After carefully, and precisely annihilating the shadow completely, I looked around at the surroundings.

A large number of travelers who did not escape have fallen, fainted and unconscious.

I approach one of them, and crouch down to see his state.

“They just fainted huh”

His breathing is regular, and I found no external wound.

They lost consciousness because they were under the shadow’s influence, but there is nothing left of it.

Then it’s okay to leave them alone.

After that, I wonder how to deceive them this time ――

“It feels like I’m getting on the years.”

“Mu!”

I turned my face to the voice as if I was flicked.

It’s the old man Sword Saint, who was possessed by the shadow and I beat down.

The Jii-san, who should have been doing various things compared to the travelers, was the first to wake up.

He raised his body, and sit cross-legged on the ground.

That figure, it somehow feels like he’s more aged than the first time.

“Kid, did you do it?”

The Jii-san said that, and saw the sword cane that I carry.

I picked it up and used it as a weapon as it was.

He suspected me because of this huh.

I put the blade of the sword cane in its sheath, and hand it to the jii-san.

“You’ve misunderstood, I just picked this up.”

“Is that so”

The Jii-san stood up slowly, and reached for the sword cane I had extended.

Taking it as it is ―― he didn’t.

The handle part of the sword cane, as shortly as he put his hands on it, he pulled out the blade.

“Kieeeeeeeii!”

He raised a strange voice and slashed.

It seems that his name as Sword Saint wasn’t just a show off, and his slash is sharp and powerful enough to cut off even a steel.

I’ve got to intercept ――

(No! )

The thing I had just said was in my mind.

It would be the beginning of a problem if I reacted to his attack and killing intent, and made him eat my counter.

I won’t intercept, I’ll just take it.

I’m still holding the sheath part of the sword cane that the jii-san left behind in just the right manner.

I use it, to catch the jii-san’s slash.

I won’t fight back.

I received it, and stopped it in the form of locking sword to sword.

The old man who I prevented the slash sighed, and withdrew.

He lowered the sword cane, hanging his head and crestfallen

“Wha,what’s wrong?”

“A first-class swordsman can understand one’s ability in a single exchange. Youngster, you’re much stronger than me.”

“Mu”

“I’m past my years…… No, I wouldn’t have reached you even in my heyday.”

Jii-san had a quiet look.

The first impression I have of him was a sexual harasser Jiji*, so such reaction is a little out of tune.

However, I can’t leave it as it is.

I understand the story, that an ability can be understood if you exchange blows.

I also understood the power of the shadow at first glance.

The old man called Sword Saint should already understand my power.

I have to forbid him from speaking.

“My bad for getting you dispirited, but I hope you don’t tell anyone about today’s incident.”

“Today’s incident, what about it?”

“Ah, everything today”

“……”

Jii-san stared at me for a while motionlessly.

“……Understood, the loser has no right to deny. I’ll take today’s matter all the way to the grave.”

Then, he consented.

I return the swords cane sheath back to such jii-san.

Jii-san accepts it, holds the blade and puts it back to the cane.

Following him, I saw him leave totteringly.

In fact, it’s even okay if the old man said a thing that he defeated the shadow, but a lie is something that can be exposed from somewhere.

I mean, my nee-san, is someone who exposes those who want to lie about me.

To say nothing, is the best thing to do.



A few days later.

The cleanup of the meteorite and the monster that came out of it went smoothly.

I just said “As you see fit” to the main road, and as a matter of course, it was restored with the highest priority.

As for the monster, I performed a close fight just before, and all the travelers that remained were fainted.

There were no rumors that I had defeated it.

It seems that that Jii-san was serious about “bringing it to the grave”.

If he keeps silent, then the bush won’t be poke and the snake won’t come out.

And, so that I should be less noticeable than usual, I said “As you see fit” on all the official work.

The by-product of such is I ended the official work early.

Even if all the vassals such as Mimis leave the audience, the day was still high.

At long last, let’s go play somewhere ――

“Haaaaa!!”

Suddenly, the glass broke in front of the audience, and a lone girl jumped in.

A girl who is only 15-16 years old, I can imagine that she’s probably the usual cheerful type of child with her face making and hairstyle somehow.

The girl broke through the window from the outside, and invaded the audience room.

“You are! Hermes Canoe”

“Eh? Ah, yeah. That’s ――”

“Be prepared!”

―― Without any time to say what was wrong, the girl attacked me.

She pulls out an orthodox long sword, and slashes at me.

I avoided it in an instant, and swapped with the position of the young girl who rushed.

The rushing girl slashed the chair I was sitting in with her sword. She’s quite good.

She’s a decent sword user, but if I want to beat her, I can.

But.

“What are you. What kind of grudge do you have with me”

“Don’t play dumb! You, what did you do to Grandpa!”

“Grandpa?”

“I won’t let you say that you don’t know!”

She points the tip of the longsword at me, and the young girl’s beautiful eyebrows stand on end.

The image of that, and the way she wields her sword.

“Grandpa―― Is it the Sword Saint Perseus?”

“That’s right!”

“Hee, you’re that old man’s granddaughter hah”

When I found out who she was, it became a little interesting.

That Jii-san had such a cute granddaughter huh.

“Because of you! There are false rumors rising about Grandpa!”

“False rumors?”

“Indeed! Ojii-chan is the strongest on this solid ground! Grandpa should have defeated that monster, but Ojii-chan won’t say anything after coming home!”

“Ah”

He did take it to the grave and protect it huh.

“A ah you said, as I thought!”

“No, that’s not what it means.”

“――Wha”

“Nn?”

While holding the longsword, the girl was trembling with her shoulders shaking.

She was so angry, that there’s something like trembling from her voice, and I couldn’t hear what she said.

“What kind of dirty hands did you use!”

“No, dirty hands, you said――”

“After all, Ojii-chan felt lustful, and started to commence a badger game*!” (TN: Man picking up woman in blackmail-like manner)

“Is he so ero that even his own granddaughter tells so!”

I retorted with all my might.

With his expression on our parting, I reminiscence again at the Jii-san who carried out “I’ll carry it to the grave”, but as I thought, he was an erojiji. (TN: Ero = erotic, jiji-old man)

“Because of you! Grandpa has already sealed his sword.”

“He has gone that far huh……”

“If you take away the sword from grandpa, then he’ll just become a pervert Jiji! What are you gonna do!”

His lewdness remains.

Or rather, even if it’s a young girl with terrific swordplay rushes in, I don’t think the story will get serious.

No, well, that made me feel a little relieved.

“Well, isn’t that fine, his lewd self is 『his appearance』, if it remains, then”

“His lewdness with his sword sealed has been powered-up!”

The young girl stamped her feet in frustration,

“…… Why are your eyes teary?”

“He almost touched my ass too!”

“Ooh …… that’s …… my condolences​.”

I mean, that jii-san has no discrimination in terms eroticism.

Power-ups, don’t have to go in that direction.

“Everything…… everything is your fault!”

The girl was slashing with teary eyes.

I can’t fight back ―― oh.

The outside of the room started to get noisy.

It seems that people are gathering after hearing the commotion.

It’s obvious, there’s a turmoil inside the audience hall, and the head is still inside. It’s natural for them to gather with a “suspicious fellow”.

Listening carefully.

From the sound of the footsteps, it seems that the soldiers are also gathering.

If it’s the Jii-san, they’ll be kicked out even if I collect all the soldiers in this mansion, but this girl’s ability is not that high.

I can assess that this girl could be driven out if all of them take her on.

If so, then I don’t have to do it.

I’ll buy time, and leave this suspicious fellow to my subordinates.

Let’s do the natural thing as a noble.

“Don’t look away!”

The lady was slashing with anger.

My thoughts jumped, let’s roll it over with my hand, and seize it up in an instant.

―― No, let’s not counterattack.

I in an instant stop what I’m going to do, and just received the girl’s slash.

I won’t fight back.

“Eh.”

It was the leg of the chair that she slashed.

The leg of the chair that the girl slashed and broke apart were rolling at my feet, so I grabbed it and prevented her slash.

――this is, good but.

For some reason, the girl was terribly, frightened as if she’s going to die.

“What does…… this mean?”

“What happened?”

“This feeling…… stronger than grandpa?”

The lady muttered a question.

Suddenly, I remembered the Ojii-san’s words.

『A first-class swordsman can understand one’s ability in a single exchange. Youngster, you’re much stronger than me. 』

…… No way, is this girl one too?

“…… This is not the case! I’m going to ask grandpa!”

“Eh? Hey wait!”

I tried to stop her, but the lady ran off.

All the soldiers inside the mansion who come running here were kicked off by her, then she left.

What an interesting, and unhateable character.

“…… I feel a storm brewing.”