DLBF Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Night Stroll

Chapter 1, Part 2.2

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*

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On the fourth night after arriving at the mansion, Fujimori was relieved to finally be served a warm stew with his meal. In Germany, breakfast and lunch are generally the most substantial meals, while dinner is usually light, consisting of sandwiches and salad. It’s considered a ‘cold meal’ comparable to breakfast in terms of content. Fujimori had been aware of this beforehand and didn’t mind while he was in Germany, as he would have warm meals at cheap food stalls or fast-food places in the evenings.

However, it was tough to endure a series of cold meals before bedtime in actual practice. Even in summer, the highland areas can get quite chilly at night.

When Fujimori complained to Julian about missing warm miso soup, it seemed that Julian passed the message on to the cook, Forst. Consequently, that night, a proper stew and warm dishes like butter-fried asparagus were served for dinner.

Forst had been introduced to Fujimori when Julian showed him around the mansion. He was a man in his fifties with a craftsman’s temperament. Though of average height, he had a solid, stocky German build, resembling what one might call a master craftsman. He was very focused on his cooking and seemed to have little interest in anything beyond it, including Fujimori, whose presence only meant an additional headcount for meals.

Fujimori had been told not to enter the food storage or kitchen without permission. After a brief greeting, Forst had started preparing the afternoon bread.

Given that Forst handled everything from bread-making to meat, ham, and sausage preparation alone, it was understandable that he would prefer not to have his work interrupted by unwelcome guests.

The food he prepared was delicious but always in large quantities since the German cuisine was quite heavy.

It seemed that Forst could speak English. He wrote English notes for food orders and passed them to Tanba, who then took them directly to a local grocery store where the orders were processed.

For lunch today, it appeared that Julian had requested Tanba to prepare sushi rolls and inari sushi, which were served on a plate. This delighted Fujimori.

Although their conversations didn’t flow freely, it was clear that Julian was making an effort to ensure Fujimori’s comfort, which Fujimori appreciated.

After enjoying a warm meal and a relaxing soak in the bath, Fujimori felt satisfied. He had been thinking of borrowing a phone the next day to contact Professor Fushimi at home.

It was a night brightened by the moonlight. Fujimori’s gaze was drawn to the window. The only light in the room was the bedside lamp.

Wondering if it was a full moon tonight, Fujimori peeked through the gap in the lace curtains. The view only showed the garden bathed in moonlight, so he decided to step into the hallway to search for the moon’s presence.

Then, he saw a large figure stumbling out from the entrance.

Given the height of that figure, it was unmistakably Julian.

Curious about what he might be doing at this hour, Fujimori followed Julian’s silhouette with his eyes.

Without a TV or internet here, his life had become quite healthily routine with early nights. But at the moment, it was probably just before ten o’clock.

The man was empty-handed. If it were a bit earlier, Fujimori might have thought it was an evening stroll, but it was a bit late for that.

Moreover, Julian wasn’t carrying any lights with him.

Fujimori tilted his head in concern.

Even though it was his own property, the surroundings were dense forest with no streetlights or nearby houses. Despite the bright moon, the paths were poorly maintained. It would be dangerous to walk in the dark.

Fujimori went back to his room and grabbed his cellphone, which was out of service but charged daily. He then went back.

Julian might have some light with him. But he didn’t seem to be using anything as he walked toward the gate from the entrance.

If there had been at least two people, the danger of walking at night would be somewhat reduced… Fujimori thought as he headed toward the entrance where Julian had gone out.

It was still a bit early to go to bed.

His inherent curiosity also played a part.

If there was an interesting walking route, he thought he might as well be shown around. 

Once outside, the moonlight was indeed quite bright, making it easy to follow the path for a while.

The stars were also quite numerous. While the moon was a hindrance for stargazing, if one wanted to enjoy the full sky of stars and moonlight, it was quite acceptable.

He thought that with the two or three-minute head start Julian had, he might be able to catch up with him if he hurried. However, despite his fast pace, Julian’s figure remained out of sight.

Determined to catch up with him, Fujimori eventually walked all the way to the gate. Even then, he couldn’t catch up with Julian.

Moreover, the gate was secured with a rusty chain, just as it had been the first day he arrived, showing no signs of having been opened.

Fujimori tilted his head in confusion.

He wondered if he had missed a side path somewhere. It was something he might have noticed during the day. But in the darkness, it was likely to be overlooked.

Driven partly by curiosity and partly by the stubbornness of having followed so far, Fujimori walked around, using his phone’s flashlight to search for any possible side paths as he headed back.

However, while distracted by his search, he ended up stepping into an unexpected pothole and fell quite heavily.

Groaning in pain, he managed to stand up. But it seemed he had twisted his left ankle awkwardly. Whenever he put weight on it, a grinding pain shot through his ankle.

Fujimori clicked his tongue in frustration and picked up his phone, which had been thrown away during the fall. He limped back to the mansion, dragging his left foot.

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*Translator’s Note: Julian is so mysterious… -K

☝🏻Inari sushi. One of my fav, actually. Haha!

Next update: 2024.10.28

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