Chapter 25: Chapter 21 – Prelude to Slice of Life (Not really)

Imperial Duke, Theodor von Blohm, Russiva Imperial Year 782 Month 4, Day 8, Blohm Main Residence (Berilian), Deutsche Empery

*tok*

*tok*

*tok*

The sound of Reichel’s leather boots hitting the wooden floor inside the corridors of the Blohm residence made an odd sound, an odd sound that Reichel hasn’t gotten used to.

This had two meanings ...

One was that she found the feeling of non-rubber combat boots to be, in a way, almost alien to her.

‘Is it because I’m used to wearing rubber footwear?’

Back on Earth, Reichel would always avoid heels and other non-leather footwear in the name of efficiency and comfort, she couldn’t understand how other women would willingly subject themselves into wearing other things.

Flip flops were too exposed, Heels were just too unwieldy, and Crocs just looked stupid.

She would rather stick with the much more optimal choice, sports shoes and military issued-combat boots.

Rubber was a great invention, you could do all kinds of stuff with it.

Like, making slingshots for slinging shots at annoying kids screaming in Walmart,

‘I think I’ve gotten too used to the comforts of the Modern Ages ...’

Asides from rubber, there were other, rather desirable conveniences from Earth that couldn’t be found in Hyurasia.

Electricity, air travel, basic automobiles, radio, the internet, basic firearms, canned food, plastics, online shopping, perfumes, cleaning products, and other ground-breaking modern conveniences.

So desirable, Reichel wanted all of them to be accessible.

But it wasn’t like it was all bad.

She was in another world, and she had already spent a year trying to start over, even if her intentions weren’t particularly good.

‘Tsk.’ Reichel cursed the sun.

The sun was shining brightly through the many large glass windows on the even larger and longer corridors of the Blohm residence.

The sun in Hyurasia was brighter than the sun on Earth, and not only the days, but the nights are significantly more eye-friendly as well.

And although the sun was brighter, it was also significantly colder in Hyurasia when compared than Earth.

Reichel didn’t really know the reason for both phenomenons, but since there was magic in Hyurasia she just decided to place the blame on the unscientific phenomenon.

‘But moving onto other things ... this place is big.’ Reichel judged the large estate of the Blohm residence, with five floors and a property spanning 55 hectares of land it was just too big compared to the residence Reichel owned back on Earth.

‘Damn bourgeoisie and their unneseccarily big houses ...’ And although Reichel was quite rich in her previous world, she couldn’t help but denounce Theodor for indulging on living in such a needlessly big house. Even if she had already walked it's corridors before Reichel just couldn't help but be frustrated at how much she has to walk from her guest room to the front door.

And there were also the people as well, she just had a good relationship with everyone in general when it came to the Blohm household, considering she lived her for a few weeks before signing up in the military as a member if group D.

“Guten tag, Madam Schwertspinne.” A maid obviously employed in the Blohm residence bowed down and gave greetings to Reichel as if she was a person who belonged to the Blohm household, despite being addressed as ‘Schwertspinne’ instead of ‘Blohm’.

“Un, Guten tag to you as well.” Reichel replied in an earnest, seemingly authentic tone.

Not that the maid would mind if Reichel was just being an ass, but it does help to be nice to everyone for the moment, no matter how insignificant of a role they may have.

in this world she felt a strange sense of belonging even though she’s only been here for a year.

‘Maybe it’s because I’ve been here for a year?’ Reichel adapted quickly by instinct, but she didn’t think that was the case when she’s only felt a sense of belonging here in Hyurasia, and she’s never felt even remotely at home back on Earth.

In a sense, it was like she was an alien walking on Earth, inhuman and deviating from the Earth’s natural order.

Well, it was kind of true that Reichel was certainly unnatural, but that still doesn’t explain how she felt like she’s been feeling like she’s walking in her own home moreso than the feeling of actual ‘home’ when she walks around her actual house back on Earth.

‘As they say, home is where you feel the best?’ Reichel didn’t particularly know if this was still going to be relevant to her peace of mind in the future, and all she would do for now is to simply dismiss the issue and distract herself from feeling off.

*kruaaaak* Reichel opened a white double door by pushing it using the handles, and found a large room with a whole lot of nothing in it.

“Sister Reichel! I will beat you today!”

Save for the white mat in the center and the little child in the middle of it, as well as a maid to keep watch over Anny’s activities.

Anny was currently dressed in riding pants fit for children, along with a white shirt that was suitable for training.

Her gray hair was tied into a ponytail for ease of movement, mimicking Reichel’s hairstyle.

And on her hand was a short wooden sword that she was waving around. It was obvious even to a really really really blind person that she was asking for a sparring session.

This was the study that Anny talked about.

It was quite comical that a merchant’s daughter would be so obsessed about fighting, especially since one would expect for the daughter to pick up on her father’s craft of being a sly fox and make obviously scammy deals that nobody could get out of nonetheless.

Normally in a situation like this Reichel would just retreat to the kitchen and find something to eat, but this was a special case.

*fank* Reichel picked up a short wooden sword and got into a stance.

She would entertain the girl’s request, because Anny looked up to Reichel as some sort of older-sister figure.

But it wasn’t like Reichel was only keeping a close, almost sibling-like relationship with Anny because she wanted to genuinely act like an older sister for the girl. Reichel was merely sucking up to the girl for the sake of a good reputation and relationship with her.

‘She’s worth sucking up to ...’

Anny was the daughter of the Imperial Duke, Theodor von Blohm, as well as the daughter of the leader of the famous Blohm Company.

The only child mind you.

Reichel be damned if she just ignored the girl just because Reichel wanted to spend her time alone.

*phonk!*

The swift sword aimed for Reichel’s neck as it sliced through the air just in front of her, prompting Reichel to meet it with the wooden sword in her hand.

Anny closed the distance in an unimaginable speed considering her tiny legs.

She used the same skill Ursus used against Reichel, as well as the same skill Reichel used against Michal.

The girl had an abnormal amount of talent for fighting, despite her parent leaning on more ‘technical’ things.

Reichel held respect for Anny, and although she would be a great puppet if something undesirable were to happen to her father, it would be much more painful if something happened to her and all other security measures would fail.

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Well, if the girl didn’t have the talent for fighting, Reichel would simply grab an orphan from the slums and make the orphan Anny’s servant.

Not before making the orphan go through dirt and meeting her expectations of course.

“Hahhh ... how did Sister Reichel see that?”

Anny was now breathing heavily, her knees shaking and arms trembling.

‘It’s over.’ Reichel was quite disappointed that the sparring session would end so quickly, but at the same time she was also quite relieved that she could finally move on to more pressing matters.

Namely, feeding.

“Haahhh ... Haahhh ...”

Most likely, Anny was already exhausted. Such was the impact of using a technique your body wasn’t suited for.

Fortunately, even if it did seem that [Fleeting Rush] was a technique too high for a child to use, it seemed like a large amount of fatigue was the only effect that would be inflicted on Anny.

She aimed for using the fastest technique in her skill set, hoping that she would be too fast for Reichel to counter-attack, but it was foiled because of multiple things.

And although multiple factors led to Reichel being able to see the attack from a mile away, there was one factor that contributed the most.

Her eyes.

If Reichel could only pride herself at one thing, it would be her eyes.

The eyes that can instantly memorize any text, the eyes that can instantly learn any technique, the eyes that can instantly see any flow of movement.

This was Reichel’s genetic birthright.

It wasn’t a skill, it wasn’t a technique, it wasn’t anything of the sort.

It was simply the unrivalled ocular prowess she was born with. Her pride.

*tok*

*tok*

*tok*

Reichel moved forward with slow steps, not worrying about any further attacks, for none would come.

*phak* Anny’s legs gave out and she was forced to kneel on the ground. Reichel abruptly stopped when she was just looking above Anny, and straight after Reichel crouched to match Anny’s eye level.

Looking at the child pant heavily, it was a scene that would make a lolicon sway in heat.

But Reichel didn’t mind any of that, and instead used her right hand to move Anny’s bangs, revealing a small bump on her forehead.

‘Tch ...’ Reichel clicked her tongue internally.

“You’ve been working hard while I was gone?”

“Haahh ... yes ... Sister Reichel.”

“I see.”

It made sense, even if the girl was talented, the girl had the body of a child, with its clumsy movements and tiny feet, she had probably tripped more than just a few times just trying to get the basic footing of the technique right, and then multiple face-plants just trying to apply mana to burst with her legs.

Reichel suspected there would be multiple scratches on her legs as well, but held back from doing an obscene act to check.

‘You need to take care of yourself more ...’ Reichel couldn’t use Anny if she broke herself from overworking after all.

“Yield?”

But even if Anny worked hard, Reichel couldn’t really just throw an easy win just like that, even if it was against a child.

No ... it was especially because she was against a child that she couldn’t throw such an easy win.

Yes, there was the fact that Reichel just couldn’t stand losing to anything because she was a prideful scum, but there was also the child’s development as well.

If Reichel just spoiled the girl and didn’t whoop her ass occasionally, the girl would wallow in her own self-pity, perhaps thinking that Reichel thought that she wasn’t capable enough, or even worse, she might actually get conceited and arrogant, thus turning into one of those spoiled brats.

Anny’s value as a pawn would decrease by half, and it would leave resources and talent unused.

Reichel absolutely couldn’t let someone so close to her fall from grace like that, as such she acts like the older sister that Anny would constantly chase after.

Just like how she grew up.

‘Staring at someone’s back ...’

 “No, I don’t think I will ...” Anny replied with a smile on her face, as she looked at Reichel holding a sword over her head.

Anny didn’t really like to give up, she was stubborn. In a way, it reminded Reichel of herself.

Except that Anny isn’t a sore loser like Reichel by default.

It made Reichel think of the future, how would Anny turn out in the future? Would Theodor disappoint Reichel in the future and make her dipose of him? And if so, would Anny live up to Reichel’s expectations?

What the future held in store for Reichel’s unlucky ass, that’s what Reichel feared the most, she feared all her plans being thrown out the window by some unforeseen disaster that nobody could have predicted or stopped.

How she wished that she could see the future, how she wished that she could always be one step ahead of everyone, and how she wished for everything she does to not end up for naught.

‘... Aria.’ Her mind drifted.

Reichel didn’t know if she would succeed in what she was planning to do, and if she doesn’t there wouldn’t be any kind of second chance after it, there wouldn’t be any redo, and she definitely wouldn’t be alive enough to try again if she ever failed.

‘But for now ...’

Reichel would simply enjoy herself until that time comes.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“... good night.”

*pok* The wooden sword hit Anny square on the side of her neck, putting her to sleep.

“Good night.”