Several months have passed since then.
While the days are peaceful, Rose continues to have frustrating days as she struggles with needles, thread, and knives. She managed to get a little better at sewing, but she couldn't do embroidery at all. She hasn't gotten any better and almost all of her fingers have needle prick marks. For Rose, embroidery is more difficult than defeating dangerous beasts. She feels nostalgic for those days of deadly combat training.
By the way, Rose's cooking training is going well. Her master, the head chef, is known as the thunder demon of the kitchen and is scary, but he is kind to Rose. In fact, the head chef is a demon, so when he gets angry he's frightening. But he's never been angry with Rose. Even when she messed up, he taught her how to fix things. He just needs to make sure she doesn't use bad ingredients.
The cooking utensil set that Keyaki made fits her hand perfectly and is easy to use. However, her help in the kitchen is still limited to peeling potatoes and washing dishes. However, from time to time, she learned a lot from learning how to make her own meals and other dishes. Rose wants to one day hunt with the head chef and cook with the meat of that beast. However, that opportunity has not yet come.
However, Rose had seen several times how the harvesting team handled the large beasts they had brought. He quickly kills any beast brought to him alive and drains it of its blood. Of course, Rose also drained the blood into a bowl so that it wouldn't go to waste. It seems that the drug team will use the animal's blood for something. So she was told not to waste a single drop. And then there's the work of removing the fur. This was also quite hard work. The manufacturing and production department wants the fur. Of course, there are bones. Divide it neatly, calculate how much is needed for the soup stock, and send the rest to the manufacturing department. The same goes for internal organs. Separate the edible and non-edible parts and send them to the manufacturing department. Apparently, it is used as fertilizer and livestock feed. The head chef manages everything to ensure nothing goes to waste. He also manages the ingredients every day. The same goes for food in the mansion, but the head chef also decides all menus for the cafeterias from level 1 to level 4 dorms. How many people will there be and how much will they eat? This is a complicated problem in this village where there are many gluttons. But it is because of that effort the village remains stable. Of course, there are several sous chefs under the head chef. Everyone is working together.
Most people above level 5 get jobs, so some eat at restaurants or cook for themselves. And on full moon nights, a banquet is held in the mansion's dining room. Those who go abroad to work return to exchange information and everyone comes to the mansion to have a party and talk. It will be a fun night and you will hear some interesting stories. When Rose thought about it, she realized that the kitchen and dining room had an important role in this village.
Rose spends her days like this, and her only pleasure is correspondence. She is steadily communicating with Prince Efergan of the Suzukinoyama Empire. Since he's about the same age as her, he's a good person to talk to. The prince was very diligent and wrote about various things. Rose enjoyed reading the letters while imagining what it would be like in a new country, other cities, and a new world.
On the contrary, Rose hasn't received a single letter from Yanagi. She doesn't know where he is or what he's doing now. She wanted to ask Miraiya to teach her how to send magical letters, but she is too busy and Rose can't meet her often. Or rather, she hasn't had a chance to meet Miraiya at all in the past few months. Rose thought with a sigh that there was no choice but to investigate the remains of the Morg Kingdom's airship and the techniques used.
Rose sometimes uses the ground behind the mansion to practice using the whip to remember her fighting sense. Rose thought it wouldn't be a nuisance since almost no one used the grounds above level 5 daily. Since Rose is not a warrior, she cannot go hunting with them. Besides, Dalgodas won't even allow her to do a level appraisal. That's the reason Rose sneaks out of the mansion and hones her skills by herself. She also practiced adjusting the weight of the whip. So far, altering the whip's heaviness and the strength of the enchantment has been working fine. It was quite difficult to adjust the strength to 5x she used at Ooramorg, but now she can modify its strength to 7x. She now knows that she needs to hone her physical attack skills. But if she doesn't have an enemy to target, she won't be able to do anything. She finds it very boring when she practices alone. No one will take on her, and Dalgodas doesn't even give her a martial arts teacher. Rose doesn't understand why they don't let her fight that hard. He didn't answer when she asked, and he didn't even talk to her. Sometimes she thinks it's okay to sneak out outside the wall. Thinking of this made Rose sigh again.
Rose doesn't have many friends. The only people who occasionally called out to her were Lina from the lizard tribe and Elio from the wildcat tribe. Sumire, who is the same age as her, has finally started to speak. However, as Yanagi said, she is not the one to talk to. Liena isn't much of a conversation partner either. She is a good maid, but nothing more and nothing less. Rose thinks that Moi was exceptional after all. But Moi is now Darga's wife and she is pregnant. She saw her belly grow when she went to see her last month. Even though she is just going to see Moi, she is losing her freedom because she has to take her maid Liena, and her bodyguard with her. She's not permitted to walk to Moi's mansion and goes there by horse-drawn carriage. Naturally, she also was not allowed to go to the town or visit Keyaki and Yuri. Most of Rose's world revolves around the mansion.
It's a very boring life.
Rose's mother, Frey, is concerned about Rose, who doesn't talk much anymore. Frey spoke to Rose about various things, but the things she talked about didn't interest Rose. She enjoys talking about plants and animals, but Rose doesn't know what plants are, so it's hard for her to imagine them. Some of Frey's hobbies, such as embroidery and doll making, are also Rose's struggle with needles. When it came time for her embroidery class, Rose thought she wanted to run away. She's struggling to get good at it, so everyone can hear her embroidery teacher's sigh every time. Rose thought she too wanted to sigh.
And lately, when it came time for embroidery, Rose had made her disappear. She decided she'd go on the roof and read a magic book. She read it alone on the roof, bathed in the warm sunlight. Naturally, her maids ran from place to place looking for her. But Rose didn't reply and she pretended not to hear. After a while she got tired of reading and decided to sleep, using her book as a pillow. She might as well take a nap on the roof, thought Rose. She looked at the empty sky, feeling dazed, and before she knew it, she fell asleep.
When she opened her eyes, she was in her room on a bed. Someone carried her here. However, there is no one in the room. On her study desk is the book she read earlier. The door opened and her maid Liena entered.
"Miss Rose, are you awake?"
"Yeah. Did someone bring me here?"
"It was Miss Rinka. She said she found you on the roof and carried you here."
"Hmm."
Rose received a cup of tea from Liena and drank it slowly.
"Why were you sleeping on the roof?"
"When I looked at the sky, I felt so good that I fell asleep before I knew it."
"But you weren't able to study embroidery today either."
"Hmm."
"This is the third time. The head maid said she would report it to Lady Frey."
"Hmm."
"Well, dinner is almost here, so let's get ready for the bath."
"Yeah."
It's all Rose, managed by her maid. She wants to say goodbye to this life soon. Maybe she should run away from home, she thought.
She thinks of various plans while taking a bath. But she's not sure if she'll be able to escape from here. She even bothered how Yanagi raised his level to level 5 before he left here. He's being watched by the Black Ops, so he might not be able to escape easily. And also someone must be watching her, Rose thought. This is exactly what Yanagi said about how someone's gaze makes him uncomfortable. She felt the same.
After finishing preparing dinner, Rose headed to the dining room. However, Rose didn't go into the dining room and went straight to the kitchen. She put on an apron and helped out with things. In fact, she doesn't want to eat in the dining room. So she decided to eat at the meal table with the kitchen staff. She finished early, washed her dishes, left the dining room, and went onto the roof. Rose can fly, so she can go as high as the roof without any problem.
She likes being on the roof these days. There was no one around, the starry sky was clear, and the lights of the surrounding houses were also clearly visible. It has become the only place of solace for Rose, who now finds it troublesome to talk to other people.
"Are you here again?"
Rose heard Rinka's voice.
"Yeah."
"Lady Frey is calling you."
"Yeah."
"Right now."
Rose reluctantly went down. Then she went to Frey's place with Rinka. When she went to Frey's room, she found the head maid. Did she report it? Rose wondered. She can't help it if Frey gets angry. Because she slacked off on purpose. She greeted Frey and she was told to come closer.
"Rose, how have you been feeling lately?"
"It is normal."
"I heard that you took a break from studying embroidery three times. Could you please explain to me why you took a break?"
"I was tired, so I just took a nap."
"Really?"
"Yes."
It had to be a lie, she thought. However, Frey did not change her complexion.
"By the way, I heard that the level 1 children were going on a field trip tomorrow, and when I told the teacher that it would be nice if Rose could go with them, the teacher said it was okay. Of course, if Rose doesn’t want to go, that’s not a problem. Do you want to go?"
Frey asked, and she looked at Rose.
"Are you sure I can go, Mother?"
"Yes, I was told that if you go to the Level 1 ground tomorrow after breakfast, they will take you there. Bring your lunch."
"I'm going! I want to go! Please let me go."
Rose suddenly became energetic.
"Yes, of course. I have asked the head chef for tomorrow's lunch box, so please get it tomorrow."
"Yes!"
"But please promise me you won't go too far by yourself. And just in case, please wear armor and weapons. This is a warrior's excursion after all."
"Yes!"
"Then it's already late, so go to bed early tonight."
"Thank you. Good night."
"Good night, Rose."
Yay!, said Rose, running happily as she headed home. What happy news! She can finally go out. That night, Rose was so excited, and it was hard to fall asleep, but she managed to get some sleep before morning.
Next morning.
After breakfast, Rose grabbed her lunch and headed out to the field. The armor had arrived from Dwipa, so she put it on and went. The finish was so beautiful that she couldn't believe her eyes. It was a perfect size, and they made a rose flower instead of an emblem. It was elegant. As for weapons, Rose attached the dagger Yanagi gave her to her waist. She also tied her hair to the left and right sides of her head so it wouldn't get in the way.
She greeted the teacher and joined the Level 1 children. Many children are bigger than Rose. It's not difficult to go from level 0 to level 1, but going from level 1 to level 2 requires much effort. Rose was taught that she had no choice but to keep trying until recognized.
The children below level 0 turned their attention to Rose. They had several kids who complimented Rose's armor. As expected, the model is unlike the armor in this village, so it stands out. The teacher also praised her and said it looked very sturdy.
The teacher gave the signal to leave. The older child holds the hand of the smaller child and walks. The person who took Rose's hand was a big wildcat race child. He had the appearance of a grey tabby and seemed to be a strong boy. Rose thought he was between 7 and 10 years old. She's not sure about him, but that's probably it.
There's no need to bring a bodyguard with her today. Only three teachers are visible. There may be a Black Ops somewhere, but she doesn't think about it.
They stretch their legs close to the outer wall. It seems that they plan to go out with the three teachers and do some light hunting for small animals. That's why everyone brought weapons. Weapons are basically free to use by children. It seems that anything easy to use is fine. In this village, many parents give children real weapons from an early age. When they reach level 1, most children have their own weapons. Therefore, it is natural for the people of this village that a level 0 or lower Rose has her own dagger. Being the daughter of a lord makes it even more so.
They arrived at their destination and took a break for a while. It's a wide grassland with a nice breeze blowing. There, the teacher gives various explanations and teaches them how to hunt. He gave detailed explanations such as the direction of the wind and the type of prey. After the explanation, the children, divided into groups in advance, went on their first hunt. Rose ended up working with relatively older children. Everyone looks like they're having fun chasing rabbits and rats. However, Rose thought that it was still lukewarm. Her first prey was a wild beast, as she wants to say but she can't.
Suddenly, she senses something. She looks very unpleasant. It was from above, she felt, and when she looked up, she saw a black dot in the sky.
"Teacher, on top!"
"What is that?"
When the teachers looked up, their eyes widened.
"Everyone gather! It's a thunderbird!"
Some children cried out. The teachers gathered the children together and stood around them.
"Why is there a thunderbird in a place like this?"
"That's no ordinary thunderbird. It's a giant thunderbird!"
"Oh no!"
Rose looked up and thought that this was bad. It would be difficult for a teacher alone to handle the children. Besides, they have no place to take shelter or hide because it is a treeless plain. If it attacks from above, it can aim for whatever it wants. If they move apart, someone will definitely die. The thunderbird was approaching, so close that Rose could see the distance with her eyes.
"Barrier!"
Teachers set up barriers around the children who lay low. But this is only a matter of time. There is no guarantee that they will be safe until the security forces notice.
"Barrier! Speed increase enchantment! Attack power increases enchantment! Nature! Here is Rose's command: Give me power!"
Rose enchanted herself and said the words of her contract.
"Rose? What...?!"
"Sir, please set up a strong barrier. Please do not move from there until the security team arrives!"
"!!"
Rose said, picking up some dirt with one hand and throwing it in front of her.
"Wall of the earth!"
A wall of earth rose up one after another from the thrown earth particles. Using that as a springboard, Rose climbs higher and higher.
"Whip! Fire attribute enchantment!"
A whip full of thorns appeared. In fact, it's actually quite inconvenient to take out her whip while running like this. It would be easy to fly, but she doesn't want to show that ability to the villagers as much as possible. Even if it was just fly, a new rumor would spread. She doesn't want to imagine what kind of rumors there will be. However, if she thinks about it now, the children will be eaten by that giant thunderbird.
Crackle! Crackle!
Rose heard a disgusting sound. Lightning is going to strike!
"Barrier!"
She put up a strong barrier with one hand towards the teachers below her. Then, she used the whip in one hand to hit the thunderbird as hard as she could.
Bang!
Along with the shock, the thunderbird squealed. A glimpse of the teacher and children were okay. It seems that everyone is safe, and protected by her barrier.
On the earthen wall that served as the final stepping stone, Rose took a big leap and jumped high, somersaulting while attacking the thunderbird several times with her whip. Blood splattered from Thunderbird's body as she hit. And she landed on the back of that thunderbird. Hooking her whip around her neck, she brought another whip with her other hand and instantly changed form. It was hard and sharp, like a small spear.
"Fire Spear!"
Enchant attributes while changing shape. This technique is quite special and cannot be used by just anyone. It's a Rose original.
"Huh!"
She stabbed the fiery spear into the thunderbird's back, and with all her might, it pierced deeply. The thunderbird made a loud cry and fell violently. However, she didn't let go of the whip she held in one hand. She was thinking of using her spear to stab it, and when it reached the middle, she was about to perform a finishing spell... at that moment, two shadows jumped above her at great speed. One delivered the finishing blow to Thunderbird, and the other landed on the ground holding Rose in his arms.
"I have to deal the final blow!"
"It's okay. It's already dead."
There was an unknown warrior who answered that. His face is hidden by a cloth mask. She only noticed his voice and eyes, but she was sure he was young. The other person is also dressed the same way. The giant thunderbird was slammed into the ground and didn't move. Looks like it's dead.
"Let me go! Who are you?!"
When Rose got angry and tried to move away, the person murmured in her ear.
"Please excuse my rudeness."
At the end of those words, she felt a prick of pain in her neck, and her strength went out. Then everything became dark and she lost consciousness.