Don’t Make Them Angry
While searching for Joan, Gene and the others run into Nathan, who is carrying a towel and some water.
“Oh, Nathan. Have you seen Jo?”
“Yeah, she’s in the living room with Noel. She suddenly teleported in, clung to him, and started crying. What happened?”
Gene and the others explained the earlier events to Nathan.
“Ah, I see. After improving the meals, they got a taste for good food and started pushing ingredients onto Joan, demanding her to cook. But from Joan’s perspective, risking danger for ingredients isn’t worth it... Yeah, makes sense. Well, if the ladies are already giving them hell, we don’t need to worry about that side.”
“I think so too.”
“Anyway, let’s go to the living room. Joan should be calm by now, right?”
When the four of them entered the living room, they found Noel lying on his back on a three-seater sofa, with Joan fast asleep on top of him.
“Oh... she’s asleep.”
“Yeah, must’ve cried herself out.”
“So, Noel tried to put her to sleep but she clung to his clothes and wouldn’t let go, and then he fell asleep too?”
“Young lady Joan and Young master Noel really are close, aren’t they?”
They gently laid a towel over Joan and quietly left the living room.
Sarah returned to work, while the remaining three had nothing else to do...
“Man... we’re going home the day after tomorrow, and those guys ruined a whole day for us.”
“It can’t be helped... Honestly, Joan’s cooking is just *too* good.”
“No argument there.”
Zack’s comment was met with unanimous agreement.
“... Hey, you know, something’s been on my mind.”
Gene spoke up.
“What?”
Nathan and Zack couldn’t think of anything.
“What’s going on with the private corps?”
“Aahhh...”
“Wanna go check?”
“Yeah, and we also need to let Noel know how things ended up.”
ーーーAt the training grounds.
“YOU BASTARDSーーー!! Grown men, all lined up, trampling on Joan’s feelingsーーー!! SHAME ON YOUーーー!! YOU LITTLE SHITS, DON’T YOU DARE RUN AWAYーーー!!!”
SMACKーーー!! THWACKーーー!!!
“Don’t lump my lady in with some common kitchen wenchーー!! YOU GOT A DEATH WISH OR WHAT, HUHーー!? STAND UP STRAIGHTーー!! I’LL GIVE YOU EXACTLY WHAT YOU ASKED FOR!!”
BOOMーーー!!! CRASHーーー!!!
“I must have misjudged you all. I never imagined you were *this* rotten. Maybe a little electroshock therapy will fix it? Oh dear, hope I don’t accidentally use too much. I am getting on in years, you know. Might not be so good at adjusting the power anymore~”
*ZZZZT...ZZZZZZZZTーーー!!! CRACKLE CRACKLEーーー!!!*
The three were horrified by the scene unfolding before them.
“““Whoa... that’s terrifying...”””
People fleeing from Lindsay’s Fireball attacks. Dodging Nancy’s Water Arrows only to be blasted upward by Water Pillars from below. Those who got paralyzed by Lightning shot from Rottenmeier’s left hand... and those who dodged it only to be snared and zapped by her lightning-infused whip in her right hand.
And once they all collapsed...
“DON’T TELL ME YOU’RE DONE ALREADYーーー!!”
Nancy used Water Heal to forcibly recover them... only for the whole ordeal to start over again.
“Yikes... sure, their bodies aren’t tired thanks to the healing, but mentally they’ve gotta be wrecked. That’d break your spirit. I used to think Grandmother was the scariest, but maybe Rottenmeier’s even worse... She’s relentless...”
“Y-yeah. She talks so calmly, but her attacks are the most brutal... What is this gap...?”
“Y-yeah. And she’s smiling the whole time... Though her eyes definitely aren’t...”
“““......”””
“... Okay. Let’s head back.”
“Y-yeah. Let’s do that.”
“Yeah, Noel and the others might be awake by now.”
Gene and the others left the training grounds and headed back to the mansion.
＊＊＊＊＊
“... Huh? What? The living room? Wait, why am I here?”
Still groggy, she couldn’t recall why she was in the living room.
“Awake?”
“Eh? Ehhh!?”
Huh? Why is Brother Noel under me?
What’s going on?
“Jo, why don’t you hop off for now?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
She climbed off of Brother Noel and sat back on the sofa.
Just then, Gene and the others returned to the living room.
“Oh, you're up? … Pfft, bro, your shirt’s a total mess.”
“Yeah, well, she had a death grip on it. I’ll go change real quick.”
“I’m really sorry, Brother Noel.”
“Hm? It’s fine.”
Brother Noel gave her a gentle head pat and went to change.
“Young lady Joan, here you go. For your face…”
Sarah, called by Nathan, handed over a damp towel. It smelled faintly of Mirange oil—soothing and calming.
After wiping her face and handing the towel back, Zack gave her a sports drink.
“Here. Bet your throat’s dry from all that crying.”
“Thank you…. Gulp… ahh, that’s good.”
“So, why were you crying?”
Brother Noel asked as he sipped some tea, now dressed in fresh clothes.
“I... I didn’t want anyone in the private corps to get hurt, so I taught them how to cook and made meals for them. But then I found out they were going out to hunt monsters just to get ingredients for cooking... Even if they’re strong, it’s not like we’re in a food crisis or anything. Risking their lives just for food? That really pissed me off... And when I was explaining it to Dai and Kira, I kinda... started crying...”
“I see. So that’s why you came to me.”
Brother Noel gently stroked her head. I really do love it when he does that. It’s like my soul settles down. The hand of healing, for sure.
“And knowing Gene, you went to check on the private corps afterward, didn’t you?”
“Of course! I even recorded it.”
Grinning, Gene gave a thumbs-up.
“““……”””
After watching the footage, Brother Noel, Joan, and Sarah all froze.
“Heyyy, you three okay?”
Gene waved his hand in front of their faces.
“… Ah! Y-yeah, just... a little too shocked, that’s all.”
Brother Noel was the first to snap out of it.
“U-um… Is everyone in the private corps okay?”
“Ahh, they’ll be fine? Don’t worry about it, Joan. It’s their own fault.”
“Well, the ladies probably know their limits… probably.”
“Eh!? Probably!?”
[……] An asura flanked by the gods of water and thunder...Yeah, no one’s stopping that trio. Let’s just hope the ladies know where the limits are.
From this event, everyone learned one thing:
Don’t ever make those three angry.
What do you think about this chapter?
