DLBF Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Mansion’s Gate

Chapter 1, Part 1.2

Novel Title: ルーデンドルフ公と森の獣 (Duke Ludendorff and the Beast of the Forest)

Author：かわい有美子 (Kawai Yumiko)

Illustrator: 周防佑未 (Suoh Yuumi)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 藤森賢士 (Kenji Fujimori -MC), ユリアン ルーデンドルフ (Julian Ludendorff -ML)

*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

֍֍֍

Germans typically don’t smile much or engage in small talk unless they are familiar with you. But even among Germans, Mr. Ludendorff was particularly reserved. It seemed as if Professor Fushimi had to speak eight or nine times for every slight response he received. Given this, it was surprising that they even received permission to come and inspect the mansion this time.

However, there were conditions. Mr. Ludendorff didn’t like having a large number of unfamiliar people suddenly show up. He preferred to limit the visit to one person who could speak German properly. Since Professor Fushimi couldn’t speak German, it was naturally decided that Fujimori, one of his students, would go.

Fujimori wasn’t particularly fluent in German. But compared to the others, he was far better.

Perhaps this was Mr. Ludendorff’s polite way of declining Professor Fushimi’s request. However, no matter how considerate Japanese people are, Professor Fushimi had long been determined to conduct an on-site investigation of the former Count Hachigaya family’s mansion since his student days. If scholars were deterred by such minor obstacles, they couldn’t pursue their work.

“Anyway, Mr. Ludendorff has said that you can come. So please go and politely ask for his cooperation with the research. Since he seems interested in learning more about Japan, his place of origin, do your best to impress him and get on his good side.”

Professor Fushimi, who had casually assigned Fujimori to visit the mansion in the middle of this dense forest during his summer vacation, said this in a cheerful tone.

Ah, my summer vacation… Fujimori thought with resentment as he pictured Professor Fushimi, who had so easily used him for this task. Professor Fushimi was a respected authority figure in Japanese architectural studies, with an impressive knowledge base and analytical skills. He had numerous papers and publications and was often featured in programs and publications discussing architecture. Moreover, he had long been at the top of the hierarchy in the university’s research field, giving him a rather imperious personality.

Fujimori was treated like a servant. He was normally tasked with translation, writing thank-you notes, and even driving the professor to the airport. 

Even so, Fujimori couldn’t complain much, as he had become an overqualified doctorate holder. It was Professor Fushimi who had helped him secure part-time teaching positions at private, lower-ranked universities. With the recent economic downturn, there were many hopefuls for cram school teaching jobs, leaving Fujimori with fewer opportunities and a dried-up summer income. As a result, he found himself alone in the depths of a mountain, still not arriving at his destination after a 20-minute taxi ride from the nearest train station.

The silver lining was that the area, being a highland where vacation homes were common, was significantly cooler than Tokyo. Moreover, his meals were provided for free, and there were no utility costs to worry about.

Foreigners tend to have a generous attitude about these things. They might casually say something like, “If you’re staying, we’ll include meals for several days…” If not, they’ll make it clear upfront that they’ll need you to cover your own meal and utility costs. It’s a dry, matter-of-fact approach that’s hard for Japanese people to discuss but is quite straightforward.

After all, people need to live. And the cost of living can be significant.

Additionally, as someone involved in architecture, Fujimori was very intrigued by the mansion, which had never been researched before. Especially since it was a rare mansion that even Professor Fushimi had long desired to study.

This prospect was quite exciting. Despite Professor Fushimi’s eccentricities, he had a keen eye for architecture. If Professor Fushimi was so interested in this mansion, Fujimori also wanted to see it for himself.

“But specifying meat cuts and rye in such detail—doesn’t that make it hard for them to stock up?”

Fujimori asked, thinking that such detailed requests might be quite a burden for local grocery stores.

“Well, you see, this area has always had a lot of foreigners. It used to be a summer resort for foreigners. So thanks to that, there are vacation homes, hotels, and highland restaurants scattered around. As a result, foreign food ingredients are surprisingly available. There are also many farms, and it seems some of them produce meat and cheese quite authentically. So even if they ask for ground rye or specific cuts of meat, it’s not a problem.”

Indeed, this area, bordering N Prefecture, had long been a popular summer retreat for foreigners in the Kanto region. Even now, many foreign artists prefer to live here.

Japanese people tend to gather in cities. But many foreigners are perfectly content living in remote or rural areas. Of course, many also aim for the cities. But there seem to be more people who are comfortable living surrounded by nature compared to Japan.

“It should be around here… Ah, there it is, there it is.”

At the driver’s voice, Fujimori leaned forward and saw a large, black, double-leaf gate supported by brick pillars come into view.

Indeed, it was a gate befitting the former nobility. Excited, Fujimori pulled out his camera from his bag.

“Uh… the gate’s closed, sir. What should we do?”

The driver stopped the car in front of the gate and turned to Fujimori.

“Hmm…”

Fujimori rolled down the window and looked closely at the imposing gate. It was a splendid Gothic-style design with decorative arrowheads at the top, clearly indicating the grandeur and vastness of the mansion beyond.

However, unlike modern estates, there was no intercom. Fujimori craned his neck to look around. But there was no such modern device attached to the weathered, sturdy gate pillars.

“Huh? I thought I told them we’d be here at this time today.”

Moreover, the gate was secured with a robust lock. It was clearly visible even from the car, and a rusty chain was wrapped around it.

It gave off a distinctly unwelcoming vibe. If it weren’t known that someone lived inside, one might assume it was an abandoned house.

“Excuse me, please wait a moment.”

Fujimori, wearing a blue striped short-sleeved shirt, got out of the air-conditioned car.

He looked around the gate again and confirmed that there was no intercom or any message.

Then, he took out his mobile phone and was startled.

“No signal… Well, that’s expected in a place like this.”

As he muttered to himself, “I’m in trouble…”, a small truck came driving up from behind.

The driver of the small truck stopped behind the taxi and rolled down the window.

“Are you Fujimori-san?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

When Fujimori answered the elderly man who had peered out, the man got out of the truck.

He took a key he had brought with him and removed the large padlock attached to the chain around the gate.

֍֍֍

*Translator’s Note: Hmm…. That’s postgraduate life. My prof treated me like a servant too. But at least I didn’t have to drive her to the airport though. -K

*GLOSSARY: 

In Japanese culture, the use of “-san” after someone’s name is a sign of respect, politeness, and formality. It is similar to using “Mr.”, “Ms.”, or “Mrs.” in English but more widely applicable. It can be used for both genders and is attached to both first names and surnames, though it is more common with surnames in formal situations.

Other than that, I should highlight that for addressing people, they normally address others by their last names, this reflects the emphasis on formality and respect in Japanese society. Using someone’s last name, often with “-san,” helps maintain a level of professional distance and respect, especially in workplaces, schools, and formal settings. First names are generally reserved for close friends and family, and using them too early or in the wrong context can be considered overly familiar or impolite.

Also, I’d like to add that in this novel, I placed the character’s first name in front instead. Normally, Japanese people introduced themselves with their last names mentioned first before the first name. But it’ll be awkward to do that in the setting on this novel so yeah… just so you know… 

In short:

– “-san” = a respectful suffix used for both first and last names.

– Last names are used in formal or distant relationships to show respect and maintain appropriate boundaries.

However, in this story, Julian Ludendorff will call Fujimori using his first name, Kenji, instead. Fujimori also uses Julian’s first name in addressing him. I think it was because Fujimori was aware of the cultural difference between them so he didn’t bother with this sort of formality.

Next update: 2024.10.22

֍֍֍