★★★★★★

The sun is setting, but it's still early for dinner. It's about that time.
I'm in the 41st district.
I showed up at the headquarters of the hunting guild and was surprised to see Ricardo Siegenthaler, the lord of the 41st district there.
I've heard that he frequents the guild, but it feels strange to see him here.
Anyway, let's say hello.

'It's been a while, Mr. Ricardo.
'Hmm?I believe you're ...... of the 42nd district branch.'
'Yes, sir. I'm Use Damare.'

......?
I thought you were Yashiro, huh?
Don't be rude, I'll kick your ass!

'What's the matter, Use?
'Oh, no, ...... I thought you said something rude. ...... No, it's nothing. It was just my imagination.

On the other side of Ricardo-sama, Mom sits in her usual seat and looks at him suspiciously.
Hunting guild headquarters, guild leader's office. It is rumored that disrespect here can even mean death.
She's a moody one. You have to be careful what you say and do.

'What's so disturbing about that?I can't believe you look so scared.'
'What a jerk. Are you saying that there are times when Medora has a pretty face?'
'No way, ha-ha.'
'Alright, you two. If you have any bones you don't want, declare them. I'll smash them.''

A fist like a steel ball slams into a giant palm.
Mom's threats are not funny because they don't sound like jokes.

'No, it's no big deal. ......'
'Just recently, your idiot did what he wanted in the twenty-ninth district.

As Ricardo began to speak, catching the end of my mom's words, the face of an a**h*le came to my mind.
I'm pretty sure he's talking about that a**h*le.

'It's not that we're cleaning up his mess, but yesterday, as representatives of the 41st district, Medora and I went to the leader of the BU to greet him.
'The leader is ......?
'The twenty-ninth district.

I'm not a big fan of geopolitics, so Mom explains it to me.
BU is kind of a jumbled mess and hard to understand.
I'm the type of person who's more interested in what's going on outside than inside the city.

'Medora captured a bandit at the lord's place.
'Huh. That's my mom. You did a good job, didn't you?
'I didn't capture them. It's a stranger's place, so I let their soldiers capture him to save face. I was just helping them.

He probably did most of the work himself and just gave away the credit.

'......But, you know, ......I let some of his people go.
'Mom ...... is suffering from a terminal illness. ............'
'You're so annoying!It took us a while to catch them alive.

The bandits would have been wiped out by now if we'd let them breathe.
Lucky bastards.

'So we were talking about how we could find the rest of them.
'But isn't that the job of the BU?
'Well, it is, but ...... I can't get my mind around it. It's been decades since I've missed a kill.

There's something odd about the hunter's blood.
Anyway, I feel sorry for the bandits who were targeted. Even though she escaped, witnessing your mother - even in an adversarial position - would have been a lifelong trauma.
I'm sure you'll never forget her face and name. ...... I can assure you that you will be plagued by nightmares for a while.

'I took him out hunting this morning for a change, but he didn't seem to feel any better. His nerves are too thin, you know.
'Mr. Ricardo ......, that's a joke, isn't it?

There is no part of mom where the adjective 'thin' is used. Never.

I'm not sure what to say.I should be working to take my mind off this, you know. So, what do you want?
'Oh, yes. I'm here with a report on the 42nd district branch's income and expenditure, as well as a record of its activities.
'That's a lot of work. Oh, yes. Do you want me to pat him on the head?
'Oh, no. Don't mind me.



It's no exaggeration to say that it's suicidal to play along with your mother's jokes.
After all, she once dislocated the shoulder of an assistant guild leader while saying, 'Hahaha, what are you talking about? and dislocated the shoulder of the assistant guild leader.
The deputy guild leader is as strong as a monster to us ordinary hunters, but he was dislocated by ...... Mom's light body touch. ............ lightly! No!

So, I'm here today to report on the sales of the 42nd district branch.
Representatives of the chapters visit the headquarters on a regular basis. That's a rule my mom made. It's a rule set by Mom, who treats her guild members like family.

'I'll show you the report later. Don't hesitate to go to the salon and have a cup of tea. Make sure you communicate with the young people at headquarters.
'Okay. I'll take it then.
'Oh, wait a minute, ugh.'

I greeted my mom and was about to leave the room when Master Ricardo stopped me.

'Since you're here, why don't you have some food? I've got some rare hill whale meat.'
'Is that so? That's rare.'
'I hunted it myself. Savor it.'

A hill whale, Master Ricardo?
That's great. The hill whale is a huge beast that expert hunters struggle with. They're few and far between and rarely hunted.
If you've hunted one, you'll want to brag about it.

'Ha-ha-ha!I'm sorry, Use. Ricardo is just happy that he caught a rare big one. He's been talking about it all morning.
'Medora!Don't give that away, you!Well, there you go. Eat up.'

Everyone gets excited when they have a good hunt.
When I killed a Bonacon, I dragged it all over town and bragged about it. ...... I know how you feel.
And I know how embarrassing it is when people make fun of you for it. ......
My mom doesn't mind doing that.
You should at least give me a shout out. With a witty remark.

'My dad used to love the hill whales. I miss it. ......, I'll take it without reservation. Thank you for the food.
'............'
'Hmm?What is it?'
'No, your face is scary, but you have good manners.'
'That's because my ...... mom taught me that.'
'I wonder if ...... the most polite person in the forty-two districts is Use?He's got a scary face.
'No, that's not true,.......'
'But you're talking to me respectfully!You have a scary face!
'Of course, if you're dealing with a lord, you'd at least use honorifics!
'Even though you're a resident of District 42?Even though you have a scary face?
'The residents of District 42 you're talking about are just a few of the oddballs around him!Also, you say 'even though your face is scary' too much!

You can't speak for others either!--I swallowed the word desperately.

There are many people in the 42nd district who respect manners even if they are uneducated. In fact, the majority of them are like that. Because many of them grew up listening to the teachings of Sister Bertina of the Church.
That's changing because of her, because of him.
It's just that because of him, a few people have thrown away the words "politeness" and "civility".
In fact, it seems that the man is infecting and propagating the infection. ...... He is a nasty man.


After leaving the guild leader's office, head to the salon adjacent to the dining room.
In the salon, several guild members were spending their time as they saw fit.
The salon may have a fancy name, but it is really a place like a tavern.
It was a place where people brought drinks and food from the dining hall and bragged about their daily achievements.

'Oh, Mr. Use. Hey!
'Hey. How's it going lately?
'Heh, that's the thing...'

I'm exchanging some light information with a young guy at HQ.
Or rather, small talk.

The branch offices and the headquarters are basically treated as separate organizations, but they often cooperate with each other.
In particular, since the establishment of the city gates in the 42nd district, there have been more opportunities to interact with people from the headquarters.
The hunting guild has also dispatched a number of gatekeepers.

Most of the time, veterans and youngsters come together, and it's a training ground for the younger ones.
They work together and hunt for suitable magical beasts.


When there is a hexenbiest that looks like it's in serious trouble, we from the branch sometimes cooperate to defeat it.
Sometimes, I even buy them dinner. Well, it's the role of adults to take care of the younger generation.

'Hey, Mr. Use. It's been a while.
'Are you reporting in today?

In a sunny, first-class seat by the salon's window, a white-haired, lanky kid and a cowboy with horns like a water buffalo were seated.
They raised their mugs of ale and greeted me.

'Hello, Alvaro. And Drino's old man.'
'I'm not an old man, ora. I'm only one year older than you.'
'If you're one step older, you're an old man.'
'Then Mr. Use is very much an old man in my eyes, isn't he?
'Who's that, man?
'Hahahaha!

Alvaro laughs with a sarcastic face.
d*mn.
This guy has such a childish personality, but he's still able to make it into the top five of the hunting guild.
He's like this now, but he'll transform. He'll take the form of a white tiger.

When he uses the "white shimmering thing" that is similar to Magda's "red shimmering thing", his strength increases tenfold or twentyfold.
He's only sixteen, so he's a terrifying guy.

'I heard that Master Ricardo hunted a hill whale.
'Oh, you heard that?You should eat it.

I join them at the same table, talking. I pulled out a suitable chair and sat down.
A newcomer to the guild brought me some ale as well.
...... I've got to get home after this, so I'd better not drink too much.

You can eat a lot of food when you're that big. You can train hard.'

Dorino says with a snort.
He's burning up strangely.

'Training?For what?'
'Oh, Dorino-san, he's frustrated that he lost the gluttony contest.'
'No, you won, didn't you, against the ordinary girl from the sunny pavilion.'
'But I lost the overall. So, I caused trouble for my mom and Ricardo-sama.'

No, no, no.
As long as that guy was involved, I'm sure the results would have been similar, if not slightly different.
And ...... I can't say this because it would be bad for the guys over here, but ...... at that time, there was no other way but to do that.
If the 41st district had won and the 42nd district had been forced to sign an unequal treaty, ...... he would have done everything in his power to destroy the 41st district. I'm sure.
If that had happened, District Forty-one would not be so peaceful now.
They wouldn't be drinking in the saloon in the afternoon.

That's the kind of man he is.

'In the next tournament, we'll win hands down!
'Don't get too uptight, old man Drino. It's too much trouble.'
'What's wrong with you?You think you can relax now that you've won?'
'That's not it.

I said don't provoke the quiet guy.
...... Because it's not going to be good.

In the event that you've got a lot more than one, you'll be able to get a lot more.
'Fourth round ............ ah, that's it'.

I don't know, I don't want to remember any event involving him.

'Because Alvaro doesn't have any faith in the spirit gods at all.
'That's not true!
'Even if it's pretty, he'll eat it up without a care in the world.
'What kind of image do you have of me, ......?
'Either way, it's all about results. It was your strategy that brought Gustave into the fourth round. You can't complain about that now.'
'That's right. A game is a game. We swore we'd play fair, didn't we?
I'm sorry....... Besides, that fifth round was unfair. ......'

Perhaps not convinced, Drino's old man began to grumble.
Well, if you're saying that the fifth round was fair and square,......, that's a bit subtle.

No, that's not true.

Alvaro slammed his empty mug on the table and shouted.
The old man from Dorino also stops complaining about the power of his voice.
I shut up for a minute, too.

'That was no ordinary fight, that's for sure. But I myself decided that the way I did it was fine, and I was confident that I could win with it, so I gave it a fair fight under the same conditions. The reason I lost the fifth round was because I was weak-minded ...... and was no match for the strength of that tiger girl's mind.
'So you're satisfied with your match with Magda? I'm sure you'll agree.


'Of course. But if you try it again, I'll win.'

So graceful.
Quite a feat at such a young age.
When you're this age, you're so obsessed with winning that you get into all sorts of trouble. ...... He's a fearsome fellow, Alvaro.
He's got the strength and the capacity. This guy is going to be a big deal in the not too distant future.

'...... somewhat?

Just as we were having this conversation, Magda appeared as if by design.
He came out of the cafeteria, spotted me, and slowly approached me.

'...... Use Damare?
'Don't call me that.
'...... and, Ibukuro Cluley.'
'Dorino da!What kind of name do you think I have?
'...... and,loser.'
'Oh, Magda!Wait a minute!

I grab Magda and get out of my seat as quickly as I can.
'...... You're throwing a hell of a lot of stuff at me out of the blue.

'Do you know what Alvaro said about fighting you?
''...... 'A complete defeat where I couldn't even get my hands on you'?
'I fought you fair and square, and you were mature enough to accept it, even though it was irregular!
'...... "It was irregular," "I'm satisfied," you sound pompous.
'If you know the meaning of the word "pompous", you should pay more attention to what you say!
'...... Pretty words are just the ravings of a loser. It is the privilege of the victor to leave words behind.
'Haha ............ I wonder why I grew up like this ............ because of him? Oh.

You know what?
The one who was tortured said 'I don't care', so don't wake up a sleeping child and add fuel to the fire.

'...... Alvaro is strong. This is something that everyone recognizes. It is not necessary for him to say it.

He brushes away my restraining arm and says with a cool face.

'...... But at the time of that match, Magda was absolutely determined not to lose. That thought was just a little bit more than Alvaro's. That's all.

So he had reached the same conclusion as Alvaro.
That victory wasn't just about skill. It was luck and the support of his friends that gave him strength.

'...... No words are needed between those who have fought earnestly. So ......'

Magda slowly raised her head and looked towards the first seat in the salon.
As if to follow her, he turned his attention to her. ......

'You've got some nerve, tiger girl!Let me have my revenge!We'll have the same food and the same time limit!I'll definitely beat you this time!
'Calm down, Alvaro!He's just a little kid!Whoa!Why are you transforming, man?Don't get so worked up!

Alvaro has grown white tiger ears and changed from the nose down to a beast. ...... Don't transform yourself.

'...... It's disgraceful to pile on words like that. ...... You're just a loser. You bark a lot.
'............ You. You're really starting to look like him, aren't you?

Maybe I've left Magda in the wrong hands.
It's because I left her with him that she's become such a twisted character. ......

'Alvaro's like that. I think we'd better leave.'

The hill whale seemed a bit of a waste, though.

'...... Not so fast. Magda has business with Medamama.'
'For my mom?'

Magda nodded, her face serious.
...... I wonder what it is. I have a really bad feeling about this.

'Ricardo-sama is at Mama's right now. Don't be rude.'
'...... No problem. Magda would never be rude to Medrama.'
'I'm not sure I even trust that statement. ...... But more importantly, don't be rude to Master Ricardo.'
'............What?
'............Ah?
'..................'
'..................'
'............ to Ricardo, why?'


'You do understand how great Ricardo is, don't you?
'...... ah, greatness...... hmmm ............'


...... This guy.
I'm sure you'll be fine as long as you're warned beforehand. You can't lose sight of the greatness of your lord.
It's not like he's going to be rude.

'...... Why would Ricardo do that?
'You've lost sight of the importance of a lord, haven't you?

He's dangerous.
I'll accompany you. ...... I can't let him see Ricardo by himself. You can't let him see Ricardo-sama alone. It could become a problem for the entire District Forty-two branch.

I'll follow you.
'...... stalker......'
'No!

What's so sad that you have to hang around with such a little guy?
You should learn to be more s*xy before you talk.
Come to think of it, you're still just a kid. ............

'Hey, Magda. Did he keep his promise to you?'
'...... promise?'

On the way to the guild leader's office, I asked Magda.
I'm going to ask Magda about the promise these guys made in the fifth round of the gluttony contest.

'See, he said that, didn't he?If you win, I'll sleep with the manager of the sunlit pavilion in the shape of a river.
'...... Mm. I promised.
'Did he already do that for you?'

In other words.
......Yashiro's bastard is going to spend the night .................. with that manager, I'm jealous!

'So, what do you think?
'....... I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.
'Don't you dare exaggerate maliciously!
'...... Medramar.'
'Stop it!You'll kill me!

Even if it's a joke, if my mom hears that kind of bad news, she'll ............ be minced, or even powdered.

'Well, if you don't want to answer, I won't ask.
'...... the river, yet.'

With his eyes forward, Magda gave him an easy answer.
It's been quite a while now, and yet the promise has not been fulfilled?

'Isn't he planning to back out of this?
'...... That's not true. Yashiro will not break his promise to Magda.'

That's a lot of confidence.
In terms of humanity, I think it's rare to find someone as untrustworthy as him.

'I've saved the letters of ...... river.'
'Saved?
'...... I'm saving it for when the time is right.'

When the time is ripe,...... do you mean when he and the manager of the sunlit pavilion will be able to ...... stay in the same room for the night?

'......Now if we slept in the shape of a river,............'

Suddenly, Magda's feet stop.
Then, clenching his fists, he asserts with a tone of conviction.

'......Yashiro will pass Magda and keep looking at the manager's big tits all night long.'
'............ Oh, I'm sure he will.

I can easily imagine that, you know.

'...... So, I'll wait a little longer. And then .......'

Inhaling quietly, Magda stares into the void and speaks.

'...... You'll have breasts as big as the manager's.'
'No, you can't!
'...... '(Ma) Come on, let's go to bed. I'm tired today. By the way, Magda is the one who doesn't wear it when she sleeps.' (Ji) Huh ......, when I sleep side by side with Magda, I can't help but feel inferior to her~'
'Wait a minute, Magda!You're not going to beat that thing, are you?
'......' 'Well, you've grown up rapidly, haven't you? Magda is only sixteen years old.''
'And it's only been three years!

What kind of reckless battle is this guy planning to wage? ......
It's as difficult to win against the manager of the sunlit pavilion's "thing" as it is to win against ...... your mother.

What kind of ambition do you have, Magda? ......

'...... Magda's mom and dad had big tits. If you have that gene and are raised in the same environment as the manager, you will be able to ...... get the best of both worlds.

It's a convenient fantasy.
If working at the sunshine pavilion can make your breasts bigger, you might want to .................. go there more often. I'm sorry.

While I was thinking about this, I arrived in front of the guild leader's office.
That's the second time today.



'...... Well, I'll see you around, Use.'
'Why the hell not?
'Because I don't want ...... to think I know you.'
'I know you, everyone knows you!
'.................. Pfft.'
'Why do you look so unhappy, you ......'

He grabbed Magda by the neck and knocked on the door.
This guy could be rude as hell the first time he opens up.

'Who's there?Come on in.'

I ask Mom's permission and open the door.

'Yes, Ush. Do you need anything else?'
'Oh, no. Magda is--'
'...... "She's so cute, I just wanted to play a prank on her."'
'I didn't say that!I didn't say that!

I was careless.
I didn't think you'd be so rude to me. ............ I think this guy needs to be taught about hierarchy again, don't you?

'Oh, Magda. What can I do for you?'
'...... Medramama. Good ...... evening.'

Magda looks out the window for a moment and changes her words.
Maybe she was about to say 'hello' at first.
But the sky is beginning to dim. I'm not sure if I should call it evening.

'...... Actually, there's something I want to show you, Medrama. Oh, Ricardo, hey. Actually, Magda is in the news paper .......'
'Wait a minute, come on!

I dashed over and dragged him out of the room as fast as I could.

'Are you an idiot?Hey, are you stupid?
'...... Magda is 'cute'.'
'Greetings, Ricardo-sama!
'...... I did it right, though, didn't I?
I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

If you behave like that, Ricardo-sama will be very upset. ......

'Oi, tiger girl ......!

Waveringly, Ricardo-sama stands behind us with a black aura on his back.
He's really angry, after all!
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. With both hands, with all his strength.
Then, he put his face close to Magda's and said

I'm not sure what's wrong with you that you're greeting me ......!Hey, hey!Don't die!I'll call the medicine man's guild.I'll send you a carriage.I'll send a carriage. Go home now!You'll feel better if you stay warm and sleep.

...... is really worried about you.
What's this?

'Oh, hey, Use, ...... are you okay?I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.
'......How are you usually treated, Ricardo-sama......'

He's also a victim of ...... that guy.
I'm not sure why he's so pale when he's greeted so rudely.


I'm sure it's contagious if you're involved with the sunshine pavilion,.......


'So, Magda. What did the paper say?'
'...... In fact, Magda ......, or rather, Yojimaritei, was featured in an information paper.'

This guy's making a big show of himself, isn't he?

'Oh, that's great. So, do you have the real thing?
'...... I've only brought a part of it. But if you want it, you can buy it. It's for publicity.
'Oh, sure. It's about the sunny-side up restaurant you and my darling are taking care of. I'll buy it.'

That's the information paper he offered me.
Ricardo-sama peeps at it, too, as if he's curious. I, too, peek through the crack.

'Pfft!
'Pfft!
'Ha-ha-ha!What the hell is that?

Ricardo and I both choked, and Mom laughed her head off.


...... Magda was drawn with amazingly large breasts.

'...... This is a cross between the best parts of the waitresses at the sunny pavilion--'

Magda's explanation was ridiculous, and the finished illustration was just as ridiculous.
...... What is this illustration that seems to embody Magda's fantasy?

'......This is what I plan to do eventually.
'Then work on your pectoral muscles. If you want to have a nice body like mine!
'...... Hmm. Medamama has a high level of feminine power, so I'll aim for that.

I think the closer you get to her, the further away she's going to get from you.

'So, did you come all this way to show me this?
'...... In case you were wondering, I decided I should show it to Medamama.'
'I see. Thank you.'

Mom's big hands were stroking Magda's small head as if they were going to crush it.
Magda's eyes narrowed in pleasure at the roughness of her touch.

Oh, I see. She's got her own mother in her, huh?
The mother who was a member of the hunting guild and was feared as a demon god. Well, there's a bit of a resemblance.

I guess he wanted to be praised for having an illustration that looked just like him in the paper.
...... He's still just a kid, isn't he?

'...... medramma......'
'Hmm~?
'............ Nothing.'
'What's that? Just say what you mean.'
'........................ fine.'
'Okay.'
'......Yeah.'

Magda started to say something and then stopped.
Maybe he was trying to say, 'Give me a compliment. I was thinking .........

'But thanks for showing it to me. I'm glad to know you're on this site.'
'............ Yeah.'
'You. You came all this way just to make me happy, didn't you?
'............'

Magda didn't answer.
But she sounds convinced.

I don't want to be praised by you, I want to please you.
Is there such a feeling in Magda ......?

'You're a filial daughter, you know that?
'............ If you're happy, good.'
'If you have any problems, let me know. I'll help you with whatever you need as a reward for this time.'
'.................. Yeah.'

I was surprised.
At the same time, I knew I was no match for my mom.

It was only a slight change. ......


'I'll think about it at ......'.


Magda's face looked as if she was smiling when she said that.
It was the first time I'd seen Magda's face like that.

You can see right through us, the kids. All of us.

It's getting dark, so go home. I'll give you some hill whale meat, and you can eat it with my darling at the Sunshine Pavilion.'
'...... Mm. I'll take it.
'Then I'll lend you my carriage. My horse is much better than Estella's crappy one. We'll reach the 42nd district in no time.

The guild leader of the hunting guild and the lord of the 41st district are being kind to Magda.
That guy's amazing. I wonder if he has any special abilities, like the ability to ensnare powerful people.

'...... Ricardo'
'Hey, there's no need to thank me.
'...... Magda, I've been told to beware of the kindness of suspicious people.
'Who's a suspicious person?It's a shame, though.It's a shame, though, because I wasn't expecting it, so I'm not disappointed!
'Ricardo-sama!If you match the level of these guys, you'll have a wave of regret when you go to bed!

I'll give you some advice based on my experience.
But it seems this man has experienced that regret before.
It's a horrible place, sunny-side up.


Eventually, my mom lent us a carriage and Magda and I headed back to District 42.
I missed out on the hill whale, so I decided to go back to the Sundaari-tei later.

Well, that's a lot of work.
But still, ......



I wanted to take my time and read an informative newspaper.