Lolibaba -Enjoying the Daily Life of a Mercenary From the Age of Six- Chapter 17

It has been five days since Bal was bought by Bela.

Her request to Kooza to subdue the machiini´s dragon heart stone was successfully completed. With that, the dragon heart stone of the machiini of the Paroma´s knight group model was handed to Bal without any problems.

The subduing process is done for releasing the dragon heart stone from its fixation to its previous owner. And so, with the process completed now, its bounds it had with its previous master had already been cut. In short, if the pilot was to die, it would be necessary to remove the bounds between them. Of course, Bela properly killed the previous pilot. Thus, there were no complications with the subduing process.

In regards to the equipment of the machiini, just like requested by Bal, Bela ordered from Kooza an oodachi in exchange of the sword and s.h.i.+eld the knight group model used to use.(TL note: Just imagine a longer katana when thinking of the oodachi.)

The green of the armor that symbolised Paroma was also painted over in black by Bal´s specifications. He also named it with the same name of the machiini he used to pilot; the name [Musas.h.i.+].

This was the name of a warrior of a foreign country that had once saved the Rahsa race, and it was also the name of the previous owner of the katana made in adamantium owned by Bal.

And now, getting a new machiini, Bal Maskar was now fighting against Bela´s red colored [Aiandinna] in a place away from the city.

[Mairu/参る!](TL note:Dunno how to put it in english without it sounding weird. It pretty much means -> I go!)

Saying that, Bal pressed forward with his [Musas.h.i.+]. The machiini [Musas.h.i.+] was one meter taller than Bela´s [Aiandinna]. This was about the difference there would be between a child and an adult. However, without [Aiandinna] getting affected by the pressure, Bela imposingly held her ground, waiting for the attack. By taking that stance, it was as if Bela was telling Bal:”Now, come cut me!”

[Tsueii!!](つぇいっ！！)

Bal´s enthusiastic attack coming from overhead rained down upon [Aiandinna]. However, it didn´t hit.

With minimal movement, Bela avoided to the right and stepped forward, threatening to enter into Bal´s range. Seeing [Aiandinna]´s movements, Bal also went to horizontally sweep the sword he had swung down.(TL note: By saying “range”, it would be very close range. For instance, a guy wielding a spear gets a sword-wielding guy close to him and becomes unable to use his spear well. I couldn´t find a translation to english for that -.- j.a.panese word being used -> 懐)

[Yes, disqualified.]

The war hammer hit the sword from above and stopped its trajectory.

[Gh!?]

Bal twisted his face because of the impact and raised a groan due to how the control stick wouldn´t move at all, correlating to the machiini arms that were constrained. (TL note:->グリップ<- the="" word="" being="" used="" is="" “grip”,="" but="" what="" is="" it="" actually="" supposed="" to="" mean="" d:="" i="" am="" guessing="" it="" is="" talking="" about="" the="" controls="" by="" going="" by="" the="">

“”But if that´s the extent of it…””

a.s.suming that, Bal released the left arm of the machiini from the katana and sent a backhand strike with the gauntlet that covered the machiini´s fist. However, Bela predicted that. And so, she let herself be hit by the strike before it would gain force from the spin, destroying Bal´s stance.

[How can this..!?]

By the time Bal was able to guess what happened, it had already been too late. [Aiandinna] got at close range and brought its left arm at [Musas.h.i.+]´s chest. And then…

Gashun*

By the time that sound was made, Bal´s c.o.c.kpit was overflown with hot air.

[Guaah!?]

Having the unrestrained hot air blowing at his eyes, Bal raised a scream. This happened because of the red hot pole that was released by Bela´s gimmick move, [Stinger]. Receiving the heat that would even melt the armor of machiinis from close up, even Bal´s c.o.c.kpit was filled with the hot air.

[Ch!](ちぃっ！)

Bal unconsciously retreated. However, this time he felt that something caught the mechanical leg of his machiini.

“”What? Is this the war hammer?””

Bal´s guessing almost seemed instantaneous. However, even with that said, it wasn´t like this was something he could something about. Even so, on the other hand, he could confirm that his katana wasn´t being suppressed anymore.

“”Gh, is there nothing I can do!?””

And then, being brought down, the large build of Bal´s [Musas.h.i.+] was falling to the ground. All this was done to him. But even so, feeling that he wouldn´t be able to avoid the fall, Bal absorbed the impact by taking an ukemi. And then, he swung the katana with the other hand, aiming at the place [Aiandinna] was supposed to be standing at just by using his intuition.

[Are you frustrated? Well, I really wonder.]

With the violent metallic sound resounding, Bal could also hear Bela´s voice. However, the feeling he felt from the katana was hard. What he saw from the spiritually receptive stone installed at the back of the machiini´s neck was that the pole sprouting from [Aiandinna]´s gimmick arm had stopped his katana.

[Well, I guess you pa.s.s because of your battle fetish. Now, sleep well.]

And then, when the sound of being pulled reached Bal´s ears, his [Musas.h.i.+] fell down in a magnificent manner. Bal couldn´t see what was happening, but he reached the a.s.sumption that it was [Aiandinna]´s war hammer. (TL note:Second part ->と、ピック部分を引っかけてそのまま持ち上げて飛ばした<- i="" couldn´t="" figure="" how="" the="" scene="" would="" be.="" the="" verb="" “hook/ensnare”="" is="" being="" used,="" but="" it="" is="" also="" saying="" that="" it="" is="" the="" pike="" part="" of="" the="" war="" hammer="" that="" is="" being="" used…="" there="" is="" also="" that="" -="">持ち上げて飛ばし<>

Just like that, with the strong rotatory force and the impact, Bal lost his consciousness.

——–

“Iya, you really aren´t match against master in a one-versus-one battle.”

Borudo said while he was covering the sulky Bal with medicinal paste on his whole body.

Bela led a knight group model machiini by the nose with a machiini that didn´t have power or speed, not to mention how young it was. Although Borudo also felt it at the time the bandit group was ma.s.sacred, he could now be a.s.sured that the ability of piloting machiinis of Bela, his master, was at an abnormal level.

“Even if I am still not used to the machiini, to think that I would be lead by the nose like that… Such ability is worthy of the one that is my master.”  

Having already challenged and lost six times to Bela one battle after another, Bal said in response. The times he was sent flying were the same as the times he challenged her. There shouldn´t be anything remaining in his stomach.

The face Bal had when he said that was a moody one. Borudo saw those words as something close to the excuses of a sore loser.

Originally, Bal told Bela to go with all she had, but once they actually fought, Bela gave him a beating while holding herself back so that the machiini wouldn´t suffer any major damage, nor would the person inside it.

There is a security belt installed at the c.o.c.kpit, but even if one was to say that it would take up on impacts to some extent, it was only obvious that Bal would lose consciousness and his whole body would get full of bruises by receiving that extent of impacts.

He was undefeated at the colosseum. It seemed that he would often continuously win in machiini battles even before that. To such man, it was too much of a shock to get completely defeated while not being taken seriously. To say nothing of that, he was fighting against a six-year-old child. There was no way he wouldn´t get shocked by that.

In front of Bal, who was receiving medical care, Bela was drinking water from a canteen. As to be expected, she was exhausted and sweating.

“But master´s movement was as if you had eyes covering your whole body.”

Bela gave an answer to Bal´s words.

“Something like that; you just gotta think and act. You should be able to manage it one way or another then, you see.”

Hearing Bela say that, Bal made a wry smile.

The spiritually receptive stone; the stone that connects the machiini and its pilot, is installed near the backside of the neck at the machiini. Through that, it is possible to see in the same way it is possible to see through the machiini´s crystal eyes. Originally, the range the machiini can move its neck is small, so machiinis always have their line-of-sight limited. This was something close to wearing a full plate armor, but in addition to that, there was also how it was difficult to get a grasp of the situation because of how it is impossible to feel through the machiini´s five senses. But even so, Bal had the impression that Bela moved around while being completely aware of even the places she couldn´t see.

“”To think and act…. To be able to move around to that point just by making use of guesswork is something monstrous.””

So Bal thought. Bal was aware of how he didn´t know whether he could win or not against Bela even if he was using the machiini he used to pilot, and even if the machiini Bela was piloting didn´t have the gimmick ability. Thinking about the possibility of his victory if Bela didn´t have the gimmick ability was the limit he could hold on to his pride. Regardless, having it permeated through his flesh and bones, he came to understand the power of his master.

“Well, that aside, I got a general idea of your abilities. For now, we should look into our arrangements for going to war.”

“So?”

“So, it looks like Ruuin is pus.h.i.+ng them back for now. Well, we might not have enough fighting strength just by a little bit, so if we are going to be looking for random people and pay them to fight, we should first go to the Morson town at the Dorowa plains. Apparently, it´s faster to gather fighting force there.”

So Bela said. At the current situation, it costed a lot of money to buy slaves like Borudo and Bal, but it wasn´t that costly if it was just hiring. The market price of the average battle slave was between one million to two million goldin, but a mercenary´s monthly wage was of about a hundred thousand to two hundred thousand goldin. Since you would be holding a contract and paying them monthly, there wouldn´t be any future problems to it. It was clear which of the two was better to use as cannon fodder.

Originally, there was no way people would gather at a recruitment queue organized by a kid alone. However, right now Bela had both the slaves Bal and Borudo. If she put both of them in display, she wouldn´t need to worry as much about being looked down at because of being a child.
In either case, deciding that she should rather think about those things once she gets there, she thought of heading to Kooza´s company to tell him she was going to war and いろいろと融通してもらおうか. (TL note: ->いろいろと融通してもらおうか<- no="" idea="" ^^=""  all="" i="" know="" is="" that="" it="" is="" for="" the="" sake="" of="" their="" trip="" to="" the="" war="" at="" moro,="" and="" that="" kooza="" will="" be="" helping="" them="" with="">