Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna

Support us on Ko-Fi or Patreon to make this translation and the translators keep alive.
Thank you for your support frankie and ZaneofBane

Chapter 3 Daily Life As A Rescue Squad Member!


Part 1

    Since my return to the Kingdom of Lingle, my body has finally gotten used to the life cycle at the rescue squad. 

    Although I had trained hard on the journey up to this point, training at the rescue squad was completely different.

    Even though I had been doing the training alone, with Tong and the others competing with each other, we were able to push each other harder and harder to complete the more strenuous training.

    ...No, it's just that the exchange of verbal abuse has escalated into a sprint. 

    It's a good environment for me, but recently, there's one thing that's been bothering me.

"Blurin, you ... got fat."

"Fugua?"

    Blurin was big to begin with, but now, how should I put it... It's plump. 

    As for me, I thought it was a good weight to run with on my back, but I can't overlook it when it's so plumped up that I can see it.

"You've been eating and sleeping a lot these days, haven't you." 

"...Guuh"

"It's no good, if you keep going like this."

    Having finished his fruit for breakfast, Blurin was about to fall asleep when he suddenly shivered and raised his head.

    Looking down at him, I made the decision to be ruthless and make Blurin exercise.

"You're a member of the rescue squad too."

"Gruuw"

"There's no point shaking your head like that. You understand that, don't you? If things continue as they are, it'll be bad."

    Still, Blurin shook his head.

    It can't be helped. I really didn't want to do this. 

"I have no choice, I guess I'll just leave it to the Commander."

"Gruah! Gururuffa!"

"I see! You're motivated now! I'm so happy!"

    As if to show his enthusiasm, Blurin hits my leg, and I smile broadly. 

    If that's the case, let's get started today.

——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

    Today's training menu was a run around town with Tong and the others.

    Normally, I run with Blurin on my back, but today I decided to have Blurin participate by running on his own.

    Blurin has also gained weight, but he still has immense potential as a blue grizzly bear. Although he is breathing heavily, he is keeping up with the pace of me and the fierce-looking guys.

"Hey, Usato, you didn't bring Nea with you?"

    Alec, who was in front of me, asked me this as we were running through the city.

"I'm having Nea train at the rescue squad's training ground."

"So that means she's with Nack and Ferrum?"

"Yeah, well, Nea's just doing running practice though."

    Naturally, Nea did not want to participate in the training.

    I wanted her to participate of her own volition as much as possible, so I changed my approach a little.

    I chose a time when Ferrum and Nea were together, visited their room, and said. 

『Ferrum can do it normally, but well, if you can't do it, it can't be helped. Ferrum could do it though.』

『Ferrum. That's how it is, so let's just pretend we never talked about the training. Nea doesn't seem to be able to keep up with you.』

『Eh? A-Aaah! Well, that's normal, isn't it! There's no way a mere monster could keep up with me! There's no way someone like you could do it with that thing in your chest!』

『L-Let's do iiiiit!』

    To sum it up briefly, that is how Nea ended up participating in the training "of her own volition".

    By now, she is probably competing with Ferrum to the death.

"You're a pretty nasty guy."

"You're starting to look like the Commander."

"Oi oi, if it's the Commander, she would have used force from the beginning, so it's totally different. I'm still the gentler one."
    
    When I argued with Gomul and Mir, the other fierce-looking guys sighed in exasperation.

    When you feel unconvinced, the tongs will talk to you next.

"Speaking of which, are you going to have a mock battle with the Commander next time?"

"...Ah, mm, that's right."

"Are you sure that's okay?"

"I ask you back, do you think it will be okay?"

    When I responded to Tong's words, all the fierce-looking guys answered in unison, "I don't think so." 

    And that's only natural.

    They know more than anyone else how terrifying Rose is. Because they know her, they understand her extraordinary ability, and they respect her. Including me, of course.

"Hihihi, well then, shall we make a bet on who will win, Usato or the Commander?"

"Then I'll bet on Boss winning."

"Isn't it obvious who will win?"

"Guld, there's nothing worse than a bet where the winner is already decided."

"There's no gambling that's more unprofitable than this."

"I mean, the Rescue Squad forbids gambling, you idiots."

    I agree that the outcome is already decided, but it's annoying that it's being turned into a gamble.

    If Alec hadn't stopped me, I would have been so annoyed that I would have reported it to Rose.

"So, how are you actually going to fight?"

"How, you ask... I'll borrow Nea's power and just fight hand-to-hand... I guess. I'm sure she'll probably knock down any long-range attacks with her bare hands."

    Perhaps using a restraining spell would not buy as much time as it did for Karon-san.

"At first, I'll avoid the Commander's first attack. Then, I'll strike her once."

    I had an image in my mind, but I knew that Rose would move beyond that image, so I went into the mock battle bearing in mind to make moves that even surpassed what I had imagined.

    The corners of my mouth naturally turned up, and when the fierce-looking guys saw my face, they scowled at me.

"He's the only one who doesn't realize it."

"When he first came, he was just a brat."

"But now he's a monster, second only to Boss."

"Plus, when he gets mad, he changes completely. Sometimes it feels like there are two Bosses..."

"No, it can't be helped, can it? If you go through serious training with Boss, it's not surprising you'll end up like this." (Note: Anego = woman boss)

    The veins pop out on my forehead.

    It's easy to get mad at these guys, but I've also grown patient through the journey.

    I tried my best to smile, and without showing any of my inner anger, I squeezed out my voice.

"Hahaha, you're just saying whatever you want to say, you monsters."

"""""Ah?"""""

"Ah?"

    As we run, I glare at the fierce-looking guys.

    Blurin, who was running next to me, looked back and forth between me and the fierce-looking guys, but we didn't stop glaring at each other.

"You bast*rd, you're getting a bit cocky lately, aren't you? We're your seniors, you know."

"Eh, so what if you're a senior? You really think that's enough to scare me? If so, I'll have to question your sanity and what you've seen up until now."

"""""......"""""

    Silence takes over the place.

    The only sounds that could be heard were the sound of our running footsteps and the sighs of the townspeople, who seemed to say, "Again...".

    After about ten seconds of silence, Tong's voice comes out with pressure.

"...The goal is the rescue squad barracks. There can only be one winner."

"Obstruction, provocation, shortcuts, anything goes."

"This isn't a fight. You understand that, right?"

"Yeah, of course. This is——"

    Glancing sideways at the Tong that was running closest to me, I took a deep breath and——.

""""""Competitionnn!""""""

    I unleashed a side kick from no motion to Tong.

    However, all of us were thinking the same thing, and the six people present simultaneously kicked and interfered with each other.

    The kicks slammed into our abdomens and blew us away at the same time, but we quickly got up and ran to each other.

    Blurin is confused and can't fully grasp the situation, but I yell at him.

"If you slack off while I'm not looking, you won't get any food!"

"Guah!?"

    With a shocked Blurin behind me, I turned my attention to the fierce-looking guys running ahead of me.

    As expected of those who had been given the black uniforms of the rescue squad, their legs were not those of ordinary people.

    But the same could be said for me.

"I'm not going to losee!"

    If I have to do this, I have to win.
    
    With that resolve, I kicked the ground, trying to catch up with the fierce-looking guys in front of me.

***

——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Part 2

"So, do you have any excuse?"

""""""I am very sorry...""""""

    What awaited me after my last-minute victory was the sight of Rose, who looked at me so coldly that even the Grim Reaper ran away barefoot.

    Currently, we are being made to seiza on the cobblestone pavement in front of our dormitory and are being scolded.

"Good grief, you guys are starting a competition over something so pointless. It's fine to make noise, but how many times do I have to tell you not to cause trouble for those around you? When are you idiots going to understand that?"

"Commander, with all due respect, I don't think it's right to group me together with these monsters in human skin."

"You're right, Boss. Don't put us together with this super creature in a herbivore's skin." 

"Shut up."

    Rose grabbed me and Tong by the face and lifted each of us with one hand.

""NUGUUAAAAAAA?!""

    The screams of me and Tong echoed.

    When Alec and the others saw the scene, they just turned pale and turned their heads down.

"You know what will happen if you do the same thing again, right?"

"Y-Yes...!"

    Freed from the Iron Claw and falling to the ground, Tong and I writhed on the ground, barely able to reply.

    Rose looked down at us and sighed in astonishment, and after giving a warning to Alec and the others, she turned to face the opposite direction from the rescue squad's quarters.

"Boss, are you going out somewhere?"

"I've been called to the castle. I'll be back by nightfall."

    Was she called by Lloyd-sama?

    Maybe I'm being self-conscious, but when Rose is called to the castle, it almost always has something to do with me, so I'm a little curious.

    I managed to get up as the pain subsided from my face, and Rose turned around to look at me, as if she had suddenly remembered something.

"Ah, right, Usato."

"Yes?"

"We're having a mock battle tomorrow, so be prepared."

...Haeh?

"Then don't skip your training."

    I was so shocked that I couldn't move, but Rose ignored me and headed off to the castle.

    Tomorrow? Isn't it too soon? If you had told me about it a week ago, I would have prepared myself for a lot of things. 

"As expected, this can't be joked."

"I feel sorry for you, seriously."

"Well, give it your all. At worst, you might actually break, but do your best."

"Don't die, Usato."

"From the looks of it, it looks like Boss is looking forward to it."

"You guys just think of it as someone else's problem...!"

    I started walking unsteadily, receiving sympathetic looks from the fierce-looking guys, and headed towards the training grounds to tell Nea about tomorrow's mock battle with Rose.

    On the way there, I find a blue mass sprawled out on the ground. 

"Oh, Blurin."

"...Guoh!"

    When he noticed me, he got up and came running toward me with great vigor.

    He charges at me with rage in his eyes —— but I take it head-on. 

"Mumumumu...!"

"Grrrrr...!"

    Though I was pushed a little, I still fully accepted Blurin and apologized for leaving him behind earlier.

"Hahaha, I'm sorry I left you. Blurin worked hard today, so I'll make you extra food as an apology." 

"Gufuuh"

    Blurin snorts and sits down on the spot.

    It looks like he ran exactly as I told him to, so I cast a healing spell on the exhausted Blurin before heading towards the training grounds.

"Nea, Ferrum, and Nack should be at the training grounds..."

『That's cowardly! Using weird tricks to get in the way... Are you really human!』

『You idiot! I'm a monster, so there's nothing cowardly about me!! I~diot, I~diot!』

『W-What!』

    When I arrived at the training ground, I was greeted with the bizarre sight of an argument between Nea and Ferrum, both of whom had collapsed, and Nack, who was looking at them in amazement.

"Oh, Usato-san, I was just going to call you."

"Nack, what the hell is going on here?"

    I asked Nack, who rushed over to me.

    With a complicated expression on his face, he began to explain how it had come to this.

"Well, uhm... At first, we were running in the training ground as usual, but Ferrum-san and Nea-san started fighting and started competing with each other to see who could finish their assignment faster..."


"Ah, I see."

    But why is Ferrum down? I don't think Nea could beat Ferrum in terms of stamina. 

"Nea-san cast a kind of strange purple magic on Ferrum-san. Ferrum-san, who didn't notice it, just continued to compete with Nea-san and..."

"That's how it happened..."

    Ferrum should have noticed too. Restraint spells aren't that hard to understand magic...

    I can't bear to watch, so I touch the backs of the two who are still lying face down, yelling at each other, and perform healing magic on them.

"Usato, listen! I've defeated this nasty demon!"

"You cheated! D*mn it ... to think I lost to this guy!"

    I don't know what expression to make when I see Nea with a big smile and Ferrum half crying.

    Mm, I guess they are alike.

    Anyway, while I'm at it, I should let Nea know about the mock battle with the Commander. 

"Nea"

"Fufufu, what? If you're going to praise me, it's okay if it's a little over the top, okay?"

"The mock battle with the Commander has been scheduled for tomorrow."

    Nea froze with a smile on her face.

    I understand how you feel, but you have to accept it.

    There are many things to be prepared for when fighting Rose.

    It will be a painful experience for sure.

    I am so frightened that I am trembling.

    But still, somewhere in my heart, I want to show Rose, my mentor, that I have matured.

"Also, maybe it's because I hate to lose..."

    That's the only good thing about me that hasn't changed from my original world.