Page Title

480 Frey's Strength, and Her Ojisan and Obasan

 

"Kill! Kiiiiillllll!"

 

A giant Ogre with reddish-brown skin swung a log around as it charged toward us. What power! If you got hit by that, you wouldn't get off lightly.

 

If it hits, that is.

 

"Yoisho!"

 

Frey dodged the swung log, ran up the Ogre's large arm, and struck the back of its neck with her great sword.

 

"Ugh!?"

 

The Ogre fell forward. Its neck wasn't cut off. The great sword seemed to be blunt.

 

"You brat! Don't get cocky!"

 

A Werewolf armed with a spear lunged at Frey with all his might.

 

Without panicking, Frey threw away her great sword.

 

The discarded great sword was stored in her [Storage], and without missing a beat, a new weapon was in her hand through another [Storage].

 

It was a Samurai sword with a beautiful shimmering blade pattern. Frey swiftly drew it from its sheath and sliced the Werewolf's spear in half from below.

 

"What!?"

 

"I'm not getting cocky."

 

With wide eyes, the Werewolf watched as Frey's sword swung down on the back of his neck. For a moment, I thought his head had fallen, but she must have switched to a blunt blade in an instant. She really knows how to handle her weapons...

 

The Werewolf lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

 

She then stored the sword back into her [Storage], and with a quick swap, she grabbed a silver bow and arrow, swiftly drawing and shooting it up into a tree.

 

"Gah!?"

 

A Dark Elf fell from the tree. Was that an arrow with [Paralyze] imbued? Frey can use a bow too. That must be from her training with Kana-neesan.

 

She stored the bow back into her [Storage] and now wielded a halberd as she charged toward a Centaur.

 

"What's with that [Storage] usage... Can it be done that quickly?"

 

I was amazed by how Frey used her [Storage]. Normally, there are steps to taking things out of [Storage], and it shouldn't be possible to do it that fast.

 

"Frey-oneesama's weapons have [Apport] imbued in them. The weapons fly out by themselves."

 

"Ah, I see. So that's how it works... I made those weapons in the future, didn't I?"

 

While I was stunned, Kuhn, who was beside me, explained the secret.

 

As we talked, Kuhn was using her dual magic guns, Spellcasters, to shoot down attacking Harpies with electric shocks.

 

Parla was also hopping around, paralyzing a Satyr with her electric claws. She's pretty skilled too...

 

"Restia-style Swordsmanship, first form: Wind blade!"

 

"Restia-style Swordsmanship, fifth form: Spiral!"

 

When I looked forward again, Frey and Hilda's swords were striking a large Golem.

 

The wind blade from their strikes severed the Golem's neck, and a spiraling thrust created a hole in its abdomen. Oh, a mother-daughter collaboration.

 

Of course, Frey can use Restia-style Swordsmanship too.

 

"Beautiful sword technique. She seems to be well-trained."

 

"Ehehe, I got praised by Mother!"

 

Despite being shy, Frey didn't stop moving, and with each flash of her sword, bandits fell. She was effortlessly deflecting, dodging, striking, and subduing her opponents as if it were a game.

 

Hey, what's with that huge hammer!?

 

"Boom!"

 

The Golem that took a heavy blow to its stomach was sent flying into the fort's walls and shattered.

 

No, I thought she was using [Gravity] to handle heavy weapons like the great sword easily, but that's not it.

 

That's [Power Rise]. It's an attribute-less magic that boosts the user's physical strength. Frey has both [Storage] and [Power Rise].

 

Her spirit may be that of a knight, but her combat style isn't quite knightly... What's the name of that short, crescent-moon-shaped weapon with a double grip?

 

"Die!"

 

"Oh dear."

 

I was spacing out and nearly got slashed by a thug Tiger-man. Not good, we're still in a fight. I jumped back, avoiding the sword, and shot a paralyzing bullet from my Brunhild.

 

"Gah!?"

 

The Tiger-man fell, sticking out its tongue. Have we taken down about half of the bandits by now? I haven't done much, though.

 

I can't just let my wife and daughter do the fighting while I stand by and watch. Alright, I'll step up too.

 

Just as I thought that, a large Golem wielding a huge axe appeared, breaking through the fort's wall. At first, I thought it was a knock-off Frame Gear, an Iron Soldier, but it seems better made.

 

"Who are you, people!? Are you with the Demon King!?"

 

Riding on the exposed neck of the headless Golem was a man with pale blue skin and red eyes. A Vampire... Is he the leader?

 

"We're not related to the Demon King, but don't worry, he'll be here soon."

 

I had informed them of this place through [Gate Mirror] before the attack. We can't cause trouble within the country without permission. Though we received a response saying they would come with a subjugation force soon, I think we can handle this on our own. We have permission to subdue the bandits, so there shouldn't be any problem if we wipe them out.

 

"Damn it! You think kids like you can beat me!?"

 

Is he including Hilda and me as kids? We're married and have kids here, you know. Though they're from the future.

 

Well, to a Vampire, both Hilda and I probably look like kids.

 

The Golem charged at us with its axe raised, causing the ground to shake. It's slow.

 

"Restia-style Swordsmanship, Third form: Zantetsu!"

 

Hilda's sword sliced off the Golem's arm at the elbow, causing the thick right arm holding the axe to crash to the ground.

 

"What!?"

 

Before the astonished Vampire, Frey stood with a massive lance raised.

 

"Take this."

 

Using a spear-throwing technique, Frey hurled the lance with all her might. That's not how you're supposed to use it...

 

The thrown lance pierced the Golem's stomach, and the Vampire riding it was blown away to the ground.

 

"Guh...!"

 

"Good job."

 

"Gyaaaa!"

 

As the Vampire tried to stand, Kuhn's Spellcaster mercilessly struck him with an electric shock. The Vampire fell to the ground with a thud. I didn't do anything...

 

"The boss is down!?"

 

"Run!"

 

"You won't escape."

 

"You're not getting away!"

 

As the bandits scattered in panic after their leader fell, Frey and Hilda swiftly took them down one by one.

 

It didn't take long for the entire bandit group to be immobilized.

 

---

 

"Duke Brunhild. We deeply appreciate your assistance this time."

 

"No, I'm sorry for acting on my own."

 

After a while, the Demon King arrived with his troops. The Demon King, the ruler of the Hell Gaia, is a Vampire Lord.

 

As the name implies, a Vampire Lord is the ruler of Vampires, a higher species that has lived for over a thousand years. The bandit leader was also a Vampire but on a different level.

 

"He used to be a noble in our country, but he's fallen far. I can't believe he turned to banditry."

 

The Demon King sighed as he watched the bandit leader being led away by the soldiers. Just because they're Vampires doesn't mean they can't defy the Vampire Lord.

 

Unlike in movies and novels, Vampires here don't have the ability to enslave those they drink from.

 

"There are various kinds of demons. Many have been oppressed by humans in the past. Some don't want to interact with humans. Some even advocate for conquering them. Especially the older ones. He was one of them. Hating humans is fine. But turning that hatred toward your own kind is unacceptable."

 

Yeah, the villagers don't care about such things. "We're fighting humans for your sake. So give us your money and food" is just extortion.

 

"Is it still difficult for Hell Gaia to join the alliance?"

 

"No, thanks to the interaction with Igret, we're leaning towards joining the alliance. Some are still reluctant, but they'll come around soon."

 

That's good to hear. Having them join the alliance would be helpful. A step forward.

 

"By the way, are those children... relatives of your wife?"

 

The Demon King looked between Hilda and Frey as he spoke. They do look alike, so it's natural to think they're siblings or relatives.

 

"Well, something like that."

 

I couldn't explain in detail, so I gave a vague answer.

 

Kuhn covered Frey's mouth to prevent her from protesting, "No, she's my mother." Nice one.

 

In any case, we captured all the bandits and handed them over to Hell Gaia. They offered a reward, but we declined, asking them to use it for the village's recovery instead. As a substitute, we did take some usable parts from the bandits' broken Golems.

 

Looking forward to the day we received news of Hell Gaia joining the alliance, we returned to Brunhild.

 

---

 

"This is delicious! As expected, Mother Lou's cooking is the best!"

 

"You are such a good child!"

 

In the dining hall within Babylon's "Castle Wall," Lou beamed as she patted Frey's head, who was happily eating her homemade omurice. She eats so well. Her appetite is like Yae's. Do people become similar when living together?

 

"I'm so envious of Hilda-dono..."

 

"Yae, you should be grateful. Your daughter is already here in this era. You're being greedy."

 

Elze pouted as Yae sighed. This can't be helped. It's mostly the older ones who appear. Is there some rule or pattern?

 

"Even though she's here, it's meaningless if I can't see her. It just makes me worry more..."

 

"Huh? Hasn't Yakumo-oneechan arrived yet?"

 

Frey asked while munching on her omurice.

 

I explained that Yakumo was here but was traveling around different countries for sword training, and Frey let out a big sigh.

 

"Ah, that's just like onee-chan. But she should at least come here and greet everyone before leaving. She's such a troublesome onee-chan. Mother Lou, more please!"

 

Despite being slightly annoyed, Frey didn't stop eating and quickly finished her omurice, asking for seconds. We're eating the same omurice, but her speed is on a different level. Are you really not Yae's daughter?

 

"By the way, how old are you, Frey?"

 

"Hmm? I'm eleven. Same as Yakumo-oneechan."

 

Frey answered Linze's question while wiping her mouth with a napkin.

 

So, she's the same age as Yakumo. Does that mean Yakumo was born a few months earlier?

 

Given that I have multiple wives, I knew this was a possibility...

 

Yae and Hilda gave birth in the same year. That must have been tough...

 

As I momentarily spaced out, Yumina spoke to me.

 

"So, Touya-san, how are you going to explain Frey and Kuhn-chan to the people at the castle?"

 

"Oh, that... What should we do..."

 

Actually, I haven't properly introduced Kuhn and the others to everyone at the castle yet.

 

Kuhn had visited the castle town but spent most of her time in Babylon since the first day, and Frey was brought to Babylon first.

 

I thought about passing them off as my younger sisters given their ages...

 

"They'll find out, won't they?"

 

"They will..."

Looking at Hilda and Frey, and Lean and Kuhn, it's unmistakably clear they are related by blood. Rather than explaining otherwise, it's more plausible to say they're sisters.

 

However, leaving Lean aside, Hilda is a former princess of Restia. If we say they're her sisters, people might wonder, "When did the former king of Restia have a second daughter?"

 

At worst, there could be a scandal like, "The former king of Restia had an illegitimate child!?"

 

"I guess we have no choice but to use a magic tool imbued with [Mirage]."

 

"Indeed. If we just say they're 'relatives' of Touya-san, people would accept it, even if it's a bit of a stretch."

 

Huh? Something's off here, wife? These 'relatives' are also your children, you know?

 

...Well, fine. Since Kuhn can use [Mirage] herself, there's no issue, but I handed Frey a star-shaped brooch for disguise, the same one we used during the festival.

 

Of course, I set it so that the effect doesn't work on us. It would be lonely to live as an unfamiliar girl wrapped in an illusion.

 

After enjoying Lou's homemade omurice, Frey immediately expressed her desire to visit the knight training grounds at the castle.

 

This part definitely reflects Hilda's thorough education.

 

When we descended to the training grounds with Frey wearing the badge, our knights were, as usual, engrossed in their training. Naturally, the one instructing them was the Sword God, Moroha-neesan.

 

"Oh? Anija is here."

 

"Huh?"

 

Yae, who had accompanied Hilda and the others, made a surprised sound. Looking around, we saw Yae's older brother, Jutarou-san, wielding a wooden sword and sparring with Moroha-neesan among the knights.

 

Yae's older brother, Jutarou-san, is currently staying in Brunhild with his fiancée, Ayane-san, for sword training. He receives guidance from Moroha-neesan almost every day.

 

Watching Jutarou-san, I couldn't help but understand why Yakumo hadn't returned from her training... Sword enthusiasts really run in the Kokonoe family... Oh, he's down.

 

"Ah, everyone is here. Hm? That girl... Could she be Hilda's Frey? You've come here."

 

Despite the disguise badge, Moroha-neesan easily saw through it. As expected, it doesn't work on deities.

 

"Ehehe. I came, Moroha-neesan."

 

"Moroha-neesan?"

 

Frey's words caught my attention. 'Neesan'? In terms of position, it should be 'Moroha-basan.'

 

"Karen-neesan told us never to call them 'Obachan.' So we call Moroha-neesan 'Neesan' too."

 

So, it's because of Karen-neesan. She has strange fixations... Both of them are deities, so they won't age further. Maybe the fear of being called 'Obasan' stems from that. Though in reality, they are 'Aunts.'

 

"I want to join the training too! I want to spar with Mother! Father, is that okay!?"

 

With sparkling eyes, Frey looked at me. Hmm, is this really okay? I glanced at Hilda, who gave a small nod.

 

Just like Alice at Ende's place, why do these kids want to fight their parents so much...?

 

"You can't use [Storage] to swap weapons during wooden sword training, you know?"

 

"That's fine. I have plenty of practice weapons for sparring. Look!"

 

With a wave of her arm, Frey produced a large spear with a rubber tip. I see, she practices her combat style with these training weapons.

 

"If that's the case, it should be fine... But don't do anything dangerous, okay?"

 

"It'll be fine. Alright, let's do this!"

 

With a prolonged voice, Frey lightly leaped over the fence and headed towards Moroha-neesan.

 

Hilda also took a wooden sword from one of the knights and headed towards Moroha-neesan.

 

As Jutarou-san, who had been knocked down, got up and moved towards us so as not to interfere with the match, Frey seemed to say something to him.

 

Jutarou-san tilted his head in confusion as he walked over to me and Yae.

 

"What's the matter?"

 

"Well... That girl, have we met somewhere before? She specifically said, 'Watch me, Jutarouo-jichan!' and called me by name."

 

Trying to recall, Jutarou-san tilted his head again.

 

Ah, right. Since Jutarou-san is Yae's brother and Hilda's mother is Yae, he is technically 'Jutarouo-jisan' to Frey.

 

"Ojichan... Ojichan... I'm only twenty-three years old... Do I really look that old...?"

 

Feeling dejected from being called 'Ojichan,' Jutarou-san looked quite down. I understand the feeling.

 

"Brother, you shouldn't worry about the small stuff. You'll go bald."

 

"Bald!? No, I'm not bald yet!"

 

We somehow managed to gloss over the conversation with Yae's interjection. Even if you go bald, Jutarou-san, Babylon has good hair growth medicine.

 

While we were having such a silly conversation, the mother-daughter match began.