Kays Translations

Chapter 24: Dwarf for example

Noticing that Ren is looking at the school plot, Ulysses recalls their summer encounter and asks.

“How's it going? Are you ready to go to that academy?"

After that night, Ren had often thought about it.

He had changed his mind after Ulysses' words and had found some answers as to what he should do in the future.

“I'm just trying to be very positive."

"Oh......, unlike the other day, you're answering my questions rather clearly now.”

"Well, I think there's definitely a lot of advantages to be gained when you compare what I consider to be the disadvantages and advantages.”

"For example, the advantages I give you?"

“What? Ulysses-sama can you give something to me?”

Seeing Ren with a blank look on his face, Ulysses followed suit.

“I can feel relieved about Fiona if you're here. Did it never occur to you that I might be able to accommodate you?"

For Ulysses, who has always been indebted to Ren, the presence of his daughter Fiona is as important as ever to him.

The fact that Ren is going to the Imperial Military Academy gives Ulysses peace of mind.

He knew that having a boy like Ren by Fiona's side would make her even safer.

But Ren hadn’t thought of that. He hadn’t protected Fiona in the Baldor Mountains to ingratiate himself, and this time was no different.

“There is much to be gained from that academy. But there was no particular calculation related to Fiona. Of course, I'm glad that you are willing to accommodate me.”

"...... I see. No wonder you two fell in love."

The mumbled voice only reached Edgar.

Ren, who was about to ask again, was puzzled by the sudden praise when Edgar said, "For us, getting to know you, Ren-dono, is a valuable asset”.

“I think you've just told me why I want to be on your side----Well, back to the topic."

Ulysses said in a good mood.

“You're sweet. When you once told me that you weren’t good enough for the institute, it was as if you were trying to protect yourself for some reason. But you've had a certain emotion in your eyes since that night.”

Ren said nothing, but rather waited for Ulysses to give him the answer.

“---- it was devotion.”

“I was completely out of it.”

“Most likely, I don't know why you've been avoiding that academy. But you were so desperate to protect yourself before that you put the entity you wanted to protect ahead of yourself. Isn't that right?"

“......Really, how far can you see through me?"

As far as I can see, Ulysses smiles.

I'm glad he's not my enemy. Ren reaffirmed this.

“I admire your devotion. It’s the fruit of your kindness, as well as your courage to change your underlying thoughts. Knowing you like that, it's no wonder you overturned your previous ideas and set your sights on that academy. ---- I thought so."

There was no longer any room to argue.

From corner to corner, one thing is for sure, Ulysses is right.

Ren, who has more and more beings to protect, is no longer at the top of his list of priorities in his mind. His parents, his village, Licia, Fiona, and the others were higher.

If Ren had only been concerned with protecting himself, he would have thought the same way he did when he was a baby.

However, there was no way that Ren would have done such a thing, as Ulysses had described him. In fact, the current situation even feels right.

(And then there was the fact that the demon king’s cult had unexpectedly moved so quickly.)

Ren's saving Fiona's life has brought about a new destiny.

As I have thought many times before today, to remain silent and do nothing is the height of folly, and everything will fall into the latter stages.

I have experienced the negative effects of being on the back foot many times. He didn’t want that to happen again.

So Ren made a resolution and a decision.

Ren's decision was not limited to dedication and self-sacrifice, but also proved that he was wary of unforeseen circumstances.

But in the extreme, if he wanted to acquire civilian power, he could have done so at any other school of learning.

However, when he thinks of the existence to be protected, there’s no other place but the Imperial Academy of Military Science. There was no other answer than to improve himself and to protect them nearby.

“What would you do if you were going to attend? General class? Special class?”

“I thought about going to a general class at first, but as I recall, the special school offers more freedom of time, so I thought if I went there, I would go for the special school.”

“That’s correct. The general class also offers a good education, but it’s less prestigious than the special class. If you want to learn a lot, it is better to be in the special class than to do things halfway.”

The two of them continue to listen to the voices in the hustle and bustle as they aim for the workshop they want to go to.

(And if you mean a slightly different path, Ren Ashton in the game was in the general class.)

In that sense, it’ll be better to aim for a special class.

Definitely to avoid the half-heartedness that Ulysses mentions.

“Well, I'm sure you'll get in without a doubt.”

“You sound so sure, but don't you think I'll fail the exam?”

“I don't think so. It's just a hunch, but I have no doubt that you will enter the school with a good score.”

"Oh, you have a hunch?"

"Fufu, don't be silly, will you? My intuition is right. In the past, I won a trade war with a certain country based on that intuition. After all, a hunch is not so bad.”

(---- Lies)

You say "intuition," but that's not the right word.

In the case of Ulysses, it's a hunch that says, "Oh, in this situation, this is what will happen in the end.”

Based on thorough information and ingenuity, he must be confident of victory.

“Incidentally, there’s something I wanted to ask you, Ulysses-sama.”

“Ask me anything you like. What do you want to ask? I'll tell you everything about Fiona. She'll be shy, but don't worry! I'd love to hear it from you.”

“Yes, It certainly involves Fiona-sama, but----"

Ulysses hears this and stops in his tracks.

Edgar also stopped and they both closed in. Ulysses then took a half step closer to Ren and said

"I'll answer anything. Anything."

His voice was strangely full of feeling as he began to walk again.

Unfortunately, however, it doesn't meet Ulysses' expectations in terms of what Ren wants to hear. Although, what Ulysses was expecting was kept in his mind.

“I was wondering why you, who never stopped loving Fiona-sama, allowed her to attend the Imperial Academy of Military Science.”

“...... Oh, so that's how it is."

Ren felt sorry for the slightly disappointed Ulysses.

Still, Ulysses answered him.

“I've got as many guards as I can, and I've made sure she’s as safe as she can be. But even without that, it's still strange that she’s away from me, isn't it?"

“Yes.”

“The answer is simple: I want Fiona to learn to protect herself. People die sooner or later. I can't protect her forever.”

It’s natural for parents to protect their children. It’s equally important for a child to be raised so that they can protect themselves.

Ulysses moves his lips with a sincere look on his face.

“I would be insulting all the parents in the world who love their children if I said, I’m a silly parent ---- I certainly love Fiona dearly, but that doesn't mean I want to be a parent who doesn't do what needs to be done.”

“Thank you for sharing. I learned a lot.”

"Really? I'm glad you feel that way. By the way, how is Fiona? Isn't she pretty?”

The topic suddenly changed.

They had been talking about Fiona until a moment ago, but the sudden mention of Fiona's appearance made Ren's eyes dart for a moment.

Ren couldn't give a poor response, but there’s no chance of it being a poor response in the first place.

By all accounts, Fiona is a dainty, beautiful girl.

“Of course, I think she's beautiful and lovely.”

“Can I tell my daughter about what you just said?”

“Uh ---- yes?”

“No, don't worry about it. I was just talking to myself.”

Obviously, he wasn’t talking to himself. Ren, who had no way of questioning Ulysses' obvious deception, paced in the silence that followed.

After more than ten minutes had passed, Ulysses suddenly stopped.

The three visited an old stone house in a corner of the blacksmith district, not the kind of building a marquis would visit.

The exterior walls were littered with cracks and had been forcibly reinforced with wooden planks.

In a manner of speaking, this is a building that had existed in the game era. However, there had never been an event here.

Ulysses said, "Here it is," and reached for the door.

“Edgar, will you go and hold the back door for me?”

“Understood.”

“It sounds as if you are saying that the dwarf inside is going to run away.”

“Yes, he will. If I’m not careful, he'll run away even if I'm right in front of him.”

It’s a great gall to think that he would try to run away from this man Ulysses.

Ren was curious about the dwarf's personality, and his heart beat fast as he rushed through his emotions.

Eventually, the moment he opened the old wooden door----

“Don't open it! There's nobody in there!”

(You're here!)

The voice was familiar to Ren, who calmly choked it out in his mind.

“Hahahaha, Werlich! It's me! Ulysses!”

From the depths of the dirty house, crowded with all kinds of things, Ren heard a voice saying, "Go home, I have nothing to say to a little brat like you!” A provocative voice reaches out to her.

Ulysses steps into the house with a laugh, from where he laughs even harder.

“Kukuku ...... hahaha! I won't let you go today! I already have the back door under control!"

An ostentatious sound echoes from the back of the room toward them.

The sound of dishes breaking and metal clashing with metal.

As soon as these sounds were heard, the dwarf who Ren had lent his back to earlier appeared from behind a pile of dust that was more than the height of an average person.

“If that's the case, then I'll defeat you――――Hmm!? Not only the spoilt brat, but the good kid too!”

“Huh, good kid?"

The first thing that Ren did was to say these words.

Werlich, the dwarf he had saved earlier, curbed his previous momentum and placed the huge mallet in his hand on the floor.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter