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The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life

That Which Protects Oneself

Translated by: ME

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

Thanks to the knights’ daily volunteer spirit, Dean seems to have realized they are a completely different breed of people, and he hasn't mentioned wanting to become a knight much lately.

That being said, both of them are continuing their training properly.

What started as two days a week gradually increased to three, then four... and recently, they participate almost every day except for weekends.

Even Magnolia, who is told she has no talent for it, has grown enough to engage in light sparring with Dean using a wooden sword.

Recently, Dean has had practice swings with a training sword (one with a blunted edge) added to his routine. Even now, he is doing his best to swing it upward, struggling not to let the weight of the sword win.

Magnolia is currently taking a break while drinking water.

「...Thish shide ish properly done, ishn't it?」

「Of course it is. This training is to build physical strength and the fundamentals of combat. It's necessary to build strength step-by-step—combat involves your life.」

As he wiped away sweat with a handkerchief, Claude spoke with an exasperated tone.

「You could have gone shtep-by-shtep for danshing too...」

Magnolia appealed with a pout, causing Claude to raise an eyebrow.

「I am going step-by-step, aren't I? It's not like you're going to become a professional dancer, so it's faster to let your body soak up the basics of effortless movement first. Both of you have a certain amount of stamina from your daily training... it's within that range. You only feel more tired because you're doing it reluctantly. Besides, you were taking it much more lightly compared to this. Even if we are family, that kind of attitude isn't good.」

(It’s terrifying how he sees through everything. It’s a storm of criticisms.)

「This training is to ensure your personal safety while remaining fully aware of yourself and your surroundings. You should train while keeping some energy in reserve.」

「Uwheee.」

「...Don't make such strange noises.」

(Waaaah. Every time I say one thing, it comes back several-fold! Especially since he's right, there's nothing I can say.)

(...Ah.)

「............ What’s wrong?」

Claude narrowed his violet-blue eyes at Magnolia’s searching behavior. Magnolia moved her round eyes, looking around restlessly to check their surroundings, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

「For some reason, I've been feeling a lot of gashesh lately...」

「Is that true? ...Since when?」

「I can't say for shure, but maybe since around the New Year. It might just be my imagination, though.」

With a grim expression, Claude turned his gaze toward Gai, who shook his head sideways before giving a small nod and vanishing somewhere. He likely went to check the surroundings for any suspicious individuals.

After watching his back as he left, Claude sighed and placed his large hand on Magnolia’s head.

「Why didn't you say so sooner? What if something happened? ...If you feel anything unusual from now on, tell me immediately.」

「Yes-.」

(Even though he does nothing but lecture me whenever he opens his mouth...)

When he pats my head with such worried eyes, as if asking if I understand, I have no choice but to say yes.

***

「Gai, I want you to take me to the armory.」

The cheerful guard blinked his narrow eyes several times at the young lady who, as usual, had come up with something strange.

「The armory? You aren't planning on doing something dangerous, are you?」

「No~, I just want to shee if there's a weapon like the one I'm thinking of.」

Magnolia puffed out her cheeks at his suspicious look.

Dean seems to be focusing on his studies for a while now, to the point where he’s mostly just helping with serving. That said, since they have morning training every day and lessons in dance, music, painting, and art history (which was added!) every other day, they still see each other quite often.

Originally, he wasn't at an age where he should have been doing apprentice work; his role was largely as a playmate. No one expected his companion to be a toddler like this... (I'm kind of sorry, I don't know how to play well). That's how I feel like saying.

Furthermore, since I started the business and often had him help with errands for that, his studies probably started later than planned. It is truly a regrettable thing.

(...I'll make some study drills and present them to him as an apology. Let's do that.)

In the end, it was Gai who accompanied her to the armory while they bickered back and forth. Lily is on a rare day off.

「Both of you, be quiet.」

「Uncle! Grandpa too!」

As soon as they opened the door, an exasperated scolding flew their way.

Inside the armory were Servas and Claude. They were holding wooden tablets, perhaps checking the inventory.

...Gai probably sent word ahead to make sure I wasn't plotting anything bad (?). When I glanced up at him, he was looking upward with a smirk.

「What is Magnolia looking for?」

Servas asked restlessly. (It’s painfully obvious he’s planning to procure as many weapons as his granddaughter desires—though I don't need that many.)

I have the mace I received from Lyla, but a mace hanging from the waist is quite conspicuous. I’m probably not the only one who feels that if I encountered a villain, it would undoubtedly be confiscated the moment we met.

「Didn't I say I've been feeling gashesh? If someone aims for an opportunity, I want something I can keep hidden sho they won't know I have a weapon, so I can surprise them. Alsho, something like a cover to protect my face or vitals?」

............

After a brief silence, the three adults looked at each other.

「Concealed weapons, I guess?」

「Gauntlet?」

「A hidden sword cane, perhaps?」

With that, the weapons spread out before me were all quite formidable.

Things with many long, sharp needles like bear claws, small hidden knives. Iron objects I didn't know how to use, and iron balls covered in spikes. A cane with a sharp blade hidden inside.

...All of them looked extremely painful.

And the cane. Conversely, I think it’s far too unnatural for a toddler who has no trouble walking to carry one.

As for the gauntlets, they were like (part of) a suit of armor made of metal and shining in gold—they couldn't be more conspicuous.

(Over a dress? Underneath? ...I can't wear this underneath, can I?)

「............ Ish it okay for a normall young lady to wear this (the bear claw thing)?」

I checked, just in case. Personally, I don't think it's okay at all. The three of them put their hands to their chins, looking at the gauntlet shining in white-gold, and spoke in unison with similar expressions.

「There aren't any.」

「I've never seen one.」

「Since she's cute, wouldn't it be fine?」

I glanced at the black-glinting bear claws.

...I might not be able to afford luxury or leisure when my life is on the line, but I don't have the confidence to use something that goes "squelch" (cutting or stabbing). Especially against a human.

(...I wonder if there are any truncheons? Something the length of a short cane that can extend with a snap, like a pointer.)

I looked around the warehouse, but I only saw spears, axes, and giant swords (I wonder who uses those... Grandpa? Isn't it inefficient because it's too heavy?). I could only find incredibly dangerous things.

「Ish there nothing like a thin, hard metal covered in leather or cloth? Something where you can alsho insert a weapon to fix it in place...」

(I wonder if there are any rare metals or materials unique to another world?)

「「Hmm...」」

「I don't think there's anything like that unless you make it.」

The four of us were tilting our heads, but since it didn't seem like there was anything I was looking for, I was about to leave when Claude called out to me.

「For now, you should be able to use this.」

With that, he handed me a heavy, three-fingered knuckle duster with slightly modest (?) spikes. The other two were nodding their heads as if to say, "You can definitely use that!"

「............ Can I actually use this...?」

***

The redevelopment of the slums was progressing at a rapid pace.

It was moving much faster than planned, and the reconstruction of the residential area was completely finished. The people who had been temporarily staying in the fortress gradually returned to the slums. We decided to set rent levels based on family size and income. It felt like an imitation of the Japanese public housing system.

Fortunately, there were no people who were both without relatives and unable to move; currently, almost everyone except for small children has some kind of job.

These were people who had been living there for free, even if it was without permission. Even though the rent was set much cheaper than general properties, I naturally expected there would be complaints.

However, not a single person complained.

「...Is it really okay to let us live here so cheaply?」

「Truly. We have to work hard and repay the favor.」

Such voices could be heard from here and there. Along with a sense of relief, it was an event that made me feel like we had truly achieved a connection of hearts.

The construction is now moving to the shop and workshop sections. This will likely take more time than before. Since it involves building shops, detailed regulations and considerations are necessary.

Even so, the sight of things being completed day by day was more than enough to make the people living here and the territory feel a bright future ahead.

*****

Note: I don't know what weapon magnolia wanted, a baseball bat along with a container to carry it around?

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