Reincarnated in Another World at the Age of 82!? - Chapter 42, 43, 44

Could She Be a Demon?
After breakfast, I headed to our training grounds with Sarah, eager for the long-awaited self-defense practice.

Who knew our family had training grounds?

This was my first time going there. As we walked out of the mansion, I kept looking around, curious, and tripped a few times, earning scoldings from Sarah.

The training grounds were located behind the mansion.

I had imagined an empty, barren field, but it was actually a well-maintained area resembling an all-weather sports ground. It even had sections like a tennis court, with areas of clay and grass.

According to Sarah, the purpose of this setup was to train soldiers to fight in various environments. They even used elemental attributes to simulate different weather conditions.

For example:
- Rain, snowy surfaces, or icy patches = Water attribute.
- Muddy terrain = Earth attribute.
- Dust storms from strong winds = Wind attribute.
- Scorching heat = Fire attribute.
- Thunderstorms = Water and Lightning attributes combined.

Apparently, only the Lampail domain employed such training methods. The private soldiers trained here were renowned as formidable warriors.

This reputation attracted many hopeful applicants, but entry into the corps was extremely competitive. Unlike some Royal Knights’ Oders, which supposedly admitted noble sons easily, this was no such easy path.

Even an A-rank adventurer might struggle to get in.

Getting admitted was hell; staying in was another hell. Are the private soldiers all berserkers or something?

When we arrived, Nancy, Zack, and Annie were already there, waiting.

It seemed the instructor hadn’t arrived yet.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“It’s no problem, Young lady. Shall we begin? Sarah.”

“Yes, let’s start.”

“Thank you.”

Hmm? What’s going on?

“Young lady, it’s customary to greet the instructor before and after training. Since it’s your first time today, you can begin doing so from the next session.”

Wait, does that mean Nancy is the instructor?

“Umm, just to confirm… is Nancy the instructor?”

“Yes, Young lady. Didn’t you know? Despite my appearances, I used to be part of a monster-slaying squad. I am well-versed in training techniques.”

Seriously?!

No wonder she’s so scary—wait, I mean, strong. Of course, even that Grey couldn’t stand a chance against her.

Time to fully commit to the motto: “Training starts and ends with respect.”

“I’ll be in your care!”

The training began with building basic physical strength.

We ran three laps around the grounds, did 30 push-ups, ran another three laps, followed by 30 leg-raise crunches, and then ran three more laps.

This routine was scheduled three times a week for a month, with the intensity increasing afterward.

Nancy, the gentle-looking one, was she actually... a demon, perhaps?

Sarah and Annie, who had trained before, followed an even tougher regimen. After what felt like an eternity, we finally finished before noon.

Though I was starving, I was too exhausted to eat anything but drink liquids. Eating would definitely make me throw up. Most importantly, I couldn’t even move.

As Zack and I sat back-to-back, trying to recover:

“Here, have this.”

“Huh? Mr. Arthur? I thought you were off today?”

He handed me a cool drink.

“I figured you wouldn’t be able to eat lunch after this. Youg master Noel and Nathan were the same way when they started. Well, Young master Gene was the exception—he ate just fine.”

Gulp. “This is yummy. Did you make this milange juice?”

“No, I just brought it over. Ben made it. Oh, and here, take this too.”

He handed over some nababa fruit, suggesting it might be manageable.

“Nancy’s training is no joke, huh?”

Arthur muttered softly.

Zack and I nodded silently in agreement.

“Unfortunately, you’ll just have to get used to it. Hang in there.”

With a pat on each of our heads, Arthur headed back to the mansion.

Get used to it, huh? Is that even possible?

Still, there’s no choice. Without basic physical fitness, I can’t even start learning self-defense.

But seriously, Brother Gene could eat just fine after this? Is he overflowing with stamina or something?

----------

I Am a Demon, So What?
After starting the thrice-weekly training, we finally reached Earth Day—our well-deserved rest day.

Today, I was set to visit the private military corps as promised by Father.

Alongside my brothers, who had returned from the royal capital yesterday, I followed Father to the training grounds.

With Brother Noel on my right and Brother Gene on my left, I walked flanked by two handsome men.

“Jo, how’s the training going? Not too tough?”

Noel asked.

“Yes, the first day was brutal, and I couldn’t even eat lunch, but I’ve started managing to eat a little.”

“I went through the same thing, so I know how hard it can be.”

“I could eat just fine from day one, though.”

“That’s just you, Gene.”

Noel replied, exasperated.

“But honestly, I’m enjoying the exercise. The teacher is strict, though.”

“Who’s your teacher?”

“Nancy.”

“”Ahhh~””

The two brothers responded in unison, their gazes distant.

Apparently, they had both trained under Nancy as well.

“Thanks to Nancy’s training, the academy instructors feel like nothing. Even getting scolded doesn’t scare me anymore.”

Uhh, Brother Gene, the fact that you’re getting scolded at the academy is the real issue here.

“That’s true. I’ve been exempted from martial arts classes altogether.”

Wait, what? Nancy’s training is intense enough to get you exempted from academy classes?

“Just recently, I sparred with the instructor, and they told me I didn’t need to attend anymore.”

“Oh, is that why there’s a rumor about an instructor getting injured during martial arts class? Was that because of you, Gene?”

What? An instructor got injured by a student? And that student was Brother Gene?

“Ah, yeah, that was me. But come on, you’d get strong too if you were trained by a demon, right?”

“”Pfft!””

Hearing a strange noise, I turned around to see Grey and Nathan silently laughing behind us.

Apparently, Brother Gene’s demon comment had struck a chord with them.

“D-demon... yeah, that’s fitting... hahaha!”

“N-Nathan... y-you... agreeing with that... haha... Nancy’ll get mad if she hears... hahaha!”

“Ahaha, Gene, calling her a demon is a bit much.”

Brother Noel said, laughing. His attempt at defending her wasn’t convincing at all.

“But it’s true, right? You’re laughing because you think so too, aren’t you, Brother?”

“You lot better be careful. Hehe... the demon might show up.”

Father said, joining in the teasing.

“””””Ahahahaha!”””””

Everyone burst out laughing.

If Nancy saw this, she’d definitely get angry, wouldn’t she? Are they going to be okay?

Huh? Something’s coming at incredible speed from the direction of the mansion. What is that? A person? Carrying a broom?

Oh no. This is bad.

Everyone’s too busy laughing to notice.

Should I warn them?

As I wavered, someone suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me aside.

“Eh?”

“Jo, over here. It’s dangerous to stay there.”

Zack said, guiding me away.

Father and the others, still seated in a circle, hadn’t noticed a thing.

The figure came closer, landing with a heavy step and leaping high into the air. So high! They soared above Father and the others, casting a shadow over them as they blocked out the sun.

Looking up at the shadow’s source, their faces turned pale.

The five of them immediately took a defensive stance. But the figure landed in the center of their circle, brandished the broom, and swung it like a general in a battlefield video game.

Despite the broom’s reach being insufficient, Brother Noel, Brother Gene, and Nathan were sent flying, collapsing to the ground. Father and Grey managed to evade using a dirt wall Grey created, but as soon as the figure tapped it with the broom’s handle, the wall crumbled.

The two grown men trembled.

The figure uttered a single line:

“I am a demon, so what?”

The atmosphere instantly turned icy.

Nancy’s Water attribute, fueled by her anger, froze the ground beneath Father and Grey’s feet.

In the end, the five of them sat seiza-style, receiving not a scolding but words of love from Nancy.

“““““We’re very sorry!”””””

But how did she know? We were far from the mansion, and she couldn’t have heard us.

“Nancy, how did you find out?”

“I was using body enhancement while cleaning and happened to hear you.”

Nancy explained. Apparently, her Body Enhancement skill allowed her to hear distant sounds. It came in handy during monster subjugation and espionage missions.

“Young lady, I’m sorry if I frightened you.”

Nancy apologized.

“It’s okay. Sure, I was surprised, but that leap was amazing! With the sun behind you, you looked so cool. And the way you swung the broom—it felt like watching a ‘one-woman army.’”

It was so different from the Nancy I usually saw that I couldn’t hide my excitement.

“R-really? Ehe, thank you very much.”

Nancy said, taken aback but clearly pleased by the compliment.

“Nancy, if I train hard, can I become like you?”

“Young lady, do you want to become like me?”

“Yeah, because you are clearly the coolest out here. I want to fight like that too.”

“Well then, let’s work hard together starting next week. Now, everyone, the private corps is waiting, so let’s move quickly.”

With a glance at the five, Nancy turned and returned toward the mansion.

“Wow~ she’s so cool~”

I murmured.

“I want to be strong like Mother, too!”

Zack chimed in.

“Then let’s work hard together.”

The two of us had found our shared goal: to become as strong as Nancy.

----------

Meals Are Essential
After Nancy left.

"Well then, Joan, the private corps is waiting for us."

As if nothing had happened, Father said, holding me in his arms.

When I looked toward the training grounds, the members of the private corps were watching us. Noticing they were being watched, the five of them looked incredibly awkward.

Well, being scolded by a maid and made to sit in seiza is embarrassing to witness.

But it's their own fault. Or rather, their own personal hell.

"Ah, yeah, everyone, thank you for your hard work during training."

Father addressed the private corps.

“Umm, you’ve endured a lot, too."

Said the leader of the private corps, offering words of appreciation to Father.

"This is our first meeting, Young lady. I am Al Dietz, the leader of this private corps."

A handsome man with long black hair tied back neatly.

Father put me down, and I curtseyed.

"Thank you for the introduction. I am Joan Lampail, the eldest daughter of the Lampail family."

"You did so well, Joan. As expected of my cute little Joan,"

Father said, hugging me.

Everyone looked on with lukewarm expressions.

Afterward, the other members of the corps introduced themselves briefly.

Everyone was handsome. Must be a perk of this other world.

Plus, because they train, they're lean and muscular—great physiques.

I wish I could show this to Raika!

While observing the training, Brother Noel, Brother Gene, and Nathan joined in.

The sparring matches with practice swords became very intense. It was my first time seeing my brothers fight.

As expected, my brothers couldn’t match the private corps.

I wonder if Father or Gray could beat them? But maybe their age would make it tough.

Nancy might have a chance, though.

After the sparring match with my brothers ended, they took a break.

I brought out chilled iced tea and honey-preserved lemons from storage. Zack helped me distribute them to everyone.

It felt just like being a team manager for a club.

The private corps members said they lived together in a dormitory, but did they cook their own meals too?

I asked one of the nearby members.

"Do you all cook your own meals?"

"Yes, Young lady. Since we sometimes camp out, we also use it as practice to prepare edible food."

Kira said with a distant look.

He was the tallest among the members, with a sturdy build and spiky red hair—a handsome man.

"Um, does that mean the food isn’t very tasty?"

"The younger ones take turns cooking, but depending on who it is..."

This is a serious problem.

The private corps relies on their bodies, so lacking proper nutrition increases the risk of injuries.

Apparently, the "young ones" referred to teenagers, many of whom had never cooked before joining. Basically, they're juniors.

Kira, at 20, had just graduated from cooking duty.

"Is it just grilling meat? No vegetables?"

"Ah, it’s mostly like that. The vegetables are just raw and torn-up leaves. The meat is often either burnt or undercooked."

Are you kidding me?

That’s downright terrible.

"Does Father know about this?"

"No, I don’t think so. We’re grateful for all his support, so we can’t complain about something like food. So please keep it a secret, Young lady."

He placed a finger to his lips and winked.

Ugh. That was a bit charming, but I’m not falling for it.

I’m 82, you know. Don’t underestimate me.

"That’s unacceptable!! You can’t neglect proper meals!"

With that, I ran to Father.

Tap, tap, tap.

"Father! I need to talk to you!"

Father was chatting with Gray and Al.

Later, I learned that Al was also a former member of the demon-slaying corps and a colleague of Father.

"What is it, my dear Joan?"

Father, your choice of words is strange.

"Why doesn’t the private corps have a proper cook?"

"That’s because they need to practice cooking for when they camp out."

"I understand the reasoning, but if they don’t eat properly outside of camps, they won’t recover from training fatigue and are more likely to get injured. How can the private corps, which relies on their bodies, not have proper meals? Oh, don’t tell me you’re going to say something old-fashioned like, 'Back in my day, this was normal,' or 'I got by just fine doing the same'? Right, Father?"

"Ugh."

Bullseye, wasn’t it, Father?

"“Hahaha.”"

Gray and Al were laughing.

"Gray, Al, now’s not the time to laugh! You probably thought the same way as Father, which is why this issue has never been addressed, isn’t it? Times have changed!

Haven’t there been cases of illness or frequent injuries during expeditions? If the goal is to learn cooking, then you especially need a proper instructor! Is there someone to teach them? No, right? The seniors probably just teach the juniors, and that’s why the cooking quality hasn’t improved. Raw torn-up vegetables—what are they, animals?

Some vegetables even become more nutritious when cooked. Do you know about that? You don’t, do you? That’s why all this time—"

My lecture to the three adults lasted for about 30 minutes.

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