Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 29: Striving for Excessive Achievements
We continued along the Eastern Highway towards Malhas.
When we traveled this road to the capital, there was a cold wind mixed with snow blowing, but now I felt warm, cheerful air.
However, that warmth made me—and Rolo—uneasy.
“Isn’t it too warm?”
Saran squinted as he accepted the coffee I handed him during our camping near the dairy city of Hilte.
“Yeah. This warmth feels a bit abnormal.”
“And the flow of magic energy seems a bit strange too.”
Ad
“I see. It’s interesting, but—now’s not the time to enjoy it.”
Saran pushed up his glasses and let out a small growl.
Seeing Rolo also pondering, I turned back silently.
“Do you sense anything, Fimia?”
Fimia hesitated for a moment at my question before timidly speaking up.
“I’ve been hesitant to mention it as I didn’t want to cause any anxiety… but I feel some sort of oppressive presence coming from the east. It’s like… someone is watching us from that direction, and it feels unsettling.”
“From Malhas?”
“I’m not sure. But probably in that direction. I’m sorry for not saying anything earlier.”
I offered Fimia, who seemed dejected, a cup of coffee with milk and honey. Though she didn’t particularly like coffee, she had mentioned liking this one, so I always kept it on hand.
“Don’t worry about it. If you learn anything, let us know.”
“Okay.”
Ad
As we lightly laughed together, Rolo smiled faintly.
Caught up in the mood, Saran also lifted the corners of his mouth slightly.
“What’s up with you two?”
“Nothing. We just noticed a slight change in Jurg.”
“More accurately, you’ve started treating Fimia with a bit more care.”
“Hey, Saran, don’t muddy the waters!”
I glanced briefly at Fimia, who seemed taken aback by their words.
Noticing her reaction, Fimia blushed slightly and quickly averted her gaze from me.
What’s this strange atmosphere? I should reflect on it too. I’m just trying to support my comrades as their leader…!
“It’s not a bad thing. I’m honestly quite envious.”
Ad
“You? Envious? Stop it, what will you do if it starts raining?”
“My apologies, it was a slip of the tongue. Please forget about it.”
Saran shook his head lightly, but surprisingly, Fimia was the one who latched onto it.
“Do you not have a fiancé, Saran?”
“I used to, actually.”
Saran replied casually.
Come to think of it, I’ve never had the chance to ask about his past. Perhaps he would have answered if I had asked before.
“In the past? So you don’t have one now? You’re a noble, aren’t you, Saran?”
“Well, who knows? Am I a noble, or an adventurer? It’s becoming confusing. At the very least, the parents of my former fiancée didn’t recognize me as a noble.”
Saran took a sip of his coffee and let out a small sigh.
There was a slightly more human expression on the usually stern face of our chief strategist.
“Come to think of it, maybe that’s why I’m so obsessed with achieving excessive results.”
“Did you realize that…?!”
“The more achievements, the better, right? That’s how I live now.”
Saran lightly smiled at my words and continued.
“We were childhood friends, and our families matched well… We were engaged from a young age. But now she’s my brother’s wife.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, Fimia, did you know? You’ve probably met her at a tea party, right? The Countess Zolark.”
Fimia gasped, her face turning slightly pale.
Seems like she poked into the bushes and touched a snake by accident.
“My brother’s fiancée was also a fool, so she ran away. Then, my former fiancée became the chosen one.”
“Is that even possible? It’s a world I can’t believe in…”
“Such things do happen in the world of nobles.”
Having seen the capital, I thought it was possible.
They’re all a little weird. It’s as if they’re living as gears to inherit blood and status.
They lack humanity.
“At that time, I had just formed ‘Silhasta’ and was at a loss.”
“Didn’t you try to get your fiancée back?”
“I needed achievements for that, but it was too late. … I might be here now out of a sense of revenge.”
Saran touched his glasses with a look of realization.
Ad
The firelight reflected off his glasses, making it impossible to see through the lenses, as Saran gulped down the rest of his coffee.
“Maybe I wanted to get back at my brother, his fiancée’s family, and my own family for making such decisions… by achieving unbelievable feats.”
“Saran-san…”
“Saran…”
I chuckled a bit in response to the solemn Rolo and Fimia.
It might have been inappropriate, but I felt happy.
Happy to see the human side of this cold-hearted person exposed.
“Not bad. That’s very much like you.”
“That’s why I’m using you all as pawns.”
“Don’t act like you’re concerned now. You’re still an adventurer and a noble.”
I lightly laughed and patted Saran on the shoulder.
“In Malhas, there coexist an ‘Adventurer’ chasing after a huge fortune and a ‘Noble’ aiming to climb the social ladder using them. ‘The Heartless’ Saran has to be like that!”
“Please don’t make that my nickname.”
“Then come up with a nickname that suits you. I’ll personally request it from the Guildmaster of the Malhas Adventurer’s Guild.”
Saran showed an unusually sincere smile, leaving Rolo and Fimia wide-eyed.
Ad
Well, Fimia seems a bit different, but oh well.
“Good grief, now I have more reasons to protect Malhas.”
“Huh?”
“That place is my biggest achievement. I can’t let it go.”
“Hey, come on, be a little more straightforward.”
I grinned and teased the sly strategist.
Surely, there are desires that he himself hasn’t realized yet.
“Straightforward, huh?”
“That’s right, ‘The Heartless’. Make the city you created bigger than the capital, act like a king there, and do whatever you want.”
“What do you mean?”
I chuckled at Saran’s puzzled expression.
“It’s obvious—storm in and demand your woman back, snatch away the girl you like. Act like the tyrant king of adventurers.”