Anoseka Volume 2 Chapter 1

This is MTL. So, I cannot guarantee that the translation 100% contextually accurate or appropriate.

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Chapter 1 "Summer Break at the Bartfalt House"

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Part 1

With less than a week left in the summer vacation.

I [Leon Fou Bartfalt] woke up later than usual after returning to the Bartfalt family estate.

Although I said I woke up later, it was still 7:00 in the morning.

It is late enough considering that I used to wake up at sunrise to help my family before I entered the academy.

I stretched out and yawned, then walked out of the room and down the stairs with my clothes in a disheveled state.

The creaking sound of the stairs is drowned out by the noisy voice that woke me up.

"What's all the fuss about this early in the morning?"

As I'm buttoning up my shirt, my partner [Luxion], who is floating near my right shoulder, chides me while answering the cause.

[Marie and your siblings are playing. More importantly, the Master was the last in the family to wake up. I assume that you have been relaxed due to the summer vacation, so I demand an improvement.]

He even makes unnecessary suggestions when all he needs to do is tell me what the fuss is about.

Luxion —— this guy is an artificial intelligence, but his main body is a spaceship.

At my side is a sub unit machine in the form of a metallic-colored sphere with a red lens and a single eye.

The size is about the size of a softball and depending on how you look at it, it may be charming.

What's unfortunate is that even though he calls me Master and treats me as his Master, he nags me a lot like this.

"I woke up at seven o'clock. That's early enough."

[Your family has been up and started their activities before that time.]

"Morning comes early in the country, doesn't it."

I fooled around with the artificial intelligence that recommended getting up early, and as I descended the stairs, I turned my head toward the source of the noise as I approached.

Running from the hallway toward the living room was Marie and my brother —— [Colin], whom Luxion had mentioned earlier.

"Come here!"

I'm glad to see that young Colin is still full of energy in the morning.

Luxion was tracking and observing Colin and Marie, who were running past us, with a red lens pointed at them.

[This situation has been occurring more frequently recently. It appears that Marie is becoming more familiar with the Bartfalt family.]

I think I had a complicated look on my face as I listened to Luxion.

"She's certainly getting used to it, but"

Marie's figure runs behind Colin, but she has removed the mask of a lovely, fragile-looking girl that she wore when she arrived at our house.

She runs in the morning with a loud voice and a furrowed brow.

"Wait, koraaa!"

Colin is being chased by Marie, so he must have done something mischievous.

It seemed to be a success, and he seemed to be enjoying it a lot.

"No~way"

Seeing the two of them running around the house makes me sigh early in the morning.

"Another fight? They never get tired of it."

As I am dumbfounded, Luxion explains the details of the situation to me.

[Yes. It was your brother who made fun of Marie. The first time they met, they were nervous about each other, but now they have an easy-going bond.]

"I wouldn't say it is easygoing, they just don't hold back."

Apparently, Colin thinks of Marie as a big sister who is close to his age.

He seems to enjoy teasing Marie, who acts as the older one.

They should have stopped, but Marie is also pissed off, which makes Colin even more amused.

I wish she would have a little more composure like an older person.

Then, when Dad [Barkas] sees Colin running around the house, he tightens his expression and gives him a fist bump on the head.

Colin is suddenly hit on the head and has teary eyes.

"Ouch!"

"Colin, don't make fun of Marie-chan. She's very important to us. And yet, you are so——"

My dad was about to start lecturing Colin, who was in tears.

Marie, who had been chasing him until just now, was also flustered by this.

"A-Ano, Baron, you don't have to go that far. I'm not that angry."

That's not the words of someone who was angry earlier.

Marie defends Colin, and now Dad apologizes sincerely.

"I'm sorry, Marie-chan. Colin doesn't hate you. I hope you don't hate him."

"Ah, yes."

Dad put his hand on Colin's head and somewhat forcefully made him bow his head and apologize.

As I watch Marie being troubled, my second brother, [Nix], approaches me with a look that says, "What are you doing".

"It's been noisy since morning."

Luxion responds to Nix who speaks to me.

[Good morning, the elder brother-kun. You woke up early this morning and did some practice-swinging. I'm glad to see that you had a productive time unlike Master.]

Nix smiled bitterly at the greeting, which was filled with sarcasm toward me.

"Good morning. Leon's partner is in good spirits today. But more importantly, is the reason why Colin got scolded because he did something to Marie-chan?"

"That's right. They never get tired of fighting, they're like real siblings."

When I responded with laughter, Nix looked a little surprised and then tilted his head.

"She's the sister-in-law, so it's not a mistake, right?"

"——Eh?"

When I am surprised, Nix is also surprised.

"Eh?"

"No, because——Eh? Why Marie and Colin become sister and brother in law?"

I seriously couldn't understand what Nix was saying.

I even suspected that perhaps I was still sleepy-headed.

I thought I had misheard, but judging from Nix's reaction, it was not the case.

"Are you seriously saying that? Or are you just half asleep?"

Nix's reaction gets me puzzled.

"No, because."

"Not "because". You brought a female student from the academy to your parents' house and lived with her for over a month. From outsider's point of view, you're as good as engaged already."

Although not officially engaged, from the perspective of those around us, a girl spends an entire summer vacation at the home of a boy's parents. Indeed, if a stranger were to hear about it, it would not be surprising if they mistakenly thought we were engaged.

Luxion, who had heard our conversation, apparently wanted to take advantage of the situation.

[In the public's opinion, it's as good as being engaged. If you take into account the public's liking of Master, it's right that you should be engaged.]

As soon as something happens, this guy tries to get me and Marie married.

Thinking 'It's none of your business', I clear up Nix's misunderstanding.

"You, shut up! Aniki, Marie is, you know!? ——She couldn't go home to her parents, so I just invited her to come over to my place."

According to Marie, there seems to be a problem with the Lafan family.

Marie was told not to come back to her parents' house either, and was going to spend her summer vacation at the school.

'Challenge the dungeon and earn money during the summer vacation!' That's what she seriously said, and I felt sorry for her, so I invited her to my parent's house.

Of course, I had no ulterior motive at all.

To begin with, the man Marie likes is handsome, tall, and rich.

I'm out of her preference because I'm just an ordinary male student, neither tall nor beautiful, although I'm a rich man after having a breakthrough as an adventurer.

Furthermore, my preference is —— women with big breasts.

I love big breasts, but Marie's is completely flat, so that's out of the question.

Sadly, our preferences are not mutual.

Nix looked kindly at Marie, who was flustered and defending Colin.

"You'll never find a girl that good in the future. Besides, Dad and Mom think you're going to marry Marie-chan, too."

"You're lying, right!?"

Is that why my parents were strangely kind to Marie when she came to our house?

If I don't clear up the misunderstanding now, it will be a big problem.

Nix sighs with a sad look on his face.

"You got it good, you know. You found someone to marry right away at school. I'm having a hard time finding a partner."

Apparently, Nix is also struggling with his hunting marriage.

Nix, but unlike me at the school, he's in the regular class —— the class of boys who are not knights or heirs.

The conditions of getting married are different from those of the advanced class, so it may not be as difficult for them as it is for us —— but still, it seems to be difficult.

"If it's in aniki's class, you'll find someone right away, right? Is it different?"

Nix scratches his head.

"Even normal girls want to live in the city. They are looking for someone who has connections and can live in the capital or on the mainland. And someone like me doesn't even qualify as a backup measure."

When Nix graduates from the academy, he will leave the Bartfalt home and become independent.

Because Zora's son and eldest son [Lutoart] will take over the Baron Bartfalt.

Nix, who is the heir apparent, will be dismissed and kicked out of the house if Lutoart becomes a Baron.

Because Nix is in such a position, marriage is difficult, apparently.

Nix is in a tough spot, too.

I wish I could help him in some way, but —— I can't because I have my hands full with myself.

I'd even rather have help with my hunting marriage in the first place.

Perhaps wanting to force a break in the depressing conversation, Nix broaches a different subject.

"When do Leon and the others go back to the academy? The day before or two days before?"

Actually, I would like to return on the day of the opening ceremony, but I have to return to the school's dormitory the day before due to various preparations.

In addition, it is natural to leave for the academy with plenty of time to spare because the airship cannot be launched depending on the weather.

The day before, two days before, intuitively speaking, it's the limit.

"That's the plan, but I guess the vacation is over. ——I don't want to go back to the marriage hunting life."

"Don't say that."

I also feel heavy at the thought of the marriage hunting waiting for me at the academy.

Apparently it was the same for my second big brother.

We both let out a sigh and chuckled at the funny, troubled look on our faces.

"I'm graduating this year. If I stay unmarried, I might as well be someone's second husband."

I can't help but feel sympathy for Nix, who says with a wry smile.

Second husband —— In my previous life, the position is similar to that of a second wife, and one marries a woman who has lost her husband.

In such cases, the age of the partner is usually older.

A ten-year age difference would be a good thing, but an age difference of twenty years or more is possible.

"Don't give up yet, Aniki. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll lend a hand."

Even though I sympathized and offered to help, Nix looked like he didn't want to.

"Oi, stop it. Don't look at me like you're looking at something pitiful. When my younger brother feels sorry for me, it makes me want to cry."

Really, why is this world so tough on men?

No, tough on the mobs, I guess?

If it is a man, there are princes who are the capture targets of that otome game.

By now, they are probably enjoying their summer vacation with the protagonist, [Olivia].

I really envy them.

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Part 2

There were only a few days left until I returned to the school.

Me and Marie were on a floating island near Bartfalt territory.

It is a floating island that Luxion found and carried.

It is a place that will be my territory in the future, but right now it is uninhabited with not a single settler.

However, thanks to the robots prepared by Luxion, which are working day and night to maintain it, it is ready to be lived in right away.

Such a cozy house existed on my floating island.

It is a log house that looks like stacked logs.

It was my private hideout, my secret base, and I invited Marie, who also had a previous life, to come and join me.

What am I doing by inviting Marie?

"Today's meal is salt-grilled river fish."

"Kyaaaaa! There are pickles tooooo!"

—— Sometimes the two of us would come to the hideout to enjoy a taste of our former lives that we missed so much.

White rice, soup, and salt-grilled and lightly pickled river fish.

It may seem like an ordinary meal, but it is very hard to enjoy the taste of a previous life in a foreign country —— or rather, a different world.

I couldn't have made it happen on my own.

But my partner, Luxion, this guy's original role was an immigrant ship.

It is said to be equipped with a function to carry old humans out into space and help them find a new home —— to help them live on a new planet.

It was only with Luxion's help that the white rice and soup could be prepared.

However, Marie feels that the menu is lacking.

"But I want grated daikon and soy sauce. And I'm tired of eating soup all the time, so I want some miso soup. After all, Japanese people want miso soup"

I nodded deeply many times.

"I understand. But miso and soy sauce are fermented foods. They take time to prepare."

Marie heard my explanation and turned her gaze to Luxion.

"Luxion isn't as great as it sounds either. Are you really a cheat paid item? You should at least preserve some miso or soy sauce."

Marie's unreasonable behavior is also protested by Luxion.

[——In the first place, though, you two said you would prefer foods that are naturally prepared. I have repeatedly told you that I would be happy to provide you with a substitute food that reproduces the same texture and taste immediately.]

Luxion, who can prepare anything, can easily prepare even miso soup.

But it's something miso soup-like.

Everything seems to be the same, but fundamentally it is something else.

I reject Luxion's proposal.

"I prefer natural products."

"Me too."

We say "Itadakimasu" and then start eating without hearing Luxion's reply.

The grilled fish is well done and the meat is tender.

Fish dishes can also be found in the Kingdom of Horfalt, but there are subtle differences.

But what we see before us is undoubtedly Japanese food.

Luxion looks at us and turns clockwise on the spot in amazement.

[——For someone who complains so much, you sure eat a lot.]

Marie says to Luxion as she eats with a happy look on her face.

"Ah~, the nostalgic taste is nice. I now understand the true meaning of soul food."

For those of us who have been reincarnated, there is no doubt that it is truly soul food.

"In two years, Luxion will prepare miso and soy sauce."

When I told her about my future plans, Marie's eyes lit up from anticipation.

She has a very nice smile.

"Two years later, right! You should definitely ask me out. Ah~, how I'd love to find a fish like salmon someday and eat a bowl full of white rice with grilled salmon."

Listening to Marie's story, I think of the face of my little sister from my previous life.

Come to think of it, that girl liked salmon, too, I thought.

Marie fantasized about the future two years later.

"If you have soy sauce, butter sauce would be nice too."

Seeing Marie with a big smile on her face, it seemed rare that a woman could be so happy talking about soy sauce and miso.

For a moment, I thought I saw Marie overlap with my little sister —— but I guess it was just my imagination.

Luxion tells us about the upcoming.

[If you are that eagerly waiting, make it a priority to prepare. More importantly, it's almost time to start the second semester.]

Marie and I are concentrating on our meal and give a curt reply.

"Right."

"Yes."

Luxion pauses at the sight of the two of us, and then says.

[―― If this world is what you two call "that otome game world", then there will be big problems in the future, won't there? Shouldn't we do something about it in the second semester?]

Luxion doubts that this is the world of that otome game.

While there is doubt, it's also true that my prediction is correct.

Therefore, he may want to ask what measures will be taken in the future.

But my policy was set.

"I have no intention of getting involved in the story. In the first place, Olivia-san is on good terms with His Highness and the others, isn't she? I don't want to complicate the story by forcing my involvement."

Marie is the same way, but her expression is somewhat listless as if something is bothering her.

"I'd have to pass, too, because it's too much trouble to get involved. But I am a little concerned about Olivia."

"——You're telling me there was something off about her before we came here? Maybe he just happened to be having a bad day?"

Marie had run into Olivia at the girls' dormitory before coming to my parents' house.

At that time, she looked very gloomy.

"I hope so."

Marie looks unconvinced, and I tell her why I'm not worried.

"His Highness and the rest of the capture targets are out there. I'm sure they are enjoying their summer vacation right now. As I recall, in the game, there were many events during the summer vacation that increased the likability of the characters."

As I recall the events of that Otome game I played in a previous life, Marie nodded her head but seemed to remain bothered.

"Not a problem if they're having a fun summer vacation. No, there would be a problem."

"What's wrong?"

"——I'm a little jealous"

I'm taken aback by Marie, who says with a serious face that she's jealous of Olivia.

"You still can't give up? You said that the capture targets are not your love interests, but you're not ready to give up on them?"

Previously, Marie had approached His Highness and the other capture targets in an attempt to take Olivia-san's position.

The plan failed, and Marie herself said she had given up on the idea.

But by the looks of her, it seems that things have not completely cleared up.

Marie strongly denies it to me.

"If you are talking about His Highness and others, it's wrong! I am jealous of Olivia who is having a great summer vacation! How can I forgive her when I hear that she enjoys shopping, traveling, and vacationing all the time! And she's with a rich, kind, handsome guy! She's enjoying her youth to the fullest. How can I not be jealous of her!"

—— She says she can't stand the fact that Olivia-san is enjoying her vacation.

It seems that she is just jealous of Olivia, who has found the happiness she could not have.

"I don't care. Also, it's not summer vacation, it's summer break."

"You really are a boring, detail-oriented guy."

Marie turns away from me because I don't try to enjoy my vacation, as if she thinks I don't understand her feelings.

I tell Marie.

"If Olivia-san has a pleasant summer break, it will bring us that much closer to a peaceful world. All we have to do is shut up and cheer her on from afar."

"——I know."

Marie was somewhat disgruntled, but from my point of view, it didn't matter.