Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 421: Meeting the Boy
Maine Village was exactly as the guild had described: an ordinary farming settlement with no remarkable features.
Black-Gold Wings had stopped there during Garde’s delivery quest, but the village had left little impression on them at the time.
Its chief was likewise an entirely ordinary middle-aged man.
“Welcome back! The moment I saw you accompanying Garde, I knew you were no ordinary adventurers! Hahaha! Please spend the coming week teaching our people as much as you can about fighting.”
The chief bowed on behalf of the residents.
Every villager had gathered behind him, including the children. He apparently expected the party to teach the entire settlement, which at least demonstrated that the request was serious.
Tauro had initially doubted their commitment, but the determination in the villagers’ eyes was genuine.
“Why did you decide that everyone needed combat training? Would it not be more practical to invite craftspeople or send a few promising villagers elsewhere to learn a trade?”
“The reason is simple. Watching all of you made me realize that people must first be strong enough to protect themselves and their families. I mean no insult, but your party includes two children who are already active adventurers. That inspired us to believe we might also be capable of more.”
The chief looked toward Tauro and Zion.
His goal was admirable, but strength couldn’t be acquired so easily—certainly not within a single week.
Tauro therefore decided to focus on fundamentals. Ragune and Ankh trained the adults, while Tauro and Zion took responsibility for the children.
After several days, the villagers’ seriousness became impossible to doubt.
Do they believe the village’s situation is truly that desperate?
Everyone continued farming from morning until night, yet devoted nearly every free moment to training. Even the children gave up their usual playtime and practiced diligently with wooden swords, perhaps influenced by the adults’ intensity.
Then unfamiliar children began appearing among the trainees.
“There are more children here than yesterday, are there not?”
“Yesterday there was one newcomer. Three more joined today.”
Zion had noticed the increase as well.
At first Tauro assumed children from other parts of Maine Village had simply decided to participate. Then he realized that the adults accompanying them weren’t residents he recognized through [Presence Detection].
“Are you from another village?”
“The children from the neighboring village are training with us too!”
“I thought so.”
One of the accompanying adults stepped forward apologetically.
“I’m sorry. We heard about the lessons and brought our children so they could participate. Naturally, we’re prepared to pay for the instruction.”
Tauro wondered what had inspired people from both villages to pursue combat training so urgently.
More surprising was the skill of the newcomers. They handled their wooden swords better than the Maine Village children despite joining late. Someone had clearly trained them before.
A black-haired boy roughly Tauro’s age stood out in particular. His stance was firm, his body well conditioned, and he occasionally mixed more advanced movements into the basic drills while watching Tauro’s reaction.
Perhaps their similar ages had stirred the boy’s competitive spirit.
Tauro found the attitude encouraging and invited him to spar during a break.
“You there. Would you like a practice match?”
“Absolutely! I wanted to see how strong a real adventurer is!”
The boy accepted enthusiastically.
The match ended almost immediately, with Tauro knocking him to the ground.
Confronted by the enormous difference between them, the boy lowered his wooden sword.
“I surrender. Sensei, what must I do to become as strong as you?”
His competitiveness had transformed into sincere respect.
The boy introduced himself as Haku. His father had taught swordsmanship to people in their neighboring village, but the man had suffered severe injuries while defending the settlement. Unable to teach through practical demonstration any longer, he now instructed Haku mainly through advice while supporting himself with craftwork.
“That explains why the people from your village already know how to handle weapons.”
Haku’s manners and disciplined movements made Tauro curious about his upbringing.
“Did your father once serve a noble family?”
“I don’t know much about his past. Father dislikes speaking about it. He told me only that he was injured before eventually settling in our village.”
“And then he was injured again while defending it… He has endured a great deal.”
Tauro regretted pressing the subject.
“My father is an admirable man. Even now, he teaches me reading, writing, and many other things. The villagers respect him, and they treat me kindly because I’m his son.”
Haku spoke without the slightest resentment.
Tauro began to wonder whether the father might be someone notable.
He was also intrigued by the adults accompanying Haku. Their attention remained fixed on the boy, and their posture resembled knights protecting an important charge.
By the end of the lesson, Tauro was as interested in Haku’s neighboring village as he was in the mysterious father who had trained its residents.