Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 6: Reputation in Town
“Oh, so that’s why you’re being so cautious.”
A few days after the Princess of Weimar arrived, Ivern came to my house, bringing maternity clothes and baby supplies for Meyleen.
“Yeah. Even though I was pretty rude and sent them away last time, they still came back, as stubborn as ever. Who knows what they’ll try next, so I thought it’d be best to be on guard.”
On his way here, Ivern got lost due to the security barrier I’d set up, so I explained to him why I had it in place.
The barrier I set up is a magic field that prevents anyone without permission from reaching my house. Since I hadn’t given Ivern clearance, he couldn’t make it through.
Whenever someone gets caught in this barrier, I receive a signal. That’s how I knew to check, and found Ivern and Yulia lost on their way.
“I panicked when I got lost on such a familiar route. Yulia was nearly in tears.”
“My bad. I didn’t have a chance to let you guys know ahead of time. Here, I’ll give you a permit to make up for it.”
With that, I handed Ivern a pendant-shaped permit.
“So, this is the permit, huh?”
Ivern looked it over with interest.
“Yeah, you’ll need it to reach this place. Could you infuse it with some of your magic power?”
“Magic power… Not my strong suit.”
Since Ivern belongs to the human race, he’s not very adept at handling magic power. But it’s not like he can’t do it at all.
Infusing magic power into the permit is essential for security.
“Alright… Hng! … Whew! That work?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
I cast a fixation spell to lock Ivern’s magic power into the permit.
“Now this permit is attuned to you alone. No one else can get through the barrier, even if they’re holding it.”
Handing the permit back to Ivern, he stared at it, impressed.
“Wow. Security is flawless. Why didn’t you do this before?”
It’s natural to wonder, I guess. With this barrier, I wouldn’t have had to deal with annoying bounty hunters.
“Putting up a barrier like this makes it seem like I’m hiding because I’m up to no good, right? Why should I have to sneak around?”
Truth is, I don’t want to waste energy on something like this for the world’s sake.
That reasoning seemed to satisfy Ivern, for the most part.
“Yeah, I get that. You’re supposed to be a high-bounty, notorious criminal on the world’s most-wanted list, yet you don’t cause any trouble. People in nearby towns and villages are confused, too. They’re wondering if you’re really as evil as they say.”
“Huh? They say that about me?”
I’m surprised. Really surprised.
“Yeah, at first everyone was scared. The bounty on you is the highest in history, and you’re wanted by countries all over the world. There were daily meetings in nearby towns and villages about how to handle it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, but… really? You don’t feel anything about it?”
“It doesn’t concern me. They’re the ones getting scared and being on guard. Why should I feel guilty?”
When I said this, Ivern sighed, as if he was giving up.
“Now, I can understand that perspective. But back then, I really thought I had to do something about you.”
“Which is why you came to take me down.”
“For the record, I don’t regret what I did. At that time, I didn’t know you at all, and I was sure it was the right thing to do.”
“I’m not blaming you.”
Though we haven’t known each other that long, I understand what kind of person he is.
Ivern doesn’t follow other people’s opinions; he acts based on his own thoughts and beliefs.
The fact that we’re friends now is the result of Ivern watching me, listening to what I have to say, and making his own decision.
So I have no intention of blaming Ivern for what he did before that.
“Oh, really? That’s a relief. But, you wouldn’t believe how disappointed everyone was when they found out I’d failed to bring you down.”
“…Am I being treated like some evil overlord from a story?”
When I said that, Ivern chuckled.
“At the time, that’s exactly how people saw you. But after I started telling everyone what I’d learned from you, and explaining that you weren’t a bad guy, people’s perceptions gradually started to change.”
“Wait, you actually talked about me?”
“Of course I did. If I hadn’t, they’d still misunderstand you. Back then, I wanted to be friends with you. And it’s no fun when your friend is being misjudged.”
I was speechless, just staring at Ivern, who seemed totally unbothered by what he’d done.
“You’ve been around for so long without causing any trouble. By now, everyone knows you’re not actually a villain. They even know I’ve been bringing supplies to you. Though, when I bought that maternity dress, people thought Yulia was the one expecting.”
Ivern said with a laugh.
But his words made me feel uneasy.
“…So, the townspeople know Meyleen’s having a child?”
Noticing the serious look on my face, Ivern hesitated before nodding.
“Uh… yeah.”
“…Hey, Ivern. When you were in town, did any shady people try to talk to you, or did you feel like someone was watching you?”
Ivern looked thoughtful for a moment.
“Well, the only people who talked to me were the usual acquaintances. As for sensing someone watching… I’m not really good at that sort of thing…”
Well, that’s not surprising. Ivern’s human, and it’s hard for anyone who’s not of the demon race to be sensitive to that kind of thing.
“Fair enough. But still… if word has spread around town…”
I glanced out the window.
“Maybe putting up this barrier was a good idea after all.”
Hearing that, Ivern looked slightly uneasy.
“By the way, why did you decide to put up the barrier this time?”
It was obvious.
“Meyleen’s pregnant. What would we do if something happened to her?”
“Ah, so it’s for Meyleen.”
“Of course it is. Oh, and don’t tell anyone in town about this barrier, got it?”
“Huh? Why will I?”
“And keep acting like you always do. Don’t start acting suspiciously or on guard.”
“But… why?”
Seeing Ivern getting frustrated, I gave him a sly grin.
“If all goes well, we might just catch some fools.”
At that, Ivern’s face twisted into a worried expression, and he muttered quietly.
“…I really hope the kingdom has enough sense not to push their luck.”
Well, we’ll see about that.