Engagement Talk
Phil Salemabart is interested in the opposite sex.
That said, there’s no need to delve deeper into that matter now.
The fact that he heads to brothels following his desires and receives guidance from skilled older ladies is proof enough.
However, Phil’s habit of playing around doesn’t necessarily stem entirely from his interest in the opposite sex.
After all, Phil is the eldest son of a count’s family—a noble.
If you’re a noble, you must deal with the opposite sex with appropriate circumstances and obligations.
In other words, fiancées born from promises between parents, engagements introduced through connections, political marriages that start from one-sided crushes or schemes, and so on.
Being a noble is so troublesome.
Because so many different intentions get mixed into a single romance.
But Phil doesn’t particularly care about this matter.
If he were a mage who idealizes and pursues “freedom,” you’d expect him to say something like “Freedom in love!” But wait a moment.
Phil is ridiculed by general society as a “scum son.”
Therefore, Phil’s view is that women won’t come near him anyway.
Even Phil fully understands the danger of an heir to a noble family not having a wife.
So then, if there’s someone willing to marry this “scum son,” he’d gladly nod his head—or so he thought.
…He thought, that is…
“This is wrong, isn’t iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!?”
As usual, at the Salemabart Count’s mansion.
Phil’s anguished cry echoes throughout.
As always, there are no servants who react to that cry. They’ll just leave the words “Ah, there he goes again” and return to their duties.
And only the maid standing by his side will sigh and deliver a sharp retort.
“Tch.”
“That’s wrong! Our maid’s reaction is different from usual!”
The red-haired girl tending to a vase clicks her tongue while looking away from her master.
By the way, her tongue clicks had already exceeded ten times by today.
“What, you want to brag? That engagement talks came in… Are you bragging to me? Want me to gouge out your eyes?”
“Absolutely not! Does this reaction look like I’m arrogantly strutting around!? If anything, isn’t this more like a reaction where I’d soak my pillow with tears night after night!? But please spare the eyes that would shed those tears!”
“Tch.”
“So that’s wrong, isn’t it!? If you don’t listen to people properly, you’ll become a delinquent in the future!”
Kahlua Scarlet, a mage who idealizes closeness.
Today she’s unusually grumpy.
The reason being—
“Why is the addressee [Hero of Shadows], damn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!”
—Following that previous incident, when Phil went to the battlefield with his bare face to save the saintess named Milis, numerous marriage proposals and engagement talks came flooding to Phil.
It’s because the rumors were upgraded to facts.
Because everyone became convinced that the identity of the respected [Hero of Shadows] was Phil Salemabart, the eldest son of the count’s family.
In that case, the action to take would be the fairly common one of wanting to keep him in their pocket.
Marriage creates strong ties not just between the individuals but also between families.
Therefore, even if they had no connection with Phil themselves, if they could create a connection through their daughter, it would be synonymous with getting him in their pocket.
That’s why marriage proposals and engagement talks were flooding to Phil like this, but as mentioned at the beginning, there were aspects Phil welcomed.
“I wanted to be popular! Yes, I certainly wanted to be popular! Isn’t that natural? I’m a boy! I’m not some dried-up old man approaching sixty—I’m in the thick of adolescence!”
“So?”
“At least hide your ulterior motives and address it with my name, you flower-brained idiooooooooooooooooots!!”
Now then, here’s a question.
Why is Phil, who welcomes the opposite sex and would happily welcome this and that, holding his head in his hands?
The answer is—
“If you reply here, both you and others would be acknowledging that Phil is the [Hero of Shadows], right?”
“Exactly riiiiiight!!”
Honestly, it might feel like it’s already too late, but there’s a big difference in meaning between what the person themselves acknowledges versus what others decide on their own.
In terms of recovering from this, as long as it’s still just others making a fuss, it can probably be managed somehow.
But what if the person himself acknowledges it? Then Phil Salemabart would have to live as the [Hero of Shadows].
The troublesome matters he’d been dodging left and right would come flooding in to the point where he couldn’t dodge them anymore.
If that happened, he’d be very far from the freedom he idealized.
“Isn’t there some way out of this!? I absolutely refuse to accept this way of being popular… Surely the men of the world would find this dishonorable enough to start demonstrations and regime changes!”
“The men of the world would probably be fine with being the [Hero of Shadows] though.”
“Whose side are you on!?”
“Yours, of course, Phil. Now, let’s seriously search for a way out. Let’s settle in black and white how to overcome these engagement talks.”
“…Huh? Where’s the straight man? It’s hard for the staff to run a show with two funny men, you know?”
That said, it’s understandable that Kahlua would play the fool.
After all, Phil’s engagement is a major problem that shakes her ideals.
“W-well, fine… So, do you have any specific good ideas?”
“I think we should burn them.”
“Burn them!?”
These girls he doesn’t even know took up their pens for him, and this is what she suggests. Phil is surprised by such an outlandish solution.
“They’re just crows with their eyes sparkling at the treasure in front of them, the people who sent these letters. If the fire isn’t enough, I’ll lend you my matches.”
“I’m not surprised because I’m short on fire! Stop it, didn’t you forget there’s a sign saying no open flames indoors, Miss Maid!?”
“I’ve never seen such a sign.”
“…A-alright then, in that case, as the current head of this household, I’ll reluctantly but properly decorate one and write it now.”
“Got it, so I should tear it up then.”
“Just put it up, okay!?”
Just how much of a grudge does she have? Phil sighed as he watched Kahlua gathering up the letters.
“…Come to think of it, I’ve been wondering about this for a while—”
Phil glances at the corner of the room.
There, standing was a petite girl with brown hair wearing the same maid outfit as Kahlua.
“Who’s that girl?”
“You’re only asking now!? What a rude person you are!”
Why is there a girl he doesn’t recognize here? And wearing a maid outfit at that? Could she be a woman Zan brought?
Various questions float up in Phil’s mind.
“Ah, that girl is a prisoner of war.”
“Prisoner of war?”
“Yes, a girl I sent flying in the recent war.”
And Kahlua casually reveals the girl’s identity.
“Her name is Ilya, apparently. She was affiliated with the enemy nation—a mage.”
Ilya Iladen.
A hired mage who was affiliated with the Argaus Democratic Nation.
Glossy brown hair reaching her waist, a petite frame, a lovely face brimming with charm, and blue eyes.
Not only was her appearance notable, but her abilities were unquestionably good enough to place her in the ranks of the world’s top-class [mages].
And this girl—
“Why am I doing maid work of all thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiings!!”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
At the Salemabart Count’s mansion, Ilya’s voice echoes throughout.
In the kitchen, the servants are preparing today’s dinner, and currently, Ilya is in the middle of washing dishes.
“I’m a mage, you know!? Normally I’d be rolling in money with job offers left and right, the darling idol everyone fawns over! So why in the world am I in this role-playing cosplay…!”
Ilya’s expression looks like she might break the dishes at any moment.
Phil and Kahlua were secretly peeking at her from the entrance.
“…Hey, was this really okay? She’s definitely not angry about wanting a frilly maid outfit or something like that, right?”
“Maybe the size was too small?”
“I don’t think that’s the problem either!?”
Rather than an issue with the clothes, she seems angry about the situation requiring her to wear them.
It would be one thing if it were elsewhere, but having a carnivore angry in such a homey environment was enough to break out in a cold sweat.
“Anyway, can you explain what’s going on? How did that girl end up working here?”
If there’s a mage suddenly drafted as a maid, it’s natural to have questions.
In Phil’s mind right now were questions and the anxiety of “Is it okay to make a mage work as a maid?”
Even though there’s already a mage working as a maid right next to him.
“I fought and defeated that girl in the recent North-South War.”
“Yeah.”
“Her face is cute, so I thought she’d suit being a maid.”
“Huh?”
He doesn’t understand.
“Ilya~”
Ignoring the confused Phil, Kahlua called out to Ilya in the kitchen.
Ilya’s shoulders jumped with a start, and she approached them while muttering complaints.
“Wh-what is it…?”
“That outfit really suits you.”
“You called me out just for that!? It’s proven on the first page of the textbook that I look good in anything!”
Her self-esteem is surprisingly high, Phil thought.
That said, she certainly is an adorable girl who looks quite good in a maid outfit.
“Geez! What is with this woman!? First she abducts me, then makes me a maid—a maid!? Why would someone who should normally be in a respected position like me have to wear such a ridiculous maid outfit—”
“Ha?”
“…I-I’m thinking that wearing it isn’t so bad after all, yes.”
Ilya shrinks back after being glared at by Kahlua.
That appearance is also quite cute, the observer Phil was quite satisfied.
“By the way, why is this girl so scared? Especially of Kahlua.”
“Maybe because I flying-knee-kicked her in the face?”
“It’s because this woman flying-knee-kicked me in the face!”
“I see, her weakness is her face. I understand that feeling.”
After all, Phil’s weakness is his eyes.
He could very much understand feeling fear.
“It’s fine, isn’t it? If a hired mage lost, it would be uncomfortable for her in the Democratic Nation, right? Here you can walk around openly without feeling cramped.”
“The clothes and environment I’m being made to wear are what’s cramped! Why am I a maid!? And why is a woman with that much ability working as a maid!? Is this household having a costume party the day before Halloween or something!?”
“It’s the master’s hobby.”
“………………………………………………………………………….Eww.”
“Wait, wait, wait, wasn’t it ring etiquette not to let the fire spread to bystanders!?”
Phil wants to object to the reality of receiving collateral damage without even opening his mouth.
Having a girl he’s just met look at him with contempt really cuts deep.
“Plus, the master of the place I was abducted to is that [Hero of Shadows].”
“No, I’m not the [Hero of Shadows].”
“Since he spouts such delusions, from now on, let it go in one ear and out the other, understood?”
“Understood.”
“Educate your maid properly! If you teach her the wrong things, it’s the boss and mother who’ll struggle with corrections later!”
It’s meaningless to try to cover it up now, but Phil doesn’t forget to resist, not wanting to join the festival after the fact.
Because at the end of that path, the ideal freedom-chan is waiting in a bunny costume.
“More importantly, you know about the [Hero of Shadows] too, huh?”
“…Of course. The [Hero of Shadows] is the people’s aspiration. I hear about it whether I want to or not.”
The [Hero of Shadows]’s recognition easily crosses national borders.
It’s probably thanks to the past achievements of indiscriminately helping everyone.
“Besides, I also admired him for a bit…”
“You can become one even now. This guy is called that, after all.”
Saying that, Kahlua pulls Phil’s ear and thrusts him in front of Ilya.
Phil, crying out in pain, has slightly teary eyes.
But Ilya ignores Phil like that and mutters quietly.
“No, it’s not about wanting to be… Well, my hands are already dirty, so either way it might be impossible.”
Neither Phil nor Kahlua asked “what?”
Phil Salemabart only had the kindness to help others, but surely the girl before him was different.
A hired mage—that is, if the client’s wishes dictate it, killing people becomes the job.
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
