Stranger’s Handbook

Chapter 98: A Notification from Home

“Your excellency Zest, a letter arrived for you from Miss Katalina.”

Since the meeting with the two Japanese was over, I took Bea to that onsen again in order to enjoy our honeymoon, but once we arrived there, this letter was waiting for me.

This time I made sure to make a reservation. I was in the room I booked, when I opened the letter; I had a bad feeling about it.

‘Your excellency Zest, I’m sorry for interrupting your fun trip.

I thought that it was about time you’d return, so I wrote this notification just to make sure.’

…………She indirectly told me to go back.

‘The Imperial Mage, Lamia-sama is coming to visit in order to check on young lady Tsubaki’s training in homemaking arts.

“How is Bea? I want to see her soon”

That’s what she said.’

“Bea, it seems that mother Lamia is going to visit our place.”

“My mother?”

(Mom Lamia! It’s been a long time!)

Haha, it’s been a long time since she last saw her mother.

Bea looked really happy, and since Toto become emotionally attached to her last time we met, she seemed pretty happy as well.

Still, she’s coming to check on Tsubaki…….Well, that’s a valid reason.

But I bet her real motive is to have fun during her visit.

Let’s see the continuation. I looked at the letter again.

‘That’s why, please come back soon.

She already knows that you are having your honeymoon.

“I don’t need any souvenirs…….I wonder if they have good cloths in that country?”

These were her words.’

Yes, yes. Clothing materials……I’ll buy some for her.

Well, since I just saw this letter……maybe we’ll go back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

‘About young lady Tsubaki’s training……ahem, education. There’s no problem with it so you can feel at ease.

I am awaiting your return.’

Stop calling it training 1, she’s not a horse.

………………..Well, she is quite the stubborn tomboy, so maybe there’s no problem in saying that.

“Bea, should we go back tomorrow or so? We have to buy some souvenirs for mother-in-law.”

“Yes! Mother will be pleased with some clothes materials.”

(I feel so excited! It’s been such a long time!)

I finished reading the letter and talked with the two girls.

There’s no need to hurry.

We were planning to enjoy the onsen for the day, then go greet Pope Garbera and take our leave, but………

“You’re going back already? I’ll be so lonely…….”

She was leaking water as she clung to us in tears, so we ended up staying another night.

As expected from another world, she didn’t short circuited herself even though she was submerged in water.

We bid our farewell to the fridge, saying that we’ll visit again some other time, then we got on the carriage.

“You can come visit at any time. You may think of the Holy Country of Lilac as your own home country.”

The old hag…..ahem, the refrigerator who changed into a human saw us off; with this, our honeymoon was over.

“My dear rival, let’s meet again.”

“Well, I’ll pray that it won’t be on the battlefield.”

“Next time we meet, I’ll chop that arm of yours down! Remember this, okay?”

“Eeh? I’ll beat you at your own game again, you know.”

“…………I’ll definitely catch up with you!”

“I’m looking forward to it. I can still become stronger too.”

These were some pretty hot parting words. But it was nothing more than a conversation between girls.

At the border, the maids unit and the holy knights troupe said their goodbyes.

Some of them started a fist fight, but I ignored them completely.

“Women sure are scary.”

“They’re savage.”

“Why can’t they be a little more intellectual?”

………….The black knights were talking nonsense, but I ignored them too.

You’re all of the same kind anyway, muscle brains idiots.

On our way back, there were a few times when bandits showed up, but the intellectual black knights and the maids unit beaming with femininity scared them away.

All the bandits did was to come in front of us.

“Gya……It’s the bla…black knights and the Hades unit 2……..!”

The moment they saw us, they started to scream and scatter.

…………….Why don’t they just quit being thieves?

“Zest-sama? Can’t we?”

(Dad, can’t we?)

Bea and Toto both leaned their heads to the side in a very lovely manner.

Haha, they’re adorable…….

“You’re adorable but you’re not allowed to hunt the bandits, all right?”

Bea readied her bardiche in such a sweet style, while Toto readied her saw, made of dark magical power, in a very cute way too.

“……..Anyway, put those away.”

“Understood.”

(Okay.)

While I listened to the far away cries of the bandits, I looked up at the sky.

Before I became aware of it, these two girls turned quite warlike.

Well, even so, I’m not too worried about it…….

……………I’ll discuss this matter later with mother-in-law.

Looking at the sky, I realized it was raining.

This is rain…….They’re certainly not tears.

After an usual incident-filled journey, we arrived at my mansion.

Seeing my home kind of calmed me down.

The one who came to meet us was Kataline.

“Welcome back-nya, your excellencies. Lamia-sama already arrived-nya.”

“Katalina, thank you for your hard work. She’s already here?”

“Yes-nya. I have a message from her for you alone-nya, your excellency.”

She said and handed over a piece of paper, on which these words were written.

‘I have something to talk with you about in private. Keep this a secret from Bea. I’ll be waiting for you in the office, son-in-law-dono……If you don’t hurry…….maybe I’ll tell Bea about that time in the bath?’

That time?

…………….That time with her in the bath!?

I burned that piece of paper with my magical power and rushed inside the house.

My stomach hurt so much that I couldn’t breathe…………..

1. The word used here is 調教/choukyou, and it literally means to train animals

2. I actually love this. The bandits call the maids unit/メイド部隊 (meido butai) with another word that is pronounced the same 冥土部隊 (meido butai), but ‘meido’ here means ‘Hades’ ‘underworld’ ‘the realm of the dead’