Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 261: Proof of Courage
Amidst the subtle air where nobody could quite keep up with priest Arjan’s excitement, there was one man who simply nodded deeply.
“I understand.”
It was Josel.
“Oh, you do!?”
“When a man falls for another man’s bravery, that’s how it goes.”
The men nodded in agreement. The atmosphere transcended subtlety and entered the realm of oddity.
Josel looked at Claudia and Gerhardt alternately and said, “Let’s give up on the sword.”
“What are you talking about, Josel?”
“Listen, Claudia-san, a man has two birthdays.”
“Yes?”
“The first is when he’s born from his mother’s womb, and the second is when he encounters true bravery.”
Josel proclaimed confidently. Claudia looked to Gerhardt for explanation.
“Please say something!”
“Impossible.”
“Impossible, huh…”
Gerhardt threw the spoon with all his might. Whether Josel took that as acceptance or not, he wore a refreshing smile and said, “Let’s just give it to him. It’s like saying ‘Happy Birthday.'”
“Please, speak in a language understandable to humanity!”
Men and women, knights and merchants, romance and reality ran parallel. Watching this scene, the village chief, who had been left out of the loop, asked anxiously.
“Um, what about the sword…?”
…Oh, this is just ridiculous.
Claudia groaned, pressing her forehead. The plan to gradually progress the conversation after getting along had completely fallen apart.
…Well, let’s think positively. Josel and Arjan seem to be hitting it off. Arjan has a bit of, well, a unique perspective, so maybe this is fine in its own way.
Alright, Claudia composed herself.
“We want to repair Leonard-sama’s broken sword.”
“Repair it?”
Arjan and the mayor looked puzzled. Even to an amateur’s eye, the sword was broken right in the middle, and it didn’t seem easy to repair.
Even explaining the intention to melt the sword down and recast it, as well as to engrave new ancient characters, didn’t get Arjan excited.
“That sword is a testament to Leonard-sama’s desperate fight for us. I think it’s good that it’s broken.”
“That’s wrong, Arjan!”
Josel pointed so forcefully that it sounded like he was going to scream.
“Leonard-sama was a warrior. A warrior wouldn’t want his beloved sword to be presented in such a sorry state!”
“Ugh!”
“After properly repairing it, let the villagers pass down Leonard-sama’s heroic figure. That’s what we should do, isn’t it?”
“That may be true, but…”
A man who never met Leonard and another who wasn’t even a knight were passionately discussing. Claudia couldn’t understand even a millimeter of it, but if the priest was willing, she was grateful.
…This might be good news to report to Lutz.
Claudia sighed with relief, but at that moment, the Village chief raised his hand apologetically.
“We cannot hand over the sword.”
“Huh?”
Everyone, including Arjan, was surprised and looked at the mayor.
“Constantly talking about Leonard-sama may seem odd or even laughable to everyone. But…”
The Village chief’s voice was weak, but there was a determination that he must say this.
“We who have had our homes burned, our fields scorched, and all our hopes dashed, we cannot live without relying on Leonard-sama’s bravery. We cannot afford to let go of the sword even for a moment. Please forgive our weakness.”
“Ugh…”
Claudia had been supporting the victims of the fire that occurred a few months ago. She understood the pain and anxiety of the people affected. She couldn’t point out the mayor’s weakness.
“And it will cost money to repair the famous sword, which we can’t afford right now. Even if someone else provides the money, we can’t do anything if they claim ownership.”
That hit a sore spot. Claudia hadn’t found a solution to this yet and was still in the stage of searching for hints through discussions.
The mayor took out a leather bag from his pocket and pushed it onto the table. He was going to return the money they so desperately needed. Leonard’s sword had become their emotional anchor.
…Maybe this is the time to give in.
Claudia smiled gently, reassuring the village chief. It wasn’t her intention to corner a man like him.
“This money is prepared for the village’s reconstruction. Please accept it.”
“But…”
“I have no intention of forcibly taking the sword. Let’s slowly explore the best path for both of us. I’ll take my leave for today. May I visit again?”
Her words were sincere, and the mayor, judging so, smiled and replied.
“Yes, please feel free to come anytime.”
“Goodness, that old man just had to say something unnecessary.”
Gerhardt grumbled discontentedly as they left the church and headed towards the carriage.
“You shouldn’t speak like that. He’s a respectable person.”
Claudia admonished, but Gerhardt’s frustration seemed unrelenting.
Ad
“Whether he’s respectable or not doesn’t matter. It’s about whether he’ll hand over the sword or not, right, Josel?”
“If we look at the outcome alone, it appears that the village chief interfered with Priest Arjan’s inclinations.”
“I know right?”
Gerhard happily put his arm around Josel’s shoulders after receiving his disciple’s consent, but Josel himself wore a troubled expression. Deep down, he couldn’t believe the village chief was wrong. He admired men who struggled to protect people.
“Well, it’s fine, isn’t it? The negotiation was a great success.”
“Success? Where’s the success?”
I don’t have a sword, I don’t have anything. Gerhard’s expression twisted as he wondered what a great success this was.
Claudia explained, thinking that he was a really impatient old man.
“The goal this time was to ascertain the stance of the sword’s holders. We learned the true feelings of Priest Arjan and the village chief. That alone is a great harvest, isn’t it? Plus, we secured another appointment, so it’s all good news.”
“Is that so…?”
“Let’s hear what we can extract from the Knight Commander when we meet up with Lutz, and then we’ll devise our next plan from there, okay?”
“Hmph, what a long-term endeavor. I might kick the bucket before that.”
Gerhardt complained while effortlessly hopping into the carriage. Watching him, Claudia thought to herself that this old man seemed like he had another thirty years left in him.