Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

Happy New Year 2025 to all!

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Chapter 136 – The girl I like asked me for advice

“Ah, what should I do? If only I had been more careful, this wouldn’t have happened.”  [Cecilia]

“No, no, it’s okay! It’s not something you need to worry about that much!”  [Youki]

Cecilia, who was kneeling on the ground, was on the verge of tears. She looked flustered and regretful at the same time. I had never seen her like this before. She was always so composed and reliable, so it was a new sight for me. But the usual image of a dependable Cecilia was nowhere to be found at that moment. The reason she was in such a state was partly because of me.

“It’s my own behaviour that led to this misunderstanding, so I’m at fault too, really.”  [Youki]

“That’s not true! This was my mistake for jumping to conclusions!”  [Cecilia]

“Well, but still, it’s surprising.”  [Youki]

It was unlike Cecilia to mistake someone else for me, especially someone dressed in such an overly theatrical, chuunibyou-like outfit.

“What kind of person was it?”  [Youki]

“…They were wearing the same disguise as you do. They also had an indigo scarf around their neck, black leather armour, and steel gauntlets on both hands.”  [Cecilia]

“Sounds like the kind of outfit I’d like, huh?”  [Youki]

It was a good choice – something that would really tickle my heart.

“I mistook him for you… Even though he was in disguise, I spoke to him as if it was you.”  [Cecilia]

“You didn’t say anything that would reveal my identity, did you?”  [Youki]

“No, I didn’t. But I just thought it would not be good to draw too much attention.”  [Cecilia]

“…By the way, what exactly did this guy do?”  [Youki]

If it was something that Cecilia had to step in and address, it must have been pretty serious. Especially if she had even confused him with me…

“He intervened in a fight between some drunkards and quickly subdued them with swift movements. Then, he started introducing himself, ‘Hear this, my name is…’ in a flashy way.”  [Cecilia]

“Are you sure that wasn’t actually me?”  [Youki]

I was pretty sure I wasn’t the one, but his greetings sounded similar to mine. He even struck a pose, and his outfit was nearly identical.

“I was so sure it was you, Youki-san, that I grabbed his arm and hurried him away from the scene.”  [Cecilia]

“Honestly, that was a wise decision.”  [Youki]

If someone was causing a commotion like that in the middle of the town, Cecilia probably had no choice but to stop it.

“We went to a secluded spot, and I spent about thirty minutes discussing the disadvantageous of standing out too much.”  [Cecilia]

“That’s quite a long talk…”  [Youki]

I would have been the one getting that lecture if I were the one acting like an idiot.

“He didn’t show any sign of remorse… I should have realized it wasn’t you at that point.”  [Cecilia]

“Yeah, really… How did you end up mistaking him for me?”  [Youki]

Cecilia isn’t someone who normally makes such a careless mistake. But judging from how anxious she looks now, she seems to believe that it was entirely her fault.

“…In the end, I told him to consider his position and that there are people who worry about him.”  [Cecilia]

“Uwaaa…”  [Youki]

Did she actually say that? Those were exactly the words that would make me seriously reflect on my actions if someone said them to me.

Cecilia remained kneeling on the ground as she held her head in remorse. Cecilia who’s always reliable… Cecilia who’s always motherly…

“I was so rude to someone I met for the first time. Oh, what should I do?”  [Cecilia]

Usually, she would be quick to call me out whenever I started thinking about something weird, but there was none of that today. This wouldn’t do. I wanted Cecilia to go back to how she was before: the sharp-witted person who always brought me back to reality.

“First, let’s go find him. If you’re really upset about being rude, you can apologize, right?”  [Youki]

I extended my hand to her in a friendly manner. The normal situation had flipped, so I decided to be the one this time to give my all to support her.

“…Thank you. I’ll rely on your help, Youki-san.”  [Cecilia]

“Leave it to me. I’ll definitely find my imposter.”  [Youki]

It was an importer who tried to imitate my style by wearing a helmet and a chuunibyou-like outfit. As Magic Knight of Black Lightning, there was no way I could just sit back and let him be!

“All right, I’ll enhance my senses to find him. Wait… I don’t know his voice. His scent then… I’ve never smelled him before. What should I do?”  [Youki]

I was already on the verge of giving up. There was no point enhancing any of my senses if I had never even seen him before.

“Shall we go back to the place where I last saw him? We might find some clues.”  [Cecilia]

“By the way, when did this happen?”  [Youki]

My former subordinate, who recently became a ‘normie’ and had been working here as a full-time maid, was the one who suddenly called me over. When I got there, I found Cecilia already kneeling on the ground. That was when Cecilia started explaining the situation to me, but I wasn’t aware of when that incident happened.

“It was… yesterday evening. When I got home and told Happiness-chan about it, she told me you were out on a guild mission with Gai-san.”  [Cecilia]

“Ah, that’s right. As ‘Magic Knight of Black Lightning’, I went to a nearby village with Gai, and we returned only at night.”  [Youki]

Gai could only accept low-ranking quests for the time being. It was only a simple mission to protect livestock from stray dogs, not even demons. The dogs had been getting through the broken fence at night, so we were supposed to guard the livestock until the fence was repaired. In the end, no stray dogs even came close because they were scared of me and Gai. Even the animals that we were supposed to be protecting kept their distance. The villagers also only approached us from a safe distance. The only ones who came close were a few fearless kids.

“Heh, being a chuunibyou comes with its own set of challenges.”  [Youki]

“…And yet, you still won’t quit?”  [Cecilia]

“It’s only natural! Of course, I’ll be careful, too. All right, now that the usual Cecilia is back, let’s start the search.”  [Youki]

I decided to go all out to find this look-alike importer for Cecilia’s sake.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be counting on you.”  [Cecilia]

“I’ll get ready right away.”  [Youki]

“Get ready?”  [Cecilia]

Cecilia seemed confused, but there were important preparations to make. Seeing as I had not met him before, I decided to lure him out. As they say, ‘Like attracts like’. It would be the most effective strategy.

“Let’s meet in front of the guild!”  [Youki]

After informing her of the place to meet, I returned to the inn, quickly transformed, and vanished out the window. Then, I bounded across the rooftops, landing at the designated spot.

“Magic Knight of Black Lightning has arrived!”  [Youki]

“…Weren’t you supposed to hold back?”  [Cecilia]

“Listen well, Cecilia. The chances are high that he and I will be drawn to each other. My chuuni qualities will attract his, and vice versa.”  [Youki]

“…There’s also a possibility that some might dislike those who are of the same type as them.”  [Cecilia]

Cecilia gazed at me with a cold, and disinterested look. Good, she seemed to be back to normal. I could finally be myself and stay focused.

“Now, let’s utilize the greatest informant at my disposal… Clayman!”  [Youki]

“So, Clayman-san is Magic Knight of Black Lightning’s greatest informant, huh?”  [Cecilia]

I ignored the comment and dragged Cecilia, who was sighing, with me and entered the guild. I spotted Clayman right away. He was resting his chin on his hand while organizing documents, looking highly unmotivated. It was peculiar how he could work as fast as the other staff despite his lack of motivation.

“What is it? What do you want?”  [Clayman]

“I’ve come to ask a question to Clayman, my greatest informant!”  [Youki]

“I’m not an informant. Besides, this is an adventurer’s guild.”  [Clayman]

“Heh, that doesn’t matter. This is indeed an adventurer’s guild, and you, Clayman, are the Vice Guildmaster. But if it’s you, gathering information from the capital should be easy. If I say so, it’s undeniable – I guarantee it.”  [Youki]

“Ugh, this is such a hassle. Just tell me what you want. I’ll help as much as I can.”  [Clayman]

“That’s Clayman for you.”  [Youki]

“I guess Clayman-san must have thought that fulfilling a request quickly is less trouble than refusing it…”  [Cecilia]

Cecilia’s doubt was understandable, but it was possible that only Clayman himself knew the answer. Sophia-san would probably understand her husband’s laid-back personality as well, though. This couple remained enigmatic, so I couldn’t let my guard down. In any event, what I needed at the moment was information.

“What I want to know is if someone resembling me has been showing up around here.”  [Youki]

“Huh? Oh, yeah, Come to think of it, I’ve heard about a guy dressed in weird clothing who popped up recently. He was taking out bandits and demons even though he wasn’t registered with the guild.”  [Clayman]

“So, unregistered, huh? He’s doing it purely as a charitable act then?”  [Youki]

“Yeah, something like that. They say his outfit is strange, I mean very distinctive. Looks a lot like yours.”  [Clayman]

“Hey, did you say ‘weird’ just now?!”  [Youki]

“It seems like he’s been giving himself a title.”  [Clayman]

He disregarded my complaint as he continued with his explanation. Well, Magic Knight of Black Lightning had always been forgiving and kind. My goal was still out of reach.

“To think that he’s even given himself a title.”  [Youki]

“Yeah. Apparently, he’s been calling himself ‘Steel Arms of Azure Flame’. You sure he’s not an acquaintance of yours?”  [Clayman]

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