Mob: Chapter 8 – What in the blazes! What’s this!?

Surprise 😀 Mob chapter 8 is out! Krrizis and I were working on chapter 7 and 8 respectively around the same time so we have these 2 chapters released so closely together. Do share what you think of Mob on our novelupdates page here. It’s fine to be honest whether you like it or hate it 😀

As Krrizis has mentioned in the previous chapter, we have a Patreon now over here. You can support us by donating ^^! We don’t pocket the money ourselves and our priority for the cash will always be

1) renovating the site for better feasibility,

2) domain renewal

3) raws for any current projects that have light novels (just for the pictures) and the rest can go into new projects that the translators here are interested to pick up that have light novels.

I’m sorry for being so naggy but Ainushi team is still looking for 1 more Editor and 1 more Translator. Please visit our recruitment page here if you are interested ^^.

 

Chapter 8 – What in the blazes!? What’s this!?

TL: Januva
TLC: Krrizis
Editors: Momielxai & Puissansa

 

Heading towards the kitchen, I deftly prepared tea. By no means was I running away.

Well….alright. I did run away. I ran away, alright!?

Or rather, I would like to know who wouldn’t run away from that situation. There’s no way anyone wouldn’t, right?!!

For someone not to run away from the smiles of those beautiful brothers…aah, but if he died instantly, then he couldn’t have escaped.

Even while escaping from reality, I was still treating the tea utensils with proper courtesy*.

(TLN: The raw implied a sense of respect towards the tea utensils which is likely due to their practices in proper tea ceremony)

 

This is also the result of my previous life. Moreover, I’m grateful to this world for having similar utensils to the ones in my past life.

Thank you, my previous life’s Kaa-sama. My previous life wasn’t futilely lived.

It’s a relief that the lifestyle here isn’t too different from that of my previous life – perhaps due to the fact that this world was a shoujo manga world drawn by the Japanese.

The only difference, image-wise, is that magic has replaced electrical appliances. Common-folk who can’t use magic have lifestyles similar to those of the early Showa era*, while the rich, the nobles and magicians lead comfortable lives like those of Heisei era*.

(TLN: Showa era: 1926-1989. Heisei era: 1989-modern day)

 

For example, in the kitchen, common-folk that can’t use magic have to rely on hearths.

Magicians, nobles and the rich, on the other hand, use a magical artifact similar to modern kitchen systems.

Sorcerers are people who become mages when a magic probing stone gives a reaction. They can only take in a small amount of magic power into their body and while they are able to convert it, they could neither use spells nor sorcery with that amount of magic power. Hence they have to insert magic stones into their magical circuits, store magic power in stones to make mana crystals and insert them into the magical artifacts that they craft.

Fundamentally, magic stones cannot be used to store magic power. The stone is unable to hold more magic power than it naturally possesses. However, the stone can have its magic affinity increased by calculating the maximum amount of magic power it can hold and gradually forcing magic power in at fixed intervals by using a magical circuit. This probably gives off the image of a battery.

The resulting product is known as a mana crystal that can then be inserted into an apparatus with a corresponding magical circuit inscribed. Consequently, the magical circuit can be activated, and the completed apparatus is called a magical artifact.

Magical artifacts are then utilised by the nobles and the wealthy. They employ a sorcerer in their estates to maintain their magical artifacts, and to replenish magic power in mana crystals.

From the explanation thus far, anyone can use magic if they possess mana crystals… is what you would expect, but things don’t work so easily in reality. It seems that mana crystals and artifacts can only handle the scale of magic power used in our daily lives; they are unable to withstand the impact that comes with the activation of battle spells which requires magic power on a greater scale.

Even so, someone came up with the idea of increasing the number of mana crystals to split the burden of the spell. However, it failed to work on the scale that wizards and magicians could use and merely released a shabby spell instead.

In any case, it seems that there is still ongoing research to work around it though there has been no successes so far.

 

With that being the case, I am not be able to use magical artifacts.

I tested it out when I met the Suzuella Company, the company that I entered into a long term contract with since I was 9.

Despite my high tension, for I was elated, I had tested it out but the magic power dispersed when I tried to touch it. It dispersed before I even touched it. At least disperse after I touched it!

I can’t use magical artifacts due to this reason. I had expected it, but when it really happened, it still made me click my tongue tch.

 

Mooks-san’s house is the early Showa era type which is good in a way.

I have digressed quite a fair bit but I’m brewing tea in this early Showa era kitchen…or rather I should say it’s a kitchen that gives off a similar feeling to those.

The Franc tea that Kei-san likes. It has a taste similar to Earl Grey tea, and gives off a peach-like sweet fragrance. The colour happens to be pink.

After drinking it, your breath becomes a mysterious pink…..something that used to be impossible!

The biggest difference between this tea and my previous life’s typical tea is that this tea is not made from tea leaves but rather from the petals of Franc flower. Tea made from flower petals are called Blooming Tea*.

(TLN: also known as flowering tea, actually exists on Earth too)

 

Of course, tea leaves like that of my previous life’s exist too. They are called herbal tea here and are the equivalent of green tea series of tea. The taste and fragrance are the same too, with the colour of the tea being the only difference. It is jet black.

When I first saw it, I thought it was poison. When it was served, I instinctively confirmed that other people were drinking it before drinking it myself. Well, it was the ordinary delicious taste though.

I myself like this tea too and as I was brewing it, I was enjoying its fragrance.

That’s right, I was enjoying myself but due to someone peering in from behind me, I froze on the spot. Gigigi…I turned my head to look and a macho ikemen was standing right behind me. Hii.

I really want to praise myself from the bottom of my heart for not dropping the tea utensils.

 

「Did something happen*?」
 

(TLN: formal/polite speech)

Somehow managing to squeeze out these words, but there wasn’t a response.

If nothing happened, why are you putting your arms around my waist and and resting your chin on my head?

What, in the blazes is this situation. I repeat. What in the blazes is this situation!?

 

「Language*…」
 

He murmured. At the same time, vibrations are transmitted to my head.

 

Ehh? Don’t tell me he’s pouting?? There’s no way I will find it cute!!

(TLN: Japanese use informal speech for close friends, family etc)
 

「Eto, what happened*?」
 

After I repeated the question, he added strength into his arms around my waist. Why!? Even though I did it the way you wanted me to.

(TLN: informal speech)

 

「It’s nothing. It’s just that I was thinking of helping you out somehow.
By the way, it doesn’t seem like you live here alone.
Who do you live with?」
 

He asked while remaining in this position. Can’t you release me? Uuu.

「You know the agency?
The agency’s chief lets me use this place, after picking me up.」
 

Hearing that, he added more strength into his arms, which created pressure on my stomach!!

 

「Ani-san, it’s a little painful!!」
 

Having heard that, he loosened his arms in a panic, but it seems that he is still unwilling to release me.

What in the blazes!? How many times am I going to have to say this?

It can’t be helped since I don’t know what’s going on, right?

 

「If I’m not wrong, the agency’s chief is that guy, Mooks.
What do you mean by he picked you up?」
 

Hii. Ani-san’s voice was real~ly deep. Somehow it felt like the air had gotten colder too.

 

「You*…you know Mooks-san then!
I meant it literally when I said I was picked up.
I was abandoned in the slums when I was 6 years old and was found by Mooks-san.」

(TLN: He used formal speech here before changing to informal)

 

In the middle of my words, I felt a sudden chill and corrected my way of speaking in a panic.

Seems like I’m safe.

And I know that my words have stolen Ani-san’s breath away, since he is clinging to me this closely.

 

「Aah, don’t worry about it. While I was annoyed by the physical abuse, I am grateful that they abandoned me.」
 

「Physical abuse? From your parents?!」
 

When I thought my waist was released, this time round he placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me around. Fortunately, my hands were not in contact with the tea utensils. Somehow I managed to finish the preparations.

Having been swung around to face him, there he was kneeling on the floor. Even though he was kneeling, I still had to look up to face him. Just how tall is he? I tried escaping from reality but it didn’t seem like I could do that. I..I really wanted to close my eyes.

His smile makes one want to die but with his serious face…which somehow gave off the feeling of anger as well, is way too scary.

 

「Not my parents. My parents passed away when I was 3.
They were really kind parents.
It’s just that I was under the care of my relatives from then till I was 6.」
 

With that, his countenance softened for an instant, before showing one of sorrow and finally changing back to anger.

Mou, this fellow can’t be said to be expressionless. You wouldn’t think he is the same person I met earlier.

 

「Don’t lament the loss of your parents. Pray for their happiness in the next world. I’m sure they are watching over you from the next world.
When you said relatives, did you mean you were passed around? So the ones who physically abused you were your relatives?」
 

Ani-san’s kind words makes me happy. However, I steeled my heart for the next part and intended to gloss over it.

 

「That might be so, but it can’t be helped that they don’t have the ability to provide for an extra kid.
Right now, I truly think it’s great to live with Mooks-san, so it’s fine.
It’s fine so please don’t make that face.」

 

I raised my right arm and gently placed it on Ani-san’s cheek. That’s because he seemed to be on the verge of crying. Even though he looked so livid just now, he abruptly changed to such an expression.

「You were so young, yet this kind of thing happened. …what a noble heart.
It isn’t enough to just thank the one called Mooks for saving Az.」
 

He widened his eyes when I laid my hand upon his cheek, and while making a wry smile, he put his hand over mine.
 

「That’s true. Thanking him isn’t enough. I think of him as my father on my own accord.」
 

Saying thus with a smile, Ani-san too smiled back at me.

「I see. Father huh. You’ve built a nice relationship with him.
Alright, we can’t let the delicious tea that you brewed to get cold.
And we’ve also kept Ani-ue waiting, so shall we go?」

 

Ani-san stood up and swiftly used one hand to lift up the tray with my preparations, telling the me who was looking on in a daze [Let’s go] and pulled me along by my right hand.

Yup, not letting the hand that was on his face go, he clasped it. When I tried to free it, he adjusted his grip with added strength as a service.

In this situation, in the so-called ‘holding hands’ position, we began moving.

Is the fact that we are not a couple holding hands my only lifeline here?

 

Argh, but!! What in the world is this?! What is this!!
In the first place, if I did this alone I wouldn’t have taken such a long time, and wouldn’t have kept him waiting!!

Furthermore, isn’t keeping Kei-san waiting more unacceptable than the state of the tea I brewed?

While being pulled along, we headed towards my room. It’s not far by any means and the time it takes to get there should be short, but I feel as though the journey is really long.

Seriously, what in the world! What in the blazes is this!?