Kays Translations

Chapter 4: The Strongest Onmyoji is Agitated

For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend what it meant.

But as I gradually began to understand, feelings of shock and confusion surfaced.

“It’s not the Countess Lamprogue, of course. I’m talking about the divine-demon who gave birth to you. Her name is—Melosa, if I recall correctly.”

Melosa.

That was the name of the divine-demon whom Lurum had spent 15 years searching for.

She was the wife of Gilbert Lamprogue… and the person presumed to be my mother.

Ignoring my speechlessness, the headmaster continued.

“The place, you ask? None other than the Independent Territory. That’s where drifters often settle. Fleeing from the Demon Territories and having no foundation to live in the human nations, that place would’ve been her last refuge.”

“…”

“It’s quite far from here, but… well, you’ll get there before the snow begins to fall. You wouldn’t want to spend the entire winter here, brooding. If you’re going, you should leave soon.”

“…”

“I’ve already informed the people there. I’ve prepared a map and will arrange a carriage, complete with escorts.”

“… Don’t make decisions without consulting me.”

Amid my confusion, I managed a weak protest.

“I never said I’d go.”

“Don’t you want to meet your birth mother?”

“… No.”

I wasn’t telling the headmaster—I was convincing myself.

“She may be my parent, but she’s a complete stranger to me. Just knowing her whereabouts is enough.”

I did intend to inform Lurum of her location. If anyone deserved to know, it was her.

But I had no reason to meet her myself.

After all, she was merely the mother of this reincarnated body.

I originally had no parents.

“Are you certain?”

The headmaster’s words felt as if they pierced into my thoughts.

“Meeting or not meeting her is up to you. Do as you please. But… I wouldn’t call it a wise decision.”

“…”

“Humans and divine-demons both have short lifespans. If you miss this chance, you may never get another.”

“…”

“Just meet her. You won’t regret it. Melosa didn’t abandon you out of hatred. Meeting her won’t harm you.”

“… That may be true, but…”

My half-hearted agreement seemed to satisfy the headmaster, who grinned.

“I’ll also make sure your stay there is convenient. It won’t cost you anything, so stay as long as you like. However… there’s been some trouble in the Independent Territory lately.”

The headmaster added this as though it were a minor detail, but it piqued my curiosity.

The dwarf woman spoke as if it were nothing significant.

“It’s probably best not to linger too long. If it’s a nuisance, you can deal with it yourself. It’s a problem that’s persisted for thousands of years, but… you might be able to resolve it.”

“What kind of problem?”

“Long before it became the Independent Territory, that region was considered a cursed land. At the center lies a mountain imbued with magic….”

“Please wait, Headmistress Youhede.” 

Fiona interrupted sharply.

“I know about this matter as well. Are you planning to make Seika-sama solve the anomaly? I didn’t give you that information to give you leverage.”

“I fulfilled the task I was given. I found Melosa’s location. Beyond that, it’s my prerogative.”

The headmaster glared at Fiona but soon averted her eyes.

“That said, I’m not forcing him. It’s a serious matter, and I don’t expect even him to resolve it easily. He can meet his mother and return immediately. It’s his choice.”

“I’m against this, Seika-sama.” 

Fiona said with a stern expression.

“There’s no reason to go now of all times. You can go after the anomaly has settled. I searched for your mother’s location to shield you from being used by any faction, not to burden you with unnecessary trouble.”

After Fiona’s words, silence fell over the room as if waiting for my response.

I hesitated.

But in truth, there was no need to hesitate. I had no reason to accept.

This lifetime’s mother didn’t matter to me. That’s why I had no motivation to visit the Independent Territory. And I had no obligation to solve the anomaly for the sake of unknown elves or dwarves.

Eventually, I opened my mouth to reply.

“… Understood. I’ll go. And I’ll deal with the anomaly if I can.”

The words that escaped my lips were unintentional.

Startled by my own response, I added, almost as an excuse:

“It’s a request from my mentor, after all.”

“What are your intentions, Seika-sama?”

That night.

Yuki, who had leapt onto the bed from above, asked suspiciously in the private room allocated to me.

“You intend to meet your biological parent in this world… but is there truly any meaning in going so far as to take on troublesome matters just to meet them?”

“…”

Yuki seemed genuinely unable to understand.

And in truth, perhaps she really didn’t.

Pipe foxes, unlike most yokai, reproduce as pairs, but the parent dies soon after their offspring are born. Child-rearing is almost entirely left to humans. To pipe foxes, their parents are nothing more than the beings who gave rise to them—nothing more, nothing less.

And truthfully, I wasn’t much different.

So I answered:

“There isn’t.”

“…”

Yuki grew even more puzzled, prompting me to explain further.

“I’m not heading to the Independent Territory just to meet my biological parent.”

“Then why?”

“I thought I’d repay a favor to the headmaster.”

I shared the conclusion I had come to.

“She often badmouths her homeland, yet she still keeps connections there. She must have some attachment to it in her own way. And regarding the anomaly currently occurring in the Independent Territory, she seems genuinely eager to resolve it.”

“…”

“After all, she’s willing to ask even her former demon lord student for help. She must be serious about it. So… I figured this was the perfect opportunity to repay the favor I owe her.”

Though I could have refused outright, I couldn’t bring myself to turn her down.

In other words, I must still feel indebted to the headmaster.

“Hmm…”

Yuki grumbled, sounding unconvinced.

“If that’s your decision, Seika-sama, then so be it. But I can’t help feeling the old woman’s approach was lacking in courtesy. To suggest you should go to the land where your biological parent resides, as if it were a given, seems rather presumptuous.”

Her complaints were reasonable, but I replied:

“She probably didn’t want to make it a formal request. If I were formally asked and agreed, I’d bear some responsibility. By framing it as something I chose to do, I could withdraw if it became too dangerous.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“In short, she’s giving me the option to back out if things get too risky. If I’m acting of my own accord, rather than fulfilling a formal request, there’s no obligation to see it through.”

“In other words… this anomaly might be something even you, Seika-sama, cannot handle?”

“Whatever the reality may be, that seems to be the headmaster’s assessment. She even said as much during the discussion. It does seem to be a deeply rooted problem.”

From what I’d heard, the anomaly sounded like a significant issue.

At the very least, I wouldn’t know its cause until I saw it firsthand.

“Once I’ve heard the details, I might even find it intriguing. I’ve always been curious about the Independent Territory, and with everything prepared for me, it’s not a bad opportunity to check it out.”

“Fair enough. In that case, it’s a good decision.”

“You’re not against it?”

I had expected her to say something like, ‘You’re being far too lax.’

But Yuki answered calmly:

“At times like this, it’s pointless to try reasoning with you, Seika-sama.”

Her words stung a little, but she continued in a softer tone:

“Besides… leaving the capital, where the Emperor’s eyes are ever-watchful, is likely a wise choice. The anomaly’s location is bound to be safer than here.”

“… Depending on how you look at it, that might be true.”

Believing the Emperor’s reach wouldn’t extend to the Independent Territory might be overly optimistic.

But as Yuki suggested, dealing with an unknown anomaly might indeed be preferable to a cunning ruler’s schemes.

Shifting my focus, I said:

“Well, that’s that. I’ll lightly resolve the anomaly, repay the headmaster, and return to wait out spring.”

“Your carefree attitude is quite the contrast to the headmaster’s concern.”

“I’ve dealt with similar issues many times in my previous life. It’s nothing to be overly cautious about.”

“That’s reassuring.”

At that moment, Yuki asked, almost offhandedly:

“Still, this means you truly don’t have any special feelings toward your biological parent in this world, do you, Seika-sama?”

“… No, I don’t.”

I nodded with a faint smile.

Of course not. I was no different from Yuki in this regard.

I understand the concept of a parent-child relationship.

But what it truly means… I don’t comprehend it.

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