Kays Translations

Chapter 18: Tasan of the Ring ④

Dova-san asked me gently.

“Ah, yeah. Where did you pick that up?”

“In a dungeon. It was a dungeon with some… complications, and I found it in a Lizardman’s nest. But, that ring — what about it?”

I clearly remembered the yellow glow marking it as a super rare item.

“That ring is a very important one for the Tasan Marquis family.”

“Is that so?”

Now that I thought about it, Juicy-san also had a similar ring.
I had assumed it was just a coincidence, but learning that it was connected to the Tasan family really caught me off guard.

“Hey, kid. You said… a Lizardman’s nest?”

“Yes. I just picked it up when I saw it lying there.”

At that, Shesh-san, who had been lying on the couch, sat up properly.
She fixed her sharp gaze on me.

“Picked it up, huh. Kid… you’re not an explorer, are you? You were just a hired hand. So why’d you stay quiet and keep it? Non-explorers don’t have ownership rights. Meaning — that’s theft.”

“………….”

“Shesh!”

“Dova-nee, let me handle this. Hey, kid. Why didn’t you report it to your employer?”

Shesh stared straight at me. Her words were sharp, but her eyes weren’t glaring.
That harshness seemed to soften, and now her look was serious.

“…I admit, it probably does count as a minor crime. The truth is, I forgot to report it.”

“Huh? Forgot, you say? You’re not bullshitting me, are you?”

“It’s true. Back then, when I found the ring, I was alone. I thought of it as a little reward for all the trouble I’d been through. And… a lot happened afterward, so I just forgot about it.”

“Why were you alone?”

“There was a dungeon anomaly. Random teleportation split all of us up. Everyone got separated.”

“…A dungeon anomaly…”

“Yes. And I won’t lie — I did plan to quietly sell it for cash.”

“Yeah, well, that much is clear.”

Dova-san shot a sharp look at Shesh.
Shesh smirked.

“—Well, if you’d reported it, they probably would’ve taken it off you anyway. And that might’ve led to an even bigger mess. You did alright, kid.”

“…You’re not going to punish me?”

I was honestly taken aback. I’d already braced for the worst.

Shesh, looking just a little bashful, replied:

“Never planned on it from the start.”

“Shesh-chan…!”

“Oi. What did you just call me?”

“Shesh-san, of course.”

I smoothly played it off. Oops — that was close.

Shesh stared at me for a moment and clicked her tongue.

“Tch… Also, yeah, technically it’s a minor crime, but if people got arrested for keeping small stuff like that, it’d be more trouble than it’s worth.
Even if there was a fine, it’d be about as small as an ant’s piss.”

“Shesh! You’re a marquis’s daughter, even if only technically — you shouldn’t use language like that!”

“It’s not just ‘technically,’ you know.”

“Honestly, you’re impossible… Wof-san, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I was the one in the wrong to begin with. Even a small wrong is still a wrong.”

Yes — even small things are still crimes, even if they aren’t punished.
I wouldn’t turn into someone like Pies, but… the right to own something only belongs to explorers — explorers, huh.

“Hmm… Kid. What’s your name?”

“I already introduced myself.”

“I wasn’t listening.”

“Wof.”

“Got it. One more thing — why’d you give that ring to Gauro?”

“…It just happened. I still had it because I’d forgotten about it. When I ran into Gauro-san and remembered the kids needed money for food, I thought it might help, so I gave it to him.”

“Ah, yeah. ‘Just happened,’ huh.”

Dova-san gave a slightly wry smile.
There wasn’t really any deep meaning behind it.
I’d given it to him on the spot simply because I happened to remember at that moment.

Then Shesh grinned slyly.

“…Hey, Dova-nee. Don’t you think the reward’s too low?”

“Shesh? You mean 4 million Oros isn’t enough?”

“4 million!?”

“Considering the ring’s true value, that’s way too cheap.”

“Ah, yeah. That’s true, but… you’ve got some kind of plan, don’t you?”

“If you leave it to me, I’ll handle it well.”

“Um, I’d honestly be fine with the 4 million…”

“Yeah, yeah. Got it. I’ll leave it to Shesh.”

…They’d basically decided everything without me, and now it felt like the 4 million was off the table.

Shesh spoke.

“Wof. We’re gonna play a little game.”

“A game…?”

What was she planning now?

“It’s simple. The ring you found — guess what it really is, and how much it’s worth.”

“Shesh?”

“Isn’t that a bit too hard…?”

Hey, hey, isn’t that basically impossible?

“Don’t panic. I’ll give you hints.”

“What if I can’t guess it?”

“Then you’ll get the original 4 million Oros.”

“!? …And if I guess right…?”

Shesh gave me a sly smile and didn’t answer.
But one thing was clear — the reward would be way better than 4 million.

“Ah, yeah. Shesh, what’s your intention with this?”

“The kid has the right to know what the ring really is. Since you left it to me, just stay quiet and watch.”

“…Alright. I’ll watch in silence.”

“Alright, here’s the first hint.”

The moment she said that, Shesh slid her hand up under her shirt.
She grabbed something and pulled it out, placing it on the table.

Her underboob almost peeked out. Wait — no bra?
No, no way. Not with that size.

What she placed on the table was a bronze ring.

“This is…?”

“That’s not the one you found. It’s my ring.”

“Shesh-san’s?”

“That 26-year-old over there has one too.”

“Ah, yeah? Wait, why did you just mention my age!?”

Poor Dova-san… I checked with her.

“So, every member of the Tasan Marquis family has one?”

“Yeah. Except for one guy. Since he’s male, his ring is reddish bronze.”

“So the color is different for men, huh.”

Juicy-san’s ring had been the same type, too.
Now that I thought about it, when Juicy-san had shown her ring, it was by mistake.

That was… ah, the proof of being part of the Tasan family.
She’d accidentally pulled it out, thinking it was something else. The answer probably lay around there.

“Next hint. This ring is something you’re meant to give to someone.”

“Eh? You’re supposed to give it away?”

“That’s right. This ring exists to be given.”

W-What does that even mean?
It’s important, but you’re supposed to give it away? That makes no sense.

“Last hint. The ring is connected to the relationship between the Black Moon Knight Rudot and the Radiant Princess Niniva.”

“Eh?”

“I said: the Black Moon Knight Rudot and the Radiant Princess Niniva.”

What the heck? She dropped the most confusing hint at the very end.

I protested.

“I mean, that just doesn’t make any sense.”

“That’s all the hints you get.”

“No, no, seriously…”

“Ah, yeah. Those are characters from that famous romance novel.”

“Romance novel…”

Leaving aside how Shesh knew about the characters from the romance novel.

Let’s整理 (organize) the information.

Everyone from the Tasan Marquis family has one of these rings.

This ring is meant to be given.

The relationship between the characters in the romance novel relates to giving the ring.

The Black Moon Knight Rudot and the Radiant Princess Niniva. The Black Moon is a man, and the princess is presumably a woman.

Romance novel, a relationship between a man and a woman, so I deduce they must be lovers. If I’m wrong, I’ll protest.

Everyone from the Tasan Marquis family has one.

This ring is meant to be given.

The relationship between the characters in the novel is that of lovers.

Therefore, the ring is given between lovers.

A ring given by lovers… could it be…?

“An engagement ring.”

I muttered under my breath, and Shesh grinned, showing her canine teeth.

“Correct.”

“Oh, I see. Congratulations.”

“Thank you… but the last hint was terrible!”

What was that? It was like a cryptic message. I thought it was nonsense. How could I understand that?

Shesh clicked his tongue.

“Well, I couldn’t think of anything else. I was just improvising.”

“Besides, even if I knew the true value of the ring, it wouldn’t matter.”

I started to suspect that she just wanted to play around.

And Juicy-san too… what’s going on with the Tasan Marquis family?

Still, it’s an engagement ring. And all the women in the Tasan Marquis family have one.

That’s quite romantic. That means Shesh must have one too.

Hmm.

“You should know, I found it. By the way, that ring was my grandmother’s.”

“Grandmother?”

That was surprising.

“It was something she dropped when she was an explorer. She once told me a story about a failure she had, and the ring was part of that.”

“Oh, I didn’t expect to see the real thing.”

“Well, I’m glad you got to see it.”

“I’ve already sent it to my grandmother, so it should arrive soon. Now, for the winner’s right.”

This is what I’ve been waiting for!

Something more valuable than 4 million oro. Could it be a golden knife?

But how sharp is it?

Shesh reached into her chest and took out a blue card.

What’s going on inside that shirt? I’m curious.

“This is a Tasan Emblem Card. It grants you the right to use the Tasan Marquis family’s power once, in my name.”

“Shesh!?”

“Huh?”

The blue card had the Tasan family crest engraved on it in black. A young boy wearing a hood and holding a small wolf. Above the boy was the word “Tasan” in ancient script.

On the back of the card was Shesh’s name.

“If you ever find yourself in a situation you can’t solve, hold this card and say the words, ‘Tasan’s Blessing’—and you’ll be able to use the power of the Tasan Marquis family once.”

“The power of the Tasann Marquis family…”

I don’t quite understand, but it definitely seems important. Dova-san sighed.

“Yeah, Shesh. You sure are something.”

Shesh closed his eyes and slowly opened them.

“Even if you just happened to pick up the ring, giving it to a good person to use for good deeds, making it return to the Tasan family after many years, is a proud and noble action. So, as a reward, it is only natural for someone of the Tasan family to grant you the use of our power once.”

“Oh, that sounds like a good reason.” Dova-san sighed.

“Yeah, I get it. You can do whatever you want since I entrusted it to you.”

“Then, take it. It’s yours now.”

Shesh slid the card across the table toward me with force.

“Uh, thank you…”

I took the Tasan Emblem Card and put it into my pouch, feeling complicated emotions. Sure, it was an incredible thing, but it was far above the 4 million oro.

Honestly, I would have preferred the 4 million. Something tangible, like real money… but I couldn’t say that, so I guess this will do.

Oh, wait. I almost forgot.

“I have one question. Can I ask it?”

“Huh? What is it?”

“This question is for Dova-san.”

“Yeah, sure?”

“Why were you pretending to be a maid when you were picking me up and dropping me off?”

“…Ah, yeah.”

“You really did something so foolish?”

“Ah, yeah.”

Dova-san blushed, her voice becoming smaller.

She was going to try to gloss over it since I didn’t react in surprise.

“Come on, answer her, Lord Proxy of the Marquis.”

“Can you at least call me by my name!?”

“…”

“Lord Proxy of the Marquis Dova Tasan, 26 years old.”

Hmm, it sounds like some sort of title.

But, I’m a kid, so I don’t really get it.

Dova-san, still blushing, mumbled.

“Ah, well… it was, uh… for a surprise…”

“Ah, I see.”

Hmm, what a silly reason.

“You…!”

“Yeah, I thought Dova was acting foolish. I thought she was excited about it.”

“Excited?”

“Why were you so excited?”

“…It’s been a long time since I’ve talked to a teenage boy.”

“Eh…?”

“Eh…?”

“Ah, well, that’s why I dressed as a maid… but then I got embarrassed and started talking about it.”

“Ah, yeah.”

That was definitely embarrassing.

Dova-san turned bright red up to the tips of her ears and hid her face with both hands, writhing.

“…Oh. Wof.”

“Yes?”

“Uh, sorry about that…”

I was apologized to by Shesh-chan.

So, I left the room feeling a little unsettled, with a strange, slippery feeling.

“Excuse me, Wof-sama! Woof, thank you for your hard work!”

Juicy-san, dressed as a maid, ran over to me. Her tail wagging furiously, cutting through the air.

Her eyes looked up at me, sparkling as she gazed directly at me. Ah, she’s a dog.

With her being so happy, I ended up petting her head.

“Thank you for greeting me.”

“Woof? Ah, I’m so happy! Woof, woof!”

Hmm. The overwhelming feeling of a family dog. Oh no, no.

I stopped petting her. Juicy-san snapped out of her blissful expression and looked up.

“I’m sorry, I got carried away.”

“Ah, I… I really like being petted, so I’m very happy. Woof! I’ll escort you! Lord Woof, this way!”

I followed Juicy-san’s guidance. Her ears flicked, and her tail bounced. So cute.

“Ah, ah, it was Wof-sama who found my grandmother’s precious ring, right?”

“Looks like it.”

“Woof, you’re my savior! My grandmother will be so happy. Back then, when she got engaged, the ring she gave Grandpa was a hastily made replica. That was the only regret she had.”

“Is that so? I’m glad I could return it, despite everything.”

“Woof, this engagement ring is the pride of the women of Tasan.”

Juicy-san pulled a bronze-colored ring out of her pocket.

“It’s very precious, huh?”

“Yes. It’s something I will give to someone very important. Woof, just like my grandmother.”

She lovingly caressed the engagement ring before putting it away, then smiled at me.

Her smile, so full of affection, made the strange, sticky feeling inside me fade a little.

So, I left the mansion feeling just a little better.

On the way home in the carriage, I couldn’t forget. I had to stop by that alley.

I needed to pick up the knife. But there were guards in front of the narrow path leading to the alley.

Other guards were bustling around the area as well.

Ah, it’s been sealed off!? Why?

I asked one of the guards.

Wait, what? There are ominous black clouds and lightning around the area? And some tragic scene in the alley?

Two boys and a middle-aged man were the witnesses? Oh, right. I see. Got it.

Yeah. This is impossible… I’ll just have to give up.

Ah… the knife, a simple, plain knife… sniff… back home.

Second arrival.

By now, it had gotten dark, and the sun was setting.

I thanked the carriage driver and finally entered the house.

I was exhausted. Ah, today was really too much. So much happened.

When I got to my room, I took off my belt and pouch and set them on the desk, then collapsed onto the bed.

I rolled onto my back.

“Ah, I’m hungry. First, I’ll eat something…”

Pasta… Napolitan would be nice. No, I’ll go for miso ramen.

Miso is best from the local Chinese restaurants… 

———————————

Zzzzz… ZzzzzZZZzzzzZZzzzzZzzzz.

“…”

“Mm… mmm… Na.”

“Na?”

“…Na, a knife… that can’t be… a knife again…”

“Na?”

“A witch… the knife… why… again, after all this… the knife… Pakira-san…”

“Na!”

“Eh… Juicy-san? Ah, um… why is the knife… why are you… completely naked, wearing a collar, and smiling… Huh, why are you naked!?”

Why is she naked!? Lick lick lick lick lick lick lick!!!

“St-stop, Juicy-san! Don’t lick my face suddenly!”

Lick lick lick lick lick lick lick lick lick!!!

“Stop! Stop it! Stop!!!”

I suddenly shot up from bed. And immediately realized. My face is wet…?

“Eh? Why…?”

“Na!”

“Eh?”

Something fluffy was in front of me.

Fluffy.

Fluffy… what?

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