Hellmode ~A Hardcore Gamer Becomes Peerless in Another World with Retro Game Settings~

{TL Note: Daichi wo fumi shiete, kimi yo mezamame yuku, tenishi….}

It was March, several months after the upheaval that had occurred in the Granvelle household. I was in the garden, dressed as a manservant, helping the gardener with his work.

Last November, I went from being a manservant of the Granvelle Family to a guest, which means that I no longer have to work, but until I go to the Academy, I was going to fulfill my duties as a manservant.

(Hmm? Is she here?)

A carriage approached the mansion.

I stopped tinkering in the dirt and approached the carriage parked in front of the entrance.

A girl with pink hair got out of the carriage.

“Allen!”

She was an innocent girl who smiled as soon as she saw me.

“Welcome.”

Kurena came down from the carriage. She came from the Kurena village to the City of Grandver.

“It’s been a while.”

“And Dogora.”

Behind her was Dogora, who looked more like a potato. Dogora had always been bigger than me, but now he was about a head taller than me.

The reason why they came was because they were going to take the entrance exam in the Academy City three days later. They came with a bit of time to spare and were going to stay at the mansion under the arrangement of Viscount Granvelle.

Naturally, the arrangements were made for Kurena, the Master Swordsman, and Dogora was an added bonus. She looked up at the large three-story mansion that was not in Kurena’s village.

The two of them were carrying their luggage on their backs. It seems that they were planning to go directly to the examination hall without staying overnight in the Academy City. They have a minimal amount of luggage, including clothing and a used sword for practice.

(I knew it. No Peromus? Well, I heard that.)

Peromus, the son of the village mayor, who has also been practicing with his sword, was not going to the Academy City, which, given the purpose of the Academy City created by the agreement of the Five Continents Alliance, is not a place for him.

Peromus said he was going to attend a commercial Academy established and run by the Commercial Guild.

How did I know that?

About two months ago, I was given some free time to return to the Kurena village. I went to tell them that I had resigned as a manservant, and that I had become a guest of the Viscount Granvelle, that I would be going to the Academy City in April, and that the Rodan and Gerda families would no longer be charged per capita tax.

It had been four years since I had been back home, but I wanted to let my parents know what I was going to do before I left, since I was going to attend Academy City.

At the same time, I gave the village mayor a letter from the Rodan and Gerda families, which the Viscount had approved, stating that their tax was pardoned.

When I showed Rodan the silver jeweled dagger that the Viscount had given me, he said, “What have you done?” 

Theresia told me to take it easy, looking worried. My way of life apparently made her feel like I was in a hurry.

I gave them 100 Gold coins because I would not be able to send money from then on. Rodan and Theresia’s faces went blank. After a considerable pause, Rodan said, “Can you give us this much?” I told him that I still had more than 600 Gold coins. 

“What have you really done…?” muttered Rodan, holding a bag of gold coins.

Mash urged me to talk to him, so I told him a lot about my adventures in the Goblin Nest, Orc Nest, and Armored Ant’s Nest. I didn’t talk about Madegarsh to Mash, who seemed to enjoy listening to me. I have no intention of traumatizing my brother.

“Sorry to bother you!”

“Hmm, good to see you.”

As Kurena cheerfully entered the mansion, the entire Viscount Family was waiting at the entrance. They were waiting at the entrance to welcome the Master Swordsman Kurena.

When the Viscount asked for a handshake, Kurena returned the handshake without any hesitation. This is the first time the Viscount and Kurena have met face to face. When he went to observe the Boar hunting at that time, he returned to Grandver without seeing Kurena.

(Well, a Master Swordsman might become a Marquis one day.)

Master Swordsmen are a valuable resource for the kingdom. Born as a serf, the Master Swordsman Doberg is said to still be active on the battlefield, and currently holds the title of Marquis. A Marquis is two or three titles higher than a Viscount, which is a lower class noble. It can be said that the Royal Family, which has no money due to the war, is giving them titles in return.

According to Viscount Granvelle, Kurena would be made a Baron upon graduation. The responsibility to go to the battlefield is reserved for the Nobility after all.

Viscount Granvelle does not seem to have any anger or resistance to Kurena’s attitude. He responded with a smiling face. I’ve already explained to him about Kurena’s character.

“You must be Kurena. Nice to meet you.”

Cecile also greeted Kurena.

“Oh, Lady Cecile, it’s so nice to meet you!”

Kurena seems to have noticed something. She squeezed Cecile’s hands tightly and greeted him.

“…”

“What’s the matter? Lady Cecile?”

(Yes. Answer me, Cecile.)

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Is that so?”

Cecile managed to reply. I told Kurena to get along with Cecile in the village. I also told Cecile to get along with Kurena before. Cecile seems to have been attracted to Kurena, who treats the Nobles without any hesitation.

(Hmm? I think Cecile was staring at me, but I must have imagined it.)

Over the past four years, Cecile’s and my relationship had become much less tangled, but at the beginning of this year, the tangles came back. Her ‘tsuntsun’ was back at the beginning of the year, and it seems that it had not been completely cured.

When I quit my position as a manservant and became a guest of the Viscount Granvelle’s Family, Cecile gave me a hard time. “Whose permission did you get to quit being a manservant?” That’s what she said. But recently, her anger seems to have finally subsided.

There was a reason why I invited Kurena to the mansion this time.

Cecile and I are supposed to fight the Demon King’s army in three years. That’s the plan for now.

Mages and Summoners have low [Endurance] generally. I can raise my [Endurance] with my summon’s blessing, but if I raise it too much, my Holder will be full of Stones. As a result, my other stats will be drastically reduced. It would be impossible to build tactics.

That’s why I want Kurena, the strongest physical Master Swordsman, to fight the Demon King’s army with me and Cecile. If Kurena will also be sent to the battlefield anyway, then let’s go together, and let’s destroy the Demon King’s army together. Today is also the first meeting between Kurena and Cecile.

In addition, I do not know what will happen after graduation. I asked the Viscount to go to the Royal Capital to confirm how we will be sent to the battlefield.

The battlefield is basically subject to the will of the Five Continents Alliance and the Giamut Empire of the Central Continent. As a result, even the Royal Family has no idea where the Master Swordsman will be placed.

He also said that there are many battles that the Royal Family does not know about regarding the Master Swordsman Doberg, who is in name serving the Royal family.

The war situation changes by the minute, and the strategies can change drastically in a year.

For now, I’m going to have Kurena work with me and Cecile at the Academy. I also want to complete some dungeon challenges.

(I need to raise Kurena and Cecile’s level in the dungeon, so let me check their stats in the Grimoire!)

Every night, I grasp my Grimoire and send prayers to the Gods. In the house next to mine, the Master Swordsman Kurena was born. In the house of the Noble where I worked as a manservant, there was a young lady who was a Mage. It’s definitely not a coincidence. If you want the Demon King’s army to be destroyed, you have to let me check the status of the two of them.

As for Dogora, I’m not sure if he’ll join to fight the Demon King’s army. It’s going to be a tough fight since Mihai, who also had a one star Talent, lost his life. I’m thinking that it might be a tough road ahead for Dogora, but it depends on his will.

I’m going to secretly tell both Kurena and Dogora about the fight against the Demon King, which I was told not to mention by the magic teacher. I don’t know exactly how we will fight against the Demon King’s army after graduation, but I hope that we can spend the next three years of our Academy life with the same goal in mind.

Not long after that, it was time for dinner. Kurena and Dogora also ate at the dining room with the rest of the Viscount family.

(Hmmm, Dogora looks decent.)

Next to Dogora, who was nervous and eating quietly, Kurena was eating like she was in her home. It must have been a long time since she’s had a treat because she was clutching a forkful of meat in one hand and a piece of bread in the other. Thomas is staring at Kurena with an expression that seems to have broken all common sense.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I’ll eat later.”

“So, Allen. I need you to get everyone to the Academy City safely.”

“Yes, sir.”

I bowed my head as a manservant and agreed, as if to say goodbye to his four years of servitude.

(Well, that thing must be there, so I must find it. In the meantime, I should gather information at the Adventurer’s Guild. If I don’t, I might not be able to take on the Demon King’s army in three years.)

Allen has a more important purpose in the Academy City than going to the Academy.

Thus, Allen, along with Kurena, Cecile, and Dogora, headed for the Academy City three days later.