t it a false tale if it’s a play? To think that this many gather to watch such a thing, it’s honestly hard to understand. However, I did hear that watching this is a common interest of nobles.”
Cariote seemed to acknowledge it despite not understanding.
According to Cecily, Cariote enjoyed watching this and that.
Time to find out if it’s true.
Chrrrrrr—
The curtains rose at last and a boy and some girls appeared and shouted.
“I am Theonoi…! I must tame the wicked noble ladies…! Otherwise, this Theonoi will die…!”
A strange play.
It was a story of some guy teaching and training girls with bad dispositions to become kind noble ladies.
A story that concluded with ‘and they lived happily ever after’.
When the curtains fell, I released the yawn I was holding back.
“It was duller than I thought.”
How did Cariote find it?
Did she fall asleep?
While I was thinking that, Cariote was watching the actors on stage bow in closing.
The eyes watching are rather bright.
“It’s my first time seeing a play but it was better than I expected. I can recall the stories my mother used to tell me.”
“That so?”
Cariote truly did enjoy watching plays and performances it seems.
To gain more points with Cariote, I should keep asking Cecily for advice.
It’s so late already, I thought as we exited the theatre.
“We should return. Since I’ve participated in cultured, high societal activities, can I be called a proper noble?”
At Cariote’s question, I activated my Scouter.
Cariote’s princess level was at best C-.
In this state, Cecily would only say with a growl, “You’re far from a noble!”
Isn’t there a way? I thought before Cariote spoke.
“Then for spending time with me, I will teach you the art of tracking in return. Everyone has karma, and each little hand motion, each step leaves a trace of karma.”
“Yeah?”
“Awaken your senses. When a footprint is left, focus on the ground and you’ll be able to read the karma contained in that print. Though it’ll take you at least a year to grasp this.”
“A year, hm.”
I heightened my senses.
Footprint.
Read the karma contained within—
Soon, my eyes caught illuminated footprints.
“Oh, I can see it. Footprints!”
“I didn’t think you would acquire it just from knowing the secret. Is stealing techniques also one of your skills? How unfair of you.”
Cariote seemed a bit disconcerted.
Was she upset because I learned the technique too easily?
It was cuter than expected but I was busy finding all the nearby footprints.
“This is fucking cool.”
I will name this as a C-class skill 「Footprint Reading」.
Zhoooon—
Then a footprint that was shining gold appeared before my eyes.
A size of 240mm.
Probably a female’s print.
Interestingly, it was the only one colored gold.
And it was barefoot-shaped, without a shoe.
“It hasn’t been there long. Why is this the only one sticking out?”
As tracking practice, I followed into a nearby alley.
In doing so, it revealed a woman in ash-coloured robes, sitting against a wall in the park.
The feet under the robe were indeed bare.
Why is she without shoes?
A homeless?
That was what it seemed at first look, but the karma imprint left was above average.
Someone of power.
Before I could react, the woman smiled from under the hood, revealing sharp canines.
“Oho, someone who read this beggar’s karma and was even able to give chase. I expected an informant from the Order of Yahbach but my, my, you must be a lost child.”
“Who are you?”
“The name has lost its meaning long ago. I am merely a sweeper, only here to pick up after a foolish disciple’s mistake. However, a journey always places unexpected encounters on the path.”
What is she saying?
Amidst my confusion, her hood slipped off.
What appeared was blinding golden eyes.
They were shining to the point that her face wasn’t visible, the intensity was no joke.
“Ugh.”
Way too bright.
Double headlights, for real?
I was scrunching my face when Cariote spoke first.
“Gold eyes of this level… could be no one else but… Are you perhaps the Grandmaster of the Ascending Sun?”
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