Shou and Bill
“How is it? Do I look weird?”
(No, you look cool.)
Pearl said.
(Yeah, you look just like a prince.)
Rosso chimed in.
Right now, I was in the guest room, having just changed into the outfit Lady Isabella had prepared for me.
After she came back to the terrace, she had told Belle and me to change into these, and we obediently followed.
What we were given turned out to be simple shirts and trousers like commoner children might wear. And… a blond wig.
“Whoa… cosplay, huh? Well, guess I’ll try it on anyway.”
That’s how we ended up back at the beginning.
With blond hair and my natural sky-blue eyes, I definitely looked like the prince type. But… won’t people see through it?
When we returned to the terrace, there was someone else there along with Belle’s mother and Lady Isabella. Looking closer, it was Belle.
She wore similar clothes, with a navy-blue wig on her head.
“Sorry to keep you waiting…”
“Oh my.”
“Well, well.”
“Joan, you look… handsome—uh, I mean, cool, yeah?”
“Thanks. You look good too, Belle.”
(Changing your words alone won’t help if you keep your name the same.)
Pearl pointed out.
So I decided to take a nickname somewhere between “Jo” (my short name) and “Shuuko” (my name from my past life). That became “Shou.” Belle took the name “Bill.”
To change our complexion, Lady Isabella applied dark foundation. At a glance, we both looked like boys.
“Well then, let’s test how convincing you are.”
Belle’s mother said this, and brought us to the reception room where the discussion was still going on.
Knock knock knock. “My lord, may I have a word?”
“I don’t mind.”
She entered, leaving the door open just enough for us to hear.
“What is it?”
“In fact, I believe I’ve found suitable people to act as the rookie adventurers. I was wondering if we could entrust it to them.”
“Oh? Are they here already?”
“Yes… Come in.”
Belle and I exchanged glances, nodded, and stepped into the reception room, with Lady Isabella following behind.
“These are the adventurers Shou and Bill. By chance, I came across them… Now, go on, greet my husband.”
“N–nice to meet you… I–I’m Shou.”
“I’m… B–Bill…”
We raised our heads after bowing. Belle’s father, Hans, Young Master Eric, and Brother Gene looked at us suspiciously, but it didn’t seem like they had seen through us. On the other hand, Zoey, Sarah, and Zack had their eyes wide open—they clearly realized it was us.
“So, do you two know what you’re volunteering for? You might not walk away without injuries.”
Hans asked.
We nodded together.
“You call yourselves adventurers—what rank are you?”
Young Master Eric asked.
“Uh… we’re both D-rank…”
I answered, trying to keep my voice low.
“Then you’ve got at least some skill. Uncle, would it be alright if I sparred with them to test?”
“Eh!?”
“Why? Is there some problem?”
“N–no… not at all.”
“Then it’s fine. Gene, help me, would you?”
“Of course.”
Young Master Eric and Gene left the reception room, with us trailing behind. Zoey, Sarah, and Zack followed as well.
“Joan, what are you gonna do?”
Zack whispered.
“Well, it can’t be helped now. I didn’t think they’d buy it this far. We’ve got no choice but to go through with it.”
“Exactly. Besides, only Zack, Sarah, and Zoey noticed.”
“But… those two are C-rank. What if you get hurt…”
“Oh, I’ll manage somehow.”
“Yeah, it’ll be fine. Totally fine.”
“””Haahh…”””
The three servants sighed in resignation.
At the training grounds, we were each handed wooden swords.
Young Master Eric drew a small circle on the ground with his sword.
“We’ll stand here. If you knock us out of this circle, you win. Understand?”
““Yes!””
In other words, Young Master Eric and Brother Gene wouldn’t move, only defend.
“Alright, Bill, you first. Gene, you take him.”
“Got it. Bill, let’s do this.”
“Y–yes.”
Brother Gene stood in the center of the circle.
“Whenever you’re ready.”
“H–here I come!”
Belle charged forward with a shout, striking at Gene.
Clang! The wooden swords clashed.
“Your form’s good, but your strikes are too light.”
He said this as Belle retreated, caught his breath, then rushed again—this time not with a diagonal slash but with a thrust. Again and again, thrust after thrust, each deflected with a clang clang, but Belle kept pressing forward.
“With thrusts like these, you’ll never land a—urk!?”
Gene let his guard down for a moment. Belle dropped low and swung horizontally, like drawing the kanji “一” The strike hit Gene in the stomach, and when he doubled over, Belle immediately thrust again, striking his shoulder. Gene lost balance and stumbled out of the circle.
“Gene… seriously?”
“My bad. I got careless.”
Beaming, Belle walked back toward me. We high-fived before I turned toward Young Master Eric, already standing in the circle.
“Your turn. Ready?”
“Coming!”
Because of our height difference, I jumped as I struck a diagonal slash, but he parried easily. On landing, I swept a horizontal slash like Belle had.
“Fast…”
He narrowly dodged, so I followed with a straight overhead slash. He blocked it without trouble. Keeping this up, I’d never overpower him. So I retreated, then leapt again for another diagonal slash. But this time, I deliberately swung just wide enough to miss. As he moved to avoid it, I immediately reversed with an upward diagonal slash.
Clang! His wooden sword flew from his hands.
“Ah.”
He instinctively looked toward the weapon as it flew, creating an opening. I crouched and swept his legs.
“Whoa!”
Young Master Eric fell flat on his backside.
“Eric…”
“Sorry…”
I turned my back to them and returned to Belle. We high-fived again, and this time Sarah and the others joined in with applause.
What do you think about this chapter?
