The Mob Noble Who Got Reincarnated in a World Where Men Are Naturally Protected—So I Trained Like Crazy to Protect Girls Instead, But Their Love Got Way Too Heavy - Chapter 35 & 36

Chapter 35: A Secret Date

By the time I finished helping Shia with her morning routine, I was completely drained—mentally, physically, and spiritually.

As we walked side by side down the hallway, Shia turned to me with that graceful smile of hers and said,

“Still, Tect, you’re quite the innocent one, aren’t you? Fufufu. To think you’d get that flustered just from catching a glimpse of a girl’s bare body.”

“Wha—!? You remember everything!?”

“Of course I do, fufufufu. Honestly, you could’ve just helped me put on my bra calmly. It’s not as if you were touching a man’s chest or anything.”

I could only stare at her, utterly defeated.

Even royalty in this world had zero sense of modesty—it was terrifying.

If I looked at it through this world’s reversed sense of morality, I guess it’d be like… a maid getting all red-faced and flustered while helping a prince change his shirt.

From that perspective, my reaction probably looked adorable to her.

Damn it.

It wasn’t fair.

After everything I’d done for her this morning, she still had the audacity to tease me like this?

I shot her a sharp glare, thinking, Maybe I should return the favor someday—see how she likes it when someone flusters her for once.

But before I could mutter a word, Shia spoke again in her usual calm, elegant tone.

“Still, I’m surprised. I didn’t think you’d come here even on your day off.”

“Well, Ms. Hedda did say I could take a break, but… my friends all had plans today, so I figured I’d stop by instead.”

Both Wiz and Aegis had apologized profusely for canceling.

Apparently, they had something important going on, so we decided to hang out tomorrow instead.

And since I had nothing better to do today, I’d just shown up here again—back to my royal “part-time job” as Princess Shia’s personal attendant.

“I see… You’re quite close with those two, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. They’re basically my only real friends.”

“A boy with only a few friends…?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

When I looked at her, Shia quickly waved her hands in a fluster.

“N-No, it’s nothing. Please ignore that.”

…What was that reaction even supposed to be?

Well, whatever. I changed the subject.

“So, what about you, Shia? Got any plans today?”

“Nothing special. On free days, I usually spend the whole day studying. Social dance, instruments, foreign languages, magic, horseback riding, self-defense… things like that.”

“…Huh?”

A young princess spending her holiday buried under lessons?

That was… kind of depressing.

Shia puffed out her cheeks slightly when she noticed my expression.

“…Why are you looking at me like you can’t believe it?”

I thought about her for a moment.

I’d always seen her as this perfect royal—smart, capable, a little mischievous—but the more I learned, the more I noticed the lonely parts too.

A princess who got yelled awake every morning.

A girl whose rare days off were still packed with training.

So I said it.

“Hey, Shia… how about we sneak out into town today? Just the two of us. We’ll slip out before Ms. Hedda notices.”

“Eh…?”

Shia’s eyes widened in pure, unfiltered surprise at my sudden invitation.

And so, the two of us teamed up, slipped past Hedda’s watchful eyes, and escaped the dorm.

Honestly, the plan was simple:

We told Hedda we were having a study session and needed absolute silence.

Then, while she was respectfully giving us “space to focus,” we climbed out the window.

Thankfully, there was already a convenient route along the roof tiles, so I didn’t even need to bust out my grappling hook this time.

We made it down to the ground without incident.

Which is how Shia ended up walking beside me, wearing a hooded cloak to hide her identity as we explored the city.

“Wow…!”

Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the bustling streets overflowing with people.

“T-Tect! There are so many people! I didn’t know the lower town was this lively!”

“Wait—Shia, is this your first time here?”

“Y-Yes. Sorry… I’m getting a little excited…”

Shia lowered her gaze, embarrassed.

It was honestly adorable.

I laughed softly and took her hand without thinking.

“Then I’d better show you a good time, right? Come on, this way!”

“W-Wait—Tect!?”

I pulled her along at an easy pace.

From the way she reacted to everything, it was obvious—this really was her first real taste of the everyday world.

For example, when I handed her a skewer from a food stall, she stared at it with wide, fascinated eyes.

“T-This is…”

“Yakitori. Don’t tell me you’ve never had chicken before?”

“I-I have! It’s that whole roasted bird they serve at parties, right?”

“That’s… turkey, Shia.”

I sighed and took a bite from my own skewer.

She hesitated, then finally followed my lead and took her first bite.

“—! ～～～!”

Her eyes lit up instantly.

Pure joy washed over her face as she chewed.

“Amazing! Tect, the flavor— it’s so strong! I didn’t know the lower town had food this flavorful!”

“That’s one way to say it.”

I mean, sure—Hedda’s cooking, and mine when I cooked for her, tended to lean toward mild, refined, noble-friendly flavors.

If anything came out too bold, Hedda would scold me during poison-tasting.

That woman could detect a rogue spice grain from fifty meters away.

“Mmm—ah, nngh…”

While I was thinking about that, Shia started struggling with her second bite—clearly unsure how to handle the deeper pieces on the skewer.

Right.

First time eating street food on a stick.

Makes sense.

“You eat it like this.”

I turned my skewer sideways and slid the meat off with my teeth.

Shia frowned, puzzled.

“…Doesn’t that get your mouth messy?”

“Then wipe it.”

“H-How do I wipe it?”

“Oh for—fine! I’ll wipe it for you!”

She genuinely had no idea what to do, so I gave up and said it.

Her expression brightened instantly, and she happily went back to eating her yakitori.

“Mmm♪ This strong flavor is wonderful.”

Shia ate happily, smearing sauce all around her mouth like an overexcited little sister.

The refined, elegant princess image she usually projected was nowhere in sight.

Honestly… she was kind of adorable like this.

After we both finished, her entire mouth area was a disaster zone, so I took out a handkerchief and wiped her clean.

Shia simply puckered her lips and let me do all the work.

“Alright, all clean.”

“Thank you!”

She beamed with pure, innocent joy.

Yeah… this girl really wasn’t used to normal life at all.

And then—

“Well well, Shorty. Looks like you got what you came for.”

“Right. Though it cost more than expected, Gloomy Girl.”

“It’s only natural for a high noble to casually spend a full gold coin, isn’t it~?”

I froze.

“Ah—Wiz. Aegis.”

The moment I spotted them, Shia reacted faster than lightning.

“Wha—?”

She grabbed my arm, yanked me into a nearby alley, shoved me up against the wall—

and her chest pressed right into my stomach.

Soft—

Oh crap, she STILL wasn’t wearing a bra today!!

“H-Hey, Shia—your chest—chest is touching me—”

“Shh! Quiet!”

She hissed in my ear, her whole body trembling with tension.

What on earth—?

She whispered urgently:

“I-It’s just… every time I run into them, they glare at me like ‘Why isn’t Tect’s attendant duty over yet?’ If they see me now, things might get… complicated.”

“Ah… yeah, that tracks.”

Those two were always ready to start a fight.

They used me as the excuse half the time.

Aegis had the status to pick a fight with anyone she wanted, and Wiz—once she snapped—would whip out her staff at the drop of a hat.

Yeah… hiding was absolutely the right call here.

While I was thinking that, Shia started panicking, her eyes spinning like she was about to pass out.

“W-What do we do if they find us!? If they see us this close, Aegis will definitely punch me without hesitation, and the other one will probably pull out her staff!”

“Yeah, that… might actually happen. Just stay quiet.”

“N-Not just that! Aegis might tear off my arms and legs, and the other might use me as a magical test subject…! D-Do you think we could win if we launched a preemptive strike!?”

“Calm down. Seriously. Shia, you panic way more easily than I thought.”

And please, for the love of everything holy, learn Wiz’s name.

I held Shia in place so she wouldn’t bolt out of hiding in a full-blown panic attack.

Meanwhile, Wiz and Aegis walked by, chatting happily.

“I hope it’s written in here! The method to break Tect’s curse!”

“Me too. We’re hanging out with him tomorrow anyway—let’s try it then.”

“Yes! If this works, Tect will finally come back to us again!”

“Exactly! Let’s do our best!”

They nodded to each other and strolled away.

“…They really do care about me, huh,” I muttered, oddly touched.

Also—apparently, those two don’t fight when I’m not around.

Why?

What sort of cursed catalyst am I supposed to be?

Seriously.

Be that peaceful when I’m actually present!

“…Alright, they’re gone. We should be safe now, right?”

I glanced at Shia, expecting her to relax, but instead she lowered her head, deep in thought.

“Shia?”

“…You’re right. They’ve done so much for you… I should be moving forward with the curse removal too.”

She whispered it quietly, then slowly lifted her face.

“Tect, by next weekend, I’ll have everything ready for the curse-breaking ritual. Their attempt won’t succeed, of course, but… after that, your time as my attendant will end.”

“Eh? Oh… yeah, I guess so…”

“Yes. Now then, let us—”

But the moment she leaned forward—

“—!? T-T-Too close! I-I’m sorry!! I didn’t mean to put my face that close to your—your chest! I wasn’t trying to—but—”

“…What? Oh—my chest?”

It seemed she had just realized her face had nearly pressed against me.

Her whole body snapped back like she’d brushed against something forbidden, her face turning bright red.

“W-Wawawawawa—! I-I can’t believe myself—being that close to a man—so suddenly—such improper behavior—I deeply apologize—!”

Hands up in surrender, flustered beyond human capacity.

I stared at her with half-lidded eyes.

“Shia, you’re way more innocent than I am.”

If she wanted my chest that badly, she could have it anytime.

Chapter 36: The Cursed Blade

Even though my attendant duties were finally nearing their end, I’d gotten so used to this lifestyle that I could now squeeze extra time out of my mornings.

I woke up at four.

By now, I’d refined my routine enough that as long as I reached Shia’s dorm by five-thirty, everything would run smoothly.

Which meant… I finally had time to do something I hadn’t done in a long while.

Something important.

Extremely, extremely important.

In other words—

“Today’s the day I’m finally allowed off campus!!!”

I shot straight up with a shout of pure joy.

Yes! Today marked exactly one month since I’d been forbidden from leaving the academy—or even the city.

Which meant I was finally permitted to head outside again—into real monster territory.

“I have to do this…! I have to train…!”

I didn’t care that it was stupidly early in the morning.

If anything, it was perfect—night-active monsters would still be awake, making things even more exciting.

Blood rushing, I couldn’t stop myself from letting out an evil laugh completely unbecoming of a normal high-school boy:

“Nuffufufuhahahahaha!!”

There was only one thing left: grab my weapon and charge into adventure.
BUT—
I had to be back by five-thirty.

So I needed to move fast, fight fast, and get back fast.

Not a single second could be wasted.

“Hup!”

I sprang out of bed, landed, rolled forward, and reached for the blade I’d brought from home—my old reliable sword.

I reached out—

And froze.

“…Huh?”

What caught my eye was the sword—the one that had cursed my arm.

I’d kept it because I figured it might be needed for the curse removal.

I hated the damn thing, but… I couldn’t exactly throw it away.

Then my attendant duties got busy, and I hadn’t even looked at it lately.

Back when I first pulled it out, it had been your classic cursed-weapon cliché: rusty, ominous, and radiating nothing but bad vibes.

But now…

Something was different.

Very different.

“…Why is the sword a katana now?”

What kind of nonsense was this?

I grabbed the not-a-sword-anymore and held it up.

The blade was razor sharp—sharper than the mass-produced sword I’d brought from home.

It carried a dangerous, elegant gleam that felt way too refined for something that used to be a rusted hunk of garbage.

All the rust was gone, and intricate patterns now ran along the sides of the blade.

I rolled up my sleeve to compare the markings.

The cursed pattern on my arm still swirled violently upward—chaotic, aggressive, like something trying to claw its way out.

But the blade’s markings were nothing like that.

They flowed smoothly—quiet, graceful—like water running in a gentle stream.

“……….”

My thoughts drifted to that carving on the stone monument about the king.

‘Water constantly changes shape, settling at the bottom of its vessel. A king is not the strongest, nor the wisest. A king is simply a king.’

The phrase “bottom of the vessel” had been the obvious clue, but the rest… described how a king should be.

Not survival of the strongest—but survival of the most adaptable.

Like water.

“……”

I stared at the blade for a long moment, then muttered under my breath,

“…This katana is actually really cool.”

A cursed sword that changes shape like water?

And it picked a weapon type I personally loved?

Bro, that hit my chuuni core so hard.

“Yeah. I’m taking this.”

Grinning like an idiot, I shoved the blade into a random scabbard and dashed out of the dorm.

And then—freedom.

I practically skipped my way into the forest outside the academy.

My destination: the Orc Forest—the same place where I’d struggled against that intelligent orc a while back.

But now I had a new weapon, I’d gotten stronger, and I had actual combat experience under my belt.

The monsters here should be no problem for me anymore.

…Or so I thought.

Until someone caught me.

“Teeeeect~? Why is a boy like you wandering alone in the Orc Forest at this hour~?”

Aegis appeared with a big, bright smile—the dangerous kind of smile.

I instinctively stepped back.

“B-Because! I’m allowed now! My one-month restriction ended today!”

“You still don’t understand why such behavior is forbidden, do you~? Sure, going after school with lots of people around, and with someone like me or Wiz accompanying you—that’s fine.”

Aegis planted her foot into the ground with a heavy thud.

“But going alone into a dangerous, empty forest at dawn? Have you lost your mind—GET OVER HEREEEEE!!”

“GYAAAAAAAHHH!!”

Her sudden charge was impossible to dodge.

I was caught, captured, and detained on the spot.

“You, you, you! As punishment I’m going to harass these abs! Tell me—what’s the problem here!? These ABS!? Suuuuuuuu—”

“STOP—DON’T SUUUUCK MY ABS!!”

For a moment, I felt like a big cat being pinned down by an overly affectionate toddler—except instead of cat-kissing, Aegis was doing ab-kissing.

Or rather, ab-sucking.

This world was weird.

“Haaaaaahh… so soothing… My Tect-nium levels are being restored…”

Aegis’s expression melted into bliss as she rubbed her cheek against my stomach like a happy kitten.

This girl had way too much love for abs.

“Let me gooo! I’ve been dying to hunt monsters again! My attendant shift starts in an hour—I need to kill something before then!”

“Your combat motivation is as high as ever… And you really don’t mind the harassment?”

“Not really? You’re cute, Aegis.”

“—!?♡ D-Don’t say that out of nowhere!”

With Aegis turning bright red and stuttering like she’d taken a critical hit, I slipped out of her grip and hopped to my feet.

“Also, what are you doing in the Orc Forest at this hour? It’s dangerous, you know.”

“Right back at you. But if you must know—same reason as you. Morning training.”

She picked up the gigantic hammer leaning against a tree and rested it on her shoulder like it weighed nothing.

Her raw physical strength was ridiculous.

I was pretty sure the hammer weighed more than she did, and yet she swung it around like it was a toy.

“The book I bought to break your curse ended up being useless. So I figured… if I’m relying on the princess anyway, I should at least train harder to make up for it.”

Aegis muttered this with a hint of shame.

I shrugged and waved it off.

“Don’t worry about it.”

I remembered that day clearly—when Shia and I saw Wiz and Aegis shopping.

The method they’d tried didn’t work at all.

Wiz had cried—not politely either.

She’d full-on burst into dramatic tears, yelling,

“I’m so frustrated…! The princess gets to monopolize Tect, and I—!”

She cried a lot.

Like, way too often.

It was becoming a recurring event in my life.

…Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what I’d done to make her like me that much.
Sure, we got along, but still.
That was a secret mystery I’d shoved into the “deal with later” folder.

Anyway—I focused on Aegis again.

“Well, since we’re here, let’s hunt together. Your main force up front, me scouting ahead—the usual formation.”

“Sure, sounds good. Then let’s—”

The moment she opened her mouth—

“Aegis.”

“I know.”

At the same instant, both of us snapped our heads to the left.

An arrow sliced through the trees toward us—

I cut mine cleanly in half with the katana.

Aegis intercepted hers by lifting her hammer like a shield.

The arrows hit the ground in pieces—the one at my feet perfectly bisected, and two snapped shafts rolling near Aegis.

A grunt—“Bumo!”—echoed from the trees ahead.

I nodded sharply.

“Orcs. Normal types. And judging from the arrows—”

“Three of them? Any goblins mixed in?”

“Nope. All clear.”

“Great. Then—whoever gets them first wins!”

Before I could even respond, Aegis swung her massive hammer up with a roar.

The orcs instantly panicked.

I heard them scattering behind the trees with frantic “Bumomomo!” noises.

Aegis clicked her tongue.

“Tch! Normal orcs shouldn’t be smart enough to dodge like that!”

This was her one weakness.

Her weapon was so big and so intimidating that the moment she so much as prepared an attack, every sane enemy realized they were about to die—and ran for their lives.

She was perfect for large-scale battles, but guerilla skirmishes like this?

Yeah, not her strong suit.

Me, on the other hand?

I lived for this kind of chase fight.

“Grappling Hook!”

I flicked my left arm, shooting the cable upward.

The grappling head lodged into a high branch, and the moment it secured itself, I reeled it in—launching myself skyward.

Then, using the momentum of my swing, I detached and hurled myself forward.

Spotting one of the fleeing orcs, I fired the hook again.

The hook punched into the orc’s shoulder.

The fight was over before it even began.

“Buhii!?”

“Got you!”

I reeled the line back at maximum speed, zipping straight toward the orc.

The monster had been sprinting at full speed, totally focused on escaping Aegis.

It didn’t even think to turn around.

No counterattack, no block—nothing.

This was what mobility warfare—tag-based combat—was all about.

The one who lost the mobility game?

Had no say in anything.

Whether the fight continued or ended—only the faster fighter got to decide that.

“Let’s go, Orc!”

I rocketed toward it, drawing my katana in the same breath.

One slash.

The orc’s head spun into the air, and I slid sideways through a cloud of dust as I landed.

“Heeey! Tect, that’s cheating!”

Right then, Aegis—who had finally finished charging up—hurled her massive hammer with every ounce of strength she had.

The target orc tried to hide behind a tree.

Cute.

The hammer didn’t just hit the tree—

It obliterated it.

The trunk exploded like it was made of dry crackers, and the orc behind it was reduced to pulp.

Aegis stood proudly, hands on her hips—

The embodiment of raw violence.

A one-girl siege engine.

A walking fortress.

Little Fortress, indeed.

“Honestly! As if hiding behind something would protect them from me!”

I couldn’t help laughing at the sight.

Even out here, Aegis was unstoppable.

“Alright, Tect! One orc left! Let’s see who gets it first!”

“Obviously me!”

“Excuse me!? It’s obviously ME!”

Laughing and arguing, we both sprinted toward the last remaining orc.

I launched myself forward with my grappling hook.

Aegis, realizing she didn’t have time to retrieve her hammer, chose pure muscle power and charged in bare-handed.

Even with the grappling hook, my speed was only slightly faster.

Slightly.

That’s how insane Aegis’s natural speed was.

She barely counted as human.

I thought fast.

If I tried another aerial surprise attack, Aegis would catch up in that exact moment and smash the orc first.

And since my pile-bunker wasn’t loaded with magic stones right now, I couldn’t count on that either.

That left only one real option:

Face the orc head-on.

Overpower it with nothing but technique and guts.

“Guess I’ve got no choice—let’s do this!”

I disengaged the grappling hook and burst out right in front of the orc.

Time for a serious, honest-to-god duel.

No ambush.

No tricks.

I raised my katana. The orc dropped its bow and grabbed a heavy club instead.

Last time I fought an intelligent orc, my katana alone wasn’t enough—I’d barely managed to defend myself.

Sure, I’d powered up with new gear since then…

But raw skill doesn’t jump overnight.

So what—should I back down?

Give up before trying?

Play it safe and let Aegis take the kill?

Hell. No.

I’m not the kind of guy who lets cowardly thoughts win.

“Die already!!”

I dashed straight in, katana raised.

The orc wasn’t stupid—it roared and swung its club down hard, aiming to crush me and my blade in one blow.

I moved to parry, ready to redirect the strike with perfect timing.

If I could shave off even a little momentum, I’d slip inside and finish it—or so I thought.

But then—

“Huh? …What?”

My katana—no, the cursed blade I’d brought today—sliced through the orc’s club like it was wet paper.

“…Hah? Wait—what!?”

Totally confused, I still followed through with my original plan.
I twisted my body and swung the returning strike—

One clean slash.

The katana carved straight through the orc’s thick torso, splitting it cleanly in half.

“Pugiiiiiiii!!”

The monster collapsed.

Aegis skidded to a stop, staring at me like I’d grown a second head.

“Wh—Whaaa!? Tect, that was insane!!”

Honestly?

I was just as shocked as she was.

What just happened?

Seriously—what!?

“…Is it because of this sword?”

I looked down at the blade.

Tapped my nail lightly against the edge.

The sharpness was… well, sharper than my usual sword, sure, but not insane sharp.

Not “slice through orc weapons like tofu” sharp.

And yet, that’s exactly what it just did.

No resistance.

No struggle.

Just—shhk, clean cut.

I stared at the gleaming blade, and the only honest reaction that came out was:

“What the hell… this sword is terrifying…”

Yeah.

Still cursed.

Definitely cursed.

…Maybe I shouldn’t use it too much.