Chapter 121 - The Monster Subjugation Knight and the Courier Guild’s Courier
Translator's Note: Here's an extra chapter for everyone. Happy Holidays. Although it would have been nice if it were a holiday where we didn't have to work. Anyways, have a good day.
“It’s been a while. Is it okay to say that, Marcella-san?”
“Oh, sure. Are you sure it’s really okay for me to speak casually?”
On the second floor of the Green Tower, Volf and Marcella sat facing each other on the sofa.
The sunlight streaming through the window was faint. It wouldn’t be long before the red hues of dusk would pour in.
“I talk like this with Dahlia too, and this is just how I usually talk, so speaking formally is actually harder for me.”
“Got it, no need to hold back then. If I say something that bothers you, just let me know. Oh, and how should I address you? Volfred-sama, or Volf-sama?”
“How about we just stick with ‘-san’ for each other? Being called ‘sama’ in the tower makes me feel restless.”
“Alright, Volf-san it is.”
Marcella held back the urge to tease, Is the Green Tower your home?, and simply answered.
Today, he had visited Dahlia’s house with his wife, Irma. Since all four of them happened to be free, they decided to have dinner together.
Dahlia and Irma were currently in the kitchen, preparing the meal.
When they offered to help, Irma had smiled and said, “You can handle the cleanup later.” His cooking skills weren’t trusted, so it was only natural.
As they chatted, Marcella’s eyes met Volf’s, and he felt a strange unease.
“Something about those glasses is kinda unsettling... Mind taking them off for a sec?”
“...Sure.”
The man in front of him paused for a moment, then removed his glasses.
Instantly, Marcella was at a loss for words.
The eyes that met his weren’t the gentle green he had seen before, but a radiant gold. The previously subdued aura was gone, replaced by a beauty so striking that even a man couldn’t help but be captivated.
The glasses must have been a magical tool for disguise. Marcella understood the troubled expression on Volf’s face.
“...That must be tough. You need a magical tool just to get by. You must be popular to the point of exhaustion, huh?”
“It’s not something I asked for though.”
Though he didn’t deny it, the man seemed genuinely bothered by it, and Marcella couldn’t help but comment.
“I get it, but as a guy, I kinda wish I had that kind of problem at least once.”
“Marcella-san, behind you...”
Right after Volf’s hesitant warning, something pressed firmly against Marcella’s back.
“I’d love to hear more about this ‘kind of problem’ you wish you had.”
“Uh, it’s just a general thing. I’m not actually jealous, you know? I’ve got you, after all.”
His beloved wife had somehow appeared behind him without him noticing.
Though her low voice near his ear made him a little nervous, he kept his composure.
“Nice to meet you, Scalfarotto-sama. I’m Irma Nuvolari, Marcella’s wife.”
She stepped away from his back and bowed to Volf.
“Likewise. Just call me Volf. And please, speak casually. I was just telling Marcella-san the same thing.”
“Really? Wouldn’t that be disrespectful?”
“Not at all.”
Irma’s reddish-brown eyes fixed on him, and Volf half-braced himself under her scrutinizing gaze.
“Golden eyes are rare. They’re quite beautiful.”
Irma said it plainly.
Her gaze was simply curious about the color of his eyes, devoid of any longing or desire.
“Thank you.”
Volf’s voice carried such relief that Marcella couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
“At that level, you really need to be cautious, huh? Must be exhausting...”
“Sorry if I seem self-conscious...”
Marcella shook his head at the man’s awkward demeanor.
“It’s not being self-conscious. At that point, it’s self-defense. Nobles must be especially troublesome.”
Though he was a commoner, Marcella had heard a thing or two about nobles.
If you were good-looking, you’d likely be used by your family or forced into unwanted engagements. It probably didn’t matter if you were a man or a woman.
With a face like Volf’s, he must have had his share of struggles.
“Marcella-san, do you have any dealings with nobles?”
“I’m a courier, so I deliver things to them. And I’ve heard a few stories about good-looking women having a hard time with nobles...”
He trailed off, not elaborating further. No one pressed him on it.
“I do think you’re beautiful, Volf-san, but to me, you’re just a ‘regular person.’”
“Don’t take it the wrong way. It’s just that her tastes are... very specific.”
Marcella cut in, and Volf gave him a puzzled look.
“For me, the only ‘handsome man’ in my life has been Marcella.”
Irma stated it matter-of-factly, completely natural.
Whether her tastes were odd or her senses were off, Irma seemed completely uninterested in any man other than Marcella.
As a beautician, she observed the hair, eye color, and skin of both men and women, but that was it.
From the moment they met, Irma had given Marcella such intense attention, and it hadn’t waned. It was strange.
But hearing her say it so bluntly made him blush a little.
“Hmm, see that? The power of love!”
“...I’m jealous.”
Volf’s quiet, heartfelt remark made Marcella’s embarrassment vanish instantly.
The man with golden eyes smiled faintly, a hint of loneliness in his expression.
Even though Dahlia was around, Marcella couldn’t understand why he looked like that.
“Ah, what’s with that face? You must have had, what, ten or twenty lovers by now?”
“Marcella, isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?”
“Alright, a hundred or two hundred?”
“None at all.”
“Wait, you’re a love rookie? Then what about Dahlia-chan?”
“Dahlia’s a friend. She... out of my league.”
There was no joking tone in his words, just a gaze filled with hesitation and resignation. Marcella struggled to find the right response.
“Out of your league... That’s a phrase that can mean a lot of things...”
Irma whispered softly, only for Marcella to hear.
He nodded slightly, his eyes locking onto the man with golden eyes once more.
He had been concerned about this man since they first met.
Not much time had passed since Dahlia’s engagement was called off. He didn’t want to see his friend get hurt again.
If possible, he wanted to understand more about what was going on inside this man.
“Volf-san, as a knight in the Monster Subjugation Force, you must be pretty strong, right?”
“I guess you could say that.”
“Then, how about a little sparring match? As a commemoration of today.”
“Sparring?”
“Yeah, let’s head down to the courtyard for a bit.”
“Sure, but...”
Volf looked slightly troubled, clearly not enthusiastic.
Marcella pretended not to notice and stood up energetically.
“Alright, let’s go for a bit.”
・・・・・・・
“Hey, where did Volf and Marcella-san go?”
Dahlia, carrying plates from the kitchen, asked Irma.
She was no longer wearing the loose gray dress from last year but a sleek, light blue dress that Irma had complimented her on.
Over it, she wore a white apron.
“They went to the garden for a little sparring match. They’ll be back soon, so don’t worry.”
“Why would they spar...?”
“It’s just guys messing around. Apparently, he did the same with Tobias when they went out drinking before.”
“I never heard about that.”
Tobias wasn’t the type to spar, nor was he particularly good at it. Besides, the difference in build between him and Marcella was too great.
Dahlia couldn’t understand why they’d even think of doing something like that.
“Maybe he didn’t tell you? Tobias only lasted ten seconds, apparently.”
“Ten seconds? What do you mean?”
“It took ten seconds for his back to hit the ground. In sparring, if your back touches the ground, it’s a loss. But Tobias is a magical toolmaker, so physical strength isn’t his forte. It’s only natural.”
“But Volf is...”
Volf is an active member of the Monster Subjugation Force. He usually fights monsters, not people.
Honestly, no matter how good Marcella is at sparring, Dahlia couldn’t imagine him winning.
“By the way, Marcella hasn’t had his back touch the ground once since we met.”
“But Volf is a knight in the Monster Subjugation Force. He fights monsters on a daily basis...”
Irma seemed unconcerned, but Dahlia was the one feeling anxious.
If Marcella got hurt, wouldn’t things become awkward?
“Well, they’ll probably just mess around a bit. We can ask who was stronger later. Now, let’s focus on the food. We need to finish before they get back.”
Irma laughed cheerfully and placed a hand on Dahlia’s shoulder. The golden engagement bracelet on her wrist, with its reddish brown stone, sparkled faintly.
“Besides, I don’t think my Marcella will lose.”
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