Happy Daily Life of a Reincarnated Noble Blessed with Vassals - Chapter 2

I had thought it was some kind of metaphor, but it turned out there was an actual forest stretching out beyond the property. Our family made a living by hunting the magical beasts that appeared in this forest. Since that seemed to serve as a substitute for paying taxes, I wondered what would happen if we didn’t do well. Would there be extra charges for unpaid taxes?

That would be way too embarrassing for a so-called high-ranking noble.

Apparently, I was supposed to have this cool-sounding job as an advanced summoner, but what exactly did that entail? All I knew about it came from games and manga.

[Summoners are those with the talent to summon and command magical beasts that exist in this world. Their numbers are extremely limited, and even commoners who develop summoning abilities are allowed to serve the nation.]

So, Dragon Zombies actually exist?

[A Dragon Zombie has a threat level of A, as does the Great Demon Ape. Both require military intervention to be defeated.]

Since I have two of those, I’m pretty much invincible, right? World domination, anyone?

[World domination with just two beasts would be impossible. As mentioned, the military could still handle them.]

You’re really serious, aren’t you, Command? Relax, I wasn’t even thinking about that for a second.

[Someone like Knight Odolski, who defies human limits, could handle a threat level B on his own. If you used your full power, even a threat level A would be no more than a pebble in your path. Factoring in other forces like Jean-Jacques and Mary, it’s estimated House Hesselink would need at least ten threat level A beasts to attempt world domination.]

I told you, I’m not doing that. No need to run the numbers.

[That seems wise for now. I recommend you focus on hunting magical beasts, raising your contribution to the nation while gaining experience as an advanced summoner.]

So basically, level up, huh?

As much as I enjoyed talking with Command, there was something that had been bothering me.

Oh yeah, that thing that had been glaring at me with a vicious look, like it was ready to pounce—a bear-like creature.

[Threat level C, Mad Mad Bear. It seems to be hungry.]

It has definitely marked me as food, right? Look at all that drool. Its eyes are completely gone, living up to the “Mad” in its name.

[It’s the perfect opponent for your debut. Now, unleash the power of an advanced summoner.]

How exactly am I supposed to do that?

[…Please call out the name of the beast you wish to summon.]

Was it just me, or did I feel a pause there, like, “You know what to do, right?” Anyway, let’s pick up the pace.

“Come forth, Great Demon Ape!”

Something had been pulled out of me, like a chunk of energy.

[The cost of summoning is your fine magical power, Your Excellency. It’s coming. Look up.]

So it was a fall-from-the-sky type, huh?

Oh wow.

[A deformed ape with two heads and four arms. Threat level A: Great Demon Ape.]

It was huge. The ground shook when it landed. More like a gorilla than a monkey, it stood about as tall as a two-story house. The bear was around the same size, but the gorilla looked much bulkier.

[The summoned magical beast, the Great Demon Ape, is your servant, Your Excellency. Please give your orders.]

Orders, huh. It looked intimidating, but its eyes were surprisingly round and cute. Alright then.

“You’ll be called Gorimaru.”

Oh, it came closer after I named it.

Haha, a hug with four arms? That hurts, Gorimaru, cut it out.

[Name confirmed. From now on, the summoning of the Great Demon Ape will be fixed under the individual name “Gorimaru.”]

I didn’t really get it, but sure, let’s go with that. It’d help me get attached, and I’d never had a pet, so this made me kind of happy.

“Gorimaru, it’s mealtime. Today’s dish is bear meat. Go ahead, eat up!”

I always figured I’d spoil a pet if I had one, and sure enough, that’s what I did. Technically, I was supposed to use the bear’s materials for tax purposes, but I just wanted Gorimaru to get a full meal.

Go ahead, eat it all.

[It’s not advisable to spoil him too much, Your Excellency. Proper discipline starts at the beginning.]

I know, I know. But look—there’s barely anything left of the bear. 

Gorimaru was just overwhelming. As soon as I gave the go-ahead, he grabbed it with all four arms and started pounding it like crazy.

Wow, he’s got some spirit. Technically, I should be saving the fur and other materials for taxes, but he’s made such a mess that I can’t salvage any of it.

[As long as you recover the beast’s Life Stone, that will suffice. It’s fine to use magical beasts as food. Have Gorimaru retrieve it.]

Gorimaru, bring me something called the Life Stone. Oh, looks like he’s got it.

It was a round, red-black stone about the size of a bowling ball. Wait, no—it was just covered in the bear’s blood.

[Excellent. It appears to have accumulated considerable life force. A Life Stone is a condensed form of the life energy a magical beast gathers over time. It’s used for various purposes in this country, and demand for it never diminishes.]

So, all I have to do is collect these stones and turn them in? Sounds simple enough. Alright, got it. I’m glad I’ll be able to keep feeding Gorimaru without any worries. I can’t wait to meet that Dragon Zombie, too.

[It would be even better if you could collect materials as well.]

I’ll make sure to have materials collected from magical beasts that aren’t defeated by me. That should solve the issue. Hm? What is it, Gorimaru? You’re offering me this big chunk of meat? You can eat it all, you know?

[It’s a trait of the Great Demon Ape. The best meat is offered to the leader of the pack as a sign of loyalty. Gorimaru has accepted you as his master.]

Good boy, good boy. Gorimaru’s such a sweet guy. I’ll make sure you get more delicious meat. Now, how are we going to carry this stone and the meat back?

[Leave it to this Command. Storage initiated.]

Whoa, it’s gone. What happened to Gorimaru’s gift?

[I used one of my functions: storage. While it cannot hold anything and everything, it can store and preserve a certain amount.]

That’s really useful.

[I’m honored by your praise.]

You’re as reliable as ever, Command. Alright, Gorimaru, you can return now. Don’t give me that sad look; I’ll summon you again soon, okay?

“Whew, I sensed an unusual presence and came to check… as expected, it’s you, my lord. I’ve said it many times before, but please refrain from entering the forest alone.”

Oh, someone’s here.

The man scolding me right off the bat looked like he was in his mid-thirties. From his formal tone and the way he addressed me as “Lord,” I could tell this was Sir Odolski, the Holy Knight.

“Hey, Odolski. I’ve been looking for you. The stew Mahdavikia made was incredible, and I heard it was from the meat you hunted, so I came to thank you. Great job.”

“Your words are too kind. However, the true credit belongs to Mahdavikia, who turned it into such a masterpiece. Any praise should go to him.”

“Yeah, I already thanked him this morning. While it’s true that his skill made it what it was, I know how risky it is to gather ingredients. Let’s all raise a glass tonight with that meat.”

“I’d be honored to join, but only if you promise not to enter the forest alone again.”

He was strict. Was he really someone who’d fallen to the dark side? He seemed so lively, and his appearance was refreshing too.

“I’m well aware that you’re a formidable man, my lord, but considering what happened with the previous lord, you should be more cautious.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll be careful next time.”

“Good. Now, where is the Life Stone?”

Hm? Oh right, he doesn’t know about Command. How should I explain this?

[Just brush it off casually. Odolski has sworn a level of loyalty to you far beyond Gorimaru, so unless it’s something extreme, he’ll believe you.]

That was… heavy.

“I’ve mastered a summoning technique. It allows me to store items in a space separate from here.”

“I see. As expected of you, my lord. Despite your standing as both a high-ranking noble and summoner, you continue to push yourself for further growth. I, Odolski, am deeply impressed.”

You don’t need to kneel. Come on, stand up.

“There’s some prime cuts of Mad Mad Bear meat, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Mahdavikia can whip up.”

…

…

…

“Welcome back, my lord. Ah, you’ve reunited with Sir Odolski, I see.”

“How did the hunt go, Sir Odolski?”

When we got back to the manor, I was greeted by two lovely ladies. Now this was comforting.

“Ah, let me carry it. There was a good-sized Murder Deer, so I took its antlers, hide, and hind legs. Miss Irina, could you summon Mahdavikia?”

Even though I offered to store it, he insisted on carrying the large burlap sack himself, saying he couldn’t rely on me for everything. I should also give them the bear meat Gorimaru gave me.

Uh, Command?

[Retrieve.]

Whoa, that’s cool. It’s even wrapped in some kind of plant material. Such thoughtful care. Thanks a lot.

[You’re welcome.]

“Oh my, the count as well? Are you hurt at all, my lord?”

“I’m fine. It was a very fruitful outing. Though Odolski did lecture me about going into the forest alone.”

“If something were to happen to you, my lord, it would sadden both Miss Alice and Miss Irina. Please be careful.”

“That goes for you too, Odolski. If something happened to you, they and Mahdavikia would be devastated. And of course, so would I. Let’s all live long lives together.”

“…Understood!”

For some reason, it felt like Alice’s loyalty shot up after watching that exchange with Odolski. Maybe I was imagining it. Still, I did hope we could all stay together and live long lives. I was probably not immortal either, so I should be more careful.

“Young master, Odolski, good to see you both back in one piece. Whoa, now that’s a fine cut of leg! What about yours, young master?”

“Mad Mad Bear meat.”

“Whoa… that’s something. So it’s from that crazy, berserk bear, huh? And you managed to walk away unscathed?”

Well, Gorimaru had pretty much handled it on his own, but I guess even a C-rank threat can be that dangerous to most people.

[Normally, once a threat surpasses D-rank, it’s beyond what ordinary people can handle.]

Got it, Command. By the way, what rank was the Murder Deer Odolski killed?

[C-rank.]

Deadly for the average person. How does Odolski fare against it?

[He can almost completely dominate it.]

Good enough, then. A berserk bear, a killer deer—it’s been a rough start to the day.

I’d yet to meet the butler, assassin, orphan, or the Phantom King from the summons. Everyone except the Phantom King sounds like fun, though.