I Became an Adjutant in Another World Volume 4 Chapter 7 (Patreon)

Chapter 7 – Milena’s Invitation

The battle on the riverbank near the western road ended in a great victory for us.

As I passed through the gates of Krasland, happy that the damage was minimal, I was approached by Lucy.

“Yuushin, when you return to the barracks, can I ask you for a little help? We have so many troops that sortied today, so…”

“Of course. I’ll just replenish our depleted arsenal and arrange medical care for our troops first, and I’ll be-.”

Just as I was saying that, a horse interrupted us. The rider was Krone.

“Wait a minute, Yuushin!? Wasn’t I supposed to be in charge of the things behind the lines?”

Come to think of it, I think I said something like that.

“Could you please not take somebody’s job?!”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

For some reason, Krone fuming today when I said I was gonna sort out the troops. Enough to make me feel pressure in her stare when she said those lines to me.

I know you’re worked up because you can finally do what you’re good at, but please, you don’t have to act like you’re threatened. I won’t get in the way.

As if taking my silence as a sign that I agreed, Krone passed by us and headed straight for the stables, where she parked her horse and headed toward the office.

“Hahaha… sorry. My job got taken.”

“I don’t mind. After all, Yuushin has done a lot for me, and I also know you deserve a break.”

Then, I was told by Lucy to take the rest of the day off.

And like Krone, she took her horse back to the stables and headed for her office.

Having nothing better to do, I put my horse back and walked alone down the path to my room.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve walked here alone.”

“Oh my, you were alone? Then, would you mind keeping me company for a moment?”

Suddenly, a voice calls out from behind, and I turn around, startled.

Present there was Milena, who had been active as a reinforcement unit in this operation together with Florencia, her sister.

“I know a good restaurant in the city. They serve very tasty food that will surely relieve you of your fatigue.”

“Uh, I’m flattered by the invitation, but what about your sister?”

“Are you talking about Lacy? I sent her to the barracks with the troops. She’s still too young to be given a drink.”

Giving off a slightly different atmosphere from the gentle one she had in front of her sister, Milena invited me to join her, also displaying a woman’s sex appeal to me in full force.

The blatant invitation set off alarm bells in my brain, but I decided to accept it.

“I understand. Please let me join you.”

As for why I agreed, I thought this was a good chance to find out what Milena and the others had in mind when they decided to reinforce us.

I followed her lead into the city, where its walls was beginning to get dyed orange by the setting sun in the horizon.

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The place to which Milena led me was a cozy restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere.

But what impressed me in this place was the fact that it seemed to be oriented toward the common people who wanted a little luxury rather than for the aristocracy who wanted to splurge themselves, and because of this, they did not seem to be fussy about manners.

We were taken to a private room as a matter of course, but I wondered if it had been reserved from the beginning.

“Is there any food you don’t like, Mr. Sanada?”

“No, nothing in particular. Though I’m more concerned about you being okay with me in such a bloody outfit.”

“Don’t worry about it. This is a showcase of our military service.”

That’s what Milena had said, but despite the fact that she too has been killing goblins one after another earlier, there is barely a trace in her clothes that she went into the battlefield.

In fact, her clothes were barely even stained.

It is unclear how she was doing it, but I should say she is indeed a countess of a high-class noble family.

Her awareness of her personal appearance alone is setting her apart from the rest of us.

“Fufufu… first, how about a toast to today’s victory?”

“Sure.”

We toasted with a glass of aperitif wine and then lightly chatted as we put our hands on the dishes that had been brought to the table.

The dishes at the restaurant were all delicious, just as Milena had recommended.

However, as we continued to eat, I began to feel a sense of discomfort.

Recently, the population of Krasland has been increasing. However, the threat of monsters still looms large.

To solve this, various industries have started to become more active, resulting to efforts to produce food and other goods to increase somehow, albeit gradually.

But it is still undeniable that we are in a state akin to wartime.

In such a situation, how can a restaurant for the common people, albeit upscale, procure such a wide range of ingredients?

“Mr. Sanada, is something wrong?”

Milena asked me, perhaps concerned that I had stopped my hand.

“I was just wondering how this restaurant managed to gather so many different kinds of ingredients yet also made it available to the general populace.”

“Oh, you mean that?”

As if she caught up with what I was thinking, she continued with a slightly mischievous smile on her face.

“This restaurant is sponsored by our house, and they obtain the ingredients through our family connections. In return, we sometimes use it as a secret negotiating space.”

“…then, we coming here today means you want to negotiate with me too?”

I was a little surprised by the unexpected words, but then I realized that it is normal for upper-class aristocrats to have one or two such stores.

The question is, what is Milena going to talk to me about here?

“You see, I am a little interested in you, Mr. Sanada. Suddenly appearing and taking up the position of the then Baroness Finlay’s adjutant, then turning her into a hero who defended the city. I hear that you are also a nobleman now?”

“You did a lot of research. Especially the last one, even though it happened very recently.”

This extraordinary information-gathering ability, the Marquis is really looking into me, isn’t he?

I felt a chill when I thought so, but I tried not to show it and make her proceed with her story.

“Yes, I’ve done a lot of research, but I can’t find any trace of your arrival in Krasland. I also looked in the surrounding towns and villages, just to be sure, but I couldn’t find any mention of you at all. How is that possible, I wonder?”

Milena’s eyes, which had been kind until then, became a little sharp.

But since she is blatantly wary of me, I decided to take a bold step in dealing with her.

“‘Well, that’s true. Because I don’t even know how I got here either.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I wonder if it would be understandable if I said I was “spirited away”? I was in my house as usual, but suddenly, I fell into a hole and woke up in a hilly area with no buildings in sight.”

Milena looked puzzled at my explanation.

“Outlandish… And you expect me to believe that?”

“I’m afraid it’s the truth.”

I don’t know how she’ll take these words, but they should buy me some time.

In the meantime, I must figure out a way to counter the Zaintert sisters.

“By the way, I have heard that Lady Milena’s father has not been feeling well lately. I wish I could offer him some kind of sympathy.”

When I said this, Milena’s expression hardened for a moment.

The only change occurred in Milena, who had been wearing a poker face up to this point.

“Your sympathy is admirable. However, it is no longer needed. Thanks to the Marquis helping us in this regard, my father is now on the path to recovery. It would be better to think about yourself first.”

“‘Indeed, you are right. I will keep your advice in mind.”

It would be best not to go into this any further.

However, basing on her reaction alone, it seems that their father is the Achilles heel for the sisters.

(If we do well, we might be able to put her to our side before the Marquis can do anything. But we must do it fast, or our chances will drop.)

Anyways, my conversation with Milena here has made it clear that I’m being targeted by the Marquis.

If I kept doing nothing, I might be chased from my current position, or even killed if I’m not careful.

The Marquis would certainly show no mercy to anyone once he sees them as their enemy.

Thankfully, I haven’t reached that level of threat yet.

“I apologize for the length of this conversation. I hope we can make time to talk again sometime.”

“I’ll look forward to that time.”

I responded to Milena’s words while also thinking about investigating their weak point.

I guess it’s time to visit another noblewoman’s father again.

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