Middle-Aged Man Isekai Summoning - Chapter 7
I'm Scared
Thanks to spending the night with Cattleya, I was able to face training from the morning with my mind and body completely refreshed.
Speaking of training, Maya has been refraining from participating recently, saying she wants to conserve her magical power. Being a Sage with immense magical power, it probably takes time for her to recover it as well.
(Well, we still have fun eating lunch together as usual, so there's nothing in particular to worry about...)
Thinking about that, I headed to the dining hall. However, today's lunch was somehow different. The atmosphere surrounding everyone at the table was strangely heavy. Yuno and Aria were fidgety and restless, darting their eyes around. Maya was chewing her food in silence with a displeased, tight-lipped expression. Sharon had a awkward smile plastered on her face, but her expression looked forced. Incidentally, only Iris took her meal calmly as always, completely unfazed by the atmosphere.
After finishing my meal, I pulled back my chair to brush off the awkwardness. Usually after this, it's our daily routine for Maya and me to talk about the technology from our world in the library. Wanting to keep the usual flow going, I tentatively called out to the quiet girl.
"Maya, do you want to talk after this...?"
"...Yeah, sure."
The two of us walked side-by-side toward the library. As the silence continued, I plucked up the courage to speak.
"During lunch earlier, everyone was acting strange... Did something happen?"
She stopped in her tracks and answered while glaring at me.
"...It's all your fault, middle-aged guy."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Your maid came up to me before lunch."
【Before Lunch】
As Maya was walking down the quiet hallway, Cattleya suddenly appeared in front of her, stopping with a bright smile. She stepped forward gracefully and stopped Maya.
"Lady Maya, do you have a moment?"
"Yeah, I do, but what's up?"
Maya stopped walking and looked at her with a slightly surprised expression. Cattleya smiled broadly and began talking as if delighted.
"To get straight to the point, I will be handling Lord Dai's sexual needs from now on."
"Huh!? What do you mean?"
Maya opened her eyes wide with a look of surprise.
"Exactly what it means. I received Lord Dai's favor yesterday. Therefore, please rest assured that Lord Dai will not attack you for the sake of his skill, Lady Maya."
"Huh, is that so............ But why bother reporting that to me?"
Maya paused for a moment before replying in a calm voice. Cattleya smiled, stepped forward slightly, and answered with a gentle expression.
"I thought you might be worried, Lady Maya, so I came to inform you♪"
"H-Huh. Thanks!"
Maya nodded lightly, giving a slightly twitching response.
"Yes, I am glad you can rest easy."
Cattleya bowed deeply, smiling with satisfaction.
"............And that's how she said it."
From there, Maya's rapid-fire tirade didn't stop.
"By the way, judging by that tone, I bet she's already told everyone. She definitely came to stake her claim and tell us not to touch you because you're hers! What's with that 'Please rest easy'?! And you're to blame too! Having sex when you're practically twice her age! Well, her breasts are huge and she's cute, so if a guy can do it, he'd want to. But her personality is nasty, so I don't think she suits you. Or do you like girls like that? Is it just a purely physical relationship? You're just like the middle-aged men from my world after all. They were all guys who demanded my body instead of appreciating my skills or abilities. I thought you were different from them, but... whatever, I don't care anymore."
Having finished speaking, a calmed-down Maya took a deep breath. Frowning slightly as if trying to forget something, she cast her eyes downward.
"Let's end this topic. Let's talk about the continuation of your world's technology from yesterday! I only want to know about technology, so let's hurry up and talk!"
I wanted to make excuses, but I was scared, so I agreed for now and decided to talk.
"Ah, right, got it."
・・・ ・・ ・
"Huh~. Communication over there uses electrical signals instead of magic power. As I thought, I'd like to go to your world. In that world, would I be evaluated for my abilities instead of my looks? Like I said earlier, everyone stares at my body and face, and it's disgusting."
Maya's shoulders slumped, and her eyes looked downcast. The feeling of helplessness floating on her expression spoke of the anxiety in her heart. I encouraged her with words that weren't much of a comfort.
"You proved yourself with your results as a Sage, so isn't that enough?! Besides, even if you came to my world, you're cute, Maya, so people staring at you wouldn't change?!"
"Eh! C-Cute... ///"
Maya instantly turned bright red. Showing a age-appropriate reaction, she had an adorable look as if instinctively hiding her face. Then, a voice called out to us from behind along with heavy footsteps.
"Dai, Maya, so you were here."
"Commander? What's wrong?"
"There is something I want to talk to everyone about right now. Please gather up."
We hurriedly followed behind the Commander. When we arrived, everyone—including Yuno—was gathered, and a heavy atmosphere hung in the air.
"Thank you for gathering, everyone. To get right to the point, demons have occupied a nearby mine. I understand we are in the middle of training, but please help us recapture the occupied mine and subjugate the demons."
(A demon-related request has finally come, huh...)
"Understood. Do you have a detailed map of that mine?"
"Yes, it is right here."
And so, the strategy meeting began. Based on information from scouts regarding numbers and layout, it was decided that five members of the Knight Order alongside us would head out.
――
That day, we ended up eating dinner together as well, accompanied by each of our exclusive maids and stewards.
"It's a bit sudden, but let's do our best, everyone."
"....... "
"Dai, what's wrong?"
Iris called out to me with a worried look.
"Lord Dai must be nervous since this is his first time in this kind of combat. As a knight, I shall protect Lord Dai, so do not worry!"
Aria encouraged me, but that wasn't what I was concerned about.
"Why did the demons occupy the mine, I wonder? Even if they occupy a mine, there shouldn't be any merit in it for demons, right?"
The occupied mine contained gems, not iron.
(It's good for gathering funds, but is it necessary during a war? Demons have plenty of weapons and food, so they shouldn't need it...)
"In the first place, why did the demons start the invasion?"
"Indeed, I heard they attacked suddenly, but we haven't heard a proper reason, have we?"
The literature written about the demons in this country is incoherent and hard to understand. With a lack of information, I'm extremely worried. While I was pondering that, the old steward and Aria's model-figured maid began to offer encouragement.
"Lord Dai, pay no mind to the demons and wipe them out using that intellect of yours."
"That is right. Please save us!"
In this way, all the maids and stewards except Cattleya voiced their expectations with expectant gazes.
"..."
Cattleya had a look on her face as if she wanted to say something, but she remained completely silent. I couldn't get that appearance out of my head. That expression of hers, looking like she wanted to speak, bothered me to no end.
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