Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 398: The Mayor and the Village Chief
News of the duel on the hill outside Wasan spread rapidly through the town.
The circumstances were equally public: the mayor’s son had attempted to slip into the bride’s room before the wedding, then challenged her escort to a duel in an absurd attempt to prove his innocence.
Mage Baron Wasan could only hang his head over his son’s foolish behavior.
He had hoped marriage would settle the young man down, but his son had caused a scandal before the ceremony could even take place.
Alimar, Sita’s father, was troubled as well.
As the man who had hired Tauro, he was privately proud of the boy’s victory. As the chief arranging his daughter’s marriage into the mayor’s household, however, he could hardly celebrate the groom’s humiliation.
The wedding was supposed to take place the following day, and after witnessing the young man’s repeated misconduct, even Alimar had begun to question the match.
While both families considered what to do, Tauro explained the condition he had won in the duel to Sita.
“You may decide for yourself whether this marriage proceeds.”
As both the victor of the duel and Count Graunewald’s territorial inspector, Tauro intended to ensure that the mayor’s son couldn’t later dispute the pledge.
I won’t let him twist the agreement after the fact.
“My own decision…” Sita repeated.
She had followed the duel’s outcome with anxious anticipation, but being told that her future now rested in her own hands left her bewildered.
I truly don’t want to marry yet—especially not after learning what kind of person the groom is.
But Father wants this marriage. It could benefit Zenyu, strengthen his position, and open new opportunities for the village.
What about my own happiness?
Everyone says that a marriage can become happy with time, or that uncertainty is natural at first. Mother also left another village to marry Father, so her words carry weight.
Even so, my heart recoils from that young man.
And after hearing Tauro and Zion speak about their lives, I have discovered a world I never knew existed. I want to see it for myself.
Before Sita reached an answer, word arrived that Mage Baron Wasan had come to the inn and requested a meeting.
Alimar panicked. He hadn’t expected the mayor to come personally.
After his wife urged him to calm down, the chief took a deep breath and went to the inn’s first-floor dining room, accompanied by Sita’s mother, Tauro, and the others.
“I sincerely apologize for my son’s conduct on the eve of the wedding.”
Mage Baron Wasan bowed deeply, disregarding the difference in status between himself and a village chief.
“M-Mage Baron Wasan, please raise your head!” Alimar stammered.
“I’ve heard that my son attempted an improper nighttime visit and then tried to erase his wrongdoing through a duel. As his father and as the man responsible for this town, I’m deeply ashamed.”
The mayor finally noticed Tauro standing behind Alimar.
“Is that the adventurer who fought my son?”
“Yes,” Alimar replied. “He’s an exceptionally capable young adventurer whom we hired as an escort.”
Mage Baron Wasan studied Tauro with a puzzled expression.
“I feel as though I’ve seen you before… or perhaps heard something that should make me recognize you.”
Count Graunewald had probably mentioned Tauro during one of their conversations, leaving the mayor with an incomplete sense of familiarity. Unable to place it, he returned his attention to Alimar.
“A duel conducted under a signed pledge must be honored. I’ll respect your daughter’s wishes. If she chooses to cancel the marriage, neither I nor my son will condemn her.”
He paused before continuing.
“I know this is selfish, but please allow me to explain. My son wasn’t always so arrogant. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a great mage like me. His innate skill, however, was [Knight], so I directed him toward swordsmanship instead.”
“I pitied him for losing the future he had imagined and spoiled him far too much. By the time I understood my mistake, he had become the young man you met.”
“I was arrogant in my youth as well. Marriage forced me to mature, and I foolishly assumed the same would happen to him. When he fell in love with your daughter at first sight, I accepted the proposal in the hope that she’d help him settle down.”
Mage Baron Wasan bowed again.
“I’d like him to receive one more chance, although I understand that I have no right to demand it.”
“Please, raise your head,” Alimar said hurriedly.
At that moment, Sita stepped into the room. She had been listening from the corridor.
“I heard everything you said. I can’t marry your son as he is now.”
Mage Baron Wasan’s shoulders sagged.
“But would you allow us to postpone the wedding instead of canceling it completely?” Sita continued. “If he reflects on what happened and truly changes, then he may ask me again.”
“Truly?” the mayor exclaimed. “Yes. I’ll do everything in my power to make him confront his actions and become a man worthy of you.”
Relief spread across his face. Sita’s decision was far more generous than he had expected.
The mayor then turned to Tauro.
“Young adventurer, thank you for accepting that duel. I hear my son is reasonably talented with a sword, yet you defeated him. I suppose there’s always someone better.”
“Your son does possess talent,” Tauro replied honestly. “With genuine combat experience, he could become a fine knight capable of supporting House Wasan and Count Graunewald’s domain.”
He added, “That’s only possible if he reforms his character.”
The young man’s personality remained a serious problem, but if he corrected it, he could eventually become useful to the Graunewald territory.
Sita’s merciful decision had prevented an immediate rupture between Zenyu and Wasan. Although the wedding was postponed, Tauro was relieved that the dispute had ended peacefully.