Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 291: Dust to Dust
The depths of the cave had turned into a small room of sorts. Well, it used to be a room, but now it was just a heap of ashes piled up.
Lutz approached with the torch, picking through the ashes to examine them. It seemed to be remnants of chairs and desks.
“Someone lived here.”
“For what purpose?”
“It doesn’t seem unrelated to the series of events.”
“Why did it burn?”
“It wasn’t a careless lantern tip-over that would burn this thoroughly. It was deliberately set on fire.”
“Why did they burn it?”
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“Was there something here they didn’t want seen, and they couldn’t take it all when abandoning the hideout?”
The puzzles of thought began to assemble one after another. Soon Gerhardt arrived, and Lutz shared his thoughts with him, to which Gerhardt nodded in agreement.
“The issue is what they didn’t want seen so badly they’d burn their hideout for it…”
“Maybe it was an unfinished poem?”
“I’d like to read that, too.”
They chuckled together.
Ignoring the two fools who never forgot to joke, Keith continued to sift through the ashes. He was driven by a determination not to let the thread of the incident that killed Leonard and almost destroyed the kingdom end here.
Lutz and Gerhardt also bent over the ashes, continuing their discussion.
“Perhaps they acquired a cursed gem and were studying its properties. Or…”
In the flickering flames, Gerhardt’s face resembled that of a prophet foretelling the end of the world.
“Perhaps they artificially created a cursed gem.”
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“Creating curses themselves? Humans aren’t capable of such things, are they?”
Lutz said with a strained expression, more suggesting he didn’t want to believe rather than disbelief.
“What are you saying? Creating curses is what we’re always doing, isn’t it?”
“Are you referring to enchantments? Those can only be inscribed on weapons and aren’t as ominous as calling them curses.”
“Would the same hold true before Ricardo?”
“Oh, yes, I’m sorry…”
The sword-fiend Ricardo wielded, the dreaded blade “Camellia,” confusing pain with sexual pleasure, was a terrible sword that forced enemies into suicide. Once labeled as a cursed sword, there was no room for rebuttal. It was none other than Lutz and Gerhardt themselves who created it.
“We don’t possess the technique to engrave curses into gems, but someone else might. Such disparities in skill exist. Of course, it’s dangerous to conclude that’s what happened.”
While they discussed this, Keith continued to rummage through the ashes. Just as Gerhardt was about to suggest they should go, Keith’s eyes widened as he pulled something out.
“I found it!”
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It was a partially burned book. The upper half was charred black, but the lower half seemed readable. Keith handed the torch to Lutz with trembling hands and carefully turned the pages.
“I can’t read…”
“Huh? What do you mean you can’t read it?”
Gerhardt tilted his head in confusion. Was it written in ancient characters or something? If so, why was Keith’s face now so pale he looked ready to collapse?
Keith said with a voice as if expelling a thorn from his throat, “It’s Imperial.”
The surroundings fell silent. An Imperial person conducting frightening research within the territory of Walscheid Kingdom… What did that signify? This book could potentially trigger a war. It was something that ordinary knights and artisans couldn’t handle.
It might have been better to pretend they hadn’t seen anything and burn it again, but it wasn’t going to be that easy.
“Give it here.”
Without waiting for a response, Gerhardt snatched the book away. Keith didn’t complain about it and silently watched Gerhardt flipping through the pages. If there was any new insight to gain, he didn’t mind a bit of rudeness.
“This is just a botanical guide.”
Lutz and Keith showed a mixture of relief and disappointment. If instructions on how to create parasitic mushrooms had been found, it would have been a major issue.
Gerhardt returned the book to Keith almost pushing it into his hands. Honestly, even if it was returned, Keith didn’t know what to do with it, but since there was no one else around to take it, he reluctantly accepted the bomb-shaped book.
“What are we going to do with this?”
Gerhardt already had a look on his face saying it was none of his concern, so Keith turned to Lutz for a suggestion.
“Maybe hand it over to some important person and then drink and sleep?”
Lutz, burdened with accumulated fatigue, seemed somewhat indifferent in his remarks. Though the tone might have been off, Keith nodded in agreement with the substance of his words.
“If they say fight to protect the people, I’ll do as much as needed. But when it comes to talk of war and diplomacy, there’s nothing I can do. It’s best to pass this on to Victor, the Fourth Knight Commander.”
“There’s nothing more we can do here. Gerhardt stood up, followed by Lutz. Keith glanced anxiously back at the heap of ashes several times, then shook his head lightly before catching up with Lutz and the others.
Slipping through a crack in the rocky wall, they managed to exit outside, where the mist of spores seemed to have slightly weakened. Or perhaps, that was just their wishful thinking.
“Well then, shall we call this a triumphant return?”
Gerhardt smiled wearily and patted Keith on the back.
“A triumphant return? Did this old man’s head get filled with mycelium? Our allies are in shambles, it’s pitch dark ahead, and you’re talking about a triumphant return?”
Gerhardt responded unfazed, insisting it wasn’t a slip of the tongue.
“Yes, a triumphant return. We need to celebrate this perfect victory and boast loudly to reassure the villagers and protect our comrades’ honor. It’s all part of fighting to protect people, including such theatrics.”
“…That’s tough, really.”
“I may not understand chivalry, but smiling on the outside and crying on the inside, that’s what being a man is about. Well, I won’t force it on you, though.”
With that, the old man said his piece and walked away.
Keith pondered as he walked along. Could he live that way himself? No, if it’s necessary to protect comrades and the people, then he must.
“I’ll do it. I’m the man who will carry on Leonard-sama’s will. It may not be perfect right away…”
He muttered while gazing at the setting sun.
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“For now, I’ll start by walking proudly.”